True lovers of Christ
can stand the pain of self-denial.
Art Azurdia
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Salvation
Salvation is not a singular event, but is a work of God, a process if you will, whereby God conforms us completely into the image of His Son. This work starts with justification, continues on in sanctification, and ends in glorification.
Romans 8:29-30 For those whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the first born among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
Salvation is the work of God that carries out the purpose of God, which results in the glory of God.
Romans 8:29-30 For those whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the first born among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
Salvation is the work of God that carries out the purpose of God, which results in the glory of God.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Famine in the Land
As a follow up to my post yesterday on The Great Disconnect, I have provided a link below to Steve Lawson's sermon "Famine in the Land." This sermon is based on Amos 8:11 and speaks quite clearly to why there is the great disconnect in the church in our land today. Enjoy the sermon...I believe it will eventually be a Christian classic. Also, Steve has published a book by the same title, "Famine in the Land." It is a great read.
http://www.newreformationministries.org/audio/2007/10/famine-in-the-land.php
http://www.newreformationministries.org/audio/2007/10/famine-in-the-land.php
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Great Disconnect
In the Western church, more noticeably in the church in the US, we are living in a time of disconnection. A time in which there is a disconnection in so many who claim to be a Christian, and that disconnection is between what they claim to be and how they are actually living; and what is even worse, is that others who claim to be Christian see no problem with the disconnection, and in fact see no disconnection at all.
Yes, there is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon would say, as we see this same issue talked about by Paul as he says in Titus 1:16, They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." James also alludes to this problem in James 1:22 as he says, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." So yes, this problem is not new, it actually existed in Israel before the New Testament times, but it seems to me that this disconnection in the Western church (especially in our country) has gone from epidemic proportions, to pandemic. This disconnection is most visibly demonstrated in the area of sexual promiscuity, sensuality, and immorality.
Let me give you three examples that have come to my attention over the last few weeks.
#1. The vote, this week, by the Twin Cities presbytery of the PCUSA to okay the ordination of clergy without regard to sexual orientation. This was the vote that gave the majority vote in favor of this change to their constitution.
#2. While having lunch with a friend of mine last week he told me of a youth minister in Houston who had moved in with his girlfriend. His comment to me was that they should know better, and, yes, they should; but what bothered me was that the youth minster and his girlfriend obviously did not see anything wrong with co-habitating outside of marriage.
#3. The latest Youtube buzz about Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art." Only a few weeks ago, at the ACM awards, she was provocatively dressed and gyrating around while singing with Steven Tyler. It was bad enough that I turned off the television. Obviously she doesn't see a problem with how she was performing at the ACM's or she wouldn't do it. But does that performance, that activity, square with the profession of being a Christian? Would she dress and perform like that at church?
Where is the disconnect here? It is between their profession to be Christians, and their actions. It is the difference between what the Scripture says and how they live their lives, which is also shown in the choices they make. Let's look at some Scripture that addresses all three of the examples I have listed above.
Yes, there is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon would say, as we see this same issue talked about by Paul as he says in Titus 1:16, They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." James also alludes to this problem in James 1:22 as he says, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." So yes, this problem is not new, it actually existed in Israel before the New Testament times, but it seems to me that this disconnection in the Western church (especially in our country) has gone from epidemic proportions, to pandemic. This disconnection is most visibly demonstrated in the area of sexual promiscuity, sensuality, and immorality.
Let me give you three examples that have come to my attention over the last few weeks.
#1. The vote, this week, by the Twin Cities presbytery of the PCUSA to okay the ordination of clergy without regard to sexual orientation. This was the vote that gave the majority vote in favor of this change to their constitution.
#2. While having lunch with a friend of mine last week he told me of a youth minister in Houston who had moved in with his girlfriend. His comment to me was that they should know better, and, yes, they should; but what bothered me was that the youth minster and his girlfriend obviously did not see anything wrong with co-habitating outside of marriage.
#3. The latest Youtube buzz about Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art." Only a few weeks ago, at the ACM awards, she was provocatively dressed and gyrating around while singing with Steven Tyler. It was bad enough that I turned off the television. Obviously she doesn't see a problem with how she was performing at the ACM's or she wouldn't do it. But does that performance, that activity, square with the profession of being a Christian? Would she dress and perform like that at church?
Where is the disconnect here? It is between their profession to be Christians, and their actions. It is the difference between what the Scripture says and how they live their lives, which is also shown in the choices they make. Let's look at some Scripture that addresses all three of the examples I have listed above.
So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk
(live your life, or behave) no longer as the Gentiles walk,
in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding,
excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that
is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they,
having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality
for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard
Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside
the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the
lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been
created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Ephesians 4:17-24
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
nor thieves, nor the covetous, not drunkards, nor revilers,
nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were
some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified,
but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God.
I Corinthians 6:9-11
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;
and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in
order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
No one who abides in Him sins (practices, habitually,
lives a lifestyle of sinfulness); no one who sins has
seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no
one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness
is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices
sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.
The Son of God has appeared for this purpose, to destroy
the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices
sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin
(practice, habitually, live as a lifestyle), because he is
born of God. By this the children of the devil are obvious:
anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God,
nor the one who does not love his brother.
