Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com

 

 

 

 

GodÕs Revelation of Himself

Exodus 3:14

 

Here we see GodÕs revelation of himself to Moses. Here the Lord God our Savior reveals himself in his great redemptive character. — ÒAnd God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you

      Those words by which God reveals himself here — ÒI Am that I am,Ó contain all three tenses of the verb of being, all three tenses of the words Òto be.Ó They might be translated, ÒI was, I am, and I shall always continue to be.Ó GodÕs name represents his character. When we call upon the name of the Lord, we worship him as he really is. When we pray in ChristÕs name, we pray upon the basis of all that he is and all that he has done. When we gather to worship in his name, we gather to worship trusting him in all his character as our God and Savior.

      When the Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Lord, here declares ÒI AM THAT I AM,Ó he is revealing himself as God, the only eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient, unchanging, immutable, constant, faithful One. He is saying, ÒI am now what I have always been and what I shall forever be. — ÔI am the Lord, I change not.ÕÓ

      Remember, the One speaking to Moses is our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, the unchangeable Jehovah, Òthe same yesterday, and today, and forever,Ó the only wise and eternal God (Hebrews 13:8; John 8:58; Revelation 1:8, 17-18). Our Lord Jesus Christ made this claim no less than fourteen times in JohnÕs gospel. Fourteen times he publicly took to himself this title which belongs to none but God — ÒI AMÓ (John 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 14:6; 18:5). He said ÒI AMÉ

á      ÒThe Bread of LifeÓ (6:35).

á      ÒThe Light of the WorldÓ (8:12; 9:5).

á       ÒThe DoorÓ (10:7, 9).

á      ÒThe Good ShepherdÓ (10:11, 14).

á      ÒThe Resurrection and the LifeÓ (11:25).

á      ÒThe Way, the Truth, and the Life.Ó (14:6).

á      ÒThe VineÓ (15:1, 5).

á      ÒI am HeÓ (John 4:26).

      This name — ÒI AMÓ — is our SaviorÕs declaration that he is God come to save. He makes himself known to chosen sinners as that One of whom the Scriptures speak (John 4:22-26). I make no attempt to prove that he is. He cannot be known by human reason, or made known by the words of manÕs wisdom. Our business is simply to proclaim him as he has revealed himself in all his glorious character. The ÒI AMÓ of the burning bush is the God-man Mediator, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Òthe same, yesterday, and today, and forever.Ó From everlasting to everlasting he is God. We declare, with Paul, ÒBy the grace of God I am what I am.Ó But he simply declares, ÒI AM THAT I AM!Ó Well may he challenge all the earth, saying, ÒTo whom will ye liken me?Ó (Isaiah 46:3-5, 9-10; 45:5, 7, 11, 20-25; 40:25-31). — ÒAnd it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvationÓ (Isaiah 25:9).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pastor FortnerÕs

 

Audio Sermons

Video Sermons

Books

Itinerary