2019.02.25 03:30 a1d3nkrull Silvy Araujo
2015.05.19 19:20 zoomsixx Christian Truth
2014.01.09 17:03 salvationlifemates Christian Dating Advice
2023.06.10 22:13 GuardsmanFaora Where do I properly start?
2023.06.10 16:31 No_Yogurtcloset8865 new contradictions in the bible and YHWH the deceiver
2023.06.10 15:03 UnDead_Ted Daily Light Saturday, June 10th
![]() | 06/10/2023 submitted by UnDead_Ted to TheDailyDose [link] [comments] MorningThe younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. — Luke 15:13And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11).—All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:3-6). This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10). But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).—For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Rom 5:10) EveningForgive as the Lord forgave you. — Col 3:13“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more (Luke 7:41-42).—I forgave thee all that debt; shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee (Matt 18:32-33). And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins (Mark 11:25-26).—Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Col 3:12-13). Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matt 18:21-22). And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Col 3:14) |
2023.06.10 14:11 ZacInStl Psalm 91, Saturday, June 10, 2023
2023.06.10 13:46 Beneficial_Primary16 Neither give place to the devil
![]() | submitted by Beneficial_Primary16 to PrayerTeam_amen [link] [comments] |
2023.06.10 13:23 A_New_Theophilus A New Bible
2023.06.10 10:03 1ofallwith1 Free Will
2023.06.10 09:22 NKI156 Your Bible Reading Plan selections for today can be found below. If you don't have a Bible with you, just click the references to read each passage online: Old Testament 1 Kings 13-14 — 8.5 minutes Psalms 119:65-72 — 1.5 minutes New Testament Luke 3:1-20 — 5.0 minutes Ephesians 4:25-32 — 2
![]() | Your Bible Reading Plan selections for today can be found below. If you don't have a Bible with you, just click the references to read each passage online: submitted by NKI156 to u/NKI156 [link] [comments] Old Testament 1 Kings 13-14 — 8.5 minutes Psalms 119:65-72 — 1.5 minutes New Testament Luke 3:1-20 — 5.0 minutes Ephesians 4:25-32 — 2.0 minutes |
2023.06.10 08:17 SnooRegrets4878 The Opened Prison - June 9, 2023
2023.06.10 06:56 TMarie527 Are we praying for Christian Unity?
2023.06.09 21:05 Starry_Night_94 This is so disgusting! I had been following this person because I liked their Christian illustrations, but then suddenly today this ignorant homophobia pops up and I quickly unfollowed. This is anything but Christ-like
![]() | So I guess people can’t be proud of their kids or themselves for doing good or accomplishing anything either then? 🤨 These fundie idiots always twist the Bible to make any little thing out to be inherently sinful when it’s not. As a Christian, I’m ashamed of people like this. submitted by Starry_Night_94 to FundieSnarkUncensored [link] [comments] |
2023.06.09 18:05 UnDead_Ted The Psychology of Temptation: A Lesson in Pastoral Wisdom from James Ross Blackburn
![]() | submitted by UnDead_Ted to TheDailyDose [link] [comments] 06/09/2023 One of the great blessings of the epistles is being able to watch the writers pastor their people. Yes, the epistles are full of theology, but they are written by and large to specific persons or people, with particular pastoral concerns in mind. What we have, then, are not just treatises on the character of the Gospel, but windows into the dealings of pastors with their people. We have much to learn on both counts. The epistle of James is full of pastoral wisdom, both for ourselves and for those we serve. Of course, these go together. As Paul reminded Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim 4:16). The following will look at what we might call a psychology of temptation, a teaching of extraordinary perception and precision from James to his people, given so that they might stand faithfully in the face of temptation. HOW SIN WORKSThe wages of sin is death. That is apparent, if we have eyes to see. Adultery destroys marriages. Gluttony degrades one’s health—mentally, spiritually, and physically. Covetousness constricts the heart, making one increasingly unable to love. Lying destroys trust, and therefore destroys relationships. This much is plain. It is easy to see sin for what it is when we see its effects down the road, when the marriage is irrecoverable, the heart attack has occurred, or the job has been lost.What is not so apparent is how we get to this point. When advanced, it is apparent that sin brings forth death. When in its embryonic stages, it is not so apparent. Sin begins imperceptibly, growing until it can be seen for what it is. In other words, great sin doesn’t just happen in a moment, but over time. James gives us an insightful account of how sin works in James 1:12-18: Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.James begins with a tremendous encouragement. Interestingly, the Greek word for trial in James 1:12 has the same root as the words for temptation in the rest of the passage. Why the ESV chose to translate the word differently (unlike, for example, the KJV, which translated the root consistently) I don’t know. However, we are on good grounds to read the verse as follows: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast when faced with temptation, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” The encouragement is threefold. First, the Lord will reward those who stand when tempted. Even as it presents an opportunity for sin, temptation brings opportunities for faithfulness, growth, and reward, as James indicates at the beginning of his letter (James 1:2-4). Secondly, we are to expect temptation. Being tempted does not mean that we are sinful, weak, or that we have done something wrong. Rather, experiencing temptation is normal. Even Jesus was tempted, yet remained without sin. Finally, James implies that withstanding temptation and loving God are one. In other words, those who love God are those who withstand temptation. From the outset, James hints at the means of dealing with temptation—believing in the goodness of God. We’ll return to this later. Shifting Blame James then makes a stark and important claim: God does not tempt. On the surface, this may not seem necessary to say, for who when tempted blames God? Actually, it is more common than you might think. We see it as far back as Eden, when Adam, seeking to justify himself after eating the fruit, told God “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Gen 3:12). By reminding God that God gave him the woman who gave him the fruit, Adam blames both Eve and God. In other words, Adam justifies himself by citing the circumstances of his sin. And, implicitly, the God of his circumstances. That begins to feel more familiar. Legion are the ways in which we blame others for our sin. “If she hadn’t said that….” “If he were less selfish and more considerate….” “If pornography wasn’t so available….” “If I only had more money….” In other words, rather than looking to ourselves, we are quick to blame the circumstances of our sin for our sin. In so doing, we blame God. Rather than giving thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:17), we blame the author of our circumstances. Or, similarly, we blame who God made us to be. Excuses like “he’s only human,” or “boys will be boys” locate our sin not in our rebellion, but in our humanity, thereby implicitly blaming God. Blaming ensures we will never get to the root of the problem, for in blaming we fail to identify the source. Just like the doctor who misdiagnoses the cause of a disease cannot expect his patient to recover, so for the one who misdiagnoses the root of sin. Yielding to Desire What is that source? James is clear: “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” Here we get to the root. Temptation draws its strength from desire. This explains why not everyone is faced with the same temptations. The lure of internet pornography is a serious temptation for one man, while for another it is not. Both have the same access, only one is tempted. What is the difference? James would say that the difference is desire. The opportunity to gossip exists for all, yet some gossip and others do not. Why is this? Some want to, others do not. Importantly, James does not say that desire is sin. Rather, he says that desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin. James here uses the analogy of sex and childbearing to illustrate how this works. First, there is conception, which occurs when a woman gives herself to a man. As in conception, desire must be received, even embraced. Said differently, consent must be given for desire to be conceived. To return to the example of sexual sin, what happens when a married man sees another woman and is attracted to her? How does he respond to the temptation? Does he