by John Carpenter | May 16, 2016 | Devotional
“It is the Spirit that quickeneth — the flesh profits nothing” “For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.” [Jn.6:63; Phil.3:3]
The first of these texts is a statement of eternal, immutable truth directly from Christ. The second is a Holy Spirit inspired truthful description of all who have been saved that comes from the writings of the apostle Paul. Both of these texts expose and have to do in some way or another with revealing to us the truth about the “flesh”.
First of all, the Lord Jesus declares concerning the “flesh” that it is completely and totally unprofitable; or, more literally, the “flesh” is without any use or benefit to us spiritually! In fact, the rest of vs.63 and 64 go on to say, “…the words that I say unto you, they are spirit and they are life; but there are some of you that believe not!” Then the Word tells us: “For Jesus knew, from the beginning, who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.” Those who betray Christ in this life — do so by their reliance upon, and trust in, the “flesh” instead of Him.
Next, the holy Spirit of Christ through Paul, His apostle, teaches us that the true and genuine eternally loved and chosen child of God comes to realize that in this fallen and sinful world they cannot put any confidence at all in the “flesh”! This is so significant where our walk through life in this world is concerned. We cannot trust the “flesh” at all! This has to do with our feelings, our wills or the way that things in this world may seem to be. This teaches us that we need to be enabled and led by the Holy Spirit in order to rely only on the sovereignty of our Savior for everything that confronts us here circumstantially! This keeps us in a constant posture of humble prayer — waiting upon our great God and deliverer to manifest His saving presence in the midst of all of our trials. And, He will never leave us. He will ever be there for us to preserve, protect, provide and guide us. Praise His mighty Name!
Jesus told us from Jn.16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In this world, ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer – I have overcome the world!” This points us directly to the discourse that Jesus delivered right before He went to the cross. Here He tells us where it is that we have peace, even in this turbulent world of, oh so many, fleshly trials! We have peace “in Him”. In fact, He is our peace (Eph.2:14)!
Woe unto those that continually put their confidence and trust in the thinking and the deeds of the “flesh”. May our sovereign Lord, by His great grace, cause us to both will and do of, only, His good pleasure just as it says in Phil.2:13. This is that which constitutes for every true believer that which is described from Gal.5:16: “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Let us pray for one another that this be the substance of our walk in this world.
For Christ’s Glory Only-
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Apr 28, 2016 | Devotional
“…that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings…” “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit — the things of the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” [Phil.3:10; Col.3:1-2; Ro.8:5-6]
ce the world celebrated Christ’s Resurrection Day at the end of March this year, I want to give it specific acknowledgement here in April. And, what we see from our chosen texts actually demonstrates that through the resurrection of our wonderful Lord we for whom Christ died become the recipients of His eternally gracious blessings throughout our entire walk through this sinful fallen world!
First of all, the Philippian text declares that learning to know Christ is tantamount to both: getting to know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. This reflects Eph.1:19-20 which describes…what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe according to the working of His mighty Power (20) which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places…”. So, we owe the genuineness of our faith and of our true believing in the Lord Jesus Christ to His true and real resurrection from the dead as well as His ascension back into heavenly glory! In fact, we who are truly His have been spiritually quickened and “raised up together, (with Him) and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” [Eph.2:6] How wonderful is that!?
The Col.3 text, also, descriptively puts all the true children of God with Christ in His resurrection and His ascension. It poses a rather rhetorical question about that fact that includes the way the child of God should think while they are still here in this sinful and fallen world. It suggests that if we have been risen with Christ, we, therefore, should (lit.) set our minds on things above where He is and from where He rules! He is seated there on His sovereign throne of ruling authority over us and over all things! Think about that! Meditate on that almighty and victorious reality!
The Rom.8 text goes another step further with this and declares that this way of spiritually thinking is critical to our being a true child of God. It is even a common way of thinking among all who have truly been made alive in, and by, the Spirit of Christ! One is either in the flesh, or in the Spirit. If one is in the flesh, then they are spiritually dead; if they are in the Spirit, then they are spiritually alive and in a position of peace with God. This is because the mind of the flesh is enmity with God and not subject to the law of God and neither, indeed, can it be! However, the mind of the Spirit is the mind of Christ, our Substitute, and because of His eternally accomplished and completely finished atonement — He has wrought peace with God for us.
