405. Jesus “Has The Whole World In His Hands.“ Colossians 1:15-23. A NT reading for Sunday 17 July 2022

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

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“He’s got the whole world in his hands.” That was the beginning of a song many of us sang decades ago without perhaps realising the significance of these words. It is a reference to Christ as we see in many Bible verses and especially now in this passage from Colossians 1:15-23.

The church in Colossae had been influenced by concepts that were not Christian and there was a danger that Christ would not be given his rightful place in the church. So in verses 15 to 20 we have one of the most concentrated expressions of the doctrine of Christ in the New Testament. They speak of His pre-eminence in the world and in the church.

A]. THE PRE-EMINENCE OF CHRIST IN HIS CREATION. 1:15-20

We look at these descriptions of Christ in turn.

  1. He is “the image of the invisible God .“ 1:15

“Image” is [eikōn; εἰκών] meaning likeness or representation. Jesus fully represents what God is like in every way. He said of Himself “I and the Father are one” John 10:30, and “he who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9.   The invisible God has been made known through the incarnation of His Son Jesus Christ. When people saw Jesus in His ministry, they were seeing God at work through Him. As Jesus told His followers, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”

  • He is “the firstborn of all creation.” 1:15.

The term “first born” has to do with pre-eminence.  [NOTE 1.] Jesus is pre-eminent because He was the author of all things, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. “ The prepositions “by”,  “through” and “for “are significant in relation to Jesus as Creator. “By” and “through” are concerned with Jesus as being the instrument of creation. Jesus created the whole creation!

Not only that but it was created ”for” Him as well. The whole purpose of creation is for fulfilling God’s purpose for Him in His creation by God. Creation was His because He was its creator. 

  • And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 1:16-17

Not only was Jesus responsible for creation but He also sustains it. “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.“ [NOTE 2.] In other words Jesus not only created the universe but also maintains its existence to eternity. He does indeed “Hold the whole world in His hands!” 

In brief, we live as creatures in a world that Jesus has created for Himself and over which He exercises control as its Sustainer. That is a magnificent truth in itself but Paul has other truths about Jesus to bring out in this passage. 

  • He is the head of the body, the church.  1:18

We note three quick things about the church. The church is the ekklesia, the called out” ones, called out from the world to belong to God. [NOTE 3.] It is called a “body” for it is composed of different members or individual believers. And Christ is seen as the “head” of this body. [NOTE 4]. The church which Christ has called out from the world to belong to Him has to take its directions from Him.

  • He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 1:18

As we have seen, Christ is the pre-eminent One for He is the creator of all things and everything in heaven and on earth owes its origin to Him. He began it all and everything and everyone owe their existence to Him. 

  • in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. 1:19

In words calculated to convince doubters, Paul magnifies the Person of Jesus by signifying that He is equal to God, for God’s fulness dwells in Him. [NOTE 5]. Jesus is sufficient in every way for He shares the sufficiency of God for His world and for His people! The Colossians need look no further than Jesus for all their needs!

  • He reconciled all things to himself.  1:20

He reconciled all things to himself, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. The greatest need for all sinful humans [that means every person ever born] is the need  to be brought back into a right relationship with God. That is the process of reconciliation, the bringing together of 2 parties who were once separated. [NOTE 6]. This verse also tells us the means and the result of the reconciliation Christ has achieved. The means was the shedding of His blood on the cross whereby forgiveness of sins became available for those who would seek it, in Jesus. The result was that those reconciled to God through Christ, could know peace, peace with God and an inner peace of knowing that their sins had been cast away and a relationship with God could be experienced.  

B]. THE APPLICATION OF THE MESSAGE OF THEIR RECONCILIATION. 1:21-23

After a long explanation of the reconciliation Christ had came to achieve, Paul briefly applied the implications of that message.

The Fact Of Their Reconciliation. 1:21

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh.” Paul reminded them that they owed their standing as believers and as members of Christ’s body, the church,  due to the amazing grace of God in reconciling such hostile and evil people through Jesus’ reconciling death. They were now joined together in the body of Christ. They now belonged, to Him.

The Means Of The Reconciliation Jesus Achieved.  1:22

“He has now reconciled in his body of flesh.” It was through Christ’s body offered once for all on the cross that this reconciliation had come.

The Purpose Of the Reconciliation Jesus achieved. 1:22

“In order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.”

The reconciliation had a great purpose. So that they could be changed into holy and blameless people who could stand without reproach before Him. 

The Conditions Of Maintaining The Reconciliation Christ Achieved. 1:23

Their reconciliation had been costly in its process, for it required the death of the Son of God, the Creator. The maintenance of their standing before God required effort on their part. “If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

It required them to continue in their faith, being steadfast and stable and holding on securely to the hope promised in the gospel message. 

SUMMING UP

One can imagine the believers gathered together to hear the words of this epistle written by the great apostle Paul to them, and being struck with the contents and significance of what was being read to them. 

Their appreciation of the gospel message must have soared as they were reminded in this passage of the pre-eminence of Jesus in His creation and in His church. And hopefully their improved understanding of the Christian message would have steered them away from the heretical teachings to which they had been exposed. 

This passage is a great reminder to us today not to be led astray by any false teaching, but may cause us to enthrone Jesus in His pre-eminent place in our lives as individuals and in His place as head of the church! It is HIS! WE need to make sure yet it is HIS!

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[NOTE 1.] “Firstborn” is from [prōtotokos; πρωτοτόκος] is used of the firstborn of humans and here for Jesus as the firstborn of creation. In a commentary on this passage, John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck explain in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty, the following, “Firstborn” implies both Christ’s priority to all Creation (in time) and His sovereignty over all Creation (in rank). 

[NOTE 2.] “Hold together” is from [synistaō; συνιστάω] meaning to set together, to exhibit or to maintain something already existing. 

[NOTE 3.] “Church” is [ekklēsia; ἐκκλησία] from [ek] meaning out of and [kaleo] to call. It stands for the Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both whom Jesus has called to Himself through the gospel message.  

[NOTE 4.]  “Head” is [kephalē; κεφαλή.] meaning the literal head or the important part.  It is the head that guides the rest of the body as Christ is meant to be the prominent one guiding His body in the world. 

[NOTE 5.] “Fulness” is [plērōma; πλήρωμα] from plēroō; πληρόω to fill. In other words there is nothing in Yahweh God that is not found in the Person of Jesus. They are indeed one!

