Matthew 13
The Parable of the Sower
1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
The first question might be? What is a parable?
In simple, A parable is a brief allegory that is used to teach a moral lesson. An allegory is a form of expression in which the words are symbolic of something..
Christ used parables all through the gospels.
Ok, Let’s Dig into the different types of soil here:
These are the symbolizations Christ used for the moral teaching we will discuss in a few.
Wayside: This soil has been beaten very hard by people walking on it and the baking of the sun. This soil is hard as stone and very hard to break up.
Stony Places: It had very shallow soil on top of a layer of bedrock. Now from the top surface it looks fertile but there is no depth to sustain roots or reach water.
Thorns: Weeds! The roots that are still in the ground after plowing had been done.
Good Ground: self explanatory!
Now let’s go back and see what the parables mean, In 10-17 Jesus tells his disciples the purpose of the parables which we will dig in next time. But, In 18-23 Jesus tells his disciples the meaning of these parables. Let’s go back to these soils and get some understanding on how Jesus was taking a moral lesson and making it symbolic to types of soil.
The seed that was sown was the gospel: (this is the message to enter God’s kingdom, the sphere of salvation, the word of reconciliation)
The Wayside: The gospel never penetrates these souls so it disappears from the surface of their understanding, in this passage it is seen as the enemy snatching it away. You do not intend to worship God, or to be affected by anything that you hear. We could hope that our words would stay with you, but we cannot hope it, for the soil of your heart is so hard beaten by continual traffic, that there is no hope of the seed finding a living root to hold them down.
Which soil are you?
The Stony Place: Some people commit themselves to Christ in an emotional, superficial way, but their commitment is not real. No deep work of grace: no change in the ground of their heart. no deep conviction; and without this, good desires soon wither away. We all have seen thousands of hearers who receive the word with joy? They have no deep convictions though, but they leap into Christ on a sudden, and profess an instantaneous faith in him, and that faith has all the appearance of being genuine. When we look at it, the seed has really sprouted. We say to ourselves, there is a kind of life in it, there is apparently a green blade. We thank God that a sinner is brought back, a soul is born to God. But our joy is premature.
John the author of the gospel of John, 1 John 2 John, and Revelation says this in 1 John 2:19
They went out from us but they were not of us; if they had been of us they would still be with us: but they went out from us so that it might be made clear that they were not of us.
Which soil are you?
Thorns: The thorny ground represents those who are consumed by the cares and anxieties of this physical life and the deceitful enticements of wealth. The constant pressures of ordinary life—providing for our needs, education, employment, social duties, etc.—can be distracting, causing us to ignore God and Christian growth.
Wealth is enticing but never yields the expected rewards; it promises to make us happy but, when gained, does not. Further, in pursuing wealth, we are tempted to be dishonest, cheat, oppress, and take advantage of others.
These people commit superficially without truly repenting. They can’t break with the love of money and the world.
James 4:4 says it plain.
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Adulterer and Adulteress meaning spiritual unfaithfulness:
Which soil are You?
The Good Ground: The ground is described as "good": not that it was good by nature, but it had been made good by grace. God had ploughed it; he had stirred it up with the plough of conviction. When the gospel was preached, the heart received it. Just as there are 3 soils with no fruit, thus no salvation they are three kinds of good soil with fruit: Some thirty, some sixty, some a hundredfold. Believers are not all equally fruitful but fruitful none the less.
I ask again, which soil are You?
I love to end with Charles Spurgeon:
The preacher of the gospel is like the sower. He does not make his seed; it is given him by his divine Master. No man could create the smallest grain that ever grew upon the earth, much less the celestial seed of eternal life. The minister goes to his Master in secret, and asks him to teach him his gospel, and thus he fills his basket with the good seed of the kingdom. He then goes forth in his Master's name and scatters precious truth. If he knew where the best soil was to be found, perhaps he might limit himself to that which had been prepared by the plough of conviction; but not knowing men's hearts, it is his business to preach the gospel to every creature—to throw a handful on the hardened heart, and another on the mind which is overgrown with the cares and pleasures of the world. He has to leave the seed in the care of the Lord who gave it to him, for he is not responsible for the harvest, he is only accountable for the care and industry with which he does his work. If the reaper never responds, the sower will be rewarded by His Master if he had planted the right seed with careful hand. Our duty is not measured by the character of our hearers, but by the command of our God. We are bound to preach the gospel, whether men will hear, or not. It is ours to sow beside all waters. Let men's hearts be what they may, the minister must preach the gospel to them; he must sow the seed on the rock as well as in the furrow, on the highway as well as in the ploughed field.
Thank you for listening in, I pray this helped someone. Let’s grow, Let’s disciple and be discipled until the coming of our Lord Jesus!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Just Stand 1 Peter 5: 8-10
In conjunction with Episode 15 of Z180 Radio.
1 Peter 5: 8-10
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast
Be Sober; Be Vigilant
Sober here is marked by temperance, moderation or seriousness. We should be in a watchful purist of holiness. Why? A watchful attitude creates a pilgrim mentality. It reminds the Christian he is a citizen of heaven, a sojourner on earth. You see spiritual sober mindness includes the ideas of steadfastness (which is loyal, constant, unswerving), self control, clarity of mind and moral decisiveness.
You have to realize that the outside evil forces which come against the Christian demands us to be alert. We should not and cannot be care free. Why? Because of our adversary the devil that’s why. The greek word for devil means “slanderer” He is a malicious enemy maligns believers. That simply means he is a reputation killer, he is vicious and causes willful and wreck less damage.
