Category Archives: Uncategorized

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The Spirit of God will engage your Life’s Energy.

When I say energy, I refer to the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround, pervade and be generated by a person. Godly Christians have an influencing sensibility of a life evidencing that the Lord is present.

As we study the Holy Spirit we can be encouraged by the words of Jesus: “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13–14). Before Jesus’ crucifixion, he promised that the Spirit would come. He promised that conjointly with the Father he would send his church a personal replacement counsellor (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).

The Counselor or Paraclete, from the Greek word parakletos, is an encouraging name for the Spirit who lives within you and guides you in life. Jesus referred to this as being enlivened by Living Water bubbling up in your life and reflected as joyousness, and kindness to others.

God’s Spirit is present in our everyday life if we will merely notice and listen. The Spirit is available to us as one who gives support. We are helped by a best friend; advised by an experienced mentor; guiding our mind and energising our bodies to get us through the rough and tough tumbles, strengthening us through conflict and adversity; radically shifting our focus from terrifying doom to jumping-for-joy encouragement — our sunshine-ally and on-call advocate.

Jesus, when He walked this earth, was a Counselor. He promised a replacement who, after he was gone, would carry on the teaching and testimony that he started (John 16:6–7). This Paraclete ministry, by its very nature, is a personal, relational and very rational ministry. The New Covenant teaching of the Spirit enlarges our view.

Though the Old Testament (meaning old covenant or old agreement between humanity and God) said much about the Spirit’s activity in Creation (e.g., Gen. 1:2; Ps. 33:6). The Spirit of revelation (e.g., Isa. 61:1–6; Mic. 3:8) enables for service (e.g., Exod. 31:2–6; Judg. 6:34; 15:14–15; Isa. 11:2). The Spirit causes mindfulness for inward renewal (e.g., Ps. 51:10–12; Ezek. 36:25–27). Nevertheless, the old testament never clarified that the Spirit is a distinct divine Person.

Conversely in the New Testament/Covenant Jesus teaches that the Spirit is a Person. He promised after His ascension that He would send ‘another Counselor’. In Acts the Spirit evidently speaks (Acts 1:16; 8:29; 10:19; 11:12; 13:2; 28:25). In other texts, the Spirit teaches (John 14:26), witnesses (John 15:26), searches and determines (1 Corinthians 2:11, 12:11).

To widen the scope of our understanding of God’s active presence via the Spirit: he intercedes (Rom. 8:26–27); he can be lied to (Acts 5:3); and can be grieved (Eph. 4:30). Are we ready to envision God as our trustworthy friend and enter a personal relationship with Divinity? The divinity of the Spirit is evidenced by Peter’s statement that lying to the Spirit is, in fact, lying to God (Acts 5:3–4). If only politicians would understand this when they take the oath of office on behalf of the people!

The Spirit is seen as having a boundariless scope and divine influence over the multitudes who have listening hearts — when called “the seven spirits” in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6. Seven is a symbolic number signifying divine perfection.

The Spirit witnesses to Jesus Christ glorifies him by showing his disciples who and what he is (John 16:7–15), and making them aware of what they are in him (Rom. 8:15–17; Gal. 4:6) is the Paraclete’s primary ministry. He enlightens us (Eph. 1:17–18). He regenerates us (John 3:5–8). Further to sanctify us and set us apart, he guides us into holiness (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:16–18). Our transformation of mind is only possible as he leads us into the likeness of the character of Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18, Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 5:22–23).

The Spirit assures us (Rom. 8:16); and gifts us for ministry (1 Cor. 12:4–11). God’s work in us in our hearts and our characters and conduct is done by the Spirit, with directives of these processes often ascribed to the Father, and the Son, whose executive determinant function in our lives is achieved by the Spirit. We can see this from the linking of the Spirit with the Father and the Son in benedictions (2 Cor. 13:14; Rev. 1:4–6) and evidenced in baptism (Matt. 28:19).

The Spirit’s full Paraclete ministry began on Pentecost morning, following Jesus’ ascension (Acts 2:1–4). John the Baptist foretold that Jesus would baptise in the Spirit (Mark 1:8; John 1:33). This was in accord with the Old Testament’s promise of an outpouring of God’s Spirit in the last days (Joel 2:28–32; cf. Jer. 31:31–34). Jesus had repeated the promise (Acts 1:4–5). Pentecost morning marked the opening of the final era of world history before Christ’s return.