NOTE 6.] “Reconcile” is [apokatallassō; ἀποκαταλλάσσω], meaning to return to favour or to bring together parties that were once separated. 

Blog No.405 posted on Friday 01 July 2022

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year C [All years], New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

404. Colossians chapter 1. New Testament Reading for Sunday 10 July 2022

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

When Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, he called them “saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae.”  He recognised their obvious faith and love and wanted them to know the assurance that the Christian hope meant for them. He reminded them in this letter of the hope they had received through their faith in Christ.

1]. THANKING GOD FOR THE FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE OF THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS

     Faith, hope and love? Hadn’t Paul written about these 3 qualities before? Indeed he had, as he concluded the famous passage on Christian love in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

As Paul thanks God for them, he mentions their faith in Christ and the love they have for all the saints. “In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints [1:3,4.] But what lies beyond that faith and love?             What is responsible for these qualities they possess? Paul answers us in the next verse, “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. “1:5.

Hope for the believer is something certain, a certain or fixed hope based on the character of God. If God has promised something, then it is certain to happen and our hope is that it will. Nothing can destroy the hope that God has given to His followers. Hope is based on His unchanging nature and His unchanging promises. 

We can see how hope is a motivation for exhibiting Christian love, in what Paul wrote to the Romans in Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Our hope in Christ allows Him to fill us with His Spirit and to flood our hearts with His divine [agape] love. 

What then is this hope “laid up for you in heaven.“ 1:5 to which Paul refers? The writer to the Hebrews wrote about this Christian hope in Hebrews 6:19, “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” Hope is a certainty based on what God has done for humans in Christ. Nothing and no one can change the unchangeable! God is in charge, and His promises are certain to be fulfilled. 

2]. THE NATURE OF THEIR HOPE

They heard of this hope through the gospel to which they had responded, “You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you.” 1:6. They not only heard of this hope but they acted on it with the result that they were “bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.”

Epaphras had taught the Colossians about hope and made known to Paul their love. “This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 1:8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.” 1:7. 

It is a reminder to us that God uses His servants like Epaphras to bring the gospel message to fellow humans. He is mentioned in Philemon as a fellow prisoner with St Paul and the only other reference is later in Colossians where Paul wrote, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills.” Colossians 4:12. 

How much do so many of us owe to people like Epaphras who brought the gospel to us and encouraged us to live out our Christian hope?

3]. PRAYING FOR THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS

Paul concludes these verses with a prayer for his Colossian readers.

We note that it was a constant prayer for them, 1:9 “For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you 

It was specific prayer for them, “and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.“ 1:10-11.

The reminder to us today is that it is essential that we encourage people to seek the will of God for their lives for only in that way will they be able to have the wisdom and understanding that only the Spirit of God can impart to them. Only then will they be able to live lives that are pleasing to God. It is their lives which are lived in obedience to God that bear fruit and help increase their knowledge of God.

It was a prayer for ongoing strength and endurance, “May you be made strong [dynamoō; δυναμόω] with all the strength [dynamis; δύναμις] that comes from his glorious power,[kratos; κράτος] and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.” 1:11-12. [NOTE 1]

4]. WHAT IS “THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS IN THE LIGHT?”

Rescue from the power of darkness, “He has rescued” [NOTE 2] us from the power of darkness.” 1:13.  He does this by delivering us from the power of darkness and transferring us to another dominion, the dominion of Christ as King. Darkness in the Bible is used to denote spiritual ignorance and the evil works of darkness. Jesus came as the Messiah to deliver people from this darkness, as John wrote in his prologue in John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Jesus spoke of Himself as bringing light to the world, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19. He later warned them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.” John 12:35. Only through trusting Him could His hearers come from darkness into light. 

Transference into the Kingdom of Christ, “and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,”1:13. [NOTE 3.] Believers are removed from being dominated by one power [that of Satan] and being brought under a new power [the power of the kingdom of Christ.] It means they have His kingdom power to draw upon to enable them to recognise and to become free of the darkness to which they had previously been enslaved.

Redemption and forgiveness of sins, “in whom we have redemption [NOTE 4], the forgiveness of sins.” 1:14. We see the direct link of this redemption and the forgiveness of sins, with our Christian inheritance in Hebrews 9:15 “Therefore he [Jesus] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” Sins are forgiven through the redemption Christ accomplished on the cross. 

SUMMARY

In these few verses Paul has packed so much encouragement and truth. His Colossian readers would have recognised his loving concern for them and his concern that they continue to live in victory. They would have seen it in the prayers that he said he prayed for them. 

Yet he bid them look outwards to what God had done for them in Christ in rescuing them from their previous ignorance and bringing them into Christ’s glorious kingdom where their sins had been forgiven and they now belonged, to God.

Halleluia, what a Saviour!

NOTES

[NOTE 1]. This verse contains two of the more common words for “power“ in the New Testament. “Strength” and “made strong” are derived from [dynamis; δύναμις] which can mean power in general or even miraculous power. 

kratos; κράτος can mean might or even dominion and is used only of God except for Hebrews 2:14 where the devil is described as having the “power” of death over humans. Here in Colossians, it is the power of His glory.

[NOTE 2.] “Rescued” is from [rhyomai; ῥύομαι] meaning to deliver or to draw to oneself. 

[NOTE 3.] “Transfer” is methistēmi; μεθίστημι meaning to carry away, depose or remove. It is used of the removal of King Saul for disobedience and the installation in his place, of David as King. Acts 13:22. 

[NOTE 4.]  “Redemption” is from [apolytrōsis; ἀπολύτρωσις] deliverance, and is widely used in the New Testament of the ministry of Christ coming as Saviour to set the captives free. 

Blog No.404 posted on Tuesday 28 June 2022.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year C [All years], Mental Health, New Covenant, OUTLINE OF GALATIANS, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

403. Christian Love In Action. [Galatians 6:1-10. Epistle Reading For 03 July 2022]

Posted on June 25, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

When we become Christians, we become part of the worldwide body of believers in Jesus. Each believer is personally related to Jesus but is also related to every other believer in Him. It means we have the privilege and responsibility of sharing Christ’s love with all people and particularly with others in the Christian faith. That is how Paul begins chapter 6 of Galatians. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression [Note1], you who are spiritual [Note 2] should restore [NOTE 3] him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Galatians 6:1. This involves watching out for the needs of others while at the same time keeping a watch on ourselves. The awareness of sin in another person can cause us to dwell too long on their sin and its attractiveness can tempt us towards the same kind of behaviour. 

