So Michelle Obama is singing Joe Biden’s praises. That’s what you expect from a political hack. She says lots of nice words, but her body language says, “I don’t believe a word of this.”
Month: August 2020
Ephesians 3:4-5
Here is my commentary on Ephesians 3:4-5. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au
Ephesians 3:4-5
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it is now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
In writing to the Ephesians, Paul is sharing the revelation of the mystery of Christ of which previous generations knew nothing, because it was a mystery ( i.e. a hidden thing). So now they can perceive the reality of the depth of his insight.
Paul had a revelation of this mystery, a sudden understanding given by God of how Christ came to fulfil the law of Moses and all the prophecies concerning the Messiah. Nobody saw this in previous generations as clearly as the apostles did in the time since Christ’s death and resurrection.
Where Paul excelled was the depth of his insight into the revelation. Many people receive revelation about salvation, but a proportion of them don’t move into insight. They stay with the revelation, “Jesus died for my sins so now I am forgiven.” The insight comes when we realise that, because off this my whole life must be lived for him. It is that insight that propels us from forgiveness to sanctification.
Paul wants the Ephesians to perceive his insight, that is to move forwards in their understanding of how much God loves them, the spiritual authority that they now have, and the implications of all this in their personal discipleship, in their relationships, and in their service of the Lord.
Paul says that the mystery of Christ has been revealed to the apostles and prophets. I made some mention of these gifts in 2:20 where Paul says the church is like a building built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone.
The apostles and prophets were godly men and women given the task leading the church into deeper insight off the revelation of Christ. One of the tasks of the church is to discern whether those who claim to be apostles and prophets are true servants of the Lord Jesus. As was stated earlier, this is by testing their teaching and revelation against scripture and against the character of Christ.
When any person- apostle, prophet, standard untitled Christian- receives a revelation or even a doctrine or Bible verse, we must test whether what they are saying against the revelation we already have. It is possible that we have the truth and they are deceived. It is possible that what they say jars because we have an inadequate understanding. Most often, the truth lies in between these two extremes .
Apostles and prophets were the ones who unveiled the mystery, who gave clarity and insight into what had previously been hidden, namely the grace of God in sending his one and only Son for us. They still have this role now- to reveal the centre of our faith, the person of Christ.
Key points in these verses
- The person of Christ was a mystery until the apostles and prophets gained revelation that unveiled what was hidden.
- Paul had a special measure of insight, particularly in respect of the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s Kingdom .
- Paul wanted to share that insight so that others could grow in their understanding and relationship with Christ.
- Apostles and prophets still share this ministry of unveiling Christ.
Reflection on Romans 9:14-23
Scripture
When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have the right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?
Observation
Even though God chooses some and not others, we cannot accuse Him of being unfair. He shows mercy to anyone He chooses.
God told Pharaoh that He appointed him for displaying God’s power and to spread God’s fame.
If God determines who will respond to the Good News, why does He blame those who do not respond? This is like a potter who makes two jars from the one lump of clay – one to decorate and the other one to use to hold garbage.
Application
There are many questions where the boundaries of human free will and divine sovereignty intersect.
Calvinists say that God chooses who will be saved and who will be condemned. Free will in people can never impinge on God’s freedom to do with His creation whatever He chooses.
Arminians, on the other hand, say that people are free to respond to the gospel and to receive God’s offer of salvation. They are also free to reject God. Love cannot be love unless we choose to receive or reject the offer of love.
The truth is that whichever end you choose to start at, you must understand both sides. God is in control, and He controls our destiny in such a way that we still choose to accept or reject Him.
Paul quotes the example of Pharaoh whom it was said was chosen by God to glorify Him through the world. At this point, Pharaoh had a choice to glorify God through repentance and submission to the Lord. We know he chose a different way. Even though God was determined to free His people from Egypt, Pharaoh had freedom to work with the Lord or to resist Him.
The choice always remains with us about whether we will follow God’s way or not. As we walk down the path of rebellion, our hearts become harder and harder.
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for calling me out of darkness and into the kingdom of your dear Son. Amen.
Reflection on Romans 9:1-13
Scripture
This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children.
Observation
Paul writes that his heart is filled with grief for his Jewish brothers and sisters. They are God’s adopted children. God revealed His glory to them, made covenants with them, and gave them the privilege of worshipping Him.
Being a descendant of Abraham, though, does not make a person a child of God. Only the children of the promise are God’s children. The example of this is Esau’s rejection by God in favour of Jacob.
Application
Many Jewish people made their family tree – their lineage from Abraham – the proof that they were God’s children. But Paul says that the Scriptures show that not every descendant of Abraham is a child of God.
