Month: January 2023

The Benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14) (Part 2)

1.3 The Grace of Christ

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the demonstration of God’s Love for our Salvation. The word “Grace” and “Graciousness” have the same root in the Greek. “Grace” is God’s free and unmerited favour towards the undeserving and ill-deserving. The word “Grace” is frequently used in the Bible. It is mentioned more than 50 times in Paul’s letters to the Romans, Corinthians, and Ephesians. Three important facts about “Christ’s Grace:”

Christ’s Grace is intimately related to God the Father’s Love. The Law is derived from God’s Holiness, Righteousness and Goodness:

  • Christ’s Grace is from God’s Love, a manifestation of His Love, God’s Love is prepared for our hearts, but Christ’s Grace is for our Need.
  • The Purpose of Christ’s Grace is to show God’s Love. Because God Loves us, He works for us and sends His Son {Jesus} to us to accomplish the Work of Redemption so that we may receive Christ’s Grace for the Forgiveness of Sin – Ephesians 1:7 “In Him (Christ) we have Redemption through His (Christ’s) Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins, according to the riches of His (Christ’s) Grace.”
  • Everything that God does is Christ’s Grace. It is His Expression of His (Father’s) Love for us (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:5, 2:4-5, Titus 3:4).

Christ Grace is manifested in Faith. Since it is Grace, it need not be worked for; no self-work is required of us except to have Faith; in fact this Faith is also God’s impartation – Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a Gift of God – not of works, lest any man should boast.” This is the basis and manifestation of Christ’s Grace (Romans 4:4-5; 11:6).

How is Christ’s Grace obtained? The Law was given through Moses, but Grace and Truth come through the Lord Jesus Christ – John 1:17 “For the Law was given through Moses, but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ.”

  • The Law came to us through Angels and Moses, but Grace came through God Himself via Jesus (2Timothy 1:9-10; Ephesians 1:6; Titus 3:4; John 1:17).
  • The Law is an addendum (addition) outside Christ, but Grace is the Design in Christ.
  • Whether Christ’s Grace has been given to us in Time or Eternity, God’s Grace is received in Christ.
  • Christ’s Grace comes with Joy. The root word in Greek for Grace (Charis) and Joy (Chairo) is the same showing a close connection between Christ’s Grace and Joy; not “happiness,” as “happiness,” comes from “circumstance, situation, happenstance.”  

Believers in Christ do not only receive God’s Forgiveness of our Sin, but also other Blessings like being set free from Sin, being Protected, being Healed, and being lifted in Hope – this is “the joy of the LORD is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b).

1.4 The Love of God

In English, one word is used to express “love.” But in Greek, there are different words:

  • Erhós, refers to sexual, base, and immoral love. This word is never used in the Bible though commonly found in classical Greek.
  • Phileó, refers to human and emotional love like the love of friends, sibling, and parents – the reply of Peter to Jesus question (John 21:15-17).
  • Agapaó, refers to the noble and pure of God’s Love. The greatest expression of Love is to “give.” John 3:16 says “For God so loved (agapaó) the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” God expresses His Love for humanity by “giving” His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God the Father’s Love (Agapaó) is describes in 1Corinthians chapter 13:4-8a “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” God’s Love “cast out fear” (1John 4:18); and nothing can separate us from the Father’s Love (Romans 8:35, 37-39). God’s Love is immeasurable (Ephesians 3:18-19). God’s Love acts as “His Shield” upon us (Psalm 5:11-12). His Love cannot fail (Psalm 36:5-7). The Fruit (single) of the Spirit: “Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” – Foundational is LOVE.  

1.5 The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

The word in the Benediction “Fellowship” means “having Communion.” It signifies the kind of relationship like that of the Partnership in business, with the single purpose, to achieve the common aim. Thus “Fellowship” (koinonia) means:

  • Having Communication: The Holy Spirit by His Presence gathers all Christians together to Fellowship. He offers Spiritual Gifts to each Believer so that we might share and minister to each other, and to the World (1Peter 4:10,11; 1Corinthians 12; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-16).
  • Taking Part: The Holy Spirit enables us, in 2Corinthians 8:1-5, Paul mentions that the Church of Macedonia was willingly taking part in the Work of the Saints by contributing their giving. “Taking part” is translated from the same word as “Fellowship” and “Communion.”
  • Being in Partnership: The Holy Spirit enables us, having the same aim and determination. Philippians 1:5 puts it as “Partnership in the Gospel.” This is the encouragement that all Churches should take.

1.6 Amen

“Amen” is used at the end of a Prayer. It means “let it be so” is incomplete. The term “Amen” essentially means “it is faithful” or “that is true” – Revelation 3:14b (KJV) “These things saith the Amen (Jesus), the Faithful and true Witness.” The word “Amen” appears 175 times in the Bible, 25 times in the Old Testament and 150 times in the New Testament. The word “Amen (Verily, Verily)” is used 25 times in the Gospel of John and Jesus used the word “Amen (Verily, Verily)” 101 times. The word “Amen” was used by the Children of Israel in the time of Moses. It does not only signify the end of Prayer, but also the urgent wish of the Person who Prays. A few clarifications from the Bible help us to understand the usage of the term “Amen:”

Faithful – “Amen” means “Faithful” or “Truthful” as in one of the many Sacred Names of God and our Lord Jesus Christ – Revelation 3:14 “And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans writes: These things saith the Amen, the Faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the Creation of God.” It shows that God is Faithful and Trustworthy. Deuteronomy 7:9 and Isaiah 65:16 tell us that God is the Faithful and Truthful God.

Steadfast – Since God is Faithful, His Covenant is also Steadfast. “Steadfast” in the Old Testament is one of the meanings of “Amen”

  • Isaiah 55:3 “I will make you an Everlasting Covenant, my Steadfast (Amen) sure love of David.”
  • 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the Promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the Glory of God by us.”

Obedient – Obedience signifies a vow, willingness. In the Old Testament, it indicates that “Amen” is also used during vow-taking. For example, in the latter part of chapter 27 of Deuteronomy, several times the word “Amen” is used as a response to indicate the willingness of the People to accept blessing/punishment. The same use of “Amen” is found in the responses by the woman and the people in Numbers chapters 5 and Nehemiah 5:12-13

Unity – The Church is the Body of Christ. Believers can express their Unity through the declaration of “Amen.” During the Service a brother/sister may lead in Prayer, but the Prayer represents the Prayer of all Members of the Body and we express our Unity by saying “Amen.”

Deep Expression – In the four Gospels, our Lord Jesus often uses “verily, verily” as an adverb to emphasize what He says. In the original “Amen” is used (Matthew 5:18, 26; Mark 3:28; 8:12; Luke 4:24; 12:37, etc)

Strong Confident – Revelation 22:20 “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.” The “Amen” is like the Signatory on the Document – Unalterable and Unchangeable. In the same way, the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is sure, reliable, and unalterable.

1.7 Exhortation

In conclusion, the Benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14) is given at the end of each Worship Service by the Senior Pastor/Pastor to bless the Congregation, trusting that they would depart to share this blessing with their families and others. Therefore, it is beneficial for the Congregation to stay behind to receive this “Benediction-Blessing.”

The Benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14) (Part 1)

1.0 The Statement

The New Testament’s Benediction is found in 2Corinthians 13:14 – “The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God (the Father), and the Communion (Fellowship) of the Holy Spirit be with you All. Amen.”  The Greek word for “benediction” is “eulogia,” and is formed by “eu” which means “good” and “logia” which means “word.” Therefore “eulogia” means “to express good words.” The common translations of eulogia is: “Eulogy, Praise, Greetings and Benediction.” The Benediction in the Old Testament is recorded in Numbers 6:24-26. This Benediction is given when the Priest leave the Temple after Prayer. He (Priest) would stand outside, raise his hands, and blesses the People who had gathered there. His Blessing would be:

  • “The LORD blesses thee and keeps thee.” (Number 6:24).
  • “The LORD makes His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee.” (Number 6:25).
  • “The LORD lifts up His countenance upon thee and gives thee peace.” (Number 6:26).

