The Weblog of Timothy B. Gowens

What is my statement of faith
1. We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures are verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.

2. We believe in one God, eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, manifesting Himself in Three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one in nature, equal in attributes, power, and glory.

3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and the He is true God and true man.

4. We believe that God created man in His own image and in a state of innocency, but man willfully transgressed God’s law and lost communion with God, becoming dead in sin, corrupt in nature, and incapable of pleasing God.

5. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and rose again for our justification; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit and works.

6. We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and thereby become the children of God, possessing eternal life.

7. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate.

8. We believe in the personal and visible premillennial return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Chris to reign upon the earth.

9. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead: the saved to a life of eternal glory and bliss in Heaven with God; the unsaved to eternal judgment of conscious suffering and woe in the lake of fire.

10. We believe in separation from all worldly practice, in whole-hearted devotion to the cause of Christ, in a high standard of Christian conduct; since such separation, devotion, and standard is the only scriptural basis for a useful Christian life. For this reason we oppose all practices which hinder Christian growth and detract from Christian influence.

11. We believe it is necessary to hold sound and aggressive scriptural convictions of separation from liberalism, apostasy, and compromise with unbelief.

Resting in the Lord

What does resting in the Lord Look like in a believer’s life?

Material taken from John MacArthur sermons and commentary. Compiled by Tim Gowens – with Comments etc…

Contentment – Phil 4:4-9

Discontentment is Sin! It is Sin because of these truths:
• It Zaps our Joy and Peace that is ours in the Lord
• It fails to say to God “Do with me as you will”
• It fails to acknowledge that this is God’s best for me!

Eph.1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will

It is not the answer to the situations we find ourselves in – it is about our learning to Trust God through them!

How do we get there?

• Cultivating the Love of others. Don’t be sucked up into yourself! Don’t be focused on you and your circumstances.
Phil. 1: 12-14 12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Rom. 14:19 19 therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

• Rejoice in the Lord not focusing on the circumstance – Learn to Focus on the attributes and the character of God and submit to and Obey it! A discontented Christian does not have Joy and contentment. Acts 5:40 40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

• Learning to accept less that you are due – Learning to die to yourself. We need to learn to put away our rights and put on meekness and gentleness. Phil 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. We need to learn that the Lord is at hand and practice His presence throughout the entire day. Col. 2:9-10 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

• Learn to submit to God’s sovereignty over you! David struggled with this – Read 1 Samuel 21:12 – Ps.118 – Ps.125:1-2 The Lord is NEAR like a bird in the air or a fish is in the water or a root is in the Dirt – He is always near and always in total control over every circumstance in the lives of men. How could God command us to not be anxious about anything if this were not so? Don’t carry God’s burdens. Leave it alone and trust His presence in everything. Peace only comes when we unload our sin of discontentment and begin to rest in Him. Peace is the guard against anxiety and fear. But Peace does not come to the untrusting unbelieving fearful – self focused heart!

• Think on Godly things. Discontentment is always the result of “ negative” “speculative” – “what if” thinking that will always drive a person to depression. Phil. 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

• Follow a good Example – vs 9 – What kind of friendship do you have? Do they challenge you to think correctly? Are they on the pathway of Peace trusting God and pursuing the Lordship of Jesus in their lives? Association that are the wrong type of influence will temp you to remain in your sin of discontentment.

It is not the answer to the situations we find ourselves in – it is about our learning to Trust God through them!

Eph. 5:3

But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. (5:3–4)

Taken from John MacArthur Commentary on Ephesians.

Whatever God establishes, Satan will counterfeit. Where God establishes true love, Satan produces counterfeit love. Counterfeit love characterizes Satan’s children, those who are of the world, just as true love characterizes God’s children, those who are citizens of heaven.

In contrast to godly, unselfish, forgiving love, the world’s love is lustful and self–indulgent. It loves because the object of love is attractive, enjoyable, pleasant, satisfying, appreciative, loves in return, produces desired feelings, or is likely to repay in some way. It is always based on the other person’s fulfilling one’s own needs and desires and meeting one’s own expectations. Worldly love is reciprocal, giving little in the expectation of getting much. Speaking of that kind of love, Jesus said, “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax–gatherers do the same?” (Matt. 5:46).

The world claims to want love, and love is advocated and praised from every corner. Romantic love especially is touted. Songs, novels, movies, and television serials continually exploit emotional, lustful desire as if it were genuine love. Questing for and fantasizing about the “perfect love” is portrayed as the ultimate human experience.

It should not be surprising that the misguided quest for that kind of love leads inevitably to immorality and impurity, because that kind of love is selfish and destructive, a deceptive counterfeit of God’s love. It is always conditional and is always self–centered. It is not concerned about commitment but only satisfaction; it is not concerned about giving but only getting. It has no basis for permanence because its purpose is to use and to exploit rather than to serve and to help. It lasts until the one loved no longer satisfies or until he or she disappears for someone else.

Porneia (immorality) refers to all sexual sin, and all sexual sin is against God and against godly love. It is the antonym of enkrateia, which refers to self–control, especially in the area of sex. When Paul spoke before Felix and his wife Drusilla, “discussing righteousness, self–control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, ‘Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you’ ” (Acts 24:24–25). Felix had stolen Drusilla from her former husband and was therefore living with her in an adulterous relationship. The sexual self–control of which Paul spoke pertained to lustful passion, as Felix understood. The message to the governor was that he was living contrary to God’s righteousness by refusing to discipline his sexual desire, and for that he was subject to God’s judgment.

Loss of sexual self–control leads to its opposite, which is immorality and impurity. Akatharsia (impurity) is a more general term than porneia, referring to anything that is unclean and filthy. Jesus used the word to describe the rottenness of decaying bodies in a tomb (Matt. 23:27). The other ten times the word is used in the New Testament it is associated with sexual sin. It refers to immoral thoughts, passions, ideas, fantasies, and every other form of sexual corruption.

Contemporary sex madness has even found its way into the church. The influence of the lustful world has been so pervasive and the church so weak and undiscerning that many Christians have become convinced that all sorts of sexual excesses and impurities are covered by grace or can be rendered morally safe if engaged in with the right attitude—especially if some Scripture verse can be twisted to give seeming support. But immorality and impurity cannot be sanctified or modified into anything better than what they are, which is wickedness—a crime against the holy God and the loving Savior. In 1 Corinthians 5:1–5 and 6:13–20 Paul shows that there is no place for that in the Christian life.

As mentioned under the discussion of Ephesians 4:19, greed is inseparable from impurity. Every form of sexual immorality is an expression of the self–will, self–gratification, and self–centeredness of greed. It is by nature contrary to love, which is self–giving. Immorality and impurity are but forms of greed in the realm of sexual sin. They are manifestations of sexual covetousness and express counterfeit love (which is really hate, since love seeks the purity of others and is unselfish), masquerading as something beautiful, good, and rewarding. Because those sins seem so attractive and promising, spouses are forsaken, children are neglected, homes are destroyed, friends are disregarded, as no effort is spared to fulfill the desire to have the one who is lusted after—all of that in the name of love.

Because of the strong sexual nature of human beings, sexual sins are powerful and can become perverted in unimaginable ways. If given free rein, sexual sins lead to complete insensitivity to the feelings and welfare of others, to horrible brutality, and frequently to murder—as news stories testify daily.

That is why the sins of immorality or any impurity or greed should not even be named among Christians, as is proper among saints. Those sins cannot in any way be justified, and they should not in any way be tolerated. The meaning of saints is “holy ones,” and those who are holy have nothing to do with that which is unholy.

Paul continues his warning against this perversion of love by mentioning an extensive list of related sins that is sure to cover every believer at one time or another. Not only should Christians never engage in sexual sins of any kind, but they should never be guilty of filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting.

Filthiness has to do with general obscenity, any talk that is degrading and disgraceful. It comes from the same Greek root as “disgraceful” in verse 12, where Paul says that such vile things should not even be mentioned, much less participated in, and is related to the term in Colossians 3:8, meaning “dirty speech.”

Mōrologia (silly talk) used only here in the New Testament, is derived from mōros (which means dull, or stupid, and is the word from which we get moron) and legō (to speak). It is stupid talk, talk only befitting someone who is intellectually deficient. It is sometimes referred to as low obscenity, foolish talk that comes from the drunk or the gutter mouth. It has no point except to give an air of dirty worldliness.

