Jesus' Sinful Relatives.

 

The Old Testament.

 

God In Every Single Word.

 We don't often think of the Gospel and God, but rather Jesus Christ and the Gospel, the good news of salvation. However, God was in every single word of the gospel, every single word.

Excerpt- EJ Waggoner

The Gospel of God.

The apostle declared that he was "separated unto the gospel of God." It is the gospel of God "concerning his Son Jesus Christ." Christ is God and therefore the gospel of God, of which the apostle speaks in the first verse of the chapter, is identical with "the gospel of Christ" of which he speaks in the sixteenth verse.

Too many people separate the Father and the Son in the work of the gospel. Many do so unconsciously. God, the Father, as well as the Son, is our Saviour. "God so loved the world, that He gave his only-begotten son." John 3:16. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. 5:19. "The council of peace" is "between them both." Zech. 6:13. Christ came to the earth only as the representative of the Father. Whoever saw Christ, saw the Father also. John 14:9. The works which Christ did, were the works of the Father, who dwelt in him. Vs. 10. Even the words which he spoke, were the words of the Father. Vs. 24.

When we hear Christ saying, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," we are listening to the gracious invitation of God the Father.

When we see Christ taking the little children up in his arms, and blessing them, we are witnessing the tenderness of the Father.

When we see Christ receiving sinners, mingling with them, and eating with them, forgiving their sins, and cleansing the hideous lepers with a touch, we are looking upon the condescension and compassion of the Father. Even when we see our Lord upon the cross, with the blood streaming from his side, that blood by which we are reconciled to God, we must not forget that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself," so that the apostle Paul said, "the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts 20:28.

 

Serving God.

   

Interesting thought during my studying today- truly when we frown upon others and separate ourselves from them because we classify their lives as being that of a sinful bent, rather than a Godly path, then we are not representing God at all.

It's that frown, and purposeful non-association that reveals the lack of God in our decisions. Did Christ look upon the sinners with a frown of disapproval and turn away from them, separating Himself from their presence because they were sinners? No. Christ ate with the sinners, spoke with the sinners and let them know that He offered compassion to them and a path to follow. When they outright chose not to accept the path offered, He did leave them to their desolate chosen life, but not without their knowing that the prodigal son had a loving Father waiting for them if they changed their minds.

Day after day we live among people who do not even believe that God exists, and others who do believe, but still choose ungodly ways. We take God with US in our hearts when we are with all people, no matter what - we don't separate ourselves from them. We are separated from their ways instantly with God in our hearts. God wants us to represent His LOVE, His COMPASSION, His UNDERSTANDING to all we come in contact with. We leave their salvation with God. We pray, we love, and we don't judge- but leave that with God too. 

I need to learn this lesson so that it is a part of my life in this world with so much chaos and so much sin all around us on every side. It will only grow worse, not better. As it was in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah, that is how it will be. Remember- only Noah and his family were spared, and even though Abraham asked God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if God could find just TEN people in there that we're His, those TEN people could NOT be found and the cities were destroyed. Our world is going to be like that, God must be in our hearts as we live in such a corrupted, evil world. 

God help us all, God save us! God keep us in HIM all through the Love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself so we may live with Him!

(Excerpt)

Articles on Romans

by E. J. Waggoner

Chapter 1

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The Salutation Romans 1:1-17

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God 2 (which he had promised afore, by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures), 3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; 5 by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name; 6 among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Bond Servant. "Paul, a servant of Jesus." It is thus that the apostle introduces himself to the Romans. In several other epistles the same expression is used. Some people would be ashamed to acknowledge themselves servants; the apostles were not.

It makes a vast difference whom one serves. The servant derives his importance from the dignity of the one served. Paul served the Lord Jesus Christ. Everybody may serve the same Master. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?" Rom. 6:16. Even the ordinary house servant who yields to the Lord is the servant of the Lord, and not of man. "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God; and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Jesus Christ." Col. 3:22-24. Such a consideration as this can not fail to glorify the most menial drudgery.

Our version does not give us the full force of the term which the apostle uses when he calls himself a servant. It is really "bond servant." He used the ordinary Greek word for slave. If we are really the Lord's servants, we are servants bound to him for life. It is a bondage that is itself freedom, "for he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman; likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant." 1 Cor. 7:22.

Separated. The apostle Paul was "separated unto the gospel." So is every one who is really the servant of the Lord. "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye can not serve God and mammon." Matt. 6:24. No man can serve the Lord and have other service besides that.

