Saturday, September 18, 2010

ALIENATION FROM GOD-IN THE MIND

Man has been familiar with the concept of alienation from God for thousands of years. This is one of the primary ideas behind religion, which leads it to be a lifelong pursuit of getting close or closer to this distant God.

The Bible does speak about alienation from God as well, but it is important to understand WHERE that alienation is, and what the cause of it is.

Let's look at one of the things Paul had to write about it, in Ephesians 4. Paul was a Hebrew, and as such, thought like one. I also believe he wrote like one. I say this because in the passages I want us to look at, verses 17-18, I believe he was using Semitic poetry in the form of parallelism there. This is where you have a thought or thoughts stated in slightly different ways, in order to connect those ideas together.

Here is Eph 4:17, 18:

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts;

Now, I am going to put this together according to the parallelisms I see, which consist of 3 sets of 2 things:

SET 1 futility............................... mind
SET 2 darkened.......................... understanding
SET 3 ignorance.......................... hearts

What we can see is that futility, darkness, and ignorance are connected; and the mind, understanding, and hearts are connected also.

Another way to see this is to set it up as this way:

in the futility of their mind,
[AS A RESULT OF]
being darkened in their understanding,
[IN OTHER WORDS]
alienated from the life of God,
[WHY]
because of the ignorance that is in them,
[FROM WHAT]
because of the hardening of their hearts


This teaches us that the darkening of the understanding is equivalent to alienation from the life of God. And what is one thing that this darkness is likened to? Ignorance. Ignorance simply means 'without knowledge or awareness.' So Paul is telling us that the alienation is not a REALITY, but a PERCEPTION; and a wrong one at that.

What then, is causing this ignorance and darkness that causes man to perceive himself as alienated from the life of God? Paul says it is the hardening of their hearts. That hardness is likened by Paul to a veil, and notice where that veil lies, and what is darkened as a result:

But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
(2Co 3:14-15)

See the connection with what Paul wrote in Ephesians? In reality, man is not alienated from God. He, who is light, is their very life

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
(Joh 1:4)

but if that light is covered with a veil, what will be seen? Darkness. Most of mankind goes about ignorant of the very light and life that they are in, and who is in them.

Remember how Paul that these things result in the gentiles walking in futility? This reminds me of another thematic connection found in Acts 17:

He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'
(Act 17:26-28)

Can you see the futility of the nations here? It's not as clear in this translation, but the phrase 'reach out' means to 'grope', or 'feel for.' The reason they are groping for God is because they are in darkness, as that is what causes one to grope. As another example of this, notice the Lord's words through the prophet Isaiah:

We grope for the wall like the blind; yes, we grope as those who have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among those who are lusty we are as dead men.
(Isa 59:10)

I wrote on the Acts 17 passage in another article, but the point Paul was making here was that these people were groping as in the dark, trying to find God, as though he were apart from them, when they were in him the whole time! It would be similar to me being in my house, and yet telling everyone that I am trying to find my house. Such thinking is indeed futile and based on ignorance.

This is important, brothers and sisters, because the good news is not about how you can get close to an otherwise distant God, but rather about how God, in Christ, destroyed that which caused the perception of separation, revealing the truth of our oneness with him!!

Ron

Saturday, September 11, 2010

JOSEPH'S COAT-WHAT MEANING FOR US?

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors.
(Gen 37:3)

This coat, given by Jacob, gave evidence to Joseph's brothers that he was loved more than they were. For that reason, they hated Joseph:

His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak peaceably to him.
(Gen 37:4)

Now, while in most Bible's it calls this coat a coat of many colors, the Hebrew word 'pas' literally means 'extremity.' What this tells us is that this garment was actually one that reached to the hands and feet. This holds a significant lesson for us, a reality that should set our often worried minds at ease.

You see, back in those days, those who worked for a living typically wore sleeveless garments, which freed the arms to be able to perform various tasks in work. To put it another way, the clothes that were worn by the typical man representing toil and labor.

Only the rich, those of royalty, would wear garments that went all the way to the sleeves. They did this because, unlike the people around them, they didn't have to labor for a living.

Jacob, in giving Joseph this coat, was, in effect saying that Joseph would be royalty. He would not have to toil. It was a robe of distinction, which his brothers understood and so hated him for it.

Jesus came as the greater Joseph to teach us that we, being in him, have on that same spiritual garment that extends to our hands and feet. In Christ, we have been declared royalty. The spiritual toiling for righteousness and God's favor is over. We are distinguished from those who continue to toil along in life, not knowing God because of the ignorance in them.

You see, Jesus is that garment. That is why we have been told that we have put on Christ.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
(Gal 3:27)

That garment is also spoken of in Revelation, where John describes it this way:

It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
(Rev 19:8)

This is no ordinary garment. It had to be made of fine linen because other materials would cause sweat, which represents the toil and labor of self-effort. These righteous acts are the fruit of our righteousness, who is Jesus Christ. Priests wore these types of garments:

They shall have linen tires on their heads, and shall have linen breeches on their waists; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat.
(Eze 44:18)

See the connection? They could not sweat. They represent us today, who have been made to be in rest, even while we labor. Our labor is a fruit out of a completed work, not a labor in sweat out of an incomplete work. Think on that, for it makes such a difference in life.

Rest in the completed work of Christ, knowing you are wearing robes of righteousness, which distinguishes you from the world which hates you, laboring in sweat as they do.

Ron

Friday, September 10, 2010

IN HIM, AN EXAMINATION

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ; even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;
(Eph 1:3-4)

What did Paul have in mind when he wrote these words? I am going to take us through some possibilities and see how they pan out, because there is an important reality to any and everything that occurs 'in him.'

Some will say that to be chosen in Christ means that whoever is chosen is chosen to be in Christ. In other words, 'in Christ' is a destination. They would see Paul as saying that 'he chose us to be in him before that foundation of the world...'

This is a subtlety that distorts the meaning and makes the gospel a man-centered one. Let me explain. Some believe that the basis upon which the choice is made is God's knowing beforehand who will believe in Jesus. From before the foundation of the world, he looked down through time and knew that John would believe in Jesus, so he chose him. He know that Joe would not believe, so he did not choose him. That is the general thinking.

Others believe that the choice is based solely on God's own pleasure, and nothing more. From before the foundation of the world, he decided to choose John and not Joe, simply because he has the right to do whatever he wants with his creation, and it was his pleasure to choose John, but not Joe.

In each case though, I believe a fundamental flaw exists. For whatever reason, if anyone is chosen while outside of Christ to be placed into Christ at a later time, then that choice is centered in man. Man, apart from Christ, is somehow deemed choosable.

'In him' has nothing to do with destination, but rather with origin. You see, it is not that anyone is chosen to be in Christ, but that in Christ we are chosen. See the difference? God's choice had its origin, or source, in Christ. Truly the gospel is the gospel of Christ, and thus centered on him. Our being chosen was from the place of being 'in Christ' at the time of choosing. The good pleasure that Paul writes about in verse 5...

having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
(Eph 1:5)

is Jesus Christ! Paul relates this by comparison to the sacrifices of the old covenant:

Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, "Sacrifice and offering you didn't desire, but you prepared a body for me; You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.' "
(Heb 10:5-7)

Notice that God did not desire, nor take pleasure in the various offerings, because he had another desire. He wanted a body, one prepared for his son. It was in his Jesus that he would take pleasure, because Jesus actually did God's will, which he was sent to do. Ultimately, no other man ever did.

From God's own mouth, it is his son only with whom he is well pleased:

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him."
(Mat 17:5)

Therefore, the only way any of us can be chosen is to be 'in him.' God, in choosing Christ, also chose by association everyone in him. When a person is chosen for something, every part of them is chosen, are they not? No one says, 'hey, come eat with us tonight, but leave your arms at home.' Sound ridiculous? It should. It really is that simple.

It is the same spiritually, which is why Paul was given the revelation of us being the 'body of Christ.' Now, with this foundational understanding, I encourage you to go over all the verses which speak about anything 'in him', meaning that he is the source and reason for whatever the 'in him' passages are saying.

