23 February 2025

Christ- the Fullness of God, Part 1 (TMF:2560)

Friday, February 28, 2025

Peace to Live By: Christ- the Fullness of God, Part 1 (TMF:2560) - Daniel Litton
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Colossians 1:19: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (ESV). Upon reading this first, the mind’s first inclination is to see the Son as somehow lesser than the Father—for at first glance, it would appear the verse is implying the Son was created at one point in time or something like that. What seems to be the case, since that obviously could not and would not be the matter, it seems that the Apostle Paul is implying that when Christ took on the form of a human, when he became as us, taking on human flesh (the incarnation), that he still remained fully God. In other words, any of the Son’s original God-ness was not lost when he took on human flesh to come into the world. It is interesting that, in Ephesians, Paul calls the church the fullness of Jesus. He says there about after Jesus returned to Heaven, “he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22, 23, ESV).

Christ as Having the First Place (TMF:2559)

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Peace to Live By: Christ as Having the First Place (TMF:2559) - Daniel Litton
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We often refer to Christ in the body during his earthly ministry as being limited by the earthly body—and certainly that was true to some degree, though, to what degree that may be debated. The point is that “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” Because he has gone before us in being first, and in dying and rising from the dead first, that makes him in a special place. No one, like Satan tried to do way back when, can say he is greater than Christ, or a more worthy son or daughter of God over Christ. This then, invariably, would include any other gods who would try to make such a claim. This brings us to the familiar passage which the Apostle John concluded with in his first epistle. He said, “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:20-21, ESV).

The Consciousness of the Believer, Part 2 (TMF2558)

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Consciousness of the Believer, Part 2 (TMF2558) - Daniel Litton
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Rather, really, in reality, life continues after this one, with the same kind of consciousness, though the external surroundings are certainly different, and not to mention the internal differences (lack of a sin-nature, eventual new body, much greater understanding, etc). And, it is there, in the next life, where Christ’s preeminence is visible for everyone to see for all eternity, for in the New Jerusalem, it is stated, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22, 23, ESV). We often refer to Christ in the body during his earthly ministry as being limited by the earthly body—and certainly that was true to some degree, though, to what degree that may be debated. The point is that “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead”—because he has gone before us in being first.

The Consciousness of the Believer, Part 1 (TMF2557)

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Consciousness of the Believer, Part 1 (TMF2557) - Daniel Litton
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Though, behind the command, is a consciousness. Within the consciousness is a mind. Elsewhere Paul would say, ““For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16, ESV). Finishing verse 18: “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (ESV). So Christ, as we know by now, is the beginning of the church. Indeed, he establishes the church, and then ascends back to Heaven, where he will receive each one of us individually as we complete our time in this life and move on to eternity. He is the beginning of it because his life, as well as our own lives, continue after this life is completed. It’s not that once this life is over we ascend into some mystical cloudy state of awareness where we float around as random consciousness or something like that, with no meaning and no aim. Rather, really, in reality, life continues after this one, with the same kind of consciousness, though the external surroundings are certainly different.

The Love that Believers Emanate (TMF:2556)

Monday, February 24, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Love that Believers Emanate (TMF:2556) - Daniel Litton
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This invariably would mean that the love we as good people, as obedient people, as Christ followers, the love we emanate—also contributes to the world holding together. In other words, the love we display toward others has a major positive impact in the unseen realm. Remember, Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”(John 13:35, ESV). Verse 18: “And he is the head of the body, the church.” Familiar to us by now is the biblical metaphor of the church as a physical, human body. It’s used a lot, and specifically in this instance, is the fact that Christ is noted as the head of this physical body. It may be asked, and it seems like the logical thing to do, as to what a head does? What is meant is what does it do speaking in terms of the human body? There are a variety of observations we could make, and one of those is that the head of the body commands, through signals, what the body is supposed to do.