Tag: Salvation

Bride of Christ – Post #6

Taken from my handwritten journal, dated Sunday, January 12, 2025

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2-3


I am grateful for the salvation that allows us to be referred to as “chaste”, Jesus exchanging His own perfection with our corruption!

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul is writing to the Corinthians who are being led toward the legalization of Judaism as it was practiced (formerly by Paul!). Would you help me understand more about this bride-of-Christ verse?

Abba: Paul is relating his (and My) affection and sense of fatherly responsibility toward the Corinthians. In the culture of the day, fathers arranged marriage for their daughters. The daughter was expected to respect the wisdom of her father to act/choose in her best interests. The method you are used to has the daughter choosing a mate for herself, often based on how she feels about it emotionally. In Paul’s culture, the daughter would not have been regarded as having enough experience to make a good decision and the emotional aspect would have been seen as obscuring potential trouble, due to the rationalizations that can accompany strong desire. You should see, therefore a sense of the father’s responsibility to protect his daughter. Paul is expressing this same desire for protection of the Corinthian believers from being deceived. Paul is reflecting My jealousy that my children have an unsullied relationship with Me.

Not all fathers are wise. Not all arranged marriages were truly in the best interest of the daughter. There were marriages to establish political (and other) alliances. I AM not like that, which Paul knew well.

Old Covenant expressions of this desire incorporate an aspect of punishment for disobedience (Exodus 20:5, 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, Nahum 1:2) but the aim is for relationship:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deuteronomy 6:5)

All the punishment for sin has been borne by Jesus. Yet, those who are determined to stand on their own righteousness, can have whatever they say (Mark 11:24, Romans 3).

Me: Thank You Father, that the New Covenant offers a way through Jesus to break the natural “passing down” of iniquity to children (Exodus 20:5).

Abba: In Jesus, this generational contamination is broken for those who accept salvation and walk in it.

Me: Thank You Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Bride of Christ – Post #5

#5 in a series of inquiries concerning the bride of Christ. Taken from my handwritten journal entry, dated 12-28-2024.

I am grateful for your word telling what is to come!

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21.

[Isaiah 54 speaks of some similar precious-stone construction. Isaiah 65 contrasts the idolatrous and those who seek the Lord, explicitly prophesying of Jesus (a seed from Jacob). Also included there is a reference to the mountains of God.]

Me: Good afternoon, Holy Spirit!

Holy Spirit: Good afternoon, Jon!

Me: Can You please help me with these descriptions of the bride of the Lamb as the new Jerusalem?

Holy Spirit:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Matthew 23:37

The buildings of a city do not choose. Rather, it is those who reside within. The new Jerusalem is established under the New Covenant. It is peopled by those who are in the Lamb’s book of life, not by those who “would not”, but by those who have said “Yes!” and “Amen!” to the Lamb’s proposal. (Even as a marriage is predicated on the bride saying, “Yes!”.

Notice the spectacle of the new Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God”. (Rev 21:2,10) This exact phrase is used twice to make sure you take notice of it. The new Jerusalem is of God. Remember Jesus’ words, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:3). And “I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I Am there you may be also.” This is expressing Jesus’ heart the same as Matthew 23:37, but a NEW Jerusalem was required to bring this desire to fruition.

Me: Thank You Holy Spirit! I love You! How marvelous that Your word has made these things that will be known from of old!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

Bride of Christ – Post #4

Fourth in a series of posts retrieved from my hand-written journal, seeking more insight on the subject of the bride of Christ. The previous installments are #1, #2, and #3. This one was dated 12/26/2024.

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21


Me: Good morning, Jesus!

Jesus: Good morning, Jon!

Me: This passage contains so many things! From a new heaven and a new earth to You specifically entreating us to observe that You have made all things new!

Jesus: Has it not become clear? “You must be born again” before you are able to see the kingdom of God (John 3). I Am making you new, a proper resident of the new Jerusalem. As you are renewed, you are making yourself ready / prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. For My bride loves Me with an unquenchable love. Love I have birthed in her heart; her heart in which there is no spot or wrinkle nor any such thing, holy and without blemish (Eph 5:27).

You wondered that the new earth “no longer had any sea”. But the word is all the water one could want, perfectly cleansing (Eph 5:26).

Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!

Jesus: You are welcome! I love you!
(See Isaiah 65:17 and 43:19)

Bride of Christ – Post #3

This is the third post in a series seeking insight on what the word has to say on the bride of Christ. It is transferred from a hand-written journal entry from December 19th. The two previous related posts are here and here.

5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. Revelation 19

Me: Hello, Jesus!

Jesus: Hello, Jon!

Me: I was amused by the mental picture of a disembodied voice coming from the throne issuing a call to worship. And the rocks did not need to cry out (Luke 19:40), because the response was like thunder from “a great multitude”! The closest thing I have ever experienced was being in a football stadium filled with men singing praise to You. That seems a weak comparison to what is described here. I love what this thundering chorus gives voice! “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

Jesus: I Am also rejoicing at the sight of My bride who has made herself ready in righteousness!

