To “save ourselves from this crooked and perverse generation."
What it means to “save ourselves from this crooked and perverse generation."
In an epistle of Joy and encouragement in the midst of adverse circumstances, Paul encouraged the church in Philippi[i]. As we too are in trying times, we can take encouragement from Paul in His words in Philippians 2:12-16[ii] , to save ourselves “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.”
Let’s examine the themes of this scripture and be encouraged:
“ 12Therefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. “
Verse 12 follows the theme that Jesus laid out when he said to go forth and “make disciples.” After conversion the process of discipleship is a long, but highly rewarding adventure (see my article on discipleship[iii]). Two things happen when you “work out your own salvation” through a thorough process of discipleship:
1) You develop a close relationship with your Creator and begin to understand His sheer awesomeness. You look around the universe that is estimated to be 165 billion light years[iv] across, and tremble in awe. You plumb the depths of the error correcting, information encoded, DNA structure and its expression in our chromosomes and thence our amazing bodies and minds[v] and you bow in wonder at this Creator.
2) You develop a close relationship to His Word and begin to understand His sheer awesomeness. You see that it is 66 books, penned by 40 people[vi], yet is a message from outside our spacetime. You note Biblical Cryptography, literal micro-codes and macrocodes weaved like a platinum braid through the vista of the scriptures and you tremble at a God who can intervene through higher dimensions.
13For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
A good friend of mine recently expressed sadness to me as he surmised that the greatest works these days are being done by means of legalism. Great works need to be done, but as Christians, we should be so close to God that we do no works. Rather great works , deeds, and acts are done through us; the Holy Spirit working in us the pleasure of God. Such works are freeing and beautiful and are done when we let go.
14Do all things without murmuring and disputing,
We often get in the way. A major church near where I live recently lost their lead pastor. He abruptly quit because of the way the board was hindering his efforts. Doing so threw the whole region into chaos. I grieved because many people went to Hell over this, turned off by Christianity, by religion and by the murmurs, and disputes that erupted as the result of a handful of people.
As we draw near to God, the desires of the flesh become less urgent. We can rely on the strength of God to avoid being “of Apollos” or “of Paul.” We can avoid the murmurs and disputes that destroy. Rather we can lift each other up.
15that ye may be blameless and unoffending, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world,
So if we draw near to God, descipling ourselves to Yeshua HaMashiach, becoming his “Talmudim,” we will fear and tremble in great joy, before His works and in His presence. Being there will help us avoid disputes and murmurs. In the midst of a generation that venerates the massacre of the pre born, the murder of infants, and the killing of the elderly and infirm; in a generation that promotes homosexual, pedophilic, and bestial, “lifestyles,” yet eschews anything Christian; in a generation that denies the existence of God, yet promotes paganism, Islam, and the religion of Evolution, in this generation of deepening darkness, we can stand out as lights – and stand out we do. Increasingly as the world veers toward Sodom, true Jesus Followers will become obvious, true believers will shine.
16holding forth the Word of Life, that I may rejoice in the Day of Christ that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.
What rejoicing there will be, as those who have held fast to His Word, come before Him and hear, “well done good and faithful servant[vii]” This, the ultimate expression of what it means to save ourselves from this crooked and perverse generation.
Praise Him!
[i] http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=814
[ii] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202:12-16&version=48
[iii] http://keloki-christian.blogspot.com/2006/10/what-it-means-to-be-disciple.html
[iv] http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_040524.html
[v] http://www.kurzweilai.net/mindx/frame.html?main=/mindx/show_thread.php?rootID%3D68799
[vi] http://www.khouse.org/6640_cat/
[vii] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=19&verse=17&version=48&context=verse
In an epistle of Joy and encouragement in the midst of adverse circumstances, Paul encouraged the church in Philippi[i]. As we too are in trying times, we can take encouragement from Paul in His words in Philippians 2:12-16[ii] , to save ourselves “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.”
Let’s examine the themes of this scripture and be encouraged:
“ 12Therefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. “
Verse 12 follows the theme that Jesus laid out when he said to go forth and “make disciples.” After conversion the process of discipleship is a long, but highly rewarding adventure (see my article on discipleship[iii]). Two things happen when you “work out your own salvation” through a thorough process of discipleship:
1) You develop a close relationship with your Creator and begin to understand His sheer awesomeness. You look around the universe that is estimated to be 165 billion light years[iv] across, and tremble in awe. You plumb the depths of the error correcting, information encoded, DNA structure and its expression in our chromosomes and thence our amazing bodies and minds[v] and you bow in wonder at this Creator.
2) You develop a close relationship to His Word and begin to understand His sheer awesomeness. You see that it is 66 books, penned by 40 people[vi], yet is a message from outside our spacetime. You note Biblical Cryptography, literal micro-codes and macrocodes weaved like a platinum braid through the vista of the scriptures and you tremble at a God who can intervene through higher dimensions.
13For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
A good friend of mine recently expressed sadness to me as he surmised that the greatest works these days are being done by means of legalism. Great works need to be done, but as Christians, we should be so close to God that we do no works. Rather great works , deeds, and acts are done through us; the Holy Spirit working in us the pleasure of God. Such works are freeing and beautiful and are done when we let go.
14Do all things without murmuring and disputing,
We often get in the way. A major church near where I live recently lost their lead pastor. He abruptly quit because of the way the board was hindering his efforts. Doing so threw the whole region into chaos. I grieved because many people went to Hell over this, turned off by Christianity, by religion and by the murmurs, and disputes that erupted as the result of a handful of people.
As we draw near to God, the desires of the flesh become less urgent. We can rely on the strength of God to avoid being “of Apollos” or “of Paul.” We can avoid the murmurs and disputes that destroy. Rather we can lift each other up.
15that ye may be blameless and unoffending, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world,
So if we draw near to God, descipling ourselves to Yeshua HaMashiach, becoming his “Talmudim,” we will fear and tremble in great joy, before His works and in His presence. Being there will help us avoid disputes and murmurs. In the midst of a generation that venerates the massacre of the pre born, the murder of infants, and the killing of the elderly and infirm; in a generation that promotes homosexual, pedophilic, and bestial, “lifestyles,” yet eschews anything Christian; in a generation that denies the existence of God, yet promotes paganism, Islam, and the religion of Evolution, in this generation of deepening darkness, we can stand out as lights – and stand out we do. Increasingly as the world veers toward Sodom, true Jesus Followers will become obvious, true believers will shine.
16holding forth the Word of Life, that I may rejoice in the Day of Christ that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.
What rejoicing there will be, as those who have held fast to His Word, come before Him and hear, “well done good and faithful servant[vii]” This, the ultimate expression of what it means to save ourselves from this crooked and perverse generation.
Praise Him!
[i] http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=814
[ii] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202:12-16&version=48
[iii] http://keloki-christian.blogspot.com/2006/10/what-it-means-to-be-disciple.html
[iv] http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_040524.html
[v] http://www.kurzweilai.net/mindx/frame.html?main=/mindx/show_thread.php?rootID%3D68799
[vi] http://www.khouse.org/6640_cat/
[vii] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=19&verse=17&version=48&context=verse
posted by Keloki at 10:58 PM
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