Tag: Paul

Are You ‘Declared’ to Receive a Crown?

I was in a bible study just a couple weeks ago and the preacher teaching the class directed us to the book of Romans, and proceeded to teach the first seven verses. My attention was grabbed by the beautiful words in verse 4.

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

I am drawn to the word declared. Sometimes the idea of God being both man and God can confuse a person. It is certainly a piece of our faith that non-believers point to and say, “How can that be?” As man, as flesh, I understand how that can be a distraction. This particular idea is more meat than milk, and if you are looking for ways to disprove or dilute the word of God by way of confusion, this is a useful idea that will bewilder a babe on the milk. But I ask, “Are you ‘declared’ to receive a crown?”

First let’s look at the word ‘DECLARE’. If you are to read this verse like you read a novel, or the newspaper, you will read right over the word and attach the meaning regarding speech. To most of us, ‘declare’ means I said something. However that is not what it means here.

The Greek word here is Horizo. It means to define, mark-out, appoint, and determine.

Adam Clark writes of this word, “The word ορισθεντος, which we render declared, comes from οριζω, to bound, define, determine, or limit, and hence our word horizon, the line that determines the farthest visible part of the earth, in reference to the heavens. In this place the word signifies such a manifest and complete exhibition of the subject as to render it indubitable. The resurrection of Christ from the dead was such a manifest proof of our Lord’s innocence, the truth of his doctrine, and the fulfillment of all that the prophets had spoken, as to leave no doubt on any considerate and candid mind.”

The son of God has always existed, just as the spirit has. The trinity was in existence at the time earth and man was created. This is the reason for the pluralism, ‘our’, when we hear that man was made in ‘our’ image. Jesus was not defined the ‘Son of God’ during his life on earth, but long ago. However, the resurrection, an activity that only ever happened once (Lazarus was resurrected by Christ, Christ resurrected himself) is undeniable proof that Christ is who he says he is, and was ‘declared’ to be. If you go back to verse 3 you see Paul describing Jesus as flesh when he refers to him as the ‘seed of David’. Paul points to his humanness at a period of time, life of David, when Jesus was not yet born from the virgin Mary. But yet Jesus ‘was made from the seed of David’. Christ has always been as he was prophesied to be since the old testament. This is important to observe because we as man need to fully understand and believe that Jesus was man and is our example as to living according to the Father’s will and not our own. Jesus had to be man, he had to be just like us so that we could not say, “yeah well he was God and I am not”. He was tempted like we are, hungry like we are, thirsty like we are, hurt and alone like we are, and if anyone reads about his walk to the cross with any amount of sincerity, you have to admit that his body was broken like ours are.

To this point, Charles Surgeon said, “He is as much the Son of God as he was the Son of man. The humanity is as true as the divinity, the divinity as true as the humanity.”

Why is this so important to understand? Because just like Christ was flesh, so are you. Christ is God, and you are not. You and I, we are sinners. We are the children of man, and a creation of God. We have no power and authority over our flesh, and to ward off satan. However, because Christ came and sacrificed himself on the cross, we have the opportunity to accept the spirit into our flesh. At that moment, this part of Paul’s teaching becomes paramount in our faith. It is a teaching to the difference of being a man open to the sin of the world without Christ and being a redeemed soul in Christ living in our flesh. The difference between being alive in flesh, and being dead in flesh. With the acceptance of the spirit, we become appointed, marked out for heaven. Man is broken and needy. We are poor and sinful. We have no hope, just the coming of death. In the spirit we are rich. We have hope in the promise of Christ. We have the coming of a transition to eternity. We are the called of Jesus, because we saw the flesh and warred with it, losing every time. Until that day we called on Jesus, the son of God, and requested to be filled with the spirit so that, as the war against the flesh continues, we may turn that war over to Him, for He already has be victorious.

The proof of this meaning is noted in verse 6 of Romans 1, “Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:”

Calling on the LORD with the sincere repenting mind, we too become a child of God. Reflecting back to verse one Paul said that he is, “separated unto the Gospel of God.” There is a pattern here. Christ was always marked-out as the son of God, Paul received the spirit and was therefore “separated”, or marked out, unto the Gospel. Our flesh is not to be held onto. Understand that this part of your body is not the priority. The soul is. It is not what we are that should drive us, but rather what we are defined and determined and marked-out to be that drives us. We are marked-out to have fellowship, a true relationship, with God the father. We cannot do that when we allow our flesh to get in the way. We cannot do that when we do not see ourselves as marked-out, as different from the rest of the unredeemed world. We are not better than anyone, we are separated because we know how weak we are, how defenseless we are, and how much we need Christ. We separate ourselves because that is the example of Christ, and the apostles.

I am grateful that Jesus came in the flesh to show me being in the flesh alone is not good. I must have a power inside me, His power. I am glad that Paul recorded this message, that I might see the importance of knowing that I am appointed for something greater than just living in sinful flesh, so that I can understand, and help others understand, that the flesh is broken and useless, that I can doing nothing to save myself but confess to the Father that I want to be marked-out for His Glory and His plan.

