The very moment one exercises saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, a new nature is imparted by the Holy Spirit to the believer. This is described as regeneration in Titus 3: 5 and 6. Immediately a hitherto unknown conflict also begins within. And the two natures each strive to go in opposite directions, and to have the upper hand in the life of the believer.
Both natures cannot reign at the same time, so one will have to be rendered inoperative, or put out of commission. It is here that the will of the believer comes into play and determines which of the two natures shall rule. A good chapter for study on this subject is Romans 6. Our salvation puts us in union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, and we are identified with Him. This is what is meant by the word baptism in Romans 6:3. His victory can be our victory in a practical sense in our daily lives. In fact this is the will of God for all believers.
This identification with Christ gives the believer both the power and authority to exercise the will over the old nature. This is a wonderful privilege because the believer can demonstrate in his own life the power and glory of the Lord’s resurrection for the world to see.
Even though the believer determines which nature shall rule in his life, it is also very important for him to remember that the old man is not dead or eradicated when rendered inoperative: he is ready to spring to life the very moment the new nature is dethroned by the believer. The old nature cannot be eradicated until resurrection.
In Ephesians 4: 22-24 we are told to put off … the old man. The negative comes first. The positive, put on the new man. As nature abhors a vacuum, so it is folly to stop at the negative position and try to make the Christian life a series of don’ts. We put on and continually grow in the Lord, going on to perfection (or maturity – MMP).
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
THE FORERUNNER
By George Feldmann
Many Bible story illustrations show John the Baptist baptizing Israelites individually in the Jordan. It would have been literally impossible for him to have sprinkled or immersed individually the many thousands who came to him. It seems plausible that as the people passed by in some orderly fashion, he took a bundle of hyssop and sprayed them with water from the river. But more important than mode or method used by John is to realize that all this is rooted in OT prophecy. This brings us to our first consideration.
1) OT prophecy anticipated the ministry of John the Baptist. The prophets Isaiah and Malachi refer to him as the messenger and the one who would prepare the way for Messiah. John came preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, that the kingdom of heaven was AT HAND. There is no church composed of a joint-body of Jew and Gentile in view here, or of the one body with Christ as head as revealed in the prison epistles. John was not the forerunner of any church. Prophetically, this advent of Christ anticipated only the Messianic promises of His people Israel, and that is why John preached that the kingdom of heaven was AT HAND. This means that there was a bona-fide possibility of such promises being fulfilled at that time if Israel repented. Rom. 15:8 tells us that Christ came TO CONFIRM THE PROMISES MADE UNTO THE FATHERS. One of these promises is the topic of the next sub-heading.
2) The ministry of John the Baptist anticipated the kingdom of priests promise. The priesthood of believers is a term commonly used of all living believers today. However, this is a misplacement and misapplication of Scripture. The promise in regards to a Kingdom of priests is restricted in the Scriptures entirely to the nation of Israel. The Lord has no priests on earth today. The prayers of intercession made by believers does not constitute a priesthood in any sense of the word. In fact, Hebrews 8:4 says that if Christ were on earth today He would not be a priest.
In Rev. 1:6 John saw this promise realized for the nation Israel in prophetic anticipation. The promise will be fulfilled at the second advent of Christ. It is connected with the great commission of Matt. 18:19 and the 1,000 years.
Many Bible story illustrations show John the Baptist baptizing Israelites individually in the Jordan. It would have been literally impossible for him to have sprinkled or immersed individually the many thousands who came to him. It seems plausible that as the people passed by in some orderly fashion, he took a bundle of hyssop and sprayed them with water from the river. But more important than mode or method used by John is to realize that all this is rooted in OT prophecy. This brings us to our first consideration.
1) OT prophecy anticipated the ministry of John the Baptist. The prophets Isaiah and Malachi refer to him as the messenger and the one who would prepare the way for Messiah. John came preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, that the kingdom of heaven was AT HAND. There is no church composed of a joint-body of Jew and Gentile in view here, or of the one body with Christ as head as revealed in the prison epistles. John was not the forerunner of any church. Prophetically, this advent of Christ anticipated only the Messianic promises of His people Israel, and that is why John preached that the kingdom of heaven was AT HAND. This means that there was a bona-fide possibility of such promises being fulfilled at that time if Israel repented. Rom. 15:8 tells us that Christ came TO CONFIRM THE PROMISES MADE UNTO THE FATHERS. One of these promises is the topic of the next sub-heading.
