The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Song of Songs 4:7,
"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you."
This phrase, spoken by the lover for his beloved, if the song represents the love between God and his covenant people, if the song represents the love between the Savior and the redeemed, if the song represents the love between the Creator and his individually created people, then the flawless nature found within the beloved is that which follows our Lord's transformation he brings about in our lives.
While Paul points out in Romans 3:23, that we are all unacceptable to God, "there is no one righteous...", he points out that the Lord transforms us when we give ourselves to him. It is this very transformation that brings about that "flawless" nature, "he [God] chose us in him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4.
God brings about this flawless nature within us, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." Ephesians 1:7-8. Additionally we read, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." Romans 8:28.
We see this activity of God in passages such as Hebrews 12:10-11, "God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
The end result of God's work within us, when we embrace him in faith, is seen in Jude 24 where we read that "God our Savior" is "able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy..."
God truly makes an object of beauty out of each one of us! It is not a matter of our efforts or ingenuity, but a result of his handiwork. Everything God creates is a masterpiece of perfection, particularly the work he does in our lives, the lives of sinful, lost and corrupted people! That joyful reunion we will have with our God is a result of what he has accomplished within us, such that some day he will say "You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." Hard to imagine, isn't it? (Particularly with someone as me!)
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you."
This phrase, spoken by the lover for his beloved, if the song represents the love between God and his covenant people, if the song represents the love between the Savior and the redeemed, if the song represents the love between the Creator and his individually created people, then the flawless nature found within the beloved is that which follows our Lord's transformation he brings about in our lives.
While Paul points out in Romans 3:23, that we are all unacceptable to God, "there is no one righteous...", he points out that the Lord transforms us when we give ourselves to him. It is this very transformation that brings about that "flawless" nature, "he [God] chose us in him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4.
God brings about this flawless nature within us, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." Ephesians 1:7-8. Additionally we read, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." Romans 8:28.
We see this activity of God in passages such as Hebrews 12:10-11, "God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
The end result of God's work within us, when we embrace him in faith, is seen in Jude 24 where we read that "God our Savior" is "able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy..."
God truly makes an object of beauty out of each one of us! It is not a matter of our efforts or ingenuity, but a result of his handiwork. Everything God creates is a masterpiece of perfection, particularly the work he does in our lives, the lives of sinful, lost and corrupted people! That joyful reunion we will have with our God is a result of what he has accomplished within us, such that some day he will say "You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." Hard to imagine, isn't it? (Particularly with someone as me!)
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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