Galatians 3:2-3
Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Truth: All parts of salvation are by grace through faith!! There is much talk in the church today about the doctrine of sanctification. Sanctification is the doctrine of becoming Holy and shaped into the image of Christ. The debate is what part do WE play in our sanctification ... our becoming holy. Some would tells us that God "saves" us and then we in "obedience" perfect that salvation through works. Others would say that once we are saved, we do nothing else. That process, after our initial salvation is called, "sanctification." However, it should be noted that the "after" we are saved part is misleading. Salvation begins with Predestination (something done prior to the universe being formed) and ends with Glorification (something done when we stand with Christ in heaven) ... see Romans 8 for that chain that is never broken:
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Paul is quite clear in his letter to the Thessalonians in regard to who does the "sanctification" leg of salvation:
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASBStr)
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.
Yet, despite clear statements in the Scriptures, false teachers attempt to convince the church that sactification is something we do rather than something that is happening in us, by the Spirit. However, no Scripture can be as clear as the one in the above text written to the churches in the region of Galatia. They were tempted to leave the gospel Paul had taught them and, instead, believe in a gospel taught by false teachers, Paul thought should be accursed ... he actually tells us twice they are accursed (Galatians 1:7-9). Paul warns the believers in Galatia to make sure they are not lead astray by a gospel that starts with faith, but is finished by works. This is what many in the modern church preach. They would tell us that salvation is by faith. However, if you listen to their preaching you will soon come to realize that my "staying" saved is based upon my doing the things they list out in their sermons and comments that indicate you are "doing" to show you are part of the "community." This might be ever so faint, but any works that attribute any part of salvation to works is false teaching. Paul tells us in numerous occasions that sanctification is, like justification, through faith. It is the Spirit that does the sanctification (shapes us into the image of Christ) and, as the above passage states, the Spirit is given to us by faith. The fruit that demonstrates we are in the faith is not the fruit of a franchise church system or denominational creed. The fruit that proves we are in the Body of Christ is the the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul will later list in this book of Galatians (see Galatians 5:22-23). The truth is God justified us by faith and He is sanctifying us by faith. Good works are a result of what He does in us, not something we do for Him to prove our faith.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Truth #153 - God honors those who submit to His authroity - Luke 7-8
Luke 7:8-9
For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Truth: Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority. The above passage is taken from the story of the Centurion who had a servant on his death bed. The Centurion had done much for the Jews (he actually funded the building a synagogue). In this story the Centurion sends his servants to Christ requesting Christ to heal the servant. Jesus agrees and leaves with them headed for the Centurion's home. But, the Centurion recognizing the power of authority, makes the above statement. He recognizes that Jesus must in authority because he has heard the great things Jesus has done. In Luke 7:3 we are told he "heard" of the great things Jesus had done. That is enough for him to put his faith in the authority of Jesus words. This is why Jesus states what He states in the above passage. The Centurion recognizes the power of authority and submitting to it. Men need to be under authority. The ability to go under authority is a mark of humility. Read Philippians 2:5-11 about Christ coming under authority. Christ left the glory of heaven to come under the authority of the Heavenly Father. Submitting to authority is a large mark in maturity. It is also a large mark of faith. Notice what Paul tells us in Romans 13 about submitting to the authority of the government. Notice what Paul says to women about submitting to the authority of their husbands in Ephesians 5:22. Notice the command to submit to the leadership of the church in Hebrews 13:17-19. Submitting to authority IS the mark of a mature person of faith. Our rebellious nature against God in the Garden of Eden in the beginning continues to this day. This is why Jesus was truck with the submissive nature of the Centurion. But, the Centurion had used his logic to come to faith. He recognized the hierarchal structure of the world. He say that one was under another. So, in his logic, he assumed that if Christ could cast out demons Christ was at the top of the hierarchal chain. It is "faith" that is rewarded and that is a gift from God. But, it is also his mind that allowed him to process the events of the day to conclude that Christ must be Deity and he should put his faith in Jesus. His willingness to submit to authority opened up the benefits of his faith that affected the life of his servant. Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority.
