Kingdom of Christ

Except a man be Born Again, he Cannot see the Kingdom of God

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 05:41:00 +0000

Which is Born of the Flesh is flesh - All men are spiritually dead in their natural state because of man’s rebellion and God’s curse upon the whole human race in the Garden of Eden. The Bible differentiates between the “spirit” and the “flesh”. To be “in the flesh” or being “carnal minded” or having a “stony heart” is not merely defining one’s physical existence, but is a statement of one’s spiritual condition – to be unsaved. In Rom 8:13 we find these words, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”. Mat 26:41 adds, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. This is the accurately painful description that Eph 2:3 paints: “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”. The word “conversation” means “lifestyle”. Gal 5:19-21 itemizes the works of the flesh. Even if a person were to refrain from committing these particular sins outwardly, they would still remain guilty for having committed these in their minds. All sin carries with it the punishment of eternal death, as we see from Jam 1:14-15: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”. Rom 8:7 explains the warfare that exists between the unsaved person and God, and it underscores man’s inherent inability to be under, or obedient to, God’s Word prior to salvation: “Because the carnal mind is enmity [or hatred] against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”. A “stony heart” is also a vivid description of man’s spiritual deadness. The Bible also makes reference to a dead heart as a “hard (or unbelieving) heart”, or a “hardened heart”. And the thrust of these words has to do with rebellion or stubbornness against God and His Word, the Bible. Rom 2:5 teaches, “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God”. Gal 6:7-8 enunciates an exceedingly vital principle: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”.

Gal 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Rom 8:5-8 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Which is Born of the Spirit is spirit - On the other hand, to be “in the spirit” or “spiritually minded” refers to someone who has become saved by the will and Word of God. This distinction is evident in the following examples: John 3:6 says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. If one has not been born “of the Spirit”, they are, by biblical definition still “of the flesh”, and hence they are not saved. Rom 8:13 declares, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”. Thus, we are introduced to the principle of sowing and reaping. This principle is inherently active in the life of any person. They will either be sowing and reaping “to the flesh”, or they will be doing the same “to the spirit”. The outcome is also spelled out in Gal 6:8, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Now, what did Jesus mean by this statement in John 11:25, “... he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”? He is speaking about the fact that all men are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins before God “quickens” some of them (the elect) by giving them eternal life, as we read in Eph 2:56. We read this in Col 2:13: “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses”. We see that these parallel verses are tied together with the Greek words for being spiritually quickened (that is, made alive) together with Christ and for being spiritually raised from the dead (or resurrected) together with Christ. These terms both refer to God’s work of resurrecting and energizing the souls of the elect with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. John 6:63 states, “It is the spirit that quickeneth [or makes alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”. He uses the power of His Word to “quicken” His people, which means to “make alive” or “give life”. Also, God must “raise up” His people together with Christ in order to restore them from spiritual deadness unto a right standing with Himself. If we have a dead, or “stony”, heart by nature, how can we obey? The only way is that God has to do it for us as Eze 36:26 affirms, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh”. One cannot help but notice the numerous references to God’s use of the personal pronoun “I” in the above verse in describing His initiative in one’s salvation. A “heart of flesh” means a living heart. This is also corroborated by the language found in Deu 30:6, “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live”. Using the analogy of spiritual circumcision, “Spiritual Jews” are thusly defined by Rom 2:28-29: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God”.

John 11:23-26 “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Eph 2:56 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [make alive] us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

Rom 8:9-10 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye Must be Born Again - A term that is similar to “True Gospel” by its redundancy is “born-again Christian”. Actually, the only people who are true Christians are those who have become “born again”, or spiritually regenerated (Tit 3:5), by the power of God. In John 3:3-6 we are confronted with the late night conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus on the subject of the New Birth: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. John 3:7 says, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. When Jesus referred to being “born again”, the Greek word translated as “again” is anothen (G509), which literally means “from above” – that is, “from heaven” or “from God”. For instance, we find it used in Jam 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above [anothen], and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”. We need to keep in mind that the gift of salvation, which comes “down” from God Himself, is entirely undeserved and is only by God’s grace. It is no accident that Jesus pointed out in Mark 10:26-27: “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible”. The reason it is impossible by human achievement is due to the fact that man is spiritually dead by nature, as Eph 2:1-3 maintains. Remember, the Scriptures state that man cannot save himself. God has to give him salvation (or faith) as a gift, as Eph 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. Rom 6:23 further notes, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. John 1:12-13 points out the fact that salvation is not dependent on anything that man does, and specifies Who the author of salvation is in verse 13: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”. When a person is “born of God” he becomes a “new creature” in Christ through the miraculous creative power of God, as 2 Cor 5:17 explains: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. Nothing short of birth “from above” will suffice for someone to “see” the Kingdom of God. As we have seen above, God uses the power of His Word to “quicken” His people as also seen in 1 Pet 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever”. Jesus often called Himself the “Son of Man” because as the “Last Adam” (or the “Second Man”) He represented the human beings He came to save and endured the equivalent of eternal damnation for them in the Atonement at the Cross, as we read in 1 Cor 15:45-47: “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [Christ] was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man [Christ] is the Lord from heaven”.

Eze 36:26-28 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again [born again] unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Php 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall Not fulfil the lust of the Flesh - 2 Cor 5:17 describes a born-again believers new nature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. At this point in our discussion, I think it would be helpful to remind ourselves of each believer’s dual nature. Quite possibly the tendency to emphasize one aspect more than the other can shape how we look at ourselves in terms of possessing or lacking assurance of salvation. Let us consider each “side” of a Christian’s whole personality. Even after a person is redeemed he struggles with sin because his body still remains unsaved, even though in his soul he has received eternal life. This is clearly seen in a number of verses like Rom 7:20, “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”. The apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, reveals in Rom 7:25 the Scriptural assessment that a child of God must constantly keep in mind, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. But Gal 5:16-18 and verses 24-25 further add: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]… And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. This internal dualism is the true Christian’s greatest spiritual struggle, bar none, as Rom 7:24 pinpoints, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The deliverance that Paul refers to is found in the words of 2 Cor 5:1-4, which expresses the believer’s yearning to be forever clothed with his glorified spiritual body. 1 John 3:1-3 highlights this as well, adding the dimension of hope with regard to glorification, which is the final stage of salvation.

Rom 7:21-25 “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man [or the soul]: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members [or my body]. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin… ”

Gal 5:16-18, 24-25 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law… And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”

Rom 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Sojourn as Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:57:00 +0000

Promised Land Promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – God first called Abram in Genesis 12 and 13 to leave his country and go to a land that He would show him. God promised in verse Gen 12:3, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” and in Gen 13:15, “all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever”. God repeated that promise to Abraham many times afterwards. Moreover, after Abraham’s death, He reassured Isaac of that promise in Genesis 26 and to Jacob in Genesis 28. Back in Genesis 13, when Abram and Lot separated, and later in Genesis 17, when God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (which means “father of a multitude” ), He said in verse 5, “for a father of many nations have I made thee”. And then in verse Gen 17:8, it’s highly significant that the promised land was to be given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed for an everlasting possession. That’s because they never received the promised land in their lifetime. Since God is faithful in fulfilling all His promises, He will have to raise them up at some point to give them the land. When might that be? Four times in John 6, Christ says that He will raise up those who have become saved on the last day. The last day, of course, is the final day of this earth’s existence, as 2 Peter 3 puts it. The land that God promised to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed thus has to be the new creation, eternal new heavens and new earth. Only then will they have it for an everlasting possession. So “Canaan” is a picture of the Kingdom of God. Dan 4:3 acknowledges, “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation”. And Dan 7:27 insists: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Gen 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee[Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Gen 17:5,8 “5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Gen 13:14-15 “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”

Gen 26:2-4 “And the LORD appeared unto him [Isaac], and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”

Gen 28:13-14 “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou [Jacob] liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Heb 11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise [earthly], as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Heb 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city [new Jerusalem]”

Rev 21:1-2 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”

2 Pet 3:10,13 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

Strangers from the Covenants of Promise but made nigh by the Blood of Christ – In Gal 3:8, the Bible is giving us a tremendous statement saying that it has always been God’s plan to save the heathen, the non-Jewish people, through faith in Jesus Christ. Foreseeing that, or anticipating that, the word of God announced in advance the Good News or “The gospel of Christ” to Abraham by telling him, “in thee shall all nations be blessed” (Gal 3:8). Abraham, of course, is the progenitor of national Israel. The Jewish people have, therefore always assumed that they are the seed of promise. Since the Old Testament Scriptures make up over 70 percent of the Bible, those who fail to recognize the typology between the OT and NT miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program. For eg; in Gal 4:22-28, Hagar and her children and Sarah and her children are two covenants, “Which things are an allegory”, typifying the two Gospels, the gospel of works where people trying to get right by keeping the law of God and the Gospel of grace where people are saved by God’s grace and mercy. In Genesis 17 God further told Abraham that he is making “everlasting covenant”. The word “everlasting” immediately tells us that “thy seed” there refers to those who are in Christ, because they are the only ones who will inherit the new heaven and the new earth. Everything on this earth will be destroyed by fire on the last day (2 Pet 3:10). The seed in Christ are who are saved by grace through faith, which is the gift of God. God specified in His will that the beneficiaries were to be Abraham and his seed. In Gal 3:16, the apostle calls particular attention to the word “seed”, as distinguished from “seeds”. And that singular seed that God had in Christ, NOT all the blood descendants of Abraham. The promises, as we learned earlier in this lesson, is the free gift of eternal life. As the testator of the will, Christ had to die to activate the bequest. But because Lord Jesus Christ is testator of the Will and also a Beneficiary of that will and because the Lord Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham, all those who are in Christ are joint heirs according to the promise. Inheriting the New Holy city - “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”, of course, is the ultimate outcome of the salvation of all believers (Heb 11:8-16). The Bible is thus saying that there is no difference between Old Testament and New Testament believers, they are all saved by the same gospel of grace; they all have “obtained a good report through faith”, and their salvation will be all consummated on the last day, when they will all receive the promise.

Gal 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

Heb 11:17-18 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him [Isaac] in a figure [figure of Christ].”

Gal 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Eph 2:11-17 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Rom 9:27,30-31 “27Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel [as a nation], which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.”

Rom 4:16-17 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law [remnant of Israel], but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham [remnant of Gentiles]; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

Rom 9:6-8 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

Ye are NO more Strangers and Foreigners, but Fellowcitizens with the Saints – God has been saving a people for Himself out of this whole miserable mass of humanity and has laid the strong foundation of His Spiritual House of believers upon that Spiritual Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is also called a “Chief and Precious Corner Stone” and “a sure foundation” (Isa 28:16 and quoted in 1 Pet 2:6). Eph 2:19-22 declares: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit”. The “house” that God is “building” is the eternal “church”. It is the “household of God”, which is also called “an holy temple”. Thus, the Spiritual Body of Christ is the “habitation” (or “dwelling place”) where the Holy Spirit dwells.

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Gal 6:15-16 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

Gal 4:26-28 “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

Gal 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Eph 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Why have I found grace in thine eyes, seeing I am a stranger? – The account of Ruth and Naomi and their family is more than just a “love story” as it appears on the surface. Indeed, it is a beautiful picture of salvation, and the Lord Jesus Christ as the “Kinsman Redeemer”. Let me try to briefly summarize some of the historical highlights: Naomi was married to Elimelech, and they had two sons. They were from Bethlehemjudah, or the “House of Bread” in Judah, which was to be the birthplace of the Savior. There was a severe famine in Bethlehemjudah, and they decided to relocate to the heathen country of Moab upon hearing that there was “bread” there. Tragically, Naomi’s husband and her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, all died. The sons had married Moabitish women, Ruth and Orpah. Devastated, Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to re-marry, and to return to their parents’ homes. Orpah kisses her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stays with Naomi and utters these remarkably poignant words with great tenderness in Ruth 1:16-17: “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me”. So, Naomi returned to Bethlehem with Ruth, to start a new life. Though a foreigner, Ruth found work in the fields because it was the time of the barley harvest. She worked in a field owned by Boaz, a wealthy man, and she later learned that he was a “kinsman”, or relative, of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz shows great kindness to her; and because an even closer relative rejected his responsibility of marrying Ruth to insure her former husband’s line according to the biblical injunction, Boaz decided to marry her. In time, God blessed them with a baby boy, Obed, who became the father of Jesse and grandfather of King David. It is important to understand how Moabites were looked upon, according to Deu 23:3-4. Briefly, a Moabite is a picture of every unsaved person who shall not “enter into the congregation of the LORD”. That is, they (representing all the unsaved) are under the wrath of God and cannot enter the eternal church – the Body of Christ. Given these circumstances and the fact that Boaz is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, Ruth 2:2 presents a remarkable piece of information: “And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace”. Notice in Ruth 2:2 that grace has to do with how we are viewed by Someone else. In other words, how do we appear in the eyes of God? Can we stand in His divine presence, under His penetrating scrutiny as we read in Rev 1:14, “… his eyes were as a flame of fire”. How can a person who is unsaved, find grace in God’s sight? This is the wonderful message of salvation by grace alone, as Eph 2:8-9 announces. God repeats the significance of finding grace in His eyes in Ruth 2:10: “Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?”. This is the attitude of the believer who understands that he is indeed “estranged” from the kingdom of God and an unworthy recipient of God’s undeserved grace, or favor. Thus, Ruth typifies each child of God who has received the gift of salvation

Eph 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”

Ruth 2:13 “Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Sojourn as Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth - A very real and insidious problem of life on this sin-cursed earth is that we can became captivated by “… all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world …”, according to 1 John 2:16-17. 1 John 2:17 also indicates that this present situation is only temporary: “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”. Luke 17:26-33 is a fitting commentary of our day, as we are in the “Great Tribulation”, when the unsaved are engaged in the various activities of living – eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting, building – it was “business as usual” for the vast majority of mankind, until Christ returns as “a thief in the night”. On the other hand, Matt 6:24-25 and 31-34 outlines the attitude of one who has been born from above: “Take no thought for your life”, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness”. Col 3:1-5 really pinpoints where our focus needs to be: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”. Deu 31:12 reveals that God’s Word is for all the members of the family: “Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:”. Mat 25:34-39 also describes the efforts of Christians (by God’s empowering and motivation) to send forth the Gospel to those who are “estranged” from the kingdom of God. A believer should be focused on advancing the Kingdom of God, and not become “captivated” by all that is in the world. When Christ returns the believers will hear: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For ... I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ... Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, ... When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? ... And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Mat 25:34-39).

Luke 17:26-33 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. 33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

1 Pet 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

Col 3:1-5 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5Mortify [that is, put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth;fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

Matt 6:25, 31-33 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?… 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Psa 146:7-9 “Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down”

Mat 25:34-39 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”.

Blessed are they ... Read more ...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:09:00 +0000

Blessed are they ... - The Greek word, makarios (G3107), is correctly translated as “blessed” in the King James, or Authorized, Version of our English Bible. It is improperly translated as “happy” in many other translations. Happiness depends upon what happens to us on the outside and is totally dependent upon ones circumstances and welfare – that is what happens at critical points in life. Blessedness depends upon Him – Christ – who is resident within the child of God and depends entirely on what God does for the believer in and through the person and work of His son Jesus Christ. It is vitally important that this be understood because the task of the child of God is not a pursuit of happiness but the art of enjoying the God who blesses. For example, we see in the Sermon on the mount in Matt 5, “blessed are they that mourn”, “blessed are they which are persecuted” – mournful people who are poor in spirit are not happy about their condition, the people who are persecuted are not happy how the world is treating them but they will have blessing of God resting upon them. They are not being stimulated to happiness by the happenings, on the other hand, they form the necessary ingredients of the development of the true blessedness in the life of a believer. Happiness is determined by pleasant circumstances which may happen to us and which we like. Blessedness is determined by our attitude towards the events of life, pleasant or otherwise, because of our faith in God and in His Word. True blessedness is the state wherein one enjoys the favor and salvation of God. The ground for such blessedness is a proper relationship with God. Since no unbeliever can be blessed as this state of being depends upon a right relationship with the Lord, it stands to reason that true blessedness begins with new-birth or regeneration. Since it is this Holy Spirit who brings this blessedness of a believer it is imperative that we be born of the Holy Spirit so that he indwell us and bring us blessing. A good definition of this word “blessed” is found in Psa 133:3: “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore”. This is the blessing that the Bible is concerned with, and this is what Jesus is talking about in the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes – “life for evermore” – Eternal Life in Christ. . Quoting from the Old Testament Psalm and referring to the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus, Rom 4:7-8 asserts, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin”. Those that God has graciously redeemed have received the gift of righteousness, as Psa 24:5 indicates, “He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation”. Rom 4:6 repeats this same idea: “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth [bestows] righteousness without works”.

Psa 65:4 “Blessed is the man whom thou [God] choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts [Kingdom of God]: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

Psa 32:1-2 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile”

Psa 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Psa 112:1-2 “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”

Jam 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life [eternal life], which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Eph 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit - We are spiritually broken-hearted by our sin. We are spiritually poor because we need a Savior. Before salvation, God has to “break us down” spiritually, and humble us because by nature we are so proud and arrogant as we disdain God and His Word, the Bible. Mournful people who are poor in spirit are not happy about their condition. But the Word of God assures us poor and contrite heart are not despised by the Lord even though they might be miserable. On the contrary they will be blessed: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psa 34:18). Lord Jesus indeed manifested a “… contrite and humble spirit …”. In turn, those whom God has elected to salvation will be “humbled” and will be “made contrite” as God gives them a new resurrected soul (Eze 36:26) and saves them by His grace and for His glory. The contrast between pride and humility is found throughout the pages of Scripture; and one such example is the historical parable of the Pharisee who do not understand his own sinfulness and the publican who is broken-hearted by his sin, found in Luke 18:9-16. Pride comes from self-righteousness and humility comes from “imputed” God’s righteousness.

Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Luke 6:20 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor [poor in spirit or brokenhearted by sin]: for yours is the kingdom of God.”

Psa 51:16-17 “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Luke 18:9-14 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 12And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Luke 4:18 (quoting Isa 61:1-3) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus], because he hath anointed me [Jesus] to preach the gospel to the poor [poor in spirit or brokenhearted]; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”

Blessed are they that Mourn - Those who have become saved by God’s grace can mourn along with the psalmist in Psa 38:18 “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin”. Godly sorrow, or Godly mourning over sin produces, or causes, genuine repentance because it is the work of Holy Spirit and the Word of God in the hearts of His chosen people. Repentance (based on “godly sorrow”), which is a gift from God has everything to do with Salvation. Matt 5:4 declares, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted”. Those who mourn for their sin will escape God’s judgement as Job 5:11 assures us: “To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety”. Undoubtedly, Nineveh has to be one of the most dramatic examples of mourning and comfort (salvation) recorded in the Bible! when God commanded Jonah to preach a simple message, “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown”, the people of Nineveh believed and repented and “cried mightily unto God” and the Lord pitied them and spared them. God’s answer to Jonah in Jon 4:9-11 helps us see God’s love as the motivating force behind this wonderful salvation account, even though God had warned of impending judgment previously: “And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. 10Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

Luke 6:21, 25 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now [mourn for their sin]: for ye shall laugh. 25Woe unto you that are full! [with false doctrines] for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep [on judgement day].”

