Genesis 21:33 “Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God (El Olam).”
Like El Elyon and Yahweh, El Olam is more than a name of God. It is used to carry a part of God’s nature and describe a element of Who He is. He is Everlasting God.
Firstly this carries the eternal presence of God. In other words, God has always existed and will always exist. Psalm 93:2 says, “Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” Psalm 90:2 agrees; “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” You can’t find a time when God wasn’t there!
Second, El Olam brings out the eternal plan of God. Not only was God there before time began, but His wisdom and His plans were completely in place before the creation of the world! According to Proverbs 8, God’s wisdom is as everlasting as God Himself. “Yahweh possessed me [wisdom] at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I [wisdom] have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.”
God’s eternal plan was stated most clearly in Revelation 13:8, “ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” As God was still forming the earth, He knew every person that would ever live. He knew every sin we would ever commit, from Adam’s first sin to that little lie you told this morning. So from before the beginning of creation, God had already planned out Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. His plan of redemption is everlasting!
His plan for you is everlasting too. Psalm 139:16 declares, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” God had every single one of your days written in His book before you were even a twinkle in your parents eye. He has a perfect plan for you. He also knew about all the times you wouldn’t continue in His plan - and He planned for those too! In Romans 11, while Paul was writing about God’s plan for His people, he concluded with this: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” When you think about all of God’s plans for us, and all the times we mess those plans up, and yet God still plans for us messing up those plans.....what else can you say?
Finally, along with God’s eternal nature and everlasting plans, El Olam also carries the idea of God’s unchangeableness. If you could go back to eternity past, God would be exactly the same as He is now. No matter how far into eternity future we go, He will never be any different. God never changes.
Too many Christians have the mindset that there are two different Gods in the Bible - one in the Old Testament, and one in the New. But God made it very clear, “I am Yahweh, I do not change.” Do you know where in the Bible God said that? In Malachi 3, as a way to close the Old Testament! As we move from the Old to the New, we see that reminder that God isn’t going to change from Malachi 4 to Matthew 1.
God will still split seas if that’s what it takes to get His kids to the place where He planned for them to be. God will still rain bread from the sky if that’s what it takes to provide for His people when they’re believing for their need to be met. He still heals the sick. He still raises the dead. He still does miracles. If we’re not seeing these things in our life, it isn’t because God stopped doing them - He doesn’t change!
Something else that never changes is His love for us. He loved us when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). He doesn’t love us any more now that we are saved. And if we ever turn our back on Him, He will never love us less! Nothing in this entire universe will ever pull us away from His love or chase His love away from us (Romans 8:31-39).
Isaiah 26:4 tells us what our logical reaction to this unchanging God should be: “Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” Because God is eternal and because He never changes, He is the only one Who deserves our trust. When He says something in His Word, our response should always be faith. Why? Because He has never changed!
Hebrews 13:8 sums this up the meaning behind El Olam perfectly. God’s everlasting duration, eternal plan, and unchanging nature is all found in this single verse: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
El Elyon
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High (El Elyon), Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High (El Elyon), Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Genesis 14:19-20
Simply put, El is God. It is an abbreviation of a more common name of God, Elohim. While Elohim is usually used alone (Genesis 1:1), the abbreviation El is often combined with another word to further describe an attribute of God. One of these combinations used in the Old Testament is El Elyon - or God Most High.
This is an important concept to understand about the God you serve; He is above everything. There may be some high things in your life giving you trouble, but He is Most High. You will never find an issue in this life that goes over His head. Psalm 113:6 gives us an illustration of El Elyon; He’s the One who “bends down to look at the heavens.”
Exodus 18:11 shows us another look at El Elyon: “Now I know that the Yahweh is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” This was just after the exodus from Egypt. Israel was delivered from a king who declared himself a god on high. But when Yahweh showed up, He showed Himself to be the Most High, far above the throne of Pharaoh!
2 Samuel 22:14 tells us that when the Most High speaks, His voice thunders and scatters the enemy. The word of the Most High scatters the enemies that try to scatter His people!
Psalm 21:7 tells us that we can trust in the mercy of the Most High.
Psalm 47:2 says that the Most High is King over all the earth.
Psalm 91, one of the two most familiar Psalms in the Bible, only applies to those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High.
“El Elyon” speaks of God’s incredible power. It stretches far beyond what we can imagine. Think about this for a minute; every plant, every animal, every cell, every star, and everything else in this universe came out of His power and remains under His control! Every person that has ever walked on this planet was put here by His power and according to His plan. Every kingdom that has ever ruled was established by Him.
Then we move into the New Testament and see Jesus. Philippians 2:9-11 says this about our Savior: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” You see, Jesus is the Most High God!
The eternal power, the creative and sustaining presence in the universe, the complete victory over enemies and everything else that we’ve already ascribed to El elyon is given to Jesus in Colossians 1:13-18. Read this carefully:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (victory - 2 Samuel 22:14), in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (mercy - Psalm 21:7). He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth (Possessor of heaven and earth - Genesis 14:19), visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (far above the kings of this world - Psalm 47:2). All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, the One who loved us so much that He laid down His life - He is El Elyon, God Most High! He is on your side!....Your problem doesn’t look so big now, does it?
Simply put, El is God. It is an abbreviation of a more common name of God, Elohim. While Elohim is usually used alone (Genesis 1:1), the abbreviation El is often combined with another word to further describe an attribute of God. One of these combinations used in the Old Testament is El Elyon - or God Most High.
This is an important concept to understand about the God you serve; He is above everything. There may be some high things in your life giving you trouble, but He is Most High. You will never find an issue in this life that goes over His head. Psalm 113:6 gives us an illustration of El Elyon; He’s the One who “bends down to look at the heavens.”
Exodus 18:11 shows us another look at El Elyon: “Now I know that the Yahweh is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” This was just after the exodus from Egypt. Israel was delivered from a king who declared himself a god on high. But when Yahweh showed up, He showed Himself to be the Most High, far above the throne of Pharaoh!
2 Samuel 22:14 tells us that when the Most High speaks, His voice thunders and scatters the enemy. The word of the Most High scatters the enemies that try to scatter His people!
Psalm 21:7 tells us that we can trust in the mercy of the Most High.
Psalm 47:2 says that the Most High is King over all the earth.
Psalm 91, one of the two most familiar Psalms in the Bible, only applies to those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High.
“El Elyon” speaks of God’s incredible power. It stretches far beyond what we can imagine. Think about this for a minute; every plant, every animal, every cell, every star, and everything else in this universe came out of His power and remains under His control! Every person that has ever walked on this planet was put here by His power and according to His plan. Every kingdom that has ever ruled was established by Him.
Then we move into the New Testament and see Jesus. Philippians 2:9-11 says this about our Savior: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” You see, Jesus is the Most High God!
The eternal power, the creative and sustaining presence in the universe, the complete victory over enemies and everything else that we’ve already ascribed to El elyon is given to Jesus in Colossians 1:13-18. Read this carefully:
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (victory - 2 Samuel 22:14), in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (mercy - Psalm 21:7). He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth (Possessor of heaven and earth - Genesis 14:19), visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (far above the kings of this world - Psalm 47:2). All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, the One who loved us so much that He laid down His life - He is El Elyon, God Most High! He is on your side!....Your problem doesn’t look so big now, does it?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Yahweh
Exodus 3:14-15 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
When God revealed His name to Moses, He used what is called the tetragrammatron - or the four letters. Because Hebrew had no vowels, that name was Y-H-W-H...in our English alphabet, it’s spelled Yahweh. It carries the meaning “I am what I am, I am Who I am, I will be who I will be, and I will always be.” In other words, God is Who He is - and nothing will change that. He never needs to explain Himself or try to prove Himself. He is....period. We see that in Genesis 1:1, right? “In the beginning, God...”
When we speak God’s name, we’re saying much more than we realize. We're not saying His name to get His attention. This isn't about starting a prayer or letting Him know we're talking to Him. When we speak His name, we’re referring to His entire nature and character. When we speak His name, we’re putting everything He is into one word. Everything He was in eternity past, everything He is to us today, and everything He will be in eternity future is contained in that one name, Yahweh...”I Am What I Am.”
Because His name carries His nature, it is powerful when it’s spoken. This power isn’t because the word itself is powerful, it’s because of the God that word is naming. That’s why the Bible says in Joel 2:32 “And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved.” It isn’t the name by itself that saves, it’s the God whose name it is.
When God showed Moses His glory in Exodus 34:5, He connected His merciful and just nature to His name. “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Yahweh.And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘Yahweh, Yahweh God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.’”
In Psalm 124:8, David declared that God's name brings help. “Our help is in the name of Yahweh, Who made heaven and earth.” The Creator of heaven and earth comes to help when his name is called! Proverbs 18:10 declares, “The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
With all of His character attached to His name, it's no wonder that God told His people not to use it in a worthless way? Exodus 20:7 says, “You shall not take the name of Yahweh in vain.” Because this name is attached to God’s nature, His mercy, His justice, and His creative power - you should have a purpose for speaking it!
