Thy Seed Shall Inherit the Gentiles

“…thy seed shall inherit the gentiles.” — Isaiah 54:3

Image credit: Greg Rakozy via Unsplash

The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof;

the world, and they that dwell therein[1]

sings the psalmist.

All things were made by him,

and without him was not any thing

made that was made.[2]

All things were created in Christ

and all the glory redounds to Christ.

The seed of the woman bruises the head of the serpent[3].

The child of the barren inherits all things

and makes the waste places new again[4].

Paul tells us that this seed is singular,

the seed is Christ[5].

But through Christ,

we who are in Christ,

become joint-heirs through adoption,[6]

and so the desolate cities are full

and the barren woman more fruitful

than the married wife.

“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” — Hebrews 2:10

Scripture references:

[1] Ps 24:1

[2] Joh 1:3

[3] Gen 3:15

[4] Is 58:12

[5] Gal 3:16

[6] Rom 8:17

Self-Loathing

Romans 1:21-32:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

When we read a chapter like Romans 1 and realize that we’ve personally partaken in the corruption of this world, we may feel disgust and self-loathing. Yet through God’s grace, the holy Spirit convicts us of our guilt and drives us to the Christ for salvation.

With out a risen savior, we would be left to bear the incredibly heavy yoke of sin and self-hatred, but when we recognize God’s love for us through Christ, we are lifted out of the pits of despair. Through Christ we are empowered to prevail in an upside-down world.

When we see that the God of all creation sent his perfect, sinless, Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment that we deserve, and resurrected Him from the dead, we bow our knees to the Lord and are risen with him in this life and at the last day.

Of course, we’ll continually wrestle with sin in our lives and we’ll go through periods of doubt, sadness, shame, and self-loathing. But when we dry our tears, we can turn to the balm of a psalm for our healing and rest. If we seek Him faithfully, searching the scriptures daily, He will be faithful to not leave our souls in hell.

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Psalm 103:8

All glory be to God the Father.

Photo Credit: Inga Gazalian - Unsplash.com

Good Ground

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." -Matthew 13:23

Good ground is mentioned in Matthew 13 verses 8 and 23 as part of Jesus’ Parable of the Sower and is an example of how the gospel takes effect in some hearers. When the word of God is planted in good ground, it takes root, it grows, and it eventually bears fruit in varying degrees.

Apostle Paul lists some of these fruits, or fruits of the Spirit, in Galatians 5:22-23. These are, “…love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance...”

Of course not every one of us will have an hundredfold of every fruit of the Spirit, but as long as the seed has taken root in fertile ground, we have God’s word to rely on. We can go to him confidently, praying that our fruits might increase daily through our actions.

Those bearing this root have been programmed with the instructions leading us back to the Lord even in wilderness. Take comfort that he's equipped us to exist and to bear fruit in this American culture of death and idolatry. God is with us and therefore we should never lose hope, even if our fruits are only thirtyfold. We must pray for more and pray continually.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue…

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

-2 Peter 1:3,8

Amen.

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