I do not
have the whole of scripture memorized, so I like to look up all references to
scripture to which I am not fairly acquainted by reference that i find in books. I thought they
might be useful to someone. So here they are.
Impetration
and application
CAUSE indicates a
condition or circumstance or combination of conditions and circumstances that
effectively and inevitably calls forth an issue, effect, or result or that
materially aids in that calling forth
material cause
Aristotelianism : something out of which something is made
or comes into being
see EFFICIENT
CAUSE, FINAL CAUSE, FORMAL CAUSE, MATERIAL CAUSE; FIRST CAUSE; IMMANENT CAUSE,
TRANSIENT CAUSE; OCCASIONAL CAUSE
Spinozism : immanent cause: a cause originating and
evolving within an entity
Spinozism :TRANSIENT CAUSE: a cause originating or having its effects
outside an entity
[Middle
English, from Old French, from Latin causa]
(13th century)
1 a : a
reason for an action or condition : motive
b : something
that brings about an effect or a result
c : a
person or thing that is the occasion of an action or state; especially : an
agent that brings something about
d : sufficient reason 〈discharged for cause〉
2 a : a
ground of legal action
b : case
3 : a
matter or question to be decided
4 a : a
principle or movement militantly defended or supported
b : a charitable undertaking 〈for a good cause〉
Necessary
or merely evidential?
10 For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand so that we would walk in them.
(Eph 2:10)
9 However, you
are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in
you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to
Him.
10 If Christ is
in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive
because of righteousness.
11 But if the
Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised
Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through
His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then,
brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the
flesh—
13 for if you are
living according to the flesh, you must die; but if
by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who
are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
(Ro 8:9-14)
Consequent : a
thing or circumstance (as an event or phenomenon) that follows another in time
or order without being a result or without any causal connection being
implied;
5 “I am the vine,
you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing.
(Jn 15:5)
Main
Entry:1inchoate
Function:adjective
Etymology:Latin
inchoatus, incohatus, past participle of inchoare, incohare to begin
(literally, to hitch up), from in- 2in- + cohum strap fastening a plow beam to
the yoke; perhaps akin to Breton morgo hame, Welsh mynci hame, Old English
haga hedge * more at HEDGE
: being recently begun or undertaken :
INCIPIENT : being partly but not fully in existence or operation : INCOMPLETE:
as a : imperfectly formed or formulated
: DISORDERED, INCOHERENT, UNORGANIZED *the general plan is inchoate and
incoherent, and the particular treatments disconnected— Hilary Corke* *the
solar system T far out from the hub of this great wheel of stars and inchoate
dust and gas— L.C.Eiseley* *vague consumer longings and inchoate needs—
J.S.Gambs* b of a legal right or
instrument or interest : not yet
perfected : not yet made certain or specific : not yet vested : INCIPIENT,
EXPECTANT, POTENTIAL, CONTINGENT, IMPERFECTED
WCF
XVI.VI
"6.
Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him;
(Eph. 1:6, 1 Pet. 2:5, Exod. 28:38, Gen. 4:4, Heb. 11:4) not as though they
were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in God’s sight; (Job
9:20, Ps. 143:2) but that He, looking
upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.
(Heb. 13:20–21, 2 Cor. 8:12, Heb. 6:10. Matt. 25:21,23) "
to the praise
of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
(Ephesians 1:6)
you
also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 2:5)
“It
shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the
holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy
gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted
before the Lord.
(Exodus 28:38)
Foundation.
Abel, on his part
also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the
Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering;
(Genesis 4:4)
By faith Abel
offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the
testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through
faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
(Hebrews 11:4)
20 “Though
I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though
I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
(Job
9:20)
2 And
do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For
in Your sight no man living is righteous.
(Psalm 143:2)
Benediction
20 Now the God of
peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through
the blood of the eternal covenant, even
Jesus our Lord,
21 equip
you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing
in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be
the glory forever and ever. Amen.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)
12 For
if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does
not have.
(2 Corinthians 8:12)
10 For
God is not unjust so as to forget your
work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having
ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
(Hebrews 6:10)
21 “His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful
with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy
of your master.’
23 “His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful
with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy
of your master.’
(Matthew 25:21, 23)
---
23 for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Ro 3:23)
5 and hope does
not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(Ro 5:5)
6 For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith
working through love.
(Galatians 5:6)
14 What use is
it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that
faith save him?
15 If a brother
or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16 and one of you
says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give
them what is necessary for their body,
what use is that?
17 Even
so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18 But someone
may well say, “You have faith and I
have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith
by my works.”
19 You believe
that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But are you
willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21 Was not
Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the
altar?
22 You see that
faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was
perfected;
23 and the
Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see that a
man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 In the same
way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the
messengers and sent them out by another way?
26 For
just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
(Jas 2:14-26).
14 Pursue
peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the
Lord.
(Heb 12:14)
21 “Not everyone
who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who
does the will of My Father who is in heaven will
enter.
(Mt 7:21)
“Then the King will
say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
‘For I was
hungry, and you gave Me something to
eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to
drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you
clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to
Me.’
(Mt 25:34-36)
7 to
those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and
immortality, eternal life;
10 but glory and
honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek.
(Ro 2:7, 10)
Reasons
for their necessity
14 who gave
Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself
a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
(Tit 2:14)
But
have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other
hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of
godliness;
for bodily discipline is only of
little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds
promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
(1 Ti 4:7-8)
10 Therefore,
brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and
choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never
stumble;
(2 Pe 1:10)
13 Therefore,
take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil
day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Stand firm therefore, having
girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of
righteousness,
and having shod your feet with
the preparation of the gospel of peace;
in addition to all, taking up the
shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming
arrows of the evil one.
(Eph 6:13-16)
4:1 Finally then,
brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received
from us instruction as to how you ought
to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still
more.
2 For you know
what commandments we gave you by the authority
of the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the
will of God, your sanctification; that is, that
you abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of
you know how to possess his own vessel
in sanctification
and honor,
(1 Th 4:1-4)
“Let your light
shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father who is in heaven.
(Mt 5:16)
Good or
filthy?
“Do not handle, do
not taste, do not touch!”
(which all refer to things destined to perish with
use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
(Col 2:21-22)
To say that all
your works are always filthy rags is not in scripture. To say that vain
religiosity which is no religion at all is filthy rags is scripture.
Possible typo for
Romans 14:23
10 But by the
grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I
labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
(1 Co 15:10).
5 “I am the vine,
you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing.
(Jn 15:5)
6 to the praise
of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
(Eph 1:6)?
REWARDS
18 But we all,
with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord,
the Spirit.
(2 Co 3:18)
6 For God, who
said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our
hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Christ.
(2 Co 4:6)
8 “Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
(Mt 5:8)
4 they will see
His face, and His name will be on their
foreheads.
(Re 22:4)
2 this man came
to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God
as a teacher; for no one can do these
signs that You do unless God is with him.”
(Jn 3:2)
2 Beloved, now we
are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know
that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He
is.
(1 Jn 3:2)
WCF XVI.IV - Of
Good Works They who, in their obedience, attain to the
greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to
supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of
much which in duty they are bound to do. (Luke 17:10, Neh. 13:22, Job 9:2–3,
Gal. 5:17)
10 “So
you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are
unworthy slaves; we have done only that
which we ought to have done.’ ”
(Luke 17:10)
22 And
I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as
gatekeepers to sanctify the Sabbath day. For this
also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the
greatness of Your lovingkindness.
(Nehemiah 13:22)
2 “In
truth I know that this is so;
But
how can a aman be in the right before God?
3 “If
one wished to dispute with Him,
He
could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
(Job 9:2-3)
17 For
the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
(Galatians 5:17)
WCF CHAP. XVI.III We cannot
by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by
reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come;
and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can
neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, (Rom. 3:20, Rom.
4:2,4,6, Eph. 2:8–9, Tit. 3:5–7, Rom. 8:18, Ps. 16:2, Job 22:2–3, Job 35:7–8)
but when we have done all we can, we
have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: (Luke 17:10) and
because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit; (Gal. 5:22–23) and as
they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and
imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment. (Isa.
64:6, Gal. 5:17, Rom. 7:15,18, Ps. 143:2, Ps. 130:3)
20 because
by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for
through the Law comes the knowledge of
sin.
(Romans
3:20)
2 For
if Abraham was justified 1by works, he has something to boast about, but
not before God.
(Romans 4:2)
4 Now
to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is
due.
(Romans 4:4)
6 just
as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits
righteousness apart from works:
(Romans 4:6)
8 For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not
as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
(Ephesians
2:8-9)
5 He
saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but
according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by
the Holy Spirit,
6 whom
He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so
that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus 3:5-7)
18 For I consider
that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with
the glory that is to be revealed to us.
