"I came forth from the Father and have come into the world." This is the starting point of all consideration of the God of heaven and earth. He is the ONE GOD, Eternally Alive as three persons, always in union of one essence, but ever in distinct expression of Will, Obedient Declaration, and Glorious Power, never in isolation, always in Eternal Concert in the smallest expression as well as in the most glorious creation. To see one member of the Godhead alone in any activity is to miss two thirds of the Glory of God, or more acurately, to miss the High and Holy God nearly altogether!
All that the One God "does" in Eternity and time flows out of the Will of the Father (Ephesians 1:3-11), in and through the Delighted Obedience of the Son (Psalm 40:6-8, Hebrews 10:5-10, John 6:38), and by the Power of the Glorious Spirit (Genesis 1:2, Luke 1:35, John 3:5-8. The Father is the Reservoir of Perfect Will out of which the revelatory obedience of the Son flows by the Power of the Spirit of His Glory. John 1:18 states that "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, Who IS IN the Bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." You can't get any closer than "bosom relationship". That speaks of oneness of heart, will and purpose. John 15:26 speaks of the Spirit of God as "the Spirit of Truth who proceeds (continually) from the Father." John 16:28 speaks of basically the same thing of the Son in His becoming a man like us,
"I came forth from the Father and have come into the world." This is the starting point of all consideration of the God of heaven and earth. He is the ONE GOD, Eternally Alive as three persons, always in union of one essence, but ever in distinct expression of Will, Obedient Declaration, and Glorious Power, never in isolation, always in Eternal Concert in the smallest expression as well as in the most glorious creation. To see one member of the Godhead alone in any activity is to miss two thirds of the Glory of God, or more acurately, to miss the High and Holy God nearly altogether!
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Growth in Grace is manifested as our wrestling with the Lord in our sins grows into a wrestling IN the Lord with our sins! This is "Throne of Grace" wrestling. Having learned that we have no strength in ourselves to subdue our sins, most always learned the hard way, to put to death the deeds of the body, we learn to live at the foot of the Throne of Grace, the Throne of the Power of God, where our Precious Jesus sits & intercedes and mediates His glorious Blood Bought Mercy and Grace. This is Habakkuk 3:17-19 faith. This is David's faith in 2 Samuel 15:26. There must be fingernail scratches on the Throne of Grace!! We must obtain "new every morning Mercy" for we are such weak sinners, and we must find always undeserved Grace to help in the continual time of our desperate need! Only the fresh revelations of our Redeemer King/Priest's resources can bring strength and comfort over our sins. STARE AT MY SIN AND I AM DOOMED! LOOK UNTO MY JESUS AND MY HOPE HAS NO SHAME!!!
This post is from 2012, as the Lord closed one chapter in my faith walk and opened a whole new adventure, a new adventure in the Biblical truth, "The Just shall live by faith".
I have been away from this site for awhile, closing a business of 30 years and learning and starting a new job. Our Loving God has shown me a new level of belief and trust. And it has been a bit scary. Walking in the Spirit is to walk/live by faith. That means we no longer live by sight but have entered into the realm of the unseen--even in visible circumstances! Our only security is the Word of God! Our only comfort is the indwelling God, the Holy Spirit. This walking in the Spirit casts most circumstantial evidences to the wind. Circumstances are no longer the fuel of our faith, nor the devastation of our faith. Our hope is in our God alone. As one old saint put it, "we should sit low at His Feet and watch His Hand." This terrifies the flesh! Through the years we each have built little "safe houses" that we retreat to when circumstances are out of our control (as if they are ever under our control!). These are places we go where the flesh feels comfortable and "safe" for a while. All of our addictions fall into this category--addiction to alcohol, food, sex, television, shopping--all are "safe houses" that dull the senses for a time. They all have undesirable consequences, but immediate relief from the present circumstances seems worth the high cost. The Holy Spirit comes with the scalpel of the Word of God & exposes the futility of our "safe houses". Romans 8 says that the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus makes us free from the law of sin and death--its constant accusations and morbid fear of uncontrollable circumstances. The Spirit of God works in our inner man to take away our dependence on our "flesh havens". He brings Truth to bear and and exposes the lie and futility of our escapes. Oh, but how our world/flesh/devil trained flesh rebels. It is terrified! This new "freedom" that the Spirit speaks of, initially feels more terrifying than free. Believe the Word of the Invisible God in the face of my visible real circumstantial difficulty??? Oh how the flesh strains and sometimes succeeds to return to the old "safe houses", but the resulting emptiness & aloneness is greater than any momentary relief. That is because the Spirit of Life dwells in us & has given us a taste of life and the old death is now just frustrating & empty. "The body is dead because of sin." The flesh has had years of training! It's two "drinking buddies", the world & the devil are going all out to keep their companion in the flesh fold. But again, our Loving God has made provision for this battle. "For if you live after the flesh, you will die, but if you THROUGH THE SPIRIT do put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live." Romans 8:13 And what does the Spirit do in the midst of our "flesh/spirit" battle? He strengthens our inner man (the new man) by making Christ to dwell in our hearts BY FAITH. (Ephesians 3:16-17) He convinces us in increasing measure that Christ Jesus is our only Righteousness, and He is our continual access to our Loving Heavenly Father Who Is All our Security and Peace! He convinces us that we are to live constantly at the Throne of Mercy and Grace. And bit by bit, the Truth of the Word of God begins to make inroads upon the fear and anxiety of our circumstantial existence. It is all about believing the Word of the Invisible God. May we all grow into the understanding of my mother, a dear tested and tried saint. Her words (which drove me crazy at the time) were, "God Said it, I believe it, and that settles it." " 1 John 5:4b-5a “And this is the victory that overcomes the world, OUR FAITH.
Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that BELIEVES that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.” John has given us the Divine Imperative of all of God’s Actions and Promises to His children. This belief is much more than mere historical assent to the history of Jesus coming into the world. It is likewise imperative that His children have a “faith adjustment” each morning. Upon awakening, we are attacked by the realities of this fallen world. Aches and pains, the duties of the day, relational conflict, financial woes, and on and on. We must address this barrage with the faith fuel of the Word of God. And it includes all that we have in Christ Jesus, the Son of God/Son of Man. I John 4:9 “In this was manifested the Love of God toward us, because that God sent His Only Begotten Son into the world, THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM!!! Our faith is to live upon the fact of the Son of God Who has already overcome the world.(John 16:33) Remember the claims of Hebrews 1 regarding this One who is the Word of God? This Sent On is the appointed Heir of all that the Father possesses.(Revelation 4:11) He is the One by whom the Father made the worlds.(Colossians 1:16) He is the Brightness of the Father’s Glory, the very Express Image of the Father’s Person. He upholds all things by the word of His Power. It was He, by Himself that purged our sins. When His work was complete, He sat down at the Right Hand of the Majesty on High, the place of complete satisfaction of the Father’s Will and Purpose(Ephesians 1:9-11), The Apostle Paul elaborates further on the benefits of this Glorious Person to His beloved people. In Ephesians 1:19-23, in his prayer, he asks that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God that they might know the exceeding greatness of the Father’s power toward to all who truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, which He manifested for us when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own Right Hand far above all power, might and dominion; and gave Him a name above all names forever. The Father has put all things under His feet and given Him to be head over all things to the church. We are to live upon and pray in the Name of this Jesus who “is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25) He has already destroyed the devil and his power of death by leaving it all in the grave in His Glorious resurrection.(Hebrews 2:12-15) But we only benefit from this victory through faith in Him and all He has done for us. So consider Him and His Might and Power in the aforementioned verses and seek out many more that declare what our God and Father has done for us in and through the blood and righteousness of His Son, and made real to and in us by His Spirit. So drag all of those “necessary evils” to the Throne of Grace where your Jesus is ready to mediate His Grace to help in our continual time of need. Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith!!! “Saved by faith alone, this is all my plea. Jesus died for all mankind and Jesus died for me”. "The Love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin."
