Daily Bible Verses for 3/11/2017

Daily Verse(s)
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Reading Notes
James tells us that God of His own sovereign will brought us forth by the word of truth. James uses the Greek word “boulomai” which means, “it is by the sovereign, omnipotent will of God.” What James is telling us is that our regeneration and salvation are an expression of the sovereign, all mighty will of God. And that it’s by God’s will, because of God’s grace, because of the love of God, that by faith we are given the Holy Spirit, as Jesus becomes the source of our new life as children of God. God through the work of the Holy Spirit by the Gospel message brought about a regeneration of our hearts by faith. This was done in order that we may hear, understand and accept the Gospel message of grace. By which we place our faith in Jesus and His death for us on the Cross of Calvary. And it’s this regeneration through the will of God which brought us to salvation and has given us a new spirit which is alive to God and the things of God.

And with our salvation comes the process of spiritual growth, which is called “sanctification.” Sanctification is a process carried out by the Holy Spirit who indwells every follower of Christ, changing our hearts and minds, and therefore our lives from the inside out. Here the phrase, “word of truth” refers to the Gospel message of salvation in Christ alone, through faith alone by God’s grace alone. And it’s this regeneration by the will of God, by the love of God, that we are brought forth as a new creation in Christ. Through faith we are children of God, adopted into the family of God and joint-heirs with Jesus in the kingdom of God. Therefore, through faith we walk in the spirit by our submission to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through faith, we are born again as the first fruits of God. And just as in Bible times when the people brought the first fruits of their harvest and the first born of their livestock before God. We too are the first fruits of the Gospel message of faith in Jesus. We are brought before the Lord as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, because of our faith in Jesus. And our salvation and rebirth now is just a glimpse, a foretaste if you will, of the eternity which awaits us when we go home to be with the Lord.