Living in Liberty

A Ministry of Bryce Lowance

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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6 February 2014

And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. - Luke 1:40-42

As you will recall, Mary did not doubt the angel’s words and ask for a sign. She believed Gabriel immediately, and went eagerly to confirm the promise spoken to her. And, since she did not doubt, the Lord saw fit to bless her with much a more than a sign. The next several verses explode with evidence to Mary that what Gabriel said was true!

The first thing we need to understand in this portion of Scripture is what is meant by salutation. Are you ready for this deep theological definition? It means she said, “Hello Elisabeth.” That’t it.

So why is this important? Because of how Elisabeth responds to Mary’s greeting. Mary did not tell Elisabeth she was pregnant or why she came to visit. She could not call her on the phone, or send an email, or text to let her know she was coming to visit. The first time that Elisabeth knew that Mary was coming was when Mary said hello.

When Elisabeth heard that hello, the Holy Spirit began working in a mighty way. John, in Elisabeth’s womb, already had the spirit of Elijah on him. He heard that Mary was there and knew why. He leaped for joy as an acknowledgment that the Messiah was coming. Even before he was born, John was pointing to the Messiah, Jesus Christ!

But wait! It get’s even better. Not only was John filled with the Holy Ghost, Elisabeth was as well. Her baby was to be the forerunner of the Messiah, and for a few moments, she received that same spirit of prophecy! Elisabeth cried out that Mary was the most blessed woman in the history of mankind because of Who her baby was. Elisabeth, by the moving of the Holy Spirit in John and her, understood that Mary was pregnant with the Christ Child! Moreover, the words that Elisabeth spoke were the very same words that Gabriel said. God truly confirmed to Mary the truth of Gabriel’s words in mighty way.

Mary was blessed more than any other woman because the Lord chose her to give birth to the Messiah. And God had abundant mercy on her by giving her such strong evidence and assurance. It is no wonder that Mary will break forth in song just a few verses later.

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Tags: elisabeth, harmony_of_the_gospels, jesus, john, mary, prophecy

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.