KEEPING LAW OR LIVING IN GRACE...

              

     The Old Testament (first 39 books) and the New 
 Testament, (remaining 27 books) of  Scripture are
equally inspired by the Lord God.

 II Timothy 3: 16-17:   All  Scripture  is  given  by 
inspiration of  God and  is profitable for doctrine, 

for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righ-
teousness: That  the man of  God may  be  perfect, 
(mature) throughly furnished unto all good works.

      "And with this the words of the prophet agree.
       just as it is  written: 'After  this  I  will return
       and,  will  rebuild  the  tabernacle  of  David, 
      which has fallen down: I will rebuild it's ruins,
      and I will set it up, So that the rest of mankind
      may  see the  Lord, even  all  the Gentiles who
      are called  by My name,  says  the  Lord,  who 
      does all these things." 

                                                      Acts 15: 15-17.

      "On  that day I will raise up the Tabernacle  of
       David, which has fallen  down, and  repair it's
       damages; I will raise up it's ruins, and rebuild
       it as in  the days of old; that  they may possess
       the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who
       are called by my name." 
                                          Amos 9: 11,12.

   The apostles, early on, became aware of  the dif-
ference in what the Lord required of Gentile belie-
vers and what He had required, under the law, of
His people Israel.  In the verses following; 
Acts 15: 18-22, we find this: "Known to God from
eternity are  all His works.  Therefore I judge that
we should  not trouble those from among the Gen-
tiles who are  turning to God,  for that we write to
them  to  abstain  from   things  polluted  by  idols,
from  sexual  immorality,  from  things  strangled,
and  from blood.  For Moses has  had  throughout
many generations, those who preach him in every
city, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath"

(This was discussed in Jerusalem among all the
Apostles who agreed  totally and  sent letters to 
this effect to the brethren in Antioch, Syria and
Cilicia.
     Since I have become aware of the matter,  it
has been a concern to me that some Bible belie-
vers  try  to live  according to  a watered  down
version of the Law in this day of grace.
     It is clear as we look into this practice; their
efforts to keep the Law in no way can be recon-
ciled with the Law as given to Moses from God
at Sinai.  This refers only to  that  part given in
Exodus,  beginning  in  Chapter 20 through 23,
not  to mention the chapters that  follow, in the
rest of Exodus and  in  Leviticus. Do  you know
of  anyone,  Jewish  and Gentile  alike  who are
in any way attempting to observe the Law given
to Moses?     
So, referring to Acts 15:8-11 we find Peter say-
ing in reference to Gentile converts; (that's  us)
"And God, which knoweth the hearts bare them
witness, giving  them  the Holy Ghost,  even as
he did unto us: and  put no  difference between 
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.   
Now  therefore, why  tempt  ye  God, to  put a  
yoke  upon  the  neck  of  the  disciples, which 
neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear?"

But we believe that through the grace of the 
Lord, Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as
they."  (You might also choose to read vs. 5-7)

  This above and other texts in Acts shows how
our  Lord dealt  with Gentile  believers in  that
transitional era, after Jesus Christ arose, then
ascended to the Father.  From that  time there
came a body of literature from the Apostles to
believers, the  Church, detailing how it would
work, in  what is called the "New Testament,"
or Covenant.  Here we find how this was to be
applied in  the life of  a new believer in Christ.
This revelation  did not annul any  part of the
Law given to Moses at Sinai.  The new revela-
tion became part of the "Word of God," incor-
porated therein. There is much Godly wisdom
in  both  the  Old and New Covenants  (Testa-
ments that applies to living above reproach in
the power (Name) of Jesus Christ.
    We understand the Old Testament was writ-
ten  to Israel with  the Church in mind.  Many  
prophecies in  the Old Covenant  refer  to  the
Church of Jesus Christ, but were hidden at the
time, to be understood by reading the New Tes-
tament.  The  Old Testament  builds  our  faith,
giving a valuable heritage as we learn how our
Lord  dealt with  his people, Israel.  This gives
parallels  as  to  how He  might  deal with this 
new  entity in a given situation. There is much 
wisdom to be gleaned from careful reading of 
the  Old  and  New Testaments.  An important 
part of this is the deep reverence  or awe held 
by the Patriarchs in a time when we  take very
lightly the things of  the Lord and  His church 
With that in mind; the following Scripture rela-
ting to the Liberty of the Child of God in Jesus 
Christ:  
     "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
        Because the Lord has annointed me
         to preach good tidings to the poor;
          He has sent Me to heal the broken
          hearted, to proclaim liberty to the 
            captives."
     Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18 (Psalm 42:7) 
          (Luke 7:22) 

