finished work

Aug

2011

The Christian Hebraist – The Religion of the Bible

“For some men, straying from these things, have turned to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully….” (1Tim1:6-8)

Journal,

Of the many studies that I’ve provided on my blog there is one that I place at the very top of what I consider the most important entry. It has to do with the very heart of God’s eternal covenant in Christ.

Many do not realize that the new covenant is a marriage contract. Many more do not understand why the covenant of Moses and God’s new covenant in Christ are not to be meshed together.

Those who like to say that the new covenant is merely the covenant of Moses, renewed, have little understanding of what the new covenant is really about. This is why it is on my heart to provide the original study a second time. Please take time for this study. It may bring a turning point in your theology of the cross.

Let’s begin with why would Paul say the Law is good if one uses it lawfully? The apostle is saying that the Law of Moses has to be viewed through the lens of the new covenant. Whereas the Law of Moses can serve as a text-book in many respects, it cannot be used in place of the covenant of Christ. Each covenant is distinct in itself.

Paul’s point is that while the Law of Moses contained wonderful truths of God, yet much of the Law of Moses is simply not applicable to the covenant of Christ. The reason is that both Laws are marriage contracts. We are espoused to the resurrected Lord of glory. Israel of the Old Testament did not have that privilege.

Paul speaks with regard to those in Israel who rejected Jesus, as being the Israel after the flesh. The King James Version says it this way: 1 Corinthians 10:18;

But Israel after the flesh; are not those which eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?” (1Co10:18)

The covenant of the husband…

Let’s go to the prophet Jeremiah, where the Lord explains the new covenant …

Behold, days are coming, ‘declares the Lord,’ when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers … My covenant which they broke, although I was a *HUSBAND* to them.” (Jer31:31,32 Caps for emphasis.)

Notice God says that the new covenant would not be like the covenant of Moses. Why? There would be a death of Israel’s husband, which would nullify the former marriage contract. (The Man on the cross was the God of Israel manifest in the Son.) From the cross would come a new creation. This new marriage covenant would be a marriage between the Messiah and His elect. (Holy begotten ones.)

This new order will take up the name Christian, which means, ‘belonging to Christ.’ (Isaiah 65:15 speaks of a new name to be given God’s people.)

This new order would have its own marriage contract that would be suitable to it. Jesus said we cannot put new wine into old wine skins. The covenant of Moses was never intended for a new creation people. It was designed for an earthly people until the Christ should come.

Now continue with Jeremiah …

“But this is the covenant which I will make … I will put MY LAWS within them and on their heart I will write it…” (Vs33)

Each covenant contained a heart issue. In the new covenant each person born from above receives into their heart the very Spirit of Christ, who, in turn, works and writes new covenant laws into their heart. It is the imprinting of God’s wonderful truths that helps us to process life as we should. In the covenant of the Law, God wrote on stone tablets.

Again notice the Lord did not say He would put the Law of Moses within His new covenant people, rather He would write His Laws or His instructions in them. (The Hebrew word ‘torah’ often translated as ‘law’ simply means ‘instructions’ or ‘teachings.’)

I need to repeat this for the sake of understanding – The law of Moses was the law of the husband given at Sinai. In the new covenant we are under a new law, which is called ‘the law of Christ.’ It is a new marriage contract, without any curses. And yet, both the law of Moses and the law of Christ contain eternal laws (truths) of God.

The song of Moses and the Lamb.

The covenant of Moses did not have the spiritual love factors built into it that are contained in the new covenant. Love was commanded, but it was not fulfilled. Why? Because the defect of Adam’s sin still rested upon the people. Before the cross, no person could meet the spiritual expressions that are found in the new covenant.

This is why Peter said,

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” (1Pe1:8)

Listen to Moses as he sings this song over Old Testament Israel;

They have acted corrupted toward Him, they are not His children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked generation.” (Deu32:5)

Peter alludes to this song on the day of Pentecost. The song of Moses and the Lamb is a prophetic song. It reaches across the generations and fulfills itself in the Lord Jesus Himself. In the book of Revelation it is called ‘the song of Moses and the Lamb.’

And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!’” (Rev 15:3 NASB)

The defect of Adam…

What did Moses mean by their ‘defect?’ This reflects on the fall of Adam. All humans on this planet inherited that defect. The best religion in the world, and Israel had the best, could not remove the defect. Only the cross could do that.

This is also why the new covenant cannot essentially be classified as a religion. It is a living union between God and His people. This is a love union. However, if we wish to call Christianity a religion we must reckon it as ‘the religion of the Bible.’ (We have far too many manmade synthetic ‘sectarian’ religions.)

This is also why God’s people began to tire of religion. When believers go from Church to Church, it isn’t necessarily that they are being rebellious. Often they just don’t understand that what they are looking for cannot be found in any religion. Find the truth, and God will flock you where you belong.

Paul was a Christian Hebraist

Let’s return to Paul’s teaching on Law. One problem we have in the study of Scriptures is our distance from the writers. We are not familiar with the thought form, with the customs, or with the word usages, along with many other things that belonged to the early Church, or to the new covenant. Because of this, we tend to lose sight of distinctions being made.

When we see the term ‘the Law of God’ in New Testament writings, we automatically think ‘Law of Moses.’ In many cases the Law of Moses is in view, but not always.

Let’s see the distinctions. Paul puts three distinct Laws together in one portion of Scriptures. Listen carefully to the language that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9:19-21. (The numbers (1), (2), etc. will be explained.)

To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win the Jews; to those who are under the Law(1), as under the Law(1) though not being myself under the Law(1), so that I might win those who are under the Law(1); to those who are without law(4), as without law(4), though not being without the law of God(2) but under the law of Christ(3), so that I might win those who are without law(4).

Do you see the distinctions? Read it carefully in your Bible and these four law usages stand out.

(1) Is a reference to the Law of Moses. (2) Is with regard to the law of God. (3) Is to the law of Christ. And, (4) is to those with no regard to any law.

Now compare this to Romans 2:14,15, says,

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law(1) do instinctively the things of
the Law(1&2), these, not having the Law(1), are a law(2) to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law(1&2) written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness…”

(1&2) is used to show that the Law of Moses had encoded in it many of God’s eternal laws. And yet, the Law of Moses itself is not in itself the eternal Law of God. The Law of Moses was for that moment, and for that marriage.

The curse is removed in Christ.

And so, it wasn’t the Laws of Moses that was written in the hearts of these Gentiles. It would have been God’s eternal laws, or the Law of God. The eternal law of God can be encapsulated in one expression, ‘the law of love.’ The law (walk) of love fulfills all that the law of Moses pointed to. (God would not write into the hearts of the Gentiles a covenant that had to do with Israel alone.)

Again we come to the fact that the Law of Moses was essentially a marriage contract between Israel and God. No other nation had a part in that contract. A great part of the Law of Moses had to do with the land, with temple worship, with blessings and curses of the marriage. Understand this and it will help you understand the new covenant better.

And so what did Paul mean, when he said,

But we know that the Law [of Moses] is good, if one uses it lawfully?”

Or, what did Paul mean, when he said, “…the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life?”

The apostle is showing that in much of the Law of Moses you will find wonderful things that pertain to the Lord Himself. But the Law of Moses cannot be used as an instrument of righteousness because it was written for an earthly people. The covenant of Christ is purposed for a heavenly people. (Those who are born of God’s Spirit.)

Listen carefully:

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2Co 3:5-6 NASB)

The Law of Moses was a covenant of the letter. The new covenant is entirely a covenant of the Spirit. Each covenant served a different purpose.

Hear it from two of our apostles:

John – “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17 NASB)

Paul – “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death [Law of Moses]. For what the Law [of Moses] could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law [of righteousness] might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:2-4 NASB)

Removing the bruise

Is it any wonder that so many Christians are being bruised by those who do not understand the covenant of Christ, or the love of Christ, or the forgiveness of Christ; those who keep reaching back into the Law of Moses and use it as a whipping post to bring condemnation upon God’s children.