For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Truth: Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority. The above passage is taken from the story of the Centurion who had a servant on his death bed. The Centurion had done much for the Jews (he actually funded the building a synagogue). In this story the Centurion sends his servants to Christ requesting Christ to heal the servant. Jesus agrees and leaves with them headed for the Centurion's home. But, the Centurion recognizing the power of authority, makes the above statement. He recognizes that Jesus must in authority because he has heard the great things Jesus has done. In Luke 7:3 we are told he "heard" of the great things Jesus had done. That is enough for him to put his faith in the authority of Jesus words. This is why Jesus states what He states in the above passage. The Centurion recognizes the power of authority and submitting to it. Men need to be under authority. The ability to go under authority is a mark of humility. Read Philippians 2:5-11 about Christ coming under authority. Christ left the glory of heaven to come under the authority of the Heavenly Father. Submitting to authority is a large mark in maturity. It is also a large mark of faith. Notice what Paul tells us in Romans 13 about submitting to the authority of the government. Notice what Paul says to women about submitting to the authority of their husbands in Ephesians 5:22. Notice the command to submit to the leadership of the church in Hebrews 13:17-19. Submitting to authority IS the mark of a mature person of faith. Our rebellious nature against God in the Garden of Eden in the beginning continues to this day. This is why Jesus was truck with the submissive nature of the Centurion. But, the Centurion had used his logic to come to faith. He recognized the hierarchal structure of the world. He say that one was under another. So, in his logic, he assumed that if Christ could cast out demons Christ was at the top of the hierarchal chain. It is "faith" that is rewarded and that is a gift from God. But, it is also his mind that allowed him to process the events of the day to conclude that Christ must be Deity and he should put his faith in Jesus. His willingness to submit to authority opened up the benefits of his faith that affected the life of his servant. Christ expects, honors and rewards those who submit to authority.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Truth #152 - God will judge ... every nation, people - Jeremiah 49-52
Jeremiah 48:7
For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures,
you also shall be taken;
and Chemosh shall go into exile
with his priests and his officials.
Truth: If God brings judgement on His people, He will judge the non-believer ... even if He used the non-believer to judge His people. In the last chapters of Jeremiah the prophet prophecies the "woes" on the surrounding nations of Judah, as well as the "hammer of God," Babylon. Babylon and the surrounding nations have been used by God as His hammer to punish His people. Now, they too, must meet their discipline. God is a God of justice and no one escapes that judgment. In this particular chapter God is giving the woe agains Moab. The Moabites where a thorn in Judah's side for generation. They were supposed to be wiped out (like sin in our lives) but were allowed to remain (like sin in our lives) ... so they continued to torment Judah (like sin in our lives). The above verse gives us a good summary of Moab's discipline and of the other surrounding nations. Like many nations (and many people), Moab had trusted in their own riches and treasures. Yet, God would bring not only their treasures down, but also their gods into captivity. "Chemosh" in the above passage is the name of one of the Moabites gods. It was not uncommon that when a city or nation was taken captive that the captors would not only take all the material goods, but also the gods of those they had conquered. When we fail to trust in God, He disciplines us, and the things we trusted in and put our faith in (our gods) He also destroys. God also states, in the above passage, that He will take captive the religious and political leaders. Moab would be taken captive and her riches, gods and leaders would all be destroyed. Imagine, if in any society, God had done the same thing ... taken captive your treasure, faith and leadership? What would the results be? The financial, political and religious stability of the land would be destroyed. God will not allow anyone, no matter who they are, to live separate from Him. We might see the structures and powers of this world seem to be in charge and enjoying their power. However, God will judge them for this. God will not allow anyone to escape His justice. God has, through Christ, defeated death and the punishment of death in our lives, however. Through faith we have overcome death and the legal demands of God's justice. Note what Paul tells the Colossian believers:
Colossians 2:13-14
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The only way to escape God's justice is to allow Him, through faith, to pay for the penalty of sin, through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The nations surrounding Judah, like Judah herself, had failed to see God's mercy and thus had to endure His justice.
For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures,
you also shall be taken;
and Chemosh shall go into exile
with his priests and his officials.
Truth: If God brings judgement on His people, He will judge the non-believer ... even if He used the non-believer to judge His people. In the last chapters of Jeremiah the prophet prophecies the "woes" on the surrounding nations of Judah, as well as the "hammer of God," Babylon. Babylon and the surrounding nations have been used by God as His hammer to punish His people. Now, they too, must meet their discipline. God is a God of justice and no one escapes that judgment. In this particular chapter God is giving the woe agains Moab. The Moabites where a thorn in Judah's side for generation. They were supposed to be wiped out (like sin in our lives) but were allowed to remain (like sin in our lives) ... so they continued to torment Judah (like sin in our lives). The above verse gives us a good summary of Moab's discipline and of the other surrounding nations. Like many nations (and many people), Moab had trusted in their own riches and treasures. Yet, God would bring not only their treasures down, but also their gods into captivity. "Chemosh" in the above passage is the name of one of the Moabites gods. It was not uncommon that when a city or nation was taken captive that the captors would not only take all the material goods, but also the gods of those they had conquered. When we fail to trust in God, He disciplines us, and the things we trusted in and put our faith in (our gods) He also destroys. God also states, in the above passage, that He will take captive the religious and political leaders. Moab would be taken captive and her riches, gods and leaders would all be destroyed. Imagine, if in any society, God had done the same thing ... taken captive your treasure, faith and leadership? What would the results be? The financial, political and religious stability of the land would be destroyed. God will not allow anyone, no matter who they are, to live separate from Him. We might see the structures and powers of this world seem to be in charge and enjoying their power. However, God will judge them for this. God will not allow anyone to escape His justice. God has, through Christ, defeated death and the punishment of death in our lives, however. Through faith we have overcome death and the legal demands of God's justice. Note what Paul tells the Colossian believers:
Colossians 2:13-14
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The only way to escape God's justice is to allow Him, through faith, to pay for the penalty of sin, through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The nations surrounding Judah, like Judah herself, had failed to see God's mercy and thus had to endure His justice.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Truth #151 - God provides all the wisdom we need - Proverbs 1
Proverbs 1:2-6
To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
Solomon wrote Proverbs for a specific purpose. And, like a good writer or speaker, he outlines that purpose right off the top of the writings. In these few verses of Proverbs, Solomon tells us that he wants this collection of proverbs to assist us in "knowing wisdom and instruction" and to equipped us in the "discernment" of these very sayings of understanding. Stated another way he wants us to know what wisdom and proper instruction of life is all about and to have the discernment to know how to exact it. Our libraries and book stores are full of words from mere men who hope to give us wisdom and instruction. They hope to provide us with discerment in our lives. In reality, God's Word is the only book that can accomplish that. Solomon doesn't try to hide that fact. He bodly states what all should know: God's Word provides all we need for wisdom and instruction in life to be discerning. Yet, the world doesn't see it. They ignore the Word and they search through meaningless pages of wit looking for real wisdom. The God of the universe has given it to them. Right here in Proverbs. Read them with the faith that what Solomon hoped to accomplish will be accomplished in the lives of all who read here.
To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
Solomon wrote Proverbs for a specific purpose. And, like a good writer or speaker, he outlines that purpose right off the top of the writings. In these few verses of Proverbs, Solomon tells us that he wants this collection of proverbs to assist us in "knowing wisdom and instruction" and to equipped us in the "discernment" of these very sayings of understanding. Stated another way he wants us to know what wisdom and proper instruction of life is all about and to have the discernment to know how to exact it. Our libraries and book stores are full of words from mere men who hope to give us wisdom and instruction. They hope to provide us with discerment in our lives. In reality, God's Word is the only book that can accomplish that. Solomon doesn't try to hide that fact. He bodly states what all should know: God's Word provides all we need for wisdom and instruction in life to be discerning. Yet, the world doesn't see it. They ignore the Word and they search through meaningless pages of wit looking for real wisdom. The God of the universe has given it to them. Right here in Proverbs. Read them with the faith that what Solomon hoped to accomplish will be accomplished in the lives of all who read here.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Truth #150 - We are to long for God! Psalm 63-65
Psalms 63:1
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Truth: God is the most important pursuit known to man! Have you ever made a statement as the following: "I am so hungry! I am starving for _______!! ... and then, fill in the blank with whatever has your taste buds now. Or, have you ever searched through the web for something like a car you desire, a chair to fit that corner of the room, a shoe type that perfectly matches that dress, or any other item you have scanned the complete internet to find? Have you ever lost something in your home and turned the entire house up-side-down to find it? You huff and puff until you blow up every room to locate that one thing you were so desirous to find. Look through these statements and what do you find as a theme? They are about having an earnest desire for something temporal. No man is exempt from the pursuit of the temporal. Yet, in the above passage David tells us of his pursuit: The Eternal, Immortal God of the universe. David sought God as though he were in a desert place, dying of thirst and God was his only water. When we get a new car we look at it through the window and admire our purchase. When we get a new home we take pictures and show our friends. When we get a new job we shout from the rooftops about it. These are things that are important but are only temporary in our lives. I have lived in 20 different homes or apartments in my sixty-plus years of life ... that's assuming I counted them all. They are all temporary. God has given us Himself, an eternal Being to rejoice and long for. We ought to measure our spiritual depth by how much we pursue our relationship with Him and think of Him. A newly wedded couple spends the days and nights before and right after their wedding longing for each other. That longing is what David is talking about in the Psalm. If we are not in the mode of longing and we have something else in the way of that desire, we have something wrong in our daily life with Him. He is to be longed for as though we are to die of thirst without Him!!!