Christian love means caring for the needs of others. 6:1,2

This is so especially if they are having difficulties in their lives. As Paul wrote in the next verse, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.“ Gal 6:2. Every individual has burdens to carry in life, many of which are imposed on them by others. Christian love demands that we try to help others by seeking to bear some of the load for them. This burden-bearing may take various forms but it should always be as though Christ Himself were helping them through us.

Christian love means operating from the right motivation. 6:3,4.

Part of keeping watch on ourselves involves looking at our own motivation in trying to help people. “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” 6:3. One danger is in thinking that we are special [something] and above others so that we see no need to humble ourselves to help them. But the reality is that we are nothing of ourselves and our value comes from who we are in Christ, by the grace of God. 

Another danger is in thinking that we are morally or spiritually superior to others and our reaching out to help them shows that superiority. Paul issued a caution, “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbour.“ 6:4. Paul uses a word here which means to test thoroughly and then to approve after testing. [NOTE 4.] If the motivation is Christian love humbly working to help another person then all is well, but if the motivation is to draw favourable attention to oneself by helping another person, then that is an impure motive. Glory is to be given to God alone, not to ourselves.

Christian love means not unnecessarily dumping our concerns onto others. 6:5.

“For each will have to bear his own load.“ 6:5. These words may seem out of place coming as they do after verse 2. There the command was to “Bear one another’s burdens.” Yet here the command seems to indicate the opposite. An answer may be found in the two different words used for “burdens” in verses 2 and 5.

In 6:2, the word for “burdens” is baros; βάρος meaning a weight, heaviness or trouble. However in 6:5 it is phortion; φορτίον meaning a task or an obligation.  

It is the word used in Jesus’ statement in Matthew 11:29-30, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” In becoming one with Jesus and walking yoked in fellowship with Him, there is a burden we must carry. It is the obligation of Christian obedience and walking in love. Jesus tells us that it is a light burden. We are to seek His wisdom and guidance before we begin offloading our problems onto other people.

Christian love means doing good in the lives of others. 6:6-10.

Sharing the word of God with others. 6:6.

Gal 6:6 “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.“  It is a great privilege for us to be taught the word by others. They help us mature in Christ as we are exposed to the truths of God’s word. But there is an obligation on our part to contribute towards their needs in any way we can. 

Sowing into the lives of others.6:7,8.

Gal 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

We have a choice as believers to live as we want to live. But our choice should be based on our commitment to Jesus. He has given us His Spirit to indwell us and we are meant to be guided and led by His Spirit in every moment of our lives.  As we seek to live, guided by His Spirit we will make the right choices in life. If we just follow the dictates of our old nature [the flesh] and ignore the dictates of the Spirit, we will produce what Paul calls “the works of the flesh. ” They are ”corrupt” and are not pleasing to God. However, as we yield our lives to the Spirit and follow His promptings, then we will be able to exhibit in practice, the eternal life which we possess in Christ.

Taking advantage of every opportunity to help others. 6:9, 10.

Gal 6:9,10. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” 10  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Paul encourages his readers to maintain an attitude of doing good and not to grow weary and give up. To “grow weary “[ekkakeō; ἐκκακέω] means to be bad or weak or exhausted.  Why not grow weary? Because the fruit of their labours would eventually come. To “give up” translates the word [eklyō; ἐκλύω] meaning to faint or relax, become exhausted. It is a word used of the 4000 who came to Jesus whom He commanded His disciples to feed lest they “faint” on the way home. 

The right time to do good is “as we have opportunity.” It is to do good to everyone. But especially is it for those who are fellow believers or “of the household of faith.”

This whole passage is about Christian love in action and Paul sees the necessity of such love being poured out in the world of his day. 

Our modern world of today requires the same outpouring of Christian love and this passage encourages us not to grow weary in sharing God’s love throughout the whole world.

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NOTE 1. “Transgression.” paraptōma; παράπτωμα means a fall to the side or a deviation from truth and uprightness.

NOTE 2. “Spiritual” is pneumatikos; πνευματικός. This can mean someone who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God.

NOTE 3. “Restore.” katartizō; καταρτίζω means to repair, to complete, to mend.  We can see that the motivation behind the command is Christian love, that is, seeking the best interests of the person concerned. It is not judging from afar but rather becoming involved with the person in seeking to help them. 

NOTE 4. “Test” is dokimazō; δοκιμάζω meaning to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve. 

Blog No.403 posted on Saturday 25th June 2022.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Lectionary Readings Year C [All years], Mental Health, OUTLINE OF GALATIANS, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

402. A Sermon on Luke18:31-43. JESUS’ POWER TO SAVE AND TO HEAL

Posted on June 16, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

[This is a copy of a sermon I preached in a large Melbourne church in 2010. I found an audio version of it on this link if you would care to listen to it, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20210805173855/https://www.stalfreds.org/sermons/power-to-save-and-to-heal/

This is a great story of a blind man being healed by Jesus! But what is its relevance to you and me today? There are a number of lessons we can learn from the faith of the blind man. 

We see here 4 things we need to do to receive God’s healing or blessing. 

1).        WE NEED TO RECOGNISE JESUS’ PRESENCE IN OUR TIME OF NEED

Lk 18:35  As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 

The blind man couldn’t understand what was happening in the world around him. 

HE could only beg and ask questions. Lk 18:37  They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 

He was in the presence of Jesus the Healer. 

This same Jesus is present with us today in this service whether we realise this or not.

·       He promised in Mat 18:19-20, to be with His people as they meet together.  Mat 18:19  “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Mat 18:20  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Present with just 2 or 3 gathered. Not just with 200 or 2000. 

·      Not just when the praise and worship get to a certain volume. 

·       Not just when people start saying to one another, “I feel the presence of the Lord here tonight.” 

·       It doesn’t matter whether one feels His presence or not. 

·       We believe what He says in spite of what we feel. 

The Christian faith is all about faith, not about feelings.

·       If we feel His presence, that’s a bonus, but we don’t have to feel His presence for Him to be amongst us.  

