Man Making an Image of God

V1 Servant

δοῦλος doulos; from 1210; a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency): — bond(-man), servant

V2 He has an earthly lineage. He is the Son of David.

V4 …declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead

He is the Son of God for He is God born of God. He is the Son of man for He is God born of man. He is the only way that man can know God.

Declared- to define to mark out the boundaries or limits (of any place or thing) 1b to determine, appoint

We have to understand that it’s not His death on the cross that declares Him to be the Son of God. All men die:

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Instead, it’s His resurrection from the dead that declares Him to be the Son of God. It proves that His Spirit is the Spirit of holiness.

Boundaries have been determined. He alone is the Son of God. He alone is the one proven to be without sin. While two men walked on earth w out sin, only one man died without sin and robbed the grave of its victory:

1 Corinthians 15:54-55

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

V 12 …comforted together

Robertson suggests, "Instead of saying that he had a spiritual gift for them, he wishes to add that they also have one for him." He translates, "That I with you may be comforted," and adds, "My being comforted in you with you, a mutual blessing to each party (you and me)." The word "comfort" usually carries with it the idea of consolation which is not Paul's thought here. The word is sumparakaleo, "to strengthen with others." It is a mutual strengthening, brought about by Paul's ministry among them and their association with him, that the apostle is speaking of. The fellowship of the saints.

V 14  debtor

1 Corinthians 9:16

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

V 15 preach the gospel εὐαγγελίζω euaggelizō; from 2095 and 32; to announce good news

V 16 …for it is the power of God unto salvation

1 Corinthians 1:18.                                  2 Corinthians 4:3 lost

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

V 17 in it the righteousness of God ESV

Ch 3 Jesus is God’s righteousness manifested on earth

Ch 4:3 faith allows man to receive God’s righteousness

Imputed

It is like the proffered hand of a drowning man that makes it possible for the life guard to save him. There is nothing meritorious in the act of a drowning man in stretching out his hand in order to be saved. It is the efficient medium through which he is saved. Thus, the act of faith on the sinner's part is not meritorious but only the efficient medium through which God is able save him. The "it" therefore refers to the outstretched hand of faith of a sinner reaching out for salvation that God grasps in His own to lift him out of the mire of sin and place him upon the Rock, Christ Jesus

Ch 5 righteousness give access to grace and is a free gift given by God to man based on faith and made available through the cross

Ch 6 you’re no longer a slave to unrighteousness but a slave of righteousness

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Isaiah 64:6

6 But we are all as an unclean thing,

and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;

and we all do fade as a leaf;

and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

V18 … For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against…

Suppress

to hold back, detain, retain

The idea is there are men who suppress the truth of God’s word. There is an attempt by the powers that be to stop the progress of God’s word and kingdom message.

V 21 …neither were thankful

Obscure: to cover with darkness, to darken

Vain- empty

Imaginations- thinking, reasoning, discussions

God is removed from their thoughts the word thankful is eucharisteo specifically used often to describe a prayer of thanks before a meal. Thankfulness and acknowledgment towards God is a really big deal. Illustration of a farmer and his meat and piece of bread.

They let their minds be empty of Him. He darkened their hearts towards Him

The text is focused on the wicked heart of man, but it would be foolish to forget who is the source of the wickedness that is in the heart of man and that the whole purpose of evil is to steal God’s glory.

V 23 two words in verse 23

1. Glory

2. Image

Glory

This verse is focused on pointing out that the deceitful heart of man is determined to refuse God of His glory, His worship, His honor, His acknowledgement that is due towards Him as the sovereign creator of the universe, the sovereign creator of humanity.

While Satan isn’t mentioned in the passage, we would not be acknowledging the full story if we did not acknowledge the created being that started this thought and placed it into the heart of man.

Isaiah 14:12-14

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:

I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Ezekiel 28:2

Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

Ezekiel 28:15-17

15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Image

Ezekiel 8:10

So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel.

