06.30.09
J.A. Matteson
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…. Genesis 1:1
Genesis frames the discussion for all matters of existence by making a declarative statement that an intelligent Being precedes all things and that all things find their existence and maintenance in Him. There was a time when time was not, for time is a part of the created order. The One who created all things is eternal, having always existed, and will always exist. The eternal God is self-existing, being independent of all things for His existence—He simply is. In eternity past time and space were not while God was and it is impossible for the human mind to understand the state of all things before all things existed.
Hidden in the eternal decrees and will of God it was pleasing to Him to bring into being the heavens and the earth. From eternal nothingness all things find their origin and let it not escape notice that He who created did so ex nihilo; i.e., out of nothing. And it is at this proposition that human reasoning is rendered useless for human understanding breaks down, for out of nothing one would expect nothing, as it is physically impossible to end up with something if you begin with nothing.
This is the big problem for the intellectual atheist and his presupposition with regard to the hypothetical big bang: nothing + something = everything. The finite human brain is incapable of comprehending nothingness as revealed by the Lord in this passage. The poet may think of nothingness and imagine the vast dark distance of intergalactic space, but even this is not nothing in the true sense but something, being composed of “dark matter.” The physicist may attempt to describe the state of being at the point of singularity when theoretically all the matter of the universe existed in an infinitely small point, yet the scientist in his reasoning is presuming upon something infinitely small resulting in something gargantuan and the laws of physics break down when challenged to describe the absolute nothingness revealed by God to Moses. Ultimately intellectual atheism is not rational whereas Judeo/Christian theism is rational and does not violate a single law of logic.
Intellectual atheism denies that which has been placed within the human conscience for, “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end” (Ecc. 3:11). When it comes to believing biblical revelation about creation fallen humanities issue is a moral problem rooted in a volitional choice; it is not that humanity is incapable of knowing the truth, rather fallen man intellectually rejects it, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:18-20).
The placement of eternity within the souls of men is the cause for the dread of death and the immense sorrow that usually accompanies it. Grieving may also include a period of anger when those close to the departed direct irritation and sometimes intense rage at the departed for leaving them. All such human emotions speak to the divine imprint, bearing witness to the Creator who placed eternity in the hearts of men. And fallen man is truly at his sanest during a Christian funeral service when the minister challenges all in attendance to consider the state of their souls before a holy God, impressing upon them the brevity of their earthly existence and the often unexpected arrival of eternity. To this end the prayer of Moses is precious and comforting, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Reflecting upon the opening passage of Genesis the accent of human existence is placed where it belongs: man is finite, God is infinite; man is temporal, God is eternal. In wonder to these things king David expresses the appropriate heart response of worship, “O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him?” (Ps. 144:3).
In this regard the Apostle underscores the divinity of the creative power of the Lord Jesus Christ, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16)—being forever blessed.
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...for the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Seeing His Face
06.24.09
J.A. Matteson
"...and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." revelation 22:4
Peculiar to the world is the love of the pilgrim for the Savior who is unseen. At this juncture the reasoning of the world falls flat for it cannot comprehend an emotional attachment to that which is not empirically known; the Apostle draws attention to this marvelous relationship between the redeemed sinner and his Savior, “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).
Ironically the union the Apostle references is at its essence epistemologically supreme as it finds its origin and maintenance in the eternal Lord of heaven and earth, and the joyful faith within the pilgrims heart—that he will one day see his Savior’s face—testifies that His seed abides within, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).
With regard to seeing His face three observations are noteworthy, the first being the joy of the reality of seeing His face. Every promise for the saints in Holy Writ is “yes and amen” in Christ Jesus and will not fail. There is nothing seen or unseen in all of creation to frustrate that which the Lord has promised to the saints. The weary pilgrim need look no further than to the manifold fulfilled prophecies to shore up a teetering faith, and to consider that the promises of the Lord are not dependent upon man, but upon Him who has spoken and promised for, “…Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned I will do it” (Isa. 46:11b).
The second observation is the joy of the anticipation of seeing His face. To see His face is to behold His glory. The closer the pilgrim aligns his heart to the Savior the more intense is the heavenward call to behold His glory; Moses was such a man, “I pray You, show me Your glory!" (Ex. 33:18). It was the mercy of God that forbade his request for sinful man cannot behold His holy face and not die. Once glorified sin will be no more and the saints will eternally gaze upon the face of Him who is pure Light, “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5), and the anticipation of this promise fills the saints heart with overwhelming joy.
The third observation is the joy of the fulfillment of seeing His face. Before the throne of the blessed Lamb of God time immortal will reign, and after an earthly ten thousand years of indescribable bliss has passed the blessed state of the saints will have only just begun, for all eternity will await their praises.
As for His name upon their foreheads two observations are noted. The first is the import of His blessed name. The name of the Lord communicates His character and attributes. The one who is Faithful and True, Merciful, Longsuffering, Love, Avenger of His own, the Good Shepherd, the First and the Last, Provider, Healer, Comforter and Friend, Sustainer, Defender, Advocate, Banner, Creator, and so on, this Ones name is invoked as a pledge that that which He has spoken is trustworthy (Rom. 3:4).
The second is the significance of His name on the forehead of the saints. The imprint signifies sovereign ownership. It is a wonderful joy that pilgrims take pleasure in being His property (1 Cor. 6:19-20), for all of heaven is aligned to protect them from the wicked one and to ensure their progress in sanctification unto glorification, nothing being able to frustrate God’s work in them which He will bring to completion (Rom. 8:31-39).
Beloved, the Savior has gone ahead of you to prepare a place for you and He is faithful and will come to you in His time, that you might be where He is. Rejoice that your name is written in heaven and sing in your heart with the psalmist, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” (Ps. 42:2).