look a second time, or does he divert his eyes? Desire is conceived in the second look. What of a married woman who is tempted to harbor disrespectful thoughts of her husband, or romanticized thoughts of another man? Desire is conceived in the lingering. Herein lie the beginnings of sin. Of course, sin in its early stages is undetectable, and it is certainly hidden, perhaps even from the sinner himself. Over time, however, sin grows—little by little, day by day, thought by thought, act by act—until it is birthed, and then seen for what it is. Yet even at this point, sin hasn’t reached the height of its destructiveness. A student can cheat and get away with it for a season, and in fact can benefit from it as he seeks to get ahead in his class. But as he makes peace with dishonesty, it seeps into other areas of his life—his friendships, his job, his marriage. Having begun with an act of dishonesty, he has become dishonest. And things begin to fall apart. While sin can be indulged for a time when its effects are not fully apparent, there will come a time when his friends don’t trust him, he is charged with embezzling, and his marriage ends. At this point, it becomes plain that sin really does bring forth death. That which we gave quarter to in its beginnings has grown to devour us in the end. The Scriptures simply tell us to flee. Examples abound: “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor 6:18), “flee from idolatry” (1 Cor 10:14), “flee youthful passions” (2 Tim 2:22). We don’t trifle with temptation, we don’t make allowances, and we don’t take refuge in the fact that others aren’t bothered. Like Joseph, who fled Potiphar’s wife even to the point of leaving his garment, we flee. We either flee temptation, or we receive it. Our refusal to flee means we have already decided. WHAT WE MUST KNOWAs a wise and caring pastor, having shown both the subtle beginnings and the tragic consequences of sin, James turns to the solution. Let me mention two things.The Character of Deception First, he warns against deception: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” This warning also takes us back to Eden. What enticed Eve to eat the fruit but deception, in this case the serpent’s insinuation that every good and perfect gift did not come from God? The serpent’s great lie was that the good life could be found apart from God and his ways. In effect, the serpent attacked God’s character by saying that He was not good, and therefore sought to deny good gifts to Adam and Eve. This same lie is at the root of sin today. Years ago, upon leaving a church I had served for a summer, the minister (who had become a dear friend and mentor) gave me a hug, looked me in the eyes, and sent me off with words I have never forgotten: “Always remember that Satan wraps his temptations in pretty packages.” I have found that to be true. Satan wants to be seen as the giver of good gifts. Satan’s gifts, of course, are not what they appear, for what is attractively offered brings about death when received. This is true of all manner of sin—sexual sin, gossip, the satisfaction of speaking unkindly, holding onto a grudge, or hoarding money. James, therefore, makes it clear that the God whose goodness we are tempted to doubt is One who gives good and perfect gifts. And He does not change. In the end, James calls us to trust God, and therefore to trust His ways are good. It is no coincidence that James goes on to speak of God’s law as “the law of liberty.” James understands that, despite what Satan might lead us to believe, the law of God is meant for freedom, not bondage. Being convinced of God’s goodness helps us deal with our wayward desires that make temptation so powerful. Thanks be to God, we are not victims of our own desires. In this “follow your heart” world, we can learn to lead our hearts. For instance, the Proverbs call us to “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov 4:23). How do we do this? The Scriptures give much guidance here, but let me mention several of Jesus’ sayings. When Jesus says “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34), he suggests we can lead our hearts through how we spend or invest money. When he says “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45), he implies that we can guide our heart by speaking in a way that is gracious and edifying. When he says “Your eye is the lamp of your body” (Luke 11:34), he suggests that we can shape our desires by what we allow ourselves to behold. A man who gazes upon his wife alone, never allowing himself to gaze upon another woman, will find that his desires for pornography or fantasy begin to fade. A selfish man can become generous by practicing generosity, whether he feels like it or not. Perhaps this is not all we can do, but it is something we must do. In the end, shaping our desires is about the transformation of the heart: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4), the implication being that, as we delight in the Lord, he transforms our desires into ones that he can fulfill. It is possible to get out in front of temptation by seeking to form, or re-form, our desires. But this will only happen to the extent that we believe God is for us, and that His ways are life and peace. Loving the Beloved Secondly, as he warns them against deception, James reminds his people of who they are, and of God’s disposition toward them. He addresses them tenderly—“my beloved brothers.” Exactly who loves them? God? James himself? I suspect the answer (which may be intentionally ambiguous) is both. As a pastor, James is genuine in his love for his people. It is precisely the failure to love their people that disqualified the shepherds in the Old Testament and the Pharisees in the New (Ezek 34; John 10). But James is certainly speaking of God as well, because in the very next sentence he speaks of God as the Father who gives good gifts. For that’s what fathers who love their children do. This is crucial, for James knows, as Paul did, that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. For the people to receive James’ admonition as from God, they must know that James loves them and, even more, that God himself loves them. This leads to the final point. James reminds us that the crown of life, given to those who resist temptation, is given to those who love God. As mentioned above, James draws a parallel—those who resist temptation are those who love God. Here we get to the root of the issue, our love for God. The Scriptures are clear that a choice must be made, for one cannot love God and sin at the same time: “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15), “you cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13), “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). How do we love God? By knowing who He is, and in particular who He is for us. As noted above, James speaks to his people as those whom God loves. James makes this explicit later in his letter when he writes in James 5:8-11: Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.In the end, it is a call to establish their hearts by remembering the character of God, who was the strength of the prophets before them. James picks up on this by assuring the people that the Lord is compassionate and merciful, alluding to the most complete description of the Lord’s character to be found anywhere in the Bible: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” (Exod 34:6; cf. Num 14:18; Psalms 86:15; 103:8; 145:8), the same description used of Jesus, the one “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). It is well known that James does not speak overmuch of the love of God, or speak explicitly of the death and resurrection of Jesus for our sins. Why he does not isn’t exactly clear to me, save that James wrote what he felt he needed to write to his people. After all, a pastor can’t say everything at once, nor is it usually wise or appropriate to try. Nevertheless, we see implied in James what John says explicitly: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And we know that because He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, even the gift of His Son. W Ross BlackburnIs the Rector at Christ the King Anglican Fellowship in Boone, NC. He holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from the University of St. Andrews and has over 20 years of ministry experience. He is a member of the St. Anselm Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians. |
2023.06.09 17:14 bikingfencer Galatians, chapter 5 - vices and virtues
“The expression for freedom [επ ελευθερια - ep eleutheria] (in slightly different Greek form) appears in the certificates of sacral manumission which were given to slaves who purchased their freedom. The slave would deposit the money in the temple of his god for the priest to transfer to his master “for freedom.” He then became the slave of his god, free from his human master.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 545-546)...
“Among the Jews, the Messiah’s reign was to be a reign of liberty, and hence the Targum [ancient Jewish commentary] on Lamen. [Lamentations] ii. 22. says, “Liberty shall be publicly proclaimed to the people of the house of Israel, על יד משיחא âl yad Mashicha, by the hand of the Messiah, such as was granted to them by Moses and Aaron, at the time of the Passover.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 393)
“The language is so compact that Paul’s meaning has to be inferred from 3:14; 5:22-23; and Rom. [Romans] 8:23-26.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 548-549)-6. That yes, in Anointed YayShOo'ah ["Savior", Jesus] there is no thought [חשיבות, HahSheeYBOoTh], not to circumcision [למילה, LahMeeYLaH] and not to foreskin [לערלה, Lah`ahRLaH], rather to belief, the laborer in way [of] love.
“The full measure of human righteousness is still a thing of the eschatological future (cf. [compare with] Rom 5:19).” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 789)
“That they could not have the Holy Spirit, without faith, was a doctrine also of the Jews; hence it is said, Mechilta, fol. [folio] 52. ‘That faith was of great consequence, with which the Israelites believed in Him, who, with one word, created the universe; and because the Israelites believed in God, the Holy Spirit dwelt in them; so that being filled with God, they sung praises to him.’” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II pp. 393-394)
“No passage in Paul’s letters is of greater importance for integral understanding of his religion and the relation of his faith to his ethics. The mutuality of faith, hope, and love – a theme repeated with many variations – runs through everything he has written and forms the substance of his theology. … Paul’s religion is distorted whenever his ethics and his ‘good works’ are made to appear as an incidental by-product of his faith rather than as one of its essential ingredients.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 550-551)...
“This humble, holy, operative, obedient LOVE, is the grand touchstone of all human creeds, and confessions of faith. Faith, without this, has neither soul nor operation: in the language of the apostle James, it is dead, and can perform no function of the spiritual life, no more than a dead man can perform the duties of animal or civil life.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 394)
“‘I wish that those who are upsetting you would even emasculate themselves!’ This is what Paul said and meant. … for a similar outburst see Phil. [Philippians] 3:2-3, where the advocates of circumcision are ‘dogs,’ and by a play on words – περιτομη [peritome’], κατατομην [katatmen] - ‘circumcision’ becomes ‘mutilation.’ Paul may have been thinking of the mad spectacle of the Cybele-Attis cult, whose priests in frenzied devotion used to emasculate themselves as a sacrifice to their deity. … The shock of Paul’s statement to the Judaizers can be measured in the light of the prohibition in Deut. [Deuteronomy] 23:1. To a devout Jew his blunt language would be as sacrilegious as a Christian would find the wish of a disbeliever in sacraments that all advocates of baptism would drown themselves. Never happy after making such denunciations (II Cor. [Corinthians]1:23-2:11; Phil. 3:18-19), Paul quickly changes his tone…” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 554-555)-13. My brethren, to freedom you have been called,
“To be freed from the ceremonial law, is the Gospel liberty; to pretend freedom from the moral law, is antinomianism.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 395)-14. See, all the Instruction included [כלולה, KLOoLaH] in saying [במאמר, BeMah’ahMahR] one – “and love to your neighbor like you.”
“The quotation is from Lev. [Leviticus] 19:18; cf. Rom. 13:8-10 [and Matt. [Matthew] 7:11 (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 789)]. The tense of the verb ‘fulfilled’ is perfect; thus Paul says that the whole law is fulfilled, in the sense of ‘has been fulfilled’ whenever one man loves another as himself…. Paul the Christian loved his neighbor not because a commandment disobeyed would bring punishment, or fulfilled would merit reward, but because it was his new nature to do to....
