A HOLY COUPLET
"While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." (1 Peter 3:2)
THROUGH PETER, THE HOLY SPIRIT offers a word of encouragement to believing wives who may not have believing husbands. Their hearts are not to be weighed down with care, nor are they to allow the wicked one to condemn them because they seem powerless to change the situation. Graciously they are told, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives" (3:1). What a marvelous promise! I know of no other promise from God referring to a person being won "without the word." Even if the promise is taken to be a word from the wives, it is still an unparalleled promise – one in which believing sisters can lead out, setting a precedent for others to follow.
THE "CONVERSATION OF THE WIVES" refers to the obvious direction and commitment of their lives. Other versions read "conduct of the wives," or "behavior of the wives." "Conversation," however, goes even deeper than that. There is a flow to life that is similar to an intelligent verbal dialogue. Like conversation, life has a theme, or main point. There is also a progression in life, in which, like a conversation, it moves toward an end, or conclusion. Just as you can tell what interests a person has by their verbal dialog, so you can learn of a person's concerns by the way they live. In our text, the life lived by a godly wife has such an impact that the husband is "won over without words" (NIV).
IN MY UNDERSTANDING, the words "won," or "won over" are not synonymous with conversion, or being born again. Faith still "comes by hearing," not seeing (Rom 10:17). And men are born again "of incorruptible seed, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever" (1 Pet 1:23). We are not to understand that Peter's word is a suspension of that rule.WHAT THE TEXT IS SAYING IS SAYING is that the unbelieving husband will be softened by the way his believing wife lives. He will not be so critical of her, and his ear will be more ready to hear. He will be attracted to the Lord, so as to draw closer, within hearing distance. His spirit will be congenial, as that Centurion was towards the Jews, for whom he built a synagogue (Luke 7:5).
AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS IT that the unbelieving husband beholds in the believing wife that has such a powerful effect upon him? It is this holy couplet: "chaste conversation coupled with fear." Other versions read "chaste conduct accompanied by fear" (NKJV), "chaste and respectful behavior," NASB and "purity and reverence of your lives" (NIV).
A CHASTE CONVERSATION," or "purity" of life speaks of an obvious detachment from "this present evil world" (Gal 1:4). Life, in such a case, is lived for the Lord in an apparent way. There is purity of morals, purity of thought, and purity of motives. A certain selflessness characterizes the wife through which the Spirit can work, drawing the unbelieving husband to consider the purpose for which the wife lives. The "chaste" wife has a strict regard for her marriage, and will not defile it under any circumstances. Nor, indeed, will she consent to soil her relationship to the Lord by involving herself in moral or spiritual contamination.
"FEAR" HAS A TWOFOLD MEANING in this text. First, it speaks of a reverence for the Lord. Second it declares a respect for the husband. Both are rendered because of faith, and in deference to the will of the Lord. This "fear" moves them to be congenial and respectful, being a peacemaker and not a troubler. It includes a fear of any sinful stain in any aspect of life. Presumption and self-will are shunned.
FAITH IS WHAT COUPLES "chaste conversation" and "fear." It alone can join these virtues together, causing them to be a powerful witness to the grace of God. To attempt to lead a pure life without a fear of God and the respect of the husband is futile. To make an effort to fear God and be dutiful toward the husband without being chaste is impossible. These virtues must be joined together, and only faith can do that.
IT SHOULD BE APPARENT to us that a "chaste conversion" and "fear" are not to be found in believing wives alone, and that is not the intent of this passage. Rather, these are virtues that are to be common among the saints – even if some of them are wives with unbelieving husbands. The fact that they are coupled is a sterling example of how believing wives are especially rewarded of the Lord.
IT IS COMELY FOR SUCH WOMEN to be followed by others among the saints. The nobility of coupling together chasteness and fear is to be acknowledged as a great work of faith. Perhaps we should also assure them that their husbands are not the only ones who have noticed their "purity and reverence" (NIV). Frequently our own lives have been challenged by their faithfulness under less-than-ideal circumstances. They are a sermon to all who see them, and we are thankful for them. We do not take them for granted, and support them with our prayers. I pay my personal tribute to all such wives.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
CHRIST JESUS THE LORD
CHRIST JESUS THE LORD
" As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." (Col 2:6)
HOW SHOULD A PERSON LIVE once they have "received Christ Jesus the Lord"? It is not unusual to find a glaring absence of this kind of language among churched people, i.e., "received Christ Jesus the Lord." People are often not hesitant to mention when they "became a Christian," or "joined the church," or were "baptized." There certainly is nothing INHERENTLY wrong with those statements. There did come a point in time when the saved became followers of Christ ("Christians"). There also was a point where they "joined" themselves to the followers of Jesus, as in Acts 9:26. And the day we were "baptized into Christ" (Gal 3:27) was certainly an epoch. However, the phrase "received Christ Jesus the Lord" is a fuller expression, with a wider circumference, including the other matters that have been mentioned, without diminishing them.
IN THE LAST ANALYSIS, receiving Christ distinguishes the saved from the lost. As it is written, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [or right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:11-13).
BEING SAVED INVOLVES RECEIVING BENEFITS, but more fully it involves receiving Christ Himself. Although it is fashionable for men to speak of receiving Jesus as your Savior, our text says He is received as "Christ Jesus THE LORD." The suggestion that you can receive Christ as your Savior, and later receive Him as your Lord is religious folklore. It simply is not possible to receive Christ Jesus outside of recognizing He is, in fact, Your Lord.
RECEIVING HIM AS "THE LORD" settles any issue about obedience. No matter how seemingly small the required obedience may appear, when Jesus is received as "the Lord," hearty submission to His demands will be found. That is precisely why it is said of early converts, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized" (Acts 2:42). They had just heard the powerful proclamation of Jesus Christ. So far as the Scriptural record of the day of Pentecost is concerned, Peter made no reference to Christ as a "Savior." He did make five direct references to Him as "Lord" (Acts 2:20,21,25, 34,36), and that is the capacity in which they received Him.
HOW IS IT THAT WE "receive Christ Jesus the Lord?" Preeminently, it is by believing on His name (John 1:12). It is by trusting Him to be exactly what the Gospel presents Him to be. Even though our sins may have been sweeping like floods over our souls, we believed He could take them away, making them "white as snow" (Isa 1:18), and freeing us from oppressing guilt. We acknowledged we had nothing to offer, and were clothed in filthy rags, even when the very best of our persons was seen (Isa 64:6). We knew if Jesus did not lift us from the quagmire of sin, there was no hope of us ever getting out of it. It only remained for us to know what to do, and we gladly acquiesced to the doing of it – just like those of Scriptural record (Acts 2:37; 8:36; 9:6; 16:30). We received Him as Lord. Those who call Jesus "Lord," yet do not say what He commands do not know what they have said, and are really none of His (Lk 6:46).
NOW THAT WE HAVE "RECEIVED HIM," we do not walk by a principle that differs from receiving Him as Lord. Our lives are still lived out in reliance upon the Christ of the Gospel – the One declared in the good news of salvation. We still rely upon Him as our Lord. We still ask Him what we are to do. We still acknowledge that in us, that is in our flesh, "dwelleth no good thing" (Rom 7:18).
LIFE IN CHRIST IS TO BE ADDRESSED as fervently and energetically as we sought for the remission of our sins! Our obedience as Christians is to be as unrelenting as it was when we sought the purging of our conscience. "What wilt thou have me to do?" is not to disappear from our vocabulary when we come into Christ.
JESUS ONCE SAID, "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21). That is not only a blessing of induction into Christ, it is the manner of life in Him.
WALK YE IN HIM. Contemporary versions read "continue to live your lives in Him." I like the word "walk." It confirms that living in Christ requires effort. It also shows that we are headed in a specific direction, not just wandering in the wilderness of doubt and confusion. It also indicates progress, even though opposition and hardship are regularly confronted, and weaknesses are experienced.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE IT THROUGH these trials? How is progress to be made toward the homeland? Precisely the same way in which we "received Christ Jesus the Lord!" We trust Him to be precisely what the Gospel declares Him to be. We ask Him what we should do, and call upon His name for deliverance and guidance. We acknowledge we need Him, and believe He will not cast us away if we come to Him. How marvelously simple, yet profound!
– Given O. Blakely
" As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." (Col 2:6)
HOW SHOULD A PERSON LIVE once they have "received Christ Jesus the Lord"? It is not unusual to find a glaring absence of this kind of language among churched people, i.e., "received Christ Jesus the Lord." People are often not hesitant to mention when they "became a Christian," or "joined the church," or were "baptized." There certainly is nothing INHERENTLY wrong with those statements. There did come a point in time when the saved became followers of Christ ("Christians"). There also was a point where they "joined" themselves to the followers of Jesus, as in Acts 9:26. And the day we were "baptized into Christ" (Gal 3:27) was certainly an epoch. However, the phrase "received Christ Jesus the Lord" is a fuller expression, with a wider circumference, including the other matters that have been mentioned, without diminishing them.