J.A. Matteson
"...and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." revelation 22:4
Peculiar to the world is the love of the pilgrim for the Savior who is unseen. At this juncture the reasoning of the world falls flat for it cannot comprehend an emotional attachment to that which is not empirically known; the Apostle draws attention to this marvelous relationship between the redeemed sinner and his Savior, “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).
Ironically the union the Apostle references is at its essence epistemologically supreme as it finds its origin and maintenance in the eternal Lord of heaven and earth, and the joyful faith within the pilgrims heart—that he will one day see his Savior’s face—testifies that His seed abides within, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).
With regard to seeing His face three observations are noteworthy, the first being the joy of the reality of seeing His face. Every promise for the saints in Holy Writ is “yes and amen” in Christ Jesus and will not fail. There is nothing seen or unseen in all of creation to frustrate that which the Lord has promised to the saints. The weary pilgrim need look no further than to the manifold fulfilled prophecies to shore up a teetering faith, and to consider that the promises of the Lord are not dependent upon man, but upon Him who has spoken and promised for, “…Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned I will do it” (Isa. 46:11b).
The second observation is the joy of the anticipation of seeing His face. To see His face is to behold His glory. The closer the pilgrim aligns his heart to the Savior the more intense is the heavenward call to behold His glory; Moses was such a man, “I pray You, show me Your glory!" (Ex. 33:18). It was the mercy of God that forbade his request for sinful man cannot behold His holy face and not die. Once glorified sin will be no more and the saints will eternally gaze upon the face of Him who is pure Light, “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5), and the anticipation of this promise fills the saints heart with overwhelming joy.
The third observation is the joy of the fulfillment of seeing His face. Before the throne of the blessed Lamb of God time immortal will reign, and after an earthly ten thousand years of indescribable bliss has passed the blessed state of the saints will have only just begun, for all eternity will await their praises.
As for His name upon their foreheads two observations are noted. The first is the import of His blessed name. The name of the Lord communicates His character and attributes. The one who is Faithful and True, Merciful, Longsuffering, Love, Avenger of His own, the Good Shepherd, the First and the Last, Provider, Healer, Comforter and Friend, Sustainer, Defender, Advocate, Banner, Creator, and so on, this Ones name is invoked as a pledge that that which He has spoken is trustworthy (Rom. 3:4).
The second is the significance of His name on the forehead of the saints. The imprint signifies sovereign ownership. It is a wonderful joy that pilgrims take pleasure in being His property (1 Cor. 6:19-20), for all of heaven is aligned to protect them from the wicked one and to ensure their progress in sanctification unto glorification, nothing being able to frustrate God’s work in them which He will bring to completion (Rom. 8:31-39).
Beloved, the Savior has gone ahead of you to prepare a place for you and He is faithful and will come to you in His time, that you might be where He is. Rejoice that your name is written in heaven and sing in your heart with the psalmist, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” (Ps. 42:2).
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Enemies of the Cross
06.20.09
J.A. Matteson
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds." Revelation 20:12
Two dreadful occasions await the unrepentant wicked at death: a definitive tribunal judgment and conviction before Almighty God, and being cast away for all eternity from the presence of God to suffer the indescribable anguish of hell, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). And in as much as eye as not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of men the blessed wonder of all that God has in store for the redeemed in heaven (1 Cor. 2:9), neither has it truly been understood to the fullest extent just how unimaginably horrible hell will be for the wicked.
Beloved, the terse language of the Scriptures and especially that by the Lord Jesus Christ ought to serve as a strong warning and convincing proof that no man should dare trifle with it and that the administration of the Gospel is urgent to the hearing of all in danger of perishing. As for the redeemed they will stand before the judgment seat of Christ where each pilgrims work will be evaluated by the Lord Jesus Christ, faithful service being recognized and rewarded (2 Cor. 5:10).
The unregenerate, however, will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ at the great white throne of judgment and all of their wicked deeds laid naked, serving as the basis for their just condemnation (Rom. 2:5). All who rejected the salvation offered in the Lord Jesus Christ will stand before Him condemned (Jn 3:18-19)—the educated and ignorant, the wealthy and poor, the charitable and stingy, the politically powerful and the weak, the moral and immoral, the religious and impious—all will stand individually before God Almighty and hear the piercing indictment of their eternal sentence of doom, their sins itemized one by one, the foremost and eternally damning sin being unforgivable; viz., the sin of unbelief in the Son of God as the spotless Lamb of God and the rejection of His vicarious substitutionary death atoning for sin on the cross, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
On judgment day saints will have The Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous, Who will plead their pardon before the Father, these being justified by faith in the Lord’s atoning work on their behalf, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Woe to the prideful man who brashly contends that he is righteous apart from the imputed righteousness found only in the cross of Jesus Christ, he is utterly deceived and by his boasting a deceiver of the simple, deluded in mind and worse than a charlatan, a diabolical fraud, for he has denied that “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Diabolical is the teaching the Emergent Church movement that denies Scripture pertaining to the penal substitution of sin laid upon the spotless Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn. 4:10; see also Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 Jn. 2:2)—it is the foundation of the Gospel. These fail to understand that apart from the shed blood of Christ they are still in their sin, justly condemned, twice dead, and in danger of hell fire.
Apart from the vicarious substitutionary death of Christ there is no hope, only a sure consignment to eternal darkness. These delusional teachers will not have The Advocate by their side to defend them for they have denied the very work He performed that they might be saved. By their words and deeds they are enemies of the blessed cross of Christ.
Copyrigtht (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds." Revelation 20:12
Two dreadful occasions await the unrepentant wicked at death: a definitive tribunal judgment and conviction before Almighty God, and being cast away for all eternity from the presence of God to suffer the indescribable anguish of hell, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). And in as much as eye as not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of men the blessed wonder of all that God has in store for the redeemed in heaven (1 Cor. 2:9), neither has it truly been understood to the fullest extent just how unimaginably horrible hell will be for the wicked.