And so we need to hear it again:

For some men, straying from these things, have turned to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully….” (1Tim1:6-8)

The Lord Himself said,

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Gen3:15)

The prophet Isaiah painted the picture:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa 53:5-6 KJV)

My word to any minister who is using the Law of Mose to beat up on God’s people is simple –

Stop bruising God’s people. They have been bruised enough by the world. Jesus took their place. If you have been led astray in your on teachings, take your heart to the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing. (Both Paul and James said that ministers would receive a stricter judgment.)

Think about it.

Please take time to listen to the message in this video:

Always your servant in Christ,

Buddy

Jul

2011

Your Future is Already Planned

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:4-10)

Journal,

It is so important to get the message of salvation right. Salvation in Christ is not something we can earn. Nor is our salvation something that we keep by our own personal goodness or performance. Salvation is based on one thing alone. It is based on God’s love. And God’s love displayed on the cross. The finished work of the cross means that our salvation is finished. There is nothing to be added to it. There is nothing that can take away from it. The apostle said,

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom 5:6-10)

The Major Fault Line

The major fault-line with any belief system that fails to accord with the finished work of the cross will always result in a life of full of doubt and uncertainty. Rather than living in blessed assurance, a works-righteousness system of belief holds people in the sway of uncertainties. At what point can I really know that I am really saved? It is important to understand that God’s love is eternal and that our salvation can never be based on our ability to do points of goodness. The love of God serves as the basis for all His actions towards us. Our salvation was completed at the cross. This is why the apostle John said,

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn4:10)

Paul adds –

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Tit3:5)

The Lord of Always

The point is that the apostles were given a love message to carry into the entire world. This is why the subject of ‘love’ is found so much in their writings. Paul said it best:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom8:38,39)

Let’s give a perspective on Jesus being the Lord of always. How about if you could be in your child’s future, always in the background, yet never diminishing your child’s freedom of choice. You would be there to help in whatever the need may call for. Would you be willing to be there? Well, you can’t do that, but God can. The Lord gave David insight into this awesome area. David said,

“O Lord, You have search me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Psa139)

David said such knowledge was too wonderful for him. But what is it about God’s love that is so incomprehensible? We know that only too well. We have all found that God’s love surrounds us. God’s love reaches into our pits and draws us out. How we’ve been ashamed of a misdeed, wondering how God could ever love us still, and yet, in our turning to Him, we found He was ever there. In fact He had never left us. The prophet Micah spoke to this –

“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love … You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham…” (Micah 7:18-20)

Unchanging love is the catch phrase. Jesus expresses God’s eternal love in saying,

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you, abide in My love.” (John 15:9)

Yes, we Christians have such passion over the love of God. After all you don’t hear Muslims singing, ‘Mohammed, lover of my soul.’

The Mystery of Our Tomorrows

Once again we need to take a deeper look at the finished work of the cross. Herein is a great mystery that goes far beyond our ability to understand. God is the God of our yesterdays, of our todays, and of our tomorrows. This means that God is already in our future before we get there. He has made a provision for every situation we may face. God has no limitations on time and space. He sees our entire life before it unfolds in time. He knows every trial, every failure, every disappointment, every temptation, and every bad choice we will ever make.

Does this mean there will be no consequences for all the bad that we may do? It doesn’t mean that at all. Every choice we make will always bring consequences for those choices, whether good or bad. But here is the wonder. God is the God of our tomorrows.

Even in the life that we have not yet lived, the Lord has provided the wherewithal for us to overcome in all that we may have to deal with. Arrangements have already been made for our future.

Stop and think about it — Every trial we will ever walk through, every sorrow we will ever face, and every bad choice we will ever make, God has already made a way to turn all this into His glory.

Think of it this way – The trial you will enter in some distant time, the Lord has already walked you through it. That is because your tomorrows are already present in the Lord. God oversees your entire life and that takes in that part of life that you have yet to experience.

There is nothing in our life that is left to chance. This is included is what Paul had to say –

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:28-32)

How does the story of our salvation end? Do you remember the Scriptures I used in introducing this study? Look at them again.

Paul says that we have already been seated with Christ in the heavenly places. The story has already been written. In God’s story you are already in heaven. Here it is again:

Be encouraged my friend. Jesus really does love you and He is going to help you to see things through to the end. Take time for this song. The Lord wants to speak to your heart.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz4_u509I_g[/youtube]

In Christ Always,

Buddy

Jul

2011

The Fullness of Life – God’s Blueprint and GPS

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)

Journal,

Sometimes religion can become a road block to a meaningful spiritual life. One struggle many believers have is in trying to find the perfect religion. They go from one group to another trying to find God’s blue print for life. The problem is that no institution on earth has the blueprint of God. To begin with there is no such thing as the perfect religion. And secondly, Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world. [It can’t be found in an earthly form.]

Roman Catholics don’t have God’s blueprint. Southern Baptists, nor Pentecostals, nor Messianism have heaven’s blue print. The blueprint came to us from God and it can only be found one place. It can only be found in the heart.

Jesus is heaven’s blueprint. He said,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

Living life without the blueprint

Most believers today are spiritually mature enough to realize that God has people throughout the varied Christian groupings. Yet you always have those who live spiritually shallow lives because of their misconceptions about how to walk with God. Their walk is ‘religion-centered.’ Without even realizing it, they have placed their religion between themselves and God.

These are the, ‘Lo, Christ is here’ people. Jesus spoke of them:

“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him … ” (Mar 13:21-22)

So, the question remains. If the blueprint of heaven can’t be found with any religious group, where then do we find Christ? The apostle said it very well:

“… the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

“We proclaim Him [Christ], admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Col 1:26-28)

The Bible says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And God wants each believer to find their own…

Completeness in Christ

It really isn’t a matter so much of where you attend church. God does place His people into flocks. Simply be where the Lord wants you to be.

What is important is that believers understand the essence of God’s heavenly covenant. The new covenant is an eternal covenant that gives us eternal life. The people of the new covenant are a heavenly people. They are a people born of heaven. They are given a heavenly directed heart. (That is what being born again actually means.)

Jesus is the heart and soul of the new eternal covenant. His life is our life. It is His life that we live. This means that new covenant life is an under tutorship of the Spirit of Christ.

Listen very carefully once again:

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)

Paul explains this very well when he says,

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is not longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)

Learn to believe God’s way

It takes time to learn how to live in kingdom life. A difficulty we often have is in reading our own belief system into the Scriptures. We read it that way because we want to believe it that way. This is called eisegesis, or ‘reading into.’ This form of reading can mar a person’s spiritual life. Rather than let God speak to our hearts, we rush through the Scriptures to bolster what we want to believe.

The proper way to read the Scripture is called exegesis, or ‘reading out of.’

To properly understand what a Biblical writer means when he uses a certain term, we have to understand how that term was used during his time. When John says,

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace,” we need to know how the term ‘fullness’ was used at that time.

The word ‘pleroma‘ means ‘that which fills,’ and it comes from ‘pleroo‘, or, ‘ to fill with a content.’

Pleroma as used by the gospel writers had a two-fold meaning. It meant that believers have been brought into a fullness in Christ’s sphere of life. In this case there is nothing we need to do to be any closer to God, than being ‘in Christ.’ This fullness of our sphere of relationship takes place in the new birth. It is not some later added spiritual experience.

This Greek word also means that believers are filled absolutely by the Person of Christ as the giver of life. No believer has more of Christ than another believer. It is here that we get the idea of Christ living out His life in us. The apostle said that the one who belongs to Christ is one spirit with HIm.

Let’s take another example. Paul said,

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled (pleroo) the law.” (Rom13:8)

Paul is saying that the love of God that is poured out in our hearts in the new birth, is the governing principle of the new covenant, and that by walking in the Spirit of love we automatically fulfill, or reach the full goal of the intent of the Law of Moses. Paul’s point is that Christ has removed any need for performing rituals. Anyone can do a ritual, but only those truly born of God’s Spirit have the capacity to fulfill the love walk.