          "Pure and undefiled religion before 
           God and the Father is this; to visit 
          orphans and widows in their trouble, 
           and to keep oneself unspotted from 
             the world,"        James 1:27

       "You see then that a man is justified 
         by works and not by faith only." 
                                             James 2:24
  Reconciling the Law given to Moses and
Grace offered to us through faith in Jesus
Christ, is  not difficult, as we have seen in
James 1:27 and in the Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 15.  As  was noted in the writings
of the Apostle Paul;Grace does not expect
 the "Gentile" believer to keep the Law as
given to Moses in the same way as expec-
ted of Israel.  One other thing to keep  in
mind;  The new believer is expected to be
considerate of believing Jews, who might
have difficulty separating Law and grace
because of their traditions.  
The Jews I know today, are  not  strict in
their keeping of  the traditions and  laws
of  Judaism, therefore  are not  apt to be
offended if we observe the Law of Liber-
ty in Christ Jesus as seen in James 1:27.

   I  have a  Jewish  friend, who  has great
respect  for the Church of Jesus Christ,  is
married to a believer and they have a dau-
ghter who is  a  Gospel singer.  He and  I
have had discussions about this and I find
he  may, at some  future  time, be open  to 
the Gospel of  Christ.  We  must, in  every
case, live above reproach and avoid criti-
cism or offensive  conversation with those
who hold somewhat, different beliefs from 
ours.                       (Read Romans 2 & 3)

donporter,sr   12.09.13;   edited 7.15.16         
        
   
     
     


            

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM 1st. JOHN 1

     The Apostle  John was  apparently  the  youngest of  the  disciples of  
Christ.  He  along with  his  brother,  James, were  with  Christ from  the beginning  and he was probably closer to Jesus than any of the disciples, 
later  called Apostles.   This may  be the reason for  his being  called the
disciple whom Jesus loved.     

   This letter by the Apostle John was written to those with whom he had 
a part in introducing to Christ and his making  them  disciples.  Referring to them as  his “children,” shows the great  love he had  for them and his  
sense of  responsibility to guide them to maturity in Christ.  Studying the 
letter and those of the other Apostles,  we  see each taking seriously  this
task.  In the church today, my personal observation shows this  not to be  
the case.   It seems evangelists,  pastors  and church  leaders make some
attempts to engage  converts in a  system of formal Bible study and wor- 
ship,  but are rarely known to invest personal time in/with them.  (There 
are certainly  exceptions of  which I know.)  Results  are about the same 
as a family  having a child  born to them, then  leaving the child  to  him-
self,  without instructing him on diet,  personal hygiene or behavior. The 
child would not learn these disciplines on  his own just as a new member  
in the family of God, would not  know how  to go about  learning to  live
a successful, Christ honoring life.  

    There is also the very simple area of encouragement.  It is striking the  
number of  times  this  letter brings up  the  fact that  one cannot live the  
Christ  life without  engaging in the disciplines of love for  brothers, light  
from the Word of God, confession or repentance of sin and the durability 
of a relationship with the Lord because of God’s love for us.

      There is also the absolute  dependence on our Lord for the ability to 
live free from sin and the fact; we are in no way able to live a Christ life without fellow believers holding us accountable. I Trust the remarks  are
not interpreted to be a loss of  confidence in the Church of  Jesus Christ. 
On the contrary, they reinforce the principle of  fellow believers keeping 
each accountable,  since the church is  made up of  just such  individuals. 
The remarks are meant to be a reminder of how we might do a better job 
preparing "babes" in Christ to become  pastors,  evangelists and teachers 
of  tomorrow, when we invest our time and ourselves in their lives.   