1.1 The Old Testament

The Priestly Benediction as recorded in Numbers 6:24-26, is important to Israel and the Church:  

  • “The LORD blesses thee and keeps thee,” is the declaration of the blessing of God the Father. – The First “LORD” (Numbers 6:24) who “blesses and keeps us” corresponds with God the Father. Ephesians 1:3 says, “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.”
  • “The LORD makes His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee” is the declaration of the blessing of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. – The Second “LORD” (Numbers 6:25) who “makes His face to shine upon us and is gracious to us” corresponds with Christ, who is “the Image of God” (2Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15). No human has looked into God the Father’s Face, but our Lord Jesus Christ, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). No one was ever so gracious as Jesus, for “Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). 
  • “The LORD lifts up His Countenance upon thee, and “gives thee Peace” is the declaration of the blessing God the Holy Spirit. – The Third “LORD” (Numbers 6:26) who “lifts up His Countenance upon us and gives us Peace” corresponds with the Holy Spirit. He is sent to lift up Jesus. Speaking of the Holy Spirit’s Ministry, Jesus teaches “He (Spirit) will glorify Me (Jesus), for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14). The “Fruit” of the Holy Spirit is “Love, Joy Peace….(Galatians 5:22-23). The Kingdom of God is “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:7). The Holy Spirit lives in us and keeps us in perfect peace!

The use of “The LORD,” 3 times in Numbers 6:24-26, corresponds with God the Father, God the Son {Jesus}, and God the Holy Spirit. Thus, in the Old Testament, the three Persons in the Godhead (Father, Son {Jesus} and the Holy Spirit) is revealed in the Benediction in Numbers 6:24-26. The Benediction is asking God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to bless, to be gracious and to give peace to His People. The Benediction in the Old Testament lets the People know that the God who is blessing them is the Highest and all Transcending God.

1.2 New Testament

2 Corinthians 13:14 (KJV) “The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you All. Amen.” The Benediction in the New Testament draws Believers closer to God and establishes a more intimate relationship by means of:

  1. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  2. The Love of God the Father.
  3. The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

There is no Reconciliation and Relationship without the Redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Why is “the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” put before “the Love of God” in 2Corinthians 13:14? From a theological view point the order should be reversed, but as Benediction, the order is correct:

  • It is through Jesus Christ that the Believers come into their Relationship with God the Father – John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
  • It is through Christ we receive God’s Love – Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountain shall depart and the hills be removed, but My Love shall not depart from you, nor My Covenant of Peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has Mercy on you.”
  • It is through Christ that a Believer enters a life of Fellowship (Communion) with the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 17, 26; John 15:26; John 16:13-15; 1John 2:20, 27).

Thus, Christ’s Grace than is the door through which we enter God the Father’s Love and the Fellowship (Communion) with the Holy Spirit. – Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by GRACE you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

To be continued….. Stay Tuned…..

Nine Transformation Principles (Leviticus 26:1-13)

1.0 The Statement

– 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) “If My people who are called by My Name and shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” God Promises, in His Word, that if the Nation of Israel walks in obedience to His (God’s) Word, with a worshipping attitude – Leviticus 26:3 (KJV) “If ye walk in My statutes and keep My Commandments, and do them,” the Nation of Israel will see the Manifestation of God’s transforming power and the healing of the land. There are nine pieces of evidence:

1.1 Ecological Health

“I will send you rain in its season in the season, and the ground will yield its crop and the trees of the field their fruit” (Leviticus 26:4, NIV).

1.2 Economic Health

“Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land” (Leviticus 26:5, NIV).

1.3 Personal Security

“I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid” (Leviticus 26:6a, NIV).

1.4 Civil Security

“I will remove the beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country” (Leviticus 26:6b, NIV).

1.5 Victory Over Enemies

“You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you” (Leviticus 26:7-8, NIV).

1.6 God’s Favour

“I will look on you with favour and make you fruitful and increase your members, and I will keep My covenant with you” (Leviticus 26:9, NIV).

1.7 Abundance of Provision

“You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new” (Leviticus 26:10, NIV).

1.8 God’s Provision

“I will put My dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people” (Leviticus 26:11-12, NIV).

1.9 Freedom and Respect

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt (spirit of the world – 1John 2:15-17) so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high” (Leviticus 26:13, NIV).

How to Handle an Offender (Proverbs 24:29)

1.0 The Statement

Everyone is plagued in some way by people who dislike or even hate us for one reason or another; sometimes we “make” Offenders; we alienate or offend people and they become our “Adversaries.” Their dislike may or may not be justified. Sometime people simply dislike us for no apparent reason. They may be threatened by us, differ with what we believe or have what it commonly referred to as a “personality clash.” Unwilling to live and let live, they are antagonistic toward us; they choose to live “at war” with us, sometimes overly attacking, other times waging cold war of criticism or manipulation.

There are different kinds of Offenders who assail us in various ways; but no matter how they come packaged, they are hard to cope with. And because we do not know how to handle them or our feelings about them (they make us angry, and we hit back). We let them inflict needless pain and stress on us. As they affect our live, we want to retaliate, thereby intensifying the problem.

The Book of Proverbs contains sound advise on how to handle “Offenders,” which indicates God knows we would have them. They are a part of life, an outgrowth of our basic sin nature. We cannot avoid them, but we can eliminate the influence they exert over us.

1.1 Never Seek Revenge

First, never seek revenge; we must be honest enough to admit we want to “get” at our Offenders; that we want revenge. We want to defend ourselves against further attack, hurt them back, get even and retaliate. God knows this will be our reaction:

1.1.1 God Warns

Proverbs 24:29 (KJV) “Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.” God warns us against seeking revenge because “vengeance belongs to the LORD, and He will repay it” (Romans 12:19b). If we take action into our own hands, we have step into the place of God and seek vengeance upon our Offender. What will become of us if God should render to us according to our evil works?

We need mercy at God’s hand, and shall we render nothing but rigid justice to our fellow men in direct opposition to God’s Royal Law of Love? When we revenge injuries at our own discretion, we may do hurt to our Offenders, but we do much greater hurt to ourselves; for the punishment of malice and revenge to which we expose ourselves is far worse than any vengeance which our feeble arm can inflict.

Let us therefore show ourselves to be the Disciples of Christ by loving our Offenders and recompensing evil with good. Thus, we shall “heap coals of fire upon the head of our enemies (Offenders)” (Romans 12:20-21) but following an opposite course, we heap them on our own to our destruction.

“Heap burning coals on the head” means to give a burning sense of shame. In Egyptian ritual a man purged his offence by carrying on his head a dish containing burning coal on a bed of ashes. The verse quoted is Proverbs 25:21 (LXX) but omitting the closing words and the LORD shall rewards thee. Treat our Offender kindly; this may soften his hard heart and take away his evil disposition. The best way to get rid of an Offender is to turn him into a friend (Bruce). Therefore, let good triumph over evil. 

1.1.2 God Commands

Proverbs 20:22a “Say not thou, I will recompense (repay) evil.” God commands that we must not pay evil for evil. If private revenge is allowed, it would soon fill the Land with confusion and blood. By indulging in revenge, we would be driven on to make very disproportionable returns for the wrongs done to us.

We might wreak our vengeance on the blameless as David would have done if Abigail had not disarmed his fury. We might bring upon ourselves the guilt that make ourselves miserable, in regret all the remainder of our days.

Most wisely, therefore, and graciously we are forbidden to avenge ourselves, or so much as to say that we will do it. It is a bad thing to have any thought of revenge, but if we say, or swear, that we will take satisfaction at our own hand from him who has offended us, we are entangled in a dangerous snare of the Devil who will endeavour to persuade us that our honour is doubly engaged by the provocation received, and by our word to take revenge. God, who is Perfect Justice, can handle the wrongs we suffer but we are not. Reprisal will only make things worse, so we are told not to wage any counterattacks against our Offenders.

1.1.3 Wait on the Lord

Proverbs 20:22b “But wait for the LORD.” If we suffer the wrongs done to our credit and estate to pass not taking revenge, says one person, I expose myself to every shaft of malice, and may expect still greater injuries than those I have already received. There is no fear for that because the LORD commanded us to wait for Him. We do not like to wait but demand immediate justice, instant vindication. But God commands us to wait on Him because:

  • God Promises Deliverance – Proverbs 20:22c “And He shall save (deliver) thee” – The LORD promises to deliver. We are not able deliver ourselves or save ourselves from those who have offended us.  However, if we wait on the LORD, He promises to deliver us from those who have offended us. We must forget about who have offended us and concentrate on our relationship with the LORD. When we obey, when we do what He asks us, we have victory, and the LORD is free to deal with those who have offended us without any interference from us. 
  • God Promises Peace – Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies (Offenders) to be at peace with him.” God promises “peace” from those who have offended us –We cannot make our Offenders to be at peace with us, but God can when we relinquish control of our Offenders to Him. 

1.1.4 Control Our Emotions

Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins.” Hatred does not harm our Offenders; it debilitates us. We must also control our emotions toward those who dislike us and whom we dislike. It is normal to hate someone who is making our life miserable; who does us an injustice, lies about us, hurts our feelings, or misjudged us; who undermines us to others or manipulates to put us in a bad light – Offenders do all those things and more. But no matter what our Offenders do to us we must not hate them. If we hate our Offenders, we are letting them make us to sin because Proverbs 14:21“He who despises his neighbour sins”

1.1.5 Control Our Actions

Proverbs 25:8 “Go not forth hastily to strive, lest that know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.” In dealing with our Offenders, we must squelch our inclination to overact; we need to control our actions as well as our feeling. If we wage a verbal battle against an Offender, when the time comes for us to present a legitimate argument, no one will listen, and we will be embarrassed.

1.1.6 Minister to Our Enemies

Proverbs 25:21,22 “If your enemy (Offender) is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” Instead of retaliating, hating, or railing against our Offenders, we are to minister to them; to do whatever we can to assist them because God will reward us: Difficult it may be to put into practice, we should serve our Offenders. We hurt ourselves if we fight with them; we will be blessed if we minister to them.  Our Lord Jesus Christ presented this same truth when He taught: Matthew 5:39, 44 “Do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also….Love your enemies (Offenders), and pray for those who persecute you.” The message is clear, we are never relieved of our moral responsibilities because of the way the Offender treats us. There are no limits on God’s Love and there must be no restrictions on ours. That is why God’s Word admonishes us to maintain a loving, compassionate attitude toward our Offenders, even when God deals with them on our behalf.

1.1.7 Do Not Rejoice

Proverbs 24:17-18 “Rejoice not when thine enemy (Offender) falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away his wrath from him (our Offender).” The LORD commanded us not to rejoice when our Offender Falls; and do not let our heart be glad when our Offender Stumbles. This is a hard instruction. It is difficult not to cheer and clap our hands and dance around the place when our Offender Falls. Hard not to laugh and be glad inside because he finally got what was coming to him.

  • Reason – Proverbs 24:18 “Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away his wrath from him (our Offender).” But gloating when an Offender Falls or Stumbles displeases the LORD, and He may back off when He is intervening for our behalf and benefits. If we rejoice not, the LORD will continue to deal our Offenders, otherwise He will spare them. Difficult as it may seem, all rules of Christian conduct apply in our dealings with our Offenders, and when we follow the LORD’s Word, we will have victory over our Offenders.
  • Warning – Proverbs 17:5b “He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.” If we rejoice over the sudden misfortune of our Offenders, we are mocking the God who has providentially visited upon them their affliction.