2 Cor 7:8-10 “For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Joel 2:12-13 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

Jonah 3:5-9 “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?”

Isa 61:1-3 [quoted in Luke 4:18] “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Jesus]; because the LORD hath anointed me [Jesus] to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

Blessed are the Meek - The Hebrew word for “meek” (‘anav:H6035) is found some 26 times, and is generally translated as “meek”, “humble”, “poor”, and “lowly”. The meek are those who have been “made beautiful” (or clothed) with salvation: “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation” (Psa 149:4). The Bible gives us some wonderful pictures of the “meek”, or those who are “born-again” and have inherited the quality of “meekness” as “the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit”. As we ponder this word “meekness”, we are reminded of the Lord Jesus, the Ultimate Servant, who uttered these words in Matt 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”. Matt 21:5 also portrays the Lord Jesus in such a fashion: “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass”. Moses, as a great type of Christ, is described in Num 12:3 in these words, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth”. Matt 5:5 declares “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”. God will destroy this present universe by fire and create New Heavens and a New Earth (2 Pet 3:7, 10, 13). This is the earth the meek will inherit. This is where only God and His people will live forever in righteousness.

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Jesus]; because the LORD hath anointed me [Jesus] to preach good tidings unto the meek [to preach the gospel to the poor; in parallel verse in Luke 4:18]; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

Psa 37:9, 11, 22, 29, 34 “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. 29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. 34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”

Blessed are they which do Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness - We read in Zep 2:3, “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger”. So, who are the “meek”? As we have seen above, they are God’s redeemed children. Who are the “righteous”? Those who have been covered with Christ’s robe of righteousness (Isa 61:10, Php 3:9). In other words, all who have become saved will be “hid” from the Lord’s anger on Judgment Day. Matt 5:6 describes these individuals “blessed”. One of the greatest declarations regarding the purpose and scope of the Bible is found in 2 Tim 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. The Greek word for “instruction” in this phrase gives the connotation of nurturing, or teaching, or correcting on the subject of righteousness. Matt 5:6 declares “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”. Psa 36:8 gives the child of God this assurance: “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures”. In verse Psa 23:2 we read, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”. As the most nourishing physical food for sheep is tender, green grass, so is the most nourishing spiritual food for God’s people is His Word, the Bible. We believers “feed” spiritually upon the Word of God in its written form, upon the Bread of Life and the Living Water – the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 6:21, 25 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 25Woe unto you that are full! [with false doctrines] for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.”

John 6:33-35 “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 7:37-39 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Psa 23:1-3 “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Blessed are the Merciful - Now let us meditate on Matt 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy”. An English dictionary says that being “merciful” is a willingness to grant “a reprieve from a fate of considerable severity without further implication”. In short, we can say that “mercy is not receiving the punishment deserved”. Thus, the greatest act of mercy is that of God’s forgiving a person’s sins through the atoning work of Jesus Christ at the cross and, thereby, granting them a reprieve from a fate of ultimate severity – eternal damnation in Hell. God allows sinners to humbly petition Him for mercy through prayer: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12). A casual reading of this Beatitude might lead us to conclude that we must somehow first be “merciful” in order to “obtain mercy”, but we know from many other verses in the Bible that there is nothing we can do to obtain God’s mercy – it is an undeserved gift. It is God who enables those who first obtain His mercy through salvation to reflect His merciful nature towards others. In other words, those who “obtain mercy” (salvation) are called “the people of God” (believers): “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Pet 2:10), and God gives His people the ability to “love mercy”: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic 6:8). Although believers do not have the authority to forgive sins, they do have a duty to share God’s mercy with others by proclaiming the True Gospel of Grace so that God may forgive their sins.

Matt 18:23-38 “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses”

Blessed are the Pure in Heart - Matt 5:8 declares, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”. But a “stony heart” is a vivid description of unsaved man’s sinful condition: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). Rom 2:5 goes on to pinpoint man’s innate rebelliousness: “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God …”. Psa 51:10 is a prayer for God to have mercy because only God can create eternal life in a person’s dead soul (or “heart”) by giving him the Holy Spirit and making a “new creature” of that person: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”. Those who have received the gift of salvation have actually been given a new heart, or soul, and only God is capable of performing such a Divine operation for which He uses the two-edge sword “His Word”. Eze 36:25-26 portrays the reality of the new birth and describes what has to take place: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ...”. The “water” in “I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean” typifies the Holy Spirit and the Gospel: “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3). Heb 12:14 declares, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. Only a heart that has been made alive spiritually and infused with the Spirit of God can see or fellowship with God.

Matt 15:19 “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”

Eze 36:25-26 “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh”

Eph 5:26-27 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it [his elect] with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Blessed are the Peacemakers - Matt 5:9 declares, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God”. Lord Jesus is called “the Prince of Peace” because he came to bring peace between God and His people. Rom 5:10 records, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”. In other words, if we have truly become saved, we are no longer God’s “enemies”, and our war with God has ended. The peace that results from salvation is called “peace with God” in Rom 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”. True believers have peace with God because of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross that has “reconciled” them to God, as explained in 2 Cor 5:19 and Col 1:20: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven”. It is the mission of every true child of God as 2 Cor 5:18 affirms, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” God commands all of His saints to “go ye into all the world” and to “shew mercy” to the lost by being “ambassadors for Christ” and proclaiming the “Gospel of Christ”. Rom 10:15 announces “beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” which is found in the Gospel of the Bible. The “glad tidings of good things” in this verse is referring to: “... warfare is accomplished… iniquity is pardoned.”(Isa 40:2).

Eph 2:3, 13-17 “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

2 Cor 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Blessed are they which are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake - Indeed, Christians are called upon to suffer for righteousness’ sake, and never for evil-doing, as we read in 1 Pet 4:12-16. The People who are persecuted are not happy how the world is treating them but they will have blessing of God resting upon them. The degree of blessedness enjoyed is determined by our response to the creator through faith in His Word and acting upon that Faith. When a born-again believer who is in Christ Jesus lays hold on Rom 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” – by faith, acknowledging that “all” in this verse is “all things” is to be taken literally, he begins to enjoy the blessedness that already is his through faith in God. The more he exercises the faith in the Word of God, the greater the degree of his blessedness he enjoys. This means he will face the tragedies and persecutions in a spirit of thanksgiving and praise. Why and how can he do this? He does so because he is confident in the word of God, that his God is sovereign and that indeed that “all things” of this life are under His absolute control, to the end that only that which is for the good of the believer can come out of it. Even evil deed perpetuated against him by wicked men will be looked upon as tools or agencies of good, permitted by a dear father for the blessedness of the elect. Biblical example of a such a blessed person is Joseph of the OT. Although hated, and plotted against, and persecuted by his brothers, wrongfully accused by Potiphar’s wife, punished unjustly in prison, still Joseph trusted in the sovereign love and rule of God knowing that all things of life are indeed a part of the creator’s plan designed for the good of his elect one. Bible reiterates that only if we suffer for Christ’s sake it is a blessing, not if we suffer for our own wrong doings. After all, we are to pattern our lives after the Master whom we follow. Jesus said in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you …”. But He also proclaimed these words of comfort in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. God used Paul as an outstanding example of “suffering” as he typifies His Master in this respect. When Paul penned Php 1:29 under divine inspiration he was speaking from personal experience: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” and in 2 Tim 3:11-12: “what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Matt 5:10-12 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

1 Pet 2:19-20 “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

1 Pet 4:12-16 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

Gaining the Whole World, But Losing your Soul? Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:57:00 +0000

The Value of the Soul and Misdirected Priorities - Our modern society places little or no value upon the soul. Man has been created by God with an invisible, eternal soul and with a visible, temporal body. Since unsaved man is spiritually dead, he has a dead soul (Psa 51:5, Psa 58:3), and he is naturally concerned with things that he can experience with his five senses, or his physical body. This fits in very neatly with the Bible’s definition of this world system, as summed up in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. The things of this temporal world are what unsaved man craves with all his being. These things of the world can offer pleasure for a season, but they only lead to eternal death as Jam 1:15 points: “But every man is tempted: when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived: it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished: bringeth forth death”. Ultimately, God alone gives or takes away physical life; but what is infinitely more important is the state of our soul. Mat 10:28 adds this fearful warning: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. Man is not only on the wide road that leads to Hell, but he is oblivious to it, as we see in Matt 7:13-14: “... wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat”. He is a deceived child of Satan as John 8:44 declares: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do”. The illustration in Luke 12:15-21 from Scripture can help us understand what God says is truly valuable and most important in life. This rich man paid no attention to the condition of his soul. Although he was materially wealthy, sadly he was “not rich toward God”. Having wealth can be a great curse, as we have just seen, or a wonderful blessing – it all depends on a person’s motives and priorities.

Mat 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Luke 12:15-21 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said; This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ’Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

What is Truly Profitable and gives Ultimate Satisfaction? - Even if one were to give up their possessions to feed the poor, or give their body to be burned, it would not truly profit them in any spiritual sense: “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [agape love] it profiteth me nothing” (1 Cor 13:3), or bring salvation. So what brings ultimate satisfaction? Ultimate satisfaction can only be achieved by one whose soul has been granted eternal life by the “Author and Finisher of Faith” – the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible we learn that God Himself is our ultimate satisfaction. In Gen 15:1 God announced to Abram (God later changed his name to Abraham), “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward”. And the only profitable one is the Word of God : “It is the spirit that quickeneth [or makes alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life [gives eternal life]” (John 6:63). However, even God’s Word can be “unprofitable” to those who do not hear it with “ears of faith” – “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [Israelites, the Church in the wilderness]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Heb 4:2). Psa 36:8 gives the child of God this assurance: “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures”. Psa 42:1-2 pictures those who hunger and thirst for God Himself: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”. The Christian longs for the day when he can “inherit all things” according to Rev 21:6-7 and 1 The 5:23-24 assures that God is the one who will preserve them until the day of His coming.

Psa 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Josh 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Rev 21:6-7 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh [be victorious] shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

1 The 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

What shall a Man Give in Exchange for his Soul? - We know that these passages Matt 16:25-26 and Luke 9:24-25 can help us understand what God says is truly valuable and most important in life, is a person’s soul. Are these verses talking about physical life or about spiritual life? The contrast between “gaining the whole world” and “losing one’s own soul” indicates that this passage is talking about “saving one’s life” materially, yet “losing one’s soul” spiritually in the process. Every human being will spend eternity in Heaven or eternally damned in Hell. Thus, this subject is of paramount significance for each individual. The only way that a person can “save his life” is to become “born from above”. Furthermore, the Bible insists that this salvation is altogether an undeserved gift from God and is predicated solely upon the work of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – the only Savior for sinners. We read in Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. What exactly did Christ offer to redeem our soul? The Lord Jesus Christ was made sin and became a curse as He gave up His life – His very soul : “... he [Lord Jesus Christ] hath poured out his soul unto death: ...” (Isa 53:12) – for those He came to save. We read in Mat 20:28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”. The same Greek word for “life” is also translated as “soul” in Acts 2:31, “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption”. Throughout the New Testament both “soul” and “life” are used interchangeably. CHRIST’S SOUL – THE OFFERING FOR SIN – IS OUR ONLY HOPE.

Luke 9:24-25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”

Matt 16:25-26 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he [Lord Jesus Christ] hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Living to the Glory of God and Losing Life for Christ’s Sake - Anyone who has become saved by God’s wonderful grace becomes a “new creature” in Christ and desires to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”, as we read in Matt 6:33. This is a matter of priority. When all of a person’s time, money, and talent is devoted to a higher calling, he is seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. While unsaved man is after “... the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life”, for the believer in Jesus Christ, God establishes a new set of directives that are exactly opposite of those found in the world, out of which the Christian has been redeemed, 1) contentment – “And having food and raiment let us be there with content” (1 Tim 6:8), 2) obedience – “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) and 3) humility – “… and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Pet 5:5b). Of course, only God can produce these traits in the lives of His children as He works in them “to will and to do of His good pleasure”. This passage we read in Luke 12:15-21 teaches, to live life solely for material gain without true spiritual life, will only lead one to lose his soul in Hell. On the other hand, if one has received salvation in his soul, his physical life will be gladly spent in diligent service and loving obedience to his dear Savior as he anticipates spending eternity with Him. A wonderful example of this very thing is found in the inspired words of Acts 20:24 which the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul: “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God”. Paul, under divine inspiration, describes that losing is winning – Losing self-righteousness which is by law and Gaining God’s Righteousness which is by Faith.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness [righteousness of God by Faith], and peace [peace between us and God through Christ], and joy in the Holy Ghost [Joy of Salvation].”

Matt 6:25, 31-33 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

John 12:25 “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

Mark 8:35-37 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his: soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Php 3:4-14 “... touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ .Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: ...”

The Priority of Proclaiming the Gospel - The major thrust of seeking “first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” is to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ – as Christ Himself did. He also commanded His followers in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”. This is the supreme task that never stops until we see the Lord coming in the clouds of glory. What exactly is the Gospel, you ask? The whole Bible is the Gospel, and the Gospel is all about God’s salvation plan. Its message concerns the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is that work? Matt 1:21 declares, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. Why did he have to save His people? Eph 2:1-3 gives us the answer: because they “... were dead in trespasses and sins ...”. The believer's task to live for Christ and for the proclamation of the Gospel will not be without problems, challenges, and trials. During those times we do well to remember the words of Heb 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin”. Paul suffered greatly throughout his lifetime, and yet it was through these very sufferings that he came to understand more fully that his strength came – when he was weakest – from his faithful God. 2 Cor 12:9-10 affirms that God’s Grace is sufficient for every need.

Eph 2:1-3 “And you hath he quickened, [or made alive spiritually] who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)”

2 Cor 12:9-10 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Kingdom of God is Righteousness and NOT of this World

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:11:00 +0000

Is the World Righteous? - The answer is a resounding, NO! Why is this? Once mankind fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, the whole human race became infected with sin. Man's heart is desperately wicked and deceitful. Isa 1:3-6 paints a despicable, but very accurate, portrayal of the “inner picture” of those who were “identified outwardly” as the “people of God”. The big problem that man faces in his inability to see his own sinfulness. He is blinded to it. In fact, he actually thinks he is “righteous”, or “good”. Worst of all man perceives that God is well-pleased with him. How utterly foolish man is! One common aspect of all the pagan religions and false gospels of the world is the notion that man must do something to gain favor with whomever or whatever they worship. However, the Bible says clearly and repeatedly that there is nothing we can do to get ourselves Right with God. God describes the spiritual covering of unbelievers as “unclean” and man’s attempts at being “righteous” are like “filthy rags” in His sight. The fact remains that man cannot be righteous by anything he does on his own. By God’s standard of righteousness even the most moral person is looked upon by God as desperate sinner on his way to Hell. The Bible teaches that no one is good enough in himself to go to Heaven. On the contrary, we are all sinners, and we are all guilty before God.

Rom 3:10-11 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth , there is none that seeketh after God.”

Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Isa 1:3-6 “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”

Job 15:14 “What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight? How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”

Rom 1:28-31 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”

Isa 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Rom 1:17-18 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”

God and His Kingdom are Righteous and NOT of This World - Righteousness is a magnificent attribute of God. It is an aspect of His basic nature, the very character of God and encompasses everything He says and does.. The Bible is replete with references to God’s Righteousness. In fact, the Bible indicates that one of His names is Righteous, or Righteousness, as we find mentioned in the New Testament in 1 John 2:1. The Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and His everlasting Covenant of providing His Salvation is announced in Isa 61. God the Father continues to highlight the work of God the Son even further in Heb 1:8-10.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Psa 11:7 “For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”
Psa 145:17 “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.”
Psa 119:144 “The righteousness of thy testimonies [God’s Word – the Bible] is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.”
1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [salvation] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation [Christ's Kingdom], and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
Psa 119:142 “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.”
Jer 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch [Lord Jesus], and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Heb 1:8-10 “But unto the Son he [God the Father] saith, Thy throne, O God [the Son], is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee [Christ] with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord [Christ], in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.”

Jer 9:24 “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
2 Pet 3:13 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

Isa 45:19-23 “... I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside me; a just [Righteous] God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

Can Men be “Made” Righteous? If so, How? - Man is in desperate need of a righteousness which can qualify him for Heaven. Only the righteousness that God gives as a gift can accomplish that. Those who are declared “righteous” in the Bible is not because they have done something good. They have been made righteous by God Himself. This righteousness has been given to them when they were given eternal life, and eternal life is likewise a gift from God. In Rev 19:8 the righteousness that is being mentioned is speaking about salvation, and it is compared to clean, white linen – a symbol of purity – a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. 1 Pet 3:18 serves to identify Christ’s redemption for His people, who are referred to as the “unjust”, from sin, spiritual death, and Hell. Here we see the greatest exchange that has ever taken place in this universe. Here we see Righteous God, Who is holy, pure, and sinless become unholy, impure, and sinful. Simultaneously, we see unrighteous unsaved man, who by nature is unholy, impure, and sinful become holy, pure, and sinless by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that is given, or imputed, to him. God Makes His People Righteous by becoming sin for them. One day God will destroy this present universe by fire and create New Heavens and a New Earth where only God and His people will live forever in righteousness. Isa 54 has much to say about the eternal church, and sums up that fact in verse 17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
Rev 19:8 “And to her [the Bride of Christ] was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
1 Pet 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit”
2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Isa 61:10-11 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of [Christ's] righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”
Php 3:8-9 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith…”
Rom 1:17-18 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”

Isa 46:13 “I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel [Elect of God] my glory.”