But who was Paul’s neighbor? He was, first of all, ‘the one who was near,’ the fellow member of the society of Christ who needed help to bear life’s burdens (6:2). Then, with continuously lengthening radius, Paul drew a series of concentric circles to embrace all men (6:10; I Thess. [Thessalonians] 5:15; I Cor. 9:22). Even his enemies were included, for Christ received sinners, and personal vengeance was no fruit of the Spirit (6:1; Rom. 12:20; 15:1-3). … He bore the burden of his neighbor’s sins, and although he sometimes had to threaten them, he was never without hope for their repentance (I Cor. 4; II Cor. 12:19-13:10; II Thess. 3:14-15). He could hurl anathemas, and his friends did not always find him easy to get on with … but the love of Christ would never permit him to contract the circle of his neighbors (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1; II Cor. 7:5-16; 1:23-2:11). (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 557)
-16. Say I to you, walk in way the spirit and do not fill [את, ’ehTh] desires [תאוות, Thah`ahVOTh] [of] the flesh,…………………………………………
Fruit of the Spirit and usurpations of [ומעללי, OoMah`ahLahLaY] the flesh
[verses 16 to end of chapter]
“This is Paul’s way of stating the Jewish doctrine of the ‘two impulses’ which are at war within the heart of man. The rabbis declared that God created Adam with two inclinations, one good, the other evil, and required him to choose which to obey. He was free to follow his good impulse, but he chose the evil, and so did all his descendants. Consequently every man became the Adam of his own soul. Some maintained that the evil impulse awakened at the age of nine, others at twelve. Study with practice of the Torah was the sovereign remedy to wear it away …” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 561)…
“Πορνεια [Porneia] ... fornication ... means ‘prostitution’, but includes sexual vice and unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. The task of the church in creating a conscience on this matter was made doubly difficult by the practice of prostitution in the name of religion. Long before Paul, the prophets had denounced the fertility cults and made prostitution a synonym for idolatry.-22. In opposition to [לעמת, Le`ooMahTh] this, fruit of spirit:
Φαρμακεια [pharmakeia] ... Since witches and sorcerers used drugs, the word came to designate witchcraft, enchantment, sorcery, and magic. The law of Moses prescribed the death penalty for it, and the prophets denounced the Egyptians, Babylonians and Canaanites for practicing it; but this did not prevent the Jews from producing some famous practitioners (Acts 13:6-12; 19:1-20). Next to state-worship, magic was the most dangerous competitor of true religion... claiming to specialize in the impossible, it prostituted faith to superstition, and divorced religion from ethics. ... In Paul’s spiritual arithmetic, faith plus miracles minus love amounted exactly to zero....
Ερις [Eris] is ... strife ... The spirit of Eris is perfectly described in the words of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland – ‘ambition, distraction, uglification, and derision.’
The fact that he expected the near return of Christ to end this present age must not be permitted to obscure the equally important fact that he regarded his own life and witness for Christ as an essential element in hastening that event.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 561-565)
“Since love is a personal relation it is not a matter of law, and cannot be commanded; and since it is God’s own love growing as his ‘fruit’ in the hearts of men, no one can claim it as a merit for self-salvation. ...... 26. Do not, please [נא, Nah’] be panters of [שואפי, ShO’ahPhaY] honor vain [שוא, ShahVe’], the provokers [המתגרים, HahMeeThGahReeYM] and enviers [ומקנאים, OoMQahN’eeYM] a man in his neighbor.
... in every age ... men have found it hard to see how God could have anything in common with humanity, and Christians have been tempted to make a distinction in kind between God’s love and man’s love. Paul’s authority has been claimed for this dualistic view. Αγαπη [agape’] is set against ερος [eros]. God’s love is said to be αγαπη reaching down to save man by his grace, and ερος man’s self-love aspiring upward to save himself. Paul’s αγαπη is associated with justification by faith, the Greek ερος with salvation by works.... Jerusalem and the Christian faith are made to oppose Athens and human reason, and the conclusion is drawn from the history of Christianity that ερος, man’s self love, has always been a source of corruption of αγαπη, love inspired by God’s grace.
This interpretation of Christian love is intended as a defense of the doctrine of justification by faith and as a means of securing scriptural support for a dualistic philosophy which aims to protect the transcendence of God against humanism. But to draw such sweeping conclusions from a word study of two Greek nouns, without adequate consideration of other related Greek words and ideas, is to oversimplify. The LXX [The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible] is full of evidence that this distinction between αγαπη and ερος cannot be maintained on the basis of lexicography. The Greek O.T. [Old Testament] uses both the noun αγαπη and the verb αγαπαω [agapao] to express not only God’s love for men, but man’s love for God and for his fellow man. Although there is no certain evidence that the noun αγαπη was used by nonbiblical writers prior to Christianity, the argument from silence may be invalidated by future discoveries, and it would be precarious to conclude that αγαπη was a specifically Christian word.
One-sided emphasis on God’s love as ‘unmotivated’ by anything in his creatures tempts men to regard him in the light of an egotistical philanthropist who expects gratitude and praise but neither needs nor desires the mutuality that is inherent in the very nature of love... Without a faith that dares humbly to believe that God needs man’s love ... the Christian’s conception of his high calling to be a kingdom builder is liable to reduce itself to blind obedience to commands given arbitrarily for man’s good while awaiting God’s eschatological fiat. Such a misconception is bound to give aid and comfort to the inclination of human nature – ‘the flesh’ – to divorce religion from ethics.
Grave moral consequences result from such a view of Christian love. It is associated with a doctrine of predestination that makes God’s choice of the objects of his salvation utterly arbitrary.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 565-566)
“The peace which was the fruit of the Spirit ... could be trusted to keep men's hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7), so that they need have not anxiety about anything. This explains the sublime recklessness of the Christian peacemakers. Being colaborers with God (Rom. 8:28), they were aggressors for peace. They aimed to live at peace with all men (Rom. 12:18), but fear of making enemies did not turn them from their task of producing soundness, wholeness, and harmony in a world of chaos. Their reasonable service was to ... substitute the righteousness and peace and joy of his [God's] kingdom (Rom. 14:17) for the low aims of 'the flesh,' thereby creating the conditions for peace. Their ideal was to live so that quarrels could never get started.