So even though we believe in God’s sovereignty, we cannot be careless. We have to be vigilant which means to keep watch, stay awake be alert!!
Satan forces are always active. His desire is to overwhelm us with doubt, persecution and discouragement. He accuses us before God. He wants to convince God to abandon us. Be sure of this brothers and sisters of the faith, nothing can separate us from the Love of God.
Charles Spurgeon paints this picture:
Here comes Esau, hungry with hunting, there is a mess of pottage ready, that he may be tempted to sell his birthright. Here is Noah, glad to escape from his long confinement in the ark, he is merry and there is the wine-cup ready for him, that he may drink. Here is Peter, his faith is low, but his presumption is high, there is a maiden ready to say — “Thou also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” There is Judas, and there are thirty pieces of silver in the priestly hand to tempt him, ay, and there is the rope afterwards for him to hang himself with. If there be a Jonah, wishing to go to Tarshish rather than to Nineveh, there is a ship ready to take him. Satan has his providences as if to counterfeit the providence of God. At least, he knows how to use God’s providence to serve his own ends. One of the greatest mercies God bestows upon us is his not permitting our inclinations and opportunities to meet. Have you not sometimes noticed that when you had had the inclination to a sin there has been no opportunity, and when the opportunity has presented itself you have had no inclination towards it. Satan’s principal aim with believers is to bring their appetites and his temptations together; to get their souls into a dry, seared state, and then to strike the match and make them burn. He is so crafty and wily with all the experience of these many centuries, that man, who is but of yesterday, can scarcely be thought of as a match for him. Did he not drag down the wise man, even Solomon, whose wisdom was more excellent than any of the sons of men? Did he not cast down the strong man, Samson — who could slay a thousand Philistines, but who could not resist Delilah? Let us sorrowfully remember that we have hardly met with a perfect and an upright man against whom Satan has not vented his spleen, and over whom Satan has not in some degree triumphed.
9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
This means to live in accord with the truth of God’s word. As the believer knows sound doctrine and obeys God’s truth, Satan is withstood!
Be ready to tell him, “It is written”, “thus says the Lord”! Stand on the word of God!
I can appreciate the fact that us as believers are always going through similar trials. We experience the same sufferings, some more or less than others, but we can relate. Be confident that God never gives us more than we can handle. The roaring lion never stops trying to devour believers. Knowing this should produce a seriousness in us about learning God’s word and pursuing it as much as possible.
A friend of mine said this on twitter and I believe it captures our diligence in reading the word and how it affects being steadfast in the faith..
You ever wonder why it seems like you living one day and dying the next. Its cause God word is progressive; you can’t pick it up one and down the next.
Before we can understand God’s word and apply it, we have to read it.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast
We know “Who called us” is an effectual saving call.
Mc Arthur say it like this:
We are to living under the understanding that God’s purpose realized in the future requires some pain in the present. While the believer is being personally attacked by the enemy he is being personally perfected by the Lord.
We should rejoice in that! That’s why James said count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience has its perfect work, that you may be perfect complete lacking nothing.
Let him perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you:
I will end this message like this:
May your character not just be writing upon the sand, but an inscription upon the rock! May your faith be no "baseless fabric of a vision," but may it be built of material able to endure that awful fire which shall consume the wood, hay, and stubble of the hypocrite. May you be rooted and grounded in love. May your convictions be deep, your love real, your desires earnest. May your whole life be so settled and established, that all the blasts of hell, and all the storms of earth shall never be able to remove you.
I pray this has blessed you.
Your brother in the Lord,
Zerub
1 Peter 5: 8-10
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast
Be Sober; Be Vigilant
Sober here is marked by temperance, moderation or seriousness. We should be in a watchful purist of holiness. Why? A watchful attitude creates a pilgrim mentality. It reminds the Christian he is a citizen of heaven, a sojourner on earth. You see spiritual sober mindness includes the ideas of steadfastness (which is loyal, constant, unswerving), self control, clarity of mind and moral decisiveness.
You have to realize that the outside evil forces which come against the Christian demands us to be alert. We should not and cannot be care free. Why? Because of our adversary the devil that’s why. The greek word for devil means “slanderer” He is a malicious enemy maligns believers. That simply means he is a reputation killer, he is vicious and causes willful and wreck less damage.
So even though we believe in God’s sovereignty, we cannot be careless. We have to be vigilant which means to keep watch, stay awake be alert!!
Satan forces are always active. His desire is to overwhelm us with doubt, persecution and discouragement. He accuses us before God. He wants to convince God to abandon us. Be sure of this brothers and sisters of the faith, nothing can separate us from the Love of God.