IN THE LAST ANALYSIS, receiving Christ distinguishes the saved from the lost. As it is written, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [or right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:11-13).
BEING SAVED INVOLVES RECEIVING BENEFITS, but more fully it involves receiving Christ Himself. Although it is fashionable for men to speak of receiving Jesus as your Savior, our text says He is received as "Christ Jesus THE LORD." The suggestion that you can receive Christ as your Savior, and later receive Him as your Lord is religious folklore. It simply is not possible to receive Christ Jesus outside of recognizing He is, in fact, Your Lord.
RECEIVING HIM AS "THE LORD" settles any issue about obedience. No matter how seemingly small the required obedience may appear, when Jesus is received as "the Lord," hearty submission to His demands will be found. That is precisely why it is said of early converts, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized" (Acts 2:42). They had just heard the powerful proclamation of Jesus Christ. So far as the Scriptural record of the day of Pentecost is concerned, Peter made no reference to Christ as a "Savior." He did make five direct references to Him as "Lord" (Acts 2:20,21,25, 34,36), and that is the capacity in which they received Him.
HOW IS IT THAT WE "receive Christ Jesus the Lord?" Preeminently, it is by believing on His name (John 1:12). It is by trusting Him to be exactly what the Gospel presents Him to be. Even though our sins may have been sweeping like floods over our souls, we believed He could take them away, making them "white as snow" (Isa 1:18), and freeing us from oppressing guilt. We acknowledged we had nothing to offer, and were clothed in filthy rags, even when the very best of our persons was seen (Isa 64:6). We knew if Jesus did not lift us from the quagmire of sin, there was no hope of us ever getting out of it. It only remained for us to know what to do, and we gladly acquiesced to the doing of it – just like those of Scriptural record (Acts 2:37; 8:36; 9:6; 16:30). We received Him as Lord. Those who call Jesus "Lord," yet do not say what He commands do not know what they have said, and are really none of His (Lk 6:46).
NOW THAT WE HAVE "RECEIVED HIM," we do not walk by a principle that differs from receiving Him as Lord. Our lives are still lived out in reliance upon the Christ of the Gospel – the One declared in the good news of salvation. We still rely upon Him as our Lord. We still ask Him what we are to do. We still acknowledge that in us, that is in our flesh, "dwelleth no good thing" (Rom 7:18).
LIFE IN CHRIST IS TO BE ADDRESSED as fervently and energetically as we sought for the remission of our sins! Our obedience as Christians is to be as unrelenting as it was when we sought the purging of our conscience. "What wilt thou have me to do?" is not to disappear from our vocabulary when we come into Christ.
JESUS ONCE SAID, "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21). That is not only a blessing of induction into Christ, it is the manner of life in Him.
WALK YE IN HIM. Contemporary versions read "continue to live your lives in Him." I like the word "walk." It confirms that living in Christ requires effort. It also shows that we are headed in a specific direction, not just wandering in the wilderness of doubt and confusion. It also indicates progress, even though opposition and hardship are regularly confronted, and weaknesses are experienced.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE IT THROUGH these trials? How is progress to be made toward the homeland? Precisely the same way in which we "received Christ Jesus the Lord!" We trust Him to be precisely what the Gospel declares Him to be. We ask Him what we should do, and call upon His name for deliverance and guidance. We acknowledge we need Him, and believe He will not cast us away if we come to Him. How marvelously simple, yet profound!
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
GOD’S DIVERS WORKINGS
GOD'S DIVERS WORKINGS
" . . . for the ways of the LORD are right" (Hos 14:9)
THE RELIGIOUS WORLD IS PLAGUED by simplistic views of God. By "simplistic," I mean oversimplification, or shallow. There is a diversity in the Lord's workings that confounds the flesh, but comforts the child of God.
THE WORD OF GOD of good and evil coming from God. The proclamations are quite clear, and it is difficult to conceive of them being stated with greater clarity. Our analysis of them must begin with the postulate that they are righteous, true, precise, and accurate. It is not God's manner to confuse believers by making statements that are not exact. In fact, such a thought reproaches Him.
WOUNDS AND HEALS. "Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand" (Deut. 32:39, NKJV).
KILLS AND MAKES ALIVE. "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up" NKJV (1 Sam. 2:6-7).
MAKES SORE, BINDS UP. "Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole" NKJV (Job 5:17-18).
MAKES DUMB, DEAF, SEEING, AND BLIND. "So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?" (Ex. 4:11, NKJV).
MAKES SORE AND WOUNDS, TO BIND AND CURE. "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal" NKJV (Job 5:17-18).
BRINGS PROSPERITY AND CREATES DISASTER . "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things" NKJV (Isa. 45:7).
UNDOES DEVASTATION HE BROUGHT. "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you" NKJV (Joel 2:25) .
FAITH REASONS WITH THIS IN MIND. Knowing the truth of these things, faith reasons with them in mind. Take, for example, the reasoning of Hosea. "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up" (Hos 6:1).
DAVID REASONED CONCERNING HIS SPIRITUAL PEAKS AND VALLEYS in this manner: "LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled." (Psa 30:7). PAUL spoke of a "thorn" that was "given" to Him, as well as an "abundance of revelations." "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure" NKJV (1 Cor 12:7). JOB reasoned, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips" (Job 2:10). Faith still moves men to reason in this manner.
IT IS COMMENDABLE FOR US to learn to think in this way – to trace both advantages and disadvantages back to the Lord. When we do this, we will be able to pray more effectively, and our hearts will remain tender and supple in God's hand.
– Given O. Blakely
" . . . for the ways of the LORD are right" (Hos 14:9)
THE RELIGIOUS WORLD IS PLAGUED by simplistic views of God. By "simplistic," I mean oversimplification, or shallow. There is a diversity in the Lord's workings that confounds the flesh, but comforts the child of God.
THE WORD OF GOD of good and evil coming from God. The proclamations are quite clear, and it is difficult to conceive of them being stated with greater clarity. Our analysis of them must begin with the postulate that they are righteous, true, precise, and accurate. It is not God's manner to confuse believers by making statements that are not exact. In fact, such a thought reproaches Him.
WOUNDS AND HEALS. "Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand" (Deut. 32:39, NKJV).
KILLS AND MAKES ALIVE. "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up" NKJV (1 Sam. 2:6-7).
MAKES SORE, BINDS UP. "Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole" NKJV (Job 5:17-18).
MAKES DUMB, DEAF, SEEING, AND BLIND. "So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?" (Ex. 4:11, NKJV).
MAKES SORE AND WOUNDS, TO BIND AND CURE. "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal" NKJV (Job 5:17-18).
BRINGS PROSPERITY AND CREATES DISASTER . "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things" NKJV (Isa. 45:7).
UNDOES DEVASTATION HE BROUGHT. "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you" NKJV (Joel 2:25) .
FAITH REASONS WITH THIS IN MIND. Knowing the truth of these things, faith reasons with them in mind. Take, for example, the reasoning of Hosea. "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up" (Hos 6:1).
DAVID REASONED CONCERNING HIS SPIRITUAL PEAKS AND VALLEYS in this manner: "LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled." (Psa 30:7). PAUL spoke of a "thorn" that was "given" to Him, as well as an "abundance of revelations." "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure" NKJV (1 Cor 12:7). JOB reasoned, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips" (Job 2:10). Faith still moves men to reason in this manner.
IT IS COMMENDABLE FOR US to learn to think in this way – to trace both advantages and disadvantages back to the Lord. When we do this, we will be able to pray more effectively, and our hearts will remain tender and supple in God's hand.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, August 24, 2009
GOD IS SOVEREIGN
GOD IS SOVEREIGN
"For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and He is the governor among the nations."(Psalm 22:28) "For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods" (Psalm 95:3)"One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:6)
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "SOVEREIGN"? There are several synonyms offered for the word "sovereign." Among them are, "king," "lord," "monarch," and "potentate." All of these fall woefully short of the Scriptural presentation of the Living God. In the Word of God, key words and concepts are defined doctrinally, not etymologically. The Holy Spirit started with human language, but He did not end there. He gave signification to vernacular that is unique, appreciated only by those who are reconciled to God. Men may consider earthly monarchs to be "sovereign," as the king or queen of England, etc. However, the thoughts conveyed by such reference do not approximate those related to a Sovereign God. The power of earthly potentates is derived – coming from a family name, a vote, or even usurpation. It is not so with the sovereignty of our God.
