Affections

'Withhold not thy affection from us'

        That's an unusual admonition, isn't it? For it implies that we have a choice as to whether we will have or show affection or “tender mercies” towards other people. Love is not something you generate yourself but it's a gift from God because “God is love” and the fruit of the Spirt begins with love: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. . . .” Gal. 5:22-23

         Not only so, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 ESV But the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit told us that it's possible for us to block that love or “withhold it.” He wrote to his Corinthian brethren, “We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.” 2 Cor. 6:11-13 So you can either “close your heart” towards others or “open wide your heart.”

        The Apostle John speaks to the same matter: ^'By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.' 1 John 3:16-18 esv

        “Affection” is a very interesting word. Similar to love but not quite the same, perhaps a sub-division within the broader category of the word love. Jonathan Edwards has written extensively about the importance of our affections and how they are directed. We do well to heed his many scriptural teachings. Philippians 1:8 speaks of the “affection of Christ Jesus and Luke 1:78 and many places in the Psalms speak of “the tender mercy of our God.” That's what affection does. Love may or may not have emotion, but affection always does. Even more than fondness, affection has pity and compassion and emotional feeling for the other person. You esteem them highly, respect them and admire them. Affection certainly motivates you to serve and help and encourage the other person.

        And when we think of our affection towards God, it goes even deeper because of the majesty and glory of God Himself. Jonathan Edwards, 1703-1758, wrote 250 years ago, 'There is a divine and superlative glory . . .an excellency that is of a vastly higher kind, and more sublime nature than in other things, a glory greatly distinguishing from all that is earthly and temporal . . . . We rationally believe that God is glorious, and we also have a sense of the gloriousness of God in our heart. There is not only a rational belief that God is holy, and that holiness is a good thing, but there is a sense of the loveliness of God in our heart. We know that God is gracious but we also have a sense of the beauty of this divine attribute.'

        We understand truths about God but God also gives us 'the sense of the heart, as when there is a sense of the beauty, amiableness, or sweetness of a thing, so that the heart is sensible of pleasure and delight in the presence of the idea of it.'

        'There is a difference between having an opinion that God is holy and gracious and having a sense of the loveliness and beauty of that holiness and grace. There is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet, and having a sense of its sweetness. If you've never tasted honey, you do not know exactly how it tastes.

       'So there is a difference between believing that a person is beautiful, and having a sense of her beauty. . . . There is a wide difference between speculative rational judging any thing to be excellent and having a sense of its sweetness and beauty. . . . Wlhen the heart is sensible of the beauty of something or someone, it necessarily feels pleasure. . . .

      “This sense of the divine excellency of things contained in the word of God brings a conviction of the truth and reality of them.'” from The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards by John Gerstner, vol. I, pages 201-202.

       Love longs for response and affection gives it. One of the most satisfying parts of love is to be able to share a particular event or situation with someone you love. When you see something beautiful or desirable or worthwhile, your first reaction is to want to share it with someone you love. That's an important part of enjoyment and pleasure. It is part of our fellowship with the other person. “I carry you in my heart” even when they are not with you.

       But affection can also simply mean “tender mercies.” And Ephesians 4:32 tells us to be kind and “tenderhearted” one to another. God treats His people with “tender mercies.” We see them daily. 'The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.' Ps.145:9 'Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord. . .' Ps. 119:156

       And in Psalm 40:11 David prays that God will not “withhold” His tender mercies from him. He won't withhold them because God is in His Being, in His attributes, “tenderhearted” towards all He has made. He always does what is best for them. But it is possible, as we have seen, for us to “withhold” our affection or tender mercies from each other. That's why Jesus told His disciples that “By this shall all know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35 So affection and love are the “final apologetic” to show the truth of the Gospel and its reality in our lives and the Presence of God Himself giving us that love and affection.

The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ

The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ

            The Glory of God is “the highest of all topics and the grandest of all subjects.” To display God's glory was God's purpose in creating the entire universe and its people. And in the process His grace is central so we sing praise to His glorious grace ^“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7

            The Glory of God is who He is in His essential Being and all that He has done and is doing. The visible manifestation of the Glory of God is the glorious light that surrounds Him. God “alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. . . .” 1 Timothy 6:16 ESV Moses and the children of Israel saw the glory of God as the Shekinah Glory led them through the wilderness. The glory of God was in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. It showed itself as the Glory Cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire at night. Moses saw the Glory of God in the burning bush and on Mount Sinai when God gave “the Law of Moses.”

             The Hebrew and Greek words for glory are both weighty and beautiful. That's precisely what scripture says: ^“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” 2 Corinthians 4:17 And there is no greater majesty and splendor and inherent beauty than the glory of God.

