2 Chronicles 6:18
18 “But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
God is ‘big’ and glorious. Even the highest heaven cannot contain Him. But David and Solomon wanted to build a place for God to dwell on earth. God has to ‘bend down’ in order to dwell in Solomon’s Temple. I can see that God was responsive to David and Solomon’s wish. In fact, if God is not love, He will not allow them to build Him a temple as even the greatest temple cannot contain Him. The way I see it is that God is love. He is eager to have a relationship with man. So, in order to suit the ‘thinking’ of man, He allowed David and Solomon to build Him a temple to dwell in, just to provide a ‘humanly’ way for man to approach Him.
Closely related to this, our hearts are also a temple of God. Do we pay the same respect of David and Solomon to ‘decorate’ our hearts for God? Do we treasure the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts?
Frederick
====== Jane:
Proverbs 19:25b means what? I thought you would elaborated on that!
There is no condemnation in those who are in Jesus Christ. Seems we condrmn Ourselves!! We carry around slot if guilt trying to live up to expectation the world and God and the bible has for us. It’s a difficult thing being a Christian! Not easy, because we will never measure up. God loves us unconditionally!
Greetings
1 Chronicles 7:11+12
11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices
The very fact that, God himself, shows up AT NIGHT to Solomon. In a very personal way and tells him He’s heard his prayer. It makes me think about how Solomon had the visual example in his dad David. First hand on how to have a tangible relationship with God. David knew God intimately. It shows in Solomon…
Peace
Imja
====== Dee:
Reading the comme tary up there and seeing the author’s and Neopolitan’s artwork..do you think those pinks and Browns and cream is where they got the ice cream flavor from 😆 🤣 just a thought. I love seeing Solomon building the temple and all the different Jon’s and helpers that went into it. It’s neat.
Romans..th thing I want to do I don’t and what I don’t want to do I do..carnal sin and trying to avoid temptation and being played is the hardest thing and surprisingly two little letters N-O is just as hard to say to people..that is something I have to get better at
David sang this out to God protecting me from my enemies..death stared at me but didn’t defeat me. God saved and protected Mr.
It’s sad to be so slothful to not even feed yourself because of laziness. I have been so tired sleep called me over food but yes it’s important to take care of this vessel the lord gave amen
Dee
====== John
Romans 7
If there is a choice, I would rather you read Bob Deffingbaugh’s commentary on this section than anything I write. If you do not have much time – at least read the Conclusions. It is a powerful commentary.
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=2304
Paul has talked about Christians not going back to obey the Law – “shackles” to a saved soul. And that the Law is good, it is sin that is evil and our “flesh” that is weak.
Romans 7:14-25
Struggling With Sin (The War within a Saved Soul)
Boy, this chapter has been tough. It has been hard to focus, and did not want to write – because of this section.
Earlier Paul talked about Salvation, and how when saved we are no longer at war with God. But one war seems to have been exchanged for another. Now within the Christian is a war with sin.
The “I DO” Verses
So tough to read. I can understand each sentence individually, but when read in toto (vs. 14-20), I find it hard to maintain the thread of thought. (Plan on re-reading it each day for awhile, until it flows.) Paul (and we as Christians) want to do good, but keep(s) on sinning. Huh? I thought we had the “new man”. What is Paul talking about?
Nestled in the middle of the paragraph, are the two truths that devastate me. I knew of one, then just realized the second tonight.
Vs. 18
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” NIV
1) There is no good in my old nature (“flesh”).
2) There is no power in my new nature.
I knew the first, sin has a “base of operations” in my “flesh” (old nature), and it is working overtime. Satan would like nothing better than to discredit a Christian. He may have lost that soul, but by discrediting the Christian, he believes he can stop the geometric spread of Christianity. Sin is Satan’s WMD.
Andrew B.- the second reminded me of your question awhile back. We have the new nature – the “new mind”, but why isn’t Paul experiancing the “abundant blessings of the Holy Spirit? Why all this failure? At this point, it seems it is because of the “I”‘s.
“..but I cannot carry it out”
I (you) cannot do it. The “new man” is like a bomb, it has to be “armed” before it can be utilized. The “believer” is not qualified to do this, it must be “armed” by another. We can sit there all day long atop an “inert bomb” and we will be trampled by sin. We are not only not qualified to “arm” it, we are not qualified to “utilize” the bomb. We must depend on another.
“Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (sin and the old nature).
[“When Paul describes this body of death, some commentators see a reference to ancient kings who tormented their prisoners by shackling them to decomposing corpses. Paul longs to be cut free from the wretched body of death clinging to him.” – David Guzik]
The answer: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
and on to the next chapter….. 🙂
John
====== John:
Romans 8:1-8
The Power of the Holy Spirit
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
“God’s work is never accomplished by human effort but only by divine enablement. It has always been this way.” – Bob Deffingbaugh
======================================================
One of the Great Truths
vs. 1a
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,..” NIV
“Since the Father does not condemn Jesus, neither can He condemn those are in Him. They are not condemned, they will not be condemned, and they cannot be condemned.” – David Guzik
Jesus’s death on the cross meant that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met “in us”.
[Paul was very careful, not “by us” – as we can do nothing to become righteous on our own. But “in us” – requirements fulfilled through Christ.]
Through Jesus’ ressurection we receive new life (new man) and the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Vs.8
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” NIV
“Paul gives an easy way for us to determine if we walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh – to simply see where our mind is set. The mind is the strategic battleground where the flesh and the Spirit fight.” – David Guzik
The mind controlled by the Spirit is “life and peace”. Sounds good! Much better than last chapter.
John
====== Vance:
This comment is in response to this question:
“ Will you pray to accept Jesus as your savior today and allow him to free you from you bondage to sin? ”
The part…”allow Him to free you from sin” is not a ONE-TIME event. We are certainly MADE FREE FROM SIN by what Jesus did on the Cross… yet, do we live in freedom from bondage of sin?
We have to ALWAYS CHOOSE to trust God.. not ourselves.
I know we have not come to Romans 8 yet – but I can’t wait !
Realize the provision of GLORY God / Jesus has placed within us! As I meditate on these verses to come in Romans 8, I think of what I read this morning in “Shemos – Jewish Torah name for Exodus” in reference to Exodus 16 where the glory of God appeared to Moses, Aaron, and the people. This is where Yahweh provided quail and manna for the people.
In “Shemos – Exodus”, this is how Exodus 16:9 reads in that translation:
“…the glory of HASHEM appeared in a cloud.”
HASHEM is the word the
Torah uses for “the God of
Mercy”—the quintessential
name for God.
The definition of glory in the cloud– in the “Shemos” is excellent:
“the dwelling place of the Presence”.
ROMANS 8
1
THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.(A)
2
For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3
For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [[a]the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [[b]subdued, overcame, [c]deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],(B)
==> Romans 8, Verse 2
The law of the Spirit of Life is the law of our new being – created by the Lord Himself through Jesus on the cross.
This makes me think of I John 3:9 (Amplified) which reads:
No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and [h]habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him
Yet, we have to CHOOSE to walk—to yield to—what God has placed within me. WOW!
==> Romans 8, Verse 3
God sent His own Son in the disguise of sinful man—yet as a TRUE MAN – who overcame
As the TRUEST MAN, Jesus was TRULY human. This means he also was dependent on the Father and the Spirit just as we are. AS SUCH,
He overcame the temptations which Adam and Eve failed when they were tempted by the devil. When they sinned and chose to yield to him, they gave their authority over earth to the evil one. Thus, the devil became “the god of this world.”
Jesus had to come as a man, and as a man He came to take back authority over earth—and give it back to redeemed men and women who trust in Jesus. Thus, we can live LIKE JESUS on this earth – and can obey the Lord to spread the Gospel over the earth. That is WHY we are here.
EPHESIANS 1 (Amplified)
22
And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],(A)
23
Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].
==> Romans 8, Verse 3
Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] … [[b]subdued, overcame, [c]deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],(B)
So..
In our weakness, is His strength. Yet, we must CONTINUALLY choose Him. Jesus’ IRON PILLARED DETERMINATION to trust God and the Father’s power are demonstrated in His victory over the world, flesh, and devil.
And His IRON-PILLARED WILL AND DETERMINATION are inside of US… who trust in Jesus!
Vance
====== Vance:
2 Chronicles 6 (NKJV)
14
and he said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.
15
You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
18
“But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple [LITERALLY HOUSE] which I have built!
19
Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You:
20
THAT YOUR EYES MAY BE OPEN TOWARD THIS TEMPLE [Literally House] DAY AND NIGHT, TOWARD THE PLACE WHERE YOU SAID YOU WOULD PUT YOUR NAME, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.
30
THEN HEAR FROM HEAVEN YOUR DWELLING PLACE, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men),
NOTE:
How matchless is the only true and living God!
I echo the question that the Holy Spirit spoke through Solomon: “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth?”
Will God—who is the Most High and above all—indeed dwell with men on earth?
Note that God’s dwelling place is in heaven, yet He has put His Name in the Temple (literally HOUSE) that Solomon built.
The Temple (literally HOUSE) of God was the first step in preparing you and I for the truth that the Holy Spirit later revealed through the Lord Jesus:
man’s spirit and being is designed to be the “house” of the Spirit of the Most High through GRACE.
First, Jesus came in John 1 (Amplified Bible)
14
And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and TABERNACLED (FIXED HIS TENT OF FLESH, LIVED AWHILE) AMONG US; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.
Then, later through the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus—we can now become the houses of God.
Romans 8 (Amplified Bible)
10
But if Christ lives in you, [then although] your [natural] body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of [the] righteousness [that He imputes to you].
~~~
May I—and may we—really ponder and meditate on the wonder of the Presence of God within us.
Once we really come to grasp and know clearly and with certainty the reality of God’s Presence in us as the Spirit teaches and convinces us—then our lives will never be the same.
We will bring glory to the One who honors us with His very Presence!
2 Chronicles 7 (NKJV)
3
When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” [Compare Psalm 106:1]
6
And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the LORD, which King David had made to praise the LORD, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” [Compare Psalm 106:1] whenever David offered praise by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.
NOTE:
It is obvious from the first three (3) verses in 2 Chronicles 7 how eager God is to demonstrate the Glory of His Presence and His Love to man.
It is also obvious that God’s Name is His Presence! His Presence is Glorious!
May these truths be lodged deep within you and I as we meditate on Colossians 1:27
“Christ in you—Who is the certain, guaranteed hope of Glory!”
May God’s manifest Glory be demonstrated more and more in our lives as we pray, meditate, surrender, and have deep and intimate fellowship with the Lord. Then, the will of the Lord Jesus will be fulfilled:
John 7 (NKJV)
38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, OUT OF HIS HEART WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.”
John 14 (NKJV)
21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. AND HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I WILL LOVE HIM AND MANIFEST MYSELF TO HIM.”
~~~
Romans 7 (NKJV)
20
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22
For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
NOTE:
I like these jewels of truth – my paraphrase:
a. Because I do what I do not want to do, I no longer sin—but SIN DWELLING IN ME
b. I do not mean I am not responsible for sin I commit
c. I see two (2) unchanging laws within me at the same time:
* Law of God’s Overcoming Righteousness:
I am righteous in my inner man and delight to do God’s will.
* Law of sin and death in my members
I am called to the process of surrender and doing God’s will, so my whole being and all my members are trained in righteousness through Holy Spirit
Yes… we have to practice righteousness, and yes we have to choose to participate in being set apart and sanctified. Yes, we always have to resist sin in the power of the Spirit.
Yet, may we never forget WHO WE ALREADY ARE in Christ. We are not “helpless victims” as we resist sin and the sin in our members.
We are already spiritual victors through Christ, and He—only by His matchless grace—has imparted to us His victory!
I thoroughly enjoy these rich verses in Romans 8 (Amplified).
1
THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.
2
For THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE [which is] in Christ Jesus
** [THE LAW OF OUR NEW BEING]
Has Freed Me From The Law Of Sin And Of Death.
3
For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. SENDING HIS OWN SON IN THE GUISE OF SINFUL FLESH AND AS AN OFFERING FOR SIN, [GOD] CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH
** [Subdued, Overcame, Deprived It Of Its Power Over All Who Accept That Sacrifice],
4
So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh BUT IN THE WAYS OF THE SPIRIT [OUR LIVES GOVERNED NOT BY THE STANDARDS AND ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES OF THE FLESH,
** But Controlled By The Holy Spirit].
~~~
May we really realize who we already ARE in Christ! Did you catch that the Law of the Spirit of Life IS THE LAW OF OUR NEW BEING!
We are alive in our spirits because of God’s righteousness! So before Satan deliberately focuses attacks on us through sin in our members, MAY WE DELIBERATELY SET OUR MINDS on Christ and His Overcoming Life.
Then, we will be prepared! Prepared not just to “survive”, but prepared to OVERCOME and to win many for the Lord Jesus!
So, may we put our highest priority on fellowship and intimacy with the Holy Spirit. His Life is in us!
We are in Christ and Christ is in us!
Then, may we take the next stept and fulfill the Holy Spirit’s joy of unity TOGETHER as expressions of the Body of Christ all over the world:
Philippians 2 (NKJV)
2
fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
THEN, as we do that, then the victory of Christ—we are in Christ and He is in us—will be MORE manifest so all people in the world WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MISS THE REALITY, PRESENCE, AND GLORY OF JESUS in us!
This is the will of Jesus:
John 17 (NKJV)
21
that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22
And The Glory Which You Gave Me I Have Given Them, That They May Be One Just As We Are One:
23
I IN THEM, AND YOU IN ME; THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE, AND THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SENT ME, AND HAVE LOVED THEM AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME.
~~~
Proverbs 19 (NKJV)
24
A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl,
[Septuagint and Syriac read bosom; Targum and Vulgate read ARMPIT] and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
25
Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.
NOTE:
Please notice the note in the New King James Version I have included after the phrase “A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl”. One possible alternate meaning of “bowl” is “armpit”.
Then a comical picture came to mind: I chuckled to myself when I read this. I thought of a lazy man who had one hand in his armpit (I HOPE HE SHOWERED!!)—while he was sucking the thumb of his other hand!
~~~
Proverbs 19: 24 really speaks volumes. But, in one way, this verse appears to have nothing to do with American society, as Americans are moving at a faster and frenzied pace than ever.
Yet, in another way, verse 24 precisely speaks to our fast paced and frenzied American culture. For, though we are busy and very active, the business of “busy-ness” can be a huge distraction to keep us from doing what we are called to do.
So, we can be extremely busy at the wrong thing, and yet be lazy at doing the right thing.
Mike had written this as one of his comments on Proverbs
“So – thankfully – as we know from our recent Romans readings, we can be free from our lazy ways! Being in relationship with Jesus has literally cured me of my laziness.”
My question is this? Mike mentioned: “as we know from our recent Romans readings, we can be free from our lazy ways!”
Which recent Romans readings pertain to laziness? Maybe I was so lazy, I missed it! (Ha!)
I am extremely glad that being in relationship with the Lord Jesus has cured Mike of laziness. In Jesus’ Matchless Name—I receive some of that zeal with wisdom!
I pray for “zeal with wisdom” for I find myself going fast—but sometimes I feel like a laboratory rat continually running around in an enclosed maze in the laboratory. I do not just want to be “doing” things—I want to be wise and find out what the Lord’s will is—and do that.
As Jesus said, “I only do those things I see my Father doing.” May we emulate the best example in the world, that of the Lord Jesus—the Perfect Man Who always resisted sin and distraction—as He prayed and then followed His Father.
Vance
II Chronicles 8:11-10:19
When you come to the land the Lord your God is giving you and take it over and live in it and then say, “I will select a king like all the nations surrounding me,” you must without fail select a king whom the Lord your God chooses. From among your fellow citizens you must appoint a king — you may not designate a foreigner who is not one of your fellow Israelites. Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so, for the Lord has said you must never again return that way. Furthermore, he must not marry many wives lest his affections turn aside, and he must not accumulate much silver and gold. When he sits on his royal throne he must make a copy of this law on a scroll given to him by the Levitical priests. It must be with him constantly and he must read it as long as he lives, so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and observe all the words of this law and these statutes and carry them out. Then he will not exalt himself above his fellow citizens or turn from the commandments to the right or left, and he and his descendants will enjoy many years ruling over his kingdom in Israel.
(Deu 17:14-20 NET.)
I know that I’ve posted the above passage before, pertaining to Solomon’s father David, but it bares repeating. This warning is not just for Israel, but also for believers today. It is when we have read the Word of God, one time or heard it read and then proclaim, “I’ve read that already I already know it,” that causes us to commit the sin of presumption; but The Word says,
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom 10:17 KJV)
Interesting how God is a God of repetition, it does not say faith comes by having heard, but by hearing over and over again. If Solomon had read and listened to the law, the entanglements that caused his downfall and caused him to turn away from God would not have happened. All our choices have consequences for good or for evil, we reap what we sow a law set in place back in the Garden and rehearsed in the ears of Noah. (Gen 8:22)
Romans 8:9-25
I’ve read this before but I’ve never seen this before in this light.
12 So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. (NLT)
Paul says we have a choice to whom we will serve, the Holy Spirit or our flesh. For me this removes the tendency to say, “I just couldn’t help myself,” and get away with it. We make a choice to submit either to the Holy Spirit or to our flesh.
