Day: June 1, 2018

Glory

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GLORY: Our Destination
Romans 8:26-30

So many times as we have our struggles with life and living; facing the sicknesses, diseases we wonder, “Is it worth all this to believe? Is it worth the suffering to continue to trust the Lord? Is it worth the doing without, just to remain honest and/or moral?” There are many questions asked in this life. Some we cannot answer. Some we must answer; at least for the peace of our own hearts.

My prayer is that all who will ever read this message, or hear it, will know their eternal destination. It is by knowing the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, that we know our eternal destiny.

There are some things we must know and realize about this destiny we have in Jesus:

1.  We do not always know how to pray concerning our path in life, but the Holy Spirit – the person of Christ in you – knows our hearts, sorrows, and infirmities, and intercedes for us; and with “Groanings which cannot be uttered” (v. 26);
2.  It is God who searches the heart and knows the mind of the Spirit, and because of this He prays according to God’s will (v. 27);
3.  If we believe that the Spirit of God is praying through us, then we should realize that then “All things work together for good…”, and God is glorified (v. 28);
4.  We can know that God is sovereign over all things, even His people – in God’s foreknowledge He predestinated those who follow Christ to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, and because of this He is placed as ‘firstborn among many brethren’ (v. 29) placing Him as the Heir apparent (this is one who cannot be legally kept from the throne), fulfilling the will and the glory of God;
5.  Those who have been predestined ‘to be conformed to the image of his Son’, “them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (v. 30).

Those who have been called to Jesus’s salvation – the saved, are justified, and the justified, have the promise of God of being glorified. We can rest assured that God will get us to that destination, because His own glory is at stake; and it would not be possible for the glory of God to dim, die, or be disposed of.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Image of the Invisible

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Who Is The Image…

Colossians 1:15-18

I. JESUS IS THE VISIBLE OF THE INVISIBLE (v. 15a).

A. God, the Father desired to reveal Himself to the only part of creation which He made in His image and likeness, and lost it.

1. He wanted to do more than reveal Himself.
2. He also desired to have sweet fellowship with us, but there was something which had to be done first – RECONCILIATION.
3. The Father loved us, and sent His Son to pay our sin debt. When we see Jesus Christ we are looking at the Father.

B. Is anything too hard for the LORD?

1. Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.“ John 10:30 (KJV), and “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” John 17:22 (KJV).
2. Jesus also said, “He that has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

C. He [Jesus] is the ‘exact representation’ (Heb. 1:3; NIV) of the Father.

II. JESUS IS THE IMAGE, THE ‘FIRSTBORN’, THE HEIR OF ALL THINGS (v. 15b).

A. As the ‘Firstborn’ in preeminence He receives all that is the Father’s.

1. He is heir of all things, because the Father has placed all things under His feet.
2. It is because He was completely obedient unto the Father as He walked in human flesh that He was accounted worthy.

B. As the heir of all things, by His death, burial and resurrection; by faith in Him we become joint heirs with Him;

1. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:16-17 KJV).

III. JESUS, OUR LORD, ALSO THE IMAGE OF THE CREATOR (v. 16).

A. Paul writes, “For by Him were all things created…”.

1. The very one who took on Himself the body of a created being was in fact the Creator Himself.
2. This should blow the mind of the Gnostic “Know-It-Alls”.

B. When we read back in Genesis 1, “In the beginning God created…” it does not appear quite clear that Jesus was there in the creation.

1. However, when we read the gospel of John and verses one through three,
2. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” we have confirmation that this same Word which is spoken of here is the same Word which went forth in the work of creation, creating, and is the same Word which John tells us ‘became flesh’; “And, the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14); it becomes very clear, to one’s who have sight to see.

C. All things were not only created ‘by Him’, but also, ‘for Him’.

1. We must understand that the Godhead is in need of nothing.
2. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are Self-sufficient, Self-sustaining, and Self-existent.
3. God does desire to be glorified in all that He has created.