2) The ministry of John the Baptist anticipated the kingdom of priests promise. The priesthood of believers is a term commonly used of all living believers today. However, this is a misplacement and misapplication of Scripture. The promise in regards to a Kingdom of priests is restricted in the Scriptures entirely to the nation of Israel. The Lord has no priests on earth today. The prayers of intercession made by believers does not constitute a priesthood in any sense of the word. In fact, Hebrews 8:4 says that if Christ were on earth today He would not be a priest.
In Rev. 1:6 John saw this promise realized for the nation Israel in prophetic anticipation. The promise will be fulfilled at the second advent of Christ. It is connected with the great commission of Matt. 18:19 and the 1,000 years.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
The Good Deposit
by: George Feldmann
The Apostle Paul, in his second epistle to Timothy, was very much concerned that a chain of faithfulness be continued in the preservation and continuation of the truth. The epistle will bear out that Paul had a very particular and special body of truth in mind when he wrote.
Literally, from the language of the original, this is better known as The Deposit. This was to be guarded, kept and defended as 1:12 tells us. This deposit is referred to further in the words HOLD FAST THAT FORM OF SOUND WORDS, in verse 13. And once again in verse 14 with the words THAT GOOD THING. The word form means a word picture or an outline.
Teaching concerning this form of sound words, or the deposit, can be found only in the Prison Epistles. Doctrinally, it is set forth most specifically in the epistle to the Ephesians.
The teaching embodied in this good deposit is distinct in that it teaches that those who are members of the dispensation of the mystery body have their blessings in the heavenlies, or super-celestial places. This is not the future home of all believers as it is commonly taught today. There are 3 distinct families and spheres of blessing set forth in the Scriptures. *Some will be resurrected to inhabit the new earth, and others will be resurrected to inhabit the land promised to Abraham’s seed Israel with the New Jerusalem at the center. God in His sovereignty has determined which believers shall inhabit these three spheres of blessing. There is nothing we can do to deserve the least of God’s blessings, and the most any of us can do is to believe God; and believing God isn’t any kind of good work that we can boast about!
Naturally there are many enemies of the truth, especially of the truth mentioned above. The most subtle opposition comes from those who accuse the dispensation of the mystery believers of having an exalted opinion of themselves. And the irony of it all is that Satan does his work so well thru those who profess to know the Lord. Another avenue of opposition comes from those reputed to be dispensational teachers, who even recognize the Acts 28:28 boundary line, yet fail to distinguish the epistles written before and after this line.
The loyalty we devote to the good deposit will largely determine whether we reign with Him, and the extent of our rewards.
*by MarvinDXN
The Apostle Paul, in his second epistle to Timothy, was very much concerned that a chain of faithfulness be continued in the preservation and continuation of the truth. The epistle will bear out that Paul had a very particular and special body of truth in mind when he wrote.
Literally, from the language of the original, this is better known as The Deposit. This was to be guarded, kept and defended as 1:12 tells us. This deposit is referred to further in the words HOLD FAST THAT FORM OF SOUND WORDS, in verse 13. And once again in verse 14 with the words THAT GOOD THING. The word form means a word picture or an outline.
Teaching concerning this form of sound words, or the deposit, can be found only in the Prison Epistles. Doctrinally, it is set forth most specifically in the epistle to the Ephesians.
The teaching embodied in this good deposit is distinct in that it teaches that those who are members of the dispensation of the mystery body have their blessings in the heavenlies, or super-celestial places. This is not the future home of all believers as it is commonly taught today. There are 3 distinct families and spheres of blessing set forth in the Scriptures. *Some will be resurrected to inhabit the new earth, and others will be resurrected to inhabit the land promised to Abraham’s seed Israel with the New Jerusalem at the center. God in His sovereignty has determined which believers shall inhabit these three spheres of blessing. There is nothing we can do to deserve the least of God’s blessings, and the most any of us can do is to believe God; and believing God isn’t any kind of good work that we can boast about!
Naturally there are many enemies of the truth, especially of the truth mentioned above. The most subtle opposition comes from those who accuse the dispensation of the mystery believers of having an exalted opinion of themselves. And the irony of it all is that Satan does his work so well thru those who profess to know the Lord. Another avenue of opposition comes from those reputed to be dispensational teachers, who even recognize the Acts 28:28 boundary line, yet fail to distinguish the epistles written before and after this line.
The loyalty we devote to the good deposit will largely determine whether we reign with Him, and the extent of our rewards.
*by MarvinDXN
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)