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Showing posts with the label Mourn

Jesus: The Believer’s Inheritance

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  It is fascinating to observe when people talk about inheritance, ones mind would immediately cater properties, wills, houses, jewelries, and other material things. All of which are centered on material temporal things.   In 1 Peter 1:4 , although The Apostle Peter used the term “inheritance” once in his letter, Apostle Paul on the other hand, mentioned this term in his letters several times. ( Eph_1:14 , Eph_1:18 , Eph_5:5 , Col_3:24 ,) But what is so significant about this particular emphasis of Peter? After all, he made a brief description of the inheritance (verse 4-5) a believer will obtain now that he is part of God’s family.   The term “inheritance” is not something new among Jewish ears. Going back to the OT, when God divided the promised land among the 12 tribes of Israel, every tribe received a portion of the land as their inheritance, except for the tribe of Levi…”the priestly tribe”. They were the only tribe that didn’t get one. God’s reason for doing so is i...
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“No Laughing Matter” - Notes on James 4: 9-10

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 It is often the case that we encourage one another to rejoice. In the beginning of his letter, James explicitly exhorted the brethren to count it as joy when they meet various trials. Why, then, would the command be given in James 4:9-10 that the brethren “be wretched and mourn and weep” and to let their “laughter be turned to mourning” and their “joy to gloom?” * Think back of the sins addressed in James 2:1-13 (partiality), James 2:14-26 (faith without works), and James 4:1-5 (affinity to the world). It is in view of these sins that James is calling for them to be wretched, to mourn, and to weep. Indeed, despite the grace they have received, they have chosen to act treacherously. They were disloyal or faithless to their Savior and Lord. For this reason, it is only right that they should be miserable for having committed such sins.  With the same force, James commands them to let their “laughter be turned to mourning” and their “joy to gloom.” It is implied in these phrases ...
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