Love Fulfilled Ministry

" If indeed, united we have become in the likeness of His death, yet also of the resurrection we will be ." 1 We that have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death. 2  We were united with Him, in His death, " we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of lif e." 2   To be united with Him in the resurrection is to be united  First  with him in death. 4  Is not this the cross we must first take up? The old man was crucified with Him on the cross, as Jesus died and condemned sin in the flesh, in His death, we are to reckon sin dead in the flesh. " This knowing that the old self was crucified with Him that might be annulled the body of sin that we are no longer enslaved to sin ." 5 This word for annulled is katargéō (from katá, "down to a point, from a higher to a lower plane" intensifying argé...

" How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God ?" 1 There were four witnesses to Jesus; John the Baptist, Scripture, Signs, and Moses or the Law. John was a voice crying in the wilderness to the coming of the Messiah, surely prophesied in the scriptures, and a witness to Jesus. Jesus had performed many miracles of healing,

" Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ." 1 Blessed , this word means happy, conferred favor, literally it is to "make long, large" True blessings are heavenly ones, more than promises of earthly land and materialistic things, but of heavenly, spiritual things that "make large" our hearts, not our bellies. Truly, it is to eat the bread from heaven, eternal life. Now, our heavenly Father promises to meet our physical needs. God's Grace is an example of a spiritual blessing, it is extended to us, lavished upon us, it is conferred favor undeserved, a true gift and blessing from God. Faith is authored in us, it is truly a blessing that we receive from its author. This adoption we receive, it is truly a blessing from above, a new creation in Christ Jesus. This is an amazing thing, " indeed, as many the promises of God, in Him they are Yes and Amen, for the glory of God through us ." 2  We are blessed in Christ. Every sp...

"Judge not according to appearance but with righteous judgement judge." 1 The Bible states judge not lest you be judged. The measure you measure others this will be given back to you. In other words, you will reap what you sow. Do not be a hypocrite, judge yourself before you judge others, take the plank out of your own eye first. And if you judge and cause one of these little ones to stumble then it is better a millstone is cast around your neck and you are cast into the sea. We are not to judge carelessly, by appearances, but to judge righteously.  " You will know them by their fruits ." 2 This word for know  is I come to know, discern, recognize; properly, apt, experiential knowing, through direct relationship. It is not the same word as judge , which is about the law, the trying of fact in a court of law. " There is only one Lawgiver and Judge ," 3 His name is Jesus. Job's friends came to him, " they sat down on the ground with him...

" The one from himself speaking, his own glory he seeks, however, the one seeking the glory of the one having sent him, he is true and falsehood is not in him ." 1 Jesus spoke these words, He said if anyone is seeking to do the will of God, you will know whether the teaching is from God or if they speak of their own authority. Authority is not self seeking. Jesus did not demand authority from people, He could have used such authority and power to demand submission, but He did not. His words were Spirit and Truth, and He said when we are seeking the glory of God, we will know what truth is, but if we seek our own glory then we will be deceived. Authority can not be used as a means to control people, such authority seeks its own glory. The people asked surely our leaders would tell, if this were the Christ. But of course they did not tell as they did not seek the glory of God, but their own glory. What does this glorying in authority look like? certainly it had an extern...

" Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ ." 1 We have been set free from the law of sin and death, given a Spirit of Life, we live by the Spirit and by such we will fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. What are these righteous requirements? well, they are what the Law pointed to, loving God and others. The ten commandments are about loving God and your neighbor. Jesus said these were the greatest commandments of God. Bearing one another's burden is loving Him, it is a new commandment that was an old given by example of Jesus, he lifted the burdens of people, so we too fulfill the Law of Christ. The Pharisees and scribes using the law did nothing but put heavy burdens on people. Jesus came to set the captives free, free from what you say? surely the forgiveness of sin is the lifting of heavy burdens. " For powerless the Law in that it was weak through the flesh, God of himself having sent in likeness of flesh of sin, and for sin...

" Not indeed has God given us a spirit of timidity but of power and of love and of a sound mind ." 1 This word for timidity is deilia which is often translated cowardice, timidity, and fearful. Its root word is deilos which means "fearful of losses" or "fear-driven" it is always used negatively in the NT. This type of fear stands in contrast to the positive fear which can be expressed by phóbos as in reverence and fear of God. Timidity doesn't produce endurance which builds character and without such we are timid, fearful people who stand for nothing. Timidity is defined as lacking in self-assurance, courage, or bravery; easily alarmed; characterized by or indicating fear: a timid approach to a problem. In timidity, there is  confusion, a double mind, instead of a sound mind. This word for sound mind is sóphronismos meaning self-control, self-discipline, prudence. It's root word sṓphrōn (from sōos, "sound, safe" and phrḗn, ...

" Lord, to whom would we go, you have the words of eternal life ." 1 This word for eternal means unending, of a perpetual time, having a particular character and quality.   Its root word is age  which speaks to an unbroken time span, and for the Jew it is a Messianic period, present or future. The word new  comes from age, meaning new in quality (innovation),fresh in development or opportunity.  It is the new creation and the New Covenant which is an Age of the Covenant of the Messiah. This speaks more to the age of Christ, a life that is without beginning or end which always has been and always will be; eternal. It is an age of the mystery of the gospel, hidden in God in the beginning, He that walked among us, a gift from God. 2 This life is in His Son. He was in the beginning with God and was God, He created all things, and is the author of salvation, and of faith, and his words are eternal life. "The one the word of me hearing and believing the one...

" Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" 1 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who went to settle accounts... one man owed him a $100,000 he fell on his knees and begged him for mercy. The king took pity and forgave the debt, but this same man forgiven such a debt turned around and had someone who begged him for mercy over $10, arrested and put in jail. The king heard of this, and was angry so the servant was brought before the king, " Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?"  The king who was angry, sent him to the jailers, as he had done to the man who owed him little. "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” Could it be, that we do not forgive others because we despise the riches of His kindness? "You wh...

" You also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. " 4 Paul writes that we are to stand on a strong foundation, firm footing, in preparation, a gospel of peace. It is not the peace of this world that is of the kingdom of God. This word for peace  properly means wholeness, (from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole") – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness).  Jesus came to bring this type of wholeness on the earth. 2  I was recently reminded of such wholeness in a time of such material lack, I am blessed with the spiritual blessings from above, that God has promised to those who love Him, such that passes all understanding, until you have experienced it. It is by Grace I have come to this understanding, it is by Grace I will stand, though the gates of hell come again...

" Everyone hearing the word of the kingdom and not understanding, the evil one comes and snatches away that having been sown in the heart of him... " 1 This word for understanding   means I consider, perceive; to set or join together in the mind, i. e. to understand. This understanding is the idea of faith when God's seed is sown in our hearts and divine persuasion is worked in our minds. This understanding is closely connected with discerning and doing the will of God.  It starts with laboring in the mind, into the spiritual bread from heaven, it is a meditation on the Words of Christ. Jesus said he spoke in parables because they did not understand and he gave understanding to the disciples. There are key players in understanding the spiritual; the Word of God, the Spirit of God, the heart and the mind. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword... able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart ." 5  It is t...