Eutrapelia (coarse jesting), on the other hand, refers to talk that is more pointed and determined. It carries the idea of quickly turning something that is said or done—no matter how innocent—into that which is obscene or suggestive. It is the filthy talk of a person who uses every word and circumstance to display his immoral wit. It is the stock–in–trade of the clever talk–show host who is never at a loss for sexual innuendo. But the low obscenity of silly talk and the “high” obscenity of coarse jesting come from the same kind of heart, the heart given over to moral filthiness.

In light of such clear teaching of God’s Word, it is strange that so many Christians not only discuss but laugh and joke with impunity about almost every form of sexual intimacy, corruption, and perversion. But God’s standard is clear: there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting.

Instead of being involved in immorality or filthy speaking, the believer’s mouth should be involved in the giving of thanks. Thanksgiving is an expression of unselfishness. The selfish and unloving person does not give thanks because he thinks he deserves whatever good thing he receives. The unselfish and loving person, on the other hand, focuses his life and his concern on the needs of others. Whatever good thing he receives from God or from other people he counts as undeserved and gracious. He is always thankful because his spirit is one of loving and of giving. Instead of using others, he serves them. Instead of trying to turn the innocent into the immoral, he seeks to change the immoral into what is righteous and holy. He is thankful because the holy life is the satisfying life, and people see love for God in the thankful person.

If Christians are known for anything it should be for love expressed toward God and others by unceasing thankfulness (cf. 1 Thess. 5:18, where the injunction is clear: “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”).

Eph 5:1-2

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love

By John Macarthur

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, (5:1–2a)
The walk of the believer is a key matter to Paul. He has introduced the fact that ours is to be a worthy walk (4:1) and a walk different from the world’s (4:17). He will also call for a walk in light (5:8) and a walk in wisdom (5:15). In this verse the apostle pleads with believers to walk in such a way that daily life is characterized by love. Growing in love is a continuing need for every believer, since love fulfills all of God’s law (Rom. 13:8–10). As we grow in love we also see the need to be even more loving. And since biblically defined love is so contrary to the flesh, we are always in need of reminders and encouragement to love.

Therefore refers back to the last part of chapter 4, especially verse 32. Kindness, tender–heartedness, and forgiveness are characteristics of God, who is love. God Himself is infinitely kind, tender–hearted, and forgiving, and we achieve those virtues by imitating their Source.

Mimētēs (imitator) is the term from which we get mimic, someone who copies specific characteristics of another person. As imitators of God, Christians are to imitate God’s characteristics, and above all His love. The whole of the Christian life is the reproduction of godliness as seen in the person of Christ. God’s purpose in salvation is to redeem men from sin and to conform them “to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). To be conformed to Christ is to become perfect, just as God is perfect (Matt. 5:48). “As obedient children,” Peter tells us, “do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ ” (1 Pet. 1:14–16; cf. Lev. 11:44). The great hope of believers is, “We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). Imitating His love is possible because “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom.5:5).

When Alexander the Great discovered a coward in his army who also was named Alexander, he told the soldier, “Renounce your cowardice or renounce your name.” Those who carry God’s name are to be imitator’s of His character. By His grace it is possible to reflect Him even in our present limitations.
To know what God is like we must study His Word, His revelation of Himself, His great Self–disclosure. Yet the more we learn of God’s character the more we learn how far above us He is and how impossible in ourselves it is fulfill the command to be like Him, to be absolutely perfect, just as He is. That is why we need “to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man” in order to “be filled up to all the fulness of God” (Eph. 3:16, 19). The only way we can become imitators of God is for the Lord Jesus Christ to live His perfect life through us. We are totally dependent on His Spirit to become like Him. If we are to obey Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians, “let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 16:14), we must submit to the controlling influence of the Spirit.

It is natural for children to be like their parents. They have their parents’ nature and they instinctively imitate their parents’ actions and behavior. Through Jesus Christ God has given us the right to become His children (John 1:12; Gal. 3:26). As Paul declared at the beginning of this letter, God “predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph. 1:5). Because our heavenly Father is holy, we are to be holy. Because He is kind, we are to be kind. Because He is forgiving, we are to be forgiving. Because God in Christ humbled Himself, we are to humble ourselves. Because God is love, as His beloved children we are to walk in love. This ability is not natural, however, but supernatural—requiring a new nature and the continuous power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us by obedience to God’s Word.

The greatest evidence of love is undeserved forgiveness. The supreme act of God’s love was to give “His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God’s love brought man’s forgiveness. God loved the world with such a great love that He offered forgiveness to sinful, rebellious, wretched, vile mankind, by sending His own Son to give His life on the cross that they might not suffer death. He offered the world the free gift of eternal fellowship with Him.

Because forgiveness is the supreme evidence of God’s love, it will also be the most convincing proof of our love. Love will always lead us to forgive others just as love led God in Christ to forgive us (Eph. 4:32). Nothing more clearly discloses a hard, loveless heart than lack of forgiveness. Lack of forgiveness betrays lack of love (see 4:31). The presence of forgiveness always proves the presence of love, because only love has the motive and power to forgive. The extent of our love is the extent of our ability to forgive.

Whatever another believer may do against us, no matter how terrible or destructive or unjustified, Christ has paid the penalty for that sin. No matter how others may hurt, slander, persecute, or in any way harm us, Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient to pay their penalty. When a Christian expresses, or even harbors, vengeance toward a brother, he not only sins by allowing selfish hatred to control him but he sins by profaning Christ’s sacrifice—by seeking to mete out punishment for a sin whose penalty has already been paid by his Lord.

Because Christ has paid the penalty for every sin, we have no right to hold any sin against any person, even a nonbeliever. Peter thought that forgiving someone “up to seven times” was generous. But Jesus said, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:22). In Christ all our “sins are forgiven for His name’s sake” (1 John 2:12); He has “forgiven us all our transgressions” (Col. 2:13, emphasis added). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

Just as the depth of God’s love is shown by how much He has forgiven, the depth of our love is shown by how much we forgive. “Above all,” Peter says, “keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). The Greek word behind “fervent” refers to a muscle stretched to the limit. Our love is to stretch to the limit in order to cover “a multitude of sins” The greater our love the greater the multitude of sins it will cover in forgiveness.

The depth of our love is also shown by how much we know we have been forgiven. When Jesus was eating dinner with Simon the Pharisee, a prostitute came in to the house and anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears and with expensive perfume. Simon was incensed at what she did and was disappointed in Jesus for allowing such a woman to touch Him. Jesus responded by telling a parable: “ ‘A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?’ Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’ And He said to him, ‘You have judged correctly.’ ” After comparing the ways that Simon and the woman had treated Him, Jesus said, “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:36–47).

Because Simon had no real sense of the enormity of the sin in his own life, and therefore sensed no need for forgiveness, he was unforgiving of others—especially those whom he considered moral and social outcasts. Unforgivingness is the measure of self–righteousness just as forgiveness is the measure of love. Our ability to love, and therefore to forgive, depends on our sense of how much God has forgiven us. Unforgivingness is also a measure of unbelief, because the person who feels no need for forgiveness feels no need for God.

Robert Falconer tells the story of his witnessing among destitute people in a certain city and of reading them the story of the woman who wiped Jesus’ feet with her tears. While he was reading he heard a loud sob and looked up at a young, thin girl whose face was disfigured by smallpox. After he spoke a few words of encouragement to her, she said, “Will He ever come again, the One who forgave the woman? I have heard that He will come again. Will it be soon?” “He could come any time. But why do you ask?” Falconer replied. After sobbing again uncontrollably, she said, “Sir, can’t He wait a little while? My hair ain’t long enough yet to wipe His feet.”

The person who sees the greatness of his own forgiveness by God’s love will himself in love be forgiving. He forgives in love because his heavenly Father has forgiven in love and he desires to be an imitator of His Father.

Eph 2:14-18
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Thoughts from John MacArthurs Commentary – Compiled by Tim Gowens

Peace comes only when self dies, and the only place self truly dies is at the foot of Calvary. During World War II a group of American soldiers was exchanging fire with some Germans who occupied a farm house. The family who lived in the house had run to the barn for protection. Suddenly their little three–year–old daughter became frightened and ran out into the field between the two groups of soldiers. When they saw the little girl, both sides immediately ceased firing until she was safe. A little child brought peace, brief as it was, as almost nothing else could have done.

The barrier of the dividing wall alludes to the separation of the Court of the Gentiles from the rest of the Temple. Between that court and the Court of the Israelites was a sign that read, “No Gentile may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.” This physical barrier illustrated the barrier of hostility and hate that also separated the two groups. As we learn from the book of Acts, even a Jew who brought a Gentile into the restricted part of the Temple risked being put to death. Although Paul had not done so, certain Jews from Asia accused him of taking Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, into the Temple. They would have stoned Paul to death had he not been rescued by Roman soldiers (Acts 21:27–32).

Another story from World War II is that of a group of American soldiers who lost their buddy in battle. They carried his body to the only cemetery in the area, which happened to be Catholic. When the priest was told that the dead man was not Catholic he said, “I am sorry, but he cannot be buried here.” The disheartened and discouraged soldiers decided to do what they thought was next best, and during the night they buried their comrade just outside the cemetery fence. They returned the next morning to pay their last respects, but they could not find a grave outside the fence. When they told the priest of their quandary, he said, “The first part of the night I stayed awake sorry for what I told you. And the second part of the night I spent moving the fence.”

When Jesus Christ broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, He moved the fence, in order that in Himself He might make the two into one new man. No person who comes to Him will be excluded, and no person who is included will be spiritually distinct from any other. In His flesh points specifically to Jesus’ death on the cross, through which He nullified, annulled, made of no effect, and invalidated (abolished, katargeō) the feud, discord, and alienation (enmity, echthra), thus establishing peace, as already indicated in verse 14.

The Scottish commentator John Eadie wrote, “The cross which slew Jesus slew also the hostility between man and God. His death was the death of that animosity.” The cross is God’s answer to Judaizing, racial discrimination, segregation, apartheid, anti–Semitism, bigotry, war, and every other cause and result of human strife. This is the great mystery of Ephesians 3:6, “that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. (2:18)
When we have Jesus Christ (Him) we also have access by the Spirit to the Father. The resources of the entire Trinity are ours the moment we receive Christ. It is not just a judicial reconciliation but an actual intimate relationship with practical value as we bring our needs to the Father.

Although in John 10 Jesus spoke of Himself both as the Good Shepherd and as the door to the sheepfold (vv. 1–14), He was not mixing metaphors. A Palestinian shepherd brought his sheep into the pen at night or erected a temporary fence of stones, wood, or mud if he was away from home. After he put the sheep inside, counted them carefully, and put oil on their wounds from briars or sharp rocks, he lay across the narrow opening that served as a door. The shepherd himself was the door.
The only access into God’s presence, the only door into the sheepfold of His kingdom, is through His Son. But it is a wonderful and glorious access that can never be taken from us. We can always “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Through God’s divine Son we, too, become His sons. Consequently we “have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but … a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ ” (Rom. 8:15).

Eph 2:11-13
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

2:11, 12 Gentiles (the “uncircumcision”) experienced two types of alienation. The first was social, resulting from the animosity that had existed between Jews and Gentiles for thousands of years. Jews considered Gentiles to be outcasts, objects of derision, and reproach. The second and more significant type of alienation was spiritual, because Gentiles as a people were cut off from God in 5 different ways: 1) they were “without Christ,” the Messiah, having no Savior and Deliverer and without divine purpose or destiny. 2) They were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.” God’s chosen people, the Jews, were a nation whose supreme King and Lord was God Himself, and from whose unique blessing and protection they benefitted. 3) Gentiles were “strangers from the covenants of promise,” not able to partake of God’s divine covenants in which He promised to give His people a land, a priesthood, a people, a nation, a kingdom, and a King—and to those who believe in Him, eternal life and heaven. 4) They had “no hope” because they had been given no divine promise. 5) They were “without God in the world.“ While Gentiles had many gods, they did not recognize the true God because they did not want Him (see Rom. 1:18–26).
2:13 far off. A common term in rabbinical writings used to describe Gentiles, those who were apart from the true God (cf. Is. 57:19; Acts 2:39). brought near. Every person who trusts in Christ alone for salvation, Jew or Gentile, is brought into spiritual union and intimacy with God. This is the reconciliation of 2 Cor. 5:18–21. The atoning work accomplished by Christ’s death on the cross washes away the penalty of sin and ultimately even its presence.