The scribes of the Old Testament took this command to heart. Whenever they wrote the name Yahweh, they would first bathe themselves and get a new pen. Then, after the name was written, they would bathe themselves again. They knew the value of the name they were placing in that book! Our first english translators did something similar. Whenever they saw the name YHWH in the Old Testament, they wanted to reverence it. So instead of writing Yahweh in English, they wrote LORD - all in capital letters. Whenever you see this in your Bible, it is the name of Yahweh.
That name was so important to the Hebrews, that they often used it in their own names. Many Jewish names had the shortened name for God (YAH or JAH) inside them:
Elijah - “My God is Yahweh”
Isaiah - “Yahweh has saved”
Jonathan - “Yahweh has given”
Jeremiah - “Yahweh has appointed”
Jehoshaphat - “Yahweh has judged”
Joshua - “Yahweh is salvation”
The name Joshua was translated into the Greek word “Yeshua” in the New Testament. We see this Greek name in Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus’ name means “Yahweh is salvation”. It not only carries the entire nature of God in the name Yahweh, but now it also shows what He did for us. It was in the very nature of Yahweh to save us from our sin!
When God revealed His name to Moses, He used what is called the tetragrammatron - or the four letters. Because Hebrew had no vowels, that name was Y-H-W-H...in our English alphabet, it’s spelled Yahweh. It carries the meaning “I am what I am, I am Who I am, I will be who I will be, and I will always be.” In other words, God is Who He is - and nothing will change that. He never needs to explain Himself or try to prove Himself. He is....period. We see that in Genesis 1:1, right? “In the beginning, God...”
When we speak God’s name, we’re saying much more than we realize. We're not saying His name to get His attention. This isn't about starting a prayer or letting Him know we're talking to Him. When we speak His name, we’re referring to His entire nature and character. When we speak His name, we’re putting everything He is into one word. Everything He was in eternity past, everything He is to us today, and everything He will be in eternity future is contained in that one name, Yahweh...”I Am What I Am.”
Because His name carries His nature, it is powerful when it’s spoken. This power isn’t because the word itself is powerful, it’s because of the God that word is naming. That’s why the Bible says in Joel 2:32 “And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved.” It isn’t the name by itself that saves, it’s the God whose name it is.
When God showed Moses His glory in Exodus 34:5, He connected His merciful and just nature to His name. “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Yahweh.And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘Yahweh, Yahweh God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.’”
In Psalm 124:8, David declared that God's name brings help. “Our help is in the name of Yahweh, Who made heaven and earth.” The Creator of heaven and earth comes to help when his name is called! Proverbs 18:10 declares, “The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
With all of His character attached to His name, it's no wonder that God told His people not to use it in a worthless way? Exodus 20:7 says, “You shall not take the name of Yahweh in vain.” Because this name is attached to God’s nature, His mercy, His justice, and His creative power - you should have a purpose for speaking it!
The scribes of the Old Testament took this command to heart. Whenever they wrote the name Yahweh, they would first bathe themselves and get a new pen. Then, after the name was written, they would bathe themselves again. They knew the value of the name they were placing in that book! Our first english translators did something similar. Whenever they saw the name YHWH in the Old Testament, they wanted to reverence it. So instead of writing Yahweh in English, they wrote LORD - all in capital letters. Whenever you see this in your Bible, it is the name of Yahweh.
That name was so important to the Hebrews, that they often used it in their own names. Many Jewish names had the shortened name for God (YAH or JAH) inside them:
Elijah - “My God is Yahweh”
Isaiah - “Yahweh has saved”
Jonathan - “Yahweh has given”
Jeremiah - “Yahweh has appointed”
Jehoshaphat - “Yahweh has judged”
Joshua - “Yahweh is salvation”
The name Joshua was translated into the Greek word “Yeshua” in the New Testament. We see this Greek name in Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus’ name means “Yahweh is salvation”. It not only carries the entire nature of God in the name Yahweh, but now it also shows what He did for us. It was in the very nature of Yahweh to save us from our sin!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Joshua
Luke 16:12 “And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?”
Like Elisha, Joshua was a man who was faithful in another man’s responsibility.
The first time we see Joshua is in Exodus 17. By that time, he is already the captain of Israel’s army. While Moses went up on the mountain to intercede for Israel, Joshua led the soldiers in battle against the Amalekites. But in Exodus 24:13 we find out that Joshua went on from being the captain of Israel’s army...to being Moses’ assistant. What a promotion, right? But Joshua understood something that no one else in Israel knew - God rewards faithfulness!
