SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/26/2019 7:59 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-3 “The Preaching of the Mystery”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
3:7-9
Message of the verses: “7 of which I was
made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me
according to the working of His power. 8
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to
the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the
administration of the
mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;”
As
Paul talks about the ministry that God had given to him by “the gift of God’s
grace. To me, the very least of all the
saints” and he goes on to say, “this grace was given.” John MacArthur comments on the term “very
least” as he writes “The term ‘very least’ is a comparative, indicating less than the least. That was not mock humility but his honest
assessment of himself. Because he had
such an unusually clear comprehension of God’s righteousness, he also had an
unusually clear understand of how far short he himself fell on that
righteousness. Paul claimed no second
work of grace by which he was perfected in holiness, love, or anything else. To the end of his life he considered himself
the foremost of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15) and was overwhelmed by his sense of
unworthiness. That attitude does not limit a man’s service but
rather is the key to his usefulness (cf. Gideon in Judges 6:15-16 and Isaiah in
Isa. 6:1-9).”
Paul
was given this grace from God in order “to preach to the Gentiles the
unfathomable riches of Christ.” This
includes all His truths and all His blessings, and all that He is and has. It is the job of Pastors to teach believers
all that they have in Christ so they can understand the riches that they have
in Christ. We may not be rich in earthly
things but all believers are rich in Christ and that is what matters. John MacArthur writes “We have riches beyond
measure in the One of whom it was said ‘in whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge’ (Col. 2:3) and in the One in whom we have ‘everything
pertaining to life and godliness’ (2 Peter. 1:3).”
Here
is a partial list of these riches: 1) “Or
do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience,
not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 2) Rom. 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable
His ways!” 3) Eph. 2:4 “But God, being
rich in mercy, because of
His great love with which He loved us.”
4) “Eph. 3:16 “that He would
grant you, according to the
riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in
the inner man.” 5) 1 Tim. 6:17 “Instruct
those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their
hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to
enjoy.” 6) Col. 2:2 “that their
hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining
to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true
knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself.” 7)
Col. 3:16 “Let the
word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.” 8)
Hebrews 11:26 “considering
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for
he was looking to the reward.” 9) Col.
2:10 “and in Him you have
been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.”
In
this final paragraph of this SD I will quote from John MacArthur as he gives
his readers a warning:
“Simply knowing about the
‘riches of Christ’ is not enough, however.
When we fall into sin and disobedience we forfeit the present blessing
of those riches, just as did the fleshly, disobedient Corinthian
believers. ‘You are already filled, ‘Paul
told them sarcastically. ‘You have
already become rich, you have become kings without us; and I would indeed that
you have become kings so that we also might reign with you’ (1 Cor. 4:8). Like the Laodiceans, they thought they were
rich and in need of nothing, not realizing that they were really ‘wretched and
miserable and poor and blind and naked’ (Rev. 3:17).”
Our
next SD will be very short as I usually do not write much on Sunday’s as I have
many things to do to get ready to teach my Sunday school class, so I caution
you it will be very short.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Having a perspective on the riches that I
have in Christ, at times, is overwhelming to me as it is hard to believe that I
am that rich in Christ.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I trust that
the Lord will give me greater insight into the riches that I have in Christ.
Today’s quote from Thomas Carlyle: “Silence is the element in which great things
fashion themselves.”
I will give the Scripture associated to
this quote in our next SD.
1/26/2019 8:40 AM
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