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Positive Words Newsletter#75/ 10th March 2004
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He Became For Us
Here's another powerful prophetic word about you as given to the apostle Paul. "But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30 NKJV).
"But out from Him [by His agency and power]..." is the critical starting point in this amazing verse. Everything starts and ends with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It never starts with us -- not even with our believing, our abilities, our philosophy. It is all by His mercy and grace. Never let us forget that! "You [the Christians addressed in verse 2] are in Christ Jesus". It is God Who has placed you in Christ Jesus, not your works but simply your faith in Christ's work. In Christ Jesus -- this powerful position, the sphere in which God sees us -- is the key to understanding the Pauline revelation. If we do not acknowledge where God has placed us, we are really not acknowledging the full redemptive work of Christ's death, burial, resurrection and ascension. "You are in Christ Jesus", so believe it and enjoy the benefits that flow from it.
Christ Jesus "became for us wisdom from God". Colossians 2:2-3 teaches that "In whom [Christ] are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Again we are brought back to what is the center of our lives, Christ... "Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:11). One has written, "He is to us the source of wisdom; it is by him that we are made wise."
This wisdom is about three great truths Paul had covered in detail in his letter to the Romans. God's kind of "righteousness" is detailed in Romans 1:7, "sanctification" or holiness in Romans 6:19, and "redemption" in Romans 3:24. Look up these verses and profit from them. As the old hymn by Charles P. Jones so wonderfully declares:
Jesus Christ is made to me, all I need, all I need;
He alone is all my plea, He is all I need.
Wisdom, righteousness and power, holiness for evermore;
My redemption full and sure, He is all I need.
He redeemed me when He died, all I need, all I need;
I with Him am crucified, He is all I need.
He's the treasure of my soul, all I need, all I need;
He has cleansed and made me whole, He is all I need.
Glory, glory to the Lamb, all I need, all I need;
By His Spirit sealed I am, He is all I need.
Perhaps you can see why I love some of the old hymns of the church, especially when the reinforce the truth of who we really are in Christ.
We should really read on see the response expected as a result of the finished truth of verse 30. "That, as it is written, 'He that glories, let him glory in the Lord" (verse 31). -- Peter Wade.
Insights From Every Chapter Of The Bible
G. Campbell Morgan was a well-known preacher and writer of over 60 books from the first half of the 20th century. In each issue of this newsletter he gives a comment from one verse in every chapter of the Bible. We continue with Paul's Roman letter.
"Love therefore is the fulfilment of the law" (Romans 13:10).
Here again is a simple statement of a most profound truth, and its apprehension will correct many mistakes. Man is at least inclined to think of law and love as being antagonistic. We have heard John's words, "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ," so recited as to give the impression that there was radical difference between them. Indeed, over and over again a "but" is introduced between the two parts of the one declaration.
There is no difference. The only distinction is that law tells us what to do, and grace enables us to do it. Thus not only is there no antagonism between love and law, there is no separation between them. Law is an expression of love. To understand that, is to realize that love is also the fulfilling of law. Paul's method of showing this is most simple and most conclusive. It is impossible to sin against our fellowmen if we love them or we may say that every sin we commit against them is due to some cooling or failure of love. Love is the most vigilant and severe sentinel of all our actions. It is the only motive strong enough to make us true under all circumstances and at all times. Fear will carry us far, but under stress of fierce temptation it will break down. Love will carry us all the way, and leave us still desiring better things than we have ever attained.
Web Site News
We have had a huge response from many countries of the world to our offer of a free teaching CD. This has been made possible by the generosity of some believers who want to share these great truths. We are concluding this offer on 31st March.
Also during March we are featuring the book "The Dynamics of Renewing the Mind" for a gift of any amount. See the web site for details of these two offers.
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(c)
2004 Peter Wade
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