Grace and peace be unto you, beloved in Christ Jesus, from God our Father and from the Lord, the Word made flesh, who reigns forever at His right hand. I write to you, not as one who boasts in his own wisdom, but as a servant of the truth revealed through the Holy Scriptures, that you may be strengthened in faith and built up in the knowledge of Him who is from the beginning.
Consider the testimony of the blessed apostle John, who, moved by the Spirit of God, declares in his gospel, "He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:2). Behold the mystery and the majesty of this word! The "He" of whom John speaks is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, the Word uncreated, through whom all things were made. Before the mountains were formed, before the heavens were spread abroad, before the foundations of the earth were laid—yea, before time itself was breathed into being—He was. Not as a created thing, nor as a mere thought of the Father, but as One who is with God, equal in essence, distinct in person, sharing the glory of the Godhead from everlasting to everlasting.
O saints, marvel at this: the One who walked among us, who broke bread with sinners, who bore the scourge and the cross, is He who was with God in the beginning! The Word did not come into being; He is. The world was not, yet He was. The darkness knew Him not, yet He shone forth as the Light of life. Herein lies our hope, our anchor, our joy—that the eternal Son, being with God, is God, and in His great love He stooped to dwell with us, that we might dwell with Him forever.
Let this truth stir your hearts, brethren. You who labor under the weight of sin, you who wrestle with doubt, you who seek the face of God—know that the One who intercedes for you is not a stranger to the Father, nor a latecomer to His counsels. He was with God in the beginning, and by Him the Father’s will is accomplished. Through Him the heavens declare His glory; through Him the promise of redemption was purposed before the ages began. What then shall separate us from such a love? Shall trial or tempest? Nay, for He who was with God is now with us, Immanuel, our Savior and King.
Therefore, I charge you, beloved: walk worthy of this calling. Let not your hearts be troubled by the fleeting shadows of this age, for your life is hid with Christ, who is eternal. Abide in His word, as He abides with the Father. Proclaim His name to the nations, for the One who was in the beginning has spoken, and His voice shall not return void. And when the end of all things draws near, lift up your heads, for He who was with God shall come again in glory, and every knee shall bow before Him.
Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.