Beloved, the terse language of the Scriptures and especially that by the Lord Jesus Christ ought to serve as a strong warning and convincing proof that no man should dare trifle with it and that the administration of the Gospel is urgent to the hearing of all in danger of perishing. As for the redeemed they will stand before the judgment seat of Christ where each pilgrims work will be evaluated by the Lord Jesus Christ, faithful service being recognized and rewarded (2 Cor. 5:10).
The unregenerate, however, will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ at the great white throne of judgment and all of their wicked deeds laid naked, serving as the basis for their just condemnation (Rom. 2:5). All who rejected the salvation offered in the Lord Jesus Christ will stand before Him condemned (Jn 3:18-19)—the educated and ignorant, the wealthy and poor, the charitable and stingy, the politically powerful and the weak, the moral and immoral, the religious and impious—all will stand individually before God Almighty and hear the piercing indictment of their eternal sentence of doom, their sins itemized one by one, the foremost and eternally damning sin being unforgivable; viz., the sin of unbelief in the Son of God as the spotless Lamb of God and the rejection of His vicarious substitutionary death atoning for sin on the cross, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
On judgment day saints will have The Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous, Who will plead their pardon before the Father, these being justified by faith in the Lord’s atoning work on their behalf, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Woe to the prideful man who brashly contends that he is righteous apart from the imputed righteousness found only in the cross of Jesus Christ, he is utterly deceived and by his boasting a deceiver of the simple, deluded in mind and worse than a charlatan, a diabolical fraud, for he has denied that “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Diabolical is the teaching the Emergent Church movement that denies Scripture pertaining to the penal substitution of sin laid upon the spotless Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn. 4:10; see also Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 Jn. 2:2)—it is the foundation of the Gospel. These fail to understand that apart from the shed blood of Christ they are still in their sin, justly condemned, twice dead, and in danger of hell fire.
Apart from the vicarious substitutionary death of Christ there is no hope, only a sure consignment to eternal darkness. These delusional teachers will not have The Advocate by their side to defend them for they have denied the very work He performed that they might be saved. By their words and deeds they are enemies of the blessed cross of Christ.
Copyrigtht (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Humbly Remain Undaunted
06.16.09
J.A. Matteson
“And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.” Revelation 10:10
The Word of the Lord is a delight to the tender heart of pilgrims who are sustained by it, “The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 19:8). While sweet during consumption the Word’s effect on the obedient pilgrim is often bitter when it is a corrective Word to be broadcast to a wicked individual or culture that reject it.
The prophet Jeremiah attested to the delightful nature of the Word of the LORD received, “Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16). The prophet Ezekiel also fed upon the Word of the LORD prior to declaring it to a decedent culture, “’Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you’…And He said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your stomach, and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.’ Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth’” (Ezk. 2:8; 3:3).
Samuel understood personally the bitterness of the Word of the LORD he had consumed and proclaimed when it was sternly rejected by Israel, yet grace supplied divine perspective to the prophet, “And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them’” (1 Sam. 8:7). John the Baptist understood the bitterness of a corrective Word preached when the wickedness of the king was denounced, “For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, ‘It is not lawful for thee to have her’” (Matt.14:3-4). That corrective Word eventually resulted in John’s execution to silence his opposing voice.
Stephen experienced the bitterness of the corrective Word of the Lord when upon hearing it wicked men picked up rocks and stoned him to death, “Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute, and they killed them…But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him….” (Acts 7:51-52, 57-58). The corrective Word of the Lord Jesus Christ directed at the religious elite stirred their wrath, culminating in His crucifixion whereby they sought to silence the Word, “… the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him” (Matt. 12:14).
By nature unregenerate sinners seek to suppress the truth of the Word in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). As John received the apocalyptic Word pertaining to the end times its ingestion was sweet—as all divine revelation—but its effect would be bitter upon the one delivering the message. Faithful pilgrims endure the bitter aspects of the Word of the Lord, and motivated by the love of God proclaim it to a wicked generation, deleting nothing, adding nothing, delivering it unedited and raw as written, letting the Holy Spirit perform that which is pleasing to the Father, that the recipients might turn from their erring ways and be saved.
Pilgrims today delivering the Word of the Lord are also experiencing its bitter effects, being mocked, ridiculed, marginalized, and at times violently attacked and killed. In spite of intense opposition they humbly remain undaunted to deliver the Word. As the time of His appearing nears wickedness will increase. It is incumbent upon every pilgrim to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3), and to call to repentance a generation gone astray. Pilgrims do not have the option of enjoying the sweetness of the Word apart from its bitterness; it is their calling and destiny.
Copyright 2009 (c) Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
“And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.” Revelation 10:10
The Word of the Lord is a delight to the tender heart of pilgrims who are sustained by it, “The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 19:8). While sweet during consumption the Word’s effect on the obedient pilgrim is often bitter when it is a corrective Word to be broadcast to a wicked individual or culture that reject it.
The prophet Jeremiah attested to the delightful nature of the Word of the LORD received, “Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16). The prophet Ezekiel also fed upon the Word of the LORD prior to declaring it to a decedent culture, “’Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you’…And He said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your stomach, and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.’ Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth’” (Ezk. 2:8; 3:3).
Samuel understood personally the bitterness of the Word of the LORD he had consumed and proclaimed when it was sternly rejected by Israel, yet grace supplied divine perspective to the prophet, “And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them’” (1 Sam. 8:7). John the Baptist understood the bitterness of a corrective Word preached when the wickedness of the king was denounced, “For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, ‘It is not lawful for thee to have her’” (Matt.14:3-4). That corrective Word eventually resulted in John’s execution to silence his opposing voice.
Stephen experienced the bitterness of the corrective Word of the Lord when upon hearing it wicked men picked up rocks and stoned him to death, “Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute, and they killed them…But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him….” (Acts 7:51-52, 57-58). The corrective Word of the Lord Jesus Christ directed at the religious elite stirred their wrath, culminating in His crucifixion whereby they sought to silence the Word, “… the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him” (Matt. 12:14).
By nature unregenerate sinners seek to suppress the truth of the Word in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). As John received the apocalyptic Word pertaining to the end times its ingestion was sweet—as all divine revelation—but its effect would be bitter upon the one delivering the message. Faithful pilgrims endure the bitter aspects of the Word of the Lord, and motivated by the love of God proclaim it to a wicked generation, deleting nothing, adding nothing, delivering it unedited and raw as written, letting the Holy Spirit perform that which is pleasing to the Father, that the recipients might turn from their erring ways and be saved.
Pilgrims today delivering the Word of the Lord are also experiencing its bitter effects, being mocked, ridiculed, marginalized, and at times violently attacked and killed. In spite of intense opposition they humbly remain undaunted to deliver the Word. As the time of His appearing nears wickedness will increase. It is incumbent upon every pilgrim to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3), and to call to repentance a generation gone astray. Pilgrims do not have the option of enjoying the sweetness of the Word apart from its bitterness; it is their calling and destiny.
Copyright 2009 (c) Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
His Holiness
06.11.09
J.A. Matteson
“…and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’" Revelation 4:8
Pharaoh’s question of Moses was wise, although he was not sincerely seeking an answer, “But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go" (Ex. 5:2). The king’s glib response to the friend of God revealed a fatal contempt for the truth that would have rescued his everlasting soul from divine wrath; he chose death over life and the trajectory of his condemnation was sealed, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth” (Rom. 9:17).
That which is proclaimed on earth finds its origin in heaven. As a fallen man Pharaoh was blind to the Person of the LORD, lacking a fundamental relational knowledge of the Almighty which Adam and Eve knew prior to the Fall. He was held captive in darkness by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4) and by his own fallen nature (Rom. 1:18-20), and yet completely accountable to a just God for his rebellion in rejecting the delegated authority which the LORD bestowed upon Moses (Rom. 13:2). To answer the question raised by Pharaoh, “Who is the LORD?” many attributes found in Scripture are employed to describe Him who lives in unapproachable light.
Of all the attributes of the Almighty there is one in particular which is raised to the superlative, His Holiness. Modern written language underscores the importance of a statement in a number of ways such as highlighting the text in bold print or italics, or perhaps underlining it. In the ancient world repetition in the text signaled great importance and we see the Lord Jesus frequently using this form of speech with His many statements that began with “Truly, truly, I say to you….” The attribute the angelic host elevate to prominence is the holiness God, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty.” We often think of the holiness of God in terms of moral perfection, and that is true and appropriate, and in this regard pilgrims are instructed, “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior” (1 Pet. 1:15); moral perfection, however, will not occur for the saint until he is glorified and forever rid of sin.
The aspect of the holiness of God to which the angels sing includes not only His moral perfection but His transcendence, or his otherness. To plumb the depths of the holiness of God is to contrast the Creator against that which He has created, for example: God is infinite, man is finite; God is eternal, man is temporal; God is omnipresent, man is bound by space and time; God is omniscient, man knows only in part; God is omnipotent; man is feeble; God is sovereign, man is accountable; God is self-existent; man is dependent on God for his existence. The grandeur of God’s holiness demands worship, “The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3). The holiness of God magnifies human sinfulness and the natural response of a darkened soul is to hide, while the regenerate life is drawn toward the light of God, “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (Jn. 3:20-21).
While the pilgrim comes confidently and boldly into the presence of the Lord he is to do so with the utmost reverence and never in a impertinent fashion, for the Lord does not suffer fools who trifle with His holiness as Nadab and Abihu discovered, “Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘It is what the LORD spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.' So Aaron, therefore, kept silent” (Lev. 10:3-7).
Pilgrims, let us join the heavenly anthem and every day declare, “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
“…and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’" Revelation 4:8
Pharaoh’s question of Moses was wise, although he was not sincerely seeking an answer, “But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go" (Ex. 5:2). The king’s glib response to the friend of God revealed a fatal contempt for the truth that would have rescued his everlasting soul from divine wrath; he chose death over life and the trajectory of his condemnation was sealed, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth” (Rom. 9:17).
That which is proclaimed on earth finds its origin in heaven. As a fallen man Pharaoh was blind to the Person of the LORD, lacking a fundamental relational knowledge of the Almighty which Adam and Eve knew prior to the Fall. He was held captive in darkness by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4) and by his own fallen nature (Rom. 1:18-20), and yet completely accountable to a just God for his rebellion in rejecting the delegated authority which the LORD bestowed upon Moses (Rom. 13:2). To answer the question raised by Pharaoh, “Who is the LORD?” many attributes found in Scripture are employed to describe Him who lives in unapproachable light.
Of all the attributes of the Almighty there is one in particular which is raised to the superlative, His Holiness. Modern written language underscores the importance of a statement in a number of ways such as highlighting the text in bold print or italics, or perhaps underlining it. In the ancient world repetition in the text signaled great importance and we see the Lord Jesus frequently using this form of speech with His many statements that began with “Truly, truly, I say to you….” The attribute the angelic host elevate to prominence is the holiness God, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty.” We often think of the holiness of God in terms of moral perfection, and that is true and appropriate, and in this regard pilgrims are instructed, “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior” (1 Pet. 1:15); moral perfection, however, will not occur for the saint until he is glorified and forever rid of sin.
