Mon, Nov 14th - 3:04PM
Where do you get your clothes?
I am often asked what it actually means to be ‘In Christ’.
There are those will think it is a term of no real significance. To others it is ‘scriptural jargon’, and to some it has no meaning at all, because they simply just do not know.
So I thought tonight it would be worth trying to explain from scriptures just what Paul means when he uses this expression.
It is to be found in Gal. 3:27. ‘For all of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ’. We cover our unholy selves with Christ’s holiness that we might be holy through him.
The background to all this starts with Adam and Eve way back in Genesis, after they had been tempted into eating the forbidden fruit. After realising what they had done, they were in a bit of a panic, they realised that they had done something wrong, so they hid from God in their nakedness. Sowing fig leaves to cover themselves in their shame and embarrassment. God in his grace deals with them, and in v21 of Gen. 3. It says The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
To cover up the shame at their disobedience to God, man had to be clothed by God. A divinely provided garment, being made right by God, to stand before a holy God.
During the 40 years in the wilderness, the clothes which they wore, did not wear out nor did the sandals on their feet, God provided everything for the time the Hebrews spent in the Wilderness. This at a time when he was bringing them to believe, that if they trusted in him, he would meet all their needs both spiritual and’ temporal. So there is a need for all believers to be clothed by God that they would ‘be made fit' to be in his presence.
The 0. T. writers made full use of this terminology and there are many verses throughout; "Clothed in mercy, clothed in compassion, clothed with strength & clothed with humility".
The Crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus, was God’s method in providing us with a suit of Clothes that we might be fit’ to be in his presence, hence we pray we come not in any merit of our own, but we come before you in the merit of Christ. The merit of Calvary’s sacrifice, God's way of reconciling a sinful world to himself, where he bridged that gap between sinful man and a holy God.
Jesus himself said just before he ascended wait until you are clothed with power from on high. That is to say the Holy Spirit which was to come soon after on Pentecost.
Paul takes up this theme in, Galatians, the Galatian Christians were under persecution from the hard line Jews, the Judaisers, they stated that no one could become one of God's children, without first being circumcised, this was one of the reasons for the, council of Jerusalem, an early General Assembly, where the Apostle James of the Jerusalem Church, on hearing that all manner of people were receiving the Holy Spirit declared that the old Jewish ways could be by-passed and were not necessary to become a Christian.
Paul’s logical argument In the debate to the Galatians, was to point out that those who were baptized into Christ, were now clothed In Christ, and that In the eyes of God, there was no difference between Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ. All members of God’s family, all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, all "Clothed with his Righteousness".
This is part of Paul’s great theme of reconciliation. In other letters, he reminds us that there is no use boasting, no use thinking yourselves better than the person sitting next to you, for all are equal in the eyes of God, and all are gifted In some way for the building up of the Church.
The great adventure goes on and really takes off when we discover our gifts, and use them with other members of the body working that the body might be built up. That really is exciting, all working together, no one better than the next, but all equal In the eyes of each other, and of course in the eyes of God.
Let me encourage everyone, let’s start right now in discovering or even, for some rediscovering our gifts that we might pull together for God. Building up your local Church whrever it is in the world.
That others might say "I want to belong there", not just to have your child Christened or married or even buried by the Minister, but to belong Sunday by Sunday, joining and adding to the riches that are to be found when we are all clothed in the power and righteousness of Christ Jesus.
When I look around our country and see the other local churches which form the Church, It is those who through the word of God, build up the body of believers, they seem to be the most successful. I don’t, just mean in the strength of numbers, but In the strength of commitment which prospers. it is our earnest prayer that we will have that strength of commitment and thus we will grow, in his strength. Then God might be pleased to add to all our local churches wherever they might be.
That would be Awesome
Love in His Name
Stuart
Comment (4)
|
Fri, Nov 11th - 2:51PM
Ramblings!
All week long this hymn has been going around in my mind. A real gospel message is contained in the four line refrain. I have not heard it for ages & I was thinking about something to post. So why not let the words of this hymn do the talking for me, I really love this old hymn from America by J. Wilber Chapman who wrote the poem & had it put to music. As much as I like Graham Kendrick & the modern writers, the old ones still bring that feeling of being right with God. Knowing when we have prepared ourselves for a worship service.
