Grace, Faith & Life

This is promise or foretelling of the New Covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31-33 NASB
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. [33] “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ezekiel 36:27 NASB
“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Jeremiah 31:31-33 NASB
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. [33] “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ezekiel 36:27 NASB
“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Many Christians are taught and motivated to have a personal relationship with their local church rather than with Jesus. People who are usually very trusting, or immature in their faith, can be easily taught to fulfill their Christian “duty” by service (works) in their local church. In Revelation, Jesus had that against the church at Ephesus and then He said this; Revelation 2:4-5 KJV Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. [5] Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Every person’s ministry will be different, based on the development of their faith and their perceived spiritual gifts, but, every Christian’s “works” should be based on the same thing; the attitude of their heart and a God given desire for the work. It is important to learn how God works in your life in a New Covenant way, in order to learn how faith works by love. Galatians 5:6 KJV For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. This is the new way of relating to God based on the Life promised in the New Covenant. [Www.gflstudy.org](http://www.gflstudy.org)

“Born Of Woman” vs. “Born Of God”

This leads us to the third of our opening bible passages – Matthew 11:11-13. John the Baptist who was the greatest of those “born of women” and the last of the prophets. Yet Jesus said that “the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.” At first sight the proposition that some of the more annoying Christians we have met could be greater than John the Baptist is, to say the least, astonishing (your editor has a cynical streak).

But consider… those “born of women” can have the Spirit upon them, worship God and be prophets but they are not “new creations”.There is a huge qualitative difference between a “born again believer” and John the Baptist. The born again believer is “born of God” (not merely “born of women”) and has a God-conceived nature that is eternal. They are not necessarily “better than” John the Baptist as viewed from outside. But when viewed from inside or from above they are “greater” inasmuch as the nature conceived within the Christian is far greater and can be said to dwell in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6.7). This nature is Christ in us…

(Colossians 1:26-29 NKJV) The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. {27} To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. {28} Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. {29} To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
http://aibi.ph/articles/innermn2.htm

Gen 2:4

Lord
Lord God
Lord
LORD (Heb. Jehovah)
(1) The primary meaning of the name LORD (Jehovah) is the “self-existent One.” Literally (as in Exodus 3:14), “He that is who He is, therefore the eternal I AM:”
But Havah, from which Jehovah, or Yahwe, is formed, signifies also “to become,” that is, to become known, thus pointing to a continuous and increasing self-revelation. Combining these meanings of Havah, we arrive at the meaning of the name Jehovah. He is “the self- existent One who reveals Himself.” The name is, in itself, an advance upon the name “God” (El, Elah, Elohim), which suggests certain attributes of Deity, as strength, etc., rather than His essential being.
(2) It is significant that the first appearance of the name Jehovah in Scripture follows the creation of man. It was God (Elohim) who said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26); but when man, as in the second chapter of Genesis, is to fill the scene and become dominant over creation, it is the Lord God (Jehovah Elohim) who acts. This clearly indicates a special relation of Deity, in His Jehovah character, to man, and all Scripture emphasizes this.
(3) Jehovah is distinctly the redemption name of Deity. When sin entered and redemption became necessary, it was Jehovah Elohim who sought the sinning ones Genesis 3:9-13 and clothed them with “coats of skins” Genesis 3:21 a beautiful type of righteousness provided by the Lord God through sacrifice Romans 3:21,22. The first distinct revelation of Himself by His name Jehovah was in connection with the redemption of the covenant people out of Egypt Exodus 3:13-17. As Redeemer, emphasis is laid upon those attributes of Jehovah which the sin and salvation of man bring into exercise. These are:
(a) His holiness Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:1,220:26; Habakkuk 1:12,13 (b) His hatred and judgment of sin ; Deuteronomy 32:35-42; Genesis 6:5-7; Psalms 11:4-6; 66:18; Exodus 34:6,7 (c) His love for and redemption of sinners, but always righteously ; Genesis 3:21; 8:20,21; Exodus 12:12,13; Leviticus 16:2,3; Isaiah 53:5,6,10 Salvation by Jehovah apart from sacrifice is unknown to Scripture.

