Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Thursday, May 1, 2014

For the Praise of His Glory

Thursday, May 01, 2014, 3:33 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “My Heart’s Desire.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 1:1-14 (NIV).

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

What does it mean to be holy and blameless in God’s sight? First of all, “holy” means to be set apart by and for God (and his service); “properly, different (unlike); for the believer, means ‘likeness of nature with the Lord’ because ‘different from the world’” (http://biblehub.com/greek/40.htm). The word “blameless” means “without blemish; faultless; figuratively speaking, to be morally, spiritually blameless, unblemished from the marring effects of sin” (http://biblehub.com/greek/299.htm). It means that Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins, i.e. he took our place in dying for our sins so that when we come to him by his grace, through faith, we have Christ’s righteousness credited to our account. Thus, we are positionally righteous in God’s eyes because of what Jesus Christ did for us, and not because of anything we have done to earn or to deserve our salvation.

Yet, is the purpose to be merely positionally righteous so that we can go to heaven one day? Is the holiness and blamelessness for which we were predestined only to be seen from a positional standpoint, i.e. that which promises us both forgiveness of sins and eternity with God in heaven? What was the object of Christ’s sacrifice for our sin? – Merely to give us hope of heaven and forgiveness of sins? - Or, so that, in Christ, and in the power of his Spirit within us, we might walk daily in his holiness and live blameless lives? I believe scripture teaches that our salvation is both possessive and progressive (See Heb. 10:10, 14), as well as it promises hope for our future. We are not spiritually reborn just so we can go to heaven. We are to be set apart for God and to be separate and different from the world, free from the “marring effects” of sin, and becoming like Christ in our daily walks of faith while we still live on the face of this earth (See Ro. 6; Tit. 2:11-14; Gal. 2:20).

Yet, in all practicality, we can never be completely holy and blameless in our actions, thoughts and attitudes while we still live on this earth, and while we still live in flesh bodies. So, living holy and blameless lives is not about our performance in order to gain some kind of approval from God. It is only because we have been made righteous in Christ Jesus that we can now walk freely in the Spirit of God and in his holiness and righteousness within us - free not just from the penalty of sin, but free from slavery to sin (See Eph. 2:21; 5:3; 1 Pet. 1:15; 2:5; 2 Pet. 3:11; 1 Thess. 4:7; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2:21, et al).

Because of what Christ did for us, and in view of his mercy to us, we are thus urged to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, which is our reasonable service of worship of him. We are to no longer be conformed to the ways of this world, but we are to be transformed in the renewing of our minds (See Ro. 12:1-2).

All of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying for our sins, in being resurrected to life, in giving us new life in Christ by his grace, through faith, and in making us holy and blameless in God’s sight is (and we are) for the praise of his glory. In other words, all of this is for the purpose of and is intended to result in a fitting recognition, worship and celebration of who God is in all his righteousness and holiness; in all his love and grace; in all his power and majesty; and in all his purity and integrity. In other words, we do nothing in ourselves to deserve or to earn such recognition for what Christ Jesus has done and is doing in our lives, so again, this is not about performance. This is about us submitting to our Lord in full submission to him, allowing him to work his will in and through our lives, and for the purpose that his name alone should be honored and praised! So, in all that he accomplishes in and through our lives, we give him all the honor and praise, as well as our very lives themselves are to result in the praise of Him for all that He has accomplished! Amen!

My Heart’s Desire / An Original Work / June 29, 2013

Based off Rm. 10; Lu. 9:23-26; Ep. 4:20-24

Loved Ones, Oh, my heart’s desire
Is that you might come to Jesus.
Many appear zealous for God,
But they do not trust in Him.
They have not submitted to the One
Who saved them from their sins;
Not forsaken their sins,
Nor have they obeyed their King.

The word of the Lord is near you:
The word of faith we’re proclaiming:
That you must confess your faith
In Jesus as your Lord and King:
Believe in Him as your Lord,
And follow Him where’er He leads.
Share the gospel; be a witness,
And meet others’ needs.

Beautiful are the feet of those
Who bring the good news of Jesus:
Anyone who would come to Him
Must deny himself today;
Die to sin and self, and
Let the Spirit transform you in heart;
Put on your new self in Jesus,
Yielding to the cross.


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