Matthew 22
Parable told by Jesus verse 1
And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again by parables – and said
Parable: King invites guest to son’s wedding verse 2- 3
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king
which made a marriage for his son
and sent forth his servants to call them
that were bidden to the wedding
and they would NOT come
Parable: King’s messengers mistreated verse 4- 6
AGAIN he sent forth other servants – saying
Tell them which are bidden
BEHOLD – I have prepared my dinner
my oxen and my fatlings are killed
and all things are ready
come unto the marriage
BUT they made light of it – and went their ways
one to his farm – another to his merchandise
and the remnant took his servants
and entreated them spitefully
and slew them
Parable: King invites other guests verse 7- 10
BUT when the king heard thereof – he was wroth
and he sent forth his armies
and destroyed those murderers
and burned their city
THEN said he to his servants
The wedding is ready
BUT they which were bidden were not worthy
Go you therefore into the highways
and as many as you shall find
bid them to the marriage
SO those servants went out into the highways
and gathered together all as many as they found
both bad and good
and the wedding was furnished with guests
Parable: King notices wedding guest
improperly dressed verse 11- 13
AND when the king came in to see the guests
he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment
AND he said unto him – Friend
How came you in hither not having a wedding garment?
AND he was speechless
THEN said the king to the servant
Bind him hand and foot – and take him away
and cast him into outer darkness
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth
Statement regarding those who are follower verse 14
FOR many are called – but few are chosen
Pharisees ask Jesus about paying taxes verse 15- 17
Then went the Pharisees
and took counsel how they might entangle HIM in HIS talk
and they sent out unto HIM their disciples
with the Herodians – saying
Master – we know that YOU art true
and teach the way of God in truth
neither care YOU for any man
FOR YOU regard not the person of men
Tell us therefore – What think YOU?
Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?
Jesus answers their question verse 18- 22
BUT Jesus perceived their wickedness
and said
Why tempt you ME – you hypocrites?
Show ME the tribute money
And they brought unto HIM a penny
AND HE said unto them
Whose is this image and superscription?
They say to HIM – Caesar’s
Then said HE unto them
Render therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s
and unto God the things that are God’s
WHEN they had heard these words – they marveled
and left HIM – and went their way
Sadducees ask question regarding resurrection verse 23- 28
The same day came to HIM the Sadducees
which say that there is no resurrection
and asked HIM saying
Master – Moses said
IF a man die – having no children
his brother shall marry his wife
and raise up seed to his brother
NOW there were with us seven brethren – and the first
when he had married a wife – deceased
and having no issue
left his wife unto his brother
likewise the second also
and the third – unto the seventh
AND last of all the woman died also
THEREFORE in the resurrection
whose wife shall she be of the seven?
FOR they all had her
Jesus answers their question verse 29- 33
Jesus answered and said to them
You do err – not knowing the Scriptures
nor the power of God
FOR in the resurrection they neither marry
nor are given in marriage
BUT are as the angels of God in heaven
BUT as touching the resurrection of the dead
have you not read that which was spoken to you by God
saying
I am the God of Abraham – and the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob?
God is not the God of the dead – but of the living
AND when the multitude heard this
they were astonished at HIS doctrine
Pharisees ask question regarding
Commandments verse 34- 36
But when the Pharisees had heard that HE had put the Sadducees to silence
they were gathered together
THEN one of them – which was a lawyer – asked HIM a question
tempting HIM – and saying
Master – which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus answers their question verse 37- 40
Jesus said to him
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart – soul – mind
This is the first and great commandment
AND the second is like unto it
You shall love your neighbor as yourself
ON these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets
Jesus asks Pharisees a question verse 41- 42
While the Pharisees were gathered together
Jesus asked them – saying
What think you of Christ? Whose SON is HE?
They say unto HIM
The son of David
Jesus answers HIS own question verse 43- 46
HE says to them
How then does David in spirit call HIM Lord
saying
The Lord said to my Lord
Sit YOU on MY right hand
till I make YOUR enemies YOUR footstool?
IF David then call him Lord – how is HE his son?