            Used of man, glory speaks of radiance and praise, reputation, and wealth. Vanity and pride is associated with it. It is finite, transitory, and fickle, dependent on the whims of the crowds and the image makers. “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-25 ESV And so does the glory of God in His absolute perfection. His holiness, his majesty, his character, His power, His works all contribute to His glory.

           And the glory of God was demonstrated in the Person of Jesus who is the highest revelation of God. He is “the image of the invisible God,” Colossians 1:15 ^“the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholds all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3

             In the Incarnation “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 They all saw the excellence of His character, and Peter, James, and John saw the visible manifestation of His glory in the transfiguration. He “was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun,” “and his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow. . . .” Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:3 Years later Peter wrote, “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 2 Peter 1:16

           There is also the glory of God's beautiful creation. ^“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 ESV ^“There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.” 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 ESV

          Does man have intrinsic glory? Well, yes, he does! God gave it to him when He created man in His own image, to reflect in a small, finite way, SOME of the things God can do though infinitely different, still man can think, feel, act, love, make moral and ethical judgments, be creative, love beauty, accomplish worthwhile projects, build, improve. All of the things God gave us to do in the cultural mandate of Genesis 1:26-27. That is the dignity and worth of mankind.

           ^“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.” Psalm 8:5-6   So man created in the image of God should be accorded the deference and dignity that God has conferred upon him. That's why we should treat everyone with dignity and respect, because we know who they are!--created in God's image.

           But fallen man's conception of “glory” is quite different from that. And to describe it we need a Greek word quite different from doxa which means glory. For this we must use kenodoxos which means man's desire of praise, being conceited and boastful. Man wants to be the center of his own universe and claims to be autonomous or independent of God. When the truth of the matter is that we cannot even breathe our next breath without God.

           In the Graeco-Roman world of Bible times fame and glory were among the most important values in life. And the Jewish rabbis also highly esteemed the honor and praise of man—characteristics that Jesus warned against. In contrast the apostle Paul told the Thessalonians, “We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.” 1 Thess. 2:6

         The Glory of God and the Beauty of God are so closely related they could almost be used interchangeably. Here's how Sam Storms expressed it, “God’s glory is the beauty of God unveiled. Glory is the resplendent radiance of His power and His personality. Glory is all of God that makes God God, and shows Him to be worthy of our praise and our boasting and our trust and our hope and our confidence and our joy.”

“Glory is the external elegance of the internal excellencies of God. Glory is what you see and experience and feel when [you see the beauty of the works of God in creation.]

“Understanding God is but a means to enjoying God. We tell others of this glory and [thus increase our joy and theirs] at what we have told. . . .

“Treasure God. Prize Him. Delight in Him. Enjoy Him. In doing so you magnify Him, you show Him to be the most wonderful and sweet and all-sufficient being in the universe.

“. . . Enjoying God is not a means to a higher end. This IS the end. Enjoying God is not a pathway to the pinnacle. It is the pinnacle, the purpose for which you and I live. As such, it is the solution to our struggle with sin. The antidote to apathy is the enjoyment of God. It is the divine catalyst for human change.”

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

--Sam Storms, One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God. Christian Focus Publications 

“What is the chief end of man?” “To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

–Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1643

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord. . . .” Psalm 27:4

Grace Sufficient for Every Trial and Suffering: 2 Cor. Ch. 12

        One of the most remarkable truths of scripture is that instead of making life easier for us by supernaturally removing the causes of our discomfort and difficulties, God instead gives us more grace and strength to enable us to go through the painful, difficult stages of life and painful experiences that are part of living as fallen creatures in this fallen world. After all, this world is not our home; we’re on our journey home and God is preparing us for the place that He has already prepared for us in heaven. We would much prefer that God remove "the thorn in the flesh" or take away "our cross" from us but God in His wisdom, says "No." And He seldom explains why, but we see the end result as He makes us more like Christ and floods us with His supernatural peace.

Do you remember the old hymn, "He Giveth More Grace."
"He giveth more grace when the burden grows greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!"

         God sent a "thorn in the flesh," to Paul, "a messenger of Satan to buffet me." And he tells us why: to humble him. He said it twice, "to keep me from becoming conceited." 2 Cor. 12:7
The word in Greek is huperairomai literally meaning "to raise oneself over" another person, to become arrogant or to glorify yourself instead of God. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6

        Do you need more strength, more grace to help in time of need? Scripture tells us how to get it: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:16 ESV  Go to God in prayer and go with confidence, but if you expect to get an answer, you’d better go humbly and realize who you are and who God is and then you can’t be proud. That’s what the verse says that I quoted in James, "But He gives more grace." And then it says that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. James 4:6

        Recognize that you are a created being, a finite creature who has no life in himself but is totally dependent upon God. Take your place as a finite person before our infinite, eternal omnipotent Creator. It’s a matter of simple logic: 1 Cor. 4:7 ESV "For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"

        God did not take away Paul’s cross or his "thorn in the flesh," but He did give him grace and strength to "live with it" and be victorious in that struggle. He flooded his soul with the "peace of God which passes understanding."

