Giving A Name

People need to assign names to things... songs, books, pets, etc...

It just seems to be how our brains relate to the world around us.

If I am trying to tell someone about a song and I can't remember 'the title' it seems natural to pick out a phrase that stands out and make that the title in my mind.

'You know... the 'bye bye American pie' song...'

The person who I am talking to begins to search through the catalog in their brain to find the matching association.

"Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him." - Genesis 2:19-20 ESV

God wanted to see what Adam would call them? Interesting. The first comedy show and God was the audience.

Contrast, association, recurrence, comparison, particularization (general to specific), generalization (specific to general), causation, substantiation, cruciality, climax, repetition, dominance, proportion, balance, sequence and progression. Just a few ideas that all revolve around a label or title of some kind.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:5-11 ESV

What name will you give God's Son? God has given Him a name. Actually He has revealed the name that 'always was.' If we name Him with the same name then our contrasts, associations and progressions will begin to fall along rational and realistic lines... Heavenly lines.

Thinking 'with God' is a great privilege. It starts with agreement about His Son. He Is the Alpha and Omega of thinking with God.

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Preeminence - Colossians - Part 39

"And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell," - Colossians 1:18-19 ESV

The Hapax Legomena (uniquely used word) in verse 18 is (pre-eminent - prōteuō - Strong's G4409). The NAS translates this word 'to have first place' and it is a concept we all understand. He was first. He Is first and we will go into the future with Jesus being first.

In one sense when we sin we enter into territory He has never traveled into as a transgressor. Faithlessness is a state Jesus has never been in.

At the same time...

"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" - Psalm 139:7-8 ESV

Jesus has traveled into the Earth and visited the grave. He hung on a cross long before you and I were born and experienced the separation and punishment for our sins before we even committed them.

I like that this passage is the one in line to speak about today. We just had our presidential election in the United States and now that the votes are in there is a group that has won and is thanking God for the victory and there is one that has lost and must be wondering how they can go forward. Still... The Messiah is number one. He was first and He Is first. Human governments come in and go out like the tide but Jesus Is Lord.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37 ESV

That is a true statement that will always be true. Jesus has already crossed the finish line and we have crossed it with Him.

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