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To me this seem to summarise the theme of Isaiah 53: "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

Since the wages of sin is death, by willing taking up my sins, the Servant also willing paid the price for my sins by dying on the cross. The punishment that was meant for me, Jesus bore it on the cross so that I can live. He died so that I can live and by His wounds I am healed!

The Servant-Lamb of God, acts as our subsitute by willing offering Himself to take up our sins so that we, the sinful, may receive justification. Though He commited no sin nor was there any deceit in his mouth, yet He bore our sins so that we could be declared righteous before God.

The New Testament parallels to Isaiah 53 which convinces me that Jesus himself saw his own mission and destiny spelled out in Isaiah 53 is Matthew 26:28=Mark 14:24 in which He states that He was deying so that many people can receive forgiveness of sin.

God's target group for removing sin mentioned in Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 is the whole word. God's anger for the sin of the world was laid upon upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb who takes away our sins. Those who deny Christ as their Lord Saviour in a sense waste away Jesus' sacrifice because to their shame they refuse their sins to covered under this universal atonement.

Animal sacrifice is repulsive to modern people partly because we are not used to seening animals being slaughtered and also partly because animals sacrifices are attributed to worship of heathen gods. Whether one lives in the city or at a farm will have different responses to seening an animal being slaughtered. Slaughtering animals in part of farm life and seening blood may not raise any blood pressure!

Since sin involves breaking the covenant, every faithful person is likely to be offended by sin. In a moral since, breaking God's laws offends God and should attract his anger. The difference between controlled and uncontrolled anger is that uncontrol anger bears no grain of grace and may lead to unjsut response to sin.

The practice of atonement was well understood in the Jewish culture and the use animal sacrifices was part of their custom. From that point of view, it is reasonable to think that the statement John made about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice. However, this was rather radical because this sacrifice was to atone for the whole world.

There are times in life when you are treated like something worthingless or at least circumstance forces you to thinks so. Peter states that we of great worth in God's sight and that it costed Him the blood of His only Son to purchase us from our empty way of life. This gives me the indication that I must be very valuable, of eternal value in God's sight because only precious and long-lasting things are bought at high price. But I am not a 'thing', so I have been bought with the precious blood of the Lamb which is more costly than silver or gold!

People get upset because of the self-righteous spirit created by secular wisdom that "There is no obsolute truth or right but truth and right are relative." Thus in their pride of heart, they get offended if what they considered to be right is defeated by the gospel. In His justice, God has passed the verdict to punish the world. However, in love He has provided a means of justfication through His Son. For God so love the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. When this aspect of judgement is left out in the preching of the gospel, people lose the revelent fear for God.

I would define holiness as the quality of being separated from the common or profane in dedication to God. I am holy because of my union to Christ through whom I have died to the evil desires and passions of this world and awakened to God's righteousness. Our union with Christ, comes as a result of obeying His word, the gospel of truth which purifes us. Thus His word purifies us from all unrighteousness and we should daily seek to obey Him. My biggests struggle is separate myself from the profane, the secular. I find myself being pulled into unholy associations at work and with certain friendships.

Christ's coming should get our undivided attention because His coming will bring and finalize our salvation. This should inspire our hope because we long for a life of joy, peace and righteousness and His coming will fulfill this longing. Now because no one who is unholy will see Him, we need to make our election sure by being self-controlled and sober in our character. When we don't really expect Christ to come soon, we often tend to become complacent and lazy. We get occupied with other things.

The basis of our Christian joy is in the hope of the salvation of our souls. This joy is inspired by the Holy Spirit and finds its physical manifestation in our emotions, actions and counternace. It is not essentially emotional. The difference between this joy and happiness is that happiness delivers its excitement from the happenings. In other words, as long as the happenings are good, then people will be happy. But this inexpressible joy is experienced even when things are not going on well. Counterfeit joy can be identifed from the fact that it is externally influenced whereas the real joy is internally inspired by the Holy Spirit .

I can remember when I was put out of Church leadership. It was a difficult moment because, according to me, I had not done anywrong doing which would have warrated that action. God taught me to learn to accept correction and live with those that wrongfully accuse me. I have come to understand that Genuine faith brings glory to Jesus when people see the fruits He bears in our lives despite the difficult circumstances. When it becomes evident that no human effort can be attributed to such sucess, Jesus alone is glorified.

The security of our salvation depends on us remaining in God and God in us. Jesus told His disciples to remain in Him and Him in them implying there two aspects involved. My understanding is that God's part in securing our salvation is protecting those who have put their faith in Him. He gives us power to escape corruption in this wicked generation and to participate in His divine nature. Our part is to remain in Him; to abide in His word. If we are to continue enjoying this protection we need to remain faithful to Him.