Christian peace was therefore neither the calm of inactivity nor the mere passive enjoyment of freedom from strife. It was not the imperturbability of the Epicurean, or the apathy of the Stoic, or the contemplation of the mystic. The man who possessed it was not exempt from storm and shipwreck, but by faith he knew that he would arrive in port (Acts 27:21-25), and that all was well for him and his fellow men of faith ... And so, where all else was panic, he played the man.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 567)
“... just as God’s patience was not to be presumed upon, so the Christian’s patience was not a spiritless good nature that would put up with things which it could not escape, or would not prevent. It was patience with a purpose, as in Paul’s pleas to Philemon, which contrasts so sharply with the Stoic motive for self control... Those who bore this fruit ‘turned the world upside down’ (Acts 17:6), and the enemy did not know how to deal with such unheard of patience and persistence.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 568)
“Negatively defined, gentleness is everything that the ‘insolent, haughty, boastful’ men of Rom. 1:30 are not. It is the opposite of υβρις [hubris], the worst of sins in the eyes of the Greeks – deliberate, arrogant defiance of the gods by overstepping the limits set for human beings. In the O.T. such men are called ‘sons of Belial,’ the turbulent, highhanded wicked, who rage against God, kill, rob and enslave the righteous ‘meek’ and take possession of the earth for themselves. The psalms are full of moans and complaints against this rich and powerful majority, who used religion as a means of gain and kept their consciences in flexible subservience to the exigencies of power.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 569)
“’Εγκρατεια [Egkrateia] is temperance (KJV [King James Version]), self-control (RSV [Revised Standard Version]) ....
The Stoics had helped to prepare the soil out of which this fruit of the Spirit was to grow. They insisted that the sovereign reason could and should control the passions. They believed in a law of nature to which they must conform, and they endeavored to maintain their inner freedom under all circumstances. But their motive was very different from Paul’s, the one being devoted to the glory of the God of grace, the other to the preservation of the sovereign self-will. When the Stoic collided with things beyond his control, his inner independence turned into apathy, practicing the motto ‘When we can’t do what we want, we want to do what we can.’ He took orders from his commander in chief, an impersonal God who had the power of life or death; but he did it in such a way as to make it clear to God and men that he, the Stoic, was after all the captain of his soul. He controlled his anger because he found it a nuisance to be under the power of any passion and in his sight meekness was contemptible weakness...
Paul exalted humility: ‘It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me’ (2:20). ... His self-discipline was the result of his spiritual experiences, rather than an undertaking to induce them; and his self-control was sane compared with the ascetic excesses of later Christian groups such as the ‘Encratites,’ who forbade marriage and followed fantastic dietary rules.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 569-570)
“Unrepentant sinners have no appetite for the fruit of the Spirit, and when its production and distribution require changes in the political and economic status quo, men ... pass laws against it ... Especially in time of war these traits of Christian character have been forbidden fruit, though given for the healing of the nations. Occasionally the world, exhausted with fighting, and sick of its cynical Epicureanism, has professed a desire for the fruits of the Spirit, but on its own terms without the cross required to produce them.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB X p. 570)
“The right stood in terror of the iconoclasm of the left, and the radicals labeled all other men reactionaries ... Both sides professed to love liberty and defend it, but neither was willing to grant it to the other.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 572) END NOTEAn Amateur's Journey Through the Bible
i ספר הבריתות, תורה נביאים כתובים והברית החדשה [ÇehPheR HahBReeYThOTh, ThORaH, NeBeeY’eeYM, KeThOoBeeYM, VeHahBReeYTh HehHahDahShaH, The Book of the Covenants: Instruction, Prophets, Writings; and The New Covenant] The Bible Society in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel, 1991.
2023.06.09 16:54 bikingfencer Galatians chapter 5 - vices and virtues
“The expression for freedom [επ ελευθερια - ep eleutheria] (in slightly different Greek form) appears in the certificates of sacral manumission which were given to slaves who purchased their freedom. The slave would deposit the money in the temple of his god for the priest to transfer to his master “for freedom.” He then became the slave of his god, free from his human master.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 545-546)...
“Among the Jews, the Messiah’s reign was to be a reign of liberty, and hence the Targum [ancient Jewish commentary] on Lamen. [Lamentations] ii. 22. says, “Liberty shall be publicly proclaimed to the people of the house of Israel, על יד משיחא âl yad Mashicha, by the hand of the Messiah, such as was granted to them by Moses and Aaron, at the time of the Passover.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 393)
“The language is so compact that Paul’s meaning has to be inferred from 3:14; 5:22-23; and Rom. [Romans] 8:23-26.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 548-549)-6. That yes, in Anointed YayShOo'ah ["Savior", Jesus] there is no thought [חשיבות, HahSheeYBOoTh], not to circumcision [למילה, LahMeeYLaH] and not to foreskin [לערלה, Lah`ahRLaH], rather to belief, the laborer in way [of] love.
“The full measure of human righteousness is still a thing of the eschatological future (cf. [compare with] Rom 5:19).” (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 789)
“That they could not have the Holy Spirit, without faith, was a doctrine also of the Jews; hence it is said, Mechilta, fol. [folio] 52. ‘That faith was of great consequence, with which the Israelites believed in Him, who, with one word, created the universe; and because the Israelites believed in God, the Holy Spirit dwelt in them; so that being filled with God, they sung praises to him.’” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II pp. 393-394)
“No passage in Paul’s letters is of greater importance for integral understanding of his religion and the relation of his faith to his ethics. The mutuality of faith, hope, and love – a theme repeated with many variations – runs through everything he has written and forms the substance of his theology. … Paul’s religion is distorted whenever his ethics and his ‘good works’ are made to appear as an incidental by-product of his faith rather than as one of its essential ingredients.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 550-551)...
“This humble, holy, operative, obedient LOVE, is the grand touchstone of all human creeds, and confessions of faith. Faith, without this, has neither soul nor operation: in the language of the apostle James, it is dead, and can perform no function of the spiritual life, no more than a dead man can perform the duties of animal or civil life.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 394)
“‘I wish that those who are upsetting you would even emasculate themselves!’ This is what Paul said and meant. … for a similar outburst see Phil. [Philippians] 3:2-3, where the advocates of circumcision are ‘dogs,’ and by a play on words – περιτομη [peritome’], κατατομην [katatmen] - ‘circumcision’ becomes ‘mutilation.’ Paul may have been thinking of the mad spectacle of the Cybele-Attis cult, whose priests in frenzied devotion used to emasculate themselves as a sacrifice to their deity. … The shock of Paul’s statement to the Judaizers can be measured in the light of the prohibition in Deut. [Deuteronomy] 23:1. To a devout Jew his blunt language would be as sacrilegious as a Christian would find the wish of a disbeliever in sacraments that all advocates of baptism would drown themselves. Never happy after making such denunciations (II Cor. [Corinthians]1:23-2:11; Phil. 3:18-19), Paul quickly changes his tone…” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 554-555)-13. My brethren, to freedom you have been called,
“To be freed from the ceremonial law, is the Gospel liberty; to pretend freedom from the moral law, is antinomianism.” (Clarke, 1831, vol. II p. 395)-14. See, all the Instruction included [כלולה, KLOoLaH] in saying [במאמר, BeMah’ahMahR] one – “and love to your neighbor like you.”
“The quotation is from Lev. [Leviticus] 19:18; cf. Rom. 13:8-10 [and Matt. [Matthew] 7:11 (Joseph A. Fitzmyer, 1990, TNJBC p. 789)]. The tense of the verb ‘fulfilled’ is perfect; thus Paul says that the whole law is fulfilled, in the sense of ‘has been fulfilled’ whenever one man loves another as himself…. Paul the Christian loved his neighbor not because a commandment disobeyed would bring punishment, or fulfilled would merit reward, but because it was his new nature to do to....
But who was Paul’s neighbor? He was, first of all, ‘the one who was near,’ the fellow member of the society of Christ who needed help to bear life’s burdens (6:2). Then, with continuously lengthening radius, Paul drew a series of concentric circles to embrace all men (6:10; I Thess. [Thessalonians] 5:15; I Cor. 9:22). Even his enemies were included, for Christ received sinners, and personal vengeance was no fruit of the Spirit (6:1; Rom. 12:20; 15:1-3). … He bore the burden of his neighbor’s sins, and although he sometimes had to threaten them, he was never without hope for their repentance (I Cor. 4; II Cor. 12:19-13:10; II Thess. 3:14-15). He could hurl anathemas, and his friends did not always find him easy to get on with … but the love of Christ would never permit him to contract the circle of his neighbors (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1; II Cor. 7:5-16; 1:23-2:11). (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 557)
-16. Say I to you, walk in way the spirit and do not fill [את, ’ehTh] desires [תאוות, Thah`ahVOTh] [of] the flesh,…………………………………………
Fruit of the Spirit and usurpations of [ומעללי, OoMah`ahLahLaY] the flesh
[verses 16 to end of chapter]
“This is Paul’s way of stating the Jewish doctrine of the ‘two impulses’ which are at war within the heart of man. The rabbis declared that God created Adam with two inclinations, one good, the other evil, and required him to choose which to obey. He was free to follow his good impulse, but he chose the evil, and so did all his descendants. Consequently every man became the Adam of his own soul. Some maintained that the evil impulse awakened at the age of nine, others at twelve. Study with practice of the Torah was the sovereign remedy to wear it away …” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 561)…
“Πορνεια [Porneia] ... fornication ... means ‘prostitution’, but includes sexual vice and unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. The task of the church in creating a conscience on this matter was made doubly difficult by the practice of prostitution in the name of religion. Long before Paul, the prophets had denounced the fertility cults and made prostitution a synonym for idolatry.-22. In opposition to [לעמת, Le`ooMahTh] this, fruit of spirit:
Φαρμακεια [pharmakeia] ... Since witches and sorcerers used drugs, the word came to designate witchcraft, enchantment, sorcery, and magic. The law of Moses prescribed the death penalty for it, and the prophets denounced the Egyptians, Babylonians and Canaanites for practicing it; but this did not prevent the Jews from producing some famous practitioners (Acts 13:6-12; 19:1-20). Next to state-worship, magic was the most dangerous competitor of true religion... claiming to specialize in the impossible, it prostituted faith to superstition, and divorced religion from ethics. ... In Paul’s spiritual arithmetic, faith plus miracles minus love amounted exactly to zero....
Ερις [Eris] is ... strife ... The spirit of Eris is perfectly described in the words of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland – ‘ambition, distraction, uglification, and derision.’
The fact that he expected the near return of Christ to end this present age must not be permitted to obscure the equally important fact that he regarded his own life and witness for Christ as an essential element in hastening that event.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 561-565)
“Since love is a personal relation it is not a matter of law, and cannot be commanded; and since it is God’s own love growing as his ‘fruit’ in the hearts of men, no one can claim it as a merit for self-salvation. ......
... in every age ... men have found it hard to see how God could have anything in common with humanity, and Christians have been tempted to make a distinction in kind between God’s love and man’s love. Paul’s authority has been claimed for this dualistic view. Αγαπη [agape’] is set against ερος [eros]. God’s love is said to be αγαπη reaching down to save man by his grace, and ερος man’s self-love aspiring upward to save himself. Paul’s αγαπη is associated with justification by faith, the Greek ερος with salvation by works.... Jerusalem and the Christian faith are made to oppose Athens and human reason, and the conclusion is drawn from the history of Christianity that ερος, man’s self love, has always been a source of corruption of αγαπη, love inspired by God’s grace.
This interpretation of Christian love is intended as a defense of the doctrine of justification by faith and as a means of securing scriptural support for a dualistic philosophy which aims to protect the transcendence of God against humanism. But to draw such sweeping conclusions from a word study of two Greek nouns, without adequate consideration of other related Greek words and ideas, is to oversimplify. The LXX [The Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible] is full of evidence that this distinction between αγαπη and ερος cannot be maintained on the basis of lexicography. The Greek O.T. [Old Testament] uses both the noun αγαπη and the verb αγαπαω [agapao] to express not only God’s love for men, but man’s love for God and for his fellow man. Although there is no certain evidence that the noun αγαπη was used by nonbiblical writers prior to Christianity, the argument from silence may be invalidated by future discoveries, and it would be precarious to conclude that αγαπη was a specifically Christian word.
