68 - Grace Pilgrimage - 6

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

"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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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"

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

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

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)

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)

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.