   One other area lacking at times is prayerlessness on part of the church, 
you and me,  on behalf of each other.  Without fervent prayer very little 
of  any consequence will  get done in the  life of  individual believers  or 
the  Church as  a  whole.  With fervent prayer on  behalf of our brothers 
and sisters in the Church of Jesus Christ, the Lord will move heaven and 
earth to answer, in the affirmative.

 Romans 12:1-2  (KJV)
 I beseech you therefore,  brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present  your  bodies a  living  sacrifice,  holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be  not conformed to this world:  but be ye trans- formed  by the  renewing of  your  mind, that ye may  prove  what  is that 
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-mind-of-christ-philippians-25.html

                                                                           donporter   12.06.13

SEEK WISDOM (from the Word)

        11.28.13         

Psalm 111:10; The fear of the Lord is the beginning
               of wisdom: a good understanding have all
               they that do his commandments.

Proverbs 4: 7; Wisdom is the principal thing; there-
               fore get wisdom:  and  with her get under-
               standing.

Proverbs 23: 4, Labour not to  be rich:  cease from
               thine own wisdom.

James 1: 5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
             of God, who gives to all liberally and with-
             out reproach, and it will be given to him.
                                           see also, Matthew 7: 7 

Although Scripture does not have a once for all 
definition of wisdom,  the Bible is  the principal 
source.  It  was somewhat disappointing to find 
my dictionary trying to define wisdom using the 
word "wise" within the definition.
     An accurate, comprehensive definition might be:
"The quality or ability of judging rightly and follow-
ing the  soundest  course of  action  based on know-
ledge,  experience,  understanding,  good judgment 
and sagacity."   Prerequisites to wisdom:  learning,
knowledge and  erudition.  In  the past, wisdom was
regarded as having the ability to discuss, discourse;
teach with  sound  understanding.  A  weak synonym
may be information. Perception, judgment and fore-
sight  might  be  even  better  synonyms  since these
words are used to define sagacious.
     With all  this in mind, how does one acquire wis-
dom? When you look into the Scripture above; "fear 
the Lord,  obey his  commandments, cease from fol-
lowing your own "wisdom," and  "...ask of God..."       
     When the child of God humbly asks  for  a thing, 
and it is good; it is given, when the request is made 
in faith.  Hebrews 11: 6, "Without faith it is  impos-
sible to please him, for he that cometh to God must 
believe that  He is,  and that  He is a  rewarder  of 
 them that  diligently seek Him."  (Wisdom of  man  
comes to one naturally and is not  a "bad" thing; it 
is in no way a substitute for true wisdom from God.)
There is also this; One who is wise will seek the bles-
sing  of  our Lord.  The  word  blessed  may  be  des-
cribed, if  not defined; knowing  the  right and doing
it. The way to blessing then; when one learns how to
please the Lord through wisdom, he obeys.
   This obedience has a  three-fold purpose/result.  It
blesses, or honors  the Lord, the child of God is bles-
sed and subsequently, all who will, as they associate
with this  Child of God are potentially blessed. They
are exposed to Truth. This gives them opportunity to
know our heavenly Father, through the Son, as Sav-
ior, Jesus the Christ.  It also affords them wisdom to
know the right, and to  do it, and  be further blessed.
It is impossible to know Jesus Christ apart from His
"Word."   "And  the Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of
the only  begotten of  the Father,)  full of grace and 
truth."    John 1: 14

 In Proverbs 23:4 there is a principle implied if not 
stated.  The Child  of  God does not live his  life for 
personal gain. Wisdom is to know  things we see as 
temporary and unseen as permanent.

     Finally, wisdom is not only positive in it's result; 
there is the negative.  Exercising wisdom keeps one 
from actions dis-pleasing to the Father, being sepa-
rated from  fellowship with  his Lord and adversely 
impacting his family and friends.  So, by God given 
wisdom  one avoids the  pitfalls of life that can ruin 
his testimony and wreck personal relationships.

You might also check the link below:

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/07/truth-from-wisdom-literature.html

                                                          
 donporter  11.28.13  (edited 12.24.14)   

THREE THEMES FROM LUKE 22

There are several different themes developed in Luke chapter 22. At 
this time there are three, in particular, that have caught my eye.  The 
first has to do with Judas Iscariot, who had been with Christ for some 
three years  along with  the other eleven disciples.   In verses 1 thru 6, 
Judas approaches the chief  priests and captains of  the people, with a 
plan to betray the Son of  God at a time to avoid the large numbers of 
people who  normally followed Him.  These leaders  feared the people,
since most of the "common" people  thought Christ  at least a prophet 
and miracle worker.  Jesus, aware of his soon coming death;  verse 15-
16 says,  "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with 
you before I suffer;  for I say to you,  I will no longer eat of it until it is 
fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."