Psalm 18:15-36
24 The LORD rewarded me for doing right,
because of the innocence of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
“The innocence of my hands in his sight,” wow this is powerful. “In his sight…” I may be guilty in other people’s sight but in His sight, I can be seen as innocent and His opinion is the only opinion that matters. No one else has a heaven or hell to put me in; God’s opinion is the one, the only one that really matters.
I might be taking real liberties in verses 24 and 25, but I see another side to those two verses I’ve not seen before. What I think of God, His character His attributes depends on who and what I am. To the faithful …He is faithful; to the pure …He is pure; to the wicked …He is wicked. This answers questions about the way I saw God, He was “dead”, when I was an atheist.
Proverbs 19:26
Umm, Mike I think today’s Proverb goes deeper than just calling your folks up. Ok, ok, I read through the entire book of Proverbs once a month ‘cause I desperately need a whole lot of wisdom. However, in all that reading, today this verse read me. I did some commentary look ups and this verse is talking about a son (in the Hebrew it is the male child, although in today’s day and age it could be girls) who causes his father to waste or use up all of the family resources. The family’s resources are depleted by getting the wayward child out of all the troubles he has gotten into (John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible).
The child’s behavior is so bad that he/she pushes away his/her mother’s affection and love. Gill translates the Hebrew as this,
“”a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach, wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother
This type of behavior is not going to be remedied by a phone call.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
====== John:
Romans 8:9-17
[Bears reposting because this is important thought]
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
“God’s work is never accomplished by human effort but only by divine enablement. It has always been this way.” – Bob Deffingbaugh
======================================================
The Power of the Holy Spirit (cont)
“9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” NIV
Spirit=Spirit of God=Spirit of Christ
To me just another example of the Trinity. Three in one.
If the Spirit does not live in you – you do not belong to Christ. Jesus does not know you. You are not saved.
Earlier this year, I got some emails when I said I was “indwelt of the Holy Spirit”. I was not making myself out to be better than others, or singularly special. All “Believers” IN Christ are indwelt of the Holy Spirit.
Are you? That is not a question for Mike, me nor anyone else to answer. It takes honest introspection on your part.
“11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” NIV
If the Holy Spirit lives in you – you are promised that: Just like Christ was raised from the dead – you too will be raised and have eternal life. If the Spirit had power to do one, certainly he has the power to do it to you.
======================================================
“Therefroe we have an obligation…”
KJV uses “we are debtors” – it seems the idea is we owe God something for what he has done for us.
Our obligation is not to sinful nature – what has it ever done for us but bring “death”. But by the Spirit – and you have to be saved to have the Spirit – sin in the body is defeated. Not all at once, but the process is started. The fact that you sin less and less (as the spiritual war is waged) is evidence of the Spirit and therefore of salvation – “eternal life”. Because we on our own are incapable of defeating the “old nature”.
It is comforting to know that the Spirit wages this war. This is God’s War. If you look ahead to Ephesians 6 regarding putting on the armor. Our command is to “stand firm”. Stay focused on God. Stay in the Word (sword). And pray. That is it – The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
======================================================
“14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” NIV
I am reminded that the shepherd “leads” his flock – the sheep follow because they know his voice, they know him, and they know they are supposed to follow the shepherd.
Oppose this to sin. Sin “drives people”. If one succombs to a favorite sin, the itch is not satisfied with one sin, it leads to another and another….think of a philanderer – one conquest is not enough – he needs another – more and different and another…
Focus on God – turn your hearts and minds to God – be led by the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit does not return you to bondage of fear (fear of sin, fear of the unknown, fear of God) but affirms your sonship (adoption). The Spirit testifies to it.
“In Roman society, an adoption had to be confirmed. According to Roman law, there had to be seven witnesses to an adoption (William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans, [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1957], p. 111). That’s how important adoption was. The reason for so many witnesses was to prevent the natural children in a family from denying the adopted child a share of the inheritance when the father died.”
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sg45-59.htm
We are sons, God is “Abba, Father”, we are God’s children, we are heirs – but not just heirs but co-heirs with Christ.
