Christ Jesus is Altogether Lovely
By Nick Bibile
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This is an allegorical song where the bride sums up of her bridegroom that he is altogether lovely. We the church is the bride and Christ is the bridegroom. When you look at the Old Testament and the New Testament we see the patriarchs, prophets, the apostles and the elect believers and in one voice we can all cry out and say, “Jesus is altogether lovely.”
These are words of inexpressible admiration and adoration; these are words that come from the soul of the bride’s heart as her heart cries out with a holy rapture with such great excessive joy and delight beyond measure where words cannot express.
He is altogether lovely and desirable, supreme than any other person, when we were wicked sinners, he purchased us with his precious blood and made us into saints and we are called the children of the living God. Oh yes, he is altogether lovely. We have made many love songs to him as he is altogether lovely, many have gone through great trials and even death bed we can utter, he is altogether lovely.
His loveliness infinitely sweet that it cannot be weighed in scales or measure. We don’t see the fullness of his loveliness as we see him in part not fully, we are eating the crumbs that falls from the kings table but one day we are going to see him face to face and we can eat with him together. Right now it’s better to feast the crumbs from the kings table than to eat the loaves from the world.
Two opposite qualities are met in Christ Jesus
Christ Jesus is perfect in loveliness as he is a divine person and in him we see the fullness of God. The glory of God, the righteousness of God, the holiness of God and we can see God in him. Also in Christ we see his humility, lowliness, gentleness and obedience. The infinite Glory and the lowest humility meet in one person that is Christ Jesus and that’s why he is altogether lovely.
Humility is not an attribute of the Father and God the Holy Spirit, God is infinitely above his creatures. Yet, Christ Jesus is both God and man. As God we see all the attributes of God in him, all the divine perfections of God. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords we are like worms of the dust before him, he rules over the universe and perfect in wisdom. But Christ in his human nature we see the lowest humility; these opposite qualities are met together in Christ, that’s why he is altogether lovely.
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
As Christ is God and man equal honor due to him with the Father.
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God him self said of Christ:
Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.
On this earth we see the lowest humility in Christ Jesus. There is a great distance between humility and infinite greatness but in Christ there is no distance, that’s why when we truly meditate on him we too can cry out with a joy where the world cannot give as we say, “He is altogether lovely.”
Christ is the King of the universe, he is God and all the creatures are subject to obey the King. There is supreme dominion in Christ. God in his divine nature is not subject for obedience as he is God. Yet in Christ Jesus we see his perfect obedience to the Father.
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Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
God does not pray or give reverence to anybody as he is God and all prayers and reverence should be directed to the one but to the living God. Every knee should bow down and every tongue confesses and gives reverence to the Lord Jesus, he is the Lord of the universe. Yet in Christ Jesus we see how deeply he prayed to the Father in great reverence as he knelt and prayed to the Father. (Luke 22:41)
We see another two oppositions meeting in Christ. We see the sovereignty of God and submission. God will not submit to anyone as he is God. Christ Jesus is absolutely sovereign; he works all things according to the counsel of his own will. The decrees of God, works of creation and providence are all his sovereign works.
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Yet we see in Christ Jesus giving up his authority, surrender and submit to the Father. The dreadful cup he was going to drink, his soul being exceedingly sorrowful even unto death where sweats of blood fell to the ground, with such agony and sorrow, he gave up his authority, surrendered and submitted to the will of the Father.
Mt 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Again Christ Jesus altogether lovely we see two other opposite qualities meet. He is the Judge of the world and also he is the Savior of the world. As the Judge he will punish the guilty, will not compromise with the guilty. He is the Judge of the sinful world, he is consuming fire but he is also the Savior of the world, he is the light of the world, we see his infinite mercy, his glorious grace and amazing love displayed towards sinners.
Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
He is the author of law, the law breakers are punished and there is curse under the law, but Christ Jesus himself was under the law as he took our human nature, he himself followed and fulfilled all of the law, as he said, and “I did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill)
He was born of a poor virgin. He was conceived in the womb of the corrupt race of mankind and yet he was conceived and born without sin. The angel said to the poor virgin, “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
When she came to give birth as she was poor there was no room for them in the Inn, she was despised and turned down so she was forced to give birth in a manger where cattle and horses ate their food, the little infant was born, looked so innocent as a lamb but he was born to conquer and triumph over the roaring lion Satan. Although he was born in the lowest humble state the heavenly angels could not stop their excitement as they burst into joy in singing before the shepherds.
He is the author of life, creator of the universe, he healed the sick, raised the dead, he calmed the storm, walked on water, cast out devils, yet he was so poor that he did not have a place to lay his head.
