1 Pet.
{3:18} For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit
{3:19} By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison
1 Pet. {3:20} Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
{3:21} The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a
good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
{3:22} Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right
hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made
subject unto him.
Angels
Authorities
Powers
All these being made subject unto Jesus Christ.
{4:1} Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he
that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin
Christ suffered for us.
Christ took on humanity and submitted to all the temptations just like we are and He sinned not.
He willingly suffered.
Willingly!
We have to willingly suffer for Christ not that it will save us because only Christ's mercy can save us, but because we are called to live as He lived. Christ suffered in the flesh. What causes suffering?
DICT.
suffer (sùf´er) verb
suffered, suffering, suffers verb, intransitive
1. To feel pain or distress; sustain loss, injury, harm, or punishment.
2. To tolerate or endure evil, injury, pain, or death.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
So what causes pain, distress, loss, injury, harm, punishment, enduring evil, suffering to death?
You have to feel and feel acutely in order to suffer deeply. If you care much, you suffer much. Christ cared for us more than anyone possibly could. Care enough to take on humanity, to submit Himself to becoming flesh, bound by its limitations. And yes, you may scoff and say He had no limitations, but when he took on humanity He gave Himself limitations that would enable Him to be able to say the He was ...
Heb. {2:18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Heb. {4:15} For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without
sin.
You cannot truly be tempted by anything unless you have the ability to fall to that temptation. It is no temptation at all to be offered chocolate when you have no interest in chocolate, and yet if you crave it beyond that which is normal and healthy for you and you are tempted with chocolate it becomes a source of temptation, of desire, something you have to resist and suffer if not physically then emotionally, mentally, to keep from giving into that temptation. Yes, you might argue that it's harder once you've tasted the creamy sweet richness of chocolate to resist it, but once you know that something isn't good and you feel the pull of temptation- even untested once it can be very strong. Sex for example. You may feel an intense desire for that physical pleasure even if you've never had sex. Temptations aren't unique to those who taste that which is tempting them. Desires can be very real, very hard to resist. Temptations can cause us to suffer greatly in ways that other might not understand suffering. Just because I'm tempted in one way doesn't mean you're tempted the same. My temptations are just as real and hard to resist as anothers, they are in that sense unique to us without being the same.
Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, but without sinning.
You might think that impossible. You might say he never had heroin or the foods we have today and yet in principle He suffered temptation just as we suffer it, unique to Him as our temptations are to each of us only He suffered sinless. It is because He was able to resist temptations that He was able to save us who are born into sin through Adam.
1 Peter. {4:1} Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he
that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin
Suffering.
Arm ourselves likewise with the same mind.
We can't don armor and fight this battle of sin, this battle between good and evil, the battle in which we are each being fought for. We have to arm ourselves with the same mind as Christ. The same willingness to trust in God for everything in our lives. The same willingness that if we are called to suffer in the flesh, we embrace the suffering and we don't let Satan twist it into God's punishing us. We cling to Christ our Righteousness and we meld our mind to His and whatever our lots in life we holdfast...we suffer if we must knowing that our suffering cannot compare to the suffering of the most innocent of all, our Savior.
By the Lord's grace and mercy may we arm ourselves with the same mind as Christ- willingly suffering anything we need to suffer, and in anyway we need to suffer it so that we may cling to Him fully by His grace in love.
Amen
5/13/10
Eph 6:11
(ASV) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(Bishops) Put on all the armour of God, that ye may stande agaynst the assaultes of the deuyll.
(CEV) Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks.
(DRB) Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.
(KJV) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(KJV-1611) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the deuill.
(KJVA) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Wiles
Assaults
Tricks
Deceits
When we think of the devil we do think of an evil being, a figment of an evil being, an imaginary evil, and when we start to believe he's a real force in the world we scare *sane* people.
The devil isn't an imaginary scapegoat used by people to place blame upon so they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions- though some probably do try to do that. Some flippantly, some realistically.
The devil has wiles and he knows exactly how to use them having thousands of years to practice them on human beings. The devil has tricks, deceits and he does assault people in many, many ways, in fact in any way that will deceive you into following him. He especially loves it when people follow him while they think they are following God. The satsifaction he must receive watching people pray and worship him in disguise has to be tremendous.
We are told to put on the WHOLE armor of God to stand against the devil's wiles. The whole armor not just one piece of it. Fat lot of good it will do someone being assaulted in the chest if they're only wearing a helmet and not their breastplate. Put on the WHOLE armor of God. Dress appropriately every single day because the battle you're in goes on every day without end until Christ returns.
Helmet
Breastplate
Girt loins
Shod feet
Shield
Sword
Prayer
Salvation
Righteousness
Truth
Peace
Faith
Word of God
Prayer
Dressed for God in the battle between Him and satan, a battle won by Christ- a battle we win in Christ through His righteousness. It's wonderful to know which side has won and we are fools if in knowing we still choose to join the losing side.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord, our Savior God's Son, may we be fully dressed in the armor of God every day as we face the unending wiles, deceit, trickery, and assaults of the devil.
In Christ's amazing love!