Made complete in Christ

There is a last sense in the word ‘pleroma‘ which has to do with completeness, or to finish up a thing. This is a very important concept. Listen carefully:

“For of His fullness (pleorma; or, ‘completeness’) we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (Joh 1:16-17)

Completeness means there is nothing you can add to make it any more complete.

At the very moment of the new birth, a believer is made complete in Christ. No one can take away from that. Nor is there anything to add to that. This is the sum and substance of the new covenant.

It is because of this sum and substance, that John said we are given “grace upon grace.” Grace upon grace means that at no time in a believer’s life will he or she be able to get beyond God’s redeeming grace.

Hear again the apostle;

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He *lavished* on us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Eph1:7,8)

The key word is ‘lavished.’ Perisseuo means a super abundance, or be over and above anything needed or required. God can lavish grace on all His children because we have received the fullness of Christ.

Putting on Christ

This issue of Christ being our completeness was a struggle for the early believers, just as it is for many today. They had the Judaizers who said you must fulfill the law of Moses to be right with God. Then you had the Gnostics and philosophers who took to themselves as being the ‘special’ ones on the earth, that one must come to them to have fulfillment.

These kinds of religious systems have always been around.

John disarmed both groups when he said,

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

He then says,

“By this, love is perfected (brought to completion) with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Christ] is, so also are we in this world.” (1John4:15,17)

John is saying Christ perfectly represents every believer in heaven. And this is where our salvation lies. You can also refer to this as the life exchange of the cross. Christ took our life to Himself in His death on the cross, and, He, in turn, gave us His perfect life to be our standing with heaven.

Heaven’s GPS

And now for the path finder. Folk often wonder what specific role the Holy Spirit has in a believer’s life. There are many specifics to be had but the one most important to our walk of faith is how the Holy Spirit acts as our guide in our journey from earth to heaven.

Listen to these Scriptures:

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (Joh 16:12-14)

The Greek term for ‘truth’ speaks of an unveiled reality or the very essence of a matter. Here the Lord is calling attention to matters of the kingdom.

Notice Jesus said, “Whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

How real is this? Most believers are familiar with what Jesus said about His sheep –

“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (Joh 10:26-29)

The point is that God’s people have the capacity to hear the Spirit of Christ speaking in their own hearts, also in providence, also in ways too many to mention. But once again, here is where spiritual maturity must come into place.

The prophet described how very real God’s speaking is:

“Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” (Isa 30:20-21)

The Way of God

When Jesus said that He was ‘the Way’, this term resounded with prophetic overtones. In time the disciples saw the connection, the very connection that we need to see. This is why the earliest believers often referred to their walk as ‘the Way.’

Listen to the Psalmist as he describes both God speaking and how the Messiah sets forth the way of God:

“I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; but let them not turn back to folly.

“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

“Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.” (Psa 85:8-13)

And so, we are back to where we started. Ok – One more time – Listen with your heart to our beginning Scripture portion —

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)

Does this Scripture speak to you? Take your time. Let it sink in.

There is no truth more important to a believer than to understand the reality or truth of kingdom life. That truth is simply, “Christ in you the hope of glory.”

Here is your meditation song. ‘Thank You, Lord’ by Hillsong. (Why not relax and let Jesus minister to your heart.)

In Christ always,

Buddy

Jul

2011

The Wonders of the Cross

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” (1Co 2:1-5)

Journal,

In addressing the church at Corinth, Paul said he was determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. What did the apostle mean by this?

Isn’t there anything else we need to preach other than the cross? Not really. Not if you understand the message of the cross. All the doctrines of Christ arise out of the cross.

The message of the cross is not simply about Jesus dying on a cross. It is a full message that includes who Jesus was, that He was born of a virgin, was truly a human and yet God, that He died for our sins, was buried, resurrected on the third day, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the majesty on high, will return for the saints, and is the last judge of all things.

All of eternity revolves around Jesus

The essential message of the cross is actually seven-fold. It speaks to the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ, His second coming, and eternity to follow. Out of this seven-fold message flows a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. This is why the apostle said that in Christ “Are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col2:3)

When Paul writes the Corinthian church, he explains that there is a wisdom which belongs only to believers, not to the world. God has done something entirely new. Paul says this ‘new covenant’ wisdom had been ‘predestined before the ages to our glory.’ (1Co2:7)

Paul carefully sets forth that the old ways of wisdom have to be abandoned. Everything in the new covenant is ‘new.’ The new covenant is not the old covenant made new. It is a heavenly covenant based on the finished work of Calvary.

The hidden wisdom of the cross

Paul connects this hidden wisdom to the cross. He says,

“For the word [full message] of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” (1Co1:18,19)

What happened at the cross?

Let’s compare just two statements the apostle makes about what happened at the cross.

In his first letter, Paul says,

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” (1Co1:30)

In his second letter, Paul says,

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Co5:21)

The apostle is telling us why he is determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He is saying it all happened at the cross. At the cross our death sentence passed to Jesus. At the cross His resurrected life passed to us.

Why is Jesus called ‘the Wisdom of God’

Why does Paul speak of this life of God in terms of Wisdom? He is saying that those actually born from above have access to the very thoughts and feelings of God. He speaks of this as the mind of Christ.

This means that the wisdom that belongs to God alone, is the wisdom that is given to believers. (According to the need of the believer.) This is an awesome thing to consider.

So, the cross is both our dying place and our living place.

Is it any wonder that we Christians have so many songs about the cross. Out of the death of the cross comes a new creation. And this new creation is imbued with a wisdom that is not of this world.

Paul explains it this way:

“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.” (1Co2:11,12)

The cross provides a heavenly wisdom not of this world

Notice carefully how the apostle connects the Wisdom of God with the Holy Spirit. In another place He calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Jesus. Paul says,

“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!'” (Gal4:6)

Having the Spirit of God’s Son in your heart means that every believer has divine Wisdom to draw from. It means that the very life of Jesus is in us.

Remember Jesus shared with the apostles that they would be given things that were not available to the world. In His high priestly prayer, Jesus says,

“[Father] But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they [believers] may have MY JOY made full in themselves.” (John 17:13)

The life of Christ in the believer

One of the distinguishing marks of a true believer is his or her joy in the Lord. But it is the Lord’s joy that fills them. This is the life given us from the cross.

The term ‘made full’ means more than ‘fulfill‘ as it is translated in the King James. ‘Pleroo‘ speaks of a totality of filling. Believers are going to be filled totally with presence, the life, the joy, and the peace of Jesus.

This is what the Spirit filled life is about. It is being filled with the righteousness, peace and joy that is found in Jesus.

John wrote,

“For of His fullness [pleroma] we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)

God’s governing peace

So what is it about peace? Jesus said,

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)

The peace of God is the anchor of our faith. It is a governing peace that guides us in our journey of faith. Paul said that our faith comes from Jesus speaking to us. This is how he explains it;

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)

The Father of Jesus is our Father

The list is endless. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is our Father. The kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is our kingdom. The righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousness. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is our Spirit. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ is our love. The destiny of the Lord Jesus Christ is our destiny. And it all happened at the cross.

The Administrator of the Kingdom

One thing that believers need to appreciate is that the Holy Spirit does not come to us in the same way or measure as did the Spirit before the cross. Lets hear it from Jesus.

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37,38)

What did Jesus mean that the Spirit was not yet given? Notice that the word ‘given‘ is in italics. It is not in the original. So it should read, ‘For the Spirit was not yet.’

How can that be? Didn’t the prophets have the Holy Spirit? Did not David have the Holy Spirit? Yes, but not in the same measure or sense or fullness that new covenant believers have in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit comes into the heart of the new covenant person as the Spirit of the glorified Jesus Christ. The Spirit brings the fullness of Christ crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended, and glorified into our hearts. No person before the cross ever had such an experience.

And it all happened at the cross.

Stop and think what the term ‘new creation’ actually means. It essentially means that God created a people out of nothing. A newly created thing only existed in the mind of the Creator before it became a reality. This is why the Bible says that we are God’s workmanship, “CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS”.

An Entirely New Creation

Peter adds to this in saying,

“For you were once not a people, but now you are the people of God.” (Cf. Eph2:10;1Pe2:9)

Again listen carefully — Peter said now “we”are the people of God.” He isn’t simply speaking of replacement theology. We aren’t replacing anything.

There has been an act of creation. This new people is separate and distinct from any form of humanity this planet has ever known. The Adam race sprang forth from Adam. The new creation race springs from Christ Jesus. We are totally ‘new‘. We are the people of Christ. The prophet said that God’s people would be given a new name. The new name is ‘Christian‘.

This is why Paul said that in Christ there are no Jews or Greeks. The new creation is a heavenly people. We are designed for heaven, destined for heaven, derived from heaven, and imbued with heavenly wisdom and life. So if anyone asks you where heaven is, you can say, ‘Heaven is in my heart.’

How about you? Can you say what Paul said, in determining to know nothing among the people except Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Think about it.

In the meantime listen to this song that speaks to the heart of God’s children. ‘Higher Ground.’

In Christ always,

Buddy

Jun

2011

A Case for the Christian

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.“ (1Pe 4:14-16)

Journal,

Christianity of itself is not essentially a religion. It is a kingdom. In order to have a kingdom you must have a king. Take note of this description of Jesus Christ about His second coming and His titles:

“He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev 19:13-16)

Then there is this issue. There are no naturalized citizens in the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. The only way to enter the kingdom of God’s Son is to be born into it. When a person is born from heaven, this is also a citizenship birth. With each kingdom birth there is a register. Listen to Paul:

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Php 3:20-21)

So, where does religion enter the picture? Good question. Religion is what we manage to do. A kingdom birth is what God does.

Born from Above

Let’s begin with the thinker – What is it that makes an Irishman an Irishman, or a Cajun a Cajun? (Pass the crawfish please.) The simple answer is that the Irishman and the Cajun are born to a particular cultural grouping. Each group has its own natural proclivities.

What then is it that makes a human a human? The answer is that all humans share a nature that belongs exclusively to humankind in general. Neither angels nor animals have a human nature. They have a nature that is exclusively theirs. So there is an angelic nature, an animal nature, and there is a human nature.

And here is the problem. The human nature is in disrepair. Our souls were damaged in the fall of Adam. Thus our physical life and our spiritual life have need for repair. While the holy angels of God continue with their original nature intact, the deepest part of our humanity, that is, our spiritual identity with God has been displaced.

Whether we understand it or not, Adam and Eve had in their original nature that which is only found in God Himself. They carried in them a certain spiritual likeness of God. The image and likeness had to do with their basic nature. It is that part of man’s inward nature that is in need of repair.

Satan took advantage of Adam’s fallen state and built his earthly kingdom around the aspect of disrepair. Satan is called the god of this world, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and the authority of ‘the domain of darkness.’ Thus Adam found himself in a twisted world filled with wrath and discord. Everything was out of balance.

Repaired Through the Cross

In essence what makes a Christian a Christian is that our spiritual identity with God has restored through a heavenly birth. This was the purpose of the cross.

Jesus said

“The thief [Satan’s environs and activities] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jn10:10)

Listen to these Scriptures that describe the two kinds of humans on planet earth today:

Paul: “[We] formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were BY NATURE CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as the rest.” (Eph2:2,3)

Peter: “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2Pet1:4)

When a person is born from above their severance from God is remedied. The born again person is now a very child of the living God and a citizen of heaven. This means that on planet Earth there are two kinds of humans, those who have been spiritually repaired and restored to God, and those who are still in disrepair. Is it any wonder that the strongest impulse of Christians is to get the message of the gospel out to our fallen kin.

The Wonder of a New Creation

Here we need to understand the critical element of what makes a Christian a Christian. The disrepair of our humanity can only be corrected one way. It has to be God’s way. God’s way is found in the working of the cross. No person is ever born again because they shook a preachers hand or that they prayed through to some esoteric experience.

The only way for a person to be born from above is that they must consciously recognize Jesus Christ as Lord, and receive Him personally as their own Lord and Savior. This accepting Jesus Christ as Lord is the heart and soul of the new creation.

And so, it is to Jesus alone that we bring our broken humanity. It is to Him that we make our appeal to His Lordship and to His saving grace. This is why the true apostolic message never changes, which says, “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” To call upon the name of the Lord means to recognize His Lordship and to appeal to Him as our own Lord.

This is why salvation can never be based on an emotional experience where we have set aside our minds and now depend on certain euphoric feelings. Drugs can induce euphoric feelings. A person can even become euphoric on their own emotions. There is such a thing as an emotional drunkenness.

The point is that our salvation is be based upon the fact alone. We are to become convinced of the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ, and that He is now both Lord and Christ, and that there is no other way to be saved other than to call upon Him, and to acknowledge and confess His Lordship. Aside from this act of believing and confessing, there is no salvation.

Believing in Jesus Christ is an act of our will. The faith to be born again is a gift from God.

Every time a person is born from above, there is an act of creation. In this new creation a new humanity comes into place. We are a people born-from-above, that is, a heavenly people. We now share a heart like God’s heart.

This brings us to…

The Reborn Heart

In the Bible the term heart speaks of the very center of our being. It is where our spirit life evolves. This is why the Scriptures make a distinction between man’s soul and man’s spirit. The soul is generally thought to be our mind, our will, and our emotions, that is, what identifies us as an individual. But our spirit is that part that relates closest to God. In is in our spirit where we have our God-awareness, our conscious spiritual life, our intuition, our fellowship and communion. This is why it is our spirit that is born again and not our soul. Our soul undergoes transformations over time.

The prophet described our new life this way:

“And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.” (Eze 11:19-20)

It all begins with the Lord getting our attention. The word repentance in the Greek speaks to a moral conquest of the mind. It begins as an intellectual process. We are made aware of and become convinced of the message of the cross. We realize our lostness. We change our minds about the path we’ve lived. And we turn to Jesus as our own Lord and Savior. Every bit of this involves our thinking. The mind is the way to the heart. Salvation involves both the mind and the heart.

It is under this strong convicting work of the Holy Spirit that our heart is brought to the place of being born again. The power that makes a Christian a Christian is not our power. It is the power of heaven.

Paul explains where the power of life comes from. Listen carefully:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom1:16)

The power of new life is found in the message of the cross itself.

Listen again to Paul:

“For this reason we also constantly thank God, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1Th2:13)

The point is that the beginning place of salvation has to include our mind. The very word repentance speaks to the mind. Salvation is made upon a decision for Christ. This is why the Billy Graham crusades have such a tremendous effect on the crowds. He preaches the simple message of the cross. The respondents are openly declaring their faith in Jesus Christ.

A Seal that Cannot be Broken

When the Holy Spirit enters the heart of the believing one, that person becomes sealed for eternity. The Spirit will be there tomorrow, and the next tomorrow, and the next tomorrow. This is called the testimony of the Spirit. The apostle calls this the seal of redemption. This new believer has become a child of the living God. He can never be separated from the loving Father.

This does not mean that the newly born-again person is incapable of sin. Yes, the child of God can sin and will have failures in his life. However, sin will always be contrary to the child of God’s nature. He will sin by temptation. Yet the Spirit of Christ within him will now allow him to stay in a condition of sin. Sin hurts too much.

Think about these things. Feel free to offer your comments. I would love to hear from you.

In the meantime here is a song that will speak to your heart.

The King is Coming by the Bill Gaither Trio

Yours in Christ,

Buddy

Jun

2011

Lord Jesus, remember me

– Lord Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom. I know that I have broken God’s laws and that my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry. Please forgive me. I do believe that You are the Christ, the Son of the Loving God, that you died for my sins. I believe that you resurrected from the dead, that you are seated in heaven at the Father’s right hand as Lord of all creation, and that you are coming again. I call upon you as Lord of my life. Fill my heart with Your Holy Spirit. From this day forward I will confess you as my Lord and Savior. Amen. –

A prayer of Salvation

Journal,

The thief on the cross did not have time to find a church, to get baptized, to do good works, or undo any of the sins of his life. He was about to die. On the cross between him and another thief was Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Here is how it went:

“One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, ‘Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, ‘Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’

“And he was saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!’ And He said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’” (Luk 23:39-43)

The reason the thief on the cross would enter paradise is that he was placing his faith in the Man who was hanging on the cross. The thief would enter paradise the same way that all true believers enter paradise. He acknowledged faith and trust in the Lord when he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”

One struggle that often confronts new believers has to do with realizing the life that is given us in the new covenant. I have often shared that when believers try to measure their walk with the Lord by the Old Covenant laws it can actually hinder the flow of grace in their life. The new covenant includes a life cause that had never been known to man.

It all has to do with…

The Life Atonement

In all the former covenants there was no spiritual atonement. All the Old Testament sacrifices could do was serve as reminders of sin and of man’s need of a Savior. The Bible says that these sacrifices could never make the worshipper “perfect in conscience.” (Heb9:9)

In the Old Testament sacrifice the one offering the sacrifice was exchanging his life for the life of the animal. The sacrificed animal was taking the place of the sacrificer. But all the sacrifices under the Law could never take away sin. They served as a reminder and a shadow of the great sacrifice to come. In the Old Testament sacrifices the gospel of Christ was being set forth.

What of the cross? It was on the cross that Christ offered himself as an ‘eternal’ sacrifice for all sin for all time, and through His atoning blood, the believer is given a cleansed conscience. Rather than having a heart that would continually remind the believer of the condemnation of sin, the blood-sprinkled heart would now speak of grace and righteousness.

The moment a person becomes born again, they are made aware of a new life principle at work. The born from heaven believer has a new relationship with God. His conscience has been cleansed. The former things have passed away.

Paul said it this way:

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2Co 5:17-19)

None of this means that a new covenant believer is incapable of sin. What it means is that the new covenant believer’s life has been exchanged for the life of Jesus. The new believer now remains under the influence of the atonement of Christ.

This also means that the heart and soul of a new covenant believer has undergone a nature change. Where sin was his natural state, now sin becomes an unclean thing to this new believer. O yes, he can sin but he can never be comfortable in sin. Sin is now contrary to his new nature.

Another way of saying this is that the new believer now represents Jesus on the earth, and Jesus represents the new believer in heaven. Both the apostle John and the apostle Paul confirms this.

“By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Jesus] is, so also are we in this world.“ (1Jn 4:17)

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col 3:3-4)

Walking with a Cleansed Conscience

It is one thing to know we are saved by the sacrifice of Christ, it is altogether another to walk with a cleansed conscience. And so the new covenant has a built-in ‘spiritual-cleansing’ or ‘renewing’ factor that will never lose its power for cleansing. The apostles speak of this renewing and cleansing work of the Holy Spirit.

The word that relates to the cleansing and renewing is the word sanctification. When God saves us, we become ‘set apart’ from the world. (This is essentially what ‘sanctify’ means.) Anything that is sanctified means that it belongs exclusively to God. In this sense all believers are ‘God-possessed’ people.

And so we have from God the work of separation, of cleansing and of renewing.

Paul said,

“We do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” (2Co4:16)

The term Paul used for ‘renewed’ is anikainoo. It literally means, ‘make new.’ Anikainoo carries the idea of spiritual restorations. Thus it can be said that the believer’s life is being made new day by day. This is the outflow of the life that has been given us in Christ.

Jesus described it this way:

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (Joh 7:37-39)

Back to the thief on the cross. In the new covenant there is …

No Salvation by Works or Personal Goodness

Just as the thief could be saved only one way, the apostles are careful to point out that we cannot be saved by anything that we could do or have done in our own power. The truth of our being saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone is taught throughout the New Testament. James explains how a person is born from above. He said,

“In this exercise of [God’s] will He brought us forth by the word of truth.” (James 1:18)

It is so important to understand this. You cannot work God’s will in your life. God works His will in your life. This is why even repentance can be said to be God at work in our hearts.

Paul added to this in saying,

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Tit3:5)

Once again Paul is speaking of the new life renewal that the Holy Spirit continues to manifest in each believer.

Always keep in mind what Jesus said to the thief, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’

Now let us talk about…

Full Fellowship

Again listen, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” We need to know that the Lord always deals with us as blood redeemed people. When we make mistakes, or fall into a temptation, or stumble, or whatever the case may be, the Lord is able to restore us in full fellowship through the atoning blood of Jesus. The Bible says that nothing shall ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus.

We drink from His cup. We sit at His table. We will always be with Jesus in heaven. The believer’s life cannot be separated from Jesus’s life.

In Hebrews, we hear,

“He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb7:25)

But it is more to this than restoration from sin. It is the very life of the new covenant that we need to learn about. Paul gave the finishing touch on how new covenant life works in a single statement. He said,

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)

Crucified with Christ

Yes, the thief was crucified with Christ. And the thief would forever live with Christ. When Christ arose from the grave, the thief arose with Him. When Jesus entered into heaven the thief entered with Him. When Jesus was seated at the right hand of the Father, the thief was seated with Him. And so was every believer in the new covenant.

When Paul said that he had been crucified with Christ, he is addressing a cardinal reality of the Christian faith. Listen to the apostle:

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-7)

Where does all this leave us? It really depends on your standing with heaven. If you are not assured of your salvation, I provided a prayer at the beginning of this journal entry that you may want to use. It begins with the simple words of the thief on the cross and it includes those things that speak of the Lordship of Jesus.

Don’t place your salvation in some church membership, or on some emotional experience, on shaking the preacher’s hand, or how long you prayed at an altar. Salvation is based on one issue alone – Salvation is the change of Lordship. You are turning from the god of this world [Satan] and calling on the name of God’s beloved Son. The Bible plainly says that whoever will call on His name will be saved.

Why not take time for this song. It is titled, ‘Lord, Please Remember Me,’ by the Jackson Southernaires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYF-2Y9-ogo

Be blessed,

Buddy

May

2011

When the Temple Shuddered

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” (Mar 15:37-39)

Journal,

When Jesus breathed His last, the veil of the temple was torn. There was also an earthquake, and according to some sources, the foundation of the temple shifted. In this entry I wish to concentrate primarily on the significance of what happened in the temple during the crucifixion of Jesus.

Before the torn curtain, darkness had filled the land from noon to 3 o’clock. The ninth hour (3 pm) was the time of the incense offering. A priest and his attendants would be in the holy place.

The priest would not have heard the voice of Christ on the cross, nor the mockery of the chief priests and scribes, who were chiding Jesus, in saying,

“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the king of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.” (Mat27:42)

But this moment was the deepest of sorrows for Jesus. And it is here that we hear the saddest words ever to be recorded by a human pen, when Jesus cries out,

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

At the moment of the cry, what the priest in the temple saw must have left him quaking. Hearing the sound of tearing, and looking up, the priest saw the vast curtain beginning to rend, starting at the very top.

Historical background

Let me share some historical background on both the curtain and the happenings in Israel during the time of Christ. This would explain any nervousness that the priest would have had.

First the curtain – The curtain was awesome in itself. It was 80 feet high, and as thick as the width of a man’s hand. (According to Josephus and later rabbinic authorities.)