I John 3:4-10
Italics mine for emphasis or explanation
Listen, the Bible is full of verses that speak to this from many different angles, and through many different scenarios. What is the issue here? What is the disconnect? You cannot live the same lifestyle as the world, and be a Christian. There is no such thing as a carnal Christian, or a nominal Christian (despite the continued misinterpretation of I Corinthians 3:3). You are on one side of the fence or the other. You cannot serve two masters. There must be a consistency between your talk and your walk. You must prove to possess what it is you profess, unless of course you fail the test.
Another issue with the types of examples mentioned above, is that in many cases they have been told it is okay to live in this way, that as long as you have made some kind of profession you are covered...like some kind of holy fire insurance...and, if you don't accept these kind of lifestyles in those who profess to be Christians, you are being judgmental.
Scripture is the sole and final judge in these matters; and we must hold up the Scriptures as the standard for behavior for those who profess to be Christians. We must not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God standing on the authority of Scripture alone. To be able to do this we must know and have confidence in the Word of God. In bringing this topic up with those who claim to be Christian it has become painfully obvious that their knowledge of Scripture is woefully anemic. If we don't know the Scripture, we cannot think Biblically, and therefore cannot apply Scripture where needed. And, if we do not know the Scriptures it is hard, nay impossible, to speak with any degree of authority on these matters.
The only way to combat this disconnect is for the Scriptures to faithfully, fully, and comprehensibly be taught and preached in our churches. Yes, doing this might, in fact will, decrease our numbers; but what remains will be purer and then perhaps the church will gain the relevancy in the culture that is truly transforming.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Bulletin Bloopers
A little weekend humor. Check out the first commentor.
http://www.thomrainer.com/2011/04/the-best-of-church-bulletin-bloopers.php
http://www.thomrainer.com/2011/04/the-best-of-church-bulletin-bloopers.php
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Christian's Greatest Promise
In My Father's house there are many dwelling places;
if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to
prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself,
that where I am, there you may be also.
John 14:2-3
These words are what make the Christian life worth living, in fact, without these words the Christian life would not be worth living at all. For Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:19, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied."
The truth, stated plainly by Jesus here, is that heaven is a real place, it is the place where God dwells, there are many other dwelling places there, and Jesus will personally prepare a dwelling place for each one of us in the heaven of His Father. Although we cannot get there on our own He is coming back for us to take us there, and we will be with Him there for as long as He is there. If not for this truth, why on earth would we give up the things of this world? For without this truth this world is all there is; but with this truth something more glorious, more abounding in riches, more peaceful, more magnificent, more splendid, and more fulfilling awaits us; and that is dwelling with both the Father and the Son for all eternity.
Rejoice, O Christian, for your heavenly Father, the Father of lights, the creator of the ends of the earth, has a place specially prepared for you to spend eternity with Him. Rejoice, O Christian, that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life, His reservation list, never to be erased. Rejoice, O Christian, that your heavenly Father has loved you so, so as to provide the way to Him through His Son; and to guarantee that reservation by dipping His pen in the well of the blood of His Son to write it down. Rejoice, O Christian, for earth recedes and heaven draws ever nearer. Rejoice, O Christian, for what awaits you on the other side of this life. Rejoice, O Christian, for the certainty of the life to come, given through the promise from Jesus, Himself.
O friends, have you placed your hope for eternity, for the life beyond this life, in the person of Christ? Have you placed all your trust in what He has done to secure that life for you? Have you come to God acknowledging your sin, your helplessness, your hopelessness, your absolute need of His mercy, compassion, and grace? Have you asked Him to forgive you and save you? Have you cast yourself upon Him as your Savior? He is not far away, He is near if you would but reach out and call out to Him! Today is the day, wait no longer to secure your place in heaven, for none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
God bless you all.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
In the End
In the end
man will be proven to be utterly sinful,
God will be proven to be utterly righteous.
Both will be proven to be exactly what they are.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Christians and Pornography
Russell Moore deals with the issue of the Christian and pornography in an honest and straightforward way, with accompanying biblical insight.
http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/04/27/arousing-ourselves-to-death/
http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/04/27/arousing-ourselves-to-death/
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
When to Apply Matthew 18
In the latest issue of Themelios, Don Carson has an article on the proper application of Matthew 18, especially in light of how much it gets thrown around in the blogosphere these days. Follow the link:
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/publications/36-1/editorial-on-abusing-matthew-18
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/publications/36-1/editorial-on-abusing-matthew-18
Monday, May 02, 2011
Rejoicing in Gladness
I am glad, and my heart is warmed, by the fact that God, our God, is gracious and compassionate and abounding in lovingkindness and truth, that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, that He cries out,"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of earth." I am grateful that He has shown all the world His eternal attributes and Divine nature through what has been created. I am thankful for the power in the gospel to save all who believe it. I am overwhelmed by the richness of His mercy, the depth of His compassion, and the lavishness of His love for those who are hostile to Him and are His enemies. I am in awe of His kindness, which even extends to evil and ungrateful men. Yes, I will rejoice for He has made me glad; and I am glad that He has included me in His eternal plan of redemption.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Knowing God
On my way to bed the other night, I happened to run across an interview on TV. The person being interviewed is a well known television personality/celebrity. They were talking about life and its lessons, and they mentioned some final words that someone who was close to death had given them, that in the end it is all about family and friends; in other words, it's all about relationships and it is those relationships that matter most in life, and give meaning to life. Of course, the interviewer nodded in solemn agreement, and for the next few minutes they both talked about the value of relationships.