One-sided emphasis on God’s love as ‘unmotivated’ by anything in his creatures tempts men to regard him in the light of an egotistical philanthropist who expects gratitude and praise but neither needs nor desires the mutuality that is inherent in the very nature of love... Without a faith that dares humbly to believe that God needs man’s love ... the Christian’s conception of his high calling to be a kingdom builder is liable to reduce itself to blind obedience to commands given arbitrarily for man’s good while awaiting God’s eschatological fiat. Such a misconception is bound to give aid and comfort to the inclination of human nature – ‘the flesh’ – to divorce religion from ethics.
Grave moral consequences result from such a view of Christian love. It is associated with a doctrine of predestination that makes God’s choice of the objects of his salvation utterly arbitrary.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 565-566)
“The peace which was the fruit of the Spirit ... could be trusted to keep men's hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7), so that they need have not anxiety about anything. This explains the sublime recklessness of the Christian peacemakers. Being colaborers with God (Rom. 8:28), they were aggressors for peace. They aimed to live at peace with all men (Rom. 12:18), but fear of making enemies did not turn them from their task of producing soundness, wholeness, and harmony in a world of chaos. Their reasonable service was to ... substitute the righteousness and peace and joy of his [God's] kingdom (Rom. 14:17) for the low aims of 'the flesh,' thereby creating the conditions for peace. Their ideal was to live so that quarrels could never get started.
Christian peace was therefore neither the calm of inactivity nor the mere passive enjoyment of freedom from strife. It was not the imperturbability of the Epicurean, or the apathy of the Stoic, or the contemplation of the mystic. The man who possessed it was not exempt from storm and shipwreck, but by faith he knew that he would arrive in port (Acts 27:21-25), and that all was well for him and his fellow men of faith ... And so, where all else was panic, he played the man.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 567)
“... just as God’s patience was not to be presumed upon, so the Christian’s patience was not a spiritless good nature that would put up with things which it could not escape, or would not prevent. It was patience with a purpose, as in Paul’s pleas to Philemon, which contrasts so sharply with the Stoic motive for self control... Those who bore this fruit ‘turned the world upside down’ (Acts 17:6), and the enemy did not know how to deal with such unheard of patience and persistence.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 568)
“Negatively defined, gentleness is everything that the ‘insolent, haughty, boastful’ men of Rom. 1:30 are not. It is the opposite of υβρις [hubris], the worst of sins in the eyes of the Greeks – deliberate, arrogant defiance of the gods by overstepping the limits set for human beings. In the O.T. such men are called ‘sons of Belial,’ the turbulent, highhanded wicked, who rage against God, kill, rob and enslave the righteous ‘meek’ and take possession of the earth for themselves. The psalms are full of moans and complaints against this rich and powerful majority, who used religion as a means of gain and kept their consciences in flexible subservience to the exigencies of power.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 569)
“’Εγκρατεια [Egkrateia] is temperance (KJV [King James Version]), self-control (RSV [Revised Standard Version]) ....
The Stoics had helped to prepare the soil out of which this fruit of the Spirit was to grow. They insisted that the sovereign reason could and should control the passions. They believed in a law of nature to which they must conform, and they endeavored to maintain their inner freedom under all circumstances. But their motive was very different from Paul’s, the one being devoted to the glory of the God of grace, the other to the preservation of the sovereign self-will. When the Stoic collided with things beyond his control, his inner independence turned into apathy, practicing the motto ‘When we can’t do what we want, we want to do what we can.’ He took orders from his commander in chief, an impersonal God who had the power of life or death; but he did it in such a way as to make it clear to God and men that he, the Stoic, was after all the captain of his soul. He controlled his anger because he found it a nuisance to be under the power of any passion and in his sight meekness was contemptible weakness...
Paul exalted humility: ‘It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me’ (2:20). ... His self-discipline was the result of his spiritual experiences, rather than an undertaking to induce them; and his self-control was sane compared with the ascetic excesses of later Christian groups such as the ‘Encratites,’ who forbade marriage and followed fantastic dietary rules.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X pp. 569-570)
“Unrepentant sinners have no appetite for the fruit of the Spirit, and when its production and distribution require changes in the political and economic status quo, men ... pass laws against it ... Especially in time of war these traits of Christian character have been forbidden fruit, though given for the healing of the nations. Occasionally the world, exhausted with fighting, and sick of its cynical Epicureanism, has professed a desire for the fruits of the Spirit, but on its own terms without the cross required to produce them.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB X p. 570)
“The right stood in terror of the iconoclasm of the left, and the radicals labeled all other men reactionaries ... Both sides professed to love liberty and defend it, but neither was willing to grant it to the other.” (Stamm, 1953, TIB vol. X p. 572) END NOTEAn Amateur's Journey Through the Bible
i ספר הבריתות, תורה נביאים כתובים והברית החדשה [ÇehPheR HahBReeYThOTh, ThORaH, NeBeeY’eeYM, KeThOoBeeYM, VeHahBReeYTh HehHahDahShaH, The Book of the Covenants: Instruction, Prophets, Writings; and The New Covenant] The Bible Society in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel, 1991.
