This week's 'thought' comes from one who's writings have had an immense impact on my thinking. He's one of the most brilliant pastors, preachers, or theologians ever to grace the American scene - Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758).
This selection is taken
from his sermon, "Safety, Fullness and Sweet Refreshment in Christ."
It is found in the book, "Devotions From The Pen Of Jonathan Edwards."
I have taken the liberty to update or paraphrase some of the
language. Enjoy.
The
Excellency of Christ
"For in Him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
Colossians 2:9
"Christ Jesus has true
excellency, and so great is that excellency that when believers come to
see it, they look no further, but the mind rests there.
It sees a transcendent
glory and an unspeakable sweetness in Him. It sees that until now it has
been pursuing shadows, but that now it has found the substance; that before it
had been seeking happiness in the stream, but now it has found the ocean.
The excellency of Christ is
an object adequate to the natural yearnings of the soul, and is sufficient
to fill it to its capacity. It is an infinite excellency, such as the mind
desires, and in which it can find no bounds. The more the mind grasps
Christ, the more excellent He appears.
Every new discovery of
Christ makes His beauty appear more ravishing, and the mind sees no end to
it. Here is room enough for the mind to go deeper and deeper, and never come to
the bottom. The soul is exceedingly ravished when it looks upon this beauty,
and it never wearies of it. The mind never becomes tired of gazing upon His
beauty. Christ's excellency is always fresh and new, and tends as much to
delight, after it has seen a thousand or ten thousand years, as when it was
seen the first moment.
The excellency of Christ is
an object suited to the superior faculties of man, suited to entertain the
faculty of reason and understanding. There is nothing more worthy, to
which the understanding can be focused, than His excellency. There is no
other object so great, noble and exalted."
It's not hard to see that
Edwards was consumed with a passion for Christ and His glory. It's
also not hard (if you read more of his writings) to see that his words are
spoken from the personal experience of having found in Christ all that truly
inspires and satisfies the soul. His was a Christ-craving,
Christ-adoring, Christ-satisfied soul.
In Christ one
finds the source of all that the human soul truly desires
-- though so many mistakenly and sinfully pursue that
soul-satisfaction in the "shadows" of
the earthly things He has created. Trace any earthly "shadow" (any
noble or worthy desire, yearning or craving) back to the One who's
creative hand has cast that shadow, and you will find its true, better, and
eternal substance in Jesus.
Yet, it's only the one who
has tasted of the exceeding excellency of Christ through personal
experience -- by grace, through faith
-- that can testify to the unmatched sweetness of His beauty and glory.
For only when He is recognized as the redeeming Lord of heaven and
earth, does that illumination
sweeten the taste of one's personal discoveries regarding Christ.
The words of theologian
John Hannah (which I've shared before) apply well here: "The day you find anything more beautiful than Jesus, is the day
you can know you never knew Jesus." Edwards would agree. I trust
you do as well. But if not, then remember the invitation of the
psalmist: "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8).
Just one taste of the
soul-satisfying pleasure of intimate union with Jesus and it is near impossible
not to be driven to want more. Yet you have to experience it to ever know it.
In the Bonds of
Christian Affection, Pastor Jeff
