2/14/2016

PRE-DEFINED Limits OR PRE-DESTINATION ? -- OR --- DARE to Be a DISCIPLE ... Passover MEDITATIONS for the Monastic-At-Heart ... Ephesians 1:5




Meditations  for Pascha

(The Passover Season, 2016)
+  +  +

Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart

Now is My+ soul troubled;
and what shall I+ say ...
FATHER,
save ME+
from this hour ?
but for this cause
came I+ unto this hour.

FATHER,
Glorify Thy Name.

Then came there a Voice from Heaven, saying,

I have both glorified It,
and will glorify It again.

John12:27-28

+  +  +


Meditation Verse
Ephesians 1: 5

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by JESUS CHRIST to HIMSELF, according to the good pleasure of HIS Will,

In the literal Greek:

Having pre-defined us for placing as a son through JESUS CHRIST unto Himself according to the good pleasure of HIS will.

The literal Greek, expanded in meaning*:

The FATHER ,  Having pre-defined us for the purpose of placing us as a son through JESUS CHRIST unto The FATHER Himself , according to the good pleasure of HIS ,The FATHER'S ,will.

{ *See the discussion of the Greek grammar at the end of the post .}

+  +  +

Our Great Heavenly FATHER made a way ... ONE way ... for mankind to come unto HIMSELF. The LORD JESUS told us what that one way is.


Our Heavenly FATHER has no "favorites" among mankind.  HIS Great Heart is open to all. All are invited.

Because sin entered the Adamic race, however, Our Heavenly FATHER re-defined or re-set the boundaries of who will enter Heaven.  After Adam's sin, not ALL MEN will enter Heaven; it would be defiled if that were so.

HE put limitations on the Adamic race in regards as to who would enter into the Heavenly realm.

These limits HE set in motion in accord with HIS Only-begotten SON+ before the foundation of the kosmos, the world.

What were these limitations ?

These boundaries, which were pre-set before the foundation of the kosmos, the world, were defined by and through CHRIST JESUS.

All men are invited to come to JESUS. HE+ is said to be "the friend of sinners." That is, HE+ receives every sinner no matter what the sin, for cleansing ... if the sinful one repents and converts to following JESUS.

HE+ said, " I+,  I+ AM the Way, the Truth, and The Life; no man comes to The FATHER but by ME+. "  John 14:6

Thus, knowing ahead of time the sins of mankind, our Heavenly FATHER re-defined who among men could come to HIM... before the foundation of the world, before there were any "Adams."

All who repent and are converted from their Self-serving life to follow JESUS CHRIST as LORD and master of their life are the ones who enter into Heaven.

They are the ones who gain that placement there as sons. They are the ones who receive a NEW IDENTITY ... an identity which was established before the foundation of the world.

They are the ones who choose JESUS.

The FATHER ,  having pre-defined us for the purpose of placing us as a son through JESUS CHRIST unto Himself , according to the good pleasure of HIS Will, chooses us WHEN WE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS.


We cannot come to The FATHER
any other way.

+  +  +
Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly FATHER ...

We have sinned...
in thinking that we can live any way we want to because we have been pre-selected to have a place  in Heaven.

We have erred...
living as though we could never lose that placement, even though we were serving Self by having that very mind-set.

We have mis-judged...
Thy fatherly goodness extended to all mankind and taken advantage of it. We even promoted un-discipled living to others, thinking that we were pre-selected and others, obviously, were not.

We repent...
of mis-representing Thy Character, to others , to our own Self.

We accept...
the boundaries placed upon mankind: that we must be born from above in order to enter Heaven.

Not one person comes to THEE+, O FATHER, except through Thy Beloved SON+, the LAMB+ of GOD, slain from the foundation of the kosmos, the world, for us.

We openly acknowledge...
the limitations THOU hast established about who enters into Heaven.

Blessed be GOD: FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT.

In our heart-felt repentance and amendment of life, we beseech THEE to make us acceptable to THEE through Thy Beloved SON+, our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.   Amen.


+  +  +

Glory be to The FATHER,
and to His Beloved SON+
JESUS CHRIST,
and to the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:
FATHER,
SON+,
and HOLY SPIRIT,
both now and forever,
world without end.
Amen.


+  +  +

Worthy is the LAMB+.

Worthy is The LAMB+
that was slain.

Worthy is the LAMB+,
slain
from the foundation
of the earth.
Revelation 13:8



*Discussion of the Greek grammar of Ephesians 1:5.

KJV: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by  JESUS CHRIST to HIMSELF, according to the good pleasure of HIS Will,

Expanded Greek:
The FATHER ,  Having pre-defined us for the purpose of placing us as a son through JESUS CHRIST unto The FATHER Himself , according to the good pleasure of HIS ,The FATHER'S ,will.

At the beginning of the verse, the verb participle is aorist active and nominative. The subject is found in the previous verses, hence "The FATHER" is the subject telling us who did the action.

The two pronouns, Himself and HIM refer back to The FATHER, by a logical and careful reading of the verse. They do not refer unto JESUS.

The verb participle, pro-oriz0, has been translated in the KJV as "pre-destination."  The pre- means beforehand, obviously.

The second part of that verb, horiz0, means to set as a boundary, a limit, to mark out definitively. We know it as the English word, "horizon."

