Transparent

Definition: trăns-pâr'ənt, -păr'- something clear, see through or obvious. A window is transparent. When you are transparent your authenticity will translate as honesty and integrity, even as Godly love.
 
God's Plan
 
Isn't it God's intention that the whole of the Creation comes to know and share in His glory?
 
The Bible tells us that God's glory, grace and truth are inextricably joined together in Jesus (John 1:14,16,17).
 
It is so good to know that this is where we are headed, those of us who belong to Jesus, who are in His family and part of the Kingdom of our Father God .. We are headed to God's glory! 

Upon our salvation we were given a certain hope of eternal life with Jesus; we were immediately set free from the burden of our sins (Romans 6:22), justified and declared righteous (Romans 3:21-24), and made a son or a daughter of His Father (Romans 8:16; Philippians 2:15; 1 John 3:1).
 
From that moment God has been filling us and growing us, each one, by His Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Acts 13:52), more and more into "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
 
Thus, we also, like Jesus, become filled with grace and truth. This is good .. wonderful for us who are saved, and really great for the world which seems more and more to be heading into "this present darkness" (Ephesians 6:14).
 
Truth is so central to life in Christ, yet seems to be becoming lost to our World.
 
Just as God wants us to be gracious (and generous) in the broadest sense, He also wants us to be true (John 4:23), to be genuine (2 Corinthians 6:6, 8), to be transparent (Ephesians 4:15).
 
No Transparency
 
In Western Australia we have just gone through our state government election. During the campaign there was no transparency to be had anywhere from any of the parties. None of the vital issues of our day formed any part of the discussions or comprised any part of the different electoral platforms. So the successful majority can legitimately do anything they want .. they have promised nothing of substance.
 
"The Lord has handed sinners over to their own choices in rejecting his all illuminating glory, handed them over to the darkness of their own choices" (John 9:39).

"Since an existential state of emptiness is unbearable for those made for the indwelling divine glory (Psalm 8:5), idolatry is inevitable" (John Yates, January 2021).
 
Are we so conditioned by the flow of lies and misinformation, political correctness, no-platforming, confusion, intimidation and even electoral tampering, that we will accept any kind of government that wins our untruthful election campaigns?
 
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).
 

What are we to do?
 
Pray!
 
"Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication .. keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18) and even for the whole world ..
 
Two Meanings
 
Led Zeppelin sang "sometimes words have two meanings". That was 50 years ago, and it seems that their insight has never had more poignancy than now. ('Stairway To Heaven', Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, 1971).
 
Humpty Dumpty and Alice in Wonderland shared the same ideological concept: "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less". "The question is", said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things". "The question is", said Humpty Dumpty, "[who] is to be master?" (Lewis Carroll 'Alice in Wonderland' 1934).
 
Controlling the meaning of a word gives power. Words and ideology are playing a big but unwelcome part in the lives of billions of people today in ways few foresaw at the turn of our new Century. Neither truth nor common sense have their true value.
 
Ideas which are central to our society’s core were codified in our national constitutions and also by the United Nations protocols to which our nations are signatories .. ideas now being ignored and over-ridden by our provincial, state and national law makers.
 
Truth, common sense, generations of cultural norms and even true science and proven economics play no part in decision making and law making for whole nations, and even multi-national corporations.
 
Is there now no room for God's leadership in our world?
 
Our liberty to raise our children, express what we think, and worship and pray together is being removed. Will we be unable to be parents to our children, but rather be legally obliged, at great governmental threat, to allow state representatives to be our children's only influencers?
 
Must we leave God, and our Saviour Jesus, out of our conversations? Even out of our hearts and thoughts? I believe that this is what is beginning to be demanded of us.
 
The toxic politics of our time are very destructive. Politics is supposed to work for the ultimate benefit of each nation. It is sometimes called "the art of compromise" where there is give-and-take among those proposing different solutions until a workable way forward is found. When I was young we saw this happening and our nations grew in civility, fairness and prosperity.
 
Now though, no-one will even listen to the other's point of view. Discussion is being shut down. People are being denied a place to air their view. Some subjects may no longer be spoken of in public. This path can only lead to totalitarian governments.
 
My generation were well exposed to what life was like in totalitarian Russia and the Soviet Union, and in East Germany who endured the Stasi secret police with more than 1,000,000 citizens voluntarily informing against their neighbours.
 
All this just a few decades ago! Have we all forgotten?
 
God Knows
 
These worrying thoughts bring me back to verses from Isaiah:
 
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isaiah 5:20).
 
"Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.  Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil [and seeks after good] makes himself a prey" (Isaiah 59:14-15).

And these verses remind me that Jesus is "King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15); He has equipped us as His "ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20) and "servants" (Ephesians 2:10) in the world ..

"Because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction .." (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you" (Luke 10:19)

 

Remnant - Real Friends
 
I'm sure that Christians have shared these kinds of thoughts with one another again and again over the centuries, in those times when they became aware that evil forces were at work to take over their nation. Christians are having to gather more tightly together and learn what it is to be a remnant; persecution always comes with totalitarian government.
 
Today there seems to be no broad scale and practical opposition to the evil advances .. ungodly rule is spreading.
 
Let us look to our real friends, those friends who are filled with Jesus and His Holy Spirit and live for Him. Let us share our lives, pray together, study the Scriptures and worship. Let us be careful with our resources and at the same time be generous towards those with real needs. Let us care for one another and love one another, and especially all our children and young adults ..
 
"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
 

Being transparent is to do with truth, truth and clarity, and even vulnerability. Sometimes transparency may be costly to us, it was costly to Jesus first. Jesus is truth (John 1:14; 1:17; 4:24).

We ask "what would Jesus do?" Then we look to His loving relationship with His (and our) Abba Father God. As in so many things, Jesus is our example of what it is to be Christian and to be a follower of His Way.
 
And let us remember: the New Testament tells us that people would come to the Christians seeking the wondrous thing that they had found (John 12:21) .. they did not need to be persuaded, they came because they were hungry, needy, and saw the light of Christ in Jesus' people, the ecclesia of God (Colossians 1:27).
 
"Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer, being alert and intent in your praying, with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2 Amplified).
 
Praise Jesus for His constant love and for the Christian brothers and sisters He has given each one of us ..
 
Amen.

Favourite Scriptures

".. Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him" (Hebrews 2:8). 

 

"They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. 'Sir', they said, 'we would like to see Jesus'" (John 12:21).
 
"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
 
 " .. Love one another .." (John 13:34, twice)
 " .. Love one another .." (John 15:12)
 " .. Love one another" (John 15:17)
 " .. Love one another .." (Romans 13:8)
 "Greet one another with a holy kiss" (2 Corinthians 13:12)
 " .. Love one another" (1 Thessalonians 4:9)
 " .. Love one another deeply, from the heart" (1 Peter 3:8)
 " .. Love one another deeply .." (1 Peter 4:8)
 "Greet one another with a kiss of love" (1 Peter 5:14)
 " .. Love one another" (1 John 3:11)
 " .. Love one another" (1 John 3:23)
 " .. Love one another" (1 John 4:7)
 " .. Love one another" (1 John 4:11)
 " .. Love one another" (1 John 4:12)
 " .. Love one another" (2 John 5)
 
Thank you Jesus ..

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Amen. Praise Jesus.