The gospel is not about you, how smart or intuitive you are because you were wise enough to see your need for Christ and chose him. Nor is it about you, that you were somehow blessed enough to be handpicked by God just because he felt like it.

The gospel has always been, and will always be, about Christ, and him alone. All of the blessings we enjoy are only enjoyed because in choosing Christ, God was merciful in having us to be in him, along for the ride of Life.

Ron

Monday, September 6, 2010

THREE BARRIERS TO SALVATION, TYPES AND FULFILLMENTS

There were 3 barriers preventing Israel from entering the promised land. Two of them involved water; the Red Sea and the Jordan River. The third one was the peoples inhabiting the land they were to inherit. Let us examine these barriers and see how they are all fulfilled in Christ.

The Red Sea

Exo 14:4 I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh."

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

Egypt is symbolic of the world, which produces bondage and slavery to it. Pharaoh is a picture of Satan. Here we see that, just as God would get honor over Pharaoh, so also Christ would get victory over the world, defeating Satan and setting us free from its law.

Exo 14:11 They said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us forth out of Egypt?
Exo 14:12 Isn't this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."

Here we see in their reaction the hidden barrier showing its ugly head. We will get more into it later, but take note of this attitude of unbelief in them, and how God deals with it later.

Exo 14:13 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again.
Exo 14:16 Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.
Exo 14:21 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

Salvation would come, not from anything they would or could do, but solely from Yahweh himself, through the hand of his chosen one- Moses. Take special note of the fact that the hand of the prophet Moses was used here for this miracle- a hand stretched out. When we get to the Jordan River crossing, notice the difference:

Jos 3:13 It shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap."

Here we see the feet of the priests being used in this miracle. Likewise, the miracle of salvation and entering into the promised land of rest in Christ took place by the piercing of the stretched out hands of the prophet to come, Jesus, and the feet of the true High Priest, who was also Jesus.

This is a veiled picture of the cross.

The Jordan River

Just as the Red Sea crossing pictured the conquering of Satan and the world, the Jordan River crossing pictures a conquering as well-the death of the flesh.

Paul said that

flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God... 1Co 15:50

All of those who left Egypt represented the flesh. They exhibited the signs of the flesh by their constant complaining and inability to remain faithful to God while there. Their unbelief manifested itself many times. Even Moses exhibited his flesh on one occasion, and that was all it took to keep him out of the promised land as well.

There were 2 however, who left Egypt, who were allowed to go in. They were Joshua and Caleb.

Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, a natural born Jew.
Caleb was of the tribe of Judah by adoption, being a natural born Gentile.

Thus we see pictured 2 things here relating to what Christ did on the cross. Joshua the Jew, and Caleb the Gentile, together enter the promised land. Paul writes of the uniting of Jew and Gentile into the one body of Christ:

having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby. (Eph 2:15, 16)

The other thing is that in Joshua and Caleb we find pictured the fulfillment of the new covenant, for it was given to 2 parties, the house of Israel and the house of Judah:

Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Yahweh. (Jer 31:31,32)

The house of Israel was represented by Ephraim, son of Joseph, which made up 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel. The children of Israel were represented by the house of Judah, made up of Judah and Benjamin. This division occurred after Solomon died, due to his unfaithfulness to Yahweh.

Ezekiel writes of this division being healed:

You, son of man, take one stick, and write on it, For his companions: then take another stick, and write on it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: and join them for you one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. When the children of your people shall speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these? tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in my hand. (Eze 37:16-19)

Remember that Caleb was of Judah, while Joshua was of Ephraim. Fittingly then, in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, as well as this division of Israel, are all brought together as one into Christ. In him there is no more division!

Aside from Joshua and Caleb, the children born to those who left Egypt were allowed to go in. This pictures the new birth. New life, born of the spirit, entering the land. Unlike their fathers:

Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Yahweh, that he had worked for Israel. (Jos 24:31)

That speaks of us today, who serve the greater Joshua, Jesus, all his days, meaning for all eternity. We have been made to do so.

The Seven Nations Defeated

Once they crossed the Jordan, they had one final barrier, for not only did the flesh have to die, but also the deeds of the flesh. Sin had to go. These deeds are summarized in these 7 nations.