DOMINANT POWER. Strength belongs to the Lord! It is not His by assignment, but by nature. Angels are strong (Psa. 103:20), yet their strength is derived: it has been given to them by God. However, with God, strength is part of His Person, integral to His nature, one of His inherent qualities. It cannot be taken from Him, nor can another successfully compete with Him. Further, the source of strength resides with Him alone. No personality in heaven or earth can increase in strength independently of our God. Only His power is dominant power! If circumstance appears to indicate that God is not exercising HIS power, or that He has no power, our assessment is simply wrong. The Throne of the universe is never idle or vacant!
RIGHTFUL AUTHORITY. Sovereignty, however, is more than dominating power; it includes authority. In this world, there are ruthless men who exercise unscrupulous power. They have no authority but that of coercion. Their's is a usurped power that is neither right nor beneficial. But it is not so with our God. Power without rightness is tyranny. It is ever true that "a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His kingdom" (Heb. 1:8). The divine rule is "in righteousness" (Isa. 32:1; Acts 17:31). The Lord can never be charged with doing anything wrong, being unequal, or inconsiderate. His Sovereignty is never self-contradictory.
ACTIVE GOVERNMENT. The government of the Lord is not theoretical, even though it is often approached in this manner. His is an active rule, always executed in accordance with His "eternal purpose." Nothing is ever out of God's control, attention, or government. He continually works "according to His own will" (Dan. 4:35), regardless of man's perception of the situation. Currently, the government has been placed upon the shoulder of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa. 9:6; Matt. 28:18; 1 Pet. 3:22). Jesus is now "upholding all things by the Word of His power" (Heb. 1:3). The Lord neither sleeps nor slumbers in the execution of His reign (Psa. 121:4). Thus His rule is always contemporary, vital, and effectual. This is the God whom we trust! He is the One in whom we believe "by" Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:21).
– Given O. Blakely
"For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and He is the governor among the nations."(Psalm 22:28) "For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods" (Psalm 95:3)"One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:6)
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "SOVEREIGN"? There are several synonyms offered for the word "sovereign." Among them are, "king," "lord," "monarch," and "potentate." All of these fall woefully short of the Scriptural presentation of the Living God. In the Word of God, key words and concepts are defined doctrinally, not etymologically. The Holy Spirit started with human language, but He did not end there. He gave signification to vernacular that is unique, appreciated only by those who are reconciled to God. Men may consider earthly monarchs to be "sovereign," as the king or queen of England, etc. However, the thoughts conveyed by such reference do not approximate those related to a Sovereign God. The power of earthly potentates is derived – coming from a family name, a vote, or even usurpation. It is not so with the sovereignty of our God.
DOMINANT POWER. Strength belongs to the Lord! It is not His by assignment, but by nature. Angels are strong (Psa. 103:20), yet their strength is derived: it has been given to them by God. However, with God, strength is part of His Person, integral to His nature, one of His inherent qualities. It cannot be taken from Him, nor can another successfully compete with Him. Further, the source of strength resides with Him alone. No personality in heaven or earth can increase in strength independently of our God. Only His power is dominant power! If circumstance appears to indicate that God is not exercising HIS power, or that He has no power, our assessment is simply wrong. The Throne of the universe is never idle or vacant!
RIGHTFUL AUTHORITY. Sovereignty, however, is more than dominating power; it includes authority. In this world, there are ruthless men who exercise unscrupulous power. They have no authority but that of coercion. Their's is a usurped power that is neither right nor beneficial. But it is not so with our God. Power without rightness is tyranny. It is ever true that "a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His kingdom" (Heb. 1:8). The divine rule is "in righteousness" (Isa. 32:1; Acts 17:31). The Lord can never be charged with doing anything wrong, being unequal, or inconsiderate. His Sovereignty is never self-contradictory.
ACTIVE GOVERNMENT. The government of the Lord is not theoretical, even though it is often approached in this manner. His is an active rule, always executed in accordance with His "eternal purpose." Nothing is ever out of God's control, attention, or government. He continually works "according to His own will" (Dan. 4:35), regardless of man's perception of the situation. Currently, the government has been placed upon the shoulder of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa. 9:6; Matt. 28:18; 1 Pet. 3:22). Jesus is now "upholding all things by the Word of His power" (Heb. 1:3). The Lord neither sleeps nor slumbers in the execution of His reign (Psa. 121:4). Thus His rule is always contemporary, vital, and effectual. This is the God whom we trust! He is the One in whom we believe "by" Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:21).
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, August 21, 2009
WAITING FOR THE HOPE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
"For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness." (Gal 5:5, NRSV)
THE GRAVITY OF APPEALING TO THE LAW for justification, or being righteous, is seen in the arresting words of the Spirit: "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (v. 4, NIV). It is not possible to state the case any more strongly! To be under Law results in being Christ's enemy. You move away from the grace of God when you move under the Law! That is because Law depends entirely upon you. The ONLY works it recognizes are those of men – and they must be perfect.
WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO OUR DILEMMA? We love God's Law! We serve it with our minds! We know it is holy, and just, and good! "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Rom 7:18b, NIV). Such conflict is not allowed by Law! However, even in this situation, we are not without hope. It will not always be the way it is now! We will not always have inner conflict! The "flesh" is not destined to be a permanent part of our person! Here is the glorious good news. "But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope."
OUR "FAITH," NOT OUR WORKS, becomes the stimulant to hope. We do not look to WHAT we have accomplished, but to WHO has saved us! We acknowledge we are "not yet perfect" (Phil 3:12), but we also acknowledge we are not content to be imperfect! Through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, we live in a state of expectation, being "saved by hope" (Rom 8:24-25). That "works" cannot cause us to "eagerly await" for righteousness is evident to the honest heart. This circumstance is because "works" are in the "NOW," while "faith" looks into eternity, for "things hoped for" (Heb 11:1)!
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE APPOINTED MEANS through which this earnest expectation is accomplished! We "eagerly await through the Spirit." Here, the Spirit is contrasted with Law, while faith is contrasted with works. Neither faith nor the Holy Spirit were prominent under the Law. Paul tells us, "But the law does not rest on faith" (Gal 3:12). The book of Exodus refers to the Holy Spirit two times – in both, the ability to construct the tabernacle is the point of reference (Ex 31:3; 35:31). Throughout the Law, the Spirit was NEVER promised. The Israelites were never told to rely upon the Spirit, nor are they declared to have been led by Him.
HOW DIFFERENT UNDER GRACE! Here, the Spirit so clarifies the promises of God that we eagerly anticipate their fulfillment. We know we shall be "like Him" (1 John 3:1-3), and we are willing to wait for the promise! Soon we will be done with struggle and imperfection, and enter into the joy of the Lord. For now, we wait! We admit that "weeping may endure for the night." However, our faith shouts out, "but joy cometh in the morning" (Psa 30:5). We acknowledge we have not yet attained, nor are we "already perfect." However, we energetically "press toward the mark," confident of good things to come (Phil 3:12-14).
THE SPIRIT ENERGIZES OUR FAITH so we can "wait for the hope of righteousness," enduring the onslaughts of the devil, the disappointments of time, and the trying of our faith. Our righteousness will be complete. We are waiting for that!
– Given O. Blakely
THE GRAVITY OF APPEALING TO THE LAW for justification, or being righteous, is seen in the arresting words of the Spirit: "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (v. 4, NIV). It is not possible to state the case any more strongly! To be under Law results in being Christ's enemy. You move away from the grace of God when you move under the Law! That is because Law depends entirely upon you. The ONLY works it recognizes are those of men – and they must be perfect.
WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO OUR DILEMMA? We love God's Law! We serve it with our minds! We know it is holy, and just, and good! "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Rom 7:18b, NIV). Such conflict is not allowed by Law! However, even in this situation, we are not without hope. It will not always be the way it is now! We will not always have inner conflict! The "flesh" is not destined to be a permanent part of our person! Here is the glorious good news. "But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope."
OUR "FAITH," NOT OUR WORKS, becomes the stimulant to hope. We do not look to WHAT we have accomplished, but to WHO has saved us! We acknowledge we are "not yet perfect" (Phil 3:12), but we also acknowledge we are not content to be imperfect! Through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, we live in a state of expectation, being "saved by hope" (Rom 8:24-25). That "works" cannot cause us to "eagerly await" for righteousness is evident to the honest heart. This circumstance is because "works" are in the "NOW," while "faith" looks into eternity, for "things hoped for" (Heb 11:1)!
