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Psalm 71

Is it the child who determines when he or she is born, initiating the birth process and forcing its way into the world? Or is it the mother who starts and induces labour pains and pushes the child into the world by herself? These two questions are relevant in cases of natural childbirth, and if the answers are negative, then obviously God is the One who brings us forth from our mother’s womb, this is confirmed in Psalm 71:6; From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. We rely on God from our birth. The Sovereign Lord is our hope, our strong Refuge, and our confidence. The Sovereign Lord is our rock of refuge, and our fortress.

The purpose of a person in life is to teach or inform the younger generation about the Good News. That Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour and that Salvation is in Him alone, not in any man, not in our good works or lengthy prayers no matter how eloquent we are. The Power of God is manifested in the death for our sins and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Advocate, Intercessor, who has made the final, one-time only sacrifice for our sins and is now interceding for us before the Father. Therefore our purpose is to declare God’s power to the next generation, according to Psalm 71:18; Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

God is a righteous god; He is the Restorer (Psalm 71:19-21). There is no one like God. He is unique, there is no other god like Him. One God, the Father of all.

God is Holy, God is faithful (Psalm 71:22). God is our Saviour, and He is marvellous. Our hope is in God. May He never forsake us. He is our rescuer, our Helper. May God not put us to shame, scorn and disgrace before our accusers (Satan or Diablos the accuser and his agents), those who want to harm us.

The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, the Embryo(the Holy Spirit) was implanted in her, and subsequently took on flesh (Mary was a surrogate mother, see https://adonai4oo.wordpress.com/?s=surrogacy), this was announced by Angel Gabriel in Luke 1:35; The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

However, in the case of Adam, we have the clay or dust or flesh being formed first, and subsequently, the Breath of God being breathe into it, according to the Scriptures in Genesis 2:7; Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

This was alluded to by Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:44-48; If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. The Body of Christ is the reverse or opposite to that of man or a church or religious denomination, one is spiritual while the other is earthly or physical.

Belief: convinced by the facts.

Believe can be defined as, to accept that (something) is true, especially without proof (Similar: be convinced by; trust; have confidence in; consider honest). Believe can also be defined as, to hold (something) as an opinion that; think (Similar: think; be of the opinion that; think it likely that; have an idea that).

Reference: Oxford Dictionary

Faith forum: What’s the difference between belief in God and faith in God?

Nelson’s Bible Dictionary defines faith as a belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to his will for one’s life. Nelson also says belief is to place one’s trust in God’s truth. A person who believes is one who takes God at his word and trusts in him for salvation.

You know airplanes take off every day. All around the world people fasten their seatbelts and let a complete stranger take them 32,000 feet in the air. You also know the vast majority survive. With your feet on the ground, you say, “I believe I would survive if I flew on an airplane.”

Is this how you define “belief?”

Many people “believe” Jesus Christ really exists. Many believe he is who he claimed to be – God himself and the savior of the world.

But that’s not biblical faith. That’s just mental assent. An acceptance of the facts. The Bible says demons “believe” in this way (James 2:19).

Biblical “faith” is very different. Biblical faith goes beyond mental acceptance of the facts. Biblical faith is like actually buying a ticket. Biblical faith is like boarding a plane, like fastening your seat belt and trusting that pilot to take you up and back down again. Biblical faith is trust – putting your eternal destiny in the hands of this Jesus who claims to be the only savior of the world.

Jesus said in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” One who believes in this way is trusting Jesus Christ with his eternal destiny. More than 60 times, the New Testament tells us “eternal life” is given to those who put their faith (trust) in Christ alone for salvation.

So, the real question is, do you simply accept the facts as true, or are you trusting Christ with your eternal destiny?

Reference:

The Rev. Shaun LePage, pastor, Community Bible Church, 906 N. 1464 Road. https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/sep/02/faith_forum_whats_difference_between_belief_god_an/

Faith according to Hebrew 11:1; Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Defense of our Faith (Greek: apologea, English: apologetics)

1 Peter 3:15-16.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the HOPE THAT YOU HAVE. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

1 Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[c] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Come back to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we[g] bear the image of the heavenly man.

50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

According to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 33; Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Come back to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. Ignorance can be defined as lack of knowledge or information. When apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:47; The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. There are two ways of proofing this statement, however only one way for us to verify the statement. That is actually the latter or second way. The first way of proofing the statement is not possible for us, but only God proves it, that is our Maker, He is the only One that formed man from dust and breathes life into man, this is not reproduceable by us, nor can we verify it. However, the second way of proofing this statement, and verifying it as a fact is by observing the state of human body after death and decay, approximately fifty years after death, the result of which, the human body will have turned into soil. Belief has to do with being convinced by facts (facts are tangible, verifiable through the senses, such as touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Reproduceable). While Faith has to do with hope, assurance in what is not seen or verifiable by the physical senses. Faith in God, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that Salvation is found only in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day. That those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, have and will after shedding their physical bodies be resurrected and spend eternity with Him.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 15:3 Or you at the first

1 Corinthians 15:5 That is, Peter

1 Corinthians 15:27 Psalm 8:6

1 Corinthians 15:32 Isaiah 22:13

1 Corinthians 15:33 From the Greek poet Menander

1 Corinthians 15:45 Gen. 2:7

1 Corinthians 15:49 Some early manuscripts so let us

1 Corinthians 15:54 Isaiah 25:8

1 Corinthians 15:55 Hosea 13:14

 

Do It Yourself

Down the ages, man has been trying to build stuff for themselves, and often in misguided ways of approach, method and thinking, trying to build stuff for God. However, the original, the first, the only and true DIY is God.

Man started in Biblical history with the Tower of Babel (Gen.11:1-9), trying to build stuff to Heaven, ostensibly for himself. Then you have David, trying to build a house here on earth for God (2 Samuel 7:1-17), down to the present day, man is still preoccupied with building stuff for himself in some cases, or for God.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain (Psalm 127:1), the only DIY is God. God is the only One that builds with Love and what He built last forever. Whatever man builds, is temporary. According to Hebrews 12:2; Jesus Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith. God is the architect, the contractor, the project manager, the builder and the interior decorator of His Church. The project is completed and delivered (Grace has done it, on the cross, resurrection, intercession and judgement). Although we do have some “workers”, labouring “in vain”, building what has been completed already. There is only one Father (Matthew 23:9), one Teacher (or one Builder [Job 38:4 to Job 39:30] or one DIY, Matthew 23:8), and that is God.