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Personalizing the Samaritan Woman

“If you only knew the gift God has for you… you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” (John 4:10-14)

Do you want your life to look to the bright side?
Jesus was speaking to a woman who had five husbands and now lived unmarried with another. Jesus said God has a gift “for you”. He asks the same question to every one of us at some point and he’ll ask it again and again until you hear Him.

All you need to do is ask “Lord give me your Spirit” and then accept the gift that He offers: He gives the Spirit – which He referred to as living water. He used the symbol of water because she was fetching water in the heat of the day at the well where he met her.

Jesus also emphasized that the blessing being offered was spiritual with the promise of joy beginning here on earth and further a heavenly eternal life. Jesus said: “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life”.

Just ask Jesus for His gift of eternal life.
It’s not about our worthiness or how good you are. Jesus is in the business of turning us around to notice God is presently calling each one, calling me and calling you closer. He speaks gently in our conscience.

“If you only knew the gift God has for you… you would ask me.”

He offers a life of joy and peaceful assurance more significant than you’ve ever imagined. Yes, Jesus is calling You.

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How the period of Lent affected my life

“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?” Jesus

During Spring’s period of Lent prior to Good Friday and Easter Sunday — the ancient time when Jesus was crucified and resurrected during the Jewish Passover – I reassessed my Christian principles. I had never traditionally kept Lent, a traditional period of honest reflection on the sacrifice of Christ and the grace-gift of a new spiritual life in the Spirit that He offers.

The hardest part was acknowledging my own shortcomings. I felt impressed to edit down my worldlier treasures realising that “where your treasure is there will your heart be”.

I had travelled photographing the sites where St. Paul had walked in Italy and Greece. I’ve also been blessed once for an award from the Ontario Arts Council.

Over 30 years I collected the works of poets, writers, photographers, musicians and prophetic scriptures adding many quality bibles. Giving away about 30% of my library to those I know love the Word of God felt good.

I transferred my classical music collection to Google Music, retaining only my superior CD collections, such as Bach’s piano Inventions.

When I initially was called by Jesus Christ, I responded without question. As a Christian,  I’ve learned despite making many much-regretted mistakes, that God seeks to deepen our experiential relationship with Jesus through progressively following his will. He moves us towards being more like Christ which is referred to as progressive sanctification. We are called to abide in Him via the Spirit and follow his New Covenant teachings (John 15:5).

These Lent-inspired actions I do not deem as legalistic. They were prompted by the Holy Spirit which happened to coincide with Lent.

Spirit initiated regeneration is only the beginning where Christ calls us into a relationship. Regeneration or being born again is solely the mysterious work of God.

Often a simultaneous activation of our faith to believe unto salvation by the redemptive work of Christ on the cross occurs with our regeneration — also referred to as justification by faith.

Our sanctification is a term used to define the way by which the objective of Christ’s suffering and death on our behalf is actualized further as He draws us into reconciliation and relationship to Himself (Titus 2:14).

He leads us through life via ongoing or by a term I prefer: progressive sanctification — a responsible discipline whereby we are enabled to submit to His revealed will as we simply obey empowered by His Spirit.

As we allow Christ’s Spirit to conform us to His character (Romans 8:29; 12:2) we enjoy our walk with Him.

Authority of the Bible, Uncategorized

The authority of the Apostle Paul

This study of Galatians chapter 1, will make it clear that Paul’s gospel message came directly to him via a Christophany — a visionary encounter with the risen Jesus Christ, and was never derived from the agency or effort of men. It was independent of men and dependent upon Jesus Christ alone.

The scriptures indicate that the Apostle Paul was “not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead”. Moreover, Paul was chosen before he was born, much like David and Jeremiah claimed. (Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:1; 15-16)

In his letter to the Galatians he emphasizes his apostolic status (see also Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1). At the same time, he emphasizes that the divine origin of salvation is Jesus Christ from whom he received his direct illumination about the gospel. Paul begins to address his unquestionable apostleship. In v. 1 of Galatians he states that the message of the gospel is: “sent not from men nor by man.”