(Romans 8:18)
2 I
said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I
have no good besides You.”
(Psalm 16:2)
2 “Can
a vigorous man be of use to God,
Or
a wise man be useful to himself?
3 “Is
there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or
profit if you make your ways perfect?
(Job 22:2-3)
7 “If
you are righteous, what do you give to Him,
Or
what does He receive from your hand?
8 “Your
wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And
your righteousness is for a son of man.
(Job 35:7-8)
.
10 “So
you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are
unworthy slaves; we have done only that
which we ought to have done.’ ”
(Luke 17:10)
22 But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,
23 gentleness self-control; against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
6 For
all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And
all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And
all of us wither like a leaf,
And
our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
(Isaiah 64:6)
17 For
the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the
things that you please.
(Galatians 5:17)
15 For
what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do,
but I am doing the very thing I hate.
(Romans 7:15)
18 For
I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing
is present in me, but the doing of the good is
not.
(Romans 7:18)
2 And
do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For
in Your sight no man living is righteous.
(Psalm 143:2)
2 And
do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For
in Your sight no man living is righteous.
(Psalm 143:2)
3 If
You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O
Lord, who could stand?
(Psalm 130:3)
---
9 not as a result
of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand so that we would walk in them.
(Eph 2:9-10)
WCF CHAP. XIV.III Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly
from the Spirit of Christ. (John 15:4–6, Ezek. 36:26–27) And that they may be
enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the
same Holy Spirit to work in them to will, and to do, of His good pleasure:
(Phil. 2:13, Phil. 4:13, 2 Cor. 3:5) yet are they not hereupon to grow
negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special
motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be
diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them. (Phil. 2:12,
Heb. 6:11–12, 2 Pet. 1:3,5,10–11, Isa. 64:7, 2 Tim. 1:6, Acts 26:6–7, Jude
20–21)
4 “Abide
in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it
abides in the vine, so neither can you
unless you abide in Me.
5 “I
am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears
much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
6 “If
anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and
they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
(John 15:4-6)
26 “Moreover,
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove
the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 “I
will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you
will be careful to observe My ordinances.
(Ezekiel 36:26-27)
13 for
it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
(Philippians 2:13)
13 I
can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13)
5 Not
that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is
from God,
(2 Corinthians 3:5)
12 So
then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and
trembling;
(Philippians 2:12)
11 And
we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the
full assurance of hope until the end,
12 so
that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and
patience inherit the promises.
(Hebrews 6:11-12)
3 seeing
that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and
godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory
and excellence.
(2 Peter 1:3)
5 Now
for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral
excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
(2 Peter 1:5)
10 Therefore,
brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and
choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never
stumble;
11 for
in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
(2 Peter 1:10-11)
7 There
is no one who calls on Your name,
Who
arouses himself to take hold of You;
For
You have hidden Your face from us
And
have delivered us into the power of our iniquities
(Isaiah 64:7)
6 For
this reason I remind you to kindle afresh
the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
(2 Timothy 1:6)
6 “And
now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our
fathers;
7 the promise to which our twelve tribes hope
to attain, as they earnestly serve God night
and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews.
(Acts 26:6-7)
20 But
you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the
Holy Spirit,
21 keep
yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
to eternal life.
(Jude 20-21)
---
3 seeing that His
divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness,
through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
excellence.
(2 Pe 1:3)
30 “For My yoke
is easy and My burden is light.”
Mt 11:30)
3 For this is the
love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not
burdensome.
(1 Jn 5:3)
6 And without
faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
(Heb 11:6)
It is a dreadful
thing to fall on the opposite side of the puritans and scripture itself.
39 All flesh is
not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of
men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of
fish.
40 There are also
heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and
the glory of the earthly is another.
41 There
is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of
the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
(1 Co 15:39-41)
14 If
any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If
any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be
saved, yet so as through fire.
(1 Co 3:14-15) ?
6 Or do only
Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?
(1 Co 9:6)
6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
(2 Co 9:6)
11 While they
were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He
was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to
appear immediately.
12 So He said, “A
nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.
13 “And he called
ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’
14 “But his
citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want
this man to reign over us.’
15 “When he
returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom
he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business
they had done.
16 “The first
appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’
17 “And he said
to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very
little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’
18 “The second
came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’
19 “And he said
to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 “Another came,
saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;
21 for I was
afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not
lay down and reap what you did not sow.’
