Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "trinity"
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...
Uncovering Secrets in the Bible – Part 1
Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him [1 Corinthians 8:6].
1 Corinthians is in the New Testament, which means it was originally written in koine Greek. The word koine is Greek for “common”, meaning that it wasn’t the flowery Greek of cultured society, or the educated Greek of the Greek philosophers. It was the Greek spoken by the common man on the street of that time.
Even though we’re dealing with the Greek language in the New Testament, nonetheless we are also dealing with the Hebrew people. This means that, though they were speaking another language, they still spoke as Jews and not Gentiles. With this in mind we shouldn’t be taken aback when we realize they often expressed themselves in terms of parallelism.
Parallelism is the style used in Biblical Hebrew poetry. We today rhyme words at the ends of lines and call that poetry. The Hebrews rhymed ideas within the lines and called that poetry. The ideas might roughly coincide with each other, or they might be opposites of each other. Poetry which expresses coinciding ideas is known as synonymous parallelism. Poetry which expresses opposite ideas is known as antonymous parallelism.
Even when they presented narrative instead of poetry, it was not unusual by any means to find parallelism in the writing. When we today use alliteration in our narrative writing, we are employing a concept from poetry. And this is what we have in our Bible verse which kicked off our study today. Let’s consider it in that light now.
The parallelism is between the Father and the Son, and it is synonymous. The Father is identified as “God”, while the Son (i.e., “Jesus Christ”) is identified as “Lord”. But what follows from this is where the parallelism really comes into play. Permit me to express it as a numbered list.
1. from whom are all things and we exist for Him (i.e., the Father)
2. by whom are all things, and we exist through Him (i.e., the Son)
It should be ostensible to you, the way the two phrases run “parallel” with each other. But lest perchance anyone miss out on the fine details, I will spell them out to you. Again, a numbered list suits our purposes and shortens the explanation needed.
1. from whom are all things parallels by whom are all things
2. we exist for Him parallels we exist through Him
Now mull over the difference between the words “from” and “by”. They express the only difference in Line #1 of the preceding list. Both words are prepositions. So, then, what difference is portrayed by them in these two prepositional phrases? Answer: the phrase from whom are all things emphasizes the Father as the originator of all things. The phrase by whom are all things tells us that the Father created all things by means of His Son.
Do you see why I identified this as synonymous parallelism and not antonymous? The two ideas parallel each other in an agreeable fashion. They pull together rather than push apart. We learn that God is the Creator. He created as both the Father and the Son, and the two Persons worked together in perfect harmony, as One God.
We will decipher Line #2 in our next study. Be sure to be there. It gets even tastier.
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...
1 Corinthians is in the New Testament, which means it was originally written in koine Greek. The word koine is Greek for “common”, meaning that it wasn’t the flowery Greek of cultured society, or the educated Greek of the Greek philosophers. It was the Greek spoken by the common man on the street of that time.
Even though we’re dealing with the Greek language in the New Testament, nonetheless we are also dealing with the Hebrew people. This means that, though they were speaking another language, they still spoke as Jews and not Gentiles. With this in mind we shouldn’t be taken aback when we realize they often expressed themselves in terms of parallelism.
Parallelism is the style used in Biblical Hebrew poetry. We today rhyme words at the ends of lines and call that poetry. The Hebrews rhymed ideas within the lines and called that poetry. The ideas might roughly coincide with each other, or they might be opposites of each other. Poetry which expresses coinciding ideas is known as synonymous parallelism. Poetry which expresses opposite ideas is known as antonymous parallelism.
Even when they presented narrative instead of poetry, it was not unusual by any means to find parallelism in the writing. When we today use alliteration in our narrative writing, we are employing a concept from poetry. And this is what we have in our Bible verse which kicked off our study today. Let’s consider it in that light now.
The parallelism is between the Father and the Son, and it is synonymous. The Father is identified as “God”, while the Son (i.e., “Jesus Christ”) is identified as “Lord”. But what follows from this is where the parallelism really comes into play. Permit me to express it as a numbered list.
1. from whom are all things and we exist for Him (i.e., the Father)
2. by whom are all things, and we exist through Him (i.e., the Son)
It should be ostensible to you, the way the two phrases run “parallel” with each other. But lest perchance anyone miss out on the fine details, I will spell them out to you. Again, a numbered list suits our purposes and shortens the explanation needed.
