Having Received Him, We Walk In Him

by John Carpenter | Mar 25, 2025 | Devotional

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost – that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. (26) For such a High Priest became us – Who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners – and made higher than the heavens…” [Heb.7:25-26]

 

“As ye have – therefore received – Christ Jesus the Lord – so walk ye in Him: (7) rooted and built up – in Him – and established – in the Faith – as ye have been taught – abounding therein – with Thanksgiving.” [Col.2:6,7]

 

“I am crucified with Christ – nevertheless I live – yet not I, but Christ liveth in me – and the life that I now live – in the flesh – I live – in the Faith of the Son of God – who loved me and gave Himself for me.” [Gal.2:20]

 

“Know ye not, that – so many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus – were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore – we are buried with Him – through baptism into death – that like as Christ was raised up from among the dead – through the Glory of the Father – even so we – should Walk in Newness of Life.” [Rom.6:3-4]

We are once again looking at the same scriptural references as last month’s devotional. And, have already from there focused upon the He.7:25-26 text – that pertains to our Eternal High Priest – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our High Priest – because He alone is Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, separate from sinners (all of us) and made to be Higher than the Heavens! We also noted that the pure Truth of what is scripturally stated as being the “Everlasting Gospel” in Rev.14:6-7 – necessarily must include “All” whom Triune God the Father has – “before the foundation of the world!” [see Eph.1:3-7] chosen and placed in Christ (our Eternal High Priest, Redeemer and Holy Substitute).

Now let’s examine how this relates to us – right now – where we presently are in this fallen-in-sin world. The Col.2:6 text first tells us: “As ye have therefore – Received – Christ Jesus the Lord”. A key word, here, is the word, “Received”. Hence the descriptive phrase here concerns – in the same manner — that we have Received Christ – Jesus – the Lord – we are likewise to —“walk” – through this world – (as it says) “in Him”. It is critical that we truly do understand what this means! God the Father having placed us in His incarnated Son – for Him to be our sin — and cause us to become His righteousness so as to save our souls by His great grace. He made us to be approved and accepted in Him! This means that everything that is being described – has been done – in Christ! He is our Vicarious Substitute! This is how we have “Received” Christ Jesus the Lord. The whole Great Triumvirate has a particular work of grace toward us – in order to eternally save our lost souls! The Father placed us in His Son – His Son has historically lived a Holy Righteous Life (for us) – and His Holy Spirit (of both the Father and the Son) has been sent by them to take up eternal residency in us – even while we are still here in this sinful and fallen-in-sin – worldly age. This where Ro.8:14 so appropriately says to us: “As many as are led – by the Spirit of God – they are the sons of God.” He leads us through this world – right out of it – and right into — the eternal blessed presence of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus! All glory to Him!

This brings us immediately to Col.2:7 – where it literally – and more fully explains: “having been rooted – and being built up – in Him – and being confirmed (or, being eternally established; made firm and sure — that we truly are) – in the faith (which is His Faith) [see Gal.2:16]. “Even (it goes on to say) as ye have been taught (by the Spirit’s teaching and preaching) abounding in it — with Thanksgiving!” All of these verbal participle phrases are performed through us – and for us — by God – and not us. They have been all completely worked out – “in Christ” – our Sovereign Savior Substitute! In whom we have been chosen and placed by God – “before the world began!” [2Ti.1:9] Praise His Holy Name! If it’s not all Christ – it’s definitely all wrong! The last phrase of Jn.15:5 is – and always will be – absolutely true! This is where our Lord Jesus tells us: “for without me – ye can do nothing!”

The center of influence of all the contexts of these particular scriptures – is what has been concluded from Gal.2:20 and Rom.6:3-4! We will examine these texts in next month’s Newsletter… which is actually a Prayer Letter. While we are still in this fallen world – in these frail mortal bodies – we need to continually be praying and seeking our Savior for our own protection and strength. We follow Him by walking in His Holy footprints all the way out of this age and right into glory

— John Carpenter

Our Eternal High Priest And Substitute

by John Carpenter | Mar 4, 2025 | Devotional

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost – that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. (26) For such a High Priest became us – Who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners – and made higher than the heavens…” [Heb.7:25-26]

 

“As ye have therefore – received Christ Jesus the Lord – so walk ye in Him: (7) rooted and built up – in Him – and established – in the Faith – as ye have been taught – abounding therein with Thanksgiving.” [Col.2:6,7]

 

“I am crucified with Christ – nevertheless I live – yet not I, but Christ liveth in me – and the life that I now live – in the flesh – I live – in the Faith of the Son of God – who loved me and gave Himself for me.” [Gal.2:20]

 

“Know ye not, that – so many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus – were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore – we are buried with Him – through baptism into death – that like as Christ was raised up from among the dead – through the Glory of the Father – even so we – should Walk in Newness of Life.” [Rom.6:3-4]

These texts describe quite well the relationship that our Savior, Christ Jesus, initiates and enters into with every one of His sinner-children whom He has come into this – our world of fallen humanity – to Save. And, this is without exception where every single individual one of His loved and saved-by-grace sinner/children are concerned! This is a vital part of the Everlasting Gospel that is being described from Rev.14:6-7: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven – having the Everlasting Gospel – to preach unto them that dwell on the earth – and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (7) saying with a loud voice – Fear God and give glory to Him – for the Hour of His Judgment is come – and worship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountain of waters!”

There is One word in our English language – that sums up the meaning of all of the miraculous performance — of the eternally saving work – of our Lord Jesus Christ – of whom it is also written that “He came into this world – to save sinners” [see 1Tim.1:15]. That One word is: Vicarious! Which word has been defined as meaning – One Person – taking the place of another person in something endured, suffered or performed. The benefits and advantages of the Representing Person – having been fully applied to the person(s) represented; Substitutional! This is exactly what Jesus – the Great Shepherd and Savior – has done for each one of His sinner-children – His Sheep! [See Jn.10:27-28] As the above — Heb.7:25-26 text — says of Jesus — This is the pure truth of the gospel message – in the immutable and the eternal – Word of God – Praise His Holy Name!

This is what the First passage from He.7:25-26 descriptively declares to us. It tells us that only He is able [Or, all powerful enough to save us – from the “gutter-most – to the uttermost”]. He is our Eternal High Priest and Substitute! We come unto Holy God – by Him – and by Him alone! He represents us before God – His God and Father – and our God and Father [see Jn.20:16-18]. In fact, everyone who has been saved by Him – has been chosen and placed in Him – from before the foundation of this world! [See Eph.1:3-5] This articulates God’s perfect plan for the eternal salvation of His entire family! And, the list of Divine descriptives in Heb.7:26 of our Lord Jesus Christ is exactly what we need to be — in order for us to be approved and accepted forever in God’s Holy presence. It says: “For such a High Priest – became us [or, conspicuously was suitable and proper for us to be] —
Holy [or, the impossibility to sin] Harmless [or, completely innocent of any sin] Undefiled [or, completely pure; unsoiled] Separate from sinners – and – made [or, was raised up with Him] higher than the heavens!” This is what We are by the love and grace of our Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. We will survey these same texts next month as well – and hopefully see further ramifications of this wonderful Truth! Amen. — John Carpenter

Our Resolution As Followers Of Christ

by John Carpenter | Jan 23, 2025 | Devotional

“I therefore, the prisoner of (or lit. “in”) the Lord – beseech you – that ye walk worthy of the vocation – wherewith ye were called” [Eph.4:1].

 

“Be ye therefore followers of God – as dear children (see: Mt.13:36-38) – (2) and walk in love – according as Christ also hath loved us – and hath given Himself for us – an offering – and a sacrifice to God – for (or lit. “into being”) a sweet smelling savour.” [Eph.5:1-2] (see also: Rom.12:1-2).

 

“Forasmuch, then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh (i.e. in His flesh) – arm yourselves likewise – with the same mind (or, with the same way of thinking as our Lord Jesus Christ) – for He that hath suffered in the flesh – hath ceased from sin. (see: Rom.8:1-4) (2) That he no longer should live the rest of his time – in flesh – to men’s lusts – but to God’s Will! (see: Mt.7:21) (3) For the time past – of our life – may suffice us – to have wrought (or, “to have fully worked out”) the will of the Gentiles (or, more lit. “nations of unbelievers”) when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.”

It is a common practice — at this particular time of year – in its very beginning – that we are traditionally inclined to make new and better resolutions as far as our personal lives are concerned. Our Lord through the Apostle Paul does the same for everyone whom our Lord – through Paul’s personal testimony and witness – drew unto Him in their reconciliation and regeneration.

And, in regards to the Christian walk – of “the new man” (see: Eph.4:20-24) — what better resolution could we make than a resolution to be – more closely — a follower of God the Son – through this fallen-in-sin world? In addition to the worthy work of evangelizing the world around him – Paul also diligently sought to exhort his awakened and quickened bothers and sisters – to “walk worthy of the vocation” (or, the “calling”) wherewith ye were called” unto eternal salvation! And, what better encouragement can there be – but to exhort to obey the command to be the genuine “followers of God” as His dear children – as we walk through this world?! We should be earnestly praying that God the Holy Spirit – cause us to exude precisely — what the context of Eph.5:2 is describing! That we “walk in love according as Christ also hath loved us – hath given Himself for us – an offering and a sacrifice to God – (lit.) into becoming an odour of a sweet smell.” And this He did – all for us! Praise His Holy Name!!

We should not be surprised to behold Peter’s encouragement unto us in the same way! He wrote that Christ Jesus suffered for us – on our behalf — and that we should therefore exude the same way of thinking that He, Himself, was led by God, His Father, to do! He walked through this world entirely mindful of the fact that He was following His Father’s Will and agenda – in everything that He thought – everything He said and everything that He did! We also – in our walk through this world – as having been truly awakened and quickened – by His Holy Spirit! We, too, are following Him – having been chosen and placed in Him – before the foundation of this very world – to follow in His very steps – in His Holy and perfect obedience! Praise His Holy and Precious Name! Peter also reminds us from 1Pe.2:21> “For even hereunto were ye called – because Christ also suffered for us – leaving us an example – that ye should follow His steps” (see also: vs.22-25).

We will be looking a bit more closely to the spiritual reality that emerges for us – not only to understand – but also to come to emulate – all to the glory only of Christ our wonderful Savior! — John Carpenter