Sketch of My Blog

Our Journey in Life is more than we allow it to be.
We must all Be Ourselves to really enjoy what's all around us.
Take hold and learn from Life and Others.

I Follow the Way of Jesus.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Grace - 1 Peter 1:3-12

Charis (Khar' ece) is the Greek for Grace.  Defined as divine influence on the heart and it's reflection in the life including gratitude.  Also benefit, favor, gift, joy, pleasure, thanks, and kindness.  It's also synonymous with mercy - being able to give without the merit of worth of the receiver.  The greek refers to the hebrew of /kana' grace - extension toward also meaning to God freely extending Himself (His favor, grace), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them.

In the OT spoke of Grace but mostly it was the Grace that we were to know, future grace.  The grace being prepared for us.  Our Faith is sown in God's grace - a soil we don't deserve but God provides.  Just like our Faith is a gift from God but we must do something with it.  It is by God's grace that we receive anything.  Yet what do we do with what God provides is just as important.

Peter states where and how this grace came to be.  In 1 Peter 1:10-11 he says:  Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.  It was prophecy about grace that was directed about Jesus and his bringing the grace, but also about us being the receivers of grace.  The prophets were hearing God speak about us and what we were to receive (without our merit) and about Jesus being the one to provide us with the grace.

Zechariah prophesied about Jesus by God's word in Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn."  Jesus is that Spirit of grace and mercy that God poured out on the world.  Without Jesus arrival here we would have no grace.  Also there would be not fulfillment of prophecy and scripture.  We would continue to be lost in our sin and attempting redemption by our own sacrifices and penance.

Look at John 1:14, 16-17  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth........ 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.   Jesus again the one bringing grace and truth.  Jesus is full of grace ans so out of His fullness we receive grace upon grace.  Grace because Jesus is grace and again because Jesus brings grace.  With this grace comes access.  Hebrews 4:14-16   Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.   Jesus is bringing His followers right to God's throne of grace and mercy.  Tearing down the barrier that separated us from God.  Giving us as Jesus's brothers and sisters an inheritance that is imperishable and access to the Father's throne room where we will find grace and mercy always.

So humility, being humble is a part of understanding grace and we need to be humble.  We are not to be proud as James 4:5-6 states.  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  We have access by being humble. So be humble because God is jealously want us for His own.  He doesn't want to share us with others.  Also Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  Humility makes us able to receive the grace of God better.  Which is the fulfillment of the Spirit of God that indwells in us all.

God's grace is our gift and we need to treat it as such.  Be humble in regards to it since we did not earn it and can't work for it.  We can grow our Faith and strengthen that muscle, but we need to remember that grace is God's unmerited gift to us.  So treat that gift very carefully and stay tuned to what being Holy is all about in the next post.  It will help you understand somethings better.  Also who you are in regards to God and His wonderful gifts to us as Born Again, Christians, Followers of Jesus.

References:  1 Peter 1:10-11, Zechariah 12:10, John 1:14,16,17, Hebrews 4:14-16, James 4:5-6, Romans 12:3

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Salvation - 1 Peter 1:3-12

Salvation in the Greek is soteria it's reference in 196 different occurrences of the Bible.  Soteria translates to rescue, safety, deliver, health, salvation, save and saving.

So to continue from the previous post we can't see Faith, Salvation or Grace.  These words are concepts, nouns, products of God, things that we work with and work out within our limited minds and our limitless spirits.  Faith is us putting to practice and work out choice to follow and God equipping us to do that work for which we are called.  Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  It means following the will of God for our lives by following the Word of God so that we find calling and purpose.  If we follow God's Word we allow God to lead us and opportunities present themselves that God wants for us.

Now one of those is Salvation.  It is an opportunity provided by God. Salvation is freely given from God through Jesus.  From our choice to hold our Faith, our Trust in His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.

Here are some things to look at in regards to Salvation:

1 Peter 1:5 - It's guarded by our Faith and will be revealed in the last days.
1 Peter 1:4 - It's imperishable (guaranteed), undefiled (pure, can't spoil), and unfading (won't / can't wear out), untouchable (protected in heaven), long lasting (eternal)
1 Peter 1:9 - It flourishes as an outcome of Faith
Romans 6:22-23 - Is a result of God's Grace
1 Peter 1:10 and Luke 10:24 - Was foretold by the prophets
1 Peter 2:9 - Separates us from the world
Hebrews 5:9 - Jesus is our source of eternal salvation

The first reference of Salvation is Genesis 49:18, the last reference is Revelation 22:17.

All of that denotes that God provides the Salvation.  Jesus name also means to deliver, to rescue and salvation.  Just look at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:9 to be specific.  And so He is salvation.  Jesus the perfect sacrifice makes us who Trust, Sons and Daughters, family without which we have no inheritance, but in verse 4 of 1 Peter 1 we do have that inheritance so we are family.  Psalms and the Old Testament when speaking of salvation say it's God's.  But for our our time, not then, but now.  It's intangible.  We will see it's result in the revelation at our final calling, when Jesus returns.

From start to finish the Bible focuses on God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit from end to end.  Exodus 15:2 - God has become our salvation, this if from the Song of Moses.  Isaiah 12:2 - Putting our trust in God for our salvation.  Let me leave you with a few references more to look over.  Luke 1:76-77 - John the Baptist was sent to proclaim the coming of Salvation (Jesus)to the world.  Ephesians 6;17 - We wear the Helmet of Salvation - sign of who we belong to and a protection against death.  Titus 2:11-15 - Salvation is freely available to all.  1 Peter 2:1-2 - We grow into our salvation.

Salvation is freely available to all who will Trust in Jesus and put their Faith in what He did to abolish sin and death.  Accept it and Live it before it's too late.

Friday, May 26, 2017

Faith - 1 Peter 1:3-12

1 Peter 1:3-12

To start off here are some attributes to Faith: Guard, Shield, Seal, Producer, invisible, looks to the future, evidence of things unseen, non-tangible.

In 1 Peter 1:3-12, Faith and Salvation are mentioned 3 times each and Grace once.  In verse 5 it speaks of Faith being our guard over out salvation.  When you look at Ephesians 6:16 it's our shield against satan's attacks.  In Romans 9:30-33 it brings righteousness and in Hebrews 11:6 it would be impossible to please God without our Faith.  Given to us by God, but our choice/seed to use as God expects.  In James 1:2-4 our Faith is tested daily and produces steadfastness.  Then in 2 Peter 1:5-8 we need to supplement our Faith.  This helps us to strengthen our shield, guard and fortress.  We work on this and so does God.  It's not our work alone or anything to earn heaven it's just our way of growing.

We grow by our daily walk, devotional time in the Bible, relationships with other Christians, attendance at Church and many other ways but these are core to strengthening our faith.  Our Faith grows and is strengthened by various trials that test us and how we respond can either strengthen or weaken our Faith.  Both of these provide us with a Faith so we can defend our salvation and provide a defense against satan's attacks.  Practice and application within these areas means that our Faith will and is more precious than gold.  Our salvation is that important that we have a system in place to protect it all costs.

In verse 9 our faith produces / outcome is a strong, flourishing, fruitful salvation that brings in v. 7 praise, glory and honor at Jesus revelation at the last time as shown in verse 5.  Now Faith is interesting because it's our side of the coin.  It is ours to make the decision.  God draws us all to Him but each of us makes the choice.  Faith is reference as ours.  Possessive to the person. God provides the grace to all and salvation to those who put their Faith, Trust in God and what Jesus accomplished on the cross and His resurrection.

Just look at Matthew 17:19-20 where Jesus speaks of the disciples Faith and how they needed to have little faith to at least so the little things.  In Luke 17:5-6 the disciples ask to have their faith increased by Jesus and Jesus says again how they need to have just a little faith and they will have enough.  Grace is the soil for our seed of Faith that we provide the choice to do something with it.  Ephesians 2:8-10 states that it's by Faith that we are God's not by anything that we do beyond making the choice to follow.  Here are some more references: Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 11:22-23 and James 2:22-23.

The act of doing completes our Faith.  Our works are our outward expression of our faith and it builds our faith, and strengthens it.  Do you take responsibility for your Faith?  Do you nurture it, feed it, help it to grow?  What are you doing with your faith?  It's like a plant so take care of it.

Our Faith is the words in the book of our life.  What's written in your book?  Are you daily trusting God for your well being?