Saturday, June 14, 2008

27- The Concept of PROMISE (5)

PROMISE - within my own son's little library system laptop - over 109,000 references and comments. While I have always had great respect for the Logos/Libronix System - wading through all of that can make one dizzy - if not more than "a half-bubble off plumb" - as us old carpenters might say.

But - we DO NEED to address it Biblically - and that presents a continuing problem. We have to have BOTH a broad conceptual construct - plus a detailed analytical approach. One more thing - my approach assumes a simple fact: God's ways are not our ways - but HE did explain much of Himself in Jesus Christ - SO - don't expect mankind's definitions and their limits to always explain God's plans. We must STRETCH ! At the same time - don't get away from Biblical parameters - God intended for the Bible to serve us. BUT - only HE can rule all. (To some that isn't giving the Bible enough authority - but the Bible itself instructs us to do it that way. Check out the directive of 2 Timothy 2 as well as several other references - Bible concepts are to SERVE MAN and make him COMPLETE. More if needed)

Concluding concepts of PROMISE - the concept points to GOD as GOD. But - for us, PROMISE gives us a solid place to stand - on what GOD said - and the Bible serves us with those statements of solid hope. As Peter wrote - "YOU ARE a chosen race, a ROYAL priesthood, a holy nation, God's own possession - that you may declare the wonderful deeds of HIM who called you out of darkness into HIS marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9. The focus is clear - it is GOD - allow HIM to focus on those HE loves - US - but our focus is HIM and His love and grace. Paul said it this way - "But WE have this treasure in earthen vessels - to show the all surpassing power is OF GOD and NOT of us" 2 Corinthians 4:7. We don't want to fall into the Pharisee trap of thinking Scripture focus is more important than GOD FOCUS ! Jesus said, "YOU search the Scriptures because you THINK that in THEM you have eternal life - BUT - they speak of ME and you won't come to ME for eternal life." Scripture is our GREATEST servant - but Jesus is LORD - GOD in the flesh. HE is our focus - the one main focus. So - what about PROMISE ?

WELL - THE PROMISE is Jesus. He is called "the child of Promise" - the focus of the Promise - the essence of THE Promise. Jesus is ALL, Paul wrote - and IN YOU ALL. Maybe that aspect of Promise should be our study for awhile. So - we may get to that, soon. First of all, though - realize that all the Promise meant to Eve was that someday, Satan would be crushed. To Abram - God would bless the world through his seed (Jesus) and some descendants would get to have the land he stood on at one time. To Moses - the Promise was that God would raise up someone who would be listened to- more than people listened to Moses - wonder what Jesus thought of that in the first century ! (Those who REFUSED to listen hung HIM up on the cross.) Wonder what Jesus thinks of how we listen to HIM today - when our "interpretation of things not even mentioned in the Bible" are actually more important than His words to be known for the way we love one another. It is easy to be a little depressed at human response to the Lord of GLORY.

JESUS is our Promise that God loves us ULTIMATELY - and also our Promise that HE will raise us up JUST LIKE JESUS ! PLUS - our Promise that we can have TOTAL confidence on Judgment day - and also TODAY ! HE spoke to us in "SON-LANGUAGE" - a Son-message - and Son covenant. God chose to sum it all up in JESUS - and IN HIM to make one new race of people with His DNA - "partakers of the Divine nature" "A NEW creation" - those who are "raised up by the energizing of God" (2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:12).

God's concept of Promise focuses in JESUS - but don't forget - we are "IN CHRIST" - so we get quite a focus in His focus on Jesus ! (After all - it was OUR problem He was solving - right ?) The PROMISE - then focused on the Holy Spirit, and as Jesus said "I will come to YOU". The Holy Spirit is JESUS in US - a subject for another day.

For today - our discussion of Promise focuses on JESUS as God's and our EVERYTHING in reference to salvation, identity and future security. It begins as Jesus Himself - but radiates out from Jesus as His spirit in us, His identity in us and our future secured and kept for us. WHY ? Paul used a simple verse to explain - "Jesus died for all, that those who LIVE might no longer live for themselves but for HIM who for their sakes died and was raised." 2 Corinthians 5:15.

I do wonder why "religion" has made the focus on us living in worry for ourselves when God's design was to "no longer live for themselves". Well - obviously if we know we are saved and have no NEEDS personally - we'll just ignore "sinners" and live freely and not care about being responsible -right ? WRONG - but at least we would be confronting one NT problem Paul had to address - which may mean we are actually preaching NT doctrine ! What is the ANSWER ? Simply what Paul said, "YOU have DIED" - but you now have a NEW life - and now "God is at work IN YOU - to will AND to work" Philippians 2:13 - that is your new life, Christian ! A FREE life - a rejoicing life and a victorious life. And - it is simply allowing God's Promise in Christ to be REAL - and to be really OURS ! More to come

No comments: