Author: Chet Bishop

Chet Bishop is one of the pastors at True Hope Christian Fellowship Church, in Forest Grove, Oregon. He has been a believer since 1973, and has been teaching actively since 1976. He supports himself and his family by making and repairing violin-family instruments.
Posted on

Is The Resurrection Really True? How Does it Affect You?

Email, RSS Follow

The Resurrection: Is it Real, and How Does it Affect You?

© C. O. Bishop 2010 (revised 2025)

Introduction:

We are here to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We come with a sense of reverence, and joy. That is as it should be. But let us also consider why we feel that way.

Why is the Resurrection so important? Do we just want to feel good, believing that somewhere, somehow, Jesus is still alive today, and that someday, He will come back? Or is there more at stake? And when we talk about the topic of “resurrection,” are we talking about a physical resurrection, or just the “going to heaven when you die” sort of idea?

They took Jesus’s wrecked, mortal shell down from the cross, carefully wrapped it in cloth with embalming spices, and laid it in a solid rock tomb: Did He really come back to life, fully healthy, and leave the tomb, without disturbing the stone at the door? Was the tomb really already empty, before the angelic messenger rolled the stone away? Did the angel really roll it back just to reveal the empty tomb to the women who had come to complete the embalming process? Or was it all just a hoax? Just a nicely-told “religious myth?” And, finally, does it really matter? Let’s see what God says about the Resurrection.

Consider Prophetic History:

The theme of the Resurrection begins in Genesis 22. God gives us just a hint, in Abraham’s obedience, attempting to sacrifice Isaac. We see that God says it was a test, but later, in Hebrews 11:17-19, we find that Abraham had assumed God would bring him back from the dead. God raises the subject of resurrection over and over, throughout the Old and New Testaments, and it runs all the way through to the Revelation.

In Job 19:25, God stated itvery clearly, through Job: He states that “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and shall stand upon the earth at the last day, and, though, after my skin, worms shall devour my flesh, yet will I see him, with myeye, and not another.” How did Job know? Moses wasn’t born yet, so he had not written any of his books. So either God gave that revelation to Job as a prophet, or He gave it to others and they handed it down as an oral tradition, and Job simply confirmed it.

Later Prophets

God used later prophets, including King David, to pen the scriptures telling us specifically that He would not leave the Messiah’s body to rot…that He would physically resurrect his body. “Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy one to see corruption…thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (sheol/hades)” (Psalm 16:10) Remember that the Hebrew word “sheol”, translated as “hell,” only meant “the place of the dead,” and included the place then called Paradise. He was not going to stay dead, and He would not allow his physical body to rot.

Isaiah 53:8-12 states that after his death and burial, the Messiah would live to see his “offspring”, and that after his death he would be rewarded richly. Both would be patently impossible, without a literal, physical resurrection. Jonah 1:17-2:10 tells us of Jonah’s experience with the great fish (or whale, as some translations say). God intended this passage as a Messianic Prophecy—the prophet did not die: but Jesus did. Jonah spoke from the belly of the fish—not from Sheol. God did not raise Jonah from the dead, any more than He did David , who said similar things. In Psalm 22, No one pierced the hands of David ; But they certainly did pierce Jesus!

New Testament Prophecy: Jesus speaking!

And, in Mathew 12:39,40, Jesus laid hold of that particular prophecy of Jonah as the sign for unbelieving Israel—saying that just as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so he himself would spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth: not in the tomb, but in Sheol/Hades: Specifically, in Paradise, as he promised the thief on the cross.

The companion idea was that it was ONLY three days and three nights. God guaranteed that the Resurrection would happen, and He guaranteed it would happen in a specific way and at a very specific time.

In Zechariah 12:10, the Lord Jehovah—the Creator God—states that the day would come when He would return, and Israel would see him. He said that “they shall see Me whom they have pierced, and mourn for Him as one mourns for his only begotten son…” In that passage we learn that Jesus is

  • the almighty God,
  • in the flesh;
  • eternal by nature, but who
  • became flesh for the purpose of the Cross (seen in the fact that they pierced Him.)

We see Jesus, in fact: the Resurrected Messiah, confronting those He came to save—unbelieving Israel—after they crucified him. What an uncomfortable situation that will be! And yet, in that moment, he will be confronting a nation which is finally repentant. This still necessitates the Resurrection: the future of Israel depends entirely upon the truth of the Resurrection.

Thousands of Years of Prophetic Credentials

Except for the reference in Matthew, all the above prophecies were in writing, and in the possession of the Jews, long before Jesus walked the earth; but Jesus didn’t leave it at that. He reminded them, and underscored the Resurrection truth. In John 2:19-21 the Jewish rulers demanded a sign, and He said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days!” The Jews thought he meant Herod’s temple, but the scripture says, he was referring to his physical body.

When Jesus comforted the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43), he said, “…today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.” (Incidentally, notice that he did not say “in the tomb,” but “in Paradise.”) That doesn’t specifically promise the resurrection, but it does promise a blessed life after death.

The Resurrection is Critical to the Truth of the Gospel!

But the physical resurrection of Jesus and the physical, bodily resurrection of his followers is as necessary to the Gospel as the truth of the Crucifixion. The point is this:

  • If Jesus was not resurrected, then He was not the Messiah, since it was promised that the Messiah would be resurrected.
  • And, If He was not the Messiah, then He was not the Son of God.
  • If He was not the Son of God, and literally God in the Flesh, then He was not the Savior, sent into the world by God,
  • And His blood could not wash away sin,
  • And His death was a simple miscarriage of justice, and one more tragedy to add to an already overburdened world.

But in John 10:17,18 Jesus told his disciples that He had the authority to lay down his life, and to take it up again…that no one would take it from Him, but He would lay it down, and take it up again. Now, either that was true, or it was not true! If it is true, then the resurrection happened, exactly as He said it would. If it was not true, then he was either a crazy liar, or a poor deluded fool who was about to get himself killed!

But Jesus demonstrated his power over death by raising the dead—some who were only minutes or hours dead, some were on their way to their grave. And one who had been in the grave for four days. There may have been more…but He gave ample evidence that he was not exaggerating.

What about Our Resurrection?

In John 10:28 He further states that He gives his followers eternal life, and that they shall never perish. Again: either it is so, or it is not so…that is a very powerful promise. If Jesus has the authority he claims to have…and keeps his promises, then the resurrection of his followers is sure to come, as well. Job’s faith will find fulfillment in the person of Christ. Abraham will find the promise complete in his risen Master. And we have something to hope for as well!

Romans 1:1-4 speaks concerning God’s Son, Jesus Christ, saying that he was “Declared to be the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” That means that the resurrection was God’s stamp of approval… God’s signature on the contract… God’s seal; saying “YES! This is my Son!”

In Hebrews 1:8-12 God the Father says that God the Son (Jesus) is the Creator: that He remains the same throughout the ages, and that his years shall not fail. He later points out (Hebrews 10:21) that Jesus has entered into the Holy of Holies through the veil, which is his flesh. And that He has made the way for us to follow.

In 1st John 5:11-13, it says that God wants us to know that we have eternal life. He says that this life is in the Son of God. He says whoever “has the Son, has the life”…and that those who do not have Him do not have the eternal life He offers.

Resurrection Is Vital Truth!

Can you see how vital the truth of the Resurrection is to the message of the Gospel? If Jesus was NOT resurrected, we are in deeper trouble than anyone has ever thought we were in. It would mean that the person we thought was the Savior was NOT the savior, but a liar, or a self-deluded fool. That is why, in 1st Corinthians 15:14-19, Paul says that if Christ has not been raised, then:

  • Our preaching amounts to nothing
  • Your faith is futile
  • We are found to be false witnesses of God, because we have testified that God did raise Jesus from the dead,
  • You are still in your sins (if He is not our saving sacrifice—we have no forgiveness!)
  • Those who have died, believing in Christ, are forever lost.

He concludes that “If we have hope in Christ for this life only (no resurrection, in other words), then we are of all men most miserable…” (most to be pitied.) Some of the world sees us that way. Most either mock us for fools, or hate us because they first hated Christ.

But the truth still stands: the Resurrection either did happen, or did not happen. There is really no middle ground. We believe it did happen, just as God says. If it did not, then all the rest of our beliefs fade into sad folly, because all of the Christian faith rests upon the Resurrection!

What Can We Conclude?

What shall we do with these things, then? If I already believe in the Resurrection, does it make me believe more? Or make me more emphatic in arguing with others? That is not my purpose in offering these thoughts. We frequently wonder whether it is really necessary to believe all the accounts of miracles in the Bible. Perhaps we wonder whether at least some of them might be pious-sounding forgeries, added after the fact.

The problem with that idea, in this particular case, is that the forgers would have had to go back and change all the prophetic writings of thousands of years of history. If that is what happened, then we simply do not have God’s Word. But, there is no evidence that this has happened: Quite the opposite. There is more evidence to the truth of the Bible than any other document in history.

An even larger issue, provided we are satisfied with the pedigree of God’s Word, is that this particular miracle was predicted thousands of years in advance, affirmed many times throughout history, and re-stated in further prophetic writings. If this one isn’t real, we don’t have a Savior! This is a miracle upon which to stand fast, without doubts.

The Historical Narrative:

Jesus arose from the dead, physically, hours before daylight, by the simple expedience of passing through the winding cloths they had wrapped him in; he folded the napkin from his face, and set it aside, and then transported himself away, by passing through the solid rock. He then waited for the women who would be the first to discover the empty tomb.

There were still sixteen Roman soldiers guarding the sealed (but now-empty) tomb. An angel appeared: He was bright, and fiercely shining, and they all fell— apparently unconscious—then, after they awakened, they fled. But the angel rolled the stone back from the door, and sat on it.

The women arrived, wondering how they would get in to complete the embalming process, knowing that the massive doorway stone was far beyond their best efforts. They found the empty tomb with a new guard—the angel—who said “Why do you seek the Living One among the dead? He is not here!”

Appearances of the Risen Christ

Then Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, and comforted her: And… He sent her, as the first Resurrection witness, to tell his disciples to meet Him in Galilee.

Sometime during that day, he met with Peter, who had some special issues to deal with. Later that evening, he met two of the apostles on the road to Emmaus, and they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the others. Jesus showed up, just as they were telling about the meeting on the road, and He greeted the remaining apostles as a group, also dealing with the doubts that Thomas had suffered.

Over the next forty days, he revealed himself to many other disciples: in one case, to over five hundred at once. He later met with James, then again the whole group of apostles, just before he ascended back to Heaven. Later, he met with Paul, whom he had chosen to be an apostle as well. (We read about that in Acts chapter 9.)

The Voices of the Martyrs and the Witness of the Spirit

We have the historical witness of these changed lives, the witness of the epistles they wrote, and the voices of two thousand years of martyrs to persuade us. But those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus’s Blood for our Salvation have another witness: We have the indwelling Holy Spirit. So, we encourage anyone who will listen, saying “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”

Of course, we freely admit: If He actually is dead, and his corpse is simply missing, then, as Paul said, we are of all men most to be pitied.

But, He’s Alive! We can see His Glory in the lives of believers around us. We look to His coming with unspeakable Hope and Joy. And we confirm: “He is risen, indeed!”

Lord Jesus, we exalt You for your Holiness and Majesty, and we rejoice before You as our Resurrected Savior! Fill us with the consciousness of Your Presence in our Lives, and Shine through us as we live to Serve You!

Scripture Reference List:

Genesis 22 Isaac (compare to Hebrews 11:17-19)

Job 19:25 My Redeemer lives

Psalms 16:10 Not left to rot

Isaiah 53:8-12 After death, shall see his offspring, and be rewarded

Zechariah 12:10 Look upon me whom they have pierced

John 2:19-21  “Destroy this temple…”

Matthew 12:40 3 days, 3 nights (Referring to Jonah’s prophecy)

Luke 23:43 Thief on the cross…Paradise

Romans 1:4 God raised him from the dead, declared, by that fact, to be his son.

John 10:17, 18 I have the authority to lay down my life and take it up again

Revelation 1:18 he that liveth, and was dead, and, behold, I am alive forevermore

Hebrews 1:8-12 “Thou art the same and thy years shall not fail

Hebrews 10:21 entered in through the veil

John 5:24 Have eternal life now

John 10:29 They shall never perish

1st John 5:11-13 Know you have eternal life

1st Corinthians 15:19  we are of all men most miserable…

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

Do You Know How to Use the Armor of God? (part 2)

Email, RSS Follow

The Seven-fold Armor of God—Part Two

© C. O. Bishop 7/8/14 Revised 4/1/25

Ephesians 6:10-18 (read it.)

Introduction: The Primacy of the Word

Last time we discussed the first five parts of the Christian’s Armor, as laid out in Ephesians 6:10-18. We saw that the first five items are all primarily defensive in nature. We saw that all of the armor is ultimately dependent on the truth of God’s Word. No part of our experience with God can stand, apart from that central concept.

Indeed, Jesus is identified in John 1:1, 14 as being the Word. And again, in Revelation 19:13, it says that “His name is called ‘The Word of God’….” The centrality of Christ throughout the Scripture is no accident. He is the embodiment of God, and the Scripture is the embodiment of Christ.

A Black and White Picture of Jesus

If it helps to think of it that way, the Scripture is a “black and white portrait of the King.” God assures us of its importance all through the Bible. Psalm 119:9 tells us that it is the only way God can change our lives. Hebrews 4:12 states that it is “alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

2nd Timothy 3:16, 17 assures us that the scripture is all inspired by God. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. It is sufficient to thoroughly furnish us for all good works, and,, to make us mature and complete in Him.

But one thing the Word tells us to do is to Pray. Philosophers argue whether prayer can change anything. They reason that, “if God is all-wise and all-knowing, and predetermines the future from the beginning, then why should He listen to humans?” Why indeed? All we can say is: God commands us to pray without ceasing. He says “the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” You will have to decide whom to believe: Man (no matter how highly educated, or persuasive) or God.

In light of this, let us consider the rest of the weaponry offered to the believer.

Offensive Weapons: The Sword and Prayer

The Sword of the Spirit

This is frequently billed as the “only offensive weapon” in the Christian Armor.” And, from a hasty reading, it might seem so, as it is the only offensive weapon that directly correlates to a part of the Roman armor. God’s Word is frequently compared to a sword. Unlike a firearm, it does not need to be “loaded”…the Word itself is the weapon, just like a physical Sword.

We are to use the Word both defensively and offensively, just as did the Roman soldiers. It can be used to parry a thrust by an enemy, or to pierce the defenses of a human agent of the enemy. We are to bear in mind at all times that humans are not our enemies in spite of the fact that they act the part, and may actively serve our enemies.

Every single one of them is a precious soul for whom our Savior shed His blood. So, when we use the Sword of the Spirit, we do not use it to damage them, but to demolish their defense against God. Another way to see this is: Jesus said “upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Gates don’t attack anyone…but besieging soldiers can storm the gates of a city. We are to be the army of God, rescuing the prisoners of Hell.

How do we do it? By the Sword of the Spirit and by Prayer. Bear in mind that the Gospel itself is the central theme of the Word of God. When we share the Gospel of God’s Grace; the Good News of the Blood of Christ and his Resurrection, then we are using the Sword of the Spirit to attack the gates of Hell, and to offer rescue to the lost.

How Does One Use a Sword?

Please take seriously the term “sword:” like any weapon, it is made to be used, not argued about. If a mugger stops you on the street, pointing a gun, and you say, “Well, I don’t believe that’s a gun!” The robber will not argue the merits of his gun, nor enter into apologetics to “prove” it is a gun…he will simply pull the trigger! Likewise, when using God’s Word, you do not have to waste time defending its pedigree (though its pedigree is matchless:) just cite the passage, quote the verse, and allow the Spirit to convict the hearer.

The nice thing is that His Word always will have some effect; just not necessarily the one you intended. On the other hand, if you use it unwisely, and cause an unnecessary offense, then you will have damaged another believer, or turned away a person who, momentarily, at least, was willing to hear. So, use the Word wisely, but use it!

It Can Be Used Defensively

Use it to defend against attacks of Satan, the World, or the Flesh. Think back: what was Jesus’ response to the temptations in the wilderness? He responded with God’s Word! He defended against Satan’s attacks with God’s Word. I can defend against verbal attacks by the World in the same way.

A man I worked for once asked me whether Jesus believed in reincarnation. I was a new believer, and taken somewhat off-guard, but I immediately answered “No!” He triumphantly demanded, “Then why did Jesus say that John the Baptist was Elijah?” As a new believer, I knew very little of God’s Word, and didn’t even know Hebrews 9:27, which says we die once, and then we are judged. So, I prayed for wisdom, and thought for a moment.

Then I asked, “Reincarnation requires that one dies and comes back in another body, doesn’t it?” He agreed that it did. I cited the only thing I knew of God’s Word that seemed applicable: “Well, the Bible says Elijah never died!” His face went blank, and without another word, he went back to whatever he was doing. I don’t think he changed his mind, but God’s Word did defend me. 

Another Example of Defense

The same man on another occasion, claimed that Edgar Cayce was a prophet. I had never heard of the man, but I had read just enough to know that God demanded 100% accuracy of his prophets, so I cautioned the man that this was the case. He stated with certainty, “Edgar Cayce never missed!” I thought for a bit, and really had no answers, but as I prayed for wisdom, God brought to my mind another idea: I asked, “Did Edgar Cayce ever have a vision of Christ?” He said “Yes!” I asked, “Did he happen to notice his hair color?”

He grinned and said, “Yes! It was red!” I said, “Well, that’s funny, because the only two visions of Christ given in the Bible, before his birth or after his death, he had snow-white hair!” Again, the man was silenced. That was not really my intent, and I was actively praying for the man’s salvation, but he saw me as a nineteen-year-old “pup,” and he deliberately tried to confuse me and disturb my newfound faith. He was not looking for answers at all.

I don’t know what became of that man: After I left his employment, I never saw him again. But it was a very valuable training experience: I learned to use the two “offensive weapons” of the Armor of God, though in defensive mode: I prayed for wisdom, and I used the written Word.

And of Offense

So, what about an offensive use? I recall hearing about a man who, when confronted by a fairly aggressive and argumentative unbeliever, kept saying, “Well; all I know is that ‘…it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment!’ ” He made no attempt to “out-maneuver, out-argue, out-think, or out-fight” his opponent. He made no attacks on him, nor did he try to “shut him up” He simply kept reiterating the fact that death was the inevitable end of every man’s life, and that judgment, just as inevitably, would follow.

The quiet repetition of that fact eventually got the unbeliever’s attention, and he quit attacking and began asking for answers. The result was that he was further convicted by God’s Word, and was eventually saved. I don’t know what happened after that; I hope he ultimately became just as aggressive for God, but I don’t know.

Evangelism is an Offensive Move Against The Enemy of OUr Souls!

There was another time when I thought I was using God’s Word as food, and a healing balm, but the person I was talking to was not a new believer (as I had mistakenly thought) but an unbeliever coming to grips with the claim of God on her life, and her need for a Savior.

While I thought I was offering scripture as assurance of salvation, the Holy Spirit was leading her to Christ with the same verses I was offering as assurance. She finally prayed with me, thanking God for that assurance, and went home. It was two weeks later she told me that that was when she was born again.

I was “too blind to know what was really happening” (spiritual things are largely invisible), but I was faithful to share the Word, and God used it to His own purpose. She kept coming to church, and we had Bible Study with her and her husband at their apartment for many months. They were actively involved in their church since then. I can take no credit at all—I didn’t even know what was going on. All I could do was to hold out the light. God used it to draw her to himself.

God says, “My Word …shall not return unto me void, but will accomplish the purpose to which I have sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)  We don’t always even know that purpose…but we can offer His Word, and allow His Spirit to use it.

God Says It Takes Practice!

So: how can you use a weapon you have never learned to handle? God says, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2nd Timothy 2:15.) If you haven’t deliberately engaged in “sword-training, and sword-drills” just as modern soldiers spend countless hours in weapons-training, exercise, and drills, then how can you realistically hope to use that “sword” effectively when the time comes, and “the moment is now?”

We offer several opportunities for Bible training every week, here at True Hope. There are numerous training books available, as well as online Bible schools—good ones—that you can attend, if you so desire.

Training is Available

Richard Banham and I (and others) were blessed at an early age to have the opportunity to get some formal training. That is fine, but the honest truth is, every single thing we got in those schools is available to every other believer in this country as well, if they are willing to seek it. Proverbs 2:3-6 states that if you make God’s wisdom your treasure—the thing you earnestly seek, as if it were hidden treasure—then He will see to it that you find it. But he clearly states that it comes “from His mouth—His Word.” (What a surprise!)

So, if I want God’s wisdom I first ask for it (James 1:5), and then search His Word daily (Acts 17:11), to find it. And He will be found (Jeremiah 29:13, 14.)

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “bring to your remembrance all things whatsoever He has taught you.” If that is so, then we need to be in the Word, if for no other reason, so that the Holy Spirit has something to work with. Had I not “just happened” to have read those passages about Elijah, and the passages with visions of the glorified Christ, I would have had no answers for the verbal attack made by a servant of the Enemy.

If I am not in the Word on a regular basis, then I will be weak when the day of the battle arrives. And, most times, we get no warning at all…it is suddenly upon us, and we are either prepared or we are not. The Holy Spirit can’t “bring to your remembrance” something you have never learned. You will either be prepared or you won’t.

So, What About Prayer?

If we do not read carefully enough, it may seem that Paul includes prayer almost as an afterthought. But the fact is, he has already brought up his own dependence on prayer a number of times earlier in this book, as he prayed for the Ephesian believers: giving thanks for them, praying that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened, that they would know what is the exceeding greatness of the Power of God toward the believers, that God would grant that they would be strengthened with might, by the Spirit, that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith, and many other things.

Now he continues the sentence about the “…Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God,” with the command to pray at all times with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. That is not an afterthought—it is a continuation of the command that we clothe ourselves in the armor of God. This is both a defensive and an offensive weapon just as is the Word of God.

Prayer is one of the Weapons, Too!

God says prayer matters. He cites many examples throughout the Old and New Testaments where people brought their daily lives to God in prayer, and, as a result, when a crisis came, they were already at home in His presence…they prayed confidently, knowing His power and His goodness, and they received what they asked for because, daily, they had been conscious of His working in their lives, and were asking in accordance with his observed will and direction.

We can pray for intervention; we can pray for relief; we can pray for provision. We can offer confession of Sin, so as to clear the way for real intercessory prayer, as priests in the Body of Christ. We can offer Worship and adoration as the joyful recipients of His Grace. We can offer supplication, praying for other people’s needs as well as our own.

Giving of Thanks is Part of Prayer

We can offer Thanksgiving, as we recognize the reality of answered prayer and constant provision. We can offer thanksgiving for prayers that were denied, as they probably protected us from an unseen hazard, or provided for some better thing, later on. We can thank God for hard times, knowing that they strengthen us for the battles yet to come.

We can use God’s Word in prayer, recalling His promises. This is not “trying to twist God’s arm.” so to speak …(don’t bother trying…it can’t be done.) He is God…we are His creation. We do not command God. He commands us, and we either obey or fail to obey.

Conclusion: USE IT!

Our Armor, then—all of it—depends on the Truth of God’s Word, and demands that we very deliberately and specifically place our faith on His provision for our safety and strength.

  1. We gird our loins with Truth as we continually place our dependence on His Word.
  2. We prepare ourselves in the Gospel, especially the Gospel of Peace, as a continuing training, so that we will always be ready for sure-footed service.
  3. We protect our hearts with the Breastplate of Righteousness, as we rest in His righteousness, not our own.
  4. We constantly are on guard with the Shield of Faith, actively believing God for his presence and guidance.
  5. We protect our minds with the Helmet of Salvation; knowingwe have eternal Life, and knowing we are kept by His power, not our own.
  6. We daily take up the Sword of the Spirit, as we actively seek to master the use of God’s Word for every need in our lives. Finally,
  7. We earnestly seek God’s face as our Commander in Chief, in daily, moment by moment Prayer, for ourselves and for others; in Confession, Adoration, Supplication and Thanksgiving.

How is your armor “fitting?” Does it feel heavy? (It really shouldn’t.) That is a great thing about the armor of God…it is uplifting. If you are wearing it, and wearing it faithfully, all your other burdens become lighter.

Make the armor of God a daily priority in your life, by feeding daily on His Word, and consciously clothing yourself in His protection every day.

Lord Jesus, draw us deeper into your Written Word, so that we may be drawn deeper into a living relationship with yourself, the Living Word. Arm us against our enemies, for the sake of your Name.  Amen.

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

Do You Know How To Apply The Armor Of God?

Email, RSS Follow

The Seven-fold Armor of God—Part One

© C. O. Bishop 7/8/14 (revised 4/3/2024)

Ephesians 6: 10-18 (read it.)

Introduction:

We recently studied Ephesians 6:10-13. There, we saw that we were to find our strength in the Person of Christ, his indwelling Holy Spirit, and that He has sent us to live in this World as lights in a dark place. God tells us “stand against the enemies of our souls, and do not be dismayed by the evil in the world.” We are to announce the judgment and the salvation of God, as His Ambassadors.

As we move on, and learn about the Armor of God, we see “seven” pieces of armor listed. We often associate the number seven, in scripture, with “completeness” or “completion.” The final Judgments in the Revelation come in three waves of seven, nested within one another.

We talk about the “Last Trumpet” ending the reign of Man on Earth. It is the seventh trumpet of Judgment on the Earth, during the great Tribulation. There are many examples of such “things”sevens,” Old and New Testament. I don’t want to overemphasize it, though, because, as they say, “sometimes seven just means one more than six.”

However, in this particular case God has offered us something, and it is a perfect gift, as mentioned in James 1:17 “Every Good gift and every perfect Gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” So, while I do not want to “overemphasize the number seven;” in this case, it seems to bear out what Paul says about the armor—it is the “whole” armor of God…it is complete in every way.

Five Primarily Defensive Weapons:

First things first: (v. 14) “Having your loins girt about with truth”

As a small child learns to dress himself, he learns very quickly that we put on our various garments on, in a specific order. You can’t put your shoes on before your socks, for example. Well, the first thing God says is that we are to “stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth….”

Consider the Truth of God’s Word to be a belt. If you watch a  carpenter’s crew gearing up for work, you will see that one of the final things they put on is their tool belt. It holds all their hand tools, and frequently a few pounds of nails, screws, or other fasteners. But it goes on last.

The Truth of God’s Word is similar: It upholds everything else. Without the truth of God’s Word, nothing else in the Christian Life is valid or helpful. This belt, unlike the carpenter’s tool-belt, however, comes first. God says to “gird up our loins” with the truth of God’s written Word. It is the foundation for all the rest of the armor, and it must be put on first.

Everything Depends upon the Truth of God’s Word

All of our existence as believers depends on this one thing: God’s Word is True! It either is, or it isn’t. We are not looking at a smorgasbord, from which we are to choose what to believe. There are certainly many parts we understand poorly, and probably some we don’t understand at all. (Daniel complained about this, in Daniel chapter 12. The speaker told him that that portion was not for him, but that it would be understood by the people of the end times.) But it is all “God-breathed”—”God-inspired.” It is all true!

Bear in mind that the door to the truth is the will, not the intellect. It is very seldom possible to “argue” someone into believing. Ultimately, we recognize that we have a choice to make, and we choose, either to receive the voice of God, or to reject it.

After I chose to believe God’s Word, I had to depend on Him to give me more information to confirm that choice. I discovered that, once you begin looking for the “fingerprints of God” in your life, believing that His hand is at work, you will begin to see His hand everywhere. God has big hands, and He leaves big fingerprints.

What if I don’t Believe the Whole Bible?

But if you decide to deny him, there will always be a plausible doubt—a reason not to believe. Ultimately, it requires more faith to disbelieve God’s Word than to believe it, as there is such an super-abundance of evidence in His favor. If I choose to doubt, then I must believe in my own wisdom, for which I have a lifetime of evidence that it is not worthy of faith.

Or, I may believe other humans: “wise men” who continually give me reason (via news stories, and governmental decisions, and scientific community shenanigans) to know that their wisdom is no better than mine…maybe worse. So, the choice is clear: I either believe the Word of One whose track-record is perfect, though sometimes mysterious, or that of humans who continually make bad decisions.

If my confidence is in God’s Word, then the rest of the Armor is at my disposal. If not, then I have nothing. In similar fashion, the Ancient Roman soldiers attached much of their armor to, or suspended it from the belt. They secured the belt, first: If the belt failed, the breastplate fell away, and the sword sheath would be gone. Choose to put your daily, living Faith in the truth of God’s Word. He is worthy of your faith.

How to Protect the Heart: The Breastplate of Righteousness

The Breastplate, of course, is just what it sounds like—a plate, or shell, to cover the chest and abdomen from a frontal attack. The Roman soldier was primarily a foot-soldier, and when facing enemy soldiers, his vital organs needed protection from swords, spears, etc. …and primarily from the front. He wasn’t supposed to retreat.

God says that the Breastplate in the Christian’s armor is Righteousness…but not the righteousness of the believer, primarily—the believer is too fallible for that to hold up for very long. Where can we get a righteousness that will hold up under the attack of Satan? And how will it protect the heart of the believer?

Where Do We Get the Breastplate of Righteousness?

Turn in your Bible to 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He hath made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who (Christ) knew no sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.” That is the only righteousness on which we can depend…the Righteousness of God, imputed to us through the Blood of Jesus. Genesis 15:6 says “Abraham believed God and He (God) counted it to him (Abraham) as righteousness.” That is our only source of Righteousness. Paul says, in Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

When our conscience accuses us, and Satan chimes in, condemning us for the sins of the flesh and of the mind, we can rest on the righteousness of Christ. “Yes I am a sinner! That is why Jesus went to the Cross! His blood paid the price: The full price for my sin. I have become the Righteousness of God in Him.” Do I consciously “feel” that way? No!

Feelings are not Reliable

My “feelings” are bound up in my experience, and my daily experience tells me that I am a sinner. The fact, however, is that I am now in Christ, not in the flesh, and His righteousness has become mine. God no longer sees me in my old sin nature. It is vitally important to grasp this truth, because without it you will constantly be under attack from the enemies of your soul: They will tell you that you are “not good enough” to be a child of God, much less His Ambassador.

Our defense against this sort of attack, whether from our own flawed conscience, or the world, or Satan himself. is to freely confess that on our own we have NO righteousness, but that in Christ we are completely Holy and Righteous, just as He is. That is hard for me to imagine!

Fortunately, I do not have to imagine it: turn to Ephesians 4:24. “…and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true Holiness.” Notice that it says that this New Man is “created.” The person in focus, here, is not the indwelling Holy Spirit, but the new nature of the believer. The Holy Spirit is God…He is not a created being. But the person who has been born again is a new Creation in Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:17.)

And that new Man, the new nature of the Born-again believer, is created in Righteousness (Christ’s Righteousness!) and true Holiness. Wow! What a powerful statement about our position in Christ. That is why we can say with confidence, that in Him we are secure forever! That is why we can use the Breastplate of Righteousness—Christ’s Righteousness, to protect our hearts from the attack of the Evil One.

What About Shoes?

A soldier can only fight so long as he has firm footing. God calls us to prepare our feet with the “preparation of the Gospel of peace.”

The Roman army issued its soldiers a pair of hobnail sandals. He strapped them on before battle, or whenever he was on duty. They were sturdy, and solid. The sandals were made to be of maximum durability, strength and secure footing: Not necessarily for comfort. Armies today issue similar footgear to their soldiers: durable, with good all-terrain traction, and (in jungle climates) breathable fabric, to avoid excess moisture and possible fungus infections.

We are to constantly be preparing for service by reading and reviewing the scriptures, and specifically the “Gospel of Peace.” How does that differ from the Gospel of Grace? Effectively they are one and the same. Nearly every Epistle in the New Testament begins with the phrase, “Grace be unto you, and Peace…” or something very similar, within the first verse or two. And it always comes in that order: Grace, resulting in Peace.

At Peace WITH God!

When we believed the Gospel of Grace, we were made new creatures in Christ, and, whether we are aware of it or not, we are permanently at Peace with God…He is no longer at odds with us, as He no longer sees us in our sins. Romans 5:1 says, “Being justified (declared righteous) by faith we have peace with God. We don’t have to seek it.  Peace with God is eternally ours!

Having the Peace of God is another matter. We confess our sins and cast our cares on Him to have the peace of God. We have the peace of God when we are walking in the Spirit, and casting our cares upon Him because He cares for us. Philippians 4:6, 7 says that we are to be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we are to make our requests known to Him, so that the Peace of God can be our daily experience. If we don’t, it won’t!

The firm footing from which we can offer eternal life to the lost, and upon which we stand against the enemy, is the fact that we are permanently at peace with God. We are no longer his enemies, and never will be so again.

And The Shield?

We are told that, above all, we are to take the Shield of Faith, with which we shall be able to quench all the flaming darts of the wicked. All who are Born Again have experienced saving faith. We are saved by Grace, through Faith in His Blood. (Romans 3:25) There is no other way offered, though many false teachers propose “alternate routes.”

But the living faith, mentioned here, is our daily dependence on God for wisdom, protection, guidance, and strength. This concept has been taught from earliest times, in both the Old and the New Testament. Gideon was told, “Go, in this thy strength: have I not sent thee?” Solomon taught, (Proverbs 3:5, 6) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.”

Omni-directional Defense!

Doubts can be thrown at us from any of our enemies. The World constantly heaps doubt on the Christian, either flatly denying the truth of God’s Word, or calling into question the character of God and His followers. Our own flesh, the most devious of our enemies, does the same thing, saying, “Well, that doesn’t feel right…I’m not comfortable with that…” But (again) our feelings are not reliable indicators of truth. God’s Word is!

Our comfort or discomfort are also not reliable as indicators of truth. Our old sin nature will never be comfortable with God’s Word—it cannot be, according to Romans 8:7. So why should I even consider its claims? Satan will use any means available, to cast doubt on God’s Word. Remember how he used the serpent against Eve: “Yea, hath God surely said…?” and “Ye shall not surely die…” Satan begins by casting doubt on the Word, and then calls God’s character into question. He first suggests that perhaps the Word is not reliable, and then flatly calls God a liar.

All of these sources of doubt stem from the Evil One. Our defense against all of these attacks is Faith. It does not matter how I feel about something: What God says is what matters.

It does not matter what the World says about God—they have already rejected Christ and His Word: They are an incredibly unreliable measure of truth. And, ultimately, if our confidence is in His Word, then we need not fear Satan’s “flaming Darts of doubt,” however he delivers them: We will meet them with the Shield of Faith!

The Helmet—Protecting the Mind

The pieces of armor are all tied together by a common theme: The truth of God’s Word, and the secure position of the believer in Christ are the reason they all work. What can we do to protect our minds? The heaviest doubt or fear, particularly for a young believer, is that somehow we can lose our salvation…that somehow we have not done enough, and that God will abandon us.

Little children, toddlers especially, frequently fear separation from their mothers. Even older children sometimes fear abandonment, especially if they come from a broken home, or have gone through foster homes and adoption at a later age. The Christian is under attack from Satan in that same vein.  He whispers, “Well, that was too much for God, brother! You have sinned your way out of Grace, now, sister!”

Sadly, this idea is even taught in some churches. How can I possibly put on the Helmet of Salvation if I am not sure I am saved, and/or I am not sure that I cannot lose my salvation? How can my mind be free to serve Christ, if I am constantly focused on “working to keep” something that I cannot lose?

There are two things to bear in mind here:

  1. God the Son (Jesus) says you can have eternal life today: You do no have to “wait ‘til you die” to find out if you have it. (John 5:24)
  2. God wants you to know that you have it.  (1st John 5:11-13)

Rest in the promise of God, believing His promise regarding your salvation. Then you will no longer be subject to Satan’s attacks on your mind. You are wearing the Helmet of Salvation!

Next time we will talk about the offensive weapons in the Christian’s armor.

In the meantime, please meditate on the five defensive weapons God has given you, to defend against your enemies, and be at peace. If you want to read ahead, consider how the Word of God and Prayer can be used as offensive weapons.

May the Lord richly bless you as you walk with Him and firmly stand against your enemies.

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

Do You Know The Spiritual Enemies in Our Spiritual Warfare?

Email, RSS Follow

The Spiritual Enemies in Our Spiritual War

© 2024 C. O. Bishop

Ephesians 6:10-13; Judges 6:11-16

Introduction:

Ten years ago, I saw a panel-discussion about the then-recent attack on the US embassy in Syria. Eventually, an Islamic-American woman in the audience asked, “Why are you not answering ideological questions with ideology, and discussion, instead of proposing war?” (No one had mentioned Islam. Everyone had focused on the violent attack that had occurred, and had carefully ignored the reason behind the attack.)

A woman on the panel replied that the world has about 1.2 billion Islamic people, and (as the woman in the audience said) about 75% of them desire peace. However, she pointed out that the only ones willing to discuss matters were the peaceful ones . The remaining 25% (300 million people …nearly the population of the United States) do not want peace, will not discuss it, and absolutely commit themselves to the destruction of Western Civilization.

Active Involvement?

On the other hand, even most of those do not get “actively involved.” Obviously, it only took nineteen jihadists to destroy the trade towers, killing nearly 3000 people. During WW2, most Germans wanted peace…however, the Nazis overruled, because the peaceful majority didn’t resist them. Sixty million people died as a long-range result. She cited other examples in which the “peaceful majority” proved to be irrelevant: Only the violent minority made a difference. Sadly, only those willing to fight for their beliefs become relevant in history.

The Quran calls all Islamic believers to wage “Jihad” (violent “holy war”) against all infidels. In contrast, nowhere does the Bible tell Christians to use violence to achieve their goals. (Israel was commanded to fight, and they did. Obviously, they still  do so today. But the Church is not Israel.)

Instead, the New Testament addresses Christians: A different sort of war is in view. Furthermore, the scripture says we are soldiers in a spiritual war, with deadly spiritual enemies, all of whom are absolutely committed to our destruction. If we want to earn eternal relevance, (and not fall prey to those enemies) we must embrace the fact of spiritual warfare: And…we must be personally involved!

So, How Do We “Stand” For God?

In Ephesians 4:1-6:9, Paul told us how to walk with the Lord. He changes the subject (though it is closely related) in Ephesians 6:10, saying how we should stand for the Lord.

We tend to think of “Christian warfare” as a lot of “guerilla-tactics:” Sneaking around, looking for a chance to “slip in a good word, edgewise.” Sorry. That is not what it is about! It is not to be a “battle of wits:” (Compared to the enemies Paul describes, here, we are nearly “witless.”) And remember: The people  against whom we try to use our “spiritual zingers” are not enemies. They are working with our enemies, but they are truly victims, just as we ourselves have been.

Be Strong In the Lord, and in the Power of His Might

Paul’s first command is: “Be strong.” Notice that the command is to “my brethren”—born again believers—children, together, of their real Father in heaven. In John 8:44,Jesus said that the world’s people are not by nature the children of God, but of Satan. That sounds harsh, but it is simply the truth…and in Ephesians 2:3, Paul agrees that we all began in that position.

But as Christians, he commanded us to “be strong.” Notice, too, that that is not the whole command. If he only said, “Be Strong,” we all might join gymnasiums or lift weights, trying to “obey the command of God”…and we would all be wrong. He says, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His Might.” This has nothing to do with physical strength.

How Does God’s Strength Enter the Picture?

Read the story of Gideon, in Judges 6:11-16. (read it) Israel was a nation under siege, terrorized by roving bands of Midianite raiders. Gideon, of the tribe of Manasseh, was secretly threshing  some wheat, trying to get it into storage without the Midianites seeing him. (The raiders had a pattern of letting someone else do all the work and then swooping in to steal the harvest.)

The Angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon. (From previous studies, we saw that “the Angel of the LORD” always turns out to be the LORD, Jehovah, himself…and, as we further discovered: it is Jesus, in the flesh! This is no exception. In verses 14, 16, and following, the LORD is doing the talking: He called to Gideon, saying “the LORD is with thee, thou Mighty Man of Valor.” And Gideon effectively said, “You’ve got the wrong guy! I am the least in my father’s house, and our house is poor in our tribe. I’m no ‘mighty man’ of anything!”

But the LORD commanded him, saying “Go in this thy might…have I not sent thee?”  

God knew who he was dealing with—a scared young farmer, just trying to stay alive and feed his family: but He called him a “Mighty Man of Valor”…and then revealed what made him strong. In the first place, he said, “The LORD is with thee!” and, in the second place, he said “go, in THIS thy might: Have I not sent thee?”

These two facts were what guaranteed Gideon His strength: As a called individual,

  1. God was with him, and  
  2. God was sending him on a mission!

(Well! Wouldn’t it be nice if we had those two things?) You know the answer to that: We do!

Our Source of Strength

How do I know God is with us? Because Jesus guaranteed it, over and over. In John 14:16,He said that the Holy Spirit would be with us forever(remember: The Holy Spirit is God.) And, in John 14:18, He said that He himself would not abandon us. In John 14:23, He said that He and the Father would take up their abode with us. And, (Matthew 28:20) in the context of the Great Commission, he gave His promise “I am with thee always, even unto the end of the age!” So: There is no doubt that God is with us: The only question remains: are we with Him?

God went to a great deal of trouble to get Gideon to walk with him. We like to remember Gideon “laying out the fleece,” but we forget that this was specifically an act of doubt. Jesus had just appeared to him in person, and had given him a command. Gideon responded with “How do I know it is really you, or that you are sending me?” The two incidents with the fleece, and the subsequent “night-prowl” into the enemy camp all were given to allay his fears. The Lord really wanted him to do the job, and He really went a long way to “get Gideon on His team.”

Are You Really On God’s Team?

So, what does it take to get you on God’s team? He already died for you. (Of course, he died for Gideon, too, but Gideon didn’t know that.) He gave you the indwelling Holy Spirit; (Gideon didn’t have that blessing either.) He gave you the whole Bible. (Gideon may have seen the Torah, but probably only from a distance. We don’t even know for sure that he knew how to read: this was during a very dark period in Israel’s history.) The fact is, today, we have been given more evidence and more blessing than any other group of people in History.

You may think, “Ah, but Israel had the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the Manna in the desert, not to mention the miraculous gushing River of Water from the Rock.” Yes, they did, and they soon forgot them. Gideon had never seen any of those things! He had only heard of them.

You have the written record of those miracles, and you have your own copy of the whole Bible…do you read it? Do you believe Him? God wants you on His team, and He has already promised to be with you. He has already called you, and He has already sent you.

Where Has He Sent Us?

Matthew 28:19, 20 “Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We treat the Great Commission as if it were the marching orders for eleven or twelve men, but not for us.

But let’s read the rest of it: “…teaching them (that’s us) to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Yes, the Great Commission is to all Christians, throughout all history, in all places, in all the World.

God told Gideon nearly the same things He tells us: “Go, in this thy might: have I not sent thee?”  But his marching orders were quite different. He was to wage physical war against the Midianite raiders who were destroying Israel. We are to fight a spiritual war against the spiritual forces of wickedness in this world…not against flesh and blood.

As with Gideon, He says, “be strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might”…not our own strength. Gideon had nothing to offer God except faith and obedience: The same as we have.

Our Defense Against Evil

So, what is to be our defense against the evil in the world, and, more importantly, against the invisible, active agents of evil around us? (Wait! What’s this “invisible” stuff? Where did I get that?) We will find out in the next few verses that ALL our real enemies are invisible. So, how will we defend against such an invisible enemy?

He commanded us to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the “wiles of the devil.” The word, “Devil” means “accuser.” Satan means “adversary,” or “enemy.” But in this case, we see that ALL of our enemies are under the headship of that one Enemy, the Devil, who (1st Peter 5:8) “Walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom He may devour.”

So, any human defense will be useless; only the armor of God will suffice. The World feeds people video games and movies, many with the idea that “humans can fight demons…” shooting at them, etc. Think! They are invisible. Also, they are completely immune to anything humans can do, let alone bullets, blades and other such nonsense. In verses 14-18, God gives the only weapons that have any effect. We won’t get there today, but you can read ahead and see them: We have a handful of primarily defensive weapons and two potentially offensive weapons. And none of them are in any way connected to human ability or strength.

Gideon’s Experience, And Ours

Think of Gideon again: If you recall, the way God ordered the battle was first to take away all but 300 of Gideon’s troops. Next, God ordained that both hands of each of those 300 soldiers were full: They could not use any weapon in the battle! And, finally, He commanded them to:

  1. Stand
  2. Shine a light(remember the jugs and the torches?) and
  3. Sound an alarm (Alternating between Blowing a trumpet and Shouting.)

Consider: Isn’t that also what He commands us to do?

  1. Stand fast
  2. Shine the light of a holy life (Philippians 2:15, 16; Matthew 5:15, 16)
  3. Sound the alarm of the Gospel—both the “bad” news and the “good” news.

But our enemies and our armor are quite different from those of Gideon.

Who Are Our Enemies?

God’s Word says we have three major enemies, all under the leadership of one Enemy; Satan. He also has henchmen that we call demons, but the main way God lists our enemies is as:

  1. The World
  2. The Flesh
  3. The Devil

(So, why do I say that they are all invisible? We see the world around us every day, don’t we?) No, as a matter of fact: We see the people of the world: people for whom Jesus died. 1st John 2:2 states that Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world: He is the satisfaction of the Righteousness and Holiness of God on their behalf. So, if you think you “see” one of your enemies, remember that he or she is definitely someone for whom Jesus shed His precious blood. And we are commanded to reach out to them with the Love of God.

Our Three Enemies

“The World” that is our Enemy is the World system (of thinking, values, and motivation) controlling all the nations, politicians, and unbelievers of every kind. The people themselves are just sinners for whom Jesus died. The system is, and always shall be, the enemy of your soul.

“The Flesh” refers to our old sin nature, fully given over to self-will. (Even God can’t repair it or redeem it: So, He will do away with it through physical death.) In the believer’s case, this will provide eternal freedom from sin: when the body is resurrected, the only remaining nature  will be the new nature. For the unbeliever, it means eternal loss, as the only resurrection they face is the resurrection of the damned; eternal separation from God in the lake of Fire.

“The Devil.”—Satan himself—is the leader of all his armies: not only the invisible evil hosts named here (the “principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world” are angelic beings) and the “spiritual wickedness in high places,” but also of the World and the Flesh, according to Ephesians 2:2, 3. (He is the “Spirit that now works in the Children of Disobedience.”)

Our Goal: To Stand

And, against all these enemies The Lord says to do what? Just stand! But as we stand, He calls us to shine as lights in a dark place (Philippians 2:15), and to sound the alarm of the Gospel, so that we serve as ambassadors of God (2nd Corinthians 5:19, 20.) We are offering His terms of salvation to all who are willing. We cannot re-write history. God will carry out His judgment in His own time. We will let God handle the judgment of His enemies. We are only to reach out to them in Love.

(Next time: The Armor)

Father God, help us to see your presence and your command as the full and sole source of our strength, and to take that command as our own personal marching orders, in Jesus’ Name, and for His sake.

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

Do You Know How To Deal With The Subject of Submission?

Email, RSS Follow

The Structure of Submission

© 2025 C. O. Bishop

Ephesians 6:1-9

Introduction:

Last week we began talking about an unpopular subject: Submission. We saw that the entire human race is self-willed, having inherited that attribute along with our sin nature, from Adam. And we alluded to, but did not pursue, the fact that the original source of that self-will was Satan.

In Isaiah 14:12-15, we see Lucifer, the “light-bearer,”fall into the trap of self-will.

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

That is how Lucifer, the “Light-bearer” became Satan, the “Adversary!”

How Does the Fall of Lucifer Affect Us?

And, we bear his likeness, because, as unbelievers, in our natural state, he was our spiritual father. Jesus said, in John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

We fell with Adam, and we died with him. Usually, we don’t like hearing about that, and we like to think we can improve ourselves. We don’t like admitting the completeness of our “lostness” in Adam. But in 1st Corinthians 15:22, we see that “In Adam, all died!” Fortunately, it goes on to say, “In Christ shall all be made alive!” If you are “in Christ” today, then God says you have been made alive! In Ephesians 2:1-5, he says “When we were dead in our sins, God made us alive with Christ.” The day you trusted Jesus as your Savior, you were made alive in Christ!

But why? What is His purpose in bringing us to life?

That I Might Live Unto God

Galatians 2:19 says, “Through the law I am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God.”

This is our “purpose clause.” This is the reason God has set us free from slavery to our old sin natures: It is so that we can “live unto God.” (But, how?)

Jesus set the example for us in Philippians 2:5-8. He was completely submissive to His Father. God says that we are to take Him as our example as to how we are to “live unto God.” He says, 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

How Do We Follow His Example?

We submit ourselves unto Jesus as He submitted Himself to the Father. Notice that in submitting Himself to the Father, He willingly endured shameful abuse at the hands of sinners like us. It was not a “holy, peaceful, monastic lifestyle.” It was a hard life, mostly without honor.

He was born into a very poor family (as revealed by the sacrifice of two doves, for the offering of the firstborn: that offering was reserved for those too poor for a lamb.)

Jesus was born in a poor, tiny village: Bethlehem…He was reared in a poor community: Nazareth, not considered an important place, at all. He was born as a part of a nation already enslaved to Rome, one of the most evil nations in history. They were literally “under the Roman boot.”

The Example Is Complete

And, in submission to God, as an adult, Jesus paid taxes to that regime! We moan about paying taxes to our government, fearing that God will hold us accountable for what that government will do with the money. Jesus simply submitted Himself to God by submitting Himself to that evil Emperor, thus “rendering unto Caesar” the coin with Caesar’s image…but recognizing that He, Himself was in the image of God, and so He gave Himself to God.

He did His Father’s bidding, even when it was in stark contrast to the social and political norms of his day. He endured the verbal abuse and public verbal assaults and false accusations, until they became physical, and then He endured the physical abuse, in submission to His Father.

When the attacks led to an illegal trial by night, He endured it in submission to the Father. And  He finally endured the shameful, agonizing death of the Cross, a penalty usually reserved for the worst criminals. In fact, he took the place of a murderer, Barabbas!

So, Where Do We Fit In?

1st Corinthians 12 says that our new position is in Christ, as members of His Body. Paul went to some lengths to demonstrate the parallels between a physical human body, and the Body of Christ.

But, as any living body (every living thing, in fact) has structure and order, so the Body of Christ has structure and order: There are no “Lone Ranger” Christians in the Body of Christ. Each of us finds ourselves subject to someone else. And all of us are ultimately subject to Him, as individuals. The other side of that reality is that we also each have direct communication with the Head of the Body, Jesus. No one has to “go through someone else” to approach the Master!

