Do You Really Know Him?

by Mike Ratliff

[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

Isaiah 9:6 is part of a magnificent prophecy given to the prophet Isaiah about 800 years prior to the advent of our Lord being born of a virgin according to the will of God the Father in order to fulfill his eternal will and plan of redemption of his people. Of course there are those who scoff at this prophecy being about the Messiah or that the Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that prophecy. However, those who make those assertions, even if they call themselves Christians, are not of us and never have been of us (1 John 2:19). Some who do believe this prophecy is true, however, do not believe that it in any way is in effect at this time, but is for some time in the distant future. I counter that with Matthew 28:16-20…[Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”] 

Notice that the passage I quoted above is what we call the “Great Commission.” What is the motivation for us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, et cetera?” It is that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to our Lord and he promises in v20 to always be with us to the end of the age. We do not make the Great Commission work. We do not save people from there sins. We don’t provide the means of salvation to anyone. No, we obey what our Lord commands here and he his with is in the midst of it and it is him working through that that good works are done.

The spirit-filled believer is one whose life is submitted in all areas of their life in obedience to the will of the Lord. It is these people who are learning to know their Lord as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. What do these terms mean?

To know our Lord as Wonderful Counselor is to know him a the one who leads and controls our lives wisely and through that leadership amazing confessions of deliverance from the bondage of the flesh and the world are made by those who know him this way. These are people who learn to live their life by prayer, not putting God to test, but depending upon him and his provision while living by faith as everything is brought before him to the throne of grace. Those who know their Lord as Wonderful Counselor are not enslaved to the flesh or the world nor are they in love with the things of this world. I pray that his makes sense to you.

To know our Lord as Mighty God is to understand him in terms of his omnipotence. Those who know him this way never doubt his sovereignty nor his ability to control every situation and carry out his will. When they read of the magnificence of what awaits those in Christ in eternity and understand that what God sets out to do he always accomplishes then they do not doubt their salvation thinking that it hinges upon their own abilities or flimsy fallen will.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is our Everlasting Father. That does not mean he is also God the Father. No, he is God the Son, however, to each of us who know him, he is our eternal Father in that he is our benevolent protector. There is no end to this. Those in Christ will always be in Christ. There is no power or force or evil or person who can come between him and us.

[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39 ESV) 

Lastly we have our Lord as the Prince of Peace. What is this? Our Lord is the one who provided the one and only way for those the Father chose before the foundation of the world to have peace with him. It is through the propitiatory sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ that those who believe the Gospel and are justified by the Father because of that can claim Jesus Christ as their Prince of Peace.

Now, in light of these truths, please start out this new year reflecting on who our Lord Jesus really is and if you have not been living out your faith in light of these truths then you are being short-changed in a big way I assure you. I know that many want to take credit away from our Lord in some of these areas and take it for themselves. In so doing they are actually living flesh-bound lives, not spirit-filled, humble lives before their Lord in obedience to him as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).  It is as branches on the Vine (Christ) submitting to pruning by the vinedresser (The Father) that we are humbled and learn that without Christ we can do nothing according to the will of God (John 15).

I would like to close with my favorite Psalm (Psalm 37). Please meditate on this magnificent Psalm of David in light of what we just studied.

         He Will Not Forsake His Saints

OF DAVID.

[37:1] Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

[2] For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

[3] Trust in the LORD, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

[4] Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

[5] Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act.

[6] He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

[7] Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

[8] Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

[9] For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

[10] In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

[11] But the meek shall inherit the land

and delight themselves in abundant peace.

[12] The wicked plots against the righteous

and gnashes his teeth at him,

[13] but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he sees that his day is coming.

[14] The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose way is upright;

[15] their sword shall enter their own heart,

and their bows shall be broken.

[16] Better is the little that the righteous has

than the abundance of many wicked.

[17] For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the LORD upholds the righteous.

[18] The LORD knows the days of the blameless,

and their heritage will remain forever;

[19] they are not put to shame in evil times;

in the days of famine they have abundance.

[20] But the wicked will perish;

the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;

they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

[21] The wicked borrows but does not pay back,

but the righteous is generous and gives;

[22] for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,

but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

[23] The steps of a man are established by the LORD,

when he delights in his way;

[24] though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the LORD upholds his hand.

[25] I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children begging for bread.

[26] He is ever lending generously,

and his children become a blessing.

[27] Turn away from evil and do good;

so shall you dwell forever.

[28] For the LORD loves justice;

he will not forsake his saints.

They are preserved forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

[29] The righteous shall inherit the land

and dwell upon it forever.

[30] The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

[31] The law of his God is in his heart;

his steps do not slip.

[32] The wicked watches for the righteous

and seeks to put him to death.

[33] The LORD will not abandon him to his power

or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

[34] Wait for the LORD and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to inherit the land;

you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

[35] I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,

spreading himself like a green laurel tree.

[36] But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

though I sought him, he could not be found.

[37] Mark the blameless and behold the upright,

for there is a future for the man of peace.

[38] But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;

the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

[39] The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

[40] The LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.  (Psalm 37 ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria!