Unfit for swine....

Holy.  According to the Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries 'holy' comes from the word:
G40
ἅγιος
hagios
hag'-ee-os
From ἅγος hagos (an awful thing) compare G53, [H2282]; sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated): - (most) holy (one, thing), saint.

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries.

And 'holiness' has the following definitions:
G3742
hosiote's
hos-ee-ot'-ace
From G3741; piety: - holiness.

G38
hagiasmos
hag-ee-as-mos'
From G37; properly purification, that is, (the state) purity; concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier: - holiness, sanctification.

G42
hagiosune
hag-ee-o-soo'-nay
From G40; sacredness (that is, properly the quality): - holiness.

G2150
eusebeia
yoo-seb'-i-ah
From G2152; piety; specifically the gospel scheme: - godliness, holiness.

Do you want to know which word is used to describe the holiness of God?  In the old testament is always the word:  H6944 qo'desh, ko'-desh
From H6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstractly sanctity: - consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.
 In the new testament is always the word: G42 hagiosune,  hag-ee-o-soo'-nay.  From G40; sacredness (that is, properly the quality): - holiness.  Here is the Thayer Definition:
1) majesty, holiness
2) moral purity
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G40

Now guess which word is used by God to describe His children.  You probably already knew that, it is the root of G42:
G40
ἅγιος
hagios
Thayer Definition:
1) most holy thing, a saint
Part of Speech: adjective
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from hagios (an awful thing) [compare G53, G2282].

Here is G53:
ἁγνός
hagnos
hag-nos'
From the same as G40; properly clean, that is, (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect: - chaste, clean, pure.

I think that's enough defining.

What does this mean?  It means, at least to me, that when God sees His people He sees them as Holy as Jesus is Holy.  Of course you already knew that; but is not that fascinating?  Think about it, that is what the gospel is all about, is it not?  It is about the holiness of God imputed to those who are not holy in order that God can be glorified in His people, who were not holy but have been made holy by the work of Jesus; the Lamb of God.  Check this: 2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Now look at those definitions above, are you physically and morally perfect?  You are?  I am not, but...I am; that is how God the Father sees me if I am in Christ; Jesus Christ is the only reason why God the Father sees me as holy as Jesus Christ; and this is only possible because of the gospel, which is only possible because God made it happen like it happened, it is about Jesus Christ and what He has done, it is in fact the work of God in redeeming lost humanity.  God became a man so He could die in my place, He took the chastisement of my peace upon Him, and by His stripes I am healed.

The chastisement of my peace, and the bruising for my iniquities, the crushing that so pleased the Father to lay upon His Son; was death and separation from God.  And this death so pleased the Father that He raised Jesus from the dead, so I would not have to die as I deserve.

Communion with the Triune God requires total holiness, physical and moral holiness; and that is exactly what Jesus offered on the cross that day, perfection; perfect holiness, perfect obedience, perfect compliance to the law of God.  Jesus was tempted just as we are but He never sinned, the bible says, and that statement is so simply written that it escapes the human mind, it escapes it because we really do not understand what true holiness is, our minds are too corrupted to even digest it.

What holiness is, at least for me, it's a total control of the mind in a totally perfect body; it is a mind that never thinks a wrong thought, it is a heart that never has any wrong desires, never any lust for anything, but the perfect desire for the glory of God; it is being in complete compliance to God's standard of perfection; it is the total control over every single thought in the mind, and total control of the body in perfect accordance with the will of God; it is always speaking truth one hundred percent of the time, in all places, forever; and being that way in every single area of life; which is an impossibility.  To be holy is impossible for any one, humanly speaking; that is why the gospel exists and is being preached, as it has for thousands of years.

Since I started reading the bible I have always been fascinated by the strong emphasis that is placed upon the life of the mind; mainly in Paul's letters, of course it is all over the place in the old testament as well, but the new testament unveils the practicality of this very strange, and very alien holiness that had to be imputed unto those who are being saved in order that they might have fellowship with the Creator.  What an amazing work of grace our salvation is, right?  And holiness starts in the mind.

Now, let's be honest and truthful here, have you ever thought that you could just go out and sin and that it would be okay because your sins have been cast as far as the east is from the west?  Has it it really crossed your mind that you can just go on living as everyone else in the world because your sins have been forgiven and God does not condemn you anymore?  Or have you actually thought "oh I can sin and it is okay because I am forgiven"?  Tell me, have you?  If you answered yes, I hope you are kidding.

If you have, then I don't think you know what to be saved means at all, in fact I doubt that you are even saved to begin with; but I might be wrong, I can't really see your heart, and I really don't know what your real thoughts are, but God does, and no one can deceive Him.  Maybe you just don't know because you have not been taught what it means to really be saved.  But I digress, have you ever thought that way, or have you ever known anyone who thinks that way?  I haven't.  And still there are preachers who say that kind of thing to make you feel guilty, it is irritating.  A real Christian can never think that it is okay to sin with impunity and not reap the consequences or invite the rod of correction, in fact the bible says that anyone who can think like that is not really saved to start with, read the letters of John and you will see.

So when was the last time that you actually saw yourself as you really are?  A holy child of God?  Yesterday?  When was the last time that you have pondered what really happened on the cross?  When was the last time that you preached the gospel to yourself?  I just thought about all that a few minutes ago, and what I see is amazing; I, a wretched sinner, a person with a dark mind, with an unwilling mind and a rebellious heart, with desires and thoughts that are unfit for swine, yeah me, this one guy behind the keyboard, writing these words, have been transformed into a holy saint; pure, without spot or blemish or any such thing.  I have been translated from the darkness into the kingdom of the dear Son of God and made willing in the day of His power.  God says that I am holy in His sight, and I say that it is impossible, but God says it is possible, it's not only possible it is a reality.

Now tell me, please, do you go about your day without ever thinking about who you really are?  What is your mind fixed upon?  Making money?  Sex?  A man or a woman? Respect?  Your retirement? Your day of reckoning?  Paying the bills?  All of the above?  What?  I know one thing, your mind is all over the place in a regular day; you have to think about what is in front of you, and you are not thinking about holiness or about loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and you know how I know?  Because you and I are made of the same flesh; and we have these clay vessels that we live in, with these brains and hearts full of defects, and broken dreams, and failures, and frustrations.  We think about ourselves first, and that is the reality of living in this fallen body and in this fallen place.

At the end of the day I always think about how I lived that day, and most of the time, maybe even all the time, I end up in my bed in repentance, and in prayer and supplications with thanksgiving;I see the reality, I see the impossibility of living 100% for God 100% of the time; that is the undeniable reality of this Christian life I am living.  Every single night I end up at the cross, helpless to do anything to change, and I see the wonder of it all; God saved me.  I wasn't looking for Him, He was looking for me; I was running from Him, and He was running towards me; I could not change and He changed me, and keeps on changing me; I was His enemy and now He is my friend; and the reality of the gospel is that God chose to reveal Himself to me, I had nothing to do with it, except sin intensely.

As time goes by, and it is really going by fast by now, I realize how much I have been changed by God, and I also realize the kind of task it is changing a sinner, it will take my whole life, until the very last moment of my life, God will still be doing something in me, and He will finish the job; from the heavenly perspective I am what I could have never become by myself, it is purely the work of God and His grace.  I find this very encouraging for tomorrow, and I really pray that you also will find it encouraging for your tomorrow.

If you are reading these words, it means you are still living in this body of flesh; and if you are still living and you have the same faith I do, it means that God is not yet done with you; maybe He is almost done and your time is short, maybe not; but it is a guaranteed event that will come to pass in me and in you, we will die one day, and we will face the King; personally I find that thought very appealing, and I dearly welcome it into my brain, it makes me be in awe.

He has chosen us in Him to be holy and without blame before Him; and holy we shall be, and holy we are.  You can start praising God now, and you can start being grateful; we have a very bright future in the horizon; that day I will really be surprised that I made it to the end and never lost my faith.  All credit due to whom it belongs, Jesus Christ, The Alpha and the Omega, The King of Kings and Lord of all.

Ponder on who you are in Christ for a few moments now, think about it carefully, meditate on your reality according to the word of God; you are precious in His sight because Jesus is precious, God is pleased with you because He is pleased with Jesus, you are holy in God's eyes because Jesus is holy, and His righteousness has been imputed unto you; you will live forever because Jesus was raised from the dead; you were alienated from God and He gave you new life, and opened your eyes and gave you faith to believe that what He says is true; and He will never leave you nor forsake you because you are God's dwelling place through His Spirit living in you; God abides in you because the Spirit of Christ dwells in you and therefore you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit; you are in Christ Jesus and therefore there is no condemnation for you; you have been justified because you have been given faith and now you have peace with God; and if God is for you, who can be against you?

Have a nice day.

http://makariotes.blogspot.com

The more I know myself...

The more I know myself, the more I see how great my need for Christ really is.  The more I know myself, the more appealing heaven is, with the promise of having a mind and a heart that delight in Jesus at all times.  I wonder if you go through this too, or maybe not; maybe you think you only need a little work, maybe you think you're not that bad, and if you try harder then God will be pleased with you, or at least He will not be surprised at your little sins; maybe your acceptance is based on what you do and not on what God has done.

If that is the case then what I said in the first line above has absolutely no meaning to you; but if you see how  great and deep your depravity is and how lost you are without forgiveness, then you would really agree with my statement; and if that is the case then we see eye to eye, as they say, and you also see how great your need for Christ really is.

What does it take for someone to know how depraved they really are?  First of all, God has to reveal this to you through His Spirit, working faith in you by the preaching of His word; God chooses to work through people to preach the word of God, someone has to speak the gospel to you, that is how He set it up to happen.  Have you ever told someone the gospel and they believed?  Why do you think some people believe and some don't?  What do I mean?

I mean what Paul means in Ephesians 1:3-14, you can read it and you will see what I mean and what he meant, but I will quote just a few verses:
Eph 1:3-5
(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:
(4)  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
(5)  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

And he goes on and on all the way to verse 14, which is the end of the long sentence started in verse 3, then Paul prays for those who are reading the letter:
(Eph 1:17-18)  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints..

In my case I see that God chose me, and then He predestined me to be adopted into His family by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; so God had this planned even before He created anything that there was to be created; it was His design, it was the way He was pleased to have it come to pass, 'according to the good pleasure of His will'.  Some people have a real hard time accepting this, but that is exactly what Paul is saying in his letter to the Ephesians, God chose me out of an innumerable multitude of people, and He revealed Himself to me through His word and by His Spirit.

That is what happens when someone believes the gospel and is really born from above, the weight of the law of God is deeply felt and realized by those whose eyes have been opened, and the holiness of God is revealed to our heart and mind, and the chasm between God and us displayed along with the impossibility for us to fulfill the demands of the law, the only solution to our problem being the blood of the Lamb, offered as a sacrifice on a cross, to propitiate the wrath of God that hung above our heads; all for free but at a great cost.

Once faith operates, which is a gift in and of itself, we receive the gift of God as it really is, an amazing display of mercy and compassion, and an unfathomable demonstration of His love for sinners.  What Paul prays for is eventually received by all those who are real believers, God starts revealing Himself more and more, and the eyes of our understanding start being enlightened little by little, until one day we shall see Him as He is, says John, for we shall be like Him, that is what Paul means when he says "that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love", we become holy and blameless the moment we are born from above, by grace through faith.  It is by faith that we see what God has done: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  (2Co 5:21)

It is at this point that I find the promises of God so appealing to my heart and mind; I cannot imagine having a mind and a heart that never want to rebel against God, and that are always in a state of total satisfaction; that is something that is so far beyond my imagination that I find no words to even describe it; it is actually mind-blowing.

The implications of predestination are mind shattering, and pride destroying.  If God foreknows an event then that means that that event will come to pass exactly as it is foreknown by God, His foreknowledge equals His predestining of all things as they are, and as they will be; if God predestined me to be holy and without blame before Him in love, then that is exactly what will happen, and has happened if I am found in Christ.  There is nothing in the universe that can prevent me from being holy and without blame before God, and that is very good news, isn't it?

It goes farther, if God foreknew me, He predestined me, and if He predestined me, then all events in my life have already been predetermined in advance to happen in the exact way He decreed them to happen.  That means that even all my sins and bad choices, all my diseases, and all my trials and tribulations, all my joys, all my happy moments, all my fellowship moments, all my painful moments, all my temptations and the triumphs over them (or failures); absolutely everything had to be planned in advance, and it will occur as it has been determined; so for me, the rest of my life in this body has become "sanctification"; God working in me to will and to do of His good pleasure.

This is the way it is, or else God did not predestined me, and if He didn't predestined me, then He is not only a liar, but He is not God at all.  But God does not lie, He cannot lie; and He is God indeed, and He reigns over all things as demonstrated by the sun showing up in the sky this morning...look out the window and see, is it daytime?  Or is it dark time?  It is what God ordained it to be in the specific moment you looked out the window.

So what sayest thou?  Do you think that God is surprised at your sin?  Or maybe you think He forgot about you?  Maybe He left, or fell asleep?  None of the above will ever happen.  God will never leave you nor forsake you, He promised, He will take care of all your needs, even if sometimes those needs are to be in distress, He will always be there and one day we will be there with Him in everlasting glory.

Indeed, we sometimes need to be in distress, it appears that is the only way I have learned to trust in God, when I am in distress; when I feel lonely, and depressed, and tired of this life and this world, when I feel sick, when I am in darkness, a darkness so thick that it seems impossible for light to exist.  I have been there many times, to the point of death, right in the valley of the shadow of death.  Every single one of God's kids goes through this type of scenario, we are all exercised in different ways and the same ways, and at the end God is glorified and we are more like Him.

It is a good thing to know what kind of people we are, it is a good thing that at one point in life we are shown how depraved we really are, and we can only get to that point after God reveals Himself to us first; so if you think that you are really not that bad and that you are doing pretty good in the eyes of God, you think that way because you really don't have an idea what the holiness of God is.  But don't despair, I'm not trying to rail you, I'm trying to encourage you; there is hope for you; and there is hope because He promised that you will be a finished work of His grace.  He has good plans for you, plans of good and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope; and life everlasting.

I have never prayed for God to show me how depraved I really am, but He has still given me that, at least a small degree of it, along with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of my understanding being enlightened; that I may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.  He has done the same for you, if you have His faith; and if that is so, you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, and God does not see you as depraved as you see yourself, but as pure and holy as His dear Son.

Rejoice and have a nice day.

http://makariotes.blogspot.com