Then we see Joshua being sent with eleven other men to spy out the land of Canaan. He was one of the two spies that viewed the land as a promise from God instead of a death trap. In fact, the whole nation of Israel was so afraid to move forward, they were contemplating stoning Moses to death and making a return trip to Egypt! Even during this dangerous time, Joshua still stayed by Moses’ side.
Joshua stood beside Moses during many severe trial.
He was there when Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ own brother and sister tried to usurp his authority. Moses’ own siblings were murmuring about his wife. The complaint of these leaders of Israel was, “Moses said that God didn’t want us to marry foreigners, but his wife is a Ethiopian! He’s not ‘practicing what he preaches’ - why should we listen to just Him? God can speak to any one of us.” (Numbers 12:1--2)
Joshua was at Moses’ side when they came down from Mount Sinai and saw the entire nation of Israel caught up in fornication and idolatry. He stood with Moses when he went into the tent of meeting and talked with God face to face. He was with Moses when one of the Levite leaders and two hundred and fifty other leaders accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much authority on themselves. Joshua knew what they didn’t know - that Moses didn’t take any authority, God gave it to him! When these rebellious leaders were wiped out by God, Joshua stayed by Moses when the rest of Israel accused him of murder.
Everything that Moses went through during the forty years in the desert, Joshua walked through it with him. He could’ve quit any time. He could’ve used his position close to Moses to his advantage when Israel wanted to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt. He could’ve gotten offended at Moses’ “hypocrisy” along with Aaron and Miriam. After spending two years at Moses’ side, Joshua could’ve gotten offended when Moses, by God’s direction, appointed Aaron as High priest instead of him.
Actually, if you think about it - Joshua could’ve gotten offended at any time during the desert years! Just the fact that Moses never led Israel into the promised land like he said he was going to would’ve been enough to offend most people. We know that because it did offend most of the nation of Israel! Even then, Joshua stood by Moses’ side. Can’t you see Joshua standing there amazed at these people who refused to enter the promised land and then accused Moses of not taking them in?
Despite everything that Moses went through, Joshua stayed by his side for forty years. I believe it was only Joshua’s faithfulness that allowed him to step into the leadership of Israel when Moses died. There were many other leaders who were probably much more qualified. But Joshua was faithful in what belonged to another man, and that opened the door for what happened in Numbers 27:18-21:
“ And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.’”
Joshua’s faithfulness brought him into his own position of leadership. The same applies to us today. Do you believe you’re called into the ministry? Are you anticipating becoming a leader in the church? Then learn from Joshua and find a church leader to be faithful to. If you’re faithful in their ministry, one day God will promote you into your own.
Like Elisha, Joshua was a man who was faithful in another man’s responsibility.
The first time we see Joshua is in Exodus 17. By that time, he is already the captain of Israel’s army. While Moses went up on the mountain to intercede for Israel, Joshua led the soldiers in battle against the Amalekites. But in Exodus 24:13 we find out that Joshua went on from being the captain of Israel’s army...to being Moses’ assistant. What a promotion, right? But Joshua understood something that no one else in Israel knew - God rewards faithfulness!
Then we see Joshua being sent with eleven other men to spy out the land of Canaan. He was one of the two spies that viewed the land as a promise from God instead of a death trap. In fact, the whole nation of Israel was so afraid to move forward, they were contemplating stoning Moses to death and making a return trip to Egypt! Even during this dangerous time, Joshua still stayed by Moses’ side.
Joshua stood beside Moses during many severe trial.
He was there when Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ own brother and sister tried to usurp his authority. Moses’ own siblings were murmuring about his wife. The complaint of these leaders of Israel was, “Moses said that God didn’t want us to marry foreigners, but his wife is a Ethiopian! He’s not ‘practicing what he preaches’ - why should we listen to just Him? God can speak to any one of us.” (Numbers 12:1--2)
Joshua was at Moses’ side when they came down from Mount Sinai and saw the entire nation of Israel caught up in fornication and idolatry. He stood with Moses when he went into the tent of meeting and talked with God face to face. He was with Moses when one of the Levite leaders and two hundred and fifty other leaders accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much authority on themselves. Joshua knew what they didn’t know - that Moses didn’t take any authority, God gave it to him! When these rebellious leaders were wiped out by God, Joshua stayed by Moses when the rest of Israel accused him of murder.