       And God’s answer to Paul echoes down through the centuries to us to sustain us as well. "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  12 Cor. 12:8-10 ESV

       Our problem is not that we feel inadequate to face the problems of living in this fallen world, our problem is that we are inadequate and totally dependent upon God for our strength and abilities, but He is sufficient. His grace is sufficient for us. "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God." 2 Cor. 3:5 ESV "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." 2 Cor. 4:7 ESV

        So then we can say with the apostles, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." 2 Cor. 4:8-11 ESV

        Our lives should be a living demonstration that the risen Christ lives within us: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:19-20 ESV That’s grace. And it’s sufficient for us. Depend on Christ, not on yourself. Glorify Him, not yourself.



　
　

　
　

Suffering for Christ--2 Corinthians chapter 11

As we go into chapter 11, Paul "boasts" a lot, but he's "boasting" that Christ is working through Him.  So the glory is to God, not to Paul.  Paul disliked talking about himself; he wanted to talk about Jesus.  The Corinthians were in danger of making shipwreck of their lives.  And he must warn them.  You, too, occasionally face those dramatic moments in life when you must warn someone--and how to warn a not-receptive person takes wisdom from God and direction from Him as to the timing and the circumstances.  I could tell you some stories some time about how God used Minnie in that way.  Dramatic moments, directed and empowered by God, but eventually saving the person from a great mistake and bringing glory to God in the process.  She took the initiative and made the attempt to help the person only when she felt strong conviction to do so--and she did so gently and with great wisdom and insight that seems to me to have come from God.

        Paul told the Corinthians, "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."  2 Cor. 11:3 ESV  Notice the comparison to the Garden of Eden and the key words, "led astray."  Satan was cunning and so were the devil's representatives in Corinth in the 1st century and in America today.  Just as Satan appeared to Eve in a friendly, beautiful way, false teachers apprear friendly and attractive, but they contradict the Word of God and are distracted from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and commitment to Him.

        When Jesus confronted Paul on the Damascus Road and brought him to faith in Christ, the Lord said to His servant Ananias, "This man is my chosen vessel. . . .  I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:16
         And in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 Paul details some of that suffering for Christ.  The list is so amazing that we know the only way any human being could have endured all that Paul suffered was through the special sustaining strengthening from the Lord.  Listen to Paul:  2 Cor. "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?" 2 Cor. 11:24-29

        Paul was joyful in the Lord and content to accept whatever came to him from the good hand of our God.  He did not "lose heart" in the midst of his great sufferings.  But he was concerned that people who loved him might be dismayed and discouraged  by his troubles.  So he wrote to the Ephesians, "So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory." Eph. 3:13  As difficult as all those hardships were, God's grace was even greater for it was indeed the grace of God which carried him through those so-difficult experiences.  Christ showed Himself in all of Paul's sufferings and in the next chapter we'll see how they taught him to rely completely on Christ's strength.  "When I am weak, then

He is strong in my life."

        Paul had already written, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."  2 Cor. 4:7-9

        One of the ways that Paul authenticated his apostleship was to show the many ways and times that he had suffered for Christ.  And yet at the end of it all when he was ready for his "departure" to be with the Lord, he wrote, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 ESV

The cross comes first and then the glory of the resurrection.  First the crucifixion on Good Friday,  then Easter Sunday.  "Take up your cross and follow Me," Jesus told us.

                                                                                                                                                                      --Pastor Burnside

"Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15

Recently we studied 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 with its emphasis on giving and ministering, not out of compulsion or pressure, but with a willing heart and a kind, generous spirit.  And Jesus, as always is the example who, you remember, told us, "It is MORE blessed to give than to receive."  Acts 20:35  We were "ordained to walk in good works" Eph. 2:10 so we should live a life of good works with a willing heart, serving the Lord.

        The chapter ends with this marvelous verse of God's grace, "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15  How can it be that Christ not only saves us and takes us to glory, but actually comes to live within us:  "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col. 1:27

"Christ liveth in me." Gal. 2:20

        Listen to John Piper, writing in Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ:

1. "Christ does not exist in order to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him. . . . To know the glories of Christ is an end, not a means. Christ is not glorious so that we get wealthy or healthy. Christ is glorious so that rich or poor, sick or sound, we might be satisfied in Him.    "He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:9   He quenches the deepest soul thirst of all humans--that he is ultimately what all people long for."

2. The glory of who Christ IS in Himself–His excellencies, His attributes, His perfections and His beauty, e.g.  "The first particular glory that upholds all the rest is the . . . eternal existence of Christ. If we will simply ponder this as we ought, . . . Sheer existence is, perhaps, the greatest mystery of all. Ponder the absoluteness of reality. There had to be something that never came into being. Back, back, back we peer into endless ages, yet there never was nothing. Someone has the honor of being there first and always. He never became or developed. He simply was. To whom belongs this singular, absolute glory?  "The answer is Christ, the person whom the world knows as Jesus of Nazareth. . . . ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almghty" Rev. 1:8  ". . . There is no ‘before’ God and no ‘after’ God. He is absolutely there, no matter how far back or how far forward you go. He is the absolute, ultimate Reality. He has the honor of being there first and always. To Him alone belongs this unique glory. He is the Great IAM. The very name for God Yaweh is built on the verb "to be."

3. . . . Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Jesus Christ the Person, never had a beginning. He is absolute Reality. . . .He never came into being. He was eternally begotten. He is God, the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. Heb. 1:3

4. Seeing and enjoying Christ and His glory is the goal of our salvation. "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me" "which I had with you before the foundation of the world. John 17:24 To feast on this truth forever is the aim of our being created and our being redeemed."

5. Think of the works of Christeternal life. The life of joy (15:11; 16:24; 17:13) and peace (14:27; 16:33) and purposefulness (17:18; 20:21) which we have begun with him in this age will be perfected for ever and ever and ever.

6. He has given us eternal life. The life of joy (15:11; 16:24; 17:13) and peace (14:27; 16:33) and purposefulness (17:18; 20:21) which we have begun with him in this age will be perfected for ever and ever and ever.

7. Jesus removes our guilt and makes us a completely new creation.  He takes away the guilt of all who trust in him; he takes the sting out of death and offers eternal life and resurrection and everlasting glory and joy to all who believe.  He transforms fearful, greedy hearts into peaceful, loving hearts and gives us a deep-seated sincerity that we didn’t have before. He puts all relationships, especially husband-wife and parent-child relations, on a new, solid footing; and  He satisfies our deepest longing for beauty and wonder."

 

         "I appeal to your own self-knowledge. Does not your heart instruct you that if your inner self is the end point and measuring rod for all authenticity and purpose, apart from anything ultimate, life is meaningless? If there is no ultimate reference point by which you can gain your bearings in the world, then your inner life is a pointless bubble on the ocean no matter how much harmony there is with your outer life. Is it not true that the authenticity you desire is to fit perfectly with some ultimate reality? Isn't what we long for that our inner life not drift and float and be tossed and blown, but that it have a genuine, permanent identity, by virtue of being rooted in and formed by some ultimate reality. The great irony of secular humanism is that it can never satisfy the human heart. For it is written on our hearts that we are inauthentic until what we are within corresponds to the eternal reality that gives meaning to all things."  And that eternal reality is Jesus Christ.

–in Creation, in human history, in His providence in your life.

“Losing a Tent and Gaining a Mansion”

“Losing a Tent and Gaining a Mansion”
Not to worry. When it comes time for the Lord to take you home, that’s where He will take you. Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many mansions. . . . I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and [take] you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Spurgeon put it this way: “The best help to live for the present is to live in prospect of the eternal future. . . . All we can lose is the frail tent of this poor body. We are losing a tent and gaining a mansion.” “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Cor. 5:1 NKJ

“The prospect of his heavenly home made his present trials seem very light; for he felt like a man who sojourns for a night at a poor inn, but puts up with it gladly because he hopes to be home on the morrow.”

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor.4:18 Death is but “the removal of a tottering tent that we might enter into a permanent palace.”

John Quincy Adams also thought of death as leaving a temporary dwelling. When asked as an old man how he was doing, he replied, “John Quincy Adams is well, sir, very well. The house in which he has been living is dilapidated and old, and he has received word from its maker that he must vacate soon. But John Quincy Adams is well, sir, very well.”

The Apostle Peter used the same metaphor or picture of death when he wrote, “Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me.” 2 Peter 1:14

What a glorious gain it is to trade in this old dilapidated body of this flesh so that it will be “fashioned like unto his glorious body” Phil. 3:21 and to live in a more glorious place than you can imagine where “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Rev. 21:4

And we will see “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Rev. 22:1-5 ESV

And what a dwelling place for each child of God because “in my Father's house are many mansions.” John 14:2 And Jesus has gone to prepare a specific place just for you. “The Lord knows them that are His” and He knows everything about you so His choice for your dwelling place will be perfect. 2 Tim. 2:19 & Psalm 139

9. 2nd Corinthians Bible Study chapter 7–“God comforts the downcast”

9. 2nd Corinthians Bible Study chapter 7–“God comforts the downcast”
Spiritual struggles accompanied the establishment and growth of the church at Corinth. There were issues of doctrine and issues of truth and personal issues with some of the false teachers who wanted to get rid of the Apostle Paul. “When we came into Macedonia,” Paul wrote, “our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn–fighting without and fear within.” 7:5 We’ve all been faced with that kind of situation sometime in our lives. So it’s a welcome sight to see the next verse: “But God, who comforts the downcast. . . .” What great reassurance for those who are “downcast” to know they will be comforted by God.