And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
(Mat
Application
Many have not experienced the loveliness of Christ as their hearts are focused on this world and their thoughts are in this world. They know every movie, all the worldly songs, all the sales in stores and have no time to think of Jesus or to see his loveliness. Many think of their life on this world, they meditate on this worldly issues.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
When you truly meditate upon God’s word we see the loveliness of Christ, sometimes we experience a holy rapture with an overwhelming adoration of our Lord and the sweet communion we have with the Lord makes our faces shine like the face of Moses. Our souls are erupted with joy and joyful tears flow down from our eyes.
But what a pity that there are some who have never experienced the overwhelming, soul melting loveliness of the Lord as they are so busy in the world and doing their own thing and have no room for the Lord. Many are satisfied with the world and they have no desire for Jesus.
How we need to meditate upon our Savior, instead of getting fed with all the delicacies of this world, living in comfort how you need to fattened your soul with the delicacies of God’s word. It is so important that you need to take time to study God’s word, meditate on it and pray on it. Meditation plus prayer equals soul fattening and your soul will burst forth with unspeakable divine joys.
Many don’t see the loveliness of Jesus as their hearts have become cold. They hear the sermons again and again but they have no growth. Jonathan Edwards first preached the sermon, ‘Sinners in the hands of an angry God’ in to his own congregation but to them it was another sermon, There was no reaction at all, but another pastor invited Jonathan Edwards to preach that same sermon in his area, what a difference it made when he preach to a people outside of his church. I pray that the Lord may wake you up and arouse from this lethargy and apathy, and make you mourn your of your sad situation! May the Lord break that lethargic and the apathy heart!
Jesus is altogether lovely, there is undivided affection here. Your affection should be on him, greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength. If any man loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema. If anyone loves her husband, wife, child, home, job, television, food, wealth more than Jesus he is not worthy of Jesus. Abraham loved the Lord more than his son. You may sit at his foot stool and love him only in the church but true love is a relationship in and outside of the church.
I pray that you will purge the idols from your soul. Jesus is not a little lovely according to your taste but altogether lovely. His loveliness is so precious to our soul. David cried out "My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God"—the whole of the man seeking after the whole of the Savior.
The wicked man the sinful man the man who has no time for God but have all the time for the flesh will be miserable in heaven. Because he is perfectly wicked and heaven is perfectly holy.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Christ is altogether lovely, because he is altogether lovely
he is called a Sun of Righteousness, (Mal 4:2) he is called a Star, (Num 24:17)
he is called a Morning Star, (Rev 22:16) Bread of life (John 6:35, 48) Captain
of the Lord’s hosts (Josh 5:14-15) Captain of our salvation (Heb 2:10) Chief
Shepherd (1 Pet 5:4) Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:20) Day Spring (Luke 1:78) Door
(John 10:7) Faithful witness (Rev 1:5) First and the Last (Rev 1:17, 2:8) Good
Shepherd (John 10:14) Great High Priest (Heb 4:14) Head of the Church (Eph
5:23, Col 1:18) Holy One (Acts 2:27) Horn
of Salvation (Luke 1:69) Lamb of God (John 1:29) Light of the world
(John 8:12) Mediator (1
Think about this. The more lovely something is more obliged that we are to love it, but Christ is altogether lovely there fore we are altogether obliged to love him.
You may be enlightened and bless of this sermon but it will not make any profit if it’s going to be another sermon that you will hear from one ear and soon forgotten in matter of minutes. You may talk about it and soon forgotten. Thomas Watson (Puritan) said, “God never gave his word to talk about but to obey, if he gave his word to talk about it he would have given to Parrots.”
Do you know why the world hated the Puritans so much? Because they loved God so much. What do you do in your spare time? How do you spend your time where God has given you? It is God who gave you a job, it is God who gave you a home to live, and it is God who gave you life to live, then why don’t you have time for God?
Many are polluted with sin, many have provoked God with their sinful acts, and God’s divine wrath is upon those who live in disobedience. But think of Christ, he is infinitely holy, infinitely lovely and make you holy as he performed righteousness which is infinitely precious in God’s eyes.
If your heart is ready to sink with fear thinking that God will never have mercy on you don’t be afraid to go to Christ, he is a sure foundation, he is strong Lion for your defense and innocent as a Lamb to accept you, he has infinite grace and mercy to forgive you
“Your sins is a sins of a finite creature but God’s mercy is infinite.” (Christopher Love)
Matthew 11: 28 Come to me, all who labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and
learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. 30 For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”