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Joy in Believing

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Peter 1:8)

After His resurrection, the Lord acknowledged the legitimate need for evidence of such a mighty miracle, honoring the request of Thomas to see for himself that He had, indeed, returned from the grave. Nevertheless, Thomas could and should have believed the evidence from the other disciples when they testified of the empty tomb and the previous appearances of Christ. Consequently, the Lord Jesus gave a mild but loving rebuke to His doubting disciple. “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

It is not that the Lord wants us to be credulous, believing something with no basis except blind faith. Today we have an abundance of solid evidence, more even than the disciples themselves had, and there is no excuse not to believe. Nevertheless, we must believe; “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Romans 8:24-25).

We cannot yet see Him with our eyes as Thomas did, but we see Him with our hearts, and that is enough. As we read of Him in the Word, we see Him on the cross, taking “our sins in his own body” (1 Peter 2:24). It breaks our hearts. Then we read of the empty tomb and the linen clothes and are like John, who “saw, and believed” (John 20:8). Then we “rejoice with joy” (literally, “exult with exceeding gladness”), which cannot be told vocally any more than He can be seen visually. One day soon we shall really see Him in His glory, and “when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). HMM

The Crown of Glory

“She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.” (Proverbs 4:9)

There are five specific “crowns” mentioned in the New Testament as rewards for faithful service, presumably to be rewarded by Christ at His judgment seat (1 Corinthians 3:14). These are the “incorruptible” crown (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Corinthians 5:10), the “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8), the “crown of rejoicing” (1 Thessalonians 2:19), “the crown of life” (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10), and lastly the “crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).

Although the crown of glory is mentioned only once in the New Testament, the phrase occurs four times in the Old Testament, each providing special insight into its character and scope. The first is Proverbs 4:9: “[Wisdom] shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.” The other three are as follows:

    “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31).
    “In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people” (Isaiah 28:5).
    “Thou [probably a reference to the new Jerusalem] shalt also be a crown of glory in the land of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God” (Isaiah 62:3).

The one New Testament reference in 1 Peter 5:4 is a wonderful promise to the faithful shepherds of each “little flock” (Luke 12:32) of believers: “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

We do not know exactly what these crowns will be composed of, but when we see the Lord we shall lay each of them before His throne (Revelation 4:10). HMM

Completing a Good Work

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

In his introductory comments to the Philippian church, Paul reminds them of his thankfulness for them (v. 3), his prayer for them (v. 4), and as we see in our text, his confidence in God’s continuing work in their lives.

This “good work” is not the sort of work that men and women are able to accomplish. Paul identifies this as God’s work, as yet not completed—that is, the transforming work of grace. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (2:13).

The work of grace takes several forms. It includes the redemption of our lost souls, having been fully accomplished by Christ on Calvary. It also includes our ultimate sanctification, transforming our character from that of a redeemed sinner to one of Christ-likeness. He is working toward this goal on a daily basis and will finish the task in His presence. But the work of grace also includes our service for Him—not our work but His that He does through us. He grants us, through His grace, the distinct privilege of participating in His work here on Earth.

Paul writes that the ultimate completion of this “good work” of grace awaits “the day of Jesus Christ.” In a similar prayer for the Corinthian believers, he writes of their “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7-8).

Meanwhile, we can rest in His faithfulness, fully convinced of His intention and ability to complete His work. “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” (Psalm 138:8). JDM

Grow in Grace

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

These last words of the apostle Peter urge us to grow in each of two important phases of the Christian life—grace and knowledge. Such growth into Him in all things (Ephesians 4:15) will indeed give glory to Him, now and forever.

When we first become Christians, we are newborn babes (Greek brephos, 1 Peter 2:2). Our spiritual birth has been by the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) on the basis of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).

As the Christian life began with the Word, it can only grow on the Word. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Here, “of the word” is the Greek logikos, elsewhere used only in Romans 12:1 where it is translated “reasonable.” It is the source of our English word “logical.” New Christians must feed on unadulterated, logical truth if they are to grow, and this can be found only in the Holy Scriptures.

There is another word used for babes: Greek nepios, “without speech.” This word is used for toddlers, old enough to walk but not yet able to speak plainly or to act unselfishly. It is used for “carnal” Christians. “I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).

Carnality in Christians is arrested growth at the “babes in Christ” stage and is clearly abnormal. Such stumbling, quarrelsome babes need to be fed with meat as well as milk if they are to grow: “For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:13). May the Lord enable us to grow in His grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! HMM

The Power of the Saints

“The exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe.” (Ephesians 1:19)

The power of the triune Creator, as displayed in the resurrection of Christ, is directed toward us! We will never fully comprehend that, but the Scriptures provide several clear statements that will help us gain a small grasp on this magnificent resource.

    We receive power when the Holy Spirit indwells us (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit takes up residence in everyone who is twice-born (John 14:17) and is therefore readily accessible to all believers (Ephesians 3:20).
    We use the power of God every time we preach the gospel (Romans 1:16), whether to one person or to thousands (1 Corinthians 1:18).
    We learn of the power of God through “great and precious promises.” Indeed, those promises involve “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
    We see the results of God’s power in our lives when we are “strengthened with all might” so we demonstrate “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11).

The Lord desires “that [we] might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19) and be “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (v. 16). The purpose of this empowering is to be “rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith” (Colossians 2:7), “able to comprehend...the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know [!] the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18-19).

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (vv. 20-21). HMM III

Labor

“We beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12)

On Labor Day, we traditionally take time to recognize the great workforce here in America. From factories to restaurants, from typing pools to machine shops, from schoolrooms to gas stations, laborers help make the economy run, and on this day America honors its workforce.

The Bible likewise frequently commends those who work. For example: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28).

Several of the words in our text are significant. The verbs “increase...study...be...do...work...walk...lack” are all in the tense implying a habit or lifestyle. We are thus commended to have a mindset of work, not laziness or expecting others to do for us what we can do for ourselves.

The word “honestly” elsewhere is translated “decently” or “properly” and is emphasized in the Greek. There is a proper way to walk.

Perhaps Paul was referring to his own example: “For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you” (1 Thessalonians 2:9).

Note that an admonition to continue in “brotherly love” (v. 9) is the context of our text. For one who refuses to work and becomes a burden to society exhibits a lack of brotherly love and is a reproach to the community of Christ.

Laborers are honored in Scripture, and so is labor. JDM

Conformed to His Image

“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:49)

One of the most amazing promises of the Word of God is that those who “love God” and are “the called according to his purpose” are those whom “he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:28-29).

Adam and Eve were created in His image in the beginning. “So God created man in his own image...male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27). Perhaps part of this means they were created in the physical form that God knew He would assume when, in the fullness of time, the Son would become man Himself, Jesus Christ.

That image was marred when Adam (and, in Adam, all men) sinned. Nevertheless, it can be restored spiritually when we receive Christ and “put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10).

But this is not all. As our text reveals, we who now bear a fallen, earthly image (both physically and spiritually) will also in due time receive a heavenly image. This will take place when Christ returns. At that time, “we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye...and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

In what way shall we be changed? The Lord Jesus Himself “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). After His resurrection, His body was still His physical body, but it was no longer subject to pain or death and could speed rapidly from Earth to heaven. That is “the image of the heavenly” to which we shall be conformed some day soon! For “we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). HMM

The Glory of the Lord

“So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:14)

With the coming of the Shekinah glory cloud into the great house, God showed His acceptance of Solomon’s beautiful temple as His symbolic earthly dwelling place. This had happened once before in the wilderness. “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34).

But as the glory once departed when the Ark of the Covenant was taken from the tabernacle by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:22), so it later also departed when Solomon’s temple was plundered by the Babylonians and the people carried into exile (2 Chronicles 36:17-20; Ezekiel 10:18; 11:23).

It returned for a time when “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [literally, ‘tabernacled’] among us, (and we beheld his glory),” at least in a spiritual sense (John 1:14). On one occasion, Christ’s glory shone through in a physical sense: “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and...they saw his glory” (Luke 9:29-32) on the Mount of the Transfiguration.

There is also a great day coming when the ascended Lord will return with His heavenly temple, “coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30), even as “the glory of the Lord shone round about them” (Luke 2:9) at His first coming. His glory will be present forever when the heavenly tabernacle, the New Jerusalem, comes to Earth (Revelation 21:3-10), “having the glory of God” (v. 11).

In this present age, the body of each believer “is the temple of the Holy Ghost,” and he must “therefore glorify God in [his] body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). “For God...hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). HMM

The Believer's Judgment

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17)

There is a terrible day of judgment coming for those who reject Christ, but for those who do believe the gospel and trust the Lord Jesus for salvation, “there is therefore now no condemnation [i.e., judgment]” (Romans 8:1). Yet, our text tells us that judgment actually begins with those who obey the gospel! This apparent contradiction vanishes when one realizes that it is merely for the purpose of preparing those who are already saved to serve Him in eternity.

When a believer sins, he should judge and confess that sin. “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31), and God will forgive (1 John 1:9). If he does not, however, the next phase of judgment is the chastening of God. “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32). The classic passage on the believer’s chastening (Hebrews 12:5-11) concludes with the assurance that its purpose is to yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11).

But when such chastening fails to work, the next judgment may even be physical death. “There is sin unto death” (1 John 5:16). “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5).

Finally, all Christians must “appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), where “every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). There, some “shall suffer loss.” Nevertheless, each person at this judgment “shall be saved” (1 Corinthians 3:14-15). But, as our text continues, “if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18). HMM

What a rare find

Archaeologists in the City of David National Park in Israel have discovered a rare stone seal from the first temple period – one of the oldest finds since the start of excavations in the country, affirming the biblical role of Jerusalem 2,700 years ago.

"The seal, made of black stone, is one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem, and is executed at the highest artistic level," Dr. Yuval Baruch and Navot Rom, excavation directors, said in a press release.

https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/israeli-archaeologists-discover-unique-ancient-seal-affirming-biblical-account-jerusalem-2700-years-ago