There was the original special class of apostles called directly by Jesus, some to whom He also revealed Himself after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7) Paul knew he was also an apostle authorized by Jesus, even if he was “last of all” (1 Cor. 15:8; cf. Rom 1:1; Gal. 1:1).

Paul at times had to defend his status, with firm convection, such as at Galatia and Corinth. Paul was aware that he had been called by the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7–8; Gal. 1:15–16) and that the Lord had revealed to him in that call the specifics of his ministry: Paul was to go to the Gentiles — those other than the Jewish race (Gal. 1:16; 2:7). This call was confirmed in Paul’s missionary successes and his miracles (cf. Rom. 1:5; 11:13–16; 15:19; 1 Cor 3:5–6; 4:15).

Paul’s ministry involved a personal responsibility to his churches evident by his words to the Corinthians: “you are the seal of my apostleship” (1 Cor. 9:2). Paul, along with the testimony of the church, saw the role of the apostles to be a special one in history; he knew that they performed a crucial function in the period just after the resurrection of Christ to define and articulate the teaching of gospel of Jesus Christ clearly — and to help the church rejoice in their freedom of redemption as defined by Christ in the New Covenant. Men of all races must learn that they can be free to express their faith and love together in Christ — a message not understood before Paul (1 Cor. 4:9; Eph. 2:20; 3:5–6; Col. 1:24–27). In the letter to the Galatians, he would express what this freedom looked like (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

Because he had been called personally by Jesus Christ on the Damascus road, he knew that he represented Jesus Christ and that he had a critical role in the church to unpack the entire message of Jesus Christ to the church as it was expanding universally into the whole world — to those outside of the Jewish circles.

He knew that his gospel was not cooked up by man, or any politicized or traditionalized group and was given directly to him by Jesus Christ. His authority to teach was freely imbued with Christ’s Spirit leading as he mapped the connecting redemptive biblical narrative, particularly, since Abraham. His authority to teach a transition from the old covenant (wherein academically he had been trained, and in which constraints he had lived) to the new revelations given by Christ becomes apparent when he argues against the Judaizers who later tried to convince the members that they had to be circumcised and follow the customs taught by Moses if they would be true Christians.

He expects the Galatians to listen; he knows that disagreement is no longer dialogue; disagreement means division from Christ’s directives when it comes to the essentials of the gospel as made known through the apostles and prophets. Even Paul himself must submit to his own gospel (1:8, 10). 1

Paul argues that his gospel is independent of human teaching (Galatians 1:13–17), of the major churches in Judea (Galatians 1:18–19), of the Jerusalem “pillars” (Galatians 2:1–10), and especially of the apostle Peter who began to confuse the message of unity in Christ (Galatians 2:11–21). Paul eliminated other sources of his gospel. Why? First, Paul wants to make it clear that his gospel is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ. Second, he shatters opponent arguments that Paul’s gospel was not independent but was rather from the authorities in Jerusalem or at least from those connected with Jerusalem such as Peter. No, his gospel was independently handed down from Christ Himself.

The first part of Galatians1:10–2:21 states that his gospel is not, in fact, dependent on Jerusalem and its leaders. Instead, it is an independent expression. He states his independence negatively in vv. 11–12: it is not originating from people. Then he restates this positively —  it is from Jesus Christ. Moreover, his questions (Galatians 1:10) are implying that he is not seeking to please human beings but God.

“Paul’s claim … is this. His gospel, which was being called in question by the Judaizers and deserted by the Galatians, was neither an invention (as if his own brain had fabricated it), nor a tradition (as if the church had handed it down to him), but a revelation (for God had made it known to him).” 2

The term revelation describes something made known by God to humans, in this case to Paul, that would otherwise not be known or accessible. Revelation thus stands in glaring contrast to passing on of any sacred traditions, either in his day or our own.

Independence is not the most important description of Paul’s gospel. Rather, the most important description of Paul’s gospel is that it is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ and, therefore, not an indirect gospel that had come to him through the Jerusalem authorities.

Preaching and teaching of the gospel, when faithful to the Pauline gospel, is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ. It was this focus on Paul’s writings, which began the Reformation 500 years ago. There are creeds and people who have risen and will rise, who claim that they have the only interpretation of the gospel.

Even if we may have been called to any particular ministry (as Paul was), only progressive theological insights based on his gospel — not independent revelations differing from his gospel — should be assumed correctly in that calling. All teaching must align entirely or bridge with Paul’s teaching completely or be suspect of self-manufacturing.

The “I” in the “I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (1:12) is not an “I” that is interchangeable with our own “I.”

Every Christian needs to examine his or her convictions in the light of the Pauline writings to see if we are “seeking to gain the approval of men” or succumbing to social and peer pressure (v. 10). We must discern where our approval is based, where it is headed or locked.

We constantly need to examine our expressions of the gospel to see if they are consistent with the apostolic testimony. This is the principle of the Reformation, the revival of the church under Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin when the church sought to straighten itself out by radically committing itself to the apostolic gospel and biblical writings. It must also be the principle of our day.

1 McKnight, S. (1995). Galatians (p. 49). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

2 Stott, Only One Way

 

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The Holy Spirit initiates and confirms your eternal life

“…having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we …groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23 NASB)

What Paul is implying is that the glory he speaks of already exists; as Peter puts it, our final salvation is “kept in heaven … ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4–5). So what now exists will one day be given “to” us so that it can come to reside “in” us, transforming us into Christ’s own image (see Rom. 8:29) 1

The salvation of our life including our bodies is guaranteed by our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord by faith when we heard the gospel — our justification. Now it is evidenced in our life by his indwelling Spirit — during a process of allowing him to regenerate our life to manifest the characteristics of Christ in our pursuit of holiness. This process is referred to as sanctification as we are surrendering our life to God as he reconciles us to himself. We co-operate as he works to conform our mindset to the mind of Christ, moving into a divine unity with his life, and his principles of moral law and loving conduct.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit allows that “the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4). The fulfillment of the law is first gained on a legal basis when we accept Christ and are justified by believing faith. Secondly, we have been gifted the Spirit to lead us as God regenerates us out of our natural propensity to sin.

Our submission to allow Christ’s Spirit to lead us is viewed by God in this way: by our choice to live wholly for Christ, his moral laws based on love are now being written on our hearts. Love to God and love to man are now our primary principles. He imputes Christ’s righteousness when we believe, and as we progressively agree to co-operatively obey the mandates of love, we are progressively transformed in character: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 italics here provided by author); and “God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4:24)

Progressive regeneration and sanctification over a lifetime

We may fail, but he looks at our intentions and will continue to help us along life’s path. I want to impress that the character transformation is progressive, dependent on our progressive submission and dependence on His Spirit working within us to do this miraculous work of regeneration.

In verses 5-7 of Romans chapter 8, we read: “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Note the only possible way of progression is “by letting the Spirit” have sway in your life! We can not conform ourselves by any good works or hope; it remains all a process of faith in the promises of God: “because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires”. (2 Peter 1:4) and “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV; see also Romans 8:29, 12:2)

In the context of eternal life, the acceptance of our redemption at the cross is the beginning of a lifetime relationship as an adopted son or daughter of God, reconciled to him. Out of sincere love for God, we desire to pursue holiness by the means he has provided, noted above. We acknowledge openly that Jesus Christ gave his life as a sacrifice for our sin. This pivotal point in our life is the initial stage which begins the ongoing life-process of Christ working within our lives, ransoming us from the lusts of the world, maturing our Christian walk, renewing our motives based on love for God and man, keeping our life free from the condemnation of the law leading to death.

Now instead of our death, with hope based on our initiating faith of accepting Christ’s offer, faith carries with it a sincere hope of the coming resurrection from the dead, when our physical bodies will be raised from the grave to immortality to unify with our soul.

Romans 8:6-8 defines unbelievers as death-bound, as those who do not know why they allow the dictates of the carnal mind to prefer the desires of sin, and defile their life, and thus are hostile to God, are at enmity with Christ. These folks may have never believed in Christ. Or they may simply be lazy Christians, overcome by Satan in the Christian warfare.

Yes, sadly it also applies to those who have accepted Christ, yet ongoingly choose to never reform to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The choice remains open to those who remain alive and are not fully committed to Christ, to make the choice to call out to Jesus to save them and renew them in his love, grace, and joy in the faith that offers the hope of eternal life. Though they may have accepted him at some point in their life, some never bothered to invite him fully into their hearts. Some may have partially, but never fully, surrendered to Christ or allowed him via his Spirit to help them overcome temptation in their lives. Some were never correctly taught the proper use of the Word of God as a necessity in life to 1) empower faith in a loving Sovereign God, and 2) kindle the response to the Holy Spirit’s directives found in the scriptures. This continues to be a serious problem, from the time of the Reformation, as it remains a dire shortfall in the churches now 500 years later.