AND no man was able to answer HIM a word
neither did any man from that day forth
ask HIM any more questions
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (1588 “chosen” [eklektos] means elect, picked out, to obtain salvation through Christ, select, or favorite.)
DEVOTION: Everyone has an opportunity to become a believer. The LORD was speaking to the Jewish leaders who thought they were on their way to heaven. They thought they had it all together. They were right and everyone else was wrong. Jesus told them they were wrong in their teachings.
Most of the world rejects the offer of salvation that God offers. The Jewish nation rejected Jesus. The parables Jesus was using were teaching that God was going to move from HIS chosen people the Jews to the Gentiles. This happened in the book of Acts. The church grew with both Jews and Gentiles.
In Romans chapter one, we find that everyone is without excuse when they stand before the LORD on judgment day. They can’t say they never had an opportunity to follow the LORD. Their response was negative.
The idea that few are the elect of God has caused some problems in some people’s eyes. Do we really have a choice? The answer is yes. The LORD knew before the foundation of the world who would be followers and who would not. HE doesn’t live in time as we do. HE knows what is happening before it happens.
Jesus stated it another way earlier. HE stated that the road to heaven is narrow. The road to hell is wide. Our responsibility is to share the Gospel with all those in our world. Some will respond in a positive manner. Other will not respond that way.
All will stand before the LORD when the books are open and the LORD will show those who reject HIM all their opportunities to follow Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Witness for the LORD on a regular basis. We don’t know who the last person will be that becomes a follower of the LORD before HE calls us home.
__________________________________________________________
: 16 And they sent out to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, neither care you for any man: for you regard not the person of men. (4383 “person” [prosopon] means face, presence, countenance, surface, appearance, to pay no attention to a person’s status, or to judge on the basis of reputation.)
DEVOTION: There are three groups of people who were not followers of the LORD in this section of the chapter. There are the Pharisees that were the legalists of their day. They had more external rules to follow than the others. They were interested in getting the approval of men rather than God. The second group were the Sadducees which didn’t believe in angels or a resurrection. These two groups make up a group that would Jesus in the future. The third group was the Herodians. This group supported the Roman government. They were politically motivated more than the other two groups.
Here we find a question regarding paying taxes to the government. They wanted to know if they should pay taxes to Rome. They asked Jesus this question to try to tempt HIM. HE gave an answer that amazed the people. HE told them to pay taxes.
But look at their comments about HIS witness. They knew HE was a teacher. They knew HE was honest. They knew HE was truthful. They knew HE was impartial. HE didn’t play favorites.
We all struggle in one of these areas in our life. We need to remember that we are to have these characteristics in our life.
CHALLENGE: Struggling isn’t the sin. HE can give us victory in these areas.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. (386 “resurrection” [anastasis] means rising again, that should rise, the event at the end of time when humanity is restored to life in a body, standing up again or restoration.)
DEVOTION: Remember that the Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection but were asking Jesus about what happens after the resurrection. They were being hypocrites for even asking the question. They were only trying to tempt Jesus.
Jesus answered all the questions put to HIM either with an answer or another question. Sometimes it was better to reverse the confrontation. It is true for us today too. We can ask people what they think about an issue. The Holy Spirit will lead us regarding which way to handle those types of situations.
One point that is made is that in heaven there will be no marriage partners. Each individual will have their own mansion. It also gives us more information regarding angels. They have never married and never will. It is believed that all angels are male. So it would be hard for them to marry.
God created Adam and Eve. HE performed the first marriage and it was between a man and a woman. That was HIS plan and that still is HIS plan today. The Bible is firm on marriage. Today we have those who think differently producing their own bible which takes out the parts they don’t like. They will answer to the LORD for this sin.
CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to be ready for the LORD every day. This means whether we live or die we want to be ready to meet the LORD any minute. Is this true in your life?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying (3544 “lawyer” [nomikos] means pertaining to the law, one learned in the law, or an interpreter and teacher of Mosaic law.)
DEVOTION: This is the final week of the life of Christ on this earth. HE had ministered for three years with HIS disciples. The training was still going on in HIS final week.