“Being a child of God also means having an inheritance. In Luke 18:18 the rich young ruler asked Jesus, what must I do to inherit? But the rich young ruler missed the point because inheritance is not a matter of doing it is a matter of being – of being in the right family.” – David Guzik
“On the death of a citizen, all his descendants, unless they were already freed from his paternal power, were called to the inheritance of his possessions. The insolent prerogative of primogeniture was unknown; the two sexes were placed on a just level; all the sons and daughters were entitled to an equal portion of the patrimonial estate;..”
http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/hst/roman/TheDeclineandFallofTheRomanEmpire-4/chap28.html
i. “In the Roman world of the first century ad an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature.” (Bruce)
ii. Under Roman adoption, the life and standing of the adopted child changed completely. The adopted son lost all rights in his old family and gained all new rights in his new family; the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out, with all debts being canceled, with nothing from his past counting against him any more.” – David Guzik
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Wait a minute – in the “decline and fall of Roman empire” link – it says “unless they were already freed from his paternal power”. Can’t we lose this inheritance (salvation)?
I don’t believe so and neither does Paul or Peter. We will get to ohter verses later in readings, but for now:
Romans 8:30
“And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Just focus on the last part for now – if you are justified (rigtheous through faith in Christ), he also glorified. That is heaven my friends.
More explicit
1Peter1:4-5
“..and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” NIV
Shielded or Kept by God’s power – now that is comforting.
John
====== John:
Romans 8:18-25
Future Glory
“18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Struggles with sin, any sufferings – no big deal when compared with the glory revealed to us in Heaven.
The glory is so magnificent – glorified bodies, heaven, angels, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, etc will all be there – that:
Vs 19-22
Creation, creatures, or all the Gentile world waits in eager expectation…
Take your pick. People disagree about whom Paul is referring to here. I guess the main point is that some entity is excited and eagerly awaiting revelation, liberation, and being brought into glorious freedom.
I have a hard time thinking creatures or Gentiles, because I do not see people of sinful nature anticipating any such thing.
Creation is left, but it is inanimate. Perhaps Paul is writing anthropomorphically ??? But in my understanding, in the end – old creation is destroyed and new Creation established. It is not brought into anything…
So, I’ll leave it up to you the reader – and ask God when I see him.
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Vs 23-25
Regardless we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, that is the beginning of the harvest (Jewish tradition), the beginnings of sanctification through Spirit on earth – cannot wait until the full harvest – redemption and glorification in Heaven.
“24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
As Vance said – Greek definition of “Hope” is “certain belief that is trusted in” or “confident expectation”.
We were saved by our hope – confident expectation of Righteousness through faith – and saved is aorist passive – “completed action at some time done to us.”
So we are no longer hoping for salvation – we have that – we are confidently expecting the “redemption of our body. We may “groan inwardly” – so eager it hurts – but we wait patiently.
Phil 1:6
“6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – NIV
John
====== Andrew:
Re Mike’s question on Romans 8:12-13 – it is clear we have a choice:
– to live by the sinful nature, or
– to live by the Spirit
I guess that is a choice we re-make from moment to moment.
Andrew
====== Roslyn:
Andrew—
Yes, indeed! A life in the Spirit is ageless, boundless…I’ve always liked your genuine thought provoking questions and comments.
I thought that Bob Deffingbaugh’s article today is a great read…very affirming paticularly on his thoughts regarding condemnation, walk in the Spirit, sonship . However, I don’t agree with his seemingly negative comment on trying to integrate psychology and theology. I would rather integrate and unite than separate and compartmentalize. There is more to psychology than just the external observable behavior (Skinnerian perspective).
Roslyn
====== RamonaL
What does life in the “Spirit” mean to people? Sometimes we bandy around words, Christian speak, and either everyone’s meaning or understanding is different or because it is something we feel we are supposed to say, we really don’t know what it is. We just have conversations about a concept or Christian speak–but what does it mean? (Note: I’m not asking for a meaning, I just want to know if folks are on the same page)
Are we talking about a personal experience or something we read about it a book, someone else’s’ experience that is not our own.
Ramona
====== Andrew:
Ramona,
Good question. Are we on the same page as Paul?
What do you think Paul means in Romans 8:9-17?
He refers to the ‘Spirit of God’ or the ‘Spirit of Christ’ who dwells in us. If He is not in us then we do not belong to Him. We must choose to live either by the Spirit or by the sinful nature. The latter is death. It is the same Spirit as raised Jesus from the dead who lives in us. Those led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God, co-heirs with Christ.
This is (or should be) the normal Christian life. Life in the Spirit of God is the only way, according to this passage. And it sounds like an amazing way of life. To be led by the Spirit of God who is living in us. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Doing the things God would have done. Living as God would have us live.
