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

As we deal with one another we can offend one another without even trying at times.  The above verse tells us how to deal with each other.  First we need to be kindly affectioned, we need to be cherish one another as we would a family member.  This is not the idea of biting and devouring one another, but instead being kind to one another.  The problem is that when we think of people it is usually just ourselves.  We don’t know usually think of the other person, but what pleases me.  So when we read “in honour preferring one another;” we need to think it is more valuable for me to consider someone else first, than anything else.  So when you have a problem with a brother or sister in Christ, then don’t think about yourself, but think about them first.  We need to think the way Christ thinks in which he thought of us before he thought about himself, we should thank God daily for that love.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Some of you may or may not know but there has been a lot of talk on the titles of pastor, bishop, elders, etc…  I have a take on this that I would like to share.

First in Eph 4:11-12

11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The title pastor is used and it is used in conjunction with the edifying of the body of Christ.  Also the verses in Acts 20 are talking to the elders at the church in Ephesus, Acts 20:17 and it is to tell them to pay attention or be cautious of first yourself (elder) and the flock (that would be the congregation or saints in the assembly).  God has made those positions overseers of the flock for 3 reasons.  First to feed them through the word, second to protect them from the wolves, and thirdly I believe to care for them and love them.  All of these things are definitely things that a shepherd does, but it is nice to know that we can also do the same things, and are instructed in the word to do so.  The example of feeding the church and instructing them is what Jeremiah calls a PASTOR,

Jeremiah 3:15

And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

So don’t let folks try to say that there aren’t men in the body of Christ today, doing the work of a pastor, because that just is not true.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Have you ever wondered what John was doing in the wilderness?  He was calling the nation of Israel to repentance, which means for them to simply change their mind about their actions.  They were a people that were not thankful for what God had done for them and thought that they could do it on their own, sounds familiar doesn’t it.  We at times get the same way.  But the purpose of this is not why John was preaching but what he was preaching.  He was not preaching the gospel of the grace of God, he was not telling those that Christ died for their sins.  Instead he was telling them that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  He was letting Israel know that their king was there to redeem them.  John was in Judea, preaching to the nation of Israel not the Gentiles.  So when we read the scriptures, we want to know who is talking, to whom are they talking to, when they are talking and what the context of the message is.  All of this will help us in understanding God’s word especially the verses that are written to us as members of the body of Christ in Romans to Philemon.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

The Lords prayer in John 17 is for the disciples that the Lord has been teaching.  The Lord has been praying to the Father about these men, what he has taught them, what they have learned, what they are preaching.  In the above verse the Lord is not praying for them only, but for those that the disciples are ministering to, the people that have heard the word of God through the apostles and have believed.  What is it that he is praying for them?  It is the same thing that he has been praying about the apostles; that they believe who he is, what he has told them, and believe in the work that he has done.  That they would be sanctified through the word of truth, this is what is on the heart of the Lord.  As I look at this example of prayer from Christ for the saints, I think that these are things that we should be praying for one another, spiritual things, things that will last for eternity.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Have you ever had someone tell you that the bible is written by men?  Well the holy scriptures are not just a book with words on a page, but the word of God, literally breathed out of the mouth of God.  The way that God inspires his word is not the way that a sunset inspires an artist, or a romance inspires a poet.  Instead the men of God are inspired by the working of the Holy Ghost.  The holy men of God actually use the words in which the Holy Spirit gives to them.  The miracle in the inspiration of the word is that the writers are writing the words in their own style, but the words that are used are the actual words that God wanted written down.  So the next time you read the word of God, remember these are the actual words that God wants you to read, and NOT the words of men.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Most people think that ministers are those that stand behind a pulpit and preach but this isn’t true.  Ministers are really servants, those that are doing the work of the ministry.  This verse tells us that we are to conclude that we are the ministers of Christ not just the pastors but all the saints are ministers.  We all have people that we come in contact with on a daily basis that we have the opportunity to minister to so as ministers we are stewards, and this means that we are someone that is trusted, an overseer or manager.  An example of a steward is a treasurer so what is it that we are keeping as a treasure?  It is the mysteries of God, the idea of God saving man by his grace through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and the formation of the body of Christ in the dispensation of grace.  These are just a few of the mysteries that we are to keep dear to our heart and that we should tell others about as a faithful minister of Christ.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

I hear many people say that they talk to the Lord and I ask them if they are saved and they give me a funny look.  To most people praying is a superstitious thing and they are doing it to get something from God or to get out of a jam.  Religion would have you pray to a person or to people to get to God but what people have to understand is that there is only one way to get to God the Father and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the only go between when man is trying to get to God.  The idea of ending prayers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ does not have to be done but it is the way that we recognize that if it wasn’t for the Lord coming as a man and dying for us then we would never be able get to God the Father.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Every verse is breathed out of the mouth of God and it is all profitable for teaching, rebuke and to correct any wrong teaching or actions, but it is also the thing that instructs us to live Godly.  When we read the scriptures it perfects us, completes the information that we need to know this doesn’t mean that we know everything, but we do know where we can get the answer.  We are unable to live the way God would have us to live, under our own power but to do the good works that God would have us to do, we need to have and READ the scriptures, this is what gives us the instructions to live Godly.  We need the scriptures as they were given to us, out of the mouth of God, if the Lord Jesus Christ was standing in front of us we would do what He says to do.  Well He has but it is in written form this is not any less important than if he was standing in front of us.  You are NOT lacking a thing just read the scriptures and believe the verse, and use the bible as your LIFE INSTRUCTION MANUAL.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

In the third chapter of Colossians there are many things that the apostle Paul has told the saints to do towards one another, but verse 14 though tells us to put on charity.  This is thinking about others first, considering them before ourselves.  We are to put this on through the reading of the scriptures.  Human nature is to think about ourselves.  The middle letter of the word “sin” is “I”.  This is the problem with the human race we want to do what we need to, to take care of ourselves.  We don’t think about others first, but Christ thought about us in eternity past when he decided to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  A human race that did everything against what he asked them to do, he still LOVED you and I enough to die for us.  When you think of others, think of them the way Christ thought of you and you will see that our attitude towards others will change.  We will then see that this is the completeness that the Lord wants the members of the body to have with one another.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This verse is a favorite verse among many believers it is dealing with our position in Christ which many saints unfortunately don’t understand.  The verse tells us that we are dead in Christ and our life in the flesh is no longer alive instead we have Christ living in us and our life in the flesh should be different.  Christ lives is in us through the Spirit and for this reason we should think differently and act differently.  As we understand the doctrine of being dead in Christ and having Christ’s life living in us we then need to walk in that truth.  It is the practical aspect and understanding that NOW the life which I live in the flesh I want to live by the faith of Christ and not by my own power or strength.  We cannot live this life on our own but we have to let Christ live it through us and the way we do this is by the daily intake of God’s word.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

We all have times that people offend us or wrong us.  Sometimes it is done on purpose and sometimes it is without the person who offended you even realizing it.  So what are you to do?  Do we get mad and then get even?  Do we make the person apologize and BEG for forgiveness, even when they haven’t realized they did anything wrong?  Or do we forgive them, not based on what they have done to bring recompense for their wrong doing, but because we have forgiveness from God in Christ?  We want to treat others the way God treats us this is living in grace.  If God doesn’t ask us to do anything for forgiveness, then we ought not to make others do anything for us to forgive them.  We need to exercise grace and forgive others as Christ has already totally forgiven us.  Remember that forgiving someone also means to forget it and not hold it against them.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

A friend of mine was recently called a Berean, and what a wonderful compliment.  I am not sure if the person saying it meant it that way, but it is still a compliment.  Why?  Well they were more noble than those in Thessalonica.  If you look at the saints at Thessalonica, this is a church that received the word in much affliction.  They had reason to say “no, we are not going to listen to Paul anymore,” but they didn’t do that.  Instead they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, this is true repentance.  So what made the Berean’s more noble, first they received the word with all readiness of mind.  They didn’t say “I have never heard that before so I am not going to listen.”  Then they searched the scriptures daily, to see if the things that were said were true or not.  They were true students of the word.  All of us have had to take time to listen to something new, if we didn’t we would have never come into the truth.  More than that though, most of us have come into the truth, because we checked out the things that were said to us, to see if they were really what God was saying and not just what man was saying.   So if someone calls you a “Berean”, say thank you, even if they didn’t mean it as a compliment, because IT IS!

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The word of God is one of the most wonderful things that we can possess.  It is quick, which means alive, this isn’t a dead book, but a book that first gives us life, and also a book that helps us in our lives.  It is powerful, which means it is our authority, it is not a “magical” book but it is a book that we can rest and rely on as the FINAL AUTHORITY in all manners of faith.  It is sharper than any two-edged sword; I remember watching a movie and 2 men were trying to show how good their swords were, the first one took a stone and with all the might that HE had split the stone in two.  This didn’t mean the sword was better than the others, just that HE was strong.  The second guy took his sword and threw a piece of silk in the air and stuck his sword out and the silk cloth fell on the edge of the sword it just split in half.  The crowd was amazed knowing his sword was much sharper then the first.  When I saw that scene, I thought to myself that is like the word of God, it is so sharp that it is the only thing that can divide the soul and spirit.  We have a hard time separating them because they are so close but the word of God can separate the two and the result is that it will know your thoughts and intents.  This is why so many people, when they are involved in sin, do not want to read the word of God.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

