Jesus is Covenant

68 - Grace Pilgrimage - 6

2009-10-14T09:29:00.002-05:00

"OK, someone asked - then what is THE CHURCH?"

Well - to begin with it is a Grace Fellowship - of people who knowing they are saved by grace are very JOYFUL. That joy causes outreach, because we live and always have in a world that WANTS THAT. Joy can be and should be very attractive. ADD to that, Jesus claimed that "people" would know we are His disciples IF we have love for one another. A loving fellowship is not just a good thing - it is a sign of being genuine.

As Paul wrote his correspondence to Philippi, he challenged them to be God's "little heaven" on earth. They knew what is was like to be a "little Rome" - but they were struggling to LOVE each other. Paul's solution was partly "have their love abound MORE and MORE" 1:9, and also to realize they had their actual citizenship IN HEAVEN. A HUGE reason for focusing on being the church is to help make it God's outpost of grace in an alien land, 3:20.

What do we accomplish by meeting together if God's PRIMARY goals are not being our focus? It is a good thing to believe in God's grace (without explaining it away) - but it is a whole LOT more biblical to STAND IN GRACE and be known for our love for each other. STAND in grace? Paul and Peter emphasize that - and our world needs to see it or they won't see God's grace fellowship which is a little bit of heaven on earth.

Jesus prayed a prayer for disciples and maybe we could go back and challenge ourselves to "Let His will BE DONE on earth as it is in heaven" in this regard. It is wonderful to look forward to "heaven" - but Jesus wished for HIS will to BE DONE - as Kingdom life is received and experienced. We are NOW seated with Christ in the Heavenly realm, Ephesians 2:6, and God has gone to a LOT of trouble to show the earth HE LOVES US ALL. Sure, He does that by sending rain on the just AND the unjust, but is HE running us in the next phrase in Luke 6:35 - "HE is kind to the ungrateful and evil/selfish"?

We love to talk about love from 1 Corinthians 13 - well, until words like "patient and longsuffering" get in there. So - don't focus on those facets today - instead let's just take ONE word for our focus - "Love is KIND" - and until we focus on being God's outpost of grace, kindness just gets canceled.

However - if we continue a pilgrimage of grace, realizing that God forgave us - before we asked - and Jesus died for us "while we were YET sinners" and then, well - HE RUNS US NOW . . .maybe the world can learn to love like we should - "because HE first loved us" 1 John 4:10. Since HE runs us now - how about allowing God's grace family to LOVE FIRST. It proves a few things . . .more to come

67 - Grace Pilgrimage - 5

2009-07-20T07:57:00.004-05:00

Peter wrote to his readers that we "Stand in Grace" 1 Peter 5:12 - in fact he commanded them to "Stand fast in it" which agrees with Paul's teaching in Romans 5 about the "Grace in which we NOW STAND".

Real frankly, the concept of standing in grace was not part of my study and life for much of my 66 years. Well over half of it I believed in the DOCTRINE of Grace - but, mostly I was warned to not emphasize grace at all. I can now see that GRACE has caused all kinds of problems throughout the history of dealing with God. MANY of the early church problems either misunderstood grace or actually ignored grace.

My pilgrimage in this regard has already been mentioned briefly, but one HUGE step came along in my deeper study of Galatians - especially chapter 3. It has to do with the early church's problem with law as a concept of Salvation. When we try to translate any section or book, we WRESTLE with each phrase and all possible thoughts relating to it. We simply need more of that - to get an overall Gestalt of big ideas which cannot be limited to a terse definition of two words. Words like faith, agape, grace, guarantee - need a conceptual construct to express the idea. ADD to that - MANY of the ideas of the NT are controlled by THAT context and have quite a different meaning from simple dictionary definitions. So - we need to "kick the thoughts we have around with friends" and get the concept.

Paul taught in Galatians 3:21ff. that no law can ever make us alive. FAITH in JESUS makes us alive, Paul teaches. Well - then we need to study that and allow plain Scripture to speak to us the whole truth. "IN Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith" Galatians 3:26.

That short sentence includes several concepts which only make sense to those who understand God's meaning put on the words. In Christ Jesus - made perfect sense to Hebrews and others of the day - but we don't operate that way nearly so much. That puts JESUS as the covenant Representative - and His victory becomes the victory of those HE represents. So - His victory in death and resurrection becomes ours by faith in Him - and identification with Him (not really necessary except we have the freedom to NOT choose to accept His work on our behalf) puts us in a position to receive everything HE accomplished - even to the point of being JOINT HEIRS with Christ. (Romans 8:17). Once we understand their structure and meaning, we can REALLY rejoice in what is ours because we know our inheritance is as sure as Jesus' inheritance - so it is a LOCK. That's why Paul could refer to the concept as a GUARANTEE - Romans 4:16.

That changed my life - and can change anyone's life who allows the TRUTH to be received and experienced. Ever wonder why "Rejoice always" is a command - not just to be believed but experienced? Because - when we DO KNOW the truth - and ARE SET FREE - we will rejoice with JOY UNSPEAKABLE . . .more to come

66 - Grace Pilgrimage - 4

2009-05-18T10:02:00.003-05:00

MANY other verses influenced my grace study. Books I read sometimes helped (and continue to do so) my realization that the focus always seems to be in need of MORE focus on Jesus and what HE did. Even my misunderstandings have helped much - because every so often I am caught with the idea that something I believe and try to share has something lacking. Sometimes I have had the experience of seeing that I "re-define" a word to fit my "take" instead of staying with the actual word translated. The word GRACE has an "accepted definition" of "unmerited favor" - and I had redefined it as - well - if I did an hours' worth of work and got paid for a week's worth - that IS unmerited favor - so I need to do my paltry work to prove I am part of the "saved group" and I had many who agreed with that.

I believe that to be error on my part - grace in the Bible doesn't allow that re-defining. A better description would be closer to "on the house" which Yancey used in his neat book, "What's so amazing about Grace?" But - not only that, but when I took all the contexts of the word in the Greek NT, I noticed Paul went to a LOT of trouble to enlarge the concept in Ephesians 2. The phrase that GOT me was "not of ourselves" - which sort of cancels my hour of work - even if I got ten million dollars for it. BUT - even that didn't settle it for me - I had to note the context into verse 10 which contends "FOR - we are His workmanship" - and that slayed the dragon - "workmanship" comes from the Greek word we use for POEM - meaning "the creative result of a mind" - telling me that GOD works ON US as HIS project - and projects by nature do NOT work on themselves at all.

So - Paul was teaching a concept which took ME out of the equation - and put all effort on GOD. Well - luckily I had been translating Romans at the time and had just dealt with the idea in Romans 6 of "can we continue to sin as a lifestyle - in order to increase Grace?" Paul's response was "Don't you realize that you DIED?"

So - that new lifestyle was NOT a self-effort lifestyle at all. I was NOW under God's control, and Paul expected people to realize that their new CHOICES needed to harmonize with a realization of who we now are and how that lifestyle unfolds. It was a Grace salvation; it is also a Grace lifestyle. Since we still MAKE CHOICES - we need to ALLOW God to be in us to will and to work (Philippians 2:13)but notice the focus - GOD.

The secret I allowed to happen at that point was to thank Abba that even though I didn't always realize it, HE was running my life and guaranteeing my outcome of it - both for salvation and for my continuing life. My part is to trust Him - harmonizing with the principle from the beginning of time - especially focused for us in Abraham.

Like any baby, I don't know much when I am born or born again. BUT - I did decide to trust God - and that template is efficient in all Biblical history. It was what Adam and Eve should have done in Eden. It is what Cain should have done and his failure to do so caused murder. It is simply "dying" to our own self-focus AND allowing God to be GOD. Paul calls that "from Faith to Faith" Romans 1. It is at the center of the Grace concept - and as Paul and Peter agree - GRACE is the thing on which WE stand. Amazing - that idea - makes Grace very central to life and security - more to come

65 - Grace Pilgrimage - 3

2009-04-10T04:56:00.008-05:00

Another SIMPLE concept which changed my life was the fact that JESUS paid it ALL. To begin this part of the study, allow me to say that Christendom has always seemed to have a habit of making "Christianity" a SELF-FOCUSED concept. It always seemed to be a "do-do; should do; can't do; shouldn't do" lifestyle. I don't have to tell you that to me, THAT doesn't SEEM to give Jesus all preeminence. OK - I do seem to be influenced quite a bit by the idea that Jesus is ALL and IN you all - and things like that. Most of YOU know that the idea came from those verses and Jesus' CLAIM "I AM the Way, The Truth, The Life" - so that I was left without an escape from allowing Jesus to BE Savior and Lord. BUT - where did that funny concept of "we are saved by what Jesus did - the focus is not on US" come from? Well - those verses and days like TODAY - GOOD FRIDAY - but mostly from Isaiah 53 and its fulfillment. ONE part of the picture is the "all we like sheep have gone astray" and we know that sheep don't find a way to be NOT astray - so the focus of safety and security MUST be on the shepherd. We KNOW that - but the picture doesn't really SINK in. But the one which GOT me, was "The Lord laid ON HIM the iniquity of us ALL."

ALL of Christendom knows that verse and the phrase which follows - "with HIS stripes, WE are healed."

About 30 years ago someone asked me, "Do YOU really think that WE are healed by HIS stripes?" I replied, "YES - and I will give you NO exceptions or disqualifications."

Well - there was a small controversy brewing about whether Baptism was a work at that time . . .plus some of my "other" friends just ASSUMED Baptism WAS a work - so it was a natural response to ask, "Then why be baptized?"

My answer has gotten me in trouble ever since - since I responded - "Baptism has NEVER been a work - it is simply an identification with Jesus and what HE did - THAT is what united with Him and His death means. It is THE ultimate faith response we have - the one which "saves" us - which accesses "that grace in which we NOW stand" Romans 5:1ff.

As you contemplate the JOY of Good Friday - and the grace in which YOU now stand - go back with me to Calvary and to the empty tomb and rejoice as we say together - "With HIS stripes we ARE healed" - Jesus did it all - HE is it all - and I am IN HIM now. As Paul would wonderfully say it later - "Your life is hid with Christ IN God" Colossians 3:3.

If you don't mind me being a little too creative - think of Baptism as the time and place where "you get your stripes" or at least where you get the benefit of the stripes HE received on our behalf. We are saved by what Jesus did on the cross - and our joining that - by faith. That's why my backyard "baptismal pool" still has the waters troubled from time to time - someone wants to be joined to Jesus and HIS stripes by faith. The focus is JESUS - more to come

64 - Grace pilgrimage - 2

2009-03-30T11:58:00.002-05:00

I don't wish to be OVER-SIMPLE - but maybe I should just confess it right here - simple concepts changed my life. Maybe the MOST simple was about GRACE. I am used to definitions which do NOT define and explanations which actually explain away the concept with which we start. The oldest definition I remember for GRACE was "unmerited favor" - and there was Lexical evidence for it. My problem was - is there merited favor? Well - I'm talking from God's realm - do we EVER merit His favor?

OK - my answer was "not hardly" - what was yours? Well - if that is true - why use THAT as an answer? So - I began a search for the root concept - the basic idea of the Greek word, "Xaris" or "karis" - (my only granddaughter is named that - so it is quite cogent to me) - and I found a simple four letter word which captured it - GIFT. Funny thing - everyone already KNEW that. So - I began to use it - and each time I had problems with someone over my definition - they wanted "unmerited favor" - because "gift" as too simple. Besides, another word is translated "gift" as well - and we don't want to confuse.

Well - translators already did that - "gift" is used for at least five words in the NT. Actually the one other main word could be better translated as "present" - but I use that as a synonym for gift anyway. What to do? Well - at least we talked about it a little - let's just admit the word MEANS gift - no matter how we translate it - at least in our common vernacular. So - my trek took me to a simple definition - but the concept might be a little more complicated. We're talking about God GIFTING us with salvation as a present. Once I saw the simplicity of THAT - my study changed and so did my life. Grace was a simple word with impressive complications. I could now BOAST of God and what HE did - in Christ and begin a new full, confident focus on what GOD DID - and the focus was better - and more Biblical. Jesus really DID begin to get "all preeminence" as Paul wrote is should be in reference to God's desire and structure. For me - the focus was sharply changed - to put God in the thoughts and focus of NT Christianity. AND - many scriptures became more understandable and simple. When Paul taught about a "faith apart from law" I could actually see a faith apart from law with no twisting involved.

When I saw a sentence in our NT which taught "Christ is all and in you all" - I could appreciate that fact. HE was given to me to be my new life. His performance was a GIFT to me. His confidence is now my confidence - because as John wrote - "As HE is, so are we in this world." (Don't forget, that was written about confidence on judgment Day - we SHOULD have that - but the focus is HIM.) Just as I was thinking that thought - I "ran into" a thought in 2 Corinthians 3:4 "SUCH is the confidence that we HAVE through Christ - toward God - NOT that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim ANYTHING as coming from us - our sufficiency is from God." Note that Paul said the sufficiency came "through Christ" - so allow YOUR motto to be the same as mine for today - "ALL sufficiency is from CHRIST - NO sufficiency is from us" - thanks Paul for that great help.

Ah - but that means we are saved by grace - and the sufficiency was IN CHRIST - so guess how we STAY SAVED - though Christ. (Otherwise there might actually BE some sufficiency somewhere else - right?) Wow - Christ actually IS ALL - and we can count on it. No wonder that expression is in your NT - "Thanks be to God for HIS indescribable GIFT"

63 - Grace pilgrimage - 1

2009-03-16T17:55:00.002-05:00

Many steps are involved for any study as it gathers information and outlines itself as new thoughts emerge and challenge former conclusions. I have mentioned that several of these happened when I was translating books. Even beginning students translate phrases and sections of simple Greek. As we get into second and third year Greek, much time is spent in trying to wade through grammar problems and attempt to search though more complex structures. ONE of the things which amazed me was the new insights which didn't demand a new translation but a fuller understanding of the general translations right in front of me. When Jesus claimed to BE The way, The Truth, The Life - it didn't take a fresh translation, but rather an acceptance of the plain words translated into simple English. The same is true of many passages in Romans and Galatians. Problem was - at the three churches I spent time with, not one had actually had a thorough study of the basic text. Overviews have left many woefully lacking in true textual meaning.

One brief example - I had heard Romans 3:23 "partially" quoted probably 300 times. Being forced to translate it changed my pilgrimage from learning what HAD been taught to what the TEXT teaches. The SUBJECT of the context is God's NEW way of righteousness which is APART from law - and focuses on faith in Jesus Christ. "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" is the well known partial verse. That phrase was meant to be part of the teaching that ALL are justified freely by His grace as a gift. In other words, the emphatic part of the verse got left out entirely. The whole context is about a focus on a new kind of righteousness - GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (verse 21) which comes about through faith in Jesus Christ. The phrase about all persons sinning was actually an axiomatic statement which led up to teaching that God has an answer for all who have sinned - salvation by faith in Jesus Christ - apart from law.

Another little phrase is ignored or missed in the same regard a few verses later in Romans 3. Paul asked in Romans 3:27 - "what then becomes of our pride and boasting? It is EXCLUDED." Abram is the example of the template for being declared righteous in God's presence. He simply believed God (that in a dream message)and THAT was counted to him as righteousness. Paul discussed the concept all the way from 3:32 through chapter 5. That section is not studied enough. But - to get to my point - Paul taught that IF Abram had done any works for his righteousness then he had something to boast about.(By the way - since there was no Law of Moses yet - that kind of works is not our subject - but ANY works.) BUT - even then he wouldn't be able to boast before God. See chapter 4:1ff. The point is made however, that Abram's righteousness was a gift in response to his faith - period. Part of our problem here is that faith simply means to trust another entity's PROMISES. Christendom has re-defined faith to be people centered instead of God focused - serious error it seems to me.

Result - the concept of boasting is rampant among much of Christendom - mostly innocently - but to close for today, notice two concepts: (1) boasting is not available for all who come to God. The idea of boasting is simply a self-focus. God leaves us NO GROUNDS for a self-focus. (2) Even the intelligentsia of the day - the Greeks (check 1 Corinthians 1:21-31) cannot find their way to God by their "wisdom" -they as well are left to come to God with a simple focus on His Promises - or more directly on His Promise - Jesus Himself. To them, that is FOOLISHNESS - but it is Truth. To those who think they can do GOOD WORKS - sorry it is EXCLUDED. Good works DO get done by Christians - but they are the result of God being at work in us to will and to work - Philippians 2:13. As Ephesians 2:10 teaches us - we are HIS workmanship - we are worked on by God as we are His project.

Conclusion - Paul taught me much I did NOT understand correctly as he claimed that Jesus came, lived, died and raised so 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. The focus is NOT us, but rather it is JESUS. - More to come

62 - MORE from the journey

2009-02-02T11:45:00.003-06:00

So - do we ALL agree on the focus being JESUS - or have we allowed Pharisaism (or if you prefer Phariseeism) to control our mindset. Their directive was to focus on how to NOT BREAK the LAW - so it was a "human behavior focus" and they called that being faithful to the Law and thereby faithful to God. They called that the SAFE position - therefore MANY accepted that as VERY Biblical - if not the ONLY very Biblical position. (Their word was "sacrosanct" - and was nearly always equal to Scripture because they felt it was Scripturally derived and concluded.) As time went on, their interpretations became more authoritative than Scripture itself. (Sorry to say - that sounds like religion to me.)

Jesus came along and corrected their interpretations MANY times. The one which stands out to me is John 5:39 - "You search the Scriptures because you think that IN THEM you have Eternal Life - but THEY talk of ME and you will not come to ME for Eternal Life" - which reminds me that NT scriptures are even MORE the focus on Jesus - since HE should get total preeminence and be seen as THE way, THE truth, THE life - John 14:6. We may excuse the OT scholars to some extent - (and many do not) but how do we excuse OURSELVES?

We have used HUMAN reasoning to "interpret" the Bible - and that MANY times allows Jesus to be pushed to the side. BUT - both OT and NT is claimed by Jesus to focus on HIM to be THE focus of Scripture, so we do the "interpretations" at our own peril.

Another part which encouraged me to repent of this structure is Romans 5:1ff. which teaches us that "we have obtained ACCESS by faith into the grace in which we NOW STAND" - which claims a solid foundation for life in Christ. Especially true to our understanding if we've already studied Romans 3-4. That section claims to reveal the way God did things through "Faith IN CHRIST" apart from law (Romans 3:21)and the GUARANTEE of righteousness (Romans 4:16) with the result of our "standing in Grace" - and having "peace with God THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ" chapter 5:1.

One concept which became very cogent to me was the powerful focus of Christ as the source - and our trusting HIM - not our interpretation of all Scripture. Please note that none of this is apart from Scripture - but the focus is JESUS and our faith in HIM - and that is our quandary - we allow some to put the focus on US - instead of our dependence on HIM - I repented of that due to plain scripture teaching.

All of that simply reinforced my focus on Jesus as the NEW Covenant - our focus of hope and salvation. But - the reason I did was sourced in the OT - from Deuteronomy and the Prophets (which Paul claims as one part of his reference in Romans 3:21ff.) Notice especially 3:24 - justification is a GIFT and Paul teaches this righteousness focuses on Jesus - verse 26 - result - OUR boasting is EXCLUDED. Why? Because it is total gift and we cannot boast of something which is a gift to us - it points back to the GIFT-GIVER. We do receive gifts - but that has no focus on US - except to rejoice in it. AND - that is ONE reason we live a life of continual rejoicing - even to the extent that is is commanded.

Rejoicing people are easy to talk to generally - so let's make our lifestyle with that focus. I rejoice in YOU - each of you who read these words - and I praise God for you - to the goal of fulfilling Jesus' goal - that WE would be known as HIS disciples IF we love one another. Join me in this wonderful goal - I have not seen it much - so we're breaking new ground here. More to come

61 - More from the journey

2009-01-18T03:59:00.003-06:00

Obviously anyone who gets up in the middle of the night DESERVES to be called strange, but others just ARE strange. So - if my thinking is a little off the beaten path - chalk that up to lack of sleep and inherent weirdness.

I have long struggled with all those verses that don't fit in with some folks take on spiritual things. So - allow me to struggle with that in your presence. We can usually find a version which says it in an almost incoherent way. I am not trying to do that. However - I DO wish to take the different phrases which represent different original offerings and try to see if they may share a slightly differing perspective and teaching.

Paul taught us to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" 2 Corinthians 10:5 and no one talks about what the "obedience of Christ" has to do with my taking thoughts captive. However - if you realize that we are saved by Christ's obedience, then making THAT our focus is quite cogent. In fact, in the original, being saved by the faith of Christ is mentioned several times. If we ignore the concept - we'll also miss out on many verses which comfort us VERY much. Like that one I have mentioned about having FULL confidence on judgment Day - 1 John 4:17. Many of us just ignore that teaching and go on.But - God means for you to have confidence every day and even on judgment Day - so why not do it? Ah - but can we with our present theology? Maybe we need to augment our knowledge bank somewhat.

My contention is that Jesus is the New Covenant and HE invites us to be HIS BODY because HE is the Savior of the Body and we realize at a very DEEP level that the focus is Christ - HE gets all preeminence and we can be very satisfied with that. We also realize that HE is the Savior of the body, but somehow we compartmentalize those concepts to make the focus be on us and what we believe and that we CAN be saved if we have all the proper "positions" on all those Theological arguments.

Does that sound even CLOSE to JESUS being The Way, The Truth, The Life? Does that sound like Paul saying he did not want a righteousness of his own - but only that which comes from the righteousness of Christ? (Philippians 3:9)

What's the problem?

Well - Hebrew thinking has been ignored and canceled - for one thing. The old concept of a Promise Covenant is almost totally lost. Even though most of us know some of the ideals of a marriage covenant, we cannot seem to think of God loving us in a covenant structure. BUT - He did that toward the nation of Israel and that ended up in ruins. (Read Deuteronomy again sometime and check out the fulfillment especially of a section of chapter 28 - verses 47-53.) We are destined to that if we think WE can keep covenant with God.

However - God didn't structure it that way for US - the NEW covenant is DIFFERENT. (Jeremiah 31:31ff.) This is a situation much MORE like that of our children - they must be born into the family to be IN - and their relationship to us is one of DNA - not performance. Then - like Jesus, they LEARN how to be sons of the living God as one witness to the world that a God of LOVE is our focus and our guarantee of heaven. HIS character is impeccable; His promises are assured and we KNOW He will take care of it, as Paul taught - because "HE has given US assurance by raising Jesus from the dead." (Acts 17:31)

But - that doesn't totally answer our original conceptual query - how do we get involved with the "obedience of Christ"? Answer - His ultimate obedience was "obedience unto death" - and we are buried into that performance by baptism. We bury dead folks - and they are raised to "newness of Life". (Romans 6:4) But - instead of allowing the teaching to take us to JOY - we argue about baptism. Well - go ahead - but I won't argue with you. I don't fully understand any OTHER birth process either - but I do enjoy being born and I just REJOICE at the birth of my four children. I saw that experience - and I still am clueless. And - I don't even care - I am thrilled at God's miracles. If I am joined with His death, Paul taught, then I also know FOR CERTAIN that I will be joined with His resurrection.(Romans 6:5)

AND - all the time I know the focus is JESUS - HE is the LIFE and I am united with HIM - and I am very satisfied with that and I recommend it - because confidence on Judgment Day - that is really SOMETHING. I am ready for that because Jesus IS MY LIFE - and I am part of HIS body of which HE is the Savior. More to come

60 - conclusions about LAW

2009-01-13T11:45:00.004-06:00

As we say “Good bye” to a LAW study – let’s review the concepts. We noted that the hardest part was simply understanding the concept. Just remember here that LAW is meant to GIVE structure to life – and I emphasize GIVE – it is to SERVE us – to assist the order of our lives. Paul referred to the Mosaic Law as our “schoolmaster” or “servant” to get us to Christ – so that once we are “to Christ” – we don’t need the servant to bring us anymore. So – law then is not in charge of us NOW – Christ is. That is Paul’s argument in Galatians 3:23ff. Well, he said “We are no longer under a schoolmaster or custodian” verse 25. That verse SHOULD have settled some understanding of LAW – but there are always those who claim we are under and NEW LAW. Paul obviously said, “We are not under a schoolmaster” – but we translate that as “under THE schoolmaster” and we get a new schoolmaster or custodian.

PROBLEM – Paul mentioned more than once that we are not “under law” but “under grace” – and that may be the concept we need to clarify. (Check Galatians 5:18 for the best explanation – also mentioned in Romans 6:14f. and 1 Corinthians 9:20 to give Paul’s activity as a free man.) How do we have any structure if we are NOT UNDER LAW?

The answer – figure out what “under grace” means. AND – in this regard a serious mistake has been part of my life – I just didn’t ever define that – so I could make it whatever I wished. Many have a working definition of “we try the best we can and God makes up for our lack” as how grace operates. And – guess what – God DOES make up for our lack – but what we miss is – LACK is all we have.

NO – under grace means the concept of GRACE is totally in charge. The focus of “ourselves” comes under one phrase – “NOT of ourselves” and “NOT of works” (Ephesians 2:8-10) – and just so we know it applies to ALL of life – plus salvation – Paul uses a great contrast in verse 10 – “we are HIS workmanship” – so we don’t work – we are worked on.

One other concept includes remembering that we are BORN again – and are God’s children because HE created us anew – “all this is from God” 2 Corinthians 5:17f. so we must focus on GOD – not ourselves. Don’t forget – JESUS paid it all – so what was it HE paid for – the breaking of LAW – and then HE offers Himself to us to be our new life – a new identity and a new Spirit. HE is now responsible for us – and HE is able to take care of us – so we can “STAND IN GRACE” – as both Paul and Peter wrote.

God’s kids are very confident about their standing with God – they come BOLDLY before the throne of grace (yes, many do miss the fact that it IS a throne OF GRACE) and the text of Hebrews says “KNOWING that we will find grace and help for our time of need. Shouldn’t we LIVE that way- as God’s kinds?

Let’s allow Scripture to guide us and point the way to relationship with God as FATHER and our relationship to HIM being based on receiving HIS life – which is HIS life and we NOW have it. More to come . . .QUESTIONS?

59 - LAW Pilgrimage - (7)

2009-01-01T05:39:00.005-06:00

"INTO THE VINE in 2009" - is my greeting and motto this year. As I am discussing the concepts of LAW in my sharing of my pilgrimage, I realized that for me, it was accentuating the positive of God's plan which dealt more fully with my tendency to be a legalist. GOD means for me to be a SON - in prophecy and fulfillment - and doing that helped explain my error to me. We can read such things and jump right past it to get to our favorite negative - or our felt need of a CONVICTING statement of my wrong. Many of us Christians have suffered from that problem - always needing a new STRONG statement to keep us on the straight and narrow. (Cf. 1 John 3:1-2; Romans 8:15-17- and the prophecy of Hosea 1:10 fulfilled in Romans 9:26)

I don't put down conviction - far from it. However - if we ONLY focus on being convicted of our failures or our "wrongs" - do we next convince ourselves that we are STILL doing everything for encouragement? I think I substituted being convicted of wrong as "encouraging" to harmonize my "convictions" with verses like 1 Corinthians 10:23; 8:1; 14:5; Romans 15:2 and others. That 1 Corinthians 8:1 convicted me - Paul wrote "Knowledge puffs up; Love builds up" - and I lost part of my legalistic structure right there. BUT - when I studied 1 Corinthians 13 - and ran into a verse that teaches, "Love doesn't keep a record of wrongs" - well, I began to stop thinking God had His list of mine - but was still LOVE. BUT - that didn't end it - I still would cling to "conviction" with both hands. It was when I realized that God forgave ALL my sins - the positive began to take over. I began to see that whenever I see the word LOVE - agape in the Greek - that was a description of GOD and HIS nature, I could BEGIN to realize I had come to the understanding of Scripture from wrong information. LAW had been "almighty Master" - when God wanted LAW to be our great SERVANT. The servant "LAW" was to bring us to Christ - where its role in my life would change. A new lifestyle would begin - with Christ as Savior and Lord. Some great material about being "in Christ" and Christ being "in me" changed it all forever. I began to see myself as a son of God - and "law" took its proper place as my servant. And - no one can scare me with reference to areas I am not perfect in yet - that's all part of my ROYAL training - very appropriate for God's kids to grow and mature - to improve and develop. I embrace that now as part of "growing up into HIM who is the head" - Ephesians 4:15.

That guarantees the NT picture of law being UNDER us - but we are not "lawless" - in fact we learn "law" better than most. We just know that it is part of maturity - not a matter of heaven and hell. Obviously a lawless "Royal" is a contradiction of proper decorum; but one who thinks that if he keeps law, he becomes ROYAL - is deluded about royalty AND law.

