We Live Unto The Lord?

We live unto the Lord, Rom. 14:8

“If God had willed it, each of us might have entered heaven at the moment of conversion. It was not absolutely necessary for our preparation for immortality that we should tarry here. It is possible for a man to be taken to heaven, and to be found meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light, though he has but just believed in Jesus. It is true that our sanctification is a long and continued process, and we shall not be perfected till we lay aside our bodies and enter within the veil; but nevertheless, had the Lord so willed it, He might have changed us from imperfection to perfection, and have taken us to heaven at once.

Jew and Gentile in the Bible

The Old Testament was (for the Jew) God’s prophetic message of redemption and
restoration to Israel as a Kingdom of priests. It was God’s plan for Israel to become a holy nation to then go and reconcile the rest of the world to God. But they, with exceptions, rebelled continually against God’s Sovereignty. They never had the faith in God that He would accomplish what He promised. Israel repeatedly rejected God’s rule over them in their sin of unbelief. The Old Testament record is of God dealing primarily with the Jews only. In the 2000 years from Abraham, Gen. 12, to Acts 7, few Gentiles were saved, Eph. 2:11-12.

The Old Concealed - The New Revealed

"What is in the Old concealed, is in the New revealed" ~Augustine

If you keep reading the Old Testament you will read about the mysteries of God that even the prophets didn’t know about as Peter wrote, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time (when), the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (two advents). To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to you they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12.

Rejoice !!!

Luke 10:20 says, "Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven!"





If you are a born-again believer, your name is  written in Heaven! Secure in the eternal book of God. Secured by the blood of the Lamb. Our names, personally inscribed by the omnipotent hand of God, is known in the glory of heaven, not because of any merit on our part, or success here on Earth, nor popularity; but because of God’s love and grace. And Heaven rejoices over us.

The Glory of the Redeemer

John 1:10-14 says, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own (that which belongs to Himself) and His own people (fellow countrymen) did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power (authority) to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Crucify Him

John 19... Jesus has been arrested by the Pharisees and chief priests and is brought before Pilate, who interrogates Him. He, Pilate goes out to the crowd to tell them that he finds no fault in Jesus for anything, but he says in 18:39, “you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 But they all cried out, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Barabbas was a notorious insurrectionist and murderer no doubt awaiting death himself. So reluctantly, Pilate releases Barabbas and brings Jesus back inside, and had the soldiers scourge Him, and punch Him, and mock Him with the crown of thorns.

Do You Know What I Have Done Unto You?

In John 13, we read, that at His last Passover on earth, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. His chosen were clean once for always because they were His, not all of course. But they needed their feet washed. Jesus nevertheless washed Judas’ feet also. And in verse 12 Jesus said,
“Do You Know What I Have Done Unto You?”

Behold the Man

In John 18 and 19 we read of Jesus’s arrest. Then He was sent to Caiaphas, then to Pilate who questioned Him and scourged Him. After that, Pilate brought Him out to the crowd and said, “Behold the Man!” John 19:5

Pilate was essentially saying, "Here is Jesus. He is not your Messiah, He is not your king, He is not God. He is just a man."
Let us consider the man... Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. Heb. 12:3. 

What joy could possibly be worth enduring the pain, torture and humiliation of crucifixion? Could it be that Jesus would be exalted above all else in Heaven and Earth? Or that He would be King of Israel... and the world? Wouldn't that be selfish and vain of Jesus? The joy set before Jesus was redeeming the human race and all of creation, for God so loved the world.
See also John 10:11.

In The Beginning Was The Word

John 1:1, In the beginning... was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word was God.

This study begins with “the beginning” because it requires understanding. In the beginning is a vague and indistinct phrase. There is no definite place in time specified. We naturally think of Genesis 1:1 as the beginning of the time of creation. But in John 1:1, we should consider a “time” before creation, which was not a “time” in our sense of the word, but the eternity before time, or it could mean during the time of creation. In any case, the entire triune Godhead is outside of time but works within time as well. We are here introduced to a relationship before anything is created; the relationship of “the Word” to God.

Go And Cry Out To The gods You Have Chosen

Jeremiah 2:27-28 says, "They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble!"

God warns His people of old, that if they persisted in looking to their false gods in the time of prosperity--that they would have none but their idols to assist them in the season of adversity. In the same way, in times of prosperity, the unsaved not only neglect God but despise Him as well! They cast off all fear of God and serve their idols, to the utter neglect of God.

UNITY OF THE CLIQUE?

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

IF...

…It can mean a condition or qualification; a requirement, or a stipulation (Encarta ® World English Dictionary). a conjunction used to indicate the circumstances that would have to exist in order for an event to happen. The event that God would have happen is Salvation for all… God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” 2 Pet. 3:9. The circumstances that would have to exist are the perfect keeping of the laws of God; sinlessness and righteousness in our lives; a devotion to and worship of God. Can't do it!

CARNAL OR SPIRITUAL Part 2

The Carnal Christian?
I do not presume a carnal Christian to be one who only wants Jesus as a kind of hell-insurance policy, as some describe them. I suppose I believe such a person to not be a Christian at all. Because if such a person made any kind of profession of faith motivated solely by “give me a get-out-of-hell-free-card” then such a person does not understand his sin, nor his judgment, nor God’s Holiness, and least of all…the person of Jesus Christ. And chances are such a person’s life would demonstrate the lack of a regeneration which the spiritually discerning would recognize.

CARNAL OR SPIRITUAL?

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”.
Rom. 8:6 is my opening text, but for anyone desiring “context” I would suggest reading at least chapters 1-8. And then read also 1 Cor. chapters 1, 2 and 3. I would even go further to say that IF you are not studying the WHOLE Word of God, then you will seriously be lacking “context”.

GRACE

I am grieved, I mourn, I lament, I am distressed, I am pained by sorrow to hear/see/believe there are people who do not understand the gospel message…
G R A C E !!!  How then can anyone be saved?

One cannot have salvation if one does not understand Grace. That is to say; there is nothing of "works" in it. One cannot understand Grace if one does not understand sin; it is undeserved and unearned. One cannot understand sin if one does not understand what happened in the "garden"; man became totally separated from even coming to God without first repenting.

THE VEIL HIDES THE GLORY

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:7-18