D. You will notice that in this verse (16) that even kings and kingdoms, all authorities were created by Him.

IV. JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF THE ETERNAL (v. 17).

A. He is before all things.
B. Jesus is the One who holds all things together, “By Him all things consist”.

Here are the words of John Gill on this portion of the verse, “…and by him all things consist; he upholds all things by the word of his power; the heavens have their stability and continuance from him; the pillars of the earth are bore up by him, otherwise that and the inhabitants of it would be dissolved; the angels in heaven are confirmed in their estate by him, and have their standing and security in him; the elector God are in his hands, and are his peculiar care and charge, and therefore shall never perish; yea, all mankind live and move, and have their being in him; the whole frame of nature would burst asunder and break in pieces, was it not held together by him; every created being has its support from him, and its consistence in him; and all the affairs of Providence relating to all creatures are governed, directed, and managed by him, in conjunction with the Father and the blessed Spirit.”

V. JESUS IS THE IMAGE, THE HEAD, OF THE CHURCH (v. 18a).

A. When we say we are Christian and a member of a church; we are telling the world that we know its Head.

1. What does the Head of the Church look like.
2. To those outside the Church it will resemble the one we are supposed to be following.

B. We as followers of Jesus should be the light in this dark, condemned, crazy, lost, decaying, world of evil societies, and their rulers whose main goal in life is exalting themselves.
C. Exalt the image of Christ as the head of the Church, the body of Christ in the world.

VI. JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF ETERNAL LIFE (v. 18b).

John MacArthur writes concerning the word ‘Beginning’ in this present verse, “Arche (beginning) is used here in the twofold sense of source and primacy. The church has its origins in Jesus. God ‘chose us in Him before the foundation of the world’ (Eph. 1:4). It is He who gives life to His church. His sacrificial death and resurrection on our behalf provided our new life. As head of the Body, Jesus holds the chief position, or highest rank in the church. As the beginning, He is its originator.” pg. 51 of THE MACARTHUR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY on Colossians and Philemon.

A. Jesus said to John the revelator, “ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Rev. 1:8; KJV).
B. As the ‘firstborn from the dead’ we see Him as having conquered death, hell, and the grave.

1. Since the resurrection proves the divinity, power, and victory on the cross of our Lord and Savior; He most definitely is the image of eternal life.
2. Eternal life is not just something you may or may not gain later; it is what you can have [present tense] now.
3. In Jesus’s own words of John 3:16 it is quite clear. “…Shall not perish, but have everlasting life”.
4. On that day we will be “Like Him”; “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3 (KJV).

VII. JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF FIRSTNESS (v. 18c).

A. Remember He is ‘firstborn’ in the promise of inheritance, and because of His work on the cross we become ‘joint heirs’ with Him.
B. The word ‘preeminence’ is used here, meaning, ‘first in rank’ and certainly Jesus fits this category.

1. There are no gods of men, if they could, even become like the creature of their creation.
2. There is no one; god or other wise, who would die for their created being.
3. There is no god or being anywhere that has risen from death and the grave after giving themselves for their created beings.

C. If you want to see an image of ‘Firstness’ you have to look no further than, to the living Son of God – Jesus Christ.

1. Firstborn in creation.
2. Firstborn in life
3. Firstborn in death.
4. Firstborn in eternal life.

D. He is the preeminent One.

1. All things rest on Him.
2. In Him alone is there consistency in life, death, and eternal life. He holds it all together.

SUMMARY –

I. WHEN YOU LOOK AT JESUS YOU SEE THE FATHER.
II. BEING PREEMINENT IN ALL THINGS, JESUS IS HEIR OF ALL THINGS.
III. JESUS, GOD INCARNATE, IS THE CREATOR OF ALL THAT IS.
IV. BEING BEFORE ALL THINGS JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF THE ETERNAL.
V. JESUS, AS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH, IS THE IMAGE FOR OTHERS TO SEE.
VI. JESUS IS THE PHYSICAL IMAGE OF ETERNAL LIFE.
VII. JESUS, AS THE IMAGE OF FIRSTNESS, IS PREEMINENT IN ALL THINGS.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Our Qualifying

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Our Qualification

Colossians 1:13-14

This makes the seventh message on this prayer which Paul prayed for the church of Colossae. The first part of the prayer has to do with having “Knowledge of the will of God…”. The second part, that we “Might walk worthy of the Lord…”. The third, “Being fruitful in every good work…”. The fourth, that we “Might be increasing in the knowledge of God”. Fifth, that we “Might be strengthened with all might…”. Sixth “Giving thanks…, and now the final one – OUR QUALIFICATION

There are four things to be noted about OUR QUALIFICATION in these two verses:

1.  We have been qualified, because we have been delivered, by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross;
2.  We have been qualified, because we have been translated into His kingdom;
3.  We have been qualified, because we have been redeemed;
4.  We have been qualified, because we have been forgiven, by the just and holy God of heaven.

