Daily Bread - July 7, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 07 July 2018 09:26

1 Corinthians 1:2 - Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are made holy in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Sanctification (Part 2): The Scripture makes it abundantly clear how we become sanctified and how to live in that sanctification. Christ Jesus died that He might sanctify those who would put their trust in Him (Hebrews 13:12). The price of our sanctification was paid for by Christ Jesus, and He is the One Who sanctified us. When we choose the salvation He has supplied, we enter into the full benefits of the redemption He has purchased. Once again, there is probably no way to more radically state the impact of that sanctification than to say we were made one with God (Hebrews 2:11; John 17:22- 23). This oneness with Christ Jesus was made possible because everything that separated us from God was removed by His blood. As much as Jesus was our redemption, He also became our justification and sanctification, which were all completed when we were born again (1 Corinthians 1:30, 6:11). We were both sanctified (made holy) and justified (made righteous) in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11). As a result, we may at the moment we are born again, say that we are holy and called to be holy (1 Corinthians 1:2). Acknowledge every good thing Christ Jesus has supplied for you! (Philemon 1:6)

 

Daily Bread - July 4, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Wednesday, 04 July 2018 10:03

1 Corinthians 1:2 - Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are made holy in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Sanctification (Part 1): The exact meaning of the word "sanctification" is "holiness" (ἁγιασμός), and to be sanctified (ἁγιάζω) is to be made holy. The moment that something belongs to God, it is qualified as sanctified, or having been made holy; and once it is made holy, it must remain in sanctification, or holiness (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23; Ephesians 1:14). Living, or walking, in holiness is the same as walking in the Spirit; and as many as walk in the Spirit, they are the children of God (Romans 8:14). Many may describe sanctification as a process of becoming holy; but in reality, the only process taking place is maturing in the holiness that was given to us. This is far more than just semantics -it is agreeing with God's Word so that the miracle of faith can be realized. It is believing what God has done for us, and receiving that which He has abundantly supplied with the resulting miracle of change. Good deeds, obedience to God's Word, and all other things that a person might do could never result in earning the holiness of God. Rather, as we have said before, holiness is the free gift of salvation brought to us through the new birth. Having been made holy, we are now divinely enabled by holiness to grow and mature in holiness (Ephesians 4:11-23, 5:1-21; 1 Peter 1:13-16, 2:1-3; 2 Peter 3:18). Acknowledge the holiness Christ Jesus has given you! (Philemon 1:6)

 

Daily Bread - July 3, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Tuesday, 03 July 2018 09:59

1 Peter 1:14-16 - As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be holy; for I am holy New Testament Holiness (Part 5): God has made those belonging to the New Covenant a royal priesthood who find their existence in the Great High Priest, Christ Jesus (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6). The high priest was most holy, but Christ Jesus is greater, and our priesthood is found in Him. Christ Jesus is a Priest greater than all other priests. Furthermore, Christ Jesus’s ministry as High Priest dealt directly with the heavenly holy of holies, instead of the place that was only a foreshadowing of the heavenly (Hebrews 9:24). The priestly ministry included all those things pertaining to all that was most holy in the tabernacle (Exodus 30:29, 36, Leviticus 2:3, 10, Numbers 4:4, 19, 18:19). The amazing thing is that our lives in Christ Jesus are to express every dimension of the most holy, not only the priesthood and the ministry, but the tabernacle and all that was in it. Our lives, as the tabernacles and dwelling places of God, were represented by both the holy place and the holy of holies where the ark dwelt. To be classified as being both the tabernacle and the dwelling place of God applies the sanctity of both places that existed within the tabernacle. The New Testament classifies every person that has entered into the covenant as a “holy one” (1 Corinthians 1:2). This holiness comes from more than just an impartation because the new birth is classified as a reproduction of Christ Jesus in the believer (Galatians 1:16, 4:9, Colossians 1:27, John 12:24, Ephesians 2:10). Through Christ Jesus, we have been born of the seed of God, of His Spirit, and of His Word, all of which must be classified as most holy (John 3:3-8, Galatians 4:9, 1 Peter 1:23). What settles the classification, even more, is that the New Testament saint has received of all God’s fullness and has access to all of the fullness of God (John 1:16, Ephesians 3:19). Of course, each person in the New Covenant must be willing to grow and develop into all that God has made available. However, if we had not been given His holiness as a gift, we would be unable to mature in His holiness - keeping in mind that the holiness of God is something far greater than anyone could ever earn or be deserving of. Each person, having been made holy and given the right to grow and mature in all of the holiness of God, must be willing to perfect holiness in the fear of God by remaining pure from all the filthiness of the flesh and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1). Because we are sons, will see Him as He is, and shall be like Him, we will purify ourselves even as He is pure (1 John 3:1-3). Be Blessed, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

 

Daily Bread - July 2, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Monday, 02 July 2018 07:31

1 Peter 1:14-16 - As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be holy; for I am holy. New Testament Holiness (Part 4): Once again, we must define the holiness that is described in the New Testament as something that goes beyond the holiness that was available since the time that Adam lost his holiness in the garden. Therefore Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied that the covenant people of God would be able to live their lives in righteousness and true holiness in a way that was not available before (Luke 1:75). Likewise, Paul described the new birth foretold by the prophets as being recreated in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). This righteousness and true holiness would come only as a result of being born again (John 3:3-6). The gift of the new birth placed us in Christ Jesus and made us one with God so that God might fully live His life of holiness through us (John 6:57, 14:20, 17:21-23, 1 John 2:6). Christ Jesus, as the Redeemer and Sanctifier, did this all by one act of grace (1 Corinthians 1:30). He Who is holy has made us holy by imparting His life into us (Hebrews 2:11). The work of redemption fulfilled the promise that God spoke by His holy prophets - the day when men would receive a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26). Being born of the Holy Spirit, we received His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). When the Holy Spirit came to reside in us, we were empowered to keep the laws and judgments of God by nature (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10, 10:16, Romans 8:4, 14-16). God made every new covenant child “most holy,” not only because we have all received the Holy Spirit, but because we are His dwelling place (1 Corinthians 6:17-19, Galatians 5:25). He has made those who have entered the covenant through the new birth His tabernacle, the most holy place where He dwells (John 14:23, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:14, 2 Corinthians 6:18, Psalm 46:4, Exodus 26:33-34, Numbers 4:19). When His Spirit was imparted to us, our spirit became one with His Spirit in a perfect union (1 Corinthians 6:17). In fact, the Greek word ‘κολλώμενος’ refers to that which is bound indissolubly (John 17:23, 1 Corinthians 6:17-20, Ephesians 5:30, Romans 8:9). Be Blessed, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

 

Daily Bread - June 30, 2018

Written by Pastor Mark Spitsbergen

Saturday, 30 June 2018 07:22

1 Peter 1:14-16 - As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be holy; for I am holy. New Testament Holiness (Part 3): There is nothing that could possibly define holiness more than the Holy Spirit coming to dwell with and in those who are born again (John 14:17, Romans 8:14-16). Although the Spirit of Jehovah is mentioned many times in the Scripture, there is something unique about what God did when He sent the person of the Holy Spirit. He was sent from the Father by the request of Jesus. Prior to the Father sending the Holy Spirit, He was not available to men as He is now (John 7:39, 15:26, 16:7, Luke 11:13, Acts 2:38, 10:47-48). Of course, we know that there were a few exceptions. We know that God gave His Holy Spirit to Moses and David as examples of those who had received this special grace of God (Isaiah 63:11, Psalm 51:11). However, we also know that they did not receive Him in the unlimited way that He has been given now. There were those who did great things and interacted in amazingly intimate ways with God by the power of the Holy Spirit, but God did a new thing: through the finished work of redemption, men would become the tabernacle and dwelling place of the living God (John 14:23, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:15, 2 Corinthians 6:17). The Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh, without limitation (John 7:38-39, Acts 2:16-18, Matthew 3:11). The Holy Spirit would come to be our personal guide, instructor, and teacher. Just as Jesus had taught, led, and mentored His disciples, the Holy Spirit would come with an even greater capacity to lead and mentor us. God the Holy Spirit would be in us and with us, to perfect everything that concerns us (John 16:7, Romans 8:24, Ephesians 4:11-13). The Apostle Paul defined this salvation and intimacy with God that had never been available before as “the washing of the waters of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Be Blessed, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen