Obedient Steps of Faith – BT22:  The promises of God come by Faith not by works of righteousness

 

 

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The Israelites didn’t enter into “The Promised Land” because “they despised the pleasant land, having NO trusting-relying-faith in His promise” (a).  However, likely Barnabas, Paul’s preaching companion, in the book of Hebrews (b) encourages Jewish-Christians to: “be imitators of those who dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of trusting-relying-faith and/coupled makrothumia ‘long-suffering-patience before expressing retributive-force from anger’ inherit the promises,” so therefore “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful,” giving us many examples:  “By-the-means-of trusting-relying-faith Abraham went to live in the land of promise . . . living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise . . . by-the-means-of trusting-relying-faith Sarah received enabling-power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered Him faithful who had promised . . . [many other people] all died in trusting-relying-faith . . . by-the-means-of trusting-relying-faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, kai and/specifically he who had received the promises was then in the act of offering up his only son . . . [man other people] dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of trusting-relying-faith . . . obtained promises.” <Notes> a) Psalms 106:24, b) Hebrews 6:12, 10:23, 11:9, 11, 13, 17, 33, 39.

 

Paul explains promises that go to the remnant who have faith: “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the latreia liturgical-worship, and the promises” (a).  But NOT all of the children of Abraham are the children of God:  “it is absolutely-in-fact-NOT the children of the flesh [mankind] who are the children of God, but the children of the promise (b) are counted as offspring” (c), for “only a remnant of them will be saved” (d).  Gentiles “were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without The God in the world” (e), but “the mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs [of Abraham], members of the same Body, kai and/thus koinonia partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of the gospel” (f).  Just as with the Jews only a “remnant of mankind will seek the Lord” (g), for “so too at the present time there is a remnant chosen by unconditionally-loving-favor-of-grace” (h).  <Notes> a) Romans 9:4, b) context: of Isaac’s birth by Sarah, not Hagar’s child, the father of the Arab nations, c) Romans 9:7-9, d) Romans 9:27, e) Ephesians 2:12, f) Ephesians 3:6, g) Acts 15:17, h) Romans 11:5.

 

At Christ’s 1^st coming and salvation He “showed the mercy promised to our fathers and/thus to remember His holy covenant, the oath that He sword to our father Abraham” (a), for “of this man’s [singular] Sperma ‘Seed-offspring’ God had brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as He promised . . . and we presently/ongoingly euaggelizo preach the gospel of what God promised the fathers, this He has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus [from the dead] . . . and now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers” (b).  <Notes> a) Luke 1:69-73; Acts 7:17, b) Acts 13:23, 32-33, 26:6.

 

Paul explains elsewhere as “a servant of Christ Jesus, . . . set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy scripture concerning His Son” (a) – see Salvation – BT4.  “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s trustworthiness/faithfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs [of Israel]” (b).  “God is faithful, our logos message to you has not been ‘yes and no.’  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you . . . was not ‘yes or no,’ but in Him it is always ‘Yes,’ for all the promises of God find their ‘Yes’ in Him” (c), and “since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and/coupled spirit” (d). <Notes> a) Romans 1:1-3, b) Romans 15:8, c) 2 Corinthians 1:18-20, d) 2 Corinthians 7:1.

 

Peter also explains:  “The Lord Jesus’ divine enabling-power has granted to us ALL things that pertain to zoe genuine-life and/coupled godliness dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of Him (Christ), who called us to His (Christ) own glory and/coupled excellence, dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of which He (Christ) has granted to us His (Christ) precious and/coupled very-great promises in order that through them you may become koinonia partakers of the divine nature” (a).  <Notes> a) 2 Peter 1:3-4.

 

One of those “precious promises” from above is “the promise of the zoe genuine-life that is IN Christ Jesus” (a), “the hope of eternal zoe genuine-life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested by-the-means-of His logos message through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior (b)” (c).  “This is the promise that He (the Son) made to us – eternal zoe genuine-life” (d).  <Notes> a) 2 Timothy 1:1, b) Jesus commanded Paul to preach the gospel: Titus 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:1; Romans 1:1, 5-6, 16:26, c) Titus 1:2-3, d) 1 John 1:25.

