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The King Who Makes Your Bed?

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Ephesians 2:5 “…He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ…”

When we were dead spiritually to the things of the Spirit and the Word of God – Jesus made us ALIVE by the Spirit. But how did He make us alive? How is He making us alive? Any quick read of Ephesians 2 will cause you to notice one common theme arising from Paul’s focus. What is that theme? – Eph. 2:5 “…[He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).”

Eph. 2:7 “He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor)…”

Eph. 2:8 “For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith…”

Grace is Paul’s theme, and it is Grace that saved us, is saving us, and will save us. But how would you illustrate this Grace? There’s a beautiful book I have been reading for seminary from the Puritan Classics (Puritans existed back in the 16th and 17th Centuries – think the Mayflower) entitled “The Blessed and Boundless God” by George Swinnock. Swinnock illustrates Grace in a beautiful way. In fact if you read and picture it carefully it should grab a hold of your heart – like it did mine. Swinnock writes, “We would think it a great grace…” Stop right there. We would think it a great grace if what? “For a human king… to take care of a poor beggar; to provide him with food, shelter, medicine, and safety; to supply him in all his needs, support him in all his weaknesses, protect him in all his dangers, and deliver him in all his distresses; to spread his table, provide his food, clothe his body, and make his bed; to protect him, counsel him, and assist him. The King of kings (to whom all earthly kings are but dirt and dung) does more than this!” Swinnock continues, “Oh what grace that the incomparable God (who has millions of glorious angels serving Him) should serve poor worms!” Imagine a king that makes paupers beds and spreads their tables. Is this even fathomable or possible?

What is Grace? Your King, the KING of all kings, and LORD of all lords – spreading your table? Making your bed? What kind of King is this? Ephesians 2:5 “…He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ…” In other words this King wants to fellowship with us. This King – who spreads your table, and makes your bed – brings you into union, oneness, with Jesus. Everything that belongs to the King belongs to you; belongs to me. When a man marries a woman everything that belongs to the man now belongs to the wife and everything that belongs to the wife belongs to the husband (unless you have a “pre-nup”). When Jesus united you to Him – He “married” you. All your sins, shame, condemnation, failures, iniquities, transgressions, etc. – became His. But guess what? Everything that is His now belongs to you!!! His righteousness, His resurrection power, His innocence, His purity, His holiness, His Glory, His Kingdom, His dominion, His inheritance, this earth. EVERYTHING… belongs to all those who are in fellowship and union with Christ by the Spirit; by His Word; in and through His precious promises. That’s My King! As S.M. Lockridge once asked, “Do you know Him!?”

Now if that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye and make you want to shout, I really don’t know what to do to help you. As the Apostle Paul added, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ….?” (see Rom. 8)

That’s My King! Do You Know Him?

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Jer. 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

The depths of God’s mercy, love and humility often catch me off guard astounding me. Consider the following: He writes our names in the palms of His hand (Isa. 49:16); He collects our tears in a bottle (Ps. 56:8); He numbers the hair on our head (Lk. 12:7); and records every conversation we have about Him in a book (Mal. 3:16). If this weren’t enough He sent His Son in the form of an infant to take our punishment in order that we might live with Him forever.

This familiar picture lives on through history illustrated so well in John 8:6-8: This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.7 However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.8 Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger.

Jesus, God in the flesh, stoops down to write in the dust. You see a similar image in God blesses us. Hebraically, this means He bends the knee to convey His blessings upon us. Can you imagine any human king bending down to touch, let alone bless, a pauper from the street? Isaiah 40:12 in the New Living Translation and the Message communicate the awesomeness of Who He is: Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?

Who has scooped up the ocean in his two hands, or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger, Who has put all the earth’s dirt in one of his baskets, weighed each mountain and hill?

In the immensity that He is – He reaches down to connect with you; to know you; for you to know Him. It’s too much for my small brain to fathom. But the smallness of my brain doesn’t limit the awesomeness of Who He is. I recall a message preached by Pastor S.M.Lockridge, entitled, That’s My King! Do You Know Him? in 1976. There are powerful recorded versions of it on the internet that I would encourage you to listen to. Here’s an excerpt: Do you know Him? Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He’s the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway of peace. He’s the roadway of righteousness. He’s the highway of holiness. He’s the gateway of glory. He’s the master of the mighty. He’s the captain of the conquerors. He’s the head of the heroes. He’s the leader of the legislatures. He’s the overseer of the overcomers. He’s the governor of governors. He’s the prince of princes. He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you . . . but He’s indescribable. That’s my King. He’s incomprehensible, He’s invincible, and He is irresistible. I’m coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone some man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree about Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my King. He always has been and He always will be. I’m talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor. There’s nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign. That’s my King! That’s my King!

Now with all that in mind return to Jeremiah’s revelation from God: Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you;….That’s my KING! Do you know Him?