tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856693821621534902024-03-13T16:31:38.780-05:00All Wisdom's Children"Yet wisdom is justified by all her children." Luke 7:35J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-3099269465781796952022-08-07T18:23:00.002-05:002022-08-07T18:23:34.339-05:00Three Salvations<p>
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Ephesians 2:8 For by grace <b>you have been saved</b> through
faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to
those who are perishing, but <b>to us who are being saved,</b> it is
the power of God.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 Peter 1: 5 who by God's power are being guarded through
faith for<b> a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time</b>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How is it possible that Paul can at one time say we have
already been saved, at another that we are presently in the process of being
saved, and then also that we look forward to a time when we will be saved?
Protestants are particularly confused. If we are saved by grace through faith,
salvation should always be past tense for believers. How could Paul talk about
being saved or will be saved when we are saved once and for all at the moment
we receive Christ? Paul seems to be contradicting his teaching. But there is no
contradiction if the word saved is referring to something different in each of
these verses. The first clue is that in Ephesians saved is in the past tense,
in 1 Corinthians it describes present on-going salvation, and in 1 Peter it is
future saving. The different tenses should alert us that these verses refer to
three different parts of our full salvation: justification (past tense
salvation), sanctification (present continuing tense salvation), and
glorification (future tense salvation).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Justification (salvation past tense):</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Romans 10:10 For with the heart, one believes and is <b>justified</b>,
and with the mouth, one confesses and <b>is saved</b>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Romans 5:1 Therefore, since <b>we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God</b> through our Lord Jesus Christ.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We become justified when we believe and as a gift God
declares us to be just or not guilty. This salvation takes place at a point in
time, is then fully accomplished and nothing more is required. The salvation of
justification is the beginning of our life in Christ and forever is past tense
to us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Sanctification (Salvation Present Continuous)</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to
those who are perishing, but to <b>us who are being saved,</b> it is
the power of God.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Romans 6:19 For just as you once yielded your members to
impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to
righteousness for <b>sanctification</b>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This kind of salvation is a life of cooperation between a believer
and God. It happens gradually and slowly throughout our life on earth. It is
only possible if Justification has already occurred and it is the inevitable
result of Justification. If Sanctification is not occurring, it’s a sign that
you are not Justified. Numerous Scripture verses explain how we engage in the
process of Sanctification:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ephesians 4:22 Put off your old nature which belongs to your
former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed
in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new nature, created after the
likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. … 30 And do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Glorification (Salvation Future)</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hebrews 9:28 so <b>Christ</b>, having been offered once
to bear the sins of many, <b>will</b> appear a second time, not to
deal with sin but to <b>save those who are eagerly waiting for him</b>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Romans 8:6 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and
fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that <b>we
may also be glorified with him</b>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This salvation happens at the end of the age. We are saved
from God’s wrath (the second death, the lake of fire; Rev 20:11-15) to the new
heaven and earth where we live with God forever. We put off the mortal,
perishable body of flesh and blood and put on the imperishable, glorious,
powerful, spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:50-53). This kind of salvation is
done by God without any effort on our part. It happens instantly and completely
when we are changed by God from one state to another. Only those who have
already been Justified and consequently confirmed their call and election (2
Peter 1:10) by cooperating with the Spirit in the process of Sanctification
will receive this future salvation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Conclusion</b></p>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">When we understand the three facets of salvation
we can avoid confusion when reading Scripture. It can also help us avoid
accusing of legalism those who exhort us to holy living since this properly
belongs to Sanctification, not Justification. Finally, it can help us avoid the
pitfall of Cheap Grace when we understand that justification with
sanctification is a package deal and it’s impossible to have the former without
the latter.</span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-11135601316266432612022-07-21T21:46:00.002-05:002022-07-21T21:46:45.468-05:00It's Not About Us<p> A critical key to our redemption is realizing that it's about God and not about us. The church in the west struggles to appeal to people who are supremely self-absorbed. In our radically individualistic culture, people are not interested in something unless they are shown, "what's in it for me". So, we try to draw people to the church by showing the benefits of acknowledging God and participating in the church community. The danger is that some will be content with this. They may profess to be believers, but for them, it's still primarily about themselves. God brings added value to their lives and gives them a greater sense of peace. God and the church are a resource to tap into when they feel a need for something religion can supply. Others get beyond this level and become concerned for their eternal destiny. They may seem more earnest about the faith, but it is still mostly centered on themselves and their effort to avoid hell. Heaven for them becomes the hope of perfect, eternal self-indulgence: the heavenly golf course where they play endlessly in a twosome with Jesus. It was not for this kind of faith that Christ suffered unspeakable agonies on the cross. Christ came so we would put off our infantile obsession with ourselves and learn that when we become devoted to him in fervent love, we discover in His presence fullness of joy and at His right-hand pleasures forevermore. Only those who love God and live for him will know the joy and satisfaction of fulfilling the purpose for which we were made.</p>J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-28956453119180090752019-11-17T21:23:00.001-06:002019-11-17T21:23:18.569-06:00The Unexamined Life - Following The HerdIn 399 BC, the Greek philosopher Socrates was on trial - accused of a crime that carried the death penalty. To put it simply, he was charged with asking too many questions. Socrates was famous for confronting the people of Athens and peppering them with question after question. His goal was to make them reflect on the way they were living. Socrates believed it was wrong to blindly follow popular customs and beliefs. He challenged people to think carefully and deeply about fundamental questions of right and wrong. When he was warned that his incessant questions could earn him a death sentence, he defiantly declared he would never stop asking questions because the unexamined life is not worth living.
In the end, a jury found Socrates guilty and sentenced him to death. But that wasn’t the end of the story, because Socrates didn’t have to die. After his trial, he had the right to appeal to have his sentence commuted from death to exile. In spite of the fervent pleas of his many friends and supporters, he refused to make an appeal. After that, some of his loyal friends offered the jailer a bribe to allow Socrates to escape and flee from Athens. Though his friends pleaded earnestly, Socrates refused that option as well. When the day came, he willingly drank the cup of hemlock, lay down, and died. He so loved his city and was so committed to his convictions, he was prepared to die before abandoning either one.
Does Socrates’ response shock you? How many of us would rather die than live an unexamined life? Perhaps a better question is, how many of us live an examined life – one where we think carefully and deeply about what we believe, say and do? Sadly, most of us are like the people of Athens. We rarely examine our way of life and the assumptions behind it. Most of us, as we grow up, gradually acquire our beliefs and life-style from those around us. These things are to us as water is to a fish. If fish could think, I doubt they would spend much time thinking about water, and we spend little time thinking about the culture in which we live and move. Most of us simply follow our herd assuming there’s no other option. But what if the herd is leading us off a cliff? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to stop and ask some strategic questions and find out where we’re headed? What if there’s a better way? Maybe Socrates was right? Perhaps the unexamined life is not only not worth living but turns out, in the end, to be fatal.
J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-2766543881363002962015-07-08T20:14:00.002-05:002015-07-08T20:14:57.068-05:00Blessed Is The Man O how great will be the satisfaction of those who refuse to live the way most people live. How glad they will be that they carefully considered and rejected this world’s ways. What joy they will have because they weighed what passes for accepted truth and saw it for the foolish ignorance that it is. These are the ones who are drawn to God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures and love to study it daily. As they become rooted and grounded in the truth they grow upward like a strong, flourishing tree beside a stream of clear water. Like a prize fruit tree they are abundantly productive, living a life of good works that glorify their father in heaven.
Those who refuse the word of God and choose their own way will come to a bad end. They will be like a stunted scrub bush barely clinging to life in a dry, barren land. They bear no fruit and produce nothing of value. In the end they wither away to a brittle tangle of thorns blown like a tumbleweed across the desert.