1. from whom are all things parallels by whom are all things
2. we exist for Him parallels we exist through Him
Now mull over the difference between the words “from” and “by”. They express the only difference in Line #1 of the preceding list. Both words are prepositions. So, then, what difference is portrayed by them in these two prepositional phrases? Answer: the phrase from whom are all things emphasizes the Father as the originator of all things. The phrase by whom are all things tells us that the Father created all things by means of His Son.
Do you see why I identified this as synonymous parallelism and not antonymous? The two ideas parallel each other in an agreeable fashion. They pull together rather than push apart. We learn that God is the Creator. He created as both the Father and the Son, and the two Persons worked together in perfect harmony, as One God.
We will decipher Line #2 in our next study. Be sure to be there. It gets even tastier.
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...
Uncovering Secrets in the Bible – Part 2
Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him [1 Corinthians 8:6].
Yesterday we began our study of this verse by noting that it contains two parallel concepts. We expressed it as a numbered list.
1. from whom are all things and we exist for Him (i.e., the Father)
2. by whom are all things, and we exist through Him (i.e., the Son)
So that no one should miss out on the fine details, we again employed a numbered list to point them out.
1. from whom are all things parallels by whom are all things
2. we exist for Him parallels we exist through Him
We concluded yesterday’s lesson by deciphering Line#1. This line reveals how creation came about. God did the creating, and He did so in the Persons of God the Father and God the Son. All things came into being “from” the Father. All things came into being “by” the Son. Line #1 in itself teaches the truth of the Trinity, or at least of two Persons in one God. Creation was accomplished by the Father and the Son working together as one God.
Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work deciphering Line #2. When a person builds something, it is his. He can get a patent on it and sell it exclusively because it is his property. It was built “for” him, and he is free to use it for any purpose he so desires.
If he built a boat he could fish with it, sail around the world in it, live on it, or just plain dry dock it and use it for scenery. It is his boat. He built it and it exists “for” him. The boat represents creation, you see, and God the Father is the Person from whom the boat came into existence.
But what if the boat builder actually employed someone else to do the work, a subcontractor if you will? The subcontractor was the means by which the boat came into existence. The boat exists “through” him, while the designer and initiator of the process was the contractor.
The contractor is of course God the Father, and the subcontractor is God the Son. The boat (i.e., creation) exists “for” the Father, while it came into existence “through” the Son. Do you see how intimately connected the Father and the Son are? The same is true of the Holy Spirit, though He isn’t in the equation of 1 Corinthians 8:6. This example is quite deficient, though, because a human contractor and a human subcontractor are not “one”. But God is One.
We cannot know God because He is the One Who created us. We are finite creatures, while He is infinite. Now we see through a glass darkly, but in eternity we will see clearly, face to face, and we will know Him even as we are known by Him. The Bible contains many mysteries, many secrets for our discovery, and the Trinity is one of them. We should approach the Bible as explorers looking for the lost continent of Atlantis, or as treasure hunters digging for buried treasure. How excited and enthusiastic would we be then? We would brook no delays or go off on any tangents.
Under our present limitations we cannot possibly get a handle on how there can be one God but three equal Persons who comprise the one God. Notwithstanding this, the Bible distinctly shows this to be true. Faith is taking the Bible at face value and obeying it, placing our trust in it as the inerrant and infallible Word of God Himself. Without faith it is impossible to please God (cf., Hebrews 11:6).
I know I can believe what the Bible teaches me about God being one while simultaneously existing as three Persons. He has proven Himself to me time after time, grace upon grace. I cannot help but trust Him. I cannot deny Him. This is why I subscribe to Rule #2 for Bible study, the Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
So what about you? Do you know God? Do you trust Him in all things without reservation? What value do you place on His Word? You can never feed on His Word too much. Just be sure to confess your sins to Him first and be cleansed and filled with the Spirit. That is how we put our money where our mouth is.
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...
Yesterday we began our study of this verse by noting that it contains two parallel concepts. We expressed it as a numbered list.
1. from whom are all things and we exist for Him (i.e., the Father)
2. by whom are all things, and we exist through Him (i.e., the Son)
So that no one should miss out on the fine details, we again employed a numbered list to point them out.
