If A Man Is Of Christ
2011-02-18 21:51
If I am of Christ, everything that belongs to me is of Christ. If I keep back part of my property, I lie to Christ and will be subject to judgment of the second death on the day, though I say that I am of Christ.
It is written, "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.' When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened." (Acts 5:1-5).
Among all things that God gave to a man, his body is most precious. His body is his only life: He breathes through his nose during his lifetime, and when he breathes his last, he dies. It is written, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
Such a precious body is not from a man, nor was it created by a man. Everything in heaven and earth was created by God and belongs to Him. It is written, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10).
Therefore, it is written, "and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." (1 Corinthians 3:23). and again, "for, 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.'" (1 Corinthians 10:26).
Therefore, the Bible says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Everyone in this world is like a ignorant prodigal son who made some of God's property his own and left God and lives his life in a far country, that is, the world. And Everyone is like Gomer, the adulterous wife of Hosea, who left Hosea and lived her adulterous life again.
However, because God is love and is good and his love endures forever, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, bought us at the price of his precious blood, and made us His. This is the eternal gospel and the eternal salvation through Christ.
The eternal gospel is of everyone, but the salvation through Christ, that is, being in God is not for everyone. Therefore, it is written, "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). And also, "And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith." (2 Thessalonians 3:2).
Therefore, the prophet said beforehand, "'In the whole land,' declares the LORD, 'two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, They are my people, and they will say, The LORD is our God.'" (Zecharia 13:8-9).
"In the whole land, two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it." Only one-third will be in God forever. The meaning is important, not the number itself. It is written, "This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people', and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"
Therefore, the Lord Jesus who is of God before all things said, "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them." (John 17:6-10). Amen. Thank you, Lord.
It is written, "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.' When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened." (Acts 5:1-5).
Among all things that God gave to a man, his body is most precious. His body is his only life: He breathes through his nose during his lifetime, and when he breathes his last, he dies. It is written, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
Such a precious body is not from a man, nor was it created by a man. Everything in heaven and earth was created by God and belongs to Him. It is written, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10).
Therefore, it is written, "and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." (1 Corinthians 3:23). and again, "for, 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.'" (1 Corinthians 10:26).
Therefore, the Bible says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Everyone in this world is like a ignorant prodigal son who made some of God's property his own and left God and lives his life in a far country, that is, the world. And Everyone is like Gomer, the adulterous wife of Hosea, who left Hosea and lived her adulterous life again.
However, because God is love and is good and his love endures forever, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, bought us at the price of his precious blood, and made us His. This is the eternal gospel and the eternal salvation through Christ.
The eternal gospel is of everyone, but the salvation through Christ, that is, being in God is not for everyone. Therefore, it is written, "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). And also, "And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith." (2 Thessalonians 3:2).
Therefore, the prophet said beforehand, "'In the whole land,' declares the LORD, 'two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, They are my people, and they will say, The LORD is our God.'" (Zecharia 13:8-9).
"In the whole land, two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it." Only one-third will be in God forever. The meaning is important, not the number itself. It is written, "This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people', and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"
Therefore, the Lord Jesus who is of God before all things said, "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them." (John 17:6-10). Amen. Thank you, Lord.
