Daily Bread - July 31, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Tuesday, 31 July 2018 10:17

Romans 6:19b - ...even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Righteousness - The Acts of Holiness (Part 2): Christ Jesus is our righteousness, Who also made us righteous (Romans 4:25, 5:16, 5:18, 8:30, 33, 3:24, 26, 28, 5:1, 9, 16; 1 Corinthians 1:30). We do not earn a status of righteousness through good deeds, but are gifted with righteousness from the first moment of salvation. Why? Because the gift of righteousness made us righteous (Romans 3:26, 5:17). Justification, which is a word that describes being made righteous, cannot be limited to a legal term, but is also ethical - for only the doers are justified (Matthew 7:24-27; James 1:22-25). Righteousness is simply a description of walking in the ways of God and doing what He does (Matthew 6:33; Titus 2:12; 1 John 3:7; Ephesians 5:1). There is no question as to the actual deeds of righteousness being absolutely required in our lives; for if we do not walk in righteousness, then we will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Romans 1:18; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Ephesians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 6:14) Once again, we were enabled to walk in this righteousness because we were born of the Holy Spirit; and with this new heart and spirit, everything about our lives is to be conformed to the ways of God - this is the New Covenant (Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:25-27; John 3:3-6; Romans 8:9, 14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Galatians 4:7; Hebrews 8:10, 10:16; 2 Peter 1:3-4)! The Lord our righteousness gave us His life so we might live in His righteousness (Galatians 3:21-22; 1 John 3:7). He gave us His Spirit so that we might be instructed and mentored in all the ways of this life. Because of God's great grace, we can now live out the life God intended when He created man in His own image and likeness (Ephesians 1:4; Titus 2:11-12). Live righteous, even as you've been made righteous! (1 John 3:7)

 

Daily Bread - July 30, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Monday, 30 July 2018 10:59

Romans 6:19b - ...even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Righteousness - The Acts of Holiness (Part 1): Holiness is the source of all righteousness, which is another way of saying that all righteousness flows from the Holy Spirit. Righteousness is the actions of a holy life. This is a bit easier to understand when we realize that all of the ways of God are taught to us and supplied to us by the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of Holiness (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9; Romans 1:4). The words used for "just," "righteous," and "justification" - 'δίκαιος,' 'δικαιοσύνη,' and 'δικαιόω' - are all translated by ֶצ ֶדק ֫ ('tzedeq'), the Hebrew word for "righteous" in the LXX (Septuagint). Fundamentally, they all mean the same thing, but are simply being used as the adjective, noun, and verb forms, respectively. All of the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the acts of righteousness. God's acts of righteousness are described as flowing from His holiness - "God who is Holy shall be shown to be holy by His righteousness" (Isaiah 5:16). He has given us His holiness, and likewise we are also shown to be holy through righteousness (Psalms 89:15-16). As servants of righteousness, we do righteousness, and are therefore righteous even as He is righteous -which is the fruit of holiness (Romans 6:19-22; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 3:7). Do righteousness, even as you've been made righteous! (1 John 3:7) Every move in the Spirit brings me closer, Every move brings me one step closer, Every move in the Spirit brings me closer, So much closer with every move! I shall hear the voice of my Beloved, It's the voice that sounds like many waters! And my eyes will behold His glory, And I will see the face of Him Who can't be seen! And I will see Him as He is for I'll be like Him, I'll behold the face of Him Who spans the ages! Every move in the Spirit brings me closer, Every move brings me one step closer, Every move in the Spirit brings me closer, So much closer with every move, So I will move with Him!

 

Daily Bread - July 28, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 28 July 2018 11:52

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 - Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Consecration (Part 2): The Hebrew language uses the passive form of the word for "holy" to express consecration. The usage of the word then reveals that, once someone is made holy they are to be dedicated by a covenant oath to remain in that holiness. Once a person or thing is so consecrated, it is never to be used for anything other than that for which it was dedicated. The consecrated person must therefore be devoted to whatever they were consecrated to. This is the message of the New Testament! For now that we have been created anew in Christ Jesus, we are to be devoted to living by Him. He is our life, and that life is an abundant life that should be beyond all that we could ever desire! We are not consecrated to some terrible ascetic lifestyle, but rather consecrated to exploring all the splendors of eternal life. We are dead and our life is hid in Christ by the covenant He made through His own blood, so that we can experience the life of God to the full. This is not a consecration to have something less than the joys and pleasures offered by the world, but rather that which is higher, beyond all comparison! (2 Corinthians 5:14-17, 13:4-5; Luke 4:4; John 6:33-58, 10:10; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-4; Romans 6:8-11, 14:17; 1 Peter 1:8; Psalms 34:8) Oh, taste and see that Lord is good! (Psalms 34:8)

 

Daily Bread - July 27, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Friday, 27 July 2018 09:06

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 - Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Consecration (Part 1): We are to be consecrated to the holiness we have been given. We are to vow ourselves to keep the covenant, which is the covenant of a new life in Christ Jesus. This is our sanctification, which is an obedient response to having been sanctified by God. There are two Greek words that are translated as "consecration" in the King James Version of the Bible. One of those words is 'τετελειωμένον,' which means " finished," "complete," or "perfect" (Hebrews 7:28). This may be understood as completing a service, activity or action. God has given us this gift of life, and we are to be committed to walking it out and living what He has provided for us. The other word is 'ἐνεκαίνισεν,' a word that means "to ratify," "dedicate," or "bring about a new beginning" (Hebrews 9:18, 10:20). Our consecration to God is to be a dedication to all that has been supplied; and if we are unwilling, then we are blind and have forgotten that we were purged from our sins (2 Peter 1:9). Even as the Hebrew counterpart, 'hānak,' indicates, we have been given a new beginning and must be dedicated to living and walking in the newness of life that has been supplied to us (1 Samuel 11:14; Romans 6:4) Dedicate yourself to this new life in Jesus! (Romans 6:4)

 

Daily Bread - July 26, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Thursday, 26 July 2018 10:19

Ephesians 5:11 - And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Called To Be Separate (Part 2): The cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of the world must be seen to be a threat against the type of life God has purposed for us to live. We must not entangle ourselves with the affairs of this life so that we might please the Lord (2 Timothy 2:4). We have to realize that our affections are to be placed upon the things of Heaven, not on this Earth (Colossians 3:1-3). We are to live our lives as strangers and pilgrims, having no attachment to that which is earthly, natural, and carnal (1 Peter 2:11). The enticements that come by our attention being captured by the entanglements of the affairs of this life will result in there being little to no fruit of the Heavenly realm in our lives. We are to have no fellowship or friendship with the world and its works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11; James 4:4). The Lord also demands that we have no fellowship with those who call themselves Christians, but who live in any form of sin: fornication, covetousness, idolatry, accusation, drunkenness, and all other works of iniquity (1 Corinthians 5:11; Ephesians 5:3-5; 2 John 1:10). We should see ourselves as crucified to the world and cut off from sin, but joined unto the Lord (Galatians 6:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:17). We are not of the world, even as Christ Jesus was not of the world (John 15:19, 17:14, 16, 18:36). The forbidden association with the world, and the call to be separate from it, could not be emphasized in greater terms than to say how friendship with the world is an act of hostility against God (James 4:4). Come out from among them! (2 Corinthians 6:17) Pastor Mark Spitsbergen Every move in the Spirit brings me closer, Every move brings me one step closer, And I will see Him as He is for I'll be like Him, I'll behold the face of Him Who spans the ages, Every move in the Spirit brings me closer, So much closer with every move- I will move with Him!