Is Your Heart Right with God?

[VictoryinJesus]

(Mark 10: 35-44) “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In Matthew 20:21, Jesus is asked again by a woman if her two sons may sit, the one on the right hand, and the other on the left in thy kingdom. And again, Jesus answered, “to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.” What is Jesus saying? Who are those that are set on his right hand, and on his left?

(Matthew 25: 31-46) “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

(Hebrews 4: 3) “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”


How do you feel about that? (Romans 9:23) “And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” If you are His, your place was prepared and finished from the foundation of the world. (Hebrews 13:10) “We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”


We are called to gather from the right and the nets will burst with plenty. (John) “And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”

(Psalm 98: 1) “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”

(Mark 16: 19) “And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.”

(Hebrews 10: 12) “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”



Here are my questions which I can't find answers to in scripture. If God provides no answers, I assume the details are not important. All that is important is what has been accomplished. Which side was the rib taken from Man to make Woman? Which side of Jesus did they pierce that brought “blood and water”? Which side was the thief on when Jesus told him “to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”


(Isaiah 60:4) “Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.”


Is Your Heart Right with God?

(Proverbs 21:2) “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”

 

[Stranger]

VictoryinJesus

I have been considering your questions. Concerning which side of Jesus was pierced where came out blood and water, I am going at this time with the left side. This is due to the sacrifice of the sheep in (Lev. 1:10-13) There we are told that it would be killed on the northside of the altar. Compare the Tabernacle with the body of a man. Check your words for 'side' in the building of the Tabernacle in the concordance. You will see that you have a picture of a man. Side will stand for shoulders, ribs, or thighs. If this picture of a man is laid over the Tabernacle, then you have the shoulders on the East side where the Gate entrance is. The thighs would be located on the west side. This means the North side would be Christ's right side. I first thought 'left' but then pictured Christ facing you when His image is laid over the Tabernacle.

It is noteworthy also that in the (Lev.1:10-13) that you have both the blood and the water involved.

This is my opinion at this time.

And, I would say the same side of Adam was where the rib was removed to parallel what the Last Adam would also endure.

Of the thief on the cross, I don't know. I will look more.

Stranger

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Wow. Thank you! I will read and study the scripture referenced. I was conflicted over whether it was Christ’s right side or left side they pierced and here is why (I am not saying it is right, just a thought). There is undeniably a pattern of flesh and spirit throughout scripture. The Old Testament gives us an example of the flesh and that the flesh was not able to fulfil the law in totality or bring eternal life. In the New Testament; the Law, still Holy, was fulfilled by Christ; Spirit doing what the flesh could not accomplish. (Galatians 3:21) “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”
With that in mind, could left and right represent the two covenants? Flesh, what man believes he can do (pierced) by Spirit (faith in Christ’s Sacrifice of love as sufficient payment?).
I keep getting drawn back to (Genesis 13: 9-18) “Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.”

I have always been told Lot represents a model of the church being taken out before destruction came. Maybe so. But what I see is Abraham as a model of Spirit and promise of a new city, and Lot being a model of flesh under the law and what the Lord will do to those not set without "what man can do" through faith in Christ. It is interesting to me that because of Abraham, God remembered Lot and moved Lot outside of the coming wrath of God.
(Genesis 19: 29) “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cites of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.”
But it was Lots wife that looked back, not Abrahams. Do we want that to be a model of the church? Or is Lot another model (those persistent that they will live under the law and work for salvation)? When Lots wife looks back, I wonder it goes much deeper than "she loved her life". Could her looking back have symbolized once we have tasted of the power of the Kingdom of God, why would we turn back to the flesh? Paul warned numerous times against returning to circumcision under the law, but rather he encouraged for the church to trust in the gospel (baptism of the Holy Spirit which only comes through Christ, resulting in circumcision of the heart).
It matters to me because in looking back at my life: every single person I love, I have impacted their life in a negative way. I have prayed for God to take me from being a vessel of dishonor to a vessel of mercy. The flesh tells me that there is something I can do to right the wrongs. The Holy Spirit tells me to face straight ahead and not look back and trust God. The Spirit tells me to not have confidence in the flesh, but rather, to put my faith and confidence in the Spirit of God and watch Him work.
I read your post in another thread about Jesus’ brothers. Christ put no confidence in the flesh by trying to convert his brothers, but rather faced ahead and put his confidence in the Father. (It is important to note his brothers coming to faith in God's timing). I also read and understood the significance of Christ’s words (Luke 8: 21) “And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.” I also love, (Mark 10: 29-30) “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s. But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” Which I take to mean we should put our confidence in the Spirit of God rather than what the flesh can accomplish through works, and move forward with great confidence.
(Luke 9:62) “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”


Thank you for taking my post seriously (even if I am far off course), and providing much needed guidance. I am confident that even if He doesn't allow me to see it, there is a flawless design to scripture. The more is revealed: the more confidence I have in the Spirit of God, and the less confidence I have in the flesh.

 

[Stranger]

VictoryinJesus

You're quite welcome. I have never really thought about the two covenants being right or left. And by 'two' I suppose you mean the Mosaic Covenant (Law) and the New Covenant (Grace). Without a doubt we carry the flesh with us all the way through this life. And whether it wants to do good or bad, to God it is still the flesh. Meaning, of no value to Him.

I have never though of Lot being a model of the Church. I see how he could be, because he needed much grace. I praise God that He included him in the Scripture as truly all believers can identify at times with him. I don't think there was ever any thing good said about Lot in the Genesis account. Yet, the angel would not destroy the city till Lot was out. (Gen.19:22) And (2Peter 2:7) calls Lot just. Hard to imagine. Yet the more we get to know ourselves the easier it becomes. Praise God He is faithful.

Concerning Lots's wife, and his children for that matter, we can see that though we are given great grace from God, that our lives lived apart from God yield terrible fruit and consequences. And yes I believe those who have lived in the world in the past find it easy to later look back. And we struggle in those areas more than believers who didn't traffic in the worlds highways.

You as a child of God are a vessel of mercy. As a child of God you are a child of promise. (Rom.9:8-23) I think it best, as you say, to trust the Holy Spirit and not look back. We have committed many offenses. And many offenses have been done to us. We now trust God and look for that city "whose builder and maker is God". (Heb.11:10)

I don't think you are off course. You recognize the flawlessness of the Scriptures. You are wanting to know and learn the truth. And we all learn a little at a time. As much as God wants us to know at that time. (Is. 28:9-10) "line upon line".

Concerning the questions on the pierced side of Christ, there is an old book which I think you may enjoy. It is about the Tabernacle and shows how it is full of truths about Jesus Christ. I'm not sure it is still in print. Amazon may have it. It was published in the 1960's. It is called (The Law Prophesied, R.H. Mount Jr.) And he has other books as well. Perhaps you can find it on line.

Stranger

 

[VictoryinJesus]

I have to add:

Revelation 13:6-9 KJV
[6] And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. [7] And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. [8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. [9] If any man have an ear, let him hear.


"of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Praise the Lord!!!