(4) In his redemptive relation to man, Jehovah has seven compound names which reveal Him as meeting every need of man from his lost state to the end. These compound names are:
(a) Jehovah-jireh, “the Lord will provide” Genesis 22:13,14 i.e., will provide a sacrifice; (b) Jehovah-rapha, “the Lord that healeth” Exodus 15:26. That this refers to physical healing the context shows, but the deeper healing of soul malady is implied. (c) Jehovah-nissi, “the Lord our banner” Exodus 17:8-15. The name is interpreted by the context. The enemy was Amalek, a type of the flesh, and the conflict that day stands for the conflict of Galatians 5:17 the war of the Spirit against the flesh. Victory was wholly due to divine help. (d) Jehovah-Shalom, “the Lord our peace,” or “the Lord send peace” Judges 6:24. Almost the whole ministry of Jehovah finds expression and illustration in that chapter. Jehovah hates and judges sin Genesis 2:1-5. Jehovah loves and saves sinners Genesis 2:7-18 but only through sacrifice Genesis 2:19-21 see also ; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:20. (e) Jehovah-ra-ah, “the Lord my shepherd” (Psa 23.). In Ps. 22 Jehovah makes peace by the blood of the cross; in Ps 23. Jehovah is shepherding His own who are in the world. (See Scofield “John 10:7”) (f) Jehovah-tsidkenu, “the Lord our righteousness” Jeremiah 23:6. This name of Jehovah occurs in a prophecy concerning the future restoration and conversion of Israel. Then Israel will hail him as Jehovah-tsidkenu–“the Lord our righteousness.” (g) Jehovah-shammah, “the Lord is present” Ezekiel 48:35. This name signifies Jehovah’s abiding presence with His people ; Exodus 33:14,15; 1 Chronicles 16:27,33; Psalms 16:11; 97:5; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5
(5) Lord (Jehovah) is also the distinctive name of Deity as in covenant with Israel Exodus 19:3; 20:1,2; Jeremiah 31:31-34.
(6) Lord God (Heb. Jehovah Elohim) is the first of the compound names of Deity. Lord God is used distinctly:
(1) of the relation of Deity to man (a) as Creator Genesis 2:7-15 (b) as morally in authority over man Genesis 2:16,17 (c) as creating and governing the earthly relationships of man ; Genesis 2:18-24; 3:16-19,22-24 and (d) as redeeming man Genesis 3:8-15,21
(2) of the relation of Deity to Israel Genesis 24:7; 28:13; Exodus 3:15,18; 4:5; 5:1; 7:6; Deuteronomy 1:11,21; 4:1; 6:3; 12:1; Joshua 7:13,19,20; 10:40,42; Judges 2:12; 1 Samuel 2:30; 1 Kings 1:48; 2 Kings 9:6; 2 Kings 10:31; 1 Chronicles 22:19; 2 Chronicles 1:9; Ezra 1:3; Isaiah 21:17 See other names of Deity,
(See Scofield “Genesis 1:1”) See Scofield “Genesis 14:18” See Scofield “Genesis 15:2” See Scofield “Genesis 17:1” See Scofield “Genesis 21:33” See Scofield “1 Samuel 1:3”

Lord God Deity (names of God) (See Scofield “Malachi 3:18”)

(Scofield)

31. The Conversion of Paul. Εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεος … ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ, ἱνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσινGal. 1:15, 16. The conversion of Paul marks not only a turning-point in his personal history, but also an important epoch in the history of the apostolic church, and consequently in the history of mankind. It was the most fruitful event since the miracle of Pentecost, and secured the universal victory of Christianity. The transformation of the most dangerous persecutor into the most successful promoter of Christianity is nothing less than a miracle of divine grace. It rests on the greater miracle of the resurrection of Christ. Both are inseparably connected; without the resurrection the conversion would have been impossible, and on the other hand the conversion of such a man and with such results is one of the strongest proofs of the resurrection. The bold attack of Stephen—the forerunner of Paul—upon the hard, stiff-necked Judaism which had crucified the Messiah, provoked a determined and systematic attempt on the part of the Sanhedrin to crucify Jesus again by destroying his church. In this struggle for life and death Saul the Pharisee, the bravest and strongest of the rising rabbis, was the willing and accepted leader. After the martyrdom of Stephen and the dispersion of the congregation of Jerusalem, he proceeded to Damascus in suit of the fugitive disciples of Jesus, as a commissioner of the Sanhedrin, a sort of inquisitor-general, with full authority and determination to stamp out the Christian rebellion, and to bring all the apostates he could find, whether they were men or women, in chains to the holy city to be condemned by the chief priests. Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world, known in the days of Abraham, and bursts upon the traveller like a vision of paradise amidst a burning and barren wilderness of sand; it is watered by the never-failing rivers Abana and Pharpar (which Naaman of old preferred to all the waters of Israel), and embosomed in luxuriant gardens of flowers and groves of tropical fruit trees; hence glorified by Eastern poets as “the Eye of the Desert.” But a far higher vision than this earthly paradise was in store for Saul as he approached the city. A supernatural light from heaven, brighter than the Syrian sun, suddenly flashed around him at midday, and Jesus of Nazareth, whom he persecuted in his humble disciples, appeared to him in his glory as the exalted Messiah, asking him in the Hebrew tongue: “Shaûl, Shaûl, why persecutest thou Me?364It was a question both of rebuke and of love, and it melted his heart. He fell prostrate to the ground. He saw and heard, he trembled and obeyed, he believed and rejoiced. As he rose from the earth he saw no man. Like a helpless child, blinded by the dazzling light, he was led to Damascus, and after three days of blindness and fasting he was cured and baptized—not by Peter or James or John, but—by 364 Acts 9:4, the Hebrew form Σαούλ, Σαούλ, is used instead of the usual GreekΣαῦλος, 9:8, 11, 22, 24, etc