1. from whom are all things parallels by whom are all things
2. we exist for Him parallels we exist through Him
We concluded yesterday’s lesson by deciphering Line#1. This line reveals how creation came about. God did the creating, and He did so in the Persons of God the Father and God the Son. All things came into being “from” the Father. All things came into being “by” the Son. Line #1 in itself teaches the truth of the Trinity, or at least of two Persons in one God. Creation was accomplished by the Father and the Son working together as one God.
Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work deciphering Line #2. When a person builds something, it is his. He can get a patent on it and sell it exclusively because it is his property. It was built “for” him, and he is free to use it for any purpose he so desires.
If he built a boat he could fish with it, sail around the world in it, live on it, or just plain dry dock it and use it for scenery. It is his boat. He built it and it exists “for” him. The boat represents creation, you see, and God the Father is the Person from whom the boat came into existence.
But what if the boat builder actually employed someone else to do the work, a subcontractor if you will? The subcontractor was the means by which the boat came into existence. The boat exists “through” him, while the designer and initiator of the process was the contractor.
The contractor is of course God the Father, and the subcontractor is God the Son. The boat (i.e., creation) exists “for” the Father, while it came into existence “through” the Son. Do you see how intimately connected the Father and the Son are? The same is true of the Holy Spirit, though He isn’t in the equation of 1 Corinthians 8:6. This example is quite deficient, though, because a human contractor and a human subcontractor are not “one”. But God is One.
We cannot know God because He is the One Who created us. We are finite creatures, while He is infinite. Now we see through a glass darkly, but in eternity we will see clearly, face to face, and we will know Him even as we are known by Him. The Bible contains many mysteries, many secrets for our discovery, and the Trinity is one of them. We should approach the Bible as explorers looking for the lost continent of Atlantis, or as treasure hunters digging for buried treasure. How excited and enthusiastic would we be then? We would brook no delays or go off on any tangents.
Under our present limitations we cannot possibly get a handle on how there can be one God but three equal Persons who comprise the one God. Notwithstanding this, the Bible distinctly shows this to be true. Faith is taking the Bible at face value and obeying it, placing our trust in it as the inerrant and infallible Word of God Himself. Without faith it is impossible to please God (cf., Hebrews 11:6).
I know I can believe what the Bible teaches me about God being one while simultaneously existing as three Persons. He has proven Himself to me time after time, grace upon grace. I cannot help but trust Him. I cannot deny Him. This is why I subscribe to Rule #2 for Bible study, the Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
So what about you? Do you know God? Do you trust Him in all things without reservation? What value do you place on His Word? You can never feed on His Word too much. Just be sure to confess your sins to Him first and be cleansed and filled with the Spirit. That is how we put our money where our mouth is.
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...
Wow! I Can See God! – Part 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being [John 1:1-3].
It is eye-opening to discover in the original Greek that the writings of John are the simplest grammar in the New Testament. John’s Gospel account and his three letters to the churches wax eloquent in content. They are the most philosophical of all the four Gospel accounts, and they teach recondite concepts. In fine, they are not simple narrative.
The reason why it surprises those who learn to read the Greek New Testament is because the content soars above the heavens, while the grammar is that of a child. Only the Holy Spirit could accomplish such a feat! Anyone who is adroit enough to present such deep content has a vocabulary arsenal well beyond John’s.
The first three verses of John’s Gospel account are quoted at the start of this study. Folks, it doesn’t get more arcane than that! The Holy Spirit just last week shared an insight with me about these verses, a nuance which I trust you will enjoy.
First read the three verses of John again. We’ll pause a moment to give you time. Okay, now read this:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light [Genesis 1:1-3].
In Genesis the word “beginning” refers to the beginning of time, space, and matter. It references the beginning of creation as we know it. In John’s account the word refers to eternity. Long before the Genesis “beginning” God existed…because God always is. At the same time “the Word” always is too: He always is with God.
Both God and the Word are eternal, and that is a characteristic which only God has. Hence John tells us, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Those two clauses form a paradox, don’t you think? How can God be with God? Makes no sense to me! I mean, I can’t be with me. Duh! How can something identified as “the Word” be with God, while simultaneously being God? Go figure, why don’cha.
The only logical solution is to realize that God is a Trinity. He is three Persons in one God. O! but that makes even less sense, huh? Are you confused enough yet? Well, we’re just getting started, so get ready to implode!
Truthfully, the reason we cannot understand the Trinity is because nothing in time can be compared to this concept. If we view the Trinity as multiple personalities in one person, well, the Trinity is not one Person. The word Trinity comes from “tri” + “unity”. Tri means “three” and unity means “one”: three Persons in one God.
I do apologize, but time has escaped us. We will have to continue this study tomorrow.
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...
It is eye-opening to discover in the original Greek that the writings of John are the simplest grammar in the New Testament. John’s Gospel account and his three letters to the churches wax eloquent in content. They are the most philosophical of all the four Gospel accounts, and they teach recondite concepts. In fine, they are not simple narrative.
The reason why it surprises those who learn to read the Greek New Testament is because the content soars above the heavens, while the grammar is that of a child. Only the Holy Spirit could accomplish such a feat! Anyone who is adroit enough to present such deep content has a vocabulary arsenal well beyond John’s.
The first three verses of John’s Gospel account are quoted at the start of this study. Folks, it doesn’t get more arcane than that! The Holy Spirit just last week shared an insight with me about these verses, a nuance which I trust you will enjoy.
First read the three verses of John again. We’ll pause a moment to give you time. Okay, now read this:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light [Genesis 1:1-3].
In Genesis the word “beginning” refers to the beginning of time, space, and matter. It references the beginning of creation as we know it. In John’s account the word refers to eternity. Long before the Genesis “beginning” God existed…because God always is. At the same time “the Word” always is too: He always is with God.
Both God and the Word are eternal, and that is a characteristic which only God has. Hence John tells us, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Those two clauses form a paradox, don’t you think? How can God be with God? Makes no sense to me! I mean, I can’t be with me. Duh! How can something identified as “the Word” be with God, while simultaneously being God? Go figure, why don’cha.
The only logical solution is to realize that God is a Trinity. He is three Persons in one God. O! but that makes even less sense, huh? Are you confused enough yet? Well, we’re just getting started, so get ready to implode!
Truthfully, the reason we cannot understand the Trinity is because nothing in time can be compared to this concept. If we view the Trinity as multiple personalities in one person, well, the Trinity is not one Person. The word Trinity comes from “tri” + “unity”. Tri means “three” and unity means “one”: three Persons in one God.
I do apologize, but time has escaped us. We will have to continue this study tomorrow.
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...
Wow! I Can See God! – Part 2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being [John 1:1-3].
We concluded our last study with a look into the concept of the Trinity. We will continue with that point now. If we use the analogy of H2O, there are three forms it can take:
1. water (a liquid)
2. ice (a solid)
3. steam (a gas)
The trouble with this analogy is that H2O can only be one of those forms at a time. Because this is true in time, the Pentecostals insist it applies to God in eternity. Ergo, God is only one Person at a time, not three, not a Trinity. At one time He is the Father, at another the Son, and still another the Holy Spirit.
Instead of trying to rewrite Scripture, methinks they would be wise to agree with the Word of God. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is God while simultaneously being with God. Sorry, my Pentecostal brothers and sisters, but we must stick with the Word of God. He alone knows Who He is and can explain Himself. You and I are not qualified to perform such a feat.
If I wanted a cockroach to understand who and what I am, how could I go about it, hypothetically speaking, of course? I couldn’t write the roach a letter explaining the facts concerning my existence because it can’t read! I couldn’t just sit on the park bench and talk to it. I couldn’t hang out with it in the gym and rub shoulders to get acquainted. It’s a toughie. How to explain myself to a cockroach?
God faced the same dilemma in trying to reveal Himself to man. He is not one of us. He is incalculably superior to man. He created man so He understands us, but we are not up to the task of comprehending Him. Time cannot measure eternity, nor can time define eternity. Vice versa is the reality, dear friends.
God being God, He wasn’t stumped. He knew how to explain His Person and behaviors to man. He became a man like us, so that we could experience God within the context of time, space, and matter. God really took on our true humanity, sin excepted, and became one of us (cf., John 1:14).
When we study Jesus in the New Testament, we are seeing Father God, the Person, in action.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” [John 14:9]
This is how God revealed His Person and explained His character and purposes to man. I am getting all giddy! This is exciting stuff! I can’t get enough! More! More! More!
Oh, shucks. I’ll have to wait for my third heaping helping. Time’s a gone again. See you tomorrow.
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...
We concluded our last study with a look into the concept of the Trinity. We will continue with that point now. If we use the analogy of H2O, there are three forms it can take:
1. water (a liquid)
2. ice (a solid)
3. steam (a gas)
The trouble with this analogy is that H2O can only be one of those forms at a time. Because this is true in time, the Pentecostals insist it applies to God in eternity. Ergo, God is only one Person at a time, not three, not a Trinity. At one time He is the Father, at another the Son, and still another the Holy Spirit.
Instead of trying to rewrite Scripture, methinks they would be wise to agree with the Word of God. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is God while simultaneously being with God. Sorry, my Pentecostal brothers and sisters, but we must stick with the Word of God. He alone knows Who He is and can explain Himself. You and I are not qualified to perform such a feat.
If I wanted a cockroach to understand who and what I am, how could I go about it, hypothetically speaking, of course? I couldn’t write the roach a letter explaining the facts concerning my existence because it can’t read! I couldn’t just sit on the park bench and talk to it. I couldn’t hang out with it in the gym and rub shoulders to get acquainted. It’s a toughie. How to explain myself to a cockroach?
God faced the same dilemma in trying to reveal Himself to man. He is not one of us. He is incalculably superior to man. He created man so He understands us, but we are not up to the task of comprehending Him. Time cannot measure eternity, nor can time define eternity. Vice versa is the reality, dear friends.
God being God, He wasn’t stumped. He knew how to explain His Person and behaviors to man. He became a man like us, so that we could experience God within the context of time, space, and matter. God really took on our true humanity, sin excepted, and became one of us (cf., John 1:14).
When we study Jesus in the New Testament, we are seeing Father God, the Person, in action.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” [John 14:9]
This is how God revealed His Person and explained His character and purposes to man. I am getting all giddy! This is exciting stuff! I can’t get enough! More! More! More!
Oh, shucks. I’ll have to wait for my third heaping helping. Time’s a gone again. See you tomorrow.
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...
Wow! I Can See God! – Part 3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being [John 1:1-3].
Today we will start with Genesis 1:1-3. In the beginning God: there is the Father. And the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters: there is the Holy Spirit. And God said: there is the Word, the Son of God.
We can now understand John 1:1-3 with better insight about how almighty God reveals Himself to puny man.
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].
Note in those words that God gave His Son. This means God in this verse is God the Father, else how can He have a Son? So we have God the Father and God the Son together simultaneously.
The Father sent the Son into the world to take upon true humanity, sin excepted. He did this in order to reveal His true Person and character to man. He had to reveal Himself to man again because, back in the garden in the beginning, man sinned and marred his ability to know God. In consequence man made up his own versions of God, which we now know as idolatry and man-made religions.
God is One, not two or twenty or ten thousand. This one God gave His Son, so now we know that there are two Persons as the one God. In other Scriptures, including Genesis 1:2, God teaches us that there is also the Person of the Holy Spirit.
In the creation account of Genesis God speaks. Since we cannot comprehend eternity, God uses man’s speech as an illustration of His Son, the Word. For the same reason He employs an earthly illustration to denote the Holy Spirit hovering like a helicopter over the waters covering the earth, generating transforming energy to create the present heavens and earth.
Look at it like this. A man wants to do something, so he thinks to himself, “I’m going to do such and so, in order to accomplish this goal.” After figuring out what he wants and how he will go about accomplishing it, he then puts his shoulder to the work and gets it done.
The man represents the Father, his thoughts and words represent the Son, and his actions represent the Holy Spirit. An earthly analogy, to be sure, making it very limited and demanding that we understand it relatively. But it is how God reveals Himself to us in Genesis 1 and John 1. That is all we can comprehend, but it is not all there is to know about the Person and Ministry of God.
If you don’t yet have enough to spend hours alone with Jesus, then you must be God! Let’s spend some quality time with Him now.
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...
Today we will start with Genesis 1:1-3. In the beginning God: there is the Father. And the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters: there is the Holy Spirit. And God said: there is the Word, the Son of God.
We can now understand John 1:1-3 with better insight about how almighty God reveals Himself to puny man.
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].