For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Mar 17, 2016 | Devotional
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Mt.11:28]
“All that the Father giveth me — shall come to me — and them that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out.” [Jn.6:37]
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him — for he that cometh to God — must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” [He.11:6]
“No man can come unto me — except the Father which hath sent me draw him — and I will raise him up at the last day.” [Jn.6:44]
These four texts of scripture succinctly declare the purity of an important truth of the gospel of the glory, only, of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the most part, many see the activity of “coming to Christ” as a primary and decisive act of the sinner…and it is not. In fact, the last text from Jn.6:44 clearly states that no sinful, fallen man can come to Christ — except the Father (God the Father) draw him! The third text from He.11:6 plainly says that it is impossible to please God in coming to Him as a saved one without true and genuine faith to believe in God and that He is an eternal Savior! The God/man, Christ Jesus, Himself, tells us from Jn.6:37 that all those from out of lost and fallen mankind whom the Father has eternally given to His eternal Son shall come to Him — and all those that do come — He will in no wise cast away from Him.
This, in turn, leaves us with the first text that is commonly purported to be a general worldwide invitation of Christ, Himself, for any and all sinners to come unto Him. However, the context of Mt.11:28 is that of being a command — not an invitation! Jesus is in no way contradicting the specificity of the other three texts, but He is in actuality underscoring and further identifying the ones who truly do come to Him in eternal salvation! They are sinners who have become weary and heavy laden with their constant, inescapable sinfulness and hear the commanding voice of the loving Spirit of Christ summoning them to come to Him for eternal redemption, peace and rest. To their weary and burdened soul this summons is irresistible music to their hearing ears!
As they come to the sound of His powerful voice — out of the mists of darkness into His marvelous light (1Pe.2:9) — He reveals Himself unto them as their personal Savior and Lord who will never ever leave them, or forsake them, or cast them out. Praise His holy Name! He truly becomes to them “the way, the truth, and the life” throughout the time of their life in and through this fallen world. His Word is the only thing that sustains and satisfies their longings — and counsels them all the way until they literally enter into His most glorious presence (Ps.73:24). Indeed, their daily struggles seem to center upon the dark and deadly iniquities that are so prominent where the proclamation of pure gospel truth is concerned (Ps.119:130> “The entrance of thy words giveth light”). His Word is to them a lamp unto their feet; and a light unto their path through this troubled and trying world (Ps.119:105).
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Feb 17, 2016 | Devotional
“Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet be inquired of by the house of Israel — to do it for them. …And they shall know that I am the Lord!” [Ez.36:37-38]
This text describes and articulates a definite immutable divine principle of saving grace that proves just exactly who are the true praying children of God in this fallen and sinful world. Here is a spiritual principle that declares the truth that true Holy Spirit led prayer always accomplishes God’s will, but never changes it. There is a foreboding misconception that has been propagated that prayer changes things — and it doesn’t. It accomplishes things! Jas.5:16 states it plain and clear, that: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man — availeth [or, accomplishes] much.”
When God moves His eternally loved and chosen ones to seek Him in prayer, He summons them by His Holy Spirit into His holy presence. They come before His sovereign overruling throne of grace where He allows them to take part in His fulfilling what He has eternally purposed to do and perform by His children’s prayers. If indeed anything is notably changed by their prayers — it is the child of God, himself, through whom the Holy Spirit causes the prayer to be uttered. The immediate providential things that make up our circumstances are going play out exactly as they are supposed to — all in accordance with the sovereign plan of God. It is our immediate circumstances that make up the unfolding reality of almighty God’s immutable (unchangeable) will. Praise His all glorious and mighty Name!
The main thing we should remember in the light of this principle of grace is that it is all important in the life and walk of a true child of God through this fallen world to do as the Word of God commands to do when it says to: “Pray without ceasing!” For to do (and be) what the will of God wants cannot be accomplished without Holy Spirit led prayer. Lk.18:1 says: “Men ought always to pray and not to faint!” A life and walk through this sinful, fallen world that is saturated with prayer, is saturated with life converting and transforming enabling grace.
After Saul of Tarsus had his life transforming Damascus road encounter and divine reckoning with the Lord Jesus Christ, Ananias was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to go to him. The Lord assured him that it was safe for him to go because He told him: “For behold he prayeth!” It is spiritually born from above into the very fabric of the regenerated character of the true believing sinner to know themselves to be so hopelessly helpless in themselves that they naturally become – in and through this world – ardent, earnest prayer warriors before Christ’s throne of sovereign over-ruling grace. This is what the Holy Spirit makes them to be to the glory, only, of almighty God! The child of God continually comes up against impossible opposition in this age of sin and Satan and death and they prayerfully, through Christ, prevail as champions and victors! And, they gladly give all the glory unto Him who called them out of this world’s darkness into His marvelous light. Praise His holy Name!