Amen.
5/13/11
Dan 12:1-3
And at that time shall Michael stand up
the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people
Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God
Christ sat down and Christ will stand up.
When Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father He did so with the hope His sacrifice would be accepted by the people He made the sacrifice for.
As with any sacrifice to God- it was made to bridge that gap sin created between God and man. It wasn't a mistake that God gave a sacrificial service to those who lived before Christ died. God wanted people to understand that this ULTIMATE sacrifice- not of a perfect lamb without blemish, not a perfect bullock, not a perfect animal of any sort- but rather the sinless, perfect Lamb of God- was there to step in and do what none of the animal sacrifices could ever do.
Sacrificed once- Christ as the ultimate Sacrifice uses the blood of that Most Holy Sacrifice to atone for our sins. Just as on the yearly DAY of Atonement, there was an end to the sacrificial ceremony performed- there will also be an end to the Atonement Christ died to make for us. The end of the Atonement is when Christ finishes the work He began so long ago and the very last person that will accept His sacrifice, accepts it, and there are no more. Then Christ will stand up. Those who accepted His sacrifice will be at-one- with God once more as mankind was intended to be. Those who chose not to accept His sacrifice will be kept out of the kingdom of heaven. Those who chose not to accept His sacrifice will face eternal death and eventually will cease to exist altogether.
There will come a day whether we want to believe it or not, when it will all be finished. If we believe Christ will come a second time to take us with Him to heaven then we HAVE to believe there will be an end. There will have to be a moment in time when it is decided that ALL has been done that could be done for mankind. Probation for mankind will be over. Time will be up.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Our names in the book of life. At some point all the names that will ever be in that book will have been written in there. All that needed to be blotted out will have been blotted out and Christ will come!
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Do we really understand that there ISN'T a forever probation. Life will not continue always as it does now. There is no instantaneous life right after our body dies which gives people the illusion that they live forever, merely exchanging one existence for another. Our Savior will return and those who have died and have their names in the Book of Life will rise up from their graves and meet Him in the air.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
God's word- not mine. God's truth- not mine. Truth that we need to believe. Christ will stand up. Probation will end.
And at that time shall Michael stand up
the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people
and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be found written in the book.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament
and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Luk 13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
Luk 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
He will RISE UP.
He will SHUT the door.
People will knock at that shut door thinking they have every right to enter, but He won't let them in because He knows they are workers of iniquity. Apparently they don't believe they are workers of iniquity, but they are. By the grace of God may we NOT be found among them! By the righteousness of our Savior may be where He is at and not left without Him.
Amen.
{3:18} For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit
{3:19} By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison
1 Pet. {3:20} Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
{3:21} The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a
good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
{3:22} Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right
hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made
subject unto him.
Angels
Authorities
Powers
All these being made subject unto Jesus Christ.
{4:1} Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he
that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin
Christ suffered for us.
Christ took on humanity and submitted to all the temptations just like we are and He sinned not.
He willingly suffered.
Willingly!
We have to willingly suffer for Christ not that it will save us because only Christ's mercy can save us, but because we are called to live as He lived. Christ suffered in the flesh. What causes suffering?
DICT.
suffer (sùf´er) verb
suffered, suffering, suffers verb, intransitive
1. To feel pain or distress; sustain loss, injury, harm, or punishment.
2. To tolerate or endure evil, injury, pain, or death.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
So what causes pain, distress, loss, injury, harm, punishment, enduring evil, suffering to death?
You have to feel and feel acutely in order to suffer deeply. If you care much, you suffer much. Christ cared for us more than anyone possibly could. Care enough to take on humanity, to submit Himself to becoming flesh, bound by its limitations. And yes, you may scoff and say He had no limitations, but when he took on humanity He gave Himself limitations that would enable Him to be able to say the He was ...
Heb. {2:18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Heb. {4:15} For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without
sin.
You cannot truly be tempted by anything unless you have the ability to fall to that temptation. It is no temptation at all to be offered chocolate when you have no interest in chocolate, and yet if you crave it beyond that which is normal and healthy for you and you are tempted with chocolate it becomes a source of temptation, of desire, something you have to resist and suffer if not physically then emotionally, mentally, to keep from giving into that temptation. Yes, you might argue that it's harder once you've tasted the creamy sweet richness of chocolate to resist it, but once you know that something isn't good and you feel the pull of temptation- even untested once it can be very strong. Sex for example. You may feel an intense desire for that physical pleasure even if you've never had sex. Temptations aren't unique to those who taste that which is tempting them. Desires can be very real, very hard to resist. Temptations can cause us to suffer greatly in ways that other might not understand suffering. Just because I'm tempted in one way doesn't mean you're tempted the same. My temptations are just as real and hard to resist as anothers, they are in that sense unique to us without being the same.
Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, but without sinning.
You might think that impossible. You might say he never had heroin or the foods we have today and yet in principle He suffered temptation just as we suffer it, unique to Him as our temptations are to each of us only He suffered sinless. It is because He was able to resist temptations that He was able to save us who are born into sin through Adam.
1 Peter. {4:1} Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he
that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin
Suffering.
