From Jim McGuiggan... The US in Genesis 1.26-27

The US in Genesis 1.26-27

Who's the "us" in Genesis 1:26-27? Who was God speaking to?

I'm sure I know of no satisfactory explanation for the "us". It's more a case that some explanations are less likely than others. Some scholars have taken the view that it's a polytheistic version of the creation story that was taken and made part of the Genesis narrative. Of course Genesis 1 is explicitly concerned to expose polytheism , especially Egyptian polytheism that Israel had so recently seen shamed and exposed in the plagues. So it hardly makes sense that someone made use of a polytheistic snippet to write his narrative. 

 

Early Jewish interpretation took it that God was speaking to his heavenly court (compare Job 1:6 and 2:1 and perhaps, Isaiah 6:8), the angelic beings.

 

I tend to agree with that view and see it as God preparing to create his "masterpiece" and saying to the enthralled angelic watchers as a man might say to his children who were watching him build something (compare Job 38:4-7), "Now, let's put the finishing touch on it." 

 

I've said he says to the angelic watchers but it would probably be more accurate to say that he says it "in the presence" of the heavenly court. It would probably be more that he is speaking to himself. Not in any formal manner! But sort of murmuring to himself, "Now..." This might ease the little difficulty of the "our" image phrase. 

 

Since there is no development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit or Satan or the resurrection, and such, in the OT I wouldn't expect a development of the plural unity of God, though there are hints of it (compare Psalm 110:1 and Jesus' use of it). So I wouldn't be prepared to rule out the plural unity of the Godhead.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

The Survey Says… by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

 http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=557
  
The Survey Says…

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Rarely do you hear a Christian confidently assert, “Yes, I know that I am saved!” More often than not, if a Christian is asked the question, “Do you know you are saved?,” the response goes something like this: “I hope that I am,” or “I think that I am,” or “I really don’t know if I am saved or not.” This is truly a sad state of affairs.
In light of the manner in which many Christians respond to the question, “Do you know you are saved?,” I decided to poll a particular church a few years ago to find out what kind of “assurance” the members had of their eternal salvation. I conducted an anonymous survey in a congregation of about 200 members in the heart of the “Bible Belt.” In the survey, I asked several different questions, but I deemed none more important than the one that pertained to the reader’s eternal destiny. The question read as follows: “If you died within the next ten minutes, do you believe you would go to Heaven?” The results of the survey revealed that nearly 9% of the members knew unreservedly that if they died at the time they were taking the survey, they would not go to Heaven. (Needless to say, such a response was shocking on its own merits!) Nearly 50% of the congregation was unsure as to whether they would go to Heaven. And only 40% believed they would go to Heaven if they died that very day. In other words, almost 60% of the congregation either knew they were lost or did not know if they were saved!
How sad it is that so many members of the Lord’s church (the “saved”) either know they are lost or do not have assurance that they are saved. (Is it not paradoxical to speak of the “saved lost” or the “unsure saved”?) What makes these figures even more disturbing is that (according to the results of a survey published in the U.S News and World Report in March 1991) approximately 78% of Americans fully expect to go to heaven when they die. Thus, if the particular congregation surveyed is representative of the church worldwide, Christians have even less confidence in their eternal destiny than the average person on the street. In fact, the above surveys indicate that the average American is twice as likely to claim heaven as their eternal home as the average member of the Lord’s church.
God did not send His Son to die for us so that we could be uncertain about our salvation. Rather, Jesus came so that we might know we are free from sin (John 8:32), and so that we might know we have eternal life. The apostle John wrote: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13, emp. added). By a simple self-examination in light of the Scriptures, we should be able to know whether we are saved or lost.
Christianity is not an “I-hope-so/pie-in-the-sky/by-and-by” kind of religion. Rather, it is based upon knowledge, reason, and the assurance that if we accept the grace of God and are faithful to Him, He will save us from our sins (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 2:10). It is from such knowledge that we thus derive the “peace of God that passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). How very sad that so many have forgone that peace.

From Mark Copeland... God's Gift Of Eternal Life (Romans 6:22-23)

                      "THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS"

                  God's Gift Of Eternal Life (6:22-23)

INTRODUCTION

1. An familiar verse is that found at the end of Romans six...

   "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
   in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ro 6:23)

2. This passage is often used to suggest that eternal life is...
   a. A gift given when one becomes a Christian
   b. A gift requiring no effort on the part of the recipient(s)

3. It is true that elsewhere we learn that....
   a. Eternal life is described as a "present possession", enjoyed now
      by the Christian - 1Jn 5:13
      1) Referring to a relationship made possible by knowing God and
         Jesus - cf. Jn 17:2-3
      2) A feature of that which Jesus describes as the "abundant life"
         - cf. Jn 10:10
   b. Salvation is not merited or earned - cf. Tit 3:4-7
      1) Even though it does require obedience - He 5:9
      2) The gospel contains that which must be obeyed - cf. 2Th 1:8;
         1Pe 4:17

4. But in the context of Romans six, the gift of eternal life as
   described by Paul...
   a. Is not a present possession, but something received at the end of
      life! - cf. Ro 6:22
   b. Is received not without effort, but as the result of a holy life!
      - cf. Ro 6:22

[As we carefully consider verse 22 along with the rest of the chapter,
note first that eternal life is...]

I. GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN

   A. BY DYING TO SIN...
      -- Paul begins chapter six by revealing:
      1. One who dies to sin should no longer live in sin - Ro 6:1-2
      2. He who has died has been freed from sin - Ro 6:7

   B. IN BAPTISM...
      -- He then explains how and when one dies to sin:
      1. Where we are baptized into His death - Ro 6:3-4
      2. Where we are united together in the likeness of His death - Ro 6:5
      3. Where our old man was crucified with Him - Ro 6:6
         a. That the body of sin might be done away with
         b. That we should no longer be slaves of sin

[Those who have died to sin in baptism have been set free from sin. But
now note that according to verse 22 eternal life is...]

II. GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE BECOME SLAVES OF GOD

   A. NO LONGER SLAVES OF SIN...
      -- Consider what Paul wrote:
      1. We have died to sin - Ro 6:1-2
      2. We now live with Christ - Ro 6:8-11
      3. We are not to let sin reign and have dominion over us - Ro 6:
         12,14

   B. NOW SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS...
      -- Consider what is now the duty of Christians:
      1. We are to present ourselves to God as alive from the dead - Ro 6:13
      2. We are to present our members as instruments of righteousness
         to God - Ro 6:13
      3. We have become slaves of righteousness through obedience - Ro 6:16-18

[As slaves of God, we are now to be obedient slaves of righteousness.
From verse 22 we learn that eternal life will therefore be...]

III. GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE FRUIT OF HOLINESS

   A. WHO WERE ONCE SLAVES OF SIN...
      -- They were slaves of sin:
      1. When they presented their members as slaves of uncleanness and
         lawlessness - Ro 6:19
      2. When they were free in regard to righteousness - Ro 6:20
      3. When they produced shameful fruit leading to death - Ro 6:21

   B. WHO ARE NOW SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS...
      -- They are now slaves of righteousness:
      1. For the purpose of holiness - Ro 6:19c
      2. For the fruit leading to holiness - Ro 6:22

[Finally, from verse 22 we learn that for those who have the fruit of
holiness, eternal life is...]

IV. GIVEN AT THE END OF LIFE

   A. AT THE END...
      -- Eternal life is given to those:
      1. Having died to sin - Ro 6:22a,1-11
      2. Having become slaves to God - Ro 6:22b,12-18
      3. Having had the fruit of holiness - Ro 6:22c,19-21

   B. ETERNAL LIFE...
      -- Some observations concerning that which comes at the end:
      1. Some translations say "everlasting life" (KJV, NKJV), but it is
         the same expression translated "eternal life" in verse 23
      2. Here Paul speaks of our "future hope", given at the Judgment:
         a. Of which Jesus often spoke - Mt 25:46; Mk 10:29-30
         b. As Paul did elsewhere - Ro 2:4-7; Tit 1:2; 3:7
         c. Pertaining to that life with God we enter into in the age to
            come - cf. Re 21:3-7

CONCLUSION

1. From our study of the context of Ro 6:22-23, we have seen that
   eternal life is...
   a. Given to those who have been set free from sin
   b. Given to those who have become slaves to God
   c. Given to those who have the fruit of holiness
   d. Given at the end of life

2. If so, then how is eternal life called a "gift" (or "free gift")...?
   a. Because it requires the kindness, love, mercy and grace of God
      - cf. Tit 3:4-7
   b. Despite our obedience, we have not earned or merited this gift of
      eternal life

3. Do we desire to receive "God's Gift Of Eternal Life"?  Then one must
   ask...
   a. Have I been set free from sin by dying to sin in baptism?
   b. Have I become a slave to God, presenting myself as a servant of
      righteousness?
   c. Am I bearing the fruit of holiness in my life?

Let Jesus be your author (source) of eternal life as you humbly obey
Him... - cf. He 5:9; Mk 16:15-16 

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary... Put the fire back in fire rainbow

Today, an old friend of mine (Thomas Aldrich, from the mid sixties) posted this picture on facebook. Now, I know that I have posted pictures of fire rainbows before and honestly I thought I had posted this one.  But, after searching though the posts on this blog- it was nowhere to be found!!!  The thing is- I remember Thomas' comments about it; how that it was something that he had never seen before (and I hope I am quoting him correctly, when I say this) and how beautiful it was. MY FIRST THOUGHT WHEN I SAW THIS- well, I have seen this; done that.  Then, something "clicked" in me and I realized that I had lost that sense of amazement for the seer wondrous beauty of it. Then I wondered, do I feel the same way about God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and the church.  Is there a remnant of the excitement I first had when I became a Christian? Consider these three verses from the book of Psalms and ask yourself- Have I put the fire back in the fire rainbow of my faith?????

 

Psalms 51:10-12 NASB
(10)  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
(11)  Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
(12)  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

LORD, give us the capacity to see beauty both around us coupled with the understanding of what it means to be a Christian!!!  Let us look at the world with new eyes to see and new ears to hear. Help us never to be dull in our understanding of YOU or YOUR WORD!!! And let these words from the 51st Psalm echo in our lives.  And please, give us more fire when we see rainbows!!!!