Final nail in the coffin of "Law-legalism" - came in two parts - first, salvation is the GIFT of God, Ephesians 2:8-10; so receiving it is in the structure of GIFT RECEIVING - (but I still didn't GET the concept of "unconditional love") and then the idea that "GOD was IN CHRIST - reconciling the world to Himself" - 2 Corinthians 5:19 - which means reconciliation is PREPARED for us - already an accomplished fact. I join HIS reconciliation in Christ; then I invite others to join what I have received. That makes it MIGHTY GOOD NEWS for me to simply announce to my world. Ah - a Scripturally balanced mind - at least in THAT regard. More to come

58 - More on THE Pilgrimage - LAW - (6)

2008-12-06T05:03:00.003-06:00

Much of the contrast of Law and Covenant comes to us in two sections - Galatians 3-5 and Romans 3-5. Obviously there are "principle statement verses" here and there which help - so when we study a subject, we must not violate the principle statements. For instance, when Paul told the Ephesians that "salvation/redemption is NOT OF OURSELVES, it is the GIFT of God" we cannot violate that plain principle statement. When Paul writes that we are "not under law" Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:25; 5:18; but we ARE under grace - what does that mean?

Remember two things Jesus said - "The Sabbath is FOR MAN - not man for the Sabbath"Mark 2:27. He used that phrase to help Pharisees and others realize that commands are supposed to SERVE MAN - not rule over man. Many who try to keep the Sabbath in our day do not receive this teaching of Jesus. The BIGGER concept is that one of NOT being under law - so we don't serve it - but it always serves us - strange concept to many. Sometimes we might say - "Make it PRACTICAL" - which has the idea of "show me how that works in everyday life" - and that is our concept. WE are not under law - law is under us. LAW doesn't rule over us - it serves under us. Traditions, especially in Christ's day, made all laws into a bigger RULER OVER US - and Jesus taught that to be wrong - even before Calvary - and HE used their greatest command RULER - the Sabbath, to illustrate the concept. AND - number two - Jesus taught us that HE desired for US to be UNDER HIM - "as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" so we see the concept of protection from HIM - by HIS protection and we can easily see the concept of Covenant and our hiding UNDER Him for protection from all enemies. (I include having His identity in that as well.)

What about UNDER GRACE? Well - no difference really - we have come under His power and identity for our protection - and it is a grace/gift. So - we do need to STAY UNDER (remember-those of Jerusalem WOULD NOT come under His protection) - or we need to allow Jesus to BE Savior and Lord. Most Christians realize that if we stay UNDER Jesus - then we harmonize those verses about not being under LAW - because as we have mentioned, law was intended to bring us TO CHRIST (Galatians 3:19-25). Do you realize what Paul used to explain that? In Galatians 3:26, he wrote "FOR - in Christ Jesus we are all SONS" - that's the goal of coming to Christ - and sons are not related by being UNDER SOME LAW - but by relationship - by DNA. NT didn't have that concept exactly - but it is expressed in the idea of "receiving someone's spirit" or even "partaking in the Divine nature". Romans 8:9 - 17 explains that if we have God's spirit we are SONS - if not - we are not.

What about law? Well - it is UNDER us now - we still fulfill all Law by "loving God and loving neighbor"( Romans 13:9-10 and an application in 15:2) because Jesus said that that concept was the focus of all Law and Prophets, Matthew 22:40. We do then have a structure for order in our world - and we do NOT forget that law is under us - so we don't serve law - but we do need order - just like a Prince doesn't need a law to keep to make him a prince - but even "the Royals" have principles which are part of their human decorum to serve them in reference to each other and humankind in general. If WE don't see that concept, we have to ignore many scriptures - most of which were included in this discussion.

LAW - our servant - so Paul had to ask the question - does that mean we sin as a lifestyle? Answer - we already died to that lifestyle - so that would be foolish to live that way. That seems to be a principle statement - so if we don't understand that principle, we'll misunderstand how to live. So - under grace, how does that lifestyle look like? Well - "led by The Spirit" is the short answer - more about that - next

57 – More on THE Pilgrimage – LAW – (5)

2008-12-01T08:48:00.004-06:00

A "not like the Old" New Testament difference in reference to the Old Covenant - is part of a contrast in several sections of NT Scripture. One pretty PLAIN one is in 1 Peter 1. Beginning in verse 18, Peter shares the concept of being ransomed NOT ONLY from sin, but from the FUTILE ways inherited from the Fathers. Another contrast includes the kind of value the ransoming focused upon - the NEW way was on Jesus' blood - which contrasted to silver and gold which perishes. Then Peter begins to unfold the Promise concept which started BEFORE the foundation of the world, verse 20 and at least one facet of which meant us PEOPLE were not involved - except as RECIPIENTS - so that, Peter writes, "your faith and hope are IN GOD". Quite a concept - God designed His Promise so that HE HIMSELF would take all responsibility for our faith and hope.

QUESTION: Does that sound like some kind of NEW LAW? In ANY Law does the source of HOPE AND FAITH reside in the Lawgiver? By definition the source of safety resides in how the law SUBJECTS respond to the concepts of the law!

So - right away, God's structure puts the responsibility on God Himself . . .what in the world? How can this be? I mean - Jesus said all Law must be fulfilled. And - HE did fulfill its demands - and I conclude and claim that HE - JESUS - is KEPT LAW. Then as God offers HIM to US as SAVIOR and Messiah - KING over all and the one to whom is directed ALL preeminence - God's gift to humanity - THEN your faith and hope are in God and His provision. If not - we are left with faith and hope in how well we keep the New Law - which we cannot keep - so we are DOOMED.

How did I resolve this concept - well, the words of Jesus helps - "Come to ME" - is a covenant invitation which offers protection and REST - and Jesus CLAIMED His yoke to be "light" and "easy" - and we can remember the "baby chick" lifestyle - "How often would I have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing - but YOU WOULD NOT". "IN CHRIST" offers us the total protection and identity God wishes us to have - HIS OWN protection and identity. One goal of God from early in Hebrew nation was to allow those who are "NOT MY PEOPLE" to become "SONS of the Living GOD" (mentioned by Peter in 1 Peter 2:10) prophesied in Hosea and mentioned by Paul in Romans 9:25ff. In other words - the FOCUS is on RELATIONSHIP. If we see that God ALWAYS had that relationship focus - even before the foundation of the world - check Ephesians 1 - especially verse 5 "HE destined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ".

So - Jesus' claim of being THE way, THE truth, THE life - is literal and true - but only IF He is the New covenant in Himself. The big challenge is to understand that "in Christ" means our trust is in His performance on our behalf. So - one of the concepts I had to understand was - what does "in Christ" actually mean. That got me away from a LAW focus and totally engulfed in a Christ focus. Part of that challenge happened when I simply got my concordance out and read all the verses with "in Christ" in them and saw the track that took. Part of that has already happened when I had to translate Colossians (a pretty common task for second year Greek students) and after that to translate Romans (much too huge of a task for any student in one semester).

The whole BOOK of Colossians has the theme of being "in Christ". Most in Christendom know the concept - but do NOT know the actual meaning of how this happens - how can that be? Well - WE threw out Hebrew thought very early in many cases. So - we believe the scriptures but don't always understand what they teach. We are sometimes like the Pharisees in that we search the Scriptures (and many do not - by the way) because we think that IN THEM we have eternal life - but the scriptures teach us about JESUS - but we don't allow HIM to be our focus - because like the Pharisees we focus on ourselves. (So - we are in danger of having a doctrine of demons - not Scripture.) Scriptures focus on JESUS . . .and even the OT scriptures were actually written down for US - but not much study goes on back in Deuteronomy. Result - we know LAW but not covenant - we know words but not their meaning in reference to JESUS. Even the LAW was meant to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3) - and the laws and feasts, etc. are shadows and the SUBSTANCE of those concepts is CHRIST - Colossians 2:17.

Paul claims that the LAW has a focus that is NOT part of the Promise - but was ADDED to the Promise because of transgressions until Christ came. There is a much bigger meaning to LAW in that part of the study - more to come

56 - More on THE Pilgrimage - LAW (4)

2008-11-06T08:05:00.003-06:00

Let's review the source of the conceptual construct. My pilgrimage led me to observe several shocking changes in God's presentation of Himself and His law. First, we noted that Abram was to focus on PROMISE - and that made it a God focus. (Genesis 15:1ff.) COVENANT ALWAYS does that - it always started with "I WILL MAKE and I WILL DO" - thus being guaranteed by the initiator - in this case God Himself. By the way - that is the OLD COVENANT. BUT - someone says - what about the Mosaic covenant? Well - Paul explained that the LAW (Mosaic) was ADDED, and our first question is - to what?

Galatians 3:19 and the context talks about this subject quite fully. I leave it to you to check out the whole chapter - which basically tells us that the LAW had nothing to do with our getting righteousness. That's not the purpose of LAW. Paul first of all claims that the Law - which came 430 years after Covenant, cannot void the Promise (Galatians 3:17). Then Paul explained that the LAW came to lead us to Christ - act as a Tutor (until Christ came) to make mankind more aware of sin. (Verses 19 - 24). HOWEVER - Paul also claims that being led to Christ was for the purpose of being justified by FAITH.

Don't forget, Jeremiah prophesied in chapter 33 that God would make a totally NEW covenant, not like the first one. (Well - actually Jeremiah is simply repeating God's words on the subject.) Paul picked up on this concept in Romans 3 as he claimed that the new idea was "FAR APART" from the Law - even though it is attested to by the Law and Prophets, (Romans 3:21) and then Paul explains that there is NOW a righteousness by focus on the Messiah - verse 22 (yes, that is totally new) and also would focus on all people who believe. Paul explained that this is because ALL have sinned and now ALL can be righteous through the redemption in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23 - 24). That concept is explained in verse 24 to the end of the chapter plus chapter 4- 5. (This is a section that MANY in Christendom just do not know much at all.)

Now - that concept is at the center of my pilgrimage and I had to ask myself and others - what is this concept that is SO DIFFERENT from the Old covenant position? Since so many have made a LAW out of everything - it is a hard thing to study.

Studying the first covenant is a problem as well - because most folks JUST focus on the Law of Moses as the Old Covenant - that is simply a mistake. Paul plainly says the Law was simply an addition to the covenant to Abram. So - if we don't start with that idea - how can we have a correct concept at any point in our study?

So - let's start there - Old covenant was to Abram - and was a faith in God's Promises kind of Covenant - the LAW was added to get us ready for Jesus. God through Jeremiah said the first covenant was BROKEN, even though God upheld HIS end of it. So - why not use that idea as the beginning of the NEW concept - broken covenant - not able to happen in the NEW ONE? WOW - how could THAT happen? Well - the prophecies about Jesus give us a hint and an understanding. Jesus was sent for a covenant - HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE - (that is what "covenant" originally was sent to offers us - a way, truth, life - under the Protection of the covenant head) Isaiah 42:6; 49:8 at least are inferred by Jesus.

So - to make a long story short - JESUS came and kept covenant and Law - and then offered HIS performance to us to be received BY FAITH (harmonious with Romans 3 and Galatians 3) so the New Covenant is totally DIFFERENT from the Old - in that we get KEPT COVENANT - in Christ. HE really is THE way, THE truth, THE life - and HE gets ALL preeminence in this regard. If we don't see that concept, many verses like 2 Corinthians 2-6 (especially 5:19 - "God was IN CHRIST, reconciling the word to Himself") and those other verses (including the whole book of Colossians) about being IN CHRIST have little meaning to us. We then mistakenly still think the focus is US - not JESUS.

BUT - taking the focus off of us is ONE way the New Covenant is totally different from the OLD. More about that - later

55 - More on THE Pilgrimage - LAW (3)

2008-10-28T06:22:00.003-05:00

Not all of us can think the exact same way - so I sympathize if I seem to be on a different wave-length. However - please realize that I am trying to speak to ALL wavelengths - an impossible task - but don't GIVE UP! Stay with me - this is important or I wouldn't have spent the past 35 years thinking about this and getting ready to share it with YOU. Give me a chance to share my pilgrimage, PLEASE.

I have heard MANY sermons about "BE PERFECT" - and most of them are not very encouraging. One context helps - even before I realized Jesus is Covenant. Peter wrote that God said, "You WILL BE Holy, because I am Holy" - 1 Peter 1:15-16. The context, however focuses on GOD - His POWER (verse 5) His grace (verse10) - plus everything God did in Christ, especially His resurrection (verse 3) - so the HOLY was a result of what God did in Jesus Christ. So - since the word, HOLY meant set apart for a special purpose - all Peter is doing through the Spirit - is reminding his readers that GOD is in charge of all of this - so receive it and focus on JESUS. That's the background of the concept of Jesus being destined before the foundation of the world to give us REAL HOPE - HOW? (The concept in verse 20 began in verse 3) We are to have hope because God raised Jesus from the dead - Peter calls it "LIVING HOPE" through the resurrection of Jesus. (verse 3) PLEASE - note the focus - what God did in and through Jesus.

If you remember the concept from 1 John 4 about being CONFIDENT on Judgment day - then you know that any confidence is because "as HE is, so are WE in this world". That is a great definition of HOLY - set apart to be like Jesus and be totally dependent on God 24-7. Now I ask you - doesn't that sound more like an invitation to the great adventure with God - than a diatribe of impossible performance to try to "be like Jesus". Guess what? If you don't focus on yourself - and you do BEHOLD JESUS - Paul wrote that by beholding Jesus, you are being continually changed from one degree of glory to another - ever increasing!" 2 Corinthians 3:18. That is for us.

THAT, my Covenant friends is how we are intended to LIVE. (Paul began that theme back in 2 Corinthians 2:14 - stating that we are always being led IN TRIUMPH" - and that is exactly how a Father leads His children - to grow in VICTORY and grace - to grow as CHILDREN OF THE LIVING GOD - as the prophecy predicted in Hosea 1:10; and as it was fulfilled in Romans 9:26 and 1 Peter 2:10. If you remember the Hosea story - Gomer was anything BUT Holy from our usually held definition - but Hosea MADE HER HOLY by buying her off a slave stand and taking her home. He gave her HIS identity and security - she had nothing and actually had no prospects. The context of 1 Peter spells that out as our situation - but God made a LAWFUL PURCHASE OF US - and all we can do is ALLOW IT. Like Abram - we can trust God's Promises - and THAT will be counted to us as righteousness. That, by the way is the definition of obedience - hiding under the promises and power of God in Christ. That is allowing Christ's KEPT Law to cover us - and HIS performance to give us identity and security. I know there is quite a LOT of poetry in many OT books - but read Hosea through about once a week for a year - and you'll see the whole story of God's redeeming us by Himself. Obviously realize, Gomer did go home with Hosea - she COULD have refused or even run off later - but why would she? She had the only one who EVER really loved her - and he had mercy on her when no one else cared for her. I am like that - God has mercy - lovingkindness to me in Christ - and I allow HIS kept law to be my new identity and I allow His spirit to lead me through life. What about LAW? Well - that becomes my structure for a future life - but I try to keep it because that is what CITIZENS and SONS do - they do it Dad's way- the King's way. That's what LAW is for - to serve us as sons of the Living GOD. More to come

54 - More on the Pilgrimage - "law" (2)

2008-10-25T05:05:00.005-05:00

Realize that I am certainly not dismissing LAW at all - in fact I am embracing it fully. God wishes it to be UNDER us - not us under law. That is part of the original concept given to Adam and Eve of "take dominion over the earth and subdue it". VERY challenging thing to subdue the earth - but even more challenging to do it correctly. First thing they did was give it all to Satan. The result was - they HURT the earth. And - we still reap from that - not just thistles and pain in childbirth either, but the TOUGH task of subduing the earth, period. That's one reason why farming is not respected in our society and the focus is only on production instead of working with the earth to be a blessing to ourselves and the world. I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet - but I do believe insights are happening which will almost demand a return to proper farming and natural production of grains and other plants, as well as livestock which are produced carefully and correctly. But - I digress.

LAW is simply structure for life and protection for community. Law is meant to serve as a way to have order and to live practically. Many stories have been told of situations which emphasize the need of a law for general efficient lifestyles and structure for our interdependence with each other - like respecting the community "well" - to have fresh and clean water for that need. OR - simply to respect your neighbor's "well" so he can have clean water. MANY wars of the smaller variety have been fought over something relating to WATER. Apply that to food, or general well-being or the multifaceted parts of our lives - and you have the story of LIFE. Abuses of the concept include over-hunting or fishing; over use of land without replenishing; and we could go on - but the LAW is - know your situation and plan for the future - that is SUBDUING THE EARTH. That LAW is meant to SERVE YOU, as are all laws. Why do we have a certain number on our roads call "Speed-limits"? To serve you to know what is the maximum drivable speed to be harmonious with others - but we all realize that a faster speed may be demanded by an Ambulance (or even by US) to save someone's life - so we allow that as part of our code of structure. That is simply HOW law is supposed to work.

I haven't seen anyone lately lose their citizenship or life because they were going 71 in a 70mph zone. However, most of us have been reminded a time or two to be careful about how quickly we go from point "A" to point "B". The Policeman was trying to help us have a practical lifestyle which doesn't endanger others. That is how LAW is supposed to operate. (OK - I know we should have exceptions for each of us - so we don't HAVE to pay the fine - right?)

Biblical LAW is much the same. Problem is - most Bible readers take on a different mindset when it comes to LAW. They become like a "gung-ho" Policeman who becomes an over-zealous enforcer of LAWS which were never intended to RULE us, but only to SERVE us. All of that because we have a hard time living practically with law serving us. One of our first responses - "Where do we draw the line?" Well - the answer is - make sure law SERVES us. Bible people are OUTRAGED at the idea - after all, "it means what it says and says what it means" - so DO IT.

Why do we act in this way? Simply - we are not taught to THINK. The concept of "DO IT" isn't for adult humans generally - it is for little children who don't realize safety concepts and animals who don't understand most human concepts. However - us Psychologists know that a whole group of people think that way "naturally" - they aren't conceptual people - they only know what we call "black and white" conceptual constructs. Some are taught to live that way - religiously we might call them "legalists" but in truth they are simply misusing LAW. We've all run into people who had a "Triple doctorate" in etiquette and who just went ballistic over every little thing everyone else did which VIOLATED their sense of CORRECTNESS- even to quoting chapter and verse of the Queen of etiquette - Emily Post. It can get so egregious that a person who just doesn't know all these nuances cannot enjoy eating or even partake in any semblance of PEACE. So - see the exaggeration - not the simple concept - etiquette was originally meant to communicate what was thought of as "civilized ways of life".

What happened? A serving concept became a RULING concept. So, as legitimate as the "rule" could have been, when it becomes a non-serving and rigid overlord, it violates the original place in life it was patterned for and the original influence it was designed to have.

God set up "rules" to have a civilized community. And - don't forget, the community already existed to which the rules were to apply. God was simply structuring HIS community which means that on our own, we don't always act civilized. Add to that, after the FALL, we all want to be GOD in our lives AND others - and structure is not only needed, but demanded. So - the tendency to make LAWS rule over us is normal - even if we should see them as practical and serving. Jesus saw the Pharisees tended to abuse the concept by using human reason to make application of law - their focus was "how to avoid breaking them in any way" - thereby inserting human thought into God's principles for life - and religion has ALWAYS done that. The word Sabbath means REST - but they found all kinds of way to get around the original design of God - but they still felt they weren't breaking the Sabbath command. So - just THINKING about it may not get the job done correctly. In fact, it can lead to TOTAL ABUSE of the practical nature of the original dream. More to come

53 - MORE on the Pilgrimage - "law"

2008-10-23T04:27:00.005-05:00

LAW - can be and must be dealt with in MANY ways - so I am trying to be practical and simple. However - the concept won't really let me. PEOPLE have a big problem with "law" - so I had to deal with two major concepts and a few minor ones. First - or maybe LAST - since many of us are real slow to realize what law is, we should start with the idea of law.I started out thinking "LAW is what I HAVE TO DO" - therefore it is very important - maybe even of ULTIMATE importance. I mean, if you break the law - there will be consequences. But - I also realized, nobody ever breaks the Law of Gravity - isn't THAT strange? (By the way - I can share thoughts like this all day - so I realize we just don't have that much time to waste on MY thoughts - so let's get down to the Reader's Digest version.)

In the Bible, the idea is referred to as either "law" or "the Law" (referring to the Law of Moses.) Problem is - translators don't always differentiate for us - so we have to pull out our Greek text - so it looks like a daunting task to many. So - let's jump to the conclusions in this regard - when the NT says we are not under law - it says we are not under ANY law to KEEP for our salvation. Call that LAW number one about law. Also call it the hardest concept of all. The short version is - Jesus KEPT LAW - both the Law of Moses and any other applicable LAWS which we might break which would dishonor God and be called SIN (meaning basically to miss the mark - or be imperfect.) Jesus is then THE OFFERING - and amounts to at least TWO concepts for us: (1) HE represents one who KEPT the Law and, as our Representative, He is "kept law" given to us. He becomes our gift of a performance which was PERFECT - so if we RECEIVE HIM as a GIFT TO US - we have something of VALUE - ultimate value! (2) From God's perspective, perfection is DEMANDED - make no mistake about that. God doesn't grade on any "curve"- it is "BE PERFECT" - and God only had ONE perfect human - Jesus Himself. Luckily, WE get to receive Him and His perfect performance by faith. That is what Jesus as Covenant meant and means - HE took the exam and we get HIS "A+" on our "report card" and therefore God accepts us "in the beloved" Ephesians 1:3-6. That is just THE LAW. But - did you notice how we can then not be under law? NOTE - Jesus is not UNDER LAW - Law is under Him - and we are IN HIM - therefore we are inside "kept law" and it is then under us! Yes - I did mean to write it just that way.

OK - that just sounds weird to most of us - doesn't it? Well - add to that, Paul used the concept of a new law - the law of LOVE being a fulfillment of "the Law" - and several other concepts - how can we ever get a cogent concept here?

Luckily this is MY pilgrimage - so I can be as messed up as I choose - right ?

Well - we also have a LAW of Moses . . .so allow me to share how I put these concepts into perspective - briefly. First - Jesus challenged the Jewish leaders of His day with what I consider THE major concept in this structure - "the Sabbath was made for man, NOT man for the Sabbath." And - that means the LAW of the Sabbath was meant to SERVE MAN - not the other way around. That is the one thought we have to get - and most do not. That's why religious EXPERTS IN THE LAW claimed Jesus broke the Sabbath law while Jesus claimed He did not. I had to solve that dilemma. So - I just took Jesus word for it - and made the proper application to all laws - they are here for us - to serve us. We DO keep them - but only because that serves us and the community in which we live. LAW SERVES US.

So - then, first of all - put law into its proper place as a servant. After all - I can keep all laws without ever LOVING ANYONE at ANY TIME. But - God wishes me to LOVE and actually puts HIS spirit into me and makes sure plenty of LOVE is available to fulfill HIS structure for all of life. AND - even though the Bible says - "IF WE LOVE - we have fulfilled the Law" - we still don't have any true assurance of salvation in that regard. What do we lack? Ah - that's our central concept - we want SALVATION through what WE DO - and it is not available. God provides that separately - as we discussed back many moons ago as we looked at Romans 3-5. "But NOW apart from law God provides salvation by faith in Jesus Christ." It is a totally different concept. LAW doesn't even get to enter into the discussion- except to be dismissed.

But - we'll allow it into OUR discussion, since that is our subject - but we have to put it into its proper place. Don't allow you mind to get confused - wow, how can we not? Simply by putting your focus on JESUS - having TOTAL preeminence - being the ONLY Savior, and being ENOUGH. That is perhaps our BIGGEST problem in all of Christendom. But - that's why I'm writing this BLOG - to help us focus on JESUS. And - very basically, Jesus taught us that LAW is meant to SERVE US - not to rule us. A difficult concept to be sure in every realm - maybe too tough for us - but let's tackle it anyway - more to come

52-More on the Pilgrimage

2008-10-22T04:47:00.003-05:00

One surprising thing to me about Bible study and reading is how many verses are "missed" or misunderstood. OR - we can talk about "timing" being misunderstood. Let's talk about one situation - involved in timing. This was a big part in my pilgrimage. It started with the age-old argument (really - would I EVER argue?) about James and Paul and their "doctrine" on salvation by faith. James was always allowed to be more authoritative in my religious circle for some reason in that argument. That is - UNTIL one time I was asked to take the opposite side in a debate. Plus - my friends on the other side checked out all the Library books (commentaries) on James. Well, I think I won the debate (and so did nearly everyone else) but I wasn't happy with the reasoning I had to use in which I got the book of James thrown out of the Bible. (Desperate times call for desperate measures!) So - I began to think about WHY this subject is such a quandary. I nearly always had a great respect for the Truth of Scripture and its inspiration (with that one lapse to win a debate!) and always have wished to take it as it is - and use its message to be a reality in life.

I was listening to someone expound the concept of faith/obedience in reference to "salvation/redemption" and realized he was talking about a different subject. I didn't know why at the time, but I just KNEW he was talking about something he didn't realize was not redemption at all. Maybe I could leave James in the Bible after all! Conclusions - James is talking about "sanctification" not "redemption". We translate the word as "save" - but did the context DEMAND that? NO - in fact I just had a strange "aha" moment and said to myself - "James is a Hebrew of Hebrews talking to Hebrews. He said so in chapter one, SPECIFICALLY. In fact it is in the FIRST VERSE - "To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion"

Well - there's something I overlooked for many years - who the book was written to - oh, I knew who - I just didn't realize what that ONE verse meant. It meant James was talking to Hebrew thinkers. So what? Well - I remembered what Jesus said one time, "The one who saves his life will lose it - and the one who loses it will save it" and I then KNEW what both Jesus AND Jews thought in one focus in this discussion. James is teaching about FINDING LIFE. AND - you cannot find life by claiming to believe - for a Jew, life is what is LIVED OUT - one shows what they believe by how they LIVE. That has NOTHING almost to do with redemption - but with finding meaning in our Christian lives. Paul, in most places, at least those which seem to be in opposition with James, deals with REDEMPTION as a primary focus. AND - he underlines the fact that redemption is "not of ourselves, not OF WORKS" Ephesians 2:8-9. But, Paul follows that with a verse about works in the continuing LIFE of a CHRISTIAN - "we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ for good works" verse 10. However, Paul is writing to Gentiles as the Apostle to the Gentiles - and isn't using a Hebrew focus about life - even though he spells it out pretty clearly when it certainly does NOT deal with redemption that we, in fact DO WORK. Look it up - it comes up multiple times - but not referring to redemption - only to Christian life.

BUT - if a person was just reading James, he might get the idea that works have something to do with Salvation. True - especially if we OVERLOOK the people to whom it was written and what they understood James to be writing.

WORKS and LAW - two big words over which Christians just stumble and thrash around - injuring each other and themselves. I don't expect to end the argument - we don't "let go" of our arguments in Christendom - we generally choose up sides and kill or maim - or at least start a new group AND - we have had a pretty solid example from even early centuries. Find the heretic and banish him forever - ah, there's a great way to solve things. Make people CHOOSE who is "sound in the faith" - and brand everyone else as "heretics". (Fill in your favorite word in this context - liberal, radical, of the devil or satanic, legalistic, in error, or whatever the latest buzz-word happens to be.)

Did you note that at NO TIME did the discussion actually FOCUS on Jesus? No - the focus is on US - and that is a primary problem. Paul's focus of works, at least one MAJOR one is - "God is AT WORK IN YOU, to will and to work" Philippians 2:13. (Another of those verses that just jumped up and hit me over the head and totally cleaned out my ears - and rerouted my life.) Why not allow that context to be a MAJOR part of any discussion about life and works from now on - it is what God is doing when HE is allowed to run us. (By the way - that is harmonious with Ephesians 2:10 and the works WE DO when we are HIS workmanship - at least in my translation.) Works are what God does - and HE runs me now.

Let's tackle that "law" concept - next - It won't be the "last word" on that subject either - but I'm simply sharing my pilgrimage - so, more to come

51 - More on the Pilgrimage

2008-10-16T07:38:00.003-05:00

I don't write from a book - or any previous notes - but I do share previous THOUGHTS. Many have asked about focusing more on the "pilgrimage" and actually all of this is simply that.

I remember reading that verse where Jesus said, "Unless you believe that I am HE - you'll die in your sins". I remember bringing that up in a class situation and someone VERY quickly reminded me that what Jesus taught in His personal ministry was Old Testament. My question was, "How did you decide that?" The answer was that everyone already KNOWS that.

So - maybe I am off beam in saying that Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE - or even trusting Jesus' Messianic miracles to show His authentication as Messiah. Hey - Romans through Revelation (or even Acts 2 through Revelation) doesn't use the word "Messiah" - someone reminded me. Well - actually, that is translated as "Christ" - using the Greek word and then not translating it - another rejection of Hebrew terms. I accept that - but to say what Jesus taught is not cogent to our understanding of what we know of New Testament doctrine - is simply wrong headed.

So - to share my understanding I have noted a couple of facts stated more than once in Scripture. Jesus was BORN KING - and He is still KING - and that is a fact. I realize things changed at His death and resurrection - but not His kingship. Notice that Acts 2 teaches that "God has made Him to be Lord and Christ (Messiah)" (Acts 2:36.) But - Jesus DID claim to be Lord and Christ in His ministry years. The FACT is we just do not generally understand the concept of Royalty and Coronation. Result - the phrase "born King" makes no sense. So - we must think of a way to explain it away without denying it. Whoa Nellie - don't do that!

