The Blueprint of Grace

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:20,21

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpetation; for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The inspired Word of God was truly brought into manifestation by obedient men of God who were inspired to pen the written Word on scrolls, so that we would have instructions on how we as Christians, would know how to conduct ourselves.

God loves us so much that He left a blueprint of grace for us to follow, to find our way back to Him; through the scriptures. He did not make it hard for us, by telling us to be Holy as He is Holy, without leaving us an example of what being Holy is.  He showed us through the life of His Son; what being Holy, and set apart really meant.

His life of: love, grace, acceptance, kindness, healing, deliverance, dedication and faithfulness, was an example for us to follow. But, not only did He live righteously; He made sure that we would know what righteousness looks like, through having significant occurrences rendered in written form, for us to reflect upon; and duplicate for His glory.

The grace of God was extended through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, and was manifested in a certified document; that is indisputible through the evidence of time, through the canonization of the Bible. The need for the canonization of the Bible arouse out of the need for one book that the people could refer to as a guide, thus the Council of Carthage was birthed to bring forth one book (Wikepedia, 2009).

The canonization included a list or set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community, generally in Judaism or Christianity. Believers consider these canonical books to be inspired by God or to express the authoritative history of the relationship between God and his people (Wikipedia, 2009).

The Bible was written over a time period of 1600 years, by more than 40 authors of every sort; kings, poor people, fishermen, poets, government officials, teachers, prophets. The Bible is written in three different languages, and on three continents - Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The Bible has now been translated in 3000 languages of the 6,800 languages that exist today (Soon Ministries, 2009).

Reflection:
The Word of God is the blueprint of grace, in which God left for us to follow. His blueprint covers every question that we may have about life, and how to handle different situations that come up. God did not leave us helpless. He left us His perfect Will; which is His written Word that teaches us how to conduct ourselves in public and in private.

Prayer:
Father, I thank you that you did no leave me helpless. You have given me a blueprint to follow so that I can always know how to proceed in life, in order to fulfill your will for my life. I thank you for continually guiding me, and leading me through your Word, and I thank you for teaching me how to conduct myself in private and in public. I thank you for wisdom, knowledge and undertstanding in all things pertaining to godliness, the present life, and the life to come. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

Strong's Concordance Definitions:
But Know: 1097
1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel

a) to become known
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
a) to understand
b) to know
3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4) to become acquainted with, to know

Of all, that no: 3956
1) individually
a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything
2) collectively
a) some of all types

Prophecy: 4394
1) prophecy
a) a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp. by foretelling future events
b) Used in the NT of the utterance of OT prophets

1) of the prediction of events relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions pertaining to it, the spirit of prophecy, the divine mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due
2) of the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers called prophets
3) the gifts and utterances of these prophets, esp. of the predictions of the works of which, set apart to teach the gospel, will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ

Of scripture: 1124
1) a writing, thing written
2) the Scripture, used to denote either the book itself, or its contents
3) a certain portion or section of the Holy Scripture

Is a matter of one's: 2398
1) pertaining to one's self, one's own, belonging to one's self

Interpetation: 1955
1) a loosening, unloosing

2) metaph. interpretation

By an act of human: 444
1) a human being, whether male or female
a) generically, to include all human individuals
b) to distinguish man from beings of a different order
1) of animals and plants
2) of from God and Christ
3) of the angels
c) with the added notion of weakness, by which man is led into a mistake or prompted to sin
d) with the adjunct notion of contempt or disdainful pity
e) with reference to two fold nature of man, body and soul
f) with reference to the two fold nature of man, the corrupt and the truly Christian man, conformed to the nature of God
g) with reference to sex, a male

2) indefinitely, someone, a man, one
3) in the plural, people
4) joined with other words, merchantman

Will: 2307
1)what one wishes or has determined shall be done
a) of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ
b) of what God wishes to be done by us

1) commands, precepts
2) will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure

Moved: 5342
1) to carry
a) to carry some burden

1) to bear with one's self
b) to move by bearing; move or, to be conveyed or borne, with the suggestion of force or speed

1) of persons borne in a ship over the sea
2) of a gust of wind, to rush
3) of the mind, to be moved inwardly, prompted
c) to bear up i.e. uphold (keep from falling)

1) of Christ, the preserver of the universe
2) to bear, i.e. endure, to endure the rigour of a thing, to bear patiently one's conduct, or spare one (abstain from punishing or destroying)
3) to bring, bring to, bring forward
a) to move to, apply
b) to bring in by announcing, to announce
c) to bear i.e. bring forth, produce; to bring forward in a speech
d) to lead, conduct

by the Holy: 40
1) most holy thing, a saint

Spirit: 4151
1) the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
a) sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his personality and character (the "Holy" Spirit)
b) sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his work and power (the Spirit of "Truth")
c) never referred to as a depersonalised force

2) the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated
a) the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides
b) the soul

3) a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting
a) a life giving spirit
b) human soul that has left the body
c) a spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel

1) used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men
2) the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels and equal to God, the divine nature of Christ
4) the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one
a) the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.
5) a movement of air (a gentle blast)
a) of the wind, hence the wind itself
b) breath of nostrils or mouth

Spoke: 2980
1) to utter a voice or emit a sound
2) to speak
a) to use the tongue or the faculty of speech
b) to utter articulate sounds
3) to talk
4) to utter, tell
5) to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts
a) to speak

From God:  2316
1) a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities
2) the Godhead, trinity
a) God the Father, the first person in the trinity
b) Christ, the second person of the trinity
c) Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity
3) spoken of the only and true God
a) refers to the things of God
b) his counsels, interests, things due to him

4) whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way
a) God's representative or viceregent

1) of magistrates and judges

References:
Bibilical Foundations for Freedom. (2009). The Origins of the Bible- The Canonization of the Bible. Retrieved on December 17th, 2009 from http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Bible/Bible_Canonization.html

Blue Letter Bible. "Peter's Second Epistle - 2 Peter 1 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2009. 17 Dec 2009. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Pe&c=1&t=NASB

Higgins, S. (2009). The Blueprint of Grace. Devotions for Thought. http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, http://www.higginspublishing.com

Soon Ministries. (2009). SOON Online Magazine. THE BIBLE PAGE. THE BIBLE. Retrieved on December 17th, 2009 from http://www.soon.org.uk/page19.htm

Wikepedia. (2009). Bibilcal Canon. Retreived on December 17th, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_canon

 Wikepedia. (2009). Councils of Cathage. Retrieved on December 17th, 2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Councils_of_Carthage