This will be clearly revealed when we stand before the great throne of God’s judgment. Those who loved their Heavenly Father and obeyed him will rejoice together in Him at his right hand. Those who loved themselves and their own ways will shrink back from his left hand in loathing and terror and fall into the eternal darkness.J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-12383764150293327112014-11-24T20:39:00.002-06:002015-05-20T21:20:14.221-05:00Children, Do You Know What Your Heavenly Father Is Doing?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Is God far-off or near?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is he remote, passive, and impersonal or actively
and intimately involved in creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
scriptures answer resoundingly that the latter is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus said God personally decides when a
thing insignificant as a sparrow will die and he keeps track of exactly how
many hairs are on your head (Matthew 10:29-30).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The deist idea that God is like a watch maker who made the universe with
the ability to continue to run on its own so he could go off and do something
else is completely foreign to scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Psalm 139 is a beautiful meditation on intimate, personal care God has
for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The writer to the Hebrews says
that Jesus is continually, “..upholding the universe by his word of power”
(Hebrews 1:3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his letter to the
Ephesians Paul writes that God “is above all and through all and in all”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only has God not left the universe to run
on its own power, he is continually exerting the power of his will to hold
every atom together. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he ceased to do
so for even a moment the entire universe would utterly vanish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">God is intimately involved not just in nature but
also human affairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daniel received a
vision in which he is told, “the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives
it to whom he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men”(Daniel 4:17).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The psalmist declares that God “guides the
nations upon earth” (Psalm 67:4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Balaam tried to curse Israel, God prevented him from uttering curses and made
him pronounce blessings instead (Numbers 24).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When God was finished punishing Israel in exile, he moved Cyrus of
Persia to issue a proclamation authorizing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and
rebuild the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We also read in the Bible how king Rehoboam did not listen to the
people; for it was <u>a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord</u> that he
might fulfil his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahi′jah the Shi′lonite to
Jerobo′am the son of Nebat (1 Kings 12:15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Bible gives us a picture of God allowing people to do some things
but restraining them from doing others. It shows God moving people to act so as
to bring about his purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">David and Abigail recognized this when Abigail’s
husband Nabal returned David’s kindness with contempt and scorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Abigail heard that David and his men
were coming to avenge themselves upon Nabal, she quickly gathered a peace
offering and hurried to meet David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
they met they acknowledged that “the Lord has restrained (David) from
bloodguilt, and from taking vengeance with (his) own hand”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were confident that this was so even
though there had been no miraculous manifestations of God’s presence, no
angelic appearances or voices from heaven. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They knew these events could be explained only
by the influence and intervention of God in their own actions and decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All these things are ancient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it possible that God may still be actively
working in us and those around us and influencing the events of our lives?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, he certainly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is the same yesterday, today, and
forever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John 5:19 we read, “Jesus
said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own
accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the
Son does likewise”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus explained that
he was watching his heavenly father in every situation. After observing what
his father in heaven was doing, Jesus cooperated with his father by doing the
part assigned to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He shows us that
our heavenly father is not distant and detached but ever present and always at
work in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You may be thinking, “This is all very good and well
but what does this have to do with us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, Jesus was the Son of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surely it’s impossible for us to do the same thing he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is yes and no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was fully human in every way but his
human nature was pure and sinless. Our human natures are thoroughly warped and
twisted by sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was like Adam and
Eve before they sinned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul calls Adam
the first man and he refers to Jesus as the second man and the last Adam (1
Corinthians 15:45-47).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During his life
on earth<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus lived the way Adam was
intended to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did it perfectly in
every way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus ability to see what his
father was doing and work with him was not a divine ability but a human
ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means we can do what Jesus
did although not as easily and as well as he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our sinful natures weigh us down and keep us
from living the way we were intended to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we seek God’s grace (help), and respond to it, we can learn more and
more to see what God is doing wherever we are and work with him just like Jesus
did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
first step is to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence in everything we
do. If we don’t believe God is at work
around us or fail to look for signs of his presence we will never be able to
enter into his work. Then we should be
praying that our eyes will be opened to see what God is doing and our ears
sensitized to hear how we are to help.
The more we respond to the grace offered us the more we will fulfill these
words from the apostle Paul: Working together with him, then, we entreat you
not to accept the grace of God in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1). We most certainly can work together with God as
we respond to the grace he gives.</span><!--EndFragment-->
J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-87548261170865758962014-02-11T20:52:00.000-06:002014-02-11T20:52:32.766-06:00Hireling Or Son?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Are you a hireling or a son? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his famous sermon about the good shepherd
Jesus contrasts the good shepherd with the hireling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a wolf attacks the flock the cowardly
hireling abandons the sheep and runs for his life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However the son risks his life by running
forward and putting himself in danger between the sheep and the wolf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the two choices we have in our
relationship with the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can serve
the Lord like an employee or like a member of the family.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The employee does only what he has
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He arrives for work just before
his shift begins and clocks out as soon as the numbers on the clock turn over
at the end of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does exactly
what he’s required to do and no more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was in this same spirit that the lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t ask in sincerity wanting to truly learn
but because he served God like an employee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As an employee he wanted an detailed definition of “neighbor” so he
could fulfill the commandment exactly without doing any extra, unnecessary work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The son, on the other hand, is a
member of the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He never clocks
out and goes home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s on call all the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He works gladly because he loves
his father and his father’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
needs no job description because he considers his job to be anything that needs
to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It never enters his mind to
ask, “Who is my neighbor?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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This world is our Father’s world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything and everyone we see belongs to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our only choice is how will we live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will we live as small-minded, petty employees
continually saying, “That’s not my job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s not my neighbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m on my
break right now.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or will we live as sons
and daughters of the owner who are always gladly about our Father’s business.<o:p></o:p></div>
J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-16890941412597734752013-07-24T20:35:00.001-05:002013-07-24T20:35:51.639-05:00Eating From The Dog's Dish<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">1 Corinthians 1:2</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> “To the church of God which is
at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul
says that the members of the church at Corinth are sanctified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek word he uses here comes from
the same root word that is translated as holy or saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever you read any of these words –
sanctify, saint, holy - in their various forms, they all convey the idea of
someone or something that is separated or reserved from others to be special or
set apart for special purposes and uses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
not just the Corinthians who were sanctified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The New testament frequently uses words like holy, saint,
and sanctified to refer to all disciples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you believe in Jesus Christ you are a holy, sanctified saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means you are set apart and
reserved for special purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
are prized and particularly cherished by God and he has dedicated you for his
use and to do his service.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the days of temple worship there were bowls and other utensils that were
reserved for use in the sacrifices performed during the worship of the
Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These utensils were
sanctified and holy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have
been a great blasphemy for anyone to take one of those bowls home and use it in
his own house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These bowls could
only be used for temple worship and for no other purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
what does that mean for us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
means we are not to live in a common, ordinary way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are separated from ordinary people for a higher, special
kind of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that mean we
should not have jobs, get married, have children, own houses and do all the
other things of normal human life? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that mean we should spend our entire lives in monastery
cells praying and worshipping God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Prayer and worship are certainly good things and we should be doing them
often but all the other things listed above are good as well and are actually
God’s will for most people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> The
difference for us is the way we do those things. For example, ordinary people might tell a lie if it helps
them get what they want or avoid trouble but you would never want to lie if you
are sanctified. You are reserved
for something better and higher.
You have been set apart for truth telling. The same goes for many other ways of doing things. Ordinary people can steal, be lazy,
hold grudges, take revenge, be selfish, and similar things but sanctified
people are reserved for a special, higher way of life. When a sanctified person does one of
these common things it’s like taking a bowl from the good china, one that’s
reserved for special times when you have guests, and using it to feed the dog. You also would never think about serving
food to a guest in the dog’s dish.
In the same way we should consider it unthinkable to live like ordinary
people. Sanctified people are
reserved for better things.</span><!--EndFragment-->
J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-885669382162153490.post-53782229395241755082012-09-09T06:54:00.001-05:002012-09-09T06:54:41.858-05:00Who is Sos’thenes?
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">1 Corinthians 1:1</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> “Paul, called by the will of
God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sos'thenes”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Who
is Sos’thenes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The short answer is
we don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it’s
possible to make some informed guesses about this mystery man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first thing we can say is that
Sos’thenes is part of a very select company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are only three people whose names are mentioned by
Paul in the greetings of his letters: Timothy is mentioned six times, Silva’nus
is mentioned twice, and our man Sos’thenes is mentioned once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know quite a bit about Timothy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that Timothy was one of Paul’s
closest associates in the work of spreading the gospel and a prominent leader
in the early church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul mentions
Silva’nus several times in his letters allowing us to discover that he also was
one of Paul’s close coworkers and a preacher of the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Sos’thenes is mentioned in the
same context as these others, it’s reasonable to assume that he also was a
partner with Paul in the spreading of the gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
name Sos’thenes is also found in the book of Acts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t prove beyond all doubt that the Sos’thenes
mentioned in Acts is the same man mentioned in 1 Corinthians but there are some
good reasons to think he might be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first reason is that Sos’thenes lived in Corinth and so it makes
sense that Paul would mention his name when he writes a letter to the
Corinthian church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luke
records the story of Paul’s first visit to Corinth in Acts 18. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following his usual custom, Paul began
his work in the city by arguing in the synagogue every sabbath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had some success and persuaded both
Jews and Greeks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even “Crispus,
the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his
household; and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized”.
Eventually though a majority of the Corinthian Jews rejected Paul’s message and
“opposed and reviled him”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Paul
stopped going to the Synagogue but continued preaching in the house of a man
named Titius Justus who lived next door to the synagogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Crispus, the ruler of the
Synagogue, had gone with Paul, the members of the Synagogue elected a new
leader - Sos'thenes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Eventually</span> the Jews, lead by
Sos’thenes, made a united attack upon Paul and brought him before Gallio, the Roman
governor of that area.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The</span> governor <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">however</span> refused to even hear the case
and threw them out of the courtroom. <b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Jews were
outraged at their treatment by the governor and by the failure of their
plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wanting a scapegoat on which
to focus their anger, they started blaming their leader for this disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right there on the street, in front of
the governor’s court they </span>seized Sos'thenes, the ruler of the synagogue,
and began beating him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor
Sos’thenes was helpless against the angry mob.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the governor ignored the situation and refused to break
up the riot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Since
Sos’thenes was elected leader of the synagogue after opposition to Paul and the
gospel coalesced among the Jews, he obviously was prominent among those who
rejected the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was no
doubt an outspoken critic of Paul and determined to keep people from listening
to this man whom he considered to be a heretic and liar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He certainly was also a capable man who
attracted the respect of others since he was made the leader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
interested to note that Sos’thenes was a lot like Paul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul also had been a bitter opponent of
the gospel and a leader in the effort to stamp out the Christian message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul’s life was transformed when Jesus
appeared to him, knocked him on the ground and blinded him with the dazzling
light of his glorious presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sos’thenes
followed a similar pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
the leader of the opposition to the gospel in Corinth, and he suffered a crisis
when he was rejected and beaten by his own people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If my guess is correct, he is the one Paul refers to in his
letter who was a coworker with Paul in spreading the gospel and establishing
the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Both
Paul and Sos’thenes are case studies in the power of a crisis to transform our
lives in a good way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often know
what we ought to do but we can’t bring ourselves to do it until some crisis
provides the motivation necessary to take action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what the writer to the Hebrews meant when he wrote
about discipline:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: black;">Hebrews
12:6</span></b><span style="color: black;"> “For the Lord disciplines him whom he
loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." <b>…</b> <b>11</b> For
the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields
the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The discipline these people were
enduring was suffering at the hands of evil people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were in the midst of a crisis, but it was all part of
God’s plan for their good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
crisis does not automatically produce good in us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why the writer exhorts them not to get discouraged
and give up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suffering has the
power to make us either bitter or better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It all depends on how we respond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A certain politician recently quipped that it’s a shame to let a good
crisis go to waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s good advice
for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When hard times come our
way we should always see it as an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Sos’thenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure he didn’t feel very good after
the mob finished kicking him around on the street in Corinth, but years later
he was probably able to thank God for that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end the pain he endured was nothing compared to the eternal
weight of glory he is now enjoying forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->J Menterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02599429347762747561noreply@blogger.com0