"Do you mean to say that a merchant or other business man can not be a Christian?" By no means. What I said was that a man can not serve the Lord and at the same time have other service. "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Col. 3:17. If the man is not serving the Lord in his business, then he is not serving the Lord at all. The true servant of Christ is truly separated.

But this does not mean that he separates himself from personal contact with the world. The Bible gives no countenance to monkery. The most hopeless sinner is he who thinks himself too good to associate with sinners.  How then are we to be separated unto the gospel? By the presence of God in the heart. Moses said to the Lord:  "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up thence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people,  from all the people that are upon the face of the earth." Ex. 33:15,16.

But the one who is separated to the public ministry of the gospel as the apostle Paul was, is separated in a special sense in that he may not engage in any other business for personal gain. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." 2 Tim. 2:4. He can not take any position, however high under earthly governments. To do so is to dishonor his Master, and to belittle his service. The minister of the gospel is the ambassador of Christ, and there is no other position that can approach it in honor. (End Excerpt)

 

Is Your Focus On the Temporal or Eternal?

   

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you--

Take no thought for your life

what ye shall eat

or what ye shall drink

nor yet for your body

what ye shall put on. 

Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying-

What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Luk 12:22  And he said unto his disciples- 

Therefore I say unto you, 

Take no thought for your life

what ye shall eat;

neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 

Luk 12:29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 

Luk 12:23  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 

There is so much more to life than striving to live physically. All the food you could ever eat will not give you life everlasting. You could have enough to eat to sustain you every single day without any struggle to obtain it and still you will one day have no more need to eat- you will have died. You could clothe yourself perfectly every single day of your life, and still one day the clothes will be all that's left, your body returned to dust beneath. The temporal cannot compare to the eternal and yet so very often we are completely caught up in a life solely consumed by temporal pursuits. 

Told to take no thought about the temporal life isn't a guarantee you will not go hungry, or cold. Yes, God feeds and cares for many creatures, us included but this doesn't mean no creature went without hunger or warmth. Life, right now, will forever give us many reasons to focus on temporal existence and completely ignore the eternal promise. When our main focus is temporal we will take a lot of thought about everything temporal. Where is your focus? Where are your thoughts?

God promises a future eternal existence - if this is a reality to us, truly a reality, then we know this temporal existence we are living right now prior to our eternal existence isn't one that is promised to be pain free- mentally, emotionally, or physically pain free. Suffering is the temporal life's lot. 

Some of God's chosen have suffered more than we can imagine.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

1Co 4:9  For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 

1Co 4:10  We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 

1Co 4:11  Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 

1Co 4:12  And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 

1Co 4:13  Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 

2Co 11:23  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 

2Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 

2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 

2Co 11:26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 

2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 

'Who Teaches Like Him?'

 

Guided By the Spirit.

 The Holy Spirit guides us... He receives of Jesus and shows it to us. We must let Him. We are born of the Spirit when we accept our Savior, and the Spirit will live in us, Christ in us our hope of glory. May we humble ourselves, being meek in setting aside ourselves, our own esteem, and relying wholly upon God. All through HIS glory!

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Excerpt- A.T. Jones

When Nathaniel came to Jesus, the Saviour exclaimed, 'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.' Nathaniel said, "Whence knowest thou me?" Jesus answered, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." And Jesus will see us also in the secret places of prayer, if we will seek him for light, that we may know what is truth. Angels from the world of light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance.

The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour. It is his office to present Christ, the purity of his righteousness,  and the great salvation that we have through him.

Jesus says, 'He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.' The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of divine truth.

How must God esteem the human race, since he gave his Son to die for them and appoints his Spirit to be man's teacher and continual guide.

God intends that even in this life the truths of his word shall be ever unfolding to his people. There is only one way in which this knowledge can be obtained.

We call attention to an understanding of God's word only through the illumination of that Spirit by which the word was given. 'The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God'; 'for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.'

And the Saviour's promise to his followers was, 'When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. . . . for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.'

God desires man to exercise his reasoning powers; and the study of the Bible will strengthen and elevate the mind as no other study can. Yet we are to beware of deifying reason, which is subject to the weakness and infirmity of humanity. If we would not have the Scriptures clouded to our understanding, so that the plainest truths shall not be comprehended, we must have the simplicity and faith of a little child, ready to learn and beseeching the aid of the Holy Spirit. A sense of the power and wisdom of God, and of our inability to comprehend his greatness, should inspire us with humility, and we would enter his presence, with holy awe.  When we come to the Bible, reason must acknowledge an authority superior to itself, and heart and intellect must bow to the great I AM.