I AM THAT I AM
Exodus 3:11 ¶ And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And 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. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
The Eternal Son of God did not have a human name until the angel Gabriel proclaimed it at the announcement of his Incarnation. Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
And prior to this revelation of himself to Moses at the burning bush incident, He had revealed himself in a different way. Exodus 6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, (El Shaddai), but by my name JEHOVAH (Yaweh – the redemptive name of God), was I not known to them.
And now the Person of the Word, (see John 1:1-3,14), who is the fulness of the Godhead bodily, proclaims himself to be the “I AM.” Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And this same Person who reveals himself to Moses also reveals himself as the same “I AM” when he became flesh and dwelt among us! John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. For to have seen him was to have seen the Father! John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
{One would do well to study all the “I am’s” of the Lord Jesus for a more full revelation of himself to us. For he said, “I am” the door; the good shepherd; the true vine; the bread; the way; the truth; the life; the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star; the light of the world; and the resurrection.}
For the Son was with the Father and loved by the Father from before the foundation of the world. John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 24 ¶ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
And revealing himself as the Person of Wisdom, (see 1 Corinthians 1:30, with Proverbs 8:12), we have his testimony as to his eternal relationship with the Father prior to creation. Proverbs 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
As one wise old preacher often stated, “He didn’t have to get here to be here. He was already here before he got here!”
One must seek for the revelation of the Holy Spirit in order to begin to comprehend the matter of how “God was manifest in the flesh; for great is the mystery of godliness.” For the Lord Jesus states, “my Father is greater than I.” John 14:28. And then in John 10:30 “I and my Father are one.” How can we understand both of these to be true? As the Eternal Son of God, he is co-equal, co-eternal, and co-powerful with the Father. But as the Incarnate Son, he is in submission to the Father, therefore he states that the Father is greater. 1 Corinthians 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
In Revelation 3:12 he speaks of “my new name.” And therefore we come to realize that there is more to the Lord Jesus than carnal religion has taught us! Just consider the following verses: 2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. None can henceforth ever know him merely as the human who once walked this earth.
The Apostle Paul says he would now ever know Him in the fellowship of his sufferings. Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; He would know the I AM by experiencing his life style and not by learning of his history! We must come to know his ways, and not just his acts! This being true, we don’t really know that many true Christians! We are acquainted with scores of religionists who have made themselves familiar with the accounts of him in the written word, but with only few on the narrow way, who have actually experienced his ways! For most only know facts about the man, Jesus. These have “a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof…from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5
It would also seem strange to the average religionist to hear that true believers are only identified spiritually. For the religionist has had his christianity confirmed to him by documentation. He is by these more mentally comforted than with any personal spiritual properties. He has his name written in his bible along with the date of his supposed regeneration. He has his baptism certificate, signed by the pastor. And he has his name recorded on the local church roll. And he wears his gold religious symbols. Yet he has never been confronted with the truth of God’s word concerning his spiritual identity.
Just consider these two verses: John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
And most never realize that those who are actually new creations in Christ have their attention focused upon the Being of the Invisible I AM, and not just with fellow members of the local church. For there is no true worship otherwise! John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This being the truth, the religionist has not the vaguest notion of what the Lord was referring to in such statements are these: Matthew 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. John 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. Such truth is only sheep food! One cannot nourish carnal goats with such strong meat! Any attempt to expound on such verses will simply make all religionists feel uncomfortable and eventually drive them away to go find a more carnal setting forth of formal religion!
Yet we are clearly informed that the true, spiritual believer has no acceptance with those who only practice religion’s traditions. 1 John 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Brother Gene.
