April 8 – The Core and the Foundation

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.— John 17:3, KJV

The heart and soul of grace, the foundation of the Christian life, is found in believing in Christ and knowing God and His Son whom He has sent. Yet here is where many stumble—for they lack genuine faith in God. Rather than desiring fellowship with Christ in His self-denial and humility, they constantly strive for the exaltation of self.

Oh, if only we could truly grasp the love of God, our hearts would expand! Narrow sympathies would widen, the icy walls of selfishness would melt, and our spiritual vision would deepen. We would begin to see beneath the surface of life.

It is because we do not truly know God, and have not placed deep faith in Christ, that we are not moved by the depth of humiliation He bore on our behalf. The reality of His descent to our condition does not inspire us to humble ourselves that Christ might be exalted. If we loved Him as He has loved us, we would not shy away from walking through the darker chapters of His suffering.

To be partakers of Christ’s sufferings, we must behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As we contemplate His self-denial and sacrificial spirit, our hearts will be filled with awe at the manifestation of divine love for fallen humanity. When we are called, for Christ’s sake, to pass through trials that humble the soul, if we have the mind of Christ, we will endure them with gentleness. We will not respond to injury with resentment, nor to evil with retaliation. We will reveal the same spirit that was in Him.

We must come to understand the sacrifice, the labor, and the suffering of Christ if we are to work with Him in fulfilling the great plan of redemption.

The knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ—when revealed in the character—is the highest form of education. It is the key that unlocks the gates of the heavenly city. It is God’s will that all who are clothed with Christ possess this knowledge.