As I sit quietly and ponder the things of GOD I often wonder what it is that other people see and hear when reading their Bible, have you wondered the same? Back when I was still a lad of 19 I told the Lord that I did not understand the message within the context of His Bible. That to me it was a mystery and beyond my comprehension. That said, I went about my daily life with no more thought about what I had said. Today my life is so much more then that life has ever been. Because Now my LORD rules and reigns from within me and then through me to world around me wherever He leads. Now for Pastor Hoekstra and his writing on Grace. And then I will continue on the Fuller Revelation with the plan of Salvation being Foreordained with the use of the ESV translation. And if and when the LORD gives to me more insight I will edit what I am on at the moment, as I always do.
"Ministry of Death versus Ministry of Life"
"The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious . . . how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?" (2Corinthians 3:6-8)
"These verses contain another contrasting choice that results in people either living by bankrupt human resources, and naked before the LORD or by bountiful heavenly ones. This contrast is "the ministry of death versus the ministry of Life." These terms come from correlating four phrases: "the letter kills . . . the Spirit gives Life . . . the ministry of death . . . the ministry of the Spirit." Of course, the old covenant of law is the "ministry of death," and the New Covenant of Grace is the "ministry of Life" ("ministry of the Spirit . . . the Spirit (restored) gives Life").
When people attempt to minister by the Law of Moses, spiritual deadness results. Since this Law sets forth a perfect standard, but offers no assistance, it "kills" those who try to live by it. Only those who minister by Grace can hold forth the promised Light of Life to people, because Grace alone can provide the Life that GOD intends for humankind to experience. Ministry is to be engaged in by individuals, families, and Churches. Every ministry will either be characterized as a "ministry of death" or a "ministry of Life." Contact with ministries either brings spiritual deadness to people, or it brings spiritual vitality. And what did we find out yesterday that Light is, it is the Oracle of GOD's Revelation to man and then within man as the anointing or the Messiah and Christ restored within us.
What would people encounter if an individual, family, or church were a "ministry of death" (that is, a law-based ministry that left people relying upon their own sufficiency)? They might encounter judgmentalism or fleshly striving. They might find self-righteousness or self-confidence. They might discover hypocrisy or frustration. They might detect harshness or coldness and even bitterness within themselves by attending such ministries.
Conversely, what would people encounter if an individual, family, or Church were a "ministry of . . . Life" (that is, a Grace-oriented ministry that encouraged people to rely upon GOD's sufficiency)? Instead of judgmentalism and fleshly striving, they would encounter Love, Joy and Peace. Instead of self-righteousness and self-confidence, they would find humility and confidence in GOD. Instead of hypocrisy and frustration, they would discover genuineness and fulfillment. Instead of harshness and coldness, and bitterness they would detect gentleness and warmth.
Our GOD is a GOD of real Life. GOD's loving plan of Salvation was that the Son would die to bring us Life (John 12:24). "For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have Everlasting Life" (John 3:16). The LORD Christ has Life for us, and He wants us to minister His Life to others."
Foreordained Plan of Salvation,
First Recorded Promise concerning,
Genesis 3:8-19 "They heard the sound of the LORD GOD walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD GOD among the trees of the garden. But the LORD GOD called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." To the woman HE said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." And to Adam HE said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Announced by the Prophets,
Acts 2:14-21, 23 "Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, GOD declares, that I Will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on My male servants and female servants in those days I Will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I Will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the LORD comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.'"
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of GOD, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. GOD raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. For David says concerning Him, "'I saw the LORD always before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For You will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let Your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of Life; You Will make me full of gladness with Your presence.'"
Based upon the Foreknowledge of GOD,
Romans 8:28-30 "We know that for those who love GOD all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom HE foreknew HE also predestined to be conformed to the image of HIS Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom HE predestined HE also called, and those whom HE called HE also justifies, and those whom HE justifies HE also glorifies."
The Wisdom of,
1Corinthians 2:6-13 and Ephesians 1:5 "Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of GOD, which GOD decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the LORD of Glory. But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what GOD has prepared for those who love Him"— these things GOD has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of GOD. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of GOD except the Spirit of GOD. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is GOD, that we might understand the things freely given us by GOD. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual."
Ephesians 1:3-14 "Blessed be the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as HE chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be Holy and blameless before HIM. In love HE predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of HIS Will, to the praise of His Glorious Grace, with which HE has blessed us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of HIS Grace, which HE lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of HIS Will, according to HIS purpose, which HE set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of HIM Who works all things according to the counsel of HIS Will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of HIS Glory. In Him you also, when you heard the word of this Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation, and believed HIM, were sealed with the Promised Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of HIS Glory."
An Unchanging Purpose,
2Timothy 1:8-14 "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the Gospel by the power of GOD, Who saved us and called us to a Holy calling, not because of our works but because of HIS own Purpose and Grace, which HE gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, Who abolished death and brought Life and immortality to light through this Gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that HE is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the Faith and Love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you."
Antecedent to Creation,
Titus 1:1-3, 4 "Paul, a servant of GOD and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the Faith of GOD's elect and their knowledge of the Truth, which accords with Godliness, in hope of Eternal Life, which GOD, Who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in HIS word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of GOD our Savior;
To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from GOD the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."
Provided for the Sanctification of Believers,
1Peter 1:1-2 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of GOD the Father, in the Sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood: May Grace and Peace be multiplied to you."
At the Beginning Centered in the Death of Christ,
Revelation 13:7-10 "Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of Life of the Lamb Who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints."
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