The aspect of the holiness of God to which the angels sing includes not only His moral perfection but His transcendence, or his otherness. To plumb the depths of the holiness of God is to contrast the Creator against that which He has created, for example: God is infinite, man is finite; God is eternal, man is temporal; God is omnipresent, man is bound by space and time; God is omniscient, man knows only in part; God is omnipotent; man is feeble; God is sovereign, man is accountable; God is self-existent; man is dependent on God for his existence. The grandeur of God’s holiness demands worship, “The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3). The holiness of God magnifies human sinfulness and the natural response of a darkened soul is to hide, while the regenerate life is drawn toward the light of God, “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (Jn. 3:20-21).
While the pilgrim comes confidently and boldly into the presence of the Lord he is to do so with the utmost reverence and never in a impertinent fashion, for the Lord does not suffer fools who trifle with His holiness as Nadab and Abihu discovered, “Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘It is what the LORD spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.' So Aaron, therefore, kept silent” (Lev. 10:3-7).
Pilgrims, let us join the heavenly anthem and every day declare, “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
Copyright (c) 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Your Beloved Calls
06.09.09
J.A. Matteson
“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4
A man newly born of the Spirit is captivated by the tender love of the Savior. The wonder of his being in Christ grips his thoughts day and night and he probes earnestly to comprehend the divine transformation that has taken within, perceiving the world, and life, altogether differently.
The tender mercies of Calvary’s blood stained cross stir his heart, producing a soul ache unspeakable and gratitude beyond the scope of human expression. A mix of joy and bewilderment fill his heart upon realizing that it was his sin for which the Lamb of God suffered and died in order that he might be set free from the bondage of sin and death, forgiven, and have his name written in the Lambs Book of Life.
His soul craves and thirsts for the pure milk of the Word as a man lost in a desert place convulses for the sweet pure water of an oasis, reading and meditating upon it at every opportunity as the Spirit of God applies the Word of God to the child of God. His heart is tender to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and he inclines his will in pursuing righteousness, the Kingdom, and forsaking sin through repentance. Still quite moments in green pastures alone with the Great Shepherd in prayer are his utmost delight and as a young man captivated by the love of a beautiful maiden he cannot restrain himself, but speaks forth continually of the wonders and delights of his new relationship.
Delighted in God it is his ambition to lead others to the Savior that they too might be recipients of grace, and so he labors in the Lord’s vineyard joyfully plowing, sewing, watering, cultivating, and in all ways tending it, testifying and reasoning with the sons of Adam with great patience and understanding. The outworking of the influence of the Spirit in the new creation in Christ Jesus is a dogged obedience rooted in love and gratitude, to be and do those things pleasing in His sight, and his deeds are not a mere external display, but the outward of expression of an inner disposition of grace whereby the branch is learning to abide in the Vine and where the Life of the Vine flows through the branch.
Early on the Providence of the Lord typically hedges in the babe in Christ Jesus allowing the roots of faith to grow down firmly before the winds of adversity come, and so obedience is relatively easy at this point, for the seasons of protracted suffering have not yet arrived, those that will test and refine faith, and where obedience at a higher lever is learned through the lessons of adversity. And when the contrary winds eventually begin to blow and the sea waves build, grace enables the saint to persevere by infusing the heart with the knowledge that the difficulty in which he finds himself is a tool in the hand of the Lord to further his sanctification. While the pilgrim knows this in his head the protracted seasons of suffering tend to erode away at the first love he initially enjoyed in the Beloved. And while he dutifully remains obedient to the King and His Kingdom the flame of that first love may dim as he settles into the routine of his pilgrimage—the peaks and valleys—a mental resignation can set in, and the vibrant flame of love is insidiously replaced with a placid orthodoxy void of warmth, empty of passion.
Pilgrims will encounter this awkward place of an ebbing first love while on pilgrimage. The Lord’s antidote to it is to remember, remember back to the earlier days when the relationship was new and engage in the things previously spoken of above and thereby experience the passion again. As a husband and wife can drift emotionally apart over the years in response to protracted hardship in life, settling into a morass of relational mediocrity, so the pilgrim of the Lord can find himself in the same place of going through the motions as a Kingdom citizen and yet his joy has evaporated—he has left sight of his first love, that of the early days with the Savior.
As His bride can you hear your Beloved call to you now?, “…Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me” (Song of Solomon 2:10). He awaits, what’s keeping you?
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4
A man newly born of the Spirit is captivated by the tender love of the Savior. The wonder of his being in Christ grips his thoughts day and night and he probes earnestly to comprehend the divine transformation that has taken within, perceiving the world, and life, altogether differently.
The tender mercies of Calvary’s blood stained cross stir his heart, producing a soul ache unspeakable and gratitude beyond the scope of human expression. A mix of joy and bewilderment fill his heart upon realizing that it was his sin for which the Lamb of God suffered and died in order that he might be set free from the bondage of sin and death, forgiven, and have his name written in the Lambs Book of Life.
His soul craves and thirsts for the pure milk of the Word as a man lost in a desert place convulses for the sweet pure water of an oasis, reading and meditating upon it at every opportunity as the Spirit of God applies the Word of God to the child of God. His heart is tender to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and he inclines his will in pursuing righteousness, the Kingdom, and forsaking sin through repentance. Still quite moments in green pastures alone with the Great Shepherd in prayer are his utmost delight and as a young man captivated by the love of a beautiful maiden he cannot restrain himself, but speaks forth continually of the wonders and delights of his new relationship.
Delighted in God it is his ambition to lead others to the Savior that they too might be recipients of grace, and so he labors in the Lord’s vineyard joyfully plowing, sewing, watering, cultivating, and in all ways tending it, testifying and reasoning with the sons of Adam with great patience and understanding. The outworking of the influence of the Spirit in the new creation in Christ Jesus is a dogged obedience rooted in love and gratitude, to be and do those things pleasing in His sight, and his deeds are not a mere external display, but the outward of expression of an inner disposition of grace whereby the branch is learning to abide in the Vine and where the Life of the Vine flows through the branch.