“As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born.
“When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall, and reached the age for fine ornaments; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare. Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord God. “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidered cloth, and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace around your neck i also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which i bestowed on you,” declares the Lord God. (Ezek. 16:4–14
If someone offered you a million–dollar business loan, you would want to be sure he actually had that much money to lend. You would also want to be sure he was a man of his word, that he was credible. If he did not have sufficient money or if he did not keep his word, his promise would be worthless, and no reasonable person would take hope in it.
Israel was able to have complete hope in God’s promises because He had every resource at His disposal and because He cannot lie. They had God’s promises, and they knew He was able and trustworthy to fulfill them. The fact that they often failed to hope in those promises was due to their own unfaithfulness, not God’s.
There will never be an end to alienation until Christ returns and by His own power breaks down the barriers of separation. Apart from Christ there not only can be no harmony with God but no harmony among men.
Therefore my personal responsibility is to fully understand what Salvation is and how it has affected me and my life. I cannot change anyone – I can’t really even change myself apart from God’s work in my life thru the power of the Holy Spirit. I am to put my hope in the Gospel and learn to trust it that God will accomplish all his good pleasure in me. HE is trustworthy and faithful to fulfill them. I am the factor that sometime is tossed about. I am to be still and know that He is God.

Eph 2:2-3
in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

2:2 course of this world. See note on John 1:9. This refers to the world order, i.e., humanity’s values and standards apart from God and Christ. In 2 Cor. 10:4, 5, Paul refers to these ideologies that are like fortresses in which people are imprisoned, need to be set free, and brought captive to Christ and obedience to the truth.
the prince of the power of the air. Satan. Cf. John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4.

John 1:9
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

2 Cor. 10:4, 5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Recently I had a person reject me. He was rejecting me because I called him to a certain aspect of accountability under the umbrella of what I thought was a Christian relationship. He was going to leave the church and go and worship in a false religious system. How can any “brother” leave the place of the worship of Jesus Christ (although even the modern church has problems) and go and attend what is clearly a false religious system? I simply challenged the thought with a sermon series by John MacArthur and asked if he would just spent some time discussing it with me – if he wanted to. He then proceeded the attack. He is submitting himself to the values and standards apart from God and Jesus Christ. I suppose I am represent the Light in the situation and I was rejected. My obedience to what I know exposes the error of this kind of thinking just as 2 cor. 10:4-5 states. Paul said that he took the punches that were meant for Christ when he confronted error. I am ok with taking a punch for what is intended for Christ, even though it is painful and hurts.I am not seeking it – but sometimes they come. This means that I am walking at least in some ways as He would have. True faith is costly at times, just as Christ taught us. He said that if the world hated him, then they will truly hate you as well.

1-10-12
Eph. 1:6
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Accepted – 1 to make graceful. 1A charming, lovely, agreeable. 2 to peruse with grace – compass with favour. 3 to honour with blessings. – To be endued with special honor: — made accepted, be highly favoured.

All this was due to the loving choice of my Father.

Beloved – 1 of persons. 1A to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. 2 of things. 2A to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing – to love (in a social or moral sense)

Matthew Henry said – “History is written and directed by its Creator, who will see it through to the fulfillment of His own ultimate purpose—the summing up of all things in Christ. He designed His great plan in the ages past; He now sovereignly works it out according to His divine will; and in the fulness of the times He will complete and perfect it in His Son, in whom it will forever operate in righteous harmony and glorious newness along with all things in the heavens and things upon the earth.”

What a tremendous Joy this brings to my heart. To think – that God has welcomed me already into the beloved family of God. I remember not ever “feeling” like I was part of a family when I was a child. To be cast out – unacceptable to my young piers at school. I was considered to be not very smart – a loner. But God Has not left me there – unaccepted and picked on! He has accepted me as a Son and has ALREADY prepared for me a place in His kingdom. I am accepted and loved by God and I can’t change this by any sin that I may commit. To God be the Glory!

Eph 1:1
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

To the saints who are at Ephesus, that is, to the Christians who were members of the church at Ephesus, the metropolis of Asia. He calls them saints, for such they were in profession, such they were bound to be in truth and reality, and many of them were such. All Christians must be saints; and, if they come not under that character on earth, they will never be saints in glory.
He calls them the faithful in Christ Jesus, believers in him, and firm and constant in their adherence to him and to his truths and ways. These peculiar blessings proceed from God, not as a Creator, but as a Father by special relation: and they come from our Lord Jesus Christ, who, having purchased them for his people, has a right to bestow them upon them. Indeed the saints, and the faithful in Christ Jesus, had already received grace and peace; but the increase of these is very desirable, and the best saints stand in need of fresh supplies of the graces of the Spirit, and cannot but desire to improve and grow: and therefore they should pray, each one for himself and all for one another, that such blessings may still abound unto them.
Every Christian is a saint, because every Christian has been set apart and made holy through the perfect righteousness of Christ that has been placed to his account (Rom. 3:21–22; 1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9; etc.). When a person acts in faith to receive Christ, God acts in grace to give that person Christ’s own righteousness. It is Christ’s perfect righteousness—not a person’s own character or accomplishments, no matter how great they may seem in men’s eyes—that establishes every believer as one of God’s saints through saving faith.