It is true that relationships are important, and, for those of us who are common everyday people, our legacy, if you will, is carried on in the relationships we leave behind. However, there is an eternal relationship, a relationship that we can have both in this life and in the one to come, and that is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This relationship is what actually guarantees our acceptance into the presence of God when we pass from this life into the next. To those who professed to be Christians and were relying on their religious works as their ticket to heaven, Jesus had this to say in Matthew 7:23, "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew (knew in an intimate personal way) you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" And in John 17:3 Christ tells us this, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
It is to know God personally, not just know about or have heard about Him; to have a relationship with Him, rather than an abstract knowledge of Him; to know up close and not from a distance; to be familiar and not a stranger to Him and His ways, that makes our faith a living faith. To have this faith, this intimate knowledge of God, was one of the promises of the New Covenant as God said in Jeremiah 31:34, "For they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them." It is the knowledge of the Most High that gives substance to our faith.
The command to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul presupposes that we know Him. We cannot have this kind and depth of love for someone whom we do not know. In fact, the more we know Him the greater our love shall be for Him, so as we grow in the breadth and depth of our knowledge of Him there is a corresponding growth in our love for Him that will encompass more and more of our heart, mind, and soul. This is one of the reasons we are exhorted in II Peter 3:18 to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is also part of my personal testimony. As I was reading an article on Tom Landry in Guidepost magazine while in the waiting room of a doctor's office, he talked about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; and I thought to myself, "How do you have a relationship with someone who has been dead two thousand years." But this impacted me, for though I had grown up in the church and knew the facts about Jesus and had professed faith in Jesus, I knew that I did not know Him and did not have a relationship with Him. After wrestling with this for two years, I finally came to the point where one evening I saw myself as the sinner I was and repented. The next morning when I woke up I knew Him, and knew that I knew Him as He was alive to me; and the relationship has grown deeper and sweeter through the years.
So the question for those of you reading this is, "Do you know Him, and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, not just know about Him, but know Him and have a relationship with Him?" Do you have fellowship and communion with Him? Are you intimate with Him? Do you know that you know Him? For if you do, then you can know and rest assured that you have eternal life.
It is true that relationships are important, and, for those of us who are common everyday people, our legacy, if you will, is carried on in the relationships we leave behind. However, there is an eternal relationship, a relationship that we can have both in this life and in the one to come, and that is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This relationship is what actually guarantees our acceptance into the presence of God when we pass from this life into the next. To those who professed to be Christians and were relying on their religious works as their ticket to heaven, Jesus had this to say in Matthew 7:23, "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew (knew in an intimate personal way) you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" And in John 17:3 Christ tells us this, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
It is to know God personally, not just know about or have heard about Him; to have a relationship with Him, rather than an abstract knowledge of Him; to know up close and not from a distance; to be familiar and not a stranger to Him and His ways, that makes our faith a living faith. To have this faith, this intimate knowledge of God, was one of the promises of the New Covenant as God said in Jeremiah 31:34, "For they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them." It is the knowledge of the Most High that gives substance to our faith.
The command to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul presupposes that we know Him. We cannot have this kind and depth of love for someone whom we do not know. In fact, the more we know Him the greater our love shall be for Him, so as we grow in the breadth and depth of our knowledge of Him there is a corresponding growth in our love for Him that will encompass more and more of our heart, mind, and soul. This is one of the reasons we are exhorted in II Peter 3:18 to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is also part of my personal testimony. As I was reading an article on Tom Landry in Guidepost magazine while in the waiting room of a doctor's office, he talked about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; and I thought to myself, "How do you have a relationship with someone who has been dead two thousand years." But this impacted me, for though I had grown up in the church and knew the facts about Jesus and had professed faith in Jesus, I knew that I did not know Him and did not have a relationship with Him. After wrestling with this for two years, I finally came to the point where one evening I saw myself as the sinner I was and repented. The next morning when I woke up I knew Him, and knew that I knew Him as He was alive to me; and the relationship has grown deeper and sweeter through the years.
So the question for those of you reading this is, "Do you know Him, and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, not just know about Him, but know Him and have a relationship with Him?" Do you have fellowship and communion with Him? Are you intimate with Him? Do you know that you know Him? For if you do, then you can know and rest assured that you have eternal life.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thought for the Day
Our motive for obedience is just as important,
probably more so, to God than the level of our performance.
Jerry Bridges
Discipline of Grace
Page 123
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thinking Right Thoughts
"The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father,
the greatest unkindness you can do to Him is not to believe
that He loves you."
John Owen
Communion with God
But God demonstrates His own love for us,
in that while we were yet sinners,
in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Uniqueness of the Word of God
The very same word of God will convict of sin, lead to repentance, and assure of forgiveness.
The very same word of God that wounds also heals.
The very same word of God that breaks also mends.
The very same word of God that chastises also comforts.
The very same word of God that saves also sustains and sanctifies.
The word of God feeds the hungry, slakes the thirsty, and stimulates both appetites for more.
The word of God confronts sin, prevents sin, and cures sin.
The word of God:
gives life to the dead soul.
brings warmth to the cold soul.
brings light to the dark soul.
gives sight to the blind soul.
gives cheer to the sad soul.
lifts up the heavy soul.
comforts the bereaved soul.
shores up the unstable soul.
puts balm on the wounded soul.
corrects the erring soul.
protects the tender soul.
The word of God reveals the mind of God, the heart of God, the will of God, the plan of God, the purposes of God; and therefore gives us the perspective of God.
The world of God gives us the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self.
The word of God prayed puts us in the will of God and under the promises of God.
The word of God, believed and lived, makes us right with God and pleasing to God.
The word of God is how God speaks to us, guides us, directs us, and matures us.
The word of God:
love it.
treasure it.
know it.
believe it.
read it.
study it.
meditate upon it.
sit under its teaching and proclamation.
The word of God. You really cannot live your spiritual life without it.
The very same word of God that wounds also heals.
The very same word of God that breaks also mends.
The very same word of God that chastises also comforts.
The very same word of God that saves also sustains and sanctifies.
The word of God feeds the hungry, slakes the thirsty, and stimulates both appetites for more.
The word of God confronts sin, prevents sin, and cures sin.
The word of God:
gives life to the dead soul.
brings warmth to the cold soul.
brings light to the dark soul.
gives sight to the blind soul.
gives cheer to the sad soul.
lifts up the heavy soul.
comforts the bereaved soul.
shores up the unstable soul.
puts balm on the wounded soul.
corrects the erring soul.
protects the tender soul.
The word of God reveals the mind of God, the heart of God, the will of God, the plan of God, the purposes of God; and therefore gives us the perspective of God.
The world of God gives us the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self.
The word of God prayed puts us in the will of God and under the promises of God.
The word of God, believed and lived, makes us right with God and pleasing to God.
The word of God is how God speaks to us, guides us, directs us, and matures us.
The word of God:
love it.
treasure it.
know it.
believe it.
read it.
study it.
meditate upon it.
sit under its teaching and proclamation.
The word of God. You really cannot live your spiritual life without it.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Different Take on Love Wins-Part II
In Part I we saw how God has a particular and specific love for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He loves us with the same love with which He loves His Son. This is a familial love, a love that a father has for his own son. This love is not for those who are of the world, those who have not been adopted into the family of God, those who have not believed on Christ, His person and His finished work on our behalf. So let's see what else we can glean about this wondrous love of God.
His Particular Love is an Eternal Love
Remember when we were looking at the love of the Father for the Son and we saw that He loved both the Son and His own before the foundation of the world (John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4). This means that before time began God already loved us. God's love for us is from eternity past, so in the eternal mind of God there has never been a time when He did not love us. This fact should give all of us who belong to Him a security in our relationship with Him. It also highlights His unmerited grace in bringing us to Himself. Before we were born, and could do anything good or bad He already loved us with an everlasting love. His love for us has always been, it will always be, and everything connected with His purpose for us revolves around this eternal love with which He loves us. Why can we never be separated from His love, as was stated in Romans 8:32? Because His love for us will never cease! We see a picture of this in Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." The Lord is talking to Israel in this passage, but in it we see pictured His eternal love for those who are His own. Think about what it means that God has always loved you with the same love with which He has always loved His Son. Because God loves us with the same love with which He loves His Son, He would no sooner let us go than He would His own Son. What a humbling truth! At a minimum it should fill your heart with thanksgiving and humble your soul.
His Particular Love is an Electing Love
I commented earlier that to be beloved is to be the object of a particular love or the particular object of someone's love. We are the beloved of God, and therefore we are the particular object of His love (those on whom He bestows His love), and the object of His particular love (the same love with which He loves the Son, a familial love). But there is also something that goes along with being His beloved. Let's look at some Scriptures together to see what that is.
Ephesians 1:4b-5a In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:12a So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved....
II Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 1:4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;
Jude 1:1 Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
Did you notice that God has only called beloved His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom He has chosen beforehand for salvation. He calls no one else beloved. Did you also notice the connection between love and predestination; being beloved and being chosen, called, and kept. Because we are the particular objects of His particular love (His beloved), He chose us out of the world unto Himself, and has given us to His Son. This particular love is a love of choice, not compulsion. He chose to set His affection upon us, and the result of this is His drawing of us to Himself. He loves whom He chooses and He chooses whom He loves, and if you are not loved with this particular love you are not predestined for salvation, chosen, called, or kept. We see that He only saves those on whom He has set His particular love, the same love with which He loves His Son, upon from all eternity. This is all done in accordance with the kind intention of His will to accomplish His eternal purpose, which God carried out in Christ.
When we start contemplating this we soon bump the ceiling of our understanding. And that is okay. This causes many questions to come up, the foremost of which is, "Why did God choose to love me, and therefore save me, and not person X?" One day we will know fully as we have been fully known, but until that time we can be in rapt wonder of the greatness of the mind of God, and how incomprehensible His ways are. This truth is transcendent, one that is above and beyond us and our rational capabilities. Suffice it to say that there is enough here to cause us to bow low before Him in holy reverence and awe. It is truths like this that set God apart as God, and let us know that He is truly a God who is deserving of all worship.
