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Weekly Message from 9-13-2020

Meditation of the week: Psalm 91:1-16

Text: Ephesians 2:1-10

Title: Mysterious God’s amazing Gift of Love to the Dead

        The Bible says that all men and women born into the world are born in the image of Adam, who lost the image of God because of sin, and are already dead in spirit. Sins were part of everyone, and they were bound to sins as if  husband and wife are  one flesh.

                We can see this fact in the words of Jesus spoken unto the religious people who did not believe in him:

” I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.‘” (John 8:24)

        The question of who is living and who is dead is  only  thing God can judge. God told Adam that when he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,  he would surely die. But Adam lived 930 years with the breadth in his body. However, the moment he ate the fruit, his spirit was surely dead as God said. When Adam  ate the fruit, the breath of life  blown into his nostrils was taken out of him. Therefore, all who are born in Adam are born dead spiritually in the eyes of God.

         We are able to understand who is dead spiritually in the words of Jesus spoken unto a disciple who said to follow him after the funeral of his father:

”  Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (Matthew 8:22).

        Apostle Paul testified of the life style of the spiritually dead people saying, they are walking to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit  that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

        He also testified of the life of the Christians born again spiritually:

“   Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Col. 2:8-10).

          He also testified of the life of whom is dead. They are walking pursuing the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, following Satan. He also testified of the reason how the children of God could be free from the lusts of the flesh. He testified of the circumcision of Christ as the reason of it: :

” In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:” (Col. 2:11).

        Apostle Paul testified of the great love of God who is rich in mercy wherewith he loved us. The love that God the Creator loved us is the mystery of the mysteries. It is a mystery that surpasses the mysteries in the Bible, the mystery of the virgin birth, the mystery of Israel, the mystery of the rapture, the mystery of lawlessness, and the mystery of Christ in the human body. What is man (Psalm 8:4)? How does the Almighty Creator love us like the little dust on the Earth at the end of the universe, a star 300 times smaller than the sun? How did the spiritual Being, with no beginning and no end, manifest His  love to a creature suitable to be called a “worm” (Psalm 22:6)? Have you ever seen someone who died for a worm? Apostle Paul is talking about God’s so great love.

         The Bible speaks of God’s great love for sinners:

Christ died for the ungodly and the weak (Romans 5:6). Christ came to the earth to seek sinners (Luke 19:10). Christ came to save sinners (Luke 15). Christ died for those in transgression (Isaiah 53:3-8). Christ died for murderers and blasphemers (1 Tim 1:15). Christ died for his enemies (Romans 5:10).

That’s right! No one knows any other person who loved more than him.

         Apostle Paul testified that He raised us with Christ, who were dead in our sins. He testified of the spiritual resurrection. In other words, our spiritual resurrection is the thing in the past, and our physical resurrection is the one coming in the future. The physical resurrection shall be in the day of Christ (rapture) to be coming sooner or later.

         Not only that, but he also testified that He raised us together with Christ and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Speaking in easier way, those who believe in Christ and receive the Holy Spirit and are saved by grace have not yet received a resurrection of body yet when they are raised with Christ, but through the Spirit of Christ who is indwelling, the spirit  already ascended to heaven in Christ, and through the Spirit by living in communion with him.

They are blessed greatly spiritually hoping to be glorious body in the day when he appears to be dwelling with him forever. .

           Apostle Paul also testified that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. In other words, all the grace and mercy is only through Christ Jesus. Though God can give enough faith to be saved, no one is qualified to have such kind faith. This is the very reason why faith is only possible by grace. Therefore, no one can be saved unless he or she receives Jesus Christ as the personal saviour by grace through faith.

         On this, Apostle Paul clearly testified:

” For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

          Everything is clear and fully understandable. But a person who is not born again always feels familiarity with the passages that emphasize works not grace. However, through a life of gratitude for this tremendous gift of grace,  regenerated person will live a life of joy while preaching the Gospel by truly grateful for the fact that he is saved in hope while praising “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me …” .

         That’s right! If there is a very clear fact, grace does not come by works, and what comes by works is not grace. Because no one can be justified by any work. Salvation is not just a gift, but it is the free gift. Apostle Paul testified in great detail about this indescribable grace:

”  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. “(Rom. 5:15-21)

         Apostle Paul testified that those saved by grace are the workmanship of God:

” For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).

            Anyone who is in Christ Jesus is created as a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:21). It testifies that good works are prepared in advance by the Lord for those who are in Christ. He testified that he gave grace to each saved person for good works according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7). Some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the perfectinh of the saints, for the work of the ministry, fir the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4: 11-12)). He also spoke in detail about what are good works for the body of Christ(Ephesians 4-6). This is the reason why we must study God’s words in detail.

Amen! Hallelujah!