Early on the Providence of the Lord typically hedges in the babe in Christ Jesus allowing the roots of faith to grow down firmly before the winds of adversity come, and so obedience is relatively easy at this point, for the seasons of protracted suffering have not yet arrived, those that will test and refine faith, and where obedience at a higher lever is learned through the lessons of adversity. And when the contrary winds eventually begin to blow and the sea waves build, grace enables the saint to persevere by infusing the heart with the knowledge that the difficulty in which he finds himself is a tool in the hand of the Lord to further his sanctification. While the pilgrim knows this in his head the protracted seasons of suffering tend to erode away at the first love he initially enjoyed in the Beloved. And while he dutifully remains obedient to the King and His Kingdom the flame of that first love may dim as he settles into the routine of his pilgrimage—the peaks and valleys—a mental resignation can set in, and the vibrant flame of love is insidiously replaced with a placid orthodoxy void of warmth, empty of passion.
Pilgrims will encounter this awkward place of an ebbing first love while on pilgrimage. The Lord’s antidote to it is to remember, remember back to the earlier days when the relationship was new and engage in the things previously spoken of above and thereby experience the passion again. As a husband and wife can drift emotionally apart over the years in response to protracted hardship in life, settling into a morass of relational mediocrity, so the pilgrim of the Lord can find himself in the same place of going through the motions as a Kingdom citizen and yet his joy has evaporated—he has left sight of his first love, that of the early days with the Savior.
As His bride can you hear your Beloved call to you now?, “…Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me” (Song of Solomon 2:10). He awaits, what’s keeping you?
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The Holy Unnerves
06.06.09
J.A. Matteson
"And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man…." Revelation 1:17
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became flesh and dwelt among mortal men as the man Christ Jesus.
The magnificent One who spoke all things visible and invisible into existence and lives in unapproachable light; the One who set the starry host in their place and governs their existence, knowing their exact number and every subatomic molecule comprising their substance; the One who directs the seas and defines the borders of their habitation, filling them with wonder and life; the One who by the power of His might exalts and brings to naught the kings and rulers of the earth according to the good pleasure of His will; the One who laughs at the proud, being able to bring a swift end to their arrogant existence instantly by the breath of His mouth; the One who is and was and is to come, being the same yesterday, today, and forever; the One who is the first and the last the Alpha and the Omega; the One Who is infinite; the One who holds the keys to Hades, able to destroy both body and soul in hell; the One who is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, and absolute holiness, Who upholds all things, transcending all things to the praise and glory of His breathtaking name; the One who spoke to Job out of the whirlwind, “Who is this that darkens counsel with words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you will instruct Me!” (Job 42:3-4); this One visited the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos and his response was predictable, involuntary, and appropriate. Sinful mans instinctive response in the presence of the Holy is that of inexpressible woe and utter dread, falling prostrate to the ground, face in the dirt.
The repeated testimony of Scripture is that the Holy unnerves sinful mortal men. As the Lord Jesus Christ testified, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (Jn. 3:19). Isaiah shook in fear and dread when the glory of the Lord was revealed to him; the children of Israel in horror at the presence of the great I AM cowered at the base of the mountain sending forth Moses in their stead; the Apostle Peter turned his face and hid from the Lord when the nets of his little fishing boat burst at the miraculous size of the catch; the blood drained from the face of king Belshazzar when suddenly the eerie hand of the Lord appeared and wrote upon the plaster of the wall announcing his immanent demise for desecrating that which was sacred.
Noteworthy is the contrast of biblical encounters with the Holy and contemporary descriptions of divine encounters by various groups. By some present-day reports the exalted Lord of glory is scandalously approached like an adolescent object of narcissistic indulgence, a spiritual lover who reportedly awards the pursuer with memorable supercharged emotional experiences; i.e., a Christian form of nirvana.
Foreign to the normative response to the Holy in Scripture is the present-day pattern of services whereby individuals fall backwards to the ground, and many into the arms of “catchers” who subsequently cover them with blankets and prayers expressed in unintelligible gibberish. Absent from Holy Writ is the phenomenon of uncontrollable laughter in the presence of I AM, rolling about on the ground, producing odd sounds like those of brute animals.
Beloved, Satan masquerades as an angel of light and seduces the simple with intoxicating potions designed to put ignorant men into a stupor, opening their minds to demonic influences, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). Watch out for spiritual encounters that cater to the flesh by producing a mindless euphoria, experiences foreign to the normative fear of the Lord revealed in Scripture while in the presence of the Holy. Evaluate the genuineness of encounters with the Holy based upon Scripture (objective) and not experience (subjective).
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...for the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
"And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man…." Revelation 1:17
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became flesh and dwelt among mortal men as the man Christ Jesus.
The magnificent One who spoke all things visible and invisible into existence and lives in unapproachable light; the One who set the starry host in their place and governs their existence, knowing their exact number and every subatomic molecule comprising their substance; the One who directs the seas and defines the borders of their habitation, filling them with wonder and life; the One who by the power of His might exalts and brings to naught the kings and rulers of the earth according to the good pleasure of His will; the One who laughs at the proud, being able to bring a swift end to their arrogant existence instantly by the breath of His mouth; the One who is and was and is to come, being the same yesterday, today, and forever; the One who is the first and the last the Alpha and the Omega; the One Who is infinite; the One who holds the keys to Hades, able to destroy both body and soul in hell; the One who is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, and absolute holiness, Who upholds all things, transcending all things to the praise and glory of His breathtaking name; the One who spoke to Job out of the whirlwind, “Who is this that darkens counsel with words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you will instruct Me!” (Job 42:3-4); this One visited the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos and his response was predictable, involuntary, and appropriate. Sinful mans instinctive response in the presence of the Holy is that of inexpressible woe and utter dread, falling prostrate to the ground, face in the dirt.
