Sunday, January 11, 2009

New Jerusalem Trading

Eph. 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The Righteous man is of a more Excellent Spirit, Thomas Watson
"He is of a sublime spirit; he savors the things of God. A person sublimated by grace sets his feet where others set their hearts. He, being clothed with Christ the Son of righteousness and crowned with the graces as glittering stars, has the moon under him. The world may have his look but Christ has his love; he dwells below but trades in the Jerusalem above. A true saint is taken up about higher matters: getting the love and favor of God. He aspires after glory and immortality; he looks no lower than a crown; he feeds as the birds of paradise on the dew of heaven; he is employed about angels' work, lifting up God's name in the world; he is a living organ of God's praise."

I am challenged, yeah verily agitated and irritated Heb. 10:24, by those few around me who seem to really get this. These 2 paragraphs above have many provoking thoughts to ponder.
We were dead and followed our earthly passions, but God made us alive in Christ, by faith we can be made alive, so that we might show the riches of His grace by doing the work He has prepared work for us to do while we are here on earth. Even as we do those God ordained works we can have our eye on Heaven and be the organ of His praise.

Some questions;
Do I savor the things of God, or is my heart so inclined to the things of earth that higher things lose my attention?
Am I sublimated- or changed- by the grace that God has given me?
Is Christ the love of my life, even while I am living on earth?
Is my chief aim to get the love and favor of God?
Do I aspire after glory and immortality, or something much lower?
Is my main employment lifting up God's name in the world?
Am I a living organ for His praise?

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