His Particular Love is a Saving Love
Because we are loved with a particular love, God has chosen us, and because He has chosen us we are saved. To be loved with this particular love is to be chosen, selected out of the mass of humanity headed for hell, for salvation. The outcome of this love is our salvation, our deliverance from the penalty, power, and ultimately, the presence of sin. The wages of sin is death, and the consequence of sin is the just judgement of a holy God. Ephesians 2:2-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Apart from the love of God we would not know salvation. In His choosing to love us our salvation was guaranteed and our eternal state was fixed. I am reminded of a statement by A. W. Pink to the effect that the crucifixion of Christ did not make our salvation possible, it made it certain.
II Timothy :8b-9 ...according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. The love of God is most manifest in the person of Christ, and it is through the person and work of Christ that He has brought salvation to those whom He has set His great love upon. God's love for you is in accordance with His eternal purpose which has been carried out in Christ.
Christian friends, rejoice and be glad, be thankful and worshipful, that God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. Marvel at the wondrous love with which you are loved by the Father. Give thanks to God for loving you so, for loving you with the same love with which He loved the Son, and for placing this love upon you.
His Particular Love is an Eternal Love
Remember when we were looking at the love of the Father for the Son and we saw that He loved both the Son and His own before the foundation of the world (John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4). This means that before time began God already loved us. God's love for us is from eternity past, so in the eternal mind of God there has never been a time when He did not love us. This fact should give all of us who belong to Him a security in our relationship with Him. It also highlights His unmerited grace in bringing us to Himself. Before we were born, and could do anything good or bad He already loved us with an everlasting love. His love for us has always been, it will always be, and everything connected with His purpose for us revolves around this eternal love with which He loves us. Why can we never be separated from His love, as was stated in Romans 8:32? Because His love for us will never cease! We see a picture of this in Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." The Lord is talking to Israel in this passage, but in it we see pictured His eternal love for those who are His own. Think about what it means that God has always loved you with the same love with which He has always loved His Son. Because God loves us with the same love with which He loves His Son, He would no sooner let us go than He would His own Son. What a humbling truth! At a minimum it should fill your heart with thanksgiving and humble your soul.
His Particular Love is an Electing Love
I commented earlier that to be beloved is to be the object of a particular love or the particular object of someone's love. We are the beloved of God, and therefore we are the particular object of His love (those on whom He bestows His love), and the object of His particular love (the same love with which He loves the Son, a familial love). But there is also something that goes along with being His beloved. Let's look at some Scriptures together to see what that is.
Ephesians 1:4b-5a In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:12a So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved....
II Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 1:4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;
Jude 1:1 Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
Did you notice that God has only called beloved His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom He has chosen beforehand for salvation. He calls no one else beloved. Did you also notice the connection between love and predestination; being beloved and being chosen, called, and kept. Because we are the particular objects of His particular love (His beloved), He chose us out of the world unto Himself, and has given us to His Son. This particular love is a love of choice, not compulsion. He chose to set His affection upon us, and the result of this is His drawing of us to Himself. He loves whom He chooses and He chooses whom He loves, and if you are not loved with this particular love you are not predestined for salvation, chosen, called, or kept. We see that He only saves those on whom He has set His particular love, the same love with which He loves His Son, upon from all eternity. This is all done in accordance with the kind intention of His will to accomplish His eternal purpose, which God carried out in Christ.
When we start contemplating this we soon bump the ceiling of our understanding. And that is okay. This causes many questions to come up, the foremost of which is, "Why did God choose to love me, and therefore save me, and not person X?" One day we will know fully as we have been fully known, but until that time we can be in rapt wonder of the greatness of the mind of God, and how incomprehensible His ways are. This truth is transcendent, one that is above and beyond us and our rational capabilities. Suffice it to say that there is enough here to cause us to bow low before Him in holy reverence and awe. It is truths like this that set God apart as God, and let us know that He is truly a God who is deserving of all worship.
His Particular Love is a Saving Love
Because we are loved with a particular love, God has chosen us, and because He has chosen us we are saved. To be loved with this particular love is to be chosen, selected out of the mass of humanity headed for hell, for salvation. The outcome of this love is our salvation, our deliverance from the penalty, power, and ultimately, the presence of sin. The wages of sin is death, and the consequence of sin is the just judgement of a holy God. Ephesians 2:2-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Apart from the love of God we would not know salvation. In His choosing to love us our salvation was guaranteed and our eternal state was fixed. I am reminded of a statement by A. W. Pink to the effect that the crucifixion of Christ did not make our salvation possible, it made it certain.
II Timothy :8b-9 ...according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. The love of God is most manifest in the person of Christ, and it is through the person and work of Christ that He has brought salvation to those whom He has set His great love upon. God's love for you is in accordance with His eternal purpose which has been carried out in Christ.
Christian friends, rejoice and be glad, be thankful and worshipful, that God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. Marvel at the wondrous love with which you are loved by the Father. Give thanks to God for loving you so, for loving you with the same love with which He loved the Son, and for placing this love upon you.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A Different Take on Love Wins-Part I
Today and tomorrow I am reposting this two part series on the love of God as a biblical response to the book "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. Yes, love does win, but it is the love of God described and delineated in the Scriptures, not the love that Rob Bell has made up.
