GRACE GAZETTE
Volume XXIssue46
/Published occasionally for mourners in Zion/
/Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble
knees;And make straight pathsfor your feet, lest that which is lame
be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.Hebrews 12::12-13/
PATIENT WAITING//
//
/And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and/
/into the patient waiting for Christ. II Thessalonians 3:5/
//
The majority of Paul’s teaching to the various churches to which he
penned “/epistles”/(i.e.; letters) centers in the all sufficiency of
CHRIST and HIS redemptive work in the behalf of HIS elect bride. In
the Roman /“epistle/” he magnifies the glory of HIS grace in
ordaining HIS elect unto salvation through the blood of CHRIST.He is
not the least bit equivocal about the Sovereign right of the LORD to
ordain some vessels (i.e.; men) unto honor (i.e.; eternal salvation)
which they did nothing to deserve, while appointing others to the
eternal damnation which they do deserve. (see Romans chapter 9).He
sets forth to them the continual struggle that exists in the born
again child of GOD wherein he is now engaged in a warfare with his
flesh that did not heretofore exist.(see Romans chapter 7)
In his Corinthian “/epistles/” he addresses many issues which had
arisen in the early days of these churches which were established in
the midst of the most heathen cultures imaginable.In these letters
we are reminded how akin the problems that faced them are to those
present in our own pagan culture. Yet in doing so he does not adopt
the concept of trying to psychologically deal with these issues, nor
to become the morality police, but rather reminds them of the pit
from which they were dug and the rock from whence they were hewn,
and by whose HAND they were brought out. /“For who maketh thee to
differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?
now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst
not received it?” (1Cor 4:7/) He reminds them that he has but one
message and exhorts them not to stray from it. “/For I determined
not to know any thing among you, save _Jesus Christ, and him
crucified_.” (1Cor 2:2/)
To the Galatians he writes with amazement at how quickly they had
begun to seek to perfect themselves in the flesh by returning to the
bondage of making the “Law of Moses” to be the believers rule of
life, rather than the Law of CHRIST.He defined for them the freedom
which they are given in CHRIST and how the “FAITH of the gospel” is
manifested. “/For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might
live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: _for if
righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain._” (Gal
2:19-21/) The all-sufficiency of the blood of CHRIST is clearly seen.
He begins his letter to the Ephesians by reminding them of the
blessings that are forever theirs in CHRIST./“Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, _who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ_: According as he
hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise
of the glory of his grace, wherein _he hath made us accepted in the
beloved_.” (Eph 1:3-6/)He gives them no place to glory except in HIM
who is their CREATOR. /“For we are _his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works_, which God hath before ordained that
we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10/)
To the Philippians he defines the antidote of human vainglory as HE
declares the glory which belongs to CHRIST.“/Wherefore _God also
hath highly exalted him_, and given him a name which is above every
name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father.” (Php 2:9-11/)He reminds that all of our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags as he exhorts them to find their
all in CHRIST./“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things_, and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness_, which is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I
may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship
of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” (Php 3:8-10/)
He declares the _pre-eminence of CHRIST_ to the Colossians. /“And he
is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the
head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead; _that in all things he might have the preeminence_.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.”
(Col 1:17-19/)He warned them to flee from religious men and those
who would establish traditions upon which one would rely upon rather
than CHRIST./“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and
vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the
world, and not after Christ. _For in him dwelleth all the fulness of
the Godhead bodily_. And ye are complete in him, which is the head
of all principality and power.” (Col 2:8-10/)
To the Thessalonians he writes words of encouragement and
expressions of joy at the remembrance of their calling from darkness
to LIGHT.“/For ye are our glory and joy.” (1Thess 2:20/) He does so
by reminding them who it is that called them and when HE determined
to do so.“/But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because _God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation_ through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the
obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Thess 2:13-14/)
Thus, we see him pressing them to be those who /“patiently wait/”
upon the LORD. Such exhortations as these which are scattered among
all of his epistles are not carnal propositions of “positive
thinking” nor attempts at stirring them up to some activity of
“faith” in their flesh.Rather his exhortations are given in light of
them being the “/called according to HIS purpose/.”You cannot put
new wine into old bottles.Such urgings are pressed upon the sons of
GOD as new creatures who operate in a different realm than the rest
of the world which scoffs at the certainty of HIS return and the
majesty of HIS law.
He speaks of the day of the LORD coming as a “/thief in the
night/”./“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so
cometh as a thief in the night.” (1Thess 5:2)/Yet heclearly tells
them that they are not “/_of the night”._/“/_But ye, brethren, are
not in darkness,_//that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye
are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are
not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do
others; but _let us watch and be sober_.” (1Thess 5:4-6/)
The scriptures teach us to “/_wait_//upon the LORD/.”In one sense we
have no other choice, for it is impossible to cause the LORD to
“hurry up” or alter HIS ordained purpose.Yet Paul speaks here not of
simply “waiting” on the LORD as an inevitability but rather to be
those who enjoy the consideration of HIS coming and the glory of HIS
precepts.There is a difference between “/waiting/” and “/patiently
waiting/.”The man who “/waits patiently/” rejoices in the knowledge
that when HE shall appear, we shall be like HIM for we shall see HIM
as HE is.
The man who “waits patiently” is satisfied with whatsoever HE is
pleased to do.Some of the great “prophets” of our day will no doubt
be disappointed when HE comes because their prophetic schemes will
be overturned, much like the Pharisees who could not believe that
CHRIST would come as HE did.Yet those who waited patiently for HIM,
as Simeon, rejoiced to see HIM. /“And, behold, there was a man in
Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and
devout, _waiting for the consolation of Israel_: and the Holy Ghost
was upon him.” (Luke 2:25/) He rejoiced saying, /“For mine eyes have
seen thy salvation.” (Luke 2:30/) In this same fashion did the
eighty four year old prophetess, Anna, delight in HIS appearance.
May we be found _patiently waiting_ for HIM who said, “/If ye love
me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15/)The _keeping_ of HIS
commandments is not to view them as a checklist, but rather to be as
David who said, “/With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me
not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach
me thy statutes.” (Psa 119:10-12/) This is to “/patiently wait/.” mam
