Okay, see if you can follow this. In a blog post written by Felicity Dale, she quotes author Phillip Mauro from his book, "The Church the Churches and the Kingdom". He writes, "… we cannot regard it as a matter of indifference but rather of grave concern that in our day the existence of the Kingdom of God as a present reality, the place and responsibility of every regenerated person therein and the great and precious truths and promises that pertain thereto, have all but faded out of the consciousness of those who have entered into that Kingdom by the door of the new birth;" (emphasis mine)
Our Wednesday group has been looking at the Kingdom of God (KoG) for the last several weeks now. It is changing my perspective of the Christian walk big time! Mauro's quote for me was a reality, "faded out of the consciousness". What does Scripture say?
-John the Baptist preached, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat. 3:2)
-Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness". (Mat6:33)
-"Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God," (Mark 15:43)
-Jesus said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God," (Luke 8:10)
-"Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John3:5)
-"And he (Paul) entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God." (Acts 19:8
Vine's says,the Kingdom of God is (a) the sphere of God’s rule. The Kingdom is also (b) the sphere in which at any given time His rule is acknowledged.
This world needs to hear about this kingdom. You need to know about this kingdom. There are many verses that say what the kingdom is like (check out my April 21st post), what it is, and what it is not. John the Baptist preached the KoG, Jesus preached the KoG, Paul, Peter, James , and John preached the KoG. Get the picture? See how my perspective can be changed? How about you? Get a concordance and start studying. You will be changed! God bless y'all real good.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Law of Liberty
The past couple of weeks James 1:25 and 2:12 has been the subject of conversation at Bible & Bagel Fellowship. It spilled over into my Wednesday group and also in a conversation with my wife and my sister. These verses talk about the "law of liberty". I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what that means.
The law of liberty is certainly not the law of the Old Testament. Christians are not bound to the ceremonial law. Jesus fulfilled it. I believe that is made clear in the book of Galatians. (Check out the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew to see how Jesus feels about the commandments.)
"So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." (Rom 7:12).The law could not save us because of our sinful flesh. "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:8). Read Romans 7:13 through 8:17. Romans 7:14 says that the law is spiritual but we are of the flesh, sold under sin. Jesus took care of that (Rom. 8:1-4).
I believe the law of liberty is the gospel, the good news of forgiveness and freedom in Jesus. Romans 8:1-4 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
The Spirit of Christ dwells in all believers. All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. We did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear (the opposite of faith). We are adopted, we are sons and daughters, and we are free!
Galatians chapter five, verses 13 & 14 says, " For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." James 2:8 says, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well." When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment in the Law he said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a great definition of love.
We are now under the law of liberty. Free to love and serve God. Free to love and serve others. Free to share the gospel. Free to be merciful (James 2:13) What an awesome God we serve! God bless y'all real good.
The law of liberty is certainly not the law of the Old Testament. Christians are not bound to the ceremonial law. Jesus fulfilled it. I believe that is made clear in the book of Galatians. (Check out the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew to see how Jesus feels about the commandments.)
"So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." (Rom 7:12).The law could not save us because of our sinful flesh. "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:8). Read Romans 7:13 through 8:17. Romans 7:14 says that the law is spiritual but we are of the flesh, sold under sin. Jesus took care of that (Rom. 8:1-4).
I believe the law of liberty is the gospel, the good news of forgiveness and freedom in Jesus. Romans 8:1-4 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
The Spirit of Christ dwells in all believers. All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. We did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear (the opposite of faith). We are adopted, we are sons and daughters, and we are free!
Galatians chapter five, verses 13 & 14 says, " For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." James 2:8 says, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well." When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment in the Law he said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a great definition of love.
We are now under the law of liberty. Free to love and serve God. Free to love and serve others. Free to share the gospel. Free to be merciful (James 2:13) What an awesome God we serve! God bless y'all real good.
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