He had already told us so in 2 Cor. 1:4 “who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” So who then are the “downcast” who receive this comfort from God?
The word in Greek that is translated “downcast” is tapeinos “depressed, i.e. (figuratively) humiliated (in circumstances or disposition).” Literally it means "that which is low, and does not rise far from the ground." It is “to be brought low in the sense of being humbled, to have one’s arrogance knocked out of him.” To “depedestalise”
An extended meaning is to bow in the sense of walking in a dejected manner as in a period of mourning.

In many different ways we are humbled by our struggles with affliction and often discouraged by them. And it is for us who experience those problems to know that God Himself personally and individually “comforts the downcast.” That is a promise to remember and hold in your mind. The very fact that it is in the Bible should comfort and encourage you. Of course that reminds you of Psalm 42 “why are you cast down, O my soul, and why disquieted within me? Hope in God [look to God and expect Him to help] for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God.”

The verse continues: “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus. . . .” So God used other people to bring comfort and encouragement to them. That happens very often. “And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.” 7:13 God has enabled us to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and bring refreshment of spirit to them. “He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:3 And God does that for us daily: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” 4:16 Encouraging others should be a major part of our ministry as Hebrews 3:14 NIV explicitly tells us: “Encourage one another daily. . . .”

And when we do, it brings joy to us as well as to those we encourage. Jesus’ desire is “that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11 We are now in the Christmas season. How joyful we should be in the Lord. We joy in the Incarnation, in the Cross and Resurrection and that means we share His joy on His terms, meaning we share in His sufferings as He calls us to. Jesus was a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” and He experienced pain and suffering. But He endured the cross “for the joy set before Him.” Lift your eyes up beyond your immediate problems to the joy that God has in store for you in the glory that is yet to come.

We have “the sentence of death in ourselves” so that we might learn to “rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” 1:9 “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help” and He heard me and “brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” Psalm 18:6,19 So much depends on your attitude towards God when you acknowledge what He is accomplishing in your life, making you more like Christ and preparing you for the future and enabling you to help and encourage one another. Take your eyes off your suffering and direct them to the Lord and what He is doing and what He wants you to do. “Rejoice in our sufferings because suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope (or anticipation) and hope does not disappoint us Romans 5:1-5 because God is really there and His grace is really here with us–“He strengthens us, holds us, and causes us to stand upheld by His gracious omnipotent hand.”

He doesn’t remove the problems or the sorrow or the suffering, but it’s OK. It’s OK, Lord–because you are Lord and we are not. His grace really is sufficient for us. Believe it because it’s true!
–Pastor Burnside

8.2 2nd Corinthians Bible Study Chapter 6–cont.

8.2 2nd Corinthians Bible Study Chapter 6–cont.
We are “workers together with God”–God Himself works through us–and
if we ever get the idea that “we” are doing something in our own strength and then hand our “good deeds” to God as a gift–our efforts will be fruitless. We must NEVER forget where the power comes from. “Without Me ye can do nothing,” Jesus told His disciples.
We are dependent on God as we minister “life-to-life”–from my to yours and from your lives to ours. We are “servants of God”–doulos = “voluntary bond-slaves of Jesus Christ. Aye, and we have a most gracious and generous master! But we do not seek greater comfort and prosperity, but greater endurance.

Paul now gives us nine trials and nine qualities that God produces in His servants, followed by a group of paradoxes for us as Christ’s servants.
Nine trials (in 3 groups of 3) 6:4-5
1. Afflictions, hardships, and distresses–trials and difficulties from which there is no escape.
2. External persecution: beatings, imprisonments, riots
3. Demands of our ministry: labors, sleeplessness, fastings or hunger

Nine qualities God produces in His servants 6:6
. 1. by purity, –righteousness of life & purity of thought
2. by knowledge of God’s Word–control of your mind & spirit in adversity
3. by longsuffering–patient and tolerant with people
4. by kindness = goodness in action; helpful, useful even to those who mistreated him “Let us do good to all”
5. by the Holy Spirit–empowers endurance; filled with the Spirit; had access to the Father through the Holy Spirit; taught by Him; prayed in the Spirit; did not grieve the Spirit or quench Him.
And the Holy Spirit produced in Him
6. Genuine love or sincere love –agape love Romans 5:5 God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
7. by the word of truth–obviously the Scriptures–in this context esp. the truth of the Gospel itself.
8. by the power of God–not with human resources or his own cleverness –only the wisdom and power of God “that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God”
9. by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
Used the armor of God FOR the right hand and the left–fully armed with the whole armor of God Eph. 6

Paradoxes 6:8-10
1. “By glory and dishonor” = praised and despised; exalted & maligned; flattered and criticized; cherished and vilified. Consequently, some will give “an evil report” about you and others will give “a good report.” Those who are faithful to the truth cannot expect all people to speak well of them. Luke 6:26 “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”–slander
2. “Regarded as deceivers and yet true”–as was the Lord Jesus, e.g., John 7:12
“And there was much grumbling among the crowds concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.” Satan is the father of lies and seeks to destroy your reputation.
3. “As dying yet behold we live”: seemingly always on the brink of death
2 Cor. 1:8-10 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: [9] But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: [10] Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
4. “As sorrowful yet always rejoicing”–deep unfailing joy from the Lord “always rejoicing” Sometimes people say, “But I don’t feel like rejoicing!” Well, do it anyway! “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, Rejoice!” That doesn’t mean you “feel happy”! Joy is much deeper than that. Jesus is our example here, too. “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” but for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame.
5. “As poor yet making many rich”–poor in terms of this world’s possessions; but incredibly rich spiritually. Eternally rich with an eternal inheritance.
2 Cor. 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Eph. 3:8 the unsearchable riches of Christ,
1 Peter 1:4. 4. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
6. “As having nothing and yet possessing all things.” We’re poor, appearing to have nothing, but in reality we possess all the eternal things that really matter. –Don’t feel sorry for us!!
1 Cor. 3:21-23 For all things are yours; [22] Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
–Pastor Burnside

8.1 2nd Corinthians Bible Study Chapter 6

2nd Corinthians Bible Study Chapter 6
“We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain.” 6:1
We are “workers together with God”–God Himself works through us–and of course even more He works completely independent of us–as the day He spoke the universe into existence by the Word of His power. He certainly does not “need” us! He got along quite well before He created us. And in His providence, He still controls events.

But the remarkable truth is that with all His great power and wisdom and omniscience, He has chosen to use us as His ambassadors, as His servants, in the work of the ministry–in which we are ALL engaged.
This is a MAJOR emphasis in scripture–because if we ever get the idea that “we” are doing something and then hand our “good deeds” to God as a gift–our efforts will be fruitless. We must NEVER forget where the power comes from. “Without Me ye can do nothing,” Jesus told His disciples, but “I can do all things (that He calls me to do) through Christ who strengthens me” Indeed, through Christ who lives within me. “I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
“For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” 1 Cor. 3:9 “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:13 ESV
Returning to Antioch after their 1st missionary journey, Paul & Barnabas, “when they had come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.” Acts 14:27 It was God who directed the work, led the missionaries, and brought conviction to the hearts of their hearers.
The same thing when they went to Jerusalem, “they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.” Acts 15:4 Paul wrote, “1 Cor. 3:6-7 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. “ i.e., causes the growth 1 Cor. 3:6-7

It is the greatest of honors to be the servant of the Lord, but it causes no pride because we realize that it is God Himself working through us–and apart from us–but He Himself is producing the fruit, bringing about the results. John 15:4 NIV: “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” So He commands us, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” or “abide in Me and I will abide in you” KJV–realize your dependence on Him and He will work through you. Depend on the Vine for nourishment, support, strength, and vitality.
Some are self-confident. They depend on their God-given gifts or possessions or position or relationships or their own desires. Some act like it is the earthly church or denomination that is the vine–but it is not. Only Christ Himself is the Vine. So the first point is that God is at work in us and we are privileged to be called “God’s fellow-workers”–He’s doing His part and enabling us to do what we call “our part.”

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 6:1. He urged them “not to receive the grace of God in vain”= not to turn away from the gracious opportunity to hear the gospel of forgiveness. He’s also talking to new believers to grow in grace. :Don’t waste your life–but invest it in things eternal: the Word of God, the Gospel, the lives of people, the values that will continue into eternity–and not end up on the ash heap
You CAN “take it with you” for your works shall follow you–and the spiritual fruit that God has worked through you will be there. “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Rev. 14:13

So Paul continues in 2 Cor. 6:2 For he says, "At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is “the acceptable time”; behold, now is “the day of salvation.” He’s pleading for them to listen to the Gospel and the Word of God instead of being lured away by the pleasures of sin or the glitter of the world or by false teaching. he tells us how we are to minister:
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. “Offense” means “cause of stumbling”. There is no substitute for integrity and purity of life. “Stumbling block” =occasion of sin; lit. strike at–as flood waters surging–to trip, don’t make it more difficult for others to live an upright life–don’t try to get them to do something against their conscience–even if it’s permissible within the limitations of Christian liberty. Rom. 14 & 1 Cor. 8

But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: (or servants of God) (bondservant of Jesus Christ, a voluntary slave). Remember he’s not just talking about what is often called “the minister of the church” or the pastor or the preacher because we are ALL ministers of the Gospel. You do serve the Lord, don’t you? You are the servant of Jesus Christ, are you not? Then you are a “minister of God” and he’s talking to you.

What is this whole list that follows about?? Is it not his life that he’s calling attention to? The way he lives. That’s because all of us really minister life-to-life–from my life to yours and from your lives to ours. He is “commending” himself as a servant of God. These come right out of Paul’s life. Servants of Jesus do not seek greater comfort and prosperity, but greater endurance. (to be continued. . . .)
–Pastor Burnside

7.1 "A house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens"

“A house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”
We have many great and wonderful possessions right now in Jesus. But some yet await us when “our hour is come” and it’s time for us to depart and be with Christ which is far better. Then we will pass from life through death into eternal life. “We have” [there’s a present possession] “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” It’s ours. It belongs to us–given to us by God Himself. But we have not yet entered into that inheritance because we are still in the tent of this body and await our actual entrance into heaven.

But this wonderful passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 that we are studying on Wednesday nights tells us when we will enter that inheritance and what we will “have” as soon as we do. It happens when “the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed,” i.e., we die and go to be with Christ! Keep reading: “For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have [now, present possession at that moment] a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 5:1 ESV While we are still in “the tent” of our body, “we long to put on our heavenly dwelling.” We want to be “further clothed so that what is mortal [i.e.,subject to death] may be swallowed up by life.” –real life–“life more abundantly,” as Jesus put it, eternal life which is perfect and complete. And God made us for that very purpose, He tells us in verse 5–and gave us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that this was going to happen, as “a foretaste of glory divine.”

Then he said, “We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.” But when we are “away from the body,” then we are “at home with the Lord.” So when we die we immediately go into the Presence of the Lord. “Away from the body” and “present with the Lord.” Indeed it is the Lord Himself who comes to get us! That’s what Jesus said to the disciples the day before He died. He told them He was going to “the Father’s house” to prepare a place for them “and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

And when He takes you to heaven, it is so that you will be with Him in the place He has prepared for you. And where will you be? With the Lord. You will have “a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Will it be a physical body or a spiritual place or what? We know that after the resurrection we will indeed have a glorified body, a “spiritual body” as it is called in 1 Cor. 15:44 “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”

When the Lord takes you home to be with Him will you simply be a “spirit” or will you have some sort of physical or visible form? Well, what do you mean by “visible”? Visible to physical eyes or visible to other spirits, like angels? God is Spirit, angels are spirit (except when God gives them a physical form which He frequently does). God sees. Angels see, but they don’t have eyes. So “not to worry”! We’ll get along just fine in heaven–much better than here. Just leave it with the Lord. Heaven is so glorious that when God took the Apostle Paul to heaven, he wasn’t sure whether he was still “in the body” or whether he was there in spirit: “And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.”
2 Cor. 12:3 ESV

But there are some things we do know for sure: When the time comes for the Lord to take us home it is Jesus Himself (omnipresent as God) who will take us home, just as He told the thief on the cross who believed in Him, “this day thou shalt be with Me in paradise.” And when the Lord does take us home to be with Him, we will really be “at home” forever, always with the Lord. We will be in the “place prepared” for each one of us. We will be “gathered to our people,” Gen. 25:8, our brethren who know the Lord. And we will have “a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Praise ye the Lord! “Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words.” We will be with the Lord forever, and forever with all of our loved ones who know the Lord as Savior. They may have gone ahead of you, but you will catch up with them in the journey that God has for you.
–Pastor Burnside

7. 2 Corinthians ch.5 Living in a Tent

7. 2 Corinthians ch. 5 Living in a tent
2 Cor. 5:1-8 ESV “For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

We live in a tent! Wouldn’t you rather live in “a building from God . . . eternal in the heavens”? You’re on a journey, but when it’s time to “break camp,” you want to go home, don’t you? “At home in the body” or “at home with the Lord”–which is better? Are you ready for “a building from God . . . eternal in the heavens”? Sounds permanent, doesn’t it? Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” Wow! I wonder what kind of place He has prepared for each one of us? Think of what a marvelous job He did in creating the world! Whatever He has “prepared” for us is going to be awfully nice and “just right” for each of us.

“A place for you”–that has a nice sound to it, doesn’t it? We all need “our place” and there’s none like the one Jesus is specifically making for you. You’ll really be “at home” then for the first time in your life! I hope you’ve had a wonderful home here on earth as I have had for 54 years so that you will have just “a little taste of heaven” while you sojourn here on the earth. At home you are loved and you are with your own people and that’s the most wonderful part of it. Minnie and I traveled together so often and when we were away from home, I often told her, “Honey, home is where you are!” And with her there with me I was content. That’s the way it will be in heaven. We will be with the Lord and with the people we love–and what more could you ask? But He does give us more because it’s such a glorious place. We will be “swallowed up by life”–real life. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

“He has prepared us for this very thing,”[NIV: He has “made us for this very purpose”] that we might spend eternity in fellowship with Him “that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:7

What effect does all this have on our attitude, our strength, and our courage? “ So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” 5:6-9
–Pastor Burnside

6. 2 Corinthians ch. 4 Affliction, discouragement, and eternal weight of glory

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:16-18 ESV
I forgot to send a summary of the 2nd Corinthians home Bible study last week so let this serve for both. These verses are some of the most wonderful and important for us as Christians in the whole Bible. Among other things they tell us that God is using affliction and suffering in our lives to accomplish His important purposes. "They are working for us," producing something wonderful. And what are they producing? I've listed in the .pdf attachment 10 categories of things God is producing in our lives through human suffering, one of the most important of which is to make us more like Christ and to produce endurance and to burn out the dross that keeps us from being the kind of person that God wants us to be. God accomplished so much through the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross (and His subsequent resurrection from the dead). In a much lesser way He is also accomplishing important things through your suffering and affliction. I'll also post these on my new blog and you can find them there http://billandminnieburnside.blogspot.com/2010/10/traveling-together.html
Another of the wonderful verses in chapter 4 is verse 7: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." The "treasure" comes from the Gospel and is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives making us more like Christ and using us as His ambassadors in this world "as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5:20 The most important part is for us to recognize our own weakness and inadequacy and "that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."
Twice in chapter 4 we read these words: "So we do not lose heart." (1,16) KJV says "we faint not." We could say, "We do not get discouraged" (or, more accurately, "we are not discouraged, we do not stay discouraged"--though tempted to do so when the pressures build.) "We are not ignorant of Satan's devices" 2 Cor. 2:11--and one of his most potent, pervasive, and deadly weapons is to get us discouraged and take us out of the struggle or endurance race we are in (or you could say, "the battle" because we "wrestle" with "this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Eph. 6:12 ESV "The Old Lion’s on the prowl again. . . ." And the same scripture tells us what to do about it: I Peter 5:8-9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brethren in the world." "Resist the devil and he will flee from you"--and that's a promise. James 4:7
The reason we should NOT be discouraged is quite simple: there is no reason to be discouraged! God is still on His throne and He is still the sovereign Lord and He is still working "all things after the counsel of his own will" Eph. 1:11 so that in the end "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28 God is still our immutable, unchangeable, faithful God. You could preach many sermons to yourself on this one subject, as King David did when he asked himself, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Psalm 42:11
Another reason for not being discouraged is because Jesus wasn't! And if anyone had "reason" for discouragement, surely it was He! He came into the world to save sinners and they turned against Him, the only perfectly righteous Man who ever lived. And his followers left him. In the Garden of Gethsemane "they all forsook him, and fled." Mark 14:50 And the brutality and suffering and agony of the cross?! And yet Jesus did not get discouraged. Isaiah 42:4 "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law."
Jesus is not failing nor being discouraged today either–so neither should we be! "We are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37 Not even when, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." (That’s the preceding verse 8:36.) Brethren, "you have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, you might receive the promise." Hebrews 10:36
But a person may be discouraged for what is really a very good reason: he has unconfessed sin in his life, sin that he will not let go of. That leads to the 2nd point: Satan has another common device, the one he’s best known for: he tempts you to evil. And sadly enough there are Christians who fall into his trap. "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desires, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15 NIV
If you have fallen into sin, of whatever description, one way that you can tell whether you really know Jesus as Savior and have "passed from death unto life" is your attitude towards sin. If you don’t really care or if it doesn’t bother you and you continue in sin, then it might mean that you don't really know the Lord "because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16 Holiness of life is a vital mark of a Christian. And when you do sin–and we all do–then there is genuine repentance and remorse. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 Not a casual attitude towards it. But genuine sorrow and repentance and the sincere intention never to be guilty again of that sin. "Create in me a pure heart, O God. . . . Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51
We can’t expect "sinless perfection" in this life but we can "walk in the light as He is in the Light." "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7
There’s another "Lion" that is much more important and surely He’s "on the move," too! He’s the "Lion of the tribe of Judah." We bow to Him and honor and serve Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. And our powerful, glorified Lord told us during the days of His flesh here on earth, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35 We need a visible love, one that can be seen in the way we treat each other and think about each other. And that love is God’s love "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. . . ." 2 Tim. 2:24 "Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." Heb. 3:13 NIV