"Outsourcing" faith? - The View From My Room - Kentucky.com#storylink=misearch#storylink=misearch

"Outsourcing" faith? - The View From My Room - Kentucky.com#storylink=misearch#storylink=misearch

God's Eternal Purpose: the story of the Bible

There is an eternal purpose of God revealed in the bible.

God had a purpose for creating man!  He intended, or purposed for man to live forever.  So He created man in an unique way and with a unique nature - - - IN HIS OWN IMAGE! (Gen. 1:26-27) - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him.

Consider for a moment the statements in these two verses, about man being in God’s image.  What is God’s “image”?  This has reference to God’s nature.  God’s nature is described for us in the Bible. 

The Creation gives evidence of what is called “the invisible things” of God.  Speaking of God in Rom. 1:20, we are told, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

There are invisible things of God.  If they are invisible; then how can they be seen?  They can be seen “from the creation”.

How can they be understood? “by the things that are made...”.

What are these things? They are “his eternal power and Godhead.” 

However, there is something about God that is NOT revealed from the Creation.  It is ONLY revealed from ONE source.  That source is His communication to the ONLY being that He made in His own image --- Man.  The source of communication is the Bible.  The Bible reveals God’s purpose for man.  The Creation does not tell us of this. 

God created man in His image; i.e. capable of understanding Him; capable of performing that which He would command of man.  God thus gave man DOMINION over all other of creation (Gen. 1:26 – “let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

In verse 28 it says, “…and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Because man was created capable of performing what would be commanded of him, God purposed eternal life for man alone.  This purpose was “eternal”, because of the time in which it began: it was ‘purposed’ BEFORE He made man. 

How this purpose would be accomplished is the story of the Bible, and we find it gradually unfolding as we read our bible. 

Because eternal life was purposed PRIOR to man’s existence, we read of something repeatedly in the Bible - GRACE!  Salvation is said to be “by grace” in the Bible. 

In connection with this grace, we also read of a related subject that was "foreordained":

Ephesians 2:8-11 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in THEM."

Also, we read in Titus 2:14 that we were saved for this purpose: “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, ZEALOUS OF “GOOD WORKS”. 

There were ‘good works’ predetermined by God and thus a part of God’s eternal purpose.  What do 'good works' have reference to?

Notice from Ephesians 2:8 that faith is also essential to our salvation.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..."

How are good works related to grace and faith? 

Faith has reference to man’s part in his salvation while grace refers to God’s part.  God provided grace; man must have faith in that grace.  Paul spoke of grace and faith in Romans 5:2 as follows: “...we have access by faith into this grace...”

Because God chose to provide eternal life for man, it was thus a ‘gift’.  He chose to give us this (life) thru His own Son; thus, it was by grace.  We could not have deserved it, for we didn’t even exist at the time it was purposed.

The passages that speak of salvation in terms of grace are referring to God’s role in our salvation; those passages that speak of it in terms of faith, refer to man’s role.  HOW is our faith known?  We simply need to turn elswhere in scripture to discover the answer. 

We find that our salvation also involves an act upon the part of man that connects his faith with God's grace.  What is that act?

Heb. 5:9 states, “…he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him…”.  Man must OBEY Christ!  How do we obey Christ?  We do so by obeying His commands.  Remember, as was earlier stated, man was made in God's image.  As such, man is capable of understanding, believing, and obeying God’s commandments. 

Doing so, man acts 'by faith' (Romans 10:17)

So, salvation is said to be by grace AND also by faith, but salvation is neither by grace alone, nor is it by faith alone.  That is why all teaching/preaching must ‘rightly divide’ scriptures to teach truth about God’s eternal purpose! 

God’s grace is a much misunderstood subject; that is because of the teaching on it without regard to God’s eternal purpose.

Grace is often preached that it appeared or was shown AFTER man sinned.  That God purposed to redeem man after man had transgressed His will.  Thus, salvation is said to be ‘full & free” in Christ; that there is nothing for you to do, but accept it, acknowledging that Christ’s death was for you personally. 

But grace existed before man sinned!  God pre-determined grace for ALL.  Herein we find another error taught about grace.

Some teach that only certain individuals were “pre-destined” for grace, while others “pre-destined” for punishment.  Thus, grace is set forth as ‘limited’.  Grace is universal (Titus 2:11 – the grace of God hath appeared unto all men…”) How?  Through Christ!

CHRIST was predestined to die for the sins of the world; it is not that your salvation was pre-set by God and nothing can be done to change it; neither is it true that some were pre-chosen to go to hell and have no hope.

But the truth is that Christ was predestined.  Look closely at  Acts 2:23 – it says of Christ: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God…”

1 Peter 1:20 – "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world…”

Further evidence that Christ was predetermined to die for the sins of man, is seen in the language of Revelation 5:6, 9, 12; 13:8 where Christ is forth and referred to, as having been “slain from the foundation of the world.” He wasn’t slain prior to the creation was He?  Then HOW is this a true statement? – It is true, because it was foreordained (before creation) that he be slain at a later time.

Another text: Eph. 1:3-11.  This does not teach that some will be saved and some won’t; but that the one in whom ALL can be saved - - - IS CHRIST!  Notice:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Do you see what predestination refers to in the Bible?  Salvation was pre-determined to be ‘in Christ’, i.e.,  there is no salvation unless and until one is ‘in Christ’. 

That being said, how important does it seem to be about getting ‘into Christ’?   How do you get into Christ? 

Let me state that it is the most important teaching of the Bible.  If Satan can deceive you, it will be in regard to preventing you from getting into Christ.  He couldn’t prevent the church from being established (Matt. 16:18) – “…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  So he has focused upon corrupting the church w/false teaching and especially in regard to HOW man can get into Christ.

So we see that our salvation ‘in Christ’ began as a promise made by God PRIOR to the creation (Titus 1:2; 3:7).

This eternal life that began as a promise with God in eternity, was purposed to be accomplished thru CHRIST, and the church that He established, is comprised of those who are “in Christ” by virtue of having obeyed His words or commandments.  Those “in Christ” are the saved here upon earth, and they make up His church. The church was thus a part of God’s eternal purpose. God purposed to unite all nations into ‘ONE’ body.  How this was accomplished is the unfolding story of the bible.  If you are “in Christ”, you are in His “body”, the church.

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copyright 2011

A LESSON ON FAITH: "Who came up with the idea?"

Of Abel it is said that he offered unto God “BY FAITH”. How or where did Abel get his faith?

Faith, in the bible ONLY comes in one way – that is from God speaking and man believing and doing as God spoke.

We see this stated in Romans 10:17 – “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

This means that, in the Bible, when anyone did anything “by faith”, it meant that God FIRST spoke, and those to whom God spoke, obeyed His word.

Others mentioned in the 11th chapter of Hebrews acted “by faith” and were commended for their OBEDIENCE to what God told them to do.

Notice, how Abel’s obedience evidenced his faith in God’s word:

Heb. 11:4 - By faith Abel OFFERED unto God a more excellent SACRIFICE than Cain, BY WHICH (THE SACIRFICE) HE OBTAINED WITNESS THAT HE WAS RIGHTEOUS, God testifying of HIS GIFTS: (the sacrifice).

It was thru the sacrifice that Abel obtained witness that he was righteous.

How did Abel know to offer an animal sacrifice? Who came up with the idea, himself or God?

If faith comes by hearing God’s word, then God told Abel what to offer. Again, Romans 10:17 teaches us this.

Likewise we see this pattern in the others that are listed in Heb. 11.

For example: Enoch

Heb. 11:5 - By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him:

NOTICE: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Another example:

Noah - Heb. 11:7 – “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Who came up with the idea to build an ark…Noah or God?

ABRAHAM: Heb. 11:8-9 – “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise..."

Who thought of the idea to sojourn…Abraham or God?

Again, we see commands from God; and obedience which evidenced faith in those commands.

In Heb. 11:17, we read of Abraham, “By faith Abraham…OFFERED up Isaac…”

Who came up with the idea to offer Isaac?

It was God, who gave a command, and Abraham had to obey what was commanded; which gave evidence of his faith in the command.

On and on from Heb. 11, we see this same pattern.