Horiz0   has nothing to do with something one is helpless to either avoid or to bring about... as the word "destiny" means.

This word simply means pre-set or pre-defined and it refers to the defining of those who qualify to enter Heaven into the Presence of GOD. They are defined as persons who follow JESUS, whose lives are centered "within" HIM+.

This limitation or definition was set before the foundation of the world, before mankind was created.

Hence, pro-oriz0, does NOT MEAN predestination.

It is unfortunate for Christendom for that word and concept to be found in this verse in Holy Scriptures.

That erroneous translation seemingly establishes the erroneous concept of persons being pre-selected for an entrance into Heaven, regardless of how they live before The LORD.

The second issue with this verse is this: 

The "adoption of children" phrase comes from huiothesia. That is, huio = son, plus thesis ( from tithemi = to place) .  Hence, it means sonship or to be placed as a son.





2/13/2016

BEFORE The World Began... Passover Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart ... Ephesians 1:4









Meditations  for Pascha

(The Passover Season, 2016)
+  +  +

Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart

Now is My+ soul troubled;
and what shall I+ say ...
FATHER,
save ME+
from this hour ?
but for this cause
came I+ unto this hour.

FATHER,
Glorify Thy Name.

Then came there a Voice from Heaven, saying,

I have both glorified It,
and will glorify It again.

John12:27-28

+  +  +
 
Meditation Verse 

Ephesians 1:4

According as HE ( The FATHER)  hath chosen us in HIM+ ( The SON+) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before HIM ( The FATHER ) in love:

To grasp the Spiritual message ... in verse 4, we must read carefully in context to whom the pronouns are referring. Verse 3, before verse 4, and verse 5 following it, help determine the reading.

HE, The FATHER, the ONE blessing us in the Heavenlies in CHRIST, (from verse 3 ) , is still the subject of this passage in Ephesians.

Likewise, as "... in CHRIST"  is the   ending phrase in verse 3, the thought is continued over into verse 4, " ... in HIM+, " meaning, in CHRIST JESUS. 

Upon a continued reading into verse 5, we can see that the last "HIM" in verse 4 must refer back to The FATHER again.
+ + +

According as HE ( The FATHER)  hath chosen us in HIM+ ( The SON+) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before HIM ( The FATHER ) in love:

We were not born before the foundation of the kosmos, the world.



No-one was.



No son of the Adamic race was born before the foundation of the kosmos.


So, how could The FATHER choose us in The SON+ before we even existed ? Before there were any "Adams" within this kosmos ? [ Early writings call human beings "Adams." ]

According as HE ( The FATHER) 
hath chosen us 
in HIM+ ( The SON+)
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy
and without blame
before HIM ( The FATHER )
in love:


We become part of that  chosen "us" when we respond to JESUS.

BUT BEWARE: We are not part of that chosen "us", however, if we refuse HIM+.

The FATHER determined to have a People from earth for Possession.  In the pre-planned destiny for mankind, these Peculiar People would be acceptable unto The FATHER through The SON+.

We become part of those Peculiar People when we respond to JESUS. We are not part of the Peculiar People of GOD, however, if we fail to respond to HIM+… in spirit and in truth.

In short, before Adam was created... indeed, before this world as we know it was created... GOD The FATHER determined to bring human beings into communion with HIMSELF through JESUS CHRIST, HIS Beloved SON+.  

We come into Communion with GOD when we choose to follow JESUS. We are not part of that Communion, however, if we deny HIM+.

Furthermore, because these Peculiar People would come to HIM through HIS SON+ , they also would become holy and unblemished... just like HIS SON+.

Just like HIS Beloved SON+, these Peculiar People would stand before Our FATHER in love.

That love is   agapA   love, the love pouring upon them from The FATHER... with their hearts responding, pouring forth their love upon Our Heavenly FATHER, in return.

Let us Pray:

O, Dear Heavenly FATHER Who loveth mankind, I thank THEE for planning a Way+ for me to come to THEE, in Spirit and in Truth...  before I even existed apart from THEE. 

I know my life came from THEE ; in love THOU didst plant me in my mother's womb and called me by my name before I was born.

Regardless of who my parents are and regardless of how I was conceived... THOU authored my existence. THOU didst grant me my life upon earth.

I am THINE, O HOLY FATHER.  THOU didst intend to plant me in CHRIST JESUS before the world began … if I would embrace Him+.  

Renouncing and forsaking the pull of this world, I return to THEE what is THINE own.

Yes, I give THEE back my life, hidden in CHRIST JESUS, my LORD and SAVIOR+. Use it for Thy purpose.

For... I love THEE, O HOLY FATHER, my true FATHER.

This life loaned to me, I see, rightly belongs to THEE.

In the name of Thy+ Beloved SON+, our True Womb+, I pray these my imperfect prayers. Amen.

+  +  +


Glory be to The FATHER,
and to His Beloved SON+
JESUS CHRIST,
and to the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:
FATHER,
SON+,
and HOLY SPIRIT,
both now and forever,
world without end.
Amen. 

+ + +


Worthy is the LAMB+.

Worthy is The LAMB+
that was slain.

Worthy is the LAMB+,
slain
from the foundation
of the earth.
Revelation 13:8