Kingdom of God is NOT the Church(es) but “The Church”

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:52:00 +0000

The “Old Testament Church” as Kingdom of God – The fact that the word “church” does not occur in the Old Testament does not mean that God’s church did not exist during the OT period. We can find the equivalent Hebrew word for “church” by comparing Heb 2:12 with Psa 22:22 as follows: “Saying, I [talking about Jesus Christ] will declare thy name [God] unto my brethren [or the believers], in the midst of the church [ekklesia] will I sing praise unto thee”. Psa 22:22 says, “I will declare thy name [Jehovah] unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation [qahal] will I praise thee”. The Hebrew word qahal (H6951) is frequently translated as “assembly” or “congregation”. The ancient nation of Israel was God’s “congregation” in the OT, and God also calls the whole national Israel the “church in the wilderness”, which God “called out”, or “separated from”, the other nations of the world as a “congregation” or an “assembly” for purposes related to God’s salvation program. Although most of the Israelites did not become saved, God used people in His OT church to write and preserve the Scriptures, to bring forth the Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ), to bring about Christ’s crucifixion, and to begin the NT church. National Israel was the first corporate representation of the kingdom of God on earth until Christ fulfilled God’s law on cross. By quoting Psa 118:22-24, Mat 21:42-43 discloses how God’s salvation program was to shift from the Jewish synagogues to the New Testament congregations after Christ hung on the cross because they rejected the corner stone Jesus Christ: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof”. Anyone who was identified with Jehovah God of the Bible and salvation was a part of the “congregation” of Israel, which was the forerunner of the many denominations and congregations that made up the NT church. Since the Old Testament Scriptures make up over 70 percent of the Bible, those who fail to recognize the typology between the OT and NT churches miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program – especially about end-time events. The Israelites were physically “saved”, or “delivered”, out of slavery in Egypt; and, of course, symbolically this is a marvelous illustration of the nature of salvation. However, those over the age of twenty died in unbelief and ultimately had to pay for their sins in Hell. God had simply allowed them to escape from their oppressors. So we can say that even though the Israelites (except those remnant chosen by Grace) did obtain political freedom, they did not obtain spiritual freedom. Spiritually speaking, to “not enter into His rest” (Heb 3:18-19) is to be banned from entering the Kingdom of God, or salvation, which is pictured by the “promised land” – the land of Canaan.

Acts 7:36-47 “He [God] brought them [Israelites] out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively [or living] oracles [the Word of God] to give unto us: 39To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”

1 Cor 10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them [Israel] for ensamples [examples, or types]: and they are written for our [NT believers] admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

Heb 3:18-19 “And to whom sware he that they [Israelites] should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Matt 21:33-44 “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone [Lord Jesus] which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner [of the Church]: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [Nation of Israel], and given to a nation [New Testament Church] bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Psa 118:22-24 “The stone [Jesus Christ] which the builders [Nation of Israel] refused is become the head stone of the corner [New Testament Church]. 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day [Ressurection day, on the basis which New Testament Church formed , when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, Sunday] which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

The “New Testament Church” as Kingdom of God – God emphatically ended the OT “church age” at the cross when He tore the veil of the temple from top to bottom. Heb 10:20 clarifies for us that the tearing of the veil symbolized the breaking of Christ’s fleshly body to atone for the sins of His people, which opened a “new and living way” into the Kingdom of God. In John 14:6 we read that Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life”. And that everything connected with the former temple and its contents were now rendered useless, though they had served as symbols of the Messiah who would appear one day. Solomon was certainly one of the more prominent pictures of the Lord Jesus in the Bible as he was used of God to build that temple, which was a picture of God building His New Testament church. During its construction, no work involving tools of any sort was permitted inside the Temple, as God informs us in 1 Kin 6:7 “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building”. This decree points to the fact that salvation is not the work of man – but rather the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ. During the history of the world, there has always been a mixture of saved and unsaved people in God’s earthly churches. New Testament Church built as Jesus Christ as the corner stone, started gloriously on the day of Pentecost but soon sown with tares by the enemy Satan : “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man [Jesus] which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy [Satan] came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way” (Matt 13:25). In 1 Cor 3:12, wheat, gold, silver, precious stones represent true born-again believers and tares, wood, hay, stubble represent name sake Christians. God has warned Solomon (1 Kin 9:6-9) typifying the New Testament churches and congregations of the real possibility that they might suffer the same fate as Old Testament national Israel and be cut off. Solomon's 1000 wives (typifying the many false doctrines) have turned his heart away: “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with JEHOVAH his God, as was the heart of David his father” (1 Kings 11:4). New Testament Church is guilty of putting themselves above the Word of God by adding to the Word of God or subtracting from it. The World and its culture has seeped in. The churches have now become like ancient Babylon, a picture of Satan’s kingdom, as Rev 18:2 reveals: “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird”. As sad as it is, God's warning to Solomon came to fruition in 2 Kin 25:9-10: “And he [Nebuzaradan, the captain of Nebuchadnezzar] burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about”. As far as error and unfaithfulness and rebellion against the Word of God are concerned, they have come to believe that they are above and beyond the judgment of God. But 1 Pet 4:17 declares: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God ...”

Mat 27:50-51 “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

Heb 10:19-20 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”

John 4:20-23 “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But 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.”

1 Kin 9:6-9 “But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.”

1 Cor 3:10-17 “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day [judgement day] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned [wood, hay, stubble], he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are+.”

Matt 13:24-30 “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy [Satan] came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Spiritual and “Eternal Church” as the True Kingdom of God – King David diligently gathered much of the raw materials for the construction of the Temple, at the site of Ornan’s threshing floor, where he built the initial altar to sacrifice to the Lord. His heir, King Solomon, finished the project in seven years. Both of them typify a much greater King – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – Who in “three days and three nights” would build the Eternal Church, which He came to redeem for Himself. God’s building of His eternal church is the focus and controlling factor for all of human history from the beginning to the end. Down through the ages, the OT and NT visible, physical and temporal “churches” have contained the invisible, spiritual and eternal “Church”. The eternal church is the invisible, eternal body of true believers, starting with “righteous” Abel, who are the elect of God and who have been given eternal life in Christ through God’s salvation program. “Church” is translated from the Greek word ekklesia (G1577), which comes from ek, “out of”, and kaleo, “to call”. Thus, the eternal body of elect believers are those whom God has “called out” of the world (or Satan’s kingdom) and placed in His eternal kingdom – the Kingdom of Christ, as confirmed by Col 1:12-13. It is the true Church, which is an integral part of the heavenly kingdom of God. This is the “church” that God has refers to in Mat 16:18 : “... upon this rock [the rock is Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. In 1 Cor 10:4, the water that flowed from the rock in the wilderness typified the Spiritual Drink of God’s Word – the Gospel of salvation by grace – which flows from the Spiritual Rock, Jesus Christ, upon Whom the Eternal Church is built : “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ”. The individuals, who have become born-again (John 3:3) and who have entered into this eternal Church, as God has drawn them to salvation, are the very ones in view in 2 The 2:13. To what “beginning” is this referring? It is from before the beginning of time – before the foundation of the world, The harsh truth is that if one is not in this eternal Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, then he is in the kingdom of Satan.

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

John 3:3-6 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [typifies Word] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

2 The 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”

Eph 4:1-6 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

The “City” Whose Builder and Maker is God

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:44:00 +0000

I will Dwell in the House of the LORD for Ever - The phrase of Psa 23:6 emphasizes the eternal character of salvation, “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever”. Do we dwell in the “house of the LORD” now? Yes, we do if we are truly saved. This does not mean that we live in a church building. This does not mean that our home is in some kind of a physical temple. God spoke by the Apostle Paul to the people of Athens (and us) in Acts 17:24-28: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing... For in him we live, and move, and have our being ...”. The “house of the LORD” is Jehovah God Himself, as we also read in Psa 90:1, “LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations”. The “temple” refers to Jesus’ body in John 2:21, “But he spake of the temple of his body”. In 1 Cor 6:19-20 God makes the following assessment with regard to every believer: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”. The eternal body of believers (born-again) are those whom God has “called out” of the world (or Satan’s kingdom) and placed in His eternal kingdom – the Kingdom of Christ. Psa 65:4 is another beautiful illustration of God’s mercy in choosing and drawing His people to Himself: “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple”. There is an intimate relationship between God and His people – He is in them and they are in Him. They are considered the “body” of Christ, which is a living “temple of God”. The word “abide” means “dwell”. When we are in Christ, we dwell in Him forevermore.

Acts 17:24-28: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring”

John 15:4-6 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

The House of the LORD built on the Rock “Christ” - The “house of the LORD” or “Temple” symbolizes the eternal kingdom of God. Again, this is a picture of the elect of God who make up the house of the Lord or temple – both of which are representative of the eternal church. Although Paul spoke of himself as a “masterbuilder” in 1 Cor 3:10, we know that he often typified Christ in the New Testament just as Joseph, Moses, David, and others often typified Christ in the Old Testament. As the God-Man, Jesus has many dual roles – for example, He is both the Lamb and the Shepherd, the Sacrifice and the High Priest, the Savior and the Judge, and so on. Thus, we see Jesus Christ in 1 Cor 3 as the Foundation of God’s Building and also the Chief Masterbuilder, who is the Creator (Who “brings forth” everything). Thus, Christ (typified by Paul) is building (or bringing forth) His eternal church one living stone at a time, as we read in 1 Cor 3:10-11: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me [Paul], as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”. The Lord Jesus is even typified by the pagan king, Cyrus, in Isa 44:28, “…He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid”. In 1 Pet 2:6 “Sion” (or “Zion” in the OT) refers to the spiritual Kingdom of God, and in verse 8 the “rock of offence” is referring to the Spiritual Rock – Jesus Christ: “Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded”. In Mat 16:18 we see that Christ is the Spiritual Bedrock upon which He is building the eternal temple of God in Sion. This concept is further emphasized in 1 Cor 10:1-6: “... for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ ...”. We read more about that “Spiritual Rock” in the OT passage Exo 17:5-7. The “church” in the wilderness refers to the whole nation of Israel, which God “called out”, or “separated from”, the other nations of the world as a “congregation” or an “assembly”. The Greek word for “examples” in 1 Cor 10:6, is tupos (G5179), which means “type”, or “pattern”: “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted”. In other words, God is telling us that the things that happened to the Israelites were historical parables, or actual historical events that point us to various spiritual aspects of God’s salvation program. Sadly, God’s “congregations” who represented God's Kingdom on this earth have always rebelled against His Word in the “wilderness” of this world, during the OT and NT periods. However, God has been saving a people for Himself out of this whole miserable mass of humanity and has laid the strong foundation of His Spiritual House of believers upon that Spiritual Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. The “house” that God is “building” is the eternal, invisible “church”. It is the “household of God”, which is also called “an holy temple”. Thus, the Spiritual Body of Christ is the “habitation” (or “dwelling place”) where Triune God dwells.

Exo 17:5-7 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted [or tested] the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”

Acts 7:37-38 "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively [or living] oracles [the Word of God] to give unto us:”

1 Cor 10:1-6 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”

Eph 2:19-22 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

The Gates of Hell shall not Prevail Against It - The eternal church is the body of true believers, who are the elect of God and who have been given eternal life through God’s salvation program. It is the True Church, which is an integral part of the heavenly kingdom of God: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” (Heb 12:22). God’s building of His eternal church is the focus and controlling factor for all of human history from the beginning to the end. The foundation “Rock” upon which the church is built can only be Jesus Christ Himself. He is the firm Foundation and also the Chief Master Builder as we have seen above. Mat 16:18 speaks of the “gates of hell” that cannot prevent God’s plan to save those who constitute the Eternal Church: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. Jesus Christ is called a “Precious Corner (Stone)” in Isa 28:16 (quoted in 1 Pet 2:6): “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste”. Just as Christ is the “Cornerstone” of the Temple, those individuals whom He has purchased with his blood (or life) are also referred to as “living stones” in 1 Pet 2:5, “Ye also, as lively [or living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. Since “rocks” and “stones” are inorganic and, as such, are inanimate (non-living) objects, God is obviously using parabolic, or figurative, language when speaking of both Christ and His people as “living stones” in this passage. Indeed, it is abundantly clear that the Apostle Peter is not the foundation “rock” upon which Christ’s “church” is built, as misinterpreted by theologians. He is just one of many “living stones” in God’s spiritual house. Each of these believers has the incomparable awareness that his body is now the temple of God. As incredible as that may seem, a true believer has become the dwelling-place of the living God, as Rom 5:9 teaches: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. John 14:1-2, 23 also teach that God dwells in His people: “In my Father’s house are many mansions [mone:G3438]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode [mone:G3438] with him”. The Greek word mone (G3438) that is rendered as “mansions” and “abode” in these two verses indicates that true believers themselves are “dwelling places” – that is, they are God’s “tabernacles”. 2 Cor 5:1-5 also brings out that our physical bodies are merely “tabernacles”, or tents that are used briefly during our earthly pilgrimage; but our eternal home is God Himself: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens ...”. Of course, the “city which hath foundations” that Abraham looked for was this spiritual “New Jerusalem”, the eternal body of believers: “By faith he [Abraham ] sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles [tents] with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb 11:9-10).

1 Pet 2:3-9 "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively [living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded [or disgraced]. 7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [purchased] people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

2 Cor 5:1-5 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”

Rev 3:12 “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it - Mat 16:18 is just one of many verses in the Bible that has been tragically misinterpreted by theologians and church leaders over the centuries in order to establish the authority of the “church”, saying that the Apostle Peter is the foundation “rock” upon which Christ’s “church” is built: “And I [Jesus Christ] say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [Jesus Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. The foundation “Rock” upon which the church is built can only be Jesus Christ Himself. Apostle Peter is just one of many “living stones” in God’s spiritual house. Another example of how church leaders of our day have elevated themselves above the authority of the Word of God can be seen in the way they interpret 1 Tim 3:14-16: “... thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth ...”. It is clear from what we have learned that the “pillar and ground of the Truth” can only refer to “the Living God” and not to the earthly, institutional “church”. Just as the Old Testament Israelites were overcome by error and apostasy, so too were the New Testament churches; and there is now a great “falling away” from the True Gospel during the current Great Tribulation period. While Christ is the “pillar and ground of the Truth”, Satan is a Counterfeit Christ – deceptive show as an imitator of Christ. We read that he comes as “an angel [or messenger] of light” with his counterfeit “ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor 11:14-15) and he sits (or rules) in “the temple of God [the institutional churches], shewing himself that he is God” (2 The 2:3-4). Sadly, this is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isa 14 “abomination of desolation…” standing “… in the holy place”. Thus, the “earthly” Spiritual Body of Christ, which is the “habitation” (or “dwelling place”) of the Holy Spirit during the NT church age have become a “habitation” of demons. In Rev 18, God is speaking about the apostate churches and congregations of the world (which He calls Mystery Babylon) that have made their own doctrines and put themselves above the authority of the Bible and have become a “habitation” of demons. In the Bible God often refers to His “temple” in two ways: (1) the invisible, eternal body of true believers since “righteous” Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, who comprise the heavenly Bride of Christ, built by God on the strong foundation of Spiritual Rock – Lord Jesus Christ. (2) the visible, temporal congregations and denominations that have represented the Kingdom of God on earth. God refers to both types of temples as being “holy”, or “set apart” for God’s service. Sadly, God’s “congregations” have always rebelled against His Word in the “wilderness” of this world during the OT and NT periods. The temple, which is earthly, is built with two kinds of building blocks mixed together – durable materials (“gold, silver, and precious stones”) that represent saved – true believers and combustible materials (“wood, hay, and stubble”) that typify unsaved – false believers (1 Cor 3:12). Of course, the “fire” refers to the eternal wrath of God which will burn up the “wood, hay and stubble” in Hell. The eternal Church that Lord Jesus Christ built with himself as rock referred to in Luke 6:47-49, stands the test of the God's wrath.

2 Cor 11:14-15 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

2 The 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away [apostasia:G646] first, and that man of sin [Satan] be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God [the institutional churches], showing himself that he is God.”

Rev 18:1-5 “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great [apostate churches and congregations] is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4And 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. 5For her [as opposed to the Bride of Christ] sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”

1 Cor 3:9-17 “For [believers] are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16Know ye not that ye [believers] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Luke 6:47-49 “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: 48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”

Psa 127:1 “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

Gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ “by Promise”. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 04:52:00 +0000

Promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – God first called Abram in Genesis 12 and 13 to leave his country and go to a land that He would show him. God promised in verse Gen 12:3, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” and in Gen 13:15, “all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever”. God repeated that promise to Abraham many times afterwards. Moreover, after Abraham’s death, He reassured Isaac of that promise in Genesis 26 and to Jacob in Genesis 28. Back in Genesis 13, when Abram and Lot separated, and later in Genesis 17, when God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (which means “father of a multitude” ), He said in verse 5, “for a father of many nations have I made thee”.

Gen 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Gen 17:5, 8 “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Gen 13:14-15 “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”

Gen 26:2-4 “And the LORD appeared unto him [Isaac], and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”

Gen 28:13-14 “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou [Jacob] liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Father of Many Nations have I Made Thee - What did God mean, when God promised Abraham in verse Gen 12:3, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”? or in Gen 17:5 “thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee”? Notice that with both Isaac and Jacob, God linked the giving of land, to His promise that in them shall all nations be blessed. Actually, that was also a reiteration of what God had previously promised Abraham. In Gal 3:8, the Bible is giving us a tremendous statement saying that it has always been God’s plan to save the heathen, the non-Jewish people, through faith in Jesus Christ. Foreseeing that, or anticipating that, the word of God announced in advance the Good News or “The gospel of Christ” to Abraham by telling him, “in thee shall all nations be blessed” (Gal 3:8). Actually, Abraham was by no means the only one who was preached the gospel of grace in the Old Testament. We read in Heb 4:2, that “unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them”. The Gospel was preached to “them” referred to the millions of Israelites that perished in the wilderness. They were preached the gospel, but they did not profit, or benefit, from it because of their unbelief.

Gal 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

Rom 9:27, 30-31 “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel [as a nation], which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.”

Heb 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [Israel as a nation]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

Rom 4:16-17 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law [remnant of Israel], but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham [remnant of Gentiles]; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

Promised Land, for an Everlasting Possession - In verse Gen 17:8, it’s highly significant that the promised land was to be given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed for an everlasting possession. That’s because they never received the promised land in their lifetime. Since God is faithful in fulfilling all His promises, He will have to raise them up at some point to give them the land. When might that be? Four times in John 6, Christ says that He will raise up those who have become saved on the last day. The last day, of course, is the final day of this earth’s existence, as 2 Pet 3:10 puts it: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”. The land that God promised to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed thus has to be the new creation, eternal new heavens and new earth. Only then will they have it for an everlasting possession. So “Canaan” is a picture of the Kingdom of God. Dan 4:3 acknowledges, “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation”. And Dan 7:27 insists: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him”. Inheriting the New Holy city - “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”, of course, is the ultimate outcome of the salvation of all believers (Heb 11:8-16). The Bible is thus saying that there is no difference between Old Testament and New Testament believers, they are all saved by the same gospel of grace; they all have “obtained a good report through faith”, and their salvation will be all consummated on the last day, when they will all receive the promise.

Heb 11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise [earthly], as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Heb 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city [new Jerusalem].”

