200th Post!

Are we not His body,
Are we not His hands,
That were pierced,
His hand, to do His work?

Are we not His body,
That which was broken,
Poured out, the blood,
Given unto all men, for all men?

Are not we His feet,
That traveled miles to save a soul,
To which stricken sinners clung in depair,
Upon which their tears did flow.

Are we not His back,

That bore the blows
 that cleansed that world,

The stripes that set men free. 

Are we not His eyes,
That poured forth tears,
From His heart that broke with longing,
Shook with grief. 


Are we not His body,
To be who He is,
To do His work,
For those He loved - the world. 
 

Missions.

Every single disciple, every individual, every family, every church, is called to missions. We are in this world, not to be of this world nor to seclude ourselves from this world in fear of the world, but to complete God's mission in this world. Missions is not foremost about what we do, but who we are. Missions can be summarized in one thing: BE CHRIST UNTO THIS WORLD, or BE CHRIST UNTO OTHERS. Don't just point them to "that Christ" upon the cross - be to them, in every way, THE Christ who loved them and died for their salvation. 

The Greek Paraphrased NT

I think that'll be cool. There are so many Hebrew paraphrases of the NT, why not a Greek paraphrase to familiarize Greek beginners with the root nouns and their meanings? This could be a good exercise for students.

Joh 1:1-18 KJV
(1)  In the arche (beginning) was the Logos (Word), and the Logos was with Theos (God), and the  Logos was Theos.
(2)  The same was in the arche with Theos.
(3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
(4)  In him was zoe (life); and the zoe was the phos (light) of anthropos (men).
(5)  And the phos shineth in scotia (darkness); and the scotia comprehended it not.
(6)  There was a anthropos sent from Theos, whose name was John.
(7)  The same came for a marturia (witness), to bear maturia of the phos, that all anthropos through him might pisteuo.
(8)  He was not that phos, but was sent to bear witness of that phos.
(9)  That was the alethinos(true) Phos, which lighteth every man that cometh into the kosmos (world).
(10)  He was in the kosmos, and the kosmos was made by him, and the kosmos knew him not.
(11)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
(12)  But as many as received him, to them gave the exousia (power) to become the teknon (sons) of Theos, even to them that believe on his onoma(name):
(13)  Which were born, not of aima (blood), nor of the thelema(will) of the sarx(flesh), nor of the thelema of aner(man), but of Theos.
(14)  And the Logos was made Sarx, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his doxa(glory), the doxa as of the monogenes (only begotten) of the Pater (father), full of charis (grace) and aletheia (truth).
(15)  John bare marturia of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
(16)  And of his pleroma (fulness) have all we received, and charis for charis.
(17)  For the nomos(law) was given by Moses, but charis and aletheia came by Jesus Christ.
(18)  Oudeis(nobody) hath seen Theos at any time; the monogenes uihos(Son), which is in the kolpos (bosom) of the Pater, he hath declared him.

Saved by Grace, Sanctified by Grace

I don't believe that we are saved by grace through faith and then sanctified through works, but rather the same act of grace saves us, and also sanctifies us by changing us and causing us to live in obedience to God. Grace compels us to take up our cross and follow Him. Works are not so much obedience to a "law" but to the direct command of God. The Law of God may provoke the evil in us while we remain sinners, but the command of God is life to the saints. Obedience is an action. Faith is trust. Faith is to walk in trust, and the way of trust is obedience.

God's grace is best described as God's benevolence, particularly as demonstrated in the justification of the sinner and in the reformation of the sinner, the complete rebirth into sainthood.

I believe that one can fall from God's benevolence, that one can so totally reject and harden one's heart so much so that God will reject one and harden His heart towards Him, as Scripture demonstrates. 

I believe in God's grace, I believe in God's benevolence that gives me the power by the Spirit to walk in righteousness, to receive the imparted righteousness. Some do not believe that God's grace sanctifies, that God's grace has only the power to justify sin but not to sanctify the sinner. That is not grace, and that is not salvation. Why would God only save a person in Spirit but neglect to save him in body and soul? Is God so incomplete?

I believe that God's benevolence that leads to salvation can never be taken for granted. Believed in, trusted, yes. Taken for granted, presumed upon, exploited, ravaged, manipulated - never! God forbid it to be so. 

Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?

I'd like to believe so, even though the phrase comes from Greek philosophy. I could never believe in a faith practiced by one who does nothing, whose spirituality is so relaxed and reticent that nothing is required of the person.

I believe that God blesses and God provides, but surely not for the the slothful and expectant, not for those who think God owes them grace.

Christians always claim that, "We can't obey the law, so let's not even try". That is totally wrong! Does that  mean we go out and murder and steal and rape, simply because we can't be 100% righteous?

Does depending on God means waiting around for God? What about work, and diligence? What about plowing stony ground? What about sincerity? In a way, I am an Arminian. I don't believe that God by "hook or crook" preserves me against  my will, but that God's preservation is the power to persevere.  I believe that God cannot help us unless we first want to help ourselves and make the first steps to do so, or that God may want to help us, but if we will not be helped, then we will reject Him.

Fear and Evasion of Truth

"A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from facts; a Christian historian who draws the line limiting the field of enquiry at any point whatsoever, is admitting the limits of his faith. And of course he is also destroying the nature of his religion, which is a progressive revelation of truth. So the Christian, according to my understanding, should not be inhibited in the smallest degree from following the line of truth; indeed, he is positively bound to follow it." (Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity)