26 lines
4.6 KiB
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26 lines
4.6 KiB
HTML
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<div class="head">Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">April 4</div></div>
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<h2>Proclaiming Christ for Maturity in Christ</h2>
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<div class="block"><i><b>Him</b> we <b>preach</b>, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, <b>that</b> we may <b>present</b> every man <b>perfect in Christ Jesus</b>.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Col',1,28);">Colossians 1:28</a>)</div>
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<p><b>Spiritual maturity</b> is one of the heavenly blessings that is ours <i>"<b>in Christ Jesus.</b>"</i> Our heavenly Father desires that <b>all</b> of His children develop in this blessing of maturity: <i>"<b>that</b> we may present <b>every</b> man <b>perfect</b></i> [<b>mature</b>] <i>in Christ Jesus."</i> As God's people are being built up, the goal is that <i>"we <b>all</b> come…to a <b>perfect</b></i> [<b>mature</b>] <i>man, to the <b>measure</b> of the <b>stature</b> of the <b>fullness</b> of <b>Christ</b>; that we should <b>no longer</b> be <b>children</b>…but… may <b>grow up</b> in <b>all</b> things <b>into Him</b> who is the head—<b>Christ</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph',4,'13-15');">Ephesians 4:13-15</a>). Jesus is our standard of spiritual maturity. The Lord wants us to be maturing into the likeness of the character of Christ.</p>
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<p>For the saints to <b>mature</b> in Christ requires the <b>proclamation</b> of <b>Christ</b>. <i>"<b>Him</b> we <b>preach</b>… <b>that</b> we may <b>present</b> every man <b>perfect in Christ Jesus</b>."</i> Truth about the Lord Jesus Christ is the message that matures the people of God. <i>"<b>Him</b> we <b>preach</b>."</i> We need to know <b>who</b> the Lord is, <b>what</b> He has done, and what He wants to <b>do</b> in our lives, that we might trust in Him as our source for growth: <i>"<b>from whom</b> all the body… <b>grows</b> with the <b>increase</b> that is <b>from God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Col',2,19);">Colossians 2:19</a>).</p>
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<p>The Scriptures abound with many beautiful revelations of such truths about Jesus. He is the Son of God, <b>divine</b>. <i>"And I have seen and testified that this is the <b>Son of God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn',1,34);">John 1:34</a>). He is the Son of Man, Immanuel, God coming as <b>man</b>. <i>"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the <b>Son of Man</b> has nowhere to lay His head…Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name <b>Immanuel</b>…God with us"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Mat',8,20);">Matthew 8:20</a>; <a onClick="return mV('Mat',1,23);">1:23</a>). He is the <b>L</b><b>amb</b> of God. <i>"Behold! The <b>Lamb of God</b> who takes away the sin of the world!"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jhn',1,29);">John 1:29</a>).</p>
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<p>This Jesus is our <b>Mediator</b>, bringing us the new covenant of <b>grace</b>. <i>"And for this reason He is the <b>Mediator</b> of the new covenant"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr',9,15);">Hebrews 9:15</a>). He is our Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, supplying <b>all</b> we need from start to finish. <i>"I am the <b>Alpha</b> and the <b>Omega</b>, the <b>Beginning</b> and the <b>End</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Rev',22,13);">Revelation 22:13</a>). He is our "all in all." <i>"Christ is <b>all</b> and <b>in all</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Col',3,11);">Colossians 3:11</a>).</p>
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<p>Such truths about <b>Jesus</b> are the <b>ultimate</b> message to <b>mature</b> the <b>saints</b>.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Dear Lord Jesus, I long to mature in Your likeness. There is too much about my life that is immature or carnal. I hunger to see who You are and all that You want to do in and through me. Please reveal Yourself to me through Your word, that I might know You better and be conformed to Your image. This I pray in Your holy name, Amen.</div>
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