Learning About The Truth About Jesus And Of Your Faith And Hope

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,

be sober, and hoped to the end for the

Grace that is to be brought unto you

at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

as obedient children, not fashioning

yourselves according to the former lusts

in your ignorance: but as He which hath

called you is holy, so be ye holy; for I

am holy.

I Peter 1: 13 -- 16

     To prepare for my blogs I take time to read the Greek and then to see how the Greek words have been translated and though often they are not in the wrong they don't always give the clear nuances of the Greek word.  For instance: the Greek word: "άναζωσάμενοι" is aorist, that means it is something that happened before although we don't know exactly what time it happened, it is a nominative word, plural, and masculine and is a participle in the middle voice, therefore a literal translation is: having girded up, and a translator for the Stéphanus Bible gives this sentence with the word "wherefore" and the King James version says, "therefore, prepare" and either case it is telling the reader that this is something that should have already taken place.  How is it that one is to gird up themselves?  Peter continues to give us the answer: prepare your minds.  How? Be sober, and the Greek uses to be perfectly hoping that you by grace will be brought into the revelation of Jesus Christ.  When will this happen?  When Jesus returns and is revealed once again as He promised that He would do.  Also, you are to be obedient children. How can we be obedient children?  You are not the fashion yourselves according to your former lusts, those lust that you had in your ignorance.  It was not that you did not know what you were doing, it was because you were ignorant in regards to Jesus Christ and your need for salvation.  Furthermore, you are to be holy as is Jesus Christ holy.

     Now, since you have come to no longer be ignorant in regards to Jesus Christ and your needed salvation so that if you have called upon the Father you have the sure hope that He has called you, and not according to any of your works, albeit by your faith you do works: i.e., spreading the gospel wherever you go, but he called out of respect a person's and judges every man according to their lives, their works, which was previously outlined for a person to do.  Peter adds it this way: "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope my the in God" (I Peter 1:17 -- 21).as Peter tells us that those things that are corruptible, both traditions, and conversations that are outside of the will of God and outside of the Scripture are not the way for you to be saved from your sins.  Salvation is simply by the grace of God who sent into this world His wisdom, which is Jesus Christ, not some created being and some teach, and it is by the blood of Jesus Christ poured out upon the cross, a sinless man without spot and blemish.  Therefore as God, and by His blood poured out on the cross, He is able to make intercession for you.  God does not work and sequential time as we do, although, we do live in sequential time, therefore it Jesus came at the proper sequential time of our lives.  God who is eternal and without time foreordained that he would send His wisdom To be the Son of God, the Only Begotten Son of God.  Let's understand the word foreordained: it means to be pre-determined, or a point before hand, in other words to be pre-destined.  God does not work by chance.  God works by and according to His will.

     Peter states that the Father will raise up Jesus Christ and several scriptures state the same thing so one must look at Scripture to see whether or not this means as according to such as Joe Holmes witnesses and Mormons that Jesus is a created being and that he could not have raised himself up to see whether or not they speak the truth.  So, let us go to Scripture and hear the words of Jesus Christ:"Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, what sign shewest thou unto us come seeing that thou doest these things?  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  Then set the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple and building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?  But He spake of the temple of His body" (John 2:18 -- 21). Jesus said that He would raise up Himself and this is exactly what the Greek states for the Greek word: "έγερω̃" means for it is in the first person singular, future, indicative and active.  There is no doubt that Jesus said that he That would raise Himself up from the dead.  How could this be if he was not God and as God's Wisdom He was of the Godhead. the Godhead is not made up of three separate gods but God singularly and as God has Wisdom and by the Holy Spirit He causes things happen.

     Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that He is God And That He as God raised Himself from the dead?  If this is true of you then your hope and faith is in God. I am not using proof scriptures to prove some theological doctrine.  I am using Scripture as it was written by a man inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the words God willed to be written. To believe anything else is to believe the gospel that is not authentic Gospel.  If you do not believe this but it is questionable whether or not you are an Authentic Christian having Authentic Christian Faith.  Take the time to examine what you believe according to Scripture.  This is the will of God.

This is what the LORD says:

     "The dead bodies of men will lie

like refuse and the open field, like

     cut grain behind the reaper, with

no one to gather them."

This is what the LORD says:

     "Let not the wise man boast of

his wisdom or the strong man boast

     of his strength or the rich man

boast of his riches, but let him who boasts

      boast about this: that he understands

and knows Me, that I am LORD, who

     exercises kindness, just as and

righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,"

     declares the LORD.

                  Jeremiah 9:23 -- 24

May your faith and hope be in God

Richard L. Crumb

 

Learning To Inquire And Search Diligently The Scriptures

...receiving the end of your faith, 

even the salvation of your souls.

Of which salvation of prophets had inquired

 and searched diligently who prophesied

of the grace that should come unto you:

searching what, or what manner of time

the Spirit of Christ was in them did

signify, when it testified beforehand

those suffering of Christ, and the glory

that should follow. 

IPeter 1: 9 -- 11

     When translating from one language to another it is important to use good grammar and this is the case when you see italic words in Scripture and as long as they do not deter him from what the original language was indicating that it is okay to use italics to make clear what others know without having those words.

     I began with verse 9 to remind us that the end of our faith is the beginning of eternal life, our salvation.  This should bring joy to our hearts even in the midst of any trial for persecution due to the exercise of our faith.

     Peter points out that the prophets search the Scriptures diligently about the grace that was to come so we can see that the Old Testament speaks of the coming of Jesus Christ.  In fact those porphets even spoke about the sufferings of Jesus Christ of also but His glory that would follow. The prophets had revealed to them but they didn't fully understand this revelation but now this revelation is unfolded so that we buy the report of the Bible writers the Gospel.  In fact, this revelation comes to us by means of the Holy Spirit that was sent down from heaven:"Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister these things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the holy ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into" (I Peter 1:12).

     It is easy, especially in the present world were as Christianity is being denigrated  to become disheartened but this also was the case when Jesus was put to death on the cross where they yet had come to fully realize that Jesus would rise again from the dead as promised. One of the narratives after the resurrection of Jesus was on the road to Emmaus where Jesus spoke with and commune with those disheartened followers.  Jesus did not immediately reveal himself until he reminded them of the witness of Moses and the prophets.  Why?  Well, first of all the scriptures were the Old Testament and as Jewish people are they are very knowledgeable about those scriptures.  Therefore, Jesus knew that they would understand his death, burial, and resurrection until they understood what the scriptures revealed about the Messiah.  Together they walked along the road to Emmaus: "He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). The resurrection of Jesus was not some sort of vision, some sort of apparition, or some transcendental experience for Jesus was alive, even ate with them, and walked with them (vv.  30 -- 31).

     The foundational tenets of Christianity is a nonnegotiable historical record, one that is available for investigation.  The evidence that will be found in this investigation is that of the eyewitness testimonies that documents the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.  But to just know the facts is not enough.  A person must come to believe (John 20: 31).  Authentic Christians have the assurance that by placing their faith in Him that they will dwell with God for ever (Psalm 23: 6).

     Even the angels desire to look into these facts for unto us these things have been directly revealed and by the ascension of Jesus into heaven the angels have come to understand the facts and reason why He was sent to Earth. We have every reason to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him: Will you do it?

As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,

     the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness and soul, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God

     in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness,

and my tongue will other no deceit.  I will never admit

     you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my

integrity.  I will maintain my righteousness and never 

    let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me

as long as I live.

                                   Job 27: 2 -- 6

May the words of Job be your words

Richard L. Crumb

     

Destroying The Element Of Self-Reliance

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now

for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness

through manifold temptations: that the trial

of your faith, being much more precious

than Gold that perisheth, though it be tried

with fire, might be found unto praise and

other and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,

though now ye see him not, yet believing,

ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

receiving the end of your faith, even the

salvation of your souls.

I Peter 1: 6 -- 9

     Temptations and trials affect every person on the face of this earth not just Christians.  The difference between Christians and non-Christians is that your faith in Jesus Christ is what is being tried in the face of manifold temptations and persecutions.  Peter states that we can rejoice during this season of our life on the face of this earth.  During these times of Temptations and persecutions and trials your faith is being tried as though it has been tried like golden that during the fire of the dross is removed.  Faith is not faith if it sees the actual reality.  A Christian has faith in the unseen but has the revelation of God revealing who He is and what He is doing to save those who have put their faith in Him and in the One He has sent.  This faith in the unseen that has its foundation in your belief founded upon Scripture as to who Jesus Christ is and what He has done brings to you unspeakable joy and fills you with glory for He has brought to you salvation.

     Salvation is not your thought!  Salvation is the thought of God!  Often people in their attempt to mitigate the pains and sorrows of trials and temptations look to experience divine solace.  The salvation of God is not an experience.  Yes, when we come to believe and convert to Jesus Christ there is an experience and it is only a gateway by which salvation comes into our conscious life.  We are in never to preach experience; yet this is what many churches do and they never seem to get around to the great thought which is salvation by God by leaving it behind in their preaching and teaching.  Preach it is not for us to proclaim that man can be saved by his own works can be saved from Gehenna and to be made moral and pure. We are to convey the good news which is the gospel about God.

     Jesus Christ taught many things and as He did so the element or judgment is always brought out.  Why?  This judgment is the sign of God's love.  How?  This judgment reads the earth of those who will never receive the gospel and convert and would not believe upon Jesus Christ. These are the ones that bring upon Christians trials, temptations, and persecutions.  It is true that as Christians we often do philanthropy to aid others in their times of trial.  We are to never sympathize with the person who finds it difficult to get to God.  Remember sympathy can be described as a person who sits down to another person who was crying and simply joins in that crying with that person.  That is of no help!  Empathy on the other hand sees that person crying and helps the person to find the answer to their times of trial.  God is not to blame as many do blame him and wonder why He doesn't act to rid the earth of all of this problem. Well, He has a time in which you will do just that but until that time rejoice for you are alive and if you believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved not for a time but for eternity.  God is not revealed to all of his plan (Jeremiah 31:31) but he has given us enough to know that he is good and keeps his promises.  We do not know it in the present their reason why things have not been handled yet by God but we are not to worry over this for God and His sovereignty has everything under control. God and his Word has given us enough truths to show us what is wrong.  Until a person comes to understand their need for salvation and that God will judge them harshly, even to their destruction eternally, the gospel will bring to them and the Spirit of God locates for each person what is needed for that person.

     Jesus Christ is God, therefore, what ever He has commanded He can and will fulfill.  If He did not He would be a liar and place upon as a barrier that mixes to have an inability to obey.  If we believe such it means that we are telling God that there is something that he has not taken into account.  Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God.  Yes, we are weak and are dependent upon God what is this that makes for the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest his power.

Many waters cannot quench love,

     neither can the floods drown it:

if a man would give up all the substance

     for love, it would utterly be condemned.

                      Solomon's Song 8: 7

God's love cannot be quenched

Richard L. Crumb