Another point of interest is that the curtain had changed in appearance from the original pattern given Moses. The tabernacle curtain had cherubim embroidered in it. But the curtain in Herod’s temple had the heavens themselves embroidered on it. It was like looking at the sky. So when it began to tear, the priest would have thought of the rending of the heavens. And this is truly what was happening.

Strange things happening

There is more. According to the Talmud and Josephus, strange things had happened during that time period. Josephus said that the eastern gate, which was made of brass, and which took twenty men to close, would open and close on its own accord.

The Talmud speaks of something similar. It says that forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple doors would open and close on their own, and you could hear voices coming from within. Forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem was when Jesus took up His Messianic anointing. The Master of the Universe walked the land.

Evidently the temple was becoming a scary place. The priest would have reason to go about his duties with some nervousness. But nonetheless, it happened. He looked up and the vast curtain began to tear. The floor began to shift and shake.

It was as if God were saying, “This is it! No more! There will be no more separation! No more blood sacrifices! No more!!!” It was as if the temple itself was rending her garments. She shuddered.

What is the wonderful secret in all this? It was all about God and man. God has been reconciled to all of humanity. Thus, every person on this planet, saint or sinner, has the right to call on the name of the Lord, and be saved. Sin was dealt with in Christ. Not simply the sins of the saints. All the sins of the world were taken to the cross in Christ.

When love walked the earth

Through the fall of Adam, the human race came into league with Satan. But that did not mean that God stopped loving humanity. The Bible is a record of redemption. It is also the story of God’s love for humanity.

When Jesus came into the earth, it meant that He had to leave heaven with all its glory and splendor, and to come into a world that was enshrouded in sin.

Sin was our clothing. Did He come in anger? Did He come with vengeance in His heart? No. He came with a heart full of the Father’s love.

And this is why John 3:16,17 will always be the key message in the Bible. It says,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Jesus had to be born as a human. And so He was. Thus we have the mystery of the incarnation. Jesus was the only human ever to walk this planet in whom Satan had no power or authority over. Satan knew that somehow he must get Jesus to sin. But it never happened. Jesus was perfect in all His ways.

The message of the garden

Oh yes, Satan never forgot the message of the garden —

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.” (Gen3:15)

Jesus could have went back to heaven any time He desired. But He didn’t. He walked in our sinful world. He put his arms around sinful creatures. He rebuked the religious leaders for their hardheartedness, and gave nothing but love and acceptance to the most sinful of us all. It still works that way today.

But all this wasn’t entirely new. God’s plan of redemption had been laid out by His holy servants of old, the prophets. In fact the Bible unfolds around God’s Son and the work of the cross.

Hear what the prophet David had to say…

When mercy and truth met together

Somehow mercy and truth had to meet together. Somehow righteousness and peace had to kiss one another. Somehow heaven and earth had to be reconciled. Somehow there had to be the ‘one’ sacrifice that would take away sin forever. And the sacrifice had to be so perfect that it would remove all the sins of all of humanity, for all time. And somehow, this sacrifice had to become the way for man to return to God.

The Psalmist also spoke of this. He said,

“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.” (Psa 85:9-13)

Listen to the words —

‘Truth springs from the earth.’ This is Jesus born of a woman.

‘Righteousness looks down from heaven.’ The voice from heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

‘Righteousness … will make His footsteps into a way.‘ The footsteps of Jesus took Him from the cross and to His rightful place in heaven. His footsteps are now our footsteps.

There is so much more to be said.

But then, maybe this song pretty much says it all.

Take time to listen to John Starns, ‘Love Grew Where the Blood Fell.’

In Christ always,

Buddy

Apr

2011

There really are two worlds

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’

“Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'” (Joh 18:35-37)

Journal,

For the past few days I’ve had this feeling that I was to write a blog on the other world Jesus spoke to Pilate about. Then I remembered a blog I shared last year entitled, ‘Made in the Divine Image.’ So I decided to use that blog as a backdrop and share more insights that hopefully will bless my readers.

Here is the bottom line issue. While the angels of God continue with their nature intact, our spiritual nature and personal identity with God was displaced in the fall of Adam. We forfeited our unique relationship with all of creation. We lost something of our original nature.

I realize that the idea of humans having something of the divine is difficult to grasp. Yet a restoration of Adam’s lost glory is at the very heart of our redemption in Christ Jesus. And this restoration includes something of the divine nature.

Pay attention to these Scriptures —

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom3:23)

Another,

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Heb 2:10-11 NASB)

And again,

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2Pe 1:4)

Jesus entered the fallen world of Adam

Jesus took to Himself the fallen human race. Satan’s authority over all humanity was broken at the cross. From that moment on any person who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Calling on Jesus relates to His becoming Lord and Savior to the one calling on Him.)

But it doesn’t stop there. Peter gave more insight:

“… seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2Pe 1:3 NASB)

That which was lost in the fall of Adam, has been restored in Jesus Christ.

The point is that Satan was able to take advantage of Adam’s fallen state and build his earthly kingdom around this aspect of disrepair. Satan is called the god of this world, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and the authority of ‘the domain of darkness.’ All that changed with the coming of Jesus Christ.

The two worlds and the two kinds of humans…

So now there actually are two kinds of humans on this planet. You have the ‘in Adam’ human. And you have the ‘in Christ’ human. Those who are in Christ, have turned to Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. They belong to a new creation. Those who have not turned to Jesus still yet remain under the domain of the old creation. They are still under Satan’s jurisdiction.

Listen to these Scriptures that describe the two kinds of humans on planet earth today:

“[We all] formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were BY NATURE CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as the rest.” (Eph2:2,3)

In speaking to the Jewish leaders in the temple, He said,

“‘I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.’ So the Jews were saying, ‘Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, “Where I am going, you cannot come’?”‘ And He was saying to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.‘” (Joh 8:21-23)

Again,

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Joh 8:44)

Here is the description of those who have turned to Jesus Christ:

“For we are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them.” (Eph2:10)

Again,

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away, new things have come.” (2Co5:17)

To the disciples and by extension to all believers through the age.,

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (Joh 15:19)

See the distinction?

You have humans in disrepair and you have humans who have been restored to their proper nature and in right relationship with God.

Once the human nature has been repaired this brings the principle of godliness back in place, and that which most closely relates to the divine. We now have a heart that is very much like God’s heart.

This does not mean that the repaired Christian cannot sin. No person on this planet has as sensitive a conscience as that of a person who has been born again. It is the nature of a Christian to seek cleansing from sin.

Born from above…

With that being said let’s take a closer look at the believer’s new status with God. Jesus said,

“The thief [Satan’s environs and activities] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jn10:10)

The true believer is born from above. When a person is born from above their human nature has undergone a spiritual repair, and is in the process of being restored to its proper purpose.

The born again person is now a very child of God. The child of God once again has something of the divine within him. He belongs to the family of God.

The heavenly Father spoke life to him. This is what Jesus meant when he said,

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the word that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63)

Through our journey in this world, the Lord gives us life words. He speaks to us as our Father. But He also brings healing where healing is needed.

Repairing the broken…

The disrepair of our humanity can only be corrected one way. It is found in the working principle of the cross. Jesus alone is the One who repairs us. It is to Him alone that we bring our broken humanity. It is to Him that we make our appeal to His Lordship and to His saving grace. This is why the true apostolic message never changes, which says,

“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [repaired].”

The word salvation [soteria] in Greek speaks of preservation and deliverance. The word ‘save’ [sozo] means, to bring safely, get well, to restore, etc.

Listen to angel’s message to Joseph about Mary having a Son:

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Mark 1:21)

Being saved from our sins is not a one time event. It is the maxim of the cross. Being saved from our sins is a process of life. The Lord saved us, He is saving us, He will save us. Jesus came to save us from all our sins, past, present and future.

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Tit 3:5 NASB)

The glory to be revealed…

Here is the Scripture that troubles some folk:

“What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!“ (Psa 8:4-5 NASB)

Yes, Adam did share in the divine nature, that is, in those godly traits that are found in God Himself. Adam was God’s very child and he carried in his person something of the nature of his Father.
I hope you are seeing the picture. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you also are God’s very child.

