Our Spiritual Richness

Now for my part of todays subject taken from Ephesians 4:6 which states this, "one GOD and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." But as is my habit I will again call on Pastor Hoekstra and his writing on Grace as our needed resource for spiritual life in Christ and through Christ as we are now Christ-ones. Then I will look at our need for His Divine Spirit indwelling of us making use of the ESV translation all being done with the LORD's help.


"Jesus' Example of Grace for Our Speech"
By Pastor Hoekstra


"You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips . . . Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." (Psalm 45:2 and Colossians 4:6)


"In our two previous meditations, we saw Jesus as our two-fold example. First, He exemplified the suffering that prepares us for more of GOD's Grace to work in our lives. Second, He exemplified the related issue of GOD's Grace developing our lives comprehensively as Norman Grubbs called us an Esau in his writing on Romans 9. Now, we consider Jesus' example of grace for our speech.

Centuries before the Messiah (Jesus, as this Christ) came into this world, the Psalmist prophesied of the word of Grace that would flow from His mouth. "You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips." The manner in which the Grace of GOD guided and poured forth through the words of Jesus set His speech above that of every other person. Those who listened to Him during His earthly pilgrimage testified of this fact. "All bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth" (Luke 4:22). One of the distinctive aspects of Jesus' words was the unique authority that this giving of Grace imparted. "Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority" (Luke 4:31-32). At one point in Jesus' ministry, the Jewish leaders wanted the temple officers to take Jesus into custody, but they returned empty-handed. "Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, 'Why have you not brought Him?' The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!' " (John 7:45-46). 

The LORD intends for this same Grace to impact our speech. "Let your speech always be with Grace." When we humbly allow the LORD to flood our speech with His Grace, our words have a heavenly flavor to them: "seasoned with salt." His Grace will also add heavenly wisdom to our words: "that you may know how you ought to answer each one." This causes our speech to be edifying to others, because our words are ministering GOD's Grace through us into their lives. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29).

The Believer's Indwelling,

Ezekiel 36:22-32 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the LORD GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the LORD GOD, when through you I vindicate My holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness's, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people, and I will be your GOD. And I will deliver you from all your uncleanness's. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the LORD GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel."

John 14:15-18 (Jesus is speaking) "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and HE will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for HE dwells with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."


Romans 8:9-11 "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in (faith that is) fact the Spirit of GOD dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, HE Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you."

1Corinthians 3:16-17 and 6:12-20, 2Timothy 1:8-14 "Do you not know that you are GOD's temple and that GOD's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys GOD's temple, GOD will destroy him. For GOD's temple is Holy, and you are that temple."

1Corithians 6:12-20 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"—and GOD will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the LORD, and the LORD for the body. And GOD raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh." But he who is joined to the LORD becomes one spirit with Him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, Whom you have from GOD? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify GOD in your body."
2Timothy 1:8-4 "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 have 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."


1John 2:26-27, 28-29 "I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. For as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as HE has taught you, abide in Him.
Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that HE is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him."