Many Jews refused to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Since Jesus is now the only way to the Father and the only way to be saved, this means that they are going to hell. They could have been saved, and should have been saved, but their rejection of Christ showed they were not truly children of God’s promise.
Anyone who puts their trust in anything other than Christ will also be rejected by God. There is only one way to be saved, one name by which we are forgiven- Jesus.
You can’t be saved by a parent’s faith, by going to church, or by water baptism.
Jesus is the only way to be saved.
Prayer
Lord, I thank you that you have given us your Son to be our salvation. Please protect me from the idols that try to distract me from you, and keep me on the right path with you. Amen.
Today’s Sermon
John Piper: 10 Reasons to Read the Bible Every Day
John Piper gives 10 great reasons to read the Bible every day
Ten Reasons to Read Every Day
So, I have ten reasons that I believe this — ten reasons to make Bible reading, Bible understanding, Bible memory essential to the Christian life. Resist feelings of self-sufficiency that say, “I don’t need the Scripture every day.” Here are my ten reasons.
- Scripture saves.
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 Timothy 4:16)
“God saves us daily by Scripture.”TweetShare on Facebook
Salvation has happened to God’s people, salvation is — at this moment — happening to God’s people, and salvation will happen completely at the resurrection of God’s people, and it is happening now by means. Paul says to hold fast to the teaching and thereby save yourself. God saves us daily by Scripture.
- Scripture frees from Satan.
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)
And the context is that Jesus is showing the Jewish leaders that, though they think they are not slaves, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires” (John 8:44). Satan is your enemy, young Christian. He is a thousand times stronger than you are. So, John writes to the young believers,
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:14)
This is our only hope for defeating a supernatural enemy. Every time Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13), he struck back with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), and he had it memorized, so he didn’t have to carry a book in the wilderness.
- Scripture imparts grace and peace.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)
Knowledge of God gained through Scripture is not identical with grace, but Peter says it is a means of grace. If we want to be made peaceful and powerful through divine grace, Peter says, it happens “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” That knowledge is found in one place: Scripture.
- Scripture sanctifies.
Jesus prayed,
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)
“We’re all assigned in some measure to handle the word of God.”TweetShare on Facebook
Sanctification is the process of becoming holy — that is, becoming more like Christ and like God, who is perfectly holy. This is not optional. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Strive . . . for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
We don’t become perfect in this life, but we do become holy. God sanctifies his people. And Jesus prays to his Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” It couldn’t be more plain, or more important.
- Scripture gives joy.
You received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
His delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2)
Life without joy is unbearable. The Christian life is a life of many afflictions. But in them all, God sustains joy, and he does it by the Scriptures.
- Scripture protects us from destructive error.
Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God . . . so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine. (Ephesians 4:13–14)
How do young Christians stop being leaves blown around by cultural and theological winds and opinions? Answer: “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” — knowledge that they experience not as the opinion of man, but as the word of God. That’s found in one place: the Scriptures.
- Scripture is the hope of heaven.
And what I mean by this is that full understanding, full enjoyment of the truth of Scripture, will be experienced only in heaven.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
The knowledge of God — all the fullness that a created being can properly comprehend and enjoy — will not be withheld from us indefinitely. The frustrations of our present limitations of understanding and enjoyment will be removed. How fitting it is, then, that we be ever growing now in what will be our final joy in the age to come.
- Scripture will be resisted by some.
The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. (2 Timothy 4:3)
In other words, we need to know the Scriptures so that we’re not taken off guard or knocked off balance or led away by false teachers. We need to receive the Scriptures regularly to be ready to meet those who refuse to receive the Scriptures.
- The right handling of Scripture is approved by God.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
It is a precious thing to be assigned to do a very important task, and then to find the master worker approving of what he’s asked you to do. We’re all assigned in some measure to handle the word of God. And what a wonderful opportunity to be pleasing to the Lord.
- Scripture gives and sustains life.
Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
(Matthew 4:4)
Spiritual life — eternal life — just like physical life, must be fed, not by bread, but by the word of God. If you think that you have eternal life as a kind of vaccination against hell, which needs no nourishment, you don’t know what spiritual life is.
So, there are ten reasons for why young believers should resolve with all their might — all the might that God gives them — to make reading and meditating on and understanding and memorizing the Scriptures essential, nonnegotiable, in their Christian life.
Ephesians 3:3
Here is my commentary on Ephesians 3:3. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au
Ephesians 3:3
“As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.”
It is not clear here where Paul ”briefly wrote earlier” about God’s mysterious plan. It could be a reference to earlier in the same letter at Ephesians 1:9-10, where he does mention God’s mysterious plan. In this reference it is about God’s plan to bring everything under the authority of Christ. it is possible that Paul is referring to another letter which we do not know about.