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5

And how has My bride made herself ready? By participating in a great exchange: her sinfulness exchanged for My righteousness. And note the help by those engaged in communicating the need (the ministry of reconciliation) and the very mechanism of cleansing: the word of reconciliation. Remember from a couple of days ago,

That he might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:26-27

Has My bride been fully reconciled to My desire for her to be without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing? All who have accepted My salvation are, in their spirits, without blemish. What remains is to be transformed from the inside out. Help others to understand. This is the ministry of reconciliation. Speak forth the word of reconciliation while you have breath, looking toward the glorious day of the marriage of the Lamb.

Me: As an aside, I have found that I am unable to reliably ascertain whether one is “in You” or not. I have been proved apparently wrong about it even in close relationships.

Jesus: That passage is not one intended for you to judge another one way or the other. I am the Judge (Matt 7:22-24, 25:23).Your part is to do what I said, speaking forth the word of reconciliation, looking to your own relationship with Me.

Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!

Jesus: You are welcome! I love you!

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Unimaginable Gift

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.  Isaiah 51:1, 6, 22-23

Beginning in verse 1, above, we see admonition to look in two directions that we might remain mindful. Attentive, first, of the Lord our creator who has made us in His image and His intention that we would walk after Him in His way. Heedful, second, we are not to forget the pit from which we have been pulled, our incarceration before the release afforded us by Jesus. We will only be able to maintain our way on the upward path through gratitude in our relationship in Him and humility that remembers our inability to extract ourselves from the mire. We were utterly unable to turn away from the downward trail we were trudging until we accepted the finished work of Christ and His guiding hand to turn us to the upward way.

Though the heavens be removed and the earth fail, the salvation that God has made available to all who willingly receive it endures forever, because it rests on the eternal foundation of His own nature, which changes not. This salvation is offered freely, a gift beyond human comprehension, more priceless than we have yet understood. Though we ought to remember the pit of the past, increasing appreciation of the life we have been handed does not lie in that direction, but in adoration of the Giver.

Finally, observe verses 22 & 23. Our old lives accrued only wrath. Now, some assert that God’s wrath was vengeful anger directed at His own disobedient children. However, an honest reading of the word will reveal that His heart has ever been for our welfare and not for our destruction. (Deuteronomy 28, Jeremiah 29:11). In Jesus, we find an incalculable love, holding Him to bear all the oppressions of the fetid pit in which we wallowed. No more will the tyrant oppressor walk all over us, for our Savior has imputed to us soaring freedom on wings of light and love.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Merry Christmas, my friends!

Sober

I am grateful for Your provision from the garden! The baked, red-skinned potatoes made a wonderful dinner!

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
Titus 2:1-2

[sober: circumspect, grave: honorable, temperate: self-controlled, sound: healthy, charity: love]

Me: Jesus, all these come to those who are Yours and led by the Spirit!
Jesus: Paul was telling Titus to speak My word. The trait of being circumspect does not come quickly to the young. Those with some experience ought to model it. Here is my aim:

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Titus 2:11-12


Me: I see the next verse goes on to say, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
Jesus: You should take from that the need to walk in My calling ever more diligently as the day of My return approaches.

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:14-16

Me: Are you speaking of “him who sleeps” as the unsaved one who is merely drifting through life, carried along by the currents of time? (No one I know disputes that the days are evil.)
Jesus: Yes. I Am the life. Yet this one has not even considered his “deadness”. Give a wake-up call where you can! You surely know how transforming to a sober life requires a circumspect outlook, understanding the whole truth about the consequences of drifting mindlessly along vs being awake and alert to the Life. Look to Me for help! I Am with you!
Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!
Jesus: You are welcome! I love you!

Beneficiary

It seems in my life; I am often the beneficiary of the love and grace of others. Does it go without saying that I have unfathomably received of the love and grace of God? How can I let such a gift pass without a thank you?

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5

Thank you, Jesus!

The picture at the head of this post is of some garlic that I was gifted by my friend Cheryl last fall to plant in our garden. I harvested the results the middle of August. I needed a way to hang it to dry, as I understand one is supposed to do that.

That brings me to another gift that I was given. Another friend had an unsuccessful political campaign years back and had a lot of heavy wire sign frames, of the type that typically are used by stretching what is essentially a printed plastic bag over the frame, which is then poked in the ground. This friend figured since I was politically active, that I could make use of them. Frankly, political signs are always provided with new wires frames of one type or another. Still, I seem to have found a near endless array of things I could make from the heavy steel wire. Which brings me to this picture:

It occurred to me that if I had a really big heavy needle, I could use it to run a string though the stalks of the harvested garlic. So, with a bolt cutter I cut off a length of steel sign wire. I clamped it in a vise for my drill press and used a Dremel tool cut-off wheel and a steady hand to grind a slot through the wire, halfway on each side. I sharpened one end on my bench grinder and polished the rust off with a wire wheel. Viola! A needle!

