The Lord promised a Savior, Jesus Christ, and He has come in the flesh as promised – “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, says the Lord of hosts (vs6).”
He is promised in the volume of the book, it is written of Him, and all scriptures speak of Christ. He is the Subject, the Message of God, and He came unto us as promised. The church looked for Him because she was warned, and He sent many messengers to broadcast His appearance. But, God was faithful to give us Christ as He has said, and God can be trusted to meet every need.
The Lord is pure and holy, the Savior of the world, because He is able to purify the sons of Levi – “But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap” (vs2). He has power to give unto us, by the Spirit, the cleansing we need.
Dying for us enables Him to sanctify us now, so that all He produces IN us is the result of His work FOR us at the cross.
Paying the ransom justifies God to give grace, and grace is how cleansing come. He reveals the sin, reveals the salvation, and then gives this salvation’s power to EVERYONE that believes. All required of us, He does by the REVELATION of Christ Himself.
The Messenger came to the temple, revealing the gospel of God’s grace, and purging from sins. He comes to our temple now, our body, and He comes to His temple, which is the church (I Cor 6:19-20; Eph 2:21-22).
There is one church with many members, but what He does for one in cleansing, He does for all. As Christ is REVEALED to us in truth, the Holy Spirit works the miracle of salvation, both for the sinner new to the gospel and the saint who loves Christ maturely.
Everything happens when He comes to us in the gospel of grace, from the humbling to the exaltation. Luke 18:9-14 reveals the Pharisee and the Publican. He humbles the Pharisee (us) until we are Publicans (sinners) that we might obtain mercy, by REVEALING how far below God’s standard we are, and why glory should go to Christ only. Then, we’re JUSTIFIED by faith in His blood and receive the newness of life JUSTIFICATION gives.
The just shall live, and that means prosper, by faith. By faith, we love by the power of the gospel, so that hearing and believing PRODUCES living obedience.
This purifying produces faith, which works by love, which is a pure offering, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former days” (vs3-4). Our prayers and everything about faith is accepted because it springs from a new heart by the power of the Spirit.
As God’s love is REVEALED to us, God works in us to do things pleasing to Him, and it comes no other way.
I can only work as I believe on Jesus’ works for me. I cannot work in guilt and shame. These bring me to Christ for grace, so that when He humbles, I flee to the blood, receive my acceptance, and thereby, I’m powered to do good.
My prayers are heard. Scripture says, “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name”, which is unto God in His glory, rather than to a god that we can serve by our wickedness, sincerity, and best efforts, “and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal 1:11). His name is so great that we deal with Him in Christ only. So great is God, that I refuse to approach His holiness any way except in Jesus’ name and the merit of His works. His name is GREAT ENOUGH for us to believe that sinners in the flesh are holy and accepted of God entirely by FAITH in Jesus Christ… that trusting Him produces pleasing worship to God and man.
The Lord purges us, finally, to fear God – “And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the wisdom, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, says the Lord of hosts (vs5).” We fear selfishness, covenant breaking, and pride. He humbles us to love people, living that Christ be praised, instead of us. We are taught obedience, for He cleanses us to see His great worth.
He is promised in the volume of the book, it is written of Him, and all scriptures speak of Christ. He is the Subject, the Message of God, and He came unto us as promised. The church looked for Him because she was warned, and He sent many messengers to broadcast His appearance. But, God was faithful to give us Christ as He has said, and God can be trusted to meet every need.
The Lord is pure and holy, the Savior of the world, because He is able to purify the sons of Levi – “But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap” (vs2). He has power to give unto us, by the Spirit, the cleansing we need.
Dying for us enables Him to sanctify us now, so that all He produces IN us is the result of His work FOR us at the cross.
Paying the ransom justifies God to give grace, and grace is how cleansing come. He reveals the sin, reveals the salvation, and then gives this salvation’s power to EVERYONE that believes. All required of us, He does by the REVELATION of Christ Himself.
The Messenger came to the temple, revealing the gospel of God’s grace, and purging from sins. He comes to our temple now, our body, and He comes to His temple, which is the church (I Cor 6:19-20; Eph 2:21-22).
There is one church with many members, but what He does for one in cleansing, He does for all. As Christ is REVEALED to us in truth, the Holy Spirit works the miracle of salvation, both for the sinner new to the gospel and the saint who loves Christ maturely.
Everything happens when He comes to us in the gospel of grace, from the humbling to the exaltation. Luke 18:9-14 reveals the Pharisee and the Publican. He humbles the Pharisee (us) until we are Publicans (sinners) that we might obtain mercy, by REVEALING how far below God’s standard we are, and why glory should go to Christ only. Then, we’re JUSTIFIED by faith in His blood and receive the newness of life JUSTIFICATION gives.
The just shall live, and that means prosper, by faith. By faith, we love by the power of the gospel, so that hearing and believing PRODUCES living obedience.
This purifying produces faith, which works by love, which is a pure offering, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former days” (vs3-4). Our prayers and everything about faith is accepted because it springs from a new heart by the power of the Spirit.
As God’s love is REVEALED to us, God works in us to do things pleasing to Him, and it comes no other way.
I can only work as I believe on Jesus’ works for me. I cannot work in guilt and shame. These bring me to Christ for grace, so that when He humbles, I flee to the blood, receive my acceptance, and thereby, I’m powered to do good.
My prayers are heard. Scripture says, “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name”, which is unto God in His glory, rather than to a god that we can serve by our wickedness, sincerity, and best efforts, “and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal 1:11). His name is so great that we deal with Him in Christ only. So great is God, that I refuse to approach His holiness any way except in Jesus’ name and the merit of His works. His name is GREAT ENOUGH for us to believe that sinners in the flesh are holy and accepted of God entirely by FAITH in Jesus Christ… that trusting Him produces pleasing worship to God and man.
The Lord purges us, finally, to fear God – “And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the wisdom, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, says the Lord of hosts (vs5).” We fear selfishness, covenant breaking, and pride. He humbles us to love people, living that Christ be praised, instead of us. We are taught obedience, for He cleanses us to see His great worth.
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