For a few days now, I have been delving into our walking as One being again as first known by Adam and recorded in Genesis chapter 2. Because when as HE Who is Christ is rightly known we are said to be in agreement and therefore walk as such through life here on earth, our training grounds. There are many instances of men being in this state of righteousness from the days of Paul moving forward to todays few in number. My question is this, why few in number? When the world is populated with millions if not billions of souls. Since the day of the giving of GOD' Spirit to indwell man there should have progressed to an over whelming numbers of people living by faith the world over. But as we have seen within the passages of scriptures there are warnings given that point to this not happening. The limited power of darkness at times seems to being winning as it also over whelms man. Okay, enough on that allow me to turn to Pastor Hoekstra and his teaching on Grace and our living by faith. And I will move on into our righteousness using the ESV translation while all being accomplished through Christ's Spirit, the LORD within me.
"Growing in Grace through Living by Faith"
"Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith . . . For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (Habakkuk 2:4 and Romans 1:16-17)
"In our four previous devotions on Jesus as our ultimate example, we concluded our series on "humility and grace" and now began to consider "faith and grace." If we want to grow in the Grace of GOD, we must live by faith, since faith accesses Grace. "We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2). We of the greatest of necessities remember that Christ is Grace and Truth as John reveals in his epistle, John having himself worked with Paul as did Luke but Paul seems to have more effect of John spirit. Because John inspired of the Spirit uses more spiritual understanding and terms that emphasis faith in Christ Jesus.
Our present, initial verse also builds upon our earlier studies on humility, which was repeatedly contrasted with pride. "GOD resists the proud, but gives Grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Habakkuk was inspired of the Spirit to state the same truth in this form. "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him." James contrasted pride with humility. Here, the prophet concluded his statement by contrasting pride with faith. The proud person is depending upon himself. The humble person is willing to depend upon the LORD. The humble person is the one who will be growing in the Grace of GOD.
This simple proclamation of living by faith is so profound that it is repeated in three strategic epistles in the New Testament. The first mention is in Romans in connection with the Gospel of Grace. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of GOD to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." Paul was not embarrassed by the good news of the Grace of GOD that was available only in Jesus Christ. He knew that it was GOD's powerful truth that would save the soul of anyone (Jew or Gentile) who would believe in Christ. That message of Grace offers GOD's righteousness to all who would believe. "For in it the righteousness of GOD is revealed from faith to Faith." The same righteousness that the law demanded, the gospel of Grace provided. "But now the righteousness of GOD apart from the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of GOD which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe" (Romans 3:21-22). The righteousness that people need (both for a standing in heaven and for a walk on earth) comes by Grace through faith. Yes, initially and continually, "The just shall live by faith."
Our Righteousness, Christ our Righteousness,
Romans 10:1-4 "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to GOD for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for GOD, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of GOD, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to GOD's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes." [In the world today one of the hindering factors to spiritual growth and true knowledge is great contention between the works of the Law of Moses and faith in righteousness to acquiring of Grace.]
1Corinthians 1:26-31 "Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But GOD chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; GOD chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; GOD chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of GOD. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became to us wisdom from GOD, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the LORD!"
Philippians 3:2-11 "Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of GOD and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the Law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my LORD. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from GOD that depends on faith— that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
No comments:
Post a Comment