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Showing posts with the label Paul

War and hatred?

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Our enemy, satan, tries to make us hate our fellow humans. The apostolic teaching warns: we do not have war on a physical and visible level, but in the invisible, heavenly world. {Eph 6:10} At work, in the marketplace, among rivals, on the battlefield: The "enemy" almost doesn't matter. War always starts with condemning-judging others. But who am I to do so? {Mt 7:1-2} Whoever proclaims a war {by the secular power of any religion/trend} lives in a carnal way, under a battle psychosis. Under judgement. Why? Because it is the means /tools, not just the end that counts. If the fight is physical, the person eventually begins to follow the path of satan and serves it with physical warfare. And he dies. {Jesus warns in Mt 26:52} Since life and death are basically spiritual things, it would make sense to keep all of these in God's power. He gives us grace to have life. {Jn 10:10} He is the way, the truth, the life. {Jn 14:6} The good news is that believers have de...

Justification and saving faith - Gal 4 & 5

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As the majority of modern Christians struggle with a kind of Judaized-Christian worldview, every Bible teacher has a constant duty to maintain an apostolic view of justification by faith and righteousness. On this page we learn from the epistle of Galatians. Here we read an important exposition of how the new state of being redeemed in Christ and justified by faith is distinct from the Jewish view of the law. Background: Paul writes to the churches he established in the southern part of Galatia during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–14:28). Unlike Paul’s other greetings here you can not find thanksgiving for or reference to the Galatians’ faith, or love. Earlier, in the chapter 2 he explains, warns that "Justified” life means “counted righteous” or “declared righteous” by God. He points out that by human nature this is not possible: If people obeyed all of God’s perfect moral standards, they could be justified by their own merits. But Paul says that this is...

Praying from the timeless position

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you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant), and to the sprinkled blood.. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll... Recommended: Seeing with a God - lens The fullness of God’s nature ☆

faith is built into us

.. faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom 10:17 (NKJV) Supernaturally faith is built into us as we hear, as we understand, as we trust in God's word. David Guzik Enduring Word – YouTube channel

10 Disciplines of a Godly Man

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Paul’s instructions on discipline Purity, Relationships, Mind, Devotion, Integrity, Tongue, Work, Perseverance... by: R. Kent Hughes Train in God's Gym Men, we will never get anywhere in life without discipline, and doubly so in spiritual matters. None of us is inherently righteous, so Paul’s instructions regarding spiritual discipline in 1 Timothy 4:7–8 take on personal urgency: “Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." That word “train” comes from the Greek word from which we derive gymnasium. So, I invite you into God’s Gym—to some pain and great gain! 1. Discipline of Purity Sensuality is the biggest obstacle to godliness among Christian men. The fall of King David should not only instruct us but scare the sensuality right out of us! Fill yourself with God’s Word—memorize passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, Job ...

Appreciate the Good and the Merit

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brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell in these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:8

Two women

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Joseph Marie Vien: Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham Based on the Galatians 4 you can read here an overview +teaching about the old and new status of the believers. According to the apostolic teaching the old, child like status describes Israel and the new status refers to the adoption we have got in Christ. Meanwhile, the symbolic image of the two women, the two mothers (Abraham's concubine and his wife), gives a detailed picture of the complex spiritual family relationship between the Jewish and the Christian believer. We will use the ESV Bible. Pre When the apostle Paul speaks of the life of Abraham and about the Law, we need to see two states. One is a blessing: based on the voluntary mercy and grace of God, the other is a system: which God has prepared for the deliverance of His people and the building up of the Jewish nation. We can see that the promise, Abraham's blessing came 430 years before the giving of the Law. Moreover we will see that...

Two persons

The * natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are a folly to him, and b he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The c spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. d “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But e we have the mind of Christ. 1Cor 2:14-16 ESV Notes: * psychicos person: It's not simply a "natural" person or "unbeliver" person. When speaking of the inner person, Paul uses the word: psychikos (soulish, 'visible-things-driven', 'emo-driven' or 'fleshly' minds and hearts) for the old character. Meanwhile he uses the word: pneumatikos (spiritual, spirit - driven) for the rescued. This helps us to see what Paul is writing here, in 1Cor 2:14-16 and in 1Cor 15:44. Other correspondent verses: a 1Cor 1:18 b Rom. 8:7 c 1Cor 3:1; 14:37; Gal. 6:1; see: Prov. 28:5 d Cited fro...

