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Awareness of God

Lesson 1

I Am that I Am

Definition:

I am that I am was the most holiest of names for God. It denotes that nothing else is needed to make oneself complete. Since man needs God in order to have life man cannot say that of himself. Apart from God, man is nothing. However, God is everything, He is life, He is judge, He is creator, He is king, He is that He is.

Meaning:

The phrase I am that I am is the same phrase God spoke to Moses at the burning bush. Jesus' use of the phase in describing himself shows that he is equating himself with God. Something the Jews considered blasphemous. They felt no one was equal to God and that anyone who claimed they were was to be stoned. Jesus, however, understood that God had sent him into the world to save the world and that it was God who caused Mary to conceive not any man. This fact gave Jesus all the divinity of God and all the humanity of man. Jesus had all of God he needed and was able to say I am that I am, because he realized that everything he did was because of God and not because of himself.

Scripture Support:

John 10:23-38 (KJV)
And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Colossians 2:9-11 (KJV)
For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

Conclusion:

God was in Jesus. Everything Jesus said and did was what God wanted him to say and do. Jesus showed us that we can live according to God's standards. The way to do that though is to rely on God to help us and not to try to what God wants on our own strength. Since God knows what He wants us to do and he won't ask us to do anything he won't give us the power to do, it makes sense then, that we allow him to indwell us with his power and therefore enable us to live out the plan he has for us.

Application:

I will spend each day seeking Jesus and asking him to show Himself to me. Knowing that He is God, I can live each day trusting that He is with me and helping me to follow Him.

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