I started to embrace what the Bible SAYS - without trying to say "It doesn't mean that." Fact is - sometimes translations do give the wrong idea of some words and phrases, but we don't have many of those. Plus - the ones we do have usually refer back to a misunderstanding of the Hebrew concept - lost to Christendom after the second century in many cases. That's why studying Genesis through Deuteronomy is pretty valuable - it sets up God's structure for FOREVER! What does a "Silver Trumpet" mean? Well several multifaceted concepts come to mind - about which, more later. For today - realize that my pilgrimage is NOT yours - so maybe you do NOT track with my thinking. Christ (Messiah) was slain from the foundation of the world - but actually died in about 30 AD. Those concepts are harmonious - and so are several others we might reject from time to time. God has MANY things going on at once - however - there is only ONE Eternal Covenant - and Jesus is the personification of it. (Those Scriptures have already been given - but they include Ephesians 1; 1 Peter 1; Hebrews 13:20-21) but don't forget - THAT doesn't address the concept of "I AM HE" of Luke 13. HE was talking to people who knew what the statement meant to come degree. HE also said, "IF I by the Finger of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom HAS COME UPON YOU" Luke 11:20.

But what about . . .? Listen - we have to get the WHOLE story. When HE was asked about being a King - HE answered, "I AM and that is the reason I was born - but MY kingdom is not of this world." Well - maybe we need to understand that before proceeding. Luke 23:1-3; Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; John 1:49; 12:15; 18:36-37; 19:21; 2 Peter 1:11 helps us see that the concept of KINGDOM is not what we see - but is wherever the KING is - expressing His power (generally love and mercy.) Since it is ETERNAL - and received by FAITH - Abraham had it and rejoiced in it John 8:56. Sure we can call that the Kingdom in prospect - but we need to understand it is also the Kingdom is actuality. But - we like to see everything from OUR point of view - and sometimes that is just too limited to see much.

Jesus said, "Unless you believe that I AM - you will die in your sins" - so doesn't that suggest if we do believe HE IS - we are become alive? And - doesn't THAT suggest the same concept as Abram believing God IN A DREAM - and being declared RIGHTEOUS? (Wow - maybe Jesus Christ actually is the same, yesterday, today and forever - Hebrews 13:8.)

Ramifications - in every DAY from the beginning, people were invited to trust God and be righteous - and then to live with God as a Friend and live victoriously. (Abraham was called the Friend of God and God was called the God of Abraham.)

AND - Jesus is the expression of God in flesh and Promise - so any expression of faith joins one to the Eternal Covenant - Jesus Himself - and is the template of allowing God to be MY GOD. (And for Him to call me "MY SON"). We are ALL sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus - and that is believing that Messiah IS - the focus of all of the Bible and ALL of life - and if we do that - maybe we'll be closer to giving HIM ALL preeminence. More to come

50-Christ - from BEFORE the Beginning - (3)

2008-10-09T12:50:00.004-05:00

My one very difficult concept in this regard was to see a SINGULAR concept running through the Bible to which EVERYTHING else related and referred. Part of that was due to many who tried to divide the Bible up into different ages and Laws. AND - from one perspective, they have a point. It does seem to have change points in history - and anticipation of changes in regard to how God deals with mankind.

Part of this situation comes from what we generally refer to as THE FALL. Obviously when sin entered into the word by Adam, one part of relating to God changed immediately. However, we should realize that God anticipated that - so the change is not as big as we think - from ONE perspective. God had already planned for this situation before HE made us by way of The Eternal Covenant.

Much structure we SHOULD know comes from Deuteronomy - the book of the Covenant. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy more than any other book. David knew the concepts - Saul did not. BUT - it was simply a writing down of the Promise concepts God began through Abraham. What we sometimes miss is - this book was about the lifestyle of covenant when we allow God to be our Covenant head. NOTE - this was NOT to BE SAVED - redemption - but to be WHOLE - which Hebrew literature expresses by the same word - "saved".

To use a Western example - the Constitution is not a document to get us to be Americans - but a document to help us EXPRESS our lives in an idealized way, expressing our National Dream for how Americans LIVE. We probably never live up to it - but that doesn't disqualify us from being Americans - but there certainly IS a way to violate the Constitution so that we are guilty of Treason - and could well lose our citizenship or at least be quite severely punished for it and possibly lose our physical lives.

NO ONE lived perfectly in reference to the Mosaic Law - except for Jesus - and those who taught Law and were experts felt that HE violated it OFTEN. It's always good to have a REAL expert in our midst to help us understand things - but when God came in the person of Jesus Christ, not only didn't they think He was an expert to be listened to - they were CERTAIN He was "of the Devil" and deserved to DIE. Yet - many scholars STILL think the concept of Pharisee-ism needs to be applied to OUR understanding and allowed to be the final arbiter of how we know Truth. If they are right - Jesus could NOT have been TRUTH - so He doesn't deserve an audience.

THAT is what happens to us humans almost every time we are confronted by ULTIMATE reality - we not only cannot see it, we kill the ones who say they CAN. Us poets come up with some neat lines from that - but generally they are very ironic and sometimes downright DARK.

Jesus from "before the world was" - is a fact to be embraced and held on to - and used to structure our understanding of ANY meaning in our world. So - if that thought is ignored - Truth suffers and error flourishes.

Another generation has the opportunity to study Deuteronomy - and it doesn't look like we're that close to accomplishing it in our time - either. But - as a friend of mine once said, "I thought I heard a Silver Trumpet" - and my response was "How many times did it BLOW?"

Well - at least we got some of Numbers - thank God for that. More to come

49 - Christ - from BEFORE the Beginning - (2)

2008-09-30T11:24:00.004-05:00

The Eternal Covenant - what a concept! AND - by IT, Christ was raised from the dead. That anticipates to me, Christ DYING, Christ being necessary for God's plan and promises; Christ dying as part of the plan before the world even started PLUS, WE were involved back then and are part of an Eternal Covenant. WOW - what a concept!

Several phrases are part of this teaching to me - "chosen IN HIM - before the foundation of the world" which tells us that the "Lamb slain before the foundation - or FROM the foundation - of the world" is an assumed subject in Scripture. Apparently THEY - the first century readers, knew much better than do we - the structure of God's plans and promises.

People NEED to know that their sin wasn't a situation which threw God for a "loop" - or caught Him unawares. As a Psychologist, I do appreciate counseling Christians as they seem to be SO SURE their sins cannot be forgiven, and telling them - "God anticipated you". HE paid for ALL SINS which could ever be committed. So - did YOU accept the payment? OR - did you think your sin was just too much for God to think Christ's sacrifice could COVER?

NOW - add to that - this all happened before the creation of us humans - can you see this is GOOD NEWS? To use a NT story - when the Prodigal left home - he had a HOME to return to - even though he didn't realize it. The lamb which wandered away - had a sheepfold to go back to - and Someone to carry him there - unbeknownst to him. God is ALWAYS prepared for us.

The concept is an Eternal one - and possibly MORE eternal and present than we realize.

CONSIDER - this might well mean that when God came to Adam and Eve, He was simply announcing the ETERNAL COVENANT in the Promise of Genesis 3:15.

CONSIDER - when God came to Abram, and proclaimed "I am your shield and exceeding great reward - and Abram believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness" - God was simply announcing the Eternal Covenant to come down through the ages as the concept of faith - birthed though Abram as the Father of Faith and reiterated in the NT as "Faith - from first to last" as an Eternal concept of Covenant Grace.

What about the OLD covenant? It was used to contrast the NEW with former lifestyle - but Paul reminds us - "it was added" to THE PROMISE. Don't forget, the PROMISE was made from the beginning - and existed BEFORE the beginning. (BUT - God did come to Abram to force it upon him - but that's not a perfect word since Abram believed - even though it was a DREAM - and believing is not a forced concept - but an invitation.) Added - the Law - so as Paul reminds us in Galatians - it cannot annul the former Promise. (Galatians 3:15-20) Maybe a challenging thought - since God told Moses to give a message to Pharaoh, "Let MY people go" - they were already covenant people. And - even during Christ's three year ministry they were referred to as "Children of Abraham." The same concept is available to all who trust God's promises - and Paul taught about that in Galatians 3 and Romans 3-5. Those who put on Christ are "heirs according to THE Promise" - Galatians 3:29.

I know Western thinking likes to separate and divide Scriptural concepts - sometimes it seems "man-made" to me - and in THIS case a failure to see THE ETERNAL COVENANT - focused in JESUS - from before the beginning and always in place. More to come.

48 - Christ - from before the beginning (1)

2008-09-30T04:59:00.004-05:00

I need to focus on the principle a little more intensely as to what seems to be God's overall plan.

Scriptures have been given about Christ slain before the foundation of the world. The same concept includes other scriptures about US being chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. Since the "in Him" idea has always been difficult - we could well say the problem has been around quite a while. Well - let's at least admit it to be around all of OUR lives. I didn't see the little phrase as a difficulty until my first Greek class in the '60's. I then noted that there was more to it than I had guessed, even though a surface meaning was still meaningful.

Until I read some stuff about "covenant grace" I had no clue that "in Christ" had a focus of Christ - not me! (By the way - WE do get a wonderful focus - just indirectly - so, make no mistake, when we get it right, we come out JUST FINE.) The directive seemed to be "make sure YOU are in Christ" - and I don't think that is a bad concept. Problem is - when we put the focus on US - we MISS OUT on the REAL concept, so our understanding is off and we begin down a road which isn't the REAL road. (Substitute the word "WAY" for road - and you get my drift.)

So - back to our theme - Jesus is the focus of History and the focus of the Bible and the focus of Covenant grace. And - amazingly enough, that started before time. So - what exactly started before time. We love to sing about it - "He tells me of the years that went before me - when heavenly plans were made for me to be" - IF the focus is ME. And - that IS one of the focus directions. But - the ULTIMATE focus is what God is doing to get me back and then what God is doing to keep me for all eternity. If we don't see that we cannot understand the Bible correctly. The focus is GOD'S doings. And - God got that started in His plan before time - well "the lamb was slain before the foundations of the world". So - our redemption is an old subject and it focused on what God did, plus, it started before time - so it was an ORIGINAL PLAN.

Covenant takes two parties - and that may represent all of mankind, but the parties involved choose a Representative. Covenant demands a swearing and the Bible says that "God could swear by none greater so He swore by Himself." He guarantees His part of the covenant is KEPT. We can rely on His guarantee - but do we know what He guaranteed? (WE do realize it is good to know the stipulations of a guarantee - do we not?)

First question - and a very important one - who is the OTHER party? I think we realize it is us humans. Problem - who will represent us before time? God anticipated this problem - after all, if we are created to make choices we'll make the bad choice and that needs to be taken into consideration. So - God chose for Christ to die (Lamb slain from the foundation of the world) so Christ is a substitution for US - so HE is our Representative) because we would NEVER be able to make the choice to die, since we would sin and disqualify ourselves. So - the covenant parties had to be God and our Representative. The concepts involved include - OUR sin is anticipated before time; an agreement was made before time; Jesus is our Representative before time and our redemption and future is guaranteed before time. (Verses which help these conclusions include: Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:19-20; Revelation 13:8.) However - the Scriptures which probably help us most is the Book of Deuteronomy - and that presents quite a quandary. Understand that Hebrews were very conversant in Deuteronomy - and understood that the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible) as being the foundation for all of life and God's dealings with mankind.

Deuteronomy is quoted from about 80 times in the NT - so it is assumed we know that source as cogent to a full understanding. The Book is a Covenant Document, totally understood by the nations about Israel in their day - in fact the same covenant concepts are used by any number of them in their own experience. I think we understand that far generally - but what we sometimes miss is - God was using the concept before time - AND - God already had something in place with Himself. Very challenging, but that's why we used those Scriptures to teach us the concept more fully.

THE COVENANT was enacted toward Abram - and still is with us. We can talk of other covenants - Adamic, Noahic - but for OUR purposes the NT refers in reference to SALVATION/REDEMPTION to one focus - Abraham as the Father of FAITH. BUT - what we sometimes miss is this covenant was already agreed to before us humans were created - so the NT calls it "The Eternal Covenant" - Hebrews 13:20. AND - about that, more to come.

47 - Conceptually, Christ is . . .(5)

2008-09-26T05:17:00.004-05:00

In contrast to the more "symbolic" concepts, there are many very precious pictures which are not focused on enough by Christendom because we are tempted to have a religion instead of a relationship. Religion can be a positive or negative word and I won't get into that today. Instead, allow me to share why the negative is a thing to be concerned about.

As long as we think of ourselves as part of a religion we just don't "do" Sonship very well. So - picture number one for today is - CHRIST was to be the first born of MANY brothers. Covenant concepts show us that we receive the IDENTITY of Christ when we by faith are joined with Him in our baptism experience. By faith we are born "from above" and are now on the earth - sorta like Jesus. SO - conceptually we are SONS OF GOD. We probably need to resist the temptation to not allow that to be real. Think back with me to David as he took on Goliath - and he was having a hard time getting even the King to realize that the battle is the Lord's. But - there are ramifications of the concept. Deuteronomy had taught how to go to war as God's possession, and several concepts were very important. Possibly number one - all fearful should go home. WAIT - that means only David should have been in this battle by God's standards. Well - only David WAS in the battle directly and he represented Israel all by himself. Obviously though, David was there FOR ISRAEL and as Israel. Why would he go out there alone? Because his aim was to show that "there is a GOD in Israel" and "the battle is the Lord's". And - he knew he wasn't alone. (SO - don't worry if others are fearful - or rebellious - be a representative for them.)

So - we see some pictures of those concepts in Jesus - the victor, the fighter, and the one who was not fearful and knew the battle was the Lord's. ADD to that the fact that HE knew He represented humanity and needed to win the battle for them - because THEY were fearful and un-trusting of God and His provision. (As for His focus - Peter writes that "He entrusted Himself to HIM who judges justly".) There has been a tendency to ask "WHY does God even care about faithless rebellious and negative people?" But - the Biblical covenant answer is - those are the ones He came to win the battle for - to secure victory on their behalf- because they are fearful, rebellious and negative. (Besides - that's about ALL He has- we are all the sheep who went astray.) HE is the CHAMPION - the representative - the "needed one" for all of us. So - see the concept of our need to be perfect - and then see perfection coming to us in the Person of Jesus. See us getting HIS perfection - HIS performance and then receiving His victory and the spoils of THE war.

So - for right now - focus in on Jesus as a concept of US WINNING. That is why Jesus is covenant - KEPT covenant. However - to do that we have to correct our idea of faith to some extent. In the concept of Jesus is covenant - FAITH is focused on HIM and His performance and His victory. So - my question at this point is - did HE win - did HE overcome death; did HE pay for sin; did HE raise from the dead; did HE promise to be with us always?

SO - Christ is our need. Christ is all and in you all. God chose to sum up everything in Christ - and then give Him to you and me. So - if we try to focus on OUR lives and behavior - we'll be fearful folks worrying about the latest Goliath to arrive on the scene. Christ has ALREADY fought the war - already won the victory and already assured US of the spoils of battle.

Actually - the concept is very REAL - Christ is our champion. And - once in awhile I like to allow my mind to be creative and picturesque - maybe we can even see Jesus in the battle scene - in David as a picture of a representative - or maybe even as a ROCK! Since Jesus has so many dual roles, why not include both? So - Jesus is the ROCK . . .of provision - not just water, but protection. More to come

46- Conceptually, Christ is . . .(4)

2008-09-17T06:07:00.005-05:00

"The ROCK that followed them was Christ" 1 Corinthians 10:4. That COULD have been one of those SHADOW concepts - except for the context which talks of their drinking actual water from a SUPERNATURAL Rock. BUT - that is not just "the supernatural Rock that FOLLOWED them" - so we are talking about a POWER of provision, we're talking about JESUS. Not only that - a provision that follows a people - ready to provide. That is a covenant concept - protection and provision. Again, we see Jesus AS the Covenant. (And - that was in what we generally refer to as Old Covenant times.)

Jesus claimed, "I AM the manna come down from heaven" and we CAN make that a spiritual concept of Jesus using an OT picture to make a new Testament picture complete. That is, UNLESS we already saw the concept of God's providence in Jesus in the OT as a continuing fact. Then, it is not JUST a picture, but a personal presence of God in Christ, which is what the "rock picture concept" seems to suggest. To be consistent, then we must see MANY OT things as shadows of Christ - feasts, new moons, sacrifices and even identities in Trumpets and Tabernacles. BUT - there are OTHER things which seem to suggest that Christ Himself was present "in Person" to provide and protect and even direct. Focus on the "Cloud and fire" covering - which was God's way of leading and stopping and doing other covering concepts like "shade in hot sun" and "blanket in cold night" facts of life. The Psalms especially give us that kind of picture. Most of those pictures are not fully comprehended because they are Hebrew Covenant concepts in their presentation and description. For today, let's focus in on ONE concept - JESUS represents Himself as being actual covenant provision for Israel. ADD to that, all those shadows which have their substance in Christ and we have quite an involved activity of Jesus from beginning until incarnation.

Some OT scholars have contended that Jesus is all the expression of God's involvement in all ages. I can see that as a general concept - with exceptions in a limited way. Jesus is the "creator" Paul taught us in Colossians 1:16. BUT - the idea of that scripture includes God the Father - creating through Jesus and for Jesus. We just cannot separate the "Deity" which is spoken of as being fully embodied in Christ (Colossians 2:9) and we don't NEED to. As the Hebrews very basically said, "The Lord our God, the Lord is One" - but they used the term Elohim to express that and it is a plural concept. The almost FIRST time we see the concept of God, He is saying, "Let US make man." Us Western thinkers like to separate concepts that may not be intended to be separated. BUT - separate or non - both concepts are cogent in their own sense. We can encompass both with ease if we try. So - don't hear me saying the concepts of Jesus in the OT have to be a certain way - they include several facets of God's dealings with us humans. The "covenant idea" is part of the picture and without it, many NT concepts loose their force, More on that as we continue.

However - let us see clearly what Scripture DOES say - JESUS was covenant provision for Israel in the water and manna and other pictures - either in shadow or in actuality or parts of both. Jesus used the picture of the brazen snake to picture Himself . . .and I'll try to deal with that down the road - but it is meant to be used for OUR LEARNING - and we can learn facets of Jesus' provision and God's involvement if we try.

When Jesus said, "I AM The Way, The Truth, The Life - nobody gets to God except THROUGH Me" John 14:6 - HE was claiming a singular focus -very narrow. Christians have used a facet of this concept to EXCLUDE everyone in the whole world - even believers in Christ. However - we should use the concept to point to Jesus as OUR EVERYTHING - then we'll be Biblical. Problem is - many Christians do NOT think Jesus is everything - and it has been that way since the first centuries - our doctrine and positions became more important than Jesus HIMSELF. "If one cannot figure out OUR position, then obviously they cannot be TRUE CHRISTIANS." However - Christ is the ONLY everything. HE is the only real or ultimate focus.

So - someone responds - you don't think doctrine is important - right? WRONG - dead wrong.

Doctrine is supposed to SERVE us - to help us understand Jesus and how we became part of the new creation. IT is not THE focus - Jesus is. Don't allow anyone to steer you away from Jesus to some doctrine about what YOU DO or do not do - as Paul said, "These have an appearance of wisdom - but are of NO value." Colossians 2:23. Christ is our "YES" and those who follow Him - those who are indwelt by Him; those who are "in Him" - will be led by the Spirit and WILL NOT yield to the flesh. (Galatians 5:16.) That is simply a part of our "maturation" as God's actual sons. As John would write later - "those of the Spirit cannot continually live in sin" 1 John 5:18.

But - read through 1 John sometime in one setting - about 5 times John says - "life is in the Son" "he who has the Son, has life - he who does not have the Son does not have life" - and frankly I think it is LIFE we are after. So - do you have Christ - that should be our main theme and question. (Especially if we actually believe what John wrote. But - also what Paul wrote about God wanting to give preeminence in everything to JESUS.) My personal belief is that Christendom has failed to some degree in this regard. I plead guilty and promise to focus more on Christ in my future. Join me ?

45 - Conceptually, Christ is (3)

2008-09-15T09:18:00.002-05:00

Guarantee - a word we all like sometimes, but as someone has said, "No guarantees, but death and taxes." So - allow me to share ONE MORE guarantee - eternal Life.

BUT - how in the world could that be true? Well - by the theological structure I had at the time - I agree - pretty nigh impossible and actually WE DO NOT WANT IT. WHY? Well, we cannot motivate people if they have a guarantee and, while many do not have it - they then jump to the claim that it is not available. Two problems - (1) a guarantee must mean I am perfect - is error; and (2) if I think that when I have a guarantee I won't be motivated by you or anything you say is error as well. FIRST - the assumption is that I can actually do something to make myself perfect focused on my behavior and beliefs. SECOND - we should realize that motivation doesn't HAVE to come from a desire to be perfect or even to be saved!

The FIRST example teaching (structure for redemption/justification of Abram - Romans 3-6) presents a challenge for some - Romans is too "mysterious" - but my reply is - Romans is first principles of salvation/redemption/justification and its implications. So - principle number one in this regard is: Salvation does NOT come by keeping some law. Paul revealed that in chapter 3-5. Romans 3:21 teaches that salvation comes "apart from Law". Verse 20 tells us why - Law isn't focused on Salvation - but revealing our sin. The answer Paul gives is "the faith of Christ" - Romans 3:22. Well, most "translations" say "faith in Christ" - and that is true, but we generally misunderstand that CHRIST is the focus of the concept. In other words, it is in the Genitive in Greek - possessive - so "Christ's faith - but that was what "faith in Christ" was SUPPOSED to mean to Paul's readers and to us. Our problem is that WE would like to be the focus of Scripture - especially if we can get some mileage out of a guilt trip. Well - that is a wrong assumption in ANY correct approach to Scripture. We are NOT the focus of salvation performance - Christ is.

We are the focus of reception of salvation - but Paul is quick to emphasize that salvation is a gift, not of works, not of ourselves - and God is the focus - it is the gift OF GOD, Ephesians 2:1-10. Verses 6-7 tells us that God wanted to SHOW OFF His grace. ALL of that happened when we were dead in sin.

In the Romans context the focus is to believe in CHRIST - note that is doesn't say "believe about Christ" - even though that is helpful at times. So - maybe our task is to really see what that phrase "believe in Christ" actually says. That little phrase "the faith of Christ" helps us realize that HE is the focus of performance; not we . . .HIS works are what saves, HIS sacrifice satisfied God's justice in reference to sin - perfectly. That is one reason Paul wrote in Romans 8:34 - "It is GOD who justifies, who is it that condemns?"

I guess my sarcastic answer is - "Church leaders of all generations"

BUT - the Bible answer is - "NO ONE, NOBODY and NOTHING"

So - GUARANTEE - Paul taught that if the focus is Christ and His performance - and our trusting HIM - then salvation can be guaranteed to EVERYONE - Romans 4:16. It rests on faith - and that focus is JESUS - more to come

44 - Conceptually, Christ is . . . (2)

2008-09-08T04:26:00.004-05:00

So MANY pictures - so little time. One of the difficult parts of STUDY is the attempt to communicate in FEW words the very huge concept. JESUS is THE subject of all of history and most disciplines just ignore HIM or try to relegate HIM to a status of "prophet" or "good teacher" or some-such. It is very challenging to report on a situation which COULD only occur ONE time in all of history - and is the single most important act to have ever occurred and is a concept which is beyond the ability of our minds to even fathom - and yet WE MUST do it. WOW - what a quandary. Talk about "walking on hallowed ground" - BUT THERE IS MORE.

God already wrote the story down in Scripture - did I think I could do Him one better? ADD to that - the BIBLE is the single more discussed and dismissed book of all time - to one degree or another. Us humans just cannot agree on almost any subject the Bible brings up - and then I come along and try to actually make what God wrote BETTER? That's worse than arrogance - it is insanity.

So - call me crazy and lock me up! I am not trying to do God one better. All I simply wish to do is share my pilgrimage to part of an understanding of God's heart and plans for mankind. Much of what I write is demanded because translations are so limited - and PART of that is because we just don't have the courage to actually TRANSLATE the original into OUR language. But - that's another story. After all, language presents that challenge in all disciplines - but this subject is a supernatural one - and Satan is alive and involved in causing much deception since "He transforms Himself into an angel of light" - which to my way of thinking is much like a "preacher of the Gospel" - and THAT IS PRETTY SNEAKY.

The SUBJECT is JESUS - and since He is the "lamb slain BEFORE the foundation of the world" we have a subject which stretches our minds to the breaking point. When the author of Hebrews started his letter he wrote about a contrast: "God who in former times spoke to us in various ways, has in these last days spoken to us in SON" - and as I contemplate this one well-known verse I can see much of my former problem which may still be part of my continuing struggle. God USED to speak in various way - but NOW speaks in ONE WAY - and the way and the message are ONE WAY - a "SON MESSAGE" - a message in a person. Interestingly enough, the concept is not that Jesus came TALKING necessarily, but HE is THE message - period.

That was my challenge to receive. I'm here to share my conclusion that Jesus is HIMSELF the New Covenant - but no one talks about that - so how can it be explained? The Hebrews' author said it - and we just run past HIM to stuff about Him. So - why should I lose sleep over it - after all - I'll get labeled as some "kook" anyhow?

I remember responding to an aquaintance in this regard who finally said, "I think you've gone off on a tangent with this subject!" And - my response (since I'm not good at confrontation) was - "Maybe - or maybe I've gone toward THE CENTER instead! HOW will you decide which one is happening? Let's talk about which Scriptures you feel I am abusing and which Scriptures you think I ignore."

Well - he said he would get back to me on that - and he is still my friend, I think - but that was 25 years ago and I have studied the concepts every day since that time.

For today - allow me to challenge you with a concept already in evidence - Paul taught "the new moons and feasts are shadows; the SUBSTANCE is CHRIST" Colossians 2:17. The new moon celebration was attended by silver trumpets as were some feasts. The FOCUS however was not the trumpet or the feast - but God's PROVISION. The silver used to make the trumpet came from "redemption money" - and focused with each blast, the minds of hearers on the fact that they belonged to a covenant God. The idea is that God cares for me and God will take care of me. AND - our new Testament concept is even more focused. JESUS - is a multifaceted picture of God's continual care and has a ultimate focus on eternal care guaranteed to us for our security and peace. We need a fresh trumpet blast to remind us - JESUS is God's EVERYTHING and HE is God's GIFT to us. He REDEEMED us and He will guarantee the future safety and provision. John discussed it by saying that we even have FULL CONFIDENCE on Judgment DAY itself - 1 John 4:13-17. His conclusion is something to behold - "because, as HE is - so are WE in this world." I have had a couple friends confess they could not believe that verse by any general explanation. I said, "I don't blame you - to be honest - it is just too much." BUT - we all know it is TRUTH - Jesus is our provision on judgment day - but in my short 65 years I have NEVER heard a story told of judgment Day which had any kind of confidence or Jesus focus! (After all, those stories are to "motivate" folks and it is best to make them feel VERY alone!)

For today - just focus on that one word I used - "guaranteed" - and try to check that subject out in your Bible. Start at Romans 4:16 and let me know what YOU come up with.

One last hint - IF John was right - "as HE is, so are WE in this world - so we HAVE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE on Judgment day" - can you share with me a time when we CANNOT have confidence? OR - maybe we can say it - is there a time when we SHOULD not have FULL CONFIDENCE?

Jesus is our confidence - and HE is the full focus of meaning and HE is presented in the NT as - OUR LIFE. I have repented of watering down the story - and this context of 1 John 4 is one reason why. Share with me YOUR findings. The substance is Christ - not words about Christ - Christ Himself - more to come . . .

43 - Conceptually, Christ is . . .(1)

2008-08-30T03:51:00.004-05:00

I remember the day it HIT ME. JESUS is God's provision for mankind's lack. I was reading along and those words just jumped off the page - "the ROCK that followed them was Christ" and my mind jumped to a couple OTHER verses: "I AM the manna come down out of heaven" and "I AM the water of Life".

JESUS is God's PROVISION for man's needs. Well, I knew at a somewhat early age that Jesus was sent to die for our sins - but I did not realize many facets of that concept. I think the first time I saw that covenant idea was in a verse or two that focused on "before the beginning". Paul wrote one in Ephesians 1:4 "HE chose US in Him before the foundation of the world" which generally just gets us into an argument about predestination because even though it SEEMS that WE are the focus of that, it is indirect - the direct focus is CHRIST. "IN HIM" is the phrase we stumble over because we don't understand it to mean JESUS is the focus of all our PROVISION.

The OTHER verse is Peter's writing in 1 Peter 1:20 "HE was destined before the foundation of the world but made manifest at the end of the times for your sake."

God did all of it before HE even made mankind - so I had to look at everything from a different perspective. JESUS is always God's provision - in Peter's context, the LAMB SLAIN - which focuses an ultimate concept.

