"For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him [Christ]
they are yes." (1:20a)
God has faithfully fulfilled all His promises in His Son; in Jesus Christ all these promises receive a resounding "Yes!"
Jesus Himself is the message (cf. 1:19, "the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us"). Jesus is the personification of God's stupendous plan for mankind;Jesus is the grand and glorious exclamation point to all that God has revealed about Himself; Jesus is the "Yes!" to all that God in His grace intended for us.
God has planned it all and brought it to fruition through the saving work of His Son;
it is left for man simply to respond and receive and adore: "wherefore also by Him [Christ] is our Amen to the glory of God through us." (1:20b) The word "wherefore" emphasizes that man's part is completely and utterly dependent on God's part; He has initiated and consummated His saving purposes on our behalf. Our response is "also by Him [Christ],"
in acknowledgment of God's yes to us through the redemptive work of Jesus; and that response is summarized by Paul as "our Amen." Paul is using a figure of speech (known as synecdoche) where a small part is used to represent a much larger whole; by it Paul indicates that all of our responses of prayer and praise and worship, which are so often punctuated with a final "Amen" (meaning "it is true" or "so be it") are
expressions of
grateful assent and surrender to God's loving purposes for us in Christ. More than that, our entire lives (which is the true New Testament scope and realm of worship, according to John 4:23 and Romans 12:1) are to be a confirmation and reflection of the wondrous work God has wrought in us. Our "Amen" is the full-orbed response of love, with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), to God's "Yes" to us in Jesus; and this love we express through life- and lifestyle-pervading worship.
It should be noticed that Jesus Christ is not only the message (1:19); not only is He the fulfillment of the many promises of God (1:20a); not only is He the subject and object of our adoring and grateful response of "Amen (1:20b):
Jesus Christ is the active agent in our response of worship to God for all that He done for us in His Son.
Our "Amen" is not just to Him, or for Him, or even just through Him-- our Amen of response is actually "by Him." (1:20b)
Jesus does not leave us in our (albeit redeemed) frailty and weakness to drum up an appropriate response to God for His magnificent promises and their coming to fruition in His Son; no, Jesus leads the way as our Mediator in returning to the Father praise and honor and thanks for His redeeming work, for "summing all things up in Christ." (Ephesians 1:10) Indeed, that Amen of worship is "through us," but "by Him"! (1:20b)
And so our own response is but an echo of our High Priest's, and it all redounds to the "glory of God" (1:20b)-- not because we have brought a level or quality or quantity of response appropriate to or worthy of His glory; but because the living Christ Himself has made our response for us, and in so doing has made it perfect and worthy and acceptable.That perfect worship which God in His perfection must and does require is effected by our Substitute and is credited to our account; in so doing God is indeed "working in us that which is pleasing in His sight" (Hebs. 13:21), with the result that "no man may boast." (1 Cor. 1:29 )
Our Amen (initiated and carried out "by Him") displays and magnifies the glory of God, in the appointed consummation of God's work of saying "Yes" to mankind in Jesus Christ. Our Amen completes and complements God's Yes; and in Christ the entire duality is carried out and completed-- He is the operative force both in the God-to-man movement of "Yes," and in the man-to-God response of "Amen." So He continues in His bidirectional ministry of Mediator between God and man.God's plan, its fulfillment in Christ, and the response of worship on our part: all these aspects work together to evoke the "praise of His glory" (Ephes. 1:6,12,14) among the redeemed and the whole of the angelic host (Revel. 5).
John Piper has said that "the meaning of the universe is God going public for the glory of God." That meaning is realized, and that glory manifested, through God's sovereign and gracious "Yes" to us in Jesus Christ and through our humble and neverending response of "Amen."God has said, "Here is my Son, offered up for your salvation.Yes!"
We reply, "Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus. Amen!"
And thus God thus brings great glory to His blessed name.
Yes! Amen!
The whole thing is taken from the web n was edited.. dats wad u do when u're rushing for ur assignments... hahahha...
A direct response and a big shout of 'Yes and Amen' simply invokes confidence in God's promises. We are too silent about this. Perhaps we need a sermon on this. Perhaps.
On another note i personally felt that over the years the gift of the Holy Spirit has not ceased but it is just that some believers have not claim on it and start teaching members that the gift has ceased. Healings, laying of hands speaking in tongues and etc..Does the bible tells us that the gift has ceased? Not at all! Can someone tell me why is only miracles like extraodinary ones are only heard of in Charasmatic churches and not the others.. ?? Controversies bound to arise from what has been written. But it is always good to ask ourselves about all this..
Anyone wanna comment? Feel free to do so.. After all that is what belonging to a church is for rite?