If you stand in the mirror what will the reflection tell you about yourself, and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your house, straight from the cross to the Christian!

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Care For The Inner Man As Much As You Do The Outer Man?

The pastor of a local church I attend gave a sermon recently on the wonderful verses in Ephesians 3:14-21. I found one bit of the sermon very interesting. So much so, that I could not help but think about studying it in more depth as soon as possible. By the grace of God I was able to do just that, and I share the results with you now.

Ephesians 3

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

The pastor spent a bit of time on this text. However, when he got to expound on verse 16, and talked more about the inner man, the spirit woke me up. I paid attention with great interest and walked away with the desire to learn more.

First let’s remember that the letter to the church of Ephesus was intended to encourage the church, to motivate them to be firm in their faith and in the purpose of the church. And that is what he means in his first three words, “for this cause”. Paul has spent some time talking about the unity of the church in Christ, the wonderful blessings of God, and praying for God to give wisdom and knowledge so that they, the church, can be enlightened. He talks to them about how we are made alive in Christ, that there is grace and mercy to be had from the hands of God. So Paul tells the church that it is for this cause that he prays for them.

Paul prays that God, according to His will, strengthens each of them by way of the might of the Holy Spirit that dwells in them. It is the “inner man” that amazes me in this verse.

Adam Clarke comments, “…Every man is a compound being; he has a body and a soul. The outward man is that alone which is seen and considered by men; the inward man is that which stands particularly in reference to God and eternity. The outward man is strengthened by earthly food, etc.; the inward man, by spiritual and heavenly influences. Knowledge, love, peace, and holiness, are the food of the inward man; or rather Jesus Christ, that bread of life which came down from heaven: he that eateth this bread shall live and be strengthened by it. The soul must be as truly fed and nourished by Divine food as the body by natural food…” I am absolutely in love with this, as it is the reason why I feel I need a church that has both, a morning Sunday school class, and a service. I thirst for the word and simply cannot understand any self-proclaimed Christian who is totally fine with one hour of soul feeding per week. I wonder what the outward man would do if it were to eat and drink for only one hour a week, hummmmmm!!!

Now in his sermon, the pastor spoke briefly about a practice that most believers engage in regularly. That is, we normally, and rightly, pray for external things. We pray for unbelievers to get saved and become believers. We pray for the sick to be healed. We pray for finances, children, households, jobs, political leaders, and so on. Most of us do pray that God strengthens the leaders of the church. But the question is this, “How often do we pray for the strengthening of the inner man of our brothers and sisters?” I pray for your situation because I know your struggling. That is NOT at all the same as praying that God, according to His will and according to His infinite supply, strengthen the spirit in you that you will be encouraged to press on through your own trials. In addition to praying for the desired outcome, we are reminded here by Paul of the importance to pray for the strengthening of the power of the spirit that is inside the brethren.

John Gill commented, “Believers in Christ need fresh supplies of strength to enable them to exercise grace, to perform duties, to resist Satan and his temptations, to oppose their corruptions, and to bear the cross, and undergo afflictions cheerfully, and to hold on and out to the end….” I highlighted ‘cheerfully’ because even I, most of the time, do not endure temptation and persecution cheerfully. I dislike it and let everyone know I dislike it. I am wrong about that, and need to work on that. Another lesson for another day, but I did have to stop for a second and give this very important Christian characteristic its due attention.

Henry Ironside commented, “Do you sometimes feel your limitations, your weakness, your lack of purpose, your powerlessness when it comes to living for God and witnessing for Him? Do you feel as though you might as well give up for the little you accomplish? Do you say, “If I only had more strength, how different it might be”? Listen! Then Excellency of the power is of God, not of us, and the Holy Spirit who dwells within us is ready to work in and through us to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ…..”

I think we often forget that we are not the source of our own power. If there is one idea that kills this lesson, if there is one action of man that prevents the total understanding of this thought it is the idolatrous thought that we create our own power. It is idolatry to believe that it is our own workings that enable and empower us. It is Idolatry that causes us to believe that I can pray for your circumstances and that prayer will be effectual because of the power that I generate within me. This lesson works only when we realize that we are NOT the source of the power, that God is the source of the power and that it does our souls well to request replenishment from the divine storehouse of power. In my more common and blunt words, get out of your own way and let God do His thing!! I think that Ironside says it quite well here. If we remember that the power comes from God, then we will remember that we have to go to God to be replenished of that power. Then, as Gill points out, we are refreshed to battle satan and all his advances on the redeemed. We are refreshed to continue in our services to God. We are refreshed to have patience and give grace to those who persecute us. Only by the Grace of God are we empowered to do such things.

Albert Barnes comments, “…..Every Christian needs grace given each day to enable him to bear trials, to resist temptation, to discharge his duty, to live a life of faith…..”

