Hebrews 12
Run the race with Jesusverses 1-3
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with
so great a cloud of witnesses – let us lay aside every weight
and the sin which doth so easily beset us
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our FAITH
WHO for the joy that was set before HIM endured the cross
despising the shame – and is set down at the
right hand of the throne of God
FOR consider HIM that endured such contradiction of sinners
against HIMSELF lest you be wearied and faint
in your minds
Chastening is important to growthverses 4-17
You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin
and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to children
My son – despise not you the chastening of the Lord
nor faint when you are rebuked of HIM
for whom the Lord loves HE chastens
and scourges every son whom HE receives
IF you endure chastening – God deals with you as with sons
for what son is he whom the father chastens not?
BUT IF you be without chastisement – whereof all are partakers
then are you bastards and not sons
Furthermore – we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us
and we gave them reverence
shall we not much rather be in subjection
to the Father of spirits and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure
but HE for our profit – that we might be partakers of HIS holiness
NOW no chastening for us present seems to be joyous – but grievous
nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness
to them which are exercised thereby
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down – and the feeble knees
and make straight paths for your feet
lest that which is lame be turned out of the way
but let it rather be healed
Follow peace with all men – and holiness
without which no man shall see the Lord
looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God
lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you
and thereby many be defiled
lest there be any fornicator or profane person – as Esau
who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright
For you know how that afterward
when he would have inherited the blessing – he was rejected
for he found no place of repentance
though he sought it carefully with tears
Old Testament mountverses 18-21
For you are not come unto the mount that might be touched
and that burned with fire – nor unto blackness – darkness – tempest
and the sound of a trumpet – and the voice of words
which voice they that heard entreated that the word
should not be spoken to them any more
(for they could not endure that which was commanded
and if so much as a beast touch the mountain
it shall be stoned – or thrust through with a dart
and so terrible was the sight that Moses said
I exceedingly fear and quake)
New Testament mountverses 22-24
BUT you are come unto mount Zion and to the city of the living God
the heavenly Jerusalem – and to an innumerable company of angels
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn
which are written in heaven
and to God the Judge of all
and to the spirits of just men made perfect
and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant
and to the blood of sprinkling
that speaks better things than that of Abel
Future mountverse 25-28
SEE that you refuse not HIM that speaks
FOR if they escaped not who refused HIM that speak on earth
much more shall not we escape
if we turn away from HIM that speaks from heaven
WHOSE voice then shook the earth
but now HE has promised saying
Yet once more I shake not the earth only
BUT also heaven
AND this word – Yet once more
signifies the removing of those things that are shaken
as of things that are made
that those things which cannot be shaken may remain
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved
let us have grace – whereby we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear
for our God is a consuming fire
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (5281 “patience” [hupomone] means enduring, steadfastness, constancy, staying, tarrying, waiting, or fortitude)
DEVOTION: We are not in an hundred yard sprint. We are in a marathon. We are to look at what has happened in the past and learn from it. The Old Testament gives us a background to what it means to follow the LORD. Each of the witnesses endured to the end. They fought a good fight. They finished the coarse that was laid before them.
We have to do the same. We have to get rid of anything in our life that is holding us back from fully serving the LORD. We have to understand that against that sin harder than any other sin. All sin is against God but there is one that Satan loves to use against us.
Then once we realize these truths, we have to be steadfast in our service to the LORD. Each day is a new day of service. We have to be consistent in our Christian life. We have to realize that God has given us a lifetime to overcome our besetting sin.
HIS desire is for us to be like HIS Son. Each year we should be making progress toward that goal in our life, while we are bring glory to the LORD.
We are in a marathon that only ends when we see Jesus. Run the race the LORD has given you through the leading of the Holy Spirit who gives us a gift to serve in the local church until we meet Jesus. There is no retirement age. There is no other end to our service.