To me, that is what this whole book (the Bible) is about – Life in the Spirit of God – absolutely glorious! Yippee! I am free to live by the Spirit, doing all the amazing things He does!
But, I come back to my question, repeated in several ways now. Why is actual experience of ‘church’ and ‘Christian life’ rather duller and less glorious than what Paul describes here. Maybe it’s because we are not all on the same page – at least, not on the same page as Paul.
… interested to hear your thoughts on this,
Blessings,
Andrew
====== John:
Andrew,
“Maybe it’s because we are not all on the same page – at least, not on the same page as Paul.”
I think that is a good start.
The interesting part of your question is – you are sensitive to “something missing”.
Why do you think that is?
If you are asking about a specific church, specific Christian life, or yourself – and you are questioning why they are less than glorious as per Paul’s description, then I can only think of two answers – as per the teachings we have gone over recently in Romans.
What would Paul say?
If you are referring to general population of Christians or the “church body” being duller and less than glorious as per Pauls’s description, then I would ask that you reflect on that.
Is it really true, or does the question need to be refined?
John
====== Ramona:
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
Observations made on today’s Old Testament reading.
Solomon, Solomon, Solomon how quickly we forget. When Solomon was dedicating the Temple he prayed and petitioned to God in the previous chapters of II Chronicles, yet in today’s reading the order of worship is attributed to his father David. Don’t know if this is the writers literary style but this to me totally overlooks the command of God and places the creation of the plans for the Temple and the order and participants of worship in to the hands of man. Is this showing Solomon moving from a focus on God to a focus on man, and specifically himself and his wisdom, a wisdom not of his own doing but a wisdom from God?
Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it! Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner rooms, and of the place for the [ark and its] mercy seat; And the plan of all that he had in mind [by the Spirit] for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for the dedicated gifts; The plan for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service in the house of the Lord; for all the vessels for service in the house of the Lord: The weight of gold and silver for all the gold and silver articles of every kind of service– The weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold or silver for each lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; The gold by weight for each table of showbread, and the silver for the tables of silver; Also pure gold for the forks, basins, and cups; for the golden bowls by weight of each; for the silver bowls by weight of each; For the incense altar refined gold by weight, and gold for the plan of the chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the Lord’s covenant. All this the Lord made me understand by the writing by His hand upon me, all the work to be done according to the plan.
(1 Chronicles 28:10-19 AMP)
The last sentence states that the plans were given to David, as well as the understanding of using the plans, by the writing of His (God’s) hand upon David. This did not come from David’s on mind. Yet in verses 14 and 15 of chapter eight, three times it is mentioned that Solomon followed or did not deviate from the commands of his father, David.
Do we get ourselves in trouble when we switch from thus saith the Lord, to thus saith the rules and regulations of the preacher, teacher, pastor, denomination not recognizing that the Word that really counts is, “Thus says the Lord?” If we think that our beliefs are only our church’s, pastors, denomination’s then we will also think, “Get with the times, we don’t do that/ believe that anymore,” then we will be quick to compromise.
Just a thought,
Ramona
====== Cheryl:
hey just read some of this blog and signed up… wanted to say, thanks for making the bible come alive in a blog.. and thanks for making it feel accessable and as though im not the only one doing this!!!! peace! Cheryl
====== Becky:
Hi, Mike!
RE YOUTUBE VIDEOS
They’re a good addition! My teenage son walked into the room when I was watching and asked, “What’s that?” I said, “Sit here and watch it.” And he did. And he thought it was cool. He would never sit and read Bible commentary, but he’ll watch videos!
It’s good that you’ve got everything from Rembrandt paintings to youtube videos on the blog to appeal to different ages and temperaments. It’s also very good that the message is one: God’s word, God’s word, God’s word.
Thanks for this blog.
Blessings,
Becky
====== Jenny:
I love Romans readings! (yes i have romans 3:23 memorized…i memorized it as a child. so much easier wen we are children huh?)
I often turned to verse 18 for comfort: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” I had a vision once at a church retreat, the spirit was heavy on me!…i was seated at Christ’s feet in heaven . It was the most amazing feeling in the world..i cant explain it. I just remember thinking, all the pain i endured in my life, all the awful things i have been through and suffered..it is all worth it! To just sit at His feet, every ounce of pain is worth it because there is no words to describe the peace and joy.
v. 17, wow! “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ..”
v. 23 “but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” …i understand that! Its that deep longing in our soul that just cries out to the Lord, that reveals to us we are not home. Our souls are just longing deeply to be with Christ.
