“God was manifest in the flesh.” 1 Timothy 3:16
I have often said that understanding who you are and what you have as a result of the person and work of Christ is the key to everything in the Christian’s life. Our focus must be on Him or we fail. We must “consider Him” or faint and fall. That is why these following words from the pen of James Smith are so very important and should be of great interest to every believer:
The manifestation of God is in the person and work of Christ, and we are herefrom to learn what our God is, and what we may expect Him to do for us. What Jesus was to those about Him, such Jehovah is; what Jesus did and was willing to do, that our God is willing to do for us. In Jesus we see tender love, melting compassion, and gracious forbearance; mercy and power, rectitude and pity, holiness and long-suffering, justice and harmlessness, united. Such is our God— Love is His name and His nature. And can you slavishly fear such a God? Can you wilfully sin against and grieve such a Being? Cannot you believe His word, depend upon His veracity, rejoice in His name, and expect from Him every promised good? For this purpose His word was written, His name is published, and Jesus died. Always look at God in Christ; attempt not to learn God from nature. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” “I HAVE MANIFESTED THY NAME.”
Till God in human flesh I see,
My thoughts no comfort find;
The holy, just, and sacred THREE,
Are terrors to my mind:
But if IMMANUEL’S face appear,
My soul surmounts each slavish fear.