Gen 1:28

DISPENSATION
A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God. Seven such dispensations are distinguished in Scripture. (See Scofield “Genesis 1:28”) , note 5.

And God blessed them
The First Dispensation: Innocency. Man was created in innocency, placed in a perfect environment, subjected to an absolutely simple test, and warned of the consequence of disobedience. The woman fell through pride; the man deliberately. 1 Timothy 2:14 God restored His sinning creatures, but the dispensation of innocency ended in the judgment of the Expulsion Genesis 3:24 See, for the other dispensations;
Conscience (See Scofield “Genesis 3:23”)
Human Government (See Scofield “Genesis 8:21”)
Promise (See Scofield “Genesis 12:1”)
Law (See Scofield “Exodus 19:8”)
Grace (See Scofield “John 1:17”)
Kingdom (See Scofield “Ephesians 1:10”)
Be fruitful
The Edenic Covenant, the first of the eight great covenants of Scripture which condition life and salvation, and about which all Scripture crystallizes, has seven elements. The man and woman in Eden were responsible:
(1) To replenish the earth with a new order–man;
(2) to subdue the earth to human uses;
(3) to have dominion over the animal creation;
(4) to eat herbs and fruits;
(5) to till and keep the garden;
(6) to abstain from eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil;
(7) the penalty–death. See, for the other seven covenants:
ADAMIC (See Scofield “Genesis 3:14”)
NOAHIC (See Scofield “Genesis 9:1”)
ABRAHAMIC (See Scofield “Genesis 15:18”)
MOSAIC (See Scofield “Exodus 19:25”)
PALESTINIAN (See Scofield “Deuteronomy 30:3”)
DAVIDIC (See Scofield “2 Samuel 7:16”)
NEW (See Scofield “Hebrews 8:8”)

(Scofield)

This is how it all started.

Joh 1:14.
grace for grace– that is, grace upon grace (so all the best interpreters), in successive communications and larger measures, as each was able to take it in. Observe, the word “truth” is here dropped. “Grace” being the chosen New Testament word for the whole fulness of the new covenant, all that dwells in Christ for men. (JFB)

Many Christians are taught and motivated to have a personal relationship with their local church rather than with Jesus.

People who are usually very trusting, or immature in their faith, can be easily taught to fulfill their Christian “duty” by service (works) in their local church.

In Revelation, Jesus had that against the church at Ephesus and then He said this;

Revelation 2:4-5 KJV
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. [5] Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Every person’s ministry will be different, based on the development of their faith and their perceived spiritual gifts, but, every Christian’s “works” should be based on the same thing; the attitude of their heart and a God given desire for the work.

It is important to learn how God works in your life in a New Covenant way, in order to learn how faith works by love.

Galatians 5:6 KJV
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

This is the new way of relating to God based on the Life promised in the New Covenant.