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE APPOINTED MEANS through which this earnest expectation is accomplished! We "eagerly await through the Spirit." Here, the Spirit is contrasted with Law, while faith is contrasted with works. Neither faith nor the Holy Spirit were prominent under the Law. Paul tells us, "But the law does not rest on faith" (Gal 3:12). The book of Exodus refers to the Holy Spirit two times – in both, the ability to construct the tabernacle is the point of reference (Ex 31:3; 35:31). Throughout the Law, the Spirit was NEVER promised. The Israelites were never told to rely upon the Spirit, nor are they declared to have been led by Him.
HOW DIFFERENT UNDER GRACE! Here, the Spirit so clarifies the promises of God that we eagerly anticipate their fulfillment. We know we shall be "like Him" (1 John 3:1-3), and we are willing to wait for the promise! Soon we will be done with struggle and imperfection, and enter into the joy of the Lord. For now, we wait! We admit that "weeping may endure for the night." However, our faith shouts out, "but joy cometh in the morning" (Psa 30:5). We acknowledge we have not yet attained, nor are we "already perfect." However, we energetically "press toward the mark," confident of good things to come (Phil 3:12-14).
THE SPIRIT ENERGIZES OUR FAITH so we can "wait for the hope of righteousness," enduring the onslaughts of the devil, the disappointments of time, and the trying of our faith. Our righteousness will be complete. We are waiting for that!
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
CRUCIFIED, YET LIVING
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
NOTICE THE STRENGTH OF THIS PERSUASION! It is not a negative view, but a positive one. "But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him" (Rom 6:8). Our crucifixion is in order to our participation in the life of God. It is personal, and it is effective. In delineating this truth, Paul revealed the extent of our death to the order over which Law presides. "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Gal 6:14). I prefer the KJV on this. It states "by WHOM the world . . . " It is Christ who sanctifies the cross, giving it true effectiveness! The world disowns those who have died to it, for it can only love "its own" (John 15:19). Its rejection of us simplifies our new life, for we have also rejected it.
BEING DEAD WITH CHRIST necessarily involves freedom from the coercion of Law. That is because we are joined to the Lord as soon as we are freed from the condemning Law. " If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"? (Col 2:20-21). The Galatians had reverted back to Law, therefore jeopardizing their salvation. Paul shows them that dying to the old order is the point. That is accomplished by identity with Christ in HIS death, not attempting to depend on our own life, so to speak. Here is where our baptism comes into the picture. It is there we were "buried with Him by baptism into death" (Rom 6:3-4). How tragic that this view is so rarely mentioned!
DEATH TO THE WORLD AND SIN is not an end of itself, but a means to an end. Spiritual life is the point, not death! Sin loses its power when we lose our preference for it. It is then that we begin to live the abundant life. That life is lived "to God." We have Jesus as our example and pattern. He now lives in the Presence of God – at His own right hand. He is there to execute the will of God, and fulfill His purpose. He is absorbed in this activity, because that is the way things are in the Divine Presence.
BUT THERE IS MORE TO THIS! Our life is not one of self discipline – like life under the Law. It is Christ who lives in us! He dwells in our hearts by faith (Eph 3:16), and makes His abode with us (John 14:21,23). Our expectation of glory is owing to Christ's Presence within (Col 1:27).
IT IS MARVELOUS TO CONSIDER that Christ is living in us! That is something that can never be accomplished by Law. Because Law can never take away sin, it can never open the door of our hearts to Christ! Those who choose to come to God by means of Law shut themselves up to unbelief, for "the Law is not of faith" (Gal 3:12).
SPIRITUAL LIFE IS LIVED "BY FAITH," not by doing. Paul confessed he lived "by faith in the Son of God." Our persuasion of the reality of Jesus, and the effectiveness of His accomplishments and present work, causes us to be sensitive to God. That sensitivity enables us to be directed by God and led by the Spirit. It establishes the priority of hope, and causes the luster of the world to fade.
IF JESUS LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME," it is surely possible for me to do the lesser thing of loving Him and giving myself for Him. Faith gives you the vision of the real Jesus, thereby providing the incentive and strength to live for Him.
– Given O. Blakely
NOTICE THE STRENGTH OF THIS PERSUASION! It is not a negative view, but a positive one. "But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him" (Rom 6:8). Our crucifixion is in order to our participation in the life of God. It is personal, and it is effective. In delineating this truth, Paul revealed the extent of our death to the order over which Law presides. "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Gal 6:14). I prefer the KJV on this. It states "by WHOM the world . . . " It is Christ who sanctifies the cross, giving it true effectiveness! The world disowns those who have died to it, for it can only love "its own" (John 15:19). Its rejection of us simplifies our new life, for we have also rejected it.
BEING DEAD WITH CHRIST necessarily involves freedom from the coercion of Law. That is because we are joined to the Lord as soon as we are freed from the condemning Law. " If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"? (Col 2:20-21). The Galatians had reverted back to Law, therefore jeopardizing their salvation. Paul shows them that dying to the old order is the point. That is accomplished by identity with Christ in HIS death, not attempting to depend on our own life, so to speak. Here is where our baptism comes into the picture. It is there we were "buried with Him by baptism into death" (Rom 6:3-4). How tragic that this view is so rarely mentioned!
DEATH TO THE WORLD AND SIN is not an end of itself, but a means to an end. Spiritual life is the point, not death! Sin loses its power when we lose our preference for it. It is then that we begin to live the abundant life. That life is lived "to God." We have Jesus as our example and pattern. He now lives in the Presence of God – at His own right hand. He is there to execute the will of God, and fulfill His purpose. He is absorbed in this activity, because that is the way things are in the Divine Presence.
BUT THERE IS MORE TO THIS! Our life is not one of self discipline – like life under the Law. It is Christ who lives in us! He dwells in our hearts by faith (Eph 3:16), and makes His abode with us (John 14:21,23). Our expectation of glory is owing to Christ's Presence within (Col 1:27).
IT IS MARVELOUS TO CONSIDER that Christ is living in us! That is something that can never be accomplished by Law. Because Law can never take away sin, it can never open the door of our hearts to Christ! Those who choose to come to God by means of Law shut themselves up to unbelief, for "the Law is not of faith" (Gal 3:12).
SPIRITUAL LIFE IS LIVED "BY FAITH," not by doing. Paul confessed he lived "by faith in the Son of God." Our persuasion of the reality of Jesus, and the effectiveness of His accomplishments and present work, causes us to be sensitive to God. That sensitivity enables us to be directed by God and led by the Spirit. It establishes the priority of hope, and causes the luster of the world to fade.
IF JESUS LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME," it is surely possible for me to do the lesser thing of loving Him and giving myself for Him. Faith gives you the vision of the real Jesus, thereby providing the incentive and strength to live for Him.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, August 17, 2009
TENDER HEARTS
" . . . your heart was tender . . . " (2 Chron 34:27, NKJV)"
JOSIAH WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years" (2 Chron 34:1). It is written that he did what was right in the eyes of God, and followed the example of David, declining "neither to the right hand, nor to the left" (v 2). In the eighth year of his reign, or when he was sixteen years old, "he began to seek" after God. In the twelfth year of his reign, or when he was twenty years old, he began a massive purging of idolatry in Judah and Jerusalem. He broke down the altars to Baal, groves and carved and molded images. He ground them to dust and scattered it upon the graves of those who sacrificed to them (v 3-4). He even burned the bones of the deceased priests upon their altars and "cleansed Judah and Jerusalem." He extended his crusade to the cities of "Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali." It is said of this time, "When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem" (vs 6-7).WHEN JOSIAH WAS TWENTY-SIX years old, he sent men to "repair the house of the Lord his God." Appropriate money for the task was given to them, and foremen were established for the completion of the work. Craftsman and builders, together with all of the required materials, were chosen, and "the men did the work faithfully" (vs 10-11).
IT WAS DURING THIS TIME that the workers "found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD" (v 15). The book was delivered to Shaohan and scribe, and he read it to king Josiah. When the young king heard the words of the Lord "he tore his clothes" (v 19). He called for the spiritual leaders and asked that they inquire of the Lord for him and the remnant of the people. He knew the wrath of God was upon the people because they had not kept His word (v 21).
GOD CHOSE A PROPHETESS, Huldah, to reveal to these men that His wrath was going to bring calamity upon the people, fulfilling the curses made against them in the Law. Our text was God's word to Josiah. God said "because your heart was tender . . . I also have heard you." He promised Josiah he would die in peace and his eyes would not see the calamities that were going to come upon the people (v 28). And why was such a gracious provision made for the king? "Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me."
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER is this. God chooses those with tender hearts, broken and contrite spirits, who tremble at His Word. These are the people to whom He is attracted, and whom He prefers. They are the ones He has chosen. This is consistently proclaimed in Scripture (Psalm 34:18; 51:17; 147:3; 1 Sam 16:7; Isa 66:2).