Conclusion: saving faith is a faith that obeys what is commanded. The command preceeds the faith, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

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Stubbornness of Heart

Moses warned the 2nd generation of Israelites, who would enter Canaan under Joshua's leadership as follows in Deuteronomy 29:18-28:

18 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit,
19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.
20 The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.
21 And the LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
22 And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick—
23 the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger and wrath—
24 all the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?'
25 Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt,
26 and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them.
27 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book,
28 and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they are this day.'

When YOU hear the message of the gospel, do you bless yourself in your heart, reasoning, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart'?

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked..." (Gal. 6:7)

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Why doesn't God take away my pain?

How many of us have asked this question, silently or aloud? The Bible teaches that trials are for our good, not for our harm!  Physical suffering is not God's selfish venting of anger on us because He is mad at Satan. Notice one of many examples from the Old Testament whereby the explanation is given as to why trials are a part of our life.  More importantly, learn who is really to blame for them.....you might be shocked at the end of the story!

Judges 2:11-22

11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
12 And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger.
13 They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.
14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.
15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.
16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so.

18 Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.
19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
20 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he said, "Because this people has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice,
21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died,
22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not."

Do you see the importance of obeying God's commands?

Jesus has been given the right to command how we are to live today and how we are to worship God acceptably. Our rejection of those commands by being stubborn and refusing to drop our traditions are why our lives are in such misery.

The commands that God gave to Jesus, He taught to His apostles; they were told to preach them to "all the world".  These commands, in part were how to "call upon the name of the Lord", which are found throughout the book of Acts.  It is in the book of Acts that you will find how to be saved.  

The N. T. epistles were then written to those who had been born again, w/instructions as to how to live faithful until death or until the return of Jesus in judgment.

Don't use God as a "spare tire", abusing His mercy, only to return to a life of sin, when things improve.

Romans 2:4 - "...despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

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Rendering to God the things that are...Caesar's???

The May 2010 question posed by the Lexington Herald-Leader to its FAITH BLOG members was:

 

It’s election time – the silly season is upon us!

How do you guide a congregation that presumably includes “red,” “blue,” and neither voters? If a candidate is a member of your congregation, does that change your conversation? Are you willing to share how you voted with your fellow congregants?

You may go on-line at: kentucky.com and register (join) to read all the faith blog articles/responses and follow the blogs of those who are currently members; you may also join the faith blog network. 

My reply to this question was as follows:

 

I will answer these three questions in the order they appear in your e-mail:

#1 - How do you guide a congregation that presumably includes “red,” “blue,” and neither voters?

Pastors are to shepherd their flock by spiritual feeding.  [1 Peter 5:1-2] Man’s problem is sin; it is not going to be remedied in the political realm, but thru repentance from sin and obedience to the commands of the Son of GOD.

#2- If a candidate is a member of your congregation, does that change your conversation?

Whether a member of the flock is a political candidate has no bearing on my conversation, why should it? 1 Peter 4:11; James 5:12

#3 - Are you willing to share how you voted with your fellow congregants? Yes

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The Supreme Court ~ unity in diversity...justice for all?

The June 2010 question posed by the Lexington Herald-Leader to its FAITH BLOG members was:

 

"The Washington Post has this question posted on their faith blog. I think it’s a good question.

"If Elena Kagan is confirmed to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, six of the nine justices will be Roman Catholic and three will be Jewish. Should the makeup of the Supreme Court be more reflective of all of America's religious traditions? Does a Supreme Court nominee's religion matter?"

 

You may go on-line at: kentucky.com and register (join) to read all the faith blog articles/responses and follow the blogs of those who are currently members; you may also join the faith blog network. 

My reply to this question was as follows:

 

Long ago, the prophet Isaiah acknowledged of God, “...when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.   Although favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: even in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not acknowledge the majesty of the LORD.” - Isa. 26:9-10

What shapes character?  Does the administering of justice require religious convictions?  If not, what will cause justice to be administered?  How are you going to find a man to please the atheist while, at the same time, pleasing those who profess the existence of God? Will unity-in-diversity produce justice?  Will God’s judgments be enforced upon those who deny His existence?  Can the language of the constitution be interpreted so as to render justice for all, while religious unity-in-diversity exists?  Jesus taught, “No house/kingdom divided…shall stand.” Matt. 12:25

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