Peace with God is our greatest need
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me." Revelation 3:20 (KJV)
This is one of those verses that I've read many times, and yet it never really "clicked." Mainly because it seemed too great and wonderful a thing, my mind could not understand the magnitude of its meaning. It's the same with other verses like the following:
1 Corinthians 6:19-2 (AKJV)
" 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
Romans 8:11 (NLT)
"11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."
These scriptures are well known in the Christian community. I read them after I became "born again" and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. However, I understand them only intellectually, with a mind that still is undergoing renewal.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NLT)
"14 But people who aren’t spiritual[a] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.
16 For,
“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”[b]
But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ."
Footnotes from NLT:
[a] 2:14 Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life.
[b] 2:16 Isa 40:13 (Greek version).
These scriptures point to the fact that our communion with God is on a level of Spirit to spirit. When we being to understand the truth of these principles, and the light comes on, we are hit with the weight of the implications.
When we are born again of the spirit according to John 3:4-8 (ESV), we enter another dimension, a new life. The spiritual death that entered into the human race after Adam sinned, no longer has a hold on us. Once we see our rebellion against God for what it is - we are at war with God when we continue to reject His salvation for us - once we see the degree of our sinfulness - we start to realize our greatest need is God's peace to be at peace with Him.
John 3: 4-7 (ESV)
"4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[a]
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[b] must be born again.’
8 The wind[c] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This is exactly what I experienced when I got "saved." I felt a sudden peace with God - I had never realized that I (my soul) was at war with the Almighty - and I felt at peace with people in general. It's important - and we often forget this - to remember that other people are not "the enemy;" the enemy is Satan and the dark spiritual forces that do his bidding in an attempt to destroy us. (Ephesians 6:12)
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
"3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."
God's salvation for us is The Most Important thing in life!
My prayers are
(1) for those who don't know the Lord to ask Him to reveal Himself to them, and
(2) for those who are Christians but are struggling to maintain their walk with the Lord, to ask the Holy Spirit to bring to life the scriptures that declare that believers are the "temple" or tabernacle of God and all of what implies.
More, much more on these points later ...
Blessings to everyone
Shalom!
Diana Washington Valdez/Lion of Judah Ministries*
*Beginning today, the ministry name has changed to Lion of Judah Ministries.
This is one of those verses that I've read many times, and yet it never really "clicked." Mainly because it seemed too great and wonderful a thing, my mind could not understand the magnitude of its meaning. It's the same with other verses like the following:
1 Corinthians 6:19-2 (AKJV)
" 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
Romans 8:11 (NLT)
"11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."
These scriptures are well known in the Christian community. I read them after I became "born again" and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. However, I understand them only intellectually, with a mind that still is undergoing renewal.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NLT)
"14 But people who aren’t spiritual[a] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.
“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”[b]
But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ."
Footnotes from NLT:
[a] 2:14 Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life.
[b] 2:16 Isa 40:13 (Greek version).
These scriptures point to the fact that our communion with God is on a level of Spirit to spirit. When we being to understand the truth of these principles, and the light comes on, we are hit with the weight of the implications.
When we are born again of the spirit according to John 3:4-8 (ESV), we enter another dimension, a new life. The spiritual death that entered into the human race after Adam sinned, no longer has a hold on us. Once we see our rebellion against God for what it is - we are at war with God when we continue to reject His salvation for us - once we see the degree of our sinfulness - we start to realize our greatest need is God's peace to be at peace with Him.
John 3: 4-7 (ESV)
"4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[a]
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[b] must be born again.’
8 The wind[c] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This is exactly what I experienced when I got "saved." I felt a sudden peace with God - I had never realized that I (my soul) was at war with the Almighty - and I felt at peace with people in general. It's important - and we often forget this - to remember that other people are not "the enemy;" the enemy is Satan and the dark spiritual forces that do his bidding in an attempt to destroy us. (Ephesians 6:12)
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
"3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."
God's salvation for us is The Most Important thing in life!
My prayers are
(1) for those who don't know the Lord to ask Him to reveal Himself to them, and
(2) for those who are Christians but are struggling to maintain their walk with the Lord, to ask the Holy Spirit to bring to life the scriptures that declare that believers are the "temple" or tabernacle of God and all of what implies.
More, much more on these points later ...
Blessings to everyone
Shalom!
Diana Washington Valdez/Lion of Judah Ministries*
*Beginning today, the ministry name has changed to Lion of Judah Ministries.
No comments:
Post a Comment