Today I want to talk about the love of God, which, I believe, is the grandest theme in the Scriptures. The love of God is what has prompted Him to do all that He has done on our behalf. Yes, I know that ultimately all things are for His glory, but it is through His love that His glory is most vibrantly and visibly expressed. In I John 4:8 & 16 we see that God is love. He doesn't possess love, but He is love; and that love is manifested in, an oh so tangible way, in and through the person of Christ. So let's press on to know more fully this love which is part and parcel of the very nature of God. It is part of who He is and cannot be separated from Him.
The general love of God
First, there is the general love of God for mankind. I know that there are those among our hyper-reformed brothers that will say that God does not love mankind, but only the elect, and that He is angry with the wicked every day. While it is true that God is angry with the wicked every day, it does not, and has not, kept Him from loving mankind. Let's look at some examples from Scripture.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Again, there are those who will say that this verse only applies to the elect, and if this verse were the only verse like it in the Scriptures, which it is not, then that argument might have some weight. However, the word for world here is kosmos. It is used 151 times in the NT and always means this created world, its order, or the people who inhabit it. Also, in this verse we see the word whosoever. It does not say for God so loved the elect, that they would believe in Jesus (even though that is true, and we shall see more on that later), but that God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved. Whosoever is very clear in its meaning and it means anyone who will. A synonomous verse to John 3:16 is II Corinthians 5:19...God was in Christ reconciling the world (kosmos) to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them (Compare this little section with Acts 17:30), and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. God has made reconciliation with Himself available to the world (unredeemed humanity). Why? Because God has a general love for mankind. It is also interesting to note here that the word for love used in John 3:16 is agapao, which is the word for love used in I John 4:8 & 16. God can not deny Himself, or be other than He is, so we see this love of God revealed in His love for this world, and the people who inhabit it.
Additionally, let's look at Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us... The phrase, love for mankind, is one word in the Greek and that word is philanthropia, from which we get our word philanthropy. It is composed of two Greek words, phileo--which means brotherly love; and anthropos--which means mankind. This is a very specific word to denote God's charitable, benevolent love and kindly disposition for all of mankind. It is used only one other time in the NT and that is in Acts 28:2.
But, let's don't stop there, let's look at Matthew 5:43-48, the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect." Notice that Jesus is saying here that we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, and to do that we must love not only those who love us, because even the most despised (tax collectors) do that; but also those who hate us and persecute us; and what is implied here is that God loves those who are His enemies (which He would automatically since He is love). So God does love the wicked, even those who are his enemies, which we all are until He saves us (Romans 5:10).
Finally, let's look at the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22. We all know the story about how he turned away from Christ because he did not want to give up his possessions. But what is interesting here is the attitude of Jesus towards this young man. Let's pick this story up in 10:21 Looking at him Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack; go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Here we see the heart of God, revealed through Christ, and His love (agape) for this one person, and how this love prompted Christ to reveal to this young man what was between him and heaven, even though He knew the young man would reject Him and walk away; and it is interesting to note here that even though Jesus felt a love for this young man, He let him walk away from Him and spurn His offer of salvation.
Because of God's love for this world, mankind, all those who are his enemies, and, yes, even individuals, He has made salvation available to all, by giving His Son, that whosoever believes in His Son will have life eternal. God is love, and He cannot be other than who He is, and we see His love for mankind revealed in these verses.
The particular love of God for His Son
However, there is another dimension to the love of God, and to understand that we need to look back into eternity past to see it. God gives us a glimpse of it in John 17:24 in the prayer of Christ, "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, be with Me where I am so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." We see here that the Father has loved the Son, God the Father has loved Jesus the Son, since before time began. So for all eternity there has been the love of the Father for the Son. A father's particular love for his own son has always existed between God and Christ. Now we also see here that Jesus wants this love to be known by those whom God has given Him (the elect) as they will see it manifested in the glory bestowed on the Son by the Father when they are with Him.
We see this attitude of the Father towards the Son manifested in Matthew 3:17 For this is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. To be the beloved of someone is to be the particular object of their love, or the object of someone's particular love. We see this stated in a more distinct way in Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (literally, the Son of His love). The Son has always been the particular object of the love of the Father, so we can safely say that the Father has a particular love for the Son, and can understand that because we see it paralleled in this world by the particular love each father has for his own son. We see a manifestation of this love of the Father for the Son in John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. So the Father loves the Son in different way than the Father loves the world as the Son is the particular object of His love, and this love has always existed between the Father and the Son.
The particular love of God for those who are His own
How does God love us, those who belong to Him? We know He loves the world, he loves mankind, but how does He love us, those whom He has called out of the world. To understand this let's go back to John 17:23-24 & 26. Again this is Jesus praying, "I in them and You in Me, that they maybe perfected in unity, so the the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with me where I am so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world...and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. It is important to note here that in verse 23 Jesus states that the purpose behind the unity of those who believe in Him would be that the world, the same kosmos that God loves with a general love, would know that not only that the Father sent the Son, but that the Father loves those who believe in the Son with the same love with which He loves the Son. The truth given here, that God loves those who believe in His Son with the same love with which He loves the Son is a staggering truth, one that is almost incomprehensible, and is surely inexplicable. It always causes me to pause and catch my spiritual breath. But, while contemplating this great and wonderful truth, we must also not miss the fact that God does not love the world with the same love with which He loves the Son, this love is only for those who place their faith in Christ Jesus.