They are listed for us in Joshua 3:10

Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.

These 7 nations correspond to deeds and attitudes of the flesh manifested as sin that Christ conquered on the cross. I will only give a bare bones synopsis here, but feel free to contact me if you wish to have more information on this.

Canaanites represent the love of money, specifically as it pertains to merchandising.
Hittites represent terror.
Hivites represent worldly life.
Perizzites represent those who are mixed with the world.
Girgashites represent weakness.
Amorites represent fleshly prominence.
Jebusites represent being dominated.

These 7 nations are also characteristic of the 7 abominations that the Lord hates, written of in Proverbs 6:6-19. Here they are listed with the people group represented:

There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
Amorite = haughty eyes,
Girgashite = a lying tongue,
Hittite = hands that shed innocent blood;
Hivite = a heart that devises wicked schemes,
Jebusite = feet that are swift in running to mischief,
Canaanite = a false witness who utters lies,
Perizzite = and he who sows discord among brothers.
Those 7 traits were not only defeated by Christ for us, but now we have the following sevenfold traits of the spirit of God:

and the Spirit of God shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness shall fill Him; the spirit of the fear of God.

We are truly complete in him, for he has conquered all. Satan and his world, the flesh, and sin have been dealt with. Why wait any longer? The land is yours. Rest in him! Praise be to him forever!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

GOOD OUT OF EVIL

I have learned to be thankful in the midst of evil, understanding, as I do now, why it was created by God. Notice this series of comparisons of a former evil and its relation to the latter blessing.


Rom 5:15 But the free gift isn't like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Rom 5:17 For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

righteousness [good]> so much more > trespass [evil]

Rom 5:20 The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;

grace abounded [good] > more exceedingly > sin abounded [evil]

2Co 3:7-10 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away: won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory? For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

glory of service of Spirit, righteousness [good] > much more, surpasses > service of death, condemnation [evil]

As an aside, do not misunderstand Paul here. He is not saying that the ten commandments written in stone are themselves condemnation, or death-something bad or evil. It is that the law written in stone, as righteous and spiritual, and good, and holy as it was, when given to the flesh, could only bring about death and condemnation, because the flesh cannot submit, but only rebel. See the difference? Do not disparage the law of God, for it is now IN us, as fruit, whereas before it was OUTSIDE, as a work.

2Co 4:6-7 seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

treasure, power of God [good]> exceeding greatness > darkness, clay vessels [evil]

Notice how the the latter is seen and experienced to be greater and more. This can only be as it relates and compares to the former. Thus, the former is needed, and in that sense beneficial in the context of the whole.

2Co 4:11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

Paul writes here of the necessity of being delivered over to death constantly, for the express purpose of the life of Jesus being revealed out of bodies that are considered mortal, dead. How is this so? Well, there is hardly anything more inspiring than to witness someone going through, and coming out of, adversity, victorious. That is exactly what is being considered here, that others could witness all the hardship that the apostles went through, and yet in spite of it all, seeing, not a caving in and being destroyed, but instead a strength beyond description, a peace defying imagination, and a resoluteness not of themselves, but of God. Notice Paul's description of this very thing:

2Co 4:8 We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; 2Co 4:9 pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;

Rom 8:20,21,28 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

liberty of the glory of the children of God [good]> in hope (out of)> vanity, bondage of decay [evil]

In context, the 'all things' working together for good has to do with vain things related to bondage and decay-in other words, evil. These were the result of God's own doing so that, out of such a condition, creation would be delivered by God into the freedom and liberty of the glory of the children of God.

To quote Yanki Tauber:

That is why, say the Kabbalists, G-d created evil. Darkness exists so that it should be transformed into light, resulting in a luminance infinitely greater than light itself could ever yield. Cruelty is implanted in the heart of man so that we should tap its intensity to fuel acts of kindness infinitely more potent than kindness itself could ever produce. Evil exists to be exploited by goodness.

When you experience evil (and you will) know that there is someone Greater than the evil, working behind the scenes, producing more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory. 2Co 4:17

Ron