Everything that Moses went through during the forty years in the desert, Joshua walked through it with him. He could’ve quit any time. He could’ve used his position close to Moses to his advantage when Israel wanted to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt. He could’ve gotten offended at Moses’ “hypocrisy” along with Aaron and Miriam. After spending two years at Moses’ side, Joshua could’ve gotten offended when Moses, by God’s direction, appointed Aaron as High priest instead of him.
Actually, if you think about it - Joshua could’ve gotten offended at any time during the desert years! Just the fact that Moses never led Israel into the promised land like he said he was going to would’ve been enough to offend most people. We know that because it did offend most of the nation of Israel! Even then, Joshua stood by Moses’ side. Can’t you see Joshua standing there amazed at these people who refused to enter the promised land and then accused Moses of not taking them in?
Despite everything that Moses went through, Joshua stayed by his side for forty years. I believe it was only Joshua’s faithfulness that allowed him to step into the leadership of Israel when Moses died. There were many other leaders who were probably much more qualified. But Joshua was faithful in what belonged to another man, and that opened the door for what happened in Numbers 27:18-21:
“ And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.’”
Joshua’s faithfulness brought him into his own position of leadership. The same applies to us today. Do you believe you’re called into the ministry? Are you anticipating becoming a leader in the church? Then learn from Joshua and find a church leader to be faithful to. If you’re faithful in their ministry, one day God will promote you into your own.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Sanctification
Sanctification
is another foundational doctrine of Christianity. Simply put, it means
to be separated and set apart from something for a specific purpose. A
modern-day example would be your clothes for today: they were sanctified
from the rest of your closet for you to wear.
If redemption and justification are legal terms, sanctification is a ceremonial term. Whenever it is used in the Old Testament, it is always referring to being set apart as holy or consecrated to God. For example, the seventh day was set apart from the other six to be a day of rest. Genesis 2:3 says that He sanctified it - “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
Both the tabernacle and the temple were sanctified. They were set apart by God for the people of Israel to gather and worship Him. Exodus 29:43 says this about the tabernacle, “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.” Then 2 Chronicles 7:16 says the same thing about the temple, “For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” Apparently then, God sets apart the places where He meets with us from any other place.
As believers, the Bible is clear that we have already been sanctified. 1 Corinthians 6:11 declares this; “But you were washed, but you were (past tense) sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” According to the first verse of Jude, it is God Himself that sanctified us. “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.” Finally, we can see from Hebrews 10:10 what it took to sanctify us; “By that [God's] will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
So we were sanctified when we first believed.
But wait! If we have already been set apart, why then does Hebrews 10 go on to say, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”? Doesn't that seem to suggest we haven't been sanctified yet? 1 Thessalonians 5:23 raises the same question; “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely.” So which is it, were we sanctified when we received salvation or are we still in the process of sanctification?
The answer is, both. When we were saved, we were sanctified from the world. Our faith in Jesus' sacrifice separates us from unbelievers. That is sanctification – past tense. But now that we have been sanctified from the world, we are required to separate ourselves for God's use. This is sanctification - present tense (or the process of sanctification). Everything God does is spiritual. That means if we want Him to use us, we have to separate ourselves from carnal things.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 gives us a little more insight on this process. “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. “
Can you see the individual's responsibility in this process? Believer's are required to cleanse themselves from sin and the dishonorable things of this world. Not every dishonorable thing is sin...it may simply be something that has no value in the light of eternity. It may be some silly thing that monopolizes your time and keeps you from God's Word. When you separate yourself from those things, you continue in your process of sanctification.
Actually, the more you give yourself to the Bible, the faster you move into sanctification – because it's God's Word that sanctifies you! John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” So it is the truth of God's Word that sets us apart for His use. Ephesians 5:26 agrees with this; “...that He might sanctify and cleanse [the church] with the washing of water by the word.” A life devoted to reading, studying, and obeying the Word of God will sanctify you. When you submit to the sanctification process, you'll begin to see more and more of what God wants to do through believers
Sanctification is a process. You started when you got saved – you were set apart from the world. Now it's your responsibility to set yourself apart for God's use. The promise for those who sanctify themselves is found in Joshua 3:5, “And Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you.'”
If redemption and justification are legal terms, sanctification is a ceremonial term. Whenever it is used in the Old Testament, it is always referring to being set apart as holy or consecrated to God. For example, the seventh day was set apart from the other six to be a day of rest. Genesis 2:3 says that He sanctified it - “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
Both the tabernacle and the temple were sanctified. They were set apart by God for the people of Israel to gather and worship Him. Exodus 29:43 says this about the tabernacle, “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.” Then 2 Chronicles 7:16 says the same thing about the temple, “For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” Apparently then, God sets apart the places where He meets with us from any other place.
As believers, the Bible is clear that we have already been sanctified. 1 Corinthians 6:11 declares this; “But you were washed, but you were (past tense) sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” According to the first verse of Jude, it is God Himself that sanctified us. “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.” Finally, we can see from Hebrews 10:10 what it took to sanctify us; “By that [God's] will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
So we were sanctified when we first believed.
But wait! If we have already been set apart, why then does Hebrews 10 go on to say, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”? Doesn't that seem to suggest we haven't been sanctified yet? 1 Thessalonians 5:23 raises the same question; “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely.” So which is it, were we sanctified when we received salvation or are we still in the process of sanctification?
The answer is, both. When we were saved, we were sanctified from the world. Our faith in Jesus' sacrifice separates us from unbelievers. That is sanctification – past tense. But now that we have been sanctified from the world, we are required to separate ourselves for God's use. This is sanctification - present tense (or the process of sanctification). Everything God does is spiritual. That means if we want Him to use us, we have to separate ourselves from carnal things.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 gives us a little more insight on this process. “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. “
Can you see the individual's responsibility in this process? Believer's are required to cleanse themselves from sin and the dishonorable things of this world. Not every dishonorable thing is sin...it may simply be something that has no value in the light of eternity. It may be some silly thing that monopolizes your time and keeps you from God's Word. When you separate yourself from those things, you continue in your process of sanctification.
Actually, the more you give yourself to the Bible, the faster you move into sanctification – because it's God's Word that sanctifies you! John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” So it is the truth of God's Word that sets us apart for His use. Ephesians 5:26 agrees with this; “...that He might sanctify and cleanse [the church] with the washing of water by the word.” A life devoted to reading, studying, and obeying the Word of God will sanctify you. When you submit to the sanctification process, you'll begin to see more and more of what God wants to do through believers
Sanctification is a process. You started when you got saved – you were set apart from the world. Now it's your responsibility to set yourself apart for God's use. The promise for those who sanctify themselves is found in Joshua 3:5, “And Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you.'”
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Justified
Titus 3:4-7 “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Like redemption, justification is another doctrine that too many Christians can’t define. Even though it’s an incredible benefit of salvation, it simply isn’t taught or defined in many churches. As a result, many believers simply don’t know what this concept means - and many others have a distorted view of it.
In its simplest terms, justification is another legal term. The Greek word is “dikaioo.” It refers to a person that is accused of breaking the law being found innocent in court. When they leave the court, they leave justified of those charges. They are legally unaccountable for what they were charged with and are in right standing (righteous) according to the law
Spiritually, justification is to have right standing with God - to be righteous in His eyes. I’ve heard it said that to be justified is to be “just-as-if-I’d never sinned.” According to the Bible, there are two ways to be justified:
The first way to be justified is by never breaking the law in the first place. God is going to judge the world based on the ten commandments. So doesn’t that mean we’re righteous if we obey them? Absolutely! This is called justification by works. As long as you obey the ten commandments, God will pronounce you righteous and unpunishable. Leviticus 18:5 declares, “You shall therefore obey My commands and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am Yahweh.” You see, as long as you do what God says, you’ll be righteous!
But before you try justification by works, you should know something. There is an inherent problem with that kind of righteousness. God doesn’t only look at outward actions - He also looks at (and judges) inward thoughts. God judges hatred to be the same as murder (1 John 3:15). He sees a lustful look in the same way He sees adultery (Matthew 5:28).That time you would’ve rather stayed in bed instead of going to God’s house? He saw that as idolatry (putting anything else before Him). Can you see the problem with justification by works? You have to control your thoughts just as much as you need to control your body!
But that’s not the only problem with justification by works. Let’s say that from now on you obeyed everything in the law (the ten commandments). Let’s say that from this point forward you were even capable of obeying God in every one of your thoughts. Does that make you righteous? Sadly, no. Obeying God today won’t erase disobeying Him yesterday. God keeps intense records! Being the righteous judge that He is, He can’t ignore a single act of disobedience. Even if it looks like your good should outweigh your bad - your bad still requires judgement.
As if that wasn’t enough reason to avoid justification by works, read what James 2:10 says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” So liars will get the same judgement as murderers! Someone who disobeys their parents as a kid will be judged in the same way as an adulterer or a thief! How can anyone be justified by obeying the law?