CHALLENGE: We are commanded to learn from the past to make our future better with the help of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Run your race with conviction!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before HIM endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (747 “author” [archegos] means founder, originator, initiator, pioneer, chief, leader, or head)
DEVOTION: We are commanded to keep our eyes on Jesus. Too often we look at other believers and see what they are doing and think that we can do it because they are doing it. This is wrong thinking if we check what the Bible says about that action
Our example has to be Jesus and those who honor Jesus by their Biblical behavior. This takes a lifetime to understand. That is why the Bible is given to us for us to learn each day about what is expected of us.
Jesus was the only one who lived a perfect life. As we read more and more about HIS life we can see that HE wasn’t looking to the religious leaders of HIS day to follow their example. They were religious but not true followers of God. There is a big difference between those who say they are believers and those who truly act like Biblical believers.
There is supposed to be joy in serving Jesus. This only comes when we realize that while we are serving Jesus we have to take up a cross to follow HIM correctly.
There will be people who will lie about you. There will be people who make fun of you for your convictions. There will be people in church who will question what we are doing because we are doing more than they are willing to do for Jesus.
All this is true but we have to remember that we will answer to Jesus on that final day and so will they. Some of them will hear HIM say “I never knew you.” It will be a sad day when people who think they are serving the LORD were only really serving themselves to gain a good reputation at church.
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. HE is sitting at the right hand of God right now defending us before the Father. HE is our advocate.
CHALLENGE: Trust HIM to help you through your days of service to the King of Kings.
: 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (3811 “chastened” [paideuo] means to train up a child, educate, discipline or teach. God is in the teaching business!)
DEVOTION: When we were born into a human family, we had a mother and a father. At least most of us had one of each. The Bible tells us that one of the responsibilities of a human father is to discipline his children in a Biblical way if he is a Christian. Human fathers can discipline in a wrong way, especially if they don’t know Christ. Their time of discipline is short-lived as it only lasts for about eighteen or nineteen years. After this time period most children move out of the house and start a life of their own. What they learned from the discipline of their father can be either good or bad. Some human fathers tried the best they could because they might not have had a good father or one that was home at all.
Those who have joined to the family of God have a Spiritual Father as well as a human father. Our time here on the earth is a training time. We are being trained to be holy by our Spiritual Father who is the God of the Bible. We are trained not to be like Esau, who was willing to sell his future for a present meal. Every step we take HE is there to watch us. HE is our spiritual Father. HE has to train us right. Sometimes we step in the wrong direction and HE educates us as to the right way.
If we are HIS children HE is training us. If we don’t feel the discipline of the LORD when we are heading in the wrong direction, we may have to examine to see if we are one of HIS children. Every child that is HIS, He disciplines. The end result of our training is for our profit and that we may be partakers of HIS holiness. HE doesn’t give up on us.
We need to thank HIM at all times. That is very difficult when we are going through trials that seem to overwhelm us. One of HIS other promises is that HE will not push us beyond our ability. Too often we want to quit too soon. We want HIM to quit too soon. We are not finished until our last day on this earth. We need to keep looking up and not faint. Each of us has a besetting sin that tries to get us to go away from the LORD but Christ set an example that we can follow. The battle is a daily choice we make to follow the LORD. HE wants us to endure to the end of our life. HE died on the cross for us. HE shed HIS blood so we could have life eternal with HIM in heaven. The believer in the church this letter was written to were going through times of trial but had not yet resisted unto death. We have not yet resisted unto blood. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: Endurance in our Christian life is very difficult some days but the LORD wants us to continue to serve HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. (4088 “bitterness” [pikria] means bitter gall, extreme wickedness, resentment, angriness, or malignant).
DEVOTION: There are in every church those who are believers and those who are religious. There are also those who are seeking the truth of the Word of God. These three types of people are in every church.
Remember we have stated that there are three stages in the life of a Christian that are possible. The first is “baby” which involves those who are new believers that can only be fed with milk. Then there are the young men who are growing in the LORD but not mature yet. Finally there are the old men who are mature and should be teaching others.
Paul also warns that there may be individuals who are carnal Christians who are still really struggling with the flesh. They are not “baby” Christians because they have been in the church for a while but never developed into mature believers. They are still feeding on milk instead of meat.
