INTRO/REVIEW
“Christian community means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. There is no Christian community that is more than this, and none less than this. Whether it is a brief, single encounter or the daily community of years, Christian community is solely this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
In Jesus Christ, we were chosen by the eternal community of the Trinity before time began, reconciled to Christ in time by his grace, and united to the church for all eternity past the end of time. (Eph 1:4, 18, 22-23; 2:14-15; 3:21)
In the beginning, God. (Gen 1:1)
All community began with the perfect community of the Father, Jesus the Son, and Holy Spirit since before the beginning of time. (Gen 1, Eph 1, Jn 1, Col 1)
In love, humanity was formed for community in the image of God. (Jn 1:1-3, Gen 1:26-28)
God wants to reveal His character and nature to the entire world through his community. (Gen 12:1-3, Ex 19:3-6, Dt 4:1-8)
Jesus was born into God’s community, and is the perfect, exact reflection of the character and nature of God. (Jn 1:14-18, Jn 5:19-23, Col 1:15-20)
Everything that Godly community expresses, everything that God intends for Godly community to do in the world, Jesus has fulfilled. He was with God in the beginning, in perfect community. He came to us as God as man and fulfilled perfect community among us. His life and death as us seals the covenant of God so that we can be free of our sin.
God plants his eternal community in us through faith in Jesus. We receive it by faith.
Jesus Redeems Community
Colossians 1:19-20 – For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus Models Community
1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
God’s covenant community follows Jesus, as Jesus follows the Father. God’s community prays as radically as Jesus, gives as generously as Jesus, and speaks as boldly for truth and justice as Jesus. Through his redeemed covenant community, God continues to reveal his goodness to the entire world.
God Establishes His Covenant Community
Acts 2 – The Day of Pentecost
After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples were waiting together for the Holy Spirit to come, as Jesus had promised.
During the Jewish festival of Pentecost, while they were all together, a wind blew in their room, and 120 disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit. They began speaking in other languages.
People from all over Asia were present in Jerusalem because of the festival. When the disciples left the building, ecstatic and speaking in other languages, the crowds thought they were drunk. Whatever the manifestation of the Spirit was, it was enough to draw a crowd. The people gathered, and Peter began the very first gospel service by preaching a sermon from the Hebrew scriptures.
Peter’s sermon introduction is a little shaky, “Hey everyone, we’re not drunk!” By the end, he’s found his stride. After expounding on the Hebrew scriptures to explain the gospel, he ends with
Acts 2
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
This is the beginning of the first church. They remained in Jerusalem for a while, before persecution caused them to be scattered, and the gospel spread throughout Asia and Europe.
The community they shared was beautiful, but it was not new. Filled with the Holy Spirit, and following in the footsteps of Jesus, the early believers were participating in the Community of God that had existed before time began.
John 17:5, 20-23
3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
From eternal and perfectly satisfied love and joy, the community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created humankind. In Jesus’ death, he fully justified and redeemed mankind to God. By faith, the church could now participate in the eternal community.
To know God is eternal life. By faith in Jesus, the church is filled with the Spirit, and enjoys community together with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit forever.
Just as Jesus had revealed the Father, so did the early church community reflect the nature of the community of God in their fellowship.
Acts 2:42-28
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
(What is a church?
1) The local church is made up of regenerated, Holy Spirit filled believers in Jesus (context– vv36-41).
2) The local church accepts and submits to the authority of scripture (v42).
3) The local church (literally “ecclesia” in Greek, meaning “gathering”) meets together regularly (v46).
When they gather, they
a. study and learn scripture together (v42).
b. praise God together (v47). They probably shared stories of miracles (v43) and provision (v45).
c. worship God and be in awe of his miracles together (v43).
d. participate in God’s work by sharing and being generous together (vv44,5).
4) The local church breaks bread together (vv42,46) and baptizes people (context v38. implied v47.) as visible symbols to remember the good news of Jesus and salvation.
5) The local church is in unity (v44) and they share real life together (v46).
The unity of the church in Christ is expressed by the members in a diversity of God given gifts through faith
6) The local church is an agent of God’s demonstrative love on Earth. (v43,44,45. v47 – favour – evidence of their love)
The church loves
a. God (Mt 22:37).
b. each other (Jn 3:14;13:34-35).
c. their neighbours (Mt 22:39; Rm 13:9-10).
d. strangers (Hb 13:1-2).
e. their enemies (Mt 5:43-45).
7) The local church shares the GOSPEL with the world.
(v47, context – Ax1:8, Jn3:16-17)
This is God’s mission to the world.)
(Next Week – The Church Community in Purpose)
The Church Community in Practice
1. Joyful Love
(Trinity - God is Love – 1 John 4(esp. vv.7-8), Psalm 16:11)
1 John 4:7-8 - Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Love does not exist in a vacuum. A lover has someone to love. To say that God is love is another revelation of the community of God. Because God is triune, he has within himself the ability to share love for all eternity. God is love, and love comes from God.
John 15:9-13 - “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
(John 17:13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.)
To share in the love of God is not a burden. We love each other as he loved us. When we remain in his love, the love he shares with the Father, we will share that same love with each other. This is eternal love, God’s love, existing in the church. In it, we are filled with the joy of the eternal community.
In Practice (Acts 2)
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The early church loved each other so much. They always wanted to be together, and they shared their lives with joy and sincerity
Godly community is a community of love.
2. Humble Unity
(Trinity - Mutual, Humble, Willful Submission – Phil 2)
Philippians 2:1-4
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
(John 17:20-21 - “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.)
The Christian life is one that necessarily requires submission to an other. We cannot live in isolation. There are no autonomous, individualist Christians. We encounter our entire life of faith in the Word of God which comes to us from outside of ourselves. Our righteousness comes from without, not within. We hunger and thirst for righteousness, and therefore we hunger and thirst for the life giving word which sustains our faith and directs our practice.
God puts his Word in the mouth of others. (How can they hear without a preacher (Rom 10).)
When we are affected by the word, we want to tell others.
Satan is overcome by the word of our testimony. We build one another up in mutual submission to and proclamation of the Word. Christ in the testimony of our brothers and sisters is always stronger than in our own hearts.
In Practice (Acts 2)
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
The unity of the early churches was in their mutual submission to scriptural teaching, and each other. They reminded one another of the gospel frequently (communion). They had teachers among them, pastors, apostles, and elders of the church. They were not all the same, but they were all equal.
Ephesians 4:2-6, 11-16
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
There was a lot of preaching going on in the early church. It began with a sermon, and the apostles and elders of the church continued to preach to share the message of the gospel with the new believers. Paul once preached a sermon so long that a young man fell asleep and fell out of a window(Acts 20:9). He kept preaching for the rest of the night. The early church’s hunger for preaching and the word was insatiable. (When the church’s mercy ministry to the poor was growing, different believers other than the main preachers were chosen to lead the practical ministry (Acts 6:3-4).) Everyone had a role in the early church. They were all different, and all essential.
Members of Godly community are humble, considering others before themselves, submitting to the authority of scripture, and respecting the diversity of gifts in the community.
3. Mutual Generosity
(Trinity - Common Ownership - Matt 11:27 – Father handed everything over to Jesus - John 16:15 – Jesus and God share everything.)
John 17:10, 22-23a
10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me.
Like the unity of the Father and Son, the unity of the early church extended to their possessions. They shared everything they had, and there were no poor among them.
In Practice (Acts 2)
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Godly community is generous and shares together.
4. Honesty and Understanding
(Trinity - 1 Corinthians 2:11 – Only the Holy Spirit fully understands the thoughts of God.)
In Practice (Acts 2)
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
The community of Christ shares life together, supernaturally and naturally. We experience miracles together, and we spend time in each other’s homes. We pray for each other, and we smell each other’s bad breath. We understand one another (Phil 2 - make my joy complete by being like-minded), and we trust each other.
Members of Godly community are honest, seek to know each other better, and live in understanding.
5. Fruitfulness
(Trinity - Co-Creating, and co-redeeming – Genesis 1:26, John 1:1-5)
Matthew 28:16-20
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
John 3:16-17 - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
God’s church continues to carry out his mission in the world. He continues to bless the entire world through our intercession, our acts of mercy, and our bold proclamation of the gospel to everyone, everywhere.
In Practice (Acts 2)
46b They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Godly community is open and ready to share their community with others.
Godly community is fruitful, begetting more community.
The local church is an agent of God’s demonstrative love on Earth.
The church loves
a. God (Mt 22:37).
b. each other (Jn 3:14;13:34-35).
c. their neighbours (Mt 22:39; Rm 13:9-10).
d. strangers (Hb 13:1-2).
e. their enemies (Mt 5:43-45).
Like a family, the love within a community only grows in fullness as the community grows. As a parent’s love grows with each new child that their love produced, so also does Godly love in community seek to share that love with others, and see the community grow. God’s love (and therefore our community’s love) is an outward focused love, a love that includes anyone who would receive it.
+
John Wesley said “There is no holiness apart from social holiness”. It is in community that we practice our faith and grow in the word and Christlikeness. Bonhoeffer expressed the importance of community life by reminding us that when God‘s love feels distant or non-existent, the body of Christ’s love is tangible.