Charles Spurgeon paints this picture:
Here comes Esau, hungry with hunting, there is a mess of pottage ready, that he may be tempted to sell his birthright. Here is Noah, glad to escape from his long confinement in the ark, he is merry and there is the wine-cup ready for him, that he may drink. Here is Peter, his faith is low, but his presumption is high, there is a maiden ready to say — “Thou also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” There is Judas, and there are thirty pieces of silver in the priestly hand to tempt him, ay, and there is the rope afterwards for him to hang himself with. If there be a Jonah, wishing to go to Tarshish rather than to Nineveh, there is a ship ready to take him. Satan has his providences as if to counterfeit the providence of God. At least, he knows how to use God’s providence to serve his own ends. One of the greatest mercies God bestows upon us is his not permitting our inclinations and opportunities to meet. Have you not sometimes noticed that when you had had the inclination to a sin there has been no opportunity, and when the opportunity has presented itself you have had no inclination towards it. Satan’s principal aim with believers is to bring their appetites and his temptations together; to get their souls into a dry, seared state, and then to strike the match and make them burn. He is so crafty and wily with all the experience of these many centuries, that man, who is but of yesterday, can scarcely be thought of as a match for him. Did he not drag down the wise man, even Solomon, whose wisdom was more excellent than any of the sons of men? Did he not cast down the strong man, Samson — who could slay a thousand Philistines, but who could not resist Delilah? Let us sorrowfully remember that we have hardly met with a perfect and an upright man against whom Satan has not vented his spleen, and over whom Satan has not in some degree triumphed.
9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
This means to live in accord with the truth of God’s word. As the believer knows sound doctrine and obeys God’s truth, Satan is withstood!
Be ready to tell him, “It is written”, “thus says the Lord”! Stand on the word of God!
I can appreciate the fact that us as believers are always going through similar trials. We experience the same sufferings, some more or less than others, but we can relate. Be confident that God never gives us more than we can handle. The roaring lion never stops trying to devour believers. Knowing this should produce a seriousness in us about learning God’s word and pursuing it as much as possible.
A friend of mine said this on twitter and I believe it captures our diligence in reading the word and how it affects being steadfast in the faith..
You ever wonder why it seems like you living one day and dying the next. Its cause God word is progressive; you can’t pick it up one and down the next.
Before we can understand God’s word and apply it, we have to read it.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast
We know “Who called us” is an effectual saving call.
Mc Arthur say it like this:
We are to living under the understanding that God’s purpose realized in the future requires some pain in the present. While the believer is being personally attacked by the enemy he is being personally perfected by the Lord.
We should rejoice in that! That’s why James said count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience has its perfect work, that you may be perfect complete lacking nothing.
Let him perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you:
I will end this message like this:
May your character not just be writing upon the sand, but an inscription upon the rock! May your faith be no "baseless fabric of a vision," but may it be built of material able to endure that awful fire which shall consume the wood, hay, and stubble of the hypocrite. May you be rooted and grounded in love. May your convictions be deep, your love real, your desires earnest. May your whole life be so settled and established, that all the blasts of hell, and all the storms of earth shall never be able to remove you.
I pray this has blessed you.
Your brother in the Lord,
Zerub
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Be Encouraged Saints!
This is the first edition of "Lets Dig" Romans 8 from Z180 Episode 13
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Paul contrasts walking in the flesh walking in the spirit. To walk refers to a “Lifestyle”. To walk in the flesh is walking to sinful fleshy desires. Galatians 5:19 states it best..adultery, fornication (which is sex before marriage) hatred, jealousy, all consuming yet never yielding wants.
But to walk in the spirit is a life yielded to God. This life produces fruit. (Love, joy, peace, longsuffering (a willingness to stick with things), gentleness, and self control.
7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Even what you think you do is good, if it’s done in the flesh, so its produced by the flesh and for its own selfish reasons. A rebellious heart is hostile towards God. Romans 8:8 says it best.. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
The spirit of God permanently indwells in every believer at the moment the individual trusts in Jesus Christ. The body is dead because of sin, it is unredeemed and dead in sin.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of son ship. And by him we cry, "Abba,[Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Christians are debtors (one who owe; obligated; a person who owes). We don’t live according to the flesh, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us; we put to death the deeds of the body, and its fleshly desires. So what is the test of a personal relationship with the Lord? OBEDIENDCE!
We are God’s children and heirs by adoption! Esther 2 is a must read. The person adopted was regarded as a new person beginning a new life. You see legally the adopted one gained all the rights of one born into the family as the legitimate heir to the father’s estate. We enjoy security in our relationship with him; we also enjoy intimacy with him. (Abba/ Aramaic for daddy was the familiar expression to address their fathers, it connotes tenderness, dependence and a relationship free of fear or anxiety.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Paul had suffered greatly for the gospel. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, you name it. He still stood boldness and said. 18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Even creation waits for the revealing… the uncovering or unveiling of the sons of God. You will see the real us when Christ return in Glory. As believers we should be looking forward to this with great expectation. If you look at verse 19 and 20 you will see that even creation long for the transformation from the curse and its effects.
23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Just like a first piece of produce appear on a tree provides hope for a future harvest the fruit which the spirit produces in us now provides hope that we will one day be like Christ. We have received the first fruits of the Holy Spirit as God’s down payment or guarantee of ultimate victory.
Be encouraged Saints!
Zerub
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Paul contrasts walking in the flesh walking in the spirit. To walk refers to a “Lifestyle”. To walk in the flesh is walking to sinful fleshy desires. Galatians 5:19 states it best..adultery, fornication (which is sex before marriage) hatred, jealousy, all consuming yet never yielding wants.
But to walk in the spirit is a life yielded to God. This life produces fruit. (Love, joy, peace, longsuffering (a willingness to stick with things), gentleness, and self control.