Rev 21:1-2 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

John 6:39, 40, 44, 54 “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

2 Pet 3:10, 13 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

Beneficiaries of the Everlasting covenant, The SEED - Abraham, of course, is the progenitor of national Israel. The Jewish people have, therefore always assumed that they are the seed of promise. Since the Old Testament Scriptures make up over 70 percent of the Bible, those who fail to recognize the typology between the OT and NT miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program. For eg; in Gal 4:22-28, Hagar and her children and Sarah and her children are two covenants, “Which things are an allegory”, typifying the two Gospels, the gospel of works where people trying to get right by keeping the law of God and the Gospel of grace where people are saved by God’s grace and mercy. In Genesis 17 God further told Abraham that he is making “everlasting covenant”. The word “everlasting” immediately tells us that “thy seed” there refers to those who are in Christ, because they are the only ones who will inherit the new heaven and the new earth. Everything on this earth will be destroyed by fire on the last day (2 Pet 3:10). The seed in Christ are who are saved by grace through faith, which is the gift of God. God specified in His will that the beneficiaries were to be Abraham and his seed. In Gal 3:16, the apostle calls particular attention to the word “seed”, as distinguished from “seeds”. And that singular seed that God had in Christ, NOT all the blood descendants of Abraham. The promises, as we learned earlier in this lesson, is the free gift of eternal life. As the testator of the will, Christ had to die to activate the bequest. But because Lord Jesus Christ is testator of the Will and also a beneficiary of that Will and because the Lord Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham, all those who are in Christ are joint heirs according to the promise.

Heb 11:17-18 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him [Isaac] in a figure [figure of Christ].”

Gal 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Rom 9:6-8 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Gal 6:15-16 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

Gal 4:22-28“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh [unbelievers from both Jews+ Gentiles]; but he of the freewoman was by promise [believers from both Jews+ Gentiles]. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

Gal 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Lord has Remembered His Promise - The promises, as we learned , is the free gift of eternal life in Christ. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. In Zacharias’ song in Luke 1:67-75, even before Christ became flesh, the New Testament reveals that He is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Luke 1:73). In Luke 1, we read about the birth of John the Baptist. When he was eight days old, he was circumcised and was given the name John. At that point, his father Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, sang a song of praise, Knowing that his son would introduce Christ to the people, he praised God for performing the “the oath which he sware to our father Abraham”. The word 'Zachariah' means “Jah (God) has remembered” and Elizabeth, probably got her name from Aron’s wife Elisheba, coming from that generation, Luke 1:5: “... his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth...”. 'Eliysheba' means 'God of (the) oath'. Let us turn also to Luke to chapter 2, and in this passage we read of a man, a Jew named Simeon. God had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ, and then the baby Jesus was brought into the temple “to do for him after the custom of the law” and we read in Luke 2:30-32: “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel”. Jesus, Himself, is the embodiment, the personification, everything that salvation is. He is the author and finisher of our faith – It is through His faith that we are saved. Eph 2:8, 12-13 declares: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ...That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ”.

Luke 1:67-75 “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71That we should be saved from our enemies [Satan], and from the hand of all that hate us; 72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”

Heb 6:17-18 “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

Gal 3:16-18 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

Rev 21:1-5 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride [eternal Church consisting of all born again believers from OT and NT starting from Abel] adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

2 Cor 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Kingdom of God is NOT the Riches of the World

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 03:22:00 +0000

You Cannot Serve Two Masters/Ye cannot serve God and mammon - Luke 16:13 lays down an important biblical axiom. This verse along with its counterpart in Mat 6:24 highlight the gigantic fact that every human being is in one of two spiritual kingdoms – the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ or the kingdom of Satan. There is no middle ground! Notice the opposites – love and hate. Jam 4:4 fearfully warns against the love for the World. The “world” is well-defined in 1 John 2:15-17. The kingdom that a person is in actually dominates, or drives, his life with unyielding force. It is rooted in his soul and influences his every thought, word, and action.

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Matt 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Jam 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity [or hatred] with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also - Whatever is of utmost value to a person will receive the greatest amount of attention in terms of time, labor, and money. It is that which consumes our thoughts, is the object of our words, embodies our hopes, shapes our goals, molds our future, and ultimately gives meaning and purpose to life. In essence, one will either be serving Christ in the Kingdom of God or Satan and his kingdom.

Mat 6:19-24 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Luke 12:16-21 “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Heb 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

Good treasure of the heart brings forth that which is good - Of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaks. Those whose heart have been circumcised (Eze 36:25-27, Rom 2:29) and have been placed in the Kingdom of God by God Himself, identify with Eph 2:8-10. They will, in turn, be speaking about the Bible and the Gospel of Salvation. Their meat and drink will be the Word of God.

Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

1 Cor 2:6-7 “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:”

1 Cor 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

2 Cor 4:13 “We having the same spirit of faith [or the Spirit of Truth], according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;”

Evil treasure of the heart brings forth that which is Evil - Likewise those who are under Satan’s control also speak and act according to their spirit – in other words, “the spirit of the world”or “the spirit of error”. They speak in their own wisdom or the wisdom of the World and NOT in the Wisdom of the Bible. That spirit is typified by the rich man of Luke 12:16-19. As “bread of heaven” and “living water” typify the true Gospel (sin, righteousness and judgement) on which believers will be feeding on, eating and drinking in Luke 17 also typify the false Gospels (health and wealth and prosperity) rampant today, on which unsaved will be feeding on.

1 Sam 24:13 “As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked [unsaved]…”

Luke 12:16-19 “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry."

Psa 52:1-7 “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living [heaven]. Selah. 6The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

Sources of Entanglements - The caution given in 2 Tim 2:4 is to NOT become “entangled with the affairs of this life”. What are the “affairs” of this life? A very real and insidious problem of life on this sin-cursed earth is that we can became captivated by “… all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. Luke 17:26-29 has a fitting commentary of our day. Spiritually speaking, this underscores the duty of all believers to sacrificially publish the Gospel as widely as possible until the Lord returns - use our money or riches of the world for the kingdom of God. Could it be that God might so work in each of us that we might affirm along with the Apostle Paul the words of 2 Tim 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

2 Pet 2:20 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”

2 Tim 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…”

Luke 17:26-29 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”

Luke 16:9-11 “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness [make believers by using worldly riches to send forth Gospel]; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [worldly], who will commit to your trust the true riches [heavenly]?”

Luke 19:31 “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come [entangled with proclaiming Gospel].”

kingdom of God is NOT meat and drink

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:41:00 +0000

The kingdom of God is NOT “Physical” Meat and Drink - God cares for His Saints on Earth. As the “King of saints”, God indeed cares for His dear children on this earth. This does not necessarily mean that they will enjoy all the physical benefits that this life offers. In fact, they might barely survive as in the case of the beggar Lazarus in Luke 16:20-21. And yet Lazarus was a true believer, and finally God took him home to eternal bliss.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

John 6:27 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

Luke 16:20-21,25 “20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou [rich man] in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”

Matt 6:25-26 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

The kingdom of God is “Spiritual" Meat and Drink - Ecc 6:7 makes this point: “All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled”. The “meat [or food] and drink” that is in view here in Rom 14:17 is physical as opposed to the spiritual “meat and drink” that we find explained in John 6:27. Isa 55:1-3 beautifully describes the free gift of “everlasting life” for those who hunger and thirst for it. We are to proclaim the Gospel (that is, the spiritual “meat and drink” of the Bible - Isa 55:1-3) to those who are spiritually thirsty and hungry in obedience to Mat 25:34-40. May God give us renewed zeal to be about His business as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:18-20).

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Isa 55:1-3 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant [or Gospel] with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

John 6:27 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

John 6:35,48-51 “35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

John 4:10, 13-14 “10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Psa 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Mat 25:34-40 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

Sign of the Times - Eating and Drinking - A very real and insidious problem of life on this sin-cursed earth is that we can became captivated by “… all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life ...” (1 John 2:16-17). These were the very same temptations that Satan successfully used against Eve in the Garden of Eden. These same enticements are the bases for our sin, which is rooted in our own selfishness. They also form the foundation of how unsaved man thinks, speaks, and acts. The Bible says in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Luke 17:26-33 is a fitting commentary of our day where the people are caught up in the Cares of the World. As “bread of heaven” and “living water” typify the true Gospel (sin, righteousness and judgement) on which believers will be feeding on, eating and drinking in Luke 17, also typify the false Gospels in the last days (health and wealth and prosperity) rampant today, on which unsaved will be feeding on.

Luke 17:26-27 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”

Luke 17:28-31 “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Luke 21:34 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”

Luke 12:29-34 “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

The kingdom of God is Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost - A true believer will find that he is happiest when he desires the things of God and not of the world, as we read in Mat 6:31-33, which outlines the attitude of one who has been born from above: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”. In Matt 5:6 we understand that those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty will be filled. God also promises that He will provide spiritual drink for His elect when there is spiritual drought and, we can say by extension, in times of spiritual famine, according to Isa 41:17-18. The Christian longs for the day when he can “inherit all things” according to Rev 21:6-7. The word “overcometh” in this verse means “to be victorious”. Have you become victorious in Christ?

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Matt 6:31-33 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matt 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Rev 21:6-7 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Isa 41:17-18 “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”

Luke 11:9-13 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit [indwelling Holy Spirit given in Salvation] to them that ask him?”

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Kingdom of Christ - Lord, Lord have we not... I Never Knew You...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:45:00 +0000

By One Man’s [Adam] Disobedience Many were Made Sinners - 1 John 3:4 provides a definition for sin (or “disobedience”). Rom 5 chronicles both man’s fall into sin and the redemption man so desperately needs – which can only be provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible highlights the inescapable fact that all sin (or “disobedience” against the Law, or God’s Word, the Bible) results in spiritual death. Unless a person is saved, sin will eventuate in eternal damnation in Hell, which is the “second death”.

1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

Rom 5:19-20 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”

Rom 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Heb 2:1-3 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

By the Obedience of One[Lord Jesus Christ] Shall Many be Made Righteous - What the “first man” (or Adam) failed to accomplish, the “second man” (or the Lord Jesus) gloriously fulfilled. Indeed Christ came to fulfill all righteousness – every jot and tittle that the Law of God demanded. As the perfect Man and “God in the flesh” he perfectly obeyed His Father in thought, word, and deed. The Lord Jesus’ total commitment to obey His heavenly Father had its ultimate realization as He suffered eternal damnation for all of His elect people. Here we see the greatest exchange that has ever taken place in this universe - the Righteous God, Who is holy, pure, and sinless become unholy, impure, and sinful. Simultaneously, we see unrighteous unsaved man, who by nature is unholy, impure, and sinful become holy, pure, and sinless by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that is given, or imputed, to him.

Rom 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Lord Jesus Christ] shall many be made righteous.”

John 8:29 “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I [Lord Jesus Christ] do always those things that please him [God the Father].”

2 Pet 1:17 “For he [Lord Jesus Christ] received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

Psa 40:6-8 “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I [Lord Jesus Christ] come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

1 Pet 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit”

Php 2:8 “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Rom 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Php 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Heb 2:1-3 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

I will put My Spirit within You, and Cause You to Walk in My Statutes - It should be carefully noted that obedience is a result of salvation, as are all other Christian “virtues”. It is only by the obedience of Christ that anybody can be saved. Notice how God connects the idea of “knowing God” (that is, having a relationship with God) and “obeying the Gospel” (which in actuality is the entire Bible, or the “Law of God”, or the “Covenant”). This is because man’s soul is spiritually dead from conception which signifies that we have no relationship with God, except that we are under His just wrath. If we have a dead, or “stony”, heart by nature, how can we obey? The only way is that God has to give us a “heart of flesh” means a living heart, using the analogy of spiritual circumcision. After salvation God continues to work in the life of the child of God in transforming him to the likeness of Christ and leading him to be more and more obedience. God's chastisement is part of the molding.

Psa 51:5 “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Jam 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

2 The 1:8 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

John 3:18-21 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Eze 36:26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Deu 30:6 “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

Php 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Heb 12:6-7 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

Isa 26:12 “LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.”

Rom 6:16-17 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”

Rom 6:11-14 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Whoso Despiseth the Word shall be Destroyed - The Importance of Being “Honest” in Doctrine - We are living in a time of great spiritual famine, as we read in Amos 8. Yes, there are many more Bibles in the world than ever before but many people today are guilty of adding to or taking away from the Book that God Himself wrote by giving the prophets and apostles every exact word in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. There is a great amount of disbelief regarding the Word of God, which is held in very low esteem by many in the world today – even by many who claim to be “Christians”. Even the institutional Churches and Congregations are guilty of adding and removing the Words from the Bible and putting themselves above the authority of the Bible. All these factors indicate how much mankind despises the Word of God. But God will not stand for it, as we read in Rev 22.

Amos 8:11-12 “Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine into the land; not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for water, but rather a famine for hearing the words of Jehovah.”

Rev 22:18-19 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Num 15:31 “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.”

Pro 13:13 “Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.”

NOT every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven - Not only is the Christian admonished to be “honest”, or according to the Bible, in doctrine but in practice as well. In Luke 8 the Lord Jesus explains who his dearest and most cherished “relatives” are. Mat 18:3 explains what has to take place before one is admitted into God’s Holy Heaven. Mat 7:21 highlights the fact that those who have truly been regenerated will be motivated to obey the Bible implicitly.

Php 4:9 “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Jam 1:22 “… be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Luke 8:21 “And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.”

Mat 18:3 “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted [born-again], and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Mat 7:21 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Luke 6:46 “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

Lord, Lord have we not... I Never Knew You... - For many, those who are NOT honest in doctrine and practice, that will be a day of unspeakable terror and eternal foreboding as they hear with resounding clarity and trembling anticipation the solemn pronouncement from the Judge of all the earth as stated in Mat 7:23: “… I never knew you: depart from me…”. Those are exceedingly fearful words and saddest words that will be heard by all on Judgment Day who do not have a Savior – the Lord Jesus Christ. The same is taught in the parable of "ten virgins" who represent all those who are professing to know Him, professing to be children of God, to be Christians. He has divided them up: five wise and five foolish. The wise are the born-again believers with Spirit and wisdom of Christ, and the foolish are those who are not saved but deceived themselves and who never became saved. The lamp represent the Word of God, the Bible. The oil represent the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 2:3 God sets down a specific parameter for assessing whether a person truly knows God. In this context, the “world” refers to all who are unsaved. Not only did they not understand Him, they did not have a relationship with Him.

Matt 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Luke 13:24-30 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last."

Matt 25:1-12 "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not."

John 1:10 “He [Jesus Christ] was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

1 John 2:3 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”

1 Cor 8:3 “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.”

2 Tim 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

1 John 2:4 “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Judgment for Disobedience - God’s judgment against corporate Israel typifies His judgment against the institutional churches and denominations of our day, who did not submit themselves to the authority of Bible but to strange doctrines and traditions of men, and is sadly expressed in many verses. Every unsaved who do not have Lord Jesus Christ as their substitute to take their punishment will pay their own penalty in lake of fire.

Rev 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Jer 6:16-19 “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. 18Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.”

Jer 7:22-28 “For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. 27Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. 28But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.”

Zep 1:14-18 “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”

Kingdom of Christ - Ye Blessed of My Father, Inherit the Kingdom Prepared for You

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:45:00 +0000

Kingdom of God prepared for "the Sheep" - All through the Bible we frequently find references to God’s redeemed people as “sheep”. God separates Sheep and Goats NOT based on the good works but by their spiritual condition. Sheep typify the born-again believers redeemed by Christ, where as Goats typify the unsaved. These people are God’s elect – His sheep, the true Christians, the spiritual Jews – that the Bible talks about. And do they deserve such salvation? Absolutely not. It is all of God's grace – it is all of God's mercy – it is all of God's purpose – in order that God may alone receive all glory, honor, and praise for His gift of salvation.

Matt 25:31-35 "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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred [for bread of life] , and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty [for living water], and ye gave me drink:"

John 10:14-16 "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."

John 10:26-29 "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

Tit 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

2 Tim 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"

Rom 9:11 "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)"

The kingdom of God is not (physical) meat and drink - The “meat [or food] and drink” that is in view in Matt 5, is not just physical but the spiritual “meat and drink” that we find explained in John 6, which can give everlasting life. We are to proclaim the Gospel, that is, the spiritual “meat and drink”, "bread of life", "living water" of the Bible, to those who are spiritually thirsty and hungry.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

John 6:27 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man [Lord Jesus Christ] shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

Matt 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Matt 25:31-35 "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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred [for bread of life] , and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty [for living water], and ye gave me drink:"

Ye are no more strangers, but fellow citizens in Kingdom of God - we all are "by nature the children of wrath" (Eph 2:3) and aliens and strangers to the Kingdom of God until God "translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (col 1:13)

Psa 146:7-9 “Which [The Lord] executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.”

Eph 2:12-13 "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."

Eph 2:19 "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"

Matt 25:31-35 "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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred [for bread of life] , and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty [for living water], and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger [alien to the kingdom of God] , and ye took me in:"

The kingdom of God is Righteousness, with which being clothed we shall not be found naked - We are all naked before God because of our sin until God clothes us with "Christ's robe of righteousness". God clothing Adam and Eve with animal skin typifies the covering God provides through his son Jesus "to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor 5:21)

2 Cor 5:1-3 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle [corruptible bodies] were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven [glorious spiritual bodies]: 3If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked."

Isa 61:10 "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness , as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."

Matt 25:31-35 "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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred [for bread of life] , and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty [for living water], and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger [alien to the kingdom of God] , and ye took me in: 36Naked [in need of Robe of Righteousness], and ye clothed me: ..."

Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand - We are all infected with sin which brings us eternal death unless God heals us by giving Salvation. Jesus Christ is our Great Physician. Christ Came for the Spiritually Sick and His mission was to redeem those who are spiritually diseased.

Isa 1:4-6 "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Mark 2:17 "When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Matt 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Matt 25:31-36 "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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred [for bread of life] , and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty [for living water], and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger [alien to the kingdom of God] , and ye took me in: 36Naked [in need of Robe of Righteousness], and ye clothed me: I was sick [sin sick], and ye visited me: ..."

God has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son - We are all are in the bondage of sin and servants (slaves) to sin. Our Savior gave the Gospel of Grace to us and redeemed us by his precious blood. we are commanded to go into all the world and "to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24). The truth of God's Word has power to set a sinner free from the bondage of sin.

John 8:32-34 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."

Psa 146:7-9 “Which [The Lord] executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.”

Isa 42:6-7 "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus Christ], because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 9To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Isa 61:1

Acts 26:18 "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

Col 1:12-13 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"

Matt 25:31-35 "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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred [for bread of life] , and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty [for living water], and ye gave me drink: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

Lovest thou me? Feed my Sheep - Loving neighbor is meeting their greater Spiritual need, which is escape from eternal damnation, in addition to meeting their worldly needs. When we receive the agapao love (unconditional love of God) we share the Gospel with our neighbours that they too might receive the unconditional love of God . This is the ministry of reconciliation. This is Phileo love (brotherly love).

