A Look at the Book #276

by Jesse Abel
The Devotional

What Does Papa "J" Say

Silver and gold are the tangibles of the temporary world around us, while wisdom and knowledge are the intangibles of the eternal World of God. We can enjoy the knowledge of God before reaching eternity, but the sinner? Only the items that eternity rejects. Proverbs 8:9-11



God's grace and human merit. Can these two attributes work together? One is a divine characteristic of the holiness of God, while the other is the best effort of the good characteristic of man. God's holiness is eternal, man's goodness is temporal. Just on this basis alone the eternal things of God far outweigh the temporal things of man. In Ephesians 2:10 the apostle Paul states that we are God's workmanship and that we were created in Christ Jesus. From our human view point we seek to understand this, but I think we should be asking this question. What does this mean to God? The work that God does in the soul of His children is a work of placing “eternity in their heart”! This is a work of recreation. 2 Corinthians 5:17. God does not expect us to utilize the work of the flesh to merit His grace gift. 2 Corinthians 5:18 says; “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” So what does this mean? Romans 4:1-4 helps. Believing in God requires that human merit is totally replaced by faith. Faith to walk in the works prepared by God through Jesus Christ our LORD. Ephesians 2:8-10.

The Gospel of John

John 17:6-19 Answering a very good question: Thanks for your question and thanks for reading.

Jess,

I wonder what you mean when You say that Jesus did not reveal his Diety? Do you not consider the miricles mentioned in John to be his way of showing that He was God in human flesh.


As you are aware in Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus asks His disciples to tell Him who the men of Caesarea Philippi thought Jesus was. The disciples answers are answers that the religious crowd usually give. Matthew 16:14. Then Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was. Simon Peter answers and Jesus responds. Matthew 16:15-19.

In the devotional on August 27, I was seeking to establish that the only prerequisite for salvation is faith resulting from grace. Jesus did all of His miracles to glorify His Father, not Himself. His miracles proved that He was the Son of God, the Messiah. The way I understand the salvation of a soul is that one must be born from above (born again). The soul sees the works of Jesus and by faith expresses a response to the death and resurrection of Christ to be a work of, God the Father. (a miracle) God merits or blesses that soul with grace and the indwelling Holy Spirit.


Even Thomas expresses this reaction of his soul when he by faith recognized that Jesus truly was the Son of God. John 20:24-29. So while Jesus is Deity wrapped up in human flesh during his ministry on earth, He did not treat His disciples to a "blue light" special. They had to come to faith in Him just as you and I. I believe the apostle Paul nails this with his comments in Philippians 2:5-11. It is all for the glory of God the Father otherwise grace ceases to be grace and salvation becomes dependent on man and religion. Hebrews 10:5-18; Also notice John 10:18.