1 Peter 2:15-16
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Foolish= G 0878 The religiously unenlightened.
Free= G 1658 applicable meaning: free from the dominion of sin or free in the possession of gospel privileges.
Servant= G 1401 Gives the idea of one pledges or bound to serve. In context with the verse it is a servanthood of choice. Similar to a bond servant.
This is NOT the same word used for a domestic servant or a household slave, which would be G 3610.
Romans 6:17-18
17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Slaves= G 1401
Obedient= G 5219 To render submissive acceptance.
Teachings= G 1322 Instructions
Committed= G 3860 committed to, delivered to, and yielded to.
Righteousness= G 1343 fair and equitable dealings, piety, or a provision or means for justification.
(The teachings that they were delivered to is the covenant and judging by 1 Peter 2:15-16 those who are outside of the covenant are spiritually destitute)
Deut. 6:25 And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
( Read James 2:14-26)
James 2:20 (GNV)
20 But wilt thou understand, O thou vain man, that the faith which is without works, is dead?
We are saved BY grace but in order to attain grace we must have faith. In order for your faith to be alive you must have works. Those works are obedience to the covenant. If we have true faith it will foster obedience. As a reward we gain righteousness, our faith lives and thrives, God offers us grace, and through that grace we are saved.
Just to reiterate. We are not saved BY our works. Our faith foster in us a state of obedience, without which our faith would die out. A living faith is required for us to have access to God's free gift of saving grace.
By extension we are never free because in order to have living faith (and through such, have saving grace) we must become bondservants to God and subject ourselves to His law. There is no other path to salvation.
The very word "Faith" is G 4102 - pistis derived from another form of pistis (G 3982) which means simply to believe or to yield. Assent, i.e covenant.
This is what James talks about when he says "Faith without works is dead." To have living faith we must yield to the covenant.
(Read John 14)
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
John 14:15 ¶ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
John 14:23-24
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
1John 5:1 ¶ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
1John 5:2-3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 2:3-4
3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
All these verses serve to prove that we must keep obedience to the covenant in order to have living faith and through that faith saving grace. In order to do that we must subject ourselves as bondservants to God.
Biblically a bond servant was a hired hand that was released from his master but out if love and devotion to his master he chose to be a slave for life.
Even though God offers to let us free from His instructions (we do have that option) we must, if we love him, (John 14:5) keep his commandments and willingly volunteer to subject ourselves as slaves to him for the rest if our life.
If we don't subject ourselves to God we do not, then, become free. We simply go back to our old master, sin (satan). There are two laws, the laws of sin and he laws of God. (Covenant) and we are ALWAYS subject to one or the other.
We are not UNDER the law of God because to be under means we are condemned by it.
Romans 3:19 says we are no longer under the law. The word "under" G 1722 literally means, in the sight of or before judicially. So we are before a jury, and people do not get set before a jury unless they have trespassed the law. So we are not under (subject to the penalty of) the law because our trespasses have been forgiven and paid in full. Does this mean we can then continue to trespass and we don't have to obey the law anymore?
Rom. 6:15 ¶ What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Sin is transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)
This word "law" G 458 is traced back specifically to the covenant God set forth in Exodus.
These things have not changes since their giving.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Messiah was in the beginning with God and IS God. (John 1:1) this being the case Messiah was there when God gave the covenant in Exodus and being that He IS God, he himself gave the covenant. If he is the same he would not have changed His covenant. Our God is not a covenant breaker.
Malachi 3:6
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."
So we must chose this day whom we will serve. Just as Joshua said in Joshua 24. Notice there was no option to serve no one. You WILL be serving someone. They had to chose who they would serve, false "gods" (satan) or the True God.
Serve= H 5647 Literally means to work, labor, worship etc... (Be obedient to) and means to reduce to servitude or to enslave.
If we truly wish to follow God how can we follow if we do not what He says? We must be willing to do what He has told us to do even if it ruffles some feathers... Even if those feathers happen to be OUR feathers.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
The Fear of the Lord
The biblical word for Fear (H3374). appears 45 times and most all these times is referring to the fear of the Lord. This is not the same word as, I "FEAR" that bear or I "FEAR" death etc...