·       (One night our younger son David, a preschooler, was present with his mother in an evening service in the Armidale Cathedral. In a time of silence during the service, he yelled out excitedly “There’s God!” I looked up to see many present looking around the Cathedral. Then their faces turned sheepish because they knew that God is invisible. What had happened was that my wife Carole was showing David words in the Prayer Book to help in his recognition of words. Suddenly he saw God [not in person, but the letters GOD in print and made his discovery loudly known! But God was indeed present in the service but unseen.

2).  WE NEED TO ASK FOR JESUS’ HELP IN OUR TIME OF NEED. Luke 18:38  And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

What the blind man was told. “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 

What the blind man yelled out.  “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” 

·Here was a quantum leap, to go from Jesus of Nazareth, to Jesus Son of David.  

·       “Son of David” –was a title for the coming Messiah. 

It was what the blind man believed.  He recognised that Jesus was the Son Of David, the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the One who had come to save and to heal the people of God. 

·      IN the presence of Jesus the Messiah, he could only cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

·      He humbly asked Jesus to have mercy on him and heal him. 

·      What would Jesus say to his request?

3).    WE NEED TO HANG IN WHEN WE FACE DISCOURAGEMENT

Before Jesus could reply, the crowd in front of the blind man told him to shut up, to be silent.  Lk 18:39  And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 

·       A blind man is always at the mercy of the crowd around him. He had a choice. “Do I just shut up and perhaps miss out on Jesus hearing me and healing me? Or do I make sure Jesus hears me as I scream out to him?”

·       He made his decision. Forget the crowd and focus on Jesus.  “… he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

Luke described his yelling out by using a different word. In verse 38 the word is from nβοάω boaō; which means to cry out or to shout. 

·       However in Verse 39 it is from κράζω krazō meaning to scream out, or to shriek. Compare Mat 15:23; Mar 5:5; Acts 19:28-34.

·      He was fair dinkum in seeking healing and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought as he screamed out to Jesus for help. 

What we saw in The Healing Service in Sydney when I was in charge from 1988 to 2006

Many people came to the service in spite of all the discouragement that had been thrown at them.

·      Often it was from their Spouse or family. 

·      Some came in spite of being discouraged by their local ministers who didn’t believe that Jesus heals today. 

·      Wives suffering from cancer came alone to our Cancer weekends when their husbands refused to come to support them.

·      When you’re desperate enough nothing will put you off getting the help you need (unless you really are in a dangerous or difficult situation).  

·      How desperate are you to know God’s touch on your life? 

·      What do want Him to do for you? That’s the 4th essential we look at.  

4).        WE NEED TO BE HONEST TO GOD ABOUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED

Jesus heard the man’s screams. Lk 18:40  And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, Lk 18:41  “What do you want me to do for you?”    

·      A silly question by Jesus? Wasn’t it obvious!  He needed to see again. 

·      But he needed to tell Jesus what he wanted. 

Jesus and our freewill. 

·      God never imposes anything on us against our will. 

·      We need to ask for His help. 

·       He invites us to tell Him what we need. Mat 7:7-8  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.“

·       It’s the same picture we see in Rev 3:20.  He invites us to open the door to Him to let Him into our hearts and lives. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

·      Here it is 41  “What do you want me to do for you?”   

He Made a Choice. He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 

·       He knew his greatest need. 

  • Not financial security.
  • Not more recognition by society. 
  • He told it as it was, let me recover my sight. 

His priorities were right. His greatest need was to be able to see. That would open up so much more for him in life. 

Our choice? We can ask for help or we can choose not to. 

On my first night as Leader of the Healing Ministry in StAndrew’s Cathedra Cathedral.  I went to a woman who had raised her hand to indicate she wanted prayer.  I asked her “Would you like me to pray for you?” 

·      She replied “No but my friend here needs some prayer”.  So I said to her friend,  “Would you like me to pray for you?” Her answer rather rocked me. “No Thank you.” 

·      I thought to myself,  “My first invitation to pray for someone as the brand new Leader and I get knocked back. It can only get better from here on.”  That was the only knock-back I got in 18 years as Leader.

How would you respond to the question Jesus asked?  “What do you want me to do for you?”   

·      You could ask for many things. 

·      Some of them would be good for you. 

·      Others may be good but not what God wants for you.  

You can be self-focussed in your prayer.  “Lord heal me so that the pain goes, the mobility comes back and I can play a better game of golf”. That kind of prayer is often answered.

OR 

You can learn to ask for help in an unselfish way.  You can ask God to bless you with what you need in order that you might be able to accomplish His will for you. 

·       My suggestion to a  prayer warrior in America who had become weak and frail. Pray “Lord heal me for Your sake so that I might do Your will to Your glory for the rest of my life.” 

·      She began to pray that way every day, and there was a remarkable change in her. She became once again for many years, the vibrant faithful prayer warrior she once was. 

You and I can pray in that unselfish way for whatever needs we might have. 

  • “Lord bless me with the material things I need to be able to accomplish Your will for me for the rest of my life.”
  • “Lord bless me with the wisdom, skill, health (or whatever it is) I need to be able to do Your will to Your glory for the rest of my life.” 
  • God loves to bring the healing or blessing we need,  to enable us to walk in the centre of His will for us. 

THE REWARD FOR PERSERVERING FAITH

Sometimes we have to hang in trusting for what we need, in spite of all the discouragement and lack of support from those around us. That was so for this blind man. Lk 18:42   Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”  43  And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.“

·      His faith had been rewarded. The answer had come. He could see. 

·      His faith had opened to door to healing by Jesus. 

·      From that time on he was a follower of Jesus. 

The Jesus who is present with us in this service may be saying to many of us, “What do you want me to do for you?” 

Tell Him in an unselfish way, “Lord heal me, bless me for Your sake with what I need, so that I can do Your  will to Your glory for the rest of my life.” 

Blog No.402 posted on Thursday 16 June 2022

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401. Galatians 5:1, 13-25 The New Testament Reading for Sunday 26 June 2022. Christian Freedom!

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

These words which open chapter 5 of Galatians remind us of the freedom that Christ brings in the lives of those who are committed to Him. But we might well ask, to what freedom is St Paul referring us? There are a number of freedoms we can enjoy as we see in this passage of Galatians chapter 5.

Freedom from the obligation of obeying the law to get right with God

The major freedom seems to be freedom from the obligation to obey the law as a means of getting right with God. No human could ever obey the law of God perfectly, as Paul wrote in Romans 3:23-24, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” In other words, our right standing with God comes as we trust in Christ for salvation. When we do so, God declares us as righteous and acceptable to Him in His sight. 

Freedom to live as we should

However there is another freedom that is particularly pleasing to believers. It is the freedom to become what we want to be, by the grace of mercy of God. We want to be obedient to God as His children, seeking to please Him in all we say and do. What we could not do in the power of our old nature, the flesh, we are able to do, as we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are empowered by Him to live as we should. Paul explained it like this, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3,4. It is only possible for us to obey the law as we keep on walking by the Spirit. That means that our lives must be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit at all times. 

Freedom from the dictates and power of our old nature, the flesh

Paul wrote in Galatians 5:16 -18, “Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.” While we are being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit we no longer have to give in to our old nature’s demands on us.

What are the flesh’s demands on us? 5:19-21.

If we have not given our lives to God to enable Him to transform us by the power of the Holy Spirit then we are still under the control of our old nature, the flesh. It works itself out in practice. That’s why Paul described it as “the works of the flesh.” Later in chapter 5 he goes on to describe the characteristics of the flesh in verses 19 to 21. “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” As John Stott has written, these “seem to belong to at least four realms—sex, religion, society and drink.” [NOTE 1]

By contrast, the Spirit produces His fruit [God’s character] in our lives. 5:22-23

We note here the difference between what the flesh “works“ out in our lives in practice, and the inevitable fruit that is produced in and through us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.“ 5:22-23. As John Stott wrote about the fruit of the Spirit, “So we may say that the primary direction of ‘love, joy, peace’ is Godward, of ‘patience, kindness, goodness’ manward, and of ‘faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ selfward. And all these are ‘the fruit of the Spirit’, the natural produce that appears in the lives of Spirit-led Christians. No wonder Paul adds again: against such there is no law (verse 23). For the function of law is to curb, to restrain, to deter, and no deterrent is needed here.” [NOTE 2]

The secret to successful Christian living

Paul adds in 5:24 “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” This is similar to what he said of his own life earlier in Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20.

We see here the secret to successful Christian living. It is to recognise that when we became believers and received the Holy Spirit, it was as though we had been crucified with Christ so that the old nature we were born with had lost its power over us. It means that if we continued to live perfectly by faith in Jesus and no longer submitted to the power of our old nature, it would be as though the old nature had come to an end in Jesus’ [and ours with Him] crucifixion. It would be as Paul expressed in Galatians 2:20 that Christ was now living His life in and through our totally committed lives as we continually died to ourselves.

Another secret to successful Christian living. 5:25.

It is easy for believers to be deceived and led astray from a total commitment to Jesus. So Paul advises us to maintain our victory in Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in our everyday lives. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25.

It is true that the Holy Spirit has given us [eternal] life but we still have a life to live on earth. We need all the guidance we can obtain to make the right decisions in a complex world. 

Jesus, before His death, had promised His followers that the coming Holy Spirit would be able to guide them into all the truth “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John16:13. Paul reminds his readers that the Holy Spirit will be able to guide them. He wrote in Romans 8:14, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” That is, it is a characteristic of the children of God that they are guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is interesting that the word Paul uses here in 5:25 for “being led” is  [stoicheō, στοιχέω] meaning to walk in military rank (or to keep in step). We need to keep in step with the Holy Spirit as He leads us in God’s way.  

Praise God for the victories He has given us in our Christian lives. It goes to show thar His grace and mercy remain on us throughout our lives. Praise God that we can walk in the freedom He imparts to us by His indwelling Holy Spirit. Praise God that we are enabled to keep in step with His Holy Spirit as we continue our Christian pilgrimage! Praise God!

NOTE 1. John Stott in the “Bible Speaks Today New Testament Series” on Galatians.

NOTE 2. John Stott. Ibidem.

Blog No.401. Posted on www.jimholbeck.blog on Monday 13 June 2022. 

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400 SOME THOUGHTS ON THE MEANING OF EASTER

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

It has been difficult to write articles lately so I thought I would bring up some of the articles I have written over the years on the meaning of Easter.
You can click on the links below or you can type any of these numbers into the Search box at the top of the right-hand column to bring up that particular article. I trust you find this helpful.

No 350. Because Jesus Rose, Our Hopes Can Rise As Well. Easter Day And Its Rich Meaning For Those Who Grieve Loved Ones. [John 13:1-6 And Other Verses on Jesus’ Resurrection and Second Coming.]

No 276.“FROM GLORY. THROUGH GORY. TO GLORY!” The Easter story in 6 words. (Expanded version!) Part 2 of 2.

No 275.“FROM GLORY. THROUGH GORY. TO GLORY!” The Easter story in 6 words. (Micro version!) Part 1 of 2.

No 207. A Sermon Outline For Easter. Luke 24:13-35. “THE JESUS WHO BRINGS HOPE.” What Easter means.


No 160. Easter! We Are Risen! We Are Risen Indeed! Ephesians chapters 1 and 2

No 069. Easter Day. “The Resurrection of Jesus. A New Life With New Possibilities”. Acts 10:34-48

No 021. Easter Day. “Christ Is Risen!”

Blog No.400. Posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog on Saturday 16 April 2022

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399. A Loving Warning and a Gracious Invitation

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

Luke 13:1-9. The Gospel Reading for Sunday 20 March 2022

[This blog has been audio recorded as a podcast on the free platform Spotify and can be found there under “holbeck” No.399]

Throughout history humans have been curious creatures. They longed to know what lay over the next hill or broad river. In Australia this curiosity led many to become explorers setting out to discover more of the country in which they had begun to live. Many made wonderful discoveries of wonderful lands that were later able to be used for grazing animals or for agriculture. For a few, it led to premature death as some of the land was inhospitable or dangerous. 

In Jesus’ day, there were also curious people. In this gospel passage we read of some who asked Jesus about two recent incidents and perhaps wanting His thoughts on the meaning behind them. The first dealt with the violent deaths that Pilate had inflicted on some Galileans while they were offering sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem. It was a deliberate act of murder of those who at the time were seeking to worship God. It was both cruel and unnecessary! The second incident concerned what seemed to be an accidental death of eighteen people who were killed when a tower fell on them. In both cases, the people involved had done nothing to deserve the deaths they suffered. Jesus’ questioners may have been raising the question, “Did they suffer because they were more guilty than others?” 