As we are endeavoring to renew our mind daily we see that Paul encourages Timothy to give attendance to reading, to exhortation (to warn through encouragement), doctrine (teaching).  The first thing we need to understand is that we need to read the scriptures everyday, as we have said before this is what energizes us.  We need to be warned and encouraged through the scriptures and we need to be taught by reading the word of God.  Paul wanted Timothy to stay in the word, as Timothy was discouraged through the things going on in his ministry and in the world the only thing to help was the scriptures.  Paul knew this and wanted Timothy to rely on God through His word to help him get through what seemed to be the tough times in his life.  If things start to concern, or depress you, then give attendance to reading, exhortation and doctrine of the word of God.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

As a teenager in a youth group, there always seemed to be a standard that I couldn’t live up to.  I was told by different people that to be in God’s will or have God’s blessing, I needed to do certain things.  It always seemed to me that there was something lacking, and that there was more that I needed to do, to get more from God this was very frustrating and discouraging.  Then a friend of mine showed me the above verse and I was so excited he told me about God’s grace, and all that God has done for me, he told me that I didn’t need to do anything because God has already done it ALL for me.  The idea of being complete is what any young person is looking for because they are in a time of their life from being a child to becoming an adult and there is enough pressures from the world they definitely don’t need pressures from a church.  Knowing that no matter what I did or where I was, that I was complete in Christ, gave me a since of comfort and confidence.  Don’t try to reach the standards of others but realize who you are in Christ and rest in that alone.  Understand and live your Christian life knowing that “ye are complete in him”.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

We have been given some information that is the key to understanding what God is doing today.  The “mystery” in a nut shell is the body of Christ in the dispensation of grace which neither has ever been spoken about in the scriptures, except in Paul’s epistles.  The doctrine that is given to us in the mystery is the base of our faith so as we hold the mystery of the faith we need to hold it in a pure conscience.  We need to take the doctrine given to us, and not be swayed by any other teachings.  We need to hold the doctrine in a clear moral understanding of what is right and what is wrong.   Don’t ever think that grace gives us the reason to live anyway that we want instead it gives us the reason to live for God.  As you talk to others about the doctrine of grace, do it with a spirit of grace.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

It is nice to confident about things so many times even as Christians we wonder what is going on.  The idea of having confidence helps us figure what is going on and why.  One of the things that we can be confident of is the work that God is doing in us.  God did not save us and then just set us out to sail with no direction God has a purpose for you and for me.  It is not the issue of where to work, or where to live or who to marry, but things more important.  God has begun a “good” work in you what is this work?  It is the doctrine of grace, living Godly in the truth that God has given us through Paul’s epistles.  The interesting thing about this is that God has begun the work and that HE will perform it.  I think that is where we as Christians mess up, we are trying to perform it ourselves and we CAN’T.  God is the only one that can live in grace and live Godly in us this is the work of the new man.  This isn’t going to last just for a day, or a week or 10 years but God will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, that day in which Christ will come for his saints.  I think about you, and pray for you that you will allow God to perform the good work in you until the rapture.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Have you ever given the gospel to someone and they didn’t respond the way you wanted them to?  They either didn’t want to listen, they gave excuses or they just said that they didn’t believe.  If you give the gospel out, that will happen to you a lot.  The result of the rejection of the gospel is that you just don’t want to give it out.  Why talk to others if they don’t want to listen or they don’t want to believe the gospel.  Well we have to remember we don’t convince, convict or convert a person that is the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is not our job to save people or even see people get saved it is our job to give out the gospel.  So next don’t get discouraged, you might be the one that plants the seed or the one that waters, but no matter what, if a person trust the gospel it is God that gave the increase, and we give him the glory.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Have you ever caught yourself complaining and arguing all of the time?   This is something that we all do it is part of our sin nature.  The idea of murmurings and disputings reminds me of the nation of Israel.  God did everything for them, brought them out of slavery, was going to give them a new land of milk and honey, but all they wanted to do was complain.  So God did for them what they wanted and they still complained and then when he was ready to bring them into the land they said NO.  So they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and then died there.  Well God has done everything for us, Eph 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” Yet we still want more, we want God to do more, we want to complain when things don’t go right, or argue when we don’t agree with the scriptures about what God is doing.   Remember that we need to be thankful in everything and do all the things that God would have us to do as saints without murmuring or disputings.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

There are many in the world today that just don’t have any hope, actually there was a time when the Gentiles did not have a hope, Eph 2:12 “…having no hope and without God in the world.” What a horrible feeling to think I can not get out of my situation or there is no help for me.  But yet God has thought about us even before the world began, he has given us the opportunity to have eternal life, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for us.  We have just a wonderful hope, and message to tell others, and even we need to think about these things when we are getting down or have a bad day.  So the next time you think I can’t take it or there seems to be no hope for me then we need to remember that we are saved by hope.  Romans 8:24 “For we are saved by hope:…”

Rejoicing in Hope,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com