   In verses 19 thru 20 he serves the bread and wine of the Passover 
then says this,  "But behold,  the hand of my betrayer is with Me on 
the table; and truly the Son of  Man goes as it has been determined, 
but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed."  Verses 21-22) In the  
verses that follow there is  a surprising  response to  this declaration.   
"Then they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was  
who would  do this thing.  Now  there was  also a strife  among them,  
as to which of them should be accounted the greatest." 
                                                                                        (Verses 23-24) 
 Is it not just like us as "Church People," to miss the point of a Word 
from the Lord and begin to consider selfish interests? Here the Lord 
indicated  His eminent  betrayal by one of  his close friends" and His 
imminent death.  After  briefly discussing who it might  be that would 
 betray the Son of God, the disciples began their own self promotion.  
We have not changed very much...

      Just as earlier,  Matthew 20:20-28 the brothers,  James and John, 
with  their mother  asked  Jesus  to give  them  seats  of  honor  in His 
Kingdom.  The Lord  explained  how  things  are  in  the  Kingdom.  In 
Luke 22:25-27  we read; 25.   "The kings of the gentiles exercise lord-
ship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 
benefactors.   26. But not  so among  you;  on  the  contrary,  he who is 
greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as
he who serves. 27.  For who is greater,  he who sits at the table, or  he 
who serves?  Yet, I am among you as the One who serves."  The  pas-
sage gives the  attitude of one who is to be great in His Kingdom, but
the lesson was apparently lost on these disciples, as we see here.  He
again explains the disposition of one who would be greatest among us/
them.   The lesson seems to be lost on the church of today, as well.
   
We call our leaders "ministers," indicating that they serve.  Are there 
times when the one, who is minister  becomes an overseer?  His autho-
rity is the instruction of God's Word and does not reside in himself. It 
is also true in government.  One is appointed to be Minister of Defense.  
Does this mean he is servant of all?  No, this title is used to give autho-
rity over the Department of Defense;  control of  resources of the mili-
tary and over the lives of thousands of people who serve in that depart-
ment.  We still refer to this person as a minister or "servant."  It is the 
same in the church.  This was never intended in the Scripture.  Another 
view of this is the fact that Pastors have authority within the Church of 
God.  The authority is not  their own and is wrapped in their adherence 
to  Scripture.  As  long as a Minister,  Pastor,  or  other who serves the 
Flock of our Lord Jesus Christ ministers according to the Word of God 
he  has all the authority of  the Lord God with him.  That ministry must 
be tempered with humility and love of the Lord and the brethren...

In Luke 22:31-34 Christ explains to Simon Peter  how he would deny Him.  
Along with the idea that this disciple (later an Apostle) would deny Christ, 
the Lord then said something quite telling. Verse 32: "But I have prayed 
for  you,  that your  faith should  not fail;  and when you have  returned to 
Me, strengthen your brethren." Judas was a "devil" from the beginning, 
never a true follower. Simon Peter, a true follower of our Lord, was weak 
in faith just as we all are at times.  One other  thing about these disciples.  
They were not, as yet, filled with the Holy Spirit and were operating in the 
flesh.  In the first chapter of Acts of the Apostles, there is the account of 
the Spirit of the Lord God coming upon these men (the eleven) and they 
were all transformed.

     The lesson here for us is to make sure, as we follow Jesus Christ, 
      our lives are typified by a reliance on the fullness of the Spirit in 
       and on our lives, and the resultant humility that brings.   Other-
         wise we will fail and that may be disastrous.