NOW, I see the concept in a LOT more places beginning with the beginning. Hebrew covenant structure shows that creation is an expression of the creator - and we know from NT scripture that God created everything through CHRIST (Colossians 1:16) so, not to go overboard with a picture, but PROVISION started in Eden when Adam and Eve were given dominion over the whole world. That reminded me of an old song - "What will you DO with Jesus?" Israel complained about "manna" and Moses got himself in a LOT of trouble over "the Rock" and BLOOD always seems to get spilled over mankind's errors. When Adam and Even CHOOSE to not receive and be provided fully by God's PROVISION in Eden - they rejected JESUS in their disloyalty. Well - let's simply call it rejecting covenant provision. The result was they lost the whole thing - but, God will not be put off totally. HE provided them with coats of "skin/fur" and a new PROMISE - SOMEONE would come to be their Savior - and HE would crush Satan, our ultimate enemy in the PROVISION of the "lamb slain from before the foundation of the world."

Covenant structure has ONE huge concept of how the breaking of it happens - DISLOYALTY.

I'm not getting into whether WE can be lost or "re-lost" or any of that argument right now. We're simply seeing the original concept in Eden - we lost PROVISION - in a perfect world. That includes daily fellowship with God - PLUS the tree of LIFE which cannot be available to us in a fallen state - God just cannot allow us to be forced to live forever in our fallen-ness. HOWEVER - HE did make PROVISION for our escape from being FALLEN - in Christ. HE provided "THE PROMISE" - Christ Himself - for solving the problem of being FALLEN, plus HE provided continual LIFE IN HIS SON. (1 John 5:11) ALL the OT shadows find their fulfillment in the substance of CHRIST (Colossians 2:17 gives the principle.) Christ was THEIR "Way, Truth, Life" from the beginning. HE was always the Covenant for mankind. HE was always God's LOVE expressed in PROVISION - water, manna, sacrifice, and identity.

How many pictures are there? Well - that is part of our study, but I don't promise to reveal them all because I keep finding new ones. We can generally focus on Israel because we are commanded to do that. Old Testament Scripture, Paul said - was written for US - examples for US - so we won't sin like they sinned. I am convicted by the concept of "murmuring" which killed MANY Israelites and basically represented their whole history of failure to receive and be satisfied with God's PROVISION. THEY complained about the manna, the lack of water - the Provision of Canaan itself - and the GIVEN VICTORY which they refused. I'm convicted because that is supposed to teach US a lesson in "PROVISION acceptance and enjoyment."

Do WE enjoy Jesus? Do we EVEN DRINK deeply enough to satisfy our DEEP thirst? God provided JESUS to be our EVERYTHING - and us humans have a really terrible habit of getting off the focus of ultimate things and onto stuff that is not Jesus. As I study the history of Christendom and see it more fully it really depresses me - and I only see tidbits of it. If I saw it in its bold stark REALITY - I'd be so depressed, I couldn't continue to live almost. I say almost because I know so little, but I know Jesus is designed to have all preeminence - to be Lord and King - to BE OUR LIFE. But - what Paul called the "Israel of God" isn't doing much better than the shadow did. We fight and devour one another - we murmur and we express hatred to Christian brothers - we raise a personal interpretation above "the one for whom Christ died" Romans 14.

So - as Long as JESUS is covenant to me - I then have "The Way, The Truth, The Life" - I have HIM - so I have everything. But - if I am not satisfied with HIM - and I look for meaning in"things that are not Christ" - I lose the whole thing in essence.

"If we don't learn from History, we are doomed to repeat it" seems cogent at this point. But, more to my focus - IF we don't allow Jesus to be our EVERYTHING - we will be continually doomed for our everything to be something ELSE! And - my covenant friends - that is my definition of TRAGEDY. More to come

(42) "In Christ; Christ in you" conclusions

2008-08-18T10:35:00.005-05:00

Many questions start out with a concept which says "What's the big deal about . . .?" and that refers to "covenant concepts", being "in Christ", and even "baptism" - and my response is always pretty much the same. The BIBLE says - "live up to what you know" 1 Timothy 4:6 - so I am trying to do that. I may "attain" to a lower level than some and may actually be at a higher level than one or two - but - the focus is "be fully convinced in your own mind" Romans 14:5.

GUESS WHAT ? We don't KNOW the full meaning of many things - so we "know in part" 1 Corinthians 13:9. So - I am trying to share my pilgrimage of learning - and this area was where I was MOST woeful in understanding Hebrew background concepts which are undergirding our Christian life understanding. I did not understand what a "Covenant Representative" was, so the concept of faith in Christ focused on ME - not Him - what an error on my part ! Part of that error was helped toward Scriptural reality when I learned that the CONCEPT of faith came from three Hebrew ideas put into one covenant response concept. Faith/obedience is one concept - so many of us evangelicals focus on a mis-defined idea of obedience which focuses on PEOPLE. The three ideas: LISTEN toward a speaker, RUN toward the speaker; and HIDE UNDER the speaker's provision - make the correct focus - the one to which we respond for protection. SURE - we need to respond - but it is a faith response to the Covenant Protection of God. He provided it all - He supervises it all and HE provided the invitation, the protection and the security as it continues. We simply focus on that protection IN HIM - and make sure we are THERE by faith !

The actual "Covenant protection" is in what CHRIST did and provides. So - ultimately WE end up under HIM for our covenant security - and it is as strong as HE is - just like a lesser nation would hide themselves in the power and protection of a greater nation - they are as secure as the focus of their trust ! So - their trust is "IN THE POWER OF THE GREATER" - not in themselves - so the only boast is about the power of the greater. Christians have only ONE boast - "in the Lord" 2 Corinthians 10:17 - and we should keep that focus in everything - because God's provision, Christ, should have preeminence in EVERYTHING !

"Christ in you" is the theme of Colossians. Just one thought - the focus is identity (as Christ taught in the "vine and branches" teaching on John 15) and if Christ is our identity, then we have 4 fine books which we access our "family album" for conceptual pictures of our lifestyle and pursuits - Matthew through John. The CONCEPT, however - is simply Christ being allowed to EXPRESS Himself through us - and love the world again - like He did the first time He came here. The focus is CHRIST as Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. We become "ambassadors" - so God is making His appeal through us - and our message is "BE reconciled to God". So - once we are "in Christ" by identity, HE is in us in action ! Paul explained that in Philippians 2:13 - "For GOD is at work - in YOU to will and to work" - and my conclusion is - "willing and working" equals ALL of life - and God designed to be IN our lives to DO THAT - will and work ! Those are my simple conclusions to this part of our study - as Paul wrote "it is faith from first to last" - because we are to LIVE by faith. Both focuses are in the concept - we are "made alive by faith" and "we "live out the rest of our lives by faith". So - one person asked - "Do you have NO place for WORKS ?" And - my response is - if God is AT WORK IN ME - to will and to work" I need to LET HIM RUN ME ! Result - God's works get done as God works in and through His project - me - and that fulfills Ephesians 2:10. Result - God gets the focus and we are ambassadors FOR HIM - ambassadors ONLY do the will of the one they represent - it is not the ambassador's work - it is the one represented whose works are done. But - note that the ambassador is always active . . .on behalf of his boss ! So - God WORKS and hopefully, we make sure HE works in and through US - since HE runs us now ! Note - that is Christ in us - being allowed to continue HIS work of loving the world HE died for and was raised for . . .as Paul wrote so cogently in 2 Corinthians 5:15 - "that those who LIVE might no longer live for themselves, but FOR HIM who for their sakes died and was raised." Our focus is not US - but HIM - more to come

(41) IN Christ/Christ in you

2008-08-08T04:04:00.002-05:00

I have heard some who very quickly say - "You're in Christ - so Christ is in you" and I'd like to ask "WHY" do we say things like that with no explanation ?

There are some similarities, but some concepts are partly very different. So - let's separate first. "You're in Christ" is a covenant phrase which means we joined Christ's history by faith. We are "grafted into" Christ's family tree of faith in God's performance and faithfulness. Romans 11 talks about Israel being "cut off" from that tree. But - Paul reminds us - Israel can get grafted back into the original vine - so the Israel of faith can be joined by the Israel of History. And - Paul concludes "all Israel can be saved". But - he makes it clear that FAITH is the concept that joins us to Christ; the concept that gives us righteousness as a gift. So - that is how we get to be "in Christ" - we join Him by faith - first century Christians had a ceremony of faith for that - we call it baptism, a well known initiation ceremony to Hebrew folks.

Christ in you - is something else, but it is one result of the ceremony of initiation. It refers partly to the new identity we get when we receive HIM as our source of hope. We are "sons of the Living God" - and since we are sons, then heirs - joint heirs with Christ, Romans 8:16-17. IF Christ in is YOU - then you are a son of God by identity. If you received HIM to be your life - by faith - then HE is in YOU, through the Holy Spirit. Problem is, the Holy Spirit concept causes all kinds of misunderstandings. And - since it is mysterious, we can only understand it by what the Bible actually SAYS about it - along with our common sense. Since Jesus is the New Covenant (I believe) then when He says He will come to us (as He explained to the Apostles) in the person of the Holy Spirit, then from that point on (John 14-16) we know that receiving the Holy Spirit is the way we receive Christ. And - HE promised to be with them ALWAYS (as opposed to being WITH them in Judea IF He was in Judea) and actually be IN THEM. Later Paul would say, "Christ, who is your Life" Colossians 3 - so it is appropriate to say the Holy Spirit is now our Life because Christ is in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. One complication though is - we CHOOSE to be led by the spirit, Galatians 5:22, and if we use our regular lifestyle principles we also realize that sometimes we allow things that are just "NOT US" to lead us. Paul is challenging the Galatians to not be allowing "the works of the flesh" to have their influence in our behaviors.

Confusing ? Well, it is to me - but I have watched my 4 children be born and BIRTH - the most common experience of all of us - is pretty confusing as well. Even after all those drawings in Biology and experiencing birth firsthand - much mystery remains for me - but that doesn't bother me - in fact, I enjoy the fact that something as common as LIFE - is still beyond our grasp at the same time. I anticipated that a little bit when Jesus talked to Nicodemas about being "born from above - or born again" in John 3. (Speaking of confusing - tell me what was wrong with translating the word "from above" simply and plainly - instead of using the concept of AGAIN - which is true but redundant ? Sorry - my rant - I do that sometimes in the middle of the night.) Anyhow - Jesus uses the wind to talk about the Spirit - and says we don't "see" it but we do see its results - same with the Spirit.

Now - mystery is revealed according to Paul and he claims it to be an original mystery - "Christ in YOU" Colossians 1:27. To a Hebrew, this concept wasn't hidden - as in not able to be known, it was hidden in that God had to REVEAL it in the coming of Christ. Jesus then is the answer to many mysteries - and Paul reminds us that Jesus is the substance of that which the Old Testament was the shadow. That's an area of needed study - we do see some "fulfillment" of OT prophecy in Christ and we do see some pictures in Israelite life and activities in Christ, but sometimes we cannot see that Jesus gets ALL preeminence and HE is everything and we HAVE HIM IN US. So - we get everything. OK - I already said that.

Results - well, being "in Christ" means what He gets, I get and where He is, I am - as Paul said "When Christ who is our life appears, WE MUST appear with Him in Glory" Colossians 3:4. It is simply a covenant concept that what happens to the covenant head, happens to the covenant recipient. That was understood by Paul. We don't "do covenant" the same way, so some things that were very familiar to first century folks are not simple to us at all.

But - isn't that strange language - Christ is in you - but when He APPEARS, then we must appear with Him - like we were not with Him - but we were or at least He was with US - or something ! Well - now He is with us through the Holy Spirit - but then FACE TO FACE ! (That's an old figure of speech which means full knowledge by full intimate relationship.) We may well LONG for that day - but, sometimes that is because we don't have any full relationship with the Holy Spirit now ! And - since the Holy Spirit is our badge of being God's kids - maybe we need to focus a little more in that arena of thought. In fact, Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit is our GUARANTEE of salvation. There is an interesting thought - for now let's say it this way - the Holy Spirit is God's LIFE in us - and God's LIFE in us - is our guarantee of salvation and our cause for full confidence on Judgment Day - as we've already said - as HE is, so are WE in this word - so we have confidence on Judgment Day (1 John 4:17) means that God assures us that our key to entering Heaven is the mark of HIS life in us - His identity that we NOW have which makes us sons - the Holy Spirit (Romans 8) and to conclude for today - I use the DNA concept spiritually - God knows our spiritual DNA and therefore claims us as HIS OWN - so we have full confidence on Judgment day because if we have CHRIST IN US - and WE are in HIM - we are RECOGNIZED by God as belonging to HIM. Awesome - and mysterious - just terrific ! More to come

(40) - "in Christ" thoughts

2008-08-04T04:54:00.004-05:00

Several of my so-called friends have challenged me to continue this thread a little longer. And - since I have called it "ULTIMATE IMPORTANCE" - well, I can't argue against it. Just remember - JESUS is what is of ultimate importance. So - after an hour or so of thinking - I am ready to dig deeper. (Why do people get up at hours like 2 or 3 am to think anyway - sounds real suspicious to me.)

As I contemplate going back to our ROOTS of covenant thought, it seems cogent to actually make a case for PRIORITIES of thought. I admitted openly that I feel very loyal to the concept that Jesus gets ALL preeminence - since God chose to do that. However, once I do that - then there's no going back to situations less than Jesus getting all preeminence. So - from now on - I have to stay there and allow Jesus to be EVERYTHING. Well - not non-things like sin and rebellion (God certainly doesn't ignore any of those things either) - but the concept of our word TRUTH is not the original focus of Greek or Hebrew thought. Truth for them is much closer to our idea in the word REALITY. So - what I'm getting to is an idea of "reality" which focuses on Jesus as ULTIMATE reality and the source of reality. He did claim to be The Reality - along with being The Way and The Life. Those concepts are confrontational to me - in a good way seemingly - but very challenging. Our world would love for us to use "a way, a truth, concepts of life" - for Jesus - but to say "THE" - well, that's a horse of a different color (colour for my friends of Canadian and other European roots !) The concept of the word "THE" is just a challenging conceptual construct. "THE" means a focus on singular concepts. It gives Jesus a singular place in several areas of REALITY.

Then, when we quote the verse about what happened when Jesus came to our dimension, it becomes even more challenging. The phrase I have mentioned and now mention again for emphasis was "God was in Christ" 2 Corinthians 5. Wait just a minute - God was IN Christ - and now I am IN CHRIST ? That means we're TOGETHER !

Yes and no - is the answer to many questions for me - so let's have a go at that. "YES" - God was represented in Christ - and He was there to get us back ! He wanted us - He designed a way to GET us back - and it was a one time happening. It was an ONLY begotten son - the only time the spirit was involved directly in causing a pregnancy (well - it's sort of hard to say healing a womb or opening a womb was indirect - so pardon my failure for words in reference to these concepts.) First year Greek students learn the concept of a word happening only once in Greek or in the Bible - we call it a "hapox legominon" - a "one time said" word - one time used - therefore there are not any other contexts to help with the meaning. My contention is that God's dealing with US is a "hapox" concept - ONE TIME happening and therefore not a lot of contextual help from Philosophy or any other knowledge sources. Don't forget then - those other sources of knowledge cannot help us with MUCH of the Bible meanings and happenings. The idea of "in Christ" is known in human understanding in one aspect - we know we were in our ancestor thousands of years ago - so if something had happened to him, we'd never be born the way we are or even born at all. That concept helps - but there is so much more to it. Just the idea of us being in Christ when He was on the Cross - is challenging - but I think we sometimes get it by "spiritualizing" it to say - "Well, He represented me and all the human race in God's eyes" - and that is true. However - we must get farther into this - He took MY personal place on the cross - "He took the hit" for me in the cause of JUSTICE. He received and absorbed MY punishment for sin - on the cross - HE paid for it. Keep that very personal for each of us. It makes a difference then for us to read "God was in Christ" - and realize that God was taking the hit for our sin - and HE was so much FOR US !

OH MY - I am so in awe of God's great agape. Is there any way to grasp that ?

But - once I continue this "hapox" situation - I have to receive the reconciliation fact into my reality awareness. God did it - but I GET IT. I am NOW "hid with Christ in God" Colossians 3:3. And - it is not a "figure of speech" - it is a reality concept. How can we make it more of a reality on a day to day basis ? Problem - for our thinking - it is always a "hapox" situation - not available in our world for comparison - not available in our knowledge banks to access. Not only are we saved by faith (trusting what God DID) we understand life on that basis and we live on that understanding and commitment. The focus is not us, but HIM. But - isn't it amazing that when we focus on HIM we notice that HE is focused on us - so we get the blessing of ultimate reality ? By the way - I think that is a template for life - God didn't focus on Himself - but gave up all He had for us - and He then got the blessing of seeing us as sons of the Living God ! So - as we live we "might no longer live for ourselves for for Him who for our sakes died and was raised" (2 Corinthians 5:15) and we can give ourselves away and get the fulfillment in life of God's design where love gives unconditionally and that kind of love is not always accepted or appreciated, but it has an effect on some who then discover their ultimate reason for being alive. That is the faith life - the life of knowing we have plugged into an ultimate concept - THE reality - THE life - in Christ. In the end another concept is necessary to "see" - and maybe to some degree "understand" - "in Christ" means that HIS perfection is my hope - HIS performance is my identity now - but that awareness and reality causes me to know that even on Judgment Day itself - John writes that we have NO FEAR because - "as He is so are we in this world" - so as I stand on that day - I can know that His performance is mine by faith so God must receive me or reject what Jesus did - because that is my plea - what HE DID ! And - His performance, Paul said was authenticated by God in that "HE raised HIM from the dead" Acts 17:31.

"In Christ" is reality - and that reality is now my life - so resurrection is a heaven affirmed reality for me - and since I am in Christ - heaven is my guarantee, because Christ gets in and I am in Him.

I don't SNEAK in - I don't fool God - it was simply God's plan to give Christ all preeminence and I am IN HIM - so I get His performance and His inheritance - just like God planned. He planned to give Him ALL PREEMINENCE - and He will and does - I got in on that my trusting Jesus to be THE WAY, THE REALITY, THE LIFE - and by the way - when you add up those concepts, you get everything. We get it all - in Christ and God wouldn't have it any other way. That is the eternal plan from before the foundations of the world. (note Ephesians 1:3-10 gives a wonderful thumbnail sketch of the whole plan.) More to come

(39) Going DEEPER into "in Christ"

2008-07-31T05:13:00.004-05:00

Before going back to our ROOTS of covenant concepts, let's refine part of this concept of being "in Christ" as it refers to our overall theme.

I recently received some material my dad wrote back in the 1920's as he contemplated his future and made choices - mostly about what he decided to NOT do, but ultimately choices were also made about what he actually ended up doing and some of the priorities of his life. One very serious choice was to embrace a spiritual awareness and an allegiance to Christianity. Pretty serious when deciding to be on your own at 16 or 17. Those are my roots as well and I was "in dad" as he made decisions to come to Canada from Denmark. There is a literal concept there - but from our study perspective, we realize that what our ancestors decided controlled their lives AND ours in several focus points. We sometimes remind people they cannot help where they come from - but they can have some control over where they are going. They cannot help what kind of parents they had - but certainly can have some influence over the kind of parent THEY are. I thank God for my dad and His choices of priority - but when I share in them - it's even more cogent. If he had not made his choices - you would not be hearing from me at this point - probably. His choices influenced - and some controlled my life.

Compare that to being "in Christ" - several choices have already been made by HIM. Your forgiveness is already a "done deal". Your CHOICE in receiving that is yours to make - as you are made aware of His choices and results. Several other things follow from Jesus being made our NEW Covenant. He is The Way, The Truth, The Life - so everything of ultimate value and identity is wrapped up in Him - HE gets ALL preeminence. You have a choice to make - allow HIM to be your ultimate reality - or try to find it some other way. His choices and performance are an historically focused fact. That presents the choice about what YOU will do about Jesus as a major part of whether you live in reality or not. You CAN embrace the future God has prepared for you - or you can choose like Adam and Eve and all humans since - to be God in your own life. Wait - we've already done that. So - we have to decide to STOP being God in our own lives.

So - does that mean all of life is planned out and set for those who decide for Jesus to be Lord ?

Actually - the answer is always "yes" and "no" to those kinds of questions. YES - if you have chosen to live "in the palace" with Jesus, you do have a structure for life. But - NO - if you have entered an adventure with Jesus and Abba - it is an adventure daily - just like it was for Jesus in His ministry and life. As HE said, "I only do what I see the Father doing." "I do NOTHING on My own." HE responded to life as it happened, but He knew He was heading to a Cross.

If we are "in Christ" - then Paul challenges us to realize that we now have HIM as our life and He is still loving and sharing His life with the world He loved and died for. Paul explained that as we are "no longer living for ourselves, but for Him who for our sakes died and was raised." From an understanding of Jesus as Covenant, we then go where He goes and allow Him to live in and through us - so we live that adventure. Many folks have objected to this concept by bringing up an idea that we don't have Jesus with us at all times - or in all places. My response is - how did you get separated from HIM ? Their response - "Well - I don't think Jesus wants to be with me in the bathroom." My response - "I don't think you have a choice." The marriage covenant tells me I am married to my wife - 24-7-365 - except on Leap Years - then it is 366. No Choice !

But - we CAN live like Jesus is not with us at all times - but that is not REALITY. We can live like we are not "in HIM" at all times - but then we are not living up to our privilege. But - even more to the point - we are living an illusion. (Like many do in reference to their marriage !)

Paul taught that "The things that are SEEN are temporary, the things that are NOT seen - are Eternal." So - if we don't get plugged in to the unseen things, well, we'll be focused on things that cannot and will not last. AND - since Jesus is THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life - well - what else is there ? HE is our reality - our ONLY reality. So - when we are "in Christ" - we've come to reality. As Paul taught - "In Him ALONE dwells immortality" 1 Timothy 6:16, and WE are THERE !

Three thoughts: (1) - Jesus has done it all for us - "It is finished."
(2) - HE ALONE has the offer of reality for us - so our choice is important.
(3) Being in Him - is one key to important stuff . . .and HE invites us to be "in Him and He in us" - as finding "the Way, Truth, Life" - because NO ONE comes to the Father - but BY Him.

I consider that to be of ULTIMATE IMPORTANCE - and being "in Christ" is at the center of that importance ! Don't settle for "religion" - when HE wants relationship - intimate relationship. In that situation He promises to give us - life and that abundantly. More to come

(38) - "in Christ" continues

2008-07-23T05:06:00.003-05:00

A forceful conclusion in my thinking came in just seeing that "in Christ" means I cannot do it IN MYSELF. This forced me to begin making Jesus the focus of all my theology. Problem is - the concept of theology seemed to be focused (at least in my own mind - but seemingly for many of us) in my thoughts about God and my positions about the Trinity and what repentance meant - even how baptism works and how many times I take the Lord's Supper and when I can or cannot take it - and that begins a list of stuff I DO which causes splits at every point in the discussion. My question then was - how is ANY OF THIS actually "in Christ" ?

If I accept Christ as my "all in all" - how do I immediately jump to what I do and don't do and think and don't think ?

I don't think the question is moot - so let's trace the mindset and track the conceptual construct - if we can. Much of Christendom divides the Christian life into what must I DO to be saved and then - what do I do next ? That way all my responsibilities are covered. There is a certain logic to that - if we begin down that road. It seems analytical - balanced - common sense.

Problem is - "Christ is ALL" gets left behind - oh, I don't mean we would be giving up on Christ - just that as our Representative, He had finished His job and now it is up to US ! And - since I believe in freedom of Choice - at each step - it DOES seem that the focus can easily jump off Jesus and on us and be the right way to continue. Verses like "I buffet my body and bring it into subjection" by Paul - can easily fit our new lifestyle here. "Study to show yourself approved" seems to be a focus on my behavior - and "have a ready answer" means I have responsibilities now I never had before !

That is part of my continuing problem of picking out verses and stapling them together and forgetting conceptual verses which are meant to give the overall structure. In fact, most objections ANY of us make to others' positions involves a verse which we want to make a POWER verse in life which others seem to relegate to "not as important" - and we call their verses "sugar sticks" or some such comment. OK - I'll admit right here and now that the "JESUS is ALL" concept seems like an overall structural concept to me. If that doesn't ring true to you - I will have to say our discussion is pretty well limited. Well - let's at least say we need to settle the place Christ is supposed to have in salvation AND in life first - then we can go on. If Scripture seems to indicate that God's design was to give Jesus preeminence in EVERYTHING, then I am convinced that giving Jesus preeminence in everything is at least an innocent conclusion for me to stick with. BUT - scripture doesn't stop there. Paul will teach "For me to LIVE is Christ" Philippians 1:21. And - although we can make that some over-reaching vague principle - Paul seemed to make it a daily FORCE concept. "Whether we live or die we are the Lord's" is a life concept - structuring our behavior towards others for our whole lifestyle. "Jesus came and lived and died that those who LIVE might no longer live for themselves - but for HIM who for their sakes died and was raised" (2 Cor. 5:15) and "Jesus the author AND FINISHER of our faith" Hebrews 12:2 - convince me a focus on JESUS is what I do every second - and I don't wish to get involved in a "my Scriptures vs. your Scriptures" debate to solve this issue. Let's engage in finding out where ALL Scripture fits into our lives - don't leave ANY of it out ! My mind is convinced at this point that Jesus is the focus of the whole Bible - but that doesn't mean I'll debate how Jesus fits into getting gored by your neighbor's ox ! (With my former commitment to arguing, I might even DO that - I just can't DEFEND that anymore.)

What DO I do ? Well - I have called it two things:
(1) Like Mephibosheth, I ENTER the Palace and live at the King's table forever, so I learn how Palace life works - to live efficiently and relationally as Royalty.
(2) I live an "Adventure with Abba" - daily - so I try to see where HE is going and what He is doing - especially as "God is at work in you , to WILL and to DO" - I expect that all my life is done with God. I expect Him to work in me - and on me - I am HIS project (Ephesians 2:10) BUT - I also think YOU are His project and He might use us to bless each other in that process.

How does that effect church life and doctrine ? Well - I know already not to dispute over opinions (2 Timothy 2:14ff. Romans 14:1ff.) or argue over words, and to teach gently and leave others to God. So - if we all do that, EDUCATION can take place at the pace of the ones being educated. I also know that "knowledge PUFF US - but Love builds up" 1 Cor. 8:1 - so I am "speaking the Truth in Love" (Ephesians 4:15) and allowing others to talk to me since "LOVE is easy to be reasoned with" 1 Cor. 13. Paul taught "each should live up to what they have mentally attained" - but don't take the focus off our FOCUS - as Paul told Timothy "because we have our hope set on the living God" 1 Timothy 4:10.

Conclusions for today - if Jesus is ALL - and the Bible teaches us that He IS - then I purpose to allow Him to take that kind of dominant place in my WHOLE life. He is my Savior - and He is my LORD - and that word is dominating. Luckily for us, HE is a servant of Love, so it isn't hard to submit to His continuing Lordship. If Jesus is my LIFE - then maybe my studied interpretation may pass muster with some scholar, but Jesus didn't always pass muster with the scholars of His day - so I don't use passing muster as my my final authority. Paul taught us - "If it doesn't have LOVE - it amounts to nothing" 1 Cor. 13. So - being "in Christ" means HE did it all in salvation - but we LIVE IN CHRIST - so He is still ALL for me. "Author AND finisher of faith" seems like a lifestyle which never leaves Jesus - even for an instant - and most of MY arguments over the years hardly joined Jesus - even for an instant.

ALL of this is under the umbrella of Jesus as my covenant Representative - HE won the war, He dethroned Satan, HE paid the price - and HE is my life. I am UNDER Him for my continuing protection and my new identity. So - I still discuss matters of opinion - but since we're BOTH under Jesus for our protection - you're not going to get me to leave being by your side (under Him) - FOR ANYTHING ! I have changed the concept of "our fellowship" to being in Christ together. I just don't get to make all those decisions about your hangups - that's between you and Him, Romans 14:4. My part in your life is to teach, encourage and in any other way I can to LOVE you. And - if you nail me up to a tree - I still know how to act - in forgiveness. Jesus showed that and Stephen learned it - and Paul was affected by that - I believe ! Stephen teaches me that even if the stones are falling - I am still in relationship to JESUS ! More to come

(37) - "in Christ" - focus

2008-07-16T08:59:00.004-05:00

The FOCUS of "in Christ" is CHRIST !

Paul wrote: 1Corinthians 8:6 "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."

Note the sharpening of the FOCUS - to Jesus as OUR focus.

Jesus is our covenant focus - HE is our representative and all we can hope for is wrapped up IN HIM. The verse indicates that ALL things came FROM God - and they all came through Jesus Christ. That is harmonious with how covenant process works. We could "hark back" to the concept "God was in Christ" - 2 Cor. 5:19. I remember how LONG it took me to even begin to see this principle. Now the force of it causes me to see some verses differently - like our chosen verse in 1 Cor. 8:6. One factoid I did NOT see for quite awhile was - God used this principle from BEFORE the beginning. "God chose US in Christ - before the foundation of the world" did not fit my Theology for quite some time. (Ephesians 1:4) It is hard for us to see anything from God's perspective - and in many cases we don't need to - but when God does share the concept - it certainly isn't crazy to receive it. Peter wrote (1 Peter 1:19-20) that God's plan includes the slaying of our Lamb - before the foundation of the world. Add to that the concept of being chosen "in Him" before the foundation of the world - and what do we have ? It was a design for all mankind - about how to be chosen in Him - a covenant representative concept. All Israel did to be chosen for victory IN David over Goliath was to be Israelites, as David had to be in the design of the battle. David made it plain that "the Battle is the Lord's AND - HE will deliver you (Goliath) into my hands" - so Victory was assured for those who identified with David as Israel. Being FEARFUL didn't disqualify one from Victory - but it should have for those who lined up in battle ! So - David was the only one who qualified to be in the Battle against Goliath but all those who identified themselves with Israel got in on the VICTORY ! The application to us is - WE don't have to be perfect in any way (in fact we cannot be - right ?) but if our identification with JESUS is evident, we get in on the Victory. HE is the only one qualified to BE in the Battle - but if our hopes are IN HIM - then they are in His qualifications and in His performance - and if HE wins, we experience victory because HE fights as US - we are IN HIM ! That's why Paul said "WE live through HIM" 1 Cor. 8:6.