The Holy Spirit's Centrality

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rethink ...that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.. Gal. 3:14 The promise of the Spirit is equated with the blessing of Abraham, even though the Old Testament passage does not mention the Spirit. Since the “blessing of Abraham” came in the form of a “promise,” this word is the one Paul uses throughout the argument of Galatians 3:13-14 to refer to the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant. In a statement crucial to this argument, Paul says the fulfillment of this promised blessing for the Gentiles is in their having experienced the Spirit as a living and dynamic reality. The blessing of Abraham, therefore, is not simply “justification by faith.” Rather, it refers to the life of the future now available to Jew and Gentile alike, achieved through the death of Christ but applied through the dynamic ministry of the Spirit—and all of this by faith.’ The full article is here

How to obtain the fullness of power for Christian life – chpt. 3 part I

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This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack Reuben A. Torrey: "How to Obtain Fulness of Power For Christian life?" Chapter 3 — The Power of the Holy Spirit sample, part I "Power belongeth unto God." Ps 62 Intro The Holy Spirit is the person who imparts to the individual believer the power that belongs to God. This is the Holy Spirit's work in the believer, to take what belongs to God and make it ours. All the manifold power of God belongs to the children of God as their birthright in Christ, "All things are yours." (1 Cor. 3:21) But all that belongs to us as our birthright in Christ becomes ours in actual and experimental possession through the Holy Spirit's work in us as individuals. To the extent that we understand and claim for ourselves the Holy Spirit's work, to that extent do we obtain for ourselves the fulness of power in Christian life and service that God has provided for us in Christ. A very la...

How to obtain the fullness of power for Christian life – cpt. 3 part II

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This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack Reuben A. Torrey: "How to Obtain Fulness of Power For Christian life?" Chapter 3 — The Power of the Holy Spirit sample, part II "Power belongeth unto God." Ps 62 8. Further down in the chapter there is a new thought. Rom. 8:16: "The Spirit [himself] beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God." The Holy Spirit bears witness with the spirit of the believer that he is a child of God. Note that Paul does not say that the Spirit bears witness to our spirit, but with it— "together with our spirit," is the exact force of the words used. That is, there are two who bear witness to our sonship: First, our spirit bears witness that we are children of God; second, the Holy Spirit bears witness together with our spirit that we are children of God. How does the Holy Spirit bear His testimony to this fact? Gal. 4:6 answers this question: "Because ...

Las bendiciones espirituales de los fieles

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..el apóstol Pablo sobre nuestra DNI/ID 'predestinado para ser adoptados' Esto es una meditación: El texto en azul y subrayado = la bendición Amarillo = la parte/acciones de los fieles. Pablo, apóstol de Jesús Cristo por la voluntad de Dios, a los santos y fieles en Cristo Jesús que están en Éfeso: Gracia y paz a vosotros, de Dios nuestro Padre y del Señor Jesús Cristo. Bendito sea el Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que nos bendijo con toda bendición espiritual en los lugares celestiales en Cristo , según nos escogió en él antes de la fundación del mundo , para que fuésemos santos y sin mancha delante de él , en amor habiéndonos predestinado para ser adoptados hijos suyos por medio de Jesucristo, según el puro afecto de su voluntad, para alabanza de la gloria de su gracia , con la cual nos hizo aceptos en el Amado, en quien tenemos redención por su sangre, el perdón de pecados según las riquezas de su gracia, que hizo sobreabundar para con...

Spiritual blessings for the faithful

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..as ap. Paul teaches about our ID 'He predestined us to be adopted' It's a meditation: Blue, underlined text describes the blessing, Yellow marks the faithful's part/actions. This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens ... .. for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavishe...

Faith and knowledge/s

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Faith and knowledge/s Because we know in more ways than one Pre In the next article, we will read about how the apostolic community of the New Covenant has received new knowledge. How God has touched them in this area, how God has opened their eyes and how this will result, affect our age that will lead all believers = the Church into the age of discernment. I. In general, the apostles used to say: "knowledge" when they mention the teaching of the Word, the Gospel, and the acquired knowledge. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 ...This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Ezek 18:23; 2 Pet 3:9; In this light, they warn against false doctrines or trends, here e.g. Gnosticism: 1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” {gnosys} for by professing it some have swerv...