2023.06.09 15:33 Darneac Beliefs v5
2023.06.09 15:03 UnDead_Ted Daily Light Friday, June 9th
![]() | submitted by UnDead_Ted to TheDailyDose [link] [comments] 06/09/2023 Morning“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” — John 7:46Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.—The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.—His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend. All bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.—He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.—The sword of the Spirit … is the word of God.—The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.—The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Ps 45:2; Isa 50:4; Song 5:16; Luke 4:22; Matt 7:29; Col 3:16; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; 2 Cor 10:4-5. EveningThat the mirth of the wicked is brief. — Job 20:5Thou shalt bruise his heel.—This is your hour, and the power of darkness.—As the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.—Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith.—Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.—The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.—The devil … was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone … and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Gen 3:15; Luke 22:53; Heb 2:14; Col 2:15; 1 Pet 5:8-9; Jas 4:7; Ps 37:12-13; Rom 16:20; Rev 20:10. |
2023.06.09 04:06 bubbafang Read This
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2023.06.09 02:44 ballerjm1301 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 NIV
2023.06.09 02:00 uzzyworld Baby Baptizers are calling me a baptist
2023.06.08 20:42 ImportantDig1191 08.06.23: Strength Practice (2x24kg) 10 Snatches, 10 Cleans, 10 Push Press, 10 Racked Lunges X5 - 200 total reps ➕ (32kg) 14 Snatches, 14 Strict Press, 4 Bent Press - 32 total reps ➕ Parallel Bar Dips - 50 total reps
2023.06.08 20:02 UnDead_Ted Our Daily Bread Thursday, June 8th 2023
![]() | submitted by UnDead_Ted to TheDailyDose [link] [comments] 06/08/2023 Everyday VerseRomans 5:3-4AMP
What does IT mean?Paul is describing some of the benefits for those who, by faith in Christ, have been justified and made right before God with our sins forgiven. These benefits are only available to believers—the "we" Paul uses here indicates saved Christians, not the entire human race. So far, Paul has shown that we live in a state of being at peace with God forever, no longer in danger of receiving His angry justice for our now-forgiven sin. Also, by faith, we have obtained access to God's grace and are even now receiving it. Finally, we have joy that comes from having the absolutely sure hope of experiencing the glory of God for eternity.In this verse, Paul points to a benefit of salvation we experience immediately. For those in Christ, our suffering matters. It counts for something. For those who die without Christ, suffering is merely suffering. It is pain and loss and frustration, resulting in no particular benefit, and coming to no resolution. For those in Christ, however, suffering has a point, since we're destined for something higher. It accomplishes great good in us, in fact. Of course, this teaching also implies that Christians still suffer on this side of eternity. Being in Christ does not end our personal, temporary suffering on earth. That suffering does, however, produce something Paul here calls "endurance," which itself produces other powerful, positive characteristics in us. Endurance is the ability to keep going when we feel like stopping, as long distance runners train themselves to do. In this context, endurance is about our ability to trust God for longer stretches of time and through greater degrees of difficulty. Suffering, in other words, is an opportunity to trust God at a deeper level through harder stuff. James introduced his letter with this exact idea when he said, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2–3). Paul and James both see this reality as reason for rejoicing. They understand "rejoicing" to be a choice we make to declare even our hardest circumstances as God's good for us, in the sense that He is calling us closer, and to trust in Him more deeply. Verse ImageVerse of the day 06/08/2023 ReadToday's Scripture: Romans 5:1–5Insight: The New Testament reveals much about the Holy Spirit. When we repent and receive Jesus as our Savior, God gifts us with the Spirit (Acts 2:38). Through Him, God pours His love into our hearts (Romans 5:5). In this way, our bodies become the Holy Spirit’s temple and He lives in us (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit gives us love, joy, peace (Galatians 5:22), encouragement (Acts 9:31), and hope (Romans 15:13). He also teaches us and guides us. Jesus told His disciples, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26; see 15:26). The Spirit enables us, like Peter, to speak boldly about Christ (Acts 4:8). He also warns us (20:23) and gives us spiritual gifts (Hebrews 2:4). The Spirit of truth, our Advocate, is with us forever (John 14:16–17). Strengthened through TrialsThe memories flooded back when I rustled through some envelopes and glimpsed a sticker that said, “I’ve had an eye test.” In my mind I saw my four-year-old son proudly wearing the sticker after enduring stinging eyedrops. Because of weak eye muscles, he had to wear a patch for hours each day over his strong eye—thereby forcing the weaker eye to develop. He also needed surgery. He met these challenges one by one, looking to us as his parents for comfort and depending on God with childlike faith. Through these challenges he developed resilience.People who endure trials and suffering are often changed by the experience. But the apostle Paul went further and said to “glory in our sufferings” because through them we develop perseverance. With perseverance comes character; and with character, hope (Romans 5:3–4). Paul certainly knew trials—not only shipwrecks but imprisonment for his faith. Yet he wrote to the believers in Rome that “hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (v. 5). The apostle recognized that God’s Spirit keeps our hope in Jesus alive when we put our trust in Him. Whatever hardships you face, know that God will pour out His grace and mercy on you. He loves you. By: Amy Boucher PyeReflect1) How have trials and challenges actually helped you trust God more?
Prayer Point
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2023.06.08 19:02 UnDead_Ted Everyday Spurgeon Devotion Thursday, June 8th 2023
![]() | submitted by UnDead_Ted to TheDailyDose [link] [comments] 06/08/2023 Everyday VerseEphesians 2:10AMP
What does IT mean?Ephesians 2:8–9 is an extremely popular passage of Scripture. Since those two verses are so often quoted, many miss out on verse 10 when seeking to understand God's salvation by grace through faith. However, this important statement offers tremendous insight into what God desires after salvation. God calls us His workmanship or His artwork, from the Greek word poiēma. We are something crafted, with skill and a purpose, by God, for His purposes. Specifically, we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works." Good works do not give us salvation, but they are absolutely meant to be the result of salvation.Interestingly, God prepared what He wanted us to do for Him long ago. He has already planned what He wants us to do with our lives. We do not need to copy what someone else has done or is doing. He has a unique plan for each of us to serve Him in this world. This includes certain spiritual gifts and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to lead us in service to Him. Today's Daily QuoteMartin Luther"God does not need your good works but your neighbor does!" Spurgeon's Daily HelpWhen the beams of the sun are contracted by a burning glass, upon one spot, than they cause fire; so when our thoughts are concentrated on one object they warm the heart and at last burn the truth into it.There are many rays of light, but they are scattered. We get a little upon many things, while what is wanted is a great big truth, and so much upon it as shall fix it on the heart, and set the soul blazing with it. This is the fault of many lives; they are squandered upon a dozen objects, whereas if they were economized for one, they would be mighty lives, known in the present and honored in the future. The Spurgeon Birthday BookA prince had revolted from his allegiance to Rome sent presents to the Roman general, but these were returned with the warning that his grifts cannot be accepted by the Roman state so long he remained in rebellion. Neither will the Lord accept the service whose hearts a far from him. Would you receive a banquet of flowers from a servant who refused to do your bidding? Would you not bid her first to attend to her work. So must you first love God, before your religious observances van be pleasing o him.Daily Spurgeon's QuoteCharles H. Spurgeon"It is a sad thing, that after all of Christ's love to us, we should repay it with lukewarm love to him." Have A Great Day & God Bless You!06/08/2023 |