The Body of Christ is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit among us. We are participating in the eternal community of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Scripture is clear that the community of believers is not only a blessing, but a necessity. Without it, we die. When we separate ourselves from community, we separate ourselves from the life of God. We chop the living body of Christ into dead members.
God places the lonely and the orphans into families. Through our church, we experience the living Body of Christ together.
(Next Week – God Sends His Covenant Community into the World – The Church on Purpose)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
I'm posting somewhere different now . . .
Here is my mom's blog.
Interested readers can now find new posts written in the comments on my mom's blog. She gets more hits than me.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Colossians 2, 1 Peter 1-5
Through the New Testament Reading - 1 Peter 1-5
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click below to read the series.
Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click below to read the series.
Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Colossians 2:8-10, 13-15, 20-23 ,Acts 26-28
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 26-28
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Colossians 2:8-10, 13-15, 20-23, Acts 23-25
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 23-25
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
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Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Colossians 2 - Key Verses, Acts 20-22
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 20-22
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 2
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:20-23
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Colossians 2, Acts 17-19
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 17-19
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 2 (NIV 1984)
1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 2 (NIV 1984)
1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Community 6 - Jesus Models Covenant Community
INTRO
“Christian community means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. There is no Christian community that is more than this, and none less than this. Whether it is a brief, single encounter or the daily community of years, Christian community is solely this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Jesus is the centre of all Christian Community.
We need others for the sake of Jesus Christ (1 Thes 4:9, 1 John 1:5-7)
We come to others only through Jesus Christ (Eph 2:14)
In Jesus Christ, we were chosen by the eternal community of the Trinity before time began, reconciled to Christ in time by his grace, and united to the church for all eternity past the end of time. (Eph 1:4, 18, 22-23; 2:14-15; 3:21)
When we see other Christians, we see those with whom we will share community for all eternity.
REVIEW
Community Begins With God
Godly Community Expresses Love, Unity, Generosity, Honesty, and Fruitfulness.
It is an outward focused love, a love that includes anyone who would receive it.
Therefore . . .
The Community of God Creates More Community
God’s Intention for His Covenant Community is That Through Her He Would Bless the Entire World
God wants to reveal His character and nature to the entire world through his community.
Unfortunately, human beings have fallen far short of God’s glory, we have sinned in not fulfilling God’s perfect purpose for us and are therefore guilty and worthy of death so . . .
The Community of God Also Redeems Community
He does this by planting the seed of his very nature into humanity.
Jesus IS the Seed of the Covenant of God’s Community
Jesus fulfills Community
Everything that Godly community expresses, everything that God intends for Godly community to do in the world, Jesus has fulfilled. He was with God in the beginning, in perfect community. He came to us as God as man and fulfilled perfect community among us. His life and death as us seals the covenant of God so that we can be free of our sin.
God Plants Community In Us By Grace Through His Covenant In Jesus Christ
Our Faith, Shown in our Obedience, Receives the Seed God Plants
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If we wanted to, we could stop right there. This is the gospel. This is truth. By grace, through faith, we are now in Christ, and fully justified. (Eph 2:8-9)
Let’s consider this again. Here is everything I just said summarized in scripture.
Romans 3:22-25a (emphasis mine)
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. (25b-26 - He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.)
In love and with purpose we were created from the eternal perfect community of the Godhead. We continued to fail to accomplish the purpose for which we were created. God intends to shine the glory of his very life through us, and we say no.
Still, because he loved the world so much, he gave his son, Jesus, to fulfill what we could not, to die as a guilty man though innocent, so that we can be justified through faith in him.
We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (v24).
Freely. Justified. That means to be declared not guilty. Think about that.
This is better than forgiveness. Forgiveness is an act of mercy, and God is merciful. Forgiveness means that the criminal is brought before the judge, and at the end of the trial, the judge pronounces his verdict. The criminal is guilty. But when it comes time for the judge to make his sentence, instead of declaring a prison term, he declares the criminal forgiven. This is mercy. This is forgiveness.
This is radical enough.
In Christ, scripture says that we are more than forgiven. It says we are justified.
The meaning of this may be clearer if we see verse 24 in another translation.
NLT - God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. (Rom 3:24)
Justification is greater than mercy. It is an act of justice. The judge looks the criminal in the eye, and pronounces the criminal not guilty.
This is the exceedingly wonderful and radical good news that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only does our final judge look upon a sinner and say “You’re guilty. I forgive you. Go and sin no more.” Our final judge looks upon the guilty sinner and says,
“You’re not guilty.”
vv25-26 say he did this to demonstrate his justice.
Forgiveness I can wrap my head around. A little bit. He lets it go. You don’t hold someone’s offence against them. But this is a wonder inescapable. He looks me right in the face, sinner that I am, and says,
“You are righteous”.
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This is the wonder of grace. We could stop right here and bathe in the depth of the beauty of God’s mercy forever. Are you free? Absolutely. In Christ, through faith, you have fulfilled all God intends for you. And you are in Christ if you put your faith in him.
But this is not the end of the story, and this is not the end of grace.
God’s grace extends beyond legally calling you righteous, and continues working in you for the rest of your life to make you more like Jesus.
Jesus is our savior. He is also our role model.
God wants to make us like Jesus.
Jesus Models Community
(this segment paraphrased from Christ Centered Relationships 2 by Francis and Lisa Chan - 2008-08-10)
We’ve all heard this good news before. And it is so good. We love to be reminded of it. That’s why we like Jesus .
We really like Jesus. But if we are honest with ourself, we don't really want to become like him. We admire his humility, but do we really want to be that humble? I think we all think it's beautiful that the son of God would get down on his knees and wash the feet of his disciples. But is that really the goal of my life, and is my life headed in that direction of servanthood? Is yours?
Or are you just thankful that Jesus was spit on, and abused, and taken advantage of, but unwilling that you would ever let that happen to you? Do you love the fact that he laid down his rights, while you spend your life fighting for yours?
Some of you praise him, you sing songs, and you love him because he loved you enough to suffer his whole time on this earth for your sake, but you're going to make sure you have fun while you're down here. If so, you think Jesus is a great Saviour, but he's not a great role model.
I say that because a lot of times I'll give messages, and it’s about the character and teachings of Jesus Christ and the way we are to follow that character. I’ll teach about radical generosity from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says we are to give to an evil person whenever they ask of us, or that community life, real church life means that everything we have is shared, and it's met with a hostile defensiveness of someone’s life and property and boundaries and I just need to stop and ask,
Is Jesus Christ your role model?
Think this through. Is it the desire of your heart that you would be the servant that would lay down your life for someone else?
1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
This isn’t an option for the Christian life.
Can’t I just be a Christian and admire everything about Jesus but still look nothing like him? John says no.
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Philippians 2:3-5 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
In community, our attitude is just like Jesus. We walk like him and talk like him. We think like him and react like him. God’s intention for his community in Jesus has not changed. We are to be his hands and feet in the world.
God intends to bless the entire world through his covenant community. Through us.
God’s Covenant Community Blesses the Entire World Through
1. Prayer and Intercession
2. Generosity and Mercy
3. Proclamation and Justice
The Hebrew scriptures are brimming over with instructions in how to be merciful, laws concerning justice for the poor and the alien, stories of intercession by God’s people for the nations of the world, and prophets and priests that intercede for God’s people. When God’s people do not reflect his mercy and justice in the world, the prophets weep as they call for people to repent and return to God’s way.
This hasn’t changed. God’s intention for his people today is the same. We are still to be a blessing to the world. We are salt and light. In Christ, we are empowered to do it. Jesus Christ is our role model.
So when we look at Jesus, we see God’s perfect intention for how his people are to practice prayer, mercy, and justice in the world.
How radical is Jesus’ prayer? That’s how God’s community prays.
How liberally does Jesus give? That’s how generous God intends his community to be.
How boldly does Jesus stand up for truth and justice? God’s community stands as boldly.
Jesus is our Saviour. Once saved, Jesus shows us how we are to live.
Jesus’ Example Of
1. Prayer and Intercession
Jesus prayed often
Luke 5:16
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
(Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Luke 6:12
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.)
Solitude, silence, and spiritual health of individuals in a community is necessary for the health of a whole community. We all need our time alone with God. It is essential. Jesus is God, and he often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. If the Son of God has to withdraw from community to pray, certainly we do as well.
Turn off the TV. Torn of the cell phone. Turn off the computer. Turn off the music. Spend time in the Bible. Spend time in prayer. Every day.
How we pray
Matthew 6:9-13
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
Jesus often prayed alone, and we should do the same. However, he did not teach us to pray only for ourself. This is a corporate prayer. Our Father, our daily bread, our debts, our debtors, lead us not, deliver us are all requests of a community. One could legitimately say that we are praying for all Christians everywhere when we pray the Lord’s prayer. We pray that everyone should be fed, and that all should be delivered from evil. Nowhere in this prayer is one single person praying for themselves. The only individual is the target of the prayer, Our Father in heaven.
If your prayers are always about you alone, or only you and yours, how would you pray differently if you only prayed using the pronouns “we” and “our”.
How we pray for each other (intercession)
Jesus’ powerful prayer in John 17 gives a good example of how we can intercede as God’s Covenant Community.
John 17:20-23
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Jesus prayed that we would be one. Let’s pray as Jesus did. Let’s practice this, too.
One way of promoting unity and humility in the body is to watch our pronouns. It’s easy to criticize other Christians. Nobody has more ammunition on the church than people in the church.
But what if we disciplined ourselves to only ever speak of others in the body of Christ as “we” and “us”. Think of this next time you want to talk about something in the church that you do not personally identify with. Instead of “those churches need to start caring more about social justice”, how about “we Christians still have more we can do in the realm of social justice”.
How we pray for enemies
Jesus prays from the cross.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
This is a prayer of intercession. Beyond all possible imagination, while Jesus is incurring upon himself the greatest injustice ever inflicted by mankind, he prays on behalf of those who are abusing him.
There is no indication whatever of repentance or sorrow on the part of those for whom he prays. Still, he intercedes to the father on their behalf.
The Lord’s prayer says (Matt 6:12) “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
God’s covenant people are a praying people. We have been called to be a blessing to the world. For those who oppress, abuse, and mistreat people, even us, we bow our heads in prayer and ask God for mercy and for their salvation.
Like Abraham interceding for Sodom, Moses for Pharaoh, and Jesus for those who crucify him, there is no one who is exempt from the prayers of God’s people.
2. Generosity and Mercy
Mercy for sinners and outcasts
Matthew 9:9-13
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus had a bad reputation for hanging out with riffraff. Hanging out with sinners and outcasts can be costly. It’s a lot more comfortable to protect ourselves from others, especially those we do not understand. But Jesus didn’t do this.
Jesus chose to live a life where he would incur the cost of standing beside the least of those around him, people who were on the margins, people who were ignored and despised. We have been called to live generously among the poor, and to show mercy to those who are abused and mistreated. Unless we know them, listen to them, spend time with them, as Jesus did, we will never truly be able to do this.
We can’t truly show God’s generous love and mercy with a cheque alone. We have to spoon the soup ourself. We have to build the orphanage. We have to stay up late with the junkie coming down from their high. We have to visit our friends in prison.
Who do you associate with? Maybe it’s time to get to know some misfits. Go ahead and tarnish your reputation a little. After all, Jesus hangs out with you. (snap)
Jesus’ posture toward sinners
In John 8 a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus by people ready to stone her. Jesus makes himself vulnerable, and gets down on the ground next to her. He tells the people that whoever has never sinned can throw the first stone.
Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his close disciples (Matthew 9).
(Matthew 25:31-46) Jesus teaches that whenever we feed a stranger, or invite them into our own home, or give them clothes, we’re doing it for him. When we visit a sick person in the hospital, or a criminal in prison, it’s him we’re visiting. Jesus identifies himself so closely with the marginalized, sinners, and outcasts that he takes our service to them as service to himself.
Our freedom in Jesus is freedom to be Jesus among the poor and lonely, standing on their side when they are most vulnerable. That’s costly for us, and for our community. Your brother might bring “Jesus” into your home. “Jesus” might smell bad. “Jesus” might wreck your stuff. We each incur the cost of other’s generosity. Are we ready to do that? This is a burden that we bear together.
Serving each other
John 13:12-17
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
If we claim to live in him, we must walk as he did. Our Saviour and Lord and King put on a towel and washed the feet of his disciples. He washed Judas’ feet. He explicitly told us that we are to do the same.
We are to bear the burdens of each other’s freedom. Not only do we serve “the least of these”, we support the messy business of each other doing the same.
Mark 9:35 - Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
(Mark 10:44-45 - and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”)
3. Proclamation and Justice
Jesus’ purpose and ours
Luke 4:14-21
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
If we live in Jesus through faith, we walk as he did. His purpose here is the same purpose for God’s Covenant Community spoken through all the Hebrew Scriptures.
It is the purpose of our calling in Jesus to also speak out boldly for justice and for truth for the poor and the prisoners, to stand with the oppressed until they are free, to boldly preach the good news of God’s kingdom without compromise.
Jesus did not pull punches when it came to speaking truth with authority. Some of the strongest declarations of fiery justice in all of scripture are in the red letters, in the mouth of Jesus.
Jesus began his ministry by saying “The Kingdom of Heaven is here. Repent and believe the Good News” (Mark 1:15 and elsewhere). To repent means to turn around, act differently.
He commanded his disciples to follow.
He revealed the sin of the judgmental men who would stone the woman caught in adultery. After they were gone, he told her to go and sin no more.
He called the religious leaders hypocrites, and called them out for their oppression of others. In Matthew (23) he calls them whitewashed tombs filled with greed and self indulgence. He says they heap heavy loads on people’s backs, but are unwilling to do a thing to help them. He tells them to give their excess wealth to the poor.
He tells a wealthy young man to sell everything he has and give it to the poor to inherit eternal life.
When he sees people taking advantage of the religious faithful by hawking sacrificial animals at the temple, he makes a whip, overturns tables, and forcefully drives people out.
Jesus said he wished the entire world were ignited with fire and passion.
Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the highest authority, and the judge of mankind. He does not shrink to call injustice what it is. He weeps with the oppressed and will avenge them. James 5 calls him “YHWH Tsabaoth”, the Master Avenger.
God’s Covenant Community speaks loudly for justice and truth.
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1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Like Jesus, God intends for his community to bless the world through
1. Prayer and Intercession
2. Generosity and Mercy
3. Proclamation and Justice
We are free in Jesus. Free to be his Community. Free to be the servants of all.
(Next Week – God Establishes His Community – The Church)
“Christian community means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. There is no Christian community that is more than this, and none less than this. Whether it is a brief, single encounter or the daily community of years, Christian community is solely this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Jesus is the centre of all Christian Community.
We need others for the sake of Jesus Christ (1 Thes 4:9, 1 John 1:5-7)
We come to others only through Jesus Christ (Eph 2:14)
In Jesus Christ, we were chosen by the eternal community of the Trinity before time began, reconciled to Christ in time by his grace, and united to the church for all eternity past the end of time. (Eph 1:4, 18, 22-23; 2:14-15; 3:21)
When we see other Christians, we see those with whom we will share community for all eternity.
REVIEW
Community Begins With God
Godly Community Expresses Love, Unity, Generosity, Honesty, and Fruitfulness.
It is an outward focused love, a love that includes anyone who would receive it.
Therefore . . .
The Community of God Creates More Community
God’s Intention for His Covenant Community is That Through Her He Would Bless the Entire World
God wants to reveal His character and nature to the entire world through his community.
Unfortunately, human beings have fallen far short of God’s glory, we have sinned in not fulfilling God’s perfect purpose for us and are therefore guilty and worthy of death so . . .
The Community of God Also Redeems Community
He does this by planting the seed of his very nature into humanity.
Jesus IS the Seed of the Covenant of God’s Community
Jesus fulfills Community
Everything that Godly community expresses, everything that God intends for Godly community to do in the world, Jesus has fulfilled. He was with God in the beginning, in perfect community. He came to us as God as man and fulfilled perfect community among us. His life and death as us seals the covenant of God so that we can be free of our sin.
God Plants Community In Us By Grace Through His Covenant In Jesus Christ
Our Faith, Shown in our Obedience, Receives the Seed God Plants
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If we wanted to, we could stop right there. This is the gospel. This is truth. By grace, through faith, we are now in Christ, and fully justified. (Eph 2:8-9)
Let’s consider this again. Here is everything I just said summarized in scripture.
Romans 3:22-25a (emphasis mine)
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. (25b-26 - He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.)
In love and with purpose we were created from the eternal perfect community of the Godhead. We continued to fail to accomplish the purpose for which we were created. God intends to shine the glory of his very life through us, and we say no.
Still, because he loved the world so much, he gave his son, Jesus, to fulfill what we could not, to die as a guilty man though innocent, so that we can be justified through faith in him.
We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (v24).
Freely. Justified. That means to be declared not guilty. Think about that.
This is better than forgiveness. Forgiveness is an act of mercy, and God is merciful. Forgiveness means that the criminal is brought before the judge, and at the end of the trial, the judge pronounces his verdict. The criminal is guilty. But when it comes time for the judge to make his sentence, instead of declaring a prison term, he declares the criminal forgiven. This is mercy. This is forgiveness.
This is radical enough.
In Christ, scripture says that we are more than forgiven. It says we are justified.
The meaning of this may be clearer if we see verse 24 in another translation.
NLT - God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. (Rom 3:24)
Justification is greater than mercy. It is an act of justice. The judge looks the criminal in the eye, and pronounces the criminal not guilty.
This is the exceedingly wonderful and radical good news that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only does our final judge look upon a sinner and say “You’re guilty. I forgive you. Go and sin no more.” Our final judge looks upon the guilty sinner and says,
“You’re not guilty.”
vv25-26 say he did this to demonstrate his justice.
Forgiveness I can wrap my head around. A little bit. He lets it go. You don’t hold someone’s offence against them. But this is a wonder inescapable. He looks me right in the face, sinner that I am, and says,
“You are righteous”.