In this chapter Jesus is questioned by the Herodians [which were political Jews], Sadducees [which were the liberal Jews who didn’t believe in the resurrection or angels] and the Pharisees [which were the legalistic Jews]. Jesus even questioned the Pharisees at the end of the chapter. They couldn’t answer HIS question and the questioning stopped after this encounter.
The Pharisees had let the other groups question Jesus. They saw that it wasn’t working so they had one of their expects in the law ask a question. Here was an expert in the Mosaic law questioning Jesus to try an cause him to fail. It was a trick question. The purpose of the question was to give Jesus a hard time.
The Pharisees had created 365 negative commandments from the Old Testament. This expect wanted to see if Jesus knew them all. His question was regarding the greatest of the commandments.
Jesus answered by giving a summary of the Ten Commandments. The first and greatest is to LOVE the LORD our God with all our HEART- SOUL – MIND. God wants us to be thinking Christians. The people were “astonished at HIS doctrine” when they heard the answers of Jesus. God would like people to go away from our conversations knowing the Gospel first and secondly knowing that we had good answers to their questions regarding the doctrines of the Bible. There is way too much illiteracy regarding the Word of God in our churches. That is why so many people think we are not intelligent thinkers. We are promised that the Holy Spirit will give us answers when we are questioned. But HE has to have something to work with!!! If we know nothing or very little of the Word of God, we don’t give HIM much to work with. Can HE do it without us studying the Word of God? YES!! But why should HE?
We have been around people who know the church constitution from front to back and want to catch someone not understanding the policies of the church to prove them out of order at a business meeting. We have dealt with people who didn’t care what the Bible taught if it was going against the constitution of the church they were presently in. This was the attitude of this expert in the law. It didn’t matter what the LORD said, it was what the Pharisees taught that was more important.
When Jesus answered his question, it was God’s answer to the question. It was a Biblical answer to the question. It was the right answer to the question. Jesus always answered correctly. When we become an “expert” in the Word of God we should always answer the question correctly. We should be living God’s way. We should be talking God’s way. We should be teaching others about God’s way of life.
Jesus told him that the Ten Commandments could be broke down to two main points. Love the LORD. Love our neighbor. Are we obeying these commandments? That is the Ten in a nutshell. We need to watch out for those who consider themselves “experts” if they are not living for the LORD. There are still Pharisees in our world. Those who use them as excuses for not being followers of God will stand before God one day and the excuse will NOT WORK with HIM.
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to give you wisdom from above. We NEED to study to show ourselves approved. The Holy Spirit will reveal to us what the Word of God means.
______________________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Tribute to Caesar verse 17, 19, 21
Image verse 20
Superscription verse 20
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Moses verse 24
Scriptures not known by Sadducees verse 29
Jesus quotes Exodus verse 31-32
Commandment of the law verse 36
First and great commandment verse 38
Love neighbor as yourself verse 39
Law and the prophets verse 40
David said – Psalms verse 44
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Lord verse 44
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verse 1, 18, 29, 37, 41
Parables verse 1- 22
Master verse 16, 24, 36
Teaching the way of God in truth verse 16
Question given to Jesus verse 24- 30
Astonished at Jesus’ doctrine verse 33
Christ verse 42
Son of David verse 42
Lord verse 43- 45
No man was able to answer HIM verse 46
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God verse 16, 21, 29, 30- 32, 37
Way of God verse 16
Things of God verse 21
Power of God verse 29
Angels of God verse 30
God of Abraham- Isaac- Jacob verse 32
God of the living verse 32
Lord your God verse 37
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angels not given in marriage verse 30
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Caesar verse 17
Lawyer verse 35
Enemies verse 44
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Making light of the invitation verse 5
Treat God’s servants spitefully verse 6
Murderers verse 7
Bad verse 10
No wedding garment verse 11
Entangle verse 15
Respecter of persons verse 16
Wickedness verse 18
Tempt verse 18, 35
Hypocrite verse 18
Teaching no resurrection verse 23
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Good verse 10
Called verse 14
Chosen verse 14
True verse 16
Teach the way of God verse 16
Pay tribute verse 21
Honor God verse 21
Love the Lord verse 37
Heart – Soul – Mind
Love neighbor as yourself verse 39
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Pharisees verse 15, 16, 34, 41
Herodians verse 16
Sadducees verse 23, 34
Moses verse 24
Abraham verse 32
Isaac verse 32
Jacob verse 32
David verse 42, 43, 45
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Kingdom of heaven verse 2
Bid to the marriage verse 9
Outer darkness verse 13
Weeping and gnashing of teeth verse 13
Resurrection verse 23, 28, 30, 31
Heaven verse 30
___________________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated.The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
____________________________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
14 The gar (“for”) introduces a general, pithy conclusion explaining the parable (see on 18:7; Zerwick, pars. 474–75). Many are invited; but some refuse to come, and others who do come refuse to submit to the norms of the kingdom and are therefore rejected. Those who remain are called “chosen” (eklektoi), a word implicitly denying that the reversals in the parable in any way catch God unawares or remove sovereign grace from his control. At the same time it is clear from all three parables (21:28–22:14) that not the beginning but the end is crucial. (Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 457). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
_______________________________________________________________________
For many are called, but few chosen (πολλοι γαρ εἰσιν κλητοι ὀλιγοι δε ἐκλεκτοι [polloi gar eisin klētoi oligoi de eklektoi]). This crisp saying of Christ occurs in various connections. He evidently repeated many of his sayings many times as every teacher does. There is a distinction between the called (κλητοι [klētoi]) and the chosen (ἐκλεκτοι [eklektoi]) called out from the called. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Mt 22:14). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press)
_________________________________________________________________
While the kingdom had now been expanded to include individuals from all races and backgrounds (many are invited), there is an election (few are chosen). And yet individual response is essential. (Barbieri, L. A., Jr. (1985). Matthew. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 71). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
_________________________________________________________________
22:14 many are called, but few are chosen. The call spoken of here is sometimes referred to as the “general call” (or the “external” call)—a summons to repentance and faith that is inherent in the gospel message. This call extends to all who hear the gospel. “Many” hear it; “few” respond (see the many-few comparison in 7:13, 14). Those who respond are the “chosen,” the elect. In the Pauline writings, the word “call” usually refers to God’s irresistible calling extended to the elect alone (Ro 8:30)—known as the “effectual call” (or the “internal” call). The effectual call is the supernatural drawing of God which Jesus speaks of in Jn 6:44. Here a general call is in view, and this call extends to all who hear the gospel—this call is the great “whosoever will” of the gospel (cf. Rev 22:17). Here, then, is the proper balance between human responsibility and divine sovereignty: the “called” who reject the invitation do so willingly, and therefore their exclusion from the kingdom is perfectly just. The “chosen” enter the kingdom only because of the grace of God in choosing and drawing them. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Mt 22:14). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
____________________________________________________________________
Theological Significance. The conclusion of the parable is that “many are called but few are chosen.” This must be understood as summarizing the point of the whole parable, not just 22:13. The parable stresses the contempt with which the religious leaders treated God’s rule in Jesus the Messiah. Some had merely been indifferent (22:5), but others were growing more and more hostile (22:6). The invitation had gone out to many, but only relatively few responded. However, this “surprising” turn of events was not unexpected to God; he has his elect (cf. 11:25–30; 24:22, 24, 31). The biblical concept implied by 22:14 is that of the remnant (e.g., Isa 1:9; 10:20–22; Elliott 2000). Such a concept seems to be contrary to that of the Mishnah in m. Sanhedrin 10:1, where it says, “All Israel has a place in the world to come.”
The disastrous end of the man without a wedding garment adds a dimension not found in the previous two parables (Davies and Allison 1997:207–208). The fate of this man vividly pictures the horrific end of those who finally reject Jesus and the Kingdom, whether they appear to be righteous or not. In this respect, 22:11–13 portrays the final judgment. This man had evidently responded to the invitation to the wedding feast and had assembled in the banquet hall, but his garment showed that he did not truly belong there. His fate reminds the reader of the false prophets in 7:15–23 and of the lawless ones in 13:42. Through this part of the parable, Jesus warned his disciples that their troubles will not come merely from outside opponents. They cannot become complacent and assume a notion of divine approval that overrides the necessity of obedience to all that Jesus had commanded. Later, the betrayal of Jesus will make this point crystal clear—Judas Iscariot is another who was called but not chosen. The future will bring many troubles to the disciples from the outside, but they must also beware of defectors within the church. Only those who endure to the end will be saved (24:10–13). (Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (pp. 281–282). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
____________________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
Because He is loving and kind and friendly, the Holy Spirit may be grieved. We grieve Him by ignoring Him, by resisting Him, by doubting Him, by sinning against Him, by refusing to obey Him, by turning our backs on Him. He can be grieved because He is loving, and there must be love present before there can be grief. (p. 191, TozerSpeaks (volume one) by A. W. Tozer)
____________________________________________________________________________
TozerSpeaks (volume two) by A. W. Tozer
When we say that man is hardened and that he is beyond help, we are saying that insofar as any power and influence that we may have, the man is probably in a state beyond our changing.
But actually and in truth, no one is beyond changing as long as he is alive and conscious. (p. 480)
I dare to say that whoever you are and wherever you may be, old or young or in-between, you are not yet a finished product. You are only in process. (p. 481)
The fact is that he was assuring us that our being fixed in Christ is settled by an act of faith – and that’s what we mean. But when it comes to the shaping and developing and growth and enlargement – these must go on after we are converted! (p. 484)
Here’s my answer: You must engage your own will in the direction of God’s will for your life. You can keep yourself from being shaped by your situation just as a man on the beach can keep himself from being tanned by the sun. You can draw your being tightly up in faith by an act of your will and take a positive stand: “Stay out, you devilish influences, in the name of my Savior! Let my soul alone – it belongs to God!” (p. 487)
You can drink poison if you want to, but I am still friend enough to warn you that if you do, you will be carried out in a box. I cannot stop you but I can warn you. Nor do I have authority to tell you what you should listen to, but I have a divine commission to tell you that if you love and listen to the wrong kinds of music your inner life will wither and die. (p. 489)
Are you watching your own language and are you careful of your own expressions in view of what it could mean to the effectiveness of your own Christian testimony? (p. 490)
___________________________________________________________________
Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
But love can and should cover sin so that we don’t gossip and bring disgrace to the name of the Lord. We should be overcomers. (p. 120)
Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing,” and James wrote, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17). P. 120)
He spoke ht eturth in love (Eph. 4:15), for truth without love is brutality and love without truth is hypocrisy. (p. 121)
___________________________________________________________________
Family Worship by Donald S. Whitney
But bringing children up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” does not happen only unintentionally and incidentally. (p. 25)
The apostle Paul writes about these qualification in I Timothy 2. In verses 4-5 he says this about an elder: “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” In light of this, it is fair to ask, If a man cannot manage worship in his own household, how can he manage worship in the church? If he cannot lead family worship, how can he lead church worship? (p. 26)
___________________________________________________________________
1 Corinthians 6
Brothers should not go to court against brothers, especially before unbelievers.
INSIGHT
When we come to Christ, we give up our title to all earthly possessions, and we receive eternal possessions that are fabulous beyond imagination. All of the riches of Christ are ours as co-inheritors with Him; all those things that we might have viewed as possessions must now be seen as “on loan.” We are now merely administrators, stewards of these things that belong to the Lord. We must hold them loosely with an open hand, not as possessions, and use them as we believe Christ would. (Quiet Walk)
______________________________________________________________________
WALKING WITH GOD
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John 2:3
Are you keeping God’s commandments? Keeping His commandments does not mean I just put on the wall a list of specific injunctions and do my best to keep them. Rather, it means that I am always concerned to be living the Christian life as fully as I can, that my great object is to be well-pleasing in His sight. I know what He wants me to do; I find it in the Old and New Testaments. I have the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount that apply to me, and I have the whole moral, ethical teaching of the New Testament.
Those are His commandments, and I have to keep them. “And if you can say quite honestly,” says John in essence, “that you are very concerned about doing that; if you can say you are striving to do that and that is your ambition in life, you can know that you are in Him, for to know Him is to walk as He walked.” “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (verse 6). That puts it perfectly once and forever.
