Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "love"
From Moabite to Israelite – Part 1
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me” [Ruth 1:16-17].
Do you recall the first person you fell for? Remember how puppy love felt? I do! I walked on the moon without touching the ground. Butterflies hovered around my head and in my stomach. I didn’t know what day it was or even if it was day. Goosebumps covered my skin and goose eggs made up my common sense quotient. Ah, amore.
As we all know, puppy love doesn’t last. The temporary blindness which accompanies it, along with the temporary insanity, dissipate sooner or later—usually sooner—and we realize our lovely “beauty” is really an unsightly “beast”…sort of like Mrs. Shrek. Yes, puppy love is more a Hollywood thing than it is reality.
And then there is the real thing, the real McCoy, true love, the kind which we can read about in 1 Corinthians 13 but rarely witness in real life. Let’s identify real love, God’s love, shall we?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins [1 John 4:10].
See! True love, God’s love, doesn’t TAKE. It GIVES. Real love looks out for the one loved, rather than see how it can profit from the one loved. Does this not explain why the divorce rate is sky high in today’s antichrist society? Everyone looks out for his/her own interests. All of us have a penchant for putting Numero Uno first. In the Bible this is recognized as “hate”, in contrast to “love”…and the Bible is quite correct.
It is hard for us to grasp what we read in Ruth 1, as quoted at the start of this study. We have the words of true love there. In fact Ruth’s true love came from Israel’s King YHWH and metamorphosed her from a Moabite to an Israelite. The proof is right there in the two verses I quoted. Ruth’s metamorphosis takes place in those verses.
“How so?” you are no doubt wondering. It has to do with the usage of the words God and the Lord. We’ve posted studies on this issue already, and my Heavenly Citizens series delves into the matter exhaustively on many occasions. Let’s have a brief review.
The word God isn’t a name or even a title. It is hard to define because it applies only to the one true God. This makes it unique. Suffice it to say that the word human depicts a species. In the same way the word God does likewise, except the species consists of only one, making Him not a species. The word God denotes deity. On the other hand, the words the Lord—in reality only one Hebrew word, viz., YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah—is the actual NAME of God.
Oh, but this is a right fine location to pitch our tents for the night. We will return to this issue in our next study. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Do you recall the first person you fell for? Remember how puppy love felt? I do! I walked on the moon without touching the ground. Butterflies hovered around my head and in my stomach. I didn’t know what day it was or even if it was day. Goosebumps covered my skin and goose eggs made up my common sense quotient. Ah, amore.
As we all know, puppy love doesn’t last. The temporary blindness which accompanies it, along with the temporary insanity, dissipate sooner or later—usually sooner—and we realize our lovely “beauty” is really an unsightly “beast”…sort of like Mrs. Shrek. Yes, puppy love is more a Hollywood thing than it is reality.
And then there is the real thing, the real McCoy, true love, the kind which we can read about in 1 Corinthians 13 but rarely witness in real life. Let’s identify real love, God’s love, shall we?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins [1 John 4:10].
See! True love, God’s love, doesn’t TAKE. It GIVES. Real love looks out for the one loved, rather than see how it can profit from the one loved. Does this not explain why the divorce rate is sky high in today’s antichrist society? Everyone looks out for his/her own interests. All of us have a penchant for putting Numero Uno first. In the Bible this is recognized as “hate”, in contrast to “love”…and the Bible is quite correct.
It is hard for us to grasp what we read in Ruth 1, as quoted at the start of this study. We have the words of true love there. In fact Ruth’s true love came from Israel’s King YHWH and metamorphosed her from a Moabite to an Israelite. The proof is right there in the two verses I quoted. Ruth’s metamorphosis takes place in those verses.
“How so?” you are no doubt wondering. It has to do with the usage of the words God and the Lord. We’ve posted studies on this issue already, and my Heavenly Citizens series delves into the matter exhaustively on many occasions. Let’s have a brief review.
The word God isn’t a name or even a title. It is hard to define because it applies only to the one true God. This makes it unique. Suffice it to say that the word human depicts a species. In the same way the word God does likewise, except the species consists of only one, making Him not a species. The word God denotes deity. On the other hand, the words the Lord—in reality only one Hebrew word, viz., YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah—is the actual NAME of God.
Oh, but this is a right fine location to pitch our tents for the night. We will return to this issue in our next study. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
From Moabite to Israelite – Part 2
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me” [Ruth 1:16-17].
Here’s the thing about the words God and the Lord. When the Lord is identified as God (as in Genesis 1), it refers to the One Who created everything, He Who is high and mighty and towers above the earth and over all creation. The word God points to the impersonal aspect of the Divine One. When God is identified by His name YHWH (aka the Lord), this is personal. Compare it to the identifiers the President and Barak Obama. On the one hand, the President is an impersonal reference, while Barak Obama is quite personal.
Now reread Ruth 1:16-17. The context was that Naomi the Israelite went with her husband and two sons to live in Moab for a spell because there was a famine in Israel. While in Moab her husband died and her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then her two sons died as well. When the famine in Israel was finally over, Naomi decided to return to Israel. Her two daughters-in-law started to go with her, but Naomi discouraged them.
Orpah turned around and went back to Moab, but Ruth pronounced some of the most deeply emotional words of fidelity ever to be recorded, the words in Ruth 1:16-17. She began by saying she was willingly leaving behind her people and embracing Naomi’s people. This meant that thenceforth she saw herself as an Israelite, not as a Moabite.
