Day 9-"He"

Day 9- "he"
Once again we have a pronoun, specifically, and most importantly, a male pronoun. I'm not being a male Chauvinist, but I do believe we have a God who is the epitome of maleness. He is not as some would have us believe a neuter God. He has all the perfectly and perfected attributes of a real man, but he is also spirit. "He" is not, on the contrary, restricted to "he." He is not restricted by sexual passions or the other physical hindrances to normal (or shall we say fallen) man. His maleness is not as much physical as it is emotional and spiritual. If he were not a he, we would not be able to appreciate him. However, this is a theological discussion that I really have not studied well. However, it is important that "he" is "he." This word is specifying a male individual, named Christ, who was man (remember God made man first) as God had intended Him to be. It's not that Jesus hates women or that women are less, but God has placed more responsibility on men's shoulders. Anyway, this word reminds us, once again because we often forget, of who the glorious riches belong to, Jesus. He, alone. He sees, he hears, he is the source and giver of everything!


PS- I had to laugh when a came across this very European looking, as well as very feminine picture of Jesus. Jesus was a manly man Jew! Go "He."

Day 8-"Riches"

Day 8- "riches"
As I read some cross-references for the word riches and as I looked in Strongs for the Greek meaning I was intrigued. First, Strongs defines riches as "wealth, possessions, abundance, and fullness." I love those last two, abundance and fullness. Meaning there is plenty of these glorious things, God's riches are not running low, he's still got plenty to bestow (Strong's gives an interesting phrase in the definition of riches, it says, "valuable bestowment"), God is still willing to bestow His weighty or heavy value upon us. Secondly, I noticed that everywhere the scriptures (and it is only in the NT) that the phrase or derivatives of the phrase "glorious riches" it was always connected to Jesus Christ. Why? Because he was the perfect one, and all wealth (as scripture says in various places) belongs to Him because he was slain. Hence, these riches are His to bestow. These riches are even more closely connected with the word grace, "Rom. 9:23 '...he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory; Eph. 1:7 in accordance with the riches of God's grace.' But what are these riches. I have come to the conclusion, because of the aforementioned ideas, that because of God's abundance in His riches and because they are so closely connected with Christ's grace and mercy, AND because Christ was completely perfect, these riches are what we generally call, "the Fruit of the Spirit." You see, the fruit of the Spirit as the Matthew Henry commentary says proceed directly from the Holy Spirit, which indicates that grace has covered an individual and that the Spirit is able to work through that person. I'm reminded of Eph. 2:8, "For it is by GRACE you have been saved through faith and this NOT OF YOURSELVES!" The glorious riches are connected with grace because they are administered by the Holy Spirit not of the flesh which is an evidence of grace. As it says a few words later in this present verse, "through His Spirit in your inner being." Grace, abundant grace, glorious and bountiful grace that is not flowing from human intelligence or cleverness or flesh, but from the very Source of grace and it is flowing right back to the Source to bring Him more gloriousness!