+
This is the wonder of grace. We could stop right here and bathe in the depth of the beauty of God’s mercy forever. Are you free? Absolutely. In Christ, through faith, you have fulfilled all God intends for you. And you are in Christ if you put your faith in him.
But this is not the end of the story, and this is not the end of grace.
God’s grace extends beyond legally calling you righteous, and continues working in you for the rest of your life to make you more like Jesus.
Jesus is our savior. He is also our role model.
God wants to make us like Jesus.
Jesus Models Community
(this segment paraphrased from Christ Centered Relationships 2 by Francis and Lisa Chan - 2008-08-10)
We’ve all heard this good news before. And it is so good. We love to be reminded of it. That’s why we like Jesus .
We really like Jesus. But if we are honest with ourself, we don't really want to become like him. We admire his humility, but do we really want to be that humble? I think we all think it's beautiful that the son of God would get down on his knees and wash the feet of his disciples. But is that really the goal of my life, and is my life headed in that direction of servanthood? Is yours?
Or are you just thankful that Jesus was spit on, and abused, and taken advantage of, but unwilling that you would ever let that happen to you? Do you love the fact that he laid down his rights, while you spend your life fighting for yours?
Some of you praise him, you sing songs, and you love him because he loved you enough to suffer his whole time on this earth for your sake, but you're going to make sure you have fun while you're down here. If so, you think Jesus is a great Saviour, but he's not a great role model.
I say that because a lot of times I'll give messages, and it’s about the character and teachings of Jesus Christ and the way we are to follow that character. I’ll teach about radical generosity from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says we are to give to an evil person whenever they ask of us, or that community life, real church life means that everything we have is shared, and it's met with a hostile defensiveness of someone’s life and property and boundaries and I just need to stop and ask,
Is Jesus Christ your role model?
Think this through. Is it the desire of your heart that you would be the servant that would lay down your life for someone else?
1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
This isn’t an option for the Christian life.
Can’t I just be a Christian and admire everything about Jesus but still look nothing like him? John says no.
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Philippians 2:3-5 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
In community, our attitude is just like Jesus. We walk like him and talk like him. We think like him and react like him. God’s intention for his community in Jesus has not changed. We are to be his hands and feet in the world.
God intends to bless the entire world through his covenant community. Through us.
God’s Covenant Community Blesses the Entire World Through
1. Prayer and Intercession
2. Generosity and Mercy
3. Proclamation and Justice
The Hebrew scriptures are brimming over with instructions in how to be merciful, laws concerning justice for the poor and the alien, stories of intercession by God’s people for the nations of the world, and prophets and priests that intercede for God’s people. When God’s people do not reflect his mercy and justice in the world, the prophets weep as they call for people to repent and return to God’s way.
This hasn’t changed. God’s intention for his people today is the same. We are still to be a blessing to the world. We are salt and light. In Christ, we are empowered to do it. Jesus Christ is our role model.
So when we look at Jesus, we see God’s perfect intention for how his people are to practice prayer, mercy, and justice in the world.
How radical is Jesus’ prayer? That’s how God’s community prays.
How liberally does Jesus give? That’s how generous God intends his community to be.
How boldly does Jesus stand up for truth and justice? God’s community stands as boldly.
Jesus is our Saviour. Once saved, Jesus shows us how we are to live.
Jesus’ Example Of
1. Prayer and Intercession
Jesus prayed often
Luke 5:16
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
(Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Luke 6:12
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.)
Solitude, silence, and spiritual health of individuals in a community is necessary for the health of a whole community. We all need our time alone with God. It is essential. Jesus is God, and he often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. If the Son of God has to withdraw from community to pray, certainly we do as well.
Turn off the TV. Torn of the cell phone. Turn off the computer. Turn off the music. Spend time in the Bible. Spend time in prayer. Every day.
How we pray
Matthew 6:9-13
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
Jesus often prayed alone, and we should do the same. However, he did not teach us to pray only for ourself. This is a corporate prayer. Our Father, our daily bread, our debts, our debtors, lead us not, deliver us are all requests of a community. One could legitimately say that we are praying for all Christians everywhere when we pray the Lord’s prayer. We pray that everyone should be fed, and that all should be delivered from evil. Nowhere in this prayer is one single person praying for themselves. The only individual is the target of the prayer, Our Father in heaven.
If your prayers are always about you alone, or only you and yours, how would you pray differently if you only prayed using the pronouns “we” and “our”.
How we pray for each other (intercession)
Jesus’ powerful prayer in John 17 gives a good example of how we can intercede as God’s Covenant Community.
John 17:20-23
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Jesus prayed that we would be one. Let’s pray as Jesus did. Let’s practice this, too.
One way of promoting unity and humility in the body is to watch our pronouns. It’s easy to criticize other Christians. Nobody has more ammunition on the church than people in the church.
But what if we disciplined ourselves to only ever speak of others in the body of Christ as “we” and “us”. Think of this next time you want to talk about something in the church that you do not personally identify with. Instead of “those churches need to start caring more about social justice”, how about “we Christians still have more we can do in the realm of social justice”.
How we pray for enemies
Jesus prays from the cross.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
This is a prayer of intercession. Beyond all possible imagination, while Jesus is incurring upon himself the greatest injustice ever inflicted by mankind, he prays on behalf of those who are abusing him.
There is no indication whatever of repentance or sorrow on the part of those for whom he prays. Still, he intercedes to the father on their behalf.
The Lord’s prayer says (Matt 6:12) “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
God’s covenant people are a praying people. We have been called to be a blessing to the world. For those who oppress, abuse, and mistreat people, even us, we bow our heads in prayer and ask God for mercy and for their salvation.
Like Abraham interceding for Sodom, Moses for Pharaoh, and Jesus for those who crucify him, there is no one who is exempt from the prayers of God’s people.
2. Generosity and Mercy
Mercy for sinners and outcasts
Matthew 9:9-13
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus had a bad reputation for hanging out with riffraff. Hanging out with sinners and outcasts can be costly. It’s a lot more comfortable to protect ourselves from others, especially those we do not understand. But Jesus didn’t do this.
Jesus chose to live a life where he would incur the cost of standing beside the least of those around him, people who were on the margins, people who were ignored and despised. We have been called to live generously among the poor, and to show mercy to those who are abused and mistreated. Unless we know them, listen to them, spend time with them, as Jesus did, we will never truly be able to do this.
We can’t truly show God’s generous love and mercy with a cheque alone. We have to spoon the soup ourself. We have to build the orphanage. We have to stay up late with the junkie coming down from their high. We have to visit our friends in prison.
Who do you associate with? Maybe it’s time to get to know some misfits. Go ahead and tarnish your reputation a little. After all, Jesus hangs out with you. (snap)
Jesus’ posture toward sinners
In John 8 a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus by people ready to stone her. Jesus makes himself vulnerable, and gets down on the ground next to her. He tells the people that whoever has never sinned can throw the first stone.
Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his close disciples (Matthew 9).
(Matthew 25:31-46) Jesus teaches that whenever we feed a stranger, or invite them into our own home, or give them clothes, we’re doing it for him. When we visit a sick person in the hospital, or a criminal in prison, it’s him we’re visiting. Jesus identifies himself so closely with the marginalized, sinners, and outcasts that he takes our service to them as service to himself.
Our freedom in Jesus is freedom to be Jesus among the poor and lonely, standing on their side when they are most vulnerable. That’s costly for us, and for our community. Your brother might bring “Jesus” into your home. “Jesus” might smell bad. “Jesus” might wreck your stuff. We each incur the cost of other’s generosity. Are we ready to do that? This is a burden that we bear together.
Serving each other
John 13:12-17
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
If we claim to live in him, we must walk as he did. Our Saviour and Lord and King put on a towel and washed the feet of his disciples. He washed Judas’ feet. He explicitly told us that we are to do the same.
We are to bear the burdens of each other’s freedom. Not only do we serve “the least of these”, we support the messy business of each other doing the same.
Mark 9:35 - Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
(Mark 10:44-45 - and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”)
3. Proclamation and Justice
Jesus’ purpose and ours
Luke 4:14-21
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
If we live in Jesus through faith, we walk as he did. His purpose here is the same purpose for God’s Covenant Community spoken through all the Hebrew Scriptures.
It is the purpose of our calling in Jesus to also speak out boldly for justice and for truth for the poor and the prisoners, to stand with the oppressed until they are free, to boldly preach the good news of God’s kingdom without compromise.
Jesus did not pull punches when it came to speaking truth with authority. Some of the strongest declarations of fiery justice in all of scripture are in the red letters, in the mouth of Jesus.
Jesus began his ministry by saying “The Kingdom of Heaven is here. Repent and believe the Good News” (Mark 1:15 and elsewhere). To repent means to turn around, act differently.
He commanded his disciples to follow.
He revealed the sin of the judgmental men who would stone the woman caught in adultery. After they were gone, he told her to go and sin no more.
He called the religious leaders hypocrites, and called them out for their oppression of others. In Matthew (23) he calls them whitewashed tombs filled with greed and self indulgence. He says they heap heavy loads on people’s backs, but are unwilling to do a thing to help them. He tells them to give their excess wealth to the poor.
He tells a wealthy young man to sell everything he has and give it to the poor to inherit eternal life.