Jesus’ answer was both a loving warning and a gracious invitation. “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

All of a sudden, their questions about the guilt of people “out there” who had suffered, had been turned into a personal challenge to them. Twice Jesus told them, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” They must have been amazed that Jesus saw them as “perishing.” That was the warning they heard from His lips. But at the same time He issued them a gracious invitation, namely that if they repented, they would not perish. 

It may have been that they had previously heard that word “repent” from the lips of John the Baptist as he began his ministry “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2, and also from the lips of Jesus Himself at the beginning of His own ministry, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 4:17.

What did it mean to “repent?” It is seen as one of the essential truths in the presentation of the gospel. That was seen in the very first sermon on the day of Pentecost at the beginning of the Christian church as Peter preached, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. … And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’” Acts 2:38, 40. Repentance was needed for salvation to occur, for everyone. 

To “repent” is the Greek word [metanoeō; μετανοέω]. It is made up of 2 words [meta] meaning “after” and [noeō; νοέω] meaning to “think.” The idea is that having said or done something we have an “after-thought” about it which changes our minds as to its value. So repentance involves a change of mind accompanied by a change in behaviour. In Christian terms, it means changing our minds about our previous words and deeds and seeing them as God sees them, as being imperfect in His eyes. We also change our attitude towards God and instead of seeing Him as outside or on the periphery of our lives, we change our minds about His claim on our lives and enthrone Him as the Lord and Master of every aspect of our lives. So not only is it a radical change in our thinking but it is also a radical change in our behaviour and way of life. 

“Perish” is a strong word. There was an urgency in Jesus’ message to His enquirers. Unless they repented they would perish. The apostle John brought out that truth in John 3:16 where he wrote, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The choice was between perishing or having eternal life. How did one gain eternal life and miss out on perishing? By both repenting of sin and believing in Jesus. That’s exactly what Jesus had preached earlier, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15. The gospel is the good news about Jesus, about Who He is, and about what He has done for a sinful humanity. However, there were many who had rejected Jesus and the salvation He had come to bring as the Christ. Jesus went on to share a parable with His listeners. But it is a story where we are left hanging for an answer to the problem it posed.

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

“And [Jesus] told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9.

The fig tree was often used as a symbol for Israel. There had been little response to Jesus among the Jewish people to this point. Jesus used the parable to show the urgency for His people to repent and believe in Him. God expected fruit from His people but if they failed to produce it, then destruction must follow. We would have loved for Jesus to provide a “nice” finish to the parable where the fig tree did indeed blossom in the fourth season and was saved. But the fate of the fig tree is left “hanging” in the parable. The hearers had to provide their own ending to the story. Salvation or destruction? 

We too have to provide the ending to the story of our own lives. Are we headed for salvation or destruction? The answer lies in our hands by the grace and mercy of God! Repenting of our sin and trusting in Jesus means we are saved. Failing to respond to the gospel message, indeed to the Person of Jesus, means we forfeit what Christ offers us in Himself, namely forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life.  The parable shows us the loving patience of our God in wooing us to respond to Him but it also shows the urgency of the need to decide to “repent and believe.” As Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. Every individual ever born needs to repent and believe.

This passage of scripture in Luke 13 leads us to the decision we must make about Jesus, whether to accept Him as Saviour and Lord or to continue to reject him. But let us not presume on God’s kindness, patience and love, as Paul challenged his readers, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4. Has His kindness had that effect on you?

Blog 399 posted on Wednesday 16 March 2022.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year C [All years], Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

398. BE ANXIOUS! FOR NOTHING! GOD SAYS! Philippians 4:6-7

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

“Be anxious for nothing,” is the translation in the King James Version of the Bible of Philippians 4:6. KJV. At first sight that might mean for some people that we should be anxious. But the verse goes on to say, “Be anxious for nothing.” A more modern translation is easier to follow, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. “ [English Standard Version.]

In other words, anxiety should never become a part of the Christian’s concerns in life. God is able to do something about the things that could cause anxiety in our lives. 

What is anxiety? The word for “to be anxious” in the original Greek version of the Bible is [merimnaō;μεριμνάω].  The word can mean “care” and the noun merimna is translated as such in the KJV. However when one is troubled by the care one has for someone or something, it can cause anxiety levels to rise in that person, and that is what anxiety is all about. 

What is God’s answer to the rise of anxiety in people? This is what Philippians 4:6 indicates.

1]. ANXIETY IS UNNECESSARY.  

“Do not be anxious about anything “ is God’s command through St Paul. The positive attitude of caring must not be changed into an anxious state of mind. “Anything” means what it says, “all things.” There can be no situation nor circumstance in which it is not possible for God to deal with the concerns or cares we have. So anxiety is unnecessary for the believer! God is willing and able to make a difference as we pray!

2]. ANXIETY CAN BE OVERCOME. The steps to follow. 

Philippians 4:6 continues, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

a]. We need to share our concerns with God.  “but in everything … let your requests be made known to God.”

Paul commands that our concerns should lead to requests to God for His help. “Requests” are  [aitemata αἰτήματα]. Requests are expressions indicating that we need assistance in some way. So in letting our requests be known to God we are acquainting Him with the concerns we have with the view to receiving His help. In a very real sense it is the same as we saw in our previous article No.397 where Peter writes, “Cast all your burdens on the Lord and He will sustain you.” We are to make our requests known to God [Philippians 4:6], so that He may take the burdens from us. 

b}. We share our concerns in 3 ways.

“but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.”

“Prayer” [proseuchē; προσευχή] is used 35 times in the ESV version of the New Testament and is the usual word for prayer directed to God. 

“Supplication” [deēsis; δέησις]. This is the request for particular benefits from God for oneself or for others. It is for specific help for expressed needs asking God to supply our need.

“With Thanksgiving” [eucharistia; εὐχαριστία]. This is the word used to describe the Lord’s Supper as the “Eucharist” as it is a Thanksgiving service remembering all that Christ has done for us in His death, resurrection, ascension and His sending of the Holy Spirit upon all believers. There is certainly a great place for giving thanks to God for answered prayer. All answers to prayer stem from the grace and love of God in caring for His followers, and His desire to meet their needs.   