A TENDER HEART IS SENSITIVE to the Lord, immediately adjusting the course of life to God's will. It does not draw back from the Word, but runs swiftly to God, seeking to avoid the curse and obtain the blessing. It compels the individual to wage war against what is false, and get rid of what is wicked. Such a person may very well be spared from Divinely appointed calamities and judgments. There is something to ponder.
– Given O. Blakely
JOSIAH WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years" (2 Chron 34:1). It is written that he did what was right in the eyes of God, and followed the example of David, declining "neither to the right hand, nor to the left" (v 2). In the eighth year of his reign, or when he was sixteen years old, "he began to seek" after God. In the twelfth year of his reign, or when he was twenty years old, he began a massive purging of idolatry in Judah and Jerusalem. He broke down the altars to Baal, groves and carved and molded images. He ground them to dust and scattered it upon the graves of those who sacrificed to them (v 3-4). He even burned the bones of the deceased priests upon their altars and "cleansed Judah and Jerusalem." He extended his crusade to the cities of "Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali." It is said of this time, "When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem" (vs 6-7).WHEN JOSIAH WAS TWENTY-SIX years old, he sent men to "repair the house of the Lord his God." Appropriate money for the task was given to them, and foremen were established for the completion of the work. Craftsman and builders, together with all of the required materials, were chosen, and "the men did the work faithfully" (vs 10-11).
IT WAS DURING THIS TIME that the workers "found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD" (v 15). The book was delivered to Shaohan and scribe, and he read it to king Josiah. When the young king heard the words of the Lord "he tore his clothes" (v 19). He called for the spiritual leaders and asked that they inquire of the Lord for him and the remnant of the people. He knew the wrath of God was upon the people because they had not kept His word (v 21).
GOD CHOSE A PROPHETESS, Huldah, to reveal to these men that His wrath was going to bring calamity upon the people, fulfilling the curses made against them in the Law. Our text was God's word to Josiah. God said "because your heart was tender . . . I also have heard you." He promised Josiah he would die in peace and his eyes would not see the calamities that were going to come upon the people (v 28). And why was such a gracious provision made for the king? "Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me."
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER is this. God chooses those with tender hearts, broken and contrite spirits, who tremble at His Word. These are the people to whom He is attracted, and whom He prefers. They are the ones He has chosen. This is consistently proclaimed in Scripture (Psalm 34:18; 51:17; 147:3; 1 Sam 16:7; Isa 66:2).
A TENDER HEART IS SENSITIVE to the Lord, immediately adjusting the course of life to God's will. It does not draw back from the Word, but runs swiftly to God, seeking to avoid the curse and obtain the blessing. It compels the individual to wage war against what is false, and get rid of what is wicked. Such a person may very well be spared from Divinely appointed calamities and judgments. There is something to ponder.
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, August 14, 2009
KEEP IT PURE!
"Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you" (Deut 4:2, NIV). "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it" (Deut 12:32, NIV). "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book" (Rev 22:19, NIV)."
THE DIVINE AFFIRMATION reverberates throughout the universe, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matt 24:35, KJV). Again, Jesus strikes at the heart of our subject, "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law" (Luke 16:17, NIV). Whatever you may think of our Lord's words, it is on the part of wisdom to take them seriously! They presuppose the superintendence of God Almighty, not only in the giving of the words, but in the preservation of them. If this were not the case, Jesus could not have made this statement. As soon as men take it upon themselves to change God's Word by adding to it or taking from it, it ceases to be God's word, and becomes the word of man. This is true of translators as well as preachers and teachers. Jesus referred to such admixtures as "tradition," not God's word (Matt 15:3; Mk 7:13).
GOD'S WORD IS SENT into the world, and will accomplish His intentions. As Isaiah wrote, " . . . it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa 55:10-11). This is written against the backdrop of the copying and translating of the Word of God. The fact that His Word was given into the hands of men did not constitute a liability. God's Word will still accomplish what He sent it BY MEN to do – that is the Divine declaration, and faith is capable of receiving it. When men take it upon themselves to alter what God has said, their representation is no longer the word of God, and God is not devoted to supporting it.
WHEN MEN ARE ADMONISHED not to take from or add to the Word of God, it is not for the Word's sake, but for their own that the warning is issued. God did not say He would re-declare His Word if men took from it or added to it. He did this once, when He gave the ten commandments, written with His finger upon tablets of stone. After Moses dashed the original tablets in pieces, angered by the sin of the people, God rewrote them. As it is written, "The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke" (Ex 34:1). However, no such promise was made in regard to the "Scriptures." They will not be rewritten.
GOD'S WORD SPEAKS SOLEMNLY to those taking it upon themselves to tamper with His Word. Their attempts affect them, not Scripture! The Psalmist wrote, "All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal" (Psalm 119:160). This presupposes their preservation! Peter adds his testimony, "but the word of the Lord stands forever" (1 Pet 1:25). God's Word will not suffer because of the attacks of men--but men will bear the penalty for such folly!
WHEN ISAIAH SAID "truth is fallen in the street" (Isa 59:14), and Jeremiah said, "truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth" (Jer 7:28, NASB), they did not mean truth had been rendered extinct. God said His Word would never pass away, and it will not. The Prophets were affirming that truth had been NEGLECTED. The situation only required someone to believe the truth, take it into their mouth, and speak it. It was still available to be known and spoken!
THE FACT THAT EVERY HISTORICAL ATTEMPT to destroy the Word of God has been dashed upon the rocks of futility ought to tell us something. Even if you manage to push it out of sight, like it was during the dark ages, the Word will surface again. Luther discovered it in a monastery, and when he did, he found it unchanged, uncorrupted, and with great power. In the fullest and most precise sense of the Word, text-tamperers are fools, playing over the fires of condemnation. God's Word will NEVER pass away – in ANY sense!
– Given O. Blakely
THE DIVINE AFFIRMATION reverberates throughout the universe, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matt 24:35, KJV). Again, Jesus strikes at the heart of our subject, "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law" (Luke 16:17, NIV). Whatever you may think of our Lord's words, it is on the part of wisdom to take them seriously! They presuppose the superintendence of God Almighty, not only in the giving of the words, but in the preservation of them. If this were not the case, Jesus could not have made this statement. As soon as men take it upon themselves to change God's Word by adding to it or taking from it, it ceases to be God's word, and becomes the word of man. This is true of translators as well as preachers and teachers. Jesus referred to such admixtures as "tradition," not God's word (Matt 15:3; Mk 7:13).
GOD'S WORD IS SENT into the world, and will accomplish His intentions. As Isaiah wrote, " . . . it shall not return unto ME void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa 55:10-11). This is written against the backdrop of the copying and translating of the Word of God. The fact that His Word was given into the hands of men did not constitute a liability. God's Word will still accomplish what He sent it BY MEN to do – that is the Divine declaration, and faith is capable of receiving it. When men take it upon themselves to alter what God has said, their representation is no longer the word of God, and God is not devoted to supporting it.
WHEN MEN ARE ADMONISHED not to take from or add to the Word of God, it is not for the Word's sake, but for their own that the warning is issued. God did not say He would re-declare His Word if men took from it or added to it. He did this once, when He gave the ten commandments, written with His finger upon tablets of stone. After Moses dashed the original tablets in pieces, angered by the sin of the people, God rewrote them. As it is written, "The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke" (Ex 34:1). However, no such promise was made in regard to the "Scriptures." They will not be rewritten.
GOD'S WORD SPEAKS SOLEMNLY to those taking it upon themselves to tamper with His Word. Their attempts affect them, not Scripture! The Psalmist wrote, "All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal" (Psalm 119:160). This presupposes their preservation! Peter adds his testimony, "but the word of the Lord stands forever" (1 Pet 1:25). God's Word will not suffer because of the attacks of men--but men will bear the penalty for such folly!
WHEN ISAIAH SAID "truth is fallen in the street" (Isa 59:14), and Jeremiah said, "truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth" (Jer 7:28, NASB), they did not mean truth had been rendered extinct. God said His Word would never pass away, and it will not. The Prophets were affirming that truth had been NEGLECTED. The situation only required someone to believe the truth, take it into their mouth, and speak it. It was still available to be known and spoken!
THE FACT THAT EVERY HISTORICAL ATTEMPT to destroy the Word of God has been dashed upon the rocks of futility ought to tell us something. Even if you manage to push it out of sight, like it was during the dark ages, the Word will surface again. Luther discovered it in a monastery, and when he did, he found it unchanged, uncorrupted, and with great power. In the fullest and most precise sense of the Word, text-tamperers are fools, playing over the fires of condemnation. God's Word will NEVER pass away – in ANY sense!
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
BUT GOD . . .