The Familial love of God
As we have already seen in John 17 God loves us with the same love with which He loves the Son. Tie this in with Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. We see that God's plan from before the foundation of the world was for those of us who name the name of Christ as our Savior to be the brethren of His Son, and that Christ was to have the place of preeminence as the firstborn of the sons of God. It is not those of the world who are the brethren of Christ, but only those whom God has predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Therefore the love of God for the Son is only for those who are among the family of God.
This is said a little differently, but just as succinctly in I John 3:1. Notice how beautifully John expresses the richness of this truth. See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God, for such we are. The love of the family is reserved for those who are members of the family, and the familial love we see here upon the earth is a dim and imperfect expression of the familial love of God as we have been created in His image, and this image has been marred by sin. This familial love of God is lavishly and graciously bestowed only upon those who are His children and we never see in Scripture those of the world being called the children of the living God. It is only those whom God has called out of the world and place their faith in Christ who become His children.
This is said much more strongly and forcefully in Ephesians 1:4-5a just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world....In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself. This verse brings together all the other verses concerning our status as children of God and tells us how God went about making us His children and the brethren of Christ. We have been adopted. Even better, we see that the reason behind our adoption is the love of God. We know from John 17:24 that the Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world, and from this verse in Ephesians we see that we were also loved before the foundation of the world. What does this mean? It means that God loved us with the same love He had for the Son, that familial love, before the foundation of the world, and because of that love and out of that love He predestined us for adoption as his children. What a wonderful and deep truth to dwell upon, that from eternity past God loves us with the same eternal love with which He loves Jesus and the outworking of that love is our admittance into the family of God; and now we can get insight into why Paul could boldly cry out in Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It reminds me of Psalm 36:7-8 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of your house; and You give them to drink of the river of your delights. Oh, the wonder and magnificence of it all!
To be continued
Today I want to talk about the love of God, which, I believe, is the grandest theme in the Scriptures. The love of God is what has prompted Him to do all that He has done on our behalf. Yes, I know that ultimately all things are for His glory, but it is through His love that His glory is most vibrantly and visibly expressed. In I John 4:8 & 16 we see that God is love. He doesn't possess love, but He is love; and that love is manifested in, an oh so tangible way, in and through the person of Christ. So let's press on to know more fully this love which is part and parcel of the very nature of God. It is part of who He is and cannot be separated from Him.
The general love of God
First, there is the general love of God for mankind. I know that there are those among our hyper-reformed brothers that will say that God does not love mankind, but only the elect, and that He is angry with the wicked every day. While it is true that God is angry with the wicked every day, it does not, and has not, kept Him from loving mankind. Let's look at some examples from Scripture.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Again, there are those who will say that this verse only applies to the elect, and if this verse were the only verse like it in the Scriptures, which it is not, then that argument might have some weight. However, the word for world here is kosmos. It is used 151 times in the NT and always means this created world, its order, or the people who inhabit it. Also, in this verse we see the word whosoever. It does not say for God so loved the elect, that they would believe in Jesus (even though that is true, and we shall see more on that later), but that God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved. Whosoever is very clear in its meaning and it means anyone who will. A synonomous verse to John 3:16 is II Corinthians 5:19...God was in Christ reconciling the world (kosmos) to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them (Compare this little section with Acts 17:30), and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. God has made reconciliation with Himself available to the world (unredeemed humanity). Why? Because God has a general love for mankind. It is also interesting to note here that the word for love used in John 3:16 is agapao, which is the word for love used in I John 4:8 & 16. God can not deny Himself, or be other than He is, so we see this love of God revealed in His love for this world, and the people who inhabit it.
Additionally, let's look at Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us... The phrase, love for mankind, is one word in the Greek and that word is philanthropia, from which we get our word philanthropy. It is composed of two Greek words, phileo--which means brotherly love; and anthropos--which means mankind. This is a very specific word to denote God's charitable, benevolent love and kindly disposition for all of mankind. It is used only one other time in the NT and that is in Acts 28:2.
But, let's don't stop there, let's look at Matthew 5:43-48, the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect." Notice that Jesus is saying here that we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, and to do that we must love not only those who love us, because even the most despised (tax collectors) do that; but also those who hate us and persecute us; and what is implied here is that God loves those who are His enemies (which He would automatically since He is love). So God does love the wicked, even those who are his enemies, which we all are until He saves us (Romans 5:10).
Finally, let's look at the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22. We all know the story about how he turned away from Christ because he did not want to give up his possessions. But what is interesting here is the attitude of Jesus towards this young man. Let's pick this story up in 10:21 Looking at him Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack; go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Here we see the heart of God, revealed through Christ, and His love (agape) for this one person, and how this love prompted Christ to reveal to this young man what was between him and heaven, even though He knew the young man would reject Him and walk away; and it is interesting to note here that even though Jesus felt a love for this young man, He let him walk away from Him and spurn His offer of salvation.
