FIRST
Thursday, May 17th, 2012Thus it is written, The first man Adam became
a living being. The last Adam (Christ) became
a life giving Spirit (restoring the dead to life).
(I. Corinthians 15.45).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
Thus it is written, The first man Adam became
a living being. The last Adam (Christ) became
a life giving Spirit (restoring the dead to life).
(I. Corinthians 15.45).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
It is not to angels that He has subjected the
world to come, about which we are speaking.
But there is a place where someone has testified:
“What is man that You are mindful of Him, the
son of man that You care for him?
You made him a little lower than the angels;
You crowned him with glory and honor
and put everything under his feet.”
In putting everything under him, God left
nothing that is not subject to him.
Yet at present we do not see everything
subject to him. But we see Jesus, Who was made
a little lower than the angels, now crowned
with glory and honor because He suffered death,
so that by the grace of God He might taste death
for everyone.
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that
God, for Whom and through Whom everything
exists, should make the author of their salvation
perfect through suffering. Both the One Who makes
men holy and those who are made holy are from
the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call
them brothers.
He says,
“I will declare Your name to My brothers.
In the presence of the congregation I will sing
Your praises.”
And again,
“I will put my trust in Him.”
And again He says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given Me.”
Since the children have flesh and blood,
He too shared in their humanity so that by
His death He might destroy him who holds
the power of death- that is, the devil-
and free those who all their lives were held in
slavery by their fear of death. For surely
it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants.
For this reason He had to be made like His brothers
in every way, in order that he might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,
and that He might make atonement for the sins of
the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was
tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
(Hebrews 2.5-18).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
Now when a man works, his wages are not
credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
However, to the man who does not work but
trusts God Who justifies the wicked, his faith
is credited as righteousness.
(Romans 4.4 & 5).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
David says the same thing when he speaks of the
blessedness of the man to whom God credits
righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are they whose transgressions
are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin
the Lord will never count against him.”
(Romans 4.6-8).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what
you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a
way out so that you can stand up under it.
(I. Corinthians 10.13).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
For since death came trough a man, the resurrection of the dead comes
also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ will all be made alive.
But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those
who belong to Him. Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom
to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last
enemy to be destroyed is death. For He has put everything under His feet.
Now when it says that “everything” has been put under Him, it is clear that
this does not include God Himself, Who put everything under Christ. When
He has done this, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him Who put
everything under Him, so that God may be all in all.
(I. Corinthians 15. 21-28).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
So it is written: “The first man became s living being”,
the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural and after
that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth,
the second man from heaven.
As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and
as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall
we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
(I. Corinthians 15.44b- 49).
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and its righteous requirements.
He is also the fulfillment of all the types presented in the Law
which pointed to Him. The Temple, the High Priest, the high
holy days, the sacrifices and offerings all pointed to Him and
culminated in Him. In Him the purpose of the Law, the end
which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled.
The purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord and
Savior.
The law was designed as the means of right relationship to God for
everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.
“For Moses writes that the man who can practice the righteousness
which is based on the Law shall live by it. (Leviticus 18.5).
But the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart,
Who will ascend to heaven? that is to bring Christ down;
Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the
dead. (Deuteronomy 30.12,13).
But what does it say? The Word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.
That is, the Word of faith which we preach. (Deuteronomy 30.14).
Because if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart a person believes unto righteousness and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. For as the Scripture says, Whosoever
believes on Him shall not be put to shame. (Psalm 34.22, Isaiah 28.16,49.23;
Jeremiah 17.7).
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord
over all and he generously bestows His riches upon all who call Him.
For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.(Joel 2.32).”
(Romans 10.4-13).
The word of God is accessible as God is accessible. Because the Law was
given to point to Jesus and Jesus has fulfilled the righteousness of the
Law and every thing that the Law was designed to accomplish. We must
acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the complete fulfillment of the Law.
Knowing that He is righteous and that our righteousness comes from Him,
we fully trust Him. God Who is faithful, imputes to us the right standing
of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE! HALLELUJAH!
” The word of the faithfulness of God” points to the “righteousness that
comes from faith. The way “Abraham believed and it was counted to him as
righteousness. By trusting Christ Jesus we all become heirs of God with
Abraham. Every man, woman and child everywhere in every age included.
Jew or Greek, Asian or African, European or American, rich or poor we are saved
by faith in Christ Jesus Who is resurrected . We submit to the righteousness
and faithfulness of God and are rescued from sin and death.
We are transported from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God.
HOLY EMPOWERMENT
May He grant you out of the rich treasury
of His glory to be strengthened and
reinforced with mighty power in the
inner man by the Holy Spirit (Himself
indwelling your innermost being and
personality).
May Christ through your faith actually
reside in your hearts! May you be rooted
deep in love and founded securely on love.
(Ephesians 3.16 and 17).
POINTS FOR MEDITATION
AND PRAISE
1) The HOLY EMPOWERMENT alluded to
here is possible only through the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit in our innermost being.
2) This is how Jesus Christ actually resides
in our hearts permanently. This is when we
become secure in His love and solidly rooted.
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOREVERMORE!