WordSword

“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing people unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb 2:10, 11). This verse tells both how God’s grace has extended to us; and what became this God to do, in bringing many to glory, into His very presence Who dwelleth in light unapproachable? He was to bring them to glory. Therefore, He must go where they were, and become one with them as to their guilt (Not guilty Himself of course or He could not be the Sacrifice—NC), which He must bear; and become sin on their behalf (become like sin but not sin itself, i.e. “likeness of sin” Rom 8:3). So bringing many children unto glory would involve sufferings—the most terrible of all, to be forsaken of His Father—made a curse for us (sacrificed for the curse but without imputed sin - Gal 3:13—NC)! Nothing else could “become” God as regarding our sin and our sinful state (possessing the old man is sin’s source—NC). 1. It became His being, as God. It was into God’s presence we were to be brought (Heb 4:14, 16). 2. It became His holiness: with an infinite abhorrence He hated sin (Psa 97:10; Pro 8:13). 3. It became His righteousness: He must deal righteously in bringing others to glory (Jhn 17:22). 4. It became the God Whose name is Love (1Jo 4:8) to do this amazing thing—bring to glory many people. Only a God of Love would want us There. 5. It became His wisdom, “of Whom are all things and for Whom are all things” (Heb 2:10). He sees the eternities and has planned for them as it became Him. 6. It became His Lordship over all things (Phl 2:9-11). Knowing all things about all creatures, He could place them all where He would. God chose to place first those redeemed by His Son (Christians are second to the Trinity and are more important than the angels, man being the sole creature in God’s image—NC). 7. It became the Father because the Lord Jesus’ obedience unto death revealed God for all ages. He is worthy to be obeyed, said His Son, even into forsaking, anguish and death! Finally, the Father infinitely loves His Son, the “Captain” of these people. Thus it became Him to plan for that Son a path of sufferings untold and unutterable, in walking in which day by day that Son’s fidelity to God His Father became manifest to all eternity; and God will forever remember the Son’s sufferings, as if they were but yesterday. Thus, it became God to make the Leader of our “salvation perfect through sufferings” (Heb 2:10), and remember, if we suffer with Him, it is because we are redeemed by His sufferings and sacrifice. Satan hates redeemed ones, those trusting Christ’s one offering (Heb 10:10). So he makes them suffer, whether by temptation to doubt the Savior’s sacrifice; or be calling attention to their weak faith, or inconsistent walk (1Jo 2:6). The Lord Jesus accepted work on the Cross (accepted of the Father - 2Co 6:18), and not our grasp of it, is the question! We know that the Father has accepted His Son’s sacrifice (Matthew 3:17), because He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in glory! It became God . . . “to make Him perfect through sufferings.” It behooved Christ to suffer, and to “rise again from the dead.” The very foundation of the Gospel appears in this word, it became God! It became Him to judge sin; it became Him to give His own Son to bear sin (the Father could have come instead of the Word, but the Father wanted it to be the greatest sacrifice of all—NC). It became Him to lay before that Son a path “even unto death” (Mat 26:38).While we now “behold . . . Jesus crowned with glory and honor” (Psa 8:5; Heb 2:9), let us not only see His present place as God’s reward to Him for His path of obedience, but also regard His path of suffering thereto, as the only path which could become a holy God! —William R Newell (1865-1956) MJS daily devotional excerpt for June 5: Circumstantial Evidence The Spirit convicts us of sins that we may be convinced of God’s cleansing. We do not deserve to be forgiven, but the Lord Jesus deserves to be trusted. –MJS (we deserve God’s forgiveness after rebirth-NC) “We find the greatest difficulty often in bringing our sorrow to God. How can I do so, some may be saying, as my sorrow is the fruit of my sin? How can I take it to God? If it was suffering for righteousness’ sake, then I would, but I am suffering for my sin; and can I, in the integrity of my heart towards God, take my sorrows to Him, knowing I deserve them? “Yes: the Lord Jesus has been to God about them. This, then, is the ground on which I can go. There has been perfect atonement for all my sins; Christ has been judged for them. Will God judge us both? No; I go to Him on the ground of atonement, and God can justly meet me in all my sorrow, because Christ’s work has been so perfectly done. “The guilt which the throne detects, the altar removes. If in the light of the throne one object is seen, namely, ruined, guilty, undone self; then, in the light of the altar, one object is seen, namely, a full, precious, all-sufficient Christ. The remedy reaches to the full extent of the ruin, and the same light that reveals the one reveals the other likewise. This gives settled repose to the conscience. God Himself has provided a remedy for all ruin which the light of His throne has revealed.” - John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/day/2025/06/05/

The essence of a Christian is that, although he is upon the earth, he is heavenly; and how could he know and grow in that, unless by the revelation of a heavenly Man who is his Life (Col 3:4)? Who is or could be that heavenly Man but the Man Christ Jesus, Who, after having put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, takes this new place there, Head of a family, and is so revealed to us by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven (1 Corinthians 2:10). Besides having the detailed Word of the Father, we want an object to attach our hearts to; we need it that we be not lost in “the abundance of revelations” of God (2Co 12:7). Here then is One Who can claim every affection, Who can detach us by the revelation of Himself, the worthiest of all objects, an Object worthy of God the Father, and surely of us the children who delight in what He delights in. This is none other than the Lord Jesus, but it is He after all the evil is judged, after all the good is won, after love had nothing to do, nay, even righteousness no other task but to bless us. This is what God now can afford to do as the Father. This is what He is now doing through the infinite sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. But this is what He now reveals, through the Lord Jesus in His presence, and by the Holy Spirit sent down gives us to know. His setting Himself apart at the Father’s right hand is a root of divine truth, yea, and the root of our distinctive blessedness. He is there the Life-Source (Col 3:4) according to Whom the Spirit forms us by the truth (2Co 3:18; Rom 8:29). It is thus essential in order that He fitly and fully should be the means of that wondrous display of truth and love that the Father looks to be reproduced in those that are His here below. This then is the further intimation in the words, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” We require the Father’s Word; but we also require the Father’s Son thus set apart in heaven, and in the order too. For the Father’s truth that is made known in the Net Testament epistles invariably precedes our full appreciation of the Lord Jesus (the NT increases our appreciation of the Lord Jesus—NC) at His right hand, thus sanctifying Himself that we might be sanctified through the truth. But then when we have seen the Lord Jesus there in the glory, when we appreciate the all-importance of having Him as an Object before our souls entirely outside the world, according to which the Holy Spirit is carrying us on and transforming us while we are here below (2Co 3:18), the truth is everywhere made more personal and powerful. Not only that the truth abides in the Word, but that it is thus applied with increase of blessing. As He said, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself,” But not stopping at this, “that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” Thus we see, if we begin with the truth and rise to see or personal position with the Lord Jesus, the truth only receives more and more point and reality through it. —William Kelly (1821-1906) MJS devotional excerpt from “None But The Hungry Heart” for May 12 5-12. Trusted Trainer “He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). In every field, whether the arts, industry, sports, or the Christian life and service in general, the necessary training goes far deeper and is much more rigorous than the actual performance. “Now, at the time, discipline seems to be a matter not for joy, but for grief; yet it afterwards yields to those who have passed through its training a result full of peace—namely, righteousness” (Heb. 12:11, Wey.)—MJS “The Father chooses the servant who is suited to carry out His will; but though that servant be endowed by Him with power to do so, yet unless he be controlled and disciplined by the Spirit of God he will continually fall into the devising’s of his nature, no matter how godly and divine may be his intent. For we greatly err if we think that having the divine thought is all that is necessary as to our service; we must truly and efficiently be expressive of the thought; and this subjects us, as servants of God, to discipline which we often cannot understand. “Discipline for known faults or shortcomings we can easily comprehend; but when it is that peculiar order of training which fits a man to be God’s instrument and witness, we can no more understand it than the plants of the earth can understand why they must pass through all the vicissitudes of winter in order to bring forth a more abundant harvest.” -J.B.S. “God leaves us in the world that we may learn the sufficiency of His grace in practice, as we know the triumph of it in Christ.”—MJS “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7). http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/

Hi, and thanks for your reply! God tests the soul of believers, but never has to takeaway their salvation, because He knows they will love and obey Him (Phl 2:13). He never gives salvation to anyone He knows that does not truly believe in Him.

I would need specific passages to understand what you are trying to say. Thanks for you reply.

Isn't the breath of God just something physical, like a breath into a newborn baby? The Holy Spirit didn't come until Acts 2; in John 20:22 it says "He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. This couldn't mean they actually received the Spirit, but the the Lord Jesus was preparing them for service, i.e. gifts of the Spirit.

Hi, and appreciate your reply. The way I see it is that Adam and Eve did not have God "working in them" (Phl 2:13) as we now do; which is why we no longer want to sin, our sins are no longer "willful" (Heb 10:26), like Paul, he did not want to sin, but still possessing the sin nature or "old man," we still sin. (Rom 7:15, 20).

"For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins." If we are reborn we will not want to sin, but we still sin impulsively or ignorantly, not intentionally (Heb 10:26). Why would a Christian want to sin anyway? Thanks for your reply!

Hi, and true! God knew us from eternity-past.