Note in those words that God gave His Son. This means God in this verse is God the Father, else how can He have a Son? So we have God the Father and God the Son together simultaneously.
The Father sent the Son into the world to take upon true humanity, sin excepted. He did this in order to reveal His true Person and character to man. He had to reveal Himself to man again because, back in the garden in the beginning, man sinned and marred his ability to know God. In consequence man made up his own versions of God, which we now know as idolatry and man-made religions.
God is One, not two or twenty or ten thousand. This one God gave His Son, so now we know that there are two Persons as the one God. In other Scriptures, including Genesis 1:2, God teaches us that there is also the Person of the Holy Spirit.
In the creation account of Genesis God speaks. Since we cannot comprehend eternity, God uses man’s speech as an illustration of His Son, the Word. For the same reason He employs an earthly illustration to denote the Holy Spirit hovering like a helicopter over the waters covering the earth, generating transforming energy to create the present heavens and earth.
Look at it like this. A man wants to do something, so he thinks to himself, “I’m going to do such and so, in order to accomplish this goal.” After figuring out what he wants and how he will go about accomplishing it, he then puts his shoulder to the work and gets it done.
The man represents the Father, his thoughts and words represent the Son, and his actions represent the Holy Spirit. An earthly analogy, to be sure, making it very limited and demanding that we understand it relatively. But it is how God reveals Himself to us in Genesis 1 and John 1. That is all we can comprehend, but it is not all there is to know about the Person and Ministry of God.
If you don’t yet have enough to spend hours alone with Jesus, then you must be God! Let’s spend some quality time with Him now.
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...
Just Say No To Drugs – Part 1
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds [Titus 2:11-14].
A TV commercial used to run regularly during prime time each evening. For the life of me I cannot even venture a guess how long ago it was. Memory isn’t what it used to be.
Anyway a public disavowal of illegal drug usage was in full swing. In a failed effort to dissuade the young folks—and the not so young too—from using drugs, the government put out these commercials on the TV during prime time. They were actually done quite well.
I remember how one of the commercials popped up on the screen, showing a skillet with an egg in it. The egg sizzled loudly as it fried. After several seconds of watching that scene—the delay being for effect and creating anticipation, you see—a voice brusquely announced, “This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?”
Effective in making a point, don’t you agree? Well, the real point I want to draw from those anti-drug commercials is what followed next. All of these anti-drug commercials ended with the same catch phrase, “Just say no to drugs.”
The reason I recall those anti-drug commercials at this time is simple. Many many moons ago a youth pastor at a church where I interned had a good take on Titus 2:12. In the New International Version the verse is translated, “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions”. Taking his cue from the anti-drug commercials, he noted that Titus 2:12 is his anti-drug verse. Being a youth pastor he regularly taught and exhorted the youth not to do drugs.
Whenever I read Titus 2 anymore, I remember that good brother. He had a knack for ministering to young folks. Youth pastors require a special gift from the Lord, if they are to be effective with teenagers under their care. He was good at his ministry, and I for one appreciated him for it.
In this study we won’t employ Titus 2:12 as our anti-drug Bible verse. We want to tackle verses 11-14 as a group and enjoy the smorgasbord of scrumptious delectables afforded therein. So let’s wash our hands, sit at the table, say grace, and get to eating!
But now we will call it a day and go visit with Jesus a spell. See you tomorrow, and we won’t be showing anymore commercials.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
A TV commercial used to run regularly during prime time each evening. For the life of me I cannot even venture a guess how long ago it was. Memory isn’t what it used to be.
Anyway a public disavowal of illegal drug usage was in full swing. In a failed effort to dissuade the young folks—and the not so young too—from using drugs, the government put out these commercials on the TV during prime time. They were actually done quite well.
I remember how one of the commercials popped up on the screen, showing a skillet with an egg in it. The egg sizzled loudly as it fried. After several seconds of watching that scene—the delay being for effect and creating anticipation, you see—a voice brusquely announced, “This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?”
Effective in making a point, don’t you agree? Well, the real point I want to draw from those anti-drug commercials is what followed next. All of these anti-drug commercials ended with the same catch phrase, “Just say no to drugs.”