Please click and read the link below....
                                                                           
 http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/02/holy-spirit-basics-acts-1-2.html              

                                                                                            donporter 11.25.13

         

THE MIND OF CHRIST, PHILIPPIANS 2:5

 THE MIND OF CHRIST                                                ISAIAH 26: 2-4

    “ Open ye the gates,  that the righteous nation which keepeth the
      truth may enter in.  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,  whose
      mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth  in thee.  Trust ye in
      the  Lord  forever,  for in  the Lord  JEHOVAH  is everlasting
      strength.” kjv

This principle, taken from the Old Testament is also applicable in the
New Testament.  The Lord God (JEHOVAH) of  the Old is the same
Lord Jesus Christ of the New.  From Philippians we find our key text,
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who being
in  the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But
made himself of  no reputation  and took  upon himself  the form of a 
servant  and was  made in  the likeness of  men.  And  being found in 
appearance as a man,  He humbled  Himself and became obedient to 
the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2: 5-8

   (Do we doubt that our Lord Jesus Christ dreaded the day He would
experience   torture,   humiliation,   death  and  separation   from  the 
Father?  With that in mind, we are given a different perspective of the 
One who came for the very purpose of suffering and dying for  people 
who in no way were deserving of such a sacrifice.  YOU AND ME!! )


Since this is stated in Scripture as the Apostle Paul writes in Romans
11:34 through 12:2,  we are Spiritually transformed when we become 
a living sacrifice and  renew our minds, refusing to  be  conformed to 
the world around  us and are able to  prove the will of God.  When we 
pray, we ask for  the will of God to  be done.  Looking back  to Philip-
pians 2:7-8, we see the same principle.  As Christ emptied himself of 
status and  went to  the cross we  humble  ourselves and  present our 
bodies as  living sacrifices.  When we pray,  according to His will, we 
submit our wills to His and are prepared to accept answers to prayer 
according to His will, knowing He knows best,  and has our best inte-
rest at heart.

 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which 
is your  reasonable service.  
  And do not be  conformed to this world,  but be transformed by the
  renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and 
   acceptable and perfect will of God.  
  For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among 
  you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but 
  to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." 
 (Romans 12: 1-3)

The price paid by our Savior was incomparable.  He left the presence
of his Father,  came as a man to a debased,  sinful and thankless cul-
ture, voluntarily giving up  His life for them/us.  Our price is less, but 
is significant.  We must  give up self,  submit  to our  Heavenly Father 
and at some point, according to his will, humbly accept gratefully that 
will of  service to God and  mankind.  The  rewards are  incomparable, 
and when one considers the alternative,  ours is  a small price, indeed.  
Jesus Christ  has already paid the lion's share.  (Lion of Judah, Reve-
lation 5: 5 - 7.)

 What then is our responsibility in the matter, one might ask;  It is to
simply place ones faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ 
at Calvary, and his resurrection, believing it  more than adequate to 
save us and by a figure, we take up his cross and follow Him.  
  We must learn how he conducted his life and pattern our lives after 
his.  He has  not left  us  in the dark.  We have  his Word to  show us 
how to live.  As we become indwelt by the Spirit of  Jesus Christ,  He 
will empower and enlighten  us to live, successfully, the life of Christ.  
We must guard against depending on our  own activity in working for
our salvation.  We are saved from our lost  condition through faith in 
the work He did as we serve and worship him according to command
and  instruction that follow;   Romans 12: 4 through 21.  Instructions 
are clear and quite definite;  We find our niche in the "Church,"  the 
Body of Christ, and begin exercising the gifts He has  dealt us accor-
ding  to "the measure of our faith." ( Verse 3)
    
In verses 7 thru 8 the Scripture  lists the  gifts as  Prophecy, Ministry, 
Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Ruling and one who shows Mercy. The 
gifts mentioned are accompanied  by the ability to perform them,  and 
for some,  instruction on  attitudes of  the one who bears  the gift.  We  
must remember; exercising the gifts is impossible without the Spirit of 
Jesus Christ  within us.  We must rely on his power and his "mind" as  
we serve him.
     
 The balance of this chapter, 9 thru 21 gives more detailed instruction 
on how to administer these responsibilities.  (The gift is accompanied 
by responsibility.)  Again,  there is  the Spirit  abiding in  us as we live 
out the mind of Christ and the rewards here and hereafter are incalcu-
lable.  May the Lord God bless our efforts in living the mind of Christ.
   