You can’t. Romans 3:20 declares, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.” No person can find their righteousness by obeying the law because no one has ever obeyed all of the law. So aren’t you glad there’s another way?
The only way we can be justified is by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This kind of justification comes when you believe what Jesus did for you. When you trust that Jesus took your punishment to Himself on the cross, you receive His righteousness. It’s a simple exchange - Jesus took the punishment of your sin, and you take the reward of His righteousness. That’s it. That’s all there is to being justified!
Do you think it sounds too simple to be true? Well, the Bible affirms this over and over again:
Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Acts 13:39 “...and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
1 Corinthians 6:11 “ But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Galatians 2:16 “Yet we know that a person is made right with God (justified) by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right (justified) with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
If you were able to keep the law, you could be justified by it. But no one has ever been able to keep God’s law by themselves! If I were you, I would would chase the justification that comes by faith!
Like redemption, justification is another doctrine that too many Christians can’t define. Even though it’s an incredible benefit of salvation, it simply isn’t taught or defined in many churches. As a result, many believers simply don’t know what this concept means - and many others have a distorted view of it.
In its simplest terms, justification is another legal term. The Greek word is “dikaioo.” It refers to a person that is accused of breaking the law being found innocent in court. When they leave the court, they leave justified of those charges. They are legally unaccountable for what they were charged with and are in right standing (righteous) according to the law
Spiritually, justification is to have right standing with God - to be righteous in His eyes. I’ve heard it said that to be justified is to be “just-as-if-I’d never sinned.” According to the Bible, there are two ways to be justified:
The first way to be justified is by never breaking the law in the first place. God is going to judge the world based on the ten commandments. So doesn’t that mean we’re righteous if we obey them? Absolutely! This is called justification by works. As long as you obey the ten commandments, God will pronounce you righteous and unpunishable. Leviticus 18:5 declares, “You shall therefore obey My commands and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am Yahweh.” You see, as long as you do what God says, you’ll be righteous!
But before you try justification by works, you should know something. There is an inherent problem with that kind of righteousness. God doesn’t only look at outward actions - He also looks at (and judges) inward thoughts. God judges hatred to be the same as murder (1 John 3:15). He sees a lustful look in the same way He sees adultery (Matthew 5:28).That time you would’ve rather stayed in bed instead of going to God’s house? He saw that as idolatry (putting anything else before Him). Can you see the problem with justification by works? You have to control your thoughts just as much as you need to control your body!
But that’s not the only problem with justification by works. Let’s say that from now on you obeyed everything in the law (the ten commandments). Let’s say that from this point forward you were even capable of obeying God in every one of your thoughts. Does that make you righteous? Sadly, no. Obeying God today won’t erase disobeying Him yesterday. God keeps intense records! Being the righteous judge that He is, He can’t ignore a single act of disobedience. Even if it looks like your good should outweigh your bad - your bad still requires judgement.
As if that wasn’t enough reason to avoid justification by works, read what James 2:10 says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” So liars will get the same judgement as murderers! Someone who disobeys their parents as a kid will be judged in the same way as an adulterer or a thief! How can anyone be justified by obeying the law?
You can’t. Romans 3:20 declares, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.” No person can find their righteousness by obeying the law because no one has ever obeyed all of the law. So aren’t you glad there’s another way?
The only way we can be justified is by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This kind of justification comes when you believe what Jesus did for you. When you trust that Jesus took your punishment to Himself on the cross, you receive His righteousness. It’s a simple exchange - Jesus took the punishment of your sin, and you take the reward of His righteousness. That’s it. That’s all there is to being justified!
Do you think it sounds too simple to be true? Well, the Bible affirms this over and over again:
Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
Acts 13:39 “...and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
1 Corinthians 6:11 “ But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Galatians 2:16 “Yet we know that a person is made right with God (justified) by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right (justified) with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
If you were able to keep the law, you could be justified by it. But no one has ever been able to keep God’s law by themselves! If I were you, I would would chase the justification that comes by faith!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Redemption
Psalm 107:2 “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so”
Job 19:25 “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth”
What do you believe about redemption? Why did we have to be redeemed? What were we redeemed from? What were we redeemed with? It’s a sad thing that most believers can quote these verses, but have no clue what they mean when they say it. Redemption is such a beautiful concept, but how many Christians could describe it if you asked?
