The Bodily Form of God the Father

Artist's depiction of twenty four-elders around the throne

Prior to His incarnation, Jesus was always the Word and was always with God, self-existent from the beginning.  John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1:1-2, 14)

We know from Scripture that Jesus has a body now, because took on human likeness when He was born (Phil 2:7).  There was a definite point in time when the Word became flesh (Joh 1:14), and that body of His was crucified on the cross.  We also know that He subsequently rose from the dead after three days, and appeared to His disciples in a body made of flesh and bone, which they could touch.  In that body, He could eat food and walk through locked doors.  He could materialize and dematerialize at will.  He also ascended to heaven in the body right before the eyes of His disciples.  Now He sits at the right hand of God in His glorified body.  While He still has that eternal, corporal body, we know that the Church is His Body on earth indwelled by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:23; 4:12; 5:30).  All of these are well-known, elementary truths of the Word.

However, did you know that the Father in heaven also has a bodily form?  Some people think that He does not have a form, because the Scripture says God, who is Spirit, is invisible and that no one has ever seen God (Joh 4:24; Col. 1:15; 1Ti. 1:17).

It's true that Jesus did say, “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.” (Joh 5:37)  Yet when He spoke of "the form" of the Father, He did not deny that the Father has a form, but merely said that those to whom He was speaking had never seen it. The Greek word for “form” is “eidos” meaning “1) the external or outward appearance, form figure, shape; 2) form, kind” (Thayer).

The Father does have a form, figure, or outward appearance. In fact, Moses beheld the form of the LORD in the pillar of cloud.  In the account of Aaron and Miriam's sin of criticizing Moses, God said of Moses, "With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?" (Num 12:8). 

In fact, there was one occasion when not only Moses, but also Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders saw God up on the mountain. Scripture says, "Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank." (Exo 24:9-11). This proves that it is possible to see God.

Jesus said, "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” (Joh 6:46).  Up to that point, nobody on earth had seen the Father, except for the instances I just mentioned, because God allowed it.  But Jesus did affirm that He had seen the Father, indicating that the Father can be seen by those in heaven.

We know that the Father is in heaven, according to Jesus, who always referred to Him as such the heavenly Father or the Father in heaven (Mat. 5:16,45; 6:1,9; 7:11,21; 10:32,33; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10,14,19; 23:9; Mark 11:25,26; 13:32; Luke 10:21; 15:18,21).  And we know that He is shrouded with a cloud of glory, encircled by pure light.  But He does condescend to commune with man, since that was the purpose for which He created man.  And that means He can reveal Himself to man in such a way that man can relate to and comprehend.  So let’s look at Scripture to find evidence of God’s form, even prior to the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Face of God
The Scriptures speak of God's face:

Moses spoke to God face to face. "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Exo 33:11)

Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! (Psa 27:9)

God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us. (Psa 67:1)

Jesus said, “"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 18:10).  So even while Jesus was on earth, the angels in heaven were able to see the face of the Father in heaven continually. That means the Father’s face is visible to those in the spirit realm.

"For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."  (1Pe 3:12)

Also see Psa 10:11; 80:3; cf., 80:7,19; Eze 39:29; Dan 9:17; Isa 59:2.

Nostrils
The Scriptures speak of God's nostrils:

Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.  (Psa 18:8)

Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.  (Psa 18:15)

"Who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.  (Isa 65:5)

Eyes of God
The Scriptures speak of God's eyes:

"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," Declares the LORD.  (Amo 9:8)

“Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” (Psa 17:8)

"Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God.  (Isa 37:17)

"For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."  (1Pe 3:12)

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:8)

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." (2Ch 16:9)

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.” (Pro 15:3)

Also see Deu 11:12; Deu 21:9; Psa 34:15; Pro 5:21; 22:12; Zec 2:8; 4:10, as well as The Eyes of the Lord.

God’s Ear
The Scriptures speak of God's ear:

“Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.” (Isa 59:1)

“The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.”  (Psa 34:15)

“Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.”  (Psa 86:1)

Also see 2Ki 19:16; Isa 37:17; Neh 1:11; Psa 10:17

Mouth of God
The Scriptures speak of God's mouth:

“Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.” (Psa 18:8)

"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” (Deu 8:3)

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.” (Psa 33:6)

“For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Pro 2:6)

"But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isa 1:20)

Psa 138:4; Isa 34:16; 40:5; 58:14; 62:2; Jer 9:12, 20; 23:16; Mic 4:4

God’s Head
The Scriptures speak of God's head:

"Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.”  (Psa 108:8)

God’s Arm
The Scriptures speak of God's arm:

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon? (Isa 51:9)

“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”  (Isa 53:1; cf., Joh 12:38)

'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.” (Deu 5:15)

“O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” (Psa 98:1)

“Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,” (Jer 32:17)

Isa 30:30; 40:10; 48:14; 62:8; Deu 4:34; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8; Eze 20:33

Hand of God
The Scriptures speak of God's hand:

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.  (Isa 59:1)

Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”  (Jer 1:9)

“As is Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.”  (Psa 48:10)

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa 41:10)

“So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mar 16:19)

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Act 7:55-56)

Some prefer to believe the theologians, who think that the term "right hand" of God is simply figurative, meaning the place of authority.  If you believe that, then you need to read the section below on the apostle John's revelation of the throne.  The Father was actually holding something in his hand.

Also see Deu 4:34; Luk 22:69; Act 2:33; Act 5:31; Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; 1Pe 3:22; Heb 10:12; 12:2.

Finger of God
The Scriptures speak of God's finger:

“When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.”  (Exo 31:18)

"The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.”  (Deu 9:10)

Jesus said, "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Luk 11:20; cf., Exo 8:19)

Feet of God
The Scriptures speak of God's feet:

"But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.”  (Mat 5:34-35)

“Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet; what kind of house will you build for Me?' says the Lord, 'or what place is there for my repose?”  (Act 7:49; cf., Isa 66:1)

God’s Sandal
The Scriptures speak of God's sandal:

“Moab is my wash-pot; upon Edom will I cast My sandal; over Philistia will I shout aloud.” (Psa 108:9)

God’s Wings
The Scriptures speak of God's wings:

“Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.”  (Psa 17:8)

“He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” (Psa 91:4)

God's Back
The Scriptures speak of God's back:

Moses had asked to see God's glory. "But He said, 'You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!' Then the LORD said, 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.'" (Exo 33:20-23)

To See Jesus is to See the Father
The prophet Isaiah said, “In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’" (Isa 6:1-5)

Isaiah said, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne.” He even saw His robe! He said, “My eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”  Whom did he see?  Was it the Father or the Lord Jesus?  The apostle John said, “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.” (Joh 12:41).  John said He saw the glory of Jesus, and that happened seven hundred years before the birth of Christ.  Jesus Himself said, "He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.” (Joh 12:45)

The apostle writing to the Hebrews says that He is the radiance of His glory (He 1:3a).  So even before He had a body, He had glory with the Father in heaven, as Jesus Himself said (Jn 17:5).

The Prophet Ezekiel's Revelation of the Throne of God
The prophet Ezekiel also had a revelation of God's throne. In the opening of his first chapter, he describes the awesome appearance of the four living creatures that are always around the throne of God, and he described the One who is on the throne above the expanse that is over the heads of the four living creatures. You have to read the entire first chapter to get the full picture, but here is what he saw and recorded specifically about the throne:

"And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli [sapphire] in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking." (Eze 1:25-28).

As we can see from this passage, there was a figure with the appearance of a man. The Hebrew word for "figure" is "shape", so we see that he was referring to the form of the one on the throne as resembling that of a man's appearance. In addition to all of the features of God's form that I have already described in this post, Ezekiel also described God's loins and upward appearing as glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it. He further described God's appearance from His loins and downward appearing as something like fire. Moreover, he described the appearance of the glory around the Lord as a radiance that surrounds Him, which resembles a rainbow in the clouds. What a glorious picture the prophet has given us of God's awesome and majestic figure!

The Apostle John’s Revelation of the Throne of God
The apostle John had a revelation of God's throne, too, which helps us to properly understand the Trinity. In order to do so, you must read Revelation chapters 4 and 5 together, where you will see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So I will quote the two chapters here in their entirety:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’ Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’  (Rev 4:1-11)

In this fourth chapter of Revelation, John described One sitting on the throne, Who is called The Lord God, the Almighty, and seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. He saw the Father and the Holy Spirit. Then John continues in Revelation 5, where he describes Jesus.

“I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders *said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they *sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.’ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.” (Rev 5:1-14)

In this fifth chapter of Revelation, John stated that in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne was a book. The Father has actual hands!  Then John saw between the throne and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God.  The angel also described Him as the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.  We know this is our Lord Jesus Christ. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. If Jesus were the One whom John saw sitting on the throne in chapter four, He would not be taking the book from His own right hand.  The fact is that He took the book from the right hand of the Father.  The heavenly worshipers then sang “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”  Notice they worshiped both Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb.  This is a clear reference to the Father and the Son.

Personal Testimonies About the Heavenly Father
All personal testimonies must be subjected to God’s Word.  But now that we have seen what the Word says, here are some testimonies from people who have been to heaven, regarding what the Father looks like. 

Anna Rountree describes what the Father is like in her books, “The Heavens Opened” and “Priestly Bride.”  She says, “The Heavenly Father has Huge hands of light. He has two huge eyes aflame -- beautiful, terrible beyond description. Within the resplendent light, part of the Father’s form can be seen. You can see what appears to be His feet and that which looks like a garment falling in drapes to the sea of glass. Flashes of lightning are in this garment. Within the searing light there is something of His hands and the loose sleeves covering His arms. Above His waist, the light emanating from Him is so blinding in its intensity, purity, and holiness that one can see no further…The Father can change his appearance into a burning flame of love.”

She also said, “The Father’s heart is represented by white-hot coals of fire, aflame with love. The heart of our Father is pure, aflame, and holy. You must be invited to walk amid the coals of fire, for although our Father loves all, not all are invited within.”

She continues, “The dark cloud that surrounds God is actually the dense oil of the Spirit, a great good, a visible sign of the magnitude of the anointing, incomprehensible to mankind and therefore seemingly dark. To the majority of mankind, He is hidden in darkness. Light that they cannot see emanates from Him. To many of His children He seems hidden, but the fire of His love is burning through the density of that oil now and will allow His children to see His love, His mercy, and His fatherly compassion, as well as the startling reality of His holiness.”

Listen to "The Heavens Opened" 

Listen to "Priestly Bride"

Brother Yong Doo Kim, in his book, “Baptize by Blazing Fire,” says, “The Heavenly Father’s hand is bigger than a giant mountain.”

In his book, a woman in his church described her experience of being caught up to heaven to the throne.  She stated:

“Jesus took me to Heaven…Jesus asked me, ‘Yoo-Kyung, remember the promise I made to you yesterday? Do you recall?’ I answered, ‘Yes, Jesus. You promised to show me God the Father.’ Jesus faithfully kept His promise and took me to meet His Father. Our Father is larger than we can imagine, reaching up to the top of the Heavenly sky and shines brighter than the sun. He was sitting on an enormously large throne.

I was filled with joy, singing praises before God. I sang  ‘Bless the Lord, my soul’ and God the Father listened to me sing. He danced with joy and whenever He moved, unfathomable colorful rays of light brightly poured out of Him. In front of Father God was a book, larger than a mountain, and He was looking at it. God’s huge hand stretched out and gently stroked my head. The magnitude of how large His hands are can’t be described in words. The upper part of God’s body was covered with fog, like a cloud. Jesus requested I continue singing praises, so I did. God rejoiced in my praising by clapping His hands together and holding my hands swinging back and forth. I was so happy I swung my arms all around. Jesus cautioned me, ‘In the presence of our Father God don’t swing out of control!’ He taught me to raise my arms up high with my head bowed down respectfully. Later, Jesus took me back to the Church.”

Regarding another instance when she was taken to heaven, she described it like this:

“While I was dancing, I saw Father God swaying on His throne. From the throne, Father God displayed a brilliant shining light. God was light. I wasn’t able to look at Him. There were several angels and they were all busily writing something onto books that were displayed in front of the throne. Father God is enormously huge. One cannot imagine His size. Even if one attempted to glance at Father God, it would be impossible due to the brilliant light. The light is too strong for one to look toward. Father’s gown was very long and it reached down to His ankles. I was only able to see His feet.”

“Father God spoke to me as His voice echoed. ‘Yoo Kyung, isn’t it great to be here? If you continue to pray earnestly, I’ll bring you here more often. Therefore, earnestly pray without ceasing.’ I bowed down and replied, ‘Yes sir, Amen.’ After I had spoken, His huge hand appeared from the light and patted my head. Jesus then said, ‘Yoo Kyung, look at me!’ When I turned to see Jesus, I became very sad and my heart broke. I almost cried. On both His wrists, I saw the huge scars where He had been pierced by nails. I also saw the scars on His feet. The Lord continued, ‘As I had my blood poured out, I died for you. Always think of me!’”

Brother Kim also recorded his son Joseph’s testimony of being caught up to heaven.  Joseph described the heavenly Father like this:

“A gigantic…giant?..was wearing a garment that was whiter than the snow. He was sitting on the throne. There were rainbows surrounding and shinning all around, and there are no words to describe what I was seeing. Also, the area above the chest was covered by fog-like clouds. As soon as I tried to lift my head up, it automatically bowed down, and the majesty, glory and light weighed down on me. I thought inside, ‘This is Jehovah God,’ and I lifted my head up to see. God’s figuration was like us humans, and He reached the top of the sky sitting down. He was tremendously big and seemed unfathomable…An intense light poured out from God the Father’s facial area, and my head automatically bowed down once again. God spoke with a strong, thundering voice, ‘Oh, Joseph, my little pig has come. You went through a lot to get here. I will give you mighty abilities, so continue praying diligently!’ As soon as I heard our Father God’s voice, my body froze in place like I was just hit with an electric shock, and I could not move at all.” 

Joseph quoted Revelation 4:2-3 to describe the Father and stated:

“After that, I followed Jesus to travel around heaven, visiting many places that were like the Garden of Eden. It was an amazing place.” He went on to describe it in detail.

Joseph also described another instance when he was taken to heaven:

“That day we started with prayer first and then later pastor followed with praising and a sermon. While I was worshipping, I could see clearly the throne of God. I could see it with my eyes closed as well as opened…I resumed praying in tongues and I was immediately taken before the throne of God. I felt even more insignificant than a speck of dust before God’s presence…Then, while I was still at the throne of God, I saw precisely four beasts: one was a lion, a calf, a beast with the face of a human, and an eagle soaring with its wings -- just as it is mentioned in the book of Revelation 4:7. There were six wings attached to it, with countless eyes in the front as well as the back, and it looked closely and observed what was happening on earth where we lived. As the angels opened up the book of life before the throne of God, God turned the pages of the book one by one looking for something. A short while later God’s enormous hand found and confirmed the matter He had in mind from the book of life. So, after He found it, He pointed at me saying, ‘Joseph Kim!’ and then commanded, ‘Bring me Joseph’s bottle for his tears, as well as sister Shin, Sung-Kyung’s tear bottle to me.’” Then Joseph quotes the psalmist, ‘Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?’ (Psalm 56:8).

Joseph continues, “Immediately after the command was given, in a blink of an eye, an angel brought the bottles, but some were big and some were small. I didn’t know the reason why God asked for deaconess Shin and my tear bottle, but lately she’s been crying often while she prayed, so I think God wanted me to verify it with my eyes.”

Another member of brother Kim’s church described her experience before the throne of God.  She stated:

“Today, Jesus took me to Heaven. One cannot possibly express the sight of Heaven with human words. We were in front of the Father's throne. The Father's majesty and glory were so great, I could not lift my head. I bowed before Him. The essence of the Father is indescribable. His majesty is beyond great. I attempted to lift my head to get a glimpse of the Father, but the pure brightness of the light prevented me from seeing Him. Father God is light. A finite mind cannot comprehend or imagine His glory. The magnitude of Father God appeared as though He covers the height and depth of Heaven. His throne appeared as though it covers the ends of Heaven from east to west. There seemed to be a formation of clouds hovering over His throne. A luminous light brighter than the sun showered down. I felt like a speck of dust as I stood before God.”

Rev. Oden Hetrick described God’s face in his book, “Inside the Gates of Heaven.”  He stated: “When God sits on His Throne before a gathering of saints, He makes Himself big enough so that all may easily see Him.  But when His is giving a personal interview, He appears to be, if He were standing, only twelve to eighteen feet tall.  And His Throne also appears to change in size.”

So God can dial Himself down to the level that we can handle.  He can dial down His brightness, His glory, and the level of His presence to a level that we can handle.

Brother Oden said, “One day Jesus wanted to present me to His Father in Heaven.  Now I knew from previous experiences that Jesus refuses to let me think that I am unworthy, because He has told us to pray that we should be considered worthy to stand with Him.  (Luke 21:36)  So although I was a little afraid, I did want to go with Jesus to see God the Father.”

“Jesus said to His Father, ‘This friend of Mine has been wanting to see You,’ -- and I looked into the face of Love!  My anxiety vanished.  His expression was so loving and kind that I lost all my fear, and my soul was calm.  His love made me feel free, and able to love Him in return.  He gave me the impression that He waited from eternity just to see me face to face.  He looked like a handsome young man and Light was shining from His face.  He completely ignored the fact that I am only a creature, and His manner of speech made me feel like a long-time good friend of His.  Being in His presence has not only changed my idea of Him but has also changed me -- forever!

“Seek His presence.  Seek His face.  He loves YOU.”

Putting it All Together
So we can see from Scripture that God has a bodily form with a head, face, eyes, ears, a nose, mouth, arms, hands, fingers, loins, feet, and sandals.  He may even have wings, as the Scriptures say.  Even Jesus spoke of God’s feet in the third person as His feet, finger, and face, and it seems quite clear that most of these references in the Bible are about the Father in heaven. 

Therefore, the body of Jesus Christ is not the only body God has.  The incarnation of Jesus was the only time God’s body ever became flesh and bone. The Father and Jesus are one, yet the Father appears in a bodily form, too. His body is not one of flesh and bone, but of Light and Spirit, since God is Spirit.  Jesus said that He had seen God the Father.  He also said the angels in heaven were able to see the face of the Father in heaven continually, even while Jesus walked on the earth. That means the Father’s face and body, although invisible to those in the natural realm, are visible to those in the spirit realm, to whom He chooses to reveal Himself.

"Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually." (Psa 105:4)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: Please prayerfully watch and review these testimonies in their entirety, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to these people.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Name of Jesus, The Bodily Form of the Lord Jesus Christ,  The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit,  Is Jesus God?  The Holy Trinity, The Eyes of the Lord. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Selected readings:

Inside the Gates of Heaven - Testimony of Oden Hetrick	Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell	Angelica Zambrano Second Visit to Hell
Baptized by Blazing Fire	Vision of Hell by Emmanuel Agyarko	Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven
Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

All Things Handed Over to Jesus Christ

Jesus said, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father...” (Mat 11:27a; cf., Jn 13:3; Lk 10:22a).  There's a lot of meaning packed into that statement!

The Good News Bible translates it, “My Father has given me all things.”  The Darby Bible says, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father.” And the God's Word Bible puts it this way: “My Father has turned everything over to me.”

Jesus also said, "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.” (Joh 3:35)

We know that all things belong to the Father. "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Ps 24:1). And Jesus said, "All that belongs to the Father is mine." (Joh 16:15a, NIV). Since all things belong to the Father, and all that belongs to the Father in Christ's, then all things belong to Christ.

In His High Priestly prayer in the garden, Jesus prayed to the Father, “Everything I have belongs to You, and everything You have belongs to Me…” (Joh 17:10, NET)

All Things From Him, Through Him, To Him
All things are from Him and through Him and to Him!

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

“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” (1Co 8:6)

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings." (Heb 2:10)

All Things Made By Him, Through Him, and For Him
“All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (Joh 1:3)

“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Col 1:16)

All Things in Subjection to Him
The Scripture says, "'For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.' But when He says, 'All things are put in subjection,' it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all." (1Co 15:27-28)

“’YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.” (Heb 2:8)

“And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,” (Eph 1:22; cf., Phil 3:21)

All Authority
Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Mat 28:18)

“…You gave Him authority over all flesh...” (Joh 17:2)

“…He is the Head over all rule and authority;” (Col 2:10)

All Judgment
The Father has entrusted all judgment to His Son.

"For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.” (Joh 5:22)

“and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.” (Joh 5:27)

All the Fullness of Deity
“For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,” (Col 1:19)

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,”  (Col 2:9)

Jesus is fully God and fully man, yet without sin!

All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge
The apostle Paul said of Christ, "In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col 2:3)

Heir of All Things
The apostle wrote to the Hebrews, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Heb 1:1-2)

Jesus is the heir of all things!

Holds All Things Together
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  (Col 1:17)

“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Heb 1:3)

All Things Summed Up in Him
The apostle Paul said, “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” (Eph 1:9-10). Therefore, all things are summed up in Christ.

Another translation says, “…to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Eph 1:10, ESV).  All things will ultimately be gathered together in Christ.

God glorified in All Things in Christ
“Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1Pe 4:11)

It was God's good pleasure that He be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ.

In Christ All Things Are Ours
The amazing thing for us, who are in Christ, is that all things are ours in Him.

Paul said, “So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you,” (1Co 3:21-22).  He told the Corinthian believers that all things belonged to them, including the world, life, death, things present and things to come.  This applies to us as believers in Christ, because we are in union with Him. These blessings are all ours with ten thousand more beside.

Paul also said of himself and his coworkers, “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.” (2Co 6:10).  He said they possessed all things.

Speaking of food, drink, clothing, and all the things that we need, Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mat 6:33).

Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” (Luk 12:32) For those of us who are in Christ the King, the Father has given us the kingdom!

The psalmist said, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Ps 84:11)

The apostle Peter said, “As his divine power has given to us all things which relate to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us by glory and virtue,” (2Pe 1:3)

Since the Lord has already given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, and since we possess all things, and since He has given us the kingdom, this gives new meaning to the Prayer Promises in which the Lord says He will give us whatever we ask for in Jesus name! 

Joint Heirs with Jesus
The saints are joint heirs with Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Rom 8:16-17)

To be fellow heirs with Christ means that whatever He has inherited we have also inherited. Whatever belongs to Christ belongs to us also, as long as we indeed meet the Scriptural condition of suffering with Him. (Also see An Incomparable Inheritance).

All Things Possible Through Faith in Christ
And Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."  (Mar 9:23).  No matter what the situation, there is no mountain too high; no valley too low; no problem too great; no sickness or disease that cannot be healed; no financial need too large.

For those of us who believe in Jesus, all things are possible.  Nothing is impossible for us.

Putting it All Together
So to summarize what the Word says, the Heavenly Father has handed all things over to Jesus.  All things are from Him, through Him, and to Him; all things are in subjection to Him; He has been given all authority; all judgment belongs to Him; all the fullness of Deity dwells in Him; all things were made by Him, through Him, and for Him; He is the Heir of all things; He holds all things together; all things are summed up in Him; and God shall be glorified in all things in Christ!

That is why it's true that in Christ all things are ours.  If you are in Christ, you possess all things, including things present and things to come, things that can be seen and things unseen.  As coheirs with Christ, whatever belongs to Him belongs to us also. The Father has given us the kingdom! Seek first His kingdom and all these things will be provided for you. All things are possible through faith in Christ.  Nothing is impossible to Him who believes.

Matthew Henry said, “All powers, all treasures are in his hand. Observe, The Father has delivered his all into the hands of the Lord Jesus; let us but deliver our all into his hand and the work is done.” Let me encourage you to deliver your all into His hand today.

Epilogue: After the Lord revealed this message to me in my own time with Him, and I had already posted this article here, I searched online and found that a brother named Chip Brogden wrote: “Everything He has is freely given to us, and through Him we possess all that He possesses. When He has all that we have, then we have all that He has. When we give Him all that we are, He gives us all that He is. Oh, the depth of this love! Oh, the depth of the richness of His grace to us! Who can understand it? Who can know it?”

I also discovered and read a message once given by William Branham, called Possessing All Things, in which he said, “We may not be rich in this world's goods, but we possess all things. The Church itself possesses all things. Yet poor, yet rich and possess all things. I like that…A little old song we used to sing years ago...”

           My Father is rich with houses and lands,
           He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands.
           Rubies and diamonds, and silver and gold,
           His coffers are full,
           He has riches untold.

“And we are a possessor of it, because we are a child of the King. Amen. The child always falls heir, we know...we're heir to all things, yet we're heir to every spiritual blessing, every physical blessing, every blessing the Bible promises, yet you have to fight every inch of it. That's the way God, He's got it set up. It's always been that way. You have to fight to possess what you know is your own. You have to fight to possess it. And that's what we have to do now.”

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also read Identification with Christ, Your Identity in Christ, An Incomparable Inheritance, What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?, and The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer. You may also like Prayer Promises, as well as Is Jesus God? and Supremacy of Christ. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Supremacy of Christ

Many people believe intellectually that Jesus is God and that He is the Light of the World, as I've written about in previous posts on this blog. But for some people, that belief may not go beyond a simple ascent to the truth. And that's very unfortunate, because when you truly know Christ, it makes a real, practical difference in your life. Today I'd like to address the supremacy of Christ, and hopefully show how His supremacy affects our lives.

First of all, let's look at what the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church. My focus will be primarily on chapter one, verses 15-20.

He is the Firstborn
As I've addressed in my previous posts, Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And in this passage, the apostle Paul refers to Jesus as the "firstborn of all creation." Paul wrote: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Col 1:15).

Some people have been confused by this term unnecessarily, and taught that Jesus is a created being. This erroneous belief, known as Arianism, has been around since the fourth century AD. In my opinion, it lowers Jesus to the same level as the so-called gods of ancient, Greek mythology. Arianism is named after Arius (c. 250 - c. 336), a priest in Alexandria, who was a Greek theologian. He thought of Jesus Christ as a special creation made by God for man's salvation. While there were many damaging heresies throughout Church history, this is considered to be the most serious one of all.

As Gil Rugh explains in "The Supremacy of Christ in Creation", Paul is using the term firstborn here to express the place of highest honor given to Jesus throughout the universe. In Scripture, we find that the firstborn son of a family has the place of highest honor, and holds the most responsibility to care for his brothers and sisters. Likewise, the Heavenly Father has given this same honor to Jesus Christ, His Son. But this does not mean Jesus is a created being. This is evident in the immediate context of this passage and throughout the rest of Scripture.

In the very next section, I will show how the immediate context does not allow for any other understanding of the term "firstborn" than the one I just explained above. But first let's look at just a couple other passages of Scripture that clarify this matter.

In the book of Hebrews, the writer refers to Melchizedek as a type of Christ found in Scripture. He states: "For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually." (Heb 7:1-3). In this passage, we find an analogy between a priest, known as Melchizedek, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God. One of the similarities is that Melchizedek had "neither beginning of days nor end of life." This makes it clear that Jesus shares the same attributes and is without beginning or end.

In Revelation, Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." (Rev 1:8) These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and this would be the same as calling someone "the A and the Z," using the English alphabet. Jesus further clarified this later, when He referred to Himself as "the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." (Rev 21:6). Then once more, He said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Rev 22:13). When He said this, He was referring to His eternal nature.

Some believe that when Jesus said, "I am the Beginning," that it means He "had a beginning." Yet it does not mean this at all. He said, "I am the Beginning," not "I had a beginning." Those who take this to mean that Jesus had a beginning must also use the same approach to understanding Jesus' words when He said that He is the End. This would lead to the incorrect conclusion that Jesus has an end. Therefore, this teaching is seriously in error.

Jesus said He is the Bread of Life, and those who eat this Bread will live forever, just as He does. (John 6:51,58). Jesus later referred to Himself as "the Life." (John 14:6). The apostle John also referred to Jesus as "the Eternal Life." He wrote: "And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the Eternal Life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1Jo 1:2-3). He also says, "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and Eternal Life." (1Jo 5:20). One meaning of the word "eternal" (Greek, aionios) is that it goes on forever in both directions without beginning or end. And I think it's appropriate to apply that meaning here. Jesus Christ, the Eternal Life, has no beginning or end.

He is the Creator of All
In his letter to the Colossians, immediately after Paul referred to Christ as the firstborn of all creation, he wrote: "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him." (Col 1:16). Jesus is the Creator of all, and a created being could never fulfill this role.

We are all familiar with the Creation story in Genesis chapters 1-2. The Lord said, “Let their be…” and in this way He created everything. Then God decided to make man in His own image. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Gen 1:26). Notice that the Lord said, "let us make". God is one Being in three divine Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All things were created by Jesus -- both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible.

I want to look more closely at the expressions "by Him," "through Him," and "in Him." Gil Rugh uses some building and real estate terms to explain this. He points out, that when Paul says all things were created "by Him," it means specifically that everything was created "in" Him, which refers to His role as the Divine Designer and Architect. When Paul states that everything was created "through" Him, this refers to the role of Jesus as Builder and Maker of everything. And the expression "for Him" refers to the fact that it was all made for His glory. Using the real estate analogy, Jesus is the land Lord and owner of all creation. It all belongs to Him and exists for Him.

He is Before All Things
The apostle Paul wrote, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17). When he says that Jesus is before all things, it means that Jesus precedes all creation. There is nothing that existed before Him. As God, He has no beginning or end.

What's more, everything is held together in Him. This is true at every level, including the atomic or molecular level. Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, and these are all held together by Jesus. We know that all matter is made up of tiny particles, called molecules. These are all held together by an invisible force and energy. Take for example, water vapor, liquid water and ice. They all have the same chemical properties, in that they are made up of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). But their physical properties are considerably different. The molecules in ice are packed very closely together and cannot be compressed easily, since there is very little space between them. The molecules of water are also in a formation, but they have more space between them than in ice. This is how the molecules are able to easily slip over one another. In the gaseous state of water vapor, the molecules are very loosely arranged, allowing them to disperse from one another. The force that keeps molecules together is found in Christ.

Likewise, our human bodies are held together in Him. In Him we live and move and have our being. Every beat of our heart and every breath we take is given by Him. Then even our solar system, our planet and all the others are rotating around the sun because of Him. Even though our sun is a giant ball of gases, as depicted above, it is held together by the Lord. The same is true of our galaxy -- the Milky Way. Like all the other millions of galaxies, it is being held together in Christ. In Him all things are held together.

He is the Head of the Body
“He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Col 1:18)

As we know, without a head, a body is dead. This is true of humans and animals alike. The same is true in the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Jesus is the Head of the Body. In order to remain alive, all members of the Body must remain connected to the Head.

When Paul says that He is the firstborn from the dead, he means that Jesus is the first one to be resurrected from death and the grave and then to receive His glorified body.

Then we come to the main verse for today's post, in which Paul says that Jesus will come to have the supremacy or precedence in everything. This means He will have first place in all things. He will reign supreme over everything. And right now, He reigns supreme in His Kingdom, which is near. He must have first place in all those who have already entered His kingdom.

Here Christ is all, and is in all
Paul wrote: "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-- a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all." (Col 3:9-11).

When he said "Christ is all, and in all," he meant here in the kingdom of God. For those of us who have come to know Him, Christ is our all to us in all things. This is not a religion, but a relationship with our Lord and Creator. It's not a ritual we perform or a meeting we attend once a week, but He is everything to us in every aspect of life. We relate to Him that way in the small things like driving our vehicle or taking an exam, as well as the big things like choosing our marriage partner.

He is Above All
John the Baptist said, "He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all." (Joh 3:31). Since we know that Christ came from heaven above, we learn from this Scripture that He is above all. As the song says, He is above all powers and all created things. He is above all wealth and treasures of the earth. There's no way to measure what He's worth.

Why does Christ’s identity matter to me?
Now that we know who Christ is, let’s see what difference that makes to my life and yours. Paul wrote: "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." (Col 2:6).

The Colossians had received Christ as Lord, not just Savior. Many people only receive Jesus as their Savior. So they like the part about being forgiven of their sins and saved from perishing. But many times those same people do not allow Jesus to be the Lord of their lives. There is a figurative throne in each of our hearts. Who is on the throne of your heart? Are you on the throne in control of your own life, or is Jesus Christ? If you are on the throne, then you need to get off of it and ask Jesus to take His rightful place on that throne.

And Paul goes on to say that just as the Colossians had received Jesus as Lord they should continue to live in Christ as Lord. The same is true of us. Just because we asked Him to be the Lord of our life, doesn't mean we have continued to walk that way. To continue to live in Christ as Lord means He continues to be in control of your whole life, the big things and the small things. We must give Him first place in our lives, so that He may have the supremacy in all things.

You are being renewed in the image of your Creator
Paul wrote, “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” You see, the Lord made man in His own image, but the image of God in man has been marred by sin. The wonderful part about receiving Jesus as Lord and living in Him as Lord is that in Him, the image of God in us is being restored. As I've mentioned before, an image is an exact representation of something. So those who live this way are being formed into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ.

Do everything in the name of the Lord
Paul wrote, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (Col 3:17). When he says, "whatever you do," and "do all," that includes everything we do, whether it's brushing our teeth, driving to work, eating lunch, going to a wedding, or being a parent.

But how do we do everything “In the name” of the Lord. That doesn't mean we go around saying, "I now brush my teeth in the name of Jesus." The expression "in the name of the Lord" means “in His authority”. When a king would authorize a decree or law, he would place his signature on it, which was his name. He did this using a signet ring that was pressed into a wax seal. When a king did this, then the law had the full force of his authority behind it. In the same way, policemen today have the authority to enforce the law, because they act in the name of the legal authorities.

This reminds me of the time when King Xerxes gave his signet ring to Mordecai the Jew, as we read in the book of Esther. "The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman." (Est 8:2). Therefore, the king said to Queen Esther, "Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked." (Est 8:8). This is what it means to do something in the name of the Lord. You do it in His authority, so you have the full force of the king's authority in what you do. As disciples of Christ do all things in the name of the Lord, then His authority will be brought to bear in every aspect of their lives.

In the garden, after the Adam & Eve sinned, God cursed the serpent (Satan) and told him about the seed of the woman (Jesus). "So the LORD God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.' ” (Gen 3:14-15). In a sense, Satan struck the heel of Jesus Christ, who is the offspring of the woman, Eve. Jesus, who was born of the virgin Mary, died on the cross. In His suffering and sacrificial death we can see how Satan was allowed to bruise His heel. But in His resurrection, ascension, and glorification, we see how Jesus crushed the head of Satan! Paul wrote to the Colossians regarding the cross of Christ saying, "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." (Col 2:15). Jesus has crushed Satan's head with his heel.

As you do everything in the name or authority of the Lord, you will trample on the serpents as well. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom 16:20). Because Jesus lives in you, He will use your foot to crush Satan. Though Satan may strike your heel, Jesus will crush His head under your feet!
 
Do everything for the Lord
Paul wrote: "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." (Col 3:23). Similar to his previous instruction to do everything in the name of the Lord, we are to do everything for the Lord. This means that He is the one we are doing it for. So we should work at everything with all of our heart, giving it our best. Whether we are writing a blog, sweeping the streets, or running an international company, we should do it as though we are doing it for the Lord, because that's what we are actually doing.

Complete the work you have received in the Lord
At the end of his letter to the Colossians, Paul had a personal message for a man there named Archippus. He wrote: Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." (Col 4:17).

The Lord had given Archippus a work to do -- a ministry. And Paul wanted them to encourage that man to complete the work he received from the Lord. Just like Archippus, every disciple of Christ has been given a work to do for the Lord. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph 2:10). We have been created for good works. The Lord prepared those good works for us to do before we were ever born. You have a unique purpose in life. It may be raising children, showing hospitality, supporting missionaries, prayer and intercession, healing the sick, or teaching the Word of God. Whatever it is, God created you for that purpose. And just as Paul reminded Archippus, let me encourage you to complete the work the Lord gave you to do. Take heed to your ministry. If you have never been equipped or prepared for that work, then get with those in oversight in the Church who can equip you and receive the preparation to do those works that you were created to do.
 
Putting it All Together
Jesus Christ is the Creator of All. He is Before All Things. He is the Head of the Body, and we need to remain connected to Him. For those who know Him, He is all, and is in all.

Be sure that you receive Christ as Lord, not just Savior. We must give Him first place in our lives, so that He may have the supremacy in all things.

You are being renewed in the image of your Creator. The very image of God that was marred by sin is being restored in you.

Do everything in the name of the Lord, which means in His authority. Though Satan may strike your heel, Jesus will crush His head under your feet. Likewise, do everything for the Lord, no matter how great or small.

And be sure to complete the work you have received in the Lord. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Don't grow weary, because you will reap a harvest at the proper time.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Christ the Beginning, Is Jesus God?, The Sinlessness of Christ, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.