Galatians (Program #21) – Baptized into Christ and Putting on Christ

The thought in this chapter (Galatians 3) is quite deep and the thought is also divine. And, it’s one thing to be in the first couple of chapters with more objective matters, precious but yet rather basic concerning the fundamental truth of the Gospel and being justified by faith through grace and not out of the works of the law. But in chapter 3 and also chapter 4, which is not that much easier than chapter 3, we’re at the heart of this book. And, we’re deep into the experiential aspect of this book.

Let me try to summarize. We have received the Spirit, not by works of law, but by the hearing of faith. By receiving the Spirit, we receive the reality of the blessing God promised to Abraham. Having received the Spirit and having been brought to Christ through the law as a child-conductor, we are now sons of God and true sons of Abraham. We have believed into Christ. We have been baptized into Christ. We have put on Christ. And, by so doing, we have put off all natural distinctions. And, this is all for the carrying out of God’s economy for us to be in Christ and for Christ to be in us, that we may be the corporate expression of Christ.

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2 Corinthians (Program #40) – The Minister’s of the New Covenant (13)

2 Corinthians chapter seven is very unique in the New Testament. It’s hard to find even a thread of teaching or doctrine in this chapter. But rather we are allowed into Paul’s heart to touch the deep and intimate feelings that he has regarding the believers in Corinth.

7: 3…”you are in our hearts...”
7:4… “I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.”

This is the apostle, fully restoring and fully reconciling those whom he had previously rebuke for their many failures and sins in his first epistle to the Corinthian church.

Although we may only see his tender emotional feelings been expressed here. Under all is his strong desire for the church in Corinth even all the believers and the entire body of Christ to be brought up to the standard that he revealed in another of his epistle, Ephesians. Ephesians 4:16

16 “..all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.”

To see this link between 2 Corinthians 7 and God’s eternal purpose in Ephesians is rare glimpse into the depth of the riches in God’s word.

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Luke (Program #51) – The Incarnation of the Man-Savior Fulfilling the Purpose of God’s Creation of Man (1 & 2)

The Gospel of Luke unveils that Jesus Christ was not just the Savior, but was the Man-Savior, that means He was both God and Man, a mingling of divine life and perfect humanity. As God we see many miracles and for these most people remember Him. However what touches us, as we read the accounts in the Gospel is not so much of the miracles but the humanity that He conveyed and how He loved and cared for so many poor and sinful ones. But here is the key, as we consider this perfect humanity we must also see that the divine life been expressed through His humanity, because this mingling of the divine life and humanity points us to the very purpose of God that He intended in His original creation. Sound like a deep and profound message, we hope the Lord would be merciful and shine His light and make it all clear to us.

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Ezekiel (Program #8) – A Sky as Clear as the Terrible Crystal

The final few verses of Ezekiel chapter 1 are very deep and very profound. They speak of the sky or the expanse above the heads of the four living creatures being so clear and limitless that the Bible itself uses the term “awesome crystal” to describe it. Now the Biblical usage of the term or word “awesome” is nothing like today’s common vernacular especially among the young people. The spiritual application of this clear crystalline expanse above us truly is awesome. And it portrays a spiritual condition that God would have us all experience day by day.

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Isaiah (Program #37) – Jehovah the Savior

The word “gospel” means glad tidings or good news.  Isaiah chapter 40 declares “Go up to a high mountain, O Zion, who brings glad tidings; Lift up your voice with power, say to the cities of Judah here is your God.”  As if to serve God on a fine platter to mankind, Isaiah 40 is truly a deep and profound presentation of the glad tidings.  Stay with us today as we examine one of the most magnificent chapters in Scripture on life study of the Bible.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #9) -The Care of a Nursing Mother and an Exhorting Father

In the tender and intimate letters of the apostle Paul to the young church in Thessalonica, is very interesting to consider what he stresses. In one way these are not high words or deep or even seemingly profound and there is no mention of miraculous things or of works of great power.  Rather the apostle reminds the believers of the normal and upright manner of life in which he and his co-worker were manifested for them when they were together just one short year prior.

Listen to his word again in Chapter 1:5 of 1 Thessalonians,  “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, even as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.“

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