The word redemption in the Hebrew is gĕullah. It’s a legal term that to buy back something that was lost; specifically something that was lost because of debt. When someone accrued up a debt that was too large for them to pay, they were sold as slaves by their creditor. As a slave, they were required to work until their debt was paid off. The more debt they had, the longer they were forced into labor. Once their debt was paid, they were said to have redeemed themselves. Sadly, many times the debt was so great that entire families were sold into slavery to pay what was owed.
Sometimes a family member would find out about their relative’s slavery and want to help. They would learn how much that person owed on their debt and pay it in full. With no more debt, the person forced into slavery was legally set free - their relative redeemed them.
You’re already seeing the spiritual side of this, aren’t you?
God created mankind to serve Him. But when Adam sinned, he sold us into slavery. Jesus said in John 8:34, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Paul said in Romans 7:14 that we are “sold under sin.” Every human being on this planet was born into slavery. Although it entered our life as a family debt that was owed by Adam, it became a personal debt the moment we first sinned. We have been sold as slaves to sin and death.
The problem is, we can’t pay our debt. The payment of our debt is a sinless death. I can’t pay for my sin because I’m not sinless; and you can’t pay for my sin for the same reason. We were hopeless, destined for an eternity in Hell.
But, God had it all planned out! Psalm 130:7-8 says, “For with Yahweh there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” God’s plan was always to redeem us from our sin, but where could He find a sinless person to pay our debt?
The answer is, He took it on Himself! Hebrews 9:12 declares, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” God came in the flesh (Jesus) to give His own life to buy us back to Himself - that is the doctrine of redemption.
We’ve been redeemed from the penalty of sin.
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
We are no longer required to bear the punishment of our sin. Jesus paid the price in full!
We’ve been redeemed from the power of sin.
Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Romans 6:18 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
When Jesus redeemed us, He broke the power that sin had over us. Now, we are free from our sinful nature!
We will be redeemed from the presence of sin.
Luke 21:28 “...look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Romans 8:23 “...eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
One day, our bodies will be redeemed - when we’re caught up to be with the Lord in the air! The Bible says that “when we see Him, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2). On that day, every trace of our old nature will be annihilated, and we will be in the presence of our Redeemer forever!
Job 19:25 “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth”
What do you believe about redemption? Why did we have to be redeemed? What were we redeemed from? What were we redeemed with? It’s a sad thing that most believers can quote these verses, but have no clue what they mean when they say it. Redemption is such a beautiful concept, but how many Christians could describe it if you asked?
The word redemption in the Hebrew is gĕullah. It’s a legal term that to buy back something that was lost; specifically something that was lost because of debt. When someone accrued up a debt that was too large for them to pay, they were sold as slaves by their creditor. As a slave, they were required to work until their debt was paid off. The more debt they had, the longer they were forced into labor. Once their debt was paid, they were said to have redeemed themselves. Sadly, many times the debt was so great that entire families were sold into slavery to pay what was owed.
Sometimes a family member would find out about their relative’s slavery and want to help. They would learn how much that person owed on their debt and pay it in full. With no more debt, the person forced into slavery was legally set free - their relative redeemed them.
You’re already seeing the spiritual side of this, aren’t you?
God created mankind to serve Him. But when Adam sinned, he sold us into slavery. Jesus said in John 8:34, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Paul said in Romans 7:14 that we are “sold under sin.” Every human being on this planet was born into slavery. Although it entered our life as a family debt that was owed by Adam, it became a personal debt the moment we first sinned. We have been sold as slaves to sin and death.
The problem is, we can’t pay our debt. The payment of our debt is a sinless death. I can’t pay for my sin because I’m not sinless; and you can’t pay for my sin for the same reason. We were hopeless, destined for an eternity in Hell.
But, God had it all planned out! Psalm 130:7-8 says, “For with Yahweh there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” God’s plan was always to redeem us from our sin, but where could He find a sinless person to pay our debt?
The answer is, He took it on Himself! Hebrews 9:12 declares, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” God came in the flesh (Jesus) to give His own life to buy us back to Himself - that is the doctrine of redemption.
We’ve been redeemed from the penalty of sin.
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
We are no longer required to bear the punishment of our sin. Jesus paid the price in full!
We’ve been redeemed from the power of sin.
Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Romans 6:18 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
When Jesus redeemed us, He broke the power that sin had over us. Now, we are free from our sinful nature!
We will be redeemed from the presence of sin.
Luke 21:28 “...look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Romans 8:23 “...eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
One day, our bodies will be redeemed - when we’re caught up to be with the Lord in the air! The Bible says that “when we see Him, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2). On that day, every trace of our old nature will be annihilated, and we will be in the presence of our Redeemer forever!
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