Saturday, January 11, 2020

Triune Christ: Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer



In a previous post, we looked at the triune nature of Jesus Christ as Priest, Prophet, and King, worthy of our worship, loyalty and submission. Because He is pure, holy and just, He is filled with righteous anger and wrath at sin (Jeremiah 10:10; John 3:36; Romans 1:18). 
 
Yet the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16) is also a God of love (1 John 4:7). He has a gentler, more nurturing side, also described in three aspects as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer
 
The Creator spoke us and the universe into existence (Colossians 1:16); the Sustainer satisfies all our physical and spiritual needs to maintain life (Ephesians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 9:10-12); and the Redeemer or Deliverer (Romans 11:26) bought us with the price of His own shed blood, freeing us from the bondage of sin and death (Romans 3:23-25). 
 
Names of Jesus reflecting His creative powers include Maker, Builder, and Author. Jesus is the just, pure, and righteous Maker (Job 4:17; 36:3) of all men (Proverbs 22:2), of the heavens and earth (Isaiah 51:13), and of the Holy City (Hebrews 11:10).
 
Our Maker is therefore worthy of our worship (Psalm 95:6), respect (Isaiah 17:7), and obedience (Isaiah 45:9).

He is the Master Builder Who places us on His sure foundation (Hebrews 3:3; Matthew 16:18), and the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). 

As the Sustainer, Jesus Christ feeds us. He is the Bread of Life (John 6:32-:51) Who came down from Heaven, the Living Water, and the True Vine (John 15:1,5) Who nourishes us as a vine brings life-sustaining nutrients to its branches. 

The roles of Jesus as the Sustainer, Who upholds all things (Hebrews 1:3) include Physician or Healer, Teacher, and Bridegroom (Husband and Spouse). The Physician heals our diseased bodies, casts out demons, cleanses us from our sins, and restores our troubled souls (Matthew 8:16; 9:12; 10:8;  Mark 2:17; Luke 4:23). 

The Teacher taught from the Scriptures, in parables, and by example. His teachings are the words of eternal life (John 6:68; I John 1:1). 

The Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15; 25)  is the perfect Husband (Isaiah 54:5), Who loves us with self-sacrificing agape love (Ephesians 5:25), Who will always be faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9) and Who will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). 

We are further blessed that our Spouse is the fairest and chiefest of ten thousand (Song of Solomon 5:10). His matchless beauty (Isaiah 33:17) is compared to that of three plants: the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley (Song of Solomon 2:1), and the glorious Branch of the LORD (Isaiah 11:1; 4:2;  Zechariah 6:12;; Jeremiah 33:15, 23:5). 

The sustenance of Jesus Christ is the only source of everlasting life from the Father, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one can come to the Father except by Him (John 14:6). 

Three roles of Jesus befitting His nature as the Truth (Revelation 3:7) are the Faithful and True Witness (the Amen; Revelation 3:14; 1:5; 19:11; Isaiah 55:4), a Covenant of the people (Isaiah 42:6) in that He is the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah, and the Testator (Hebrews 7:22; 9:16,17) Whose death allowed all believers to be joint heirs with Him. 

The Sustainer also guides us on our journey through life, for He is not only the Way (John 14:6), but also the Light (Isaiah 9:2; Luke 2:32; John 1:4,9, 8:12, 12:35,46), and the  Shepherd Who leads us out of danger and to safety (Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34:23; John 10:11,16; Zechariah 13:7; Isaiah 40:10-11; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4) because He Himself is the Door of the sheep (John 10:7). 

Even the selfless love and care of Christ the Shepherd has three progressive stages. He is the Good Shepherd Who knows His sheep and lays down His life for them (John 10:14-16). The power of His resurrection makes Him the Great Shepherd Whose blood is the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20). When we see Christ in His glory at the judgment seat, He shall be as the Chief Shepherd  (1 Peter 5:4). 

As the Light, Jesus is described as the Morning Star; as the Dayspring (dawn’s first light; Luke 1:78), and as the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2). The Morning Star, which refers to Venus or other bright planet when visible in the east before sunrise (Revelation 2:16,28), is also known as the Star (Numbers 24:17) or Day Star (2 Peter 1:19. These names remind us that His Light is always there to guide us, faithful as the sun rising every morning, brightening our days, and giving us hope when darkness seems to surround us. 