She then added that she also was willingly renouncing her gods and embracing Naomi’s God. That perforce had to be the case, in order to become an Israelite proselyte. Don’t overlook which word was used to identify the Divine One. Ruth said she was embracing GOD. Because Ruth was a Moabite, she had no personal relationship with the Lord. Her relationship was that between Creator (aka God) and creature (aka created being). It was impersonal.
After renouncing her Moabite identity and the concomitant gods of Moab, Ruth forthwith became a true Israelite. This is why her very next words did NOT refer to God but to the Lord. She said, “If I ever leave you, Naomi, may the Lord, may YHWH, cook my goose!”
See! One moment Ruth was a Moabite cocoon, the next an Israelite butterfly. These sorts of details in Scripture reveal remarkable spiritual truth, dear friends. Don’t miss out on them. Hie off to my Amazon link below and purchase your very own copies of my books. I bring out innumerable suchlike details in my books. You will only be the better for it. Thank you.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Here’s the thing about the words God and the Lord. When the Lord is identified as God (as in Genesis 1), it refers to the One Who created everything, He Who is high and mighty and towers above the earth and over all creation. The word God points to the impersonal aspect of the Divine One. When God is identified by His name YHWH (aka the Lord), this is personal. Compare it to the identifiers the President and Barak Obama. On the one hand, the President is an impersonal reference, while Barak Obama is quite personal.
Now reread Ruth 1:16-17. The context was that Naomi the Israelite went with her husband and two sons to live in Moab for a spell because there was a famine in Israel. While in Moab her husband died and her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then her two sons died as well. When the famine in Israel was finally over, Naomi decided to return to Israel. Her two daughters-in-law started to go with her, but Naomi discouraged them.
Orpah turned around and went back to Moab, but Ruth pronounced some of the most deeply emotional words of fidelity ever to be recorded, the words in Ruth 1:16-17. She began by saying she was willingly leaving behind her people and embracing Naomi’s people. This meant that thenceforth she saw herself as an Israelite, not as a Moabite.
She then added that she also was willingly renouncing her gods and embracing Naomi’s God. That perforce had to be the case, in order to become an Israelite proselyte. Don’t overlook which word was used to identify the Divine One. Ruth said she was embracing GOD. Because Ruth was a Moabite, she had no personal relationship with the Lord. Her relationship was that between Creator (aka God) and creature (aka created being). It was impersonal.
After renouncing her Moabite identity and the concomitant gods of Moab, Ruth forthwith became a true Israelite. This is why her very next words did NOT refer to God but to the Lord. She said, “If I ever leave you, Naomi, may the Lord, may YHWH, cook my goose!”
See! One moment Ruth was a Moabite cocoon, the next an Israelite butterfly. These sorts of details in Scripture reveal remarkable spiritual truth, dear friends. Don’t miss out on them. Hie off to my Amazon link below and purchase your very own copies of my books. I bring out innumerable suchlike details in my books. You will only be the better for it. Thank you.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Female, Food, or Other? – Part 1
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all [2 Corinthians 13:14].
G-R-A-C-E, grace. That’s a pretty word, don’t you think? I mean, consider what it conjures in the mind. I see this pretty lady. Her name is Grace. Oh, and I envision a table full of scrumptious edibles, but I cannot have any until I “say grace”. But what does the word grace really mean?
That question makes for a profitable conversation. Let’s have a multiple choice question on this test. Does the word grace refer to a female, or to food, or to something other? What say we roll up our sleeves and get to work on answering it. The fruits of our labor will be sweet, so sweet.
Allow me to direct you to a simple understanding of the word grace, one not buried in deep and heavy theological jargon. I just finished watching a movie. It is possible, though not a frequent occurrence, that we can learn a good deal from a movie. What makes it even more enjoyable is that we don’t have to study hard and exercise the old noggin in doing so. This is a method of learning which all of us can appreciate. Am I not right?
Anyway, this movie is a Christian film about—you guessed it—grace, God’s grace, the real McCoy. Even more, it stays true to its task, viz., to teach the meaning of grace. To achieve its goal, the movie presents a story reminiscent of real life and demonstrates grace in action, grace with marching boots on.
The story flows around the life of two families, both with police husbands and fathers, but only one man has the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in his life. Catastrophe strikes the family of the police officer who hasn’t the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in him. What’s more, one family is black, the other white.
You don’t have to concern yourself with religious cliches and Hollywood hype, I promise. The show has none of that. What it has is real life and real death and real Christ. How those three intertwine and the results which follows—that is the storyline. The punchline to the conclusion of the story is, “Don’t play the race card. Play the grace card.”
And that is the name of the movie, viz., The Grace Card. You have to see it. You will love it—that is, if the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ holds any interest in your heart and mind. I won’t tell you anything more about the movie than that. I don’t want to spoil it for you. It is deeply moving and practical, life in action with no flighty Hollywood glimmer attached.
Which brings us to the Bible verse with which we began this study today. There are three concepts in the verse:
• the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
• the love of God
• the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
In those three concepts the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the truth of the Trinity. The word Trinity is a compound word derived from “tri” and “unity”. The prefix “tri” occurs in the word triangle, which is defined as a shape having three sides and three angles. The prefix “tri” refers to “three” of something. The word unity emphasizes “one” of something, an indivisible union of two or more somethings.
Hence the word Trinity speaks of three somethings which are indivisible and exist as one. In terms of God, the word Trinity means there are three Persons who exist as God, but there is only one God. The word Trinity means “three in one”, a Tri-unity (aka Trinity).
Let’s pause and reflect on these concepts now. Betake ourselves to the prayer closet and sit a spell at the feet of Jesus. There is only one thing needful, and Mary chose it. Let’s do so as well.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
G-R-A-C-E, grace. That’s a pretty word, don’t you think? I mean, consider what it conjures in the mind. I see this pretty lady. Her name is Grace. Oh, and I envision a table full of scrumptious edibles, but I cannot have any until I “say grace”. But what does the word grace really mean?