I love this verse in Psalms!! v. 28 ” You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”
Jenny
====== Caroline:
Mike
Good morning
Your picture today gave me chills allover my body because I felt God id talking to me “Call your mother she worries”
Where did you get this picture from….I haven’t called my mother in 2 weeks and she lives faraway and she really worries about me here in the Us….Thank you Mike I will call her now …..Thank you for your blog because even through the pictures God is talking to us.
Take care
Caroline
====== Bob:
Psalm 18:28 You O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness inopt light.
I enjoyed a blog by David MacLean about how we all have a personal unique quality of this light as we share it with the rest of the world.
You are the Light of the world.
The doors of the freight elevator rattled closed with a clunk. The appropriate button was pushed and we began to descend deep into the earth. Down, down, down we went – hundreds of feet down into the heart of the Canadian Shield. Solid rock surrounded us.
At the conclusion of our adventurous journey to the center of the earth we exited into a massive corridor hewn out of solid rock. An array of other corridors headed out in all directions like the tentacles of an octopus stretching into a subterranean maze of storage sites: nuclear waste storage sites.
We were in one of Canada’s underground nuclear waste storage facilities.
The Canadian government had created this facility to dispose of the radioactive waste created in the production of nuclear power. The radioactive waste would be transported in specialized containers and put to rest in the end of the long rock corridors, then back-filled with a special sand and sealed off for all eternity.
I was escorting a small group of middle school students from the Christian school in which I was teaching. We had been learning about nuclear power and I thought it would significantly enhance their learning to enable them to actually experience an aspect of the process. One particular moment of our adventure had a significant impact on me…
Our guide brought us into a corridor hundreds of feet down in the solid rock of the Canadian Shield. The only light was obviously that which was created by the dim man-made overhead lighting. He asked us if we would like to see what total darkness looked like. Of course we did.
He turned off the lights.
It was so dark I felt encompassed by a blackness I had yet to experience in my time on earth. A darkness so dark I could almost feel it. I held my hand up to my face – inches away in fact. I perceived no evidence I even had a hand, except for my internal nervous perception that told my brain where I had placed my hand.
I could see nothing, absolutely nothing.
When he switched on the lights I marveled at the power of light. The darkness that seemed so overwhelming fled in a nanosecond when the light entered the corridor. The darkness was no match for the light.
Light overpowers darkness. Period.
Jesus said we are the light of the world. You and I are the light of the world. When we ‘shine’ darkness flees. When we do what is good, right, loving and just, the darkness flees. When we live in love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, darkness flees. When we praise and pray, darkness flees. When we give generously, darkness flees. When we shine things get better.
So, what kind of light are you? We can’t all be the same kind of light you know. You bring a special kind of light that I can’t bring, and likewise. The world needs all kinds of lights.
Can you imagine if the dash lights in your car were spot lights? Or the light on the end of the surgeon’s arthroscopic operating instrument was like a lighthouse? Or what if traffic lights were like the light of your bedside clock, or your car headlights were like the light of your computer – or vice versa?
Every light has a particular purpose. Every light is specifically designed for a particular function.
As are you.
You bring a special light to the world in a way only you can. Don’t look at someone else and wish to be just like them. Be yourself. Be your unique you. Sure, learn from others and grow in Godly character, but be the light you were meant to be. Shine in the way you were designed to shine.
“We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Mary Williamson
Let your light shine – you are the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Luke 11:35, 36
“See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
John 8:12
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
Bob
====== Dee:
I know that must have been hard for Christ to have to have played out. That the descendents of David being a stinch to the foreign kings. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, however nothing gets played out without the Lord’s knowledge. Like it or not things had to happen for the fall to begin for Babylon and things had to be played out just like that.
We know not because we ask not. When we speak things into existence, don’t say that the Lord didn’t prepare you or that you were blindsided because this is exactly how and what you spoke for whether it was of the flesh or of the spirit. Words have power.
Psalm..he make the my feet like hinds feet and set me on high ground. You are magnificent Lord
Proverbs: to answer your question Mike..my mom passed awhile back but my hubs mom is planning a trip for next year and as much as I want to resist I am just going with it because it’s important to her and the family and really trying to stay positive. It’s all good. In love. In peace Amen!
Dee