If we see that - then the concept of "God was in Christ" becomes a full concept of HOW God did it all. That leaves only one more concept in this regard - salvation or victory was fought and won for all mankind - but as is mentioned so many times - it is to be RECEIVED by faith in what Jesus did to gain the victory. Sometimes that is written as "faith in His blood" other times "the obedience of faith" and "justified by faith". If we don't make the FOCUS of that concept Jesus Himself - we'll be tempted to focus on US - what we believe, how we say what we believe, how we receive what HE did - even how we think about His full identity and the mystery of Jesus as a double representative. Keep it very simple - Jesus is ALL - means if our focus is ON JESUS - we focus on what is ALL. AND - never take your focus off Jesus - as Paul taught us - "as we fasten our focus on Jesus - we are being continually changed from one degree of glory to another - ever increasing" (2 Cor. 3:18) and don't forget to add - "this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." Maybe that's a good way to begin next time - how Jesus then dwells IN US - through His spirit, the Holy Spirit - more to come.

(36) - "IN CHRIST" - ramifications

2008-07-12T12:23:00.003-05:00

"IF anyone is IN CHRIST, he is a new creation - the old is gone, the new has come - all this is from God (or out of God) - 2 Corinthians 5:17f.

Note the emphasis - ANYONE - in Christ IS a new creation - means what ?

Creation (as the following phrase - "all this is from God" proves) - is GOD'S WORK - we cannot be involved in creation. Doesn't mean we are not and cannot be creative - but most of us KNOW we cannot create. So - let's FOCUS on that part. One raised question involved my focus in Colossians 2:12 about Baptism - Paul wrote "we are raised by faith in the energizing of God" - and I see that as a parallel thought to 2 Corinthians 5:17 "new creation" - but I don't force my comment on anyone - I just see that as what Paul is talking about. The focus I do wish to emphasize is the part about "anyone in Christ is a NEW creation - God does this" - and ask YOU - did you get a new "religion" or did you get a new LIFE !??

By the way - I believe the same concept is in mind when Paul wrote about God back in 2 Corinthians 4:6 "FOR - it is the God who said 'LET LIGHT SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" - so my challenge is - did God SHINE in your heart - or not ? If He did - this context calls that a CREATIVE ACT ! God somehow said of YOU - "Let there be light !" and you had that happen to you !

Now - back to the first sentence today - "If ANYONE is IN CHRIST - he is a new creation" means GOD did something to you - to make YOU be a new creation ! Note the phrase "in Christ" - and let's focus in on that. We've discussed it - but briefly "in Christ" means - being UNITED with Him - by faith. I believe when the NT was written, it was generally understood that Baptism was a ceremony of faith accepting what God provides in Christ - and more than once it is written "baptized into Christ" - and it is done by the Holy Spirit, just as Paul discussed what happened in Baptism in Romans 6 and Colossians 2. If we are "raised up by faith in the energizing of God" - that is HOW the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ. The water ceremony is just like the marriage ceremony - a ceremony of remembrance to mark our allowing God to do His creative work ! Since Baptism is ALWAYS a Passive concept - it makes it even more emphatic - we act dead to show our helplessness - and non-involvement - we allow a burial and GOD energizes us with his creative light power. What a sad fact that Christendom made it a work and focused it on US instead of HIM ! Quite a work - to realize our death and allow ourselves to be buried ! Good grief ! Maybe that was even a problem in the first century so Paul did teach - "not of yourselves, NOT of works" Ephesians 2:8-9. I've actually heard a preacher say - "Baptism is a work - and it is our part in salvation - His work and our work" - that borders on sacrilege ! It is faith from first to last - Romans 1:16. It is ALL FAITH - because "we no longer live for ourselves, but for HIM who for our sakes died and was raised." 2 Corinthians 5:15. It contradicts Paul in many places - I just wouldn't do that ! But - then we generally do not understand "covenant ceremony" either - so that is a quandary. More later

So - "IN CHRIST" means we have allowed God to give us of His life - so our new spiritual DNA is HIS life - and evidence of our Sonship - and that's why we can have confidence on Judgment Day - because we really are like Jesus - our spiritual DNA matches ! Well - I'll try to deal with that more fully later.

(35) - "IN Christ" - as HE is

2008-07-05T07:27:00.003-05:00

A MAJOR focus came out of the context of 1 John 4. John claims that we SHOULD have NO FEAR even on judgment Day itself. I remember sharing that verse with someone about 35 years ago - and the response was - "well, you can't take those kind of verses at face value."

My response is (not was - I think I said something jokingly about - wow - what happened to it means what it says and it says what it means?) - if we cannot take the focus of an entire section at face value - then why take ANY of it at face value ? Why even HAVE a Bible ? Just tell me YOUR thoughts and I'll know what TRUTH is - right ? (Read that gently - I try very hard to be gentle.)

I think we should be very careful about discarding any verse - and especially in a book which has as its purpose for being written to encourage some things that are not fully focused upon ! John said - "this is the message WE heard from HIM" 1 John 1:5 - and I get real uncomfortable with anyone who thinks they know God's message better than Jesus did ! Note the following - "I am writing this so our joy may be complete" 1:4; "I write this so" 2:1; 2:12; 2:21; 2:26. LISTEN - John wants this to be understood and used completely ! OK - let's say "at face value" - and realize that if John cannot be taken at face value - there is NO FACE VALUE !

Then - about that confidence on Judgment Day - let's GET IT ! There is a reason for having it, John says - it is "because as He is, so are we in THIS world" 1 John 4:17. It seems we need to know a concept - "as HE is, so are we - in THIS world" and in this context it includes a huge principle. 1 John 4:13 introduces part of it this way - "we KNOW that we abide in Him, because He has given us of His own Spirit" - then the following verse claim that if one "confesses Jesus is the Son of God - God abides in him and he in God."

NEXT - if we know and believe the Love God has for us - verse 16 - then love is matured in us - THEN we have confidence on Judgment Day, (v.17).

My pilgrimage was towards believing God's love for me - but I sort of switched that to MY Love for God. However - I did settle that a little back in 4:10 - "this is Love - NOT that we loved God, but that HE loves us" - but many groups have a HARD focus on us instead of God. "If you love ME, you will keep My commands" - becomes YOU better keep commands ! Actually the emphasis is - if you are not keeping commands - LEARN TO LOVE -then you WILL keep the commands - because if you LOVE - you just automatically will !

So - that helped a LITTLE - but something was wrong - I didn't feel very confident. The little phrase "because - as He is, so are we, in this world" held a bigger key. How come Jesus was confident ? That's the real concept we must learn in this regard.

There are MANY clues - but for me, the biggest was at the grave of Lazarus as Jesus began to pray. Strange prayer - He said, "Father I thank You that You have heard Me - I am always aware of You hearing Me - but I said this on account of those who are standing by - so they will believe You sent Me" John 11:41ff. Plus the MANY times He said, "I do nothing of Myself" - and I realized that Jesus took His relationship with God as a fact - a continuing, actual, for sure - fact.

Now - back to 1 John - if I take relationship with God as a fact (as HE is, so are we - in this world) will I not have much better confidence ? AND - if I know my relationship to God is "as a son" - not as a slave - won't THAT give me some confidence ? Well - my secret is in there.

Being born again, Paul wrote, is God's job - He "Fathers me - energizes me and causes me to have His life" (Colossians 2:12, 2 Corinthians 3:4-5; 2 Cor. 4:6ff. Romans 8:11-17)

In fact - we have "put on Christ" Galatians 3:26ff. so we have HIS identity and by faith we are a son of God and have confidence in our FATHER !

When I realized that God gets to be GOD and I trust Him - one more facet came to my brain - "if I TRUST HIM - I will not be put to shame" - (prophesied in Isaiah 50:6-8 and written by Paul in Romans 9:33 quoting Isaiah 28:16; 8:14.)

Well, that brings up a study about "shame" - we'll have to postpone to another time - but IMPORTANT - God wishes us to live without shame. Standing on Judgment Day confidently means we have allowed God to deal with our shame - and we have ACTUALLY become like Jesus in this world. We KNOW we are sons - and we know that being God's sons is what gives us confidence. Well - that was a MAJOR rock to climb on in my personal pilgrimage. Hope it helps someone else as well. More to come

(34) "In Christ" - is what it is !

2008-07-02T06:43:00.002-05:00

Someone has asked - "Does God HAVE TO do it this way ?" That's always a good question, I guess - but - we're generally using it as a rhetorical defense - because it doesn't matter what the answer is - the actual question has to be - "DID God do it this way ?"

Obviously I contend that HE DID - so I try to deal with it like HE set it up - not like HE could have set it up ! That leads to a second question - do we have to believe it this way ? My response - the Bible says - live up to what you know ! We can only understand what we understand - right now - but anticipate learning more - and try to make it Biblical CONCEPTS - not verses taken out of context. It IS what it IS. So - enjoy the climb !

In OTHER words - when Paul writes a whole book about being "in Christ" - we can learn that, but he did write it to Christians, so it generally explains what we are now - and how it happened. That way - when it comes time to share the information, we can be more informed about the stuff God inspired men to write down - and I think that is a good thing ! BUT - a couple of Paul's DEEPEST prayers was that the Christians would realize what they NOW HAVE ! And - HE gave a reason for this realizing and being informed - "that YOU may be filled to the FULL with all the FULLNESS of GOD" Ephesians 3:19. He even prayed that we would KNOW what is beyond knowledge - same verse - and that is how to be filled with ALL of God's fullness. That is not just realizing what we have - but experiencing what HE HAS for us !

"Christ in you - the hope of Glory" has a couple layers of meaning. It means at first glance that we have hope because Christ is IN US. Hope of GLORY - usually refers to an even greater excitement in the future. Well - to me it refers to a fulfillment of the promise in 1 John 4:17ff. - that we get to stand on the judgment day and have NO FEAR - but rather confidence - because "as HE is, so ARE WE - in this world" - that sounds sort of important. I want that for YOU ! This concept is an IDENTITY thing.

Wait a minute - this is "in Christ" - not Christ in you ! Exactly - and that is Christ's Promise in John 15:5ff - "He that abides IN ME and I in him" which Jesus was thinking about as He readied Himself to die for us and be raised in John 17:20ff. "that they may all be ONE - even as You are in Me and I in You - they may be in US - that the world might believe that You have sent Me"

Very challenging - to have us in God and Christ so others believe. "But - that was the 12" - someone said - NO - the prayer is about those who believe through the 12 - that includes YOU and me. But, that does help us with Colossians and its theme. To be IN SOMEONE - is to be part of their actual life-force. We DO become part of their History - and their destiny - but remember Paul's goal - "to be filled with ALL the fullness of God" - do we WANT THAT ?

That IS what happens when we have Christ "in us" - we receive Christ's performance - the result of His faith - and we get what HE won for us ! Christ had the ultimate Victory - and He shares everything with those who allow Him to be their Champion. So - maybe this can be YOUR motto - "Claim the Victory-Share the Joy" - and it WILL BE - if your Focus is Jesus ! More to come

(33) More about the "In Christ" concept

2008-07-01T09:34:00.004-05:00

I cannot cut out most of my 3-6 month study and still do it justice. But - possibly I can introduce the concept - and you may be able to follow some applications.

My roots are Danish on both sides of my family. Someone said one time "That makes YOU a Great Dane" - to which I replied - "Woof"

No big deal - but it does reveal one factoid - I was "IN" my dad when he came from Denmark to Canada back in the 1920's. That's a Hebrew way of thinking all through the Bible. We might say - we were ALL in Adam originally - true ! (And - by the way - that's NOT a figure of speech - but a physical reality.) So - Christ was there as well - and HE is part of the human race - so HE is physically related to us - otherwise HE couldn't be a Covenant Representative. (HAD to be a human to represent US.)

Paul explained "In Adam we all died" - Paul meant that Adam REPRESENTED the human race and lost it all for us in Eden. (Romans 5:12-21 gives the whole story; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:22; 45) and we should see that "in Adam" means US - we lost Eden at that point - literally. So - we lost the Tree of Life in this dimension as well. (God graciously spared us from living forever in this realm as sinners.)

Just as real - "in Christ" we are all made alive (same scriptures) - so what does that mean ? We suffer from IDENTITY with Adam - and we are BLESSED by IDENTITY with Christ. Romans 2 seems to teach that we become sinners when we sin - not simply because we are Adam's descendants - but he was responsible for bringing "death through sin" - so we inherit death PLUS the "knowledge of good and evil" - so sin is pretty well the sure result ! (And - in everyone except Jesus, sin did result !)

We don't have to do much to "identify" with Adam - simply "do it my way" - and we're there. BUT - that is the identification with Adam. But - to identify with Christ takes a different decision of faith. It is a CHOICE - which was the early church's practice of Baptism - a ceremony of faith expression. Sin has an expression of faith as well - we believe it is necessary to "sin" in order for something to happen - generally something we want. Note a contrast - from "what I want" to "what HE wants" - and since HE already paid for our reunion and reconciliation, we need to be identified with Him. That is how Baptism was thought of in the Hebrew practice - identity. (So - we may not realize that when we sin, we identify with Adam - but generally we say with Adam - "This is good - and will make me wise" or "since she did it - I better as well" - either case - a statement of lack of faith in God's promises.)

So - our "identity practice" ceremony puts us "IN CHRIST". For today - let's focus on one aspect - we are baptized into His History -we get His lineage, His identity. That puts us INTO the Promise - and gives us an inheritance. The whole book of Colossians tells of aspects of this concept - focus on ONE - "in Christ all are made alive" - we receive HIS LIFE and with His identity, we have confidence - even on Judgment day itself - 1 John 4:17 "because as HE is, so are we in this world" - and I don't think THAT is a figure of speech either. More to come

32 - What DIFFERENCE does it make ? (2)

2008-06-30T07:11:00.004-05:00

Generally, the BIG focus of ignoring Jesus as Covenant is not allowing Jesus to BE who He in actuality IS ! God designed HIM to be the FOCUS - to be Lord and Christ - to have ALL preeminence - to be ALL and in you all. Now all those phrases are Scripture phrases - I try to not ignore Scripture at ALL. I have mentioned the beginning of my pilgrimage included translating Colossians - and I cannot get over the FORCE of that book.

Allow me to share the ULTIMATE force Scripture in Colossians which caused me to catch my breath - and I have NOT recovered to this very day !

Focus-JESUS - "ALL THE FULLNESS of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily" is one translation of Colossians 2:9 - but I noticed that the sentence is not ended at that point. However - focus for a moment on the fact of verse 9 - why even bring that up ? Actually part of the reason of bringing it up was to write verse 10 - don't forget, most of Paul's writings were to help Christians KNOW their privilege and live up to their destiny ! It also helps to know a covenant principle here - in reference to those benefiting from a Covenant Representative, the concept includes this challenging thought - whatever happened to the Covenant Representative, is shared by those who are represented. David won the war against Goliath - and even though they didn't have much faith in David, His VICTORY was their victory. The concept continues as "whatever happens in the Representative's Victory belongs in identity to the represented ! (Yes - sounds almost the same - but I am trying to get us to see that Jesus' VICTORY means we, by faith, not only experience His Victory - we get His IDENTITY ! We, Paul said, "are the joint-heirs with Christ" Romans 8:17. Paul used the concept in Colossians 3:3 to state that since we are united with Christ - "we MUST APPEAR with Him when He appears" - same principle. BUT - that's not what stopped my heart - that shows up in Colossians 2:10 - my translation (which is a little fuller to show several levels of meaning from the original) "YOU have come to this fullness of Life in Him" - remember, the introductory verse said, "The WHOLE FULLNESS of the Godhead dwelt in HIM bodily" - now "YOU have come to this fullness" - and I ask you - does that makes any difference to you ? My first response - that just cannot be ! Ah - but Paul seemed to be led by The Spirit to tell us - it can certainly BE !

I wonder why we don't SEE these things - and I know the answer now - we keep putting the emphasis on US - when we are meant to get our Identity from HIM ! That is part of the concept of being "in Him" and Him being "in US". He is to get ALL preeminence - so if we don't allow that, we miss out on some BIG STUFF !

What has it meant to you to be "in Christ" - doesn't that seem like some kind of symbolic figure of speech not really for US ? I have known since childhood that the theme of Colossians was "Christ in you" - but I had no clue what that meant. Once I saw the "fullness of the Godhead" coming to me - or me coming to it - I knew I really had NO CLUE ! But, what a wonder ! What excitement to know what is mine by faith in what JESUS did ! Incredible ! And - we need a new word for this concept - I don't know what to say ! Maybe "beyond words" - indescribable - or TOO MUCH ! By the way - just talking about the impossibility of the concept is thrilling to me - it gives our minds a chance to grasp the enormity of the idea we cannot totally get - and we can enjoy every second of that impossibility !

"IN CHRIST" - is a series of lessons I have researched and taught. I don't know if I'll ever feel that I have taught it fully or correctly - but I enjoy that struggle so much ! One huge rocky crag on my pilgrimage - thanks for sharing the climb - and let's climb again soon - more to come

31 - What DIFFERENCE does it make ?

2008-06-27T13:48:00.005-05:00

Let's get down to basics and see what ramifications result from a misguided approach to Scripture - ignoring the "Jesus is Covenant" style. I mean - if it makes NO difference - why even bother ?

First - the issue of Salvation - that seems like something important ! Since Jesus IS Covenant, then HE represents us in Salvation and relationship. Represents is the huge difference maker here. It is also the big difference in meaning. Let's deal with it in several different facets.
1. If Jesus "took the exam and by faith we get HIS results in our folder" we know our "mark" on our spiritual report card. We also keep Jesus as our FOCUS - harmonizing with "In EVERYTHING He has preeminence" Colossians 1:18. Important - but only the beginning. If salvation is not focused on HIM - and His performance - how could we have complete faith IN HIM ? How could we have salvation (Ephesians 2:1-10) "not of ourselves, not of works" and become HIS workmanship ? How could we possibly be saved by the Faith of Christ- what meaning would "Faith in His name" hold for us ? How could the explanation of baptism as "being raised by faith in the working of God" have any validity - as salvation by grace through faith ? (Colossians 2:12) So - my pilgrimage is about being saved by what Jesus did on the Cross - and salvation being paid for at that point - but also that it comes to us as we express our faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Think about those two words - Savior has become a "religious" word - but it originally simply meant "one who delivers" - and Lord means the one who had complete control - like a king or a owner. So - that phrase "by faith in Him" - really does mean what it says it means. Other phrases come alive in this regard as well - "through faith in His blood" (well, maybe we should realize that the phrase meant through faith in His given life or given blood - a representative of a life - in sacrifices and even in covenant ceremony.) BLOOD always represents LIFE - from the blood of Abel - to the blood of animals. The concept is referred to in Hebrews as the author claims that Christ's blood SPEAKS better than the blood of Abel or animals. (Cf. Hebrews 9:11-14; 10:19ff. especially 12:24 and 13:20-21.)

If Jesus is NOT the New Covenant, we have no hope of salvation, no boldness to come before the throne of Grace and no confidence on Judgment day which we SHOULD have - 1 John 4:17. IF HE IS the New Covenant - then our faith in HIM is very much confidence producing; very much assurance producing. AND - our faith IN HIM is very practical - very natural - as confidence in a "Deliverer" like David against Goliath should have been. Please note - Israel may not have had a LOT of faith in David - but once the head of Goliath lay on the ground - they confidently began a Victory mop-up over the Philistines. The Victory over Goliath was REAL and experienced by those who saw their deliverance as a done deal. We should see what Jesus did for us as Savior the same way - a done deal. Get involved in Victory ! Lay claim to what HE accomplished - and enjoy your freedom in Christ - well that means we need to understand that phrase - "in Christ" a little better - our focus for next time - for now - let's just realize one more ramification - in Covenant, people or nations always had a Covenant Ceremony to show what happened. In it they declared what was to happen and what the results would be - that should have been our baptism ceremony - but that got off the track so far - not sure if we even CAN get back to it - think of it like a Marriage Ceremony - which is meant to be a Covenant concept - two people say out loud their intentions and claim each other as husband and wife for FOREVER ! As far as I know - I'm only 65 - but I have never heard a single person who actually thought the wedding ceremony was what bound them together - their personal VOWS do that. The ceremony is to make it PUBLIC and to share the JOY of the occasion with others. Baptism was meant to be a covenant ceremony of making public one's VOWS and surrender to another in identity and loyalty. All of those words are Covenant words.

We miss so much by not allowing the Covenant concepts to be our structure for ceremony of joining with God in Christ ! Again - I have not to this point heard a groom after the ceremony say "I have now earned my wife" - but rather - we have been joined by God to each other ! Well - so many things, so little time - more to come

30 - Questions & Comments (2)

2008-06-26T06:32:00.008-05:00

OK - blog number 30 - some of you have been very faithful - thanks a million and a half !

Mostly you read and go on - some ask a question or two - and some send me a message at: theverner@gmail.com

ALL are welcome and all questions will be answered. I have no fear of saying - "Hey - I don't really know !"

SO - when someone asked me to explain the difference between two theories - I had to say - "HEY - I don't know !" BUT - I did try to trace some of the history of the concepts - to try to help. But, frankly I do NOT know about some of the ideas which came to us over the years and how some ended up way over on one end of the spectrum and others on the opposite side.

One concept DOES answer a few questions, however - Hebrew scholarship and ideas were abandoned pretty early in the history of the church - and while I don't label it as "anti-Semitism" exactly, it was a political situation about Jesus' death to some extent - and the result is much the same. My personal "take "on it is: blaming OTHERS for Jesus' death and attributing hatred to the act is about as naive and hateful as one can get ! BUT - it was a MAJOR error in a Hebrew Scholarship backlash - and we still suffer for this woeful dearth of common sense.

Think about it - we all killed Jesus. That is just FACT ! And - blaming anyone other than US for His death is "wrong-headed" for sure. PLUS - it is so lacking in humility ! Besides all that - God raised HIM from the dead - so why even get involved with DEATH ? We don't need to ignore it - but trying to get to condemning Jews for killing Jesus is just totally BLIND. Every day of our lives we need to face the TRUTH - I KILLED JESUS. But - God raised Him from the dead and Victory is a gift to me out of that. WOW - what a God we are owned by - that is how we were bought and paid for - praise HIM loudly. You know - "Rejoice always" is not a suggestion for behavior when things are just splendid ! It is a lifestyle of knowing God is in control even when things look very weird. Generally, rejoicing means we see THROUGH a situation and find something on the other side which just is AWESOME ! Now - I ask you - in what possible situation can we NOT see that ?

Anyhow - since we almost LOST Hebrew thought and influence so greatly, we misunderstand Old Testament concepts and even how New Testament concepts come to us in Greek at the hands of Hebrew thinkers. Result - woeful lack of depth on study and learning. This is especially true with Covenant concepts. AND - do we realize that churches have been split over whether to use the Old Testament AT ALL in preaching or teaching ? A church leader said to me about 35 years ago - "Don't believe we need the Old Bible" - and my response was pretty mild - "Really - I have heard some who agree with you." Thank God he did relinquish that harsh position; many may not.

So - that vacuum caused a ripe situation for Greek philosophy to have a major influence in early church thought - remaining to this day. Is that bad ? Well, loosing Hebrew thought isn't helpful. Add to that - the study of Hebrew is not popular for many scholars - and we've about "closed up the well" for that particular water. So MANY NT concepts came from a Hebrew one - and we then go to a Greek idea for a Hebrew meaning. Result - thoughts out of context and doctrines out of whack ! If you've read Newton or Bacon you know their opinion of Greek thought - especially Aristotle with all his genius. "Aristotelian thought simply causes debate - continual debate" - and the actual genuine concepts of Christianity are lost - known for "loving one another" is LOST ! My personal opinion is that the loss of Hebrew contributed to the church becoming a killing church instead of a life-giving one. (Paul wrote - "The Letter kills, the Spirit gives Life" - and obviously Hebrew scholars of Jesus day had become a killing force as well - due to legalism and a lack of conceptual study and understanding of the true FORCE of Scripture.)

Question: WHO will try to restore Jesus' concept of Christians (or followers of Jesus) being known for how they love one another ? Some want that - but they are NOT the forceful and forward generally. BUT many are so hungry for the genuine and are depressed at the state of continual debate and intermittent hate. The word "Gospel" originally meant "the kind of good news that would make you leap off the ground" - but we can "translate" it into a rigid and cold legalism which make us leap into our protective shell and never come out !

Thanks for the privilege of sharing this - the concepts of true Christian life are precious and need to be broadcast all over the world - and study and dispute have their place - a MINOR place in trying to continually find God in the Scriptures - but if that's not the goal - it won't be the result either ! More to come as we continue to the next concept.

29- Questions & Comments - (1)

2008-06-19T08:47:00.005-05:00

If you are with me from the beginning . . .or WERE with me from the beginning - (I purposely put it that way to help us focus on how words are used - notice two different phrases mean the same thing, when we know the context) then you realize that several MAIN concepts dominate my thinking and theology.

First - Colossians 3:11 - "Christ is ALL . . .and IN you all" Colossians 1:18 instructs that in EVERYTHING HE might be preeminent" but the whole book of Colossians has the theme of "Christ IN YOU" - including (but not limited to) "The whole fullness of Deity dwells in Christ bodily - and you have come to this fullness in HIM" Colossians 2:10; and the argument settling concept that the feast days and OT structures are "SHADOWS - but the substance is CHRIST" Colossians 2:17. The Hebrew author starts out saying (1:1-2) that prophecy and OT structure told us many things from God - but in the last days He HAS SPOKEN in 'Son-language'" - in other words JESUS is the Message from God. Obviously that doesn't mean we refuse to listen to HIS words - but don't miss the FORCE of the concept - Jesus is what the OT Message is about - and Jesus is the NT Message from God. (And - obviously the focus of Hebrews - more to come)

Second - Christ - is the Covenant sent to Jews and Gentiles - Isaiah 42:6; 49:8; Isaiah 61 (which Jesus read and proclaimed as fulfilled in Luke 4:18-21) a theme which is returned to several times especially in Hebrews as Jesus is lifted above Prophets and sacrifices and anything else. My error in this regard was to try to lift NT Scripture above Jesus Himself - I KNOW I shouldn't have done that - and it was an innocent error to some extent - but when Jesus said to the Scholars of OT that they "searched the Scriptures because they thought that IN THEM they had eternal life - but those Scriptures talked about JESUS - and they failed to come TO HIM for Eternal Life" John 5:39, I personally repented of dishonoring Jesus. As long as we make Scripture the New Covenant, we'll think we're being diligent - but from my perspective, I failed to allow JESUS to be Lord and Christ. So - do I ignore Scripture ? NO - it is meant to SERVE me in seeing Christ - and that seeing is meant to cause change to ever-increasing Glory - 2 Corinthians 3:18. BUT - it is also meant to serve us in knowing God's heart, and God's focus - JESUS Himself. The worry Paul had was the focus of those who got people thinking and focusing on THEMSELVES (and their actions of keeping laws) was that they "have fallen away from CHRIST" Galatians 5:4 - in other words, that context isn't about whether we can fall from Grace - but if Christ is not the focus, we sever ourselves from CHRIST as our only hope. NOT GOOD.

OK - someone says - so you think Christ is the whole thing - right ? NO - but PAUL DID - and I want to know what Paul meant - my thoughts are not only not important - they are in the way. TRUTH - (the concept in Greek is "Reality") is what Jesus claimed for Himself - "I AM the Way, the Truth, the Life" - that doesn't come from Scripture as a focus - but from Christ Himself - isn't it wonderful we can learn that in the Bible ? Christ is THE Reality ! Well - that means I have to adjust my NT focus to accommodate Ultimate Reality - Jesus Himself.

Third - what I am sharing is my pilgrimage toward a Christ focus. Those of you who responded with an objection don't reject any of the Scriptures I share - but always introduce another contextual construct which made a point to you. I don't object to that - but please realize, if we are to discuss Scripture - show me how my use of Scripture is wrong first - then we can evaluate your idea. Most of this I will do privately - since those of you who write are very kind to start there - certainly a Biblical construct for objection - even though a few have written to me about something I wrote and actually sent the same three line response twice and then said they dis-fellowshipped me according to Matthew 18 and Titus 3:10. That violated 2 Timothy 2:24ff.

The "reprove, exhort, instruct" of Paul's admonition is followed with "all long-suffering and doctrine" 2 Timothy 4:2. There is a serious error in how we have applied this concept in Christendom over the centuries - we SELDOM get to any long-suffering - or its other possible translations - even though it is prerequisite to talking about ONE Lord, one faith, etc. in Ephesians 4:1ff. I desire to restore that in my life and I implore all in Christ's family to aim at that as well. Love is a "first-focus" in our conversations, so we don't simply jump on someone (even if they are much more wrong that you might feel I am) - we love first, second, and last - and out of that love, we are "patient, easy to be entreated . . ." and about a dozen other qualities which Paul instructed towards us - summed up by PURSUE LOVE ! 1 Corinthians 13-14:1. If we don't stay with agape - whatever we do amounts to NOTHING ! (Well, Paul wrote that in 13:1-3.)

So - let's reason together. But, be assured that I love YOU - unconditionally and permanently- whether you agree or not - and whether you love or not. You are just gonna GET IT ! More to come - my Gmail - theverner@gmail.com

28 - PROMISE epilogue - conclusions

2008-06-17T09:04:00.007-05:00

The word "Promise" we are discussing is an Ultimate concept - in other words - we have limited it to "God's promise to Eve and Abram" so is limited to that concept. It has two major focus destinations: (1) THE Promise which points to Jesus; and (2) THE Promise which points to people.

This could get too long - so allow me to just simply say that we are talking about Jesus as God's covenant Promise to solve our problem sourced in Eden and the Fall PLUS - God's promise in Christ to be WITH US - continually and always - in the Holy Spirit. BOTH focus on Jesus and both are talked about by Paul as part of our daily life and inheritance - even called a GUARANTEE of what is to come (Romans 4:16; Ephesians 1:13f.; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; cf. Hebrews 7:22; 6:16).

The actual word "Promise" in this context focuses on God's ASSURANCE that He will take care of us - now and forever. Sounds like a marriage and in the most fundamental way it is - relationship is assured by God's Promise which represents His person and His power of Love. ALL of God's promises have their expressions in Jesus in the Ultimate sense, (2 Corinthians 1:20). So - since Jesus came, lived, died and was raised - we can be assured that God will be even more careful to finish the job, (Romans 5:8ff.). As the author of Hebrews wrote - "God could swear by none greater, He swore by Himself" (6:13-20) and the context is His covenant Promise to Abraham which is guaranteed and is also a done deal because Abraham received the Promise (check verse 15).

In Christ - Christ who is the focus of covenant promise - and the fulfillment of all pictures and shadows of OT structure regarding God's dealings with people - HE is our all - and HE is in all, Colossians 3:11) so - in Christ WE have the Promise of God which guarantees justification, identity and inheritance, (Romans 4:16; 8:9; 8:11; 8:14, 17).

The general concept of Promise is a message from God guaranteed by God to bless those who trust God's Promises - culminating in Jesus Himself. HE is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world - so He is the central focus of redemption/justification. He is also our new identity as a joint heir and the firstborn of many brothers.

What is our part ? Simply, first to RECEIVE HIM (John 1:12) then, as Peter wrote - to declare the wonderful deeds of HIM ! Paul wrote it as "Let him who boasts - boast in the Lord". Since God's kindness (a covenant word) is MEANT to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:2-4) we need to HEAR of God's kindness in Christ and receive God's provision and live in God and allow Him to be "in us to will and to work" - that glorifies HIM - more to come

27- The Concept of PROMISE (5)

2008-06-14T07:30:00.004-05:00

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

26 - the Concept of Promise (4)

2008-06-08T04:51:00.008-05:00

PROMISE - the concept has kept me awake many nights - including this one. As I write this, it is after 4 am - but I've been at it for two hours already. One verse - also in the top 5 - is 2 Corinthians 1:20 "For ALL the Promises of God find their Yes in Him" and the thought ends in verse 22 "He has put His seal upon us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

Jesus and Promise are the same thing in ultimate concepts. God focuses things so Jesus get preeminence in everything. I have always wondered if people think about that as they argue over whether is is right to _______ . (Usually a person-focused concept which asks about our human activity in reference to salvation or pleasing God.)

Let's focus on the concept - God's promises find their "YES" in Christ. That concept helped seal the idea of Jesus being sent for a covenant (Isaiah 42:6; 49:8) and not simply WITH a covenant. Don't forget - since He IS the Covenant - He is sent with it as well - if we aren't simply discussing the specifics. Like the concept mentioned several times about the translation "the faith of Jesus" which is generally translated "faith in Jesus" - obviously if we focus on US - we do have faith in Jesus. But - to be true to the original concept - we actually have faith in Jesus' faith - and performance and life. Almost as if we were saying "God made the promises find their Yes in Him." If we ignore this concept - we continually think the focus is US. Amazingly enough - since HE is our Representative - we DO get quite a LOT of His focus. Wonder why that is hard to realize ?

When we know and rely on the LOVE God has for us - we get quite a benefit. (The concept is obviously 1 John 3-4 - especially 4:13-17) John contends that the normal Christian life includes total confidence on Judgment Day . . .and sorry - I just don't see that as a regular doctrine taught on ANY day of the week at many churches in all Christendom.

Why is that ? As far as I can deduce, it comes from a self-focus instead of a Jesus focus. If we think WE are the focus - then God's promises do not find their "amen" in Jesus as much as they should. As Paul said several times - "You have died" - and he wrote that to Christians - about their Christian lives. One verse continues - "and your life is HIDDEN with Christ in God" - and we must ask - is our life hidden in God - or NOT ? Well, if - as the next verse in Colossians 3 contends - "Christ is your Life" then hidden is a good thing. Plus - it harks back to the original Covenant concept - of "hiding under one who offers protection" - as our part in obedience. The focus of obedience is still Christ - we simply MUST hide in His performance - His protection - His being Lord and Savior. Then - we can see our "YES" being Christ. Otherwise - I cannot see that part of the Promises actually happening to us.

Promise - focuses on God's own ability to do what He promises - just like Paul wrote about Abraham - he believed in God being his shield and exceeding great reward - and that was counted to him as righteousness. That is our "template" for life. We believe God's provision - JESUS HIMSELF. No wonder all God's Promises are "YES" in Him.

If we make that our TRUTH - then Jesus begins to actually be Lord and Savior. Plus - we actually put our trust/faith in Him - not simply in what we believe about Him. Don't forget - this is about what we believe about Him as well. So - I care very deeply about listening to Scripture - all of it. If we approach Scripture without Jesus being the Focus - we aren't listening quite closely enough to all of Scripture. Some principles are there to control all other principles - and "Jesus is all" - is ONE of those. If we don't get that - the scripture about confidence on Judgment Day has no chance of happening in our lives. Well - maybe John was trying to just fill up that particular page one day - not really actually writing Scripture with the hope of it being fulfilled in US - what do you think ?

Standing on the Promises can have a focus on US standing - not bad - but the only reason we can ever get to us standing is - the Promises are of GOD - and they focus on what Jesus did for us - as Paul wrote "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself" - but we know that ! And - as Peter wrote "this is the True Grace of God - stand fast IN it" 1 Peter 5:12.

Promise - makes the focus God - and HE is as good as His Word - and Christ is His final word of ultimate Promise - and we can find rest there. Plus - we can invite others to find rest there - and I think that is one way to describe our ministry of reconciliation - God making His appeal through us. More to come

25 - the Concept of Promise (3)

2008-06-05T08:08:00.011-05:00

Possibly the most difficult idea for me personally-at least in the top 5 - was how this "Promise" thing worked ! To deal with it involved three books primarily - Romans, Galatians and Hebrews. A section of 2 Corinthians helped as well- chapters 2-6.

PROMISE - what a concept ! Like the concept of faith - many in Christendom struggle and some go off into the corn field. Let's get to it.

Paul's major treatise takes up Romans 3-5 for sure - that along with Galatians 3 make up many words seldom really studied - so I cornered myself and decided to make my own translation. Well - that could well be a lifelong study. I am still at it - 30 years later.

Here's part of the concept - Paul said "If a law had been given that COULD save - then salvation would be by Law." Galatians 3:21 - which leads Paul to the problem - the purpose of Law is not to save - but to convict - that leads to verse 22 - "but the Scripture consigned all things to sin, so that what was PROMISED to the faith of Jesus Christ might be GIVEN to those who believe."

Two simple facts - LAW (any law, old, new or other) isn't designed to save mankind. And - number two - God's design was to PROMISE those who believe in Jesus' faith to be gifted with righteousness (which is the contextual subject of Galatians 3:21.)

That is also the subject and reasoning of Romans 3:21ff. Paul used a different concept - "apart from law" in Romans 3. He hastened to contend it wasn't opposed to law - but law as a concept is NEVER designed to save - only to point out sin. And - since NO sacrifice had been designed to totally forgive sin (in our human understanding) - that left God to satisfy His own justice - and HE did ! He came up with Jesus as a sacrifice before He even made the world - and chose to sum up everything in Jesus.

Jesus - is the child of Promise. So - Jesus embodies PROMISE - and since HE is sent to be a covenant - and He is "kept covenant" - even KEPT LAW - then HE is the only focus of forgiveness of sin and ultimate righteousness. No other provision has ever been made to forgive sin ultimately. Any forgiveness always fell back on Jesus as Sacrifice in the ultimate sense. (In other words - any ultimate forgiveness focused on Jesus' sacrifice to have any true forgiveness effect.)

THE Promise - started with Eve after the Fall - and referenced JESUS as the answer to the Fall. But - once it got to Abram - one bigger focus was "all nations on the earth will be blessed" - and several Messiah sections focused on Gentiles. Paul brought that up in Acts 13 as he refined his focus to Gentiles - and shared with Jews that it was Scripturally a fulfilling of Prophecy. Amazingly enough - it was mentioned a couple times right as Jesus was born. Allow me to just list the Scriptures - Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6-8; Luke 1:72; 2:32 - and obviously the passages from Romans and Galatians.

Conclusions - JESUS was designed as a "joiner" of Jew and Gentile - male and female - all designations of every sort get to be "one and the same" in Christ. That is part of what PROMISE is meant to accomplish - making us "one new man in Christ" - Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:15.

PLUS - all previous Promise concepts look forward to JESUS - and all NT focus concepts focus on Jesus. What about US ? Well - allow one secret - "YOUR LIFE is hidden with Christ in God" Colossians 3:3 - more about that next

24 - The Concept of Promise (2)

2008-06-02T03:53:00.004-05:00

Most of Christendom once in awhile gets into the "staple" business. We staple scriptures together to make a more intensified concept. The old joke in this regard goes like this: "Judas went out and hanged himself; go and do thou likewise; and what thou doest, do quickly."

So - we need to be careful to make sure scriptures actually relate to each other. That's just part of "handling aright the Word of Truth". 2 Timothy 2:15. That may be true in almost every area, but the concepts of "Covenant Theology" holds a special place for "stapling" and assuming, since it makes many assumptions which are well known to scholars. I am not going to deal with that mindset except indirectly. I simply wish to share my "pilgrimage" of trying to make sense out of actual Scripture - and what the problems were and how I dealt with them. I invite comment on possible errors in thinking, interpreting and reasoning - but especially on the possibility of "stapling" scriptures together that violate context or try to join two unharmonious thoughts.

"PROMISE" is a concept which joins mankind to God's protection and provision. One of the special "example"stories recorded in the Bible is David's fight against Goliath. Most know much about the story, but miss a few lessons it is meant to teach. Israel's kings and leaders were supposed to realize God's promises to Israel with a special focus on Deuteronomy. (Cf. Deuteronomy 20 especially verse 8.) For our purposes let's zero in on just a concept or two. When Israel goes to BATTLE, it isn't like any "modern day battle" because God told them HE was in charge. So - no one who fears should go to battle. Plus - those who were recently married should stay home. Those who recently planted a vineyard - STAY HOME. OK - think about that in reference to God's Promise - He would fight for Israel - but only with the "few" who trusted Him without fear.

As Goliath roared his challenges to Israel - the concepts were set - a "Champion" would be put forth to meet Goliath and whoever wins as the "Champion" wins for the whole nation. Question - who is there on Israel's side that shouldn't GO HOME ? God wanted no "fearful" people in battle - so only ONE qualified to be the "Champion or Representative" - David. Most of us realize David was already anointed to be King (Champion/Representative) for God, even as a youngster. BUT - what we do not always realize is - as the Battle began to be waged between David and Goliath, David was quoting the verses from Deuteronomy Saul should have known as King - so David was fulfilling the role of King in God's scheme - even though he was "just a lad". If the battle is "the Lord's" and we wage war based on God's PROMISES, then we are very bold (Paul said that as well - 2 Corinthians 3:13 - "Since we have this hope we are very bold") as did the Proverb writer - "the righteous are bold as a lion".

So - David was qualified to "fight for God" because he relied on God's promises of Victory. We might even assign brashness to David - but he simply trusted God's promises, so how else COULD he act ? Don't forget - God guarantees victory to those who trust Him.

OUR Covenant Representative was also "anointed" when He went into Battle for us. And - He was "very bold" about the Battle. Peter later wrote about it this way - "He trusted Himself to Him who judges justly". As well - other phrases express His covenant boldness in early preaching and teaching. Even Prophecy - "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter - and He opened not His mouth" - "For the JOY set before Him, He endured the Cross" but especially the John 17 prayer - He had no fear about the BATTLE, but there was a "cup He didn't wish to have to drink" - a fellowship He didn't look forward to experiencing. But - in the midst of that, HE was very bold. "I have accomplished all you have given Me to do" "I am ready to come to YOU" "Help these to know You love them just like You love Me"

Concepts - Jesus was a "willing sacrifice" and was in the crucifixion as a volunteer - just like all "Champions" must be. He simply trusted the Promises of God and as our Representative was confident that victory was guaranteed. However - like a shepherd lad who was His great-great-great grandfather (Yes - a few more greats need to be in there) - Jesus faced the foe with total confidence and great boldness and won the war for US.

Note - Israel had little confidence in David at the beginning of the Battle - but they did get in on the Victory at the end. So - us lost ones may not have had much confidence in God's plan - as we saw Him hang there on Friday - but notice the lives which were freely given away once they experienced the Victory of Sunday's RESURRECTION.

David presents Israel with His "performance under FAITH in GOD'S Promises" - and Jesus presents His Performance under faith in God's Promises - and even us fearful folks can get in on HIS VICTORY ! Well - we can't have victory if we run away from Him - but His Victory is a gift to us - and we can now "always be led in TRIUMPH" 2 Corinthians 2:14 as we receive what HE accomplished.

The principle for today - WE simply "have faith in what Jesus did on the Cross and experienced out of the grave" and we get His victory as a GIFT ! Our victory is based on His performance ! We receive that victory by faith in His performance - and we enjoy the spoils of His victory - because that is how God designed the New Covenant Life for us to live ! We can now live with NO FEAR - because He won the war. We can even share equally His inheritance as "joint heirs"- more to come

23 -The Concept of PROMISE (1)

2008-05-31T03:17:00.008-05:00

If God had left some verses out of the Bible, it would be easier to ignore His GRACE as a power principle. Just the word "grace" itself is quite a concept - which I have labeled in my own mind as "one of those things man just couldn't think up on his own". Man on his own can come up with "gods" and "power" and "fear" and "dread". However - us humans have to be informed of ideas and concepts like "unconditional Love" and "God dying for people" and "salvation as a gift". So - when ideas like "God wanting to show off His grace, stepped into our race and saved us while we were still enemies and did it without our help and presented it as a total gift" (check out Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 5:6ff.) it just isn't the kind of conceptual construct in which humans' minds generally wander.

Similarly, the whole system we call the New Covenant, spoken about by Jeremiah and referred to by the author of the letter to the Hebrews - is just filled with ideas about which my feeble mind cannot fathom, and about which I can only "receive" - and barely comment. John seems to refer to it in 1 John 2:25 when he wrote "And this is the Promise He Promised us - eternal Life". That Promise is relegated to a person and a place - Jesus and being in Him.

The concept of a Promise Covenant in Jesus forces us to consider what promise actually means. After all when God "promises" He must deliver so if our "total hope" rests on God's promises" - then it simply MUST happen. Sometimes we don't realize that this is the only way to have total assurance - by simply trusting Him to keep His promises. However, many Christians don't realize that God set up His relationship structure with us so that He takes responsibility totally for those who put their trust in Him. No pagan religion ever comes up with that concept.

Don't forget though - all pagan religions came from a twisted understanding of God's real structure to a great degree. Obviously, twisted ideas can and do come out of pockets of ignorance, but very few humans are totally ignorant. Like Adam and Eve, humans wish to be "god" in their own realm and that cancels out some of God's story and some of God's reality in human life. God always breaks back into human history with a Promise of one kind or another. Ultimately, The Promise refers to Jesus and to those who trust God because of Him.

That boils down to a "one-time" historical event. "God spoke to us in 'son-language' by Jesus" Hebrews 1:1-2. Jesus was the Message. Jesus was God's focus of ALL His messages throughout history. So - if we leave Jesus out of the concept, we've just canceled the main focus.

One small illustration may help: We may notice a phrase which was quite common in Hebrew thought - I call it the "son of" concept. Jesus called some of the Hebrew leaders "offspring of vipers" - and we realize that offspring of vipers are vipers ! Hebrews used many figures of speech to express important thoughts and this is one. If I have a son - he is "me" in a new generation - we might say "not literally me" but they would claim - YES - LITERALLY ! So we have to see the concept a little differently. The son is the father in a fresh expression - bringing about perpetuity. So - when Jesus said, "I and The Father are ONE" - He had a literal concept in mind. Modern man doesn't think much differently, but has lost some of the concept. That's why the continual argument over "Is Jesus actually God ?" doesn't seem to get solved - since we just do not think as "Hebrew mind" people to that extent - all the while we are trying to understand statements made by Hebrews ! The other side of the coin - we say "Well, that was a Hebrew concept" and we just ignore it like it means nothing - that doesn't help at all.

What DOES help ? Well - can we say "literally but not ultimately" ? Jesus as Son of God - is God in every way possible except He is not "The Father". Many times we refer to God when we don't realize that the God we have in mind is Jesus - for instance - some pray - "All-wise Creator God" - not realizing Jesus created the world (Colossians 1:16). What we do not realize about the God-head makes us try to limit it to our own understanding of how it simply must work. Not a good decision. Why ? Because that is not simply how it must work. It must work how God decides for it to work - and He is able to make it work without our total or even partial understanding.

PROMISE - might give us some of those same "partial understandings" - so receive what you can - and trust God for the rest. Peter taught his audience that God's design was so "your faith and hope are in God" 1 Peter 1:21 - in fact the whole of chapter 1 of Peter's book teaches on the structure of God's plan - check out the context.

For today - note the following verse - "since God could swear by none greater, He swore by Himself" (Hebrews 6:13-20 gives the context.) And - that whole section is meant to give the reader assurance that our confidence (or our "sure and steadfast anchor - a hope") is in what God did - period. We trust Him to keep His promises - that was the dynamic concept of Abram's righteousness-producing-faith - and it is the only Biblical concept given for ultimate hope in this life which helps us look to the next Life. But - if our "faith and hope are in God" we know it is biblically harmonious - plus we also know it is exactly as solid as God himself. That seems to be a cogent approach to ultimate concepts - and a solid place to stand. More to come

Jesus is Promise Covenant (5)

2008-05-29T08:19:00.008-05:00

Biblical ideas sometimes take some time to decipher - because we trap ourselves by "human ideas". Grace salvation is one of those Biblical ideas - it is not a new Law focus on us - it is a new concept, focusing on GOD. He warned us of this in Jeremiah 31 - the "new" would be "NOT LIKE" the old which they broke. Do we get the idea that the new covenant can be broken from that - or are we challenged to see a new covenant which cannot be broken ? Our general interpretation goes like this : "WOW - that couldn't be true - so that must mean God won't break it but we might" - and my response is - what's wrong with allowing Scripture to be actually true without explaining away half of it ? Question two - how would that be NOT LIKE the first which they broke ?

Then, Paul comes along and writes that God has a "totally different" kind of plan - not like law at all (Romans 3:21) and for some reason humans make it into law ! (At least let's try to make it into a concept which cannot be broken !)

How can these things be ? Well - Principle number one - Jesus is the New Covenant - "I AM The Way, The Truth, The Life" (all covenant concept fulfillments) and fulfillment of Isaiah 42:6; 49:8 of His being sent for a covenant.

Principle number two - Jesus is a gift of God to us as a Representative for God (and us) to bring about "reconciliation - 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

Principle number three - Jesus is kept/fulfilled law - and His LIFE is given to us for a new identity and forgiveness for sins - so His death AND life are given to us. (Romans 5:10ff.) Our connection to this is simply faith in Jesus Christ. BUT - that is the full Hebrew concept of faith/obedience - "listen toward, run toward, hide under for protection" - and the focus is JESUS - "listen to Him; come to Him; hide under Him." Faith in Him means faith in His life and work, or what we might call faith in what God did in Christ. So - as Peter wrote about it - "Your faith AND hope are in GOD" 1 Peter 1:21.

Why does this concept succeed while others may not ? Simply - when Paul wrote - "NOT of yourselves, NOT OF works" PLUS "not by Law" and "apart from Law" - it required specific exclusions. As he wrote - "What can we boast about ? Boasting is excluded !" Romans 3:27ff. but notice his reasoning - "On what PRINCIPLE ? Of works - NO ! BUT - on faith's Principle !" Romans 3:28. What is faith's Principle ? Simply that the focus is always on God and honoring Him - never on us. It is the Abraham principle of "believing God". (By the way - since we are to have faith - that is a seemingly small focus on us - but since the principle of faith focuses on God - it wouldn't be a self-focus to Hebrews or Greeks. It won't be to us either - unless we somehow make faith what we DO - instead of a focus on what God did/promised. That would violate the whole context of Ephesians 2:1-10 as well as Romans 1-5.)

God designed everything to make Jesus preeminent, Colossians 1:15-20. When we do make Him everything and we "hide under Him" - we do come to the fullness of the Godhead - so having done nothing but receive, we should be very humble and appreciative - but the focus is always Jesus and what God is doing and has done - so many problems are eliminated. Competition, envy, jealousy, gossip, party spirit, slander and many others are not possible because that would simply not be honoring God as God. As Paul wrote "how do you treat the brother for whom Christ died ?" Romans 14:15. (That simply must honor God as God.)

That is true in Salvation - but also true in Life - "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" Ephesians 5:21 - starts with the example of Jesus - giving Himself up - and applies to all. When Jesus gave the secret to being great, He shared the concept of "the greatest is the servant of ALL" Matthew 20:27. Servants of NT times made their focus "what the Master wants" - not what I want - so the focus is set. If we have a servant church, we will change the world. If we do not - then it won't be Christ's bunch anyhow. His "friends" are known for loving one another.

How can we have that happen ? By realizing that Jesus is everything - and He runs us now. It won't mean we are necessarily more successful than He was then - but it will mean the right thing is happening. When Jesus is thought of as "Covenant" - we actually can get our minds on Him - not ourselves. Otherwise - we are always concerned with US - when we should have "died" to that - and if HE is covenant, HE is "at work in us, to will and to work" Philippians 2:13. If not - then we are simply NOT "His project" at all. (Ephesians 2:10.) I believe it is good to do it the Biblical way - and I confess, I have run into verses which convicted me about error for over 60 years now - and this way does not do that. Jesus is the New Covenant - which cannot be broken - but you do have to take it or leave it - even though all sin is now paid for, it must be received to be enjoyed. However - maybe you have a verse or two you think is still not included - or a cogent concept which may be violated. Ask away - more to come

Jesus is Promise Covenant (4)

2008-05-29T05:04:00.006-05:00

As Paul taught on the life and faith of Abraham in Romans 4, he used a basic concept which is meant to undergird and explain our FAITH - Abraham simply trusted God's Promise. Paul explained that this Promise was not associated with Law but rather the concept of faith. This delineation is pretty important to Paul - because he had introduced an idea back in 3:21 as "a righteousness of God apart from Law" even though not opposed to Law. Let's wrestle with that for awhile. (To understand that better, translate it this way - "God's righteousness has been shown without law" - focus GOD and His showing of His own personal righteousness.)

Principle one - Romans 3:20 - "NO human being will be justified by works of law"

But - does that mean God's "faith concepts" violate law ? Of course not - the concept is explained by a distinct word "apart" - which has a couple facets. First, the word "separate" - from which we get our word "chorus" - the group separated from the crowd which sings to the crowd - so separate. The main part of the concept includes the idea we say as "without" - as the chorus sings without the crowd - therefore we can conclude several things: the activity of the "apart from" thing is in many ways opposite (but not opposed) to what it is separated from - it is just different.

Principle two - Justification comes by faith in/of Jesus Christ. The focus is always Jesus. HE is the power of salvation to everyone - the Jew first and also the Greek, (Romans 1:1-6; 16-17.) Do not forget - this is "apart from or without law" - and therefore we examine the faith in Jesus concept and focus that on Abraham's obtaining of righteousness as a template for us.

That's why Paul had to say "why then even have the law?" or "Is law opposed to God's Promises?" (Galatians 3:21ff.) His answer - of course not - different concept. (Galatians 3:21ff.)

Principle three - a BIGGER concept is at work - which controls all smaller ones: God's plans are to honor Himself as God. Note Romans 2:7; 1:28; 1:24; 1:21-23. So - what does NOT honor God as God is a violation of relationship with God. The plan of salvation is God's righteousness being revealed (Romans 1:17) in the faith concept. Faith means trusting God to keep His Promises - so very basically any breaking of law has to do with not trusting God to keep His promises. Adam and Eve may not have realized all the ramifications of their act of rebellion - but they should have known that God needs to be God and His promises are enough for our lives ! (Their sin amounted to making themselves God in their own lives - "YOU shall be as gods" caused them to act in a dishonoring way to GOD) So - God tells us that our faith in His Promises are what makes us "right" with Him - period. AND - He tells us through Paul that this concept is what was always in place from the beginning - so those who do not trust His promises choose other things to live by and are "without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20). All expressions of "not honoring God as God" Romans 1:21 are rebellion - so many "religions" are in rebellion and all those who focus on something other than God being God are "dishonorable" and "deserve to die" Romans 1:32. Many applications appear in Romans 1-3.

Principle four - FAITH - is simply honoring God as God and any definition which avoids or detours from this concept is not Biblical faith. It may be ignorance and as such, not rebellious - but many times it is a commitment - which is troubling indeed. For our purposes - JESUS is the focus of faith - so we need to honor God's Promise (which is Jesus) - purposefully and specifically. If we do not - then the Romans 4:16 concept is violated - it is by faith and it simply MUST rest on Grace and thereby be guaranteed. That was one benchmark or God's plan. One other was that it was not based on law - and cannot involve law as a means of salvation. ALL are simply saved (counted righteous) just like Abram was - by trusting God's Promise - therefore honoring God's Promise and plan. More on that next.

Jesus is Promise Covenant (3)

2008-05-26T07:20:00.007-05:00

Possibly the central concept in this regard is a phrase which is the total theme of one of Paul's books - Colossians. We use the words "in Christ" to express it - but that is not everyday conversational communication. It is a covenant representative keyword.

What does it communicate ? Simply that what is done by the Representative "happens" to US. (Remember - David's victory over Goliath was for ALL Israel.)

Even today in some parts of the world, the Representative is treated like the King he represents. Especially if they hold in their hands the "Scepter" which signifies Kingly Power in the one who holds it - if they are on King's business. So - we might say wherever the Scepter is - the authority of the King is as well. In that regard, we are ALL ambassadors for the King - and we carry His authority with us. So - we might call that concept - "HE is in US" - because His authority rests in us and His identity is in us. One verse context helps us very much. Colossians - the "in Christ" book, explains that Jesus has all of the Godhead in Himself "bodily". (Colossians 2:9) and we just KNOW that to be truth. However, the following verse - which is part of the same sentence, gets almost ignored or explained away. Permit me to emphasize the concept with part of my own translation: "and You have come to this very fullness in Him" - wait - that's quite a concept - don't go on - STOP ! Think and thank !

Do you mean we have the identity of the Godhead in Christ ? NO - but I think Paul meant that - don't forget - I may think all kinds of stuff - if Scripture doesn't say it - then just forget it ! The "fullness" Paul is talking about is the same fullness he already talked about one verse (and the same sentence) earlier. Do we generally change meanings of the same word in two parts of the same sentence ? Of course not ! (As a language student - context is more important than even definition - because context controls definition. Remember, though - I said "Language student - not language "expert" or "authority".) I can't see any other concept allowed. We get Christ's identity since "HE is the firstborn among many brothers" and 1 John 4:17 "As He is, so are we in this world." We already know the concept of the "ambassador" - and in this case, Jesus uses "brothers" to represent Him and His anointing.