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-6)
BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS, and His rich mercy and profound love for "us," God reached into the abysmal depths we occupied. It was no small effort, and involved sending His "only begotten Son into the world" (1 John 4:10). The Son, volunteering for the mission of mercy (Heb 10:5-10), laid aside the prerogatives of Deity, emptying Himself, and entered into the realm of hostility and death with a sheathed sword and a frail frame (Phil 2:6-8). His entrance into the graveyard of humanity constituted the appearance of "the grace of God which brings salvation" (Tit 2:11). It is the initial time when "the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared" (Tit 3:4). The first appearance was visual, and was missed by the vast majority of humanity (John 1:10-11). Faith brings that appearance home to the heart, enabling the redeemed to see what God did in Christ Jesus.
THE LORD HAD "LOOKED," so to speak, to see if there was any who could assist in the recovery of fallen humanity. As He surveyed the entirety of the race, He found "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him" (Psa 49:7). When it came to the reclamation of mankind, there was a staggering impotence that dominated the offspring of Adam. They were all "without strength" (Rom 5:6). However, the Lord was not dismayed by the circumstance. Speaking of the situation, Isaiah prophesied the matter declared in our text. "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it upheld me" (Isa 63:5). He wrought the salvation FOR men and decimated the powers of darkness by His own power. Man could not do it, so the living God did!
THE PHRASE "RICH IN MERCY," describes salvation from a general viewpoint, showing that it took an abundance of mercy and a willing God to save us. It was no small work to save mankind. "Mercy" involves compassion, pity, and sympathy. It is kindness and goodwill toward miserable and afflicted people. Mercy is also wrapped with the chord of faithfulness. It is not sporadic or inconsistent. The Living God not only has the capacity and ability to lavish His mercy upon men, He has an inclination to do so. Our new birth was "according to His ABUNDANT mercy" (1 Pet 1:3). The point at which we were changed was the point where that abundant mercy was lavished upon us.
THUS WE ARE GIVEN the grand disjunctive – "BUT GOD!" It is what turned things around, ushered hope into the world, and announced the doom of "the prince of the power of the air." It is the line of demarcation in history, when futility was toppled from the throne by faith and hope. Divine intervention is seen in the words "but God." The intervention could not be stopped by the devil! Those words are used to explain Christ's resurrection (Acts 13:30), the demonstration of God's love toward us (Rom 5:8), and the revelation of the things He has prepared for us (1 Cor 2:10). "But God" explains spiritual increase (1 Cor 3:6) and triumph over temptation (1 Cor 10:13). The "but God" factor is what brings all valid change, all acceptable advance, and all victory over inimical forces. All who see it will give glory to Him!
– Given O. Blakely
BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS, and His rich mercy and profound love for "us," God reached into the abysmal depths we occupied. It was no small effort, and involved sending His "only begotten Son into the world" (1 John 4:10). The Son, volunteering for the mission of mercy (Heb 10:5-10), laid aside the prerogatives of Deity, emptying Himself, and entered into the realm of hostility and death with a sheathed sword and a frail frame (Phil 2:6-8). His entrance into the graveyard of humanity constituted the appearance of "the grace of God which brings salvation" (Tit 2:11). It is the initial time when "the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared" (Tit 3:4). The first appearance was visual, and was missed by the vast majority of humanity (John 1:10-11). Faith brings that appearance home to the heart, enabling the redeemed to see what God did in Christ Jesus.
THE LORD HAD "LOOKED," so to speak, to see if there was any who could assist in the recovery of fallen humanity. As He surveyed the entirety of the race, He found "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him" (Psa 49:7). When it came to the reclamation of mankind, there was a staggering impotence that dominated the offspring of Adam. They were all "without strength" (Rom 5:6). However, the Lord was not dismayed by the circumstance. Speaking of the situation, Isaiah prophesied the matter declared in our text. "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it upheld me" (Isa 63:5). He wrought the salvation FOR men and decimated the powers of darkness by His own power. Man could not do it, so the living God did!
THE PHRASE "RICH IN MERCY," describes salvation from a general viewpoint, showing that it took an abundance of mercy and a willing God to save us. It was no small work to save mankind. "Mercy" involves compassion, pity, and sympathy. It is kindness and goodwill toward miserable and afflicted people. Mercy is also wrapped with the chord of faithfulness. It is not sporadic or inconsistent. The Living God not only has the capacity and ability to lavish His mercy upon men, He has an inclination to do so. Our new birth was "according to His ABUNDANT mercy" (1 Pet 1:3). The point at which we were changed was the point where that abundant mercy was lavished upon us.
THUS WE ARE GIVEN the grand disjunctive – "BUT GOD!" It is what turned things around, ushered hope into the world, and announced the doom of "the prince of the power of the air." It is the line of demarcation in history, when futility was toppled from the throne by faith and hope. Divine intervention is seen in the words "but God." The intervention could not be stopped by the devil! Those words are used to explain Christ's resurrection (Acts 13:30), the demonstration of God's love toward us (Rom 5:8), and the revelation of the things He has prepared for us (1 Cor 2:10). "But God" explains spiritual increase (1 Cor 3:6) and triumph over temptation (1 Cor 10:13). The "but God" factor is what brings all valid change, all acceptable advance, and all victory over inimical forces. All who see it will give glory to Him!
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, August 10, 2009
THE FIRST and FOREMOST ACTIVITY
"When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men . . . And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:8,11-12)
OUR TEXT DECLARES what the Lord Jesus did after He ascended up on high, "leading captivity captive" (4:8). High above this present evil world, and out of the reach of the devil, He now "fills all things." There is no arena where His dominating influence is not found – no area where He does not rule. Everything is under His authority, and all power in heaven and earth has been given to Him (Matt 28;18). He has "power over all flesh" (John 17:2). Jesus is "on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (1 Pet 3:22). What will He do with this power? Where will His concentration be found? Our text affirms He "gave gifts unto men" (4:8). Those gifts are listed in order of priority, and with the ultimate purpose of God in mind. The gifts were people – redeemed personalities that would carry out Divine intent. They included apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers. All of them are instructing gifts. The Apostles received the initial insight and message. Prophets speak with insight into God's purpose. Evangelists proclaim the Gospel with insight and power. Pastor/teachers lead and feed, bringing stability to those in Christ. Why did Jesus do this? What is His purpose in doing so?
THE FIRST AND FOREMOST ACTIVITY in this world is the building up of the body of Christ. Every spiritual gift was given for this purpose (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Cor 12:7), as our text affirms. The Scriptures themselves are given for this intent: "that THE MAN OF GOD might be perfect" (2 Tim 3:16-17). This is the thrust of the Holy Spirit's intercession for "US" (Rom 8:26). It is also the exclusive focus of Christ's intercession: "FOR US," and "THEM THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM" (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25). The most precise expression of Christ's love relates to the church: He "loved THE CHURCH and gave Himself FOR IT" (Eph 5:25). Only the church has unreserved access to God, to obtain mercy and find grace in the time of need (Rom 5:2; Eph 2:18; 3:12; Heb 4:15-16). Jesus is the High Priest for the church (Heb 3:1; 6:20). Only the church is "the body of Christ" (1 Cor 12:23), the "people of God" (Heb 4:9), "heirs of God," and "joint heirs with Christ" (Rom 8:17). They alone are being saved "by His life" (Rom 5:10). They alone will "meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess 4:17). They are the only ones for whom God working all things together for good (Rom 8:28).
THIS BY NO MEANS deprecates preaching the Gospel "to every creature" (Mk 16:16) or making"disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19). But when it comes to the emphasis – the thrust – of heavenly activity, it is toward the church! Every spiritual gift is "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:11-12). Holy angels minister to the "heirs of salvation" (Heb 1:13-14). The "inheritance" is "reserved" for them in heaven, and they alone are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pet 1:5). These are "the people of God" (1 Pet 2:10), "the children of God" (Gal 3:26), "the sons of God" (1 John 3:1-2), and "the beloved of God" (Rom 1:7). It is in our best interest to have the same focus as our God – to engage in the same primary activity as the Son of God. Proper emphasis is everything!
– Given O. Blakely
OUR TEXT DECLARES what the Lord Jesus did after He ascended up on high, "leading captivity captive" (4:8). High above this present evil world, and out of the reach of the devil, He now "fills all things." There is no arena where His dominating influence is not found – no area where He does not rule. Everything is under His authority, and all power in heaven and earth has been given to Him (Matt 28;18). He has "power over all flesh" (John 17:2). Jesus is "on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (1 Pet 3:22). What will He do with this power? Where will His concentration be found? Our text affirms He "gave gifts unto men" (4:8). Those gifts are listed in order of priority, and with the ultimate purpose of God in mind. The gifts were people – redeemed personalities that would carry out Divine intent. They included apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers. All of them are instructing gifts. The Apostles received the initial insight and message. Prophets speak with insight into God's purpose. Evangelists proclaim the Gospel with insight and power. Pastor/teachers lead and feed, bringing stability to those in Christ. Why did Jesus do this? What is His purpose in doing so?