That question makes for a profitable conversation. Let’s have a multiple choice question on this test. Does the word grace refer to a female, or to food, or to something other? What say we roll up our sleeves and get to work on answering it. The fruits of our labor will be sweet, so sweet.
Allow me to direct you to a simple understanding of the word grace, one not buried in deep and heavy theological jargon. I just finished watching a movie. It is possible, though not a frequent occurrence, that we can learn a good deal from a movie. What makes it even more enjoyable is that we don’t have to study hard and exercise the old noggin in doing so. This is a method of learning which all of us can appreciate. Am I not right?
Anyway, this movie is a Christian film about—you guessed it—grace, God’s grace, the real McCoy. Even more, it stays true to its task, viz., to teach the meaning of grace. To achieve its goal, the movie presents a story reminiscent of real life and demonstrates grace in action, grace with marching boots on.
The story flows around the life of two families, both with police husbands and fathers, but only one man has the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in his life. Catastrophe strikes the family of the police officer who hasn’t the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in him. What’s more, one family is black, the other white.
You don’t have to concern yourself with religious cliches and Hollywood hype, I promise. The show has none of that. What it has is real life and real death and real Christ. How those three intertwine and the results which follows—that is the storyline. The punchline to the conclusion of the story is, “Don’t play the race card. Play the grace card.”
And that is the name of the movie, viz., The Grace Card. You have to see it. You will love it—that is, if the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ holds any interest in your heart and mind. I won’t tell you anything more about the movie than that. I don’t want to spoil it for you. It is deeply moving and practical, life in action with no flighty Hollywood glimmer attached.
Which brings us to the Bible verse with which we began this study today. There are three concepts in the verse:
• the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
• the love of God
• the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
In those three concepts the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the truth of the Trinity. The word Trinity is a compound word derived from “tri” and “unity”. The prefix “tri” occurs in the word triangle, which is defined as a shape having three sides and three angles. The prefix “tri” refers to “three” of something. The word unity emphasizes “one” of something, an indivisible union of two or more somethings.
Hence the word Trinity speaks of three somethings which are indivisible and exist as one. In terms of God, the word Trinity means there are three Persons who exist as God, but there is only one God. The word Trinity means “three in one”, a Tri-unity (aka Trinity).
Let’s pause and reflect on these concepts now. Betake ourselves to the prayer closet and sit a spell at the feet of Jesus. There is only one thing needful, and Mary chose it. Let’s do so as well.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Female, Food, or Other? – Part 2
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all [2 Corinthians 13:14].
In terms of God, the word Trinity means there are three Persons who exist as God, but there is only one God. In our Bible verse Paul identifies these three Persons as,
• God
• the Lord Jesus Christ
• the Holy Spirit
In many places the New Testament demonstrates the simultaneous existence of all three Persons of the Godhead. They eternally exist together as one God, though they are three distinct Persons.
There are those who react to this by huffing and puffing incredulously about how they cannot understand such a concept. We respond to them, “Join the club, friends! God is far above our pay grade. Of course we cannot understand Him! We understand only a small part of time, space, and matter. How do you expect to understand the most intricate and unfathomable teachings of eternity? Preposterous to think we can, sir and madam. God understands us. We do NOT understand Him, nor can we. We can only know Him to the extent He explains Himself to us.”
I point to the evidence of the Trinity in 2 Corinthians 13:14 only because it is there. We need to recognize that God’s Word reveals this teaching to us, so we may understand Him more fully. But the study today is about grace, if you recall. So let’s touch upon the three items which accompany the three Persons of the Trinity.
The love of God. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. That spells g-r-a-c-e, GRACE! Jesus offers us eternal life because He died on the cross as payment for the penalty of our sins. The grace of God comes to us via the Person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is grace.
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Jesus returned to heaven forty days after His resurrection. He sent the Holy Spirit ten days later to indwell those who believed in Him. The Holy Spirit came in power and gave birth to the Church, which is the Body of Christ on earth during this Church Age.
The Holy Spirit’s presence means that man has fellowship with God now. We are no longer at war with God. Instead we have peace WITH God, which makes it possible for us to live in the peace OF God in this world. Jesus didn’t leave us as orphans when He ascended to heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and our peace and our fellowship with the Lord.
So what say ye? Is it yea or nay to the call of God on your life? Will you receive the love of God via the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? In America we can play the race card, which the politicians certainly profit from. Or we can embrace 2 Corinthians 13:14 and embrace The Grace Card instead. The Spirit calls. What is your response?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
In terms of God, the word Trinity means there are three Persons who exist as God, but there is only one God. In our Bible verse Paul identifies these three Persons as,
• God
• the Lord Jesus Christ
• the Holy Spirit
In many places the New Testament demonstrates the simultaneous existence of all three Persons of the Godhead. They eternally exist together as one God, though they are three distinct Persons.
There are those who react to this by huffing and puffing incredulously about how they cannot understand such a concept. We respond to them, “Join the club, friends! God is far above our pay grade. Of course we cannot understand Him! We understand only a small part of time, space, and matter. How do you expect to understand the most intricate and unfathomable teachings of eternity? Preposterous to think we can, sir and madam. God understands us. We do NOT understand Him, nor can we. We can only know Him to the extent He explains Himself to us.”
I point to the evidence of the Trinity in 2 Corinthians 13:14 only because it is there. We need to recognize that God’s Word reveals this teaching to us, so we may understand Him more fully. But the study today is about grace, if you recall. So let’s touch upon the three items which accompany the three Persons of the Trinity.
The love of God. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. That spells g-r-a-c-e, GRACE! Jesus offers us eternal life because He died on the cross as payment for the penalty of our sins. The grace of God comes to us via the Person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is grace.
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Jesus returned to heaven forty days after His resurrection. He sent the Holy Spirit ten days later to indwell those who believed in Him. The Holy Spirit came in power and gave birth to the Church, which is the Body of Christ on earth during this Church Age.
The Holy Spirit’s presence means that man has fellowship with God now. We are no longer at war with God. Instead we have peace WITH God, which makes it possible for us to live in the peace OF God in this world. Jesus didn’t leave us as orphans when He ascended to heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and our peace and our fellowship with the Lord.
So what say ye? Is it yea or nay to the call of God on your life? Will you receive the love of God via the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? In America we can play the race card, which the politicians certainly profit from. Or we can embrace 2 Corinthians 13:14 and embrace The Grace Card instead. The Spirit calls. What is your response?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The 3 L’s – Part 1
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ [Galatians 6:2].
April 15 has come and gone for another year. Americans young and old went through the ordeal of filing their tax returns. Some folks received money back, while others were privileged to dole out additional funds into the leaky cistern known as the federal government.
Then there are those sneaky persons who didn’t file their tax returns at all. Suchlike fellows have broken the law; they’ve committed a crime. They are lawbreakers, criminals. This is true whether or not we agree with the tax code or believe in an income tax. It is the law of the land, thus obligating us to obey it until such time as it is revoked.
In Old Testament Israel the Israelites were governed by the Lord through His legal code, the Law of Moses. Whenever any Israelite failed to do anything the Law required, he became a lawbreaker, a criminal. Whenever he did anything the Law forbade, he became a lawbreaker. Taking into account all the Israelites throughout the entire Old Testament era, we can count on the fingers of one hand how many never were lawbreakers—and we’d still have four fingers and one thumb unused!
Yes, the Old Testament had the Law of Moses. And yes, we today have many laws—federal, state, and local—by which we are governed. In the verse quoted to kick off this study, the Apostle Paul exhorted the Galatian Christians to fulfill the law of Christ. This adds still another “law” to the mix. What is this “law of Christ” anyway?
Ah, that makes for a right fine topic to discuss. Is the “law of Christ” a new legal code which is applicable to the church? Does it replace our federal, state, and local laws. Perhaps it’s the Law of Moses and the Church is obligated to obey it? Maybe it’s just the “moral law” included in the Law of Moses? Oh dear. My head is twirling from all the confusion! What is “the law of Christ”. Would someone please answer the question already?
Let us not be overwhelmed by this topic, dear friends, and drown in the depths of despair. Paul didn’t fabricate some new teaching, when he instructed the Galatian Christians about obedience to the law of Christ. Paul referred to the words of the Lord Jesus, while He walked the earth and taught the Word of God to the Israelites. Let’s check it out and see for ourselves.
The Jewish authorities didn’t support Jesus, and they actively opposed His ministry and teachings. They made it their life’s goal to thwart Him, whenever they deemed it feasible to do so. On one occasion a lawyer tried to trick Jesus into saying something wrong, by introducing a topic which divided the rabbis into contentious cliques.
We will delve into this mysterious topic on the morrow. In the interim enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 15 has come and gone for another year. Americans young and old went through the ordeal of filing their tax returns. Some folks received money back, while others were privileged to dole out additional funds into the leaky cistern known as the federal government.
Then there are those sneaky persons who didn’t file their tax returns at all. Suchlike fellows have broken the law; they’ve committed a crime. They are lawbreakers, criminals. This is true whether or not we agree with the tax code or believe in an income tax. It is the law of the land, thus obligating us to obey it until such time as it is revoked.
In Old Testament Israel the Israelites were governed by the Lord through His legal code, the Law of Moses. Whenever any Israelite failed to do anything the Law required, he became a lawbreaker, a criminal. Whenever he did anything the Law forbade, he became a lawbreaker. Taking into account all the Israelites throughout the entire Old Testament era, we can count on the fingers of one hand how many never were lawbreakers—and we’d still have four fingers and one thumb unused!
Yes, the Old Testament had the Law of Moses. And yes, we today have many laws—federal, state, and local—by which we are governed. In the verse quoted to kick off this study, the Apostle Paul exhorted the Galatian Christians to fulfill the law of Christ. This adds still another “law” to the mix. What is this “law of Christ” anyway?
Ah, that makes for a right fine topic to discuss. Is the “law of Christ” a new legal code which is applicable to the church? Does it replace our federal, state, and local laws. Perhaps it’s the Law of Moses and the Church is obligated to obey it? Maybe it’s just the “moral law” included in the Law of Moses? Oh dear. My head is twirling from all the confusion! What is “the law of Christ”. Would someone please answer the question already?
Let us not be overwhelmed by this topic, dear friends, and drown in the depths of despair. Paul didn’t fabricate some new teaching, when he instructed the Galatian Christians about obedience to the law of Christ. Paul referred to the words of the Lord Jesus, while He walked the earth and taught the Word of God to the Israelites. Let’s check it out and see for ourselves.
The Jewish authorities didn’t support Jesus, and they actively opposed His ministry and teachings. They made it their life’s goal to thwart Him, whenever they deemed it feasible to do so. On one occasion a lawyer tried to trick Jesus into saying something wrong, by introducing a topic which divided the rabbis into contentious cliques.
We will delve into this mysterious topic on the morrow. In the interim enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The 3 L’s – Part 2
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ [Galatians 6:2].