Because of God's love for this world, mankind, all those who are his enemies, and, yes, even individuals, He has made salvation available to all, by giving His Son, that whosoever believes in His Son will have life eternal. God is love, and He cannot be other than who He is, and we see His love for mankind revealed in these verses.
The particular love of God for His Son
However, there is another dimension to the love of God, and to understand that we need to look back into eternity past to see it. God gives us a glimpse of it in John 17:24 in the prayer of Christ, "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, be with Me where I am so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." We see here that the Father has loved the Son, God the Father has loved Jesus the Son, since before time began. So for all eternity there has been the love of the Father for the Son. A father's particular love for his own son has always existed between God and Christ. Now we also see here that Jesus wants this love to be known by those whom God has given Him (the elect) as they will see it manifested in the glory bestowed on the Son by the Father when they are with Him.
We see this attitude of the Father towards the Son manifested in Matthew 3:17 For this is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. To be the beloved of someone is to be the particular object of their love, or the object of someone's particular love. We see this stated in a more distinct way in Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (literally, the Son of His love). The Son has always been the particular object of the love of the Father, so we can safely say that the Father has a particular love for the Son, and can understand that because we see it paralleled in this world by the particular love each father has for his own son. We see a manifestation of this love of the Father for the Son in John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. So the Father loves the Son in different way than the Father loves the world as the Son is the particular object of His love, and this love has always existed between the Father and the Son.
The particular love of God for those who are His own
How does God love us, those who belong to Him? We know He loves the world, he loves mankind, but how does He love us, those whom He has called out of the world. To understand this let's go back to John 17:23-24 & 26. Again this is Jesus praying, "I in them and You in Me, that they maybe perfected in unity, so the the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with me where I am so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world...and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. It is important to note here that in verse 23 Jesus states that the purpose behind the unity of those who believe in Him would be that the world, the same kosmos that God loves with a general love, would know that not only that the Father sent the Son, but that the Father loves those who believe in the Son with the same love with which He loves the Son. The truth given here, that God loves those who believe in His Son with the same love with which He loves the Son is a staggering truth, one that is almost incomprehensible, and is surely inexplicable. It always causes me to pause and catch my spiritual breath. But, while contemplating this great and wonderful truth, we must also not miss the fact that God does not love the world with the same love with which He loves the Son, this love is only for those who place their faith in Christ Jesus.
The Familial love of God
As we have already seen in John 17 God loves us with the same love with which He loves the Son. Tie this in with Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. We see that God's plan from before the foundation of the world was for those of us who name the name of Christ as our Savior to be the brethren of His Son, and that Christ was to have the place of preeminence as the firstborn of the sons of God. It is not those of the world who are the brethren of Christ, but only those whom God has predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Therefore the love of God for the Son is only for those who are among the family of God.
This is said a little differently, but just as succinctly in I John 3:1. Notice how beautifully John expresses the richness of this truth. See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God, for such we are. The love of the family is reserved for those who are members of the family, and the familial love we see here upon the earth is a dim and imperfect expression of the familial love of God as we have been created in His image, and this image has been marred by sin. This familial love of God is lavishly and graciously bestowed only upon those who are His children and we never see in Scripture those of the world being called the children of the living God. It is only those whom God has called out of the world and place their faith in Christ who become His children.
This is said much more strongly and forcefully in Ephesians 1:4-5a just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world....In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself. This verse brings together all the other verses concerning our status as children of God and tells us how God went about making us His children and the brethren of Christ. We have been adopted. Even better, we see that the reason behind our adoption is the love of God. We know from John 17:24 that the Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world, and from this verse in Ephesians we see that we were also loved before the foundation of the world. What does this mean? It means that God loved us with the same love He had for the Son, that familial love, before the foundation of the world, and because of that love and out of that love He predestined us for adoption as his children. What a wonderful and deep truth to dwell upon, that from eternity past God loves us with the same eternal love with which He loves Jesus and the outworking of that love is our admittance into the family of God; and now we can get insight into why Paul could boldly cry out in Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It reminds me of Psalm 36:7-8 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of your house; and You give them to drink of the river of your delights. Oh, the wonder and magnificence of it all!
To be continued
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Praying the Scriptures
"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8
Read this verse over and over, meditate upon it; and pray it for yourself for the next month. Watch how the Lord answers this prayer. How do we know He will answer it? Because it is His will for us and we know that if we ask for anything according to His will He hears us, and if He hears us we know we have the requests for which we have asked. What could be better than being in His will!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Humble Man
For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord.
But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and
Contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Isaiah 66:2
For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
"I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says,
"God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
James 4:6
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so the the power
of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with
weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
II Corinthians 12:9-10
...whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving
by the strength which God supplies...
I Peter 4:11b
The humble man is an empowered man.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Humble Man
"For My hand made all these things, thus all these
things came into being," declares the Lord.
"But to this one I will look, to him who is humble
and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."
Isaiah 66:2
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men
but as wise, making the most of your time, because the
days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand
what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him
show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness
of wisdom...But the wisdom from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and
good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the
seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace
by those who make peace.
James 3:13, 17-18
The humble man is a wise man.
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