2020-10-23
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Today, I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about how God gradually unpacks His plan of salvation. We must remember that God always does things at a time and way which maximizes lessons or blessings or wisdom for us. That’s why we say, “…in His perfect time and way.” This notion is clearly reflected in 1 PET 1: 10-12 about revelation of His plan of salvation. The prophets researched God’s plan of salvation, which He would give you before saying anything about it. This was the time when the Holy Spirit was pointing to Christ’s suffering, what He had to endure, and the glory that would follow. These messengers announced the Good News was not of their doing and was for our benefit through the power of the Holy Spirit. Not even the angels can fully understand these things of heaven. Perhaps, some of our questions and those of the prophets will be answered upon our glorification to heaven, but we won’t know until the time that faithfully obedient believers of Jesus Christ arrive there. To date, God has chosen to tell us just enough to keep our resolve strong.
God’s method of progressive revelation really begins with the Abrahamic covenant, found in GN 12: 1-3. He blesses His people for His name’s sake, setting them apart in their belief in Him alone [DT 6: 4-5, the “Shema”]. RO 3: 23-26, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But, through the free gift of grace, all who believe in Christ are put right with God. God offered the Lord Jesus, so that through the shedding of His blood, He can be the means through which their sins may be forgiven. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness.” 2 COR 5: 21, “Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin, so that in union with Him, we might share the righteousness of God.” In commanding us, through the Holy Spirit, to be faithfully obedient to His teaching and in what He says to us, God never wants us to feel abandoned, guilty, hopeless, or lacking in self-esteem.” This is even so when we have confessed and been convicted of a sin, but God offers us salvation. GA 3: 28, “If you belong to Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised.” These citations help us to understand our status as believers, whether we are Jews (genetic descendants of Abraham, “the cultured olive branches”) or “in-graphed” (“the wild olive branches”) as believing Gentiles [RO 11: 17]. One way or the other, all who believe in Christ are spiritually adopted children of God—members of the family of God.
The Law tells people what pleases God and what doesn’t. It does not bring eternal life with Him, justification, or eternal forgiveness of our sins. The Law doesn’t signal spiritual adoption into the family of God. GA 4: 4-7 tells us that at the right time, God sent Jesus Christ to redeem us from the shortcomings of the Law. Once Christ had been the one-time complete Propitiation for our sins (had atoned for them with His blood shed for us), through the Holy Spirit, we became the family of God with all the above gifts of His grace. We could call out, “Abba, Abba,” and the Father would hear us. He sent the Holy Spirit to inhabit our hearts, and we were no longer slaves. Instead, we became His children, and He gave us all He has for His children.
When we became children of God, we no longer were in spiritual slavery to the lock-step legalism of the old covenant of the Law. We became new selves in union with Christ. As Paul first visited the various stops in his first mission, he was welcomed. However, he feared a general regression in the obedience of the newly- faithful. Some of them were formerly traditionally Jewish, and others were former Pagans. Paul explained that some non-believers wanted to separate the newly converted people from Paul and his Gospel teaching. Paul went on to say, “Just like a mother in childbirth, I feel the same kind of pain for you, until Christ’s nature is formed in you” [GA 4: 19]. Paul continued with the comparison of Abraham’s two sons, one by a slave, Hagar, who is Ishmael and the younger son, Isaac, by a free woman, Sarah. Only Isaac was the “son of the promise.” Their two mothers represent the two covenants-that of the Law and that of Grace. To suggest the notion “many are called, and few are chosen,” this analogy conveys the idea that there will be more of Ishmael’s progeny (Arabs) and fewer of Isaac’s (Jews). The children of slaves don’t share the Father’s inheritance, as the children of Father do. That inheritance is Christ in us and the inhabiting of the Holy Spirit [COL 1: 26-27; COL 2: 2-3; JN 14 16-18].
PRAYER: O Most Holy Father, You alone are our Lord. You are thee personalities in One Being—The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We bow before You in reverence and awe. Our senses are focused on Your teaching, as we look for the lessons that will strengthen our faithful obedience to You. We are ever grateful and offer You our utmost praise for the things You do and Your holy attributes. Without Your Spirit in us, we couldn’t recognize what is right with You and what is not; nor, could we appreciate the many blessings You bestow upon us as Your plan of salvation is revealed. Christ suffered and died on the cross, so we could be saved for eternity, deemed acceptable in Your sight, and forever forgiven for our sins. We are new beings in union with Christ Jesus [2 COR 5: 17]. Moreover, nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God [RO 8: 38-39]. With the Holy Spirit, we can conceive of the amazing blessings that came from the Atonement of Christ. That is one of the many signals of Your grace given to us. Our request is that You bring lasting peace to the world, a cure for Covid 19’s pandemic, and open Your amazing wisdom to more people. We offer this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: We will learn more about the teaching in Paul’s first mission. Paul’s success in his apostleship and in bringing the Father’s message of salvation to other people is just one act of God. Christ’s residency in our lives is another. A third is the inhabiting of the Holy Spirit as our conscience, in teaching, and in giving us direction. We are truly blessed to be the children of God and to anticipate of sweet and eternal fellowship with Christ in heaven. We need never feel alone or abandoned, as we face the challenges of our earthly lives [PS 9: 9-10]. The Holy Spirit gives us the freedom and confidence to approach the Father in prayer earnestly and often [EPH 3: 12]. He always hears our prayers and answers them with “yes,” “no,” or “maybe later.” When He is silent, He is teaching us to trust Him in patience that there is a good reason for how He is responding. We should always turn to Him first, as He is the best Friend and Mentor we will ever have. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2020. All Rights Reserved.
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