i was supposed to have post this on the eve of december 24, but i wasn't able to have access to the net at home.. so i guess this is a bit too late, but nonetheless i hopee this is not yet too late a greeting. on a sidenote i just had this painful toothed extracted and i'm off to church camp for tommorow until the 30th so i hope this post is worth something. thanks. merry christmas.
I would try not to claim authority or even authenticity for what is stated here but nonetheless I swear that what I'm posting here is quite true if looked at with an open mind to critical observation.
Christmas would probably be over if not has not yet started or is already in progress by the time that you've come to read this confusing paragraph. But season is not that of importance it is the reality of what is being signified.
I once remember how I attended a service at church where the pastor spoke of the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ by setting the tone with an alternative song that became quite popular when I was still in 2nd year high school, it was Joan Osbourne's 'One of Us".
Theologically speaking (in a Christian, admirer of C.S. Lewis' perspective that is) the song lacks depth in what we could say as firsthand knowledge on what the Bible says about God. But true enough the question is a valid one.
Indeed what if God really was one of us?
This speaks of how man has long been searching to fill that God-shaped void in their hearts that's been longing to be filled since the ancient of days (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Now what then indeed God was one of us?
To start with in a logical sense the question is quite not likely to be valid since if we then acknowledge that there is then a God, then that God which we acknowledge would validate that He is God since he created us right?
Now what then am I trying to drive at then the above given statement would mean that we are under the notion that we are first of all created beings right?
Therefore if we were created beings then it would mean that we have a Creator, right?
If you then agree with me that God is our creator then could it be logically possible that the creator would be quite the same as its creation?
Even the science of cloning would make no such claim, because the creator is highly superior than their creation since in the first place the creations existence is dependent on the creator's act of invention.
It would then be more valid (I guess) that the question would be better implied to whether God: "Is like one of us" rather than "one of us".
This discussion would go on under the presumption that we are both in agreeable terms that God is in existence and that His existence could be proven in Scripture (since I have no time to argue and prove to skeptics, atheists and agnostics of His existence.) After all this is about Christmas in the first place and mostly those who adhere and profess their belief in the Christian faith celebrate Christmas wherein I also belong to.
Let us look at the lyrics further and see what it says shall we?
God had a name what would it be?
And would you call it to his face?
If you were faced with him
In all his glory
What would you ask if you had just one question?
And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
If God had a face what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that
you would have to believe
in things like heaven and in Jesus and the saints
and all the prophets
Trying to make his way home
Back up to heaven all alone
Nobody calling on the phone
'cept for the Pope maybe in Rome
Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home
Nobody calling on the phone
'cept for the Pope maybe in Rome
When looked at closely the song speaks of how the singer speaks of how God is deemed as such a distant and impersonal God by organized religion. And speaks of how perhaps by some stroke of possibility God is in a way undergoing and living such an ordinary life as we have.
Well the question is profound and I cannot claim or at the least answer it in a way that it would make sense (even to myself) but I have here something that we could consider.
The Bible speaks of a person named Jesus who was God incarnate the second person in the Trinity (John 1:1, 1:14; Col. 2:9) who came to earth to finish the work mankind's redemption from the wages of sin. (Rom. 6:23,5:8 ; Heb.2:9)
Furthermore the gospels speak of His coming which was made possible by His virgin birth, and that in itself speaks of how he was borne out of a person, he was there since creation but he chose to become man so that he could reestablish his broken fellowship with his lost creation. (John 3:16, Rom. 5:12, 5:8).
I know to somewhat I'm saying might not be making any sense but true enough the question posed by the song is quite valid and needs to be addressed.
Yes indeed God became one of us, but not so as to know how it feels to be like one of us but rather it is to die for us and give us life everlasting if we'd chose to receive Him and enter into our lives. (Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord; Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;Hail th’incarnate Deity, Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. - Hark The Herald Angels Sing, 2nd & 3rd Stanzas, Charles Wesley)
You see its what makes Christmas special its the fact that God indeed became like one of us in order to restore His broken relationship with us that we in the first place broke of with Him. (Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp Thine image in its place: Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love. Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the Life, the inner man: O, to all Thyself impart, Formed in each believing heart, - Hark The Herald Angels Sing, 5th Stanza, Charles Wesley).
You see the song indeed poses a rhetorical question and this in some could be said:
God had a name what would it be? - Jesus Christ
And would you call it to his face? - Yes. (1. Cor. 1:2)
If you were faced with him
In all his glory - yes the Bible says I can confindently face His glory (Heb.4:14-16)
What would you ask if you had just one question - what must I do to be saved (Acts 16:30, take not that the following verse tells of the answer
And yeah, yeah, God is great - yes indeed He is
Yeah, yeah, God is good - Yes because life everlasting is made possible when He chose to become like one of us.
To end let us take the chance to ask ourselves this question:
"Have I come to the saving knowledge of having a relationship with God by accepting Him as my Lord & Savior?"
I believe that it is fitting to ask this of ourselves since this is that time of the year that we take joy at the coming of Jesus as a wee babe here on earth to die for us so that we may have eternal life.
The Bible says that if we confess with our mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead we shall be saved, (Rom. 10:9-10, John 1:12).
May I ask if you are willing to enter that relationship and invite Jesus into your life?
If your answer is yes please follow the following prayer:
"Dear Jesus, I know I have sinned against you. I confess that I am a sinner. I accept the sacrifice you made on the cross on my behalf. I ask you to come into my heart. Please cleanse me of my sin. And give me eternal life. I repent from my sins and put my trust in You. Thank you Jesus. Amen." (Courtesy of CARM.ORG)
What you prayed above is not some complex formula of a magical prayer it is simply an act of sincerely admitting our present condition to God and acknowledge our need for Him to enter into our life. If you prayed that prayer with all your heart this is a time for you to celebrate because Rom. 10:13, says that for whoever calls on the Lord will be saved.
I guess it is but fitting for us to ponder on this thought by reading this verse from the hymn Joy To The World by Isaac Watts and this is where I will end.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
God may not be one of us but he became of us and not only that he also came so that we could be given the right to be His children. Truly Jesus Christ is Our Savior from the cradle to the grave. Merry Christmas.
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