The reason I recall those anti-drug commercials at this time is simple. Many many moons ago a youth pastor at a church where I interned had a good take on Titus 2:12. In the New International Version the verse is translated, “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions”. Taking his cue from the anti-drug commercials, he noted that Titus 2:12 is his anti-drug verse. Being a youth pastor he regularly taught and exhorted the youth not to do drugs.
Whenever I read Titus 2 anymore, I remember that good brother. He had a knack for ministering to young folks. Youth pastors require a special gift from the Lord, if they are to be effective with teenagers under their care. He was good at his ministry, and I for one appreciated him for it.
In this study we won’t employ Titus 2:12 as our anti-drug Bible verse. We want to tackle verses 11-14 as a group and enjoy the smorgasbord of scrumptious delectables afforded therein. So let’s wash our hands, sit at the table, say grace, and get to eating!
But now we will call it a day and go visit with Jesus a spell. See you tomorrow, and we won’t be showing anymore commercials.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
Just Say No To Drugs – Part 2
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds [Titus 2:11-14].
Let’s continue our study of the anti-drug Bible verse. When reading Scripture we would be benefited to note the actors on the stage of the text. There are several in Titus 2:11-14. We will acquaint ourselves with them as they make their appearance.
The first person we meet enters stage right during the first seven words: “For the grace of God has appeared”. God is the star of this story, as He is in all of Scripture. Life isn’t about me, or about you, or about the family cat. Life for everyone revolves around God.
The word “grace” appears in the New Testament constantly. We need to understand what it means, if we want to know what God has to teach us. The grace of God has appeared. What is that anyway?
The word “grace” refers to a free gift. In our study it refers to a free gift from God specifically. He gives it to us because…because…well, just because He wants to. His love is His motivation. God is love so He does things like that.
Man hasn’t earned this free gift. Otherwise it wouldn’t be free, and it wouldn’t be a gift either! Nor does man receive this free gift because he deserves it. I am not so sweet a darling that God felt compelled to give me His grace. It doesn’t work like that! Nor am I so smart or strong or successful or whatever.
God gives me His grace because He is love. I don’t even enter the picture until I receive it. Up until that time God’s grace alone is on the stage.
So God’s grace, His free gift, has made an appearance on the stage of world history. Okay, then what is this free gift, this grace of God which has appeared? Well, first of all it isn’t a “this” or a “which”. God’s grace is a “Who”. In the context of Titus 2:11-14 we should recognize the “Who” as three Persons. The three are:
1. God the Father
2. God the Son
3. God the Holy Spirit
“How do you reckon those three Persons comprise God’s grace, based on Titus 2:11-14?” you are no doubt champing at the bit to ask me.
And an insightful query it is too. I’ll be happy to oblige you with an explanation, as we make our way through the text.
But it’ll have to wait for our next study. This one’s over, as is the day. I need time alone with Jesus before I retire. Don’t you?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
Let’s continue our study of the anti-drug Bible verse. When reading Scripture we would be benefited to note the actors on the stage of the text. There are several in Titus 2:11-14. We will acquaint ourselves with them as they make their appearance.
The first person we meet enters stage right during the first seven words: “For the grace of God has appeared”. God is the star of this story, as He is in all of Scripture. Life isn’t about me, or about you, or about the family cat. Life for everyone revolves around God.
The word “grace” appears in the New Testament constantly. We need to understand what it means, if we want to know what God has to teach us. The grace of God has appeared. What is that anyway?
The word “grace” refers to a free gift. In our study it refers to a free gift from God specifically. He gives it to us because…because…well, just because He wants to. His love is His motivation. God is love so He does things like that.
Man hasn’t earned this free gift. Otherwise it wouldn’t be free, and it wouldn’t be a gift either! Nor does man receive this free gift because he deserves it. I am not so sweet a darling that God felt compelled to give me His grace. It doesn’t work like that! Nor am I so smart or strong or successful or whatever.
God gives me His grace because He is love. I don’t even enter the picture until I receive it. Up until that time God’s grace alone is on the stage.
So God’s grace, His free gift, has made an appearance on the stage of world history. Okay, then what is this free gift, this grace of God which has appeared? Well, first of all it isn’t a “this” or a “which”. God’s grace is a “Who”. In the context of Titus 2:11-14 we should recognize the “Who” as three Persons. The three are:
1. God the Father
2. God the Son
3. God the Holy Spirit
“How do you reckon those three Persons comprise God’s grace, based on Titus 2:11-14?” you are no doubt champing at the bit to ask me.