I. OUR QUALIFICATION is due to the delivering work Jesus did for us on the cross.

A. The devil was defeated on the cross.
B. Darkness was defeated on the cross.

1. Jesus went through the deepest, darkest, dungeon of despair anyone could ever go through as the Father forsook Him.
2. When the battle on the cross was over the fellowship between the Father and the Son was restored, while He was still hanging on the cross – I know that because He prayed, “Father, into thy hands I commend My spirit” Luke 23:46 (KJV).
3. When Jesus had entered the battle with the devil and darkness, and as He came out of it He had prayed, “My God, My God…”. He had experienced the brokenness of the fellowship.

C. Because of this great battle we are qualified.

John Calvin concerning the phrase “Who hath delivered us…”; “Mark, here is the beginning of our salvation-when God delivers us from the depth of ruin into which we were plunged. For wherever His grace is not, there is darkness, as it is said in Isaiah 60:2, ‘Behold darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the nations; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.” ‘In the first place, we ourselves are called darkness, and afterwards the whole world, and Satan, the Prince of darkness, under whose tyranny we are held captive, until we are set free by Christ’s hand. From this you may gather that the whole world, with all its pretended wisdom and righteousness, is regarded as nothing but darkness in the sight of God, because, apart from the kingdom of Christ, there is no light.” CALVIN’S COMMENTARIES Vol. 21, pp. 147&148.

II. OUR QUALIFICATION is due to Jesus translating us into His kingdom.

A. We have been transferred by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ into His kingdom.

1. His kingdom is a present reality.

B. If you are not part of His present kingdom you will not be part of His coming kingdom when He rules and reigns on earth.

III. OUR QUALIFICATION is because we have been redeemed.

A. We have been bought with a price.

1. First Corinthians 6:20 tells us to glorify God in our bodies, since we have been bought with a price.
2. . Another verse in 1 Corinthians and chapter seven and verse 23 tells us not to be servants to men – that, of course, means not to become servants unto them by means of debt, or feeling we are obligated to them to the point of denying our faith.

B. A price has been paid in full, and it was paid in blood.

1. It was the life’s blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son that was shed on the cross that day so long ago, yet so close to home.
2. We are redeemed by shed blood of the Lamb of God who came to take away our sin.

IV. OUR QUALIFICATION is because we have forgiveness of sins.

A. We cannot have forgiveness without redemption.

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness]” (Heb. 9:22).

1. All sins debt has been paid, by the blood of calvary’s Lamb.
2. The Lamb of God, whom John the Baptist proclaimed, “…Taketh away the sin of the world.”

B. Because of the redemption provided through the shed blood of Jesus Christ we have forgiveness, remission.

The Merriam/Webster Dictionary defines ‘Remission’ = ‘the act of remitting’ with the word ‘Remit’ = ‘forgive, pardon’. If you were a prisoner which would be better to be put on parole or pardoned? Myself, It would take the pardon. That means the sin has been forgiven, and with no conditions. If you are paroled then, you must check in to your parole officer or sheriff, or some other authority of law. Your sin is not forgiven.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.” Psalm 32:1-6 (KJV).

John Calvin in his commentary said, “In the first place, he says that we have redemption, and immediately explains it as meaning the remission of sins; for these two things agree together by apposition. For questionably, when God remits our transgressions, He exempts us from condemnation to eternal death. This is our liberty, this our glorying in the face of death-that our sins are not imputed to us. He says that this redemption was procured through the blood of Christ, for by the sacrifice of His death all the sins of the world have been expiated.” CALVIN COMMENTARIES p. 148.

SUMMARY –

I. Because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ He has qualified us, fit us for His kingdom.
II. He has qualified us by delivering us from the deep, dark, dungeonness, of sin.
III. He has qualified us by translating from the kingdom of darkness, death, and destruction into His kingdom of love, light, and His limitless presence.
IV. He has qualified us by paying the price to redeem us from our sin debt; He paid the full price, not to the devil, but to the Father to whom the debt was owed.
V. Now that the debt has been paid in full the Father is truly forgiving all our sin, and seeing you and I in the garments of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

-Tim A. Blankenship