22 “He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you
worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did
not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?
23 ‘Then why did
you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it
with interest?’
24 “Then he said
to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has
the ten minas.’
25 “And they said
to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’
26 “I
tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who
does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
(Lk 19:11-26)
27 “For the Son
of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will
then repay every man according to his deeds.
(Mt 16:27)
41 “For whoever
gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he
will not lose his reward.
(Mk 9:41)
Christological
reasons
23 And Jesus said
to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”
(Mk 9:23)
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come
after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
(Lk 9:23)
“I have been
crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for
me.
(Ga 2:20)
16 By common
confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed
in the flesh,
Was vindicated in
the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among
the nations,
Believed on in the
world,
Taken up in glory.
(1 Ti 3:16)
If what you get in eternity is
predicated on what you do now, why would we do anything merely for fleeting
pleasure? Why would we give any time to something of infinitely less value? Or
do we claim to know better than Jesus and reject metaphors of athletics that
He has seen fit to use as symbols of sanctification? Calling good works
through union with Christ and indwelling of the Holy Spirit given by The
Father to be a legalistic treadmill and monstrous rags by using Isaiah 64:6 is
a reprehensible crime- or at least serious enough delusion that the Westminster divines sought to
correct its misuse to apply vain legalism with sincere though imperfect
obedience.
If you could hypothetically trade
1 unit of happiness from a means of merriment, such as watching television, or
reading a book for an hour, that would rapidly fade from your awareness, of
which you would benefit for at the most
90 years, for 1 unit of unfading happiness for all of eternity, which would
you choose? If our lives are infinitely
small compared to all of eternity, why would we enjoy any reward that is not
eternal? Eating and working is necessary, but the enjoyment of transient
pleasures is optional. If Jonathan Edwards is right, and there are different
levels of happiness in heaven, and, according to Jesus, our imperfect but
sincere obedience through the empowering of The Holy Spirit is rewarded
differently, why would we exchange the weight of glory for mud cakes? Why
should you seek to care less about your
sanctification than Jesus does? So much for fear and trembling.
10 For the death
that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He
lives to God.
(Ro 6:10)
33 “Therefore
having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the
Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both
see and hear.
(Ac 2:33)
49:1 Listen to
Me, O islands,
And pay attention,
you peoples from afar.
The Lord called Me
from the womb;
From the body of My
mother He named Me.
2 He has made My
mouth like a sharp sword,
In the shadow of
His hand He has concealed Me;
And He has also
made Me a select arrow,
He has hidden Me in
His quiver.
3 He said to Me,
“You are My Servant, Israel,
In Whom I will show
My glory.”
4 But
I said, “I have toiled in vain,
I have spent My strength for
nothing and vanity;
Yet surely the
justice due to Me is with the Lord,
And My reward with
My God.”
5 And now says
the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back
to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him
(For I am honored
in the sight of the Lord,
And My God is My
strength),
6 He says, “It is
too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the
tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also make
You a light of the nations
So that My
salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
7 Thus says the
Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and its
Holy One,
To the despised
One,
To the One abhorred
by the nation,
To the Servant of
rulers,
“Kings will see and
arise,
Princes will also
bow down,
Because of the Lord
who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”
8 Thus says the
Lord,
“In a favorable
time I have answered You,
And in a day of
salvation I have helped You;
And I will keep You
and give You for a covenant of the people,
To restore the
land, to make them inherit the desolate
heritages;
9 Saying to those
who are bound, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in
darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
Along the roads
they will feed,
And their pasture will be on all bare heights.
10 “They will not
hunger or thirst,
Nor will the
scorching heat or sun strike them down;
For He who has
compassion on them will lead them
And will guide them
to springs of water.
11 “I
will make all My mountains a road,
And My highways
will be raised up.
12 “Behold, these
will come from afar;
And lo, these will come from the north and from the west,
And these from the
land of Sinim.”
13 Shout for joy,
O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!
Break forth into
joyful shouting, O mountains!
For the Lord has
comforted His people
And will have
compassion on His afflicted.
14 But Zion said,
“The Lord has forsaken me,
And the Lord has
forgotten me.”
15 “Can
a woman forget her nursing child
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
16 “Behold,
I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are
continually before Me.
17 “Your builders
hurry;
Your destroyers and
devastators
Will depart from
you.
18 “Lift
up your eyes and look around;
All of them gather
together, they come to you.