The repeated testimony of Scripture is that the Holy unnerves sinful mortal men. As the Lord Jesus Christ testified, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (Jn. 3:19). Isaiah shook in fear and dread when the glory of the Lord was revealed to him; the children of Israel in horror at the presence of the great I AM cowered at the base of the mountain sending forth Moses in their stead; the Apostle Peter turned his face and hid from the Lord when the nets of his little fishing boat burst at the miraculous size of the catch; the blood drained from the face of king Belshazzar when suddenly the eerie hand of the Lord appeared and wrote upon the plaster of the wall announcing his immanent demise for desecrating that which was sacred.
Noteworthy is the contrast of biblical encounters with the Holy and contemporary descriptions of divine encounters by various groups. By some present-day reports the exalted Lord of glory is scandalously approached like an adolescent object of narcissistic indulgence, a spiritual lover who reportedly awards the pursuer with memorable supercharged emotional experiences; i.e., a Christian form of nirvana.
Foreign to the normative response to the Holy in Scripture is the present-day pattern of services whereby individuals fall backwards to the ground, and many into the arms of “catchers” who subsequently cover them with blankets and prayers expressed in unintelligible gibberish. Absent from Holy Writ is the phenomenon of uncontrollable laughter in the presence of I AM, rolling about on the ground, producing odd sounds like those of brute animals.
Beloved, Satan masquerades as an angel of light and seduces the simple with intoxicating potions designed to put ignorant men into a stupor, opening their minds to demonic influences, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). Watch out for spiritual encounters that cater to the flesh by producing a mindless euphoria, experiences foreign to the normative fear of the Lord revealed in Scripture while in the presence of the Holy. Evaluate the genuineness of encounters with the Holy based upon Scripture (objective) and not experience (subjective).
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...for the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Victory Has Been Secured
06.03.09
J.A. Matteson
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." 1 John 5:4
The Lord Jesus Christ alerted His followers that trouble awaited them in a fallen world ruled by the prince of darkness, “These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).
As Satan opposed the Son of God on earth he directs the full force of his fiendish arsenal at pilgrims who follow the Lamb of God, individuals who are His rightful property, the redeemed who have been purchased by His atoning blood, “…you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, [even the blood] of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
And while the current of demonic influences in the world are formidable and apart from His seed abiding within it would be impossible to withstand their onslaught, victory has been secured for pilgrims by the Lord Jesus on Calvary, by grace through faith they are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise as a pledge of their inheritance. The indwelling Spirit not only gifts pilgrims with eyes to see and ears to hear, but by His grace enables them—empowers them—to stand fast in the hour of overwhelming difficulty to the honor and glory of their Master. And it is precisely at this point, when the pilgrim takes a stand for the King and His Kingdom, that the powers of hell are enraged, their fires kindled, their sinister intent directed at the pilgrim who is the ambassador of the King of Glory.
Perplexing to the world is the sinner turned saint whereby prior affections for ungodliness have been supernaturally obliterated and replaced with heavenly ones. Pilgrims are separated unto holiness from the demonic current of the world, mortifying within themselves daily the former passions that governed their lives, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived” (Col. 3:5-7).
It is the spiritual intersection of the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God where the pilgrim perpetually lives, and as the cultural current of ungodliness presses against the saint he does not move with it—for His seed abides within him—and is, therefore, often described by the world as intolerant, hateful, narrow minded, bigoted and the like, a nonconformist needing to be silenced. Irrespective of taunts the pilgrim remains standing as the swirling current of the world vainly seeks to erode his footing, yet his foundation is upon the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ and he is not moved, he has been given the victory—his faith. And faith does not disappoint as His promises are as sure as the dawn of the morning sun, “For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." (Rom. 10:11).
Faithful is the Lord to draw near to His holy ones in times of temptation, thwarting the bait of Satan to entangle them in the cares of the world, for the Lord knows how to deliver His children in their time of need. Rejoice, rejoice pilgrims of the King for your Redeemer lives, making intercession for you that your faith shall not fail! Stand fast when the storm winds blow and the ground shakes beneath your feet, when the sea waves rise around you and darkness falls as a heavy cloak, fear not dear pilgrim “…because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4).
You are blessed when the world speaks evil of you for His names sake, when your righteousness is met with scorn and your appeals with contempt. Stand firm, therefore, as children of Light, shine forth the Gospel of salvation to all men in all places that by all means some might be saved.
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever...." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." 1 John 5:4
The Lord Jesus Christ alerted His followers that trouble awaited them in a fallen world ruled by the prince of darkness, “These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).
As Satan opposed the Son of God on earth he directs the full force of his fiendish arsenal at pilgrims who follow the Lamb of God, individuals who are His rightful property, the redeemed who have been purchased by His atoning blood, “…you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, [even the blood] of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
And while the current of demonic influences in the world are formidable and apart from His seed abiding within it would be impossible to withstand their onslaught, victory has been secured for pilgrims by the Lord Jesus on Calvary, by grace through faith they are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise as a pledge of their inheritance. The indwelling Spirit not only gifts pilgrims with eyes to see and ears to hear, but by His grace enables them—empowers them—to stand fast in the hour of overwhelming difficulty to the honor and glory of their Master. And it is precisely at this point, when the pilgrim takes a stand for the King and His Kingdom, that the powers of hell are enraged, their fires kindled, their sinister intent directed at the pilgrim who is the ambassador of the King of Glory.
Perplexing to the world is the sinner turned saint whereby prior affections for ungodliness have been supernaturally obliterated and replaced with heavenly ones. Pilgrims are separated unto holiness from the demonic current of the world, mortifying within themselves daily the former passions that governed their lives, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived” (Col. 3:5-7).
