Good morning. Skipping a number of verses: rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. There are too many believers who are always looking for something brand-new. If they are not getting something brand-new, never heard before, they move on to some other church. It's OK to hear something more than once. In fact it helps to seal it into your memory. They keep getting that "milk to drink" because they have not put into practice what they've already heard. You are also in danger of believing some error simply because you're looking for that brand-new thing – that new knowledge that the Gnostics we're looking for. Paul warns them to beware of the false circumcision. Similarly we are to beware of false believers. They can cause all kinds of strife and dissension in a church. But we are the true circumcision – who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. Are you a true believer – then you should be worshiping in the Spirit of God. Paul then tells them about his pedigree. And yet he counted that all as loss for the sake of Christ. No matter who we are or what we have done on our own, only who we are and have done in Christ means anything. That we may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of our own but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. As we've said before, if we could do it on our own, then we would not have needed Christ to die for our sins. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. Father thank You that the reader rejoices in You. He/she worships in Your Spirit and is righteous in You.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed

  Good morning. We left John at the entrance of the tomb, stooping and looking in. “Shy” Peter then arrives following John, and enters the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there. So the other disciple, John, who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. It does not say whether or not Peter believed. For as yet they did not understand the scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes. I’m not exactly sure what it means by their own homes. They were originally from Galilee and would not have had homes in Jerusalem. Perhaps it means the homes where they were staying while in Jerusalem. Apparently, they were not staying in the upper room, or it would have said so. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped (just like John) and looked into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been l...
Read more

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and he granted permission. So he came and took away His body

  Good morning. After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and he granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pounds weight. Remember that myrrh was one of the gifts that the magi brought when Jesus was a baby. Also notice that he had 100 pounds of spices. Normally one does not have that much just lying around the house. Since most likely he was older, he may have been storing it up for when he himself was going to die. Or perhaps while Jesus was hanging on the cross, he went to the merchants and purchased it, because there was no time to do so after Jesus died prior to the beginning of the Sabbath. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. My Bible says that these were thin ...
Read more

Why are you timid, you men of little faith?

  Good morning. Remember that Jesus had given orders that they should depart to the other side (of the lake). While Jesus was asleep in the boat, there arose a great storm, so that the boat was covered with the waves. This was no afternoon shower; it was one of those “make the palm trees bend over and touch the ground" kind of storms. And Jesus just slept through it! He had confidence in His Father to protect Him. The disciples, however, were not confident. They were focusing on the circumstances and not on the word Jesus had given them. They awoke Jesus saying, “save us, Lord; we are perishing!” Jesus had told them to go to the other side; so they should've been confident that they would make it. They did not even think about all of the miracles that Jesus had just finished doing. But even if they had, they probably would've said “well that was one thing, this is something entirely different”. The same thing happens to us. God tells us to do something, and a storm arises....
Read more