Hedging With The Son Of God

hedge - to mitigate a possible loss by counterbalancing; to avoid commitment by evasive statements (two of many definitions in Webster's College
Dictionary)

"Then they came to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, 'By what authority are You doing these things (Mark 11:15-17)? And who gave You this authority to do these things?' But Jesus answered and said to them, 'I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me'. And THEY REASONED AMONG THEMSELVES, saying, 'If we say, "From heaven", He will say, Why then did you not believe him? But if we say, "From men" ' --they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, 'WE DO NOT KNOW.' And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.' "(Mark 11:27-33)

There could have been a much better result to come from their confrontation. Jesus, by the Spirit of Christ, knew their hearts--that they had not been willing to receive the baptism of John: the baptism of repentance toward God, making themselves ready to receive Israel's Messiah. Reasoning amongst themselves and fearing the people resulted in less, rather than more, of Him. Jesus goes on to explain, by the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Mark 12:1-11) what judgement they were approaching. These men were making friends for themselves, by unrighteousness, with those whose eternal home is not heaven, nor can ever be.

We Must Esteem Him

"Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried away our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:1-4)

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."(Isaiah 53:5)

If we find ourselves consistently transgressing (violating His commands), iniquitous (involved in gross wickedness or injustice), restless and/or sick, we must consider that we are not esteeming Him as we should. The reconciliation of these things comes through faith in Jesus Christ, believing. We must understand and partake worthily of communion with Him.

"O you afflicted one, tossed with tempest, and not comforted. Behold, I WILL LAY your stones with colorful gems, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I WILL MAKE your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of crystal, and your walls of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake." (Isaiah 54:11-15)

The most recent study discussed 'a made man is assured of success'. IT IS ALL in the making! We will remain unmade and bothered if we hide our faces from Him.

 

A Made Man Is Assured Of Success!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were MADE through Him, and without Him nothing was MADE that was MADE. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it." (John 1:1-5)

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was MADE through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (MADE OF GOD). And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:6-14)

made- assured of success (one of seven definitions for this word in Webster's College Dictionary)

I could say that all things were assured of success through Him; not just anything would be assured of success, but that which has been assured, could be, only through Him.

What things? "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."(Romans 8:29,30)

The people that inhabit the earth have been "assured of success" because of, through, with and in Jesus Christ. They are more likely to see if we, who are predestined and called, also are justified and glorified through faith in Jesus Christ, believing.

Sparing Not The Son(s)

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge (to ask as a price or fee; to lay a command or injunction upon; to fill or refill so as TO MAKE READY FOR USE) against God's elect (v.29,30)? It is God who justifies! Who is he who condemns? (to judge or pronounce to be unfit for use or service). It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:32-37)

Notice! We are more than conquerors THROUGH Him who loved us. He can/will show us what that means. Who brings the charge? God who justifies! Who is he who condemns? Christ who died! We know that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1) 

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword separate us from the love of Christ? You ask yourself that! At what price will you turn away? These THINGS (Romans 8:28) come to separate us from He who is HEAD of ALL THINGS to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (these things; Ephesians 1:22,23); and have, and will depending upon what we say to them! (Romans 8:31)

God charges us, bringing the requirement. Jesus Christ shows us the way, the truth and the life IN ALL THESE THINGS! Assuredly, by the Holy Spirit, we know when we are fit for the Master's use. If unfit or unready, our heart, by the same Holy Spirit, condemns us. 

(Definitions within initial paragraph are from Webster's College Dictionary)