Here we find that there are those who can fall short of the grace of God because they have never made a commitment to the LORD. They are individuals who can become bitter at the fact that God expects more than they want to give. They want to have salvation and their carnal life. It is thought by some commentaries that these individuals are not saved but are attending church but not receiving all the blessings they thought they would receive for attending church.
There are people that I have met, who claim to be believers but are bitter over something that has happened in the past. They think that God has not treated them right. They don’t accept the fact that God can chasten those who are true believers.
It has been often said that those who are true believers need to make sure that as they face troubles they become better and not bitter.
CHALLENGE: God never wants a believer to be bitter. Each believer has so much to look forward to not only on this earth but also in heaven.
:29 For our God is a consuming fire. (4442 “fire” [poor] means fire. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: The author of Hebrews now harkens back to an image of God giving the Law on Mount Sinai. People stood in awe of the fire that flamed on this mountain and worshipped. Perhaps the Jews were thinking about the fire that came down from heaven on Sodom as they witnessed this. Moses also made the same statement as the children of Israel was about to enter the promised land, and this verse is a quotation of Deuteronomy 4:24. In any case, the author of Hebrews is using this as a metaphor to describe how God will transform this world into the new heavens and new earth (which included the passing away of the old covenant because, as Moses predicted, they would not be able to keep it).
Fire has two qualities. First, it destroys whatever gets in its way and converts it to ashes. Second, it purifies. God is in the process of testing the faith of His children, and He does this through allowing us to go through trials (1 Peter 1:7). No doubt that the author of Hebrews has both in mind as He describes God as a consuming fire, although there is an emphasis on His removing and destroying those things that get in the way of our devotion to Him.
Therein lies our problem. We often settle for the second best in our lives, just because we do not trust God fully and because we want to make our own lives comfortable. We think that we can keep just enough of the rules in order to make us “good people” rather than falling daily on the grace of God to forgive us of our sins. We try to equate “doing” in the Christian life with “being.”
God is not interested in being second fiddle. He has a way of finding out that which is standing in the way of our growing in our walk with Him, and challenging us to submit that to Him. Often that is a deep fear or a hope that we are not confident in bringing before Him and think that we can do it by just “trying harder.”
CHALLENGE: God is jealous of anything that makes Him second in our lives. Ask Him to show you if you have any idols in your heart, and then confess these before Him. (MW)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Written in heavenverse 23
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 2, 7, 15, 22, 23, 28, 29
Throne of Godverse 2
Father of spiritsverse 9
HE chastens to our profitverse 10
Grace of Godverse 15
Living Godverse 22
Judge of allverse 23
Speaks from heavenverse 25
Voice shook the earthverse 26
Promisedverses 26, 27
God is a consuming fireverse 28
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesusverses 2, 24
Author and finisher of our faithverse 2
Joy set before HIMverse 2
Endured the crossverse 2
Despising the shameverse 2
Right hand of the throne of Godverse 2
Endured contradiction of sinnersverse 3
Lordverses 5, 6, 14
Mediator of the new covenantverse 24
Blood of sprinklingverse 24
Speaks better thingsverse 24
Spoke on earthverse 25
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angelsverse 22
Innumerable company of angelsverse 22
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Father = chastens sonverse 7
Bastardsverse 8
Father = correct childrenverse 9
Father = reverenceverse 9
Father = chasten after their own pleasureverse 10
Hands that hang downverse 12
Feeble kneesverse 12
All menverse 14
Abelverse 24
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sin that easily beset verse 1
Shameverse 2
Sinnersverse 3
Weariedverse 3
Faint in your mindsverse 3
Sinverse 4
Forgotten the exhortation verse 5
Out of the wayverse 13
Root of bitternessverse 15
Defiledverse 15
Fornicatorverse 16
Profaneverse 16
No repentanceverse 17
Not endureverse 26