The fear H3374 of the Lord. By definition is...
Fear, terror, awesome or terrifying thing.
Fear (of God) respect, reverence, piety.
Piety: 1. Reverence to God or devout fulfillment of religious obligation.
So then... what are our religious obligations?
Psalm 111:7-10
The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Psalm 112:1
Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
All His commandments are sure for ever and ever. (So are they done away with?) It also says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom... the beginning mind you, not the completion of fulfillment. So if the fear of the Lord requires that we devoutly fulfill our religious obligations... How many truly fear the Lord?
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
The age old question... "What is the meaning of life?
Deut. 10:12-13
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
Deut. 6:2
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Mic. 6:8
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The fear of the Lord also requires that we "Walk humbly (or meekly) with our God
The hebrew word for Meek/humble (H6035) By definition is poor, humble, afflicted, meek, humble, lowly. Commonly with the added notion of a lowly, pious,(note the presence of piety once more) and modest mind, which prefers to bear injuries rather than return them.
Just to restate... "Which prefers to BEAR an injury rather than return.
Num. 12:3 in speaking of Moses it uses H6035 twice, side by side. Denoting an exclamatory statement.
Moses was wrongly spoken against by Arron and Miriam and would have been well within his rights to defend himself... however he said nothing. This is where it calls him, "The humblest of all men." (Quite a standard to set!)
We see Moses was in the right because God, then calls Arron and Miriam out to the tabernacle and rebukes them for their behavior.
Looking at Moses, most of what the bible tells us of him is him trying to make sure all Israel was keeping the commandments/covenant.
Mathew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
Inherit G2816 is to acquire by lot, obtain or receive as a possession.
Earth G1093 is simply earth or ground but it also says, by way of eminence the Chosen Land. (Israel)
Considering Moses was to lead Israel to inherit the promise land I find that very interesting.
Also noteworthy is Psalm 25:9 " The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way."
Now... lets talk motives? Why do we keep the law? Because it gains us salvation? Of course not. Salvation comes by grace through faith.
See James 2:14-26
Verse 20 says, "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"
So in order to remain under grace we must maintain a living faith through works. Faith caries the the idea of ascent to the covenant. (The works that must follow to keep it alive)
So we can conclude that we should keep the law not only out of fear of punishment, love for God, duty, etc... But to remain under grace and have a living faith. Also to obtain the fear of the Lord and the beginning of wisdom and to fullfil our religious obligations and duty to Him. Not to look good, seem holly, or "buy" our way into heaven. That is the wrong motive.
We can keep the letter of the law. (Honor our parents verbally and socially etc...) But if we harbor malice in our heart towards them we have missed the spirit of the law and our efforts are meaningless. If we keep the letter and not the spirit we are not truly keeping anything at all.
So to fear the Lord is to obey His word and his commandments with meekness, rather taking harm dealt instead dealing harm out.
The fear H3374 of the Lord. By definition is...
Fear, terror, awesome or terrifying thing.
Fear (of God) respect, reverence, piety.
Piety: 1. Reverence to God or devout fulfillment of religious obligation.
So then... what are our religious obligations?
Psalm 111:7-10
The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Psalm 112:1
Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
All His commandments are sure for ever and ever. (So are they done away with?) It also says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom... the beginning mind you, not the completion of fulfillment. So if the fear of the Lord requires that we devoutly fulfill our religious obligations... How many truly fear the Lord?
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
The age old question... "What is the meaning of life?
Deut. 10:12-13
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
Deut. 6:2
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Mic. 6:8
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The fear of the Lord also requires that we "Walk humbly (or meekly) with our God
The hebrew word for Meek/humble (H6035) By definition is poor, humble, afflicted, meek, humble, lowly. Commonly with the added notion of a lowly, pious,(note the presence of piety once more) and modest mind, which prefers to bear injuries rather than return them.
Just to restate... "Which prefers to BEAR an injury rather than return.
Num. 12:3 in speaking of Moses it uses H6035 twice, side by side. Denoting an exclamatory statement.
Moses was wrongly spoken against by Arron and Miriam and would have been well within his rights to defend himself... however he said nothing. This is where it calls him, "The humblest of all men." (Quite a standard to set!)