There are books available on this subject.  I have one.  I decided not 
to read it until after posting this piece.  To the best of my knowledge, 
this content has been taken from Scripture without input from other 
sources.  Now I will read the book.

"Living Out the Mind of Christ," Dr. Ben Gutierrez,  innovatechurch.
                                                                          donporter,sr.  10,26.13

    Having begun reading,  "Living Out the Mind of Christ," as above, 
there are four additions to make to the post above.  The first; having 
the mind of Christ is not "noun ," but "verb."  Being an action word, 
having a  mindset and  calling it the "mind  of  Christ," will  not work.  
If you would have this "Mind of Christ," we go back and read verses 
1 thru 5 to understand the description of the "Mind of Christ."   It is
in verses 2 thru 4.   " Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having 
the same love, being of one accord, of  one mind.  Let nothing be done 
through  strife  or  vain-glory;   but  in  lowliness  of  mind  let  each 
esteem other  better than themselves  Look not every man on his own 
things,  but every man on the things of others."
     
     Looking closely, we see the "mind of  Christ" is not one,  but three
principles of  life.  Just  as the nine principles of the fruit of the Spirit,
Galatians 5: 22-26 are the results of one living in  the Spirit,  not sepa-
rate but  from one source,  the fruit of the Spirit of  Christ.  Living  the 
mind of Christ will result in living out the three.  These points suggest 
to  us  the attitude our  Lord  had as He was on  the earth and lived his 
life  for others  with no  thought for  himself.  If we  have the "mind  of
of Christ," the actions of our lives will embody the same attitude as his.   
Remember "renewing your mind..."  in  Romans 12: 1-3.  This  means  
submission to our  Lord's enlightenment of our minds will change the 
way one  thinks; allowing  new thinking  ("Mind of Christ")  to  affect 
ones attitude  and actions described in Philippians 2:12-16.                                  
Thanks for reading, donporter 10.27.13

To begin these additional remarks, we must clarify something brought 
to mind while reading the letter of the Apostle to the Philippians. The  
opening  reads:  "Paul and  Timotheus,  the servants of  Jesus Christ,
Christ,  to all  the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the 
Bishops and deacons:  Grace be unto you, and  peace,  from  God our 
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."  (verses 1-2)  This letter was 
addressed to the Church, not an individual.  The Mind of  Christ must 
be lived  out as a body of  believers in the unity of the  Spirit.  It starts, 
of course, with each  individual, but one person would be hard  put to
live out this directive alone.  

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and  to good 
works.  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the 
manner of some is;  but exhorting  one another,  and so  much  the 
more as ye see the day approaching "          ( Hebrews 10:24-25) kjv                       

 10.28.13, edited 5.01.17

WHO SEPARATED THE "RACES"? Genesis 5-9

Below are some of the highlights from Jehovah’s dealing with Noah, a 
preacher of righteousness, who found  favor  in God’s  sight.  To get a
complete picture of these events read chapters 5 through 9 of Genesis.

"And God saw that the wickedness of  man was great in the earth, and 
that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil contin-
ually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and
it grieved him at his heart.  And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom 
I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the 
creeping thing, and  the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have 
made them.  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." 
                                        Genesis 6:5-8.

     "And behold, I even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to 
destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and 
every thing that is in the earth shall die.   But with thee will I establish 
my covenant; and thou shall come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and 
thy wife, and thy sons wives with thee."  Genesis 6: 17-18.

"And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark, 
for  thee have I  seen righteous  before  me in this generation.  In the six 
hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month,  the seventeenth day 
of the month, the same day were all the fountains of  the great deep bro-
ken up, and the windows of  heaven were opened. And the rain was upon 
the earth forty days and forty nights.  In the selfsame day entered Noah, 
and  Shem,  and  Ham,  and  Japheth, the sons of Noah,  and Noah’s wife, 
and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark. And all flesh died 
that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of  beast, and 
of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth and every man.  All 
in whose nostrils  was the  breath of  life, of  all  that was  in the dry land, 
died."                                       Genesis 7: 1, 11-13, 21-22.
                                                                              

