Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Dial Daily Bread

<x-tad-bigger>Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

One of the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to converted people is
discernment, which in simple language means the ability to recognize
the truth in difficult situations. A detective can recognize an
incriminating clue in a murder case. That’s discernment, something
most of us don’t have.

The apostle John gives us a clue to recognize the difference between a
false prophet and a true one, between a false Christ and the true
Christ: He says, “test the spirits, whether they are of God; because
many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). In
other words, don’t let yourself get fooled! You don’t want to end up
taking the mark of the beast! John’s clue? “Every spirit that does not
confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this
is the spirit of the Antichrist” (vs. 3).

That word “flesh” is </x-tad-bigger><italic><x-tad-bigger>sarx
</x-tad-bigger></italic><x-tad-bigger>in the original, the same
fallen, sinful flesh that all human beings have: Jesus came in that
likeness of sinful flesh, and “condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3).
And what is the blessed fruit of that accomplishment”? Verse 4 says,
“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.” That’s
an interesting word--“righteousness.” It’s
</x-tad-bigger><italic><x-tad-bigger>dikaioma</x-tad-bigger></italic><x-tad-bigger>
in the original. The usual word for righteousness is
</x-tad-bigger><italic><x-tad-bigger>dikaiosune</x-tad-bigger></italic><x-tad-bigger>,
which in the New Testament always means the righteousness of God, of
Christ, imputed to the believer. But
</x-tad-bigger><italic><x-tad-bigger>dikaioma
</x-tad-bigger></italic><x-tad-bigger>is different--it’s the actual
righteousness of the believer, imparted, not merely imputed. The lady
wears a leopard skin coat, it’s imputed, it’s not hers; the leopard
wears the same coat, it’s imparted, a part of him.

The reason why the long-awaited marriage (wedding) of the Lamb has not
yet taken place is that His Bride hasn’t gotten ready; He is ready,
she is not. But Revelation 19:8 tells how at last the church will not
only have imputed righteousness, but will have
</x-tad-bigger><italic><x-tad-bigger>dikaioma</x-tad-bigger></italic><x-tad-bigger>:
“To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright,
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

No, they won’t save themselves and they won’t have any merit; but
their </x-tad-bigger><italic><x-tad-bigger>dikaioma
</x-tad-bigger></italic><x-tad-bigger>will at last honor their Savior,
will give Him “glory” (vs. 7). Do you want to get “ready”?

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

</x-tad-bigger>------------------------------------------------------------------------

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