GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

[nChrist]

FROM CONDEMNATION TO GLORY
By Pastor Marvin Duncan
"What Happens At Salvation"
Part 5 OF 6



BECAUSE WE ARE SAVED, WE ARE:

1). ACCEPTED (Ephesians 1:6)

Because of our inherited SIN NATURE, we are, at birth, separated from God and outside His favor. Because of our position of being IN CHRIST, we have become ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED (One). This means we have been made as close to the Father as the Son is.

Nothing has changed as to our physical or moral condition from what. we were before we accepted Christ as our Savior. The only thing that has happened is that now we are IN CHRIST and from God's point of view, we have been made as RIGHTEOUS, as MORAL, as KIND and as LOVING as Christ is. It is because of what we have been made IN CHRIST that we have become ACCEPTABLE by the Father.

Being ACCEPTABLE means we have ACCESS to the Throne of God at any time without being personally invited to approach God. Being ACCEPTED means we will be HEARD when we speak to God. Being ACCEPTED means we will receive God's attention when we have any need or make any request of Him. Notice His promise to us in Ephesians 3:20. He will do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK.

2). BELOVED (Colossians 3:1).

Because we have been accepted in the BELOVED ONE, we also become BELOVED by being IN HIM. Notice that everything we have as the Saints of God is because of our being in Christ, not because of anything good in ourselves.

Being BELOVED means we are the "APPLE OF HIS EYE" and when He looks upon us, He is moved by His compassion and love to give us the BEST heaven contains.

The LOVE with which God loves us is a love that is motivated to GIVE to the object of that love the best that can be given for the beloved one's good. The kind of love we know as human beings is a selfish love that wants to GET from the one that is loved

3). CALLED (Romans 8:28 ).

To be CALLED means to be selected by name. God has selected us INDIVIDUALLY and has CALLED us ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The
Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

FROM CONDEMNATION TO GLORY
By Pastor Marvin Duncan
"What Happens At Salvation"
Part 6 OF 6

   
In this Romans eight passage, we find there are FOUR THINGS involved in God's PURPOSE.


A. PREDESTINED.
B. CALLED.
C. JUSTIFICATION.
D. GLORIFICATION.

A) From the standpoint of PREDESTINATION, we find this word used twice in Paul's epistles. The first time is in Romans 8:29. Here we find the Holy Spirit tells us exactly what has been pre-determined by God. That which was pre-determined was that the Saints would be CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF GOD'S SON. This promise was made to the members of THE BODY OF CHRIST (God's Church of this dispensation of His Grace). Everyone who is saved in this dispensation are members of the Body of Christ and as such have been conformed to the image of God's Son ( Jesus Christ).

The second time this word is found is in Ephesians 1:5 where Paul speaks of the Saints of this dispensation being PREDESTINED unto the ADOPTION OF SONS.

This activity make each believer an HEIR in God's family and causes him to INHERIT all that God has created. By becoming a Son in God's family, we become JOINT - HEIRS with Christ (Romans 8:17).

b) The word JUSTIFIED means to be DECLARED RIGHTEOUS. The picture this word portrays is that of a Sinner who has been before the Throne of God, expecting to hear God's Judgment being poured out, but instead we hear God say, I declare this one to be RIGHTEOUS- just as righteous as My Son.

Some individuals would have us believe we can find the meaning of the word justified by saying it means being in the place I'd be in JUST AS IF I NEVER SINNED. This isn't true. To be in the position I'd be in IF I'D NEVER SINNED, leaves me INNOCENT but not RIGHTEOUS.

c) GLORIFICATION means to be made into the image of Christ in His PERFECTION. We will have the same glory that Christ will have as the Head of the Body of Christ. We will be LIKE CHRIST in His Resurrected Perfection.

CHANGED (Second Corinthians 5:17).

To be CHANGED means to become something completely different from what we were before the change took place. Several things are changed at the moment a son of Adam receives the salvation that is in Christ Jesus.

1. The son of Adam who receives God's salvation becomes a Son of God.

2. The son of Adam who receives the salvation that is in Christ Jesus is CHANGED into a NEW CREATION. That is, he is no longer a SINNER, but has become a SAINT.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
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If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The
Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

"Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ"  Ephesians 1 :2-3

~THE BLESSINGS OF GRACE~

As Paul bade farewell to the saints at Ephesus. knowing that this was a sad and final parting, he comforted them, saying. "I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (set apart)" (Acts20:32). God bestows many blessings on even the unregenerate. But it is those who are sanctified that receive the rich and satisfying spiritual blessings of which the apostle is speaking as he reassures the brethren.

The limitless scope of grace whereby we receive such blessings is often emphasized by Paul in his epistles. In the Ephesian letter he writes that God "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). And the assurance that this is so is our source of peace, which is in itself our greatest of all blessings. "For He (Christ) IS our peace..." (Ephesians 2:14) We are even instructed as to how we may most fully enjoy this most precious of gifts. "Be careful (anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God,which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6.7).

We are reminded, of course, that peace through prayer does not result from the granting of specific requests as we petition "For we know not what to pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:26). This comforting assurance is what brings us peace.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The
Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

WHY IS HEAVEN SILENT?
Part One of Two
by John D. LaVier




After the tragic event of September 11th a few years ago, we often hear the question "Where Was God?" or "Why did God allow this to happen?" The believer knows that God is still on His eternal throne, that He is sovereign, and nothing happens apart from His direct or permissive will, but for a season He has with-drawn from this earthly scene. He does indeed work on behalf of His own, and otherwise as well, but He acts covertly and His action seen only with the eye of faith. Bloody wars take place among the nations, thousands perish from famine, flood, earth- quake and storm, but no voice or action is heard from above. In one of Sir Robert Anderson's books the opening words are: "A silent heaven is the greatest mystery of our existence."

What is the answer to this mystery? For two thousand years the heavens have been silent and this is strange when we compare it with Old Testament times. God was then dealing with the Hebrew nation and they saw marvelous displays of His person and power. He brought them out of slavery, making a path through the sea, and for forty years He fed them and led them and brought them into the land of promise with mighty victories over all their foes. Isaiah saw the Lord; Daniel fell at His feet; angels walked to and fro in the land; God fought for His people; heaven was not silent.

When Israel is enjoying the favor of God the heavens are open, but when Israel is in disfavor with God the heavens are silent. Between the two testaments, when Israel was being judged for their sins, there was a period of time which is often referred to as "the four hundred silent years." God spoke His last word through Malachi and then 400 years of silence. This silence was finally broken by the appearance of the angel Gabriel to  Zacharias announcing the birth of John the Baptist. Then Gabriel spoke to Mary, telling her of that Holy One which should be born of her, even the Son of God. Later the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds announcing the birth of the Christ-child and from the opened heavens they heard the heavenly host praising God.

Heaven was not silent during the earthly ministry of Christ when He was presenting Himself to Israel as their Messiah nor was heaven silent after His resurrection and on into the Acts period, when Israel was given opportunity to repent. There were miracles, wonders, signs, angelic visitation, jail deliverances, sudden judgments, etc. The heavens were not silent. However, Acts 28:28 marks a great change. Israel no longer stands as a nation before God. They are set aside for a reason and a season. The reason was their rejection of Christ both in His incarnation and in His resurrection. The season is this present dispensation of the mystery.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
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If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The
Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

WHY IS HEAVEN SILENT?
Part two of two
by John D. LaVier



After the close of the Acts period we find a great man of God sitting in the Roman prison, but no angel comes to liberate him. An age of silence has begun. A silent God. A silent heaven. This silence has already lasted two millenniums. The nations rage and we see war, sin suffering and sorrow on every hand. The people of God oft suffer at the hands of their enemies, and we see the ever-increasing and God-defying masses sinning and sinning and sinning. And yet in the midst of it all, God remains silent.

When God turned away from Israel, that nation through which His earthly purposes are to be realized, He then and there with- drew from this earthly scene. C.H.M. wrote "So long as there was any ground of hope in connection with Israel, the heavenly mystery was held back; but when earth had been abandoned and Israel set aside, the apostle of the Gentiles, from his prison at Rome, writes to the Church, and opens out all the glorious privileges connected with its place in the heavens." God has for a season abandoned earth but we are here as His ambassadors in enemy land and we are asked to walk by faith and not by sight. God is allowing man's day to run its course and is permitting the full development of the mystery of lawlessness. The mystery of iniquity is working. Soon the whole will be leavened. Man's day will be replaced by the Lord's Day. Then...

THE SILENCE TO BE BROKEN

This is promised everywhere in Scripture. The psalmist declared: "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence!" Just as the silence of the 400 years was broken by His first coming, so the present silence will be broken by His second coming. But before He manifests Himself to the world, He will manifest Himself to His own. This is the bright and blessed hope of the Church, the rapture, and it will be the opening rift in the silent heavens. After the Body of Christ has been removed from the scene God will begin to deal again with Israel and the nations. The silence will be broken and God will speak again, not then in grace, but in wrath. The heavens will be opened, not to pour out blessing, but disaster. The judgments of the Apocalypse will be visited upon the world, when the seals will be broken, the judgment trumpets sounded, and the vials of God's wrath poured out.

Finally, the heavens will be fully opened and the blessed Lord Jesus Christ will return. The Apostle John saw Him as the rider on a white horse, followed by the heavenly armies, and He wrote: "He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." The silence will be broken. The King will return and have His rightful place upon the throne, with all beneath His feet. Every eye shall see Him and the earth will be filled with His glory. And never again will their be silence for the lines of communication will always be open between heaven and earth, both as to the millennial earth and on into the new earth.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The
Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

Philippians 4:19
"But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."


~OUR ASSURANCES UNDER GRACE~


From infancy, the mortal soul cries out for assurance The yearning is often satisfied by parent, pastor, patron or peer. But these are frequently misguided and temporary consolations. But any assurance received from God may be relied upon without reservation. Knowing that we are impotent to generate our own motivations to the uttermost, we find confidence in the assurance that "The love of Christ constraineth us..." (2 Corinthians 5:14).

To the faithful, there is no restriction of encouragement and fortification from on high. The apostle attests that to those saints who prayerfully submit themselves to His watchcare and preservation, "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7), "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you" (2 Corinthians 9:8 ).

But the most stimulating of all assurances is the affirmation of our condition as members of the Body of Christ. "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. AND YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the Head of all principality and power" (Colossians 9:10). In the light of our heavenly position, the apostle exclaims, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). Close fellowship with God is the secret to our enjoyment of maximum assurance. How true the words of the prophet, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee" (Isaiah 26:3). "My God shall supply all you need according to His riches in glory.."

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The
Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

ON TO PERFECTION OR BACK TO PENTECOST
Part 1 of 2
BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Paul, in all his epistles, always exhorts the saints to "edification". In Romans, the Corinthian epistles especially, even in the Acts of the Apostles "the churches [had] rest ... and were edified" (9:31); at Thessalonica, in his prison epistles, and his letters to Timothy, he affirms that believers should "exercise [themselves] rather unto godliness" (ITim.4:7). His insistence that saints are to be built up in the faith, edified, and established in sound doctrine and practice is profound.
 
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph.4:14).
 
He insists that his gospel, message, and ministry, is to be made known far and wide, and was made known throughout the whole world:
 
"For I would not, brethren, THAT YE SHOULD BE IGNORANT OF THIS MYSTERY, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits ... " (Rom.ll:25).
 
"... we speak wisdom among them that are perfect ... ", are the words of his first epistle to the Corinthians, "yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
 
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a Mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (ICor.2:6,7,8 ) .
 
Here the exhortation is not merely doctrinal, but an exhortation to practical Christian living also, and to "perfection" or maturity in the most holy faith. He reminded the Corinthians that "the Lord of glory" was "crucified" on their behalf, "that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures", even as "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (5:7). This behooves me, it behooves us all, to walk worthy of Him "the Lord from heaven", who loved us so.

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col.1:10).
 
"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (IICor.4:16).

"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, YET NOW HENCEFORTH KNOW WE HIM NO MORE" (IICor.5:16).
 
This is why we follow the heavenly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the epistles of Saint Paul. As the Apostle said so often, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (ICor.4:16; 11:1; Phil.3:17; IThes.1:6). There is much indeed that was "written aforetime ... for our learning" yet the Apostle of grace "beseeches" us to follow the heavenly ministry of Christ as revealed through him. We are not exhorted to follow the Commission of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, as Great as it was, because God has something far greater today. Paul was " ... called by His grace, To reveal His Son in me ... " are the Apostle's exact words in Galatians 1:15,16. As great and glorious as His ~Millennial Kingdom shall be, yet The Lord Jesus Christ, in the "exceeding glory" of His grace (IICor. 3:10), is revealed in Paul's epistles.
 
"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man."
 
"For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal.1:11).
 
"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph.3:9).

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The
Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ.

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http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
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[nChrist]

ON TO PERFECTION OR BACK TO PENTECOST
Part 2 of 2
BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

God wants us to know His Son. And He has given us a great deal of evidence, proving that His Son can perform that which He has said He will do, if we would only trust Him:
 
"That I may know him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death" (Phil.3:10).
 
 And, in Hebrews, as in all his epistles, his exhortation is rather "on to perfection" (Heb.6:1), and not back to the Pentecostal "powers of the world to come" (Heb.6:2) and the so-called great commission. This was the problem at Corinth with those who were "speaking in an unknown tongue" (ICor.14:2,4,
13,14,19,27). Paul exhorts us to maturity in Christ through the revelation given to him by the glorified Lord Jesus Christ! "And this will we do, if God permit" (Heb.6:3). In Colossians he exhorts believers to "mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth", and he names them - the lusts of the flesh. And to "put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication ... " and to "put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him" (Col.3:5-14). "Put off the old man with his deeds" and "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one Body; and be ye thankful.
 
"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom".
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (Col. 3:15-17).
 
A failure to heed these exhortations only causes many not to see the transitional element in the Acts of the Apostles. Tongues, signs and visions have all passed away with their water baptisms, laying on of hands, miraculous healings and resurrection campaigns. Even the offices of apostles and prophets have ceased (ICor.13:8 ) leaving "some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
 
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ:
 
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph.4:11,12,13) .

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

Are You Running to Win?
By C.R. Stam



"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible" (I Cor. 9:25).

Paul's epistles have much to say about the competitive sports of his day. He uses the gymnasium and stadium, the races, the boxing and wrestling matches, to drive home vital spiritual lessons.

As he witnessed the intense enthusiasm of the masses and the grim determination of the contestants in the Greek games, he was gripped with the challenge to believers to put as much into the issues of life and death as these put into their games.

How rigidly the contestants, then as now, controlled and denied themselves! How tirelessly they trained themselves!

"Now they do it," says the apostle, "to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one."

In this pleasure-loving, self-indulgent age, believers are prone to forget that the Christian life is a race and that the divine Judge is watching their performance. He observes those who are running with all that is in them—and He likewise observes those who have so indulged themselves in the things of this world that they can hardly run at all.

Realize it or not, the race will soon—perhaps very soon—be over and the prizes awarded. Let each of us, therefore, ask himself: How will I fare then? Am I heeding the exhortation: "So run that ye may obtain," or do I scarcely care whether or not I receive the approval of the One who gave His all—Himself—to save me from a just and certain doom and to bless me with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies?

May God convict us, beloved, and help us to arise to meet the challenge that faces us every day while the millions of the lost about us continue their course to Christless graves, and a confused and divided Church points them in a dozen different directions.

May He give us a burden for the lost—and the saved. May He convict us of our responsibility for their condition. May He help us to live lives of true, practical devotion to Christ, rather than mere sentimental devotion; to practice self-control and self-denial, to put our all into the race, so that when we stand before Him He may confer upon us a garland of victory that will never fade away, and with it everlasting joy that we have brought honor, rather than reproach, to His worthy name.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS
By the late Pastor ROBERT E. HANNA


 Scripture Reading: I Timothy 3: 16

The mystery of godliness might well be defined in human terminology as an incredible paradox. To be both God and man, to be both visible and invisible, to walk guilelessly among men and reign supreme in glory --- surely this is a mystery beyond comprehension. Even though this mystery has been divinely revealed, it remains nevertheless incomprehensible.
 
How then can mankind possibly acknowledge such a seeming impossibility? In the realm of mortality, we think of "solving" a mystery. That this is impossible becomes immediately self-evident. One alternative exists --- only one. Only BY FAITH can we accept and possess such profound spiritual truth. And even that very faith is itself of God; it cannot be self-generated. We can exercise the believing faith only because He has enabled us so to do.
 
"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9). In the words of Matthew Henry (in his commentary), "Both that faith and that salvation are the gift of God. God has ordered all so that the whole shall appear to be of grace."
 
God's mysteries cannot be discerned apart from faith. And precisely what IS faith? "Faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ... Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed [ages were planned] by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Heb. 11:1,3),

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
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If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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RECONCILED UNTO GOD IN ONE BODY
By FLOYD BAKER, Pastor

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2: 16

"And that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Our word reconcile comes from the Greek word APOKATALLASSO and has the meaning, "to reconcile completely; to change from one condition to another, so as to remove all enmity and leave no impediment to unity and peace" (W.E.Vine). In your study of the Scriptures it is important to remember that the WORLD has been conciliated to God (11 Corinthians 5:19) but the believer is reconciled to God. In both instances it is God who has taken the initiative and in 11 Corinthians the appeal is to the unsaved to be conciliated to God while in Ephesians the action is completed. Believing Jews and Gentiles are not reconciled to each other but both to God with the end result being ONE BODY.
 