The time is now — “today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2)  — “all that call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). He desires that no one perish and is ready to receive your acceptance of his grace by faith and turn from any ways of deliberate sin: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

Warnings to Christians who have accepted Christ

We are warned not to give in to temptation by giving ourselves back to the passions of the world of darkness: “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God”. (Romans 8:6 NASB) This is an either/or arrangement. Contrasting eternal death with eternal life we see that when Christ abides in our hearts by faith, acknowledged as true and testified by the Spirit we have an ongoing hope of immortality: “if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14)

The Spirit testifies to every child of God who obeys and always aims to do what is pleasing in his sight. The Apostle Paul wrote that though we are to strive for holiness, compared to Christ, we will not obtain his perfection. However, we must rely on God’s grace and his unmerited favour, and ask for his guidance in our Christian walk until we die.

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view” (Philippians 3:13-15 NIV)

Though we strive, and we make mistakes, the Spirit of Christ desires to live within your heart, revealing that you are one with Him and belong to him in mind, attitude, and that you are aiming at obedience, noted in verses 9-11: “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

One must allow God to have Sovereign leadership in her life via His Spirit. Only then will the Spirit-led individual turn away from the follies of the world and its sin, and allow Christ to dwell within the life, to be redeemed fully in life, even after we are dead. What is the outcome of surrendering your life to Christ? “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life”. (Romans 6:22) You will also enjoy peace and confidence, when the struggle of your flesh — once competing with and hostile to God, in continuance to usurp the Spirit — is decisively stopped by your own choice to surrender: “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” (Isaiah 32:17 ESV)

This is backed up by many other scriptures such as: “If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume all adversaries.…” (Hebrew 10:26-27) Deliberately choosing sin over following the Holy Spirit is a serious problem of misappropriated, self-driven, lustful priorities that offer no hope of eternal life.

“Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.” (Roman 6;19 NLT)

Only by co-operating with the Lord Jesus, to allow his Spirit to give you the power as you invite him into your heart to be with you, can you move away from worldliness to peace in Christ. It is only by faith in Christ and his Spirit guiding you, that this is achievable. “Without me, you can do nothing…I am the resurrection and the life”. (Jesus) “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11 KJV) We will then be fully ransomed, (as Paul intended to teach) by God the Father, right into eternal life to live forever with his son Jesus Christ! And this work of redemption from sin and the world is always and only achieved by faith in Christ and his indwelling Spirit: “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)

1 Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 266). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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Abbreviations for the Bible Books

 As I write, I find my style of abbreviation for the Bible books changes from the full text like Charles Stanley, to an abbreviated style especially if it is used in a more scholarly study. Here is one that I quite like for its brevity initiated by Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB).
  • Gn Genesis
  • Ex Exodus
  • Lv Leviticus
  • Nm Numbers
  • Dt Deuteronomy
  • Jos Joshua
  • Jdg Judges
  • Ru Ruth
  • 1 Sm 1 Samuel
  • 2 Sm 2 Samuel
  • 1 Kg 1 Kings
  • 2 Kg 2 Kings
  • 1 Ch 1 Chronicles
  • 2 Ch 2 Chronicles
  • Ezr Ezra
  • Neh Nehemiah
  • Est Esther
  • Jb Job
  • Ps Psalms
  • Pr Proverbs
  • Ec Ecclesiastes
  • Sg Song of Songs
  • Is Isaiah
  • Jr Jeremiah
  • Lm Lamentations
  • Ezk Ezekiel
  • Dn Daniel
  • Hs Hosea
  • Jl Joel
  • Am Amos
  • Ob Obadiah
  • Jnh Jonah
  • Mc Micah
  • Nah Nahum
  • Hab Habakkuk
  • Zph Zephaniah
  • Hg Haggai
  • Zch Zechariah
  • Mal Malachi
  • Mt Matthew
  • Mk Mark
  • Lk Luke
  • Jn John
  • Ac Acts
  • Rm Romans
  • 1 Co 1 Corinthians
  • 2 Co 2 Corinthians
  • Gl Galatians
  • Eph Ephesians
  • Php Philippians
  • Col Colossians
  • 1 Th 1 Thessalonians
  • 2 Th 2 Thessalonians
  • 1 Tm 1 Timothy
  • 2 Tm 2 Timothy
  • Ti Titus
  • Phm Philemon
  • Heb Hebrews
  • Jms James
  • 1 Pt 1 Peter
  • 2 Pt 2 Peter
  • 1 Jn 1 John 2
  • Jn 2 John
  • 3 Jn 3 John
  • Jd Jude
  • Rv Revelation
Discernment and Thinking, Holiness as Responsible Sanctification, Purpose Driven Life for Yahweh, Uncategorized