THE FIRST AND FOREMOST ACTIVITY in this world is the building up of the body of Christ. Every spiritual gift was given for this purpose (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Cor 12:7), as our text affirms. The Scriptures themselves are given for this intent: "that THE MAN OF GOD might be perfect" (2 Tim 3:16-17). This is the thrust of the Holy Spirit's intercession for "US" (Rom 8:26). It is also the exclusive focus of Christ's intercession: "FOR US," and "THEM THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM" (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25). The most precise expression of Christ's love relates to the church: He "loved THE CHURCH and gave Himself FOR IT" (Eph 5:25). Only the church has unreserved access to God, to obtain mercy and find grace in the time of need (Rom 5:2; Eph 2:18; 3:12; Heb 4:15-16). Jesus is the High Priest for the church (Heb 3:1; 6:20). Only the church is "the body of Christ" (1 Cor 12:23), the "people of God" (Heb 4:9), "heirs of God," and "joint heirs with Christ" (Rom 8:17). They alone are being saved "by His life" (Rom 5:10). They alone will "meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess 4:17). They are the only ones for whom God working all things together for good (Rom 8:28).
THIS BY NO MEANS deprecates preaching the Gospel "to every creature" (Mk 16:16) or making"disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19). But when it comes to the emphasis – the thrust – of heavenly activity, it is toward the church! Every spiritual gift is "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:11-12). Holy angels minister to the "heirs of salvation" (Heb 1:13-14). The "inheritance" is "reserved" for them in heaven, and they alone are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pet 1:5). These are "the people of God" (1 Pet 2:10), "the children of God" (Gal 3:26), "the sons of God" (1 John 3:1-2), and "the beloved of God" (Rom 1:7). It is in our best interest to have the same focus as our God – to engage in the same primary activity as the Son of God. Proper emphasis is everything!
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, August 7, 2009
UNITY CAN BE A SIN!
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psa 133:1)
IT IS A BLESSING FOR "brethren to dwell together in unity" (Psa 133). In that very environment God "commands the blessing, even life for evermore" (v 3). That is the ultimate blessing in this world – one that is "commanded." It is not commanded TO us, but UPON us. No wonder dwelling together in unity is both "good and pleasant."
HOWEVER, IT IS NOT A BLESSING when unity is in the flesh, with the Person of Christ and the purpose of God, pushed into the background. A case in point is the attempt to build a tower in "a plain in the land of Shinar." What a construction project that was! It dwarfed building projects of our time. It was also undertaken by a united people. The people had "one language and one speech," and therefore could communicate effectively. They were deliberate in their plans, determining to make brick, bake them thoroughly, and use asphalt for mortar. Their project would have been a marvel to modern motivators and organizational experts. They would surely have been held up as the ultimate model of success.
THE EFFORT EVEN DREW THE ATTENTION of God Almighty. After all, it is not often that you find a united people determined to actually DO something. Considering the harmony and resoluteness among them, surely, the Lord will find something of value in this endeavor.
BUT THE LORD WAS NOT WELL PLEASED with what He saw. True, the people were "one," and had embarked upon an impressive and well-planned project. But their purpose was sinful. It was, they themselves acknowledged, to "make us a name" for themselves. The great God was not in their thoughts. In fact, they imagined they would derive protection and invincibility as a result of their work. Their's was a godless frame of mind.
THE LORD DETERMINED THEIR WORK would be aborted. His words are arresting, and conducive to sober thought. "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." It is written that as soon as the people could not understand each other, "the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city." The name of that place is called Babel, for it was there that the language of the people became confused (Gen 11:1-10).
TODAY, THE CHURCH IS EXPERIENCING a similar confusion and scattering. Those wearing the name of Christ cannot understand each other, for their speech has been confused. From one perspective, it appears as though Kingdom-building has ground to a halt in preference for earthly, and more visible, goals. Could it be that the Lord is not pleased with the direction Christendom, for want of a better term, has taken? Is it possible that He has confused the language of the people as He did in the Plain of Shinar? Remember, God Himself affirmed nothing the people purposed would be withheld from them because they were "one." What do you suppose would happen if the people of God set their affection on things above, and united in their determination to "obtain the prize?" What if "Christians" decided to work together for the Lord? That is certainly something to think about!
– Given O. Blakely
IT IS A BLESSING FOR "brethren to dwell together in unity" (Psa 133). In that very environment God "commands the blessing, even life for evermore" (v 3). That is the ultimate blessing in this world – one that is "commanded." It is not commanded TO us, but UPON us. No wonder dwelling together in unity is both "good and pleasant."
HOWEVER, IT IS NOT A BLESSING when unity is in the flesh, with the Person of Christ and the purpose of God, pushed into the background. A case in point is the attempt to build a tower in "a plain in the land of Shinar." What a construction project that was! It dwarfed building projects of our time. It was also undertaken by a united people. The people had "one language and one speech," and therefore could communicate effectively. They were deliberate in their plans, determining to make brick, bake them thoroughly, and use asphalt for mortar. Their project would have been a marvel to modern motivators and organizational experts. They would surely have been held up as the ultimate model of success.
THE EFFORT EVEN DREW THE ATTENTION of God Almighty. After all, it is not often that you find a united people determined to actually DO something. Considering the harmony and resoluteness among them, surely, the Lord will find something of value in this endeavor.
BUT THE LORD WAS NOT WELL PLEASED with what He saw. True, the people were "one," and had embarked upon an impressive and well-planned project. But their purpose was sinful. It was, they themselves acknowledged, to "make us a name" for themselves. The great God was not in their thoughts. In fact, they imagined they would derive protection and invincibility as a result of their work. Their's was a godless frame of mind.
THE LORD DETERMINED THEIR WORK would be aborted. His words are arresting, and conducive to sober thought. "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." It is written that as soon as the people could not understand each other, "the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city." The name of that place is called Babel, for it was there that the language of the people became confused (Gen 11:1-10).
TODAY, THE CHURCH IS EXPERIENCING a similar confusion and scattering. Those wearing the name of Christ cannot understand each other, for their speech has been confused. From one perspective, it appears as though Kingdom-building has ground to a halt in preference for earthly, and more visible, goals. Could it be that the Lord is not pleased with the direction Christendom, for want of a better term, has taken? Is it possible that He has confused the language of the people as He did in the Plain of Shinar? Remember, God Himself affirmed nothing the people purposed would be withheld from them because they were "one." What do you suppose would happen if the people of God set their affection on things above, and united in their determination to "obtain the prize?" What if "Christians" decided to work together for the Lord? That is certainly something to think about!
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
NOT OF THE HOUSE
"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim 3:15)
THE "HOUSE OF GOD" is His household, or family. It is the body of the redeemed, among whom He dwells, and in whom He works (Phil 2:13). There is a sense in which this is a house within a house – that is, according to outward appearance, the house does not look to be as it really is.
IT IS POSSIBLE to be in the house, but really not be part of it – to be in an environment in which one does not really belong. In this case, the important thing is not belonging to the group, but having the character that is appropriate for that group. Some examples will suffice.
CAIN IS DESCRIBED AS ONE "who was of the wicked one" (1 John 3:12). He was the devil's man, and yet was the brother of Abel, living in the same household. His character was so diverse from that of his brother, that he killed him (Gen 4:8; 1 John 3:12). He was the elder brother of righteous Abel, had the same parents, yet was different. He was in the house, but was not of it.
ISHMAEL WAS A SON OF ABRAHAM, and for a while lived in the same house with Isaac, who was the "child of promise" (Gal 4:28). He grew up in the same house, yet had a variant spirit. He was "circumcised" like Abraham (Gen 17:25-26). He even joined Isaac in burying their father Abraham (Gen 25:9). Yet, after Isaac was "weaned," Ishmael mocked him, proving himself unworthy of living in Abraham's house. He was "cast out," because he could not be "heir with the child of the freewoman" (Gal 4:30). He was in the house, but was not of it.
ESAU WAS THE TWIN BROTHER OF JACOB, with whom God was identified. He lived in the womb with his brother, had the same father and mother as Jacob, and was raised in the same house. He was even the older of the twins, thereby being given the birthright. Yet Esau was a "profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright" (Heb 12:16). God said of him, "Esau have I hated" (Rom 9:13). He was in the house, but was not of it.