Hi AdHoc, thanks for your reply! Not sure what you mean, but "faith" is the first and sole means for channeling grace and salvation to the soul(Eph 2:8). Then after faith, "God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

Some Christians believe that God can “Test Run” the soul. God doesn’t save you, then test you to see if you’re going to stay saved. I heard once that “everyone that should be saved, will be saved”—for there is a Book of Life “from the foundation of the world” (Rev 17:8—we were saved when the Lord Jesus said on His Cross “it is finished” - Jhn 19:30) containing everyone’s name whom God already knows He will save (which won’t be many, in comparison to the unsaved—Matt 7:13, 14). Salvation never comes by chance or happenstance, as if it’s something God didn’t already know! Look up the word “Omniscience,” because this alone provides the answers we need. Does it even make any sense that God would give you eternal life, and latter take it back for whatever reason? Christians were saved from eternity-past, because that’s when God foreknew everything. We have always been on God’s mind, and we are second to the Trinity, and above the angels—what father would put his children after anyone? Albert Barns (1798-1870) Rev 22:19—“Perhaps there is here an intimation that this would be most likely to be done by those who professed to be Christians, and who supposed that their names were in the book of life. In fact, most of the corruptions of the sacred Scriptures have been attempted by those who have professed some form of Christianity. Infidels have but little interest in attempting such changes, and but little influence to make them received by the church. It is most convenient for them, as it is most agreeable to their feelings, to reject the Bible altogether. When it said here that “God would take away his part out of the book of life,” the meaning is not that his name had been written in that book, but that he would take away the part which he might have had, or which he professed to have in that book. Such corruption of the divine oracles would show that they had no true religion, and would be excluded from heaven. On the phrase “book of life,” see the notes on Revelation 3:5.” John Gill— Rev 22:19 (1697-1771) “God shall take away his part out of the book of life; by which is meant eternal election, which is the meaning of the phrase throughout this book, in which whoever are written shall certainly be saved. The worshippers of the beast, or the antichristian party, who are chiefly regarded here, are not written in it, Revelation 13:8 wherefore taking away the part of such, is only taking away that which they seemed to have; see Luke 8:18 and the sense is, that such shall be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death, and will be the portion of all that are not written in the book of life, Revelation 20:15. The Alexandrian copy, one of Stephens's, and the Complutensian edition, read, "the tree of life"; and so do the Syriac and Ethiopic versions; the sense is the same; see John 15:2 and out of the holy city; the new Jerusalem, before described, a part in which is a right to enter into it through the gates, and possess the glories of it: what is mentioned here is only a seeming one, which wicked men may flatter themselves with; and the meaning is, that such shall never enter into it, and enjoy the happiness of it, but shall ever be without, Revelation 21:27.”

Hi, and like what you said! I agree, there will be "loving chastisement" (Heb 12:6, 7). You will never see Scripture relating the saint with the sinner (1Pe 4:18).

Hi, and appreciate your reply! To me, sinning is doing it on purpose, willfully (Heb 10:26). This answers to Rom 7:17, 20. God knows we want to please Him (Phl 2:13).

Hi and thanks for the reply! Yes, in our new man we do not sin. To me, sinning is doing it "willfully" (Heb 10:26). It's not our bodies that sin but our "old man" using the body wrongfully (Rom 7:17, 20). The body itself is never guilty, it's the sinner that's guilty. Scripture never relates the Christian as a sinner (1Pe 4:18).

Thanks for the kind reply. It may be a bit difficult to understand what I mean, but being already delivered just means you're already forgive, because it's not like God has to keep forgiving us over and over. That's the intent of 1Jn 1:9; "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He only has to do it once, and He knows we just want to "please" Him (Phl 2:13). It's "willful" sins that He teaches us to discontinue (Heb 10:26).

Many Christians are unaware that they are forgiven for all their sins! Otherwise Scripture could not state that we are already like Jesus (1Jo 4:17). Not in His sinlessness but in His guiltlessness! He knows you don’t want to sin, as Paul was delivered from desiring sin (Rom 7:15, 16, 19, 20, 21), he did not want to sin. Such is the Christian, already delivered from all sin, because God knows we do not want to sin, but “please” Him (Phl 2:13). If God is not “working“ this “in you,” you aren’t saved yet—you have not been “born again” yet. Once we are saved God starts “conforming” us to the “image” (walk) of the Lord Jesus (Rom 8:29). This means everyone saved will mature and grow in Christ in the way they live! When we sin we need not ask for forgiveness but instead thank Him for His permanent forgiveness (Heb 10:12). All His “forgiveness” was given at the point of rebirth (1Jn 1:9). He doesn’t have to keep forgiving over and over, it’s “once for all” (Heb 10:10). There is never a time we aren’t forgiven. This of course concerns only not sinning “willfully” (Heb 10:26). If we intentionally sin it manifests we are unsaved, and do not want to give up the sin. God knows we want to “please Him,” and living without intentional sin is His goal for us. Living this way doesn’t gain salvation—it is a free gift of God (Eph 2:8). He will have only holy believers living for Him! It of course is the most marvelous thing that we do not owe God for salvation. The Lord Jesus’ sacrifices makes us deserving and “worthy” (Col 1:10; 1Co 11:27; Rev 3:4; 16:6). Remember, Christians have everything the Lord Jesus has, for they are continually being “conformed to Christ’s “image.”