Arm ourselves likewise with the same mind.
We can't don armor and fight this battle of sin, this battle between good and evil, the battle in which we are each being fought for. We have to arm ourselves with the same mind as Christ. The same willingness to trust in God for everything in our lives. The same willingness that if we are called to suffer in the flesh, we embrace the suffering and we don't let Satan twist it into God's punishing us. We cling to Christ our Righteousness and we meld our mind to His and whatever our lots in life we holdfast...we suffer if we must knowing that our suffering cannot compare to the suffering of the most innocent of all, our Savior.
By the Lord's grace and mercy may we arm ourselves with the same mind as Christ- willingly suffering anything we need to suffer, and in anyway we need to suffer it so that we may cling to Him fully by His grace in love.
Amen
5/13/10
Eph 6:11
(ASV) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(Bishops) Put on all the armour of God, that ye may stande agaynst the assaultes of the deuyll.
(CEV) Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks.
(DRB) Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.
(KJV) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(KJV-1611) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the deuill.
(KJVA) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Wiles
Assaults
Tricks
Deceits
When we think of the devil we do think of an evil being, a figment of an evil being, an imaginary evil, and when we start to believe he's a real force in the world we scare *sane* people.
The devil isn't an imaginary scapegoat used by people to place blame upon so they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions- though some probably do try to do that. Some flippantly, some realistically.
The devil has wiles and he knows exactly how to use them having thousands of years to practice them on human beings. The devil has tricks, deceits and he does assault people in many, many ways, in fact in any way that will deceive you into following him. He especially loves it when people follow him while they think they are following God. The satsifaction he must receive watching people pray and worship him in disguise has to be tremendous.
We are told to put on the WHOLE armor of God to stand against the devil's wiles. The whole armor not just one piece of it. Fat lot of good it will do someone being assaulted in the chest if they're only wearing a helmet and not their breastplate. Put on the WHOLE armor of God. Dress appropriately every single day because the battle you're in goes on every day without end until Christ returns.
Helmet
Breastplate
Girt loins
Shod feet
Shield
Sword
Prayer
Salvation
Righteousness
Truth
Peace
Faith
Word of God
Prayer
Dressed for God in the battle between Him and satan, a battle won by Christ- a battle we win in Christ through His righteousness. It's wonderful to know which side has won and we are fools if in knowing we still choose to join the losing side.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord, our Savior God's Son, may we be fully dressed in the armor of God every day as we face the unending wiles, deceit, trickery, and assaults of the devil.
In Christ's amazing love!
Amen.
5/13/11
Dan 12:1-3
And at that time shall Michael stand up
the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people
Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God
Christ sat down and Christ will stand up.
When Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father He did so with the hope His sacrifice would be accepted by the people He made the sacrifice for.
As with any sacrifice to God- it was made to bridge that gap sin created between God and man. It wasn't a mistake that God gave a sacrificial service to those who lived before Christ died. God wanted people to understand that this ULTIMATE sacrifice- not of a perfect lamb without blemish, not a perfect bullock, not a perfect animal of any sort- but rather the sinless, perfect Lamb of God- was there to step in and do what none of the animal sacrifices could ever do.
Sacrificed once- Christ as the ultimate Sacrifice uses the blood of that Most Holy Sacrifice to atone for our sins. Just as on the yearly DAY of Atonement, there was an end to the sacrificial ceremony performed- there will also be an end to the Atonement Christ died to make for us. The end of the Atonement is when Christ finishes the work He began so long ago and the very last person that will accept His sacrifice, accepts it, and there are no more. Then Christ will stand up. Those who accepted His sacrifice will be at-one- with God once more as mankind was intended to be. Those who chose not to accept His sacrifice will be kept out of the kingdom of heaven. Those who chose not to accept His sacrifice will face eternal death and eventually will cease to exist altogether.
There will come a day whether we want to believe it or not, when it will all be finished. If we believe Christ will come a second time to take us with Him to heaven then we HAVE to believe there will be an end. There will have to be a moment in time when it is decided that ALL has been done that could be done for mankind. Probation for mankind will be over. Time will be up.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Our names in the book of life. At some point all the names that will ever be in that book will have been written in there. All that needed to be blotted out will have been blotted out and Christ will come!
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Do we really understand that there ISN'T a forever probation. Life will not continue always as it does now. There is no instantaneous life right after our body dies which gives people the illusion that they live forever, merely exchanging one existence for another. Our Savior will return and those who have died and have their names in the Book of Life will rise up from their graves and meet Him in the air.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
God's word- not mine. God's truth- not mine. Truth that we need to believe. Christ will stand up. Probation will end.
And at that time shall Michael stand up
the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people
and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be found written in the book.
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament
and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Luk 13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
Luk 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
He will RISE UP.
He will SHUT the door.
People will knock at that shut door thinking they have every right to enter, but He won't let them in because He knows they are workers of iniquity. Apparently they don't believe they are workers of iniquity, but they are. By the grace of God may we NOT be found among them! By the righteousness of our Savior may be where He is at and not left without Him.
Amen.