Paul says here that God himself revealed His plan to him. We can’t be sure how that revelation to place. However, the wording suggests a sudden, singular event.
The Greek construction does not mention God. It simply says “ the revelation that was given to me.” The word for “was given” is in the aorist tense, Which means it was an action that occurred once. The imperfect tense would mean an event that happened over a period of time.
If Paul had been studying the Old Testament, or perhaps hearing the testimony of the apostles, over a period of time, he would have used the imperfect tense.
Rather, he suggests it was a sudden event, perhaps like his conversion event on the road to Damascus, in which the power and person of Jesus came as a sudden revelation. Sometimes people talk about a “download” of divine information in the sense that what was previously unknown suddenly becomes obvious.
The word “revelation”, in both Greek and English, tells us that this was all at God’s behest. It is God who makes the information known. It cannot be deduced by human effort, but requires an action by God to make obviouswhat was previously hidden.
The iconic case of this is the example of Moses who sees a burning bush in the wilderness. The bush becomes a vehicle for God’s self- revelation and his commissioning of Moses to set his people free.
In the New Testament, we have the entire Book of Revelation in which John is given a series of visions of heaven. This is something that could only have been “revealed” by God, and not learned or worked out.
Regardless of the form in which the revelation came to Paul, it is clear that he had a sudden insight into God’s plan of salvation.
The word “mystery” (the NLT renders it as “mysterious plan”) can be somewhat misleading to modern readers. We might think of a mystery as something that is complicated, obscure, or even criminal. The word mean simply something that is or was hidden.
Even the prophets in the Old Testament did not see clearly the fullness of God’s plan. They caught glimpses of the nature of the Messiah and the future of Israel, but never enough to see the totality of what was to come. In the New Testament we see the apostles struggling to understand what Jesus’ ministry really meant, even up to Pentecost and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
So God’s plan was hidden prior to Christ, but now it has been revealed to Paul in a sudden and powerful way. It is as if we were all asleep to what God was up to, but then Paul’s eyes suddenly open, and he sees for the first time, the meaning of the gospel, the Kingdom, and salvation. Paul’s mission then is to call others to see the same thing that he sees, allowing all people everywhere to come to Salvation .
Key points in this verse
Paul’s teaching about salvation is not something he worked out himself
God revealed this to Paul
God’s ultimate plan was previously a mystery- something hidden
the revelation came as a divine download, a sudden impartation of knowledge
Reflection on Romans 8:26-39
Scripture
No power in the sky above or on the earth below – indeed nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Observation
The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. Even if we don’t know how to pray, the Spirit prays for us in groans that cannot be expressed in words.
God causes all things to work together for our good. He knows us in advance and He knows what we need to make us more like Jesus.
God has not held anything back – He even gave His son for us, so won’t He give us everything else we need?
Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Despite trouble, calamity, and persecution we are more than conquerors in Christ. So nothing in heaven or on earth can ever overcome us or separate us from the love of God.
Application
God’s love for us is absolutely invincible. Nothing in all creation can cut is off from it.
Some people are afraid of satan and demons. In God’s eyes these are nothing. God is far more powerful and has already broken their power.
Some people fear trouble in the world. I am surprised at the number of christians living in fear of the corona virus. Even when it is legal to hold church meetings, these people keep their churches closed out of fear.
Some people are anxious that they might not stand firm if opposition or persecution come against them. How awful it would be to deny Christ under pressure. But even this cannot separate us from God’s love.
Nothing in the whole of creation can separate us from God’s love – except us. We have freedom to walk away from God. Nothing outside of ourselves can cut us off.
Prayer
This promise is so enormous, Father. Your love for me is never ending, and it is greater than anything that might come against me. Amen.
Spiritual Gifts- Faith
It may seem odd that faith is listed as a gift of the Holy Spirit in a list of rather extraordinary gifts. In most translations it is simply translated this way: “to another faith by the same Spirit”, although the NLT calls it “great faith.” The original Greek word is faith.
There are many so levels or types of faith that we need to tease out what is being referred to here.
Firstly here is normal human faith in which we trust things because in our experience, or to all appearances, they can be trusted. We trust that a chair will support our weight. We get on to planes operated by total strangers without too much fear because we trust that the pilot is able to fly and land the plane, and that all the maintenance, flight control and other systems work together to keep us safe. We drive at thigh speeds on highways separated from oncoming vehicles by a thin coat of paint on the middle of the road.
Next there is saving faith. This is the faith in Jesus that He will forgive our sins and bring us into relationship with God. This is a gift from God because we aren’t smart enough in our sinful nature to work out the gospel is true. But it is also a response from the human heart to the gospel- we know that the message rings true and is the answer to our desperation.
