25 Dec 2001

The Word Made Flesh

Submitted by theshovel

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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God John 1:1

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Every year the religious world tells the story of Jesus' miraculous birth ... and for a short while all seem to be in agreement over God's gift to man. Many will sing the same Christmas carols, watch the same Christmas plays, even get the same Christmas chills. And I have to remind myself - despite all the attention given to the miraculous union of God and man inherent in the season - religion has been engaged in an ongoing business determined to separate it.

Actually, it's merely the attempt to separate what God has joined together, for in reality it cannot be done. But THIS is the difference between life and religion. One is understood through the UNION, the other through the DISSECTING of the union. One is truly the life of GOD, while the other is just a FORM of godliness. How else does one tell the incredibly miraculous story of the joining of God and man only to turn around and deny it as it relates to us?

As to understanding the meaning of "the Word", religion insists upon a detailed doctrinal formula that can be quoted and given lip service to in the attempt to validate agreement - which ranks merely as a fleshly benchmark of truth. Life, on the other hand, EMBEDS this understanding so that it finds agreement in a real and living way. The connection between word and speaker is not intellectual, but organic, so that the word expresses the being. And if sinners have experienced this in a flawed sense for millennia, how much more did God's Word perfectly express His being from the beginning?

So, why do we continually fall back upon the wording of a doctrinal statement in an attempt to get a handle on what it means for the Word to have become flesh? Do we really understand it better from all our words and explanations and illustrations? I think not. But I can tell you where the understanding is found.

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

Sure, religion will tell you that "God loves you" and that He bestows favor, but it will make sure you are always reminded of the DIFFERENCE between God and yourself. But God gave His Son so that you would always know the CONNECTION between you and Him. When someone tries to convince you that this is not true ... simply point them toward the one who became the joining of God and man: the Word made flesh.

Comments

Re: The Word Made Flesh

theshovel - August 25, 2011 - 3:38pm

These comments were all transferred over from the original website

Hi Jim I thank the Lord when the angels said peace on earth toward men because of Jesus Christ .This year my eyes have been open to the true peace which is resting in the work of God threw Jesus Christ.Knowing He lives in me and made me one with Himself.I am so thankful that He has given me a new live to indentify with and that we have peace with God threw Jesus Christ.I thank the Lord for opening peoples eyes to this truth Love, Dan

Dan, I am thrilled that you are seeing your reality in Christ - for this is true freedom!!!
Jim

Mr. Shovel man,

Thank you for your Christmas thoughts. May your heart continue to grow towards the marvelous freedom and peace that this gospel brings to mankind: God being connected to man. Thank you for your heart towards these truths. God bless.

Adrian

Good Morning, Jim! Thank you for all your wonderful words of Life! Loved this one especially - and I will enjoy letting the glory of our Understanding from Him sink in some more! You always hit me as such a character - I believe we each are this, so unbelievable unique and special in Jesus, His one of a kinds, and it begins to really show when we walk in Him as He really is - our Freedom to be fully alive!
Lynn

"... despite all the attention given to the miraculous union of God and man ..."

I was thinking hard about this from my own very limited and personal past interpretations from what was spoken around me of 'the season'. I never really got any impression at all from others around me about any miraculous union of GOD and man ... meaning the very WORD of GOD and Jesus. My impression from the typical religious view of the whole thing was the miraculous conception of Jesus in the young human girl, Mary.

The focus so much was turned toward the human curiosity and preoccupation of: what was so special about Mary that this would happen to her? What could other women in the world do to become and/or earn such special and worthy recognition as Mary? That seemed to be the whole focus as I was growing up.

I do not remember anyone around me ever discussing how Jesus was the very WORD of GOD revealed and expressed in human form ... both GOD and man joined in perfect union ... from conception to birth to childhood to adulthood to death to resurrection, etc. ... that Jesus was the very Word of GOD personified in man! The 'impression' was that Jesus was just extremely 'special' with an extremely special 'mission' for GOD. You know? Like he just had a 'bit' of GOD in Him to perform his 'godly' duties and purposes ... more than any other man. He was man, but not like any other man. Different ... more special than usual, because of that 'bit' of GOD in him, etc. It was really a rather pathetic and anemic view.

Now, to be 'fair' I will admit that just because I do not remember anyone discussing it, does not mean there was no one discussing it. I just did not 'hear' it at the time.

An ironic, and contradictory thing is that in spite of this anemic and pathetic world view I was surrounded by, I still sensed something more miraculous about Jesus than that. I could not have talked about it, nor could I have explained it. I still can not explain it any way other than 'a miraculous GOD-sense'. I do not believe the 'sense of GOD' can be explained outside the very Life and Spirit of GOD. In other words, I believe it is simply the very Spirit and Life of GOD recognizing the very Spirit and Life of GOD ... not explaining HIM, simply recognizing and identifying HIM.

This is the miraculous ability of ALL who have the very Spirit and Life of GOD! : ) HE is our confidence! May noone, nor anything, convince us otherwise!! : )

The very Word of GOD has been miraculously birthing and joining with man since Jesus ... the FIRSTborn of GOD!! : )

Once again, I am reminded of the Miracles that we ARE!! I am reminded of the Miraculous Difference that we ARE in the world! I am reminded of the Miraculous joining of the very Life and Spirit of GOD within our very humanity! : ) We are fully human and we are fully of the very Life and Spirit of GOD!! GOD has miraculously made us what the world can only futilely 'attempt' and 'strive' and 'strain' and 'conive' and 'delude' themselves into believing they can become. In HIM alone it is DONE! : ) In HIM we are WHOLE!! : )

This is wonderful news to dwell on for the New Year!! And really, why wait for the New Year. We are NEW NOW!! Now and forever more!! : )

We stand because HE has made us to stand! Not as the world 'stands' do we stand!! The world will always view GOD and us as fallen and failures by their standards!! Their 'standing' is all a facade. But ... this is not our REALITY in HIM! : ) As GOD stands, we STAND, because we STAND in and with HIM!! That is who we are and what we do, regardless of how the world see us, and regardless of how they may convince us from time to time to view our own selves and each other. In HIM our 'STANDING' is SURE!

: )

HAPPY NEW YEAR in this realm of time!!
Sherri

"Sure, religion will tell you that "God loves you" and that He bestows favor, but it will make sure you are always reminded of the DIFFERENCE between God and yourself. But God gave His Son so that you would always know the CONNECTION between you and Him. When someone tries to convince you that this is not true ... simply point them toward the one who became the joining of God and man: the Word made flesh."

I especially loved this paragraph! I think it is a wonderful summation of the whole article! : )

Thank you for always being a reminder of that wonderful 'Connection'!! : )
Sherri