Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them...He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  (2 Corinthians 5:19-21) What does God see when He looks at people of the world? I think that from the time Jesus "humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death" on the "cross" , God no longer focuses on the sin of mankind.  God is not confined to time.  He sees mankind in its finished product as if it has already been manifested.  What He sees is the inevitable result of "Christ reconciling the world".   He looks at mankind and sees   "every knee"  bowing a nd "every tongue" confessing   "Jesus Christ is Lord" . "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him...

“Neither give heed to myths…” (I Timothy 1:4). “Refuse profane and old wives' myths…” (I Timothy 4:7). “They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto myths” (II Timothy 4:4). “Not giving heed to Jewish myths, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth” (Titus 1:14). Paul was warning about this over 1900 years ago. It makes good common sense for us to think about the "myths" , "old wives’ myths" and "commandments of men" which get embedded in church doctrine from time to time and return to the truth if we have been "turned"  to these "myths" .   "It is a trustworthy saying, deserving full acceptation, and it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers, Prescribe and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

“...So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne! Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-10) Do you get it? Let's review... 1.  “Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!” 2.  “Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!” 3.   “Live happily with the woman you love...” 4.   “The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.” 5.  “Whatever you do, do well.” I Got it...Especially the part about Sue Ann!

“But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” (Acts 5:19-20) What are the “words of this life” that they were instructed to speak to the people? “…they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” (Acts 4:2) The “words of this life” – the gospel – is our resurrection from death through Jesus. Paul speaks of it as if it has already occurred… “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world …deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that IN THE COMING AGES he might show the incomparable riches of his grace...