Bible League: Living His Word And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body. . .According to our verses for today, there are two things that God the Father has done for the benefit of the church. He has appointed Jesus Christ to be the head over everything and He has placed all things under His feet. What does it mean that Jesus Christ has been appointed to be the head over everything? In virtue of His victory on the cross, Jesus sat down at the right hand of "the Majesty in heaven" (Hebrews 1:3) and from their rules over all things in the created order. He rules over everything in the spiritual realm of the created order, including the angelic hosts. He rules over everything in the material realm of the created order as well, including the physical universe, the plant realm, the animal realm, and the human realm. Most notably in this context, within the human realm Jesus has been placed as the head of the church, which is His body. What does it mean that all things have been placed under the feet of Jesus Christ? In virtue of His victory on the cross, God placed all the enemies of Christ and His church under Christ's feet. In ancient times conquerors would place their feet on the necks of those they conquered as a symbol of the conquest. That's why Joshua had his chief men place their feet on the necks of the kings they conquered (Joshua 10:24). The Apostle Paul is alluding to that practice here as well as to Psalm 110:1: '"The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" Although Paul knew there were battles still to be fought (I Corinthians 15:25-27), he also knew that Christ's victory gave him essential control over Satan, demons, and the people they influence. Thus, everything in the created order is under the control of Jesus Christ and, in particular, His enemies in the created order have been ignominiously placed under His feet. God did all this for the benefit of the church. How does this benefit the church? Since Jesus is in control, nothing within the created order, especially the enemies, will be able to thwart the mission of the church. That's why your part in Christ's prophecy that we will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth is being fulfilled day by day (Acts 1:8). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 56, 57, 58 Isaiah 56 -- Keep justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 57 -- The blessed death of the righteous; Leaders Rebuked; Comfort for the Contrite NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 58 -- True Fasting; Keeping the Sabbath NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Thessalonians 3 1 Thessalonians 3 -- Encouragement from Timothy's Report NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.Insight Paul led many people to Christ and helped them mature spiritually. Perhaps one reason for his success as a spiritual father was the deep concern he felt for his spiritual children; he compared his pain over their faithlessness to the pain of childbirth. Challenge We should have the same intense care for those to whom we are spiritual parents. When you lead people to Christ, remember to stand by them to help them grow. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Exodus 34:20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck.Every firstborn creature must be the Lord's, but since the ass was unclean, it could not be presented in sacrifice. What then? Should it be allowed to go free from the universal law? By no means. God admits of no exceptions. The ass is his due, but he will not accept it; he will not abate the claim, but yet he cannot be pleased with the victim. No way of escape remained but redemption--the creature must be saved by the substitution of a lamb in its place; or if not redeemed, it must die. My soul, here is a lesson for thee. That unclean animal is thyself; thou art justly the property of the Lord who made thee and preserves thee, but thou art so sinful that God will not, cannot, accept thee; and it has come to this, the Lamb of God must stand in thy stead, or thou must die eternally. Let all the world know of thy gratitude to that spotless Lamb who has already bled for thee, and so redeemed thee from the fatal curse of the law. Must it not sometimes have been a question with the Israelite which should die, the ass or the lamb? Would not the good man pause to estimate and compare? Assuredly there was no comparison between the value of the soul of man and the life of the Lord Jesus, and yet the Lamb dies, and man the ass is spared. My soul, admire the boundless love of God to thee and others of the human race. Worms are bought with the blood of the Son of the Highest! Dust and ashes redeemed with a price far above silver and gold! What a doom had been mine had not plenteous redemption been found! The breaking of the neck of the ass was but a momentary penalty, but who shall measure the wrath to come to which no limit can be imagined? Inestimably dear is the glorious Lamb who has redeemed us from such a doom. Daily Light on the Daily Path Matthew 6:12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.Matthew 18:21,22 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" • Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:32-35 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. • 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' • "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. • "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Colossians 2:13,14 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, • having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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