We see Moses was in the right because God, then calls Arron and Miriam out to the tabernacle and rebukes them for their behavior.
Looking at Moses, most of what the bible tells us of him is him trying to make sure all Israel was keeping the commandments/covenant.
Mathew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
Inherit G2816 is to acquire by lot, obtain or receive as a possession.
Earth G1093 is simply earth or ground but it also says, by way of eminence the Chosen Land. (Israel)
Considering Moses was to lead Israel to inherit the promise land I find that very interesting.
Also noteworthy is Psalm 25:9 " The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way."
Now... lets talk motives? Why do we keep the law? Because it gains us salvation? Of course not. Salvation comes by grace through faith.
See James 2:14-26
Verse 20 says, "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"
So in order to remain under grace we must maintain a living faith through works. Faith caries the the idea of ascent to the covenant. (The works that must follow to keep it alive)
So we can conclude that we should keep the law not only out of fear of punishment, love for God, duty, etc... But to remain under grace and have a living faith. Also to obtain the fear of the Lord and the beginning of wisdom and to fullfil our religious obligations and duty to Him. Not to look good, seem holly, or "buy" our way into heaven. That is the wrong motive.
We can keep the letter of the law. (Honor our parents verbally and socially etc...) But if we harbor malice in our heart towards them we have missed the spirit of the law and our efforts are meaningless. If we keep the letter and not the spirit we are not truly keeping anything at all.
So to fear the Lord is to obey His word and his commandments with meekness, rather taking harm dealt instead dealing harm out.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
"Authority of the Scripture."
This is going to be a short post but I want to address an issue that I am seeing within the "christian" community. All of us are guilty of this, don't get me wrong... even myself.
Often times the things I write about are just as much for my benefit as for the benefit of others.
I would like to address the "Authority of the Scripture."
Without getting exceedingly in-depth, first I would like to point out that due to all bibles being a copy of a copy of a copy... and on top of that it is a modern translation of one language into another... there will always be issues of interpretation.
These issues must be solved by not isolating single scriptures. They must be compared to the bible as a whole and set side by side with parallels in scripture by principle and grammatical usage of the words.
That being said... I would ask the question. If a man disagrees with the bible who should be follow?
Logically anyone following truly will admit that we must follow the bible! The bible is the ultimate authority and anything that disagrees with it is just flat out wrong. I say this not to be rude but to simplify.
For everything we say, believe, or teach, we must have chapter and verse. Anything you hear ask, "Chapter and verse?"
If we do NOT have chapter and verse what we are saying should be automatically suspect.
There will always be issues that are not directly addressed in the bible but if you look hard enough most everything has a biblical principle that you can glean from scripture.
Ultimately the verse below is what I am trying to say in a much more complicated way....
Romans chapter 3 and the middle of verse 4 "let God be true, but every man a liar"
Let us test all things against the scripture and trust nothing that strays from the word of God. Question everything you do. This is how we grow.
Often times the things I write about are just as much for my benefit as for the benefit of others.
I would like to address the "Authority of the Scripture."
Without getting exceedingly in-depth, first I would like to point out that due to all bibles being a copy of a copy of a copy... and on top of that it is a modern translation of one language into another... there will always be issues of interpretation.
These issues must be solved by not isolating single scriptures. They must be compared to the bible as a whole and set side by side with parallels in scripture by principle and grammatical usage of the words.
That being said... I would ask the question. If a man disagrees with the bible who should be follow?
Logically anyone following truly will admit that we must follow the bible! The bible is the ultimate authority and anything that disagrees with it is just flat out wrong. I say this not to be rude but to simplify.
For everything we say, believe, or teach, we must have chapter and verse. Anything you hear ask, "Chapter and verse?"
If we do NOT have chapter and verse what we are saying should be automatically suspect.
There will always be issues that are not directly addressed in the bible but if you look hard enough most everything has a biblical principle that you can glean from scripture.
Ultimately the verse below is what I am trying to say in a much more complicated way....
Romans chapter 3 and the middle of verse 4 "let God be true, but every man a liar"
Let us test all things against the scripture and trust nothing that strays from the word of God. Question everything you do. This is how we grow.
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