(99968,14,'2020-04-25 16:44:57','2020-04-25 14:44:57','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their exercise of faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the issue of the righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the issue of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. That the law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Youth People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: <br><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights when we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong><br> I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-25 16:44:57','2020-04-25 14:44:57','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99970,14,'2020-04-25 16:47:31','2020-04-25 14:47:31','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their exercise of faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the issue of the righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the issue of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. That the law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Youth People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: <br><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights when we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong><br>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-25 16:47:31','2020-04-25 14:47:31','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99974,14,'2020-04-25 17:33:41','2020-04-25 15:33:41','<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Untitled Reusable Block','','publish','closed','closed','','untitled-reusable-block','','','2020-04-25 17:33:41','2020-04-25 15:33:41','',0,'https://expound.org.za/untitled-reusable-block/',0,'wp_block','',0),(99977,14,'2020-04-25 17:43:58','2020-04-25 15:43:58','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their exercise of faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the issue of the righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the issue of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8&nbsp; put’s it aptly.&nbsp; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist &nbsp;with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Youth People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong><br>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-25 17:43:58','2020-04-25 15:43:58','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99973,14,'2020-04-25 17:30:12','2020-04-25 15:30:12','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their exercise of faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the issue of the righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the issue of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Youth People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><br><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong><br>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-25 17:30:12','2020-04-25 15:30:12','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99976,14,'2020-04-25 17:36:53','2020-04-25 15:36:53','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their exercise of faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the issue of the righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the issue of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8&nbsp; put’s it aptly.&nbsp; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist &nbsp;with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Youth People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong><br>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-25 17:36:53','2020-04-25 15:36:53','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99978,14,'2020-04-25 17:53:48','2020-04-25 15:53:48','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their exercise of faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the issue of the righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the issue of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-25 17:53:48','2020-04-25 15:53:48','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99981,14,'2020-04-26 23:53:31','2020-04-26 21:53:31','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the subject of righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the subject of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8&nbsp; put’s it aptly.&nbsp; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist &nbsp;with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-26 23:53:31','2020-04-26 21:53:31','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99979,14,'2020-04-25 17:56:02','2020-04-25 15:56:02','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their exercise of faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the subject of the righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the issue of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8&nbsp; put’s it aptly.&nbsp; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist &nbsp;with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-25 17:56:02','2020-04-25 15:56:02','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99982,14,'2020-04-27 00:32:10','2020-04-26 22:32:10','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the\nsubject Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call\nthe doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian\ndoctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br> In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the subject of righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the subject of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Quoting from Volume 1 Selected Messages page 334.1, speaking of faith rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Faith is the bond of union, the medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-27 00:32:10','2020-04-26 22:32:10','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99985,14,'2020-04-27 01:13:00','2020-04-26 23:13:00','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the subject, Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br>In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the subject of righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the subject of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Faith is the bond of union, the medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Speaking of faith, the book Selected Messages page 334.1 in Volume 1 rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind , with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. In the book Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-27 01:13:00','2020-04-26 23:13:00','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99984,14,'2020-04-27 00:54:55','2020-04-26 22:54:55','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the subject, Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br>In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the subject of righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the subject of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Faith is the bond of union, the medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Speaking of faith, the book Selected Messages page 334.1 in Volume 1 rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-27 00:54:55','2020-04-26 22:54:55','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100003,0,'2020-05-05 12:38:17','2020-05-05 10:38:17','','','','publish','closed','closed','','100003','','','2020-05-05 12:38:17','2020-05-05 10:38:17','',0,'https://expound.org.za/nf_sub/100003/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(99991,1,'2020-05-01 14:08:28','2020-05-01 12:08:28','','christian black consciousness','','inherit','open','closed','','christian-black-consciousness','','','2020-05-01 14:08:28','2020-05-01 12:08:28','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(99992,1,'2020-05-01 14:10:15','2020-05-01 12:10:15','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, that the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness as pushed to the fore by legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the fundamental problems that dog humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogeneous </li><li>Africa was blissful, perfect paradise before the white man came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to the universal and underlying problem of sin.</li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are subordinated to it at best or decisively supplanted. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Mathew 22 37-40<br> Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain devotedly within its ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the mind human is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not the human has limits and thus it has to submit either to God or the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”,  (Isiah 1:18) prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 14:10:15','2020-05-01 12:10:15','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99987,14,'2020-04-27 07:29:00','2020-04-27 05:29:00','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99952} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rightesous-by-faith-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99952\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Remarking on the subject, Martin Luther concurred: \"This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The subject is quite\nelusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing\nheart. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let\'s bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br>In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the subject of righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the subject of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: \"But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen\". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, \"But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\".</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says \"Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law\" and Romans 6:23 says \"For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, \"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.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , \" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich\". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> \n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, \"If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole\". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ \"All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul.\"<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched Him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says \"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me\". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> \" The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.\" How wonderful!</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8&nbsp; put’s it aptly.&nbsp; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, \"Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God\". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. \"Without faith, it is impossible to please God..\"; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Faith is the bond of union, the medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Speaking of faith, the book Selected Messages page 334.1 in Volume 1 rightly puts it and says, \"It works by love and it purifies the soul\" . Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist &nbsp;with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind , with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. In the book Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, \"Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached.\"<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt His ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted that we find in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> \" Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness\"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Righteousness by Faith and the Free Gift of Salvation','','inherit','closed','closed','','99945-revision-v1','','','2020-04-27 07:29:00','2020-04-27 05:29:00','',99945,'https://expound.org.za/99945-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99993,1,'2020-05-01 14:15:18','2020-05-01 12:15:18','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, that the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness as pushed to the fore by the legendary Steve Biko had its crucial place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the fundamental problems that dog humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogeneous </li><li>Africa was blissful, perfect paradise before the white man came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to the universal and underlying problem of sin.</li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are subordinated to it at best or decisively supplanted. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Mathew 22 37-40<br> Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain devotedly within its ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the mind human is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not the human has limits and thus it has to submit either to God or the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”,  (Isiah 1:18) prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 14:15:18','2020-05-01 12:15:18','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99994,1,'2020-05-01 14:18:10','2020-05-01 12:18:10','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness as pushed to the fore by legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white man came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Mathew 22 37-40<br>\nJesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the mind human is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God to the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 14:18:10','2020-05-01 12:18:10','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99995,1,'2020-05-01 14:19:29','2020-05-01 12:19:29','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness (BC) as pushed to the fore by legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white man came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Mathew 22 37-40<br>\nJesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the mind human is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God to the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 14:19:29','2020-05-01 12:19:29','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99996,1,'2020-05-01 14:20:42','2020-05-01 12:20:42','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness (BC) as pushed to the fore by legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white men came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Mathew 22 37-40<br>\nJesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the mind human is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God to the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 14:20:42','2020-05-01 12:20:42','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99997,1,'2020-05-01 14:21:27','2020-05-01 12:21:27','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness (BC) as pushed to the fore by legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white men came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 22:37-40<br> Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the mind human is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God to the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 14:21:27','2020-05-01 12:21:27','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99998,1,'2020-05-01 14:22:39','2020-05-01 12:22:39','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness (BC) as pushed to the fore by legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white men came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 22:37-40<br> Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set of “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the mind human is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God to the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 14:22:39','2020-05-01 12:22:39','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(99999,1,'2020-05-01 17:51:16','2020-05-01 15:51:16','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness (BC) as pushed to the fore by the legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white men came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 22:37-40<br> Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set of “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the human mind is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God to the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 17:51:16','2020-05-01 15:51:16','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100000,1,'2020-05-01 21:50:51','2020-05-01 19:50:51','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness (BC) as pushed to the fore by the legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white men came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 22:37-40<br> Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set of “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a house fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the human mind is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God to the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 21:50:51','2020-05-01 19:50:51','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100001,1,'2020-05-01 21:51:58','2020-05-01 19:51:58','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99991} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/christian-black-consciousness-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99991\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In have not in my limited experience seen anyone come right after imbibing the poison of what I call “Christian” Black Consciousness. For many, the tenets of that consciousness are music to an ear itching subconsciously to detach from God. The rationale is indeed seductive and the arguments are apt yet imperceptibly, spiritually suicidal. There is no problem in this world: social, political, economic and otherwise that practical Godliness, the salient tenet of Christianity and scripture does not address. In South Africa, Black Consciousness (BC) as pushed to the fore by the legendary Steve Biko had its place in the arena of politics. It worked, and perhaps still works well in that space, NOT in Christendom. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To be a Christian is to understand, invariably, that the elephant in the room is sin. Issues of social injustice, colonisation, white supremacy etc are mere institutional symptoms of sin. The unchristian “christian” off shoot of BC  is a  sophisticated distraction from the real issues of sin and transformation. It is a fractionated and fragmented approach to dealing with the symptomatic materialization of sin, the solo plague that dogs humanity. It has no answer, neither does it equip individuals of all races to deal with every person’s biggest enemy: self. BC thus carries the dual ideological flaw of misdiagnoses and subsequent mis-prescription. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The associative ideology of Africanism in this context, is another colossal fallacy in the spiritual arena. And this is the Achilles\' heel of every human dictum. These ideologies easily  land themselves inevitably in the absurdities of romanticizing indigenous African traditional culture as if:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>African traditional culture has always been and is homogenous </li><li>Africa was a blissful, perfect paradise before the white men came (i.e. there were no witch craft, wars, tribalism, misogyny and moral declension etc)</li><li>Africanism is the panacea to all human problems </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Notwithstanding, there are always some positives with every culture and yes there are great tenets of the African traditional culture that blend seamlessly with the Christian ethos. However, what is the relevance of arguing for a human framework in face of a supreme and superior culture and consciousness of Christianity. It’s either Christianity is absolutely sufficient or it is completely irrelevant. If it is sufficient all other human ideologies are second class to it (at best) or decisively supplanted (at worst). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 22:37-40<br> Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In light of the foregoing, the ultimate deliverable of the scripture and Christianity is practical godliness for all colors, black, white, blue and powder pink as it were. This principle undercuts and undermines every form of sin injurious to self and to others. We have a problem of confusing our deficiencies of application (praxis) as the inadequacies of the Christian framework. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ephesians 6:12<br>\nFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the context of Ephesians 6:12 to embrace Christian Black Consciousness and even BC (as a Christian) is to bring a knife to a gun fight. <br>\nThis is why Paul has this radical consciousness to offer to Christians:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I have some modicum of respect however for those who have intellectual stamina to leave the church when they have found its doctrines and teachings incompatible with their desired thinking. My anathema is a set of “Christian” Black Consciousness disciples who continually attack and vilify the teachings of the church and remain within its subterranean ranks. These are apparently devoid of absolute confidence in their larger-than-life philosophical excursions and as such, they seek social-proof for their esoteric, convoluted and wafer thin theorems whose rationale has a life-span of a house fly.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, the human mind is malleable. The mind can cosy up to any wind of doctrine as long as it is sufficiently exposed to it. So yes, the intrinsic merits of Christianity and the Bible must be tested and their veracity must be established and not assumed. While the zealous Christian has a homework to transcend Christianisation by socialization and colonization, the doubting mind must similarly transcend the socio-political and deal with the fundamental existential questions that transcend, predate and supersede the socio-political. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The writer and reader of this have a potential to believe anything. We can swing from creation to evolution easily based on the deliberate choices of what to expose our minds to, hence the apt warning, to guard the avenues of the soul. Freedom of thought is not synonymous with unlimited aptitutde of thought. Like it or not, the human mind has its limits, and thus it has to submit either to God or the Devil to excel in either of the two polars. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we consider the solemn invite from the Supreme Deity, “Come now and let us reason together”, prayerful critical literacy will illuminate the fact that Christianity is not a nascent station of ignorance but the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter. It will dawn that Christianity is not a hypothesis but the resolution of the great controversy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Dark Shades of “Christian” Black Consciousness','','inherit','closed','closed','','99989-revision-v1','','','2020-05-01 21:51:58','2020-05-01 19:51:58','',99989,'https://expound.org.za/99989-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100008,1,'2020-05-16 22:34:58','2020-05-16 20:34:58','','open-letter-to-adventists','','inherit','open','closed','','open-letter-to-adventists','','','2020-05-16 22:39:13','2020-05-16 20:39:13','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/open-letter-to-adventists.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100009,1,'2020-05-16 22:43:47','2020-05-16 20:43:47','','Alternative-SDA-structure','','inherit','open','closed','','alternative-sda-structure','','','2020-05-16 22:43:47','2020-05-16 20:43:47','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Alternative-SDA-structure.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100425,1,'2021-09-12 09:06:44','2021-09-12 07:06:44','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:06:44','2021-09-12 07:06:44','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100426,1,'2021-09-12 09:08:18','2021-09-12 07:08:18','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2>It boils Down to Just Perspectives</h2>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:08:18','2021-09-12 07:08:18','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100427,1,'2021-09-12 09:08:49','2021-09-12 07:08:49','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It boils Down to Just Perspectives</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:08:49','2021-09-12 07:08:49','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100428,1,'2021-09-12 09:09:25','2021-09-12 07:09:25','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It boils Down to Just Two Perspectives</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:09:25','2021-09-12 07:09:25','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100429,1,'2021-09-12 09:13:14','2021-09-12 07:13:14','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation like every rugged sinner out there normally considered too wretched to be saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It boils Down to Just Two Perspectives</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:13:14','2021-09-12 07:13:14','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100430,1,'2021-09-12 09:16:13','2021-09-12 07:16:13','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation like every rugged sinner out there normally considered too wretched to be saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It boils Down to Just Two Perspectives</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA\'s Facebook page by clicking on the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:16:13','2021-09-12 07:16:13','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100436,1,'2021-09-12 09:33:29','2021-09-12 07:33:29','','X3','','inherit','open','closed','','x3','','','2021-09-12 09:33:29','2021-09-12 07:33:29','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/X3.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100437,1,'2021-09-12 09:50:34','2021-09-12 07:50:34','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and a chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chiefs of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation like every rugged sinner out there normally considered too wretched to be saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It boils Down to Just Two Perspectives</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA\'s Facebook page by clicking on the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:50:34','2021-09-12 07:50:34','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100204,1,'2021-05-31 11:40:09','2021-05-31 09:40:09','','FAVICON','','inherit','open','closed','','favicon','','','2021-05-31 11:40:09','2021-05-31 09:40:09','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FAVICON.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100206,1,'2021-05-31 11:43:32','2021-05-31 09:43:32','','BANNER','','inherit','open','closed','','banner','','','2021-05-31 11:43:32','2021-05-31 09:43:32','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/BANNER.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100207,1,'2021-05-31 12:49:14','2021-05-31 10:49:14','','Simankane','','inherit','open','closed','','simankane','','','2021-05-31 12:49:14','2021-05-31 10:49:14','',393,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Simankane.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100208,1,'2021-05-31 13:14:10','2021-05-31 11:14:10','<iframe title=\"Hard Pressed But Not Crushed\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z32rwX4axP4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen></iframe>','','','publish','closed','closed','','56699c562f6baede54697aee20ec1216','','','2021-05-31 13:14:10','2021-05-31 11:14:10','',0,'https://expound.org.za/56699c562f6baede54697aee20ec1216/',0,'oembed_cache','',0),(100209,1,'2021-05-31 13:14:12','2021-05-31 11:14:12','<iframe title=\"Hard Pressed But Not Crushed\" width=\"1403\" height=\"789\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z32rwX4axP4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen></iframe>','','','publish','closed','closed','','81fbfac5ff52c3604db250c0677a3124','','','2021-05-31 13:14:12','2021-05-31 11:14:12','',0,'https://expound.org.za/81fbfac5ff52c3604db250c0677a3124/',0,'oembed_cache','',0),(100468,0,'2021-09-17 08:41:20','2021-09-17 06:41:20','The Anatomy of Sin – Expound','','lawrencemerced@yahoo.com','confirmed','closed','closed','','100468','','','2021-09-17 08:41:20','2021-09-17 06:41:20','',0,'https://expound.org.za/the-anatomy-of-sin/',0,'cl-lead','',0),(100417,1,'2021-09-12 08:56:09','2021-09-12 06:56:09','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and a chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br> In a nutshell, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chiefs of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation like every rugged sinner out there normally considered too wretched to be saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters, Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), therefore we are all equally in need of a savior - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It boils Down to Just Two Perspectives</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved and how we think we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring and only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br>This parable is actually a \"dangerous\" narrative coming from Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation for the wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA\'s Facebook page by clicking on the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','publish','open','open','','two-men-went-up-to-pray','','','2021-09-12 09:50:38','2021-09-12 07:50:38','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100417',0,'post','',0),(100418,1,'2021-09-12 08:45:47','2021-09-12 06:45:47','','prayer-2544994_1920','','inherit','open','closed','','prayer-2544994_1920','','','2021-09-12 08:45:47','2021-09-12 06:45:47','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100419,1,'2021-09-12 08:50:56','2021-09-12 06:50:56','','GUGU-NYONI','I covered this subject in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the video Here.','inherit','open','closed','','gugu-nyoni','','','2021-09-12 08:53:45','2021-09-12 06:53:45','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100420,1,'2021-09-12 08:56:09','2021-09-12 06:56:09','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br>\nIn a nutshel, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It get’s more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, therefore equally in need of a saviour - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br> This parable is actually a dangerous narrative coming Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation of wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong>I covered this subject in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the video Here.</strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 08:56:09','2021-09-12 06:56:09','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100421,1,'2021-09-12 08:59:36','2021-09-12 06:59:36','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br>\nIn a nutshel, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It get’s more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, therefore equally in need of a saviour - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br> This parable is actually a dangerous narrative coming Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation of wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong>I covered this subject in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the video Here.</strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 08:59:36','2021-09-12 06:59:36','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100422,1,'2021-09-12 09:01:17','2021-09-12 07:01:17','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br>\nIn a nutshel, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It get’s more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, therefore equally in need of a saviour - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br> This parable is actually a dangerous narrative coming Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation of wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:01:17','2021-09-12 07:01:17','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100423,1,'2021-09-12 09:03:03','2021-09-12 07:03:03','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br>\nIn a nutshel, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, therefore equally in need of a saviour - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br> This parable is actually a dangerous narrative coming Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation of wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:03:03','2021-09-12 07:03:03','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100424,1,'2021-09-12 09:03:10','2021-09-12 07:03:10','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100418} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/prayer-2544994_1920-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100418\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Luke 18:10-14 NIV<br>\n“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men (A Pharisee and A Publican) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Two men: A self righteousness religious leader and chief of sinners (tax collector) went up to pray. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It is sobering that Jesus as a story teller does not give many easy-to-identify-with options in this story. Jesus presents two extremes here. A self-righteous big headed religious leader on one extreme and a self-loathing sinner on the other who desperately needs the mercy of God as they have absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus does not cast a third moderate character (option) here that most well-meaning Christians would identify with. <br>\nIn a nutshel, Jesus is saying that for all humanity, it boils down to those two categories of consciousness. We are either self righteous zealots deluded that we can bring something (our works) to the table of salvation, or we are self-loathing chief of sinners with absolutely nothing to bring to the table of salvation. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It gets more sobering when you consider this: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The seat occupied by the publican (the tax collector) represents every human being that senses their need for God, this includes morally upright people that appreciate that moralism does not equal righteousness, it includes pious Christians who are doing their best but understand that their best amounts to filthy rags rags in as far as what and who saves are concerned. The position of the publican also represents prostitutes, serial rapists every wretched soul out there,  everyone who senses their need for God regardless of their position in society and how we classify them in our self-serving instruments of quantifying sinfulness and righteousness. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the other end, the Pharisee represents every human being that senses no need for God. This could be a cold-hearted atheist  or satanist out there who feels they don’t need God for anything. The sobering part however is that the position of the Pharisee also clearly represents the most  pious and religious amongst us who confuse their religious content as merit that can be brought to the table of salvation. By casting a Pharisee (a religious leader) on this extreme Jesus does not want us to miss this point (this danger). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By casting just these two characters Jesus is deconstructing our ideas of characterizing, quantifying and calibrating sin-fullness and righteousness. The message is reinforced, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, therefore equally in need of a saviour - the head elder or Pastor occupy the same seat as a drug dealer, or suicide bomber if they both sense their desperate need for God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Jesus casts a binary scenario here, there is no multivariate or multi-faceted reality  about how we are saved, it is rigidly binary. We either think we can save ourselves or we think that only God can save us. We are either self righteous in our consciousness or we appreciate we have nothing to bring only to the cross we cling as we are saved by Grace. Good works matter and we should aim to do better, but we must never think that our good works can be brought to the table of salvation. <br> This parable is actually a dangerous narrative coming Jesus. Because two men went up to pray, a religious men and a rugged wretched outcast sinner, and only the wretched rugged sinner went home justified and the religious man goes down the temple as raw as he came up. Jesus is suggesting that there is more hope for the salvation of wretched chief of sinners out there than there is for the self righteous religious zealots who imagine that their impressive works and strict adherence to the law can be brought to the table of Salvation. The take home from the parable Jesus presents is the question of how we relate with ourselves, God and others in relation to how we think we are saved.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I covered this subject more comprehensively  in the message I presented on Nakedness Versus Nudity. You can watch the complete video on ExpoundSA facebook page by clicking the poster below.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100419} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https://fb.watch/7Zn9sbzzXV/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GUGU-NYONI-1024x546.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100419\"/></a><figcaption><strong></strong></figcaption></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->','Two Men Went Up to Pray','','inherit','closed','closed','','100417-revision-v1','','','2021-09-12 09:03:10','2021-09-12 07:03:10','',100417,'https://expound.org.za/100417-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100068,1,'2020-05-18 19:54:04','2020-05-18 17:54:04','<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 1\">\r\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\r\n<div class=\"column\">\r\n\r\nAs of December 31, 2018, the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church had 88 718 churches, 72 843 companies , and a global membership of 21 414 779. (Adventist.org) Add to that 119 Colleges &amp; Universities, 34 Training Schools, 2 548 Secondary schools, 6 106 Elementary entities. Without a shadow of doubt, the Adventist Church is a global force to reckon with. The accomplishment of this towering record, plus many other milestones, given the colossal challenges the movement has had to grapple with over the 157 years of its existence, only attests to divine guidance.\r\n\r\nNotwithstanding, the Adventist story could, and should, read radically greater than its current celebratory cadences if it were not for what I have decided to phrase as the institutional fallacies of the institution.\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>','An Open letter to Every Adventist (PDF)','','publish','open','closed','','an-open-letter-to-every-adventist','','','2020-05-18 20:31:30','2020-05-18 18:31:30','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?post_type=dslc_downloads&#038;p=100068',0,'dslc_downloads','',0),(100069,1,'2020-05-18 19:53:26','2020-05-18 17:53:26','','An Open Letter to Every Adventist','','inherit','open','closed','','an-open-letter-to-every-adventist-2','','','2020-05-18 19:53:26','2020-05-18 17:53:26','',100068,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/An-Open-Letter-to-Every-Adventist.pdf',0,'attachment','application/pdf',0),(100070,1,'2020-05-18 20:20:53','2020-05-18 18:20:53','','Book Cover','','inherit','open','closed','','book-cover','','','2020-05-18 20:20:53','2020-05-18 18:20:53','',100068,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Book-Cover.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100071,1,'2020-05-18 20:22:13','2020-05-18 18:22:13','','Downloads Page','','publish','closed','closed','','downloads-page','','','2020-05-18 20:23:28','2020-05-18 18:23:28','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?page_id=100071',0,'page','',0),(100072,1,'2020-05-18 20:22:13','2020-05-18 18:22:13','','Downloads Page','','inherit','closed','closed','','100071-revision-v1','','','2020-05-18 20:22:13','2020-05-18 18:22:13','',100071,'https://expound.org.za/100071-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100180,0,'2020-08-22 08:19:07','2020-08-22 06:19:07','UnSugar Coating Dead Salt: 8 Lessons from the Parable of Talents – Expound','','gugunnn@gmail.com','confirmed','closed','closed','','100180','','','2020-08-22 08:19:07','2020-08-22 06:19:07','',0,'https://expound.org.za/parable-of-talents-commentry/',0,'cl-lead','',0),(100073,1,'2020-05-18 20:32:07','2020-05-18 18:32:07','','Downloads','','publish','closed','closed','','downloads','','','2020-12-19 14:06:04','2020-12-19 12:06:04','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100073',10,'nav_menu_item','',0),(100074,1,'2020-05-18 20:43:33','2020-05-18 18:43:33','After creation the beauty and the poetry of a cosmology in sync with the desires and plans of the creator is disrupted by the misguided actions of Eve and the willful disobedience of Adam. A cursory read presents a face value cause-and-effect prose yet a nuanced exploration of the details of the events illuminates crucial insights that reveal why we keep falling for evil when we know its cancerous nature and consequences. The post presents 6 trenchant lessons from the account of the fall of humanity captured in Genesis chapter 3.','The Anatomy of Sin (PDF)','After creation the beauty and the poetry of a cosmology in sync with the desires and plans of the creator is disrupted by the misguided actions of Eve and the willful disobedience of Adam. A cursory read presents a face value cause-and-effect prose yet a nuanced exploration of the details of the events illuminates crucial insights that reveal why we keep falling for evil when we know its cancerous nature and consequences. The post presents 6 trenchant lessons from the account of the fall of humanity captured in Genesis chapter 3.','publish','open','closed','','the-anatomy-of-sin','','','2020-05-18 20:45:01','2020-05-18 18:45:01','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?post_type=dslc_downloads&#038;p=100074',0,'dslc_downloads','',0),(100075,1,'2020-05-18 20:41:59','2020-05-18 18:41:59','','Book Cover','','inherit','open','closed','','book-cover-2','','','2020-05-18 20:41:59','2020-05-18 18:41:59','',100074,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Book-Cover-1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100076,1,'2020-05-18 20:42:45','2020-05-18 18:42:45','','The Anatomy of Sin','','inherit','open','closed','','the-anatomy-of-sin-2','','','2020-05-18 20:42:45','2020-05-18 18:42:45','',100074,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Anatomy-of-Sin.pdf',0,'attachment','application/pdf',0),(100077,1,'2020-05-18 20:44:54','2020-05-18 18:44:54','After creation the beauty and the poetry of a cosmology in sync with the desires and plans of the creator is disrupted by the misguided actions of Eve and the willful disobedience of Adam. A cursory read presents a face value cause-and-effect prose yet a nuanced exploration of the details of the events illuminates crucial insights that reveal why we keep falling for evil when we know its cancerous nature and consequences. The post presents 6 trenchant lessons from the account of the fall of humanity captured in Genesis chapter 3.','The Anatomy of Sin (PDF)','After creation the beauty and the poetry of a cosmology in sync with the desires and plans of the creator is disrupted by the misguided actions of Eve and the willful disobedience of Adam. A cursory read presents a face value cause-and-effect prose yet a nuanced exploration of the details of the events illuminates crucial insights that reveal why we keep falling for evil when we know its cancerous nature and consequences. The post presents 6 trenchant lessons from the account of the fall of humanity captured in Genesis chapter 3.','inherit','closed','closed','','100074-autosave-v1','','','2020-05-18 20:44:54','2020-05-18 18:44:54','',100074,'https://expound.org.za/100074-autosave-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100157,1,'2020-07-28 07:53:11','2020-07-28 05:53:11','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100151} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3-wise-men-1024x950.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100151\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The circumstances around the birth of Jesus bring to the\nfore profound insights about the Christian journey. The story unfolds as common\nplace if we have gotten too familiar with the narrative sometimes to the extent\nof missing new insights God wants to reveal to us. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In comparison with the focus of other new testament writers,\nMatthew\'s primary concern was to show and prove to the Jews that indeed Jesus\nwas their own according to the promises of the old testament.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Have a look at the following verses:</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). </p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s burden was to persuade Jews that Jesus was the\npromised Messiah every Jew was expecting notwithstanding the fact that He did\nnot set up an earthly kingdom. We see this clearly in the manner in which unlike\nJohn who traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam to prove the universality\nof Christ and the gospel, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus up to Abraham\nto exalt the Hebrew-Jewish context. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Matthew 2 1-2</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, \'Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.\'\"</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s interest in the specific inquiry of the wise men about \"..the king of the Jews..\" cannot be missed. What is striking is that the host nation of the Messiah incarnate, the Jews themselves, missed the boat as they had settled in a dead and formalized gospel that would cost them nothing. The entitled, yet out of touch attitude of the Jews and religious is a sharp contrast of the attitude of the sojourners from East Who would spare nothing to see the new born king. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>How much has Christianity Cost You? </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lastly, let\'s look at the sacrifice of the Wise men. Their sojourn\nis presented summarily within a verse or two and the extents of their\nsacrifices could be easily taken for granted. But these men came from the east,\nimplying a country of significant remoteness to Jerusalem. They would have had\nto endure taxing demands of a months-long journey. The journey ran into months and\nthey had to travel at night to follow the star. Most importantly, they did not\ncome empty handed. The gifts they offered for Jesus were of so much value that\nthey would suffice to sustain the family in their refugee status in Egypt. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Looking at the sacrifices of these wise men I cannot help\nbut pose these questions to myself and you… What has Christianity cost us? What\nload have we given up since we became &nbsp;Christian? What load have we taken up? How\nlong has been our journey of self-denial? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>How far are prepared to walk this journey? Are we satisfied with the outcomes of the &nbsp;cost benefit analysis for this enterprise? &nbsp;What have we sacrificed For Christ? Has Christianity cost us not just our free time but any of our precious time? What are we willing to put in with our abstract and concrete resources? Are our priorities still the same, are the streams of our conversations still the same? How much has Christianity cost us? Yes the yoke is easy but it is still a yolk. Yes the burden is light, but it is still a burden. How much has Christianity cost us? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Remember this, if it costs you nothing, it\'s worth nothing. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:core-embed/wordpress {\"url\":\"https://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\",\"type\":\"wp-embed\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"expound\",\"className\":\"\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-expound\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\n</div></figure>\n<!-- /wp:core-embed/wordpress -->','If it Cost You Nothing, It\'s Worth Nothing','','inherit','closed','closed','','100148-revision-v1','','','2020-07-28 07:53:11','2020-07-28 05:53:11','',100148,'https://expound.org.za/100148-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100158,1,'2020-07-28 08:10:48','2020-07-28 06:10:48','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100151} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3-wise-men-1024x950.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100151\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The circumstances around the birth of Jesus bring to the\nfore profound insights about the Christian journey. The story unfolds as common\nplace if we have gotten too familiar with the narrative sometimes to the extent\nof missing new insights God wants to reveal to us. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In comparison with the focus of other new testament writers,\nMatthew\'s primary concern was to show and prove to the Jews that indeed Jesus\nwas their own according to the promises of the old testament.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Have a look at the following verses:</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). </p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s burden was to persuade Jews that Jesus was the\npromised Messiah every Jew was expecting notwithstanding the fact that He did\nnot set up an earthly kingdom. We see this clearly in the manner in which unlike\nJohn who traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam to prove the universality\nof Christ and the gospel, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus up to Abraham\nto exalt the Hebrew-Jewish context. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Matthew 2 1-2</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, \'Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.\'\"</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s interest in the specific inquiry of the wise men about \"..the king of the Jews..\" cannot be missed. What is striking is that the host nation of the Messiah incarnate, the Jews themselves, missed the boat of the first advent of the Christ as they had settled in a dead and formalized gospel that would cost them nothing. The Jews were on point on the theoretical interpretation of scripture and yet completely out of sync with the reality of scripture. The entitled, yet out of touch attitude of the Jews particularly the religious leaders is a sharp contrast of the learning and humble attitude of the sojourners from East who would spare nothing to see the new born king. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>How much has Christianity Cost You? </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lastly, let\'s look at the sacrifice of the Wise men. Their sojourn\nis presented summarily within a verse or two and the extents of their\nsacrifices could be easily taken for granted. But these men came from the east,\nimplying a country of significant remoteness to Jerusalem. They would have had\nto endure taxing demands of a months-long journey. The journey ran into months and\nthey had to travel at night to follow the star. Most importantly, they did not\ncome empty handed. The gifts they offered for Jesus were of so much value that\nthey would suffice to sustain the family in their refugee status in Egypt. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Looking at the sacrifices of these wise men I cannot help\nbut pose these questions to myself and you… What has Christianity cost us? What\nload have we given up since we became &nbsp;Christian? What load have we taken up? How\nlong has been our journey of self-denial? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>How far are prepared to walk this journey? Are we satisfied with the outcomes of the &nbsp;cost benefit analysis for this enterprise? &nbsp;What have we sacrificed For Christ? Has Christianity cost us not just our free time but any of our precious time? What are we willing to put in with our abstract and concrete resources? Are our priorities still the same, are the streams of our conversations still the same? How much has Christianity cost us? Yes the yoke is easy but it is still a yolk. Yes the burden is light, but it is still a burden. How much has Christianity cost us? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Remember this, if it costs you nothing, it\'s worth nothing. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:core-embed/wordpress {\"url\":\"https://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\",\"type\":\"wp-embed\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"expound\",\"className\":\"\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-expound\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\n</div></figure>\n<!-- /wp:core-embed/wordpress -->','If it Cost You Nothing, It\'s Worth Nothing','','inherit','closed','closed','','100148-revision-v1','','','2020-07-28 08:10:48','2020-07-28 06:10:48','',100148,'https://expound.org.za/100148-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100160,1,'2020-08-04 02:00:48','2020-08-04 00:00:48','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100161} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/faith-is-radical-optimism-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100161\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 2:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways from this story of the\n3 wise men in Matthew chapter 2. What also stick out are these three remarkable levels of the\nradical faith of the wise men.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n1. Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and\nmaintained keen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let\nalone known. \n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n2.The wise men believed in the promise against the\nunbelief of the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness\nof the scribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. \n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n3.The wise men believed in the universal kingship\nof baby Jesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms.\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>It takes Radical Optimism to Believe in an Infant Jesus</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne and reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism (Faith) to believe in a little helpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator and King of the Universe. This is the same quality of faith the thief on the cross demonstrated by seeing a saving Messiah in a dying Jesus. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He works great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary, radical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly silent and invisible in the darkest valleys of our life. It is easy to burst in song when He has done great things for us. But true Faith is to keep a song in our hearts when all looks dry, grim and gloomy.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>A religion that waits for all to be settled when Christ comes down and the curtain is drawn is not a faith based religion. The time to exercise faith is now, the time to uphold Jesus is now, the time to trust and follow in His foot steps is now.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As the philosopher Edwin Louis Cole observes profoundly: Enthusiasm\nis an emotion, Optimism is attitude, but Faith is Substance. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Faith is Radical Optimism','','publish','open','open','','faith-is-radical-optimism','','','2020-08-04 08:35:23','2020-08-04 06:35:23','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100160',0,'post','',0),(100161,1,'2020-07-28 08:26:17','2020-07-28 06:26:17','','faith-is-radical-optimism','','inherit','open','closed','','faith-is-radical-optimism','','','2020-07-28 08:26:17','2020-07-28 06:26:17','',100160,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/faith-is-radical-optimism.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100162,1,'2020-07-28 08:31:15','2020-07-28 06:31:15','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100161} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/faith-is-radical-optimism-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100161\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 2:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways from this story of the\n3 wise men in Matthew chapter 2. What also stick out are these three remarkable levels of the\nradical faith of the wise men.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and\nmaintained keen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let\nalone known.</li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li>The wise men believed in the promise against the\nunbelief of the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness\nof the scribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li>The wise men believed in the universal kingship\nof baby Jesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms. </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>It takes Radical Optimism to Believe in an Infant Jesus</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the\nthrone and reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism (Faith) to believe in\na little helpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator and King\nof the Universe.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He works\ngreat miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary, radical\noptimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly silent\nand invisible in the darkest valleys of our life. It is easy to burst in song\nwhen He has done great things. But true Faith is to keep a song in your heart\nwhen all looks dry, grim and gloomy.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As the philosopher Edwin Louis Cole observes profoundly: Enthusiasm\nis an emotion, Optimism is attitude, but Faith is Substance. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped\nfor, the evidence of things not seen.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Faith is Radical Optimism','','inherit','closed','closed','','100160-revision-v1','','','2020-07-28 08:31:15','2020-07-28 06:31:15','',100160,'https://expound.org.za/100160-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100178,1,'2020-08-04 08:33:48','2020-08-04 06:33:48','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100161} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/faith-is-radical-optimism-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100161\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 2:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways from this story of the\n3 wise men in Matthew chapter 2. What also stick out are these three remarkable levels of the\nradical faith of the wise men.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and\nmaintained keen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let\nalone known.</li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n2.The wise men believed in the promise against the\nunbelief of the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness\nof the scribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. \n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n3.The wise men believed in the universal kingship\nof baby Jesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms.\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>It takes Radical Optimism to Believe in an Infant Jesus</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne and reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism (Faith) to believe in a little helpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator and King of the Universe. This is the same quality of faith the thief on the cross demonstrated by seeing a saving Messiah in a dying Jesus. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He works great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary, radical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly silent and invisible in the darkest valleys of our life. It is easy to burst in song when He has done great things for us. But true Faith is to keep a song in our hearts when all looks dry, grim and gloomy.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>A religion that waits for all to be settled when Christ comes down and the curtain is drawn is not a faith based religion. The time to exercise faith is now, the time to uphold Jesus is now, the time to trust and follow in His foot steps is now.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As the philosopher Edwin Louis Cole observes profoundly: Enthusiasm\nis an emotion, Optimism is attitude, but Faith is Substance. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Faith is Radical Optimism','','inherit','closed','closed','','100160-revision-v1','','','2020-08-04 08:33:48','2020-08-04 06:33:48','',100160,'https://expound.org.za/100160-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100165,1,'2020-07-28 08:46:16','2020-07-28 06:46:16','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100161} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/faith-is-radical-optimism-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100161\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 2:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways from this story of the\n3 wise men in Matthew chapter 2. What also stick out are these three remarkable levels of the\nradical faith of the wise men.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and\nmaintained keen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let\nalone known.</li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li>The wise men believed in the promise against the\nunbelief of the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness\nof the scribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li>The wise men believed in the universal kingship\nof baby Jesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms. </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>It takes Radical Optimism to Believe in an Infant Jesus</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne and reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism (Faith) to believe in a little helpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator and King of the Universe. This is the same quality of faith the thief on the cross demonstrated by seeing a saving Messiah in a dying Jesus. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He works great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary, radical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly silent and invisible in the darkest valleys of our life. It is easy to burst in song when He has done great things for us. But true Faith is to keep a song in our hearts when all looks dry, grim and gloomy.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>A religion that waits for all to be settled when Christ comes down and the curtain is drawn is not a faith based religion. The time to exercise faith is now, the time to uphold Jesus is now, the time to trust and follow in His foot steps is now.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As the philosopher Edwin Louis Cole observes profoundly: Enthusiasm\nis an emotion, Optimism is attitude, but Faith is Substance. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Faith is Radical Optimism','','inherit','closed','closed','','100160-revision-v1','','','2020-07-28 08:46:16','2020-07-28 06:46:16','',100160,'https://expound.org.za/100160-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100164,1,'2020-07-28 08:35:45','2020-07-28 06:35:45','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100161} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/faith-is-radical-optimism-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100161\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 2:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways from this story of the\n3 wise men in Matthew chapter 2. What also stick out are these three remarkable levels of the\nradical faith of the wise men.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and\nmaintained keen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let\nalone known.</li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li>The wise men believed in the promise against the\nunbelief of the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness\nof the scribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><li>The wise men believed in the universal kingship\nof baby Jesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms. </li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>It takes Radical Optimism to Believe in an Infant Jesus</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne and reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism (Faith) to believe in a little helpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator and King of the Universe. This is the same quality of faith the thief on the cross demonstrated by seeing a saving Messiah in a dying Jesus. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He works great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary, radical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly silent and invisible in the darkest valleys of our life. It is easy to burst in song when He has done great things for us. But true Faith is to keep a song in our hearts when all looks dry, grim and gloomy.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As the philosopher Edwin Louis Cole observes profoundly: Enthusiasm\nis an emotion, Optimism is attitude, but Faith is Substance. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Faith is Radical Optimism','','inherit','closed','closed','','100160-revision-v1','','','2020-07-28 08:35:45','2020-07-28 06:35:45','',100160,'https://expound.org.za/100160-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100169,1,'2020-08-06 02:00:26','2020-08-06 00:00:26','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100170} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/How-Big-is-God-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100170\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Romans 8:28<br><strong> And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.</strong></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Underline all: not “some”. <br> Underscore All not  “most”. <br> Understand All not “certain”. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>The strength of God can be approximated  by the size of the risk God has taken with the human project. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When tragedy strikes those who don’t know God are only shocked by the  tragedy and the loss: but as Christians what should also shock us  even  more profoundly and therapeutically is the reality of a God so powerful  and loving He Has confidence in His unfailing love and power to heal,  restore and ultimately to settle all the questions and queries. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we mourn with hope: the cry must not just be “Why God? But more  importantly it should be: “God how Big must you be to have calculated  that even this harrowing tragedy can and will ultimately work for the  good in your grand and divine scheme of things”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong> God reigns and ultimately nothing is lost from Him.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Healing Shock: All things work together for the Good','','publish','open','open','','the-healing-shock-all-things-work-together-for-the-good','','','2020-08-01 10:26:00','2020-08-01 08:26:00','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100169',0,'post','',0),(100170,1,'2020-08-01 10:23:33','2020-08-01 08:23:33','','How-Big-is-God','','inherit','open','closed','','how-big-is-god-2','','','2020-08-01 10:23:33','2020-08-01 08:23:33','',100169,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/How-Big-is-God.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100171,1,'2020-08-01 10:25:57','2020-08-01 08:25:57','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100170} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/How-Big-is-God-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100170\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Romans 8:28<br><strong> And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.</strong></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> Underline all: not “some”. <br> Underscore All not  “most”. <br> Understand All not “certain”. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>The strength of God can be approximated  by the size of the risk God has taken with the human project. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When tragedy strikes those who don’t know God are only shocked by the  tragedy and the loss: but as Christians what should also shock us  even  more profoundly and therapeutically is the reality of a God so powerful  and loving He Has confidence in His unfailing love and power to heal,  restore and ultimately to settle all the questions and queries. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> As we mourn with hope: the cry must not just be “Why God? But more  importantly it should be: “God how Big must you be to have calculated  that even this harrowing tragedy can and will ultimately work for the  good in your grand and divine scheme of things”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong> God reigns and ultimately nothing is lost from Him.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Healing Shock: All things work together for the Good','','inherit','closed','closed','','100169-revision-v1','','','2020-08-01 10:25:57','2020-08-01 08:25:57','',100169,'https://expound.org.za/100169-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100172,1,'2020-08-11 02:00:03','2020-08-11 00:00:03','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100173} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gids-Eloqouent-Silence-1024x746.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100173\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The book of Matthew is phenomenal for many reasons. But one\nfactor that stands out is that the&nbsp; place\nof the book in canon breaks the long sustained silence between the old testament\nand the new. There is a gap of 400 hundred years between the work of Malachi and\nthe book of Matthew. Most importantly, as far as Israel is concerned, God was\nhidden and silent during the era. Let\'s break this down a bit. During the 400\nyears of silence there were no prophets to speak on behalf of God, there were\nno angelic manifestations, there were no remarkable Divine interpositions for\nthe chosen nation of Israel. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This era in Israel\'s timeline represents one common\nphenomenon in our Christian journey. The era represents those dark valleys in\nour lives when it seems that God is silent or indifferent to what we are going\nthrough. What is striking is that God has never been silent. During this era:\nthe people of God had the written word, whose import they unfortunately slighted\nto the extent of missing the first advent of Christ. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This prompted Christ’s declaration: “I am not sent but unto\nthe lost sheep of the House of Israel”(Matthew 15:24)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>Unmasking the Imaginary Absence of God </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>A few brain bites: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li><strong>The magnitude of God\'s silence that we perceive is proportionate to our level of indifference to His pleadings. </strong></li><li><strong>How far we perceive God to be from us is equidistant to how far we have drifted from Him. </strong></li><li><strong>What we perceive as God\'s silence is our indifference to His love screaming back at us. </strong></li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nonetheless God\'s doesn\'t waste any crisis. Even when we perceive His absence and silence, His silence is eloquent. The perceived absence of God must create in us deeper longings based on the fact that it was never God\'s original desire that His creatures be separated from Him. God taps the perceived absence of His person in our lives to create a deeper desire for God so that when God\'s love for us and our appreciation of Him strike an equilibrium then the project of salvation achieves its object and thus harrowing human experience is not in vain. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God\'s perceived absence is being employed to workshop the\nsin battered mind on how much it needs God not as a want but a need. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>As Francois de La Rochefoucauld observes profoundly:<strong> \"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.\"</strong></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God’s presence is guaranteed and thus we should learn to\ntrust Him even when we can not trace Him.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><strong>Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.</strong><br></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->','The Eloquence of God\'s Silence','','publish','open','open','','the-eloquence-of-gods-silence','','','2020-08-01 19:09:25','2020-08-01 17:09:25','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100172',0,'post','',0),(100167,1,'2020-07-31 14:22:29','2020-07-31 12:22:29','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100151} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3-wise-men-1024x950.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100151\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The circumstances around the birth of Jesus bring to the\nfore profound insights about the Christian journey. The story unfolds as common\nplace if we have gotten too familiar with the narrative sometimes to the extent\nof missing new insights God wants to reveal to us. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In comparison with the focus of other new testament writers,\nMatthew\'s primary concern was to show and prove to the Jews that indeed Jesus\nwas their own according to the promises of the old testament.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Have a look at the following verses:</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). </p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s burden was to persuade Jews that Jesus was the\npromised Messiah every Jew was expecting notwithstanding the fact that He did\nnot set up an earthly kingdom. We see this clearly in the manner in which unlike\nJohn who traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam to prove the universality\nof Christ and the gospel, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus up to Abraham\nto exalt the Hebrew-Jewish context. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Matthew 2 1-2</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, \'Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.\'\"</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s interest in the specific inquiry of the wise men about \"..the king of the Jews..\" cannot be missed. What is striking is that the host nation of the Messiah incarnate, the Jews themselves, missed the boat of the first advent of the Christ as they had settled in a dead and formalized gospel that would cost them nothing. The Jews were on point on the theoretical interpretation of scripture and yet completely out of sync with the reality of scripture. The entitled, yet out of touch attitude of the Jews particularly the religious leaders is a sharp contrast of the learning and humble attitude of the sojourners from East who would spare nothing to see the new born king. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>How much has Christianity Cost You? </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lastly, let\'s look at the sacrifice of the Wise men. Their sojourn\nis presented summarily within a verse or two and the extents of their\nsacrifices could be easily taken for granted. But these men came from the east,\nimplying a country of significant remoteness to Jerusalem. They would have had\nto endure taxing demands of a months-long journey. The journey ran into months and\nthey had to travel at night to follow the star. Most importantly, they did not\ncome empty handed. The gifts they offered for Jesus were of so much value that\nthey would suffice to sustain the family in their refugee status in Egypt. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Looking at the sacrifices of these wise men I cannot help\nbut pose these questions to myself and you… What has Christianity cost us? What\nload have we given up since we became &nbsp;Christian? What load have we taken up? How\nlong has been our journey of self-denial? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>How far are prepared to walk this journey? Are we satisfied with the outcomes of the  cost benefit analysis for this enterprise?  What have we sacrificed For Christ? Has Christianity cost us not just our free time but any of our precious time? What are we willing to put in with our abstract and concrete resources? Are our priorities still the same, are the streams of our conversations still the same? How much has Christianity cost us? Yes the yoke is easy but it is still a yoke. Yes the burden is light, but it is still a burden. How much has Christianity cost us? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Remember this, if it costs you nothing, it\'s worth nothing. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:core-embed/wordpress {\"url\":\"https://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\",\"type\":\"wp-embed\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"expound\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-expound\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\n</div></figure>\n<!-- /wp:core-embed/wordpress -->','If it Cost You Nothing, It\'s Worth Nothing','','inherit','closed','closed','','100148-revision-v1','','','2020-07-31 14:22:29','2020-07-31 12:22:29','',100148,'https://expound.org.za/100148-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100173,1,'2020-08-01 12:24:58','2020-08-01 10:24:58','','Gids-Eloqouent-Silence','','inherit','open','closed','','gids-eloqouent-silence','','','2020-08-01 12:24:58','2020-08-01 10:24:58','',100172,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gids-Eloqouent-Silence.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100175,1,'2020-08-01 12:30:02','2020-08-01 10:30:02','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100173} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gids-Eloqouent-Silence-1024x746.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100173\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The book of Matthew is phenomenal for many reasons. But one\nfactor that stands out is that the&nbsp; place\nof the book in canon breaks the long sustained silence between the old testament\nand the new. There is a gap of 400 hundred years between the work of Malachi and\nthe book of Matthew. Most importantly, as far as Israel is concerned, God was\nhidden and silent during the era. Let\'s break this down a bit. During the 400\nyears of silence there were no prophets to speak on behalf of God, there were\nno angelic manifestations, there were no remarkable Divine interpositions for\nthe chosen nation of Israel. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This era in Israel\'s timeline represents one common\nphenomenon in our Christian journey. The era represents those dark valleys in\nour lives when it seems that God is silent or indifferent to what we are going\nthrough. What is striking is that God has never been silent. During this era:\nthe people of God had the written word, whose import they unfortunately slighted\nto the extent of missing the first advent of Christ. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This prompted Christ’s declaration: “I am not sent but unto\nthe lost sheep of the House of Israel”(Matthew 15:24)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>Unmasking the Imaginary Absence of God </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>A few brain bites: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li><strong>The magnitude of God\'s silence that we perceive is proportionate to our level of indifference to His pleadings. </strong></li><li><strong>How far we perceive God to be from us is equidistant to how far we have drifted from Him. </strong></li><li><strong>What we perceive as God\'s silence is our indifference to His love screaming back at us. </strong></li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nonetheless God\'s doesn\'t waste any crisis. Even when we perceive\nHis absence and silence, His silence is eloquent. The perceived absence of God\nmust create in us deeper longings based on the fact that it was never God\'s\noriginal desire that His creatures be separated from Him. The perceived absence\nof God is creating a deeper desire for God so that when God\'s love for us and\nour appreciation of Him strike an equilibrium then project of salvation achieves\nits object and the harrowing human experience would not have been in vain. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God\'s perceived absence is being employed to workshop the\nsin battered mind on how much it needs God not as a want but a need. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>As Francois de La Rochefoucauld observes profoundly:<strong> \"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.\"</strong></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God’s presence is guaranteed and thus we should learn to\ntrust Him even when we can not trace Him.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><strong>Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.</strong><br></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->','The Eloquence of God\'s Silence','','inherit','closed','closed','','100172-revision-v1','','','2020-08-01 12:30:02','2020-08-01 10:30:02','',100172,'https://expound.org.za/100172-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100174,1,'2020-08-01 12:26:06','2020-08-01 10:26:06','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100173} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gids-Eloqouent-Silence-1024x746.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100173\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The book of Matthew is phenomenal for many reasons. But one\nfactor that stands out is that the&nbsp; place\nof the book in canon breaks the long sustained silence between the old testament\nand the new. There is a gap of 400 hundred years between the work of Malachi and\nthe book of Matthew. Most importantly, as far as Israel is concerned, God was\nhidden and silent during the era. Let\'s break this down a bit. During the 400\nyears of silence there were no prophets to speak on behalf of God, there were\nno angelic manifestations, there were no remarkable Divine interpositions for\nthe chosen nation of Israel. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This era in Israel\'s timeline represents one common\nphenomenon in our Christian journey. The era represents those dark valleys in\nour lives when it seems that God is silent or indifferent to what we are going\nthrough. What is striking is that God has never been silent. During this era:\nthe people of God had the written word, whose import they unfortunately slighted\nto the extent of missing the first advent of Christ. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This prompted Christ’s declaration: “I am not sent but unto\nthe lost sheep of the House of Israel”(Matthew 15:24)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>Unmasking the Imaginary Absence of God </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>A few brain bites: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li><strong>The magnitude of God\'s silence that we perceive is proportionate to our level of indifference to His pleadings. </strong></li><li><strong>How far we perceive God to be from us is equidistant to how far we have drifted from Him. </strong></li><li><strong>What we perceive as God\'s silence is our indifference to His love screaming back at us. </strong></li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nonetheless God\'s doesn\'t waste any crisis. Even when we perceive\nHis absence and silence, His silence is eloquent. The perceived absence of God\nmust create in us deeper longings based on the fact that it was never God\'s\noriginal desire that His creatures be separated from Him. The perceived absence\nof God is creating a deeper desire for God so that when God\'s love for us and\nour appreciation of Him strike an equilibrium then project of salvation achieves\nits object and the harrowing human experience would not have been in vain. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God\'s perceived absence is being employed to workshop the\nsin battered mind on how much it needs God not as a want but a need. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>As Francois de La Rochefoucauld observes profoundly:<strong> \"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.\"</strong></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God’s presence is guaranteed and thus we should learn to\ntrust Him even when we can not trace Him.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Matthew 28: </strong><strong>19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,\nbaptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,\n20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am\nwith you always, to the very end of the age.”</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Eloquence of God\'s Silence','','inherit','closed','closed','','100172-revision-v1','','','2020-08-01 12:26:06','2020-08-01 10:26:06','',100172,'https://expound.org.za/100172-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100176,1,'2020-08-01 12:30:47','2020-08-01 10:30:47','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100173} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gids-Eloqouent-Silence-1024x746.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100173\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The book of Matthew is phenomenal for many reasons. But one\nfactor that stands out is that the&nbsp; place\nof the book in canon breaks the long sustained silence between the old testament\nand the new. There is a gap of 400 hundred years between the work of Malachi and\nthe book of Matthew. Most importantly, as far as Israel is concerned, God was\nhidden and silent during the era. Let\'s break this down a bit. During the 400\nyears of silence there were no prophets to speak on behalf of God, there were\nno angelic manifestations, there were no remarkable Divine interpositions for\nthe chosen nation of Israel. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This era in Israel\'s timeline represents one common\nphenomenon in our Christian journey. The era represents those dark valleys in\nour lives when it seems that God is silent or indifferent to what we are going\nthrough. What is striking is that God has never been silent. During this era:\nthe people of God had the written word, whose import they unfortunately slighted\nto the extent of missing the first advent of Christ. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This prompted Christ’s declaration: “I am not sent but unto\nthe lost sheep of the House of Israel”(Matthew 15:24)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>Unmasking the Imaginary Absence of God </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>A few brain bites: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li><strong>The magnitude of God\'s silence that we perceive is proportionate to our level of indifference to His pleadings. </strong></li><li><strong>How far we perceive God to be from us is equidistant to how far we have drifted from Him. </strong></li><li><strong>What we perceive as God\'s silence is our indifference to His love screaming back at us. </strong></li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nonetheless God\'s doesn\'t waste any crisis. Even when we perceive\nHis absence and silence, His silence is eloquent. The perceived absence of God\nmust create in us deeper longings based on the fact that it was never God\'s\noriginal desire that His creatures be separated from Him. The perceived absence\nof God is creating a deeper desire for God so that when God\'s love for us and\nour appreciation of Him strike an equilibrium then project of salvation achieves\nits object and the harrowing human experience would not have been in vain. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God\'s perceived absence is being employed to workshop the\nsin battered mind on how much it needs God not as a want but a need. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>As Francois de La Rochefoucauld observes profoundly:<strong> \"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.\"</strong></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God’s presence is guaranteed and thus we should learn to\ntrust Him even when we can not trace Him.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><strong>Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.</strong><br></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->','The Eloquence of God\'s Silence','','inherit','closed','closed','','100172-revision-v1','','','2020-08-01 12:30:47','2020-08-01 10:30:47','',100172,'https://expound.org.za/100172-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100177,1,'2020-08-01 19:09:22','2020-08-01 17:09:22','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100173} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Gids-Eloqouent-Silence-1024x746.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100173\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The book of Matthew is phenomenal for many reasons. But one\nfactor that stands out is that the&nbsp; place\nof the book in canon breaks the long sustained silence between the old testament\nand the new. There is a gap of 400 hundred years between the work of Malachi and\nthe book of Matthew. Most importantly, as far as Israel is concerned, God was\nhidden and silent during the era. Let\'s break this down a bit. During the 400\nyears of silence there were no prophets to speak on behalf of God, there were\nno angelic manifestations, there were no remarkable Divine interpositions for\nthe chosen nation of Israel. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This era in Israel\'s timeline represents one common\nphenomenon in our Christian journey. The era represents those dark valleys in\nour lives when it seems that God is silent or indifferent to what we are going\nthrough. What is striking is that God has never been silent. During this era:\nthe people of God had the written word, whose import they unfortunately slighted\nto the extent of missing the first advent of Christ. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This prompted Christ’s declaration: “I am not sent but unto\nthe lost sheep of the House of Israel”(Matthew 15:24)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>Unmasking the Imaginary Absence of God </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>A few brain bites: </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li><strong>The magnitude of God\'s silence that we perceive is proportionate to our level of indifference to His pleadings. </strong></li><li><strong>How far we perceive God to be from us is equidistant to how far we have drifted from Him. </strong></li><li><strong>What we perceive as God\'s silence is our indifference to His love screaming back at us. </strong></li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nonetheless God\'s doesn\'t waste any crisis. Even when we perceive His absence and silence, His silence is eloquent. The perceived absence of God must create in us deeper longings based on the fact that it was never God\'s original desire that His creatures be separated from Him. God taps the perceived absence of His person in our lives to create a deeper desire for God so that when God\'s love for us and our appreciation of Him strike an equilibrium then the project of salvation achieves its object and thus harrowing human experience is not in vain. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God\'s perceived absence is being employed to workshop the\nsin battered mind on how much it needs God not as a want but a need. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>As Francois de La Rochefoucauld observes profoundly:<strong> \"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.\"</strong></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God’s presence is guaranteed and thus we should learn to\ntrust Him even when we can not trace Him.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><strong>Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.</strong><br></p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->','The Eloquence of God\'s Silence','','inherit','closed','closed','','100172-revision-v1','','','2020-08-01 19:09:22','2020-08-01 17:09:22','',100172,'https://expound.org.za/100172-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100179,1,'2020-08-04 08:35:08','2020-08-04 06:35:08','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100161} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/faith-is-radical-optimism-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100161\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 2:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways from this story of the\n3 wise men in Matthew chapter 2. What also stick out are these three remarkable levels of the\nradical faith of the wise men.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n1. Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and\nmaintained keen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let\nalone known. \n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n2.The wise men believed in the promise against the\nunbelief of the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness\nof the scribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. \n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n3.The wise men believed in the universal kingship\nof baby Jesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms.\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>It takes Radical Optimism to Believe in an Infant Jesus</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne and reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism (Faith) to believe in a little helpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator and King of the Universe. This is the same quality of faith the thief on the cross demonstrated by seeing a saving Messiah in a dying Jesus. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He works great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary, radical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly silent and invisible in the darkest valleys of our life. It is easy to burst in song when He has done great things for us. But true Faith is to keep a song in our hearts when all looks dry, grim and gloomy.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>A religion that waits for all to be settled when Christ comes down and the curtain is drawn is not a faith based religion. The time to exercise faith is now, the time to uphold Jesus is now, the time to trust and follow in His foot steps is now.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As the philosopher Edwin Louis Cole observes profoundly: Enthusiasm\nis an emotion, Optimism is attitude, but Faith is Substance. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Faith is Radical Optimism','','inherit','closed','closed','','100160-revision-v1','','','2020-08-04 08:35:08','2020-08-04 06:35:08','',100160,'https://expound.org.za/100160-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100185,0,'2020-10-31 07:39:50','2020-10-31 05:39:50','','card','card.jpeg','inherit','open','closed','','card','','','2020-10-31 07:39:50','2020-10-31 05:39:50','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/card-1604122789.8751.jpeg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100182,1,'2020-10-18 09:33:06','2020-10-18 07:33:06','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100183} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/The-Scandlous-Love-of-God-1024x685.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100183\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> It dawned to me when I was going through Matthew 6 verses 5-14 that what has been dubbed the Lord’s prayer is actually not the Lord’s prayer as in the prayer Jesus prayed for Himself. (E.g. He was sinless and would not pray for forgiveness upon Himself) The prayer was a model for me and you to emulate not verbatim but in principle and perspective. Here is one of the Biggies: the petition for forgiveness is preceded by 2 petitions, 1. that the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven (verse 10), and 2, the petition for the daily bread (verse 11) <br> The morale of story is that the disposition (love) of the Father is not informed or engendered by our position nor is His love for us predicated on our conduct— thus the 2 petitions mentioned precede the petition for forgiveness lest we delude ourselves that when we are forgiven then we qualify. Perish the thought. In other words don’t wait until you think you deserve in order to ask (firstly, you will never deserve, secondly it is not necessary to deserve - for while we were lost and rebellious He sought us and died for us) <br> Hebrews 4:16<br> Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Scandalous Love of God','','publish','open','open','','the-scandalous-love-of-god','','','2020-10-18 09:33:10','2020-10-18 07:33:10','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100182',0,'post','',0),(100183,1,'2020-10-18 09:32:16','2020-10-18 07:32:16','','The-Scandlous-Love-of-God','','inherit','open','closed','','the-scandlous-love-of-god','','','2020-10-18 09:32:16','2020-10-18 07:32:16','',100182,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/The-Scandlous-Love-of-God.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100184,1,'2020-10-18 09:33:06','2020-10-18 07:33:06','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100183} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/The-Scandlous-Love-of-God-1024x685.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100183\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p> It dawned to me when I was going through Matthew 6 verses 5-14 that what has been dubbed the Lord’s prayer is actually not the Lord’s prayer as in the prayer Jesus prayed for Himself. (E.g. He was sinless and would not pray for forgiveness upon Himself) The prayer was a model for me and you to emulate not verbatim but in principle and perspective. Here is one of the Biggies: the petition for forgiveness is preceded by 2 petitions, 1. that the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven (verse 10), and 2, the petition for the daily bread (verse 11) <br> The morale of story is that the disposition (love) of the Father is not informed or engendered by our position nor is His love for us predicated on our conduct— thus the 2 petitions mentioned precede the petition for forgiveness lest we delude ourselves that when we are forgiven then we qualify. Perish the thought. In other words don’t wait until you think you deserve in order to ask (firstly, you will never deserve, secondly it is not necessary to deserve - for while we were lost and rebellious He sought us and died for us) <br> Hebrews 4:16<br> Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','The Scandalous Love of God','','inherit','closed','closed','','100182-revision-v1','','','2020-10-18 09:33:06','2020-10-18 07:33:06','',100182,'https://expound.org.za/100182-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100186,0,'2020-10-31 07:48:25','2020-10-31 05:48:25','','myid','myid.jpg','inherit','open','closed','','myid','','','2020-10-31 07:48:25','2020-10-31 05:48:25','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/myid-1604123305.8316.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100187,0,'2020-10-31 07:48:26','2020-10-31 05:48:26','','upload','upload.png','inherit','open','closed','','upload','','','2020-10-31 07:48:26','2020-10-31 05:48:26','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/upload-1604123306.3.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100195,0,'2020-12-26 15:04:55','2020-12-26 13:04:55','','','','publish','closed','closed','','100195','','','2020-12-26 15:04:55','2020-12-26 13:04:55','',0,'https://expound.org.za/nf_sub/100195/',0,'nf_sub','',0),(100189,1,'2020-12-18 16:25:09','2020-12-18 14:25:09','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100190} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LOGO-1024x686.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100190\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the 19th of December 2020 (15:00 - 16:00) Expound is launching a video and live streaming  channel: ExpoundLounge, which is an extension of what we are already  doing through the Expound platform. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the  next 12 consecutive sabbaths (15:00 -16:00) we will be tackling the subject of Personal Development from a Christian Perspective through  the new channel. In the inaugural segment  we will present the introductory overview  that will lay the ground for the 10-part series.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Below are some of the topics and sub topics that will be covered in the series. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Personal Development: A Christian Perspective</strong><br><strong> 19 December 2020 : Introduction </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Identity and the Existential Question </li><li>Dominion versus Domination</li><li>How to get out of the Rut (the seed you are)</li><li>Potential Versus Purpose</li><li>How to know your purpose</li><li>Information Overload &amp; Decision Making</li><li>How to Measure your Success as a Christian </li><li>What do you want to be when you grow up</li><li>The myth of time management </li><li>Divine Agency and Human Agency </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Sign up <a href=\"https://lounge.expound.org.za/\">Here</a> to keep tabs with the ExpoundLounge. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Expound Presents ExpoundLounge','','publish','open','open','','expound-presents-expoundlounge','','','2020-12-19 16:39:17','2020-12-19 14:39:17','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100189',0,'post','',0),(100190,1,'2020-12-18 16:23:43','2020-12-18 14:23:43','','LOGO','','inherit','open','closed','','logo-4','','','2020-12-18 16:23:43','2020-12-18 14:23:43','',100189,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LOGO.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100191,1,'2020-12-18 16:25:09','2020-12-18 14:25:09','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100190} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LOGO-1024x686.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100190\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the 19th of December 2020 (15:00 - 16:00) Expound is launching a video and live streaming  channel: ExpoundLounge, which is an extension of what we are already  doing through the Expound platform. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the  next 12 consecutive sabbaths (15:00 -16:00) we will be tackling the subject of Personal Development from a Christian Perspective through  the new channel. In the inaugural segment  we will present the introductory overview  that lay the ground for the 10-part series.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Below are some of the topics and sub topics that will be covered in the series. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Personal Development: A Christian Perspective</strong><br><strong> 19 December 2020 : Introduction </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Identity and the Existential Question </li><li>Dominion versus Domination</li><li>How to get out of the Rut (the seed you are)</li><li>Potential Versus Purpose</li><li>How to know your purpose</li><li>Information Overload &amp; Decision Making</li><li>How to Measure your Success as a Christian </li><li>What do you want to be when you grow up</li><li>The myth of time management </li><li>Divine Agency and Human Agency </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Sign up <a href=\"https://lounge.expound.org.za/register\">Here</a> to keep tabs with the ExpoundLounge. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Expound Presents ExpoundLounge','','inherit','closed','closed','','100189-revision-v1','','','2020-12-18 16:25:09','2020-12-18 14:25:09','',100189,'https://expound.org.za/100189-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100192,1,'2020-12-18 18:32:08','2020-12-18 16:32:08','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100190} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LOGO-1024x686.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100190\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the 19th of December 2020 (15:00 - 16:00) Expound is launching a video and live streaming  channel: ExpoundLounge, which is an extension of what we are already  doing through the Expound platform. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the  next 12 consecutive sabbaths (15:00 -16:00) we will be tackling the subject of Personal Development from a Christian Perspective through  the new channel. In the inaugural segment  we will present the introductory overview  that lay the ground for the 10-part series.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Below are some of the topics and sub topics that will be covered in the series. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Personal Development: A Christian Perspective</strong><br><strong> 19 December 2020 : Introduction </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Identity and the Existential Question </li><li>Dominion versus Domination</li><li>How to get out of the Rut (the seed you are)</li><li>Potential Versus Purpose</li><li>How to know your purpose</li><li>Information Overload &amp; Decision Making</li><li>How to Measure your Success as a Christian </li><li>What do you want to be when you grow up</li><li>The myth of time management </li><li>Divine Agency and Human Agency </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Sign up <a href=\"https://lounge.expound.org.za/\">Here</a> to keep tabs with the ExpoundLounge. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Expound Presents ExpoundLounge','','inherit','closed','closed','','100189-revision-v1','','','2020-12-18 18:32:08','2020-12-18 16:32:08','',100189,'https://expound.org.za/100189-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100193,1,'2020-12-19 14:06:04','2020-12-19 12:06:04','','ExpoundLounge','','publish','closed','closed','','expoundlounge','','','2020-12-19 14:06:04','2020-12-19 12:06:04','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100193',13,'nav_menu_item','',0),(100194,1,'2020-12-19 16:39:13','2020-12-19 14:39:13','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100190} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LOGO-1024x686.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100190\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On the 19th of December 2020 (15:00 - 16:00) Expound is launching a video and live streaming  channel: ExpoundLounge, which is an extension of what we are already  doing through the Expound platform. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the  next 12 consecutive sabbaths (15:00 -16:00) we will be tackling the subject of Personal Development from a Christian Perspective through  the new channel. In the inaugural segment  we will present the introductory overview  that will lay the ground for the 10-part series.  </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Below are some of the topics and sub topics that will be covered in the series. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Personal Development: A Christian Perspective</strong><br><strong> 19 December 2020 : Introduction </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol><li>Identity and the Existential Question </li><li>Dominion versus Domination</li><li>How to get out of the Rut (the seed you are)</li><li>Potential Versus Purpose</li><li>How to know your purpose</li><li>Information Overload &amp; Decision Making</li><li>How to Measure your Success as a Christian </li><li>What do you want to be when you grow up</li><li>The myth of time management </li><li>Divine Agency and Human Agency </li></ol>\n<!-- /wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Sign up <a href=\"https://lounge.expound.org.za/\">Here</a> to keep tabs with the ExpoundLounge. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Expound Presents ExpoundLounge','','inherit','closed','closed','','100189-revision-v1','','','2020-12-19 16:39:13','2020-12-19 14:39:13','',100189,'https://expound.org.za/100189-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100197,0,'2021-04-20 16:13:27','2021-04-20 14:13:27','Does wearing a suit and necktie make you holy? Mental hygiene on church and dress – Expound','','melusi019@gmail.com','confirmed','closed','closed','','100197','','','2021-04-20 16:13:27','2021-04-20 14:13:27','',0,'https://expound.org.za/what-is-best-dress-code-for-church/',0,'cl-lead','',0),(100198,0,'2021-05-14 22:55:58','2021-05-14 20:55:58','What Do you Want to be When you Grow Up? – Expound','','kanyile25@gmail.com','confirmed','closed','closed','','100198','','','2021-05-14 22:55:58','2021-05-14 20:55:58','',0,'https://expound.org.za/what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up/',0,'cl-lead','',0),(100202,1,'2021-05-31 11:37:31','2021-05-31 09:37:31','','EXPOUND_LOGO','','inherit','open','closed','','expound_logo','','','2021-05-31 11:37:31','2021-05-31 09:37:31','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EXPOUND_LOGO.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100203,1,'2021-05-31 11:38:04','2021-05-31 09:38:04','','expound proposal with colour 2','','inherit','open','closed','','expound-proposal-with-colour-2','','','2021-05-31 11:38:04','2021-05-31 09:38:04','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/expound-proposal-with-colour-2.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100082,1,'2020-05-18 21:03:26','2020-05-18 19:03:26','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":99397} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ANATONY-OF-SIN.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99397\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><p>After creation the beauty and the poetry of a cosmology in sync with the desires and plans of the creator is disrupted by the misguided actions of Eve and the willful disobedience of Adam. A cursory read presents a face value cause-and-effect prose yet a nuanced exploration of the details of the  events illuminates crucial insights that reveal why we keep falling for evil when we know its cancerous nature and consequences. The post presents 6 trenchant lessons from the account of the fall of humanity captured in Genesis chapter 3. </p>\n\n\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Genesis 3: 3-8</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>6 Lessons from the fall of Adam and Eve</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<h3> 1. Satan has nothing of his own to offer </h3>\n\nThe devil did not rock up with his own combo of fruits. He would have made a better argument if he had came with his own fruits that he would have created himself. However, the hideous foe deceived Eve to believe that He had a better offer  off God’s own provisions. Fact: The devil has no power to create, his destructive power lies in manipulating that which God has created. \nThere is no form or derivative of sin that does not involve a perversion of the good that God has created. All things come from God and the devil\'s plan is to get us to self-destruct merely by crossing the line either through premature access, misapplication, misuse, or abuse of the good things God has created. It is wise to obey the creator than to allow a mere creature to serenade our senses into thinking that He has something better to offer off the gifts God has already set for the ultimate pleasure and benefit of His creatures.\n<br>\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<br/> <h3> 2.The Devil works with half truths which are whole lies </h3>\n<b> The three half truths and whole lies: </b> <br/>\n\na) \"You will not surely die (Gen 3:4)\". The pair did not die at that self same point in time. The claim that they would not surely die was a half truth in that perverted sense but it was in essence a whole lie in the sense that ultimately they died. <br> b) \"Your eyes will be opened\" (Gen 3:5). The pair’s eyes were opened as they, for the first time, began to see their own nakedness but as it would surely turn out, this was a half truth. In essence, from the point of the fall, human physiological vision deteriorated and this marked the genesis of both literal and spiritual blindness. <br> c) \"You will be like gods\" (Gen 5:5). This was a half truth in that for the first time Adam and Eve knew both good and evil, a reality which until the point of sin had been a preserve of an all-knowing God. Notwithstanding, this was a whole lie considering that as the two were created in the image of God, Adam and Eve were already like God, also through disobedience; Adam and Eve, and as all humanity would be, became less like God, in fact more unlike God.</p>\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<h3> 3. The Devil is the Project Manager of All Evil </h3>\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Every time we want to do something out of sync with God’s standards we ought to understand that the devil is the arch instigator of rebellion and disobedience. Yes we have our own personal sovereignty to make decisions to determine our courses of actions as free moral beings. We even do have 100% capacity to disobey even if the devil were absent otherwise we would not be free moral beings. A free moral being not only has liberty to disobey but has the capacity to do so genuinely and thoroughly. Not withstanding the foregoing, in the context of the great controversy we find ourselves in, every human being, except for Adam and Eve that came from the hand of God; is birthed in iniquity and is thus born with a predisposition to sin. Additionally, all Adam’s posterity comes with an inherently evil nature the genesis of which was the Devil’s initiative. So while our free will is intact, we are not without influence from both God and Satan to exercise our free will in either of the two diametrically opposed trajectories.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The essence of the foregoing is that sin is the proprietary enterprise of Satan. While every free moral being has the capacity to disobey on their own terms, Satan owns and holds valid claims to the intellectual property and the patent of sin. This is why in the object lesson of the sanctuary all confessed sins are not merely excused, but essentially allotted to the Devil.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To ultimately die for your own sins culminates from effectively and successfully contesting Satan’s patent of sin and upholding your brand of wickedness as the groundbreaking brain child of the stellar ingenuity of your wretchedness. This is a contestation you can easily and ostensibly win because the devil will still win through not disagreeing with you. He does not care whether he succeeds at destroying the soul himself or the soul simply self-destructs. All he cares about is that the soul is destroyed.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><p>I submit then that in this milieu, polarized by contestations of good and evil at cosmic levels; it is not enough to be conscious of what you are and what you want, it is imperative to interrogate your very want premise. In other words, why do you want what you want? What engenders your desires? Where from is your desiring conceived?</p>\n[signinlocker id=\"99519\"]</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the state of demon possession, the demoniac seemed to have wanted to dwell in the grave yard, to walk around naked, he had a fleeting swoop of seemingly unfettered freedom as he broke the chains that bound him. It is necessitous to note that the demoniac was demon possessed as opposed to him possessing demons. Hi did not possess, he was possessed. Only when Jesus set him free did it dawn that all along he had been doing what was the bidding of another force. He had not been living a life that he desired for himself but that which the devil desired on his behalf. If you consider this closely, the angle illuminates the sorry and dreary state of every willful sinner who conceives slavery to sin as some form of freedom, albeit imaginary. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is under the control of another power.  He is not his own.  He may talk of freedom, but he is in the most abject slavery.  He is not allowed to see the beauty of truth, for his mind is under the control of Satan.  While he flatters himself that he is following the dictates of his own judgment, he obeys the will of the prince of darkness.  Christ came to break the shackles of sin-slavery from the soul.  „If the Son therefore shall make ye free, ye shall be free indeed.‟  „The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus‟ sets us „free from the law of sin and death‟” The Desire of Ages, 466.3</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Whether we acknowledge it or not, the devil is the project manager of all evil enterprise and he has reward for all who serve him:  The  thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. But Jesus has come come that we might have life, and that we might have it more  abundantly. (John 10:10)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<h3>  4. The biggest fraud in the Cosmos </h3>\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"align\":\"left\"} -->\n<p style=\"text-align:left\">a) The devil told Eve that they would be like gods through the knowledge of good and evil. He did not disclose to them that unlike God who knows both good and evil as an Omniscient God, for humanity to  know sin is to be ruined, fatally, by sin. God can survive the knowledge sin but humanity can not. The devil did not disclose this part of the dreary offer. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Lesson.</strong> The devil  lures and seeks to destroy by offering  elevation without balance, altitude without aptitude,  power without character, tenacity without capacity. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<h3> 5. The nucleus of sin </h3>\n\nEve knew it was wrong to partake of the forbidden fruit but she did not believe that the act would indeed be wrong. She lived at the level of compliance and not obedience.<br> Most of us know the wrongs that are wrong, but we hardly believe that the wrongs are surely wrong. The only reason we can go on and do that which we clearly know is wrong is that we know at an informational level it is wrong but we have not internalized to the level of commitment the fact that it is wrong. Like Eve, the biggest mistake we make, which keeps us vulnerable to fall is that we live at a level of compliance and not obedience. If sin is a state, then the foregoing element is the capital, if sin is a snake this is the head, if sin is a living cell, this is the nucleus. The difference between compliance and obedience is that the former (compliance) obtains for the technical satisfaction of set rules while the later (obedience) is profound, it yields an unbreakable allegiance even in the absence of rules. Hence Joseph’s remarkable and defining consternation in Genesis 39:9. Joseph exclaimed: \"How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?\". \nJoseph resisted the temptation without quoting verses or citing technicality statutes that criminalize susceptibility to the offer at hand. His operative for resisting sin was not technical but relational. He did not only know that adultery was wrong, he strongly believed it was wrong. He would rather die than do it. It disgusted him, it was unthinkable to him. He would not do it on the basis of the injury it would cause to his relationship with God. His disdain and disgust for sin had nothing to do with making it to heaven and being a good example in society. It was intrinsically deeper than the collective bearing of all those other valid extraneous reasons for not succumbing to the temptation.\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“In the work of redemption there is no compulsion.  No external force is employed.  Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve.  In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom.  The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself” The Desire of Ages, 466.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<h3> 6. God does not want us to do right. He wants us to want to do right. </h3>\n\nIt is imperative to note that God has no struggle whatsoever with getting whatever He desires from His creatures. He has ordered the suns, moons and stars in their magnificent and vast tracks and all His created objects obey His will to the dot. Not withstanding, God created human beings for fellowship with Himself and for this particular reason human beings are endowed with genuine free will even at the risk of pain on the part of the creator Himself. This means that humans not only have the latitude to disobey but are verily capacitated to do so if so they please. Therefore, the program of salvation does not primarily seek to get us to do right. Firstly, God would have easily programmed humanity to simply adhere to the His explicit and implicit will without any ounce of resistance from the creatures. Secondly, God has no pleasure in a relationship of technical and impersonal compliance with any of His intelligent beings. In Isiah 1:18, He invites: \"Come now and let us reason together.\" God is not seeking any robotic allegiance from His creatures. He is an infinitely intelligent and omnipotent being and just like none of us would enjoy a robotic relationship no matter how adherent and compliant the other party would be,  God thus seeks deeper relations with His creatures. Thus, God does not merely want us to do right, He wants us to want to do right. In fact any robotic relationship is either a relationship hardly, or hardly a relationship. \nGod has no problem with a free human being who takes a decision to sin. Free moral beings are meant to do what they want. However God has a problem with a well and adequately informed human being who has been equipped to choose right and chooses a path of disobedience. It is this disjuncture and disconnect that is problematic. \n\n<br/> <p>\n<blockquote> And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:18) </blockquote>\n</p>\n<br/>\n\nThe focus of salvation is therefore the rehabilitation of the will faculty and not merely whipping into the strait and narrow way the mechanics of our erroneous deeds and acts. Free moral agents are designed to make their own decisions and to do as they please else they are not free moral beings. God as an engineer is happy to see His beings do as they please. However, God as a holy engineer who created human beings as free moral beings molded in His image, seeks to have the free moral beings not only do as they please,but He longs and aims to have His free moral beings please as He pleases. In other words, God is happy to see us live as we will, as long as our will is aligned with His perfect will. This is not for any other reason except that it is only within the will of God that the joy and happiness of humanity blossoms and is sustained and secured. Therefore, God as a creator and as an engineer is focused on fine-tuning the will premise of humanity such that out of the reclaimed and wholesome heart bursts forth sound decision making that is in harmony with the will of God and which inevitably yields right doing. This is the win-win ideal that God is aiming at, when for us human beings pleasing God equals pleasing ourselves absolutely, and does not subvert nor undercut our God-granted moral freedoms.\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lastly: take note: The willful commission of sin is the genesis of your end, the construction of your destruction. To sin is to self destruct. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), it is not that God will kill you. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Sin is more powerful than death. Death can’t separate us from God (Romans 8:38). However, Sin can, and eternally so if we do not repent and turn wholly to God. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>May we be challenged to graduate from a non committal, vulnerable, weak and vacillating christian experience that is compliant at best and yet revolting in essence, and rather gravitate to a quality of Christianity that is authentic, heartfelt and  deeply relational.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n\n<h2> Interested in the article PDF format? </h2> \n\n<a href=\"https://expound.org.za/download-view/an-open-letter-to-every-adventist/\"> Download Article PDF </a>\n\n<p>[/signinlocker]</p>','The Anatomy of Sin','','inherit','closed','closed','','99388-revision-v1','','','2020-05-18 21:03:26','2020-05-18 19:03:26','',99388,'https://expound.org.za/99388-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100143,1,'2020-07-24 12:00:52','2020-07-24 10:00:52','','jesus-on-the-cross','','inherit','open','closed','','jesus-on-the-cross','','','2020-07-24 12:00:52','2020-07-24 10:00:52','',100142,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/jesus-on-the-cross.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100144,1,'2020-07-24 12:03:57','2020-07-24 10:03:57','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100143} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/jesus-on-the-cross-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100143\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The headline sounds quite dreary and morbid, macabre if you like. And yet it captures the very object that Jesus came to pursue in his earthly mission. When you consider the plot through the lenses of Matthew the\nstory is laden reverting twists and turns. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>So if Jesus came down to die, why did God protect Him &nbsp;from Him the sword of Herod by instructing His\nparents to go and seek refuge in Egypt. I must confess that at some point I\nread this book of Matthew begrudging because&nbsp;\nI could not help but envision a God who preserved the life of His only begotten\nson by Hiding him in Egypt and yet expose the al the other innocent babies to\nthe indiscriminate massacre by king Herod. But stick a little further with the story.\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>The King is Born</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The story is based on Matthew Chapter 2. Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea (verse 4) and wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem in pursuit of the new born king. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In verse 8 we learn that Herod requested the wise men to\ncome back and give him a report on the birth of Jesus on their way back. In verse 11 they meet the new born Jesus and offer they\ngifts. Verse 12, they are warned in a dream that they should not return to\nHerod and thus they go back to their own country their own way. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: Verse 16: Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the\nwise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that\nwere in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under,\naccording to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and\nweeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be\ncomforted, because they are not.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Jesus spared from Death?</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The twists of the plot in the preceding verses were the\ncontext to my trauma. Why did God spare only His son and not intervene to protect\nthe all the innocent babies, the peers of Jesus who were to be butchered by\nHerod. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The question kept ringing in my sub conscience &nbsp;until it dawned to me that baby Jesus was not being\nspared from death at all. In fact He was being preserved for a “bigger” and\nmore horrendous death. &nbsp;If Jesus were to be\nasked as to what He wanted to be when He grew up, I imagine Jesus would answer\nthis way: “When I grow Up I want to Die”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It gradually dawned to me that baby Jesus was only spared\nfrom this premature end to His earthly mission do that He could die a more significant,\nignominious and disgraceful death that would suffice even for the ultimate\nredemption of all humanity including His peers butchered by King Herod. &nbsp;There is no doubt Jesus had to die to save humanity from\nultimate death for the Wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but a&nbsp; major question remains: Why particularly the\ndeath on the cross:&nbsp; If he had been killed\ntogether with other innocent babies would that have sufficed as death? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>The Significance of the Cross</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we refer to the Deuteronomy we learn something about\nthe significance of hanging on a pole or a tree: Deuteronomy 21:23. \"..You\nmust not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that\nsame day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Also consider 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Christ  was not only made human to suffer in our stead, He was made sin.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Therefore under the God\'s&nbsp;\nplan of salvation, it was necessary for our Saviour to become accursed\nunder the Law in order to remove the curse of the Law (eternal death) for\nsinners. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Refer to Galatians 3:10-14. Verse 13 makes it crystal clear:\nChrist redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a\ncurse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” (Galatians:\n3:13)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Our failure as human beings to keep the law meant that we  all are accursed under the law, Christ had to take our place and become accursed himself to give us full and substantive representation as a ransom. While in Matthew Chapter 2 we see a God who seems to favour\nHis only begotten son by protecting Him from death; &nbsp;in Matthew 27 (45-46) we see a God so loving\nthat He lets his only begotten son die not the ordinary death as His peers died\nIN Matthew Chapter 2, but the second death that guarantees the redemption and\nresurrection of all those who die in faith. The price paid on the cross is sufficient\nfor all humanity to be saved including the innocent babies butchered by King Herod.\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It is striking that as He was hanging on the cross Jesus declared “It is finished.” Not “I am finished.” (John 19:30) The proclamation was the sure word that confirmed the fact of the irrevocable deliverable of Jesus\' mission, the ultimate surety and guarantee of our salvation.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','\"When I grow Up I want to Die\"','','inherit','closed','closed','','100142-revision-v1','','','2020-07-24 12:03:57','2020-07-24 10:03:57','',100142,'https://expound.org.za/100142-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100147,0,'2020-07-25 00:27:19','2020-07-24 22:27:19','The Anatomy of Sin – Expound','','ngotlo81@gmail.com','confirmed','closed','closed','','100147','','','2020-07-25 00:27:19','2020-07-24 22:27:19','',0,'https://expound.org.za/the-anatomy-of-sin/#Why_Pray_When_God_Already_Knows_Questioning_the_Why',0,'cl-lead','',0),(100148,1,'2020-07-29 01:00:09','2020-07-28 23:00:09','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100151} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3-wise-men-1024x950.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100151\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The circumstances around the birth of Jesus bring to the\nfore profound insights about the Christian journey. The story unfolds as common\nplace if we have gotten too familiar with the narrative sometimes to the extent\nof missing new insights God wants to reveal to us. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In comparison with the focus of other new testament writers,\nMatthew\'s primary concern was to show and prove to the Jews that indeed Jesus\nwas their own according to the promises of the old testament.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Have a look at the following verses:</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). </p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s burden was to persuade Jews that Jesus was the\npromised Messiah every Jew was expecting notwithstanding the fact that He did\nnot set up an earthly kingdom. We see this clearly in the manner in which unlike\nJohn who traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam to prove the universality\nof Christ and the gospel, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus up to Abraham\nto exalt the Hebrew-Jewish context. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Matthew 2 1-2</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, \'Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.\'\"</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s interest in the specific inquiry of the wise men about \"..the king of the Jews..\" cannot be missed. What is striking is that the host nation of the Messiah incarnate, the Jews themselves, missed the boat of the first advent of the Christ as they had settled in a dead and formalized gospel that would cost them nothing. The Jews were on point on the theoretical interpretation of scripture and yet completely out of sync with the reality of scripture. The entitled, yet out of touch attitude of the Jews particularly the religious leaders is a sharp contrast of the learning and humble attitude of the sojourners from East who would spare nothing to see the new born king. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>How much has Christianity Cost You? </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lastly, let\'s look at the sacrifice of the Wise men. Their sojourn\nis presented summarily within a verse or two and the extents of their\nsacrifices could be easily taken for granted. But these men came from the east,\nimplying a country of significant remoteness to Jerusalem. They would have had\nto endure taxing demands of a months-long journey. The journey ran into months and\nthey had to travel at night to follow the star. Most importantly, they did not\ncome empty handed. The gifts they offered for Jesus were of so much value that\nthey would suffice to sustain the family in their refugee status in Egypt. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Looking at the sacrifices of these wise men I cannot help\nbut pose these questions to myself and you… What has Christianity cost us? What\nload have we given up since we became &nbsp;Christian? What load have we taken up? How\nlong has been our journey of self-denial? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>How far are prepared to walk this journey? Are we satisfied with the outcomes of the  cost benefit analysis for this enterprise?  What have we sacrificed For Christ? Has Christianity cost us not just our free time but any of our precious time? What are we willing to put in with our abstract and concrete resources? Are our priorities still the same, are the streams of our conversations still the same? How much has Christianity cost us? Yes the yoke is easy but it is still a yoke. Yes the burden is light, but it is still a burden. How much has Christianity cost us? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Remember this, if it costs you nothing, it\'s worth nothing. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:core-embed/wordpress {\"url\":\"https://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\",\"type\":\"wp-embed\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"expound\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-expound\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\n</div></figure>\n<!-- /wp:core-embed/wordpress -->','If it Cost You Nothing, It\'s Worth Nothing','','publish','open','open','','if-it-cost-you-nothing-it-is-worth-nothing','','\nhttps://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/','2020-07-31 14:22:33','2020-07-31 12:22:33','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100148',0,'post','',1),(100149,1,'2020-07-25 20:36:16','2020-07-25 18:36:16','<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The circumstances around the birth of Jesus bring to the\nfore profound insights about the Christian journey. The story unfolds as common\nplace if we have gotten too familiar with the narrative sometimes to the extent\nof missing new insights God wants to reveal to us. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In comparison with the focus of other new testament writers,\nMatthew\'s primary concern was to show and prove to the Jews that indeed Jesus\nwas their own according to the promises of the old testament.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Have a look at the following verses:</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will\ncall him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among\nthe clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over\nIsrael, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise\nup for David a righteous Branch’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5).</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s burden was to persuade Jews that Jesus was the\npromised Messiah every Jew was expecting notwithstanding the fact that He did\nnot set up an earthly kingdom. We see this clearly in the manner in which unlike\nJohn who traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam to prove the universality\nof Christ and the gospel, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus up to Abraham\nto exalt the Hebrew-Jewish context. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew 2 1-2</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the\ndays of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,\nSaying, \'Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We have seen His star in\nthe east, and are come to worship Him.\'\"</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s interest in the specific inquiry of the wise men\nabout \"..the king of the Jews..\" cannot be missed. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Faith is Substance </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways form this story but\nwhat stick out for me are &nbsp;these three remarkable\nlevels of the radical faith of the wise men. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>1. Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and maintained\nkeen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let alone\nknown. &nbsp;</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>2. The wise men believed in the promise against the unbelief\nof the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness of the\nscribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>3. The wise men believed in the universal kingship of baby\nJesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne\nand reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism to believe in a little\nhelpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator &nbsp;and King of the Universe. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He\nworks great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary,\nradical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly\nsilent and invisible in darkest valleys. It is easy to burst in song when He\nhas done great things. But true Faith is to keep a song in your heart when all\nlooks grim and gloomy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>How much has Christianity Cost You </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lastly, let\'s look at the sacrifice of the Wise men. Their sojourn\nis presented summarily within a verse or two and the extents of their\nsacrifices could be easily taken for granted. But these men came from the east,\nimplying a country of significant remoteness to Jerusalem. They would have had\nto endure taxing demands of a months-long journey. The journey ran into months and\nthey had to travel at night to follow the star. Most importantly, they did not\ncome empty handed. The gifts they offered for Jesus were of so much value that\nthey would suffice to sustain the family in their refugee status in Egypt. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Looking at the sacrifices of these wise men I cannot help\nbut pose these questions to myself and you… What has Christianity cost us? What\nload have we given up since we became &nbsp;Christian? What load have we taken up? How\nlong has been our journey of self-denial? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>How far are prepared to walk this journey? Are we satisfied\nwith the outcomes of the &nbsp;cost benefit\nanalysis for this enterprise? &nbsp;What have we\nsacrificed For Christ? Has Christianity cost us not just our free time but any\nof our precious time? What are we willing to put in with our abstract and\nconcrete resources? Are our priorities still the same, are the streams of our\nconversations still the same? How much has Christianity cost us? Yes the yoke\nis easy but it is still a yolk. Yes the burden is light, but it is still a\nburden. How much has Christianity cost us? Remember this, if it costs you\nnothing it is worth nothing. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','If it Cost You Nothing, It is Worth Nothing','','inherit','closed','closed','','100148-revision-v1','','','2020-07-25 20:36:16','2020-07-25 18:36:16','',100148,'https://expound.org.za/100148-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100146,1,'2020-07-24 12:19:15','2020-07-24 10:19:15','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100143} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/jesus-on-the-cross-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100143\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The headline sounds quite dreary and morbid, macabre if you like. And yet it captures the very object that Jesus came to pursue in His earthly mission. When you consider the plot through the lenses of Matthew the story is laden reverting twists and turns. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>So if Jesus came down to die, why did God protect Him  from the sword of Herod by instructing His parents to go and seek refuge in Egypt. I must confess that at some point I read the book of Matthew begrudgingly because I could not help but envision a God who preserved the life of His only begotten son by Hiding him in Egypt and yet expose all the other innocent infants  to the indiscriminate genocidal feat by king Herod. But stick a little further with the story. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>The King is Born</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The story is based on Matthew Chapter 2. Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea (verse 4) and wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem in pursuit of the new born king. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In verse 8 we learn that Herod requested the wise men to come back and give him a report on the birth of Jesus on their way back. In verse 11 they meet the new born Jesus and offer their gifts. Verse 12, they are warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod and thus they go back to their own country their own way. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: Verse 16: Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Jesus spared from Death?</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The twists of the plot in the preceding verses were the context of my trauma. Why did God spare only His son and not intervene to protect the all the innocent babies, the peers of Jesus who were to be butchered by Herod. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The question kept ringing in my sub conscience  until it dawned to me that baby Jesus was not being spared from death at all. In fact He was being preserved for a “bigger” and more horrendous death.  If Jesus were to be asked as to what He wanted to be when He grew up, I imagine Jesus would not say \"When I grow up I want to be a lawyer\", \"When I grow up, I want to be physician, or a tax collector or a earthly king\" as it were. But I imagine Him answer this way: “<strong>When I grow Up I want to Die”</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It gradually dawned to me that baby Jesus was only spared from this premature end to His earthly mission so that He could die a more significant, ignominious and disgraceful death that would suffice even for the ultimate redemption of all humanity including His peers butchered by King Herod.  There is no doubt Jesus had to die to save humanity from ultimate death for the Wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but a  major question remains: Why particularly the death on the cross:  If he had been killed together with the other innocent babies wouldn\'t  that have sufficed as death? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>The Significance of the Cross</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we refer to the Deuteronomy we learn something about\nthe significance of hanging on a pole or a tree: Deuteronomy 21:23. \"..You\nmust not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that\nsame day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Also consider 2 Corinthians 5:21, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Christ  was not only made human to suffer in our stead, He was made sin.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Therefore under the God\'s  plan of salvation, it was necessary for our Saviour to become accursed under the Law in order to take away  the curse of the Law (eternal death) for sinners. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Refer to Galatians 3:10-14. Verse 13 makes it crystal clear:\nChrist redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a\ncurse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” (Galatians:\n3:13)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Our failure as human beings to keep the law meant that we  all are accursed under the law, Christ had to take our place and become accursed himself to give us full and substantive representation as a ransom. While in Matthew Chapter 2 we see a God who seems to favour His only begotten son by protecting Him from death;  in Matthew 27 (45-46) we see a God so loving that He lets his only begotten son die not the ordinary death as His peers died in Matthew Chapter 2, but the second death that guarantees the redemption and resurrection of all those who die in faith. The price paid on the cross is thus sufficient for all humanity to be saved including the innocent babies butchered by King Herod. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Unfortunately the infants in Matthew  Chapter 2 died, but fortunately they did not perish, and the same applies to all who have died in faith. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:16)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It is striking that as He was hanging on the cross Jesus declared: “It is finished.” Not “I am finished.” (John 19:30) The proclamation was the sure word that confirmed the fact of the irrevocable deliverable of Jesus\' mission, His ultimate death, the guarantee and surety of our salvation.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','\"When I grow Up I want to Die\"','','inherit','closed','closed','','100142-revision-v1','','','2020-07-24 12:19:15','2020-07-24 10:19:15','',100142,'https://expound.org.za/100142-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100153,1,'2020-07-25 20:46:50','2020-07-25 18:46:50','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100151} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3-wise-men-1024x950.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100151\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The circumstances around the birth of Jesus bring to the\nfore profound insights about the Christian journey. The story unfolds as common\nplace if we have gotten too familiar with the narrative sometimes to the extent\nof missing new insights God wants to reveal to us. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In comparison with the focus of other new testament writers,\nMatthew\'s primary concern was to show and prove to the Jews that indeed Jesus\nwas their own according to the promises of the old testament.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Have a look at the following verses:</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). </p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5).</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s burden was to persuade Jews that Jesus was the\npromised Messiah every Jew was expecting notwithstanding the fact that He did\nnot set up an earthly kingdom. We see this clearly in the manner in which unlike\nJohn who traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam to prove the universality\nof Christ and the gospel, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus up to Abraham\nto exalt the Hebrew-Jewish context. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Matthew 2 1-2</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, \'Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.\'\"</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Matthew\'s interest in the specific inquiry of the wise men\nabout \"..the king of the Jews..\" cannot be missed. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>Faith is Substance </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There are many fascinating take-aways form this story but\nwhat stick out for me are &nbsp;these three remarkable\nlevels of the radical faith of the wise men. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>1. Being non Jewish, the wise men believed and maintained\nkeen interest in the Promise of the Messiah they had never seen let alone\nknown. &nbsp;</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>2. The wise men believed in the promise against the unbelief\nof the religious leaders in the chosen Jewish nation. The obliviousness of the\nscribes did not cause them to doubt their convictions. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>3. The wise men believed in the universal kingship of baby\nJesus when they saw Him in His mother’s arms.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Friends, it is easy to believe a Jesus who sits on the throne\nand reigns in glory. But it takes radical optimism to believe in a little\nhelpless infant clutching at the mother\'s grip as the creator &nbsp;and King of the Universe. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It takes no effort at all to believe Christ reigns when He\nworks great miracles and answers our prayers. But it takes extra ordinary,\nradical optimism to believe in His Kingship and Lordship when He is seemingly\nsilent and invisible in darkest valleys. It is easy to burst in song when He\nhas done great things. But true Faith is to keep a song in your heart when all\nlooks grim and gloomy. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3><strong>How much has Christianity Cost You? </strong></h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lastly, let\'s look at the sacrifice of the Wise men. Their sojourn\nis presented summarily within a verse or two and the extents of their\nsacrifices could be easily taken for granted. But these men came from the east,\nimplying a country of significant remoteness to Jerusalem. They would have had\nto endure taxing demands of a months-long journey. The journey ran into months and\nthey had to travel at night to follow the star. Most importantly, they did not\ncome empty handed. The gifts they offered for Jesus were of so much value that\nthey would suffice to sustain the family in their refugee status in Egypt. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Looking at the sacrifices of these wise men I cannot help\nbut pose these questions to myself and you… What has Christianity cost us? What\nload have we given up since we became &nbsp;Christian? What load have we taken up? How\nlong has been our journey of self-denial? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>How far are prepared to walk this journey? Are we satisfied with the outcomes of the  cost benefit analysis for this enterprise?  What have we sacrificed For Christ? Has Christianity cost us not just our free time but any of our precious time? What are we willing to put in with our abstract and concrete resources? Are our priorities still the same, are the streams of our conversations still the same? How much has Christianity cost us? Yes the yoke is easy but it is still a yolk. Yes the burden is light, but it is still a burden. How much has Christianity cost us? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Remember this, if it costs you nothing, it\'s worth nothing. </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:core-embed/wordpress {\"url\":\"https://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\",\"type\":\"wp-embed\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"expound\",\"className\":\"\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-expound\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://expound.org.za/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die/\n</div></figure>\n<!-- /wp:core-embed/wordpress -->','If it Cost You Nothing, It\'s Worth Nothing','','inherit','closed','closed','','100148-revision-v1','','','2020-07-25 20:46:50','2020-07-25 18:46:50','',100148,'https://expound.org.za/100148-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100151,1,'2020-07-25 20:41:02','2020-07-25 18:41:02','','3-wise-men','','inherit','open','closed','','3-wise-men','','','2020-07-25 20:41:02','2020-07-25 18:41:02','',100148,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/3-wise-men.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100089,1,'2020-05-21 21:24:55','2020-05-21 19:24:55','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n    <div 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style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input style=\"background-color:#d2bee8!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\"></script><script type=\"text/javascript\">(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Sign Up to Expound','','publish','closed','closed','','signup','','','2020-05-21 21:39:30','2020-05-21 19:39:30','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?page_id=100089',0,'page','',0),(100090,1,'2020-05-21 21:24:55','2020-05-21 19:24:55','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#4e0899!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate>\n    <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"indicates-required\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*</span> indicates required</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*</span>\n</label>\n	<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"button\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\'text/javascript\' src=\'//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\'></script><script type=\'text/javascript\'>(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->','Sign Up to Expound','','inherit','closed','closed','','100089-revision-v1','','','2020-05-21 21:24:55','2020-05-21 19:24:55','',100089,'https://expound.org.za/100089-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100091,1,'2020-05-21 21:28:51','2020-05-21 19:28:51','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate>\n    <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"indicates-required\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*</span> indicates required</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*</span>\n</label>\n	<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input  style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"button\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\'text/javascript\' src=\'//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\'></script><script type=\'text/javascript\'>(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->','Sign Up to Expound','','inherit','closed','closed','','100089-revision-v1','','','2020-05-21 21:28:51','2020-05-21 19:28:51','',100089,'https://expound.org.za/100089-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100092,1,'2020-05-21 21:29:29','2020-05-21 19:29:29','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate>\n    <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"indicates-required\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*</span> indicates required</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*</span>\n</label>\n	<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input  style=\"background-color:#d2bee8!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"button\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\'text/javascript\' src=\'//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\'></script><script type=\'text/javascript\'>(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->','Sign Up to Expound','','inherit','closed','closed','','100089-revision-v1','','','2020-05-21 21:29:29','2020-05-21 19:29:29','',100089,'https://expound.org.za/100089-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100093,1,'2020-05-21 21:30:21','2020-05-21 19:30:21','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate>\n    <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"indicates-required\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*</span> indicates required</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*</span>\n</label>\n	<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input  style=\"background-color:#d2bee8!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\'text/javascript\' src=\'//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\'></script><script type=\'text/javascript\'>(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->','Sign Up to Expound','','inherit','closed','closed','','100089-revision-v1','','','2020-05-21 21:30:21','2020-05-21 19:30:21','',100089,'https://expound.org.za/100089-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100094,1,'2020-05-21 21:33:05','2020-05-21 19:33:05','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n    <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"indicates-required\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*</span> indicates required</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*</span>\n</label>\n	<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input style=\"background-color:#d2bee8!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\"></script><script type=\"text/javascript\">(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->','Sign Up to Expound','','inherit','closed','closed','','100089-revision-v1','','','2020-05-21 21:33:05','2020-05-21 19:33:05','',100089,'https://expound.org.za/100089-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100140,29,'2020-07-01 04:02:45','2020-07-01 02:02:45','A note to self.\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self,\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\nIts pages torn, tattered, jagged edges, peeling leather\nIt is not a very appealing reflection of your spiritual state I must say.\nIt is piled up with rest of the “read” material:\nDissected, thoroughly interpreted,\nYou say you know it so well, even the words in red\nBut I wonder if you have read the part where it says “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.\nI wonder if you are acquainted with the man who bled blood red, scarlet cleansing flood flowing from a heart of boundless love.\n\nYou tell yourself you’re so well acquainted with the scriptures you don’t need to revisit its contents to face the daily examinations of temptations.\nYou tell yourself you are well informed about the times so you don’t need to revise the prophecies.\nWell, I think It is about time you looked at the clock and realized that it is a quarter to eternity and man’s glory will soon turn to futility.\nWhat will the worth of your crammed scriptures and rehearsed displays of righteousness weighted against true religion be then?\n\n“There is only one true God” you have preached, one too many times compared to the number of times you have actually believed it.\nLaying on Christ’s sheep a cross you have not learned to carry\nWhile you drown in self-indulgence, making your heart with sin merry.\nBecause you can recite three or four chapters of the bible you have come to believe that you can negotiate a sin allowance with God.\n\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self.\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\nIt has gathered dust thicker than your skin,\n\nYour sins growing darker and darker, Holy angels can’t even minister to you at your “praying” scenes.\nActually tell me, dear self, when last did you pray?\nYes I know this morning, but I’m not asking when last you paid your secret alter a visit to do heaven a favor but I mean when last did you pray?\nWhen last did you seek God’s face until self became insignificant?\nUntil self lay silent, dead, and buried not bruised and ready to recover.\nTo pursue His heart until you hear the heavenly hosts singing melodies of sweet relief to your searching ears.\nUntil his hand dislocate your hip because you are tired of self-dependence and have surrenderd all.\nWhen last did you wrestle with God or have you learned the art of prevailing against man that the battle isn’t worth it anymore?\nWhen last did you hear his voice, or has it been so long you no longer recognize it when he calls.\n\nWell, I’m glad you’re here today to hear this voice, for this my pen wrote but my mind did not conceive,\nSo listen and listen carefully\nDon’t seat back and relax, stand, and give unwavering heed to this call.\n\nDear self-sufficient self\nYou have been leaning on the crutch of your ego for too long.\nGroping in the deadly dungeons of deceit, dancing to the drumbeat of the devil\nthen asking why God seems to be silent\nMaybe the reason why God doesn’t respond to your prayers is becasue  you have not learned to listen to Him in His word.\nEver ready to answer man’s questions but not to heaven’s call\nEager to stand and speak but not to seat and be taught\nEver pouring from a shallow broken cistern, trying to fill your empty bowels with man’s approval.\nCan\'t you see that your efforts are rags, filthy robe drabs of covering that leave you bare and void of His glory\nYou avoid the question of true sanctification because you know the truth has not set you free\nFlee from your works because self-righteousness is a dysfunctional tool for salvation, it doesn’t work.\n\nCome, come oh dear self, the ladder at Bethel has not been rolled up\nThe Messiah has not gone back to the tomb and his word, The word will not fail, it never will.\nHe was nailed and despised, scorned and hung in shame\nHe said we don’t know what we are doing, he bore our ignorance and took the blame\nHe hung, He hung, Jesus hung on that cross without one thought of regret, the deed was done without debate.\n\nThe Father looked away as your sin, dear self, separated Him from his Son.\n\nThe Father and the Son Mourned with the Spirit but counted it nothing to the joy of winning your heart\nSo come, you have not gone too far into the valley of sin that the Shepherd cannot reach you.\nPursue His heart until His will becomes your pleasure\nLet Him take the wheel, you probably know how to drive this life but you’ll soon need to learn how to fly\nSo let Him take your will\nSeek His face until His glory fills your countenance\nCount the worth of carrying the cross then count the cost of being eternally lost.','Dear Self.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100102-revision-v1','','','2020-07-01 04:02:45','2020-07-01 02:02:45','',100102,'https://expound.org.za/100102-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100139,29,'2020-07-01 04:01:44','2020-07-01 02:01:44','A note to self.\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self,\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\nIts pages torn, tattered, jagged edges, peeling leather\nIt is not a very appealing reflection of your spiritual state I must say.\nIt is piled up with rest of the “read” material:\nDissected, thoroughly interpreted,\nYou say you know it so well, even the words in red\nBut I wonder if you have read the part where it says “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.\nI wonder if you are acquainted with the man who bled blood red, scarlet cleansing flood flowing from a heart of boundless love.\n\nYou tell yourself you’re so well acquainted with the scriptures you don’t need to revisit its contents to face the daily examinations of temptations.\nYou tell yourself you are well informed about the times so you don’t need to revise the prophecies.\nWell, I think It is about time you looked at the clock and realized that it is a quarter to eternity and man’s glory will soon turn to futility.\nWhat will the worth of your crammed scriptures and rehearsed displays of righteousness weighted against true religion be then?\n\n“There is only one true God” you have preached, one too many times compared to the number of times you have actually believed it.\nLaying on Christ’s sheep a cross you have not learned to carry\nWhile you drown in self-indulgence, making your heart with sin merry.\nBecause you can recite three or four chapters of the bible you have come to believe that you can negotiate a sin allowance with God.\n\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self.\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\nIt has gathered dust thicker than your skin,\n\nYour sins growing darker and darker, Holy angels can’t even minister to you at your “praying” scenes.\nActually tell me, dear self, when last did you pray?\nYes I know this morning, but I’m not asking when last you paid your secret alter a visit to do heaven a favor but I mean when last did you pray?\nWhen last did you seek God’s face until self became insignificant?\nUntil self lay silent, dead, and buried not bruised and ready to recover.\nTo pursue His heart until you hear the heavenly hosts singing melodies of sweet relief to your searching ears.\nUntil his hand dislocate your hip because you are tired of self-dependence and have surrenderd all.\nWhen last did you wrestle with God or have you learned the art of prevailing against man that the battle isn’t worth it anymore?\nWhen last did you hear his voice, or has it been so long you no longer recognize it when he calls.\n\nWell I’m glad you’re here today to hear this voice, for this my pen wrote but my mind did not conceive,\nSo listen and listen carefully\nDon’t seat back and relax, stand, and give unwavering heed to this call.\n\nDear self-sufficient self\nYou have been leaning on the crutch of your ego for too long.\nGroping in the deadly dungeons of deceit, dancing to the drumbeat of the devil\nthen asking why God seems to be silent\nMaybe the reason why God doesn’t respond to your prayers is becasue  you have not learned to listen to Him in His word.\nEver ready to answer man’s questions but not to heaven’s call\nEager to stand and speak but not to seat and be taught\nEver pouring from a shallow broken cistern, trying to fill your empty bowels with man’s approval.\nCan\'t you see that your efforts are rags, filthy robe drabs of covering that leave you bare and void of His glory\nYou avoid the question of true sanctification because you know the truth has not set you free\nFlee from your works because self-righteousness is a dysfunctional tool for salvation, it doesn’t work.\n\nCome, come oh dear self, the ladder at Bethel has not been rolled up\nThe Messiah has not gone back to the tomb and his word, The word will not fail, it never will.\nHe was nailed and despised, scorned and hung in shame\nHe said we don’t know what we are doing, he bore our ignorance and took the blame\nHe hung, He hung, Jesus hung on that cross without one thought of regret, the deed was done without debate.\n\nThe Father looked away as your sin, dear self, separated Him from his Son.\n\nThe Father and the Son Mourned with the Spirit but counted it nothing to the joy of winning your heart\nSo come, you have not gone too far into the valley of sin that the Shepherd cannot reach you.\nPursue His heart until His will becomes your pleasure\nLet Him take the wheel, you probably know how to drive this life but you’ll soon need to learn how to fly\nSo let Him take your will\nSeek His face until His glory fills your countenance\nCount the worth of carrying the cross then count the cost of being eternally lost.','Dear Self.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100102-revision-v1','','','2020-07-01 04:01:44','2020-07-01 02:01:44','',100102,'https://expound.org.za/100102-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100098,1,'2020-05-21 21:39:28','2020-05-21 19:39:28','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this 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type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input style=\"background-color:#d2bee8!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\"></script><script type=\"text/javascript\">(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Sign Up to Expound','','inherit','closed','closed','','100089-revision-v1','','','2020-05-21 21:39:28','2020-05-21 19:39:28','',100089,'https://expound.org.za/100089-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100096,1,'2020-05-21 21:37:47','2020-05-21 19:37:47','<!-- wp:html -->\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n    <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"indicates-required\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*</span> indicates required</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*</span>\n</label>\n	<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input style=\"background-color:#d2bee8!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\"></script><script type=\"text/javascript\">(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<div style=\"width:100%; background-color: #2953a6!important;\">\n\n<!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\">\n<style type=\"text/css\">\n	#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }\n	/* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.\n	   We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */\n</style>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\" style=\"background-color:#d2bee8;!important;\">\n<form action=\"https://expound.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025&amp;id=57c6f51ba8\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n    <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"indicates-required\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*</span> indicates required</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\">Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*</span>\n</label>\n	<input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-FNAME\">First Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n</div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n	<label style=\"color:#2e045c!important;\" for=\"mce-LNAME\">Last Name </label>\n	<input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"LNAME\" class=\"\" id=\"mce-LNAME\">\n</div>\n	<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n		<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"></div>\n	</div>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n    <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0a0a6307b6976aa10e8be9025_57c6f51ba8\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"></div>\n    <div class=\"clear\"><input style=\"background-color:#d2bee8!important;color:#ffffff!important;\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\"></div>\n    </div>\n</form>\n</div>\n<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"//s3.amazonaws.com/downloads.mailchimp.com/js/mc-validate.js\"></script><script type=\"text/javascript\">(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=\'EMAIL\';ftypes[0]=\'email\';fnames[1]=\'FNAME\';ftypes[1]=\'text\';fnames[2]=\'LNAME\';ftypes[2]=\'text\';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);</script>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n\n</div>\n<!-- /wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Sign Up to Expound','','inherit','closed','closed','','100089-revision-v1','','','2020-05-21 21:37:47','2020-05-21 19:37:47','',100089,'https://expound.org.za/100089-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100099,5,'2020-06-01 09:00:24','2020-06-01 07:00:24','<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><em>Welcome to Survivor the real edition.</em></strong></span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A game of life that Covid19 has introduced us to.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">It has the world stuck between two choices:</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To kill the economy or to let the virus kill the people.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To the less fortunate, its rather unfortunate,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">For theirs is not a tale of finding fortunes,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Theirs is a choice between death by starvation or death by corona.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To the Christian,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">This is a wake-up call,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Wake up and smell the disinfectants in the air.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Can\'t you see we are living in a nightmare,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Breathing is now a tough choice between inhaling life or inhaling the virus.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">So to the Christian, introduce the world to the one who can wash all spots clean.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">No man is too infected for this man to throw into isolation.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Tell them 911 can\'t save you,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Only the blood of him who died can effectively lock down the virus and shield you.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Only Him can social distance your life from all forms of disease and set your mind at ease.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">His blood can wash away all impurities.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Let the smell of sanitizers around you remind you that only He can sanctify your soul and rid you of the troubles of this world that drive you into insanity.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">I challenge you</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Accept this vaccine that can save you from the disease of sin.</span></p>\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"customBackgroundColor\":\"#cce0ee\"} -->\n<p style=\"background-color:#cce0ee\" class=\"has-background\">By Chris_iwrote.  (  <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s</a>  link video)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Survivor.','','publish','open','open','','survivor','','','2020-05-31 06:03:31','2020-05-31 04:03:31','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100099',0,'post','',0),(100101,29,'2020-05-24 07:02:13','2020-05-24 05:02:13','Welcome to Survivor the real edition.\r\n\r\nA game of life that Covid19 has introduced us to.\r\nIt has the world stuck between two choices:\r\nTo kill the economy or to let the virus kill the people.\r\nTo the less fortunate, its rather unfortunate,\r\nFor theirs is not a tale of finding fortunes,\r\nTheirs is a choice between death by starvation or death by corona.\r\n\r\nTo the Christian,\r\nThis is a wake-up call,\r\nWake up and smell the disinfectants in the air.\r\nCan\'t you see we are living in a nightmare,\r\nBreathing is now a tough choice between inhaling life or inhaling the virus.\r\nSo to the Christian, introduce the world to the one who can wash all spots clean.\r\nNo man is too infected for this man to throw into isolation.\r\nTell them 911 can\'t save you,\r\nOnly the blood of him who died can effectively lock down the virus and shield you.\r\nOnly Him can socially distance your life from all forms of disease and set your mind at ease.\r\nHis blood can wash away all impurities.\r\nLet the smell of sanitizers around you remind you that only He can sanctify your soul and rid you of the troubles of this world that drive you into insanity.\r\n\r\nI challenge you\r\nAccept this vaccine that can save you from the disease of sin\r\n','Survivor.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100099-revision-v1','','','2020-05-24 07:02:13','2020-05-24 05:02:13','',100099,'https://expound.org.za/100099-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100102,29,'2020-07-01 09:00:21','2020-07-01 07:00:21','A note to self.\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self,\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\nIts pages torn, tattered, jagged edges, peeling leather\nIt is not a very appealing reflection of your spiritual state I must say.\nIt is piled up with rest of the “read” material:\nDissected, thoroughly interpreted,\nYou say you know it so well, even the words in red\nBut I wonder if you have read the part where it says “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.\nI wonder if you are acquainted with the man who bled blood red, scarlet cleansing flood flowing from a heart of boundless love.\n\nYou tell yourself you’re so well acquainted with the scriptures you don’t need to revisit its contents to face the daily examinations of temptations.\nYou tell yourself you are well informed about the times so you don’t need to revise the prophecies.\nWell, I think It is about time you looked at the clock and realized that it is a quarter to eternity and man’s glory will soon turn to futility.\nWhat will the worth of your crammed scriptures and rehearsed displays of righteousness weighted against true religion be then?\n\n“There is only one true God” you have preached, one too many times compared to the number of times you have actually believed it.\nLaying on Christ’s sheep a cross you have not learned to carry\nWhile you drown in self-indulgence, making your heart with sin merry.\nBecause you can recite three or four chapters of the bible you have come to believe that you can negotiate a sin allowance with God.\n\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self.\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\nIt has gathered dust thicker than your skin,\n\nYour sins growing darker and darker, Holy angels can’t even minister to you at your “praying” scenes.\nActually tell me, dear self, when last did you pray?\nYes I know this morning, but I’m not asking when last you paid your secret alter a visit to do heaven a favor but I mean when last did you pray?\nWhen last did you seek God’s face until self became insignificant?\nUntil self lay silent, dead, and buried not bruised and ready to recover.\nTo pursue His heart until you hear the heavenly hosts singing melodies of sweet relief to your searching ears.\nUntil his hand dislocate your hip because you are tired of self-dependence and have surrenderd all.\nWhen last did you wrestle with God or have you learned the art of prevailing against man that the battle isn’t worth it anymore?\nWhen last did you hear his voice, or has it been so long you no longer recognize it when he calls.\n\nWell, I’m glad you’re here today to hear this voice, for this my pen wrote but my mind did not conceive,\nSo listen and listen carefully\nDon’t seat back and relax, stand, and give unwavering heed to this call.\n\nDear self-sufficient self\nYou have been leaning on the crutch of your ego for too long.\nGroping in the deadly dungeons of deceit, dancing to the drumbeat of the devil\nthen asking why God seems to be silent\nMaybe the reason why God doesn’t respond to your prayers is becasue  you have not learned to listen to Him in His word.\nEver ready to answer man’s questions but not to heaven’s call\nEager to stand and speak but not to seat and be taught\nEver pouring from a shallow broken cistern, trying to fill your empty bowels with man’s approval.\nCan\'t you see that your efforts are rags, filthy robe drabs of covering that leave you bare and void of His glory\nYou avoid the question of true sanctification because you know the truth has not set you free\nFlee from your works because self-righteousness is a dysfunctional tool for salvation, it doesn’t work.\n\nCome, come oh dear self, the ladder at Bethel has not been rolled up\nThe Messiah has not gone back to the tomb and his word, The word will not fail, it never will.\nHe was nailed and despised, scorned and hung in shame\nHe said we don’t know what we are doing, he bore our ignorance and took the blame\nHe hung, He hung, Jesus hung on that cross without one thought of regret, the deed was done without debate.\n\nThe Father looked away as your sin, dear self, separated Him from his Son.\n\nThe Father and the Son Mourned with the Spirit but counted it nothing to the joy of winning your heart\nSo come, you have not gone too far into the valley of sin that the Shepherd cannot reach you.\nPursue His heart until His will becomes your pleasure\nLet Him take the wheel, you probably know how to drive this life but you’ll soon need to learn how to fly\nSo let Him take your will\nSeek His face until His glory fills your countenance\nCount the worth of carrying the cross then count the cost of being eternally lost.','Dear Self.','','publish','open','open','','dear-self','','','2020-07-01 04:02:47','2020-07-01 02:02:47','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100102',0,'post','',0),(100104,29,'2020-05-24 07:14:23','2020-05-24 05:14:23','<p><strong><em><span style=\"color: #008000\">Welcome to Survivor the real edition.</span></em></strong></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000\">A game of life that Covid19 has introduced us to.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">It has the world stuck between two choices:</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">To kill the economy or to let the virus kill the people.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">To the less fortunate, its rather unfortunate,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">For theirs is not a tale of finding fortunes,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Theirs is a choice between death by starvation or death by corona.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000\">To the Christian,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">This is a wake-up call,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Wake up and smell the disinfectants in the air.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Can\'t you see we are living in a nightmare,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Breathing is now a tough choice between inhaling life or inhaling the virus.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">So to the Christian, introduce the world to the one who can wash all spots clean.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">No man is too infected for this man to throw into isolation.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Tell them 911 can\'t save you,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Only the blood of him who died can effectively lock down the virus and shield you.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Only Him can socially distance your life from all forms of disease and set your mind at ease.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">His blood can wash away all impurities.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Let the smell of sanitizers around you remind you that only He can sanctify your soul and rid you of the troubles of this world that drive you into insanity.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000\">I challenge you</span><br /><span style=\"color: #008000\">Accept this vaccine that can save you from the disease of sin.</span></p>\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"customBackgroundColor\":\"#caea69\"} -->\n<p style=\"background-color:#caea69\" class=\"has-background\">Chris_iwrote.  (  <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s</a>  link to full video)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Survivor.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100099-revision-v1','','','2020-05-24 07:14:23','2020-05-24 05:14:23','',100099,'https://expound.org.za/100099-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100106,29,'2020-05-26 19:54:41','2020-05-26 17:54:41','<p><strong><em><span style=\"color: #008000\">Welcome to Survivor the real edition.</span></em></strong></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000\">A game of life that Covid19 has introduced us to.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">It has the world stuck between two choices:</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">To kill the economy or to let the virus kill the people.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">To the less fortunate, its rather unfortunate,</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">For theirs is not a tale of finding fortunes,</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Theirs is a choice between death by starvation or death by corona.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000\">To the Christian,</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">This is a wake-up call,</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Wake up and smell the disinfectants in the air.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Can\'t you see we are living in a nightmare,</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Breathing is now a tough choice between inhaling life or inhaling the virus.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">So to the Christian, introduce the world to the one who can wash all spots clean.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">No man is too infected for this man to throw into isolation.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Tell them 911 can\'t save you,</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Only the blood of him who died can effectively lock down the virus and shield you.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Only Him can socially distance your life from all forms of disease and set your mind at ease.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">His blood can wash away all impurities.</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Let the smell of sanitizers around you remind you that only He can sanctify your soul and rid you of the troubles of this world that drive you into insanity.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000\">I challenge you</span><br><span style=\"color: #008000\">Accept this vaccine that can save you from the disease of sin.</span></p>\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"customBackgroundColor\":\"#caea69\"} -->\n<p style=\"background-color:#caea69\" class=\"has-background\">Chris_iwrote.  (  <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s</a>  link to full video)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Survivor.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100099-revision-v1','','','2020-05-26 19:54:41','2020-05-26 17:54:41','',100099,'https://expound.org.za/100099-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100112,29,'2020-05-26 20:44:13','2020-05-26 18:44:13','','Identity','','inherit','open','closed','','identity','','','2020-05-26 20:44:47','2020-05-26 18:44:47','',0,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Identity-.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100117,29,'2020-05-31 05:47:21','2020-05-31 03:47:21','A note to self.\nDear Holy, self-righteous, self-sufficient self\nHow long  has your bible stayed on the shelf\nPages torn, tattered, jagged edges, peeling leather.\nIt is not a very appealing reflection of your spiritual state I must say\nIts piled up with rest of the “read” material:\nDissected, thoroughly interpreted,\nYou say you know it so well, even the words in red\nBut I wonder if you have read the part where it says “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.\nI wonder if you are acquainted with the man who bled blood red, scarlet cleansing flood flowing from a heart of boundless love.\n\nYou tell yourself you’re so well acquainted with the scriptures you don’t need to revisit its contents to face the daily examinations of temptations.\nYou tell yourself you are well informed about the times so you don’t need to revise the prophecies.\nWell, I think It’s about time, you looked at the clock and realized that it’s a quarter to eternity and man’s glory will soon turn to futility.\nWhat will the worth of your crammed scriptures and rehearsed displays of righteousness weighted against true religion be then?\n\n“There is only one true God” you have preached, one too many times compared to the number of times you have believed it.