Exodus 32 golden calf both Egypt Apis and Canaan Baal rain-- crops

What did the god Apis do?

Apis brought fertility to crops, virility to Egyptian kings, and protection to the dead. As the Apis bull incarnate in Memphis Egypt, he lived in the temple of Ptah and participated in ceremonies, festivals, and acted as an oracle.

God gave humanity an image to worship

Colossians 1:15

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Colossians 1:19-20

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Colossians 2:9-10

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

V 24 Wherefore God gave them up

to give into the hands (of another)

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

V 25

…changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator

They worship the creation,  the earth, their humanity, Their identity, their sexuality, they form and fashion a God to their liking that meets the pleasures of their desires and their definition of love.

Don't Let Sin Revive

Romans 7:9 KJV

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

This topic is for people that are ready and willing to surrender to God’s will. What I mean by that is this, when people are living in failure, there are usually one of two reasons:

1. The person is saved and wants to live for God, but doesn’t know how

2. The person is not really interested in living for God, right now, they’re living for self.

God’s power and grace is sufficient to break through and give the victory, but if a human refuses to yield his will and surrender to God’s will, that person will remain in bondage until he or she is willing to surrender—many times it starts small and grows, but there will be joint participation with the Holy Spirit, and that is who I am talking to.

Alive- to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead)to enjoy real life to have true life

Romans 7:9 AMP

Once I was alive…But when the commandment came, sin lived again and I died…

Galatians 3:12 ESV

But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”

Leviticus 18:5 ESV

You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

Romans 10:5 ESV

The Message of Salvation to All

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.

Doing vs believing

Go back to Romans 7:9

**Doing is Law/ Law is performance focused

Believing is Faith focused

Trusting in Law or self performance results in frustration and failure (Galatians 2:21)

Believing or faith in Jesus results in God’s righteousness- where there is righteousness, there is grace and where there is grace, there is victory

Romans 4:3 ESV

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:5 ESV

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Galatians 3:6-7

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

Galatians 3:9

So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Romans 3:24 ESV

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Romans 5:1-2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Grace vs law

Trying to do something instead of being something by believing something. The next question is do you want to be something new or does a person want to remain their old man? There is a part that is contingent on the believer— Submission to the truth. The truth says that we have to die to self.

1. Die to sin

Romans 6:1-2 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

What do you mean I died to sin? When did I die to sin?

2. Die to the law

Romans 7:4 ESV

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

3. Die to flesh

Galatians 5:24 ESV

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

When God Let's Man Have His Way

Romans 1:16-18 ESV

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Before we talk about people suppressing the truth and its results, let take a look at the importance of embracing truth:

1. The Psalmist reveals that truth leads to the presence of God…

Psalms 43:3

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Psalms 24:3-4

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

2. Truth in a human heart brings God pleasure… thou desirest truth ESV delight…Strong’s pleasure

Psalms 51:6-7

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The Lord’s eyes aren’t blind. He doesn’t need glasses to see into a human heart. He has a spiritual microscope that He uses to examine the intricacies of the human heart. You need help with your heart. I need help with my heart.

After his sin with Bathsheba, King David writes a song and sings…You search my heart. You have a way of dealing with me. if it’s truth you want in my heart to lead me up your holy hill, I’m in need of your help. Take that sop of blood and smear it all over my heart, wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Jesus is ultimately the fulfillment of truth. Conversion brings truth into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. If we will allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth, we will find ourselves on the holy hill. In the presence of God being led by His Spirit.

3. Truth in  heart of a believer is an expensive …

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Romans 1:16-18

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Romans 1:22-32

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Through the ages unrighteous men have influenced society, have made man god and have now said to us, “You are god, you are who you want to be, you do what you want to do. We reject God, we reject His word, we reject His truth.

Listen very closely… it’s important that you understand what I am about to say. We are watching the degradation of society unveil before our eyes. What we see so far out in the open is nothing compared to what they do in their secret chambers. But you must understand that if you— suppress the truth of God in your life, the wrath of God will be revealed from heaven in your life also. This is a spiritual truth. It cannot be avoided. This wrath is different than the wrath that will occur as described in the book of revelation.

This is wrath is what happens to humans when God allows them to have their way in their own hearts. Darkness overtakes them, sin overwhelms them, they find themselves doing things they never imagined they could or would do. The guilt begins to pile up on them.

But good news, good news, good news—truth is only a whisper away!

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud,

A reprobate mind is one that has been rejected by God.

boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Proverbs 29:27

An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.

Proverbs 29:27

An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

1 John 2:20 CSB

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge.

1 John 2:21

I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

Spiritual DNA

Roots

Romans 5:12 NASB

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—|

Kosmos- Greek for world- meaning--order or arrangement.

The order was arranged by God earthly or physical to inhabit the earthy man. Satan, a spiritual creation who was the originator of sin, had to have an earthy vessel through which to introduce sin, which is spiritual and doesn’t come from God into the creation that was created in the image and likeness of God. The entry of sin affected the nature (spiritual DNA/at its core) of the entirety of God’s physical creation.

Adam’s yielding or presenting himself to the submission or service to Satan’s wishes caused a change to everything. The sin shift resulted in death to the entirety of creation. All creation groans or has an anxious longing awaiting the manifestation or revealing of the sons of God.

Romans 8:18-22 NASB

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. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

8:18-22 KJV

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Romans 5:14 NASB

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Adam’s sin resulted in bondage for all humans. Even though, all humans didn’t commit the sin of Adam, which was the first sin, now, the spiritual DNA has been changed, because sin has entered the creation. The image has been changed.

Adam was a type of Jesus who was to come in that He was created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus, as God, was the image and likeness of God, and being born of a woman, He clothed Himself in human flesh for the purpose that He could die to pay the wage of sin, which had corrupted the natural creation.

First Adam and last Adam. First Adam created in the image and likeness of God disobeyed and reproduced after His own kind, giving to his offspring a sinful nature.

Jesus the Last Adam, came in the express image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3) and through new birth, He reproduces offspring after His kind.

Romans 5:15 NASB

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

The free gift is not like the transgression in this way... it results in life instead of death.

The free gift of Jesus is like the transgression in this way. The transgression brought sin and death to the the human creation.

The free gift brings grace and life to all humans that are willing to receive the offer by faith.

Romans 5:17 NASB

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

βασιλεύω--king, reign to be king, to exercise kingly power, to reign

βάσις basis; from βαίνω bainō (to walk); a pace (“base”), i.e. (by implication) the foot: — foot.

Adam’s sin allowed entry and was the beginning point, a foothold that gave building rights for the foundation and the preparation of the kingdom of darkness and the reign of sin to begin upon the earth.

Death vs life

I’m no longer a slave to fear

I’m no longer a slave to sin

Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Romans 5:21

so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT- in the spiritual realm

On the battlefield of life, we must understand the gospel—how sin works, how grace works, what the cross accomplished in the spiritual realm.

A man can't just be a better man because he wants to. We are born into a kingdom where sin is reigning as king, but we are born again and translated into the kingdom of God’s Son, where we receive back, from God kingdom authority. It was purchased by Jesus on the cross and it’s daily by the minute dispensed into our lives by the person of the Holy Spirit through faith.

Romans 6:5 NASB

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

σύμφυτος symphytos; from 4862 and a derivative of 5453; grown along with (connate), i.e. (figuratively) closely united to:

Built from:

1. Syn-- synonyms together

2. Sprout

Together—sprout

So the NASB says United. Imagine the intertwined DNA helix. When a true conversion takes place, the believer becomes intertwined, sprouts and begins to grow in Christ. In Christ, we have become GMO. Genetically modified into His holiness.

— planted together.

AV (1) - planted together 1;

born together with, implanted by birth

2 Peter 1:2-4

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 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. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Romans 6:6 NASB

knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

KJV uses “old man” in this verse, the old man, the body of sin are words being used to describe a repeated occurrence throughout Romans 6.

The word sin is used with the definite article 13 times in Romans chapter 6 when searched within Young’s literal translation. The idea of “the sin” is related to the sinful nature. It’s the noun of sin that produces verbs of sin. The power of sin that drives someone to produce acts of sin.

Adam allowing sin into the realm of the natural creation, allowed sin into our being, just as we have been United or planted together in Christ and also resurrected with Him, those who are not born again, remain living their lives bound by the spiritual DNA of their sinful nature. But also Christians can be bound this way, when they do not understand what the word says about spiritual freedom.

Romans 6:7

for he who has died is freed from sin.

Going off of verse 12 through the one man Adam sin entered the natural man. He receives his association w/ sin in his first birth in Adam. Our old man, our association with Adam dies w/ Jesus. Now, being dead to the first birth, we’ve been freed from that connection that we had w/ Adam.

The next questions are:

1. Did you know that?

2. Do you believe that?

Romans 6:3

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Romans 6:11

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The KJV uses Reckon. The thought is that a disciple, which means learner, has been taught and learned and has come to the conclusion that he is no longer operating according to the old standard. He is no longer the previous creation born of Adam. He is a new creation born of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17)

And so now knowing the truth, it is his responsibility to apply this truth to his life. God says that he is new; therefore, he must believe God and not Satan that he is a new creation in Christ.

Romans 6:12

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

Even though sin has entered the natural realm through Adam and had kingship previously in your personal life, sin is no longer king in you. It no longer has its dominion over you. You have been translated into the kingdom of Christ, so quit submitting yourself to sin’s authority.

Romans 6:13

and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

KJV Yield

If we willingly yield to the power of sin, we open the door and allow sin to regain power in our lives.

When we do this, our members or body parts become weapons of warfare for the kingdom of darkness. That’s the Greek meaning of instruments (weapons of warfare)

Our minds think evil instead of righteousness

Our mouths speak death instead of life

Our feet walk towards sin instead of holiness

Our hands break instead of build.

Romans 6:16

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

KJV- ὑπακοή hypakoē; from 5219; attentive hearkening, i.e. (by implication) compliance or submission:

Conclusion

Jesus has given us new life. Through our new birth, we with Jesus, our old man died with Jesus and our new man resurrected as a new creation. While we were in the tomb with Jesus, the Holy Spirit was doing some spiritual surgery on us. He did a very technical spiritual procedure where He turned off a switch that disconnected the power of sin received from the natural birth in Adam and He intertwined His divine nature into the helix of our spiritual DNA. New birth activates it. Continued faith keeps it going. If you need your switch flipped pray with me now.

Yielding Not Grieving, 3/1/2023

Romans 12:10

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Kindly affectioned

The concept that when the brothers saw the Cameo, they remembered their mom correlated to the concept that when believers see another believer it should remind them about the Lamb, because the Lamb shed His blood for my brother or sister in the Lord.

Maybe that illustration doesn’t dig deep enough, so let’s try this. The brother or sister in the Lord belongs to God right? I’m talking about a saved person, and whatever interaction you have with them, you imagine, well, “I’m blessed and highly favored of the Lord.” Okay, yeah, but they’re not? Come on man, get off your high horse and quit thinking you’re the darling of heaven. God wants this person ministered to, not destroyed!

So many people are full of the lusts of the flesh in their hearts but they ignore their stuff and focus on how bad other people’s stuff is and then feel better about themselves. We better let God search our hearts church. So maybe here is a better illustration to help us understand what God may feel in all of this when He tells us to be kindly affectioned to cherish our brother.

We gossip and slander and lie on our taxes and we’re critical about others and we’re self righteous. And maybe we wound a brother or sister in the Lord. It’s maybe the self righteous way we said things. It’s the way we made them feel less then. Whatever we did, I don’t care whether we meant to. I don’t care whether they overreacted. It doesn’t matter—they were wounded. Something is about to happen to this child of God and we weren’t part of the solution, we were part of the problem, and God is grieved!

She’s wounded and ventures away from the Lord. You’re not thinking about her anymore. She’s been gone for 10 years. You forgot about her, but her daddy thinks about her all the time. She was his little girl. She hasn’t called in a while. Last he heard she had fallen into a life of addiction and things got even worse. She started selling herself to pay for the habit. Daddy tries to not think about it but he grieves and he prays and he asks God to intervene. At times he has joy at others he hurts.

One day she returns to town, “Dad, I’m home now (prodigal son…), God brought me home, and I have to tell you that He showed me that it wasn’t anyone’s fault. I understand that now that God has revealed His love to me. It’s just that the way all the Christians in my life growing up acted and treated me, I couldn’t see the Lord. What they said was right, but the way that they said it was wrong. They probably didn’t mean to, but it caused confusion.

The devil used it to offend me. No-one means to do it but they do, and the devil uses it. God dealt with me one night a month ago, and He showed me this, and He told me to come home and tell you and forgive you because you did it too dad, but can I please come home, He said He would heal me daddy please I’m sorry, can I come home?”

Imagine the heartache and pain that would cause you if you thought that someone had done that to your child. Now, imagine that you hurt a brother or sister in the Lord. You just shrug it off as, “They’re too easily offended, but hold on a second. You don’t even care that you offended God’s daughter, God’s son. You didn’t even consider how your attitude or your tone of voice could have made them feel unwelcome and now they’re gone. They have pulled away from the presence of the Lord. Your heart is hard. You know that you did something, but it’s not really that big of a deal to you, and this grieves the Holy Spirit, and

God weeps. He weeps, because your heart is too hard to even realize that it’s a big deal. He weeps because a sister or brother in the Lord was offended. He hoped He could trust you. If your heart was softer, you would feel conviction. You would say you were sorry and more importantly, you would pray and ask God to draw them back.

Honor

g5092. τιμή timē; from 5099; a value, i.e. money paid, or (concretely and collectively) valuables; by analogy, esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself: — honor, precious, price, some.

AV (43) - honour 35, price 8, sum 1, precious 1;

Valuing the price fixed. This means that I recognize the value affixed by God towards Valuing the price fixed. This means that I recognize the value affixed by God towards my brother or sister in Christ! What is that value? The life of Jesus-- what does that even mean to us? What it means to me is that in the Father’s eyes ______________ is worth the life of Jesus. Psalm 133 tells us tha it’s a beautiful thing when brothers in unity dwell

Preferring one another

g4285. προηγέομαι proēgeomai; from 4253 and 2233; to lead the way for others, i.e. show deference: — prefer.

AV (1) - prefer 1;

to go before and show the way, to go before and lead, to go before as a leader

e it stirs, I will roll out that way and stop them, every time they beat you they come from that direction, so I will roll out and stop them, and then you can get your healing.”

Defer, prefer-- “Please you go first!”

Imagine the story a little differently, just to make a point at the pool of Bethesda. Let’s just pretend for a second for the purposes of teaching the concept of preferring your brother or sister greater than yourself, and what we will imagine is the the Lame man had a friend who was also lame, and he said, ‘I have a plan-- the next time you jump into the pool first.’

‘Wait what,” the lame man responds, “What about you, what about your healing?” The Lord spoke to me last night in prayer and he showed me that if I would quit thinking so much about myself and love you this way, then He would send what I need.”

Corinth: 1 Corinthians 4:6

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another (chapter 11–selfishness in communion) vs (Acts 2:45_47 & Acts 4:32-35)