Love Fulfilled Ministry

" however, now, being set free from sin, moreover being enslaved to God, you possess the fruit of you unto sanctification, moreover its end eternal life . " 1 Salvation is knowing of the Father, of personal experience, those who believe are given as Paul writes a Spirit of Adoption, this Spirit testifies that we are His children, and it is a Spirit of Life and peace. Redemption also is a personal experience, a cleansing of a guilty conscious, it is the testimony of blood. As God's children we are forgiven, justified, made  righteous  and we  possess  the Spirit of Life.  So too, we experience baptism, personally, the testimony of water. The fruit you possess,  of righteousness,  will lead to sanctification, holiness, and its end, Life. " For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord ." 2 What is the free gift? the free gift is not like the result of one man’s sin. 2b Those who have the free gi...

" The Lord is my shepherd , I shall not want . He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul;  He guides me in the paths of righteousness , for His name's sake ..." 1 David was a good shepherd, killing a bear and a lion that had entered the fold, taking the sheep. Thus this Psalm speaks of one who cares for His sheep, and we see very important concepts in this amazing Psalm pointing to Christ and to the ministry of the new covenant, of  righteousness . Jesus is the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep so much he laid down his life. Oh that others would lay down their lives for His sheep. So we see agape love is a telling sign of a good shepherd, but what else do we see? He teaches them to trust, he makes them to lie down and leads them into rest, he restores, and guides his sheep in the paths of righteousness, for His name's sake. " I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out ...

"But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness." 1 What does this mean "the Spirit is life because of righteousness?" Paul writes the principle of the Spirit of life has set us free from the principle of sin and death but what does it mean "because of righteousness?" It is an important question as the new covenant is a ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness, "For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory." 10  Does Christianity today fully understand what a ministry of righteousness is? and of the difference between the glory of the old and that of the new? "The Spirit is life because of righteousness," the fruit of righteousness leads to sanctification and its end Life. " For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abun...

" For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ” 1 This word for behold " look at, gaze, behold; I see, experience, discern; I partake of ," from theóreó , "to gaze, contemplate." It is unique in that the English words looking or seeing with the eyes can not describe its deeper meaning . It means to perceive, discern with the eyes, ascertain, find out, by seeing. When John saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 3 And when two disciples heard him say this, they went to " ascertain, find out ," and followed Jesus. Behold, the author of salvation and faith, turn your eyes upon Jesus.  " looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God . " 4 This word for lo...

"Also if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself.” 1 This word for lifted up properly, raise high, lift up, exalt. In the wilderness Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard , a pole and if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. 2 Paul writes Moses wrote about Jesus, this is one instance. Isaiah prophesied that from the root of Jesse, He shall stand as a standard , that all nations will look to, and for the second time would recover His remnant. 3 " He displayed this power in the working of His mighty strength, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places ," 18 The blessings promised to Abraham, comes through redemption, that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. 12 God said to Abraham I will bless and make your name great, and he exalted Abraham, he becoming fully convinced being strengthened in faith. He promis...

"through which, his precious and great promises, he has granted to us that through these you may become partakers of divine nature, having escaped the world in sinful decay." 1 We see the promise being fulfilled of inheritance, " a new heaven, and a new earth according to his promise we are waiting in which righteousness dwells . " 2 We also see righteousness and the concept of working out our salvation. Righteousness is a free gift in Christ, think of it like the seed of truth which produces faith, it is planted and must be grown. It begins with being partakers of His divine nature and it continues as we grow in knowledge of the Son of God, as we are becoming like Him.   " if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise . " 3 The covenant previously established by God was not revoked by the Law, which was added because of sin until "the arrival of the seed to whom the promise ref...