The word “Saint” is interesting to me. I have not really ever thought of myself as a “Saint” per-say but I am positionally that. My actions should reflect someone who has such high standards placed upon him. I am a saint – and I should act like one, for if I do not –then I am not. Actions of a saint are founded in the next phrase – Faithful in Christ Jesus. Faithfulness is what the Father wants from me – to walk in such a way that reflects my commitment to Him as Lord.

Information taken from Matthew Henry’s – and John MacArthur’s Commentaries

November 7, 2011

From my mother – Miriam Peterson. This is just wonderful!

Last night, at Ann Boswell’s house, I held hands with 7 other of God’s children while we prayed together for the healing of Camille’s body, her anger, and attitude,  Specifically we prayed that the Prince of Peace and Joy would call Camille into a relationship with Himself, revealing His nature and purposes through her.

Because I believe that God hears our prayers I intentionally went to Roswell to spend the day with Camille, to see what He would do.  The day itself was one of those rare, early November days where the temperature reaches a perfect 72 degrees, the air is dry and the sun is bright all day.  The trees were ablaze with color.  Everywhere you looked were deep reds, brilliant yellows and a thousand colors in between.  It was like moving through living art, an artist’s delight.

My itinerary included lunch along the way and maybe a drive up Ga. 400 to Dahlonega to enjoy the trees.  That is not what happened.  After a stop at Camille’s favorite Thrift store and lunch at Olive Garden, we started up Ga. 400.  Camille was starting to complain, about the traffic, the noise.  She was not enjoying herself.  I decided to plow ahead with my itinerary and went out onto North 400.  As I picked up speed, we both noticed the wind rushing through the sunroof.  Was it open?  A quick check revealed that the sun roof was shattered in her car!  Now that is just weird.  The car had not been driven in over 2 weeks and is seldom driven more than 2 blocks to the drug store.  As I tried to decide what to do, a large chunk of the glass turned loose and flew behind us, who knows where.  Fall trip to Dahlonega canceled, I started a slow trip back to her house.

Back to my real purpose in being there, and since the sunroof is the most heavenward part of her car, I paid close attention to her attitude about this more or less serious problem.  I noticed that she was surprisingly light hearted (mostly puzzled.).  That’s very different from her typical response to life’s irritating problems.  Typically she lashes out in anger with a stream of obscenities, blaming just about anyone that comes to mind.

We eased our way back home, made several phone calls and learned that she had a $1000 deductible on comprehensive insurance, so no help there.  She had just received a completely unexpected check from Social Security for a little over $1000 (some sort of catch up thing – the letter was very vague).  The dealer wanted $820 for a new sunroof and that did not include installation.  We both thought that the money would certainly now have to be spent on the sunroof.  “I can never get ahead”, she grumbled in typical negative fashion.  I thought, “Thank you Lord for sending her the money to pay for this even before we knew what it was for!”  Praise leaped up from heart for I have seen His kindness in her life too many times to count.  More calls were made involving 2 Christian brothers (Dr. Rob, her long time friend and a precious Christian and her nephew Tim, my son).  My son said we could bring the car to him, then go to a junk yard and buy the replace unit for $75 (he’d been calling around too).

Well this day certainly was not going the way I had planned.  I wasn’t even going to be around my sister for most of it.  But off I went, trying to get something done before night and the promise of rain, the next day.  I was concerned driving across Marietta and Roswell in busy traffic with the potential of pieces of glass blowing out as had happened earlier.  I went slow and kept repeating the promise “nothing can hinder You, Oh Lord.  Your will be done.”  I picked up Tim and we drove to a remote junk yard in Austell.  Tim explained to me as we drove along how the area we were in was flooded a couple of years ago.  Many houses were still boarded up.  I prayed again in the back of my mind “Nothing can hinder You, Oh Lord.  Thy will be done in the families that lived here and in mine.”