We see in our context starting with verse 11 that the Gentiles were "afar off, while the Jews were nigh." The Body of Christ is God's special purpose for the present administration and is called a "new man," and is not to be confused with His kingdom people and program. These are not Jews of the kingdom program becoming members of the Body of Christ but those who have been saved into the Body of Christ. We see that it is all made possible by the cross. To the Jew the cross was a stumbling block and to the Greek foolishness, but to us who believe, the power and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23,24). With Paul we declare, "Unto him glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

THE UNITY OF THE BODY
By A. A. Sandoz


Scripture Reading: Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:4

David in the Psalms wrote concerning his physical body that he was, "fear-fully and wonderfully made." The human body is a marvel when we think of how the brain being the control center controls all body functions. I could not move my arm unless the brain (the instrument of spirit or mind) first signaled the arm to move through the muscles and system of nerves. I am totally dependent upon the brain. The brain is probably the last unexplored frontier of medical science. The average brain weighs about three pounds and contains twelve billion cells. One scientist has stated, "The human brain is the most complex arrangement of matter in the universe."
 
The members of the human body bring before us another amazement, that each member is dependent upon other members. My fingers cannot function apart from my hand, likewise my hand cannot function apart from the muscles and tendons in my arm. If I close the fingers of my right hand in a door my left hand is quick to the rescue to free my injured hand. My left hand is ready to comfort my injured hand by holding it until the pain is relieved. Other parts of my body are affected as well, I may feel weak in the legs or experience pain in my arm, this being because the body is one.
 
Remembering what we have said about the human body, as we turn to the Scriptures, Paul refers to the Church, the Body of Christ. This one body (Eph. 4:4) being a living organism is made up of believers which constitute the members. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body or control center and all members must look to Him for wisdom, knowledge, guidance and counsel through the Pauline Revelation (Col. 2:3). The Apostle declares, "We are members one of another" (Rom. 4:5). When one of the members of the Body loses a loved one and is sorrowing we all sorrow and would seek to comfort. When one is newly saved and rejoicing in the Lord we as members rejoice as well. There is a mutual dependence upon one another which constitutes the, "Unity of the Body."

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries
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Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

FAITH AND SIGHT
By Pastor Hume

Where would we be without that wonderful gift of eyesight? How paramount is this sense in our unique physical make-up. Yet there are many in life who have either lost the sight of one or both eyes, or who were born blind. The power of what goes through the eyegate is greater than most of us realize. Therefore we need, as believers in Christ, to guard what we look at. For like Achan of old (who 'saw', then 'coveted', and finally 'took' of the forbidden goods in Jericho), we can be built up or broken down by what we chose to look upon (not merely 'see').

But the Word of God refers us to another 'eyegate' -- that of the heart. (I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.' (Ephesians 1:18a, New American Standard Bible) 'Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from thy law.' (Psalm 119:18, N.A.S.) 'So our eyes look to the Lord our God.' (Psalm 123:2, N.A.S.) Then the writer to the Hebrews, in concluding his great 'Hall of Faith' chapter, gave this timely word of exhortation:
 
'Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith .... ' (Hebrews 12:1-2a, N.A.S.)

Several truths could be commented on here, but one we want to lift out and emphasize: ' ... fixing our eyes on Jesus ..... ' Certainly this cannot mean to look physically upon 'Jesus' or a picture of Him. This is the 'sight of the heart', or to put it as Dr. A.W. Tozer so uniquely expressed, 'the gaze of the soul upon a saving God.'
 
Is this not true faith which God gives to those who are His? Faith is not only 'the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.' (Heb. 11:1, lit.), but it is a posture of the redeemed soul. It is turning one's heart and mind unto 'Him who  ever liveth'. It is comprehending our lovely, all-sufficient Savior-God through His written Word of Truth. It is to 'acknowledge Him' in all our ways. (Prov. 3:6)
 
'For we walk by faith, not by sight (or appearance)' (II Cor. 5:7; Does what we have written contradict this divine declaration? Not at all. For faith is the sight of the redeemed heart. How is your internal eyesight today? Or do you have 20-20 vision? Or do you need the sight that only He who can open the eyes of the blind can impart? God grant us a 'seeing faith'.
Grace, Peace and Love

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
By the late Pastor L. PETERSON

In writing the church at PhiIippi Paul said, 'I thank my God .... for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.' Phil. 1:3,5. What does fellowship mean? Dr. Harry Ironside illustrated it by picturing a team of horses pulling together. The word itself means partnership. It implies working together with a common goal in mind. There are various aspects of fellowship. There is the possibility of sweet and wholesome communion while working together.
 
When we were boys and working together in the field we didn't spend all  our time talking about the work we were doing. While we were doing that work we exchanged ideas, planned our recreation, told stories and debated. This was fun too; it helped us to pass the time as we labored and to make the burden of the day lighter. Fellowship is so important. to all of us as Christians. We need to get together and have some of the other folk share life with us and we with them.
 
Man in a sense is a triumvirate, that is, an association of three in the governing forces of life. Genesis 2:7 says, 'And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.' To me this is Body, Soul and Spirit. Dust of the ground --- Body; Breath of Life --- Spirit; and living soul (union of body and spirit) --- Soul. Daily we care for the body by feeding, washing and repairing it. The spirit is cared for too if we are right with God. This is done by the ministry through the Word of God. Jesus said 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. ' Matt. 4:4.
 
What about the soul? Can its needs be met by physical culture or spiritual exercise? Indeed it cannot. There is therefore the need to care for the soul. In my way of thinking this is done by fellowship; the communion with fellow Christians. It does us all good to become acquainted with each other. The exchange of ideas, the expression of convictions concerning life, to get the other fellow's slant on life, the making known of burdens and problems, spiritual and economic, to gain the attention and sympathies of others. This is good and wholesome for us all. Do you want me to prove it to you? Doesn't it make you feel better to know your friends have problems financially as well as you do? Really now, wouldn't you hate to be the only person in your circle of friends having mortgage on your property? It may not really be right in a deeper sense to 'feel good' because your close friend is paying installments on his car, but it sure goes for encouragement. This may all seem trite but it is only to illustrate that we need fellowship as Christians in order to learn how goals are gained, problems are solved and trials are endured. We need one another more than we know. Should you be a person inclined to shut yourself off from the rest of the world, break the spell or habit. meet with fellow Christians for pure, good, clean and wholesome fellowship. The early Christians did, why not today? God forbid that we as a church should ever major, in socials. This is not our calling. We are called of the Lord to 'preach  the gospel'. However, in the preaching of the gospel there necessitates In our program a place for expression and communion relative to the soul. We can thus better pray for, sympathize with and encourage one another in our pulling together in the matters that are spiritual and eternal. Thus, should your class in Bible School or circle of friends in any auxiliary of the church meet for fellowship, be sure to meet with them. May God our Heavenly Father guide us in our spiritual programming that in all things we may please Him.


Should this Inspirational series has  been a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at  GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

___________________________________
From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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[nChrist]

THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY
By IVAN L. BURGENER  PASTOR

Scripture Reading: II Thessalonians 2:7

Two things are working energetically during this present time. Paul wrote in our text "the mystery of iniquity doth already work (i.e., works energetically)." But "the Word of God ... worketh effectually in you that believe (works energetically)" (I Thess. 2:13). Thus God's Word on the one hand and the "secret of lawlessness" on the other hand are both at work.
 
Thru the preaching of the cross, God's Word rightly divided in all its glory and clarity, souls are saved and established in eternal truth. God's Word is His power unto salvation in the believer. This message works mightily, effectively and wonderfully in those that respond in faith.
 
But how does the "secret of lawlessness" work now? We expect all manner of evil and calamity to break out when the man of sin, the antichrist, is finally revealed. Our very text goes into detail about that. The Wicked [one] will come forth with satanic "power and signs and lying wonders." That his full-blown program will have its effect upon many is not surprising. But what is the present working of "the secret of lawlessness"?

Today "Satan transforms himself into an angel of light" and his servants are "also ... transformed as the ministers of righteousness" (II Cor. II:14-15). Satan is in the business of saying seemingly "right things." For example: Do not many teach that the Gospel will convert the world before Christ will return? In our very text Paul shows that the restraining force preventing the full-blown prophesied satanic deception is the presence of the Church, Christ's Body! But our catching away [apostasy] must come first --- Rapture, Wrath, and Revelation in that order!

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From Grace And The Truth Ministries
http://www.graceandthetruth.com/

If this devotion has been a blessing to you, please share it with others. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

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http://www.graceandthetruth.com/pop_up.htm
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