God’s Name: A Pathway to More of Christ
John 17:26 – And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
These words of Jesus, spoken at the very end of his “High Priestly Prayer”, give us an important key to growing in the love of Christ, and really to having more of Himself in us. Jesus said he would declare the NAME of the Father to his disciples. (i.e. you and I.) And for what purpose? That the love which the Father had for Christ might be in us, and so that Jesus himself might also be in us. In essence, that the Divine Love might fill us and overflow to others. This is at least one purpose of knowing the names of God.
Names of God? You may say, “But I thought he just had one name?” Actually, he is referred to by several in the Scriptures. Father, Father of Lights, YHVH, Adoni, I AM, Elohim, etc. This only scratches the surface, and doesn’t even count all the many names of Christ. You might think of them as titles if that helps you understand the concept better.
A name reflects the identity of the person who carries that name. It also often reveals the character of the person. It certainly did in the Bible, and most definitely does reveal the character of God. One of my mentors, Dr. Jim Logan, once said that the key to a deep prayer life is to know and study the names of God.
Here is a partial list to get you started:
El Shaddai – God Almighty
El Elyon – God Most High
Adonai – Lord, Master
YHVH – LORD
YHVH Raah – The Lord my Shepherd
YHVH Yirah – The Lord will Provide
YHVH Shallom – The Lord is Peace
El Olam – The Everlasting God
El Emeth – The God of Truth
And here is an article or two that have some further information on these and other names.
http://bible.org/article/names-god
http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm
As you study these, remember the purpose of knowing them. Jesus said it will help us to be full of the love of God, and the life of Christ, if we will pay attention as He himself “declares” these names unto us.
About The Author
Preacher Dad
Jarod has been a pastor, construction worker, restaurant manager, ministry administrator, children's story teller, author....in no particular order. At heart he is passionate about the Truth, and has been called to proclaim that Truth from an early age. He is committed to his wife and eight children, and seeks to have a lasting impact upon the future by discipling his family. He blogs at PreacherDad.com on parenting, preparing, and cultural impact.
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Thanks, Jarod. I am purposing to pursue this study.