The following is a new article from Mo Thomas, one of our main writers for Elisha’s Riddle. It’s our joy to announce that Mo’s upcoming book “Into the Abyss” will be published in the very near future through Eyes Open Press! We will keep you posted as we have new updates.
Several years ago over Christmas, we visited a place in Page, Arizona called Antelope Canyon, and I was awestruck at the stunning beauty of this place. Dirt and stone, subjected to the steady flow of water for a long time, transformed into something magnificent. People across the globe come to see it for themselves. See what? The results of . . .
Flowing water . . .
and lots of time.
That’s how it is with us, isn’t it? Scripture uses water to describe both the Word of God (the Logos: Jesus as the incarnation of Reality) and the Spirit of God. Both the Word and Spirit have the power to take what is plain and insignificant, and transform it into something jaw-dropping.
Sometimes, it’s good to remember the futility of self-change, which is often temporary and frustrating. But the raging current of Christ and His Spirit can produce a life of such inner beauty and grace, that people will find it nearly impossible, ludicrous even, to deny the Artist responsible for the masterpiece.
God’s Final Word in His Son
Let’s look a little closer at one of the preceding water-realities from Scripture: The Logos…
Throughout the Old Testament narrative, the understanding of God progresses steadily until it reaches its climax in the incarnated Christ who is called the Logos. This is where, for the FIRST TIME, we see the perfect, complete, revelation of God.
God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways, has in these last days spoken [with finality] to us in [the person of One who is by His character and nature] His Son [namely Jesus], whom He appointed heir and lawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe [that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum]. The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. (Hebrews 1:1-3 AMP)
No one “knew” God, except Jesus… In fact, these are His own words:
No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father]. (John 1:18 AMP)
“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son …” (Matt. 11:27 NLT)
Jesus came as the exegesis of God,
the invisible made visible,
the Word of God . . . Logos.
His Story = Gospel,
The Good News
Of His Love.
This is the Water – the truth – that washes and shapes our souls into divine beauty.
This water is a spring that is ever rising and always available. One way to enjoy it is by grabbing the “water bottle” of meditation and using that to fill up our heart with the Gospel’s pristine currents. For as we meditate on the Reality of Christ – and the magnificent Story into which we’ve been included – we find that the eternal flow of love shared between Father, Son, and Spirit washes away all that is NOT of Christ within us. It is then that we find ourselves, quite naturally, being conformed into Their beautiful image.
Selah.