We concluded our last study with a Jewish lawyer, who tried to embroil Jesus in an ongoing contention between the various rabbinic schools of thought back in the day. This lawyer asked Jesus which commandment in the Law of Moses He thought was the greatest of them all. Jesus responded,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets [Matthew 22:37-40].
Rule #1 for Bible study teaches, “A text without a context is a pretext.” Lest we find ourselves wading in a pretext, let’s begin by establishing the context of Jesus’ answer to the lawyer.
The lawyer wanted to know which commandment from the Law of Moses was chiefest of all. The context for the lawyer’s question was the Law of Moses. Jesus’ answer was to identify the chiefest commandment, and then to add the second chiefest commandment to the mix. The context for Jesus’ answer was also the Law of Moses.
In providing His answer Jesus quoted from two places in the Law of Moses. The chiefest commandment is to be found in Deuteronomy 6:5. The second chiefest commandment is located in Leviticus 19:18. This means the law espoused by Jesus was the Law of Moses.
Yea, even more, Jesus claimed the entire Law of Moses was fulfilled via obedience to the two chiefest commandments which He identified. Anyone who loved God with his entire being, while simultaneously loving his neighbor as much as he loved himself, in actuality did fully obey the Law of Moses.
Jesus’ position taught that the Law of Moses could not be obeyed outwardly alone. For example, it wouldn’t be sufficient for me to give the tithe and refrain from working on the Sabbath, all the while I resent giving the tithe and can’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so I can make more money. No! I have to give the tithe and obey the Sabbath from my heart first and foremost; then the outward obedience would follow.
This brings us to the “3 L’s”: Law, Legalism, Love. The Law of Moses was the Lord’s legal code for the Promised Land. It was in force during the tenure of the Israelites in the Promised Land during Old Testament times. Being the Word of God, the Law was perfect. There was a problem, to be sure, but the problem wasn’t with the Law. It was with man.
The Israelites, and all men, were and are sinners. Therein lies the problem. The Law was made for sinners. The purpose of the Law was to show sinners their inability to obey God perfectly. In this way sinners can recognize their need for a Savior, One who can bring them back into fellowship with God.
Hold that thought until the next study. We will finish the discussion then. For now let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet for some fellowship with the Lord.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study with a Jewish lawyer, who tried to embroil Jesus in an ongoing contention between the various rabbinic schools of thought back in the day. This lawyer asked Jesus which commandment in the Law of Moses He thought was the greatest of them all. Jesus responded,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets [Matthew 22:37-40].
Rule #1 for Bible study teaches, “A text without a context is a pretext.” Lest we find ourselves wading in a pretext, let’s begin by establishing the context of Jesus’ answer to the lawyer.
The lawyer wanted to know which commandment from the Law of Moses was chiefest of all. The context for the lawyer’s question was the Law of Moses. Jesus’ answer was to identify the chiefest commandment, and then to add the second chiefest commandment to the mix. The context for Jesus’ answer was also the Law of Moses.
In providing His answer Jesus quoted from two places in the Law of Moses. The chiefest commandment is to be found in Deuteronomy 6:5. The second chiefest commandment is located in Leviticus 19:18. This means the law espoused by Jesus was the Law of Moses.
Yea, even more, Jesus claimed the entire Law of Moses was fulfilled via obedience to the two chiefest commandments which He identified. Anyone who loved God with his entire being, while simultaneously loving his neighbor as much as he loved himself, in actuality did fully obey the Law of Moses.
Jesus’ position taught that the Law of Moses could not be obeyed outwardly alone. For example, it wouldn’t be sufficient for me to give the tithe and refrain from working on the Sabbath, all the while I resent giving the tithe and can’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so I can make more money. No! I have to give the tithe and obey the Sabbath from my heart first and foremost; then the outward obedience would follow.
This brings us to the “3 L’s”: Law, Legalism, Love. The Law of Moses was the Lord’s legal code for the Promised Land. It was in force during the tenure of the Israelites in the Promised Land during Old Testament times. Being the Word of God, the Law was perfect. There was a problem, to be sure, but the problem wasn’t with the Law. It was with man.
The Israelites, and all men, were and are sinners. Therein lies the problem. The Law was made for sinners. The purpose of the Law was to show sinners their inability to obey God perfectly. In this way sinners can recognize their need for a Savior, One who can bring them back into fellowship with God.
Hold that thought until the next study. We will finish the discussion then. For now let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet for some fellowship with the Lord.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The 3 L's - Part 3
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ [Galatians 6:2].
The Law was given to sinners, which created a problem, though the problem was not with the Law. The problem was that sinners are in rebellion against God and don’t want to obey Him. Sinners believe they are good enough to be right with God. This displays itself in legalism. Legalism is the practice of obeying the Law according to sinful man’s interpretation of what this entails.
Since all men are sinners, Old Testament Israelites included, law-abiding Israelites rapidly degenerated into legalistic Israelites. The same applies to Gentiles who attempt to do their own good works, in order to find favor with God.
This is where “the law of Christ” comes in. The Lord gave the Law to Israel. Israel perverted the Law into Legalism. The Lord Jesus interpreted the Law perfectly by returning it to its origins.
The Law was not given as a means to salvation. The Law was given by God to teach sinful man their need for a Savior. In this way sinful men can flee to their Savior and be restored into right relationship with God.
God is love. Any relationship with Him is founded on love because God is love. For sinful man to obey the Law perfectly—which is the only acceptable way to obey it—he has to obey from the heart. He has to want to obey because he recognizes its validity and truly desires from his inmost being to be the person the Law demands he be.