As I live,”
declares the Lord,
“You will surely
put on all of them as jewels and bind them on as a bride.
19 “For your
waste and desolate places and your destroyed land—
Surely now you will
be too cramped for the inhabitants,
And those who
swallowed you will be far away.
20 “The children
of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears,
‘The place is too
cramped for me;
Make room for me
that I may live here.’
21 “Then you will
say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten
these for me,
Since I have been
bereaved of my children
And am barren, an
exile and a wanderer?
And who has reared
these?
Behold, I was left
alone;
From where did
these come?’ ”
22 Thus says the
Lord God,
“Behold, I will
lift up My hand to the nations
And set up My
standard to the peoples;
And they will bring
your sons in their bosom,
And your daughters
will be carried on their shoulders.
23 “Kings will be
your guardians,
And their
princesses your nurses.
They will bow down
to you with their faces to the earth
And lick the dust
of your feet;
And you will know that I am the Lord;
Those who hopefully
wait for Me will not be put to shame.
24 “Can
the prey be taken from the mighty man,
Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?”
25 Surely, thus
says the Lord,
“Even the captives
of the mighty man will be taken away,
And the prey of the
tyrant will be rescued;
For I will contend
with the one who contends with you,
And I will save
your sons.
26 “I
will feed your oppressors with their own flesh,
And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine;
And all flesh will
know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer,
the Mighty One of Jacob.”
(Is 49:1-26)
8 ‘Ask of Me, and
I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
(Ps 2:8)
5:1 Therefore
be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2 and
walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
3 But
immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is
proper among saints;
4 and
there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not
fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you
know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is
an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one
deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God
comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do
not be partakers with them;
8 for you were
formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of
Light
9 (for the fruit
of the Light consists in all goodness
and righteousness and truth),
10 trying
to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not
participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
--
So much for the view of accountability groups being
tyrannical.
--
12 for it is
disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things
become visible when they are exposed
by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this
reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the
dead,
And Christ will
shine on you.”
15 Therefore
be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 making
the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 So
then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get
drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
with your heart to the Lord;
20 always
giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even
the Father;
21 and be subject
to one another in the fear of Christ.
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the
Lord.
23 For the
husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He
Himself being the Savior of the body.
24 But as the
church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought
to be to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love
your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 so that He
might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 that He
might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or
wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
28 So
husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves
his own wife loves himself;
29 for no one
ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
30 because we are
members of His body.
31 For this
reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
32 This mystery
is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless,
each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and
the wife must see to it that she
respects her husband.
(Eph 5:1-33)
17:1 Jesus spoke
these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour
has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
2 even as You
gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
3 “This is
eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
You have sent.
4 “I glorified
You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 “Now,
Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You
before the world was.
6 “I have
manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were
Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
7 “Now they have
come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;
8 for the words
which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth
from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
9 “I ask on their
behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given
Me; for they are Yours;
10 and all things
that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in
them.
11 “I am no
longer in the world; and yet they
themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your
name, the name which You have given Me,
that they may be one even as We are.
12 “While I was
with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I
guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that
the Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “But now I
come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My
joy made full in themselves.
14 “I have given
them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world.
15 “I do not ask
You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
16 “They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 “Sanctify them
in the truth; Your word is truth.
18 “As You sent
Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
19 “For their
sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “I do not ask
on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their
word;
21 that they may
all be one; even as You, Father, are in
Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe
that You sent Me.
22 “The glory
which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We
are one;
23 I
in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world
may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I
desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that
they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the
foundation of the world.
25 “O righteous
Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these
have known that You sent Me;
26 and I have
made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with
which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
(Jn 17:1-26)
35 But someone
will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?”
36 You fool! That
which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;
37 and that which
you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of
wheat or of something else.
38 But God gives
it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.
39 All flesh is
not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of
men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of
fish.
40 There are also
heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and
the glory of the earthly is another.
41 There is one
glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the
stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
43 it is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in
power;
44 it is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there
is also a spiritual body.
45 So also it is
written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 However, the
spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
47 The first man
is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
48 As is the
earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are
those who are heavenly.
49 Just as we
have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the
heavenly.
50 Now I say
this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold, I tell
you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For this
perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
54 But when this
perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on
immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is
swallowed up in victory.
55 “O death,
where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56 The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
57 but thanks be
to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
(1 Co 15:35-58)
Aseity : the
quality or state of being self-derived or self-originated; specifically : the absolute self-sufficiency,
independence, and autonomy of God
