What Is The Work Of Creation

Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

For our Baptist forefathers, this passage explained God's creation, how God's word framed, created, the world.

I have led a wonderful life. And now, I am satisfied, I am filled with the Spirit. But I am getting old, I am tired. And, I do not want to hear man's version of God's creation. At this point in my life, I am not interested. I do not want to hear about secular science. I do not want to hear about the big bang. I do not even want to hear about creation science, I do not want to hear about junk science...

I just want to hear the words of God.

Keaches Catechism
Q. 13. What is the work of creation?
A. The work of creation is God's making all things of nothing, by the Word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good. (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3; Ex. 20:11; Gen. 1:31)

Theosis And Entire Sanctification

2 Peter 1
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust..

This passage is weighted down with the the theology of other denominations and other times. lnformation on theosis and entire sanctification is readily available by a Google search.

What is a Baptist, of Dispensational or of Reformed persuation, to do with this verse? Do Baptists partake of God's divine nature the way Christians of other denominations do? And here is another question:  Just exactly what does God expect us to do with excess spiritual baggage from years ago?

I like thoughtful, prayerful, honest, unanswered questions. Among such questions I can sense the presence of God....

A Man With Un Unclean Spirit

Mark 5
18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

This is the end of the passage about the man with the unclean spirit. It provides Jesus' guidance to the poor man after he was saved from his misery.

God has been so good to me. Maybe I need to go home to my friends, and tell them the great things the Lord has done for me.

Strong's Definition Of Publish
1) to be a herald, to officiate as a herald
a) to proclaim after the manner of a herald
b) always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an
authority which must be listened to and obeyed
2) to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done
3) used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters
pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the
apostles and other Christian teachers.

Servants Under The Yoke

1 Timothy 6
1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.
2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit.These things teach and exhort.

I am just not sure how God wants us to apply this passage from 1 Timothy? Here is a related passage from Titus:

Titus 2
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.answering again;

The Word Of God From The Book Of James

James 5
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

Here James berates rich men who cheat their laborers.

More From James 5
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

And here, James counsels patience to the brethren in general especially with Jesus' return in view. The two verses seem disjointed, one directed to the rich, and then one directed toward the brethren, not the rich.

I guess, if you want to dedicate your life to Christ and also want to focus your efforts on social justice, the book of James might be a good place to begin your journey. If this is what you might want to do.

Finally From James 5
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

This particular verse is just absolutely wonderful.

So, What's To Become Of The Hebrews?

Romans 11
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

I do not want to forget this passage. It is one of the keys to understanding the whole Bible, i.e., God's plan for all of us, Christians and Jews.

In the end, or at the end, the Hebrews will have life.

The Whole Passage From Romans 11
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Justified - Paul And James

Romans 5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Here we have one of Paul's great truths.

James 2
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

And from James we have....?

I have come to enjoy contemplating contrasting passages. I do believe that God is pleased with such a prayerful pursuit. And I don't see the need to tie up all the loose ends. Then again, I'm not a theologian.

From Martin Luther's Introduction To James
[This book] cannot be defended against [its] applying to works the sayings of Moses in Genesis 15, which speaks only of Abraham's faith, and not of his works, as St. Paul shows in Romans 4 ...Therefore I cannot put him among the chief books.

I don't want to forget this comment from Martin Luther....

All Was Vanity - And Vexation Of Spirit

Ecclesiastes 2
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

It is a strange feeling, to be in your 60's, to look back, to think, "Huh. I guess things worked out better than I ever thought they would." And then, to sit back one night and read Ecclesiastes.

Webster 1828 Dictionary
VAN'ITY, n. [L. vanitas, from vanus, vain.]
1. Emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; uncertainty; inanity.
2. Fruitless desire or endeavor.
3. Trifling labor that produces no good.
4. Emptiness; untruth
5. Empty pleasure; vain pursuit; idle show; unsubstantial enjoyment.
6. Ostentation; arrogance.
7. Inflation of mind upon slight grounds; empty pride, inspired by an overweening conceit of one's personal attainments or decorations.

It is not absolutely clear to me how the New Testament gospel of salvation should be reconciled to the book of Ecclesiastes.