 

James 2:5 assures us: “has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich by-the-means-of trusting-relying-faith kai and/specifically heirs of the kingdom that He promised to those routinely/habitually unconditionally-loving Him?”  2 Peter 1:1-4 speaks “to those who have obtained a trusting-relying-faith . . . by the righteousness of our God and/coupled Savior Jesus Christ . . . His divine enabling-power has granted to us all things that pertain to zoe genuine-life and/coupled godliness dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of the genuine, full, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of the [One] having called us dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of [His] own glory and/coupled excellence, dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of which He has given to us the precious and/coupled magnificent promises in order that dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of these [promises] you might become koinonia partakers of the divine-God nature.”  The promises weren’t meant to give us a bible but God’s very nature – and by the 4 uses of  dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of, you can see exactly how the process works!

 

We’ve already seen Paul explain this in Galatians 3:12-14, 16, 18, 22-25, “The Law presently/ongoingly is absolutely-in-fact-NOT ek out-from trusting-relying-faith . . . Christ redeemed-by-ransom-payment us from the curse of the Law, having become for us [singular] curse for . . . ‘cursed is everyone hanging on a tree’ in order that the blessing of Abraham might come eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of the Gentiles by-the-means-of Jesus Christ in order that the promise of the Spirit (b) we might definitively/wholly lambano grab-hold-of-to-receive dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of trusting-relying-faith. . . . Now the [plural] promises were made to Abraham and to his [singular] Offspring . . . who is Christ . . . for if the inheritance comes by the Law, it no longer comes by [singular] promise . . . But The [singular] graphe scripture (a) definitively/wholly sugkleio ‘closed/locked up together in prison without a way of escape and thus subjugated to the power of the jailer’ ALL things (context:  the Jews) hupo subjugated-under SIN in order that The Promise (b) from Jesus Christ ek out-from trusting-relying-faith might be given to those routinely/habitually having trusting-relying-faith . . .” <Notes> a) whole/entirety of OT Law per note A1 of Logos Word of God – BT5, b) of the Spirit as an inheritance from v. 3:14, 18-19.

 

Paul continues:  ” . . . BEFORE The-Trusting-Relying-Faith (The Christian Faith) erchomai came-from-one-place-to-another, we were phroureo ‘guarded as with a military sentinel’ (a) hupo subordinately-under the Law, routinely/habitually having been sugkleio ‘closed/locked up together in prison without a way of escape and thus subjugated to the power of the jailer’ eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of The mello ‘surely-about-to-happen’ Trusting-Relying-Faith was to be apokalupto ‘revealed to uncover what is currently there but hidden,’ so that the Law had become [with ongoing effects] our (Jew’s) paidagogos child-guardian (b) eis toward-and-reaching-for-the-goal-of Christ’s coming in order that we might be justified/made-righteous ek out-from trusting-relying-faith .  .  .” <Notes> a) just as the Holy Spirit’s enabling-power now does over our hearts: 1 Peter 1:5; Philippians 4:7, b) paidagogos:  hired servant that would insure minor-aged kids got to school and back safely – see 1 Corinthians 4:15-20.

 

Paul continues: “. . . BUT NOW that trusting-relying-faith has come, we are absolutely-in-fact-NO LONGER under a paidagogos child-guardian (a), for in Christ Jesus you are ALL huios mature-sons (b) of God, through trusting-relying-faith.”  Why would any Christian want to read or attempt to do any of the 613 commandments of the OT Law when they make you an enslaved prisoner and treats you so strictly as an immature child, but remember that 97.4% of the OT is based on the Law, the very reason that the early Church in no way used most of the OT – see Logos Word of God – BT8.

 

<Notes> a) paidagogos:  hired servant that would insure minor-aged kids got to school and back safely – see 1 Corinthians 4:15-20 “countless guides in Christ”, b) although Gentile-Christians are adopted, we are also now at the age to receive our inheritance, born not of the slave woman Hagar or Law but of the free woman Sarah, the firstfruit or guarantee of that inheritance being the promised-Spirit that enables us to be led by the Spirit in our freedom:  Romans 8:14, 23; Galatians 3:18, 4:3-9, 30; Ephesians 1:11, 13-14.