That, dear friends, is the definition of love. Love doesn’t seek its own good, but the good of others. Love doesn’t push self to the front, but elevates others to first place. Love doesn’t take what it wants and keep score. Love gives and overlooks slights to self.
The Law was given to demonstrate to sinful man how far short of the glory of God all of us fall. Sinful man perverted this to Legalism because that is the only way sinners can measure up to the Law. The Lord Jesus returned the Law to its roots by returning it to its rightful foundation, Love.
The 3 L’s: Law, Legalism, Love. The law of Christ is that I love the Lord God with my entire being, and that I love my neighbor as myself. This doesn’t require that I obey the Law of Moses. It does require that I forsake Legalism.
To fulfill the law of Christ I need to spend daily time alone with the Lord Jesus, learning to know Him more and more in order to grow in my love for Him. He is love, so I must get my love from Him. Only after doing so will I have love to give back to Him and to share with my neighbor.
I think I’ll pause now and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in His arms. I love You, Lord.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Law was given to sinners, which created a problem, though the problem was not with the Law. The problem was that sinners are in rebellion against God and don’t want to obey Him. Sinners believe they are good enough to be right with God. This displays itself in legalism. Legalism is the practice of obeying the Law according to sinful man’s interpretation of what this entails.
Since all men are sinners, Old Testament Israelites included, law-abiding Israelites rapidly degenerated into legalistic Israelites. The same applies to Gentiles who attempt to do their own good works, in order to find favor with God.
This is where “the law of Christ” comes in. The Lord gave the Law to Israel. Israel perverted the Law into Legalism. The Lord Jesus interpreted the Law perfectly by returning it to its origins.
The Law was not given as a means to salvation. The Law was given by God to teach sinful man their need for a Savior. In this way sinful men can flee to their Savior and be restored into right relationship with God.
God is love. Any relationship with Him is founded on love because God is love. For sinful man to obey the Law perfectly—which is the only acceptable way to obey it—he has to obey from the heart. He has to want to obey because he recognizes its validity and truly desires from his inmost being to be the person the Law demands he be.
That, dear friends, is the definition of love. Love doesn’t seek its own good, but the good of others. Love doesn’t push self to the front, but elevates others to first place. Love doesn’t take what it wants and keep score. Love gives and overlooks slights to self.
The Law was given to demonstrate to sinful man how far short of the glory of God all of us fall. Sinful man perverted this to Legalism because that is the only way sinners can measure up to the Law. The Lord Jesus returned the Law to its roots by returning it to its rightful foundation, Love.
The 3 L’s: Law, Legalism, Love. The law of Christ is that I love the Lord God with my entire being, and that I love my neighbor as myself. This doesn’t require that I obey the Law of Moses. It does require that I forsake Legalism.
To fulfill the law of Christ I need to spend daily time alone with the Lord Jesus, learning to know Him more and more in order to grow in my love for Him. He is love, so I must get my love from Him. Only after doing so will I have love to give back to Him and to share with my neighbor.
I think I’ll pause now and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in His arms. I love You, Lord.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
From Moabite to Israelite – Part 1
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” [Ruth 1:16-17]
Do you recall the first person you fell for? Remember how puppy love felt? I do! I walked on the moon without touching the ground. Butterflies hovered around my head and in my stomach. I didn’t know what day it was or even if it was day. Goosebumps covered my skin and goose eggs made up my common sense quotient. Ah, amore.
As we all know, puppy love doesn’t last. The temporary blindness which accompanies it, along with the temporary insanity, dissipate sooner or later—usually sooner—and we realize our lovely “beauty” is really an unsightly “beast”…sort of like Mrs. Shrek. Yes, puppy love is more a Hollywood thing than it is reality.
And then there is the real thing, the real McCoy, true love, the kind which we can read about in 1 Corinthians 13 but rarely witness in real life. Let’s identify real love, God’s love, shall we?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins [1 John 4:10].
See! True love, God’s love, doesn’t TAKE. It GIVES. Real love looks out for the one loved, rather than see how it can profit from the one loved. Does this not explain why the divorce rate is sky high in today’s antichrist society? Everyone looks out for his/her own interests. All of us have a penchant for putting Numero Uno first. In the Bible this is recognized as “hate”, in contrast to “love”…and the Bible is quite correct.
It is hard for us to grasp what we read in Ruth 1, as quoted at the start of this study. We have the words of true love there. In fact Ruth’s true love came from Israel’s King YHWH and metamorphosed her from a Moabite to an Israelite. The proof is right there in the two verses I quoted. Ruth’s metamorphosis takes place in those verses.
“How so?” you are no doubt wondering. It has to do with the usage of the words God and the Lord. We’ve posted studies on this issue already, and my Heavenly Citizens series delves into the matter exhaustively on many occasions. Let’s have a brief review.
The word God isn’t a name or even a title. It is hard to define because it applies only to the one true God. This makes it unique. Suffice it to say that the word human depicts a species. In the same way the word God does likewise, except the species consists of only one, making Him not a species. The word God denotes deity. On the other hand, the words the Lord—in reality only one Hebrew word, viz., YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah—is the actual NAME of God.
Oh, but this is a right fine location to pitch our tents for the night. We will return to this issue in our next study. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Do you recall the first person you fell for? Remember how puppy love felt? I do! I walked on the moon without touching the ground. Butterflies hovered around my head and in my stomach. I didn’t know what day it was or even if it was day. Goosebumps covered my skin and goose eggs made up my common sense quotient. Ah, amore.
As we all know, puppy love doesn’t last. The temporary blindness which accompanies it, along with the temporary insanity, dissipate sooner or later—usually sooner—and we realize our lovely “beauty” is really an unsightly “beast”…sort of like Mrs. Shrek. Yes, puppy love is more a Hollywood thing than it is reality.
And then there is the real thing, the real McCoy, true love, the kind which we can read about in 1 Corinthians 13 but rarely witness in real life. Let’s identify real love, God’s love, shall we?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life [John 3:16].
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins [1 John 4:10].
See! True love, God’s love, doesn’t TAKE. It GIVES. Real love looks out for the one loved, rather than see how it can profit from the one loved. Does this not explain why the divorce rate is sky high in today’s antichrist society? Everyone looks out for his/her own interests. All of us have a penchant for putting Numero Uno first. In the Bible this is recognized as “hate”, in contrast to “love”…and the Bible is quite correct.
It is hard for us to grasp what we read in Ruth 1, as quoted at the start of this study. We have the words of true love there. In fact Ruth’s true love came from Israel’s King YHWH and metamorphosed her from a Moabite to an Israelite. The proof is right there in the two verses I quoted. Ruth’s metamorphosis takes place in those verses.
“How so?” you are no doubt wondering. It has to do with the usage of the words God and the Lord. We’ve posted studies on this issue already, and my Heavenly Citizens series delves into the matter exhaustively on many occasions. Let’s have a brief review.
The word God isn’t a name or even a title. It is hard to define because it applies only to the one true God. This makes it unique. Suffice it to say that the word human depicts a species. In the same way the word God does likewise, except the species consists of only one, making Him not a species. The word God denotes deity. On the other hand, the words the Lord—in reality only one Hebrew word, viz., YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah—is the actual NAME of God.
Oh, but this is a right fine location to pitch our tents for the night. We will return to this issue in our next study. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
From Moabite to Israelite – Part 2
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” [Ruth 1:16-17]
Here’s the thing about the words God and the Lord. When the Lord is identified as God (as in Genesis 1), it refers to the One Who created everything, He Who is high and mighty and towers above the earth and over all creation. The word God points to the impersonal aspect of the Divine One. When God is identified by His name YHWH (aka the Lord), this is personal. Compare it to the identifiers the President and Barak Obama. On the one hand, the President is an impersonal reference, while Barak Obama is quite personal.
Now reread Ruth 1:16-17. The context was that Naomi the Israelite went with her husband and two sons to live in Moab for a spell because there was a famine in Israel. While in Moab her husband died and her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then her two sons died as well. When the famine in Israel was finally over, Naomi decided to return to Israel. Her two daughters-in-law started to go with her, but Naomi discouraged them.
Orpah turned around and went back to Moab, but Ruth pronounced some of the most deeply emotional words of fidelity ever to be recorded, the words in Ruth 1:16-17. She began by saying she was willingly leaving behind her people and embracing Naomi’s people. This meant that thenceforth she saw herself as an Israelite, not as a Moabite.
She then added that she also was willingly renouncing her gods and embracing Naomi’s God. That perforce had to be the case, in order to become an Israelite proselyte. Don’t overlook which word was used to identify the Divine One. Ruth said she was embracing GOD. Because Ruth was a Moabite, she had no personal relationship with the Lord. Her relationship was that between Creator (aka God) and creature (aka created being). It was impersonal.
After renouncing her Moabite identity and the concomitant gods of Moab, Ruth forthwith became a true Israelite. This is why her very next words did NOT refer to God but to the Lord. She said, “If I ever leave you, Naomi, may the Lord, may YHWH, cook my goose!”
See! One moment Ruth was a Moabite cocoon, the next an Israelite butterfly. These sorts of details in Scripture reveal remarkable spiritual truth, dear friends. Don’t miss out on them. Hie off to my Amazon link below and purchase your very own copies of my books. I bring out innumerable suchlike details in my books. You will only be the better for it. Thank you.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Here’s the thing about the words God and the Lord. When the Lord is identified as God (as in Genesis 1), it refers to the One Who created everything, He Who is high and mighty and towers above the earth and over all creation. The word God points to the impersonal aspect of the Divine One. When God is identified by His name YHWH (aka the Lord), this is personal. Compare it to the identifiers the President and Barak Obama. On the one hand, the President is an impersonal reference, while Barak Obama is quite personal.
Now reread Ruth 1:16-17. The context was that Naomi the Israelite went with her husband and two sons to live in Moab for a spell because there was a famine in Israel. While in Moab her husband died and her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then her two sons died as well. When the famine in Israel was finally over, Naomi decided to return to Israel. Her two daughters-in-law started to go with her, but Naomi discouraged them.
Orpah turned around and went back to Moab, but Ruth pronounced some of the most deeply emotional words of fidelity ever to be recorded, the words in Ruth 1:16-17. She began by saying she was willingly leaving behind her people and embracing Naomi’s people. This meant that thenceforth she saw herself as an Israelite, not as a Moabite.
She then added that she also was willingly renouncing her gods and embracing Naomi’s God. That perforce had to be the case, in order to become an Israelite proselyte. Don’t overlook which word was used to identify the Divine One. Ruth said she was embracing GOD. Because Ruth was a Moabite, she had no personal relationship with the Lord. Her relationship was that between Creator (aka God) and creature (aka created being). It was impersonal.
After renouncing her Moabite identity and the concomitant gods of Moab, Ruth forthwith became a true Israelite. This is why her very next words did NOT refer to God but to the Lord. She said, “If I ever leave you, Naomi, may the Lord, may YHWH, cook my goose!”
See! One moment Ruth was a Moabite cocoon, the next an Israelite butterfly. These sorts of details in Scripture reveal remarkable spiritual truth, dear friends. Don’t miss out on them. Hie off to my Amazon link below and purchase your very own copies of my books. I bring out innumerable suchlike details in my books. You will only be the better for it. Thank you.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Female, Food, or Other? – Part 1
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all [2 Corinthians 13:14].
G-R-A-C-E, grace. That’s a pretty word, don’t you think? I mean, consider what it conjures in the mind. I see this pretty lady. Her name is Grace. Oh, and I envision a table full of scrumptious edibles, but I cannot have any until I “say grace”. But what does the word grace really mean?
That question makes for a profitable conversation. Let’s have a multiple choice question on this test. Does the word grace refer to a female, or to food, or to something other? What say we roll up our sleeves and get to work on answering it. The fruits of our labor will be sweet, so sweet.
Allow me to direct you to a simple understanding of the word grace, one not buried in deep and heavy theological jargon. I just finished watching a movie. It is possible, though not a frequent occurrence, that we can learn a good deal from a movie. What makes it even more enjoyable is that we don’t have to study hard and exercise the old noggin in doing so. This is a method of learning which all of us can appreciate. Am I not right?
Anyway, this movie is a Christian film about—you guessed it—grace, God’s grace, the real McCoy. Even more, it stays true to its task, viz., to teach the meaning of grace. To achieve its goal, the movie presents a story reminiscent of real life and demonstrates grace in action, grace with marching boots on.
The story flows around the life of two families, both with police husbands and fathers, but only one man has the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in his life. Catastrophe strikes the family of the police officer who hasn’t the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in him. What’s more, one family is black, the other white.
You don’t have to concern yourself with religious clichés and Hollywood hype, I promise. The show has none of that. What it has is real life and real death and real Christ. How those three intertwine and the results which follows—that is the storyline. The punch line to the conclusion of the story is, “Don’t play the race card. Play the grace card.”
And that is the name of the movie, viz., The Grace Card. You have to see it. You will love it—that is, if the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ holds any interest in your heart and mind. I won’t tell you anything more about the movie than that. I don’t want to spoil it for you. It is deeply moving and practical, life in action with no flighty Hollywood glimmer attached.
Which brings us to the Bible verse with which we began this study today. There are three concepts in the verse:
• the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
• the love of God
• the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
In those three concepts the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the truth of the Trinity. The word Trinity is a compound word derived from “tri” and “unity”. The prefix “tri” occurs in the word triangle, which is defined as a shape having three sides and three angles. The prefix “tri” refers to “three” of something. The word unity emphasizes “one” of something, an indivisible union of two or more somethings.
Hence the word Trinity speaks of three somethings which are indivisible and exist as one. In terms of God, the word Trinity means there are three Persons who exist as God, but there is only one God. The word Trinity means “three in one”, a Tri-unity (aka Trinity).
Let’s pause and reflect on these concepts now. Betake ourselves to the prayer closet and sit a spell at the feet of Jesus. There is only one thing needful, and Mary chose it. Let’s do so as well.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
G-R-A-C-E, grace. That’s a pretty word, don’t you think? I mean, consider what it conjures in the mind. I see this pretty lady. Her name is Grace. Oh, and I envision a table full of scrumptious edibles, but I cannot have any until I “say grace”. But what does the word grace really mean?
That question makes for a profitable conversation. Let’s have a multiple choice question on this test. Does the word grace refer to a female, or to food, or to something other? What say we roll up our sleeves and get to work on answering it. The fruits of our labor will be sweet, so sweet.
Allow me to direct you to a simple understanding of the word grace, one not buried in deep and heavy theological jargon. I just finished watching a movie. It is possible, though not a frequent occurrence, that we can learn a good deal from a movie. What makes it even more enjoyable is that we don’t have to study hard and exercise the old noggin in doing so. This is a method of learning which all of us can appreciate. Am I not right?
Anyway, this movie is a Christian film about—you guessed it—grace, God’s grace, the real McCoy. Even more, it stays true to its task, viz., to teach the meaning of grace. To achieve its goal, the movie presents a story reminiscent of real life and demonstrates grace in action, grace with marching boots on.
The story flows around the life of two families, both with police husbands and fathers, but only one man has the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in his life. Catastrophe strikes the family of the police officer who hasn’t the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ working in him. What’s more, one family is black, the other white.
You don’t have to concern yourself with religious clichés and Hollywood hype, I promise. The show has none of that. What it has is real life and real death and real Christ. How those three intertwine and the results which follows—that is the storyline. The punch line to the conclusion of the story is, “Don’t play the race card. Play the grace card.”
And that is the name of the movie, viz., The Grace Card. You have to see it. You will love it—that is, if the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ holds any interest in your heart and mind. I won’t tell you anything more about the movie than that. I don’t want to spoil it for you. It is deeply moving and practical, life in action with no flighty Hollywood glimmer attached.
Which brings us to the Bible verse with which we began this study today. There are three concepts in the verse:
• the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
• the love of God
• the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
In those three concepts the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the truth of the Trinity. The word Trinity is a compound word derived from “tri” and “unity”. The prefix “tri” occurs in the word triangle, which is defined as a shape having three sides and three angles. The prefix “tri” refers to “three” of something. The word unity emphasizes “one” of something, an indivisible union of two or more somethings.
Hence the word Trinity speaks of three somethings which are indivisible and exist as one. In terms of God, the word Trinity means there are three Persons who exist as God, but there is only one God. The word Trinity means “three in one”, a Tri-unity (aka Trinity).
Let’s pause and reflect on these concepts now. Betake ourselves to the prayer closet and sit a spell at the feet of Jesus. There is only one thing needful, and Mary chose it. Let’s do so as well.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