However there may be a deeper meaning here as well. We are giving thanks to God for the fact that God is willing to hear our prayers. But we are also thanking Him for the answers we will eventually receive from Him. Matthew records Jesus as saying, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” This puts the receiving of answers as being assured, but coming in the future.Matthew 21:22. {Matthew uses the same words as Paul in Philippians 4:6, namely, [aiteo] for ask or request and [proseuchē] for prayer.}

 However Mark has slightly different wording, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24. What that seems to indicate is that believing prayer brings immediate answers to prayer. But the actual reception of those answers will be in the future, literally ”it will be to you.”

What a relief it is to know that believing prayer according to the will of God brings immediate answers to prayer. But the timing of the reception of those answers will be in the future. Sometimes those answers are immediate, surprising us with their speed and completeness. At other times we see a gradual releasing of those answers as the situation gradually improves or the health of the sick person for whom we have prayed, gradually improves. At other times the improvement comes in significant stages after we have prayed. They are all answers to prayer by the grace and mercy of God who heals in His way, in His time and through whom He wishes. 

3]. GOD’S PEACE CAN BE EXPERIENCED IN HUMAN HEARTS. Philippians 4:7.

“… And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“

“Peace” is a wonderful feeling to experience. But especially is the “peace of God” a wonderful gift to receive. It is part of the nine-fold gifts of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22] but can be experienced at any time in the believer’s life.  As we have just seen, it can come as we make our requests to God in prayer and learn to trust Him for the answers to come in His way and in His time.

We notice here 2 things about the peace of God.

a]. God’s peace is beyond human understanding. 

It has to be experienced to be believed. God’s peace is much more than the absence of strife. It is the sure and serene hope we have when we hand our situations over to God in believing prayer. Outwardly there may not appear to be any change in the situation we brought to God in prayer, but we can experience a deep sense of internal peace knowing God is on our case and will bring an answer beyond the limits of our rational thinking.

b]. God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The word “guard” had a special significance for the people in Philippi. It is the Greek word [phroureō; φρουρέω]. It could be used to describe the protection the inhabitants of Philippi enjoyed knowing that Philippi was a Roman garrison city. The city was always protected by the soldiers of the Roman empire.  The inhabitants could rest secure in the knowledge they were protected day and night and could never be surprised by sudden attacks upon them by foreign forces. 

That is the significance of the word for “guard” here. As the citizens knew peace because of the protecting Roman garrison, so believers could know peace by the peace of God they could experience inwardly as they handed their concerns over to God in prayer. 

SUMMING UP

One of the earliest terms I heard as a new Christian was this one, “When in a fix, Philippians 4:6.” I soon learned to understand the meaning behind the term as I found myself in difficult situations over the years. That led me to studying the promises of God in answer to prayer and experiencing a real sense of the peace of God as I made known my requests to Him and cast my burdens upon Him. The truths of Philippians 4:6 as I have applied them, have certainly made anxiety disappear.

Blog No.398. posted on Monday 07 March 2022

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397. Living Without Anxiety. God’s Answer! 1 Peter 5:6-7.

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

1 Peter 5:6-7. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Since Covid 19 hit our shores there has been a massive increase in anxiety levels in many younger and older people, according to health professionals. That is perfectly understandable as it is a new disease with no known previous treatments and it has been highly contagious. 

However there are lots of other reasons why anxiety is on the rise because of the changing political situations throughout the world. There is the threat of more personal restrictions and the financial implications that flow on from that. So if anxiety has become the result of the impact of Covid 19 and other factors throughout the world, what can we do to lessen it? 

It seems that there are two things that are necessary to get rid of anxiety. 

Firstly, we are to humble ourselves before God so that we are recognising our dependence on Him for everything in our lives. We enthrone God to be the Lord and Master of our every aspect of our lives. Both James and Peter indicate that such humbling brings the promise of being exalted by God for those who do so. [NOTE 1]

What does it mean to humble oneself? It can mean to have a modest opinion of oneself; to behave in an unassuming manner; to lose any sense of arrogance and haughtiness. It is something we need to do, as it does not come naturally to the human race. We are to humble ourselves, not just leave it to God to do so! It is much less painful when we do the humbling of ourselves than when God is forced to humble us, for our own sakes. As Jesus said, Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12.

It can mean not having a high opinion of ourselves. This was seen in my previous article No 396 where I wrote about Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” It means seeing ourselves in all our weaknesses and strengths as God Himself sees us.  God dislikes pride and arrogance as Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:5 where he wrote, ‘Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”’ It is the humble who receive His grace and help to live in a way pleasing to Him.

Secondly, we need to actively and deliberately pass the burdens we are carrying onto God. The word for “cast” involves deliberate effort as seen in its use in the Septuagint [LXX] the Greek Old Testament. For example it is used in Joshua 10:11 where it is said that the Lord Himself Lord cast down large hailstones upon the enemies of His people. Or it is used to describe casting a garment over the slain Amasa or of Elijah casting a cloak over his successor, Elisha. It is used in Job 27 of God acting powerfully against the unrighteous person, hurling the east wind in punishment on him, Job 27:21 The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. 22 it hurls at him without pity; he flees from its power in headlong flight. 

In the New Testament it is used in Luke 19:35 where Luke describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem seated on a donkey and the response of the people to His entry, And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.

It is the deliberate and determined casting of the object with the intention of not taking it back upon oneself. When we cast our burdens on the Lord we leave them with Him to sort out and we don’t try to wrest them back from Him to work out solutions in our own wisdom and strength. [NOTE 2].

So the words of 1 Peter 5 verse 6 are not only a command but they also have a promise based on the character of God. His character is that He cares for us. We cast our burdens or anxieties on God because He commands us to, and we have the assurance that He will remove those burdens from us in His loving care for us. As we do so, we take the pressure off ourselves and we allow Him to work on those burdens we have in our lives. Thus, we can know His peace [which is beyond human understanding Philippians 4:7] and receive answers to our prayers. [NOTE 3].

Summing up then, we note that our verses in 1 Peter 5:6-7 are a command from God through St Peter to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. There is the accompanying promise that as we do so, He will lift us up. There is also the invitation from God to deliberately cast our burdens or anxieties on Him for Him to deal with instead of us. The reason for doing so is also given, “because He cares for you.” He will not ignore our needs or concerns. HE will deal with them!

What an invitation! What a promise! What a loving Heavenly Father we have, Who cares for us so deeply!

NOTES:

{NOTE 1}. “Humble” is from [tapeinoō; ταπεινόω].  It can mean to gratefully take a lower position offered to us when we might have expected more. Or it can mean seeking to be a servant to all people and not just to our superiors. It can involve the changing of our mindsets so that we see everyone as being of equal value in the sight of God and none of them as being of less value than ourselves. We should really see ourselves as their servants treating them as Christ Himself would.

[NOTE 2]. “Cast” is from [epirríptō, ἐπιρρίπτω] from epí, upon, and rhíptō, to cast. It involves real effort to get rid of a burden.

There is a similar word in the Old Testament which is translated “commit.” It is from the Hebrew word used in Prov 16:3. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established, and in Psalm 37:5  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

It is the word gālal, a verb meaning to roll, to remove, to commit, to trust. The root idea of the word is to roll. There is a burden in life in trying to do the right thing with all the complexities of making the right decision. The idea behind this expression is that we roll off the burden from our back and lay it at the Lord’s feet for Him to guide the decisions we make with His help. As Derek Prince once wrote, “Roll that responsibility off your back. Dump it at the Lord’s feet and ask Him to take charge of it. …You don’t need to be wondering and pondering all the time if things are going to work out. Just commit your works to the Lord. “

As we commit ourselves to love and serve God in this life, we have the privilege of being able to cast all our burdens on Him, knowing that He cares for us. 

]NOTE 3]. “anxieties” or burdens is from [merimna; μέριμνα].

The word can have a positive meaning of care and concern as we see in three verses in the New Testament. For example, in 1Corinthians 12:25 where Paul says that every member of the church should have the same care for one another. Again in 2 Cor. 11:28 Paul describes the daily pressure on him in caring for all the churches. Also in 1 Corinthians 7 Paul told the Philippians that he was sending Timothy to them because “… I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.” These all express the idea of genuine care for people.

However most of the references are in the negative. Jesus taught that believers should not be anxious about the material things of life, in verses such as in Matthew 13:22, As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. See also Mark 4:19 and Luke 8:14. He also taught them to be ready for the end times, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. Luke 21:34.

According to Jesus anxiety was needless for the believer. If He cared for creation would He not care even more for His own people, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Matthew 6:25 and 6:28, 6:31, 6:34. 

Perhaps the most well-known verse is that written by St Paul in Philippians 4:6 where Paul wrote, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” It involves the deliberate decision to rid ourselves of anxiety by making our concerns known to God in prayer and with thanksgiving to Him for His willingness to hear and respond to our expressed needs. 

Blog No.397 posted on Tuesday 22 February 2022

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Mental Health, Politics, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

396. Thinking As We Should About Ourselves. Romans 12:3-4

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Jim Holbeck

We all have different ways of regarding ourselves. We dislike those who seem to act as superior to others and make us feel like second class citizens. It is true that so many people are focussed on themselves and their own interests and pay scant attention to the interests of others. It is one of the marks of pride which Jesus said was one of the things that come out from a person to defile them. Mark 7:22.

There are many warnings in the Bible that tell us about the dangers of pride in humans, for example Proverbs16:18, Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. AND Proverbs 29:23, One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honour. Obviously God does not like pride in His creatures and warns them not to be proud.

What God has done through the writings of St Paul is to show us how we are able to have the right opinion of ourselves. We see that in Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”We see here these truths,

1]. We are not to have too high an opinion of ourselves. 

“not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” The word for “to think of himself more highly’ is from [hyperphrone, ὑπερφρονεῖν] which means to esteem oneself overmuch, that is to be proud, vain or arrogant. It means ignoring God and His demands on His creatures and choosing to do one’s own will. It means setting ourselves up as the lord and master of our lives and forgetting that we are creatures who are meant to be always dependent on our Creator God. 

2].We are to think with sober judgment about ourselves. 

“but to think with sober judgment” [from sōphroneō; σωφρονέω]. This word comes from sōzō; σώζω meaning to save or heal and from phroneō; φρονέω meaning to think or to exercise the mind. Combined it means to think soberly or healthily.

In other words to think godly thoughts which reflect the nature of God and are not severely limited by human powers of reasoning.

That means in practice that I am not to consider myself above what God has made me to be nor by how He has renewed me by His Spirit. Rather I am to remember that my entire existence is a given by God in His grace and mercy and that it is by His grace alone that I can make the right judgments about myself and about others as a new creation in Him. 

On the other hand it reminds me that I should not consider myself of no worth or of little value in the kingdom of God. God has called me to belong to His body the church [the ecclesia], the ones whom God has “called out” from the world to belong to Him to fulfil His purpose. I am to recognise that that God has a purpose and plan to fulfil in and through me. That is how St Paul saw his life before God in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” We are who we are by the grace of God and it requires that we remain in close fellowship with Him so that His grace can accomplish what He wants to do in and through our lives. 

3]. We are to think “according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

St Paul began this section by writing “For by the grace given to me.” He wasn’t relying on his own human wisdom gathered over the years. Rather he was describing what God in His grace and wisdom had given him to share with the believers in Rome. 

Now he demands that his readers use their minds according to the faith that God had gifted them in His grace and mercy, to be able to think correctly. That faith had equipped them to be able to see things as God sees them, to access His wisdom as His Spirit enlightened them and to see themselves and others in a new light. 

That is borne out in what Paul continued to write in this passage. His readers were to see themselves humbly as individual members of one body, 

4]. We are humbly to play our part with others in the body of Christ, the church.

St Paul wanted his readers to understand that as believers they were dependent on others in the body of Christ. They were individuals but individually members of one another. Different members had different functions, having different gifts. Romans 12:4. “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5. so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them….. .”

What St Paul is reminding us here is that God in His grace has gifted individuals with different gifts to be used for His purposes. It means that none of us has all the gifts and so we need to be dependent on others in the church for God to do what He wants through the church. It is all due to the grace of God at work through His people whom He has called in His grace and mercy to live and work for Him. They may have different gifts but they are all to use what gift they have, according to the grace given to them.

Where then is there any place for pride or arrogance in any believer? There is none! It is God who has called them to belong to Him. It is God who has equipped them by His grace with the gifts they need to do the work He has for them to do.

Perhaps our humble prayer should be, in the words of the hymn

“All to Jesus I surrender

All to Thee I freely give

I will ever love and trust you

in your presence daily live.”

BlogNo.396. Posted on Saturday 26 January 2022. [Australia Day].

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Holy Spirit, Mental Health, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Spiritual Gems in the New Testament, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment