My Daily Meditation

Today’s Reading

The Second Epistle to the church at Corinth

Chapter 4:16-18

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ

The renewed man, and seeing the invisible (a)

16 Therefore we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed daily. (b)

17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth unto us a far most excellent and an eternal weight of glory:

18 While we look not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen for the things which are seen, are temporal: but the things which are not seen, are eternal (c)

(a) Editor’s thought - In the concluding verses of chapter 4 the Apostle Paul speaks upon walking in faith, and seeing that which is not made of man, but instead looking at the unseen. That is to say, the certain knowledge of God, and the eternal life to be spent with him. Also he writes of the new man, the new creation when one is reborn into the family of God and are joint heirs in His Kingdom. We come to this knowledge by the infusing of the Holy Spirit which is given (see John 14:15-18), yes, even promised to us by Christ Himself, that we should never be left alone, but have this within us, as our guide. 

(b) Editor’s notation - Re: vs 16 see John 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Galatians 6:15

(c) Editor’s notation - Re: vs 18 see Hebrews 11:1, 13

My Daily Meditation

Today’s Reading

The Second Epistle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter4:7-15

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of that power might be of God, and not of us.
8 We are afflicted on every side, yet are we not in distress: we are in doubt, but yet we despair not.
9 We are persecuted, but not forsaken: cast down, but we perish not. (a)
10 Everywhere we bear about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our bodies.
11 For we which live, are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, and life in you.
13 And because we have the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken, we also believe, and therefore speak,
14 Knowing that he which hath raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus, and shall set us with you. (b)
15 For all things are for your sakes, that that most plenteous grace by the thanksgiving of many, may redound to the praise of God.

(a) Editor’s notation - Re: vss 8-9 - More than conquerors - Romans 8:36-39
(b) Editor’s notation - Re: vs 10 - Romans 8:11

My Daily Meditation

Today’s Reading

The Second Epistle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 4:1-6

1 Therefore, seeing that we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not: (a)
2 But have cast from us the cloaks of shame, and walk not in craftiness, neither handle we the word of God deceitfully: but in declaration of the truth we approve ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (b)
3 If the Gospel be then hid, it is hid to them that are lost.
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds, that is, of the infidels, that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should not shine unto them. (c)
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, is he which hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (d), (e)

(a) Editor’s thought - In the NKJ translation in place of we faint not, the words we do not lose heart are used.  One is reminded herein of Luke 18:1, where Jesus says to His disciples that men should pray so that they do not lose heart. Taking it further, we should seek God, via prayer and supplication, that we would continue in His perfect light. 
(b) Editor’s thought - There exist today those who would use the Gospel to  further their own ends. This is wherein in a previous chapter Paul speaks on the merchandising of Christ’s Gospel. 
(c) Editor’s thought - Re: vss 3-4 - Those who hear the Good News preached, and are resistant to it. Whose hearts are hardened, eyes are blinded, and ears are stopped by the god of this world, (Satan), and all the trappings that ensnare mankind. By which one says, I am in no need of God, or there is no God. I live my life my way, and fear not God.  These are they who are perishing and either refuse to see it or reject it outright. 
(d) Editor’s notation - Re: vs 6 - Read Matthew 5:14-15
(e) Editor’s thought - Just as Jesus declared Himself to be the light of the world (John 8:12, John 9:5, 11:9-10), so must we also be a light to those who’ve not been so enlightened by God’s Word, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus is the first fruit of the Gospel of Salvation, and we are likewise heirs in that salvation. We are to be as He is, walking in righteousness as imputed to us through His sacrifice. Let our light be one of peace and humility. Humbleness, as likened to a servant that faithfully serves his beloved Master. By this way, our actions speak much more louder than just plain words. We are to light the way for others to find the pathway to God’s mercy and grace, and plan of redemption. 

My Daily Meditation

Today’s Reading

The Second Epistle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 3:12-18

12 Seeing then that we have such trust, we use great boldness of speech.
13 And we are not as Moses, which put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look unto the end of that which should be abolished.
14 Therefore their minds are hardened: for until this day remaineth the same covering untaken away in the reading of the old Testament, which veil in Christ is put away.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is laid over their hearts.
16 Nevertheless when their heart shall be turned to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face, and are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.

My Daily Meditation

Today’s Reading

The Second Epistle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 3:7-11

7 If then the ministration of death written with letters and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance (which glory is gone away.) (a)
8 How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more glorious? (b)
9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. (c)
10 For even that which was glorified, was not glorified in this point, that is, as touching the exceeding glory.
11 For if that they should be abolished, was glorious, much more shall that which remaineth be glorious.

(a) Editor’s notation - Paul refers here to the ten commandments
(b) Editor’s thought - As previously stated in yesterday’s study, the law brings condemnation and death while the Holy Spirit of the Living God brings us renewed life. 
(c) Editor’s thought - We now enter into that renewed life with righteousness imputed to us through grace via the sacrifice of Jesus. 

I am going to preface this with a word to take your time reading. This is a long study, and is being broken down into various parts, and subparts. 

Evening Reflection

“Furthermore, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are worthy love, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, or if there be any praise, think on these things.” 

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians 4:8

The Excellency of Christ (Part 1b-1)

by Jonathan Edwards

Edited by R.P. Woitowitz Sr. 

There do meet in the person of Christ such really diverse excellencies, which otherwise would have been thought utterly incompatible in the same subject; such as are conjoined in no other person whatever, either divine, human, or angelical; and such as neither men nor angels would ever have imagined could have met together in the same person, had it not been seen in the person of Christ. I would give some instances. 

In the person of Christ do meet together infinite glory and lowest humility. Infinite glory, and the virtue of humility, meet in no other person but Christ. They meet in no created person; for no created person has infinite glory, and they meet in no other divine person but Christ. For though the divine nature be infinitely abhorrent to pride, yet humility is not properly predicable of God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, that exist only in the divine nature; because it is a proper excellency only of a created nature; for it consists radically in a sense of a comparative lowness and littleness before God, or the great distance between God and the subject of this virtue; but it would be a contradiction to suppose any such thing in God.  But in Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, those two diverse excellencies are sweetly united. He is a person infinitely exalted in glory and dignity. (Philippians 2:6) "Being in the form of God, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God." There is equal honor due to him with the Father. (John 5:23) "That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." God himself says to him, "thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever," (Hebrews. 1:8) And there is the same supreme respect and divine worship paid to him by the angels of heaven, as to God the Father, (Hebrews 1:6) "Let all the angels of God worship him."  But however he is thus above all, yet he is lowest of all in humility. There never was so great an instance of this virtue among either men or angels, as Jesus. None ever was so sensible of the distance between God and him, or had a heart so lowly before God, as the man Christ Jesus. (Matthew. 11:29) What a wonderful spirit of humility appeared in him, when he was here upon earth, in all his behavior! In his contentment in his mean outward condition, contentedly living in the family of Joseph the carpenter, and Mary his mother, for thirty years together, and afterwards choosing outward meanness, poverty, and contempt, rather than earthly greatness; in his washing his disciples' feet, and in all his speeches and deportment towards them; in his cheerfully sustaining the form of a servant through his whole life, and submitting to such immense humiliation at death! 

In the person of Christ do meet together infinite majesty and transcendent meekness. These again are two qualifications that meet together in no other person but Christ. Meekness, properly so called, is a virtue proper only to the creature: we scarcely ever find meekness mentioned as a divine attribute in Scripture; at least not in the New Testament; for thereby seems to be signified, a calmness and quietness of spirit, arising from humility in mutable beings that are naturally liable to be put into a ruffle by the assaults of a tempestuous and injurious world. But Christ, being both God and man, hath both infinite majesty and superlative meekness.  Christ was a person of infinite majesty. It is he that is spoken of, Psalm 45:3; "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty." It is he that is mighty, that rideth on the heavens, and his excellency on the sky. It is he that is terrible out of his holy places; who is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea: before whom a fire goeth, and burneth up his enemies round about; at whose presence the earth quakes, and the hills melt; who sitteth on the circle of the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, who rebukes the sea, and maketh it dry and drieth up the rivers, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, from whose presence, and from the glory of whose power, the wicked shall be punished with everlasting destruction; who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who hath heaven for his throne, and the earth for his footstool, and is the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and of whose dominion there is no end. 

And yet he was the most marvellous instance of meekness, and humble quietness of spirit, that ever was; agreeable to the prophecies of him, (Matthew 21:4) "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." And, agreeable to what Christ declares of himself, (Matthew 11:29) "I am meek and lowly in heart." And agreeable to what was manifest in his behavior: for there never was such an instance seen on earth, of a meek behavior, under injuries and reproaches, and towards enemies; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. He had a wonderful spirit of forgiveness, was ready to forgive his worst enemies, and prayed for them with fervent and effectual prayers. With what meekness did he appear in the ring of soldiers that were contemning and mocking him; he was silent, and opened not his mouth, but went as a lamb to the slaughter. Thus is Christ a Lion in majesty and a Lamb in meekness. 

There meet in the person of Christ the deepest reverence towards God and equality with God. Christ, when on earth, appeared full of holy reverence towards the Father. He paid the most reverential worship to him, praying to him with postures of reverence. Thus we read of his "kneeling down and praying," (Luke 22:4). This became Christ, as one who had taken on him the human nature, but at the same time he existed in the divine nature; whereby his person was in all respects equal to the person of the Father. God the Father hath no attribute or perfection that the Son hath not, in equal degree, and equal glory. These things meet in no other person but Jesus Christ.  There are conjoined in the person of Christ infinite worthiness of good, and the greatest patience under sufferings of evil. He was perfectly innocent,and deserved no suffering. He deserved nothing from God by any guilt of his own, and he deserved no ill from men. Yea, he was not only harmless and undeserving of suffering, but he was infinitely worthy; worthy of the infinite love of the Father, worthy of infinite and eternal happiness, and infinitely worthy of all possible esteem, love, and service from all men. And yet he was perfectly patient under the greatest sufferings that ever were endured in this world. (Hebrews 12:2) "He endured the cross, despising the shame." He suffered not from his Father for his faults, but ours; and he suffered from men not for his faults but for those things on account of which he was infinitely worthy of their love and honor, which made his patience the more wonderful and the more glorious. (1 Pet. 2:20) "For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently, but if when ye do well. and suffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." There is no such conjunction of innocence, worthiness, and patience under sufferings, as in the person of Christ. 

My Daily Meditation

Today’s Reading

The Second Epistle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 3:1-6

1 Do we begin to praise ourselves again? or need we as some others, Epistles of recommendation unto you, or letters of recommendation from you?

2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, which is understood and read of all men,

3 In that ye are manifest, to be the Epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. (a)

4 And such trust have we through Christ to God:

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think anything, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God,

6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. (b)

(a) Editor’s notation - Re: vs 3 - Read Jeremiah 31:32-34; Ezekiel 11:17-20, 36:22-28; Joel 2:26-29

(b) Editor’s thought - Since no person can live under the letter of the law, that is to say in complete righteousness, it is necessary for us to be renewed and restored by the Holy Spirit.