When Christ hung upon the cross, dying in the darkness, there was a great earthquake and the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This act disclosed the holy of holies to the public eye. Till that moment no man, except the high priest, had ever gone behind that veil. He went only once a year on the Day of Atonement and never without having offered a sacrifice for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Taking the blood of this second sacrifice he entered the holy of holies behind the veil and sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. God Himself had ordered this form of worship to teach that He is holy and cannot be approached at will or whim by anyone who desires to approach, or by whatever means the approaching person cares to use.
Our word power is the English translation of several different Greek words. One of these is dunamis, from which we get dynamo, dynamite, dynamic. This word describes that power which manifests itself in mighty works. It is a divinely provided energy that changes lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the dynamic power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. (See Rom. 1:16.)
The word dwelt literally suggests putting up a tent, indicative of temporary residence. He "tented" with us for a while. In the Old Testament, God "tented" with man in the temporary Tabernacle in the wilderness. Later, He took up a more permanent residence in the Temple until it was destroyed.
The fact that we can call ourselves sons of God is a miracle of God's great love to us. Love that goes upward, from the heart of man to God, is adoration. Love that goes outward, from one heart to another, is affection. But love that stoops is grace, and God stooped to us. This is the most stupendous fact of the universe. It reveals to us that our God is love.
This question of forgiveness arose in the lives of some Christians that I know, one of whom did a very grievous wrong to some other children of God. There was deep sin involved, including a definite transgression of at least three of the Ten Commandments. There were several friends involved who sided with the transgressor. One of these bystanders talked on the telephone with the Christians who had been sinned against, and in the course of the conversation the latter said, "Of course, we are ready to forgive. . . we must forgive. . ."