Transferred out of darkness

“He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves” (Colossians 1:13) This is what your heavenly father did, and offers each one of us to accept — “He has rescued you — He has rescued us…”

There are two facts to consider in our text—that I am dead to sin and its reign over me and that I am alive to God, united to Him who strengthens me—that I can keep sin from reigning in my mortal body.

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones says:

“To realise this takes away from us that old sense of hopelessness which we have all known and felt because of the terrible power of sin….How does it work? It works in this way: I lose my sense of hopelessness because I can say to myself that not only am I no longer under the dominion of sin, but I am under the dominion of another power that nothing can frustrate. However weak I may be, it is the power of God that is working in me.”

The apostle Paul emphasised that God, the Father had translated us out of the kingdom of darkness when we came to unify with Christ through His Holy Spirit.

Once this important truth assimilates with other supporting scriptures, we begin to experience a new freedom, an exciting victory over the darkness that surrounds us in this world. Once we see this, we will trust God to deliver us from temptation and call on Him to engage the enemy for us.

We are to walk in newness of life, allowing God to renew our mind. Grasp the significance of being transferred spiritually out of old patterns of being selfish, colluding with the lusts of the flesh, to one based on love for God and mercy for others. New habits of obedience to Christ align with scripture reforming new thinking patterns.

Studies have proven that our brain creates new neurological maps when we change our habits concerning goal setting. For this reason, our primary purpose as Christians must be to “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 6:11)

“What is the significance of being alive unto God? How does it help us in our pursuit of holiness? For one thing, it means we are united with Christ in all His power. It is certainly true we cannot live a holy life in our own strength. Christianity is not a do-it-yourself thing.” 1

Paul prayed with absolute trust: “that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” and noted that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:16, 20)

1 Bridges, J. (1978). The pursuit of holiness (p. 69). Colorado Springs: Navpress.

 

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The Story of Christ’s Redemption

“Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshippers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.”  (Hb 10:1 HCSB)

A metaphor allows us to perceive a reality by use of a symbol. It also was used by God to help us understand the story of the redemption of Jesus. Jesus became the true sacrificial Lamb of God expressed in the very first Passover. The Jews experienced God’s mercy in Egypt before the exodus led by Moses. In the life of Christ, we see a lived-out expansion of this metaphor to express His self-sacrifice, in reality, to produce a strong visual. The Gospel story presents the real live story of the expression of this symbol – the actual redemption — the salvation of the human race.

Why God uses Living Symbols Metaphors are the highest form of language, used to join many combined elements of truth over time, unifying them into a conscious whole – a visual that many minds might otherwise misunderstand. For example, in physics, via math, symbols (atomic simples), when unified present logical truths such as Einstein’s E=MC2.

Metaphoric symbols were used in the old testament depicting lambs being slain by the Jewish priesthood. These were symbolic types of the future sacrifice Christ would offer on the cross. These present pictorial imagery by linking metaphoric components to rationally help us understand the larger sweep of the story of redemption.

Christ dying on the cross was no accident. It was planned since post-creation to redeem failing humans from the complexities of evil. We must see evil as destroying life by denying God’s moral laws — His love maxims. Through the cross of Christ God brings man into a consciousness of sin versus pure living via the assistance of the Spirit, and his need to be saved by God’s indwelling empowerment of sanctifying the will, to reject the selfishness of sin. Love is the binding axiom of the entire story of our need to appreciate this initiating love which flows from the heart of God and forms moral law and binds justice, though transgressed by our failures, from which we can be redeemed.

A covenant is a Biblical term for an agreement. Currently, we are in the New Covenant (NC) period of redemption and are called to come into union with God. Most Christians can know that Jesus is unified to God at least from the teaching of the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit as One. Some view the Triune God as a metaphor used for man to understand the unities of the Character of God. The Father gives us the beautiful picture of the control and stability of a unified household running smoothly in love; the Son gives us the view of God as the creator of man, as One with us in brotherhood, to the degree that He would die in our stead; the Spirit is the invisible God that operates in all spheres creating and rearranging all atomic and mental unities of consciousness and continues to renew minds which are spiritually born again.

Life is a journey in God’s reality or our own delusion. When I had my vision of Christ in my mid-twenties I did not foresee that I would be baptised as a believer,  eventfully be called to work for a Christian publishing enterprise, would own a financial publishing house, continue to teach the New Covenant of Christ, preach, write and publish advice about faith in our Lord. Looking back my life had many ups and downs, serious challenges, and continues to daily drive me to me knees in prayer for my children and grandchildren.

We all have freedom of choice to determine our destiny. God allows us to operate in life in our free will. Hence, you can even choose to reject salvation. No man is pressured to accept Jesus Christ as Sovereign. He never forces His agenda though He does act to make us aware of His grace and love extending to us.

Living life can be seen as a progressive metaphoric journey. God may even warn you through discipline that he gave you ears to spiritually listen to Him, even though you may have closed them to avoid awareness of His mercy. (see Christ’s use of ears as a metaphor).

A prodigal may fall into a metaphoric real-life pit of sin, as God teaches consequential lessons about the danger of self-dependency without Him. Others may ruin a marriage through adultery. We all have eyes to see, but we can blind our mental awareness by an addiction such as drinking alcohol daily. But God can lift anyone who surrenders his or her life to Him, up out of self-induced delusion. (see christ’s use of eyes as a spiritual metaphor)

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The New Covenant and Law

“In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete” (Hb 8: 13 ESV)

The book of Hebrews presents the New Covenant of God as replacing the Old Covenant given to the previous Hebrew generations through Moses:

“Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbour and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hb 8: 6-12 ESV)

The New Covenant is Universal The apostle Paul, elaborated this truth of the New Covenant to be not only for the Jews but for all people. “Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.'” (Gl 3:8) In Romans 3:20 Paul stated: “since there is One God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.” Uncircumsized means all nations inclusive with the believing Jews who were circumcised. Paul was selected by Jesus to teach the gospel covenant to both the Gentile — which means non-Jew — and to the Jews: “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Ac 9:15)

When God gave Abraham — the forefather of all the Jews — a son He said: “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Gn 12:3) and “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Gn 22:18) There are many proofs that the New Covenant was designed for all the human race.

Christ Himself choose his disciples commanding them to make this a universal effort to include all mankind: “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” (Mk 16:15 NLT)

We are in the period of time God refers to as the New Covenant (NC) which began at the death of Jesus Christ. He has made it very clear that His substitutionary death and salvation is for al the human race!

The New Covenant redefines moral law As followers of Christ, the moral law is now written on our hearts with the two maxims informing all NC ethical principles. The two primary principles that all moral law springs from in the universe, are based on Christ’s teaching. (see Mk 12:28-31 HCSB). They are:

1) Love God first, and
2) Love others as you prefer to be loved.

When viewed through the filter of love, the moral law is refreshingly perceived as non-threatening life-guidance. Law is now appreciated because of what Christ has done for us on the cross also out of love for others — for you and I — for the entire human race.

He died as a propitiation (substitutionary death) for our sins. Sin is the transgression of the law of God, in relation to how we have erringly crossed the love-boundaries — the two primary conscious formations of law — and harmed others or disrespected God through ingratitude or denying His existence and authority over our life: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rm 3:23)

The New Covenant is expressed by Love We can now perceive God’s love because He first expressed His love to all of us. In the life and death of Jesus Christ, God reaches out to us and to all men and women of the world. In theological terms: God calls each of us into reconciliation with Himself by His action of propitiation – through Christ’s self-sacrificing love, bearing our sin on the cross. When we respond to Christ’s love and live accordingly, such “Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.” (Rm 13:10 NIV)

The death of Christ was considered a righteous act as was His selfless life, and repeated demonstration of love for others, including many who were considered undesirables – sinners of the worst kind! Thus, only Christ is righteous. Most of our righteousness is accounted as “filthy rags” in comparison to Jesus. Isaiah, a prophet who had the most to say of the coming Messiah put is this way: “All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment (Is 64:6)

If you believe you are sinless, ask yourself if you have ever – in thought or deed – missed the mark of loving others. Or if you have denied expressing gratitude to God for His gifts of life and His love to you, like your family: parent, spouse or child. Stop for a moment, and listen to the truth in your own heart, without comparing yourself to any other sinner – such as “I am pretty good compared to ____”.

When we believe, His righteousness is mercifully gifted to cover not only the shame of remorse for sin but also freeing us from judicial danger if we feel we are in disunion with God. Faith in Christ discharges us from the law’s claim upon us. Without Christ, we remain guilty.

The New Covenant teaches that we are Justified by Faith Legally speaking, God’s verdict on the believer’s behalf is: You are acquitted – not found guilty. The theological term is “you are justified by faith alone in Christ”. His very own righteousness is imputed to us, or “covers us with His love” having paid the sin debt, and continues to cover us if we slip up here and there until we meet Him at the end of our lives — at His second coming when those accounted righteous will be separated from the evil-doers. God will view us as righteous due to the work of Jesus on our behalf — this attributed righteousness is “also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Rm 4:24)

“And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. (Rm 3:22-24)

For those who reject His mercy, judgement will follow many to the grave, until the second coming. At that time, there will be a court of judgment established by Christ the Magistrate of Justice. (see 1 Th 4:16-18 HCSB) For now, He is patient, not wanting any to perish. This extended mercy is to allow time each one of us time to accept Him and His sacrificial death on our behalf. (see 2 Peter 3:9)

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Christ offers the New Covenant while applying the Passover symbols to Himself.

Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:27-28 HCS)

As Jesus ate the last supper with his disciples, it is important to know that this was during the Jewish Passover celebrated in Jerusalem — the celebration of the Egyptian Exodus — when they ate the Passover Meal (the Jewish Seder meal) on Saturday. The Jewish Passover date still lines up closely on the calendar following the Christian period of Good Friday when Christ was crucified; and Easter Sunday, the first day of the Jewish week when Jesus was resurrected.

John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jo 1:29). Jesus’ fulfilled the Jewish festal symbolism related to the “Lamb of God,” notably, the Passover metaphor of blood. Thus we see Jesus’ celebration of the pre-cross Passover with the Apostles who were his select representatives of his new messianic community, portraying Himself to them as the Passover sacrifice to which the Egypt experience of deliverance pointed.

The first Passover in the Old Testament began just before the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. God told them to mark their door lintels with the blood of a lamb. When the destroying angel saw the blood, it passed over the homes with the blood, evidence that they were Yahweh’s children. The angel killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians motivating Pharaoh to let Yahweh’s children go finally!

The metaphor of Christ as our Passover was doubly evident when He presented the bread as His body which would be beaten by the Romans and hung on the cross of Calvary. The first Passover meal in Egypt included unleavened bread, typifying Christ’s body and the symbolism of this meal which reenacts every time Christians have communion with these two symbols:

“Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take and eat it; this is My body’”. (Mt 26:26)

“Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins’”. (Mt 26:27-28)

The wine Christ offered his disciples symbolises the blood He would shed for humanity – a new Exodus for lives breaking free from the power of sin and the judgement of the written law (failure of which results in eternal death) by symbolising the blood smeared on the doorposts during the Passover in Egypt. We see this in the writings of Paul: “for Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast or with the yeast of malice and evil but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Co 5:7a-8); and in Romans 8:1-3:

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering.”

As the Israelites were God’s delivered children coming out of Egypt, Christians are now referred to as God’s children, saved from the condemnation of the moral law, by Christs’s atoning sacrifice when He died on the cross. We now are offered the Holy Spirit to indwell our minds and lead us as we live in Christ’s spiritual kingdom under the New Covenant in contradistinction to living as the Jews did under the Mosaic code of law to motivate obedience:

“So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ”. (Rm 8:12-17)