Making Peace

"For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, HAVING MADE PEACE through the blood of His cross.

(Colossians 1:19,20)

"I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, TO FULFILL THE WORD OF GOD, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.’ (Colossians 1:24-28)

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace BY THOSE WHO MAKE PEACE."

(James 3:17,18)

Jesus Christ made peace THROUGH the blood of the cross. Paul was willing to FILL UP in his flesh what was lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of the church, not in disorder but according to the stewardship God gave him. How do you suppose to make peace?

Each One's Work Will Become Clear

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear, for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise." 

(1 Corinthians 3:11-18)

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God." (1 Corinthians 4:5)

Paul has introduced the "foundation" of Jesus Christ to the Corinthian people. He declares that their works, subsequent to their conversion and empowerment, will be revealed by fire. If what they do is burned, that work will be lost, which is a good thing! Since they are young in Christ they will receive opportunity to continue, YET SO AS THROUGH FIRE. The fire burned up their works, the error of their way, that the will of God may become evident and made manifest: works which endure the fire.

A Form of Godliness

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, head-strong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

"Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but these will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs (Jannes, Jambres) also was." (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

MANY have recognized, and received the message that Jesus Christ, on the cross, was the propitiation to God for their sins. A cross seen, on church or on a hillside, or on a printed page reminds that He did that for them. These HAVE a form of godliness, confessing what God had done and they had received.

Paul warns Timothy that underneath the form these have, 'men will be'. No one is excluded. As the scriptures note, you may have a form of godliness yet deny its power. Now we see that Jesus was on that cross for a time, suffered and died, and was resurrected. He teaches that unless you will do the same, according yourself to His grace, you will not be fit for the kingdom.

Growing up, I had a neighbor who had a flatbed truck on which he carried metallic forms. He was a homebuilder. When I was young, I had no interest those things. But now I know he put those forms together in order to pour concrete for foundations of dwellings. Those forms did him no good unconstructed, but constructed were useful.

It would be perilous for the bride-elect to become easily deceived by men who sell short the power of godliness which glorifies God in those who endure.

Learning to Boast IN Your Infirmity

"It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago---whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows---such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man---whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows---how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except IN my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast IN my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure IN infirmities, IN reproaches, IN needs, IN persecutions, IN distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)

Although Paul desires to tell others about the visions and revelations God has revealed to him, he has come to understand that, lest he be brought to the place where men may see Christ in him (their own service notwithstanding), the abundance of what God has shown will not be expressed completely. Therefore Paul learns to be fulfilled, not in someone exalting him because of what they think he has seen or heard, but in doing God's word, allowing Him to complete His work in him. The New Testament way that ends the captivity of those who believe in Jesus Christ!

Your Worm Can Die, and the Fire Quenched

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast onto hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire--- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' "

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." (Mark 9:42-50)

Would you consider it a sacrifice to allow the Lord to show you how to cease grabbing, walking to, and looking for that which causes your stumbling to persist, and others? He will season it with fire. Your worm (will) will die and the fire quenched, as it has been allowed to accomplish its cause! Only don't lose your taste for the salt upon an obedient sacrifice, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Our Love of Christ: God's Righteous Requirement

"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."(Romans 8:3-5)

"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 slaughter.' (Psalm 44:22)

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, not any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)

God's love is steadfast toward believers. Paul was persuaded: nothing would be able to separate himself (or these) from their love of God in Christ Jesus. Yet distresses, famine, peril or sword, tribulation and persecution will come to test our love. "Who" is someone, or entity, that brings the trial. These will attempt to separate us from our love of Christ. Remember! It is our righteous requirement to walk according to, consistent with, the Spirit. We resist through faith, hope, love, patience and peace: steadfast in the faith.

Your Unbelief, from Here to There

"And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 'Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.' Then Jesus answered and said, 'O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.' And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured that very hour."

"Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." 

(Matthew 17:14-21)

I think we could consider HERE our soul (the mind, will and emotions; where we make our decisions), and THERE the cross (where/how we learn to follow Him).

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (yet faithless and perverse in their ability), but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.' Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." 

(1 Corinthians 1:18-21)

So then, your faithlessness considers other things as it responds, rendering perverse actions contrary to Christ. We have to learn to follow Him, not the wisdom of the world.