When he sees people taking advantage of the religious faithful by hawking sacrificial animals at the temple, he makes a whip, overturns tables, and forcefully drives people out.
Jesus said he wished the entire world were ignited with fire and passion.
Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the highest authority, and the judge of mankind. He does not shrink to call injustice what it is. He weeps with the oppressed and will avenge them. James 5 calls him “YHWH Tsabaoth”, the Master Avenger.
God’s Covenant Community speaks loudly for justice and truth.
+
1 John 2:6 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Like Jesus, God intends for his community to bless the world through
1. Prayer and Intercession
2. Generosity and Mercy
3. Proclamation and Justice
We are free in Jesus. Free to be his Community. Free to be the servants of all.
(Next Week – God Establishes His Community – The Church)
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Colossians 1, Acts 14-16
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 14-16
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Colossians 1:13-14, 15-20 , Acts 11-13
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 11-13
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Colossians 1:13-14, 15-20 , Acts 8-10
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 8-10
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Colossians 1 - Key verses, Acts 5-7
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 5-7
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Colossians 1, Acts 1-4
Through the New Testament Reading - Acts 1-4
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1 (NIV 1984)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[f] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
I have rewritten and expanded all my entries about Colossians and Philemon into a complete series on my new blog. The entries are ordered by chapter, as they were on this blog. Click the image below to read the series.
Colossians 1 (NIV 1984)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[f] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Notes On The Book Of Hebrews - Everything Made New
Chapter 1
Reminds me of John 1
Through the Son God created the world
He is the exact image of God
He has the same nature as God
The Son will inherit the world
The world is held together by the word of the Son.
The Son is God
The Son is King
The Son is just
The Son is eternal
Chapter 2
Jesus, the Son, became human
Jesus fulfilled every intention of God for humanity.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted.
In willing death and resurrection, he was glorified
Jesus leads his people to glory through his suffering.
Chapter 3
Moses gave the law, God's perfect intention for his chosen people.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
Do not turn from the law.
Do not turn from Jesus.
Chapter 4
It is through faith in Jesus, who fulfilled the law, that we receive salvation.
Jesus has become our High Priest.
Chapter 5
A priest must be human to identify with human frailty and faults.
Jesus is our High Priest, human and therefore able to empathize, but perfectly God and able to offer perfect prayers of intercession on our behalf.
His perfect priesthood offers perfect salvation.
Chapter 6
Faithful Christians grow in maturity.
Our faith is in Jesus, not our works.
Faithful believers don't quit.
Our salvation is in God's covenant, a covenant he will never break.
Jesus has become our permanent lifeline to a permanent covenant.
Our salvation is sure and unbreakable in Jesus.
Chapter 7
Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace.
Jesus is the same kind of King and Priest as Melchizedek.
Like Melchizedek, Jesus is a High Priest with no beginning or end, a forever High Priest for all time.
Tithes paid to Levi are ultimately paid to the High Priest, because Abraham tithes to Melchizedek.
Jesus transcends the old law and priestly order entirely. He cane before it, and exists after it.
Jesus is a permanent priest, and never needs to be replaced. He will never die.
Therefore:
Jesus is a human priest
The perfect priest
A forever priest
And not only the priest, but also the sacrifice
Chapter 8
Jesus is the perfect priest.
The old law and customs of priests and sacrifices are no longer necessary.
The law is in our hearts
Our priest is in heaven
Chapter 9
In the old system, people could not approach God themselves. Only a priest could enter God's presence, and only at certain times and according to certain customs.
All of these rituals represented a truer reality in the heavenly realm. They were earthly copies of heavenly realities. With the copies, the ritual behaviour needed to be done again and again. Since Jesus is God in Heaven, he is able to make the final sacrifice once ad for all in the real holy place and the real altar of which the earthly altar is only a copy.
His sacrifice and priesthood is forever.
Chapter 10
Sacrifices offered again and again heightened our awareness of guilt.
Jesus' perfect sacrifice, offered once, takes care of sin permanently.
We can now approach God without any fear or shame.
Now that such a high price has been paid for our lives, we should offer ourselves quickly and all the time.
Don't stop serving God.
Chapter 11
Faith is our response that receives this true gift God is giving us.
Jesus did the work. We believe in him, even though we didn't see it. We obey him because we believe, and this shows us and others that we truly are trusting God's promises.
Faith is always seen in a God honouring action.
We can only please God when our actions are because of trusting him and his work, not ourself.
The Old Testament is filled with stories of faith in God in action.
Faith has eyes in a heavenly reality, instead of temporary circumstances.
Faith can cause us to act in the miraculous.
Faith can result in persecution and death.
Either way, faith lives in the miraculous eternal realm, and transcends the temporary realm where hardships exist.
As faith filled as all the Old Testament stories are, our promises are better in Jesus.
Chapter 12
The life that we've been redeemed for is one we should live for God entirely.
We have a heritage of faith. We have a goal of faith.
Jesus went through many hardships in faith, because his faith was joyfully hoping for something better.
Our life will also include hard times, very hard times. It is in faith in God's promises that we are able to endure.
God will use the hardships in our lives for our growth and maturity.
Receive and trust God's maturing process.
Walk in faith in unity with other believers. We weren't meant to do this alone.
Once you've heard this message, don't quit.
It is an offense to the sacrifice of Jesus to treat it with contempt by refusing to continue in faith. If you do, the sacrifice is no longer for you.
Chapter 13
Serve each other humbly and often.
Be generously hospitable.
Support victims of injustice.
Act in solidarity with the oppressed.
Walk in purity and integrity.
Don't collect things for yourself.
Live simply, trusting God.
Support your pastors and teachers. Treat them well. Hold them accountable to truth. Jesus doesn't change.
Call people on their teachings about Jesus and the Bible. This is serious. The truth about a life of faith can save the world. A counterfeit can kill.
Jesus didn't take the easy way, and neither do we. This life is meant to be lived as outwardly focused as Jesus' life was. We live to bless and serve the world, not ourselves.
We serve Jesus with our lives all the time, in school, work, and home. This is where the real ministry happens. Let us live lives of service for others at all times, everywhere. God delights in our worship as we serve our neighbours joyfully on Tuesday evening as much or more than when we faithfully raise our hands in worship on Sunday morning.
Respect and honour those who God has intentionally placed in your life for your growth in faith. Pastoral work I'd hard. Treat your pastors in such a way that you make it the joy that it should be.
Remember and pray for all Christians around the world.
All glory to Jesus.
Reminds me of John 1
Through the Son God created the world
He is the exact image of God
He has the same nature as God
The Son will inherit the world
The world is held together by the word of the Son.
The Son is God
The Son is King
The Son is just
The Son is eternal
Chapter 2
Jesus, the Son, became human
Jesus fulfilled every intention of God for humanity.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted.
In willing death and resurrection, he was glorified
Jesus leads his people to glory through his suffering.
Chapter 3
Moses gave the law, God's perfect intention for his chosen people.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
Do not turn from the law.
Do not turn from Jesus.
Chapter 4
It is through faith in Jesus, who fulfilled the law, that we receive salvation.
Jesus has become our High Priest.
Chapter 5
A priest must be human to identify with human frailty and faults.
Jesus is our High Priest, human and therefore able to empathize, but perfectly God and able to offer perfect prayers of intercession on our behalf.
His perfect priesthood offers perfect salvation.
Chapter 6
Faithful Christians grow in maturity.
Our faith is in Jesus, not our works.
Faithful believers don't quit.
Our salvation is in God's covenant, a covenant he will never break.
Jesus has become our permanent lifeline to a permanent covenant.
Our salvation is sure and unbreakable in Jesus.
Chapter 7
Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace.
Jesus is the same kind of King and Priest as Melchizedek.
Like Melchizedek, Jesus is a High Priest with no beginning or end, a forever High Priest for all time.
Tithes paid to Levi are ultimately paid to the High Priest, because Abraham tithes to Melchizedek.
Jesus transcends the old law and priestly order entirely. He cane before it, and exists after it.
Jesus is a permanent priest, and never needs to be replaced. He will never die.
Therefore:
Jesus is a human priest
The perfect priest
A forever priest
And not only the priest, but also the sacrifice
Chapter 8
Jesus is the perfect priest.
The old law and customs of priests and sacrifices are no longer necessary.
The law is in our hearts
Our priest is in heaven
Chapter 9
In the old system, people could not approach God themselves. Only a priest could enter God's presence, and only at certain times and according to certain customs.
All of these rituals represented a truer reality in the heavenly realm. They were earthly copies of heavenly realities. With the copies, the ritual behaviour needed to be done again and again. Since Jesus is God in Heaven, he is able to make the final sacrifice once ad for all in the real holy place and the real altar of which the earthly altar is only a copy.
His sacrifice and priesthood is forever.
Chapter 10
Sacrifices offered again and again heightened our awareness of guilt.
Jesus' perfect sacrifice, offered once, takes care of sin permanently.
We can now approach God without any fear or shame.
Now that such a high price has been paid for our lives, we should offer ourselves quickly and all the time.
Don't stop serving God.
Chapter 11
Faith is our response that receives this true gift God is giving us.
Jesus did the work. We believe in him, even though we didn't see it. We obey him because we believe, and this shows us and others that we truly are trusting God's promises.
Faith is always seen in a God honouring action.
We can only please God when our actions are because of trusting him and his work, not ourself.
The Old Testament is filled with stories of faith in God in action.
Faith has eyes in a heavenly reality, instead of temporary circumstances.
Faith can cause us to act in the miraculous.
Faith can result in persecution and death.
Either way, faith lives in the miraculous eternal realm, and transcends the temporary realm where hardships exist.
As faith filled as all the Old Testament stories are, our promises are better in Jesus.
Chapter 12
The life that we've been redeemed for is one we should live for God entirely.
We have a heritage of faith. We have a goal of faith.
Jesus went through many hardships in faith, because his faith was joyfully hoping for something better.
Our life will also include hard times, very hard times. It is in faith in God's promises that we are able to endure.
God will use the hardships in our lives for our growth and maturity.
Receive and trust God's maturing process.
Walk in faith in unity with other believers. We weren't meant to do this alone.
Once you've heard this message, don't quit.
It is an offense to the sacrifice of Jesus to treat it with contempt by refusing to continue in faith. If you do, the sacrifice is no longer for you.
Chapter 13
Serve each other humbly and often.
Be generously hospitable.
Support victims of injustice.
Act in solidarity with the oppressed.
Walk in purity and integrity.
Don't collect things for yourself.
Live simply, trusting God.
Support your pastors and teachers. Treat them well. Hold them accountable to truth. Jesus doesn't change.
Call people on their teachings about Jesus and the Bible. This is serious. The truth about a life of faith can save the world. A counterfeit can kill.
Jesus didn't take the easy way, and neither do we. This life is meant to be lived as outwardly focused as Jesus' life was. We live to bless and serve the world, not ourselves.
We serve Jesus with our lives all the time, in school, work, and home. This is where the real ministry happens. Let us live lives of service for others at all times, everywhere. God delights in our worship as we serve our neighbours joyfully on Tuesday evening as much or more than when we faithfully raise our hands in worship on Sunday morning.
Respect and honour those who God has intentionally placed in your life for your growth in faith. Pastoral work I'd hard. Treat your pastors in such a way that you make it the joy that it should be.
Remember and pray for all Christians around the world.
All glory to Jesus.
Notes on the book of Hebrews 12-13, Luke 23-24
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 23-24
Hebrews 12-13 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 12-13
Chapter 12
The life that we've been redeemed for is one we should live for God entirely.
We have a heritage of faith. We have a goal of faith.
Jesus went through many hardships in faith, because his faith was joyfully hoping for something better.
Our life will also include hard times, very hard times. It is in faith in God's promises that we are able to endure.
God will use the hardships in our lives for our growth and maturity.
Receive and trust God's maturing process.
Walk in faith in unity with other believers. We weren't meant to do this alone.
Once you've heard this message, don't quit.
It is an offense to the sacrifice of Jesus to treat it with contempt by refusing to continue in faith. If you do, the sacrifice is no longer for you.
Chapter 13
Serve each other humbly and often.
Be generously hospitable.
Support victims of injustice.
Act in solidarity with the oppressed.
Walk in purity and integrity.
Don't collect things for yourself.
Live simply, trusting God.
Support your pastors and teachers. Treat them well. Hold them accountable to truth. Jesus doesn't change.
Call people on their teachings about Jesus and the Bible. This is serious. The truth about a life of faith can save the world. A counterfeit can kill.
Jesus didn't take the easy way, and neither do we. This life is meant to be lived as outwardly focused as Jesus' life was. We live to bless and serve the world, not ourselves.
We serve Jesus with our lives all the time, in school, work, and home. This is where the real ministry happens. Let us live lives of service for others at all times, everywhere. God delights in our worship as we serve our neighbours joyfully on Tuesday evening as much or more than when we faithfully raise our hands in worship on Sunday morning.
Respect and honour those who God has intentionally placed in your life for your growth in faith. Pastoral work I'd hard. Treat your pastors in such a way that you make it the joy that it should be.
Remember and pray for all Christians around the world.
All glory to Jesus.
Hebrews 12-13 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 12-13
Chapter 12
The life that we've been redeemed for is one we should live for God entirely.
We have a heritage of faith. We have a goal of faith.
Jesus went through many hardships in faith, because his faith was joyfully hoping for something better.
Our life will also include hard times, very hard times. It is in faith in God's promises that we are able to endure.
God will use the hardships in our lives for our growth and maturity.
Receive and trust God's maturing process.
Walk in faith in unity with other believers. We weren't meant to do this alone.
Once you've heard this message, don't quit.
It is an offense to the sacrifice of Jesus to treat it with contempt by refusing to continue in faith. If you do, the sacrifice is no longer for you.
Chapter 13
Serve each other humbly and often.
Be generously hospitable.
Support victims of injustice.
Act in solidarity with the oppressed.
Walk in purity and integrity.
Don't collect things for yourself.
Live simply, trusting God.
Support your pastors and teachers. Treat them well. Hold them accountable to truth. Jesus doesn't change.
Call people on their teachings about Jesus and the Bible. This is serious. The truth about a life of faith can save the world. A counterfeit can kill.
Jesus didn't take the easy way, and neither do we. This life is meant to be lived as outwardly focused as Jesus' life was. We live to bless and serve the world, not ourselves.
We serve Jesus with our lives all the time, in school, work, and home. This is where the real ministry happens. Let us live lives of service for others at all times, everywhere. God delights in our worship as we serve our neighbours joyfully on Tuesday evening as much or more than when we faithfully raise our hands in worship on Sunday morning.
Respect and honour those who God has intentionally placed in your life for your growth in faith. Pastoral work I'd hard. Treat your pastors in such a way that you make it the joy that it should be.
Remember and pray for all Christians around the world.
All glory to Jesus.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Notes on the book of Hebrews 10-11, Luke 22
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 22
Hebrews 10-11 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 10-11
Chapter 10
Sacrifices offered again and again heightened our awareness of guilt.
Jesus' perfect sacrifice, offered once, takes care of sin permanently.
We can now approach God without any fear or shame.
Now that such a high price has been paid for our lives, we should offer ourselves quickly and all the time.
Don't stop serving God.
Chapter 11
Faith is our response that receives this true gift God is giving us.
Jesus did the work. We believe in him, even though we didn't see it. We obey him because we believe, and this shows us and others that we truly are trusting God's promises.
Faith is always seen in a God honouring action.
We can only please God when our actions are because of trusting him and his work, not ourself.
The Old Testament is filled with stories of faith in God in action.
Faith has eyes in a heavenly reality, instead of temporary circumstances.
Faith can cause us to act in the miraculous.
Faith can result in persecution and death.
Either way, faith lives in the miraculous eternal realm, and transcends the temporary realm where hardships exist.
As faith filled as all the Old Testament stories are, our promises are better in Jesus.
Hebrews 10-11 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 10-11
Chapter 10
Sacrifices offered again and again heightened our awareness of guilt.
Jesus' perfect sacrifice, offered once, takes care of sin permanently.
We can now approach God without any fear or shame.
Now that such a high price has been paid for our lives, we should offer ourselves quickly and all the time.
Don't stop serving God.
Chapter 11
Faith is our response that receives this true gift God is giving us.
Jesus did the work. We believe in him, even though we didn't see it. We obey him because we believe, and this shows us and others that we truly are trusting God's promises.
Faith is always seen in a God honouring action.
We can only please God when our actions are because of trusting him and his work, not ourself.
The Old Testament is filled with stories of faith in God in action.
Faith has eyes in a heavenly reality, instead of temporary circumstances.
Faith can cause us to act in the miraculous.
Faith can result in persecution and death.
Either way, faith lives in the miraculous eternal realm, and transcends the temporary realm where hardships exist.
As faith filled as all the Old Testament stories are, our promises are better in Jesus.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Notes on the book of Hebrews 7-9, Luke 20-21
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 20-21
Hebrews 7-9 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 7-9
Chapter 7
Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace.
Jesus is the same kind of King and Priest as Melchizedek.
Like Melchizedek, Jesus is a High Priest with no beginning or end, a forever High Priest for all time.
Tithes paid to Levi are ultimately paid to the High Priest, because Abraham tithes to Melchizedek.
Jesus transcends the old law and priestly order entirely. He cane before it, and exists after it.
Jesus is a permanent priest, and never needs to be replaced. He will never die.
Therefore:
Jesus is a human priest
The perfect priest
A forever priest
And not only the priest, but also the sacrifice
Chapter 8
Jesus is the perfect priest.
The old law and customs of priests and sacrifices are no longer necessary.
The law is in our hearts
Our priest is in heaven
Chapter 9
In the old system, people could not approach God themselves. Only a priest could enter God's presence, and only at certain times and according to certain customs.
All of these rituals represented a truer reality in the heavenly realm. They were earthly copies of heavenly realities. With the copies, the ritual behaviour needed to be done again and again. Since Jesus is God in Heaven, he is able to make the final sacrifice once ad for all in the real holy place and the real altar of which the earthly altar is only a copy.
His sacrifice and priesthood is forever.
Hebrews 7-9 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 7-9
Chapter 7
Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace.
Jesus is the same kind of King and Priest as Melchizedek.
Like Melchizedek, Jesus is a High Priest with no beginning or end, a forever High Priest for all time.
Tithes paid to Levi are ultimately paid to the High Priest, because Abraham tithes to Melchizedek.
Jesus transcends the old law and priestly order entirely. He cane before it, and exists after it.
Jesus is a permanent priest, and never needs to be replaced. He will never die.
Therefore:
Jesus is a human priest
The perfect priest
A forever priest
And not only the priest, but also the sacrifice
Chapter 8
Jesus is the perfect priest.
The old law and customs of priests and sacrifices are no longer necessary.
The law is in our hearts
Our priest is in heaven
Chapter 9
In the old system, people could not approach God themselves. Only a priest could enter God's presence, and only at certain times and according to certain customs.
All of these rituals represented a truer reality in the heavenly realm. They were earthly copies of heavenly realities. With the copies, the ritual behaviour needed to be done again and again. Since Jesus is God in Heaven, he is able to make the final sacrifice once ad for all in the real holy place and the real altar of which the earthly altar is only a copy.
His sacrifice and priesthood is forever.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Notes on the book of Hebrews 4-6, Luke 19
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 19
Hebrews 4-6 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 4-6
Chapter 4
It is through faith in Jesus, who fulfilled the law, that we receive salvation.
Jesus has become our High Priest.
Chapter 5
A priest must be human to identify with human frailty and faults.
Jesus is our High Priest, human and therefore able to empathize, but perfectly God and able to offer perfect prayers of intercession on our behalf.
His perfect priesthood offers perfect salvation.
Chapter 6
Faithful Christians grow in maturity.
Our faith is in Jesus, not our works.
Faithful believers don't quit.
Our salvation is in God's covenant, a covenant he will never break.
Jesus has become our permanent lifeline to a permanent covenant.
Our salvation is sure and unbreakable in Jesus.
Hebrews 4-6 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 4-6
Chapter 4
It is through faith in Jesus, who fulfilled the law, that we receive salvation.
Jesus has become our High Priest.
Chapter 5
A priest must be human to identify with human frailty and faults.
Jesus is our High Priest, human and therefore able to empathize, but perfectly God and able to offer perfect prayers of intercession on our behalf.
His perfect priesthood offers perfect salvation.
Chapter 6
Faithful Christians grow in maturity.
Our faith is in Jesus, not our works.
Faithful believers don't quit.
Our salvation is in God's covenant, a covenant he will never break.
Jesus has become our permanent lifeline to a permanent covenant.
Our salvation is sure and unbreakable in Jesus.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Notes on the book of Hebrews 1-3, Luke 17-18
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 17-18
Hebrews 1-3 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 1-3
Chapter 1
Reminds me of John 1
Through the Son God created the world
He is the exact image of God
He has the same nature as God
The Son will inherit the world
The world is held together by the word of the Son.
The Son is God
The Son is King
The Son is just
The Son is eternal
Chapter 2
Jesus, the Son, became human
Jesus fulfilled every intention of God for humanity.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted.
In willing death and resurrection, he was glorified
Jesus leads his people to glory through his suffering.
Chapter 3
Moses gave the law, God's perfect intention for his chosen people.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
Do not turn from the law.
Do not turn from Jesus.
Hebrews 1-3 (NIV 1984)
+
Notes on Hebrews 1-3
Chapter 1
Reminds me of John 1
Through the Son God created the world
He is the exact image of God
He has the same nature as God
The Son will inherit the world
The world is held together by the word of the Son.
The Son is God
The Son is King
The Son is just
The Son is eternal
Chapter 2
Jesus, the Son, became human
Jesus fulfilled every intention of God for humanity.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted.
In willing death and resurrection, he was glorified
Jesus leads his people to glory through his suffering.
Chapter 3
Moses gave the law, God's perfect intention for his chosen people.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
Do not turn from the law.
Do not turn from Jesus.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
I'm posting somewhere different now . . .
Interested readers can now find new posts written on scraps of paper and tossed haphazardly into a shoebox that is shoved under my bed.
The pen in the box is for comments. Please write legibly on the outside of the box with your name and date.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Ephesians 6, Luke 13-16
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 13-16
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Day 5 – My Personal Response to Ephesians 6
I confess that I am humbled in my personal submission to this chapter. I will pray.
My morning quiet time is generally filled with a lot of thinking, a lot of reading, and a lot of writing, and a little bit of prayer.
Ephesians reminds me that it is in humble prayer that my own authority and power is sacrificed, and exchanged through faith for the power and authority of God necessary to serve and resist as he intends.
My prayer will be intentional and two fold.
First, I will pray daily for righteousness and justice for the oppressed and the oppressor.
Secondly, I will pray daily for those who are persecuted for their actions of justice and righteousness, proclamation of truth, and resistance to the powers of oppression.
I will continue to be inform myself of the local, national, and international situations where people are resisting the powers, and pray for people by name.
The battle is the Lord's.
He works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Day 5 – My Personal Response to Ephesians 6
I confess that I am humbled in my personal submission to this chapter. I will pray.
My morning quiet time is generally filled with a lot of thinking, a lot of reading, and a lot of writing, and a little bit of prayer.
Ephesians reminds me that it is in humble prayer that my own authority and power is sacrificed, and exchanged through faith for the power and authority of God necessary to serve and resist as he intends.
My prayer will be intentional and two fold.
First, I will pray daily for righteousness and justice for the oppressed and the oppressor.
Secondly, I will pray daily for those who are persecuted for their actions of justice and righteousness, proclamation of truth, and resistance to the powers of oppression.
I will continue to be inform myself of the local, national, and international situations where people are resisting the powers, and pray for people by name.
The battle is the Lord's.
He works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Ephesians 6:12-13, 18-20, Luke 10-12
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 10-12
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Day 4 – Key Verses Engaged
As I begin to personally consider the application of this chapter, my first reaction is to become frustrated. The first three chapters of Ephesians remind us that we are seated in Christ. The battle is won in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. We receive this as a gift, through faith. The next two chapters are intensely practical, reminding us that we are walking in Christ. Now that Jesus bought us, and we have been adopted into God's family, we are to therefore be imitators of God, living lives of love, submission, and humble service in our community, and through our community to others.
As the writer turns toward the powers of this world that would be contrary to this radical God filled life of love and service, I wish that the next action were expressed more actively. We should fight. We should actively make this reality manifest in the lives of those who oppose it.
I do not deny that chapter six is active. The writer isn't saying that we do not fight, or that we do not wrestle. On the contrary, his description of our resistance is militaristic. Clearly, he has actively resisted the contrary powers, since he finds himself in jail for doing so. However, the verb used to describe our battle is not fight, but stand (The pattern I'm identifying of Sit, Walk, Stand came from Watchman Nee). The weapons and armour described are ideological, spiritual, and abstract. His most explicit practical direction for how to fight is to pray. We resist by standing. We fight by praying.
To be honest, I used to be more of a praying man than I am today. That's an understatement. Somewhere along the line I just got really frustrated with praying that God would bring justice for the poor and hungry, and just decided I'd rather give them a sandwich myself (Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove's book _Becoming the Answer to our Prayers_ has good things to say about this). As I consider this passage, what I realize is that my actions toward justice today were birthed in the closets of my prayer years ago. If I believe the first five chapters of Ephesians, I must humbly submit that my own service for the poor and oppressed comes through allowing myself to be God's instrument of freedom and blessing in the world. This is his desire for each of us, that we would manifest his nature of grace and love everywhere we go. For this to happen, we need to know his heart. We need those moments of quiet and reflection and meditation and worship in his presence. If I want to continue to grow in effective love and justice and grace and resistance to the powers of this world tomorrow, I need to continue to be on my knees receiving the strength to do so today.
There are two sides to my spiritual preparation for resistance revealed in this chapter. The first is awareness of the true nature of who and what I am resisting. The second is awareness of others who are experiencing persecution for their resistance. In both I stand. In both I pray. All active resistance by those in Christ begins here, otherwise we are battling naked and alone, and we will fail.
In God's armour, we resist in his strength. The battle is already won, and the victory is ours.
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Day 4 – Key Verses Engaged
As I begin to personally consider the application of this chapter, my first reaction is to become frustrated. The first three chapters of Ephesians remind us that we are seated in Christ. The battle is won in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. We receive this as a gift, through faith. The next two chapters are intensely practical, reminding us that we are walking in Christ. Now that Jesus bought us, and we have been adopted into God's family, we are to therefore be imitators of God, living lives of love, submission, and humble service in our community, and through our community to others.
As the writer turns toward the powers of this world that would be contrary to this radical God filled life of love and service, I wish that the next action were expressed more actively. We should fight. We should actively make this reality manifest in the lives of those who oppose it.
I do not deny that chapter six is active. The writer isn't saying that we do not fight, or that we do not wrestle. On the contrary, his description of our resistance is militaristic. Clearly, he has actively resisted the contrary powers, since he finds himself in jail for doing so. However, the verb used to describe our battle is not fight, but stand (The pattern I'm identifying of Sit, Walk, Stand came from Watchman Nee). The weapons and armour described are ideological, spiritual, and abstract. His most explicit practical direction for how to fight is to pray. We resist by standing. We fight by praying.
