Verse: "For ye are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (I Corinthians 6:20)
Have you ever started copying a passage of the Bible (without noting the man-made chapter and verse interruptions) only to have misgivings about the best place to stop in the text? Well, today was one of those days. I was excited in the Lord. As I typed and typed some more, I realized that I did not want to stop reading and sharing the Word. There are several reasons for this.
First, I have so much to be thankful for. We truly do serve an awesome God. David wrote in the book of Psalms, "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou gives them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserves all them that love Him." (Psalm 145:13-20)
Second, lowly me -- according to the scriptures -- has been declared a child of the Most High King, even though there was nothing that I could do to earn His love or grace. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves -- it IS the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Third, I am redeemed from my transgressions because of His willingness to shed His precious blood on the cross -- the precious blood of Jesus the Christ -- the lamb who is without blemish and without spot, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, and manifest in these last times. Again, for who? You guessed it! God became flesh for you and I so that we might have life everlasting. "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ..." (Ephesians 1:7
Fourth, I have peace and joy in my heart that passes all human understanding. I am not fearful of what is to come because He loved me from the womb. As such, I can have complete confidence in the Word of God which lives and abides in me forever. We are born again by the incorruptible -- He who knew no sin becoming sin for you and I. (I Peter 1:18-25)
Most of all, I can only begin to cherish the idea of "me" being so loved by Almighty God that He would "willingly" pay the price for my sin on a cross (with two sentenced criminals hanging on either side of Him). This is not only good news but the gospel message that each and every one of us should take hold of -- and without question, be excited about.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, "If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)
But if these promises are not good enough for you to turn your heart to the best news ever -- our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ -- then check out even more of His promises -- taken from Romans chapter eight. These include:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
"To be spiritually minded is life and peace."
"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you."
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father" ..."
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."
"For we are saved by hope ..."
"... the Spirit also helps our infirmities."
"And He that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
"Whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified."
"If God be for us, who can be against us ..." And He definitely proved that we are His chosen people ... "And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth -- unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." (Revelation 1:5)
Therefore, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
In closing, let me add this message from I Peter chapter one. That is:
"Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time -- wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it may be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ ... whom having not seen, ye love, in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls ..." (I Peter 1:1-4)
It is no wonder we are excited! And this is only the beginning. Praise you Jesus! Stand in the offering plate.
Have you ever started copying a passage of the Bible (without noting the man-made chapter and verse interruptions) only to have misgivings about the best place to stop in the text? Well, today was one of those days. I was excited in the Lord. As I typed and typed some more, I realized that I did not want to stop reading and sharing the Word. There are several reasons for this.
First, I have so much to be thankful for. We truly do serve an awesome God. David wrote in the book of Psalms, "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou gives them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserves all them that love Him." (Psalm 145:13-20)
Second, lowly me -- according to the scriptures -- has been declared a child of the Most High King, even though there was nothing that I could do to earn His love or grace. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves -- it IS the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Fourth, I have peace and joy in my heart that passes all human understanding. I am not fearful of what is to come because He loved me from the womb. As such, I can have complete confidence in the Word of God which lives and abides in me forever. We are born again by the incorruptible -- He who knew no sin becoming sin for you and I. (I Peter 1:18-25)
Most of all, I can only begin to cherish the idea of "me" being so loved by Almighty God that He would "willingly" pay the price for my sin on a cross (with two sentenced criminals hanging on either side of Him). This is not only good news but the gospel message that each and every one of us should take hold of -- and without question, be excited about.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, "If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)
But if these promises are not good enough for you to turn your heart to the best news ever -- our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ -- then check out even more of His promises -- taken from Romans chapter eight. These include:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
"To be spiritually minded is life and peace."
"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you."
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father" ..."
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."
"For we are saved by hope ..."
"... the Spirit also helps our infirmities."
"And He that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
"Whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified."
"If God be for us, who can be against us ..." And He definitely proved that we are His chosen people ... "And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth -- unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." (Revelation 1:5)
Therefore, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
In closing, let me add this message from I Peter chapter one. That is:
"Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time -- wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it may be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ ... whom having not seen, ye love, in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls ..." (I Peter 1:1-4)
It is no wonder we are excited! And this is only the beginning. Praise you Jesus! Stand in the offering plate.
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