Mark 12:30-31 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these”

Rom 13:8-10 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

1 John 3:16-18 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

John 21:15-17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [agapao] thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [agapao] thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [phileo] thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest [phileo] thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

Matt 25:31-40 "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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous [imputed with Righteousness of Christ] answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

God is [agápē] Love

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:44:00 +0000

God is Love - “Love” is one of the magnificent attributes of God. The biblical phrase “God is love”, as found in 1 John 4:8, contains the familiar Greek word “agápē” for the kind of love that the Three Persons of the Godhead have for Each Other and for true believers. God’s agape love is an integral part of His salvation program in that He loves His people (the elect), who are scattered all over the world; and He demonstrates His love by saving them from eternal Hell, as Rom 5 explains. In principle, God’s love for His elect began before the foundation of the world. Those who are the recipients of God’s gift of salvation were in total rebellion against God before He saved them. The Bible says that true believers were “dead in trespasses and sins” and were “children of wrath” (Eph 2:1-3). Yet Rom 5:8 makes this wonderful statement, “But God commendeth [exhibits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. God’s love for His people is a love that is demonstrated by the sacrificial work and faith of the Lord Jesus. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the personification of God’s love. In essence, God is defining love by His very character. And what is the character of the Lord Jesus Christ? We get a glimpse in 1 Cor 13:4, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up…”. Also because love is a “fruit” of the Holy Spirit according to Gal 5, it manifests itself in the life of a “born-again Christian” in whom God's Spirit dwells. In our time together let us examine the characteristics of Love and how God demonstrated these characteristics and how He expects [ and works it out] in the life of a child of God.

1 John 4:7-12 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

1 John 4:11-13 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth...”

Love Suffereth Long - The Greek word for “suffereth long” is also translated as “patience” and is closely related to God’s forgiveness, as in the parable of the wicked servant in Mat 18:29: “And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all”. The spiritual message here is that God is is longsuffering, or patient in saving His elect, as we see in 2 Pet 3:9. The following verses describe how believers are to live patiently and contentedly in this world and to show patience with others. Speaking of Abraham and the promise of eternal inheritance, God says in Heb 6:15: “And so, after he [Abraham] had patiently endured, he obtained the promise”. With respect to others, God gives these instructions in 1 The 5:14 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long ...”

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Matt 18:23-35 “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

2 Tim 2:24-26 “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

Love is Kind - Now, let’s focus on the second characteristic of Love – kindness. The Greek word for “kind” is translated both as “kind” and “goodness”. We see that God is “kind” to unthankful and evil people in Luke 6:35. We also learn in Rom 2:4 that God’s “goodness” leads His elect to repentance. In Eph 4 believers are instructed to mirror the kindness that God has shown to them by being kind to one another.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; ...”

Rom 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he [God] is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

Eph 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Love Envieth Not - The third quality of Love is the absence of envy. The Greek word for “envy” is related to “zeal”, which is used to describe both favorable and unfavorable traits. We see the word used in a good sense in 1 Cor 12:31. God is a Jealous God towards his children (Exo 34:14) with Godly Jeaslousy (2 cor 11:2) that they should not serve sin. The unfavorable kind of envy is what 1 Cor 13:4 admonishes believers not to practice in their lives and is what we read about in Acts 7:9. In Jam 4 the word is used to describe sinful “desire” for worldly things, which is a characteristic of unsaved people. May the Holy Spirit empower us to exhibit patience, kindness, and the good kind of zeal in our lives for God’s honor and glory.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; ...”

Exo 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

1 Cor 12:31 “But covetearnestly [zealously] the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.”

2 Cor 11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him.”

Jam 4:2 “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire [envy] to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

Love Vaunteth Not Itself - The Greek word for “vaunteth” has the idea of boasting about oneself, which is the outward expression of pride. Pride and boasting are some of the characteristics of man that God hates most because they indicate man’s defiance and rebellion against God, as we read in Judges 7:2. This proud nature of unsaved man is described in many verses. Christ demonstrated his humbleness in that being God, humbled himself to the death of cross (Php 2:8). There is only one kind of boasting in a believer that meets with God’s approval – it’s the boasting by believers in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, about the mercy of God for His glory, as we read in Gal 6:14.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, ...”

Pro 6:16-19 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

Pro 16:18-19 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Jam 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Jud 7:2 “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.”

Php 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Gal 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Jer 9:23-24 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”

Love is Not Puffed Up - The Greek words for “not puffed up” have the same idea of humility as “vaunteth not”. This has to do with the underlying motive of one’s love. A Christian’s love should not be “puffed up” for self-serving recognition, but its nature should be that of selflessly and humbly serving God and ministering to others. 1 Cor 8:1b explains, “... Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth [builds up]”. This unselfish aspect of love was demonstrated by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 21:5), even being KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (Rev 19:16). He edifies and builds up His Church by nourishing it with Living Bread and Living Waters (Psa 23:2). The Godly love of a true believer under the power of the Holy Spirit should serve to build up others in the faith, as 1 Cor 4:6-7 teaches.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up ...”

Rev 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Matt 21:5 “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

Num 12:3 “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)”

1 Cor 4:6-7 “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

Love Doth Not Behave Unseemly - The Greek words for “behave unseemly” mean “to act unbecomingly (or dishonorably) against the Word of God”. In other words, a Christian shows his love and respect for God by behaving decently and honorably according to the commandments and principles set forth in the Word of God. Lord Jesus demonstrated this characetristic of love by keeping His Fathers commandments perfectly (John 15:10). For example, the same words are used in 1 Cor 7:35-36 to describe how an unmarried man should behave toward the woman he is courting. May the Holy Spirit empower us to live humbly and honorably for the glory of God.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly ...”

John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.”

Pro 6:16-19 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

1 Cor 7:35-36 “And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely [honorable], and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely [dishonorably] toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.”

Love Seeketh Not Her Own - The Greek word for “seeketh” here carries the idea of “desiring” or “demanding”. This unselfish aspect of love was demonstrated by the Lord Jesus Christ in not seeking his own will but the will of His Father (John 5:30) and suffered God's wrath for us (Luke 22:42). A Christian shows his love for his fellowman by not demanding his own self-serving way and by being sensitive to the needs of others. A true believer will find that he is happiest when he desires or seeks the things of God and not of the world, as we read in Matt 6:31-33.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own ...”

John 5:30 “I [Jesus Christ] can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

Heb 10:6-10 “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7Then said I [Lord Jesus] , Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Luke 22:42 “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

Matt 6:31-33 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

1 Cor 10:33 “Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

Php 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Love is Not Easily Provoked - The Greek word for “provoked” carries the idea of “becoming stirred up”. One should not be easily “riled up”, or provoked to anger, which is a very ungodly trait for a believer. However, a Christian should be “stirred up” to defend the Gospel, as in Apostle Paul’s case in Acts 17:16-17. We see this demonstrated when Lord Jesus prayed for them that were mocking him during the Crucifixion on Calvary (Luke 23:36-39) but was provoked with unseemly behavior of the money changers at the temple (John 2:17).

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked ...”

Luke 23:36-39 “And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”

John 2:15-17 “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

Acts 17:16-17 “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.”

Love Thinketh No Evil - Pro 23:7a sets forth an important principle: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...”. The thoughts of one’s heart reveal a person’s true nature, as the Lord Jesus proclaimed in Mark 7:21. Yes, the heart of unsaved, natural man is “desperately wicked” as stated in Jer 17:9. However, the true believer who is saved by God’s Grace, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, can overrule his evil nature and focus his thoughts on the things of God, as we read in Php 4:8-9. A Christian can have victory over evil and wickedness because, amazingly, he is given the “mind of Christ”, as declared in 1 Cor 2:16. Lord Jesus overcame evil with good by praying for those who persecuted him (Matt 5:44). May God cause us to demonstrate agape love in our lives by being unselfish, controlling our anger, and focusing our thoughts on the things of God.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil ...”

Mark 7:21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders.”

Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Php 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Matt 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

1 Cor 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we [believers] have the mind of Christ.”

Rom 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

3 John 1:11 “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”

Love Rejoiceth Not in Iniquity - What does God mean by stating that love does not rejoice in iniquity (sin)? Because God does not rejoice in man’s sin, neither does God’s love rejoice in sin of any kind; and because a Christian must reflect God’s love by his conduct on this sin-cursed earth, he should not rejoice in sin either, as is clearly stated in 2 Tim 2:19. Lord Jesus demonstrated this characteristic of Love when He overcame temptation (Luke 4:1-13) and stood as high priest for us knowing our infirmities (Heb 4:15). He is the Lamb of God without blemish and without spot (1 pet 1:19). Because a believer must live in an unsaved body, he is engaged in a constant internal struggle between his sinful flesh and his new, resurrected soul, as the Apostle Paul explains in Rom 7:22-25. Paul concludes that statement with the wonderful truth in Rom 8:1. Sadly, God has this to say about the fate of those who continue to “rejoice in iniquity” in 2 The 2:12: “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity ...”

2 Chr 19:7 “Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”

Luke 4:2 “Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.”

Heb 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

2 Tim 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Rom 7:22-25 “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Rom 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Love Rejoiceth in the Truth - This statement is the converse of the previous one. God rejoices in the Truth of His Word, the Bible. Lord Jesus Himself is the truth (John 14:6) and the Word in flesh (John 1:14) and was magnified above all (Psa 138:2). He has even placed Himself under the authority of His Word, as we read in Psa 138:2. Therefore, a Christian must also rejoice in the Word of God and show his love for the Truth by sharing it with others. As opposed to the things of this sin-cursed world, there is no iniquity in the things of God, as 2 Chr 19:7 declares. Thus, for those who have become saved through the power of the True Gospel, there is much joy in their lives as they serve their Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, according to Php 2:17-18.

Love Beareth All Things - Lord Jesus bore all our griefs, our sorrows, our transgressions and our iniquities (Isa 53:4-5). The Greek word for “beareth” means “to endure patiently (or suffer)”, as did the Apostle Paul as he ministered to the Gentiles according to 1 Cor 9:11-12. A Christian must demonstrate the love of God by patiently bearing, or enduring, adversity for the cause of the Gospel of Christ. May God cause us to depart from sin, rejoice in the Truths of His Word, and patiently bear the burdens of His service for His honor and glory.

Love Believeth All Things - Since the Greek word for “believeth” is the usual word for “believe”, what does it mean that love believes “all things”? It's Lord Jesus belief and Faith, that God will not leave his soul in hell nor will his body see corruption (Acts 2:22-28), that saved us (Gal 2:20). Remember, we have been talking about God’s love as manifested in the lives of His children – those whom He has saved. They are the true believers who have come to know the truths of God’s Word. They read and study the Bible so that they can learn “all things” that God has placed there to strengthen their belief, or faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ – that is, the faith that God has given them as a result of salvation. Thus, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit true believers can understand spiritual truths from the Scriptures and can distinguish them from the lies of all the false gospels and religions of the world.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things ...”

Acts 2:25-27 “For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

1 Cor 2:10-13 “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Love Hopeth All Things - Lord Jesus became our only hope (1 Tim 1:1, Rom 8:24-25) in this life and life to come eternally (1 cor 15:19). God has placed the “hope” of eternal life in every true Christian’s soul. This is not a worldly “hope” that something good might happen in the future. God’s “hope” is an absolute certainty that “all things” God says about His salvation program in His Word, the Bible, will be fulfilled, as we read in Rom 8:24-25.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things ...”

Acts 2:25-27 “For David speaketh concerning him [Lord Jesus], I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Rom 8:24-25 “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

1 Tim 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.”

1 Cor 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Love Endureth All Things - Here we have another of the “all things” statements, which pertains to the things of God as set forth in His Word. The Greek word for “endureth” means “to endure or persevere”, which is similar to “beareth” that we studied in the previous lesson – but perhaps indicating greater intensity and longer duration. We find the word used to describe Christ’s suffering on the cross in Heb 12:2-3. Lord Jesus became the author and finisher of our faith by enduring the cross and endured the hostility of the sinners (Heb 12:2-3). A Christian must demonstrate God’s love in his service for his Lord by his endurance, as we read in Mat 10:22.

Love Never Faileth - The Greek word for “faileth” is translated as “falleth away” and is contrasted with “endureth” in 1 Pet 1:24-25. Here is the great truth about God’s love – it is God’s Word and it can never fail. It is God’s love that is the driving force behind God’s magnificent salvation plan. Lord Jesus loved his children with everlasting love and no tribulation, distress, presecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword can separate them from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35). Thus, all of God’s people are secure in His love; and because that love is eternally within their hearts, they will show it to others by their faithfulness to God’s Word, the Bible. A true believer will be happiest when he is doing the will of God by “loving his neighbor” – that is, sharing the Gospel of Christ with his fellowman.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth...”

1 Pet 1:24-25 “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Rom 8:35-40 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Cor 13:13 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity [Agape Love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [Agape Love of God].”

Christ’s Love for His Bride is from Everlasting to Everlasting

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:44:00 +0000

Christ’s Love for His Bride is from Everlasting to Everlasting - Love is one of the magnificent attributes of God. The biblical phrase “God is love”, as found in 1 John 4:8, is widely quoted in our day and contains the familiar Greek word agape for the kind of love that Lord Jesus have for His Bride, the eternal church, as we read in 1 John 4:19: “We love him, because he first loved us”. And the greatest expression of God’s Everlasting love for His people was demonstrated by the work and faith of the Lord Jesus as He patiently endured eternal damnation for His people in order to satisfy God’s justice: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). The word “propitiation” means that the required penalty for sin has been fully paid. The individuals who have entered into the Kingdom of God, as God has drawn them to salvation, are the very ones in view in 2 The 2:13: “... brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”. This is also evident in Jer 31:3 “... I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee”. God’s agape love for His elect, who are scattered all over the world, began before the foundation of the world and continued to eternity; and He demonstrates His love by saving them from eternal Hell, as Rom 5:8 explains: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth [exhibits] his love toward us [believers], in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. In principle Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). 2 Tim 1:9 underscores why: “according to his own purpose and grace” and when: “before the world began” this took place and Eph 1:4 reiterates the same truth. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the personification of God’s love. In essence, God is defining love by His very character: “... charity [Agape Love] shall cover the multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8). The following verses illustrate some of the chief characteristics of love - longsuffering or patience, kindness or goodness, demonstrated by God. God is patient in saving His elect, as we see in 2 Pet 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”. We also learn in Rom 2:4 that God’s “goodness” leads His elect to repentance: “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:16-19 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”

Eph 1:4-6 “According as he hath chosen us [the elect] in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Mat 25:34 “Then shall the King [Jesus Christ] say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

Christ Loved the Church, and Gave Himself for It - God likens the salvation of His children to marriage. The word “church” here refers to the eternal body of “born-again” believers, the Bride of Christ. The Greek word agapao is used for “love” and “loved” in this beautiful verse: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (Eph 5:25). We must remember that Christ loved His people, the recipients of God’s gift of salvation, while they were “without strength” (meaning spiritually sick or dead) and were ungodly, sinners, and enemies in total rebellion against Him, as Rom 5:6-10 insists. The Bible says that true believers were “dead in trespasses and sins” and were “children of wrath” (Eph 2:1-5). Yet Rom 5:8 makes this wonderful statement, “But God commendeth [exhibits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Rev 1:5 teaches that the Lord Jesus willingly offered up His life (typified by His blood) to wash away the sins of His people: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood”. Tit 3:4-7 affirms that it is solely God’s mercy and grace that brings salvation. . God frequently uses “to know” as a synonym for “to love” in the Bible; and it indicates an experiential, intimate knowledge that is typified by the physical intimacy of a man for his wife. This intimacy typifies Christ’s love for His eternal church, the body of true believers which is the Bride of Christ. John 15:12-13 declares: “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. Without looking at every other related verse in the Bible one might come to the erroneous conclusion that sacrificing one’s physical life for someone else is the greatest act of love. While this is certainly true on the physical level, it does not take into consideration the spiritual ramifications of this important verse. In John 10:17-18, Jesus is asserting that this power to lay down His life and take it again is a commandment that He has received from God the Father. The reason this statement is so significant is that throughout the Bible God closely associates love with obeying the commandments, as we can see from John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”. There is also another aspect of God’s love as found in Rom 13:10, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law”. In other words, the Lord Jesus has not only forgiven the sins of every child of God by suffering the equivalent of an eternity in Hell on their behalf, but He has also fulfilled the righteousness of the law for them, by perfectly obeying the Bible in thought, word, and deed.

Rom 5:6-10 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Tit 3:3-7 “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

John 10:17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Eph 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

Gal 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Heb 10:8-10 “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I [Lord Jesus] come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

His Wife hath made Herself Ready - The Hebrew word for “help meet” is ('ezer:H5828) in Gen 2:18 and 20: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet ('ezer) for him…”, “... but for Adam there was not found an help meet ('ezer) for him”. It is significant that this word “'ezer” in most cases identifies with God as our “help”, as we see in Psa 124:8, “Our help ('ezer) is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth”. But let's not forget that it was God who “… made… a woman, and brought her unto the man…”. It was God – not Adam – who recognized that man needed a “help meet”; then God fulfilled that need in a most wonderful way, which shows that He indeed is mankind’s greatest Help. But what is the Gospel, or spiritual, meaning in this beautiful account? God also likens the union of a husband and wife to the mysterious union between Christ and His Bride, the eternal church, in Eph 5:31-32. We must never lose sight of this wonderful spiritual dimension. Adam represents the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is called the “last Adam” in 1 Cor 15:45. He is given a Bride (typified by Eve) comprising all true believers (John 6:37, John 17:24), and God the Father brought her to Christ. Rev 21:2 portrays the glorious wedding day which each child of God eagerly anticipates: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem [the eternal church], coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband [Jesus]”. Let's read Eph 5:25 and 26 together, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”. Specifically, how did He “sanctify and cleanse it”? The Greek word for “sanctify” originates from the word for “holy”, which means “to set apart as holy”. John 17:17 affirms, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth”. Once again, the cleansing that is being emphasized here is spiritual in nature as John 15:3 also affirms, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”. The redemption that God has procured for each believer, by sanctifying and cleansing them by His own blood (Rev 1:5), by His Spirit (Tit 3:5, 1 Cor 6:11), by His Word (Eph 5:26, John 15:3, Heb 10:22) and by His faith (Gal 2:20, Acts 26:18), is the greatest miracle in this universe, as we see from Acts 26:18. The eternal, glorious church that the Lord Jesus will receive as His Bride is comprised of all those whom He has redeemed. The word “glorious” in “That he might present it to himself a glorious church...” (Eph 5:27) refers to her “glory” in Rev 19:7-8. God continues to underscore the sinless purity that He has bestowed upon His holy Bride. Notice that in Rev 19:8, she is arrayed with “righteousness” – the righteousness of Christ – which is how she has “made herself ready”. I hasten to add that this condition in Christ’s Bride was altogether the result of the work and faith of the Lord Jesus alone in order to complement His own sinless perfection! Here we see the greatest exchange that has ever taken place in this universe: The righteous God, Who is holy, pure, and sinless become unholy, impure, and sinful on the Cross. Simultaneously, we see unrighteous Church, who by nature is unholy, impure, and sinful become holy, pure, and sinless by the righteousness of her Lord Jesus Christ that is given, or imputed, to her (2 Cor 5:21). The absence of “spot, wrinkle, or any such thing” describes the spiritual status that has been granted or imputed to every child of God by God’s unmerited favor. Song 4:7 affirms this astounding reality: “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee”. The bride of Christ is also referred to as “kings’ daughters” or “honorable women” (or “precious”) in Psa 45:9, “Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir”. The “queen”, or “bride”, likewise is a reference to the eternal church. The “king”, or “groom”, is the Lord Jesus. This is substantiated in Isa 61:10: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels”.

Gen 2:20-23 “And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Eph 5:25-28 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish ...”

1 Pet 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

1 Cor 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Rev 19:7-8 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

Rev 21:9-11 “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;”

We are Members of His Body, of His Flesh, and of His Bones - The Bible pays tribute to the priceless value of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Head of the eternal church (or body of Christ), as Col 1:18 affirms: “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence”. In fact, His resurrection is pivotal to the salvation of all of God’s elect, as 1 Cor 15:20-22 insists: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept [or those who had died]. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”. And He is its very Foundation of the Church as well, as we read in Isa 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste”. In Eph 5:29-33 God explains how Lord took care of His bride (or body of Christ): For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones”. The body of Christ is also referred to as “a chosen generation”, “a royal priesthood”, “an holy nation”, “a peculiar people” [or a purchased people] in Col 1:19-22 and explains that one is made a “saint” or “holy” through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. In 1 Cor 6:19-20 God makes the following assessment with regard to every believer's body: “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost”. Keeping this concept in mind, Rom 12:1 reveals in which way our bodies are to be used: “ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God”. In essence, one who has experienced the “new birth” wants every aspect of his life to be wholeheartedly devoted to the service of His Master. God likens the true believers to “jewels” in Mal 3:17, “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day [Judgement day] when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him”.

Gen 2:23-24 “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Eph 5:28-33 “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ”

1 Cor 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Col 1:18-22 “And he [Lord Jesus Christ] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Rom 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Kingdom of Christ - Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:43:00 +0000

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God - The only people who are true Christians, or true citizens of kingdom of God are those who have become “born again”, or spiritually regenerated (Tit 3:5), by the power of God. In John 3 we are confronted with the late night conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus on the subject of the New Birth. The Greek word translated as “again” is anothen (G509), which literally means “from above” – that is, “from heaven” or “from God”. We need to keep in mind that the gift of salvation, which comes “down” from God Himself, is entirely undeserved and is only by God’s grace. Nothing short of birth “from above” will suffice for someone to “see” (that is, with eyes of faith) the Kingdom of God. All blessings, whether physical or spiritual in nature, originate from God. Moreover His objective is to bless His Word and the furtherance of His Kingdom. The water in John 3 typifies the Word of God which is why "Faith [salvation] comes by hearing the Word of God"[Rom 10:17]. Water Baptism typifies the Spiritual Baptism. Man must be “baptized” (i.e., have his sins washed away) by the Holy Spirit in order to receive God’s gift of eternal life and enter into kingdom of God.

Mark 1:14-15 “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

John 3:3-8 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The 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."

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 11:16 “Then remembered I [Peter] the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” [cf., Acts 1:5; Mat 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Tit 3:4-5]

1 Pet 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

Jam 1:18 “Of his own will begat [made us born again] he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

Eze 36:25-27 "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Eph 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing [washing of water by the word] of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance - It’s interesting to note that the Greek word rendered as “repenteth” and “repentance” is metanoeo (G3340), signifying a “change of mind or understanding”. Notice how in Luke 15, verse 7 makes the point that there are those who identify with the “… ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance”. Everyone in this category is merely “self-righteous” and have not been saved. They do not understand their own sinfulness. Sadly, this is the essence of mankind’s fallen nature. It is the deluded, prideful expression of the Pharisee in Luke 18. Take note that salvation is a matter of the heart, or soul, or mind (all three are used interchangeably in the Bible), and this is what repentance is. It involves a change of mind inside out, or a renewed mind.

Luke 5:32 “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Pro 30:12 “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.”

Luke 18:11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”

Luke 15:7, 10“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance… Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Eph 4:23-24 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind [or soul]; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation - Don’t Confuse Remorse with Repentance. Consider the parable of the rich man in Hell in Luke 16. The Bible also furnishes accounts of some who apparently had repented, but their repentance was not genuine. It was merely remorse, or the “sorrow of the world”. This is seen in the example of Judas in Mat 27. We see in the historical context the literal fulfillment of “… the sorrow of the world worketh death” because Judas committed suicide. However, this verse is not speaking about physical death but eternal death – to be destroyed in Hell forever. This is what the Lord Jesus was underscoring in Mat 26 when referring to Judas. The Bible also furnishes us with another illustration of remorse or regret – not genuine repentance – in Heb 12, regarding Esau. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation…” In other words, godly sorrow produces, or causes, genuine repentance because it is the work of God the Holy spirit in the hearts of His chosen people.

2 Cor 7:10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Luke 16:30-31 “And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one [Christ] rose from the dead.”

Matt 27:3-5 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

Mat 26:24 "The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe [destroyed in Hell] unto that man [Judas] by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Heb 12:16-17 “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

God commands all men every where to repent - Man is utterly incapable of obeying this command. Nonetheless, God gives commands concerning repentance throughout the Bible. If they are taken merely at face value (and without looking at all the other verses in the Scriptures), they can foster the false idea that man can repent of his own volition. As we have seen above, repentance is not just turning away of outward sins but a total change of heart, inside out. Only God can accomplish this in an individual. Then why did God give these statutes in the Bible? These commandments should reveal our need for the savior and drive us to Lord Jesus Christ. This agrees with everything else the Bible teaches regarding man’s spiritual deadness, and God’s sovereign grace to redeem His elect through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent ”

Rom 3:19-20 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Joel 2:12-13 "Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

Jer 31:18 “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned ; for thou art the LORD my God.”

Jer 4:4 “Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskin of your heart, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, that My fury not go forth like fire and burn, so that no one can put it out; because of the evil of your doings.”

Deu 30:6 “And Jehovah your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Repentance is a Gift from God - Repentance is the result of Salvation. Only God can give a person eternal life. God must draw the elect to Himself and grant them repentance, spiritual understanding, faith to trust Him, and a capacity to love and obey Him. This is dramatically seen in the people of Ninevah. They first believed – everything else followed that. And we know that to believe is to have faith, and the faith related to salvation is a gift from God and comes by hearing the Word of God. We also learn in Rom 2:4 that God’s “goodness” leads His elect to repentance which is synonymous with salvation and is closely associated with God’s mercy. God is merciful to His elect and saves them because of His goodness; and He works all things “together for good” in their lives. The “reproving” that the Scriptures provide is actually a demonstration of the Lord’s great, eternal love toward His redeemed people. Notice how the word “meekness” in 2 Tim 2:25 can result from God’s granting repentance (or a change of mind) as a result of salvation. The child of God is to exhibit the attitude described in Eph 4:2, “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”

Jon 3:5 "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

Acts 11:16-18 "Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”

Eph 2:8-10 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Luke 24:45-48 “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.”

Rom 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Rev 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

Rom 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Joel 2:12-13 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Mat 9:13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Acts 5:31 “Him [Jesus] hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel [Israel of God, Gal 6:16], and forgiveness of sins.”

2 Tim 2:24-25 “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”

Who can tell if God will turn and repent? - God Himself does not repent, or change His mind. Now on the surface, this can be a bit confusing. Didn’t God “repent” when He did not bring judgment against Nineveh? And what about the citations in Gen 6 and 1 Sam 15? The Hebrew word that is utilized in both of these passages for “repenteth” is (nacham:H5162), which is also rendered as “comfort”, “comforter”, and “ease”. Let’s look at some other Scriptures that teach just the opposite in Num 23 and 1 Sam 15. How then are we to understand Jon 3:10. The first point we have to come to grips with is that even before the foundation of the world, God had planned to save the Ninevites. This was very difficult for Jonah to comprehend. Why would God show this degree of kindness and mercy to such rebellious, wicked individuals and sworn enemies of Israel? What Jonah struggled with, Peter would one day realize that God intended to save the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, as we read in Acts 11. Note what he says in Jon 4:1, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry”. However, God was also teaching Jonah an “object lesson”, even as He did with Peter many hundreds of years later about His plan to save a people for Himself which included both Jews and Gentiles. In Jonah’s case, it involved a gourd which God had graciously provided to shield Jonah from the burning sun which was beating down on him in Jonah 4. God’s answer to Jonah in Jon 4:9-11 helps us see God’s love as the motivating force behind this wonderful salvation account, even though God had warned of impending judgment previously. The reason for the statement “… whose praise is not of men, but of God” in Rom 2, is because God has to do all the work of salvation, including the granting of repentance; and He gets all the praise and glory for it.

Gen 6:6-7 "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

1 Sam 15:11 “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.”

Num 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

1 Sam 15:29 “And also the Strength of Israel [God] will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.”

Jon 3:10 “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not”?

Jon 4:9-11 “And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

Acts 11:16-18 "Then remembered I [Peter] the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Kingdom of Christ - Kingdom of God is like a Grain of Mustard Seed

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:42:00 +0000

Every Tree is known by his own Fruit - Every human being produces some type of “fruit” with their lives that can be either good or evil. That fruit stems from their words, actions, and thoughts. The kingdom that a person is in actually dominates, or drives, his life with unyielding force. It is rooted in his soul and influences his every thought, word, and action. A good man is that who have been placed in the Kingdom of God by God Himself. Likewise that who is under Satan’s control or kingdom of darkness is the evil man. Every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Luke 6:43-45 "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45A good man [saved] out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man [unsaved] out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Jam 3:11-12 "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh."

Luke 3:8 "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Jude 1:11-12 "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;"

Unfruitful Old Testament Church (Nation of Israel) as Kingdom of God - Lord Jesus Christ entered into the human race and grew up in the midst of Israel, the people of God, yet they rejected Him; they did not honor God. They did not worship Him as eternal God, but they thought that He was of Satan, of Beelzebub. Christ whose name is called "Faithful and True" has that type of faith as seen Luke 17, and power to declare an eternal curse and to carry it through. Israel, therefore, was fruitless; it bore no fruit as a Nation. It is possible, however, for a Jew, an Israelite, someone who is born in Israel, to become saved, just like it is possible for any other person of the world to become saved, if they happen to be one of God’s elect. When Christ came to the fig tree typifying Nation of Israel, there was no fruit, so He cursed it with an eternal curse ”Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever" and it withered away. The kingdom of God has been taken away from Nation of Israel, and given to New Testament Church bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Matt 21:19 "And when he saw a fig tree [Nation of Israel] in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away."

Luke 17:6 "And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you."

Jude 1:12 "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;"

Matt 21:33-44 "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen [Nation of Israel], and went into a far country: 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [Nation of Israel], and given to a nation [new testament Church] bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

Unfruitful New Testament Church as Kingdom of God - In Rom 11, the picture that God is painting is that the natural branches are Israel. They were broken off; they were cut off. Once Christ went to the Cross, the veil of the temple was rent in twain (Matthew 27:51) and Israel ceased to be the holy people. Jerusalem ceased to be the Holy City. Israel was cut off. As we have seen in Matt 21, the kingdom of God has been taken from Nation of Israel, and given to a nation [new testament Church] bringing forth the fruits. God warned the New Testament Church in verse 20 and 21, "Well; because of unbelief they [Old Testament Church] were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:", "if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee". New Testament Church built as Jesus Christ as the corner stone, started gloriously on the day of Pentecost but soon sown with Tares by the enemy Satan. Soon it became "high minded" and apostate putting itself above the Word of God. Wheat represent true born-again believers and Tares represent name sake Christians.

Isa 11:10 "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse [Lord Jesus Christ], which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."

Rom 11:16-24 "For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"

Matthew 13:24-30 "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

True Church as the Kingdom of God is like a Grain of Mustard Seed - The kingdom of God began very small. Christ, who is the head of the kingdom of God, was despised and rejected of men; He came unto His own, that is, the nation of Israel, and His own received Him not. Jesus is likening Himself to a corn of wheat and if He die He will bring forth much fruit. Christ is the beginning of the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God has grown to include a vast multitude which no man can count.

John 12:23-24 "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

Mark 4:26-32 "And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 30And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it."

Trees of Righteousness are the Planting of JEHOVAH - Rom 4:6, declares that righteousness is imputed, or bestowed, upon a person without man’s works. The eternal, invisible Church consists of all born-again believers from every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation that are redeemed by God. Isa 61:1-3 crystallizes not only the mission for which Jesus came to earth, but the very heart of the Gospel of God’s sovereign grace.

Psa 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Isa 61:1-3 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Lord Jesus Christ]; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

Matt 15:13 "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."

Believers are God's Spiritual Handiwork - As "Trees", Christians also "Grow" (in Grace). Furthermore in John 15 we find a lengthy teaching on spiritual growth and fruitfulness, both of which are governed by the divine “husbandman”, or farmer, God Himself and how he nurtures and waits patiently for the believer to bear fruit.

John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."

Psa 92:12 "The righteous [whom God saves by imputing them with Christ's Righteousness] shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon."

Matt 13:3-8 "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5Some fell upon stony places [stony hearts] , where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8But other fell into good ground [to whom God has given the hearts of Flesh] , and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."

Jam 5:7-8 "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

Luke 13:6-9 "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."

Rev 14:1-5 "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand [number represents the complete of God's Elect], having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 2And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand [number represents the complete of God's Elect], which were redeemed from the earth. 4These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault [because they are covered with Christ's Robe of Righteousness] before the throne of God."

Kingdom of Christ - Joyful Zion

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:41:00 +0000

Kingdom of God is JOY - God chose His people that He might indwell them throughout eternity in His Kingdom. While the Unsaved find joy in the pleasures and riches of this world, a believer in Christ's Kingdom finds Joy in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost as Rom 14 points out. Also a believer finds Joy in the Word of God as Jer 15 points out. Those who have been born from above will experience the ultimate pleasure – knowing God Himself. Neh 8 declares, “... for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Psa 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Psa 5:11 “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.”

Jer 15:16 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

Psa 132:13-18 “For the LORD hath chosen Zion [Zion and New Jerusalem both mean basically the same thing, they represent the City of God ]; he hath desired it for his habitation. 14This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 15I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17There will I make the horn of David [Lord Jesus Christ] to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 18His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.”

For the Joy that was set before him Endured the Cross - Christ sacrificed Himself upon the “altar of God” with exceeding joy for each child of God, as seen in Psalm 16 and Hebrews 12. The good tidings that the “angel”, or messenger, announced in Luke 2 is referring to the the Gospel of salvation that God joyfully performed. God goes to great lengths to emphasize the “joy” that He would ultimately experience in Lord Jesus after enduring the wrath of God. Once again we need to be reminded that this was Jesus’ mission, as He Himself declared in Luke 4.

Luke.2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 4:18-19,21 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me [Lord Jesus Christ] to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord… And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Psa 16:9-11 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10For thou [God the Father] wilt not leave my [Lord Jesus] soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Jude 1:24-25 “Now unto him that 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 Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

"Joy" of God over Saving a Sinner - God and the heavenly host rejoice over a sinner that repents. We even read about God Himself singing with joy over His body of believers in Zep 3. True believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. Each believer has been given “joy” as a fruit of the Spirit, which is a direct result of the incomprehensible salvation that God has granted.

Zep 3:17 “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Luke 15:7,10 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance… Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Rom 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

1 Pet 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us [made us born again] again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

"Joy" of the believer in receiving Salvation - This same joy God posses towards his children would also be the precious possession of every child of God. Only God Can Satisfy Our True Need, Salvation. Our real need is for the salvation of our dead souls as we are bound for an inescapable confrontation with God the Judge, and certain punishment in Hell. Our only hope lies in the work of the Lord Jesus to pay for our sins in Hell, and bestow His righteousness, or goodness, upon us. This clearly underscores the necessity of Jesus’ first coming to pay for the sins of His people, to clothe them with His righteousness, and to qualify them to enter heaven. Isa 61 beautifully describes this gift which God graciously bestows upon His elect. Mary's prayer in Luke 1 epitomizes the joy and gratitude that each child of God possesses. The Joy of Salvation is also seen in Hannah’s prayer, the joy that all believers must express to their Heavenly Father for His incomprehensible kindness and grace on their behalf. Isa 25 manifests God’s miraculous salvation.

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Psa 132:9 “Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.”

Isa 25:9 “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Luke 1:46-47 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

1 Sam 2:1 "And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation."

Psa 95:1 “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock [Christ] of our salvation.”

"Joy" of the believer in Adversity - It seems that in our day one hears little about the trials and persecutions that believers have historically faced. Rather many are touting the harmful idea that the Bible promises physical well-being, financial prosperity, and political freedom as the unquestioned rights of each Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth! Indeed, Christians are called upon to suffer for righteousness’ sake, and never for evil-doing. After all, we are to pattern our lives after the Master whom we follow. God uses trials and temptations in the lives of His children to test and strengthen their Faith. Jam 1 affirms that Christians can indeed rejoice in the midst of suffering.

Mat 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

1 Pet 4:12-16 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy . If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you…”

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

1 Pet 1:6-8 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”

Jam 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

"Joy" of the believer in Serving - For those who have become saved through the power of the True Gospel, there is much joy in their lives as they serve their Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Php 2:17-18 “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.”

Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

Everlasting "Joy" of the believer- The true child of God can look forward with joy to spending eternity with His Lord and Master in the highest possible bliss. 1 Pet 1 underscores the reason for true, spiritual everlasting joy. May our prayer be that of Psa 42 as we find our joy and delight only in God alone.

Isa 35:10 “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

1 Pet 1:8 “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory…”

Psa 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Psa 100:1-5 "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

1 Cor 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

Kingdom of Christ - Peaceable Habitation

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:40:00 +0000

Spiritual war between God and rebellious mankind - The war between God and man started in the Garden of Eden as a result of Adam’s sin; and because man is at war with His Maker, he is also at war with other men. Our sinful Adamic nature, with which every human being is born, is described in James 4. We fail to consider the futility of our efforts to get right with God, the magnitude of our sin, and the eternal, infinite, holy God with whom we have to deal face to face one day. God both hates and will judge sin and sinner alike. Yet, in the midst of judgment there is a ray of hope, a glimmer of mercy for His people.

Jam 4:2 “ [in Adamic nature] Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”

Rom 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Rom 3:10, 17-18 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Isa 64:6-7 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”

The "Prince of Peace" and His Kingdom of Peace - As “the Prince of Peace” many people think that Jesus came to bring some kind of political or secular peace among nations or groups of people. However, wars are the result of man’s sinful nature and will never be abolished on this sin-cursed earth. Jesus dispelled all doubts about His purpose for coming to this earth in Matthew 10. God in the flesh, Christ came to bring division and strife – even within families, the closest-knit social units in this world. The reason Christ is named the “Prince of Peace” is because He came to bring eternal peace to fallen man, who by nature is dead in trespasses and sins, by ending the state of perpetual warfare that exists between God and all who are unsaved. Only God Can End this Warfare. The word for “habitation” describes the place where believers dwell and is also rendered, as a “sheepcote”, or “fold”, where sheep are protected.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee [or Satan] and the woman [the elect], and between thy [or Satan’s] seed and her seed; it [referring to Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ’s] heel.”

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Matt 10:34-36 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.”

Isa 40:2 “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem [typifying the elect], and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned…”

Isa 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [salvation] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold [peaceable habitation], and one shepherd.”

Isa 9:7 “Of the increase of his [Lord Jesus Christ] government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

The Chastisement of Our Peace was Upon Him - As we have seen above in Isaiah 9, this peace can only be provided by the Savior . Isaiah 53 reveals the great sufferings of Hell which Christ endured, the atoning work of the Lord for each of His elect, that has “reconciled” them to God giving "peace with God". Peace is the Work of Righteousness. One might ask, “What exactly is the ‘work of righteousness’?” Any time we see the word “work” in the Bible with regard to salvation, we can know that it has to allude to something that God does. Any work of ours can never be righteous in God’s eyes. The “works of righteousness” were accomplished by God as we learn from Isaiah 61.

Isa 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Psa 38:3 “There is no soundness in my [Messianic Psalm] flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest [peace] in my bones because of my [Not his own sin but laid with our sins] sin.”

2 Cor 5:21 "For he [God] hath made him [Lord Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [salvation] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

Eph 2:13-17 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

The Peace which Christ Bestows on His Elect is Salvation - Isaiah 40 beautifully describes the salvation that God accomplishes when He brings to an end to the warfare that previously existed between man and God. We learnes from Ephesians 2 that this is the work of the Lord Jesus. The Gospel of the Bible brings these “glad tidings”. In other words, if we have truly become saved, we are no longer God’s “enemies”, and our war with God has ended. Romans 5 concludes that one is saved or justified by the faith of Christ, which produces “peace with God” , the peace that results from salvation. Christ has brought us Peace from the Guilt of Sin, Peace from Spiritual Death, Peace from Hell. All who are unsaved, with out "the Prince of Peace" will be damned eternally on the last day. When we have become reconciled to God by salvation ("peace with God"), God also gives us the “peace of God”. When we have the “peace of God which passeth all understanding”, our souls can Rest quietly with God as we trust completely in Him with every aspect of our lives.

Isa 40:2 “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem [typifying the elect], and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned…”

Rom 5:9-10 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Rom 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Preach the Gospel of Peace and Live Peaceably with All Men - Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace has reconciled us to God and set us apart to be His ambassadors. We proclaim this Gospel of Grace so that our neighbor might be reconciled to God too. This is how we love our neighbor as ourselves. May God give us renewed zeal to be about His business. Blessed are the peacemakers and beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. After God saves a believer, Peace begins to manifest itself in the life of this individual who truly has become a “new creature” (or creation) in Christ.

Rom 5:9-10 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Col 1:20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

2 Cor 5:18-20 "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

Rom 10:15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Matt 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

Gal 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Rom 12:17-21 "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

Kingdom of Christ - Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:40:00 +0000

Thy King cometh unto thee, Meek - In Matthew 11 we find a two-fold description of the Savior: “… meek and lowly in heart…”. The two donkeys pictured here represent the true believers who have been made “meek” or “saved” by their King. He sits upon them as He rides triumphantly into Jerusalem, typifying the "new Jerusalem from heaven". To “sit” is figuratively associated with “ruling”, or “reigning”, as Christ most certainly does over His eternal church. We must bear in mind that when the Lord speaks of Himself as “meek” and “lowly”, we are talking about eternal God the Creator, His Eternal Majesty, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords! Here we see to what extent Christ had to empty Himself of His divine glory as He humbled Himself by taking on a human nature and their sin and shame on the Cross.

Heb 1:8-10 “But unto the Son he [God the Father] saith, Thy throne, O God [the Son], is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee [Christ] with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord [Christ], in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.”

Rev 19:16 "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Rev 17:14 "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."

Isa 57:15 "For thus saith the high and lofty One [Jehovah God] that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

Psa 113:6 “Who [Jehovah God] humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!”

Mat 21:5 “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

Matt 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Psa 138:6 “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.”

In His [Christ's] Humiliation His Judgment was Taken Away - The mission of the Lord Jesus is crystallized in Matthew 1. As we have just considered, in order to be the only Savior for sinners the Lord Jesus had to first take on a human nature. Secondly, he had to became sin, as 2 Corinthians 5 so emphatically announces, Thirdly, He had to suffer the equivalent of spending eternity in Hell for every single child of God. In Acts 8 we are faced with the account of the Ethiopian eunuch who asks Phillip to explain a passage in Isaiah 53. These passages substantiate the infinite degradation that the Lord Jesus subjected Himself to in experiencing the “lowest Hell”. With these verses in mind, may God give us an even greater appreciation for the thrust of Christ's Humility.

Mat 1:21-23 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 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.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us [the elect], who [that is Christ] knew no sin; that we [the elect] might be made the righteousness of God in him [or in Christ].”

Acts 8:30-35 “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Isa 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Isa 53:10 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Php 2:5-10 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

God "revives" “… the spirit of the humble, and… the heart of the contrite ones” - Lord Jesus indeed manifested a “…contrite and humble spirit…” In turn, those whom God has elected to salvation will be “humbled” and will be “made contrite” as God gives them a new resurrected soul and saves them by His grace and for His glory. Before salvation God has to “break us down” spiritually, and humble us because by nature we are so proud and arrogant as we disdain God and His Word, the Bible. Isa 55:1-4, which is a beautiful declaration of the Gospel: This passage explains how God “revives”, or “makes alive”, “… the spirit of the humble, and… the heart of the contrite ones”: 1. God has to “incline” our ears, or give us spiritual understanding, in order for us to “hear” the Gospel. 2. He will give the true Christian the “sure” (or faithful) mercies of King David, who typifies the Lord Jesus. 3. Those whom God has elected to salvation will “come to Him”. Thus, the “humble” are God’s elect. The meek are those who have been “made beautiful” (or clothed) with salvation. We will be greatly aided in this study by keeping in mind this definition of the “meek”. Additionally, 1 Pet 5 speaks of each Christian as being “clothed with humility”. Notice how God associates “humility” with the “fear of the LORD” in this passage that details the wonderful blessings of the kingdom of God: “… riches, honour, and life…”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Psa 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Isa 55:1-4 “Ho, every one that thirsteth [after God's Righteousness], come ye to the waters [Gospel of Christ], and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good [Word of God/Gospel of Christ] , and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant [or Gospel] with you, even the sure [or faithful] mercies of David [David typifying Lord Jesus]. 4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.”

Jam 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Psa 149:4 “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”

Psa 132:16 “I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.”

Pro 15:33 “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.”

Pro 22:4 “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.”

Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven - One of the main themes in the Bible is the pride of Satan and man, which underlies all sin. Moreover, 1 John 3:4 maintains that sin is “…the transgression of the law…”, and the “Law” that is being disobeyed is God’s Word, the Bible. On the other hand, the trait of humility, which the Savior so perfectly demonstrated, is also found among His people as they reflect His character of being “…meek and lowly in heart…” The contrast between pride and humility is found throughout the pages of Scripture; and one such example is the historical parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, or tax-collector, found in Luke 18. Notice in verse 16 that the Lord pinpoints “little children”, who in their naiveté represent those who have become “children of God”. We see the same “little children” in Matthew 18. The context of this chapter will help us to discover who those “little ones” are. Thus we see that the term “little ones” refers to God’s elect children whom He saves from eternal damnation.

Luke 18:9-16 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified[or saved] rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 15And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer [Allow] little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Mat 18:3 “And [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Mat 18:4-6,10-14 “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea… 10Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”

Humble Yourselves under the Mighty Hand of God - After God saves a believer, humility begins to manifest itself in the life of this individual who truly has become a “new creature” (or creation) in Christ. While unsaved man is after "... the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life", for the believer in Jesus Christ, God establishes a new set of directives that are exactly opposite of those found in the world, out of which the Christian has been redeemed, contentment, obedience and humility. Pride also prevents many from coming to the Truth of the Word of God. For each child of God, humility is not an option but a way of life.

1 John 2:16-17 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

1 Pet 5:5-7 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

2 Chr 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Num 12:3 “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”

Rom 12:16 "Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits."

Phil 2:3-5 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

Kingdom of Christ - Except your Righteousness shall exceed...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Man Thinks He Can Attain Righteousness on His Own - Rom 10 pinpoints man’s most basic problem - By birth and nature mankind is in defiance to God and His Word, the Bible. Men abhor God’s authority and rulership and do not want to serve Him. Luke 19 highlights the pride of man’s sin-sick heart: Man wickedly and foolishly thinks he can somehow work for his salvation. His arrogance, however, will be sharply arrested by God’s infallible and Holy Law – the Bible – which exposes man’s guilt and degradation, and rewards him with divine retribution. In fact, God is under divine obligation to punish all sin by consigning all who do not have a Savior to eternal damnation in Hell. Nobody Can Keep the Law of God (the Bible) Perfectly. The Bible, as the “two-edged sword” spoken about in Heb 4, can either inflict damnation (by the Law of God) or salvation (by the Grace of God) upon an individual’s soul at God’s discretion. If a person is not being drawn to salvation, he is accountable to the entire Law of God---the Bible and will be found guilty of transgressing it. This is evident by Rom 3:20. Even if someone was guilty of breaking just one of God’s holy commands, he will still be subject to judgment, as Jam 2 highlights. The Bible as the Law of God was never intended to give life – but rather to expose our need for a Savior. Jesus Christ is the only One who could indeed keep the Law of God (the Bible) on our behalf.

Rom 10:3 “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

Luke 19:14 “But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us.”

Rom 3:19 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Rom 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Jam 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

Gal 3:21b-25 “… for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

As the Righteous One, Christ Obeyed the Bible Perfectly - The Lord Jesus Christ’s zeal was to love God – as a man – with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength – which means to obey His commandments perfectly. He embodied the admonition in Ecc 12:13, From the moment of His divine conception by the Holy Spirit until He voluntarily gave up the Spirit, every thought, every word, every action that Jesus ever committed was done to the absolute glory and praise of God, His Heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus Christ not only obeyed every “jot and tittle” in the Scriptures, but He came to fulfill them, as Mat 5 indicates.

Ecc 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

John 8:29 “… for I [Lord Jesus Christ] do always those things that please him [God the Father].”

Heb 10:7 “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

Mat 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

God Only Accepts the Righteousness of Christ – Man’s Self and False “Righteousness” Will Be Condemned - As we have just concluded, the only righteousness that can save one from sin, spiritual death, and Hell, is the gift of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. This gift each Christian receives is only by the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. The magnificent work of salvation that the Lord Jesus accomplished is so unique, so unparalleled, so surpassing that mere human words cannot be found to describe it – we can only turn to the words of the Bible and look in wonder and stare at Him, Who is portrayed in Isa 53. Isa 59 describes the only hope that mankind has. All who do not possess the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior will hear the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Judge in Mat 7 echoing eternally.

Dan 9:18 “O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.”

Isa 53:4 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

Isa 59:16-17 “And he [God and Lord Jesus Christ] saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.”

Mat 7:22-23 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS Needed to Enter Heaven - In Mat 22 we read about the parable of the man who did not have on a wedding garment. This parable is not simply referring to a point of etiquette but is underscoring what is required to gain entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Isa 61 helps us to see this truth with even greater clarity: Notice how God emphasizes the fact that He bestows the “robe of righteousness”, or salvation, upon the unworthy recipients of such grace. Why are we unworthy, you ask? We are unworthy because by nature and birth we are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, and because we think that we are good enough to merit God’s acceptance. How fatally flawed this thinking is! The Lord Jesus declared in Mat 5. What kind of “righteousness” did the religious leaders of Jesus’ day possess? It was a man-made, false righteousness, which only leads to Hell. We need the robe of Christ’s righteousness, spoken about in Rev 19. The individual believers who make up the Body, or Bride, of Christ have been clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness – -hence they are saved.

Mat 22:11-14 “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Mat 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Rev 19:8 “And to her [the Bride of Christ] was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

The ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS is Needed to Escape Hell - The robe of Christ’s righteousness is absolutely needed in order for one to escape from the inevitable broad road that leads to Hell. The reason one is on that road is explained in Isa 64. The expression “filthy rags” and “uncleaness” is a fitting description of man’s total depravity and spiritual bankruptcy and his self-righteosuness. God is accurately substantiating how filthy, how polluted, and how foul our sin is in God’s eyes. No wonder God affirms in Rom 3 that we all are sinners. The only person who has actually suffered the rigors of Hell is the Lord Jesus. The phrase “heart of the earth” is a reference to eternal Hell. By “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” as 1 Cor 2:13 instructs, we run across this powerful statement in Jonah 2, which helps us to see, in a small way, the extent of the punishment Christ was bearing in the “belly of Hell”, or “the deep”, for His people. Those whose sins are not payed for and who is not covered with Robe of Christ's Righteousness will be cast into Hell as Mat 22 affirms.

Isa 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Rom 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Mat 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jon 2:1-4a “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight…”

Mat 22:11-14 “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

God’s People are Called to Live Righteous Lives - After someone has become saved, God’s command to “follow after righteousness” found in 1 Tim 6 begins to manifest itself in the life of one who truly has become a “new creature” (or creation) in Christ. This happens because in his new soul – where salvation has occurred – he lives Righteously. 1 John 2 explains that whosover , "...doeth righteousness is born of him". The spiritual fruit that results from salvation and from God’s working in the Christian’s life is expressed in Rom 6. May God cause us to hunger and thirst for Him and for His Righteousness.

1 Pet 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

2 Cor 6:14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

1 John 3:10 "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."

1 John 2:29 "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him."

1 John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

Eph 5:9 "(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)"

Rom 6:13 "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Rom 6:18-19 "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."

1 Tim 6:11-12 "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."

Kingdom of Christ - Righteousness "of" Christ by Faith "of" Christ

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Righteousness is One of God’s Names and Attributes - When the Bible speaks about God’s righteousness, it is never in vague or abstract terms. Instead, it is really referring to one of God’s names in addition to one of His infinite, perfect characteristics. We also read in 1 John 2:1 that the Lord Jesus Christ, our “advocate with the Father”, is called “Jesus Christ the Righteous”. Heb 1 demonstrates how God the Father has magnified God the Son (and this applies to all members of the Trinity) and acknowledges His righteous rule over the Kingdom of God. Here we also see a fundamental trait of the Godhead – to love righteousness and to hate iniquity. Isa 45 informs us that righteousness is indeed the work of God – in fact, He has created it. Job 29 further explains figuratively how the Lord Jesus is so closely identified with righteousness. Just as God is the very embodiment of righteousness, His blessed Word – the Bible – is likewise intimately associated with His holy righteousness, as Psa 119 teaches.

Jer 23:6 “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel [Judah and Israel typify Elect of God] shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Heb 1:8-9 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

Isa 45:8 “Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.”

Job 29:14 “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.”

Psa 119:172 “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.”

The Bible Instructs Us Concerning Righteousness - One of the greatest declarations regarding the purpose and scope of the Bible is found in 2 Tim 3. The Greek word for “instruction” in this phrase gives the connotation of nurturing, or teaching, or correcting on the subject of righteousness. So, who are the “meek”? They are God’s redeemed children. All who have become saved will be “hid” from the Lord’s anger on Judgment Day. Mat 5 describes these individuals as, "Blessed". We must always bear in mind that no man seeks after God, as we read in Rom 3. We know that the Lord Jesus “came to seek and to save that which was lost”. The same idea is lovingly expressed in the words of Jer 31. And where has God “made known His salvation” or “His righteousness”? Only in the Bible, God’s Holy Word.

2 Tim 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Zep 2:3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.”

Mat 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Mat 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Rom 3:11 “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Jer 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Psa 98:2 “The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.”

God’s Righteousness is Everlasting - As God Himself is everlasting, so is His righteousness, or salvation, as we read in Isa 51. God’s righteousness has everything to do with His salvation program pertaining to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as Dan 9 so forcefully explains. God’s righteousness is always related to eternal life, as we see from Psa 12. Isa 51 announces this wonderful promise. Have you been clothed with the everlasting righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ – the only Savior for sinners?

Isa 51:5 “My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”

Dan 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

Psa 12:28 “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”

Isa 51:6 “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”

Righteousness was accomplished by Christ Alone by becoming a Man - One of the greatest truths in the Bible is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ – the astounding fact that God took on a human nature – like one of us. How can we even begin to understand this concept of eternal God becoming man? If the nations of this world are a drop of water, how big does that make you and me? Isa 40 gives us some indication of how infinitely great God is, and how infinitesimally microscopic we are, in comparison.

Php 2:6-8 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Isa 40:15; 17-18 “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing… All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.”

Christ Alone Knew no Sin but became Sin to make us Righteous - Even beyond the incarnation of the Lord Jesus is the incomprehensible fact that the Lord Jesus allowed Himself to become sin in order to atone for the sins of His people. In 2 Cor 5 we find these incredible words. It staggers our puny imaginations when we evaluate this statement in light of the biblical principle in Acts 20. John 10 further illustrates the fact that Christ laid down His life voluntarily.

2 Cor 5:21 “for he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Acts 20:35 “It is more blessed to give than to receive…”

John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Rom 5:6-8 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

John 10:18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Christ Alone Suffered the Equivalent of Eternal Hell for us - We have seen thus far how Christ became a man, became sin on behalf of each child of God, and now we want to examine the greatest test He still had to face – enduring the equivalent of eternity in Hell. Luke 22 serves to highlight the unspeakable agony that Christ had to undergo in order to accomplish the salvation of His people (the Elect). Psa 75 reveals what that “cup” contained and what was transpiring spiritually. This refers to the “cup” of the eternal wrath of God. Christ’s sufferings commenced in the Garden of Gethsemane, which means “winepress”, where he drank that cup for each Christian (born-again). Isa 63 helps us to gain a deeper appreciation of what this means: I want to leave you with this final thought today: Because God Almighty poured out His eternal vengeance on His own dear Son, whom He loves with an everlasting love, we can know with absolute assurance that each unsaved human being on Judgment Day shall "drink of the wine of the wrath of God" as Rev 14 teaches.