     It is clear from reading these passages that the sons of Noah and their 
wives populated the whole earth from “scratch.”  Read Genesis 9: 18-19 
for the clear statement concerning this. “And the sons of Noah, that went 
forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japeth: and Ham is the father 
of Canaan.  These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole 
earth overspread.” We must deduce from these narratives from the Word 
of  God the fact of  the earth  being  populated by a single people of which 
Noah was  head.  There  were no other  people on the earth.  There are no 
suggestions of  racial  division  in  the Holy Scripture, and the word race in 
the  Bible  always  refers  to  a contest,  never to a  people.   Even the best 
“secular” dictionary I have found refers only to  the human race as a given 
and other references have to  do with geography,  color,  and genetic char-
acteristics from  living in  close proximity,  rather  than a separate "race."  
So,  according to extensive study and  reflection on the matter there is but 
one  conclusion.  (As I see it)   Racial  labels,  connotations and  prejudices
are a concoction of  people of  ill  will seeking  to divide mankind into sepa-
rate groups for their own nefarious  purposes.  There  is this,  however;  it
is clear as  mankind  became numerous after the flood and joined together
to  build the Tower at  Babel,  the Lord God confused their  languages and
with this mankind went in different  directions.  This is covered in Genesis
11: 1-9.  Would  it not  be  hilarious to  go into work tomorrow and find the
employees  speaking several different  languages as  they try to get  some-
thing done?  No way the tower would be built under these conditions.

     In Scripture there are instances of "curses" placed on individuals and
groups.   To the best of my understanding, these "curses" were removed
by  our Lord Jesus Christ during his  life  here on  the earth  through  His
sacrificial death on the cross, His burial,  His  resurrection and  ascension
back to the Father.  The reason he came to earth in the first place was to
deal with the "curse" of SIN in the life of His people.

     One aside, concerning my own background with reference to this mat-
ter.  My Godly parents did not display any of  the “racial” prejudice ram-
pant on this earth during my  lifetime and before.  Our  home atmosphere 
encouraged full acceptance of others according to their character.  After 
Scripture became my very bread, my understanding in the matter became 
clear. The Lord God does not see a difference in people groups or “race,” 
so how can I.  There is also this; The constitution of  this  nation does  not 
make a  difference  in ethnic,  color,  physical or  cultural  differences.   A 
citizen is a citizen with full rights and privileges, but it seems we have got-
ten it wrong on many fronts, and I will,  under God,  make  it a  mission of 
my life to make sure “ethnic" prejudice in all it’s forms shall not be a part 
of my life and to use any platform afforded me to inform my  brothers and 
sisters who inhabit this planet of the truth of this critically  important way 
of perceiving and relating to those who might be somewhat different from
me.                                    They are in the majority.

     In Ephesians 4, we find in reference to the church,  or body of  Christ; 
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of 
your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, 
who is  above all,  and through all,  and  in you all.  But to  each one of  us 
grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift." (vs. 4-7)

     One other note;  There are people in my part of this great country who 
believe, sincerely, in separation of the "races."  Some are,  as I am,  belie-
vers in the Lord God and  Holy Scripture.  At one time,  this belief  had an 
influence in my life, but  training from  Godly  parents  kept  me from ever 
being unfair to a person  because  of  perceived differences.   In  my  mind, 
there were  reservations  about how close one  might  be to  a  person who  
was different from me.  The  idea  of  marriage  between people who were 
unlike in  certain  ways  was  thought to  be unwise.   This was  pure ethnic 
prejudice.   Because of this, there  is  an understanding, on my part, of one 
who might harbor the same prejudice that influenced me.  This piece is not 
offered to alienate anyone,  and if  your  understanding  remains  different 
from  mine,  please  communicate  your  reasons with  me,  with awareness
of my conviction and knowledge that I do not have a corner on truth.                       
 don porter, sr                                                 jlrsbnch@msn.com...

     In retrospect,  all of life, as I see it, is a process of  growth.  There will 
be many changes in  thought patterns,  attitudes and  relationship skills as 
we mature in a life centered on Jesus Christ and His Word.  If we neglect
this Word and fail to make  it's principles basic to our  understanding,  we 
will  become stagnant,  the changes our  Lord would make for our benefit 
will  be retarded, and we will fall  in with folks who drift  through this  life 
without purpose.  We will then fail to accept the changes for the better of 
ourselves, friends and family.  God Bless you as you stay in the Word and 
become all you were meant to be in Christ Jesus.  