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Jan 18, 2016 | Devotional
“When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back!
This I know — for God is for me.” [Ps.56:9]
The beginning of a New Year is always a time for sinful fallen human beings to make (and ultimately to break) resolutions. They feel that if they can keep them, they will make themselves better people so that they can live healthier and happier lives. The Word of God is filled with descriptive principles that provide a simple truthful way to measure (even in this fallen world) the character and behavior of those who are saved and of those who are lost. For the saved ones these descriptive principles become, rather than resources for failing fallen human efforts to make and try to keep resolutions for human improvement — but reasons for seeking from God in prayer, through His Word, His enabling, converting and life transforming grace. It is God’s grace that is needed in order for any fallen sinner to become a Holy Spirit living scriptural description of one of His eternally loved and chosen saved ones in this fallen world. Jesus said, “The flesh profits nothing! It is the Spirit that quickens. The words that I speak unto you — they are Spirit and they are life.” [John 6:63]
The above phrase of Psalm 56 is a descriptive of every truly saved one that is alive in this fallen world. Ro.10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord — shall be saved.” And, Ps.56:9 declares: “When I cry (or, call) unto thee — then shall mine enemies turn back! This I know for God is with me.” The saved one calls unto the Lord — and He hears and rescues him. Among other things, this text is a great assurance unto all of God’s people that when they are led to cry out to Him — then all their enemies shall turn back from them. What a comfort it is to know that this is the way that it is! And, if anyone imagines that the motivation to cry out to the Lord is all their own idea, then let me refer you to Ro.7:18: “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me — but how to perform that which is good, I find not!” There are many in this fallen world the seem to trust in — and put their hope in — their own will to succeed, but all of God’s true children are led of Holy Spirit to put all their trust and hope in Him — and Him alone!
All too often — way too much credit is put on the seeming personal power that is resident in our flesh. Another very important scriptural truth that describes only the eternally loved and chosen saved one is found in that which is taught from Ro.2:28-29, “For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” And, Phil.3:3> “For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh!” We grow in grace to realize that when we are faced with the threat of an enemy we know that, “with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord God to help us and to fight our battles…” [2Chronicals 32:8]
For Christ’s Glory Only!
-John Carpenter
by John Carpenter | Dec 18, 2015 | Devotional
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich — yet for your sakes — He became poor — that ye through His poverty might be rich.” [2Co.8:9]
From this short, terse text of holy scripture there is delivered a most profound statement of description of what is referred to as the Biblical doctrine of eternal atonement by substitution. In it there is declared and made to be prominent the real reason for there being a celebration of Christmas, viz., the incarnation of the eternal Son of God where the history of fallen and sinful humanity is concerned. There is also referenced the high cost of what Christ had to pay in order to accomplish and acquire that which He came to provide for all those that God eternally loved, chose, decreed and designed to be the true recipients of so rich a gift as their personal eternal salvation through the person and work of His Son. What a great verse this truly is when one considers all that it touches where the gospel of God’s free grace is concerned!
How sad to realize that in today’s society and world Christmas time has become a time for focusing on all that distracts and literally denounces the true sacred message and meaning of it. Jesus has, by this world, become completely circumvented by Santa Claus! Christmas candy and gifts are things that are more relished than the fact that this time marks the coming of Christ, the God/man, into this cursed world as the Savior!
The Word of God from Phil.2:5-8 aptly exhorts all who have been graciously granted spiritual ears to hear and spiritual eyes to see, to, as it says: “Let this mind be in you — which was also in Christ Jesus — who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation and took on Him the form of a bond-servant: and being found in fashion as a man — He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and granted Him a Name which is above every name: that at the Name of Jesus — every knee should bow — of things in heaven, and things on earth and things under the earth — and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord — to the glory of God the Father.”
That which Christmas time in this world marks is the historical fulfillment of the eternal covenant between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to eternally save each and every one of His eternally loved and chosen fallen children. It is the Son of God whom the Triumvirate God sent into this world to be the Sovereign Savior Substitute for them. He, Himself, being equal with God, willingly submitted to all the mandates of that covenant which includes all that He said and all that He did (which requirements involved everything 2Co.8:9 and Phil.2:5-8 declare and describe and more). The incarnation of the eternal Son of God is manifested in the perfect person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ who was born in Bethlehem according to the scriptures. Praise and glory unto His holy Name!