And an insightful query it is too. I’ll be happy to oblige you with an explanation, as we make our way through the text.
But it’ll have to wait for our next study. This one’s over, as is the day. I need time alone with Jesus before I retire. Don’t you?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
Just Say No To Drugs – Part 3
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds [Titus 2:11-14].
In the context of Titus 2:11-14 we should recognize God’s grace as three Persons. The three are:
1. God the Father
2. God the Son
3. God the Holy Spirit
Let’s assay how this is so.
To begin with observe what occurred when God’s grace appeared: it brought salvation to all men. And there are the second and third members who make up the cast of this movie. The third part of the cast is a group, “all men”. Who does that include? Well, you show me a human being from the past, present, or future, and I will show you someone who is included!
To recapitulate, “God” is the first member of the cast and “all men” make up the third addition to the cast. But wait a sec. How did we go from first to third? Where is the second member of the cast?
You will recall that I identified the “grace of God” as a Person, or rather three Persons to be exact. That is where the second member of the cast comes in. This second member was already present when Paul wrote the words of Titus 2. He appeared already, you see. When He appeared He brought salvation to all men. In fact He continuously brings this salvation to all men.
Is this starting to ring a bell? We are of course pointing to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and to His ministry at the cross and empty tomb. Jesus is the Son of God, one of the three Persons of the Godhead. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men”. That is a direct allusion to Jesus Christ the Son of God. He appeared (past tense), and He is continuously “bringing salvation” (present tense).
“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]. God’s love is for “the world”, or as it is worded in Titus 2:11 “all men”. The world consists of all men, or all humans.
However, only those who believe this truth from the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “have eternal life”. The “have eternal life” part is worded in Titus 2:11 as “bringing salvation”. If we have salvation, we have eternal life, and vice versa too.
Titus was one of Paul’s closest associates. Paul went around the Mediterranean world sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When people believed they were born again. Paul organized the believers into local churches.
One place Paul did this was on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. Crete was south by southeast of Greece and south of the Aegean Sea. The Aegean Sea is the body of water between today’s Asia Minor and Greece.
I’ll give you a pass on the geography lesson. We need to pause now and reflect on what we’ve been taught. Jesus calls us. Let’s accept the invite.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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 the context of Titus 2:11-14 we should recognize God’s grace as three Persons. The three are:
1. God the Father
2. God the Son
3. God the Holy Spirit
Let’s assay how this is so.
To begin with observe what occurred when God’s grace appeared: it brought salvation to all men. And there are the second and third members who make up the cast of this movie. The third part of the cast is a group, “all men”. Who does that include? Well, you show me a human being from the past, present, or future, and I will show you someone who is included!
To recapitulate, “God” is the first member of the cast and “all men” make up the third addition to the cast. But wait a sec. How did we go from first to third? Where is the second member of the cast?
You will recall that I identified the “grace of God” as a Person, or rather three Persons to be exact. That is where the second member of the cast comes in. This second member was already present when Paul wrote the words of Titus 2. He appeared already, you see. When He appeared He brought salvation to all men. In fact He continuously brings this salvation to all men.
Is this starting to ring a bell? We are of course pointing to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and to His ministry at the cross and empty tomb. Jesus is the Son of God, one of the three Persons of the Godhead. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men”. That is a direct allusion to Jesus Christ the Son of God. He appeared (past tense), and He is continuously “bringing salvation” (present tense).
“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]. God’s love is for “the world”, or as it is worded in Titus 2:11 “all men”. The world consists of all men, or all humans.
However, only those who believe this truth from the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “have eternal life”. The “have eternal life” part is worded in Titus 2:11 as “bringing salvation”. If we have salvation, we have eternal life, and vice versa too.
Titus was one of Paul’s closest associates. Paul went around the Mediterranean world sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When people believed they were born again. Paul organized the believers into local churches.
One place Paul did this was on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. Crete was south by southeast of Greece and south of the Aegean Sea. The Aegean Sea is the body of water between today’s Asia Minor and Greece.
I’ll give you a pass on the geography lesson. We need to pause now and reflect on what we’ve been taught. Jesus calls us. Let’s accept the invite.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