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Lay aside every weightverse 1
Run with patienceverse 1
Race set before usverse 1
Looking unto Jesusverse 2
Faithverse 2
Joyverse 2
Striving against sinverse 4
Childrenverse 5
Sonverse 5
Chastenverses 5-8, 10, 11
Rebukedverse 5
Lovedverse 6
Scourgedverse 6
Enduranceverse 7
Sonsverse 7
All partakers of chastening of the Lordverse 8
Liveverse 9
Profitverse 10
Partakers of HIS holinessverse 10
No chastening seems joyousverse 11
Peaceable fruit of righteousnessverse 11
Exercised by chasteningverse 11
Lift up handsverse 12
Straight pathsverse 13
Healedverse 13
Peaceverse 14
Holinessverse 14
Looking diligentlyverse 15
Graceverses 15, 28
Repentanceverse 17
Justverse 23
Refuse not HIMverse 25
Serve Godverse 28
Reverenceverse 28
Godly fearverse 28
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Cloud of witnessesverse 1
Esauverses 16, 17
Profane person
Sold his birthright
Rejected
No place for repentance
Word not spoken to them verse 19
Mosesverse 21
Church (New Testament people of God)
Not yet resisted unto bloodverse 4
Striving against sinverse 4
General assemblyverse 23
Church of the firstbornverse 23
Last Things (Future Events)
Mount Sionverse 22
City of the living Godverse 22
Heavenly Jerusalemverse 22
Written in heavenverse 23
Spirits of just men made perfectverse 23
Speaks from heavenverses 25, 26
Kingdom which cannot be movedverse 28
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QUOTES regarding passage
11 At the time it takes place, chastisement is never a happy, joyous affair. On the contrary, sorrow (lypē) goes with it. But while it does not “seem pleasant,” it does produce a result the writer calls a “harvest of righteousness and peace.” The adjective eirēnikos (tr. “peace” in NIV) is interesting. Moffatt comments, “The writer might be throwing out a hint to his readers, that suffering was apt to render people irritable, impatient with one another’s faults. The later record even of the martyrs, for example, shows that the very prospect of death did not always prevent Christians from quarreling in prison” (Moffatt, in loc.). It is important that suffering be accepted in the right spirit; otherwise it does not produce the right result. So the author goes on to speak of those who have been “trained” by it, where the word gegymnasmenois (once more the metaphor from athletics) points to those who have continued to exercise them selves in godly discipline. It is not a matter of accepting a minor chastisement or two with good grace; it is the habit of life that is meant. When that is present, the “peaceable fruit” follows. (Morris, L. (1981). Hebrews. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 138). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
For the present (προς το παρον [pros to paron]). A classical phrase (Thucydides), προς [pros] with the accusative neuter singular articular participle of παρειμι [pareimi], to be beside. Not joyous, but grievous (οὐ χαρας, ἀλλα λυπης [ou charas, alla lupēs]). Predicate ablative (springing from) or predicate genitive (marked by). Either makes sense, but note predicate ablative in 2 Cor. 4:7 (και του θεου και μη ἐξ ἡμων [kai tou theou kai mē ex hēmōn]). Peaceable fruit (καρπον εἰρηνικον [karpon eirēnikon]). Old adjective from εἰρηνη [eirēnē] (peace), in N. T. only here and James 3:17. Peaceable after the chastening is over. Exercised thereby (δἰ αὐτης γεγυμνασμενοις [di’ autēs gegumnasmenois]). Perfect passive participle (dative case) of γυμναζω [gumnazō], state of completion, picturing the discipline as a gymnasium like 5:14 and 1 Tim. 4:7. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Heb 12:11). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
12:9–11. Drawing on the analogy of the discipline of earthly fathers, the author encouraged a submissive spirit to the discipline of the Father of our spirits which is life-preserving (and live) as well as productive of an experience of His holiness, which involves a rich harvest of righteousness and peace. But Christians must let this discipline have its full effect and be trained by it. (Hodges, Z. C. (1985). Hebrews. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 810). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The blessed results (vv. 11–13). No chastening at the time is pleasant either to the father or to his son, but the benefits are profitable. I am sure that few children believe it when their parents say, “This hurts me more that it hurts you.” But it is true just the same. The Father does not enjoy having to discipline His children, but the benefits afterward make the chastening an evidence of His love.
What are some of the benefits? For one thing, there is “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” Instead of continuing to sin, the child strives to do what is right. There is also peace instead of war—“the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” The rebellion has ceased and the child is in a loving fellowship with the Father. Chastening also encourages a child to exercise in spiritual matters—the Word of God, prayer, meditation, witnessing, etc. All of this leads to a new joy. Paul describes it: “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).
Of course, the important thing is how God’s child responds to chastening. He can despise it or faint under it (Heb. 12:5), both of which are wrong. He should show reverence to the Father by submitting to His will (Heb. 12:9), using the experience to exercise himself spiritually (Heb. 12:11; 1 Tim. 4:7–8). Hebrews 12:12–13 sound like a coach’s orders to his team! Lift up your hands! Strengthen those knees! (Isa. 35:3) Get those lazy feet on the track! (Prov. 4:26) On your mark, get set, GO!
The example of God’s Son, and the assurance of God’s love, certainly should encourage us to endure in the difficult Christian race. But there is a third resource. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 324–325). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
9–11 When disciplined appropriately by human fathers, we respected them for it. How much more should those who are disciplined by their spiritual father (the Father of our spirits) learn to submit to him and live! For God’s discipline is necessary to keep us on track to eternal life. Parental discipline is limited to our childhood years (for a little while) and may not always have been wisely administered (as they thought best). But God, in his infinite love and wisdom, consistently throughout our lives disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. God’s holiness is his distinctive life and character. He will share this ultimately and completely with everyone whom he brings into his kingdom. Meanwhile, he uses various trials to sustain faith and produce a harvest of righteousness and peace in those who have been trained or ‘exercised’ by his discipline. In other words, by his grace, we can begin to share God’s holy life and character here and now. (Peterson, D. G. (1994). Hebrews. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., pp. 1349–1350). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
Ver. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, &c.] These words anticipate an objection, taken from the grief and sorrow that comes by afflictions; and therefore how should they be for profit and advantage? The apostle answers, by granting that no affliction seemeth to be joyous, in outward appearance to flesh and blood, and according to the judgment of carnal sense and reason; in this view of afflictions, it must be owned, they don’t appear to be matter, cause, or occasion of joy; though they really are, when viewed by faith, and judged of by sanctified reason; for they are tokens of the love of God and Christ; are evidences of sonship; and work together either for the temporal, or spiritual, or eternal good of the saints: and so likewise indeed for the present time, either whilst under them, or in the present state of things, they seem so; but hereafter, either now when they are over; or however in the world to come, when the grace, goodness, wisdom, and power of God in them, in supporting under them, bringing out of them, and the blessed effects, and fruits of them, will be discerned, they will be looked upon with pleasure: but for the present, and when carnal sense and reason prevail, it must be allowed, that they are not matter of joy, but grievous; or matter, cause, and occasion of grief; they cause pain and grief to the afflicted, and to their friends and relations about them; and especially, they are very grieving, and occasion heaviness, and are grievous to be borne, when soul-troubles attend them; when God hides his face, and the soul is filled with a sense of wrath, looking upon the chastening, as being in wrath and hot displeasure; when Satan is let loose, and casts his fiery darts thick and fast; and when the soul has lost its views of interest in the love of God, and in the grace of Christ, and in eternal glory and happiness. Nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby: who are used unto afflictions; trained up and instructed in the school of afflictions, as the word may signify; in which many useful lessons of faith and hope, patience and experience, humility, self-denial, and resignation of will, are learned: and to such afflictions yield the fruit of peace; external peace and prosperity sometimes follow upon them; and oftentimes internal peace is enjoyed in them; and they always issue to such in eternal peace and everlasting happiness; and this peace arises from the righteousness of Christ, laid hold upon by faith, which produces a true conscience-peace, and entitles to that everlasting joy and rest which remains for the people of God. Moreover, the fruit of holiness may be designed, which saints by afflictions are made partakers of, and the peace enjoyed in that; for there is a peace, which though it does not spring from, yet is found in the ways of righteousness; and though this peace may not be had for the present, or while the affliction lasts, yet it is experienced afterwards; either after the affliction is over, in the present life, or however in eternity, when the saints enter into peace; for the end of such dispensations, and of the persons exercised by them, is peace. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 475). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
THE CROSS IS A MIGHTY DECLARATION
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.
Romans 3:25
The cross is a mighty declaration. And what it says is this: The Son is a propitiation. In other words, God on the cross was punishing sin. He said that he would, and He has done it.
God has always said that sin is to be punished, that His holy wrath is upon it, and that He cannot deal with sin in any other terms. And He has done exactly what He promised. On the cross He is doing it publicly. There He is, once and for all, at the central point of history, pouring out His wrath upon the sins of man in the body of His own Son. He is striking Him; He is smiting Him; He is condemning Him to death. Christ dies, and His blood speaks. It is God’s punishment of sin and evil. It is a mighty declaration that God has done what He has always said He would do—namely, that He would punish sin, and the wages of sin is death. And there you see it happening upon the cross. It is an announcement, a proclamation, that this is God’s way of dealing with the problem of sin.
I hasten to say this. It is obviously the only way to deal with sin, and the cross says that.
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.
Mrs. C. F. Alexander
It is not surprising that the gospel of the cross and the blood of Christ has produced some of the greatest poetry the world has ever known.
A Thought to Ponder: The cross is an announcement, a proclamation, that this is God’s way of dealing with the problem of sin.
(From The Cross, pp. 163-164, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Using the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus teaches of salvation and His deity.
INSIGHT
Whoever comes in contact with Jesus is either blinded or enlightened. They either accept Him or begin manufacturing reasons not to believe in Him. Jesus illustrates this reality with the imagery of sheep and a shepherd. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (10:27). Make your heart tender and sensitive to hear and obey Jesus. Walk in His light and you will not stumble. (Quiet Walk)
Fear Not, Little Flock
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Luke 12:31)
In these days of financial worries and rampant materialism, it does us good to reflect on Christ’s teaching concerning our priorities. In this passage, He was teaching His disciples not to be troubled over temporal things (v. 22), but to rest in the fact that He will supply our needs. “If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (v. 28). We are not to have our mind set on material things (v. 29), neither are we to be “of doubtful mind” wavering between hope and fear of the future.
We are to be different. We are children of the King and are in His care. The “nations of the world seek after” (v. 30) these things. Our Father knows that we have need of certain things, and since He loves us and has our best interests at heart, we have nothing to “fear” and can be assured that “all these things shall be added unto [us]” (v. 31).
But more is involved. It is not enough simply to avoid improper fixation on the things of the world; we are to seek rather “the Kingdom of God”; we are to be about His business. His priorities should be our priorities. We must strive to know Him and His Word so well that we naturally conform our actions to His desires. If we do so, He not only will take pleasure in supplying our physical needs (v. 31), but also “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (v. 32).
It is our privilege to participate in His work on Earth as He enables. Our part may be to give: “Sell [what you] have, and give alms,” thereby storing up “a treasure in the heavens that faileth not” (v. 33), or to pray, “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (v. 34). If our primary desire is to enhance the work of the Kingdom, then He will give us that desire, and we will see fruit that lasts for eternity.
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
At noon on September 21, 1938, a young meteorologist warned the U.S. Weather Bureau of two fronts forcing a hurricane northward toward New England. But the chief of forecasting scoffed at Charles Pierce’s prediction. Surely a tropical storm wouldn’t strike so far north.
Two hours later, the 1938 New England Hurricane made landfall on Long Island. By 4:00 p.m. it had reached New England, tossing ships onto land as homes crumbled into the sea. More than six hundred people died. Had the victims received Pierce’s warning—based on solid data and his detailed maps—they likely would have survived.
The concept of knowing whose word to heed has precedent in Scripture. In Jeremiah’s day, God warned His people against false prophets. “Do not listen [to them],” He said. “They fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:16). God said of them, “If they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people” (v. 22).
“False prophets” are still with us. “Experts” dispense advice while ignoring God altogether or twisting His words to suit their purposes. But through His Word and Spirit, God has given us what we need to begin to discern the false from the true. As we gauge everything by the truth of His Word, our own words and lives will increasingly reflect that truth to others.
By Tim Gustafson (Daily Bread)
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