83 Now, Idle with Me a Moment.

Remember! When I refer to person in the Godhead in any blog, I am referring either to singular person (one-of-three) or to the collective person (three-in-one) of the Triune.

But now let’s idle here a bit longer because I find it timely to include something I read in USA Today on Thursday, February 4, 2010, on the Opinion page under the heading “Narrow-minded beliefs” by Lewis Beale, Wilmington, N.C. His opinion says:

“. . . This, coupled with the Tebow’ belief in the inerrancy of the Bible, says all you need to know about their faith: It’s narrow-minded, reactionary and exclusionary. The Tebows are manacled to their beliefs. But let’s not pretend that they are anything but blinkered thinkers in an increasingly complex—and diverse—world.”

What a convenient conclusion Mr. Beale makes, dear reader! I say convenient because these words concerning Christians seem to come so easily to his pen, (or keyboard, whichever you prefer).

By now you must know me well enough to speculate that I would have penned this same statement rather differently. I would have said:

“. . . This, coupled with . . . belief in the inerrancy of the Bible, says all you need to know about their faith: It’s focused, responsible and inclusive . . . (Christians) are manacled to their beliefs by chains of goodwill toward humankind. But let’s not pretend that they are blinkered thinkers in an increasingly complex—and diverse—world. Let us rather ask, what do they know and appreciate about complexity and diversity in the patterns of chaos that we might not? Let us rather recognize with, at the very least, a modicum of civility that, again, at the very least, they are fellow human beings sometimes suffering rudeness, ill-treatment and false accusations in order to simply and graciously offer or make known the balm of a better hope for a hurting Creation than the rampant anarchy of personal, uninformed conclusions; that we Christians might be offering something to take hold of and own and from which to both immediately and enduringly benefit.”

Hmmm, yes, that sounds more accurate. Truth has a certain perfect ring to it doesn’t it, dear tour companion?

To be continued . . .

82 The Great Solution Provider

Remember! When I refer to person in the Godhead in any blog, I am referring either to singular person (one-of-three) or to the collective person (three-in-one) of the Triune.

In our discussion here, gentle tour companion, all that I have said up to this point is merely a suggestion, an inkling of the immensity of the person, privilege and work of the Godhead; and the scope of the domain of the Godhead.

Scripture assures us that stable, constructive pattern in chaos—in the large or the small or in anything— is the result of the Mind of the Godhead in conjunction with the Will and Design of the Godhead.

Also by way of scripture, we have seen that chaos is undeniably under the rein of God, and God wants us to know that, and that chaos was always meant to be His to command.

And, most importantly, scripture proves that God, above all, wants us to know Him, to recognize Him. And He wants to reveal Himself to us.

So what do we know about God so far?

Together, in this blogsite, we have seen that the Godhead’s Will is governed by a perfect value system based on Pure Goodness.

And we have learned that the potential of the Godhead, the potential of consciousness in the Godhead, is unlimited—the Godhead is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. And sovereign over all.

But what is even more remarkable, perhaps, is the fact that we have also learned that the Godhead is limited in expression—in thinking, feelings, desires and actions—limited BY CHOICE, by the personal choice of the members of the Godhead and regulated by absolute commitment to Pure Goodness.

In Old and New Testament, the Godhead limits self-expression of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in various ways—exhibit after exhibit abounds of Godhead self-control and reasonableness, respect for relationships, edited emotions, kept Word and Promises, self-restraint, self-denial and self-sacrifice and so much, much more.

And now, together, we can see the obvious, see that the Will of the Godhead was always meant to continually manage and integrate the great phenomenon of chaos under the banner of His value system—Pure Goodness.

Considering all this, we can also now better appreciate the chair metaphor for the Will of the Godhead against the Beast, better appreciate the persons of the Godhead themselves.

To grow a bit greater understanding of the whip metaphor for the Mind of the Godhead against the Beast, we will peruse this metaphor over the next blog or two.

With that perusal and all that has already been said about chaos, Creation and the Godhead, perhaps ultimately, fellow seeker, we can and should carry away from our experience here (of the Invisible Self of the Godhead) 3 enduring personal benefits:

Benefit number one, a greater measure of realization . . .

Benefit number two, a magnified perspective . . .

And number three, a more abundant appreciation . . . of the truly staggering import of the title metaphor— The Whip, the Chair and the Formidable Beast and the role of the Godhead in Creation as the Great Solution Provider.

It has been my experience, thoughtful reader, that if what I know or learn over time about a person allows me such precious insights as the 3 enduring benefits enumerated above, then that person is truly extraordinary, a person of great value, depth and potential, and a relationship to prize, to earnestly desire, cultivate and keep.

My thinking.

My choice.

What about you?

To be continued . . .

81 The Solution? Part Two

Remember! When I refer to person in the Godhead in any blog, I am referring either to singular person (one-of-three) or to the collective person (three-in-one) of the Triune.

And now, The Solution: Part Two—New Choice.

We have established over the past few blogs, gentle reader, that through the new opportunity of Jesus and the new covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13), humankind and all Creation could be restored one individual at a time as each person became willing to choose Jesus as their solution. Note well, restoration would come only by individuals exercising the privilege of a brand New Choice in Christ—choosing eternal life and new life!

Such benefits as eternal life and new life would mean choosing to live life in the community, the family of the Godhead, dependent on the Godhead’s superior powers, ways and rule to manage the glorious potential of chaos—something only the Godhead could (ever) do, anyway.

Along with this 2-part solution would come even more benefits.

The added benefit to the one that so chose Jesus would also be to become a “new man (man—a term used inclusively in the scriptures of male and female together)”, to become “new creatures” (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

The “old (corrupt) man” would be identified spiritually with Christ and His death on the cross, die and remain in the grave (Ephesians 2:1-13).

The “new man” (justified) would arise from the grave (spiritually) with Christ, dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11).

Romans 6:11 “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The new man would be a new fusion of God and man, in-filled with a new spirit (the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38-39) and sealed in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). He would arise with a new mind (a mind with access to the mind of Christ by the power of Holy Spirit), and in time (as a work in progress—sanctification) become a restored soul, with reshaped thinking. He would also arise empowered to choose and to change, with glorification (completion in the image of Christ and His character, while still retaining his own unique personality) and eternal life awarded as his/her new destiny (Ephesians 4:17-24).

Wow! What a plan! What a promise in Jesus!

Wow! How these understandings stretch the brain!

(You know what these findings mean, don’t you, dear reader? They mean (at least to me, airhead or not) that believers are a new TYPE of person, like Jesus was a new TYPE of person. We are no longer just humans, fellow believers. We are human and divine in one body. God said it. I believe it. My choice.)

To continue, the Godhead would make these “new creatures” (such as you and me) able to obey, able to comply with divine statutes and ordinances and much, much more. And as this new creature embraced and practiced his new identity in Christ Jesus, he would if not all at once and perfectly, then over time and better and better, become more and more like Jesus (by choice)—a noble creature fit for eternity (Philippians 3:12), fit for interaction with the Godhead and shared rule over sublime, Godhead-managed chaos—all creation.

To be continued . . .

80 The “New Man”

Remember! When I refer to person in the Godhead in any blog, I am referring either to singular person (one-of-three) or to the collective person (three-in-one) of the Triune.

Last blog ended The Solution?Part One with the Godhead planned solution of the demise of the era of the “old man (Adam)” and the advent of Christ Jesus as a TYPE of “new man”—a God-inhabited man.

1 Corinthians 15:21-23 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all (believers, choosers – author’s insert) shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

With the advent of Emmanuelle, that is with the advent of the new era of God-with-us in human form—Christ Jesus, come to explain the Father and the “abundant” life (John 10:10b “. . . I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”), with this advent came also a new and better covenant to that end.

Better than a covenant of law and penalty, this new covenant would be a contract of Grace, belief, pardon, indwelling and empowerment of believing humankind by Holy Spirit. To be precise, the new covenant would be achieved by the sacrificial spilling of the blood of the human person of Christ Jesus and the infilling of of believers by Holy Spirit, making believers God-inhabited humankind, making each believer a new man, making each believer a man after the TYPE of Christ.

Hebrews 8:12-13 “’For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Mark 14:24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.”

Word Wealth for covenant in Mark 14:24 (Spirit Filled Life Bible, p.1498, NKJV) defines covenant as “diatheke . . . Strong’s #1242: A will, testament, pact, contract, an agreed upon plan to which both parties subscribe. While the word may signify an agreement between two parties, with each accepting mutual obligations, most often it is a declaration of one person’s will. In the Bible, God initiated the whole action, set the conditions, and defined as a decree a declaration of purposes. God covenanted with Noah, Abraham, Moses and Israel. In the NT Jesus ratified by His death on the cross a new covenant, termed in Hebrews 7:22 ‘a better covenant’.”

Hebrews 7:22 . . . by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.

Thus, a new choice for humankind—either live by law and die by law with no future in eternity and no prospect ever of life in a new body, or live by Grace and die in Grace looking forward to eternal life of the invisible person, eventually returned to a flawless body.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Our choice.

A new choice.

To be continued . . .