NADAB AND ABIHU were the sons of "Aaron, the saint of the Lord" (Psa 106:16). They were raised in his house. Early, they were given the privilege of joining Aaron and seventy of the elders of Israel in worshiping the Lord (Ex 24:1). Together with Moses, "they saw the God of Israel" (Ex 24:9). Yet, they were slain by God for defiling His altar with "strange fire" (Num 26:61). They were in the house, but were not of it.
JUDAS WAS CHOSEN BY JESUS to be an Apostle (Matt 10:1-4). He was even the treasurer of the small elite group (John 13:29). He is called "Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve" (Mk 14:10,43). He was among "the twelve" to whom Jesus revealed His death and resurrection (Matt 20:17). He sat with Jesus and the others at the last supper (Matt 26:20-21). He was among "the twelve" to whom Jesus explained parables (Mk 4:10-11). He heard Jesus preach (Lk 8:1), and was even sent with the other disciples to preach, heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons (Matt 10:5-8). Yet Judas was "a devil" (diabolos). He was even a thief (John 12:5), and finally betrayed the Lord (Matt 10:4). He was in the house, but was not of it.
SADLY, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE who are presently identified with "the church," who are not really a part of it. In a way, they are intruders. It is our business to see to it we are not in their number. It is essential that we not only be IN the house, but that we be OF the house.
THIS BRINGS TO LIGHT the significance of the statement, "but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Heb 3:6). That criteria is rarely declared in our time, but it needs to be. It is a revealed truth. How about you? Are you in the house? And do you really belong there? This is a house with present and eternal benefits. Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5).
– Given O. Blakely
THE "HOUSE OF GOD" is His household, or family. It is the body of the redeemed, among whom He dwells, and in whom He works (Phil 2:13). There is a sense in which this is a house within a house – that is, according to outward appearance, the house does not look to be as it really is.
IT IS POSSIBLE to be in the house, but really not be part of it – to be in an environment in which one does not really belong. In this case, the important thing is not belonging to the group, but having the character that is appropriate for that group. Some examples will suffice.
CAIN IS DESCRIBED AS ONE "who was of the wicked one" (1 John 3:12). He was the devil's man, and yet was the brother of Abel, living in the same household. His character was so diverse from that of his brother, that he killed him (Gen 4:8; 1 John 3:12). He was the elder brother of righteous Abel, had the same parents, yet was different. He was in the house, but was not of it.
ISHMAEL WAS A SON OF ABRAHAM, and for a while lived in the same house with Isaac, who was the "child of promise" (Gal 4:28). He grew up in the same house, yet had a variant spirit. He was "circumcised" like Abraham (Gen 17:25-26). He even joined Isaac in burying their father Abraham (Gen 25:9). Yet, after Isaac was "weaned," Ishmael mocked him, proving himself unworthy of living in Abraham's house. He was "cast out," because he could not be "heir with the child of the freewoman" (Gal 4:30). He was in the house, but was not of it.
ESAU WAS THE TWIN BROTHER OF JACOB, with whom God was identified. He lived in the womb with his brother, had the same father and mother as Jacob, and was raised in the same house. He was even the older of the twins, thereby being given the birthright. Yet Esau was a "profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright" (Heb 12:16). God said of him, "Esau have I hated" (Rom 9:13). He was in the house, but was not of it.
NADAB AND ABIHU were the sons of "Aaron, the saint of the Lord" (Psa 106:16). They were raised in his house. Early, they were given the privilege of joining Aaron and seventy of the elders of Israel in worshiping the Lord (Ex 24:1). Together with Moses, "they saw the God of Israel" (Ex 24:9). Yet, they were slain by God for defiling His altar with "strange fire" (Num 26:61). They were in the house, but were not of it.
JUDAS WAS CHOSEN BY JESUS to be an Apostle (Matt 10:1-4). He was even the treasurer of the small elite group (John 13:29). He is called "Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve" (Mk 14:10,43). He was among "the twelve" to whom Jesus revealed His death and resurrection (Matt 20:17). He sat with Jesus and the others at the last supper (Matt 26:20-21). He was among "the twelve" to whom Jesus explained parables (Mk 4:10-11). He heard Jesus preach (Lk 8:1), and was even sent with the other disciples to preach, heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons (Matt 10:5-8). Yet Judas was "a devil" (diabolos). He was even a thief (John 12:5), and finally betrayed the Lord (Matt 10:4). He was in the house, but was not of it.
SADLY, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE who are presently identified with "the church," who are not really a part of it. In a way, they are intruders. It is our business to see to it we are not in their number. It is essential that we not only be IN the house, but that we be OF the house.
THIS BRINGS TO LIGHT the significance of the statement, "but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Heb 3:6). That criteria is rarely declared in our time, but it needs to be. It is a revealed truth. How about you? Are you in the house? And do you really belong there? This is a house with present and eternal benefits. Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5).
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, August 3, 2009
REFERENCES TO EGYPT
ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in all of human history was Israel's deliverance from Egypt. They were in Egypt for 430 years (Ex 12:40). When they went down to Egypt, there were seventy of them (Ex 1:5). While they were in the land, they multiplied, even under harsh oppression. The Word of God declares, "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them" (Ex 1:7). When they came out of Egypt, they were a vast multitude. The fighting men, twenty years and older, numbered 603,550 (Ex 38:26; Num 1:19-46). The Levites were not numbered in the census. Later, by the commandment of the Lord, Moses and Aaron numbered the Levite males from one month old and upward. There were 22,000 (Num 3:39). The Levites between 30-50 were 8,500 (Num 4:46). Factoring in all of the non-Levite children, older men, and women, there probably were somewhere between 3-6 million Israelites that came out of Egypt. They came out in an orderly manner, and in one night. A mighty deliverance, indeed! How did the Spirit refer to Egypt – that once mighty nation from which the people of God were delivered?
IRON FURNACE. As they neared the promised land, Moses reminded the people, "But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day" (Deut 4:20). This was not a furnace for keeping warm, but one for smelting, or refining precious metal. The NIV reads, "the iron-smelting furnace." Not only did the people multiply in Egypt, they were refined there. Their hard bondage and difficult labor helped to remove pride them. It also toughened their spirits, so they could endure more. Years later, the prophet Jeremiah referred back to this great deliverance. He told the people God "brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace" (Jer 11:4). Some-thing happened there of which the Egyptians were totally ignorant. It was not their furnace. It was God's refining furnace. There, in Egypt, He prepared the people.
HOUSE OF BONDAGE. On the day Israel marched triumphantly out of Egypt, it is written, "And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place" (Ex 13:3,14). When the Ten Commandments were given, God began by saying, "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Ex 20:2). Joshua reminded the people of "the house of bondage" (Josh 24:17). In the days of Gideon, when the people were oppressed by the Midianites, God sent a prophet to them who said, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage" (Judges 6:8). It was a time when they were not free, but restrained. By the mercy of God, it was a house, not a pit like Joseph was thrown into. It was a house, not the belly of a fish in which Jonah was refined. You can move about in a house, but cannot leave its confines. Too, everything about Egypt was a "house of bondage." Hardship and hindrance were everywhere in that place.
IT IS GOOD TO REMEMBER where we have come from. We came from both a furnace and a house. A furnace where we were refined, and a house wherein we were held. It was God who delivered us from both through the Lord Jesus!
– Given O. Blakely
IRON FURNACE. As they neared the promised land, Moses reminded the people, "But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day" (Deut 4:20). This was not a furnace for keeping warm, but one for smelting, or refining precious metal. The NIV reads, "the iron-smelting furnace." Not only did the people multiply in Egypt, they were refined there. Their hard bondage and difficult labor helped to remove pride them. It also toughened their spirits, so they could endure more. Years later, the prophet Jeremiah referred back to this great deliverance. He told the people God "brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace" (Jer 11:4). Some-thing happened there of which the Egyptians were totally ignorant. It was not their furnace. It was God's refining furnace. There, in Egypt, He prepared the people.
HOUSE OF BONDAGE. On the day Israel marched triumphantly out of Egypt, it is written, "And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place" (Ex 13:3,14). When the Ten Commandments were given, God began by saying, "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Ex 20:2). Joshua reminded the people of "the house of bondage" (Josh 24:17). In the days of Gideon, when the people were oppressed by the Midianites, God sent a prophet to them who said, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage" (Judges 6:8). It was a time when they were not free, but restrained. By the mercy of God, it was a house, not a pit like Joseph was thrown into. It was a house, not the belly of a fish in which Jonah was refined. You can move about in a house, but cannot leave its confines. Too, everything about Egypt was a "house of bondage." Hardship and hindrance were everywhere in that place.
IT IS GOOD TO REMEMBER where we have come from. We came from both a furnace and a house. A furnace where we were refined, and a house wherein we were held. It was God who delivered us from both through the Lord Jesus!
– Given O. Blakely
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