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Truth: God is the most important pursuit known to man! Have you ever made a statement as the following: "I am so hungry! I am starving for _______!! ... and then, fill in the blank with whatever has your taste buds now. Or, have you ever searched through the web for something like a car you desire, a chair to fit that corner of the room, a shoe type that perfectly matches that dress, or any other item you have scanned the complete internet to find? Have you ever lost something in your home and turned the entire house up-side-down to find it? You huff and puff until you blow up every room to locate that one thing you were so desirous to find. Look through these statements and what do you find as a theme? They are about having an earnest desire for something temporal. No man is exempt from the pursuit of the temporal. Yet, in the above passage David tells us of his pursuit: The Eternal, Immortal God of the universe. David sought God as though he were in a desert place, dying of thirst and God was his only water. When we get a new car we look at it through the window and admire our purchase. When we get a new home we take pictures and show our friends. When we get a new job we shout from the rooftops about it. These are things that are important but are only temporary in our lives. I have lived in 20 different homes or apartments in my sixty-plus years of life ... that's assuming I counted them all. They are all temporary. God has given us Himself, an eternal Being to rejoice and long for. We ought to measure our spiritual depth by how much we pursue our relationship with Him and think of Him. A newly wedded couple spends the days and nights before and right after their wedding longing for each other. That longing is what David is talking about in the Psalm. If we are not in the mode of longing and we have something else in the way of that desire, we have something wrong in our daily life with Him. He is to be longed for as though we are to die of thirst without Him!!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Truth #149 - God supplies wisdom to those who want it - 1 Kings 1-4
1 Kings 4:29-30
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Truth: God gives us the tools and insights we need to accomplish His tasks in His plans. We don't know the exact age of Solomon when the above passage was written about him. Some believe he could have been in his early teens, while others in his early twenties. There are even some who put him pre-teens, at this point. But, although we don't know his chronological age, we certainly know the limits of his leadership acumen. Solomon had little experience in making judgments about the land, the law, or the legal. Solomon was, however, raised in the royal court of his father, King David. He did have some knowledge of the hallways and the staircases. Yet, that would not have qualified him for what we read about him. When asked by God to have his desires filled, Solomon choose wisdom and knowledge as a gift from God rather than power, position, property or prestige (Px4). Yet, having asked God for wisdom and understanding, those lead to the Px4. God gives blessings to those who seek wisdom because those who seek wisdom, in faith, will get that wisdom and that wisdom will, in turn, give them discernment to make great choices. Those choices will produce a Px4 life style. God gives wisdom freely to those who wish to seek it by true faith:
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Solomon approached God in faith (he was sacrificing to God when God asked him for his request). Solomon was given wisdom and that wisdom was used to make great choices for the kingdom. We ought not seek the Px4 life. We ought to seek wisdom in the knowledge of God. In turn God will give us power, position, property and prestige ... in a manner we may not even think ... in a time we may not even realize ... in a place we may not have seen.