And the result, hanging in the pole barn.

By the way, some pieces of that same sign wire became S-hooks to connect the string between some shelving units, via a simple loop tied on each end of the string.

The very presence of mature garlic from little cloves planted in the ground prior to winter is still one more example of my status as beneficiary.

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? Mark 4

God made all these mysterious things to work according to His design to sustain and keep us. I am thankful to Him! Praise His holy name!

P.S. I have been pretty occupied with things this summer and posting here has certainly suffered. But all is well.

The Source of Gratitude and Peace

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (heart of compassion), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:9-13

Whoso offers praise glorifies Me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23

Do the things that Colossians 3:9-13 lists that we are to “put on” seem difficult? Does the prospect of attaining prevailing gratitude, love and peace seem a distant hope?

First, Paul was speaking to those who have accepted Christ as savior. Outside of His indwelling Spirit, these things are not just difficult, they are impossible.

Second, these traits do not come after getting our sin in submission by our own efforts, any more than we can evict all the darkness out of a room so it will be light in there. If the light is turned on, the darkness is driven out by the presence of light. [Let me observe here that light does not fill a room in a static manner, as water fills a container. It flows from its source in a continual manner. The speed at which it travels is considered the “universal constant”, the fastest physical thing in the cosmos.] Rather, it is the instantaneous saving transformation of our sprits at salvation, and the purposeful transformation of our minds by the Word that enables banishment of the things that we are to “put off” and the adoption to the characteristics that we are to “put on”.

“Put” is a verb. This passage is not saying the process of transformation is automatic. We do have to resist the flesh and the devil. I am not backpedaling on what I have said in the previous paragraph; I am saying that the power to resist comes from the Spirit of God and that must come first to drive out the darkness.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Further, we must stay deliberately engaged in the Word. Engagement in this sense is not mere reading. It implies willingness to be conformed to the revelations of the Holy Spirit.

Graphic depicting some aspects related to the mind, heart, and spirit.

Whose Faith is it, Anyway?

I am grateful for Your word!

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2)

Three times in the passage above, Paul refers to the “the faith of” Jesus the Son of God. It does not say faith in, it says faith of. [Translations other than the KJV (even the NKJV) have mostly translated this as “faith in”. My amateurish look at the Greek text did not help me much because the meaning of the possessives depends on parsing the language accurately. I must defer to someone trained in Greek grammar to sort this out. So, I refer to an article by Bobby Grow who takes a look at this exact passage in an evenhanded way. He favors the way the King James has it, all things considered.] If we are “crucified with Christ” and if the life that is now in us is the indwelling Christ, as stated clearly in verse 20, then “faith of” would lend credence to His faith being active in us.

On the other hand, the passage goes on the speak of the possibility of our “building again” as transgressors. This is most likely if we are not actively renewing our minds according to the word and submitting to it.

If it is the faith of Christ by which He did all the Father gave Him to do (and it is). If it is the faith of Jesus that allowed Him to conquer the grave, though He had become sin that its power in us might be broken when it was nailed to the cross in Him (and it is). Would we not do well to understand that it is now His faith that is the power by which we are to live. Does not our self-generated faith come fearfully close to the works of the Law that Paul was saying are totally ineffective at justifying us?

The Righteous Judge

The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. Psalm 103:6

From a purely physical perspective, it doesn’t always look like that to us, does it? My last post was from a conversational journal passage about the unrighteous judge. God, on the other hand, is a righteous Judge for all that are oppressed. That invites the question, are we oppressed? I believe that is a perspective that we often have because there has been some truth to it for all and that may be the actively downward-spiraling situation for others.

When Peter was sent to by the Spirit to minister the Gospel to Cornelius and his household, his discourse included this:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

Well, what manner of oppression might this be?

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

(This verse in John 10 is in the middle of a parable where Jesus is describing Himself as the Good Shepherd.)

Is something stealing your peace? Have you been involuntarily divested of property? Is health being destroyed in some fashion? Has death darkened the door of your house yet? If not, certainly the door of friends and loved ones. The methods of such oppression are varied and far reaching.

That is what makes the message of 1 John 3:8 so encouraging.

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

It is by sin that the devil gained access to trouble mankind with all manner of things leading ultimately to death. All of us have sinned and continue to do so. So what of Jesus’ statement that He came to give us abundant life? That is the good news, for sure.

I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

(Remember in John 10, Jesus was likening Himself to a good shepherd.)

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21

The remainder of Psalm 103 gives quite a list of benefits we can expect from the Righteous Judge. It is certainly worth frequent reading to be reminded of God’s mercy, redemption, compassion, and more.

I will leave you with a cautionary reminder for all of us.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

On the positive side, this is great news given to believers in Jesus! But even for believers, the corollary is that the devil will not flee without resistance. Continuing to engage in intentional sin is not resistance, and in fact gives him further access.

Though His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), choose you this day whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:15)