Forgiveness and Obedience are two faces of the same coin, just as faith and deeds. Faith preceed deeds or rather sprinkling preceeds obedience. Putting it in the words of James the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ I would say, "Show me how you have been forgivenen without obedience and I will show you that I have been forgiven by how I obey Him. He who is forgiven much, will love much, and this is love for God that we obey his commands (1 John 5:3). So it is deceiptive to think that one can have one without the other because sprinkling leads to obedience (righteouness) and righteouness to holiness leading to eternal life. The meaning of true faith requiring our obedience lies in the truth that the very essence of our faith in Christ is that we may be righteous (Romans 3:21). Thus, faith in Christ expresses itself through obedience to Him. This is how we know that we have faith in Him, if we obey Him. Goodworks are only a product of our obedience to Him.

A Christian who identifies more with his present homeland than his heavenly citizenship can be described as short sighted and blind (2 Peter 1:9). I also have been caught up doing this when I got so involved in my work and my projects. It was not until someone read to me Revelation 2:4 which warns us about the dangers of lossing our first love.

The expositions from Pastor Ralph and also the contributions from other members of the discussion forum have both helped me to again a more deeper understanding of Christ

We sould love the Church as our own body by taking care of the interests of the Church at heart. That kind of love will produce sacrificial and self-giving actions in our services to the Church. We need to repent because we have not pursued Christ's vision for the Church instead we have pursued our own small visions. In addition, we have not love with the same sacrificial and self-giving love that we ought to have. Thanks Pastor Ralph for the Bible study which has openned my eyes to a number of things you raised. Thanks also for your encouragement to keep me going on with the study. Looking forward to the next one. Greetings to all the saints who love the Lord out of pure hearts.

God's word which probably here also means the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Thus the word of God has a crucial role in our conversion because it openess our eyes to His grace and also presents before us the substance of our faith, Jesus Christ the Hope of Glory. Through the word of God, therefore, the doors of our hearts get openned to spiritual cleansing. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one they have not heard? (Rom 10:14 The role of the word of God in bringing us into spiritual cleaness is symbolised in water baptism. If the word of God is preached with the vision that Christ has for the Church, then there will be no need to scare people with hell fire into repentance because submission to Christ should be done willingly.

Holiness of a Church invoves being washed from all sins and wickedness being sanctifed and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the Church is holy only because she is united to Christ. There is nothing that the Church can claim for her holiness. Therefore, we can be holy without being legalistic nor judgemental if we realised that holiness does not come through our own works but it is by grace we are sanctified through faith in Christ' blood.

By saying Christ "gave himself up" shows that He did not keep His life to Himself but died for the Church. This sacrifical, self-giving love of Christ is an expression of the extent of His love for the Church. God commands us not to love ourselves by only looking to our interests but to consider others better than ourselves. The sacrifice of Christ was not self-selving but He willingly gave up His life to please the will of His Father and also to reconcil us back to God. His love is agape love.

Q1. Ephesians 5:21-24) What does "submission" mean in regards to the Church's relationship to Christ? In regards to the Church's relationship to Christ, submissiom means to willing place ourselves under the Lordship (authority) of Christ. What does your own submission to Christ mean in practical experience? In practical terms this means I no longer have mastery over my own life but have placed my life under his authority. Therefore, I have to willingly obey His word and look up to Him for guidance, help and nourishment. What would a congregation look like that actually took seriously submitting its corporate life to Christ? A picture of a Church that took submission seriously would be shown by its committment to pleasing the Lord. Thus efforts would be put into listening and seeking what Christ wants; they will be willingness to do what Christ wants do be done; undivided attention will also be shown in remaining faithful to Him. We talk about Christ being the Head of the Church. What does this mean in actual practice, if anything? By Christ being the head means Christ is the one who leads the Church. Christ gives us life, cleanses and also heals and sustains all things.

The Chuch is glorious or resplendent when it is holy and blamess before God. Cleaness from moral impurites and also kind of spiritual filth and forgiveness of sin makes the Church shine gloriously in the presence of God like a bride before the bridegloom. Paul was talking about the Church that will meet Christ when He comes in His glory but it has implications on the present Church because those who have this hope to see Christ must purify themselves. ...and without holiness no one will see God.

According to Ephesians 4:13-16, what is the purpose of constructing a healthy local congregation? The purpose of constructing a healthy local congregation is that we can build a place suitable for growth and maturing in the Lord Jesus Christ so that we can attain to the full measure of Him who is head.