Gobsmacked

Psalms 111

Gobsmacked - a colloquial idiom in the American vernacular?

As I was meditating on what I have thought about, am thinking about, and would write regarding Psalm 111 there were so many ways or directions I know I must write down because of various instances of Scriptural truth impacting my life in so many ways coming together and closing in on me today, literally right now. Can anyone see them? No. No one is ever close enough to see another’s inner person's life... Except for only a Creator who knows all the various parts of the life of any person. And just when I had that complicated triad of conditions almost figured out enough to begin to write in my typical somewhat haphazard start of seemingly almost most of my meditations (I never know where God may take me as I ponder) and am considering the extent of which my thoughts may grow (i.e. maybe more than one post in the works) I get gobsmacked. (Richard, this is read by people in so many different countries (though they may be few) you'd better splain yourself (okay, explain)).

First my great apologies to my British brothers and sisters. Gobsmacked is actually a British slang word, so much for my fancy outlay of ascribing it to the American culture. It is far more reaching than I thought. From Wiktionary:

gobsmacked

adjective

1. Flabbergasted, astounded, speechless, overawed.

2. Utterly astounded.

As may be my unfortunate case my sleep may be interrupted after three or four hours so I might arise to relieve my thoughts. And part of that relief is a very small bookshelf nearby. On this shelf are various reading materials, Greek and Latin grammars, lexicons, Greek New Testament, all of which I am not by any means proficient in. But on prompting to look up Ephesians 2:10 about us being "created unto good works" I took an old Schofield Reference Bible I acquired years ago to see any notes on "good works". The was a reference note on "created" to "see Ephesians 4:24" also using the word "created". And looking at the footnote there is when I was gobsmacked. I was already almost overwhelmed at my thoughts, my trying to tie my life together over what the Lord was working on to prepare for change, great changes actually, hopefully (I am slready preparing for my flesh to rebel in its enmity to the the Spirit), but then I read this note about the new man (O, we read and hear about the "new man") being created after God:

Schofield's note: The new man IS Christ, "formed in the believer...

So simple, so very simple, but so often misread, or miss it altogether. We read about "putting on the new man", or where I first looked at Ephesians 2:10, "created in Christ Jesus unto good works". But it is coming together for me as I think of Romans 8:28, 29 (two inseparable verses in themselves), being "conformed to the image of His Son".

How many times I have read, studied, heard preached in message after message on "putting on the new man" and in my mind it seems presented as something "I" have to do. The extended thought then is "I" must be becoming Christ, which of course is impossible. It is God Himself who is conforming the believer to the image of His Son. That "putting on the new man” is opening up to allow God to make that change, to use His Word for the renewing of our mind (Romans 12,2). This can only be done by my abiding in Him (John 15:1-5 - "Abide in me" for "without me ye can do nothing".

There it is (for me at least), "the new man is Christ, "formed in the believer"". The old man is the flesh, the dead soul apart from God, that part of the immediate death in Adam. That old man steeped in rebellion against God, in rebellion against everything the Lord God said is "very good". Man created in the image of God rebels byassuming power without God. Then man in rebellion against God's first command to "be fruitful, and multiply", man perverts the very means of being fruitful and multiplying by glorifying sex above devotion to God in His blessed union of marriage. And man rebels against God's supremacy in knowledge by declaring all that can be known is measured and determined by "the great minds among men". In power, sex, and knowledge that old man the flesh is in a power struggle in enmity against the Holy Spirit, against who is forming that new man we are putting on, Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Now wait Richard, what has any of this to do with Psalms 111? As I read Psalm 111, this short ten verse Psalm I kept seeing references of "good works" ascribed to the Lord (vv. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7) and most of the verses not listed are simply continued suppoting thoughts for the verses that are. Since according to Ephesians 2:10 the believer is created unto good works it would appear that would rather be seen as good work in all we do. Consider Matthew 5:14, 16:

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill, cannot be hid.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifily your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14, 16 GNV

The light's purpose isn't for it to be simply looked at, but also rather to reveal things to be seen, much like building a city on a hill (that is exactly where many castles and fortresses around the world are built, on hills, on mountains, strategic points, to be seen). Only the light isn't what is to be seen, but the light, the believer's light is to shine to reveal their good work(s), to the end, to the purpose that the Father may be glorified.

So yes, from all that God was working in my heart about as I meditated (and still is working as I am continuing to meditate) I became overwhelmed that my new man is actually Christ. And He the light of my life revealing good work in my life.