In the Brethren this can mean in some meetings, being prepared to stand up & give out a hymn, pray aloud, or read a scripture & comment on the reading. All this is Holy Spirit led & all must fit in with the theme that is being formed by the Holy Spirit. This is one of the most moving of all services I have attended. Its usually called "Breaking of Bread" & the members arrive having prepared themselves by prayer to meet the Lord. This service can involve anyone from the floor, there are no leaders, no formal preset happenings here. Except the meeting must lead to Calvary & the breaking of bread & the partaking of the cup. Thanks being given by whoever feels moved by the Spirit to do so.
What really makes it special is the fact that no one knows beforehand what is going to be said, it is usually starts with the first hymn being given out & the theme develops from there. Some of the finest ministry of the word has been heard in the smallest meeting hall, by people who love the Lord, no special traing is required except being a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ, truly a throw back to Paul's chapter on the body (1 Cor. 12:12ff) & everybody being a member of the body, each having a gift & working to build up the church spiritually, that all might be the people that God wants us to be.
The most important thing about being a Disciple is never forgetting who did what. Christ lifted me out of the myre & placed my feet firmly on the rock
On the rock of Christ I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!
When I forget, these simple but extremely important detail, my life is very quickly out of kilter, becoming unbalanced.
When I am having thoughts which demean my Lord I think of these hymns or songs & choruses I learnt at the meetings & thank God for his grace to me, an unworthy but repentant sinner.
So here is that hymn that I remember from all those years ago.
One day when heaven was filled with His praises, One day when sin was as black as could be, Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin, Dwelt among men, my Example is He!
Refrain
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away; Rising, He justified freely forever; One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain, One day they nailed Him to die on the tree; Suffering anguish, despised and rejected: Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!
Refrain
One day they left Him alone in the garden, One day He rested, from suffering free; Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil; Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!
Refrain
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer, One day the stone rolled away from the door; Then He arose, over death He had conquered; Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!
Refrain
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming, One day the skies with His glories will shine; Wonderful day, my belovèd ones bringing; Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!
Refrain
When I think of all that & get my mind around the facts of the Gospel I think:
Now Thats Awesome
Love in his Name Stuart
Comment (4)
|
Wed, Nov 2nd - 4:21AM
Quiet Times
I hear & read, sometimes on these pages, how folks have trouble balancing their time. Time management is of the utmost importance. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything, Paul tells us we should always be able to explain the reason for our hope, in and out of season. So where does all this leave us in our busy schedules?
When I was a young Christian doing the Church's disciple course, one of the statements I had to sign was a committment to spend time with God every day, I had to fill in the amount of time in the space provided! "Every Day"??!! I really wanted to spend as much time as possible, but realised the impracticalities of this, so in my youthful zeal I compromised to twenty to thirty minutes. Yes as little as that.
This was to be a special time, not included with reading of Christian books or emergency prayer times, both personal or corporate. Certainly not time spent on a Sundauy in Church, but a personal time with Jesus.
I would love to say I have accomplished what I set out to do all those years ago, but I failed, but in God's grace I realise that it was the failings which brought me closer to God. Some days I skimmed the surface as I tried to 'fit God' into my timetable! That was when I realised that being a hypocrite was not just with the Pharisees, I was slowly turning into a Pharisee, I had spent my alloted time, therefore I was "IN GRACE".
How I laugh at those days, now I realise that special times come not everyday but when I least expect it, yes I get a BUZZ from every verse, looking up the concordance when I see another layer in the text, but special times comes with my being at peace with myself . This might begin to explain my previous post.
Reading this morning about Jesus healing a woman, crippled by a spirit. Lk. 13:10ff I realised how Christians can be so full of RELIGION, that we forget the basics of our spiritual committment. We do this at our own risk, where instead of moving forward with the Spirit, we actually go back, losing out in many a blessing which is there for the taking. All we had to do was receive, instead we took another road to nowhere.
It is the quality of our time, not the amount of minutes, a great friend & elder once told me, "that Abraham's greatest moment, Gen. 22:1ff was in telling Isaac, that God would provide another sacrifice" Can you imagine the feeling of relief in Isaac when his Father put the flame down & untied him from the pile of timber?
Our special moments can be as deep as that, all we have to do is let it happen. God did not spare his own son, as he spared Isaac, Abraham's son. When we fully realise the implication in that, then we can move forward. Not before, have you had your Abraham moment? or are you still trying to juggle time?
Our Forgiving, Merciful, Loving God, does not want his believers to have strife in their lives over him, only Faith.
Now thats Awesome
Love in His Name Stuart
Comment (3)
|
Back to Blog Main Page
|
|
About Me |
|
Nov. 2005 |
|
|
|
1 |
2
|
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11
|
12 |
13 |
14
|
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
|
|
|
prev
|
|
next
|
|
Archives
|
|
|