We have yet to receive our full glory, but it will happen.

Paul said this:

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Rom 8:29-30)

In all this always keep in mind that you do have authority over Satan. How to use this authority properly is a way of learning the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Think about these things. In the meantime here is a song what will minister to your heart, “The Glorious Impossible,” by the Gaither Band:

May the Lord ‘s richest blessing overflow your life as you seek His face,

Buddy

Apr

2011

Invisibility and Power

“Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Co 12:8-10)

Journal,

Did you know that a believer’s greatest weakness can become their greatest strength? Yes, this is Biblical language. It has to do with something that God does in our lives. Turning weaknesses into strength is one of the great wonders of the new covenant walk. It is the secret to what beautifies a believer’s life. Yes indeed, God wants to add beauty to your life.

Listen as the Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah;

“[I will] grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isa 61:3)

We need a good starting place. Let’s begin with the word ‘spiritual‘.

I can do all things through Christ

The New Testament term so often misunderstood is the term ‘spiritual. The Greek term for spiritual [pneumatikós] comes from two words that have to do with invisibility and power, or that which proceeds from the Holy Spirit. So, whether it is a spiritual song, a spiritual gift, or a spiritual enlightenment, it will always be of the Spirit and never of the flesh or by natural tendency.

Spirituality is not something to be earned. It comes to us by way of the cross. And yet spirituality is something that the believer learns to draw on. The reason is in every believer there is a spiritual fountain of life.

Listen to Jesus explain this to the Samaritan woman:

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

“She said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?”

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.'” (John 4:10-14)

From grace to grace

Spirituality is the outflow of God’s grace. Grace is not something that is measured to us on the basis of our merits. No one earns grace. And there will never be a day in a believer’s life where they are unable to draw on grace. (Cf. John 1:16)

God’s grace will always be amazing. It seems to come to us out of nowhere. Paul said it this way:

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal 2:20)

The apostle also said,

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Php 4:11-13)

A secret to be learned

Paul said he had ‘learned’ the secret. The word ‘learned’ in the Greek context speaks of an entrance into a new condition of living.

Paul had been taught by the Lord how to be independent of outside considerations. What he learned was that the Lord can infuse His strength into any every need that Paul the believer had. Paul’s weakness could become his strengths. However, it would be important for Paul to recognize his own weakness before the power of God’s grace could become his source of strength.

Another way of saying this is that Christ is living His life in each believer.

This is where we hear Paul say,

“…Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Co 12:9-10)

You don’t put new wine in old wine skins

A problem for some today is that they try to live new covenant life on an old covenant level. While there are defined callings in the new covenant, in no sense is one believer granted a higher spiritual life than any other. Certainly we should thank the Lord for pastors and other ministers, however, these ministers should never be given a place where they become the voice of God in our lives.

And in no case should a believe be running to and fro, trying to find someone who can give them a word from the Lord. The era of the Old Testament prophet is over. His job was fulfilled in John the Baptist. Jesus specifically said that the law and the prophets concluded with John. The new covenant is a covenant of spiritual life. This spiritual life is resident in each believer.

It is not that the Lord can’t speak to us through others. He can and He does. The Lord can speak to us through nature or even by way of a sinner. But none of this precludes the essence of spiritual life in the new covenant.

Hear what Jesus had to say about the new covenant:

“When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Joh 10:4-5)

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Joh 10:27-28)

The Way of the Cross

After Jesus took His place in heaven as the resurrected ‘Lord of glory,’ the Spirit then came to fill the new covenant church. The purpose of the cross was a new creation wherein each believer would be God-indwelt. This is why Jesus told the apostles that it was to their advantage that He went away.

The Lord went on to speak of the cross to the disciples:

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” [The term ‘truth’ in in the Greek speaks of the realities of God that comes to us by the cross.]

And again,

“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said to you that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (Cf. John 16:12-15) [He would take of the finished work of the cross and will disclose it to you.]

Out of the cross would come a new kind of man and woman, a people of the Spirit. These spiritual people would also be ‘heavenly’ born, that is, they would be heavenly citizens in earthly bodies. They would also be given the mind of Christ.

Our spirituality is the working of the cross in us. It is also the working of heaven in us. If we keep the term ‘the finished work of the cross’ in view, this will disallow confusion about what it means to be a person of the Spirit in the new covenant.

Jesus Christ is not only Lord and God, He is also the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. John said that His fullness has been given to all believers. Thus we have become men of Christ and women of Christ, that is, we are Christians.

Listen to the gospel story in this song, ‘He Came Down to My Level’, by the Gaither Vocal Band

Much love in Christ always,

Buddy

Nov

2010

When Wisdom Becomes Foolishness

Then the Lord said, ‘Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” (Isa 29:13-14 NASB)

Journal,

With the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., the seed bed was already in place for the rabbis to create an entirely new Judaism. This new Judaism would branch out from the sect of the Pharisees. It was this seed bed that Jesus spoke against:

Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Mt15:3)

Without question this new Judaism had a number of problems. They had a powerful contender for the hearts of the Jewish people from a fast growing movement in Judaism that was taking on the name Christian. Rabbinic Judaism began developing alongside Christianity but in opposition to the Christian faith. The Christian faith would soon outgrow its Jewish clothing to encompass all the nations of the world. Rabbinic Judaism would forever remain very small in comparison.

That was the beginning of their problems. Whereas Rabbinic Judaism had no temple or a priesthood in place, the Jewish Christians could easily appeal to Moses and the prophets with regard to their Lord and Savior. The Messiah had come and was now the high priest of the new covenant. No further sacrifice was needed. The eternal blood of the covenant had been shed. The Spirit of Messiah now resided in the hearts of all true believers.

In a letter written to Jewish people we read this:

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21 NASB)

The path of foolishness begins…

The depth of foolishness began with the rejection of Jesus Christ. But how could the rabbis counter the Christian movement? Over time they began issuing warnings to the Jewish peoples about reading certain portions of the Old Testament. A curse was placed upon the reading of the book of Daniel and trying to calculate the times of Messiah. A strong warning was put in place against the study of Ezekiel with a special view to the ‘chariot of God.’ (Daniel set forth the very time for the coming of Messiah. Ezekiel spoke of the ‘form’ of God.)

The former testament began to taking on a dead shroud for the Jewish people. The glory of Israel had been rejected.

Paul wrote about the death shroud:

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2Co 3:14-16 NASB)

It continued. The rabbis discarded the Septuagint translation, the writings of Josephus and the writings of Philo. The Targums were held at a distance. Everything that could have any bearing on Jesus Christ must be discarded. The people would have to view the Scriptures through another lens, the lens of the rabbis. They would set themselves up as the ‘final voice of God’ to the people. Even God would learn from them. (Don’t be surprised. This is in the writings of the rabbis.)

Why was Jesus and the apostles such a threat to the Jewish authorities

Why is the big question – Why does Talmudic Judaism to this day carry such a blindness to those who are held in its sway. Why is Judaism filled with such darkness? It all has to do with authority. The authority of the Jewish leaders was in question. In Talmudic Judaism the rabbis have actually taken the place of God. They consider themselves to be greater than Moses or any of the prophets. Their word is the final word.

We ought not be surprised? The Old Testament warned that the traditions of the elders would evolve into rabbinic Judaism. Listen again as God speaks through Isaiah, saying,

Because this people draws near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence consists of tradition learned by rote….

…Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” (Cf. Isaiah 29:13,14)

It is crucial to place the apostolic writings in their proper role. The apostles were not simply called to be apostles to the Church. They were apostles to Israel, with Paul having an extended role with a view to the Gentiles. It is in this sense that apostles took up the mantle of the prophets of old. Jesus said to them,

I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others [the prophets] have labored and you [the apostles] have entered into their labor.” (Jn4:38)

The prophets spoke to the coming of Messiah. They were His beforehand servants. The apostles spoke after the fact, that is, Israel’s Messiah had come, had ministered to the people, had been rejected, was crucified, rose from the dead, ascended on high and is now at the right hand of the glory on high. The apostles were His witnesses.

A second thing that needs to be understood has to do with Israel’s judgment of 70 A.D., over the rejection of Jesus Christ. These two issues are placed side-by-side by the Lord. Listen carefully:

So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them [the prophets], and you build their tombs. For this reason the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation.” (Cf. Luke 11:46-51)

A Matter of Redemption

This is a matter of redemption history. Why would the blood of the prophets and apostles be charged against that generation? It would be due to the greater sin of their leaders. If anyone should have recognized Jesus Christ as Israel’s Messiah, it would be that generation. All the prophets from ancient time spoke of the days of Christ. And the time of Messiah had been prophesied by Daniel.

The deeper side is that when the high priest and the elders of Israel rejected Jesus Christ, they were rejecting God Himself. You see, the blood that ran through the veins of Jesus was the very blood of God. And because they had rejected God Himself, there was no other sacrifice to be had. All that was left was a judgment. Israel would be given a transitional time for entering into the new covenant of Christ.

But there is more to the greater sin. Jesus said to Pilate,

You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” (Jn19:11)

The greater sin was the sin of knowledge. Many of the leaders especially of the Pharisees knew that Jesus was the Messiah. I realize we find this hard to believe, but a careful search of the gospels shows this to be the case. (It wasn’t the godly leadership that rejected Jesus. It was those of the house of Satan.)

And so we hear in the book of Hebrews this final warning:

For if we go on sinning willfully [Jewish people by rejecting Jesus] after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”

The apostolic writer goes on to say,

Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Cf. Heb10:26-31)

The book of Hebrews has to do with whole of the Jewish people. It was written as a final warning not long before the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple in 70 A.D. The temple went up in a fiery judgment. The time of transition was over. The gospel had been sent to the Jew first. The new covenant no longer had a Jewish exclusiveness to it. It would belong to the people of the world. For God so loved the world….

Christianity was not some upstart religion

The point is that Christianity was not some upstart religion to be counted among the various movements in Judaism of the day. The testimony of God, the testimony of Moses, the testimony of the prophets, of David, of John the Baptist, the testimony of nature itself, the wonders and miracles, and the testimony of those Jews who had truly received Him as Lord and Savior, all bore witness against those who would reject Him. No further testimony was needed. That testimony remains in place today along with multiplied millions of people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior.

An example of the testimony is where Paul wrote,

Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.”

When hearing this the Jewish mind would instantly go to the prophet Ezekiel.

When Jesus said,

And what if you should see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before,”

… their minds would have gone to the book of Daniel and other of the prophetic writings. (Cf. Ph2:6; Jn6:62)

These terms ‘form of God’ and ‘Son of Man’ were almost exclusively used with regard to the One who was spoken of as the ‘Wisdom’ of God, the ‘Form’ of God, the ‘Glory’ of God, the ‘Power’ of God, the ‘Son’ of God, the ‘Rock’ of Israel, and the ‘Shepherd’ of Israel. There are other appellations, but these will suffice for now. The fact remaining is that Jesus is all that these names speak of and more. The testimony was so plain that the rabbis had to remove the testimony from the people. Thus a curse was placed upon the reading of Daniel, etc.

Why such a curse upon Daniel? Not only did Daniel prophecy the time of the coming of Messiah, but he also had a vision concerning the Messiah receiving His kingdom. Daniel’s vision was a beforehand vision concerning the ascension of Jesus Christ. The prophets of old spoke in ‘prophetic perfects.’ This means they saw the very thing they were prophesying. It was as though they were there. So Daniel saw Jesus coming to the throne.

What gives wonder to this is that the apostles saw the earthly departure of Jesus into the heavens whereas Daniel saw Jesus entering into His glory.

What the apostles saw:

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Act 1:9 NASB)

What Daniel saw:

I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days, and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” (Dan7:13,14)

The Son of Man – The Form of God

The ‘Son of Man’ designation by the time of Jesus it had become a major designation for the Messiah. The term ‘form of God’ was an expression that had a special view to Messiah. This expression actually reaches back to Moses.

When Moses entered the holiest of holies, he stood before the radiant glory that rested over the mercy-seat. In the resplendent light, Moses saw a form. While the Hebrews were commanded not to make any actual form to represent God, listen to what God says to Miriam and Aaron:

‘If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses, He is faithful with all My household; with Him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, even Moses.'” (Num12:6-8.)

Did you catch it? When Paul said that Jesus existed in the form of God, this meant that it was Jesus who appeared over the mercy seat in the radiant light. Paul explains it also by saying that Jesus is ‘the image of the invisible God.’ So we have God who is unseen, but who is fully seen in Jesus Christ. Thus we have Paul saying that in Jesus is the fullness of Deity in bodily form. We also know that Paul himself had been accosted by the radiant light on his way to Damascus.

What does all this have to do with the wisdom of the wise perishing? It has much to do, indeed. When Isaiah spoke of the wise losing their wisdom, it was with a view to rabbinic traditions that would eventually evolve into a full-blown religion called Talmudic Judaism.

The point at hand is that Talmudic Judaism is a blinding religion. It places a death shroud over the book of God. In fact the best thing you could ever tell a Jew is for them to read their own Bible. If they will do that, it will destroy the shroud of Talmudic Judaism.

Here again we must come back to Isaiah. Listen:

The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, ‘Please read this,’ he will say, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.'” Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, ‘Please read this.’ And he will say, ‘I cannot read.'”(Isa29:11,12)

What I’ve just shared is the prelude to the earlier quote from Isaiah, where God says, “The wisdom of their wise men will perish.”

What is going to make the wise men’s wisdom perish

It comes back to the book that will be opened by Jesus and will continue to be opened by God’s servants through the ages.

God speaks further in Isaiah, saying,

On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Vv18,19)

Yes, the gospel messaged weaves itself through all the Old Testament. And Talmudic wisdom will deflower itself and show itself for what it really is. It has been a death shroud to hide the glory of Israel from the Jewish people. Two thousand years ago and old man prophesied over the child Jesus and His mother, saying,

Behold, this Child is appointed for THE FALL and RISE of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed.” (Luke 2:34)

The fall came with the rejection of Jesus. The rise comes with the acceptance. The cross was a sign that has been opposed by Rabbinic Judaism throughout the church age.

Oh yes, the Bible is a wonderful book. It is the only book of any religion that actually records history before it happens. It is the only book that speaks from the throne of God. Listen to this ancient prophecy given by Moses. (It is alluded to by Peter on the day of Pentecost 33 a.d.)

Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; For they are a perverse generation, Sons in whom is no faithfulness. ‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.” (Deu 32:20-21 NASB) — This quote is from the song of Moses. Compare Rev15:3

And so we hear the apostle Paul quote from Isaiah the prophet, saying,

For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1Co1:19,20)

Take time to listen to the Song of Moses and the Lamb…

In Christ always,

Buddy

The Major Fault Line

The Lord of Always

The Mystery of Our Tomorrows

Living life without the blueprint

Completeness in Christ

Learn to believe God’s way

Made complete in Christ

Putting on Christ

Heaven’s GPS

The Way of God

All of eternity revolves around Jesus

The hidden wisdom of the cross

Why is Jesus called ‘the Wisdom of God’

The cross provides a heavenly wisdom not of this world

The life of Christ in the believer

God’s governing peace

The Father of Jesus is our Father

The Administrator of the Kingdom

An Entirely New Creation

Born from Above

Repaired Through the Cross

The Wonder of a New Creation

The Reborn Heart

A Seal that Cannot be Broken

Admin

Buddy Martin CCI Founding Pastor

Buddy’s Facebook and Christian Challenge

Navigation

Categories

Visitors On My Journal

Founders of Christian Challenge