7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Even what you think you do is good, if it’s done in the flesh, so its produced by the flesh and for its own selfish reasons. A rebellious heart is hostile towards God. Romans 8:8 says it best.. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
The spirit of God permanently indwells in every believer at the moment the individual trusts in Jesus Christ. The body is dead because of sin, it is unredeemed and dead in sin.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of son ship. And by him we cry, "Abba,[Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Christians are debtors (one who owe; obligated; a person who owes). We don’t live according to the flesh, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us; we put to death the deeds of the body, and its fleshly desires. So what is the test of a personal relationship with the Lord? OBEDIENDCE!
We are God’s children and heirs by adoption! Esther 2 is a must read. The person adopted was regarded as a new person beginning a new life. You see legally the adopted one gained all the rights of one born into the family as the legitimate heir to the father’s estate. We enjoy security in our relationship with him; we also enjoy intimacy with him. (Abba/ Aramaic for daddy was the familiar expression to address their fathers, it connotes tenderness, dependence and a relationship free of fear or anxiety.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Paul had suffered greatly for the gospel. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, you name it. He still stood boldness and said. 18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Even creation waits for the revealing… the uncovering or unveiling of the sons of God. You will see the real us when Christ return in Glory. As believers we should be looking forward to this with great expectation. If you look at verse 19 and 20 you will see that even creation long for the transformation from the curse and its effects.
23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Just like a first piece of produce appear on a tree provides hope for a future harvest the fruit which the spirit produces in us now provides hope that we will one day be like Christ. We have received the first fruits of the Holy Spirit as God’s down payment or guarantee of ultimate victory.
Be encouraged Saints!
Zerub
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Romans 1
Romans 1
Background:
Rome was the capital and most important city of the Roman Empire. In Paul’s day, the city had a population of over one million people, many of whom were slaves. Rome boasted magnificent buildings such as the emperor’s palace, the circus maximums, and the forum, but its beauty was marred by the slum in which so many people lived. According to tradition, Paul was martyred outside Rome on the Ostian way during Nero’s reign. (A.D. 54-68).
Some of those converted on the day of Pentecost probably found the church at Rome (acts 2:10) Paul had long sought to visit the Roman church, but had been prevented from doing so (1:13). In God’s providence, Paul inability to visit Rome gave the world this inspired masterpiece of gospel doctrine. Paul’s primary purpose in writing Romans was to teach the great truths of the gospel of grace to believer who had never receive apostolic instruction. The overarching theme of Romans is the righteousness that comes from God; the glorious truth that God justifies guilty, condemned sinners by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. (Mc Arthur Commentary )
With the grace of God upon me, I want to attempt to dig into Romans 1 in a broad deceptive. It is such a convincing book and I am convinced that it depicts the evil nature (unrighteousness) of man and the abundant grace of God (righteousness).
Romans 1:1-15 Paul use bond servant which is a Greek word that was most often referred to the involuntary permanent service of a slave. Paul elevates this word by using it in it’s Hebrew sense to describe a servant who willingly commits his life to serve a master who he respects and love. Paul was an apostle (a sent out one, that primarily refers to the twelve men Christ chose to accompany him, Paul was chosen by Christ to preach to us the gentiles). The gospel of God is the good news. This message says that God will forgive sins, deliver from sins power, and give eternal power. This is more than just a gracious offer but a command to be obeyed.
Jesus was born of the seed of David making him fully God and fully man which making him able to serve as mans substitute for sin. He was declared to be the son of God. His resurrection clearly divides him from the rest of humanity, providing irrefutable evidence that he is the son of God. The resurrection declared him as deity. He submitted himself to do the will of the father in the spirit of holiness. Salvation is a gift from God that is separate from human efforts. This is what you called grace. You know you have faith when you are obedient and submissive to the Lordship of Christ. The called refers to the call of elect sinners to salvation. I hopefully plan to do sermon notes Matthew 20 about this topic.
Paul wanted to visit Rome. He was saying that the faith was spoken out because what happened in Rome went everywhere literally. He wanted to come to them, but was submissive to the will of God( God’s sovereign orchestration) . He wanted to impart in them a spiritual gift. In Greek “gift” is translated charisma which means a gift of grace. The fruit Paul was referring to was now new converts. (Galatians 5:22, 23 and Phil 4:16-17 talks about other fruits) Paul was a debtor (an obligation to fulfill his divine mandate to the gentiles). In short, the Greeks were people of different nationalities who embraced the language culture and education. The barbarians were the opposite; they were considered uncultured and uneducated. (Outcast)
Men rationalize his sin by believing his own philosophies about God. Therefore, many substitute the worship of idols for the worship of the true God.
God also gave them up… When abandon God, God abandons them. He will remove his restrain and allow their sin to run its course.
Lie… A denial of God’s existence and his right to be glorified and obeyed.
God gave them up.. he gave them up to homosexuality, which begins in the heart and move to the shame of the body.
16 -32
When Paul said he was not ashamed, it was not just a saying. Paul was imprisoned, chased out of cities, smuggled out of cities, and beaten, laughed at and stone. Yet he gets up and says I am not ashamed. Nothing could curb his boldness.
It is the power of God unto salvation.. This simply means only the power of God is able to overcome man’s sinful nature and gave him life. Salvation means to rescue or deliver.
Of what you ask? Being lost, the wrath of God, willful spiritual ignorance, evil self indulgence and from darkness of self religion. When you believe (trust or have faith in), this is a present tense “believing”. This is not a onetime event, but an ongoing condition. True saving faith is supernatural, a gift that God produces in the heart, this is the only way to have true righteousness.
Saving faith consist of the three elements:
1) Mental: the mind understands the gospel and truth about Christ.
2) Emotional: one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God’s mercy and grace.
3) Volitional: the sinner submits his will to Christ and trusts in him alone as the only hope of salvation. Genuine faith always produces authentic obedience.
Righteousness of God.. Only God is righteousness, and he will impute his righteousness to ungodly sinners through faith. Grace through faith alone.
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…
The wrath of God is the settled determined response of a righteous God against sin. The most graphic revelation of God’s holy wrath and hatred against sin was when he crushed his son on the cross.
God has various kinds of wraths:
1. Eternal wrath: which is hell
2. Eschatological wrath: (the ultimate destiny of mankind and the world) which is the final day of the Lord.
3. Cataclysmic Wrath: (severely destructive) like the flood and destruction and Sodom and Gomorrah
4. Consequential Wrath: This is the principle sowing and reaping.
5. The Wrath of abandonment: This is removing restraint and letting people go to their sins. Ex. 81: 11,12 / Proverbs 1:23-31
Ungodliness indicates a lack of reverence for , devotion to and worship of the true God. Unrighteousness is a lack of conformity in thought, word and deed to the character and law of God. They suppress the truth because although they see evidence from conscious creating, they resist God and hold on to their sin. He made and sustains all we surround us, creation itself delivers a clean message about his eternal power. Everyone will be held responsible for their refusal to acknowledge of what he was shown them to creation.
Although they didn’t know God, they didn’t glorify him… We are conscious of God’s existence power and diving nature through general revelation (the trees, the animals and the wind). He should be glorified for who he is an this attributes, the very fact that if we don’t, is like spitting in his face. Our personal search for meaning and purpose will become meaningless. Once we reject the truth, the darkness of spiritual falsehood takes its place.
God gave them over.. they become debased “not passing the test”. This Greek word was often described useless worthless metals, discarded because of too much impurity.
It’s not that they were ignorant but blatant rebellion.
I pray that this lesson blesses you, I told you beforehand that it would be vast but I wanted to give you a little history and insight on the Romans 1 passage.
Your brother in the Lord,
Zerub
Background:
Rome was the capital and most important city of the Roman Empire. In Paul’s day, the city had a population of over one million people, many of whom were slaves. Rome boasted magnificent buildings such as the emperor’s palace, the circus maximums, and the forum, but its beauty was marred by the slum in which so many people lived. According to tradition, Paul was martyred outside Rome on the Ostian way during Nero’s reign. (A.D. 54-68).
Some of those converted on the day of Pentecost probably found the church at Rome (acts 2:10) Paul had long sought to visit the Roman church, but had been prevented from doing so (1:13). In God’s providence, Paul inability to visit Rome gave the world this inspired masterpiece of gospel doctrine. Paul’s primary purpose in writing Romans was to teach the great truths of the gospel of grace to believer who had never receive apostolic instruction. The overarching theme of Romans is the righteousness that comes from God; the glorious truth that God justifies guilty, condemned sinners by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. (Mc Arthur Commentary )
With the grace of God upon me, I want to attempt to dig into Romans 1 in a broad deceptive. It is such a convincing book and I am convinced that it depicts the evil nature (unrighteousness) of man and the abundant grace of God (righteousness).
Romans 1:1-15 Paul use bond servant which is a Greek word that was most often referred to the involuntary permanent service of a slave. Paul elevates this word by using it in it’s Hebrew sense to describe a servant who willingly commits his life to serve a master who he respects and love. Paul was an apostle (a sent out one, that primarily refers to the twelve men Christ chose to accompany him, Paul was chosen by Christ to preach to us the gentiles). The gospel of God is the good news. This message says that God will forgive sins, deliver from sins power, and give eternal power. This is more than just a gracious offer but a command to be obeyed.
Jesus was born of the seed of David making him fully God and fully man which making him able to serve as mans substitute for sin. He was declared to be the son of God. His resurrection clearly divides him from the rest of humanity, providing irrefutable evidence that he is the son of God. The resurrection declared him as deity. He submitted himself to do the will of the father in the spirit of holiness. Salvation is a gift from God that is separate from human efforts. This is what you called grace. You know you have faith when you are obedient and submissive to the Lordship of Christ. The called refers to the call of elect sinners to salvation. I hopefully plan to do sermon notes Matthew 20 about this topic.
Paul wanted to visit Rome. He was saying that the faith was spoken out because what happened in Rome went everywhere literally. He wanted to come to them, but was submissive to the will of God( God’s sovereign orchestration) . He wanted to impart in them a spiritual gift. In Greek “gift” is translated charisma which means a gift of grace. The fruit Paul was referring to was now new converts. (Galatians 5:22, 23 and Phil 4:16-17 talks about other fruits) Paul was a debtor (an obligation to fulfill his divine mandate to the gentiles). In short, the Greeks were people of different nationalities who embraced the language culture and education. The barbarians were the opposite; they were considered uncultured and uneducated. (Outcast)
Men rationalize his sin by believing his own philosophies about God. Therefore, many substitute the worship of idols for the worship of the true God.
God also gave them up… When abandon God, God abandons them. He will remove his restrain and allow their sin to run its course.
Lie… A denial of God’s existence and his right to be glorified and obeyed.
God gave them up.. he gave them up to homosexuality, which begins in the heart and move to the shame of the body.
16 -32
When Paul said he was not ashamed, it was not just a saying. Paul was imprisoned, chased out of cities, smuggled out of cities, and beaten, laughed at and stone. Yet he gets up and says I am not ashamed. Nothing could curb his boldness.
It is the power of God unto salvation.. This simply means only the power of God is able to overcome man’s sinful nature and gave him life. Salvation means to rescue or deliver.
Of what you ask? Being lost, the wrath of God, willful spiritual ignorance, evil self indulgence and from darkness of self religion. When you believe (trust or have faith in), this is a present tense “believing”. This is not a onetime event, but an ongoing condition. True saving faith is supernatural, a gift that God produces in the heart, this is the only way to have true righteousness.
Saving faith consist of the three elements:
1) Mental: the mind understands the gospel and truth about Christ.
2) Emotional: one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God’s mercy and grace.
3) Volitional: the sinner submits his will to Christ and trusts in him alone as the only hope of salvation. Genuine faith always produces authentic obedience.
Righteousness of God.. Only God is righteousness, and he will impute his righteousness to ungodly sinners through faith. Grace through faith alone.
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…
The wrath of God is the settled determined response of a righteous God against sin. The most graphic revelation of God’s holy wrath and hatred against sin was when he crushed his son on the cross.
God has various kinds of wraths:
1. Eternal wrath: which is hell
2. Eschatological wrath: (the ultimate destiny of mankind and the world) which is the final day of the Lord.
3. Cataclysmic Wrath: (severely destructive) like the flood and destruction and Sodom and Gomorrah
4. Consequential Wrath: This is the principle sowing and reaping.
5. The Wrath of abandonment: This is removing restraint and letting people go to their sins. Ex. 81: 11,12 / Proverbs 1:23-31
Ungodliness indicates a lack of reverence for , devotion to and worship of the true God. Unrighteousness is a lack of conformity in thought, word and deed to the character and law of God. They suppress the truth because although they see evidence from conscious creating, they resist God and hold on to their sin. He made and sustains all we surround us, creation itself delivers a clean message about his eternal power. Everyone will be held responsible for their refusal to acknowledge of what he was shown them to creation.
Although they didn’t know God, they didn’t glorify him… We are conscious of God’s existence power and diving nature through general revelation (the trees, the animals and the wind). He should be glorified for who he is an this attributes, the very fact that if we don’t, is like spitting in his face. Our personal search for meaning and purpose will become meaningless. Once we reject the truth, the darkness of spiritual falsehood takes its place.
God gave them over.. they become debased “not passing the test”. This Greek word was often described useless worthless metals, discarded because of too much impurity.
It’s not that they were ignorant but blatant rebellion.
I pray that this lesson blesses you, I told you beforehand that it would be vast but I wanted to give you a little history and insight on the Romans 1 passage.
Your brother in the Lord,
Zerub
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Grace
Ephesians 3
Background:
A key theme of the letter is the mystery of the church, which is “that the gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel”. A truth completely hidden from the old Testament saints. All believers in Jesus Christ, the messiah, are equal before the Lord and his children as citizens of his eternal kingdom, a marvelous truth that only believers of this present age possess. (Mc Arthur 2005 pg. 1681)
What a mystery that God has chose to reveal to Paul in jail through his letter to the church in Ephesus which was capital of the Roman province of Asia. (Asia Minor, Modern day turkey) This grace was so abundant that even it was being talked about by the angels. (3:10) Even the fallen angels who has no capacity to praise God was able to see the Glory of God in the salvation and presentation of the church. The abundant grace is that the Jews are God’s chosen people and salvation was promised to them. Now God is saying through his holy spirit at this time that both Jew and Gentile stand on the same ground before him, they have the same promises in Christ Jesus. What a beautiful revelation; one that should be rejoiced upon daily.
Paul who was literally the least of all the saints, one who had persecuted the churches, was given to be an apostle to the gentiles. His life work was to present the gospel to people who had no background in God’s way. God had equipped him and it had nothing to do with his natural abilities. Many of us can attest to being scum of the earth, literally breaking God’s commandments daily without repentance. Yet he still calls us children of God and commands us to go and preach this same gospel.
We have to go out in the open and make plain that God who created all things in the first place has been doing in secret behind the scenes all along. (11-13) All of this is proceeding along the lines by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. We are free to be bold in him and say what needs to be said. We have to make it our life work to tell everyone of the gospel of Christ and this wonderful grace of how it was revealed to us.
I close, with Paul Prayer. (14-21) I ask him to strengthen us by his spirit-not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength-that Christ will live in your heart through faith; and I ask him that with both feet planted firmly in love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimension of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives in the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generation, forever and ever. Amen.
Background:
A key theme of the letter is the mystery of the church, which is “that the gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel”. A truth completely hidden from the old Testament saints. All believers in Jesus Christ, the messiah, are equal before the Lord and his children as citizens of his eternal kingdom, a marvelous truth that only believers of this present age possess. (Mc Arthur 2005 pg. 1681)
What a mystery that God has chose to reveal to Paul in jail through his letter to the church in Ephesus which was capital of the Roman province of Asia. (Asia Minor, Modern day turkey) This grace was so abundant that even it was being talked about by the angels. (3:10) Even the fallen angels who has no capacity to praise God was able to see the Glory of God in the salvation and presentation of the church. The abundant grace is that the Jews are God’s chosen people and salvation was promised to them. Now God is saying through his holy spirit at this time that both Jew and Gentile stand on the same ground before him, they have the same promises in Christ Jesus. What a beautiful revelation; one that should be rejoiced upon daily.
Paul who was literally the least of all the saints, one who had persecuted the churches, was given to be an apostle to the gentiles. His life work was to present the gospel to people who had no background in God’s way. God had equipped him and it had nothing to do with his natural abilities. Many of us can attest to being scum of the earth, literally breaking God’s commandments daily without repentance. Yet he still calls us children of God and commands us to go and preach this same gospel.
We have to go out in the open and make plain that God who created all things in the first place has been doing in secret behind the scenes all along. (11-13) All of this is proceeding along the lines by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. We are free to be bold in him and say what needs to be said. We have to make it our life work to tell everyone of the gospel of Christ and this wonderful grace of how it was revealed to us.
I close, with Paul Prayer. (14-21) I ask him to strengthen us by his spirit-not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength-that Christ will live in your heart through faith; and I ask him that with both feet planted firmly in love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimension of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives in the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask of think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generation, forever and ever. Amen.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Standard of A Christian
1 John 3 18-24
18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
21Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward God.
22And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandment and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
24And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us: by the Spirit which He hath given us.
This teaching today will encourage those in the faith and to those that might be here that are not in the faith: present the truth so that you may come to know Jesus and be saved from your sin. Also, after you have received Salvation, the entire book of 1 John is biblical proof to how you should be living. I will ask questions that only you can answer with your heart. This text will in the end challenge you to live holy and blameless before a just God.
18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
A proper belief in Jesus Produces (it bears fruit), after you bear fruit the father will prune you so you will indeed bear much fruit.
A proper belief in Jesus makes one yield in obedience to his commandments.
A proper belief in Jesus shows a love for God and fellow believers.
When these 3..
Sound Faith
Obedience
Love
When these three operate together they result in happiness, holiness and assurance. They constitute the evidence, the litmus test of a true Christian.
The Lord will demand some fruit when we come before him.
1 Corinthians 3:13
Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work.
How will the things you do for the Kingdom stand up in the fire?
Are you involved in anything that reveals that you are a child of God?
I believe we have got so consumed with the world, that we have forgotten that we are pilgrims, that we belong to the holy city, we are citizens of heaven. This is what the text is saying when it says we are in this world but not of it.
I think we have forgotten we are peculiar; we too busy trying to fit in.
19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
Are you assured when you come before the father?
Self Sacrificing love is required of us as believers. It may not be necessary to give our lives, but it certainly is necessary to give of our substance.
What is substance?
The most essential part of anything, the most vital part.
We have to give it all…
The child of God can have an assurance, but suppose we are not doing what we should be doing. Does that mean we lost our Salvation? Certainly not, We don’t lose our salvation. It is a gift of God. So when you see some folk who claim to be saved and they bear no fruit they never had it to begin with. These are the folk Jesus was talking about in Matthew, when they said to him on judgement day: Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and done many wonders in your name, he gone say depart from me for I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness. Knew, I didn’t know you intimately, he said practice lawlessness.
I remember when my dad first taught me how to play basketball, he put me under the hole and I had to shoot from that spot all day. I practiced that thing, day in and day out. This is how some supposedly Christians do, they practice sin day in and day out and claim the name of the Lord Jesus. They practice lawlessness.
On the other hand, The person who has salvation but his heart is condemning him and he knows he hasn’t been given the Lord his substance.
He comes broken and contrite before God and He says Lord I have done nothing for you. I have done nothing at all. Yet I come to you in prayer. The Lord will hear and answer according to his will.
This is when our heart condems us but God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
21Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward God.
This is the believer whose heart dones not condem him and he is walking in love and giving everything he or she has. THey pray with assurance. They come boldly before the throne of grace.
22And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandment and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Love in action gives assurance in prayer, you can expect him to hear and answer your prayer.
23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
Don’t say you believe on him and then not love one another. With one breath you say you love the Lord and the other you talk about someone.
It’s not lip service. It should be from your heart, it should be genuine. This is so desperately needed today. This is the Christian life in a nut shell.
Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shall be saved! And to do the things that are pleasing in his sight is to love one another. Obedience and love demonstrate the presence of the new nature in the believer. The fact is true to faith, the enjoyment of the fact is conscious to obedience.
24And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us: by the Spirit which He hath given us.
The Holy spirit verfires these things to our hearts if we have not grieved him. We grieve him when we don’t do his will. If you are a professing and you are not grieved in your sin. Examine yourselves.
Pastor Paul Washer said it like this…
What do your profession of Christianity means?
Absolutely Nothing!
Your profession means nothing , it’s a lifestyle.
Preach the gospel and if necessary use words. Preach the gospel and if necessary, use words.
The holy spirit is given to every believer as Paul makes clear in Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God be in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
The very mark that you are a child of God is that you are indwelt by the the spirit of God and it is the Holy Spirit who will verify these things and make them real to your heart.
Are you a child of God?
I pray that these scriptures have encouraged you or challenged you in some kind of way. When we read the word of God it should convict us and/or encourage us.
18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
21Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward God.
22And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandment and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
24And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us: by the Spirit which He hath given us.
This teaching today will encourage those in the faith and to those that might be here that are not in the faith: present the truth so that you may come to know Jesus and be saved from your sin. Also, after you have received Salvation, the entire book of 1 John is biblical proof to how you should be living. I will ask questions that only you can answer with your heart. This text will in the end challenge you to live holy and blameless before a just God.
18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
A proper belief in Jesus Produces (it bears fruit), after you bear fruit the father will prune you so you will indeed bear much fruit.