The Sustainer also guards and protects us with His infinite strength (Joel 3:16), which is like a strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10) or Fortress (Psalm 31:3; 71:3) protecting us from the storms (Isaiah 25:4; 32:2) or our enemies (Psalm 31:2, the spiritual Rock of our salvation (Matthew 16:18, Psalm 61:2; 62:7; 71:3; 94:22; 2 Samuel 22:47; 1 Corinthians 10:4), and a Foundation or precious and living chief Corner Stone (Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 28:16, 1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Peter 2:4,6). 

Praise God that He is not only our Creator and Sustainer, but that He is our Redeemer (Job 19:25; Psalm 19:14; 78:35; Isaiah 41:13; 43:14, 44:6,14), Who set us free from sin and death! (Romans 3:23-25). He is known as the Redeemer, Deliverer (Romans 11:26), and Arm of the Lord (Isaiah 51:9; 52:10; 53:1; 62:8), mighty to save but tenderly protecting us (Isaiah 40:11).  

He paid the price in full for our freedom, giving every drop of His precious blood to pay our sin debt in full. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the completed work to buy our liberty from the bondage of hell. Praise God that whosovever believes in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, and Himself the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, has everlasting life! (John 3:16).

© 2012 Laurie Collett
Reposted from the archives

9 comments:

Frank E. Blasi said...

Dear Laurie,
It's interesting how you have opened this blog with the statement that because Jesus is pure, Holy and just, he is filled with righteous anger and wrath at sin (present tense).
Of course, you are right. God cannot have sin in his presence, hence the necessity of the Atonement made on the Cross to make the glorious imputed righteousness of God possible for all believers to receive by grace alone.
However, it's unfortunate that the natural unregenerated mind can only see Jesus as one having righteous anger, and without bearing in mind all the other factors of his character which you have expressed so well here.
This could be the reason why Charles Darwin, among others of the same ilk, have proved to be so popular in the Western World. Evolution obscures the truth about Jesus Christ as Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer, as if running away from the true Light.
An excellent blog, God bless.

Laurie Collett said...

Dear Frank,
Thank you for your encouraging comment and for your Scripturally based explanation of Christ's atoning sacrifice. I agree that the popularity of evolution may well stem from man's reluctance to obey a God they perceive as angry and eager to punish them. If we are all merely animals, there is no need for us to follow moral laws, and if God is not Creator, then He would have no power over us.
God bless you,
Laurie

Donald Fishgrab said...

Great post, Laurie.

Unfortunately it seems people want to focus on just one aspect of God, and ignore the rest, whether it be his righteousness and judgement, or his love. As a result many have been driven away. Jude 1:22-23 makes it clear we need to emphasize the whole, not just a particular part. "And on some have mercy, who are in doubt; and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Until they understand both sides, they really don't know God.

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Donald, for your encouragement and Scripture-based comment. As a triune Being, God is multifaceted, and if we ignore or reject any of His attributes, we do so at our own peril.
God bless,
Laurie

Brenda said...

Hi Laurie, yes we have to believe in our Lord Jesus in order to be saved. He is the Word of God, so it is that Word we have to believe in, through faith which comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The scriptures also tell us that we must not just be hearers of that Word but must act on that Word,(James ch. 1 vs. 21-23) so it is a wonderful time of growing in the Lord that has to take place as we 'work out' our salvation. All comes through the grace of God and our obedience to His Son - the Word.
God bless you Laurie.

Laurie Collett said...

Amen, Brenda! He is the only Way, Truth and Life! God bless you too,
Laurie

David C Brown said...

It is wonderful to see all the titles of Christ and to know that there is no one to compare with Him in this. He is Alpha and Omega:
https://dcbverse.blogspot.com/2019/09/if-he-is-alpha-and-omega-all-titles.html

Laurie Collett said...

Amen, David -- praise the Lord that He is the First and the Last. Thank you for your comment and God bless, Laurie

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