"Could we with ink the oceans fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the Love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, tho stretched from sky to sky" "O Love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong" It shall forevermore endure--the saints' and angels' song! Fredrick Lehman 1917 The Relationship that is God from all eternity, that Radiance of Union that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One in Essence, distinct in Roles, has ever been the Glorious Eternal Life in which no imperfection could dwell. This Glorious Bond is Eternally Radiated as a Precious Radiant Jewel, each facet blazing with perfect Balance and Glory from the Inner Source that is the Essence of the Godhead. The Father, Son and Spirit ever abode in Perfect Love. Their Relationship was ever Perfect Love. God's will to show forth His Glory in its fullness, (mysteriously to us) chose to manifest that Glory in creation and redemption. Yes, He foreknew the fall of that creation, but mysteriously and Righteously, He chose to reveal His Glory and Goodness against a dark canvas, the only way certain facets of His Glory could be seen. We know that His Glory is the ultimate goal, for we speak of "three stages" of redemption as Justification, Sanctification, and GLORIFICATION. By glorification we mean that the Redeemed are brought to dwell for all Eternity in the Glory of God Through the Glorious God Man Jesus, in a new heaven and a new earth where the Presence of the Father and the Lamb are the Light. (II Peter 3:10-13, Revelation 21:22-23) Impossible to comprehend? In the here and now, the only way to comprehend and apprehend this is by faith. For the very existence of the Justified is by faith and faith alone! (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38) But the path to this apprehension is shown in Ephesians 3:14-21, in the Apostle Paul's prayer. Important to our discussion is first of all, verse 16-17. Paul asks the Father to strengthen them (and us) by His Spirit in their inner man--"that Christ may dwell in your hearts BY FAITH; that you may being ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know THE LOVE OF CHRIST which surpasses (intellectual) knowledge." Now notice the goal of Paul's prayer, "THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD." So you see, God's means of approaching, comprehending, and apprehending the Love of God is only through having Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith (that's the only ground and root out of which this comprehension can grow, and is the work of the Holy Spirit), and wonders of wonders, such a knowledge of the LOVE OF CHRIST is the means of being FILLED WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD. Do you get it? To know (intimate relationship with) the Love of Christ is to be filled with the fullness of God which is the Love of God.! Just a reminder, such a miracle is only possible because in Christ "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete IN HIM." (Colossians 2:9 & 10) Is this too high for you? Does it give you a headache? Does it seem impossible? Then make Paul's prayer for the Ephesians (and us) your very breath! The Father's power has been worked mightily toward all who truly believe, in His exaltation of His risen Christ to His Right Hand in the Heavens, far above all principalities and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, and has put all under His feet, and given Him to be head over all to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all. Ephesians 1:19-23(adapted to my subject)
The exalted victorious Christ is at the Father's Right Hand, waging war until His enemies are made His footstool, the last enemy is death. These enemies are those, Satan being their head, who are seeking to erase God's creative image from the earth, man being the pinnacle as God's created image bearer. The restoration is to the Image of the Son (Eph. 1:9-10) by Whom He created all things.(John 1:3, Heb. 1:2) His Incarnate Son, is the firstborn among many brethren(Rom. 8:9), the firstborn of every creature(Col. 1:15) the firstborn from the dead(Col. 1:18), the Ultimate Victory over him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. His people, this body, are now the church of the Firstborn. Beloved, may we live by faith in our birthright, our inheritance in Christ Jesus. "Behold, what manner of Love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." (1 John 3:1) The incarnation of Christ is the foundation of all other actings of God for us: it is the very hinge, on which all turn; it is the cabinet (treasure chest) wherein all the designs of God do lie. Oh what a sweet object of faith is this. I know there are some other things in Christ which are more proper for some acts of faith, as Christ dying is most proper of the pardon of actual sin, and Christ rising from the dead for the evidencing of our justification; but the strongest and purest acts of faith are those which take in Christ as such a person, laid out in all His Glory. Christ's incarnation is more general than Christ's passion, or Christ's resurrection , and, as some would have it, includes all. Christ's incarnation holds forth in some sort Christ in His fullness, and so it is the full and complete subject of our faith. Come, poor soul, thy eyes are running to and fro, to find comfort and happiness on earth. O cast thy eyes back, and see heaven and earth in one Object! Look fixedly on Christ incarnate; there is more in this than all the variety of this world, or of that world to come. Here is an object of faith, and love, and joy, and delight; a compendium of all glories. We are indeed to believe on God, but we cannot come to God but through a Mediator, and hence faith must directly go to Christ, as God in our flesh. O the infinite condescension of God in Christ! God takes up our nature, and joins Himself as one person, and lays that before our faith: so that here is God, and God suited to the particular state and condition of the sinner. Now with what boldness may our souls draw nigh to God? Why art thou estranged, poor soul? Why standest thou afar off, as if it were death to draw nigh? Of Whom art thou afraid? Is God come down amongst men, and canst thou not see Him, lest thou die and perish? Oh, look once more, and be not discouraged. See, God is not come down in fire, in the armor of justice and everlasting burning. No, He is clothed with the garments of flesh, HE DESIRES TO CONVERSE WITH THEE AFTER THINE OWN FORM. He is come down to beseech thee, to see with thine own eyes thy eternal happiness. Oh, that ever there should be a heart of unbelief after these sensible demonstrations of Divine Glory and Love. Tell me, what would thou have God do more? Can He manifest Himself in a more suitable way to thy condition? Is there anything below flesh wherein the great God can humble Himself for thy good? It is sad to see believers shy in their approaches to God, or doubtful of their acceptance with Him, WHEN GOD HIMSELF STOOPS FIRST, AND IS SO IN LOVE WITH OUR ACQUAINTANCE THAT HE WILL BE OF THE SAME NATURE THAT WE ARE! Isaac Ambrose 1604-1644 Be aware of paper cuts when you read and contemplate the Bible. Hebrews 4:12