The sun was dropping fast.  It was the first business day of the autumn time change.  Everything seemed later that it actually was.

The visit to the junk yard was a first for me.  I thought the parts would be on the shelf or something.  That’s not the way it works.  They tell you about where to start looking out on the lot.  You have to find the wreck, measure the part and see if it will work for you.  Together with Tim, we crawled over wrecked cars.  When I was getting dressed earlier that day, I had been led to wear jeans and a work shirt of my husbands – I had no idea why.  I had planned a girl’s outing. Now I knew why I was appropriately dressed for the junk yard.  The shadows grew longer and longer as we search through wrecked cars stacked 2 and 3 high.  There was no isle through many of them so we climbed over bumpers and squeezed through little gaps.  My mind returned to prayer.  Was this a living metaphor?  A picture of how God sees us – useless for what He made us for, damaged beyond repair, waiting silently and in large numbers to be crushed and burned, turned back into the dust from which He made us?

“I found it!” Tim shouted, “Over here!”  I couldn’t see where he was but I crawled over what was left of a car couple of cars until I finally saw him.   Smiling in victory, he banged on the trunk of a miserable looking wrecked Lincoln.  He hurried off to inform someone back up at the shop and I decided to stand and keep guard over this newly found “treasure” – “the sheep that was lost” I mused.  This one or part of it can be used, I thought.

I wasn’t expecting what happened next.  A huge fork lift, bull dozer thingy came over and starting grabbing up all the cars in the line that contained “my treasure!”  Oh no! I thought and I tried to shoo the driver away.  I frantically mouthed up at him “no!  I want this one!”  He acknowledged me with a silent nod from his powerful perch, inside the giant fork lift thingy.  When he roughly grabbed up “my” wrecked Lincoln with the fork lift, I had to back away.  I had to let it go – into his hands.  I thought all was lost.”  It was only later that I found out that the driver of that big thingy was the owner of the junk yard and he knew exactly what he was doing.  Our heavenly “owner” does too, I thought.

Within seconds “my” junked Lincoln was delivered to the “surgeon” for sun roof removal.  A young man that looked and acted like a monkey leaped into the wrecked car and started ripping out the headliner.  I stood amazed, watching this grease covered, small thin man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, sporting a very long, curly, grown out Mohawk hair do, jerk and prod until the headliner gave way, exposing the entire sunroof apparatus.

Lord, I know you hear and answer prayers, I thought, but this is an encounter I wasn’t expecting.

Tim stepped over and said “mom, aren’t you glad God made people like him who not only can do this sort of work, but seem to enjoy it?”  I looked at him again and smiled.  I complimented him on his abilities.  He stuck his head out of the wreck and beamed a smile at me.  He had the most beautiful blue eyes.  They literally danced when we spoke.  He proudly told me he could drop a motor out of a car just as fast as he could remove a sunroof.  He was truly a junk car expert.  Oh, the story doesn’t end there.  God’s blessings never end.

Tim and I took the junk yard retrieved sun roof unit to an installer in Marietta.  The installer had been looking for a wheel repair shop – which is exactly what Tim’s company specializes is.  The owner said he’d be sending Tim a lot of business (which he really needs as a small business owner in these “economic downturn” days.)

On the drive to Camille’s house for my car, Tim and I had a wonderful discussion about God’s Biblical promises.  ALL things are under His Sovereign control.  Together we tried to understand how sin and suffering fit into God’s Sovereign control of All things.  Tim said he had learned that to every theological truth, there is a ledge, a precipice.  And that we can move through human knowledge and reason just so far out onto this razor sharp ledge and then… Beyond that edge of human understand lays the unfathomable depth of the mind and heart of God.  We concluded that though we cannot fully understand what ALL things mean, we can fully trust God’s character, His abiding, hovering presence in ALL things.  We can commit ALL things to Him, including sunroofs and sisters.

When we reached Camille’s home, we decided to go out to dinner.  It was well after dark, but Camille was upbeat and thankful for the help.  I noticed she kept a tight lid on the foul language and combative, angry attitude that so often characterizes her.

Did God heal her?  Time will tell.  Did God answer our prayers – Oh yes!  He heard, He responded, He loves us and ALL of the dilapidated junks in His earthly junk yard.  Oh yes, He answered, but almost never as I thought He might.