Gen 1:1
​”In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” – Heaven and earth have not existed from all eternity, but had a beginning; nor did they arise by emanation from an absolute substance, but were created by God. This sentence, which stands at the head of the records of revelation, is not a mere heading, nor a summary of the history of the creation, but a declaration of the primeval act of God, by which the universe was called into being. That this verse is not a heading merely, is evident from the fact that the following account of the course of the creation commences with w (and), which connects the different acts of creation with the fact expressed in Gen 1:1, as the primary foundation upon which they rest. בּרשׁיח (in the beginning) is used absolutely, like ἐν ἀρχῇ in Joh 1:1, and מראשׁיח in Isa 46:10. The following clause cannot be treated as subordinate, either by rendering it, “in the beginning when God created…, the earth was,” etc., or “in the beginning when God created…(but the earth was then a chaos, etc.), God said, Let there be light” (Ewald and Bunsen). The first is opposed to the grammar of the language, which would require Gen 1:2 to commence with הארץ ותּהי; the second to the simplicity of style which pervades the whole chapter, and to which so involved a sentence would be intolerable, apart altogether from the fact that this construction is invented for the simple purpose of getting rid of the doctrine of a creatio ex nihilo, which is so repulsive to modern Pantheism. ראשׁיח in itself is a relative notion, indicating the commencement of a series of things or events; but here the context gives it the meaning of the very first beginning, the commencement of the world, when time itself began. The statement, that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, not only precludes the idea of the eternity of the world a parte ante, but shows that the creation of the heaven and the earth was the actual beginning of all things. The verb בּרא, indeed, to judge from its use in Jos 17:15, Jos 17:18, where it occurs in the Piel (to hew out), means literally “to cut, or new,” but in Kal it always means to create, and is only applied to a divine creation, the production of that which had no existence before. It is never joined with an accusative of the material, although it does not exclude a pre-existent material unconditionally, but is used for the creation of man (Gen 1:27; Gen 5:1-2), and of everything new that God creates, whether in the kingdom of nature (Num 16:30) or of that of grace (Exo 34:10; Psa 51:10, etc.). In this verse, however, the existence of any primeval material is precluded by the object created: “the heaven and the earth.” This expression is frequently employed to denote the world, or universe, for which there was no single word in the Hebrew language; the universe consisting of a twofold whole, and the distinction between heaven and earth being essentially connected with the notion of the world, the fundamental condition of its historical development (vid., Gen 14:19, Gen 14:22; Exo 31:17). In the earthly creation this division is repeated in the distinction between spirit and nature; and in man, as the microcosm, in that between spirit and body. Through sin this distinction was changed into an actual opposition between heaven and earth, flesh and spirit; but with the complete removal of sin, this opposition will cease again, though the distinction between heaven and earth, spirit and body, will remain, in such a way, however, that the earthly and corporeal will be completely pervaded by the heavenly and spiritual, the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven to earth, and the earthly body being transfigured into a spiritual body (Rev 21:1-2; 1Co 15:35.). Hence, if in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, “there is nothing belonging to the composition of the universe, either in material or form, which had an existence out of God prior to this divine act in the beginning” (Delitzsch). This is also shown in the connection between our verse and the one which follows: “and the earth was without form and void,” not before, but when, or after God created it. From this it is evident that the void and formless state of the earth was not uncreated, or without beginning. At the same time it is obvious from the creative acts which follow (vv. 3-18), that the heaven and earth, as God created them in the beginning, were not the well-ordered universe, but the world in its elementary form; just as Euripides applies the expression οὐρανὸς καὶ γαῖα to the undivided mass (οπφὴμία), which was afterwards formed into heaven and earth.

‘In whatsoever state I am’- The word ‘estate’ is not in the original, but simply ‘in what I am’, that is, in whatever concerns or befalls me, whether I have little or nothing at all.
‘Therewith to be content’- The word rendered ‘content’ here has great elegance and fullness of meaning in the original. In the strict sense it is only attributed to God, who has styled himself ‘God all- sufficient’, in that he rests fully satisfied in and with himself alone. But he is pleased freely to communicate his fullness to the creature, so that from God in Christ the saints receive ‘grace for grace’ (John 1:16). As a result, there is in them the same grace that is in Christ, according to their measure. In this sense, Paul says, I have a self- sufficiency, which is what the word means.
But has Paul got a self- sufficiency? you will say. How are we sufficient of ourselves! Our Apostle affirms in another case, ‘That we are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves’ (2 Corinthians 3:5). (RareJewel)

“Ark of the Covenant (בְּרִית־הַאֲרוֹן, berith-ha’aron). A golden chest that contains the covenant tablets. It served both a practical and a symbolic purpose, and was instrumental in both rituals and miracles. The Israelites believed the ark of the covenant was symbolically Yahweh’s throne—representing His very presence on earth.
The Hebrew word for “ark” (ארון, ‘rwn) designates a chest or coffin. However, the Bible makes a clear designation between the ark of the covenant and a common chest. While the most common name for the ark is “ark of the covenant,” it is also referred to as “the ark of God,” “the ark of might,” “the holy ark,” and “the ark of testimony” (or simply “the testimony”).”

http://ref.ly/o/lbd/632218 via the Faithlife Study Bible Android app.