As we saw last week, Ephesians 5:21 says it is a life of mutual submission. No one has been given the right to exalt himself or herself over others, as though he or she were superior to someone else. We function together as a true team!

What is The Structure of Submission?

Submission has a structure. We submit ourselves to one another in the fear of God: But how?

Remember from our reading in Ephesians 5:17-21, that everything after verse 18 is describing how we are to live, under the influence of the Holy Spirit (Being filled with the Holy Spirit.)

  • All are to be submissive to God.
  • All are to live in submission to one another, in the fear of God.
  • Wives are to be submissive, specifically to their husbands.
  • Husbands, in submission to God, are to love their wives as their own body.
  • Fathers (in submission to God) are to raise up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and we are specifically commanded to be reasonable…not to exasperate our children.
  • Children are to be submissive to their parents.
  • Servants (actually, the word, here, is “slaves,” but we apply it to “employees,” in our culture) are to be submissive to their own masters (employers).
  • Masters (or employers) are to treat their servants (employees) kindly, honestly, not threatening them; remembering that they (the masters) are servants in turn, of an almighty, all-knowing God.

It is good for us to remember that there are millions of literal slaves in the world today, who cannot choose to “apply it to employees:” They are slaves! We don’t like to hear about that, but it is a reality. There is no way to make that truth less repugnant, except to realize that we all have been enslaved to sin, and to know that Jesus “sets the prisoners free” at whatever level they are.

Another Example:

Joseph, in iron manacles, in a dungeon in Egypt, was free to serve God, and he did so…by submitting himself to the authority under which God had placed him. Was it pleasant, and satisfying? Was it fulfilling, in some way?

No, it was not! Psalm 105 tells us that Joseph was in pain, with his feet in iron manacles!

Psalm 105:17-20  17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him. 20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

(Some translations specifically say that he was locked in shackles and had an iron collar around his neck.) Whatever the details may have been, Joseph, the patriarch, a picture of Christ, was bound in painful servitude; not through any wrong he had done! But he submitted himself to God! And, eventually, “the King set him free!”

How Does it Apply To Us?

We are in no such torment as Joseph experienced, nor anywhere near the suffering that Jesus endured for us. But God calls us to have the same attitude of submission that Jesus did.

God commands each husband, in submission to God, (specifically, under the influence of the Holy Spirit) to make his wife his primary focus, in terms of human relations. No other human is to take her place in any way. She is his best friend, his closest confidant, his favorite companion and his only lover.

All these ideas are mutual, of course, but think about this: how difficult might it be for a wife to submit herself to a man who exemplifies the Person of Christ toward her in this way? I expect that it would not be very difficult at all, provided that she herself is also “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit.

Please consider, then, as a husband: How difficult are you making it for her?

Biblical Directives

If I ask, “What makes a good wife?” I can read Proverbs 31:10-31 and see several principles addressing that question:

  • She will do her husband good and not evil all the days of her life.
  • This woman is a good steward of their possessions: a good manager of money, not a spendthrift.
  • She manages her household faithfully, and diligently.
  • She opens her mouth with Wisdom: there are no brash outbursts or foolish talk.
  • The Law of Kindness is in her tongue (no gossip nor any mean-spirited sniping) and,

She will not do or say anything that would cause shame to her husband at any level. In short, when God says, “the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her” (verse 11), it means that he can safely entrust to her his money, his household, his family, and his reputation, and never have to worry that she will damage him in any way.

Application to Believers, Today

But, this standard applies to all believers. Remember: you are a full-time Ambassador of Christ! Is there anything in your thoughts, words or deeds that would embarrass Jesus, at any level?

If I ask, “What makes a good husband?” I have the entire New Testament, in which to see the Person of Christ, and the way He deals with the Church. I have verses like:

  • Colossians 3:19, “Husbands love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” It means that if I am ever angry at my wife, I am out of line.
  • 1st Peter 3:7, which points out that if I do not treat my wife with the Love of God, specifically treating her kindly, considerately and honorably—then my relationship with God will suffer: He says my prayers will be hindered.

The universal Church—the Bride—is in full, joyous submission to Christ…or eventually will be. (The local assemblies…those of us still on Earth…are still struggling with the Flesh.)

But God says that He is cleansing us with the “Washing of Water, by the Word.” (Amen! Keep scrubbing us, Lord! Make us over into Your image!)

You see, we are still a “work in progress.” But the subject of submission is to be a joyous freedom in our relationship with Christ and in our relationships with one another…not a grievous burden.

If we first learn to submit ourselves to God, the rest will come easily. So that needs to be our primary goal. Let’s pray!

Lord Jesus, fill us with your Spirit, and teach us obedience, from a full heart.

Amen!

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

Do You Truly Want to Know God’s Will For Your Life?

Email, RSS Follow

God’s Will is Not Popular

© C. O. Bishop June 21, 2014 (Revised, 2025) THCF 6/22/14

Ephesians 5:17-33

Introduction:

We live in a culture saturated with voting. We somehow think that, if it is the “Will of the People” it must be the “Will of God.” They even have a Latin quote to that effect: “Vox Populi, Vox Dei.” (The voice of the people is the voice of God!) Doesn’t that sound blasphemous? To declare that our collective will is equal to God? Nothing could be further from the truth! Let’s think of a few examples in scripture where there was unanimous or near unanimous “public opinion.”

Scriptural Example

In Genesis 19, there were exactly six persons in town who opposed the “will of the people; (the voice of the people:)” And two of those six were the angels sent to destroy that city. Of course, you may say, “Well, that was Sodom! It is rather a special case, isn’t it?”

OK, what about Numbers 14:10? It says that all the people—“all the congregation” of Israel—“bade (voted to) stone them with stones.” Even if I interpret that to say “just all the adult men,” we are talking 640,000 people; the whole “voting” nation of Israel at the time. And who were the targets of that “public opinion?” Joshua and Caleb! They were urging the people to obey God, and enter the land. Was it just another “special case,” maybe? Do you really think that we have advanced much beyond ancient Israel when it comes to finding God’s will…and obeying it?

Not Much Has Changed

The World is rapidly becoming very much like both ancient Israel and ancient Sodom, in the particular aspects of those two narratives. The voting public in our own country consistently rejects the voice of God, and embraces the sin of Sodom. As humans, we are members of a fallen race, and (other than the fallen angels…now called demons) we are the only ones in the history of the universe who have ever disobeyed God, under any circumstances! As humans, then, we utterly devote ourselves to our own will…not the will of God.

But, as born-again individuals, God has given us each a new nature which is created in the likeness of God’s Holiness and His Righteousness. Thus, we have the twin responsibilities of

  1. Knowing (understanding to one degree or another) God’s will, and
  2. Obeying God’s Will—fulfilling it, to the best of our ability.

We can learn some sweeping generalities, regarding God’s will: They form the backbone of our relationship with Him. 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 lists some examples:

  • Rejoice evermore! Pray without ceasing! In everything, give thanks!

WHY?  Because this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning YOU!

Other examples might include 1st Peter 1:16 “Be ye holy, for I am Holy!” (OOOH! That is not popular, either!)

Submission

So, what has this to do with today’s text in Ephesians? The need to understand God’s will prefaces the passage, but virtually all of today’s text is about one of the most unpopular things in God’s Word: Submission. Let’s read the text, and see what He actually says.

Ephesians 5:17-6:9. We will read the whole context, and then see how it all ties together. Yes, it means what it says, but remember: Everyone is called to a life of submission to God, and there is no person who is not accountable to some other humans, as well. (read it)

Submission as a Concept

Now, let’s back up and take just the Ephesians 5:17-33 passage concept by concept:

17   Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

How can I know God’s will? I must begin by looking in His Word. There, I can learn the principles by which He wants me to live. God says I am to learn wisdom there—learn to habitually make good decisions, based on His Word—Learn to have the same values as God does… and learn to find obedience a sweet experience rather than bitter. (Proverbs 2)

18   And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

God doesn’t just “forbid drunkenness,” here, although it certainly includes that idea as well…it is a comparison. When a person is drunk, we say they are “under the influence of an intoxicant.” That intoxicant affects everything they do —it affects their judgment, their mannerisms, their choice of words. It affects how strongly they feel about things for better or worse—they may be filled with exuberance, or sadness— they may rage, or they may be absolutely calm: but it is all being controlled to one degree or another by the alcohol (or other drugs) that they have ingested.

Under the Influence of (Filled With) The Holy Spirit

We, on the other hand, are to be “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit. Now, what sort of influence will the Holy Spirit bring in our lives? John 16:14 says that the Holy Spirit wants to glorify Jesus. If we choose to obey God and be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, then our lives will glorify Jesus. We will rejoice in His presence, obey His Word, and reach out to the lost.