Notice that Paul says, in the beginning of verse 16, “that He would grant you…” Paul indicates that it is well to pray for one another, but as saints it is important that you pray for your inner man. You need to request the power, and Paul states that he prays God will grant it. James 4:2 tells us we do not have because we do not ask. We must also pray for ourselves. When you are on the plane, you get the lecture about traveling with children and oxygen masks. Put yours on first. Take care of yourself first so that you are able to serve others. Pray for your inner man first. In the military the leaders are told they are no good to the troops if they are dead. There is a reason why generals are not on the front lines. Who will lead if the leader is dead? Take care of yourself first s that you may lead the fight, so that you may lead the troops. Pray for your inner man first! Plug into the power, refresh, replenish. Be at full strength before you pray for others.

Charles Ellicott comments, “….St. Paul emphasises this prayer very strikingly by asking that the gift may be “according to the riches of His glory,” unlimited as the illimitable glory of the Divine Nature itself. Moreover, a greater closeness of communion is clearly indicated here. For light is a gift from without; strength comes from an indwelling power, making itself perfect in weakness, and continually growing from grace to grace….”

My closing thought…. if you stand in the mirror what will the reflection tell you about yourself? Have you been truly seeking the replenishing power of almighty God, or have you been ignoring that thinking you are the source of the power? Perhaps your reflection is indicating that you never gave the source of our power much thought before. However, you now clearly understand what Paul was saying to the churches of Ephesus, and want to partake of riches, be empowered by His might, be rooted and grounded in His love, be able to comprehend the breadth, length, depth, and height of His love, and be filled with the fullness of God. What does the mirror say, and what are you going to do about it? May His divine peace be with you and your house!!!

I Am Broken, And My LORD Makes Me Whole!

Maybe not everyone will agree with me on this, but in some way, shape, or form, I believe we are all broken. I have never met one person who, for the entirety of their life, has never met opposition, abuse, depression, pain, long suffering, tragedy, emotional distress, and/or grief. Maybe there are some who cannot think of one time in their life when they wondered about the meaning of life, where they fit in, what they’re doing wrong, or why they are even alive. But as for me, I cannot imagine that this one person exists. Even my Lord, Jesus the Christ, was broken. I have often pictured his broken body as they nailed him to the cross. When I feel down, or in the deepest bowel of my struggle, I see the mental image of Him. I know that there is nothing that I am enduring that can begin to compare to the pain and suffering He endured. And yet, He overcame death. He is the Lilly that blooms every day. From the withered tree, a tree mal-nourished, dry, leafless, a flower blooms. Even from our own pitiful situations, we can shine like the North Star. Even in the pit of despair, we can light the way of another’s path. We wallow in our own sorrow, feeling so sorry for ourselves, missing the pain and suffering of others. I am so glad that my God uses broken people. I am so glad that in the midst of great sorrow, I can still have joy. The joy that comes from knowing I am not forgotten, I am not alone, and I am nowhere near as bad off as I believe I am. I see broken every day, or at least almost every day. I hear of burn out and the professional life expectancy of a person who deals with other broken people. But praise God, I have a counselor who hears my cries, who lifts me up when I need to be lifted, who has put the right people in my life who don’t mind if I call them and vent, and who are always willing to love and care for me. Maybe most people who read this think I am crazy, and maybe you do not believe in what I believe in, I am okay with that because it is your choice. But I have to tell you that I cannot imagine being burnt out; I cannot imagine having a life span in any field that is any shorter than the life span that God has intended for me to even walk the face of this earth. I cannot imagine it because He is where my strength comes from. If I burn out, I have lost my faith. I am not so foolish as to believe that I am in charge of anything; I do not believe that I have control over anything other than the choices I make. When I chose to have faith in my Lord, when I chose to drop all of my woes at the foot of the cross and walk away, I come away refreshed, more so than any man can refresh me, more so than any medication can refresh me, more so than any drink or drug can falsely refresh me. We are all withered trees. We all have endured, some of us continue to endure, and wonder why. Where are you getting your nourishment? We should understand that even in our brokenness, we can bloom, we have something to offer, and God has a purpose for us. Instead of asking why me, ask for the Lord to show you the next step. Let the flower bloom and let everybody see it. Lift your head, open your eyes, take that step, reach out that hand, shoulders back, back straight, and carry on. These are the flowers. Let them bloom! Move forward in spite of the withered tree that you are. That is the flower. Let it bloom!  The perseverance, the determination, the endurance, the plowing through, these are the flowers. Let them bloom! The experience that just taught you a lesson, the new knowledge you have, the new friends who found you in your time of despair, these are the flowers. Let them bloom! The testimony you now have to share with others, the compassion you have for other withered trees just like you, the journey that brought you through, these are the flowers. Let them bloom! Just when you think nothing good can come from where you are, a flower will bloom. That’s the Lilly, that’s the Lord. Let Him bloom in you! Just when you think you cannot take anymore, you carry on. That’s the Lilly, that’s the Lord, let Him bloom in you! I praise God this morning for all that He has carried me through. I praise God for the lessons, and the strength. I praise God because I know that today, I am going to rely on Him, and I will see a flower come from a withered tree. May the peace of God be with you all today!