Looking to Jesus – Pastor/Elder Jeff Warren

  Posted on January 6, 2023  by   No comments

On Wednesday evenings this semester during Immerse, the elders have been going through a section of our Statement of Faith entitled, ‘The Person and Work of Jesus Christ’.   One of the reasons we are doing this is that we long for every believer at New Life to be captivated by Christ in order that we would be conformed to Christ, to the praise of His glory and grace!  To be captivated by Him has to come from us gazing upon Him in the revealed Word of God.  “He is the radiance of the glory of God,” (Hebrews 1:3) and so we look to Him – “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,” (Hebrews 12:2).  By looking upon Him, we begin to know Him, which Jesus actually prayed for – “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)  The Apostle Paul even said that there’s nothing greater on this planet than knowing his Savior – “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8a)  But this isn’t just a ‘head-knowledge’ type of knowing.  Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, something far greater occurs.  “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)  God’s Word is at work within us!  So just what exactly is taking place within us as we gaze upon the beauty and wonders of Jesus Christ?  “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”  (2 Corinthians 3:18)  Astonishing!  One of God’s plans, before time began, was not to just save a people from their sins, but to sanctify Christians to look more and more like His Son – “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,” (Romans 8:29a)  This is why we long to be a church saturated in the Word of God.  Let’s continue to help one another gaze upon the beauty of Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

looking to Jesus, pastor jeff