       Understand this:   Nothing written in  this  blog is considered by this
blogger to be a definitive exposition of the Scripture referenced. There is 
no way we may even grasp the main facets of the Mind of Christ as recor-
ded in His Word  and for a person to set  himself to be some authority on 
the  Bible is ludicrous.  We are  disciples, or learners  and are, hopefully, 
led by the Holy Spirit of God.   I ask your constant  indulgence, and com-
ments are always welcome.    

      Thanks for reading.                              edited... donporter 7.17.16      

JUSTIFICATION, Romans 5

          (This post is not in any way to be construed to be 
a proper treatment of this deep and most  holy princi-
ple (doctrine) of Holy Scripture.  The author is inca- 
pable of that kind of exegesis.)  Look it up; Websters. 
I had to look it up for the correct spelling.(Exegesis)

In Romans 5: 6-8;
     "For  when we  were  still without strength, in due 
time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a 
righteous man will one die; yet, perhaps for a good 
man someone would even dare to die.
But  God demonstrates  his own love  for us in that
while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  the 
ungodly.
   
      Jesus Christ said, "Think not that I am come 
      to destroy the law, or the Prophets; I am not 
         come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill.  
      For verily I say unto you; Till heaven and 
         earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no 
      wise pass from  the Law, till  all  be  fulfilled." 
         
Justification:  a forensic term, opposed to condem-
nation.  As regards it's nature, it is the judicial act 
of  God,  by  which  He  pardons  all  the  sins  of  
those who believe in Christ, and accounts, (treats)
them as  righteous in  the eyes of the Law,i.e.,  as 
conformed  to all it's  demands.  In addition  to the 
pardon  (q.v.) of sin,  justification  declares all  the 
claims of the law satisfied in respect of the justified.
It is the act of a judge; not a sovereign. The  Law is 
not  relaxed or set  aside, but  is declared to be ful-
filled in the strictest sense; and the person justified
is declared  to be entitled to all advantages and the 
rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law."   
                              (See Romans 5: 1-10)
It proceeds on the  imputing or crediting to the
believer, by God himself, the perfect righteous-
ness, active and passive, of  his Representative
and surety, Jesus Christ. Rom. 10: 3-9  Justifi-
cation  is not the  forgivenes of a  man without
righteousness, but a  declaration  that he  pos-
sses a  righteousness, which perfectly and for-
ever  satisfies the law, namely, the  righteous-
ness of  Christ. 2 Cor. 5:21; and Rom. 4: 6-8.

     The sole condition on which this righteous-
ness  is imputed  or credited to  the believer is
faith in  or on the Lord  Jesus Christ.  Faith is
called a  "condition,' not  because it possesses
any  merit,  but  because  it  is the only instru-
ment by which the soul appropriates or appre-
hends Christ and his righteousness."

  (Rom. 1:17; 3:25, 26; 4:20, 22;Phil. 3:8-11;  
    Gal. 2: 16...) 

   The act of faith which thus secures our justi-
fication, secures,  at the same time our sancti-
fication(q.v.); thus the doctrine of justification  
by faith does  not lead to licentiousness.   
                                                        (Rom. 6:2-7). 

Good  works,while not the grounds, are the cer-
tain  consequence of  justification  (6:14. 7:6.)                    
Sanctification is  a process,  awarded,  without  
merit, to believers.  
  
       (This definition of Justification was taken
        from Easton's Bible Dictionary which is 
       on the Bible Gateway website.)
  

            Romans 5: 18,  (Referring to Adam, 
          then to Jesus Christ it says...)

         "Therefore, as through one  man's  offense,
         judgment  came  to  all  men,  resulting  in        
        condemnation, even  so through one man's
        righteous act the free gift came to all men."

   In order to apply  this principle/doctrine to one's
life, an understanding of the term may be required
by a thorough study  of  Romans chapter 5, as well
the  whole of  Paul's letter's to the Church at Rome
and Galatia."

     In the process of re-reading this post, I must 
     point out there has been  help from scholars.
    The post has very little in it from this blogger.
    The Word of  God has been my major source.

  10.10.13  don porter,sr. edited 1.16.14, 8.25.14,
12.24.14, & 2.03.17