brakelite
Sep 21st 2008, 12:54 AM
This contribution is in fact the 3rd installment of 'Curing the Disease'. It would help to read the the first two installments of that thread so you will know where I am coming from here.
Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I would ask you to do just the above. To consider Jesus, particularly with respect to the price He was willing to pay on our behalf that we might have eternal life. In bearing the burden of guilt for the sin of the whole world, for voluntarily accepting the wrath of a just God upon Himself in our stead, Jesus suffered a far greater pain and anguish than just physical death, for the most significant price that we must pay for sin outside of Christ is a loss of hope. The greatest torment for us will not be the physical suffering from the lake of fire, but the acute mental awareness and anguish that will come as a result from knowing that there will be absolutely no hope of any further opportunity to take advantage of God's mercy. Death, without mercy and hope of redemption or resurrection, is the only future for those who now reject God's grace and mercy.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Mt 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
Why did Jesus feel forsaken of His Father? After an eternity of close intimate familial relationship with His Father, has that relationship now been severed?
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Jesus was paying the full price of sin. A separation from God without hope of redemption. At this moment Jesus saw no hope for Himself beyond the grave.
For Him, an eternity past spent in the most loving relationship with His Father was about to end. In Gethsemane, again Jesus confirmed His determination to continue with His avowed course and relinquished His own will in favour of His Father's. His own life was as nothing by comparison to carrying out the plan of redemption that was laid out before even the foundation of the world.
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame....
For the joy of knowing He was securing our redemption, He died. For our sakes, He died, and as far as He thought at that moment of separation, He saw no hope for Himself , for He knew what great wrath the Father has for sin, and because He was made sin for us, then Jesus saw no hope of life beyond the grave. The darkness He experienced was the same darkness we must experience should we spurn God's mercy. The darkness was so great for Jesus that even nature empathized.
Jesus love for us is so great, That He considered it a better option that we should enjoy the glories of heaven without Him, than He enjoy it without us!!!!
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends....
Jesus laid down His life for us, He gave everything that we might live. My first challenge to you is to consider what might we do in appreciation. What does such great love engender in us to do in return? How ought we to show our appreciation? Jesus Himself gives us the answer as we continue reading from the previous verse...
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Are we willing to obey God in all things? Are we willing to lay aside all our human/man-made traditions, personal dreams and ambitions in the light of such self-sacrificial love and obey all of God's commandments?
The second challenge is especially for husbands.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Are we willing to love our wives with the same spirit of self sacrifice with which Jesus loves us? Are we willing to sacrifice even eternity if it made it possible for our wives to be guaranteed a place in heaven? Jesus gave up all heaven for us. Are we willing to do the same for one another? For that is what the love of God in our hearts is calling us to do. To love our wives with the same slef denial that Jesus loved the church.
Mt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Is Jesus leaving us any option? Is this concept one of choice, or is it essential for us to do this to gain the life we hope for? In order to gain life, we sacrifice it? And if you think that maybe Jesus is simply referring to our material or earthly life then read on:
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The cross Jesus commands us to bear is the cross of self-denial.Self-sacrifice. Sacrificing our own dreams, ambitions, even our own hope of eternal life, for the sake of the gospel, and for the sake of those we claim to love.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Re 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
As Moses was willing to have his own name blotted out from the book of life for the sake of Israel, so also was Jesus willing to sacrifice His eternal life for the sake of the world.
The song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, is that song of self denial which they shared. And it will be the song of victory that we will share with them if we today, like them, humble ourselves and take the role of servant, sacrificing all for the sake of our Master in heaven, as Jesus did and Moses did for their Master in heaven.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 ¶ Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 ¶ Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
So my friends, who's up for the challenge? Anyone?
Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I would ask you to do just the above. To consider Jesus, particularly with respect to the price He was willing to pay on our behalf that we might have eternal life. In bearing the burden of guilt for the sin of the whole world, for voluntarily accepting the wrath of a just God upon Himself in our stead, Jesus suffered a far greater pain and anguish than just physical death, for the most significant price that we must pay for sin outside of Christ is a loss of hope. The greatest torment for us will not be the physical suffering from the lake of fire, but the acute mental awareness and anguish that will come as a result from knowing that there will be absolutely no hope of any further opportunity to take advantage of God's mercy. Death, without mercy and hope of redemption or resurrection, is the only future for those who now reject God's grace and mercy.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Mt 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
Why did Jesus feel forsaken of His Father? After an eternity of close intimate familial relationship with His Father, has that relationship now been severed?
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Jesus was paying the full price of sin. A separation from God without hope of redemption. At this moment Jesus saw no hope for Himself beyond the grave.
For Him, an eternity past spent in the most loving relationship with His Father was about to end. In Gethsemane, again Jesus confirmed His determination to continue with His avowed course and relinquished His own will in favour of His Father's. His own life was as nothing by comparison to carrying out the plan of redemption that was laid out before even the foundation of the world.
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame....
For the joy of knowing He was securing our redemption, He died. For our sakes, He died, and as far as He thought at that moment of separation, He saw no hope for Himself , for He knew what great wrath the Father has for sin, and because He was made sin for us, then Jesus saw no hope of life beyond the grave. The darkness He experienced was the same darkness we must experience should we spurn God's mercy. The darkness was so great for Jesus that even nature empathized.
Jesus love for us is so great, That He considered it a better option that we should enjoy the glories of heaven without Him, than He enjoy it without us!!!!
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends....
Jesus laid down His life for us, He gave everything that we might live. My first challenge to you is to consider what might we do in appreciation. What does such great love engender in us to do in return? How ought we to show our appreciation? Jesus Himself gives us the answer as we continue reading from the previous verse...
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Are we willing to obey God in all things? Are we willing to lay aside all our human/man-made traditions, personal dreams and ambitions in the light of such self-sacrificial love and obey all of God's commandments?
The second challenge is especially for husbands.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Are we willing to love our wives with the same spirit of self sacrifice with which Jesus loves us? Are we willing to sacrifice even eternity if it made it possible for our wives to be guaranteed a place in heaven? Jesus gave up all heaven for us. Are we willing to do the same for one another? For that is what the love of God in our hearts is calling us to do. To love our wives with the same slef denial that Jesus loved the church.
Mt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Is Jesus leaving us any option? Is this concept one of choice, or is it essential for us to do this to gain the life we hope for? In order to gain life, we sacrifice it? And if you think that maybe Jesus is simply referring to our material or earthly life then read on:
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The cross Jesus commands us to bear is the cross of self-denial.Self-sacrifice. Sacrificing our own dreams, ambitions, even our own hope of eternal life, for the sake of the gospel, and for the sake of those we claim to love.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Re 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
As Moses was willing to have his own name blotted out from the book of life for the sake of Israel, so also was Jesus willing to sacrifice His eternal life for the sake of the world.
The song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, is that song of self denial which they shared. And it will be the song of victory that we will share with them if we today, like them, humble ourselves and take the role of servant, sacrificing all for the sake of our Master in heaven, as Jesus did and Moses did for their Master in heaven.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 ¶ Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 ¶ Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
So my friends, who's up for the challenge? Anyone?