To be honest, I used to be more of a praying man than I am today. That's an understatement. Somewhere along the line I just got really frustrated with praying that God would bring justice for the poor and hungry, and just decided I'd rather give them a sandwich myself (Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove's book _Becoming the Answer to our Prayers_ has good things to say about this). As I consider this passage, what I realize is that my actions toward justice today were birthed in the closets of my prayer years ago. If I believe the first five chapters of Ephesians, I must humbly submit that my own service for the poor and oppressed comes through allowing myself to be God's instrument of freedom and blessing in the world. This is his desire for each of us, that we would manifest his nature of grace and love everywhere we go. For this to happen, we need to know his heart. We need those moments of quiet and reflection and meditation and worship in his presence. If I want to continue to grow in effective love and justice and grace and resistance to the powers of this world tomorrow, I need to continue to be on my knees receiving the strength to do so today.
There are two sides to my spiritual preparation for resistance revealed in this chapter. The first is awareness of the true nature of who and what I am resisting. The second is awareness of others who are experiencing persecution for their resistance. In both I stand. In both I pray. All active resistance by those in Christ begins here, otherwise we are battling naked and alone, and we will fail.
In God's armour, we resist in his strength. The battle is already won, and the victory is ours.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Ephesians 6:12-13, 18-20 , Luke 7-9
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 7-9
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Day 3 – Key Verses Considered
Ephesians 6:12-13 - It isn't a flesh-and-blood battle that we are engaged in. Our war is a spiritual war. It is a war of ideas. It is a war of authorities. It is a counter-cultural war. The systems, the patterns, the assumptions of how to live in this world are often contrary to the good news of grace that Jesus offers. When they are, we resist in the power and authority of Jesus. In Christ we resist any and all oppression, injustice, and hatred, whether it is cultural, systemic, natural, or demonic. It is in God's power and God's strength alone that we can resist. And in him, we will resist.
Ephesians 6:18-20 - Prepare spiritually for a spiritual battle. Remain in the spirit, communicating with God always, in every way. Go to him for everything you need. Never forget that you are not alone in this battle. Remember your brothers-in-arms also, by praying for them every chance you get. Especially remember those who are persecuted, or have been arrested for their active resistance to the powers that be. Pray that they will remain bold and true, and continue to proclaim justice and God's truth without compromise or apology, even behind bars or answering to a judge. They are ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven, as we are, but the natural kingdoms of this world that are hostile to God's truth have put these representatives of Christ in jail. Pray that they would not be afraid in the face of such opposition, and continue to declare the truth of grace, mercy, and justice in Jesus, whatever the circumstance.
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Day 3 – Key Verses Considered
Ephesians 6:12-13 - It isn't a flesh-and-blood battle that we are engaged in. Our war is a spiritual war. It is a war of ideas. It is a war of authorities. It is a counter-cultural war. The systems, the patterns, the assumptions of how to live in this world are often contrary to the good news of grace that Jesus offers. When they are, we resist in the power and authority of Jesus. In Christ we resist any and all oppression, injustice, and hatred, whether it is cultural, systemic, natural, or demonic. It is in God's power and God's strength alone that we can resist. And in him, we will resist.
Ephesians 6:18-20 - Prepare spiritually for a spiritual battle. Remain in the spirit, communicating with God always, in every way. Go to him for everything you need. Never forget that you are not alone in this battle. Remember your brothers-in-arms also, by praying for them every chance you get. Especially remember those who are persecuted, or have been arrested for their active resistance to the powers that be. Pray that they will remain bold and true, and continue to proclaim justice and God's truth without compromise or apology, even behind bars or answering to a judge. They are ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven, as we are, but the natural kingdoms of this world that are hostile to God's truth have put these representatives of Christ in jail. Pray that they would not be afraid in the face of such opposition, and continue to declare the truth of grace, mercy, and justice in Jesus, whatever the circumstance.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Ephesians 6 - Key Verses, Luke 4-6
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 4-6
Ephesians 6
Day 2 – Key Verses
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Ephesians 6
Day 2 – Key Verses
Ephesians 6:12-13
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:18-20
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Ephesians 6, Luke 1-3
Through the New Testament Reading - Luke 1-3
(see more notes on Ephesians 6)
Ephesians 6 (NIV 1984)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
++
++
++
My Reflection:
Every relationship we have in this world is an opportunity to reflect Jesus. In romance we reflect Jesus, who is both worthy of the highest respect and honour, and also submitted himself sacrificially for us in the most humble way. His love for us makes him the most lovely of all creatures, and we respond to him with great love. God is Father and Son. Like Abraham of Isaac, God the Father required of his son the greatest of any humble submissive obedience. In his obedience he was glorified, and so were we. Our earthly family affords us the opportunity to reflect the family of God.
Finally, our Saviour has become our Master and Lord, the King of kings. Yet, though he was God, he made himself nothing, and became a servant among humanity. Like Jesus' example in washing his disciple's feet, we now serve each other, and the greatest among us is the servant of all. We take every opportunity in every relationship to see Jesus in each other, and be Jesus for each other.
Finally, we stand in resistance to the authorities of this world who do not reflect the gospel of Jesus' kingdom of justice and mercy and love. As agents of change in this lifetime, carrying the seed of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Spirit of God, we walk in the authority of the King of kings to live lives of love, grace, humility, and true justice. There is no authority on this earth that can oppose the authority which we represent. We stand firm with peace, truth, and faith against injustice, unrighteousness, and oppression. We will refuse to allow the authorities of this earth to advance any agenda against the justice, grace, and love of God. We do not do this in our own power, but from the inner working of the Spirit, who equips us spiritually and practically to stand firm. We have the word of God, which reveals his plan for redemption and reconciliation. The world will not stop his work on earth. The devil will not stop his work on earth.
+
This beautiful letter is written from prison, reminding us that in this life we do may not see a personal favourable outcome from a life of walking in love and standing in resistance against dark worldly authority. It was a shackled hand that penned the verse that we are seated in heavenly realms in Christ. It is the life and glory of Jesus that Ephesians reveals, not our own. It is because we are in him, seated by faith in his righteousness, that we are children of God. God's power to live his resurrection life through us is based on his infinite love and grace, and therefore it transcends any and all circumstances. Wherever we sit, by faith we sit in his righteousness. Wherever we walk, we walk as children of light. Wherever we stand, we wrestle against the dark authorities and the spiritual forces that oppose the grace and justice and love of God. However weak we may be, we are strong in his mighty power.
We fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or think or even imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen.
(most of the following reflection came from a previous entry, also on Ephesians 6)
(see more notes on Ephesians 6)
Ephesians 6 (NIV 1984)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
++
++
++
My Reflection:
Every relationship we have in this world is an opportunity to reflect Jesus. In romance we reflect Jesus, who is both worthy of the highest respect and honour, and also submitted himself sacrificially for us in the most humble way. His love for us makes him the most lovely of all creatures, and we respond to him with great love. God is Father and Son. Like Abraham of Isaac, God the Father required of his son the greatest of any humble submissive obedience. In his obedience he was glorified, and so were we. Our earthly family affords us the opportunity to reflect the family of God.
Finally, our Saviour has become our Master and Lord, the King of kings. Yet, though he was God, he made himself nothing, and became a servant among humanity. Like Jesus' example in washing his disciple's feet, we now serve each other, and the greatest among us is the servant of all. We take every opportunity in every relationship to see Jesus in each other, and be Jesus for each other.
Finally, we stand in resistance to the authorities of this world who do not reflect the gospel of Jesus' kingdom of justice and mercy and love. As agents of change in this lifetime, carrying the seed of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Spirit of God, we walk in the authority of the King of kings to live lives of love, grace, humility, and true justice. There is no authority on this earth that can oppose the authority which we represent. We stand firm with peace, truth, and faith against injustice, unrighteousness, and oppression. We will refuse to allow the authorities of this earth to advance any agenda against the justice, grace, and love of God. We do not do this in our own power, but from the inner working of the Spirit, who equips us spiritually and practically to stand firm. We have the word of God, which reveals his plan for redemption and reconciliation. The world will not stop his work on earth. The devil will not stop his work on earth.
+
This beautiful letter is written from prison, reminding us that in this life we do may not see a personal favourable outcome from a life of walking in love and standing in resistance against dark worldly authority. It was a shackled hand that penned the verse that we are seated in heavenly realms in Christ. It is the life and glory of Jesus that Ephesians reveals, not our own. It is because we are in him, seated by faith in his righteousness, that we are children of God. God's power to live his resurrection life through us is based on his infinite love and grace, and therefore it transcends any and all circumstances. Wherever we sit, by faith we sit in his righteousness. Wherever we walk, we walk as children of light. Wherever we stand, we wrestle against the dark authorities and the spiritual forces that oppose the grace and justice and love of God. However weak we may be, we are strong in his mighty power.
We fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or think or even imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen.
(most of the following reflection came from a previous entry, also on Ephesians 6)
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