 

Don’t Christians understand the differences between BEFORE, BUT NOW, and NO LONGER?  In Galatians 4:9, Paul questions why these huios ‘mature sons (Jewish-Christians) ready for their inheritance’ from v. 4:7 having “come to experientially, relationally ginosko know God, or rather to be experientially, relationally ginosko known by God [through Christ], how you can [NOW] turn back-again to the [Law’s] asthenes weak-worthless-beggarly-poor and/coupled ptochos destitute stoicheion elementary or rudimentary ‘abc’ fundamental principles [the way little-children have to be simplistically and repetitively taught by strict rules] to which you desire back-again, again to be enslaved?”  Paul would ask the same of many Christians that insist on reading, studying, and trying to do any of the 613 commandments of the Law!  He would freak out that Gentiles are embracing what Jews finally got free from!

 

Paul also explains this in Romans 4:13-14, 16, 20-24:  “The promise to Abraham and his [singular] Offspring that he would be heir of the world did absolutely-in-fact-NOT come through the Law but-instead through the righteousness of trusting-relying-faith.  For if it is the adherents of the Law who are to be the heirs, trusting-relying-faith is null and the promise is void. . . . That is why it depends on trusting-relying-faith, in order that the promise may rest on unconditionally-loving-favor-of-grace kai and/thus be guaranteed to ALL his offspring – not only to the adherents of the Law but also to the one who shares the trusting-relying-faith of Abraham . . . No apistia lack-of-trusting-relying-faith (i.e., doubt) made Abraham waver concerning the promise of God (a), but-instead endunamoo [passively] was-empowered (b) by-the-means-of the-trusting-relying-faith (c), having already given glory to God, kai and/thus [eventually] fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.”  <Notes> a) that despite Sarah’s bareness he would have a son, b) his impregnating of Hagar showed his initial doubt and thus wavering of trusting-relying-faith, c) Yes, faith will empower you.

 

Paul continues:  “That is why his trusting-relying-faith was ‘counted/credited to him as righteousness.’  But the words ‘it was counted-as-credit to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted-as-credit to us routinely/habitually having trusting-relying-faith upon The [One], Jesus our Lord, having already been raised from the dead.”  Clearly “hupomone ‘patient-endurance under trials/persecutions’ of trusting-relying-faith” (a) is called for – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16!  <Notes> a) Revelation 2:19, 13:10, 14:12; Hebrews 12:1.

 

The second “precious promise” from above is “the Father’s promise of the Holy Spirit” (a) that is “also lambano grab-hold-of-to-receive by trusting-relying-faith” (b).  Jesus didn’t just save us for heaven to live like hell meanwhile, because soteria salvation is a “process of being delivered, rescued, and restored to wholeness” and this will require the enabling-power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to create holiness/sanctification to make the process even possible.  That’s exactly why Paul asks:  “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that unconditionally-loving-favor-of-grace may [be required] to abound?  By no means!  How can we who died to sin [g] still live in it?” (c)!  <Notes> a) Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 2:33, 38-39, b) Galatians 3:14; Ephesians 1:13, g) with Christ in water-baptism per Romans 6:3-4, c) Romans 6:1-2.

 

“The sealing-to-authorize-ownership of the promised Holy Spirit” came “when you heard the logos message of The Truth, the gospel of the salvation of you, in whom [Christ, v. 1:12] you kai specifically had trusting-relying-faith” (a), “putting His seal on us kai and/specifically giving us His Spirit in our hearts as a down-payment/deposit-as-guarantee” (b), where “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (c), “sealed for the day of redemption” (d), a reference to our glorifying transformation at Christ’s second coming (e).  <Notes> a) Ephesians 1:13, b) 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, c) Romans 8:16, d) Ephesians 4:30, e) Titus 1:2, 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 8:17-18, 29; 1 Corinthians 13:12, 15:42, 52-54; John 5:25, 28; Luke 20:35-36.

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Education, Long-suffering-patience & endurance of faith to obtain God’s promises, Promises go to the remnant who habitually have faith, We have to press into to the Presence of God to share His divine nature, Genuine-Life is a promise by faith, Righteousness is a promise by faith, Salvation by grace is a promise by faith, Godliness & Holiness comes by the promise of the Spirit thru relational epignosis knowledge of God