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Truth: God gives us the tools and insights we need to accomplish His tasks in His plans. We don't know the exact age of Solomon when the above passage was written about him. Some believe he could have been in his early teens, while others in his early twenties. There are even some who put him pre-teens, at this point. But, although we don't know his chronological age, we certainly know the limits of his leadership acumen. Solomon had little experience in making judgments about the land, the law, or the legal. Solomon was, however, raised in the royal court of his father, King David. He did have some knowledge of the hallways and the staircases. Yet, that would not have qualified him for what we read about him. When asked by God to have his desires filled, Solomon choose wisdom and knowledge as a gift from God rather than power, position, property or prestige (Px4). Yet, having asked God for wisdom and understanding, those lead to the Px4. God gives blessings to those who seek wisdom because those who seek wisdom, in faith, will get that wisdom and that wisdom will, in turn, give them discernment to make great choices. Those choices will produce a Px4 life style. God gives wisdom freely to those who wish to seek it by true faith:
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Solomon approached God in faith (he was sacrificing to God when God asked him for his request). Solomon was given wisdom and that wisdom was used to make great choices for the kingdom. We ought not seek the Px4 life. We ought to seek wisdom in the knowledge of God. In turn God will give us power, position, property and prestige ... in a manner we may not even think ... in a time we may not even realize ... in a place we may not have seen.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Truth #148 - God will prevent others from sinning when we obey Him!! Exodus 33-36
Exodus 34:24
For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.
Truth: God will prevent others from sinning when they obey Him! The nation of Israel was God's chosen people. But, what good would it be to be chosen if you had to no blessings or benefits from the choice. The fact that they were chosen implies benefits. There were many, many benefits giving to the nation of Israel. Read Romans 9:1-5 and Paul lists some of them. One of the "physical" blessings given to them was this land. The land was part of the covenant. The land is the tangible evidence of their unique calling ... to every Israelite, past and present and future. They missed the point of Christ setting up an eternal and an invisible kingdom. They have and, probably will be, always be focused on the land. And, if we read the book of The Revelation, we can see that in the end, much fighting will continue about the land ... as it does today. The nations are fighting of the land. Other nations "want" the land. They are doing every thing they can do to get the land. And, yet, read the above passage. God is telling them that if they will obey Him and worship Him, He will even stop the non-believer from sinning ... He will stop the other nations from coveting their land. They (Israel) are in a crisis today because they refuse to obey the Word of God and accept their Messiah, Jesus the Christ. God is obligated to bless them, only if they obey. The covenant of the land was based upon their obedience to Christ. God gives us promises and if, by faith, we obey them, the blessings flow. He will make others to be at peach with us, is a great example of that truth (Romans 12:16-17). We lose out on God's blessing when we fail to honor Him with our obedience by faith. God can prevent others from sinning if we obey Him. That is truth we seldom realize but is always true.
For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.
Truth: God will prevent others from sinning when they obey Him! The nation of Israel was God's chosen people. But, what good would it be to be chosen if you had to no blessings or benefits from the choice. The fact that they were chosen implies benefits. There were many, many benefits giving to the nation of Israel. Read Romans 9:1-5 and Paul lists some of them. One of the "physical" blessings given to them was this land. The land was part of the covenant. The land is the tangible evidence of their unique calling ... to every Israelite, past and present and future. They missed the point of Christ setting up an eternal and an invisible kingdom. They have and, probably will be, always be focused on the land. And, if we read the book of The Revelation, we can see that in the end, much fighting will continue about the land ... as it does today. The nations are fighting of the land. Other nations "want" the land. They are doing every thing they can do to get the land. And, yet, read the above passage. God is telling them that if they will obey Him and worship Him, He will even stop the non-believer from sinning ... He will stop the other nations from coveting their land. They (Israel) are in a crisis today because they refuse to obey the Word of God and accept their Messiah, Jesus the Christ. God is obligated to bless them, only if they obey. The covenant of the land was based upon their obedience to Christ. God gives us promises and if, by faith, we obey them, the blessings flow. He will make others to be at peach with us, is a great example of that truth (Romans 12:16-17). We lose out on God's blessing when we fail to honor Him with our obedience by faith. God can prevent others from sinning if we obey Him. That is truth we seldom realize but is always true.
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