Luke 22:44 “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Mat 26:39 “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Psa 75:8 “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.”

Isa 63:1-5 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.”

Rev 14:10 “… shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb”

Kingdom of Christ - O worship the LORD in the "Beauty of Holiness"

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:37:00 +0000

Holy is His "Name" - God is absolutely and indescribably unique. As the verse in Exo 15 implies, there is only One True and Living God among the pantheon of lesser “gods” that have been invented by the minds of men. And this One True and Living God is Holy. Rev 4 paints a very dramatic picture of Triune God’s eternal holiness. Mark 1 records that even an “unclean spirit”, a demon, in a man that is acknowledging not only the divine Holiness of God the Son, but also his awareness that Jesus will one day appear as the Judge of the universe to consign all demons and all the unsaved to Hell.

Exo 15:11 “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Luke 1:49 “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.”

Rev 4:8 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

Mark 1:23-24 “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art the Holy One of God.”

The "Beauty of Holiness" - The phrase “beauty of holiness” is used four times in the Bible, and all of these occur in the Old Testament in the context of worshipping God. In our world beauty and holiness are rarely (if ever) associated with each other. This is because the world is altogether absorbed and infatuated with “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…”. Only the Bible associates beauty with holiness, and associates both with eternal God. From the Bible we learn the real significance of beauty and holiness from God’s perspective and God is to be praised “for His mercy, which endureth forever.”

2 Chr 20:21 “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Exo 15:11 “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Psa 96:6 “Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”

God Gives the "Beauty of Holiness" to His Children- As noted above, God is the very embodiment of the “beauty of holiness”, and yet He does not keep that solely within the Triune Godhead. He shares the “beauty of holiness” as he grants salvation to those that He planned to redeem. Keep in mind that Isa 61:3 is set in a context that explains in figurative language the purpose for which God the Son came to this earth to be the Savior of His people. Let’s look at the two preceding verses in this very important passage because they so clearly identify those who will have God’s unmerited holiness given to them.

Eph. 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Isa 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Lord Jesus Christ]; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

God’s Gospel, Provides "Beauty of Holiness" in Salvation - We read about the “Holy Covenant” in Luke 1. What is God’s covenant? Rom 11 gives us the definition. The Greek word for “covenant” is really speaking about the Gospel and is also translated in English as “testament” in a number of places, including in 2 Cor 3. The reason it is “holy” is because it is God’s covenant, or testament, which is applied to the hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit. God is emphasizing the fact that this Gospel did not originate with man – it was not conceived in the mind of man. According to Gal 1, the origin of the Gospel can only be traced to God. Could it be that each us might gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for the holiness of God, to the end that we might be holy, as God is Holy (1 Pet 1:16)? We can only have God’s holiness if He chooses to give it to us by saving us and giving us new birth from above.

Luke 1:72 “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant.”

Rom 11:27 “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

Eph 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”

2 Cor 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter [Law] killeth, but the spirit [Holy Spirit] giveth life.”

Rom 15:29 “And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.”

Gal 1:12-13 “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

God’s People Desire the "Beauty of Holiness"- Not only does God grant the “beauty of holiness” to His people in salvation, but His children, in turn, desire the “beauty of holiness”. This is demonstrated by their willingness to glorify God in their lives by obeying the Bible; and this takes place as a result of salvation. Thus, believers can identify with the same genuine longing that is expressed in Luke 1. The believer desires God for all that He is and all that He has done and continues to do for them. Christians also crave that the Lord might use them as His ambassadors to proclaim His Word.

Luke 1:74-75 “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”

Psa 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

Psa 90:17 “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

God’s People are to Worship Him in the "Beauty of Holiness" - As we have seen God considers holiness as “beauty”. This world has its own standards for beauty, but those qualifications for beauty do not include holiness, or moral perfection. Only God Himself has this quality, and only God can give it to His people. We just saw a glimpse of God’s holiness when we saw the extent to which He is worshipped in Heaven; and thus, how careful we must be to worship Him on earth as He demands. So, how do we do that? We see from this verse and many other passages that as God seeks and saves His people from eternal damnation, He also qualifies them to worship Him for His Holiness “in spirit and in truth” – that is, in obedience to the Bible. In the book of Psalms we find a vast treasury of verses that relate to the worship of this Holy, Majestic, and Merciful Triune God. Psa 30 emphasizes the attitude of great joy and eternal appreciation that flows from the souls o the redeeemed and is expressed in singing. Their need to manifest their “joy unspeakable” practically shouts out. I pray that you, too, might be one of the “righteous” who is clothed with the holiness of God – a gift none of us deserves and one we can never lose.

1 Chr 16:29 “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

Heb 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

John 4:23-24 “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. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Psa 96:9 “O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.”

Psa 30:4 “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”

Psa 97:2 “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”

Kingdom of Christ - Kingdom of God is Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:37:00 +0000

What is Holiness? - The Greek word for “holiness” is found ten times in the New Testament – five times as “holiness” and five times as “sanctification”. What exactly is holiness? Well, this verse is indicating that without it “no man shall see the Lord”. So, holiness is associated with the very character or nature of God Himself. In fact, God is the embodiment of Holiness because He is Holy. Let’s take a closer look at this key verse Heb 7:26. What does it mean for Christ to be “harmless”? That word conveys the idea of the absence of wickedness or evil. How is He “undefiled”? It means to be unsullied or unstained by sin. That word, for example, describes both the Author of salvation (Jesus Christ) as well as salvation itself in 1 Pet 1, which God has so lovingly given to His people. What about the phrase, “separate from sinners”? God is Holy, and by virtue of His righteous nature He cannot in any way be associated at all with sin. That is why all sin, by definition, must be punished. Next, we come to the fifth description of the Lord Jesus in Heb 7:26 as the Christian’s High Priest, who is “made higher than the heavens” portraying the majestic holiness of God the Son.

Heb 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord…”

Heb 7:26 “For such an high priest [Lord Jesus Christ] became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens…”

1 Pet 1:4 “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”

Heb 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high…”

God is Holy - As we begin to talk about the holiness of God we quickly see that this is not some type of intellectual exercise or pursuit. Who are we to even discuss God? He is the grandest, most majestic, holiest Being we will ever face; and make no mistake about it, every human who has ever lived will face the One, True, Living God of the Bible. The big question for each of us to ask ourselves is this, “Will He be my Savior or my Judge"? Those are the only two possibilities that exist. However, we must speak about God, because the Bible speaks about Him. Rev 4 declares His infinite Triune character. Indeed, everything about God is holy. His Name is Holy as Psa 99 states. His Word, the Bible is holy, according to Jer 23. His Habitation is also Holy, as Jer 25 affirms.

Rev 15:4 “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

Rev 4:8 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

Psa 99:3 “Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.”

Jer 23:9 “Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.”

Jer 25:30 “Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.”

By Nature, Mankind Has No Holiness - We have just considered some of the attributes of God’s holiness. Man, on the other hand by contrast, is unholy – the very opposite of God. Man’s heart is wicked. Man’s mind is reprobate. Everything about unsaved man is unholy. and thus he is denied access into holy Kingdom of Christ. How is man unholy you ask? If we look at the opposite attributes of Heb 7:6 we get a very clear picture of man’s sinful nature. From 2 Tim 3 we get an accurate picture of man’s utter lack of holiness. Man is also harmful – both to himself as well as to others. Gen 6 teaches that man is corrupt, and Psa 58 announces our true nature – man is wicked from the womb. Unsaved man is also abominable and filthy, as he is portrayed in Job 15. Man’s greatest problems stem from his own heart that is defiled by sin. Man’s sinfulness is referred to in Mark 8 as the “generation of evil”, which is the generation of sinful man that spans all of human history from after the Fall in the Garden of Eden to Judgment Day. People who are trusting in their own works are “pure in their own eyes”, but are “filthy” in God’s eyes. Lastly, we understand that man, as a result of his sinfulness, deserves eternal damnation under the wrath of God.

2 Tim 3:2-4 "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God…"

Job 15:16 “How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Gen 6:12 "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."

Psa 58:3 “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

Pro 15:26 “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.”

Pro 30:12 “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.”

Mat 12:34-35 “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Rom 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient...”

Mark 8:38 “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Psa 88:6 “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.”

The Command "Be ye holy; for I am holy" - Holiness is required to enter into Kingdom of Christ. God gives many commands to men in the Bible that they should do – like believe, repent, be perfect, and confess. Another is "be holy". This is true both in the Old and New Testaments. God had especially chosen the nation of Israel to be His representative people on earth, starting with the conversion of Abraham. We must understand, however, that man is utterly incapable of obeying any such commands perfectly because he is spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins”, as we see from Eph 2. And yet God still holds man accountable to this command to “be holy”, as well as to every other command in the entire Bible.

Lev 20:7 “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.”

Lev 20:26 “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”

1 Pet 1:15-16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Heb 12:14 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord…”

Eph 2:1-3 “And you hath he quickened [made alive] who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation [lifestyle] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

How Does One Obtain Holiness? - How Can Unholy Man Be Made Holy? Since holiness is required to gain entrance to Kingdom of Christ, and man is unholy by birth and nature – how does one obtain holiness? Holiness is an aspect of salvation, which is entirely a gift of God. In other words, the only way for man to be “clean” in God’s eyes is by salvation. God must wash away our sins to make us truly “pure", or “holy”, through His Word. In order to enter into Kingdom of Christ, our sins have to be paid for, making us sinless and holy in the eyes God, even as God asserts in 1 Pet 1. Notice that those who are “unbelieving” are “defiled” both in “mind” and “conscience” as seen in Tit 1. Psa 106 explains that our so-called “good works” serve to defile us unless they come from those who have been made holy, or sinless, by God alone. Actually, the blessing that one receives is salvation itself – that is, when God makes every Christian righteous, or holy, in His sight. Psa 110 pictures God’s salvation upon the unworthy recipients who have been made holy by His grace. Has God done a work of grace to cleanse your heart and make you holy, so that you might be included in that company mentioned in Rev 19:8 who are “... arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”?

1 Pet 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Job 15:14 “What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?”

Psa 24:3-5 “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

Psa 110:3 “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.”

John 15:3 “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

Tit 1:15 “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”

2 Tim 3:8 “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these [unsaved men] also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Psa 106:39 “Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.”

Heb 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot [sin] to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Tit 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Those Whom God Has Chosen to be Holy - Eph 1 describes those individuals whom God has chosen to be holy. Because man is spiritually dead, God must both initiate and execute the salvation of all those He came to redeem from their sin and Hell. This took place, in principle, from before the foundation of the world and, experientially, at some point in each believer’s life. Salvation is Holiness from God. 1 Pet 2 speaks so eloquently of this holy salvation, which is so grandiose, so magnificent that no other words – except God’s words in the Bible – can adequately express such divine richness and grace. God likens the salvation of His children to marriage in Eph 5. The word “church” here refers to the eternal body of true believers. Psa 65 is another beautiful illustration of God’s mercy in making His people as holy as Himself.

Eph 1:4-6 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

2 The 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”

John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

1 Pet 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [purchased] people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Psa 65:4 “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

Col 1:21-22 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight...”

Luke 1:74-75 "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”

Psa 97:2 “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”

God’s People are Called to Live Holy Lives - After someone has become saved, God’s command to “be ye holy, as I am holy” found in 1 Pet 2:16 begins to manifest itself in the life of one who truly has become a “new creature” (or creation) in Christ as 2 Cor 5:17 points out. This happens because in his new soul – where salvation has occurred – he never sins again, as 1 John 3 explains. The reality of Php 2:13 also takes effect. These Scriptures are underscoring a vital element of this new life of holiness, which is love for God and others and is expressed by a growing supernatural motivation to be obedient to the Bible in thought, word, and deed. May God cause us to hunger and thirst for Him and for His holiness.

Eph. 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Gal 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Mark 9:43-48 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

1 John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

Php 2:13 “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Rom 6:19 “… for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

Col 3:1 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"

Gal 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

Rom 8:12-14 "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Kingdom of Christ - Kingdom of God is Holy and NOT of this World

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:36:00 +0000

God and His Kingdom are Holy and Not of This World - Rev 4 declares His infinite Triune Holy character. Indeed, everything about God is holy. His Name is Holy as Psa 99 states. His Word, the Bible is holy, according to Jer 23. His Habitation is also Holy, as Jer 25 affirms. God’s kingdom is as holy as God Himself is holy and is spiritual in nature. Thus, all true believers are also not of this world because they are part of God’s kingdom, as we understand from John 17.

Rev 4:8 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

Psa 99:3 “Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.”

Jer 23:9 “Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.”

Jer 25:30 “Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.”

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

John 17:6,14 “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were,
and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word… I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

The World is Unholy and Under the Curse of God’s Law - Right at the beginning of the Bible we learn that mankind and this world are cursed and unholy as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. 1 John 2 describes the essence of the state of this world. Individually, each human being that is not saved is under God’s curse as Gal 3 says. What does this verse really mean? Just as a human marriage is indissoluble until one of the spouses die, every individual is spiritually married to the Law of God, the Bible. Because of our sin nature we have disobeyed over and over again our spiritual Husband, the Bible. In other words, we have been unfaithful to the Law of God, which is the definition of sin. That is why every unsaved person is under the curse of God’s Law, because they are spiritually dead and cannot obey the Bible perfectly in thought, word, and deed. It is for this reason that each unsaved person is under a dreadful curse. Mat 25 depicts the most frightful experience for any human being on Judgment Day.

Gen 3:17-19 “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

1 John 2:15-16 “... For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Gal. 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

Mat 25:41 “Then shall he [Jesus Christ] say also unto them on the left hand [the unsaved], Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

God Makes His People Holy and Free from the Curse - You might be asking, “Is there any way to escape from this terrible, eternal dilemma?” Thankfully by God’s grace, the Bible says that there is a Divine remedy, as we read in Gal 3. We need a new Husband, as we learn from Rom 7. We need a Savior – and there is only One – as we read in many places in the Old Testament, for example, in Hos 13. The LORD of the Old Testament (Jehovah) is God the Son, Jesus Christ as we se in the New Testament, in Mat 1.

Gal 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree...”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Rom 7:4 “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

Hos 13:4 “Yet I am the LORD [Jehovah] thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”

Mat 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.”

Luke 2:11 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Col 1:21-22 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight...”

Kingdom of Christ - Everlasting Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:26:00 +0000

Lord Jesus is Everlasting - Christ is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending". The fact that God is everlasting is hard to comprehend, since we are mortal and finite human beings, who are confined to time and space in our earthly bodies. As such, we cannot fully comprehend an infinite Supreme Being. God is a Being Who spoke and created the universe, and He created you and me. He is a Being Who is outside of time and space because those things are part of His creation; and He is infinite in His knowledge, power and presence. The word “being” denotes existence. When God told Moses that His name is “I AM” (which is related to “Jehovah”), He indicated that He is the only “Being” that exists “from everlasting [past] to everlasting [future]”. A human “being” only exists from conception to eternity future. In order to even attempt such a study as this, we need to open the only reliable source of information about God – His Word, the Bible.

Psa 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”

Mic 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Isa 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isa 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

Rev 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord [Lord Jesus], which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Col 1:13-17 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

God's Everlasting Reign - In this beautiful verse in Psa 45, God the Father is declaring to God the Son, that the Son is Eternal God and his throne is established for ever and ever. God’s rule spans all of human history on this earth from Creation to Judgment Day.

Psa 45:6 “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.”

Exo 15:18 "The LORD shall reign for ever and ever."

Jer 10:10 “But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall
tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”

Dan 4:3 “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”

Rev 11:17 "Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned."

1 Cor 15:25 “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.”

Rev 19:16 "And he [Lord Jesus] hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

God's Everlasting Righteousness - As God Himself is everlasting, so is His righteousness, or salvation. God’s righteousness has everything to do with His salvation program pertaining to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. God’s righteousness is always related to eternal life. Isa 51 announces this wonderful promise: 1 Tim 6 announces that this invisible God – the Creator – is unapproachable without the Lord Jesus. Have you been clothed with the everlasting righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ – the only Savior for sinners?

Isa 51:6 “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”

Dan 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

Psa 12:28 “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”

Isa 51:5 “My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”

Psa 111:3 "His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever."

1 Tim 6:14-16 “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”

God's Everlasting Judgement - Those who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be punished with everlasting destruction. Dan 12 delineates what will happen to those individuals who have died – Christian and non-Christian alike – and are resurrected on the Last Day (Judgment Day).

Dan 12:2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Jude 1:6 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

Mat 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

2 The 1:8-9 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

God's Word is Everlasting - The Word of God, the Bible, is living and everlasting. This Word is pictured as an “incorruptible seed” because it produces a plant that can never die. God gives true believers eternal life in their souls through His Word,even though they were once spiritually dead. Thus, we can see how the Bible is living and makes alive dead souls.

Psa 111:7-8 "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness."

Rev 14:6-7 “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Rom10:17 “faith [salvation] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

Hab 3:6 "He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting."

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

1 Pet 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

John 6:27 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

God's Mercy and Love on His Elect is Everlasting - We find these words of comfort and assurance of God’s unfailing love for His children in the following verses. Believers have this great hope that their lives will not end in death and the grave, but that they will be forever with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Deu 33:27 “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms...”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Psa 103:17 “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;”

Isa 54:7-8 “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee [Elect of God]. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.”

Isa 45:17 “But Israel [the elect] shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.”

Rom 8:35, 37-39 "35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Psa 100:1-5 “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

God Chose His people that He might Indwell them throughout Eternity.

Psa 132:13-18 "For the LORD hath chosen Zion [[typifying new heavens and new earth]; he hath desired it for his habitation. 14This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. 15I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor [poor in Spirit] with bread [Living Bread]. 16I will also clothe [with Christ's Rob of Righteousness] her priests [priests and kings] with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17There will I make the horn of David [Lord Jesus Christ] to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 18His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish."
Psa 106:48 “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel [typifying Elect of God] from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.”

Gen 17:7-8 “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan [typifying new heavens and new earth], for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Jer 32:39-40 “And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.”

Heb 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect [complete] in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Isa 35:10 “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion [typifying new heavens and new earth] with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

God is the Believer's Source for Everlasting Strength.

Isa 26:4 "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:"

Jer 32:39-40 “And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.”

2 Pet 1:10-11 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Gal 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Isa 60:19-20 “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”

2 The 2:16-17 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”