Genesis

Chapter 18

• Lecture 3 - On Baptism (Romans 6:3-4)

• 12. For thou goest down into the water, bearing thy sins, but the invocation of grace, having sealed thy soul, suffereth thee not afterwards to be swallowed up by the terrible dragon.

• Having gone down dead in sins, thou comest up quickened in righteousness. For if thou hast been united with the likeness of the Saviour's death, thou shalt also be deemed worthy of His Resurrection.

• For as Jesus took upon Him the sins of the world, and died, that by putting sin to death He might rise again in righteousness; so thou by going down into the water, and being in a manner buried in the waters, as He was in the rock, art raised again walking in newness of life.

• 13. Moreover, when thou hast been deemed worthy of the grace, He then giveth thee strength to wrestle against the adverse powers.

• For as after His Baptism He was tempted forty days (not that He was unable to gain the victory before, but because He wished to do all things in due order and succession),

• so thou likewise, though not daring before thy baptism to wrestle with the adversaries, yet after thou hast received the grace and art henceforth confident in the armour of righteousness, must then do battle, and preach the Gospel, if thou wilt.

• This chapter describes Abraham’s fellowship with God. • On the gracious assurance of the Redeemer and

Vindicator, “Fear not, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward,” he ceased to fear, and believed.

• On the solemn announcement of the Conqueror of evil and the Quickener of the dead, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be perfect,” he began anew to walk with God in holiness and truth. The next step is, that God enters into communion with him as a man with his friend

“God Almighty,” El Shaddai.

• The covenant in its spiritual aspect. “The Lord,” the• Author of existence and performance. “God Almighty,” El

Shaddai. • “El,”:• the Lasting, Eternal, Absolute. • “Shaddai,” the Irresistible, Unchangeable,Destructive. • This term indicates on the one hand his judicial, punitive

power, and points to his holiness; • and on the other hand, his alterative, reconstructive

power, and points to his providence.

• St. Macarri, the Great says:

• [The heart is the palace of Christ; In it the King gets in to find comfort, accompanied by the angels, and the Spirits of saints; there He dwells, walk, and establish His

Kingdom].

• John 14:23• 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone

loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

• Rev 3:20• 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If

anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me

• St. Gregory of Nyssa says: • [This is for whom the bride has set her

banquet. As for the table, it is a planted paradise, living trees -- ourselves -- and the fruits that we offer are our souls ... The food prepared is our salvation, and the fruits are our free will, that presents to

God our souls, as though fruits gathered from the branch].

• St. Paul the apostle says: “By so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels” (Hebrew 13: 2).

• The fathers have abundantly spoken of the act of ‘entertaining strangers’, as a way of entertaining the Lord in His creation.

• St. Ambrosius says: • [The Lord Christ is probably coming in the

person of the stranger or the poor, having said: “I was in prison and you came to Me; I was naked and you clothed Me” (Matthew 25: 36).

• St. Jerome says:

• [The true temple for Christ is the believer’s soul; So let us adorn it; :Let us offer Him clothes, and gifts; Let us welcome Christ in him ! What would be the use of walls adorned with jewels, if Christ in the poor, is in danger of death because of hunger ?].

• St. Ambrosius says: [It is good to have humility; as when I wash away the uncleanness of others, I am washing away my own uncleanness].

• It is as though, the beginning of hospitality is the washing, not of feet, but of uncleanness, by forgiving the wrong that others committed against us; By that, as we wash out their uncleanness, we are washing our own.

• John 13:4-7• 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments,

took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him,"Lord, are You washing my feet?"

• 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."

• John 13:8

• 8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"

Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

• John 13:12-17• "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You

call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Sarah & AbrahamSharing the same good deeds

• Letter 66 - To Pammachius• He was not satisfied with giving orders to his servants

and hand-maids to attend to his guests, nor did he lessen the favour he conferred by leaving others to care for them; but as though he had found a prize, he and Sarah his wife gave themselves to the duties of hospitality.

• With his own hands he washed the feet of his guests, upon his own shoulders he brought home a fat calf from the herd.

• While the strangers dined he stood by to serve them, and set before them the dishes cooked by Sarah's hands-though meaning to fast himself.

• For, had Sodom hidden her sin, she would still have sinned, but, in fear.

• But she had utterly lost the curb of fear, in that she did not even seek darkness for her sin.

• Whence also again it is written, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied (Gen 18:20). For sin with a voice is guilt in act; but sin with even a cry is guilt at liberty.

• (from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 12, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

• Luke 13:1-5• There were present at that season some who told Him

about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Abraham’s Prayer

• Been Alone with God (retreat)

• Love for all

• Humility .

• Persistence.

• Zealous for God’s Glory

• Hope never despair

• Jer 5:1• "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;

See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her.”

• Ezek 22:30• 30 So I sought for a man among them who

would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

• Rom 1:18• For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all

ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness

• Rom 1:26-27• 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions.

For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

• Rom 1:21-23• 21 because, although they knew God, they did

not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Life in middle of sin

• Lot Sat at the door of the city.• Built a home• Marriage his daughters to the a man from Sodom.

• 2 Peter 2:7-10• 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by

the filthy conduct of the wicked 8(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) — 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority

• The work of the Angles as servant

• Heb 10:38

• 38 Now the just shall live by faith;

• But if anyone draws back,

• My soul has no pleasure in him."

• Dan 7:25• 25 He shall speak pompous words against the

Most High,• Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,• And shall intend to change times and law.• Then the saints shall be given into his hand • For a time and times and half a time. • NKJV

• Jude 7

• as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire

• NKJV

• Jude 16-19• 17 But you, beloved, remember the words

which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

• NKJV

• 1 Cor 6:15-20• 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I

then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

• 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

• NKJV

• Heb 13:4

• 4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

• NKJV