THE GREAT MYSTERY: God Was Believed On In The World.
Spiry Tee.
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory." I Timothy 3:16 NKJV.
One of the most heartbreaking things in life is to tell someone that you love them and they don't believe you. They look back at you with squinty eyes, doubt written all over their face. You can sense resentment oozing from their countenance because they perceive wrongly that your love is insincere or has strings attached. 'What's in it for you?" they wonder. It's emotionally unbearable but that's the story of God.
God had a covenant with Abraham and promised to bless, keep alive, and protect his descendants after him. True to His Word, God did exactly that. He delivered the children of Israel from Pharoah's reign of terror. He punished Egypt with ten plagues and literally divided the Red Sea for Abraham's seed to walk on dry ground. These unforgettable acts of might by Adonai soon became a distant memory when the children of Israel were faced with the imminent threat of thirst and hunger in the wilderness. They started to complain and murmur; they wanted to go back to Egypt. The newly freed slaves were now blaming Moses for leading them to their certain death by fiery desert snakes or extreme weather conditions, not to mention thirst and hunger.
They kept getting more bad news in the wilderness but one last report that dashed their hope was the news about the giant sons of Anak occupying the land they were promised was flowing with milk and honey. Everyone was weeping by their tent door after the spies had finished their report. The young nation's spirit was shattered and broken. There was no way they could enter the land and defeat these giant monsters, so they imagined. But God was displeased with most of them because they believed not. "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Hebrews 4:2).
There is a huge divide between the gospel in the wilderness and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus was believed all over the world in ways unprecedented. What might be the reason? Well, the gospel of Jesus Christ comes with the necessary faith. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17). The law of Moses was not of faith and had no capacity to impart faith to the hearers.
But there's another reason why the gospel is believed all over the globe. It is because of the Holy Spirit poured out from heaven. The Holy Spirit makes real the message of the gospel and convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement. The Old Testament gospel was weak through the flesh but the gospel of Jesus wields the power of God (through the Spirit) unto salvation to everyone who believes. And believing is the means to God's righteous end for us- eternal life. "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31). Now that you believe, you have life in His Name. Hallelujah!
SPEAK OUT.
I have life in the name of Jesus through faith.
#KeepLiving #DontDie #KnowJesusKnowLife #NoJesusNoLife #Breathe #lifeeternal
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory." I Timothy 3:16 NKJV.
One of the most heartbreaking things in life is to tell someone that you love them and they don't believe you. They look back at you with squinty eyes, doubt written all over their face. You can sense resentment oozing from their countenance because they perceive wrongly that your love is insincere or has strings attached. 'What's in it for you?" they wonder. It's emotionally unbearable but that's the story of God.
God had a covenant with Abraham and promised to bless, keep alive, and protect his descendants after him. True to His Word, God did exactly that. He delivered the children of Israel from Pharoah's reign of terror. He punished Egypt with ten plagues and literally divided the Red Sea for Abraham's seed to walk on dry ground. These unforgettable acts of might by Adonai soon became a distant memory when the children of Israel were faced with the imminent threat of thirst and hunger in the wilderness. They started to complain and murmur; they wanted to go back to Egypt. The newly freed slaves were now blaming Moses for leading them to their certain death by fiery desert snakes or extreme weather conditions, not to mention thirst and hunger.
They kept getting more bad news in the wilderness but one last report that dashed their hope was the news about the giant sons of Anak occupying the land they were promised was flowing with milk and honey. Everyone was weeping by their tent door after the spies had finished their report. The young nation's spirit was shattered and broken. There was no way they could enter the land and defeat these giant monsters, so they imagined. But God was displeased with most of them because they believed not. "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Hebrews 4:2).
There is a huge divide between the gospel in the wilderness and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus was believed all over the world in ways unprecedented. What might be the reason? Well, the gospel of Jesus Christ comes with the necessary faith. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17). The law of Moses was not of faith and had no capacity to impart faith to the hearers.
But there's another reason why the gospel is believed all over the globe. It is because of the Holy Spirit poured out from heaven. The Holy Spirit makes real the message of the gospel and convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement. The Old Testament gospel was weak through the flesh but the gospel of Jesus wields the power of God (through the Spirit) unto salvation to everyone who believes. And believing is the means to God's righteous end for us- eternal life. "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31). Now that you believe, you have life in His Name. Hallelujah!
SPEAK OUT.
I have life in the name of Jesus through faith.
#KeepLiving #DontDie #KnowJesusKnowLife #NoJesusNoLife #Breathe #lifeeternal
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