A proper belief in Jesus makes one yield in obedience to his commandments.
A proper belief in Jesus shows a love for God and fellow believers.
When these 3..
Sound Faith
Obedience
Love
When these three operate together they result in happiness, holiness and assurance. They constitute the evidence, the litmus test of a true Christian.
The Lord will demand some fruit when we come before him.
1 Corinthians 3:13
Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work.
How will the things you do for the Kingdom stand up in the fire?
Are you involved in anything that reveals that you are a child of God?
I believe we have got so consumed with the world, that we have forgotten that we are pilgrims, that we belong to the holy city, we are citizens of heaven. This is what the text is saying when it says we are in this world but not of it.
I think we have forgotten we are peculiar; we too busy trying to fit in.
19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
Are you assured when you come before the father?
Self Sacrificing love is required of us as believers. It may not be necessary to give our lives, but it certainly is necessary to give of our substance.
What is substance?
The most essential part of anything, the most vital part.
We have to give it all…
The child of God can have an assurance, but suppose we are not doing what we should be doing. Does that mean we lost our Salvation? Certainly not, We don’t lose our salvation. It is a gift of God. So when you see some folk who claim to be saved and they bear no fruit they never had it to begin with. These are the folk Jesus was talking about in Matthew, when they said to him on judgement day: Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and done many wonders in your name, he gone say depart from me for I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness. Knew, I didn’t know you intimately, he said practice lawlessness.
I remember when my dad first taught me how to play basketball, he put me under the hole and I had to shoot from that spot all day. I practiced that thing, day in and day out. This is how some supposedly Christians do, they practice sin day in and day out and claim the name of the Lord Jesus. They practice lawlessness.
On the other hand, The person who has salvation but his heart is condemning him and he knows he hasn’t been given the Lord his substance.
He comes broken and contrite before God and He says Lord I have done nothing for you. I have done nothing at all. Yet I come to you in prayer. The Lord will hear and answer according to his will.
This is when our heart condems us but God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
21Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward God.
This is the believer whose heart dones not condem him and he is walking in love and giving everything he or she has. THey pray with assurance. They come boldly before the throne of grace.
22And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandment and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Love in action gives assurance in prayer, you can expect him to hear and answer your prayer.
23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
Don’t say you believe on him and then not love one another. With one breath you say you love the Lord and the other you talk about someone.
It’s not lip service. It should be from your heart, it should be genuine. This is so desperately needed today. This is the Christian life in a nut shell.
Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shall be saved! And to do the things that are pleasing in his sight is to love one another. Obedience and love demonstrate the presence of the new nature in the believer. The fact is true to faith, the enjoyment of the fact is conscious to obedience.
24And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us: by the Spirit which He hath given us.
The Holy spirit verfires these things to our hearts if we have not grieved him. We grieve him when we don’t do his will. If you are a professing and you are not grieved in your sin. Examine yourselves.
Pastor Paul Washer said it like this…
What do your profession of Christianity means?
Absolutely Nothing!
Your profession means nothing , it’s a lifestyle.
Preach the gospel and if necessary use words. Preach the gospel and if necessary, use words.
The holy spirit is given to every believer as Paul makes clear in Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God be in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
The very mark that you are a child of God is that you are indwelt by the the spirit of God and it is the Holy Spirit who will verify these things and make them real to your heart.
Are you a child of God?
I pray that these scriptures have encouraged you or challenged you in some kind of way. When we read the word of God it should convict us and/or encourage us.
Monday, April 20, 2009
I am the Lord
Isaiah 45:5
I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me
Father, I pray that I expound on this scripture from your heart. You are the alpha and the omega, the only God. You have stretched out the heavens, you have made man and you have brought us back to yourself through redemption. There is none like you and you alone are worthy to be praised.
Love and Sovereignty comes to my heart when I think of this scripture. Who is like the Lord, who can tell him what to do, who can be his counselor. Who can contend with him? Nobody. It’s amazing how he cares for us even though we don’t know him and some will never choose to know him. We selfishly live our lives everyday without any thought of the Father. He is the creator of life. If I had a Benz and it needed to be fixed, the manual clearly states the steps that I need to take on how to address that problem or situation. God left us a manual here, and it’s his holy word. He also gave us his spirit, to comfort us, lead us, guide us, and most importantly seal us to the day of redemption.
Col..1:16 says… for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.
John 1: 3 says…All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
Col 1:17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.
( continue, exist, endure, hold together)
My God holds the very fiber of our being…..
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning.
John 1:14 the Word became flesh and took up residence among us.
He became flesh to save mankind from eternal death because of sin! The word became flesh. He impregnated himself inside the womb of a virgin by his spirit thus fulfilling the prophecy he himself gave in Genesis .He said he would come through the seed of woman and crush the head of the devil.
No one could save us, so he sent himself. He so full of grace and mercy that he extended salvation to the gentiles even though the Jews were the chosen. He is so powerful and all knowing, He needs us for nothing.
David said in Psalms 144:3
O Lord, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them?
We are his greatest creation, his prize possession. He called us to be sons in his kingdom to partake of his inheritance. So in all what was said The Lord Jesus has strengthened us even though we did not know him, although we don’t acknowledge him.
He still says….I am the LORD (Jehovah the existing one), and there is no other (only one, no other, childless); apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen (hold close) you, though you have not acknowledged me (recognized me)…..
Your brother in the Lord
Zerub
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