Focus:
kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(
FaithOfJesus thread begun by r
RandyP )
Today's Verse:
kjv@Mark:9:42-50
kjv@Mark:9:42 @ And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
kjv@Mark:9:43 @ And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
kjv@Mark:9:44 @ Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
kjv@Mark:9:45 @ And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
kjv@Mark:9:46 @ Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
kjv@Mark:9:47 @ And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
kjv@Mark:9:48 @ Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
kjv@Mark:9:49 @ For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
kjv@Mark:9:50 @ Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Today's notes:
Context:
- Before - We (John) forbade him
- After - One flesh
Key Concepts:
slide:kjv@hell+
What is God's righteousness observed doing?:
- Setting a futue punishment for those that would set out to trip up the faith of the little one. A punishment so unimaginable the it would be better to consider the most extreme measures of self correction now to avoid the determined just torment evermore.
What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:
- The offence of one puts into question the salvation of that one's soul; a most serious crime against God. Note that the penalty does not appear to be immediate nor does the offence appear to be prevented. It is as if to say if I told you not to do this and what the penalty would be should you do it, would you still be inclined to do it?.
- The offer of salvation is based on faith making it available to any and all takers. The weakness of such a generous offer is that the faith of others can be stolen away by the offence of others. It is known in advance the opportunity that will be taken by others. Such offence seems compounded with the likelihood that it be taken by those that appear most to be of the faith even in positions of its leadership.
How is man reacting?:
- Despite advanced warning performing said offence.
- Blaming God for such judgment rather than attempting to understand why the offence would be so objectionable.
Notes:
Salted offerings are a Hebrew picture of perpetual obligation of covenant to another. Salting one's sacrifice is to perform it from the truer sense of the partaking of His nature and will, not from one's own. Fire typically suggests the Holy Spirit, everyone here salted because of the belief in Jesus and thus the baptism of the Spirit.
"Their worms dieth not" is repeated. The possessive is used stating definite ownership. It may be because they deserve it, but it maybe also be that they wanted or expected it, it may be the unsalted offering itself.
An interesting image is produced by Jesus by using the word Gehenna dict:strongs G1067 for hell. It was a dump outside of Jerusalem where child sacrifices were once discarded. It is as if to point to the irony historically of jugment returned upon them or the like measure judgment has with the offence.
The complexity of the theological premise of faith comes in where as in the example where believers have stolen the faith of a little one, are due this judgment. Are they still saved for believing? The appearance given is that whosoever by whatsoever means better deal with whatever it is themselves that is making them to offend in this manner promptly. One could ask what it is one believes about Jesus if never to put themselves to this. One could also think in terms of a church body that doesn't remove it's organization members/entities that operate the same.
Key Messages:
What does this say about our present condition?
- Members of the church itself are often the most offending. It may or may not be due to any one person. It can be an effect of the compound, in which case it still comes back to the leadership. It is the product of offering lacking covenant.
- There is also the pressure of offending from without. Even in these cases much of this is presented by apostate members of our same faith, within that ilk members themselves once offended.
Further Resources:
Comment Board:Mark:9:42-50
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:9:42-50 rwp@Mark:9:42-50 mhcc@Mark:9:42-50
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index
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