"In Christ" - means we get our identity as we join Him by faith - as Paul wrote - "You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" - Colossians 3:3. BUT - there is much more - our being "in Christ" or even getting in to Christ was how we got saved in the first place. Salvation is "in Christ". 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Acts 4:12; Luke 2:30. Originally the baptism symbol was meant to convey the "joining with Christ's life" and "rising to walk in newness of Life" and Jews used that ceremony to begin a new life a various stages of their development. We are privileged to use the ceremony to identify with Jesus - though many groups totally miss this original concept. Don't forget - the focus is Jesus - not ourselves. We are to be "buried with Christ" and "raised with Christ to walk in the newness of Life" - as Romans 6 teaches - but the conceptual construct is very simply portrayed in Ephesians 2 - "NOT of yourselves, NOT of works"- the focus is God showing off His grace - we get to "play dead". All of that to make sure the focus is CHRIST - but many groups make the focus on people - sad, very sad !

Once we receive the identity of Jesus - it is appropriate to continually focus on Jesus - as Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 3:18 - as "we are being changed from one degree of Glory to another - ever increasing !" That is the Christian life.

Don't forget though - we get Jesus' identity - we get Jesus' inheritance - we get Jesus' relationship with God (that's His relationship with God while He was here - the love from God towards us is just like the love God had for Jesus - is that amazing ? John 17:23)

The focus is Jesus - yes, I already said that - but we feel so special or un-special - and either way we focus on US - when God designed our lifestyle to be a Jesus focus continually - giving us security and peace. That was the context of the reference to 1 John 4:17 - peace and confidence even on Judgment Day itself - and I ask you now - do you know that ? Did John write that for nothing to Christians ? Is part of your privilege from God simply not claimed or enjoyed ? If you know that Jesus is "kept Covenant" and you are "in Him" - "not having a righteous of your own" (Philippians 3:9) but His actual righteousness - can you dare to not feel wonderfully and humbly proud of the God who bought you ? And - can you actually still think the focus is YOU ? How far does God have to go to show us that He is the one and only source of payment for sins and identity for those who trust His performance to be enough ? In the words of our Representative - on the Cross - "tetelusthai" - "It is totally paid - paid in full" and He is now our Life ! We are "children of The Promise" - more to come.

JESUS - is Promise Covenant (2)

2008-05-22T17:58:00.004-05:00

MANY concepts are embodied in Jesus - and while we focus on Him as Covenant of Promise, there are other parts in that concept. (Check Colossians 2:17)

One of the neatest and hardest is that phrase I have mentioned "the faith of Christ"

It shows up several times in the NT Scriptures. That should have settled it - but those who translate had the difficulty of using another construction which can sometimes lead us off the track. When we say "faith in Christ" we generally put the focus on OUR faith in believing Him to be Messiah. Certainly not a bad thing - but 16th century construction was not exactly the same focus. When they said "Faith in Christ" - they focused on Christ and what He did for us. We believe in His performance "on our behalf" - so our security is focused on the quality of His performance. (I mentioned the verses before - but a couple of them are: Galatians 2:20; Romans 3:22)

Paul wrote a phrase several times which the KJV translated "the faith of Christ" - and used the Genitive (Possession) to write it. We might say "Christ's faith" to express how we use that today. That is what "Faith in Christ" used to mean. However - one can (if they don't focus on the Genitive/Possessive) use that translation to be the quality of our trust in Jesus, shown by our lifestyle. Then the response is - "Do you really trust Jesus ? If you really do - then you must live THIS way - or I don't think you really trust Him."

There is some truth in the statement - we live on the basis of our faith and a lifestyle will show that. PROBLEM - that isn't salvation - it is lifestyle of maturity. James (using a Hebrew mindset) might well talk about that - but he wouldn't be referring to "Redemption" - but living the "saved life" of "Sanctification". Study the James section about Abraham - it isn't the one Paul refers to as when Abram's "faith was counted to be righteousness." It is MANY years later as God sought to teach him about trust to bring maturity.

The focus on Jesus as promise Covenant is simply that HE came to be our Savior and Deliverer - our Champion. Our hope was in His performance and victory. If we use the example of David vs. Goliath, we see clearly that David's performance is the focus of any victory for Israel. Listen - NO ONE believed David would win - except David and God ! But - when the people saw Goliath FALL, they got involved in the VICTORY. Mankind is much like that always - we don't really trust God to provide; to protect; to pursue us in His love. In fact, we have a hard time with concepts like the seeking shepherd, the celebrating Father as it pictures God. However - it is still FACT. God won the victory in Christ for us. Then, He offers Christ's victory to us freely as a gift of His love which we call grace. That is the point of Romans 3:21ff. "a righteousness apart from law" "to be received by faith"- that is what sharing the "Good News" means.

Jesus won the war we didn't even want to think about fighting. And - if we had thought about fighting - we wouldn't qualify to save anyone - to pay for anyone else's sin. That sacrifice had to be "perfect". HIS faith had to be perfect. And - it was - it focused on God, the Father - continually. Part of our problem is our misunderstanding of "FAITH" as a concept. The original Biblical concept meant trusting God to keep His promise. That faith in Jesus' life is our source of salvation. And - that is what we have faith in . . .His faith and performance. So - we have faith in the faith of Christ.

Conclusion - The "faith of Christ" presents a source of being right with God for all. Fact is - if the focus is us, we have no security, no hope and only fear. If the focus is Him - the victory is won, the destiny is secured and heaven is guaranteed. (I know, we don't like that word - guaranteed - check out Romans 4:16 again . . .what word would you substitute for it ? Maybe we can talk about the concept - next !)

Chapter One - Jesus IS Promise Covenant (1)

2008-05-19T05:22:00.014-05:00

The introduction is over - we have made a quick "fly-over" and it is time to get out of our plane and explore the landscape.

Concept number one - Jesus IS Promise Covenant. That was the hardest idea to find because I wasn't looking for it. I just assumed Jesus came with a covenant. AND - if you know He IS the covenant - then obviously He came with a covenant wrapped up in Himself - so another tricky interpretation quandary presented itself. Translating words into English doesn't seem to be an impossible task, but many, many times a word or phrase has about three to five layers of meaning and translators feel the need to choose one. Then they stay with a limited meaning throughout their task. I have a few friends who teach Greek - and I am constantly trying to get fuller meanings and to understand the original context better. (Just because I got "A" in my Greek courses doesn't give me authority to decide what concepts mean - it just gives me a little - LITTLE access to do more study - and that is never over. Oh - one of those courses I got an "A" the second time I took it - after I learned a little more about study.)

When God talks to us, He uses "words" - which in that context (God's actual mind) is impossible to totally "get". However, God does try to "accommodate" us because He is trying to communicate to us. So, we must try to see the concepts in their original setting, all the time realizing that some of God's qualities are impossible to define or understand fully, so we "make do" and realize our own foibles and frailties. The subject of Covenant itself is the best example. Researchers go back and study ancient civilizations to see what kind of covenant God would chose in order to deal with mankind. Helpful - but we must not forget, God and people in Covenant agreements - cannot be like people and people in covenant. So - we have to allow the text to tell us what actually happened and what it meant - serious study; serious thinking !

When God came to Abram and directed him to leave Ur and Haran and go to an unnamed place where God would make him famous (Genesis 12:1-4) and very blessed, Abram left and journeyed to Canaan. There God appeared to Abram in a dream and "made covenant" towards Abram. "God said, 'I AM your shield and exceeding great reward' "(covenant overtures) and we understand almost nothing of this concept because it is God doing the covenant making - and He did it like NO man could. So - right way we are left with a difficult interpretation quandary. Do we call this a "Canaanite covenant" since that is where Abram was - of course not. What do we call it ? We call it God's covenant towards Abram - since God took it upon Himself to be a Blessing to Abram. Some call that a "forced" covenant, since God seemingly gave Abram no choice - but it isn't what is referred to as a "forced covenant"in historical study of covenants. (That would be when a King dominates a person or group and tells them "This is how it will be - do what I say or die !" So - to save your life you surrendered to the much more powerful King.)

Since NT writings associate this with God's Promise, let's call it The Promise Covenant. God promised certain things to Abram and he responded by surrendering to God's directive. From our perspective of History, we can call it The Promise to Abram's descendants actually, because we know Abram never lived permanently in the place we call the Promised Land. However - from Galatians we also know the Promise was to Abram's seed and that is CHRIST. Now we see that this is not a simple situation and we have to understand it from a perspective of a believer in God, not just a person living in Genesis history. When God deals with humans, all regular understanding is challenged and we simply have to allow God to explain Himself - if He does. God is not forced to explain much of His nature and doings - but He doesn't try to fool us either. Study is required and study is rewarded. That is why I used the word "strange" in our introduction - it isn't always apparent what words on a page mean - we simply must allow the story to unfold and see what God is "up to". With that in mind, let's just say "God is 'up to' Jesus - He is thinking of a way to sneak into the human race and get us back !" I'll try to show that fully - for now, when God came to Abram in Genesis 15:1 and said, "I AM your shield and exceeding great reward" and the Scripture records that Abram "believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness" we see part of God's dealing with people is for people to believe God's Promises - and that produces righteousness. How do you see that idea in any other nation, tribe or civilization ? God didn't set up a template for salvation on the basis of how He came to Abram - but He DID set up a template at the same time. Confused ? Sure - I didn't want to be alone in that ! Seriously, believing God's Promises bringing righteousness is a good "conceptual template" - but having God come to us in a dream is not required of everyone.

Someone asked, "Why don't you call it a forced covenant ?" My answer was "Well, because of John 3:16 - "God SO LOVED" - doesn't fit part of the concept of a regular forced covenant. BUT - make no mistake - when Jesus says, "I AM The way, The truth, The life" - it simply means "If you do not believe I AM He - you'll die in your sins" so - that is a forced covenant concept - another of those double or triple layers of meaning. The required response is a surrender - but God loves you before and after that decision is made - and He does wish for us to see that we better get under Jesus protective sacrifice or we cannot have to protection of it. So - I call it The Promise Covenant, since that is God's conceptual construct for humans to respond to Him-just like Abram - the Father of Faith. Don't forget, Abram believed an "impossible" statement of Promise - does that seem like a template ? Amazingly enough - it IS ! Dealing with God can be - interesting and challenging ! More to come

Words - must lead to THE WORD

2008-05-16T08:55:00.007-05:00

WORDS - "don't argue" - but we cannot live without communication and words are one main source. So what else can we do ?

Pictures - are worth a 1000 words - that helps.
A good story - is great at illustrating concepts.

God uses it all - but ultimately, John writes that no one has ever seen GOD, but Jesus revealed HIM. That means words only help in this subject by painting a picture. So - we rely on words - but have to see past them. PLUS - we have to rely to some extent on "eyewitness" - which has always been a good source of information. Recently we have learned that eyewitness "testimony" is not always reliable, one reason God always demanded to have "more than one eyewitness" when finding out truth. Hebrew judges expected some conflicting testimony - in fact if everyone agreed the case was generally thrown out because full agreement could be proof of conspiracy.

That presents a quandary to us - we tend to throw out all testimony if all do NOT agree. Of the 71 judges in the Sanhedrin, even if only a quorum (23) were present only 13 would be needed to convict; while 11 votes would acquit. Hebrew structure not only allowed for different opinions and conclusions they had a saying for it: "Wherever you find two Jews, you'll find three opinions." However - they also had another common conclusion - "There is no contradiction." They found a way to include other opinions.

Generally, I do not try to simply preach or teach my own opinion. However, we do need to realize that opinion sneaks into our judgments and statements. And - we should be able to "receive one another and not dispute over opinions".

So - I am trying to rely on "pictures" and words about pictures without simply stating opinion.

Stories are in the Bible for a reason - to teach NT believers about eternal principles. Paul mentioned it two different ways. Both times he admonished us to pay careful attention to "stories" which were recorded to give us an example. Even if we do have the story, the lesson might be open to interpretation. So, I am careful to keep that in mind as we talk about Covenant being Jesus. Paul was very specific in saying the the OT presents "shadows" while the substance of those shadows is Christ Himself. (See Colossians 2:17ff.) That will be part of our study as we finish the "fly-over" and get down from our plane and begin to explore more closely. It will be focused on Jesus being everything.

Jesus is the main subject of both parts of the Bible - and if we don't see HIM, then we might check, double check, recheck and then check it again. Sounds like a good "Doctoral study" to me - and having been involved in a couple, I could wish I had the opportunity to try that challenge on for size.

For today - remember, Jesus didn't come to be against us - He came FOR US. He came to take on our "lost war" and win the victory and then offer His victory to us - freely - that's salvation by Grace through Faith. Celebrate the victory and enjoy the spoils !

Language - words, words, words.

2008-05-14T17:27:00.006-05:00

It has shocked me to read Paul's condemnation in reference to "arguing about WORDS" - 2 Timothy 2:14ff. My commitment to YOU is - I will try to simply share my best study in regards to words. So MANY groups have their own definitions for many words. We just do not have time to argue, dispute, or ________ . (Fill in the blank with the word we might use to dodge Paul's directive !)

That verse helped me focus on Jesus as the only one who gets preeminence ! Plus - HE gets it ALL. (Colossians 1:18)

Jesus is God's story of LOVE - HE is our doctrine, our leader and our friend. (I tend to like the concept of Him being our everything) He paid the price and became "the firstborn among MANY brothers"- Romans 8:29. One covenant concept in this regard is that we "share the same inheritance equally with Jesus, since we get our new identity in HIM" But the context of that thought also says that like Jesus, God works continually on our behalf. And - one conclusion is that if God is FOR us, who could be against us to any real threatening extent ? As a psychologist of 35 years, I can tell you that many, MANY Christians will not allow themselves to think of God being really fully for them. That is one word we just must do better with - the word "FOR" - the context of Romans 8:31 challenges us to think about who can bring a charge against God's kids - once God has justified them ! The answer is nobody and nothing in all creation. However, those who cannot allow themselves to think these thoughts come up with loop-holes for God to not really be FOR us. OK - I know it is a very high thought - but will you just let God be FOR you ? Maybe like Peter said after God poured out His Spirit on Cornelius - "Who was I to withstand God ?"

I have a message to our world due to this thought - and I invite you to join me in a special invitation to all sinners - "Please - will you let me love you ?"

If we take seriously the concept of our being Ambassadors for God and God is making His appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:17ff.) - isn't it very normal to BEG (that is Paul's concept word in v.20) people to be reconciled to God ?

I can't guarantee things - but I do feel strongly that asking/begging people to "be reconciled to God" is a much more Biblical way to share good news that will have an effect !

That word "reconciled" is one I'd like to see us feel more and use more. God has gone to a LOT of trouble to pay for reconciliation for every creature - so it is something bought and paid for - and available to all. Maybe we don't feel the power of a "reconciled to God" life - at least not enough.

The concept of "covenant grace" makes these words very kind, loving and appealing. Remember David seeking to "show kindness for Jonathan's sake" towards a child of Jonathan's ? Remember the invitation ? We'll deal with that more fully later - but for today - "Come into the Palace and be treated like a King's KID" is just a wonderful invitation to offer on behalf of the King of the Universe !

Allow me to ask you to enjoy your bought and paid for inheritance - and let God's invitation be allowed to be made known in its kindness and excitement ! YOU get to share that glorious invitation - and it is second to none. Well - I assume you might be able to enjoy Palace LIFE yourself and have that experience to talk about. Sounds appealing to me . . .

Words - I haven't had to argue much - but hasn't our subject just made YOU proud of God ? Don't you just almost jump off the ground at how much HE is for you ? (That word phrase - jump off the ground - was a definition of what the phrase "Good News" meant - it was the kind of message that made people leap right off the ground for JOY. I for one think we need an emphasis toward that concept. I plan to live the remainder of my life sharing that with those I talk to - I do know I have Scripture for it - some other approaches I do not feel nearly as comfortable with. Plus - I don't have to argue over words - generally. I know - we can find a way - to argue - I think we can also find a way to NOT argue ! More to come

Language is defined in stories II

2008-05-12T13:46:00.010-05:00

The ultimate communication from God was JESUS Himself. That was God's way of "saying" several covenant concepts: "I've got your back"; "I am your Shield and exceeding great reward"; "I will express My Kindness toward you"; "My lovingkindness endures forever". If we read the Psalms we read many great covenant concepts. The last one - "His mercy or lovingkindness endures forever" is repeated hundreds of times. Most of Christendom knows the phrase, but cannot seem to receive it. Even if we receive it, we don't always realize the covenant connection. Hebrews 1:2 taught us that God SPOKE to us in "Son"- so Jesus is God's message to us in a picture-language story.

Stories are to communicate something beyond the story itself - a "spiritual meaning" or "heavenly meaning" - and Jesus is God's way of saying "I LOVE YOU - and don't you forget it."

So - when we ask what God's love means, we have a visible example - an illustration - which communicates concepts deeper than language itself. When we define agape - we have a "story" in our experience which shows something of what He is saying. Don't forget, though, God's ways are beyond "language" and "stories" and even Jesus Himself - when we try to comprehend God's love, nothing this side of heavenly wisdom approaches reality. When Jesus said, "If you've seen ME, you've seen The Father" - He meant a picture; an effort by God to show us something of what HE is like. But - even Moses only got a glimpse of "God's back" - which means "identity is from the face - and Moses didn't get to see much more than a shadow". We on the other hand - see Jesus - and as we "behold Jesus" - we are changed increasingly from one degree of Glory to another" 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Pictures and stories help get a glimpse. So - instead of saying we can't see Him, let's see what He gives for us to actually see something of Himself. Check the Life of Jesus - see His gentleness with "sinners" and don't explain away the story. See His sacrifice for US and allow it to HIT us full in the face. Matthew Mark, Luke and John told their story and that "picture album" really helps us SEE Jesus. We can love Him and believe in Him and know why He came and how much He loved us. Then - He designed us to continue to share "the Story"- to assist others in seeing Jesus.

Language is inadequate - study of Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic helps - but only to refine the story - to explain and paint a better picture of His life and how He showed us God. We simply must get to the picture - Pharisees and friends studied Scripture - but missed the story of God's "covenant Kindness expressed in Messiah" - so they hated Him with their whole beings. That wasn't because they needed more study of scripture; it was because they didn't "get the picture" of His story behind everything. They thought they knew Messiah - but only in reference to trying to avoid a broken Law - and they were convinced Messiah would make Law even more rigid and would "close all the loopholes". So - when it came to mercy, they were wanting - and so clueless they just knew Jesus couldn't be Messiah. And - later Judaizers persecuted Christians and later "Christians" killed each other because they missed the picture-story Jesus' life painted.

Much of the problems of Jesus' day and since could have been avoided if we realized Jesus was our Representative and offered Himself to us as a GIFT - and trusting HIM would be a guarantee of our salvation. (Romans 4:16) But - how can we know that ? All I can tell you is what the Bible pictures for us, so we'll try that part of the picture next. As John wrote - "These things are written so you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah - and believing you might have LIFE in His name." The FOCUS is Jesus.

Language is defined in stories

2008-05-09T15:48:00.007-05:00

The concept of language is never totally "settled" - most groups have several "splinters" that interpret some verses their own way- some of which are quite outside the accepted meanings of words. That was my point in talking about FAITH. Or - LOVE - if we cannot allow the Bible to tell us the meaning within its own pages, then we will never know for sure.

But - then there is application. If we don't like someone's definition, then just make it irrelevant or not applicable. That settles it for us - forever !

Problem - Bible study does help us see accepted meanings of words in their original setting. There will be those who invent their own setting and are rigid about it, but generally, people who care about study will wait to make conclusions until the study has happened and all sides are shared. Proverbs 18:17 teaches us - "one side is thought to be right UNTIL the second person gets a chance to cross examine." Get the WHOLE story, and then make up your mind.

God has made some things a matter of wisdom, not fact. Read Proverbs a few times - it tells us to sometimes even throw a dice to settle a matter of opinion and avoid trouble. (Proverbs 18:18.)

What about DOCTRINE ? Well - if Jesus is The Way, The Truth, The Life - which equals everything - then we should be careful about where we are drawing lines. Jesus said, "Love God; Love neighbor - on these two concept the whole Law and Prophets HANG" so be very careful about matters which do not fall within these two principles. It seems that they could well be irrelevant in reference to eternal Principles.

How does that effect the concept of "Covenant" ? If the concept is not Jesus or loving God or neighbor, we better be careful. This subject is the essence of God's presentation of LOVE - and the Love for God and neighbor is why Jesus went to the Cross - to bring reunion to God and neighbor separation to get to reconciliation and celebration.

Priorities - the WHOLE Bible is about bringing God and man back together and Jesus is God's plan to do that. OT Scriptures talk about how the problem happened and who God chose to be the nation who brought us Messiah and the NT teaches how it ultimately happened and what that means for mankind. The Hebrews' author called it "THE Eternal Covenant" (13:20) and it involved the "lamb slain before the foundation of the world" and those who are recipients of what HE did. That is referred to as "Faith of Jesus" "Faith in Jesus" and "Faith in His blood" - again some possible language difficulties. However - God uses stories "for OUR admonition" and Jesus used many to encourage us to know God - since that is one reason why HE came - John 1:18.

Luke 15 has 3 stories about the God who loves - a seeking shepherd, and worried woman and a Father with a party ready for a rebellious son to even think about coming home. ALL the stories emphasize God's willingness to SEEK - and to RUN and to CELEBRATE. The lengths God will go to in order to get us back is awesome. But - the rejoicing He invites all others to share in is just unbelievable. It is out of character to some degree for a man of that day to EVER run. But, that is God's picture told by Jesus - undignified and very lavish in celebration. (By the way, that is the definition of the word "prodigal" - so the story could have been labeled as the Prodigal Father - referring to God Himself.) It defies logic; it stretches the mind.

Allow me to make the "Covenant" application: a "pig-smelling-boy" heads back to his hometown to ask about becoming a "hired servant" - obviously, he shouldn't ask for more. A hired servant didn't live on the property - he simply waited in town until this man (the dad) might need a day laborer. The son knew enough about his dad to know he provided "food and to spare" for day laborers. That was what brought the son toward home - the possibility of maybe getting in on a meal some day. But the Father RAN and kept on kissing this pig smelling boy and put His robes of identity on Him and gave him His ring - and put His shoes on the boy and killed the special feast calf and demanded a party begin . . .and if you read the last verse of the story you know "they BEGAN to be merry". The party never stops with God.

So - the Father GIFTS the boy with "identity"; "riches" and "position of a SON". Why ? The boy deserved NONE of these things. Simple - "covenant love" is based on the heart of the Father, not the goodness of the sinful son. And - God has a party ready for anyone who just happens to remember His goodness. And He will gift that one with a fresh identity, and guarantee of His glorious riches, and a continual party. The point Jesus made was - That is what God thinks of "sinners" - the ones the religious folk of the day thought were worthless. God already invested all he had to show how valuable people are to Him - so we respond to His goodness. Romans 2:2-4 teaches us that "the Goodness of God is designed to bring us to repentance." That means I have to change my definition a little on the meaning of "repentance". How can we say it ? Responding to God's goodness - or His kindness ? That was the covenant concept which brought a rebel named Mephibosheth into the Palace of King David to live as a "Friend of the King". The Prodigal got to come into a Home of a Father - the one he rejected relationship with and wasted the money of and abandoned earlier provision - as a full blown SON - dressed in Father's clothes, wearing Father's ring; and enjoying Father's party.

If my Theology violates that story - I don't have much trust in it. Plus - it defines what agape is actually like in practice. It is beyond my mind's ability to describe and I cannot ever get over it. Oh, what a wonder - the LOVE of God ! More to come.

Language problems . . .

2008-05-07T08:08:00.008-05:00

I have been one who bemoans the Olde English of the KJV - but the attitude of those who use it (one of which I certainly am) sometimes is very regrettable, especially those who say the KJV is so "inspired" that it can be used to correct the Greek. PART of my regret is that we miss so much of the Hebrew concepts due to language that is in the genre of 16th Century England. On the other hand, we also dismiss quickly some of its language when we should not ! God set His conceptual construct up on a "Royalty" structure. Many countries do not know the original nature of even the word "Prince" and certainly stumble at the concept "born king" and "anointed" . . .

"Covenant" is one of those words which gives us continuing trouble because not only do we not study ancient civilizations, we also have many "Present traditions" to interfere with us ever getting there. Evangelical language (E-language) controls so much that in many cases we need a new word entirely with which to label original concepts. The "short" version is: the covenant structure of the Bible is totally different from God covenanting with us. It is harmonious with God covenanting to us. Some of the original language is helpful - if we have not already directed our mindset to ignore plain statements of Scripture. If we begin to see that Jesus is covenant, we can begin to see the meaning coming through. Isaiah 42:6; 49:8 indicate Jesus will be sent for a covenant. If we think His teachings ARE the New Covenant, we have to ignore Scripture. HE - HE is the Way, Truth, Life. HE is the way to Father. We must believe HIM when HE said, "Unless you believe I AM HE, you'll die in your sins" is a concept for all of History (although applied a little differently) and we do need to study how that is true. We are not the covenant keepers, we are covenant recipients.

E-language to some degree thinks of "covenant" as an agreement between mankind and God. Please realize - that can never happen with any focus on our keeping covenant. It does happen in the sense that Jesus was our representative and died for the punishment of covenant-breaking but do we know why ? Short answer - because IF we make a covenant like a LAW which we must keep to be saved (and many do) then obviously we have no hope ! Galatians 3 proves that hands down. Very basically it is like God said, "LAW - I need someone to keep it - well, no one can, so I'll have to go to earth as a human and do it for them - then I can offer My own performance as a gift to be received by faith." That is what happened in God's covenant grace. If we cannot see this concept, then much of the New Testament is explained away - and Olde English is used to escape plain language. NT use of the concept "the faith of Christ" is twisted to simply mean our faith in Christ. Baptism into Christ means what I DO to be saved, since God did His part. MANY errors, many misunderstandings. Major problem - we have a mankind focus in the Bible instead of allowing it to be God's story of redemption in virtue of our own helplessness.

A verse or two from my pilgrimage - the context of Ephesians 2:7 "that in the coming ages He might show off the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" - is the essence of Covenant gift . . .the context shows the focus to be on HIM and off of us. It goes overboard to plainly teach that we are recipients of His grace, and we have nothing to offer in reference to our salvation. Do we allow God to show off (in a positive conceptual focus) His grace - if we continually put the emphasis on US ? Paul ends up in verse 10 explaining even the Christian life gets a God-focus. "We are HIS workmanship" - simply means HE works on US . . .and we are His project (workmanship). The Greek word is the word we use for "poem" - defined as the production of a creative mind to express His dream. God's focus is us - the helpless, the unable, the hopeless, the disabled, the totally weak. He wants to show off His grace by making something out of what appears to be nothing. I hope we are allowing that today. The other side of that is - HE invested everything to make us into something because His logic thought us to be worth that to Him. Wow - what a wonder, that God LOVES me. As the Olde saying goes - "When a King picks up a trifle, it is a trifle no longer". Ah - but He decided man was not a trifle before He even made us. Jesus was invested at that point - the "lamb slain from the foundation of the world". More to come

Mephibosheth - example of Covenant Recipient

2008-05-06T11:53:00.001-05:00

David and Jonathan made a covenant life commitment. It has been called everything from homosexual to unbelievable. BUT - the actual concept was well known - a covenant agreement is proposed for one reason or another - in this case, several parts are involved, but our focus is Mephibosheth, so this part referred to future possibilities. The concept is : WE who make this covenant make provision for the other's future and present family as if they were our own. If something happens to one member of the agreement, the other takes responsibility for the other's family and their future security. (1 Samuel 18:1-4; 20:14-17; 20:42; 23:17-18)

Don't forget that the "regular" way that one king treated the other's family was to kill them all, so this "covenant" was different from other nations' practices. But - we know Jonathan was an unusual man - he actually knew God's will for David to be King and wished to be David's Prime Minister. Pretty good for a crown Prince and very Godly on his part. However - the others who were part of David's loyalty acted like the Covenant didn't exist and Jonathan's (Saul's) family ran for their lives. (One result of Jonathan dying and chaos resulting.) Only Mephibosheth survived, and that as a cripple in both legs. He "holed up in Lo-debar" and basically acted like Royalty mistreated. When David became King he said, "Isn't there any of Saul's family I can 'show Kindness to' for Jonathan's sake." This was David's way of expressing covenant application. He did hear of Mephibosheth finally and sent an armed guard to bring him to the palace. Mephibosheth feared for his life - fell on his face and called himself a "dead dog" - very humble - but David basically said, "I will show you kindness for your father Jonathan's sake - you get all the lands of Saul, his servants and you will eat at my table forever."

Mephibosheth entered the Palace, and ate at David's table just like he was Jonathan.

The saying, "For Jesus sake" is part of Scripture - but those who don't understand basic covenant concepts miss it generally. It applies to us. God acts on Jesus' behalf for us.

Short form - God and Jesus made covenant before the world began (Hebrews 13:20f.; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20) and even showed the concept in Abram's life. When it came time to walk between the pieces of bloody meat, Abram was put to sleep and two "entities" took that walk - "a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between the pieces." (Genesis 15:17) representing the two who covenanted in reference to Abram - God and Jesus. (My conclusion - shared by several, not all.)

Now - conclusions - first I apologize for this brief "flyover" of this concept - I hope to enlarge on all parts of today's session - but that is my basic understanding conclusions of God's ORIGINAL plan. I do conclude that Ultimate Covenant was made before the world began and reaffirmed to Abram - since Abram was asleep, he was not the partner of the covenant Promise - only the recipient. The language "I WILL do and I AM the one who" indicates God is announcing the continuation of the Promise and it involves Him using Abram to be the Father of faith and his lineage to be the one the Promise comes through to bless the whole of mankind. The focus is Jesus.

One other conclusion - since "They" walked through the pieces of meat - then WE did as well, since Jesus was intended by Covenant Promise to be our representative as well as God's. As God's representative, He did not need to walk between pieces of meat - only as OURS. He was and is our Champion, and this is the first recorded act of His representing us. Ultimately He took the punishment for us on the Cross as our Representative. More on that next . . .

NOT like the Old (3)

2008-05-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

This is my pilgrimage . . .so I focus on sections of Scripture that changed my life. That's the only source I have for Philosophical change of any kind - sure I have studied several subjects at the Doctoral level, but the Bible is the only Source for ultimate Reality. So - thanks for allowing me to share another rock on the hill called my journey - rocks are what you use to climb on going up a hill.

Paul taught the Galatians and us something about the New versus the Old in Galatians 3. Basically my take is this: (Gal. 3:21) If a Law COULD have been given that saved, then the Old Law would have been it, because it was the best. But - that is not the purpose of law - its purpose is to point out sin. That could be a help because until we know sin, we cannot do much about it. So, as Paul says, Law increases sin. As far as freedom from sin though, Law is helpless - release takes a sacrifice. That was part of the Mosaic system, so in that way it was the Greatest of all time. BUT - the Mosaic system (even though it was the best) had to be underwritten by the Covenant Promise of Jesus, because "bulls and goats sacrifices cannot take away sin." So - if the Covenant who is Jesus was not a reality, the Hebrew nation would have been fooling themselves by killing animals or offering grain.

Let's call the OLD a stepping stone to get on the NEW path - helpful, but certainly not a path on its own. But - we're talking about the new - and if we don't, we can't see the concept of not being UNDER law. So - think for a moment what it means to be UNDER GRACE ! That is the answer to our dilemma - but we hasten to explain away "cheap grace" and deal with an abuse - a self-focused approach to life (which means we don't know we DIED - Romans 6:1ff.) instead of listening to Paul teach us about being under grace. The word "grace" simply means GIFT. Now, if our focus is gift - can we earn a gift ? No - it would be an insult to try. What do we do with gifts ?

Well - first, we receive graciously, and then we enjoy fully. My example is Mephibosheth which I'll deal more with next - for today, Mephibosheth received the gift of being like one of David's own children - life in the Palace, eating at the King's table - gift totally. Requirement of reception - loyalty (which Mephibosheth didn't totally do - at least not near perfectly) but David's commitment was to Jonathan - so from His side HE kept on taking care of Jonathan's son. Yes - more to come

Not like the Old ? (2)

2008-05-03T08:07:00.004-05:00

NOT like the Old ? Someone once said "IF it is too complicated to explain, it is just too complicated" and I replied, "Wait - we can't explain NEW BIRTH, God in us, being led by the Spirit, and God dying for mankind . . .but I think each concept is important !"

Besides - LIFE is pretty complicated psychologically, biologically, sociologically, and even meteorologically, but if we don't make knowing all about everything ultimately important, we can even enjoy the process of discovery. Problem is - we make Biblical discovery a matter of heaven and hell - and sometimes it IS ! However - much of our study is simply maturation processes.

So - "not like the Old" is a study - but "knowing Jesus" is what the Salvation concept is all about. My problem is - if we do not know about how processes are Biblically explained, we may very well be repeating someone else's misunderstanding and needlessly burdening people with guilt and fear. Allow me to use one concept to explain. Paul taught "we are not under law, but under grace" and many in Christendom HASTEN to teach that indeed we ARE under law after all. Well - I wonder why Paul even bothered to write that. Let's just leave out Romans 6:14-15; Galatians 5:18; as well as most of Galatians 3. Wouldn't it be better to study what it means to be not under law, instead of dismissing it ? My personal opinion is - "many" Christians are so afraid of grace they teach against it. After all, if we cannot "guilt motivate" our bunch, we'll loose them to _______ . (Fill in the latest cult, liberal agenda or even atheism or agnosticism.)

Well - sorry, but I think God wrote it down through the Holy Spirit as He influenced people, and He wants it down the way it is written. So- how do we explain "not under law" and why do we need to ? First-there must be a reason why God did it. But - the BIGGER point is, as long as we focus on us, there is another truth concept we are missing out on entirely which is God's way of doing it and explaining it in the Bible.

Romans 3:21 introduces a "totally different" concept from law in which God revealed His righteousness. Paul wrote it down as "the faith of Jesus Christ" . . .verse 22 - which we access by faith in what Jesus did - or faith in God's promise - Jesus ! Notice how verse 24 explains it - "they are justified freely by His grace as a gift, through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation through faith in His blood to be received by faith"

Result - verse 27 - "what becomes of our boasting ? It is EXCLUDED" (Explained by Paul as how faith operates - v.27ff.) Problem is - we sometimes think faith focuses on us . . .but the original concept focuses away from us. Notice that Paul calls this "faith apart from works of law".

So-what does "under grace" mean then ? It goes back to our definition of faith - we "put ourselves under" the one to whom we respond - with the basic concept of Mary's response - "May it be to me, even as You have said" so as Paul later explained (Romans 6:1ff.) - we have died to running our own life - and as Mary exampled - we let God do as He will for Life - Paul referred to that in Philippians 2:13 as "God is at work in you to will and to work" - that is the normal Christian Life. (Note that "willing and working" is how to say ALL - and God does it !)

So - what is God's plan for your life - to run it Himself ! (After all, He did buy and pay for it - seems like He has the right to run it - doesn't it ? That is explained a little more in Ephesians 2:10 - "we are His project" - so maybe we need to allow God to continually work on His project !

Under grace also means we are not under law - so that is why there is "no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus" - we're freed from law . . .and are totally under grace . . .more to come

NOT like the Old ?

2008-05-02T11:39:00.001-05:00

Some concepts are MUCH harder to write about because they are not like concepts we now know. One Greek word talks of "new" as an updated version of the old - sort of like a "new" car when we know it is simply the latest year version ! Another word for "new" would refer to a concept of transportation really new - like flying compared to driving or even "beam me up Scotty" as a whole different concept of getting from one place to another. So - when God said, "I will make a New covenant" some of the meaning comes from a definition of the word and part comes from "context" . . .making it very short, note the explanation phrase - "not like the one they broke" . . .that opens it up to a new concept of covenant. AND - if you check the full context, it is very easy to see it was to be a different covenant totally . . ."law on their minds" "My people and I be their God" - some concepts aimed at in the atmosphere of the Old Covenant, but note the phrase - "I WILL MAKE" - a little key phrase for a "forced covenant" idea. More later.

Conclusions - the context seems to teach a new kind of Covenant, not like the Old. One idea which is different is - "which they broke" - indicating possibly a covenant which cannot be broken. HOW could that happen ?

If Jesus is covenant, and Isaiah seems to suggest that to be the case, then it would be "totally different" from the one they broke. PLUS - if HE is covenant, then it cannot be broken - only received or rejected. Jesus becomes the great GIFT (which is what the Greek word for "grace" actually means) to be received - a wonderful New Testament concept talked about especially in Romans 3-6; Colossians 1-2; Galatians 3. (Plus those "saved by the Faith OF Christ" verses.)

Those who wish to make it simply another concept covenant like the Old, but a little better, can't really fulfill the prophecy fully. Hebrews 8 helps in this regard - God Himself guarantees results for those of faith - see Hebrews 9:15ff. as well. (Hebrews 7:22 helps too.) The focus of faith is Jesus.

BUT - wait a minute, if Jesus is covenant, how could we ever be lost ? Well - it wouldn't happen by accident would it ? But, as far as I know - gifts can be rejected and even thrown away. I don't wish to get into a Calvinistic/Arminius debate . . .both sides seem to ignore the other. I'm simply trying to be true to Biblical plain teaching and not explain away the other person's texts.

It is easy to see, if we don't accept what Jesus did - we cannot get what He paid for - so let's leave it there for now.

If Jesus is "kept covenant" - He fulfilled the Law perfectly, so His performance would be a 100% on the report card. So - if I have faith in Him, then by faith God transfers 100% to my report card. That's the message of Romans 4 . . .like Abram, we trust God's promise (in this case Jesus Himself) and bang ! Righteousness is imputed to us . . .just like to Abram. Part of this is explained in Romans 5 - especially the part of this happening while we were still enemies.

The Promise Covenant is much more like God's dealings with Abram - no wonder his name keeps showing up - in Romans 4 and Galatians 3 especially.

Well - let's chew on that for a while . . .

BUT - we're talking about JESUS

2008-04-30T10:04:00.001-05:00

Jesus is our everything - and that statement, while broad, is met with agreement in my experience. But - to say Jesus is COVENANT - well, not so much !

Problem - we don't know "covenant" and what we do know just doesn't actually apply to our situation. That's our focus today. If you see a "Covenant church" as you drive in the neighborhood, we generally say, "That's what covenant means" - and they DO have their definition of Covenant.

My presentation from 40 years of thought is: Jesus is covenant - funny way of talk ! What does that mean ? For starters, my broad concepts a few days ago need to be explained. Let's start with THE original Promise, "In Him, all nations of the world will be Blessed."

NT fulfillment is explained in several places. I mentioned the thought by several of God's special people (read those "of the Remnant") that Jesus was several things: HE was "The Promise"; HE was "Born King"; He was "the hope of Israel"; He was "Salvation"; (His very name - closer to Joshua - means Savior or deliverer) and other concepts surround His birth. Since we don't have "royalty" as a structural concept, we don't actually know much about the implications. "Born King" implies Jesus was King from birth - and He was. Don't forget, however, that He was also here to be our Representative and sometimes we have to realize to which role we are referring. OR - we can pit one verse against another and both be right, or wrong !

My focus - Jesus is The Promise of God - and the New Covenant (NOT like the Old, Jeremiah 31) is focused in what Jesus did. God uses the OT much of the time to set up principles which He later fulfills in Christ and He chose to make Christ have ALL Preeminence. So let's focus on some of those principles . . .we've mentioned the fact that Jesus claimed to be "the bread which came down out of heaven" John 6:35-58. He claimed to "The water of Life"as well as "The Way, The Truth (reality) and The Life" - but in that context He taught - "NO one comes to the Father but BY ME" - and that is the concept for which we are looking. Can we substitute "by My teachings" in place of "by Me" ? Sure - as long as we don't ruin the concept - Jesus used the Hebrew concept - the teaching represents the teacher. But - don't make it the other way around and make the "teaching" more the focus that the One who claimed to be "everything" [that's my interpretation of the Way, the Truth (reality) the Life"]. . .so, Jesus is the focus and He is the New Covenant. How can we prove it ?

Prove is a funny word - it generally means "I bet you cannot show me I am wrong" - and I am not going in that direction at all. In fact, I am simply trying to focus on plain things Jesus said and early writers wrote to explain Salvation and Life. One little point for today - the Genitive, sort of like the word Genesis - deals with Source and shows Possession. Several places include a phrase I ran into in a few translation classes in Greek - "faith in Christ" was actually "the faith of Christ" - and my question was, "What difference does it make ?"

Well - not so much, IF we know what the phrase was before it was changed. Because if we are saved by the Faith of Christ - then for us, faith IN Christ is a proper response. But - (yeah, I'm too much of a stickler at times) if we make faith a SELF focused thing - then Christ gets left out and that is simply wrong-headed. Plus - it has many implications for salvation and life. Verses like Romans 3:22, Galatians 2:16, 20; 3:22; Philippians 3:9 - can be made to have little focus on Jesus, instead we are focusing on our own trust in Him as the source of Salvation. We do need to trust Him. And - our whole lifestyle deals with that concept . . .but salvation focuses on His faith as our source of Salvation. That is one reason He is covenant, and called "The promise" . . .and our Savior. More to come . . .

Question - why so long ?

2008-04-29T11:33:00.000-05:00

A question was asked about why we take so long to share stuff - when it isn't that big of a deal to SOME ?

The answer is "others" . . .and allow me to share as a Christian psychologist today . . .change comes very slow to many "christians" and others wonder "why?" while some who have no qualms about "change" just "put the pedal to the metal" and GO FOR IT !

68% are listed in a study I was involved with as "SLOW to change" - does that give us any insight into why a leader might think twice about just flipping the switch on change ? After all, God made that 68% to give the "body" stability . . .slow to change means "not quick to run off half-cocked".

NT doctrine includes stable concepts especially for this quality . . .and when Paul introduced the qualities of "ONENESS" in Ephesians 4 - he set the stage with other mindset qualities - "all lowliness, patience, meekness, forbearing one another in agape, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"

My personal opinion here is that original "dreamers" desired this mindset . . .but disciples of the "dreamer" do not always have it . . .and sometimes "reformers" become restless to "get the show on the road" and lose some of the original goal for people, so people sometimes get lost among the rules.

Christendom needs the whole body to be involved . . .

So - when I started "dreaming" and serious study 4 decades ago, I also ran into friends who absolutely could NOT see my thoughts in any cogent form . . .so as I (not enjoying rejection, don't you know) started putting this down on paper, well, I decided to love first, love second and love last. That caused me to keep redoing my approach . . .knowing that any change is rejected to SOME degree by 68% . . .PLUS another little chunk don't trust any idea they didn't come up with themselves . . .and another group resists anyone who comes across as "selling" anything. Remember - all this has a positive element to it - stability.

SO - how do we ever get anything done ? Well - slowly . . .and with love first . . .second and last. That is one reason I believe God designed "pastor-teachers" to be part of the building up of the body. God wanted shepherds . . .not butchers or even "cowboys".

I close today with a section of Scripture that "stopped me in my tracks" 40 years ago and has had influence on me ever since: "the Lord's servant must not quarrel, but be kind to everyone, gently instructing, forbearing, correcting with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know reality." 2 Timothy 2:24-25.

Back to BASICS

2008-04-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

What have we said so far ?

God chose to give Jesus all preeminence. . . huge undergirding principle. Even things like "the manna that came down out of heaven" and "the Rock that followed them" - was Christ, not to mention Christ was the creator of the world, Colossians 1:16.

Jesus Himself claimed to be "The Way, The Truth, The Life" - and at least to some degree the subject of Scripture, John 5:39. BUT - we jump over some Scriptures too fast . . .so back up with me - it is one Scripture which changed my mind about where Jesus should be put in our focus.

THE Way . . .means He didn't come with a way - rather He IS the Way. What ?

THE Truth . . .means He didn't just speak Truth, but is in fact, Truth - Reality is a closer conceptual construct to Greek thinking . . .so think about Jesus as being The Reality ! What ?

Life - THE Life - well, we don't stumble over that too much, except those who think life comes from His words and His words are the Bible. NO - His words are in the Bible, but HE is The Life - and we don't get it simply by reading the Bible - but rather, like He told the Pharisees of His day - Come to ME . . .for Eternal Life. Am I putting down the Bible ? Of course not - just allowing the Bible to do what God designed it to do - bring us to Christ; teach us The Christ; be IN the Christ.

I found out I had really been disrespecting Christ by not allowing Him to be who He is and said He was . . .some might call that an innocent oversight - but innocent oversights are sometimes not so innocent from students of the Word.

Isaiah 42:6; 49:8 - doesn't say Jesus would come WITH a covenant . . .but He was sent for a covenant. The NIV gets part of the emphatic part of the sentence by translating it - "Sent to be a covenant".

We do need to deal with little contradictions of concept - Jesus is God by one definition but He was also our representative, so He had to be human - contradiction. But - God loving us enough to gave Himself up in the Person of Jesus - represents a contradicition to philosophers and even to Jesus' own disciples. O K - we might call it an apparent contradiction - but we do need to face the fact that God designed His plan so that man wouldn't know it without a large dose of Humility ! After all - as Jeremiah wrote - "We know the way of man it not in himself - it is not in man that walks to direct his own steps" and Paul agreed that the "world in its wisdom did not know God"

Jesus - in reference to God is the reality . . .Paul called Him the "image" of the invisible God. John explained that "no one has ever seen God, the only begotten has made Him known" so that when Jesus said, "If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father" we sometimes try to explain it away. A quandary - a conundrum . . .and problem ? NO - not for covenant people. Why not ? Well - simply because that is their conceptual language. Jesus had to be our representative - but He also had to be God's representative . . .and the only one who qualified to be that occured only one time in all history !

What is the concept ? In covenant wars - like the David and Goliath story - each nation chose a Champion to represent their nation. This champion had to be one of them - an Israelite for Israel and a Philistine for Philistia. (So - the Champion who lost, lost it for the whole nation.) David knew that, but he knew much more - he had apparently read Deuteronomy and realized that fearful people were NOT supposed to even be there . . .they were to go home. So - Saul shouldn't have been out there either . . .but God did have a champion, an already anointed King who knew what Kings do . . .in the Power of God - they WIN ! God's champion in Israel had to be an Israelite and a faith person . . .he had to believe the Battle belonged to God, not mankind's might. Saul didn't know that and if the chronology of 1 Samuel was correct, David already knew His own anointing and God's future plans for him. So - Scripture helped David know the Battle was the Lord's and Goliath had no chance !

That, is the concept of a Champion or Hero (some versions use the word - we don't sometimes remember the classical meaning of the word Hero.) It is important because God will have a huge quandary . . .how to raise up a Representative to deliver mankind from the Fall in Eden. And - much like His great-great grandfather, Jesus will win - in the power of God and the victory is for those He represents - US ! (Oh yes - He had no weapon in His hand - it seemed.) God had Jesus ready - anointed to die before the foundation of the world . . .Ephesians 1:4ff. 1 Peter 1:20.

Communication of concepts . . .

2008-04-27T09:19:00.002-05:00

Translation is DIFFICULT . . .maybe even impossible. Like our Philosopher friends say "You can't step in the same river twice" is supposed to be TOPPED by "You can't step in the same river ONCE" - and they are both trying to make the same point.

Greek has a structure of "emphasis" in every sentence - to one degree or another. So - to write a sentence without somehow noting that is not a full translation. But - in English, it is sometimes thought to be SHOUTING to even capitalize any word. I deny this . . .but I should at least explain what I am saying and HOW I say it - so we can have some communication . . .I try to write like I talk - but "someone" comes along and decides my accent of strange - aye ? Even after he knows I'm raised in Canada - he says, "What's the aye thing ? It bugs me !" To which us Canadians reply - "Is that right aye ?"

Well - I've been in Texas for a few years (OK - about 45 or so) - so I don't use the "aye" thing much . . .in fact I'm sort of a Texan to ME . . .which is met by "HEY, if you're not BORN here - you ain't Texan" Well, I chose to be born close to my mother . . .and she was in Canada at the time - so sorry !

For those of you who cannot stand the WAY I communicate . . .I apologize "going out the gate" - and I will try to be less vociferous . . .in typing . . .my children had an ongoing bet about how long before someone said anything . . .problem is, they also knew that only a few FRIENDS would actually READ this . . .so they were 3 days OFF . . .

So - it was NOT a complaint . . .just a love tap or two . . .and I appreciate all of you who did it and will do so in the future. I LOVE response . . .and I won't ignore you - remember, I might be seeing if YOU love unconditionally and permanently too ! (Yes - I do not like putting the exclamation mark close to the word - the question mark either ! AND - those extra spaces can add up ! Well - sorry - I am 65 and cranky - just kiddin' - the 65 is right . ..but I am a joker - so read with a smile to START with . . .and laugh out loud at the end ! OK ?)

I am weaning myself off capitals . . .no, they are NOT shouting . . .they person who came up with that is an idiot . . .whoops ! AND - since I have enriched text - I will try - TRY to use bold and italics more instead . . .

HOWEVER - sorry - however - Hebrews were one of the most emotional nations ever . . . and Greeks KNEW - whoops - knew - how their sentences were structured - we, well, those of us to try to say it fully - are hamstrung to some extent - and so - struggle with me a little if you will. I do not want anything to diminish a focus on JESUS . . .HE is my life ! BUT - the responsibility of communication IS on the one talking or writing - so I receive your love and resolve to do the best I can - given my age and deteriorating mental conditions . . .plus the inability to be more creative or less creative - whatever you wish ! And - by the way - my Danish dad (rest his soul) used to gripe at me all the time about what he called BLOCK LETTERS. I didn't know until after he died what I was doing that he was so upset about. So - besides all my other problems - I am SLOW.

BUT - I love you - unconditionally and permanently - so allow me to end today with a comment about that. Agape - was a word the Greeks had, but used seldom . . .so Bible context redefined it and taught us a NEW concept - God's love. Most Christians cannot accept that God accepts unconditionally because they don't really intend to . . .so they ignore that whole part of the Bible. Problem is, once we do that, we miss out on a large facet of God's character and relationship with us. During my 65 years, I have had over a thousand people at one time or another tell me they just couldn't accept that God might LIKE us - even though the verse was "God rejoices over you with singing" . . .so sometimes we have to leave people in their mindset until they receive enough information to re-educate their conclusions.

Allow me to ask you to "forbear" me in love - Ephesians 4:1ff. commands that . . .but, just do it because God IS Love and - guess what - HE runs you now . . .and me too. If I could inject that concept into Christendom - the world would change TODAY ! Thanks to those who have commented - and as I promised a couple friends - I'll try from time to time to make a blog LITE - even humorous - so this is one of those . . .I hope my Irish friends are not the only ones laughing - or for those of you who are too dignified - smiling . . .because THEY might well have had a snifter or two anyway with their pint. . .sorry ! And - for those in Scotland, well - I'm a Bourbon guy . . .sorry - slipped back into a former life for a second there !

We say "good morning" or "Good day" (Aussies get it down to a half syllable amazingly enough) - but the original was "God be in your morning" - so English researchers tell me. WOW - so much communication is watered down . . .quite a challenge . . .but I LOVE it . . .and I love YOU - unconditionally and permanently.

Message = Jesus

2008-04-26T07:50:00.000-05:00

It always amazed me that so MANY things point to JESUS in the Old Testament and yet so many of US don't allow the concept to have its end - JESUS. Teachers were quick to point out the concept of Hebrews 1:1 as "God spoke to us in 'SON'" - JESUS is God's message to us. Then, they quickly got to HIS WORDS and those of His followers as THE message.

Well - I have decided (wow - I must be important !) that it is OK to stay with JESUS . . .and I do believe GOD said that to US - OUT LOUD . . ."This is my beloved Son" YES - He also said "Listen to HIM" - so what did JESUS SAY ? For our purposes HE said, "I AM The Way, The Truth, The Life - NO ONE comes to the Father BUT by ME". The message is about HIM - His identity; HIS performance; His provision of Himself as THE ultimate answer . . .and our way to Father.

It seems to me that John 14:6 may well fulfill Isaiah 42:6; 49:8 . . .where BOTH Isaiah passages indicate that Jesus would be "sent for a covenant". And - allow me to confess that when I "ran into" these verses accidentally about 30 years ago - I could scarcely breathe for several minutes - so they probably mean much more to ME than they do to you at this point ! So - get YOUR Bible and read them and see if God speaks to YOU . . .

I am not relying on a fanciful argument to make my points . . .but simply my prejudice that JESUS is EVERYTHING . . .and yes - several people have actually told me that I overemphasize Jesus. My response to that is - "Thank you ! I needed that !"

Well - I am an excitable person in one area - those great passages about Jesus in Colossians 1:15ff. and Philippians 2:5ff. 1 Timothy 6:14ff.2 Corinthians 5:17ff. - really thrill me. I am unashamedly a JESUS MAN ! So - when I see that much of our discussion is about things that are NOT JESUS - I get a little frustrated. Don't misunderstand - I believe the whole Bible . . .and I study it ALL - but "out-of-context" concepts made all important isn't my MAJOR focus. That's one reason I waited so many years to share my study on Jesus as Covenant - I didn't wish to be irresponsible with the whole Bible. AND - many have already told me they have no idea what I am trying to say - so I expect my poor communication will continue. So - let's take our time . . .

For TODAY - allow me to share one more facet - Paul uses the word "Promise" to be an undergirding principle of God's eternal purpose . . .especially Galatians 3:16ff. and that PROMISE was to Abram and TO HIS SEED - Christ. So - the question is - what is the Promise God made to Jesus and Abram at the same time ? More on that - next time . . .

Covenant means . . .

2008-04-25T14:29:00.000-05:00

Maybe definitions are the scourge of the earth . . .because many Greek students try a "new" translation with their Greek dictionary and absolutely miss abut 60-80% of the CONCEPT. So - when we attack the word "covenant" we can miss it by about a million miles. So - what makes ME think I am doing any better ?

Well, I'm aiming at a CONCEPT . . .that fits Biblical themes . . .so I'll let you judge for yourself. I do wish YOU to know that I know the problem and it is at the heart of MANY disagreements about doctrine and biblical interpretations . . .

Covenant means agreement about something . . .but the word I am using means a SURRENDER to God's will by saying something very similar to what Mary said when she was challenged with the situation of being pregnant without help of a man - and not married yet ! After the angel presented her with the IMPOSSIBLE situation, her response was my theme for LIFE - "May it BE to me, even as YOU have said." That is the kind of agreement humans should have in a deal with God.

That response is involved in the Hebrew concept of obedience and FAITH - one who has faith "hides himself under the one he responds to for protection and relationship. We note it in the Bible many times in a short-form - simply "I am your servant" . . .the long form was "You may do with me whatever you wish" - and is similar to our raising our hands in surrender . . .the concept had three Hebrew words and ideas - (1) listen towards a speaker; (2) run towards the one who speaks; and (3) hide oneself under the one we respond to . . .for protection.

So - OUR short form Biblical concept for today is - Hebrews 1 says "God spoke to us in a son" - which makes JESUS HIMSELF the message. We hear HIM and run to hide ourselves UNDER HIM for His protection and identity . . .which is another story we will get to later.

If we read ALL the OT, we would see dozens of PICTURES of JESUS . . .in prophecy as well as feasts and sacrifices . . .and don't forget- HE was the manna come down from heaven and the rock that gave them water.

If we trace the history from a legal perspective, the idea of "covenant" involves PROMISE. First year law students learn that . . .it's just part of the idea in history. HOWEVER - don't forget, if we are to get ideas, we pretty well have to see them played out in the Bible to know God's mind. We've twisted all kinds of meanings (besides "faith-obedience") and generally we end up getting the focus on US . . .and the concept of PROMISE just won't do that . . .it focuses on GOD. Once we see and accept that the Bible is about JESUS - maybe our focus can be sharpened in that direction. As Paul told the Colossians 2:9 "ALL the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in HIM BODILY" . . .plus Paul wrote that God gave HIM preeminence in all things . . .Colossians 1:18.

For today - think one thought - JESUS is the Promise of God . . .to US. My short form concept of that is: Jesus is covenant . . .but that's our pilgrimage together !

Beginnings

2008-04-24T14:42:00.000-05:00

Mostly, friends have asked me " Where did all this come from ?" AND - they meant - "what far-out off the beaten path material have you now wandered into - you freak you !"

My response was - "Yeah - the Bible - so strange !"

Well - it IS strange - from almost any point of view . . .and from my perspective much more strange if we take it in its original presentation . . .and the Hebrew roots which were caused and controlled by GOD . . .as HE showed up one day in a vision and said to Abram "I AM your shield and exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1) THEN - Abram talked to HIM in the vision and found out God would give Abram an heir out of his own body and WHAM - the Bible says - "Abram believed God and IT was counted to him as righteousness" Strange - very strange . . .all you do is ask God a question - believe an impossible answer - and BANG - you're RIGHTEOUS !

No wonder, though, Abram was called the "Father of Faith" - he was an idol worshipper in UR of the Chaldees . . .why choose him ? AND - why would he respond to a VISION experience ?

Well - this simple quandary produced in me a desire to trace the concept through the Bible and understand what God was doing ! Sure - I knew Adam and Eve got a PROMISE after the Fall that she would have a descendant who would bruise Satan's head . . .(strange - the Promise was actually addressed to the SNAKE !) BUT - New Testament writings refer back to THE PROMISE and focus on Abraham . . .so I started there . . .even though it flowed back to the Garden and forward to US ! More to come . . .

Maybe I should call it a FLOG . . .

2008-04-23T18:34:00.001-05:00

I have decided to "corner myself" - and beat myself into submission to share my thoughts with YOU - my Covenant Friends . . .either in prospect or actuality . . .so YOU can call it "Covenant Concepts" or the FLOG !

I would like to share how I came up with the concepts of covenant 30 years ago and how the concepts gradually were chipped away until the sculpture emerged . . .or IS emerging . . .I expect to share NEW ideas and change some things as we go along . . .

Your friendship is valuable to me - but it is UNCONDITIONAL - and PERMANENT - so you never have to read my "stuff" or respond to anything . . .I share with the intent of challenging your mind - but that would be YOUR choice.

My name is Verner . . .I am 65 . . .a psychologist and minister of many years - married to Linda for 35 years . . .4 children and 3 grandchildren.

My counseling and preaching is generally "free" . . .but sometimes people have blessed me with expressions of love after they have been taught or helped.