THE NEED FOR CONTEXT IN UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WORD

THE CHANGING OF MAN'S DIET FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION

Genesis 2:15-17 - And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat:  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:  for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 9:1-4 - And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.  And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that move upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.  Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.  But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Leviticus 11:1-7 - And the LORD spoke unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.  Whatsoever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.  Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof:  as the camel, because he chews the cud, but divides not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  And the coney (rock badger), because he chews the cud, but divides not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  And the hare, because he chews the cud, but divides not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.  And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he chews not the cud; he is unclean to you.

Acts 10:9-16 - On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:  and he became very hungry, and would have eaten:  but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.  And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.  But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, What God has cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Romans 14:1-4 - Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.  For one believes that he may eat all things:  another, who is weak, eats herbs.  Let not him that eats despise him that eats not; and let not him which eats not judge him that eats:  for God has received him.  Who art thou that judges another man's servant?  To his own master he stands or falls.  Yea, he shall be held up:  for God is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:12-23 - Let us not therefore judge one another any more:  but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.  I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself:  but to him that esteems anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now you walk not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.  Let not then your good be evil spoken of:  for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.  For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.  For meat destroy not the work of God.  All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offence.  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.  Have you faith?  Have it to thyself before God.  Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows.  And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith:  for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Revelation 22:1-2 - And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month:  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

JUST AS "GOD'S MENU" FOR MAN HAS CHANGED OVER TIME,

MAN'S ACCOUNTABILITY TO GOD HAS CHANGED AS WELL:

Adam was sinless, and his responsibility was to tend God's garden.

Noah found grace in God's sight, and he was to build an ark.

Moses also found grace, and he was to instruct Israel in the Law.

The Apostles found grace, and were to preach the Gospel.

IN STUDYING GOD'S WORD, CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING!

  

SAYING JESUS IS YOUR LORD, IS BELIEVABLE WHEN OTHERS SEE YOUR OBEDIENCE TO HIM!

IF YOU BELIEVE JESUS IS LORD, YOU OUGHT TO OBEY HIM!

John 13:13-15 -  Ye call Me Master and Lord:  and ye say well; for so I AM.  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

SALVATION IS BY FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Romans 10:9-13 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, Whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile:  for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

JESUS IS LORD OF ALL WHO DESIRE TO DO HIS WILL!

Acts 15:25-26 - It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:20-21 - And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Gentiles, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:1-4 - Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God (which He had promised afore by His Prophets in the Holy Scriptures), concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead!

Romans 5:1, 11, 21 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: - - - And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. - - - That as sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:1-3 - Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

James 2:1 - My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.   

1 Peter 1:3-5 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

JUST AS WE PRAY TO GOD AS "OUR FATHER,"

WE ARE TO OBEY JESUS CHRIST, "OUR LORD!"

THE BELIEVER'S RESPONSE TO GOD'S LOVE!

Yesterday's blog addressed the love of God for mankind.  His love moved Him to create us, to offer His Son to pay for our sins, and that He offers the free gift of salvation to all who put their trust in Jesus Christ.  Today, I want to focus upon what our response will be if we truly believe:

WE WILL TURN FROM A LIFE OF SIN, TO SERVING GOD!

Matthew 3:1-2 - In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye:  for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 4:12-13, 17 - Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim - - - From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 1:15 - And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel.

Mark 6:7, 12 - And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two - - - And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

Luke 13:1-5 - There were present at that season some that told Him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?   I tell you, Nay:  but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 24:46-47 - And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 2:38 - Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 3:19 - Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord....

Acts 11:18 - When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Acts 20:20-21 - And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Gentiles, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:19-20 - Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:  but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Hebrews 6:1-2 - Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

WE ARE NOT SAVED BY RELIGIOUS WORKS, BUT BY FAITH IN JESUS!

THOSE WHO TRULY BELIEVE, WILL DESIRE TO DO GOD'S WORKS!