As I stated yesterday this portion of the revelation of GODS workings in man again, is misunderstood. And often denied all together, solely because of lack of simple trust which is like the smallest of all seeds. Jesus likened it to a grain of mustard, a small seed, which will over time grow to become a mighty tree of faith. Our many afflictions of life are what cause this seed to grow and the word is the light of this growth when received in its proper perspective form. That being spiritual, if it is only heard as being literal and practical the word is limited and even denied light in the heart of any person. And they remain in darkness and self-will. If a person remains in this state every word heard by them just may become perverted, twisted and distorted to out right lies causing harm to themselves and those around them. Now moving on the Pastor Hoekstra's writing on Grace. And then my subject of Divine Inspiration, our guidance and growth in spirit as GOD intends us to grow. I will make use of the ESV translation and will edit when and where the LORD leads.
"The Resurrection and Justification"
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1Peter 1:3)
We have a myriad of reasons to bless our great GOD, to speak of Him with grateful praises. "Blessed be the GOD and Father of our LORD Christ Jesus." Our heavenly Father has mercifully showered us with so many blessings that we rightly desire Him to be honored and blessed. "For You, LORD, are good, and ready to forgive, and Abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You," in Psalm 86:5. Based on His great selfless Love, He sent His Son to pay for our debt of sin. Through faith in His name, we have received Forgiveness and Newness of Divine Eternal Life. Day by day He is present with us and is working in and through our lives. How blessed we are!
In the scripture before us, GOD's merciful heart toward us is focused on a magnificent matter: "Who according to His Abundant mercy has begotten us again to a Living Hope." The LORD's mercy has provided a plan whereby He can righteously hold back the awful judgment that we rightly deserve.
This plan of Salvation is through New birth. GOD has "begotten us again." This could be rendered, "caused us to be born again." We all were begotten of our earthly parents, a birth that brings temporal human life. For all of us who believe the Lord Jesus as our personal Redeemer will then allow and even desire Him to become our Savior, Salvation. When we have been given a New birth from GOD into Everlasting Spiritual Life in Christ. Which is the very Life, Light and Love of GOD. This is one of the heavenly realities that relate to Justification (being declared Righteous in GOD's sight, and thereby able to walk with GOD).
This New birth is also "to a living hope." When we were born into the LORD's Family, real "hope" became available to us ever after. Biblical hope is about absolute certainties concerning the future. It is about guaranteed expectations for time and eternity. These are vital needs for every person. Otherwise, people flounder in hopelessness and despair, or they march along in vain fantasies and imaginations.
The unique hope the LORD provides for us is a "living hope." It is a hope that pulsates with resurrection life. "[GOD] has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, now the I AM within us." This hope is permeated with the LORD's resurrection. This Resurrection hope is sufficient to raise us from any agonizing deadness, whether in our aching hearts or in our threatening circumstances."
Divine Inspiration:
This is seen in the Inspiration of the Prophets and Teachers,
2Kings 3:9-12 "So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?" Then one of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah." And Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him."
2Kings 17:7-18 "Now this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their GOD, Who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their GOD things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtowers to fortified city. They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every evergreen tree, and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger, and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this." Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by My servants the prophets." But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They despised His statutes and His covenant that HEe made with their fathers and the warnings that HE gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of His sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only."
Nehemiah 9:26-31 "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against You and cast Your law behind their back and killed Your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to You, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore You gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to You and You heard them from heaven, and according to Your great mercies You gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before You, and You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to You, You heard from heaven, and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies. And You warned them in order to turn them back to Your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey Your commandments, but sinned against Your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. For many years You bore with them and warned them by Your Spirit through Your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in Your great mercies You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and merciful GOD."
Job 32:6-8 "Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: "I am young in years, and You are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to You. I said, 'Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.' But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. Therefore I say, 'Listen to me; let me also declare my opinion.'"
Hebrews 1:1-4 "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, GOD spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days HE has spoken to us by His Son, Whom HE appointed the heir of all things, through Whom also HE created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of GOD and the exact imprint of HIS nature, and HE upholds the universe by the word of HIS power. After making purification for sins, HE sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name HE has inherited is more excellent than theirs."
1Peter 1:10-12 "Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the Grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look."
2Peter 2:17-22 and 2Peter 3:2 "These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilement's of the world through the Knowledge of our LORD and Savior (Salvation in) Christ Jesus, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire."
2Peter 3:1-7 "This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the LORD and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of GOD, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly."
No comments:
Post a Comment