| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net It has been said there are only six real jokes in the world. The rest are variations of the original 6. We have been examining the realm of submission within the context of the Whole Armor of God from Eph. 6. The point being, that People tend to go down too deep, and stay down too long, and over complicate everything. Example: When the Pharisees asked Jesus what was the greatest Commandment, - (you have to realize they over time, had added some six hundred ordinances to the original ten), Jesus didn’t spend a great deal of time on any of them, but rather replied: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your strength, and all your soul,” which paralleled the First Commandment, then did something unimaginable. He gave them a new one. What? Couldn’t only God Himself do that? Hello. “You shall love thy neighbor as thyself. In this, all the law and prophets are fulfilled.” Pretty simple. Not easy, but simple. So, when we come to Eph. Chapter 6 and start to explore the different pieces of the Armor of God, we have a tendency to look at them as individual empowerments, in a Supernatural war. Which they are, but let’s consider them one at a time as found in Eph 6:14-17. These are individually and corporately a picture of Christ. First we are to have our loins girt about with “truth”, while according to John 14:6, Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life”. Then we are to put on the “breastplate of righteousness”, while 2nd Cor. 5:21 says: “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Next we are to have our feet shod with the “preparation of the gospel of peace”. But again, Eph. 2:14 says: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” Now we turn a corner, and Paul says: “Above all, taking the shield of faith,” Fasten your pew-belts. His faith makes your faith possible. It isn’t something you work up in a frenzy in order to please Him. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. The source, and the sustainer. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20. Nugget: It isn’t faith IN Jesus, but the faith OF Jesus. Next comes the “Helmet of Salvation”, while Simeon in Luke 2 held Jesus in the air and cried: “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,”. Finally, the sword of the Spirit which is the “Word” of God. See John 1:1, and 14. In light of all this, it isn’t so vague when Paul admonishes us to “put on Christ”. Nugget. David was in much greater danger at home having removed his armor, than he would have been on the battlefield in full battle dress. What’s in your closet? |
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