says the Word of God is sharper than any two edged sword. If you have sought to read the Scripture by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation and enlightenment as Paul prays in Ephesians 1:16-18, it is inevitable Have you ever felt like coming out of surgery sometimes as you close it's cover? I was reading Genesis 4, the account of Cain and Abel this morning and I was struck with the thought that I have a horrible case of Cainitis. Cain was a tiller of the ground, a gardener. Abel was a keeper of sheep or literally a feeder of sheep. I love gardening and plants. Flowering plants are my passion. People approaching our front door are greeted by two beautiful geraniums, one a bright red, and the other one a variegated pink, in concrete pots on each side of the steps. There's a flower bed to one side with Columbine, azalea, hydrangea, bee balm. You get the idea. I'm a tiller of the ground. And you know what, I really want people to notice my plants. And I feel a little disappointment in my heart when someone comes to the door and doesn't make any comment at all about my plants. That's like Cain bringing his first crops before the Lord that he worked so hard on. He put himself into that sacrifice. Don't know what kind of vegetables it was or if it even was vegetables. But it was a testament to his prowess of gardening. But here Able was just a shepherd, and this is before the time of genetic manipulation or breeding science. He just fed the sheep. And he brought the first and best of his herd to the Lord. Now these were the descendants of the sheep that God first created, and all Able did was feed them. One of my favorite passages is Acts 17:31, and there's a phrase that says that God gives to all, life, breath, and all things, and He's not worshiped with men's hands as though He needs anything. Cain brought the fruit of his hands, that showed his gardening skills unto the Lord as his sacrifice of worship. But you know what, I think he kind of expected God to notice what a good job he did, just like me. And God won't receive that kind of worship. He received Abel’s humble bringing of the lamb that He required as a sacrifice. And you know what, that's kind of the way He is about our treatment of His lamb, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. If we want to bring any of our own efforts along with us when we come before Him regarding our sin, our needs, or our worship, He's not going to receive it. No, we have to bring only the Lamb, for He was ordained as the perfect sacrifice in whom God is well pleased. Any approach to our God must be in Jesus name, not in our great skill and work, or our name. I hope after this morning's time with the Lord when He revealed to me the thoughts and intents of my heart, that maybe I will garden a little more humbly. Any offering of praise and worship unto our God is to be only the offering of Thanksgiving for His unspeakable gifts to us, even in the garden. This temple has a foundation. We need not wander far to find what it is. “Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious.”(1st Peter 2:6) “Other foundation can no man lay that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”.(1 Corinthians 3:11). “Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone; in whom the whole building fitly framed together grows Into a Holy Temple in the Lord: in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit”.(Ephesians 2:20-22) It is fitting that the Son of God should take humanity, in order that He might be the foundation of this human temple. It rests on Him, for its coherence, beauty, grandeur, and very existence. It's walls are cemented by His precious blood. Every stone in the pile bears His image and is fashioned after The headstone of the corner. His truth is the basis of all faith in the church. His righteousness is the ground of all pardon, acceptance, title to life. His Spirit prepares and adorns each individual member bringing him into the structure and keeping him there. Each soul, and all conjoined, rest and rely on Jesus Christ alone as the source of strength, union, and perfection. The whole heavenly architecture is of Him and for Him, and His Divine virtues are felt in every part of it, from the base of the summit.
Yet the spiritual temple, reared by the hand of an Infinite Spirit, is nevertheless no shadowy edifice. It is in a high sense real, being composed of human beings. Angels may contemplate the work and aid in it, but they form no part of it. You, says our apostle to Christians, as lively , (that is, lively, animated), stones, are built up a spiritual house. Such Is the value and dignity of a human soul, made in the image of God, redeemed by the Son, and indwelt by the Spirit that there is a consummate Glory in a structure of which every component part is such a soul. In other places the individual believer is represented as a temple of God; but here, by change of figure, which beautifully and expressly brings forward the fellowship, multitude, and Union of believers, the whole is set before us as compacted into one perfect structure. The stones are no longer masses of granite or marble, but men and women, redeemed and sanctified, and hereafter to be perfected and glorified. Every saint has his appointed place. The temple comprises all the righteous, whoever have been, are, and shall be to the end of time. We think often of believers as separate existences, and sometimes of the church on Earth at a particular time, but we must also consider the complete body, in which not one true servant of God is missing, from righteous Abel to the last to shall be summoned to Glory by the final trumpet.
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AuthorWhile I have been a pastor and Christian bookstore owner for 30 years, my only credentials are that of an old saint who followed his signature with S.S., Sinner Saved! Archives
December 2023
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