2Timothy
1:8
"Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His
prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel
according to the power of God; "
We can have all kinds of preaching and the world does not
get upset with that but when Christ is proclaimed in His glory from within watch out all hell breaks loose. The only time the world will get upset with
preaching is when the power of God begins to transform lives, now
that
the world does not want. The world is going to fight that tooth and
toenail. Paul says even though the power of God is being
exemplified, we still do not have to fear, because He is Sovereign.
He is the One who is supreme. What Paul has here said could be said
this way, “Be partakers of the afflictions of this Gospel according
to the power of God because it is based on the sure word of Prophecy.”
As Peter has recorded in 2Peter chapter 1 verses 19 through 21. This
the unlearned have twisted and perverted. Lets look at it before going
on to verse 9.
2Peter
1:19-21
“We
have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye
take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the
day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first,
that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
"We
have also a more sure.…"
What does that tell us?
Do we have to have exhilarating experiences like the transfiguration
to believe? No! We can take all this in by faith, we do not have to
have sight. We don’t have to have experiences. We take it by faith.
And that’s why we think in this Age of Grace we have so little of
the supernatural, if any, because now God has given us the sure,
tried and proven Word of God and He expects us to believe it, as Jesus said, eat my flesh and drink my blood, is figurative language for eating in the bread that sustains the heart and drink in the water of the word, receive of Me in this fashion. That is why it is going to be so awful for people of unbelief
because after all, all that He expects the human race to do is to believe what
He has said - and when they refuse to believe, it is almost a slap
in the face, as it were, and telling Him, "But I don’t
believe it."
The
next verse - even as great as that transfiguration experience was,
Peter can yet say, again by inspiration, never forget this.
2Peter
1:19
"We
have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye
take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the
day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:"
Who is the Day Star? The Lord Christ Jesus. And how does He
arise in our hearts? By faith! We take Him in by faith and He then becomes
real to us, the secret of marriage in metaphoric language, the act of being conjoined through consummation, One Body. He is with us moment by moment.
Once in a while things will happen in families and we can appreciate
when they begin to wonder, "Where is God’s grace?" when
just one horrible thing after another can happen. And that’s a
human reaction. But on the other hand, we have to come right back and
claim the promises of God that are sure - that, in spite of whatever
may happen, He is constantly aware of us. He knows. He is with us and
He will never leave us nor forsake us. All right, and so He is
already in our walk of faith; He is the Day Star that has already
arisen in our hearts. Especially in those who have accepted His terms
and conditions as revealed in the Lord's Last Supper. Because it holds
the mystery hidden from view of all that is called an everlasting
covenant under the Old Testament economy. In verse 20, is what
is more sure than even the proof of His transfiguration.
2Peter
1:20
"Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation." Or a better translation would be, of
"human origin." We can look at this book and it is more a manifestation of Who God is and what He has done and what He is to
us, than the transfiguration was to Peter, James and John. We
know that is a strong statement. But listen, this book is so
refined. It is so intricately put together that we never have to
doubt it. And it just proves itself precept upon precept. Even
though the scoffers may scream and ridicule it, yet, we who see the
intricacy of it, we know it is the Life giving Word of God. We
know it is true. We know that everything it says is going to
happen, IS going to happen. The greatest stumbling block for us is within our own mind and our perception of what God has revealed to man.
We
do not have to have any doubt whatsoever. We like to make
that comparison. Yes, Peter, James and John saw Jesus Christ's transfiguration.
They saw His Glory with their physical eyes. But we have got
something that is even more sure, and that is the Living Word of God
itself. That is exhilarating! Isn’t it? All right, let’s go
on. Looking at the first part of that verse again.
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