\nLaying on Christ’s sheep a cross you haven’t learned to carry\nWhile you drown in self-indulgence, making your heart with sin merry.\nBecause you can recite three or four chapters of the bible you have come to believe that you can negotiate a sin allowance with God.\n\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self.\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\nIt has gathered dust thicker than your skin, your sins growing darker Holy angels can’t even minister to you at your “praying” scenes.\nActually tell me, dear self, when last did you pray?\nYes I know this morning, but I’m not asking when last you paid your secret to alter a visit to do heaven a favor but I mean when last did you pray?\nWhen last did you seek God’s face until you lost your own?\nUntil self lay silent, dead, and buried not bruised and ready to recover.\nTo pursue His heart until you hear the heavenly hosts singing melodies of sweet relief to your searching ears.\nUntil his hand dislocate your hip because you are tired of self-dependence\nWhen last did you wrestle with God or have you learned the art of prevailing against man that the battle isn’t worth it anymore?\nWhen last did you hear his voice, or has it been so long you no longer recognize it when he calls.\n\nWell I’m glad you’re here today to hear this voice, for this my pen wrote but my mind did not conceive, this is my voice but these are not my words\nSo listen and listen carefully\nDon’t seat back and relax, stand, and give unwavering heed to this call.\nDear self-sufficient self\nYou have been leaning on the crutch of your ego for too long\nGroping in the deadly dungeons of deceit, dancing to the drumbeat of the devil\nthen asking why God seems to be silent\nMaybe the reason why God doesn’t respond to your prayers is that you have not learned to listen to Him in His word.\nEver ready to answer man’s questions but not to heaven’s call\nEager to stand and speak but not to seat and  be taught\nEver pouring from a shallow broken cistern, trying to fill your empty bowels with man’s approval.\nCan\'t you see that your efforts are rags, filthy robe drabs of covering that leaves you bare and void of His glory\nYou avoid the question of true sanctification because you know the truth has not set you free\nFlee from your works because self-righteousness is a dysfunctional tool for salvation, it doesn’t work.\nCome oh dear self, the ladder at Bethel has not been rolled up\nThe Messiah has not gone back to the tomb and his word, The word will not fail, it never will.\nHe was nailed and despised, scorned and hung in shame\nHe said we don’t know what we are doing, he bore our ignorance and took the blame\nHe hung, He hung, Jesus hung on that cross without one thought of regret, the deed was done without debate.\n\nThe Father looked away as your sin, dear self, separated him from his Son,\n\nThe Father and The Son Mourned with the Spirit but counted it nothing to the joy of winning your heart\nSo come, you have not gone too far into the valley of sin that the Shepherd cannot reach you.\nPursue His heart until His will becomes your pleasure\nLet Him take the wheel, you probably know how to drive this life but you’ll soon need to learn how to fly\nSo let Him take your will\nSeek His face until His glory fills your countenance\nCount the worth of carrying the cross then count the cost of being eternally lost.','Dear Self.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100102-revision-v1','','','2020-05-31 05:47:21','2020-05-31 03:47:21','',100102,'https://expound.org.za/100102-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100114,29,'2020-05-31 05:45:04','2020-05-31 03:45:04','A note to self. \r\nDear Holy, self-righteous, self-sufficient self \r\nHow long  has your bible stayed on the shelf\r\nPages torn, tattered, jagged edges, peeling leather. \r\nIt is not a very appealing reflection of your spiritual state I must say\r\nIts piled up with rest of the “read” material: \r\nDissected, thoroughly interpreted, \r\nYou say you know it so well, even the words in red \r\nBut I wonder if you have read the part where it says “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.\r\nI wonder if you are acquainted with the man who bled blood red, scarlet cleansing flood flowing from a heart of boundless love. \r\n\r\nYou tell yourself you’re so well acquainted with the scriptures you don’t need to revisit its contents to face the daily examinations of temptations.\r\nYou tell yourself you are well informed about the times so you don’t need to revise the prophecies. \r\nWell, I think It’s about time, you looked at the clock and realized that it’s a quarter to eternity and man’s glory will soon turn to futility.\r\nWhat will the worth of your crammed scriptures and rehearsed displays of righteousness weighted against true religion be then?\r\n\r\n“There is only one true God” you have preached, one too many times compared to the number of times you have believed it.\r\nLaying on Christ’s sheep a cross you haven’t learned to carry\r\nWhile you drown in self-indulgence, making your heart with sin merry. \r\nBecause you can recite three or four chapters of the bible you have come to believe that you can negotiate a sin allowance with God.\r\n\r\nDear self-righteous, self-sufficient self. \r\nHow long has your bible stayed on the shelf?\r\nIt has gathered dust thicker than your skin, your sins growing darker Holy angels can’t even minister to you at your “praying” scenes.\r\nActually tell me, dear self, when last did you pray?\r\nYes I know this morning, but I’m not asking when last you paid your secret to alter a visit to do heaven a favor but I mean when last did you pray? \r\nWhen last did you seek God’s face until you lost your own? \r\nUntil self lay silent, dead, and buried not bruised and ready to recover.\r\nTo pursue His heart until you hear the heavenly hosts singing melodies of sweet relief to your searching ears. \r\nUntil his hand dislocate your hip because you are tired of self-dependence \r\nWhen last did you wrestle with God or have you learned the art of prevailing against man that the battle isn’t worth it anymore?\r\nWhen last did you hear his voice, or has it been so long you no longer recognize it when he calls.\r\n\r\nWell I’m glad you’re here today to hear this voice, for this my pen wrote but my mind did not conceive, this is my voice but these are not my words \r\nSo listen and listen carefully \r\nDon’t seat back and relax, stand, and give unwavering heed to this call.\r\nDear self-sufficient self \r\nYou have been leaning on the crutch of your ego for too long\r\nGroping in the deadly dungeons of deceit, dancing to the drumbeat of the devil \r\nthen asking why God seems to be silent \r\nMaybe the reason why God doesn’t respond to your prayers is that you have not learned to listen to Him in His word.\r\nEver ready to answer man’s questions but not to heaven’s call \r\nEager to stand and speak but not to seat and  be taught \r\nEver pouring from a shallow broken cistern, trying to fill your empty bowels with man’s approval. \r\nCan\'t you see that your efforts are rags, filthy robe drabs of covering that leaves you bare and void of His glory\r\nYou avoid the question of true sanctification because you know the truth has not set you free\r\nFlee from your works because self-righteousness is a dysfunctional tool for salvation, it doesn’t work.\r\nCome oh dear self, the ladder at Bethel has not been rolled up\r\nThe Messiah has not gone back to the tomb and his word, The word will not fail, it never will. \r\nHe was nailed and despised, scorned and hung in shame\r\nHe said we don’t know what we are doing, he bore our ignorance and took the blame \r\nHe hung, He hung, Jesus hung on that cross without one thought of regret, the deed was done without debate. \r\n\r\nThe Father looked away as your sin, dear self, separated him from his Son, \r\n \r\nThe Father and The Son Mourned with the Spirit but counted it nothing to the joy of winning your heart\r\nSo come, you have not gone too far into the valley of sin that the Shepherd cannot reach you.\r\nPursue His heart until His will becomes your pleasure\r\nLet Him take the wheel, you probably know how to drive this life but you’ll soon need to learn how to fly\r\nSo let Him take your will \r\nSeek His face until His glory fills your countenance \r\nCount the worth of carrying the cross then count the cost of being eternally lost.','Dear Self.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100102-revision-v1','','','2020-05-31 05:45:04','2020-05-31 03:45:04','',100102,'https://expound.org.za/100102-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100116,29,'2020-05-31 05:46:42','2020-05-31 03:46:42','','So let Him take your will, Seek His face until His glory fills your countenance Count the worth of carrying the cross then count the cost of being eternally lost...','','inherit','open','closed','','so-let-him-take-your-will-seek-his-face-until-his-glory-fills-your-countenance-count-the-worth-of-carrying-the-cross-then-count-the-cost-of-being-eternally-lost','','','2020-05-31 05:46:42','2020-05-31 03:46:42','',100102,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/So-let-Him-take-your-will-Seek-His-face-until-His-glory-fills-your-countenance-Count-the-worth-of-carrying-the-cross-then-count-the-cost-of-being-eternally-lost....png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100118,29,'2020-05-31 05:56:59','2020-05-31 03:56:59','','To the christian, this is a wake up call, Wake up and smell the disinfectants in the air.','','inherit','open','closed','','to-the-christian-this-is-a-wake-up-call-wake-up-and-smell-the-disinfectants-in-the-air','','','2020-05-31 05:56:59','2020-05-31 03:56:59','',100099,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/To-the-christian-this-is-a-wake-up-call-Wake-up-and-smell-the-disinfectants-in-the-air..png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100142,1,'2020-07-24 12:03:57','2020-07-24 10:03:57','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100143} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/jesus-on-the-cross-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100143\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The headline sounds quite dreary and morbid, macabre if you like. And yet it captures the very object that Jesus came to pursue in His earthly mission. When you consider the plot through the lenses of Matthew the story is laden reverting twists and turns. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>So if Jesus came down to die, why did God protect Him  from the sword of Herod by instructing His parents to go and seek refuge in Egypt. I must confess that at some point I read the book of Matthew begrudgingly because I could not help but envision a God who preserved the life of His only begotten son by hiding him in Egypt and yet expose all the other innocent infants  to the indiscriminate genocidal feat of king Herod. But stick a little further with the story. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>The King is Born</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The story is based on Matthew Chapter 2. Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea (verse 4) and wise men from the east arrive in Jerusalem in pursuit of the new born king. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In verse 8 we learn that Herod requested the wise men to come back and give him a report on the birth of Jesus on their way back. In verse 11 they meet the new born Jesus and offer their gifts. Verse 12, they are warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod and thus they go back to their own country their own way. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: Verse 16: Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:quote -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.</p></blockquote>\n<!-- /wp:quote -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Jesus spared from Death?</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The twists of the plot in the preceding verses were the context of my trauma. Why did God spare only His son and not intervene to protect the all the innocent babies, the peers of Jesus who were to be butchered by Herod. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The question kept ringing in my sub conscience &nbsp;until it dawned to me that baby Jesus was not being spared from death at all. In fact He was being preserved for a “bigger” and more horrendous death. &nbsp;If Jesus were to be asked as to what He wanted to be when He grew up, I imagine Jesus would not say \"When I grow up I want to be a lawyer\", \"When I grow up, I want to be physician, or a tax collector or a earthly king\" as it were. But I imagine Him answer this way: “<strong>When I grow Up I want to Die”</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It gradually dawned to me that baby Jesus was only spared from this premature end to His earthly mission so that He could die a more significant, ignominious and disgraceful death that would suffice even for the ultimate redemption of all humanity including His peers butchered by King Herod. &nbsp;There is no doubt Jesus had to die to save humanity from ultimate death for the Wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but a&nbsp; major question remains: Why particularly the death on the cross:&nbsp; If he had been killed together with the other innocent babies wouldn\'t  that have sufficed as death? </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>The Significance of the Cross</h3>\n<!-- /wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When we refer to the Deuteronomy we learn something about\nthe significance of hanging on a pole or a tree: Deuteronomy 21:23. \"..You\nmust not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that\nsame day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.\" </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Also consider 2 Corinthians 5:21, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Christ &nbsp;was not only made human to suffer in our stead, He was made sin.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Therefore under the God\'s&nbsp; plan of salvation, it was necessary for our Saviour to become accursed under the Law in order to take away  the curse of the Law (eternal death) for sinners. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Refer to Galatians 3:10-14. Verse 13 makes it crystal clear:\nChrist redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a\ncurse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” (Galatians:\n3:13)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Our failure as human beings to keep the law meant that we &nbsp;all are accursed under the law, Christ had to take our place and become accursed himself to give us full and substantive representation as a ransom. While in Matthew Chapter 2 we see a God who seems to favour His only begotten son by protecting Him from death; &nbsp;in Matthew 27 (45-46) we see a God so loving that He lets his only begotten son die not the ordinary death as His peers died in Matthew Chapter 2, but the second death that guarantees the redemption and resurrection of all those who die in faith. The price paid on the cross is thus sufficient for all humanity to be saved including the innocent babies butchered by King Herod. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Unfortunately the infants in Matthew  Chapter 2 died, but fortunately they did not perish, and the same applies to all who have died in faith. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:16)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>It is striking that as He was hanging on the cross Jesus declared: “It is finished.” Not “I am finished.” (John 19:30) The proclamation was the sure word that confirmed the fact of the irrevocable deliverable of Jesus\' mission, His ultimate death, the guarantee and surety of our salvation.</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','\"When I grow Up I want to Die\"','','publish','open','open','','when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-die','','','2020-07-25 20:49:40','2020-07-25 18:49:40','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100142',0,'post','',2),(100122,29,'2020-06-15 09:00:08','2020-06-15 07:00:08','<!-- wp:gallery {\"ids\":[100112]} -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Identity--724x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"100112\" data-link=\"https://expound.org.za/identity/\" class=\"wp-image-100112\"/></figure></li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:gallery -->','','','publish','open','open','','100122-2','','','2020-06-04 06:46:54','2020-06-04 04:46:54','',0,'https://expound.org.za/?p=100122',0,'post','',0),(100123,29,'2020-06-03 07:34:06','2020-06-03 05:34:06','<!-- wp:gallery {\"ids\":[100112]} -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Identity--724x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"100112\" data-link=\"https://expound.org.za/identity/\" class=\"wp-image-100112\"/></figure></li></ul>\n<!-- /wp:gallery -->','','','inherit','closed','closed','','100122-revision-v1','','','2020-06-03 07:34:06','2020-06-03 05:34:06','',100122,'https://expound.org.za/100122-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100121,0,'2020-06-01 05:39:49','2020-06-01 03:39:49','What Do you Want to be When you Grow Up? – Expound','','earnest_jerde@webmai.co','confirmed','closed','closed','','100121','','','2020-06-01 05:39:49','2020-06-01 03:39:49','',0,'https://expound.org.za/what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up/',0,'cl-lead','',0),(100120,29,'2020-05-31 06:03:28','2020-05-31 04:03:28','<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><em>Welcome to Survivor the real edition.</em></strong></span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A game of life that Covid19 has introduced us to.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">It has the world stuck between two choices:</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To kill the economy or to let the virus kill the people.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To the less fortunate, its rather unfortunate,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">For theirs is not a tale of finding fortunes,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Theirs is a choice between death by starvation or death by corona.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To the Christian,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">This is a wake-up call,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Wake up and smell the disinfectants in the air.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Can\'t you see we are living in a nightmare,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Breathing is now a tough choice between inhaling life or inhaling the virus.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">So to the Christian, introduce the world to the one who can wash all spots clean.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">No man is too infected for this man to throw into isolation.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Tell them 911 can\'t save you,</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Only the blood of him who died can effectively lock down the virus and shield you.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Only Him can social distance your life from all forms of disease and set your mind at ease.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">His blood can wash away all impurities.</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Let the smell of sanitizers around you remind you that only He can sanctify your soul and rid you of the troubles of this world that drive you into insanity.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">I challenge you</span><br /><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Accept this vaccine that can save you from the disease of sin.</span></p>\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"customBackgroundColor\":\"#cce0ee\"} -->\n<p style=\"background-color:#cce0ee\" class=\"has-background\">By Chris_iwrote.  (  <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3rDpSgX6x0&amp;t=4s</a>  link video)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Survivor.','','inherit','closed','closed','','100099-revision-v1','','','2020-05-31 06:03:28','2020-05-31 04:03:28','',100099,'https://expound.org.za/100099-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0),(100128,1,'2020-06-12 07:17:02','2020-06-12 05:17:02','','let-there-be-light','','inherit','open','closed','','let-there-be-light','','','2020-06-12 07:17:02','2020-06-12 05:17:02','',100127,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/let-there-be-light.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100129,1,'2020-06-12 07:17:29','2020-06-12 05:17:29','','let there be light','','inherit','open','closed','','let-there-be-light-2','','','2020-06-12 07:17:29','2020-06-12 05:17:29','',100127,'https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/let-there-be-light-1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(100130,1,'2020-06-12 07:18:34','2020-06-12 05:18:34','<!-- wp:image {\"id\":100128} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https://expound.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/let-there-be-light.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100128\"/></figure>\n<!-- /wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>And\nGod said, let there be light: and there was light.&nbsp; Genesis 1:3.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In\nthe creation account in the book genesis the &nbsp;verb “Let” is used &nbsp;ten times to articulate the expressive will of\nthe Omnipotent One who speaks and it stands in perfect geometry and symmetry. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It\nis telling that every time God embarks on an enterprise He is sure to\naccomplish it. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“And\nGod said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,\nand let the dry land appear: and it was so.” (Gen 1:9)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Every\ntime God declared “Let....” &nbsp;the\nconcluding remark is that, “...and it was so.” The conjunction “and” is crucial\nfor ushering in the reality of the inevitable materialization of God’s perfect\nwill. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The\nstory of How God creates is not a record of genius or excellence for the genius\ntoo are prone to trip at some point. The story of How God creates is a record\nof Divine Omnipotence. Excellence denotes: “extremely good and outstanding”.\nBut God is alone in His league and stature with Himself to be compared with any\none. God is not extremely good; He is the Divine. The good we laud and uphold is\na product of His holiness. God is not the best for He cannot be compared to the\nbetter or the good: He is the absolute. God cannot be described in superlatives\n(e.g. best, greatest, highest) for HE is alone is His league. He can only be\ndescribed in absolutes for He is incomparable. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>The Creative Word </strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To\nthe omnipotent will of God the Psalmist concurs, “By the word of the LORD the\nheavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth”. (Psalm 33:6)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The\nsame cannot be said about humanity particularly when the we seek to do that\nwhich is contrary to God’s word. In Genesis 11 we meet a community in Shinar\nthat seeks to achieve an enterprise contrary to God’s word. They, in some\nfashion employ the same language in expressing their intent. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“And\nthey said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.\nAnd they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.” (Gen 11:3)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Verse\n11: (Underline “let us…”) &nbsp;“And they\nsaid, go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto\nheaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of\nthe whole earth. (Gen 11:14)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The\ntower project was neither confusion proof, nor lightning proof. The builders sought\nto make a great name for themselves but ultimately; they made a name associated\nwith confusion (babel). The tower they built is not known as the tower of\ngreatness. It is not the tower of opulence not the tower of dominance. It is\nthe tower of Babel, the tower of confusion. Just like it is in every case, as\nhumanity we cannot prosper if we operate outside the realms of God’s law and\nwill. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>And God came down to see the builders</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Take\nnote in verse 7 God delivers the eminent expression: (Underline “Let us..’) </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>“Go\nto, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not\nunderstand one another\'s speech.” (Gen 11:7)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>By\nverse 8, the object of verse 7 had been unequivocally accomplished. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\"So\nthe LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and\nthey left off to build the city.\" (Gen 11:8)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>God\ntoday uses the same semantic omnipotence to reach out to me and you to shape\nour lives not only for the here and now but for eternity. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In Philippians 2:5 He is dishing out to me and you, mental soundness\nand fortitude of a quality equal to His: He declares, “Let this mind be in you,\nwhich was also in Christ Jesus.”</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The keyword is the same creative verb: “Let…”.</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Be\nadvised that God’s word is not architecture, it is infrastructure. Whatever He\ndeclares even in our lives, is not an issue of “if”, but “When”: for His word knows\nno obstacle or obstruction. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"/>\n<!-- /wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Let not your hearts be troubled</strong></p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>And\nfinally, with the same creative semantic omnipotence God declares, “Let not\nyour hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father\'s\nhouse are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to\nprepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come\nagain and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you\nknow the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When\nHe declares “Let not your hearts be troubled” the Heart Doctor is not imparting\nmere promissory words of encouragement, rather; He is conducting a heart surgery.\n</p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>He\ndesires that we gladly receive Him for He has the capacity to bring to fruition\nthe good work He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6), being not only the author:\nbut the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), for none of His\nprojects are open ended. </p>\n<!-- /wp:paragraph -->','Let: …and it was So!','','inherit','closed','closed','','100127-revision-v1','','','2020-06-12 07:18:34','2020-06-12 05:18:34','',100127,'https://expound.org.za/100127-revision-v1/',0,'revision','',0);