The Bible often describes our life as a walk. “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:24); “Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Then read what God said to Abraham in Genesis 17:1—“Walk before me, and be thou perfect.” “I,” said Jesus Christ, “am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Then listen to Paul saying the same kind of thing: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
This is a wonderful picture of the Christian life. It is a journey; we walk along, and what John says here quite simply and without any explanation is this: “If you say you are in Him, then you ought to walk as He walked.”
A Thought to Ponder: The Bible often describes our life as a walk.
(From Walking with God, pp. 51-52, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
______________________________________________________________________
Blessings We Have in Christ
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)
The blessings we have in Christ are far too many to number, but it is a blessing even to note just a few of those indicated by the words we have or ye have. First of all, in Christ “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). As a result, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1)
Thus, through such promises, His Word assures us of salvation. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Further assurance is given by the witness of the Spirit who indwells our bodies when we believe on Christ. “Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
There are many other blessings that are ours in Christ. In Him, for example, “we have obtained an inheritance” (Ephesians 1:11), for we are joint-heirs with Him. God has even confirmed His promises, the writer of Hebrews says, by taking an oath in His own name that “we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast” (Hebrews 6:18-19). Indeed, “we have a great high priest” (Hebrews 4:14) ever living to intercede for us at the throne of God.
Finally, in the words of our text, when God calls us home, “we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,” and then we are “to be present with the Lord” throughout the ages to come (2 Corinthians 5:8). These are a few of the blessings we have in Christ.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
____________________________________________________________________
You can be absolutely certain that whatever comes to meet you, it will never be more powerful than God, and it will never separate you from HIS power. (p. 202)
_______________________________________________
The world, in the last analysis, consists of two groups of peoples: those who view life in the Christian way and those who do not. (p. 207)
________________________________________________
The Christian life is altogether different from the life of the average man and woman in this world. It is a special life, a unique life. The New Testament puts it like this: “Come out from among them, and be ye separate” (2 Cor. 6:17). (p. 210)
(A Merciful and Faithful High Priest by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
____________________________________________________________________
Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture Ecclesiastes 12:1-5
Getting old is not for sissies! I have been reminded of this phrase, it seems, a lot lately as friends, relatives and others ask how my health is and how long I intend to work before choosing to retire. Health issues, slowing down in the ability to do manual labor and the aches and stiffness of joints all indicate the aging process is at work.
Solomon instructed his readers to pay attention and to build a foundation of understanding about your Creator while you are young (v.1). While the mind is active and the body is resilient, be attentive and obedient to God’s ways. The word ‘remember’ in verse one has the idea of more that just thinking about a subject, it means to pay attention or consider with the intention of obedience.
Solomon portrays the difference age makes in the next several verses with a metaphor of a house that once was strong but now is in disrepair. A dwelling place is used in scripture of the body (Job 4:19; 2 Corinthians 5:1-2; 2 Peter 1:13). Warren Wiersbe gives some possible meanings for the word pictures in verses three through five:
“keepers of the house” – Our arms and legs tremble
“strong men”—Your legs, knees, and shoulders weaken, and you walk bent over.
“grinders”—You start to lose your teeth.
“windows”—Your vision begins to deteriorate.
“doors”—Either your hearing starts to fail, or you close your mouth because you have lost your teeth.
“grinding”—You cannot chew your food, or your ears cannot pick up the sounds outdoors.
“rise up”—You wake up with the birds early each morning, and wish you could sleep longer.
“music”—Your voice starts to quaver and weaken.
“afraid”—You are terrified of heights and afraid of falling while you walk down the street.
“almond tree”—If you have any hair left, it turns white, like almond blossoms.
“grasshopper”—You just drag yourself along, like a grasshopper at the close of the summer season.
“desire”—You lose your appetite, or perhaps your sexual desire.
“long home”—You go to your eternal [long] home and people mourn your death.
As this mortal house begins to deteriorate the importance of our foundation that was laid as a youth is paramount as that will sustain and enable us to face the difficult days ahead. Regardless of your age take time to strengthen your foundation by seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). It will pay dividends in the end!
With an Expectant hope, Pastor Miller
______________________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.