Even though Jeremiah was chosen from his mother's womb to be God's prophet, even though he was equipped by God, encouraged by God, spoken to by God, . . . . yet still, Jeremiah had to choose to obey God and stand in confidence before the face of naysayers as he delivered to Word of the Lord. He had to do so as a man with all his resistance and frailties. In all God's enduement, Jeremiah was still required to respond in obedience. He would suffer chastisement from God for failing to do so. As we know, in all Jeremiah's hearing from God and walking in His ways, it was far from a bed of roses. Jeremiah suffered tremendously.
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:" (2 Timothy 2:12)
. . ."be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them.", the Lord said to him. "By the Spirit" does not mean, "without you". By the Spirit means, not without God! Jesus said, "without me, you can do nothing" - it is a mutual partnership, requiring us to choose from a sincere heart willingly to love and to obey God. When Jesus said "without me, you can do nothing" He is saying "with me, you can do . . . ." Notice the "you can do" / you can't do is tied to with or "without Him"?
Another way of understanding by the Spirit is "of" the Spirit and "according to" the Spirit or . . .initiated and empowered by the Spirit.
The same thing which is true for individuals is true for endeavors.
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4) The born again believer has been given power to become the sons of God - overcome the world - therefore his heaven born endeavors also overcome.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)
Jeremiah's call to be a prophet of God to Judah "came down from above"; that is, was initiated by God Himself. Jeremiah's endeavors as a prophet of God, came down from above as well, hearing God and receiving directives of Him. Therefore Jeremiah and his endeavors overcome the world since they came down from above or . . . "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." Faith comes be hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord.
The Church is that City which comes down from God out of heaven.
"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Revelation 21:2)
We are citizens of heaven.
"For our conversation, (citizenship) is in heaven; from where also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 3:20)
conversation = G4175 πολίτευμα politeuma (pol-it'-yoo-mah) n.
1. a community
2. (abstractly) citizenship (figuratively)
[from G4176]
KJV: conversation
Jeremiah heard from God as all saints should.
"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes to me." (John 6:45)
Whatever your calling and directive from God is, it is born from above and destined to overcome the world. It comes down from God out of heaven and overcomes the world. It is eternal in it's affect and origin, being of God, that is, by the Spirit, of the Spirit, according to the Spirit, etc . . . Even as you are born again, of the Father, (1Peter1:3), so too ought your endeavors be born from above and not of the flesh. In this part, our endeavors, our behavior etc... we have a choice to either walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called or to walk in our flesh and in disobedience. This is why God spoke to Jeremiah saying, "be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them." and this is why Paul repeatedly called the saints to walk according to who they are and not according to the flesh they had been delivered from. (IE: Ephesians 4:1)
The way we handle this determines our reward when we face the judgement seat of Christ.
"Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)
God spoke to Jeremiah here in the same way Paul, by the Holy Spirit, spoke to the churches under his care; reminding and encouraging them of what Christ had purchased for them, reminding them of their holy and sanctified state and calling; then admonishing them to walk in it. Let your life and behavior line up with who Christ has called you to be and with what and who He has made you. For you truly are His workmanship.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)
God said to Jeremiah, "You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them. For, behold, I have made you this day a defended city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, said the LORD, to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:17-19)
The Spirit of Christ was IN Jeremiah, even as, if you are born again, is IN you.
"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come to you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter 1:10-11)
"Spirit of Christ which was in them" . . . .
My prayer for us today is:
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (Ephesians 1:17-19)
... Christ in you, the hope of glory:
(Colossians 1:27)
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:" (2 Timothy 2:12)
. . ."be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them.", the Lord said to him. "By the Spirit" does not mean, "without you". By the Spirit means, not without God! Jesus said, "without me, you can do nothing" - it is a mutual partnership, requiring us to choose from a sincere heart willingly to love and to obey God. When Jesus said "without me, you can do nothing" He is saying "with me, you can do . . . ." Notice the "you can do" / you can't do is tied to with or "without Him"?
Another way of understanding by the Spirit is "of" the Spirit and "according to" the Spirit or . . .initiated and empowered by the Spirit.
The same thing which is true for individuals is true for endeavors.
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4) The born again believer has been given power to become the sons of God - overcome the world - therefore his heaven born endeavors also overcome.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)
Jeremiah's call to be a prophet of God to Judah "came down from above"; that is, was initiated by God Himself. Jeremiah's endeavors as a prophet of God, came down from above as well, hearing God and receiving directives of Him. Therefore Jeremiah and his endeavors overcome the world since they came down from above or . . . "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." Faith comes be hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord.
The Church is that City which comes down from God out of heaven.
"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Revelation 21:2)
We are citizens of heaven.
"For our conversation, (citizenship) is in heaven; from where also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 3:20)
conversation = G4175 πολίτευμα politeuma (pol-it'-yoo-mah) n.
1. a community
2. (abstractly) citizenship (figuratively)
[from G4176]
KJV: conversation
Jeremiah heard from God as all saints should.
"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes to me." (John 6:45)
Whatever your calling and directive from God is, it is born from above and destined to overcome the world. It comes down from God out of heaven and overcomes the world. It is eternal in it's affect and origin, being of God, that is, by the Spirit, of the Spirit, according to the Spirit, etc . . . Even as you are born again, of the Father, (1Peter1:3), so too ought your endeavors be born from above and not of the flesh. In this part, our endeavors, our behavior etc... we have a choice to either walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called or to walk in our flesh and in disobedience. This is why God spoke to Jeremiah saying, "be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them." and this is why Paul repeatedly called the saints to walk according to who they are and not according to the flesh they had been delivered from. (IE: Ephesians 4:1)
The way we handle this determines our reward when we face the judgement seat of Christ.
"Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)
God spoke to Jeremiah here in the same way Paul, by the Holy Spirit, spoke to the churches under his care; reminding and encouraging them of what Christ had purchased for them, reminding them of their holy and sanctified state and calling; then admonishing them to walk in it. Let your life and behavior line up with who Christ has called you to be and with what and who He has made you. For you truly are His workmanship.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)
God said to Jeremiah, "You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them. For, behold, I have made you this day a defended city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, said the LORD, to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:17-19)
The Spirit of Christ was IN Jeremiah, even as, if you are born again, is IN you.
"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come to you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter 1:10-11)
"Spirit of Christ which was in them" . . . .
My prayer for us today is:
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (Ephesians 1:17-19)
... Christ in you, the hope of glory:
(Colossians 1:27)
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