Webster 1828 Dictionary
VEX, v.t. [L. vexo.]
1. To irritate; to make angry by little provocations; a popular use of the word.
2. To plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict.
3. To disturb; to disquiet; to agitate.
White curl the waves, and the vex'd ocean roars.
4. To trouble; to distress.
5. To persecute. Act. 12.

My thoughts? In the end, live a humble, frugal, prayerful life. And remember, all you really have is the peace that comes from God's grace.

Isaiah 55:7 Paraphrased By Thomas Playfere
Tell the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto Lord and he will have many years in heaven.

Billy Graham

Hosea 6
6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Billy Graham, the evangelist known as "America's pastor," says that looking back on his long life and public ministry, one thing he would do differently is to avoid the political entanglements that have been one of the rare blots on his otherwise hallowed legacy.

"I . . . would have steered clear of politics," Graham, at age 92, and in need of round-the-clock care, said via e-mail in response to questions from Christianity Today, the evangelical monthly he founded in the 1950s.

Graham also said that if he could go back and do anything differently he would "spend more time at home with my family, and I'd study more and preach less."

Zerubbabel

Zecharia 4
8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

Zerubbabel is a Messiah-like king (or govenor) in Haggai and Zecharia. And, it is not easy to fit this great king into the New Testament message. It's not easy for me anyway.

I did have a thought though. If it wasn't for Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah and Joshua, the high priest, if it wasn't for these men who built a strong foundation for the Jewish religion, then, the story of Christ would make little sense. The book of Romans would make little sense. There would be no Masoretic texts.

Faith Before The Flood

Hebrews 11
4 By faith Abel....
5 By faith Enoch....
7 By faith Noah...
8 By faith Abraham...

The chapter provides a lesson in faith, faith of those who lived and believed before the coming of Christ.

More From Hebrews 11
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Strangers and pilgrims on the earth: what a wonderful verse.   This is one of those passages that hardwire Old Testament teachings to New Testament teachings. 

And Finally From Hebrews 11
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

And they did, finally, receive their salvation, with us, with the coming of the Messiah and the sacrifice of Jesus, on the cross. And, in the end, this passage provides the timeless meaning of faith and a deeper meaning of faith.

Dispensational Truth

2 Timothy 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

This passage is the basis of and also may be a symbol of Dispensationalism. That being said....

I don't know how it happened. I'm sure it was God's will. But, over a period of years, maybe ten, I came to have a Dispensational view of the Bible. I came to read most passages of the Bible literally.  I came to see God's plan, His grace and His promise, provided separately to the Hebrews and to the gentiles. And, I am waiting, patiently and prayerfully, for Jesus' return. From the day I read Scofield's short book, "Rightly Dividing The Word of truth," I had no doubt that I had found my answers for a fruitful, fulfilling Christian life.

And finally, for most of my life, I have considered myself a Baptist. Many Baptists hold Dispensational views. Then again, many do not.

Paul And Indwelling Sin 2

Romans 7
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

I think maybe I will go to my grave without truly understanding what Paul means when he talks about the law. I kind of understand sin and the Law, but God's profound and ultimate truth seems only dimly viewed in spiritual mist and Biblical shadows....

More From Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Paul And Indwelling Sin 1

Romans 7
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

I am fairly simple minded when it comes to spiritual matters. I believe that Jesus died for my sins. I believe that Jesus is coming. And, I believe that Satan has turned loose his legions on the earth, and they are very, very busy.

Be that as it may, my Bible reading and too much experience has led me to this conclusion. Any discussion of sin should start with Romans Chapter 7. And, any discussion of sin should end with Romans Chapter 7. And, anything in between may be true but is probably not too important.

More From Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

I read this passage often. It provides our hope in our never ending battle with Satan....

What Is God?

2 Corinthians 7
1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

So, at some point in his life, a Christian considers God.

Psalm 89
8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

Psalm 89
14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

John 4
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

By chance, I stumbled across a copy of Keach's Catechism. Interesting. I've been looking an the various lessons, doctrines and supporting Bible passages. Very interesting.

Light Of Nature

Romans 2
14 ....when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Does our knowledge of God come from the light of nature, i.e., reason, or from inspiration?  This was no insignificant issue during the early years of the Baptist faith:

Baptist Confession Of Faith 1689
The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation.

Psalm 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

It is odd that during any period of Christian history, some ideas or doctrines or issues are more important, and some are less important. And some old important doctrines from Christian history just seem to disappear into the mists of forgotten theology.