Continued from “Participating in the Divine Nature (Part 1)” “…he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4). The phrase “participating in the divine nature” can seem a little inaccessible. What…
Category: The Gospel
Let Freedom Ring!
“Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1, HCSB) Slavery? To what? What is Paul talking about? Other verses in Galatians show us slavery is a performance-based relationship with God. In other words, like slaves, we have a place in God’s household…
Harvest and Completion (Tabernacles Part 3)
Tabernacles, we mentioned, celebrated the maturing and harvesting of the whole crop. Often, the idea of harvest is associated with evangelism, “reaping” souls for the kingdom of God. But evangelism is probably more like scattering seed and conversion like seed sprouting. No one harvests seeds or sprouts. Only mature plants bearing grain or fruit are…
Beyond Eden (The Day of Atonement Part 3)
After the fall, man was sent out of Eden, away from God’s presence. God posted cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life (Gen. 3:23). Cherubim were also embroidered into the veil barring the way to the Most Holy Place in the tent of meeting (Ex. 26:31). Christ (as…
Two Goats (The Day of Atonement Part 2)
Of the offerings made on the Day of Atonement, the most significant was the sin offering. Leviticus 16:5 says the high priest was “to take from the Israelite community two male goats for a sin offering….” Note that both goats constituted a single sin offering. Lots were cast for the goats: “one lot for the…
Trumpets
On the first day of the seventh month, the Israelites were to “have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Lev. 23:24). The purpose of this commemoration isn’t entirely clear. Unlike the preceding feasts, Trumpets isn’t associated with the history of the exodus or with Israel’s agricultural seasons. Other than instructions about…
Do This in Memory of Me
Memorial Day is a time each year when Americans remember those who have died while serving their country in the military. It is a time of reflecting on the ultimate sacrifice some have made to ensure the prosperity and safety of others. Since Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, it results…
Put to Death…
Sketch by Patrick Murphy: http://inspiredsketch.blogspot.com/ When Paul says, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature,” he assumes that “you died,” and also, “you died with Christ” (Col. 2:20; 3:3, 5). We cannot put to death unless we are already dead. Paul is not giving a command with the expectation that we fulfill it. …
Broken Roots
“For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Not only is our life hidden with Christ, but the life spoken of here is zoe, divine life, the life Christ is. “Your life” is not you. The life that is ours is of another kind. Genesis chapter one tells us…
If You’re Not Angry, You’re Not Paying Attention
I remember it clearly: I told God I hated Him. I was in my second year at a discipleship/ministry training school. Leading up to this, the Spirit was showing me Christ’s self-giving nature in a depth I had never known. (These words— “Christ’s self-giving nature”—seem like stupid, clumsy props when it comes to conveying their…
The Voice of One 