CHRIST OUR ABIDING PLACE
TEXT:
"And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:" - Exo 33:21
Jesus is a Person, but Christ is a Place, a Place of dwelling for the saints. Here in Exodus 33 verse 21, God referred to a Place by Him, a Rock for Moses to stand upon. This was a reference to Christ as a Place where God would eventually put us. Hence in the NT, much reference is made of being in Christ (1st Corinthians 1 verse 2 and 30; Colossians 1 verse 2; Ephesians 1 verse 1; Philippians 1 verse1).
All praise and glory to God through Whose doing we are in Christ Jesus. Being in Christ isn't by our efforts. Yes, it's the LORD GOD Himself that put us in Christ, for several reasons:
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (1st Corinthians 1 verses 30 to 31).
Christ is our abiding Place (John 15 verse 4); a Place where we can experience God's glory. Moses had requested to see God's glory:
"And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." (Exodus 33 verse18). But it was a request that God wouldn't grant at that time in its fullness seeing that it wasn't meant for that dispensation.
"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, … which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." (2nd Corinthians 3 verses 7 to 11)
Another way to say this is that in this present Church dispensation, the glory of God is far more revealed to us; and that in Christ Jesus:
"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2nd Corinthians 4 verse 6).
Indeed, we've been called in Christ to obtain God's glory (1st Thessalonians 2 verse 12; 2nd Thessalonians 2 verse 14); and what's more, we could have it in an increasing dimension as we will dare to look (2nd Corinthians 3 verses 18). The choice is actually ours!
Jesus brought us into a living relationship with God. We simply cannot have a living encounter with God without encountering His glory. When God shows up, so does His glory. Like I noted earlier, the intensity of God's glory in the Church dispensation is far greater than that of the Old Testament days!
"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts:" (Haggai 2 verse 9).
In other words, what Moses experienced as God's glory was far less than what we have today (2nd Corinthians 3 verses 7 to 11). We note also that we, unlike Moses, do not only behold God’s glory, but we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory (2nd Corinthians 3 verse 18). That's mind blowing! It's like the more you look, the more you become! What a privilege! All of these results from abiding in Christ.
Actually, there's much more to gain from abiding in Christ.To abide in Him is to have Him for Refuge and Fortress against the wiles of wicked:
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:" (Psalms 91 verses 1 to 2)
Again, abiding in Christ will not only make us to experience fruitfulness in life, but will also put us in a position to receive from God whatever we will:
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me ... He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: ... If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15 verses 4 to 8). Hallelujah!
PRAYER:
Dearest Heavenly Father, thank You for providing Christ a Place for me to abide in. Daily, and all the days of my life, I abide in Him, in Jesus name.