Then there is normal christian faith. We trust that God’s word is true, that He will supply all that we need, and He will answer prayers. The quality of this varies from person to person and even from time to time in the same person. Some are able to believe for healing for another person and for miracles, but other people are content to know that God loves them and that He answers fairly generic prayers.
Then there is the gift of faith which is a whole different level. Most people do not work in this gift all the time, but it comes as it is needed to the person who needs it for a particular occasion. This is the gift that makes possible the operation of other gifts such as miracles and healings.
This gift works in a number of ways, so we should not try to pin down the exact method of operation. The Holy Spirit is creative in His use of the gifts.
Some years ago, my wife, Margaret, suffered from a torn rotator cuff in her shoulder. This consists of several layers of muscle in the shoulder which make it possible to lift your arm. A sonogram revealed that it was torn right through all the layers, and this meant that it would not heal naturally. Surgery would be expensive, even with health insurance. So we prayed, believing that God would do what was impossible and heal this rotator cuff. We prayed three times a day for a couple of months. Then she noticed that she was able to lift her arm a little. We kept praying for complete healing and soon she had full use of her arm again. We had faith that God was able and willing to do what doctors said was impossible.
At other times the gift of faith is experienced as a surge of confidence that God is active right now. I have felt this when praying for people for needs of all sorts. You just know that God is going to answer this prayer and so you can pray with boldness. It might lead to a prophetic declaration that this need will be met in the name of Jesus. In any event, this surge of faith is exactly what is needed to bring about a miracle.
The person I think of when I think of the gift of faith is Peter. Peter was the one who had faith to walk on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:29). Peter was the one who preached to the crowd on Pentecost and led 3000 people to Christ in a day (Acts 2:41). Peter was the one who healed the lame men at the Temple gate (Acts 3:1-10).
The gift of faith leads to breakthroughs in many ways because it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to act through the other gifts.
Spiritual Gifts- The Word of Knowledge
The second Manifestation Gift of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 is the word of knowledge. Like the first gift, the word of wisdom, this gift is often misunderstood by people who have not experienced it. The NIV translates this gift as “the message of knowledge” while the NLT comes a little closer with “a message of special knowledge.”
A word of knowledge is a word or phrase, even a whole message, that comes to a person by means of the Holy Spirit. It is often information that the person could not know by any natural source.
A good friend of mine was once walking along the water’s edge in his home city. He met a couple he did not know coming the other way. The word “divorce” came into his head, and so he stopped them and asked them if that word meant anything to them. As he tells the story, it evidently did as they took off as quickly as they could. Perhaps he could have used a word of wisdom to go with the knowledge.
Often the word of knowledge can be experienced when we are ministering to someone. I often find that as I am praying with a person, various words will pop into my head which often give insight into the true source of the person’s problem. Alternatively these words may indicate something that is more important or more pressing from God’s perspective than the issue we have been praying about.
The American revivalist and healer Smith Wigglesworth would pray for healing for many people at each of his meetings. People could come and ask for apparently identical ailments and Wigglesworth would cast a demon from one, pray healing for the next and address emotional issues for the third. This is the word of knowledge in action showing the true cause of a physical sickness.
I have been in meetings where a person with a healing ministry would be very specific about an injury or ailment, naming a particular vertebra for example.
In Acts 5 we read of a word of knowledge that carried tragic consequences. A couple named Ananias and Sapphira had decided to sell some spare property and give the proceeds to the church. They kept some of the money for themselves, but tried to say that they have brought the full amount. Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, confronted him about this. There was no way he could have known that they had lied about the sale of the land except by the Holy Spirit. As he aid they were free to sell the land or keep it, and were free to do as they wish with the money. But they had lied to the Holy Spirit. Ananias was struck down dead. When his wife came some time later, Peter asked her about the value of the land, and she again lied and was also struck dead.
The actual operation of the gift operates differently from person to person. One person might have a word or phrase pop into their mind. Other people see the words written moving like a news ticker on a television screen. Some people see images or video. However it is experienced, the word of knowledge comes from the Holy Spirit.
On one occasion, I was leading Communion when I felt this severe pain in my left knee. I asked if anyone had a pain in their knee. There was no response. I explained that I was feeling this pain and it seemed to indicate that the Lord wanted to heal someone with a sore knee. Still no response. When I was more specific and mentioned which knee, a lady behind me called out “Oh, that’s me!”
As stated earlier, the word of knowledge often requires a measure of wisdom in its use. We don’t need to blab every word we receive. Sometimes it may not be obvious what we need to do with a particular word of knowledge. On occasions, it may not be appropriate to speak the word explicitly, but we can use it to inform our prayer or other ministry.
New Life Narrabri 