19   Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20   Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21   Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

This is all a continuation of verse 18—people who are “under the influence of” the Holy Spirit are characterized by the things in verses 19-21. They rejoice, they give thanks, they Worship, they fellowship with the brethren, and they submit themselves to God and to one another. This last clause is definitely not a popular concept.

God’s Will and “Self-Will” Are Not Compatible!

Our whole modern culture is built on the principle of Self: Self-realization, Self-direction, self-sufficiency, self-determination, and, in general, Self-will. (On your own, go and read Isaiah 14:13-15,) and see if you can tell where that whole concept of “Self-centeredness” originated.

Now— notice as we continue into verses 22 and following, there is a pattern of submission; a structure within which we are to know to whom we are accountable, personally. Some people don’t like these verses. Actually, most people don’t like these verses.

It Applies To You!

But you have to determine how you are going to respond to God’s Word. It is all God’s Word, and, whether we like it or not, it is there, and we have to deal with it. Some parts are more comfortable than others. But if you are going to choose to be “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit, as the command in v. 18 is given, then you have to remember that this is part of the same context. People who are Filled with the Spirit, or “under the influence of” the Holy Spirit, act like this! Please don’t brush it off as if, somehow, it does not apply to you. It does!

If nothing else, you must realize that God always calls you to submit to the leadership of God, and, to some degree, to the leaders in the church. This is definitely a “politically incorrect” stance, and perhaps I will offend some by saying so, but this truth is taught consistently throughout the New Testament: It cannot be denied or ignored.

On the other hand, they (those leaders) are sternly warned that as the shepherds and overseers, over the flock of God, they are not to “lord it over the flock:” Rather, they are to serve, and to lead by example. (1 Peter 5:1-3; Hebrews 13:17, etc.) But for now, we will focus on the text at hand:

Apply God’s Word to Your OWN Life!

James 1:22-25 compares God’s Word to a mirror, with which we are to examine ourselves, not our wife, our husband, our neighbor, or whomever. The mirror is pointed at YOU: look at the part that reflects you: when you have that part under control, you can see clearly to help others with theirs. Jesus alluded to this in Matthew 7:3-5, saying “…remove the beam from your own eye: then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye!”

Remember that the mirror is pointed at YOU!

Verses 22-24 are to the Wives: (Three verses)

22   Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.23   For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the savior of the body.24   Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Remember: Sisters, this is to you…husbands, you have no right to “beat your wives over the head” with this passage—you will have enough trouble with the part that is to you—and if you are in full submission to God in that part— loving your wife as Christ loves the church— then you will never “scold” her like that anyway…and she will have no trouble with her part. Furthermore, it does not suggest in any way that all women are to be submissive to all men. That is an utterly false doctrine.

The Next Eight Verses Are To The Husbands:

25   Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;26   That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,27   That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28   So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.29   For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:30   For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.31   For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.32   This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

This Was Given Before Sin Entered the World!

Verse 31 is a direct quote of Genesis 2:24! The Husband-Wife relationship is supposed to be a visible, public, object-lesson: a picture of Christ and the Church. In fact, if we go back to Genesis 1:27, and read about the creation of the human race, it specifically says that “God created Man in His own image: in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” The Human race was created as “Man, Inc.”; Adam was the CEO, and Eve the President, or some similar comparison. All of that was given before sin entered the world.

Adam was put in charge, but Eve had full authority along with him. Together, they comprised the Human race. There was no conflict. Eve was part of Adam. Adam was in full fellowship with Eve.

Both were in full fellowship with God, in the Person of Christ, as He came walking in the Garden…until Sin entered the World.Then the peaceful co-ownership ceased. The trouble between men and women began there, and we have never fully escaped it.

If you, as a husband, think you have this matter all under control and can flawlessly love your wife as Christ loves the church, then personally, I think you are fooling yourself: You only compare yourself with other sinners, and not with the living Christ. Compare yourself with Him alone, and you’ll avoid smugness: See the Lord Jesus as your example to follow, and you embrace Humility.

The Bottom Line

 33   Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

By the way, this is the Agapé love…the “utterly committed, lay-down-your-life” love, that sent Jesus to the Cross. A husband must be concerned about the well-being and happiness of his wife, above all other issues in life, with the exception of God’s directives…and she is to be concerned with the leading of God, right along with Him, so that her own desires don’t become her central focus. Both must be more concerned about the leading of God than about their own desires. But, they always must be more concerned about the happiness, safety and satisfaction of the other person than they are about their own feelings.

This is an interesting verse, for another reason, too, as it is the only place in the Scripture where the Greek word “phobeo” is not translated “fear, terror, very afraid,” etc. The KJV uses the word “reverence”; newer versions say “respect.” But the actual Greek word is “phobeo,” which is where we get our English word, “phobia:” which usually denotes an overwhelming, irrational fear. The translators were wise, to not imply that the wives were to be “afraid of” their husbands, as if their husbands would harm them, in any way.

The same concept guards our relationship with God: I do not fear that God will “do something bad to me:” He is entirely Good, and entirely trustworthy. But I do fear displeasing Him. This is the correct fear of God. We love Him, to the degree that we fear displeasing Him: our relationship with Him is priceless to us. The wife is to see her relationship with her husband in a similar way.

Conclusions:

The lifestyle of Mutual Submission rejects the self-centered efforts of the Old Sin Nature. It empties itself of ego, and it embraces the Cross as Jesus did. And, just like all the other factors in the “normal Christian Life,” it is impossible unless you allow Jesus to do it through you. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “Apart from Me ye can do nothing.”  It is the simple truth!

Next week we will continue our examination of Biblical Submission.

Lord Jesus, teach our hearts to become submissive to You, by the presence and Power of the Holy Spirit. Fill our hearts with Your Love and allow us to reflect Your Person in our lives.

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

What Does “Walking as Children of Light” Look Like?

Email, RSS Follow

What Does it mean, to “Walk as Children of Light?”

©2025 C. O. Bishop

Ephesians 5:8-17

Introduction:

8   For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Last week we  finished up at Ephesians 5:8. It is God’s command to “Walk as Children of Light.” Logic requires us to ask, “But what does that mean? How does it look, to “walk as Children of light?”

We observed that the character of light is to “dispel darkness.” And (looking ahead) in verse 13,  God says that, as light dispels darkness, it also “makes things visible.” It makes known the things that previously were invisible or (at least) obscure.

God Says, Walk as Children of Light

We saw that 1st John 1:5-7 says, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” He is not speaking of physical light, made of photons, etc. The light in question is Spiritual, Moral light. God is the ultimate source of all light, spiritual, physical, educational, or moral. He is the One who shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never overpower His light (John 1:5). He says that the only way we can have fellowship with Him is to walk in the Light, as He is in the light.

And we choose to walk with Him, because we want to have fellowship with Him. We want to join Him in His work, reaching a lost world. (See John 4:34) We all started out as the children of wrath, according to Ephesians 2:3. We committed ourselves to the works of darkness, even if we did not admit that to ourselves.

Perhaps it was only the “self-will” that characterizes all humans, and we may not even have seen it as sin. But we begin by confessing that we are…lost sinners. When we see our need for a Savior, and when we place our trust in the completed work of Jesus at the Cross, He counts that faith as righteousness, and He permanently claims us as His own!

So, was that true of me? Was I really a lost sinner? Yes! I truly was! But, should that sin be reflected at all, in my life today? No! I am now a child of God, and therefore a child of light.

I desire to walk in the Light, with Him! So… I need to know how to do that.

What Should “Walking as Children of Light” Look Like?
9   (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; )10   Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

The true “goodness and righteousness and truth” that God requires of us is only possible as the result of the Holy Spirit working through us. The full description of the nine-fold Fruit (singular) of the Spirit is in Galatians 5:22, 23. God says that all true goodness, and righteousness, and truth emanates from Himself. “Do-it-yourself” righteousness is not what God requires. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “Apart from Me ye can do nothing!”  And He meant exactly that!

He wants us to experience, and demonstrate God’s will in our lives. We show that His Will does work: That the promises of God are valid and good. The word “proving” means to experientially “test the theory,” so to speak. In Industry, there are certain “proof-tests” technicians apply, to ascertain that structures are safe to use. Those tests give the workers in that shop or on that job-site the confidence to use the tools, cranes, manlifts, etc., knowing they have been tested.

We are the continuing demonstration of the Grace of God, working in our own lives. Others will see that demonstration. They may not understand why we are suffering. But the Grace that they see in that suffering will draw them to Christ.

Our lives are supposed to be “living proof” that the Grace of God is alive and functioning in our lives…so unbelievers around us should see the constant invitation to join us in that Grace.

What Does “Light” