For Love of the Lamb #2

 “Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ And he said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’

“Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.” (Gen 22:7-8)

Readers,

Of my 174 journal entries the one that has attracted the most readership by far is titled, ‘For Love of the Lamb.’ I provided it, July 22, 2010.

Because of its popularity I felt it would be good to revisit it with only slight changes. So here it is again, ‘For Love of the Lamb #2’.

In Bible hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) there is a rule that is called ‘the law of first mention.’ This rule has to do with doctrinal studies or Bible teachings. The emphasis of this rule is that when a doctrine or Bible teaching first appears in the Bible, the fundamental meaning in that occurrence will carry through to its final fulfillment in Christ Jesus.

Right Standing With God

A good example for the law of first mention is where we find the term righteousness first used in the Old Testament. The first time the word righteousness appears has to do with the Lord appearing to Abraham. Here are snippets of that meet as found in Genesis 15:

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great …

 

“And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look towards the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’

 

“Then he [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

Notice that Abraham’s right standing with God was contingent on one thing alone, that he truly believed with his heart in the Lord.

The emphasis of with his heart will always be the key to having a right standing with God.

How then does this find its fulfilling in the new covenant? Listen to Paul:

“Therefore [Abraham’s believing in the Lord] was also credited to him as righteousness.

 

“Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Rom4:23,24)

And again,

“ … that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

 

“ … for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10)

 

How a person attains righteousness before God never changes. Righteousness has always been a matter of the heart and with right believing. It is now perfectly fulfilled in a person’s faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul again draws attention to this faith issue in calling it, ‘the law of faith’.

“Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified [declared righteous before God] by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Rom 3:27-28 NASB)

There are many who admire Jesus. Muslims say they believe in Jesus. Hindus say they believe in Jesus. Other religions say they believe in Jesus.

Make no mistake here. None of these ideas have to do with Biblical salvation. Jesus is not simply a great man, a great prophet, an avatar, or even a good man.

And wearing a cross-amulet around one’s neck has nothing to do with salvation.

Jesus Christ is the Lord of glory. He is God incarnate, the very Son of God who died for the sins of the world. To believe in Him on any other measure is to stay in darkness and without salvation.

The doctrine of the Lamb

There are many other new covenant doctrines that can be found in embryo form in the Old Testament. The one I want to draw special attention to now has to do with the term ‘Lamb.’

The very first time the word Lamb is used in the Scriptures also has to do with Abraham. It is where Abraham says to Isaac,

“‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

The doctrine of the Lamb is at the very heart of the Christian experience. And what makes a Christian a Christian has to do with an intrinsic love cause. This love factor encompasses itself around Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

The doctrine of the Lamb is the underlying truth of what redemption entails. This doctrine speaks to the faith of the Old Testament saints, to the spiritual freedom of the new covenant children of God, and to a redemption love that becomes the outflow in a believer’s heart.

The Lamb becomes the whole of our life. Love for the Lamb fills out the heart of that one who has come to personally know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The apostle said,

“ … so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

 

“ … and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

 

“ … obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” (1Pe 1:7-9)

Beholding the Father’s glory

Not only is the doctrine of the Lamb a doctrine of progressive revelation, but the doctrine of the Lamb is also about the people of the Lamb. The doctrine of the Lamb is about, ‘beholding with the heart.’

The apostle John wrote,

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:40 NASB) — Beholding Jesus is an activity of the heart.

From this ‘beholding’ comes forth a people. The Lamb and the people of the Lamb are eternally linked.

Listen to John the Baptist –

“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’

 

“This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” (Joh 1:29-30)

To discover the Lamb is to discover life

To discover the Lamb means that you belong to the Lamb. To discover the Lamb is to fall deeply in love with Him. But it isn’t a love that is common to man. It is actually the Father’s love filling out our hearts.

The discovery element is a key issue in the Christian walk. This is why Paul said that in Christ, “Are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

In another place he says that as we gaze upon the glory of Christ through the Scriptures, our inward man experiences spiritual transformations. It is the glory of Christ that fills our hearts and minds. While this may sound mystical, it is a spiritual reality to those who are partakers of the new covenant.

The Lamb Upon the Throne

But just who is this Lamb of God? No less that twenty-nine times the phrase ‘the Lamb’ is found in the book of Revelation. In every references the Lamb is directly associated with God. As Revelation begins its closure we are looking at a picture of God fully manifest as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It says,

“Then he showed me a river of the water of life (Holy Spirit), clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God (the Father) and of the Lamb (Son of God).”

John is using archetypal images found through the Old Testament to describe God in His awesomeness. Notice carefully that there is only one throne.

The Father’s throne has become the Lamb’s throne.

For love of the Lamb

Jesus is called the image of the invisible God. And so to love the Father unseen, is to love Jesus the only begotten Son.

Jesus said,

“If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)

The mystery doesn’t stop here. When we truly believe in Jesus, we can now call God our very own Father because it is the Spirit of His Son that cries in us, ‘Abba! Father!’ Thus all believers carry in themselves a Father consciousness. Jesus said,

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:1)

It is the Lamb of God who gives us our freedom.

Every person born from above is made alive in the Lamb. And because our lives have been perfectly joined to God’s Christ, this allows our hearts to overflow with themes of life. (By the way, this is what the Spirit filled life is really all about.)

This love for the Lamb is so powerfully felt in believers that Christians through the ages have literally given their lives for Him. The Scriptures take note of this, in saying,

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Rev 12:11)

How about you – Do you love the Lamb?

I pray that you do. Here is a song from my heart to  your heart.

Take time to listen to Jim Reeves as he sings, ‘May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You.’

Much love coming your way in Jesus,
Buddy

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