It is the spiritual intersection of the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God where the pilgrim perpetually lives, and as the cultural current of ungodliness presses against the saint he does not move with it—for His seed abides within him—and is, therefore, often described by the world as intolerant, hateful, narrow minded, bigoted and the like, a nonconformist needing to be silenced. Irrespective of taunts the pilgrim remains standing as the swirling current of the world vainly seeks to erode his footing, yet his foundation is upon the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ and he is not moved, he has been given the victory—his faith. And faith does not disappoint as His promises are as sure as the dawn of the morning sun, “For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." (Rom. 10:11).
Faithful is the Lord to draw near to His holy ones in times of temptation, thwarting the bait of Satan to entangle them in the cares of the world, for the Lord knows how to deliver His children in their time of need. Rejoice, rejoice pilgrims of the King for your Redeemer lives, making intercession for you that your faith shall not fail! Stand fast when the storm winds blow and the ground shakes beneath your feet, when the sea waves rise around you and darkness falls as a heavy cloak, fear not dear pilgrim “…because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4).
You are blessed when the world speaks evil of you for His names sake, when your righteousness is met with scorn and your appeals with contempt. Stand firm, therefore, as children of Light, shine forth the Gospel of salvation to all men in all places that by all means some might be saved.
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever...." Isaiah 40:8)
Monday, June 1, 2009
Conformed to His Image
06.01.09
J.A. Matteson
"The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:6
In the physical realm progeny reflect characteristics of their parents—by nature they must by necessity—and the same principle may be observed in the spiritual. Coming into the world the unregenerate possesses a sin nature where his mind, will, and emotions are at enmity with his Creator, perpetually inclined by nature to perform deeds pleasing to his spiritual father, the devil, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire….”(Jn. 8:44). All humanity share God as Creator in the physical, yet the redeemed alone know Him spiritually as Father, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’" (Gal. 4:6).
Unregenerate sinners often do good to their neighbor; however, the unconscious root motivation is ultimately ego-centric—at some level to satisfy the flesh—not Christo-centric, therefore, unpleasing to God, no matter how meritorious the deed, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Is. 64:6). The overarching meditation of the unregenerate heart is self-pride which is characteristic of their spiritual father.
The saint is born again of God and by nature displays characteristics of his heavenly Father whereby his thoughts, words, and deeds are increasingly Christo-centric. The Lord Jesus Christ possessing two natures—divine and human—is the pilgrim’s flawless example for righteous living. Empowered by the Holy Spirit the pilgrim is day by day conformed to the image of His Lord in thought, word, and deed, a distinctive indication of his new birth, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
As the pilgrim gazes upon the Lord Jesus Christ, behavioral characteristics indicative of the new nature come into focus. How did the Lord Jesus live and what characteristic might one expect to observe in His progeny? Highlighting but a few characteristics we first observe that the Lord Jesus Christ was a man of compassion, “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’" (Jn .8:10-11); that He revealed uncompromising obedience in completing the redemptive assignment the Father had given Him, “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer” (Matt. 27:12); confronted by temptation He did not acqiese, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan ! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and worship Him only'" (Matt. 4:10); that He lived righteously, “But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’" Then he permitted Him” (Matt. 3:15); that He was zealous for truth, exposing hypocrisy wherever it was found, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matt. 23:25); that He was passionate about spiritual purity, “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer '; but you are making it a robbers den" (Matt 21:12-13); that He was a servant of men while bound to no man, “So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?” (Jn. 13:12); that He was a man of prayer, “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples” (Lk. 11:1); that He was exceptionally bold, “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lk. 13:3); that He was the epitome of humility, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be reflected in the lives of pilgrims today.
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
J.A. Matteson
"The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:6
In the physical realm progeny reflect characteristics of their parents—by nature they must by necessity—and the same principle may be observed in the spiritual. Coming into the world the unregenerate possesses a sin nature where his mind, will, and emotions are at enmity with his Creator, perpetually inclined by nature to perform deeds pleasing to his spiritual father, the devil, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire….”(Jn. 8:44). All humanity share God as Creator in the physical, yet the redeemed alone know Him spiritually as Father, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’" (Gal. 4:6).
Unregenerate sinners often do good to their neighbor; however, the unconscious root motivation is ultimately ego-centric—at some level to satisfy the flesh—not Christo-centric, therefore, unpleasing to God, no matter how meritorious the deed, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Is. 64:6). The overarching meditation of the unregenerate heart is self-pride which is characteristic of their spiritual father.
The saint is born again of God and by nature displays characteristics of his heavenly Father whereby his thoughts, words, and deeds are increasingly Christo-centric. The Lord Jesus Christ possessing two natures—divine and human—is the pilgrim’s flawless example for righteous living. Empowered by the Holy Spirit the pilgrim is day by day conformed to the image of His Lord in thought, word, and deed, a distinctive indication of his new birth, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
As the pilgrim gazes upon the Lord Jesus Christ, behavioral characteristics indicative of the new nature come into focus. How did the Lord Jesus live and what characteristic might one expect to observe in His progeny? Highlighting but a few characteristics we first observe that the Lord Jesus Christ was a man of compassion, “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’" (Jn .8:10-11); that He revealed uncompromising obedience in completing the redemptive assignment the Father had given Him, “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer” (Matt. 27:12); confronted by temptation He did not acqiese, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan ! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and worship Him only'" (Matt. 4:10); that He lived righteously, “But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness’" Then he permitted Him” (Matt. 3:15); that He was zealous for truth, exposing hypocrisy wherever it was found, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matt. 23:25); that He was passionate about spiritual purity, “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer '; but you are making it a robbers den" (Matt 21:12-13); that He was a servant of men while bound to no man, “So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?” (Jn. 13:12); that He was a man of prayer, “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples” (Lk. 11:1); that He was exceptionally bold, “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lk. 13:3); that He was the epitome of humility, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be reflected in the lives of pilgrims today.
Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8)
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