Is That In The Bible? 1

~ “God Helps Those Who Help Themselves” ~

This posting is a response to a blog entitled “7 Things You Won’t Find in the Bible… I Dare You to Look.” I am taking that challenge! The first phrase listed in that posting was “God helps those who help themselves.”

R.W. Glenn once wrote, “God does not help those who help themselves; He helps those who are convinced they could never help themselves.” That is certainly an accurate Biblical truth. I would also agree the phrase is not found in our English Bible. But what about the principle behind the phrase?

Words by themselves are meaningless—it is only when we attach meaning to the words that communication occurs. The principle behind this phrase can be found in the Bible, but the phrase can be heresy when different meanings are behind the words and the phrase. 

The author of that piece supported his position by quoting the following verses. 

(1) “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly... But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8).

(2) “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26).

(3) “Thus says the Lord, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord’” (Jeremiah 17:5).

Note that the first passage is talking about the process of salvation and how man is totally helpless before a righteous God—the process to peace with God is only through Jesus Christ. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6). It is an absolute truth that man has no part in salvation! The second passage speaks about walking wisely. To do that we need the counsel of all of Scripture! Finally, the third passage relates putting your trust in human effort while ignoring God. 

The spiritual life requires a balance. In reference to this topic we need to understand the whole of Scripture—the best commentary on Scripture is Scripture! 

“God Helps Those Who Help Themselves”  ~  While it is true that the Christian is totally  dependent upon God, it is also true that they have an absolute responsibility before God to walk in the light and abilities they have been given. For example, one responsibility includes training ourselves to be Godly (1 Timothy 4:7). There are many other directions in Scripture about how Christians are to live. 

There are many “apparent contradictions” about the Christian life, but they are not really contradictions. They are like an old-style balance with two items hanging on opposite sides of a center pivot point—it is only one scale with two balancing items. In this case the two items to be kept in balance are “Dependence Upon God” as noted above and “Absolute Responsibility Before God.”

Either of these two truths can be misunderstood. Neither should be applied as a hard and fast principle without the countering effect of the other.

additional comment:  Do you want to better comprehend the balance between “Dependence Upon God” and “Absolute Responsibility Before God”? This balance is the center of the “Christian Life Model” (Chapter 2 of the book “Thy Will Be Done On Earth” by Robert Lloyd Russell).  More information about this book can be found on the right column, the tab at the top, or the author’s website. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

2 Priests

~ Luke’s Gospel Opens and Ends with a Priest ~

The Gospel of Luke opens with an earthly priest at the altar of incense on earth. The people are worshipping outside the temple in doubt and fear (Luke 1:8-21).

Luke closes his account with the Great High Priest entering into the heavenly temple with His saints as they worship with great joy and certainty (the very last verses of Luke’s Gospel – Luke 24:50-53) .

The Start of Luke’s Gospel  ~  “So it was, that while he [Zacharias] was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’  

“And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.’ And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.’ And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple” (Luke 1:8-21).

The End of Luke’s Gospel  ~  Luke closes his Gospel with an account of the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. “And He [Jesus Christ] led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen” (Luke 24:50-53).  

So, what is your reaction? Do you have a personal relationship with the Great High Priest? Will you one day be with Christ in heaven with great joy?

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Jesus Christ in Deuteronomy

~ Jesus Christ Is a Prophet Like Moses and More ~

The Bible is about Jesus Christ  ~  “Jesus said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

Moses Foreshadowed Jesus Christ  ~  Moses himself said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to Him” (18:15).  Through the rest of the Old Testament, God did raise up many prophets, but none were like Moses. “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10). 

Jesus Christ Was The Mightiest Prophet  ~  Moses led twelve tribes—The Messiah led twelve disciples. Moses gave parting instructions to his followers (see Deuteronomy 33).  The Messiah also gave parting instructions to His followers, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). 

Moses Gave The Law—Jesus Christ Fulfilled The Law  ~  When the Messiah came to earth He came to fulfill the Law. Jesus Christ said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-19). 

Jesus Christ’s Response to Satan  ~ What was Christ's response to Satan's temptation? He referred Satan to the Scriptures, specifically the book of Deuteronomy: “He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3). His response is enlightening. He responded by quoting Scripture—keep in mind that the first book of the New Testament would not be written for about another 15 years.

the key:  The important thing to note is that mankind was not then, and is not now, to live by physical food alone but by spiritual food from above: “He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”’” (Matthew 4:4).

the pattern:  As Satan continued his efforts to tempt Jesus, His response remained consistent (quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, 13; 10:20). The authority of God’s Word gives victory. “Take the helmet of salvation [our protection], and the sword of the Spirit [our weapon], which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

Comment  ~  We have only touched the surface of Christ in Deuteronomy. Much more could be said about each of the previous examples.

For Further Study  ~  Compare the following passages from Scripture:

Deuteronomy 5:16 with Matthew 15:4 and Mark 7:10

Deuteronomy 6:4 with Mark 12:29

Deuteronomy 6:5 with Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27   

Deuteronomy 6:13 with Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8

Deuteronomy 6:16 with Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:12  

Deuteronomy 8:3 with Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4   

Deuteronomy 10:12 with Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27

Deuteronomy 10:20 with Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8  

Deuteronomy 19:15 with Matthew 18:16  

Deuteronomy 30:6 with Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27  

The Apostle Paul told us the Scriptures present many shadows of things to come but the reality is found in Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:17). 

~~~ EXPLANATORY “JESUS CHRIST IN EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE” SERIES ~~~   

(1)  Approximately once a month ALN posts an overview of how Jesus Christ is seen in a specific book of the Bible.

(2)  In most cases these posts only scratch the surface regarding Jesus Christ in the particular book.

(3)  These posts will typically be in the same order as the books are found in the Bible.

(4)  These serial posts are in addition to our other ALN postings.

(5)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 95

~ Messiah Would Die In His Prime, 1 ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“The days of His youth You have shortened; You have covered Him with shame” (Psalm 89:45). 

The Messiah  

ALN NOTE:  According to the Scriptural account Jesus Christ, the Messiah, lived about 33 years before being crucified.

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW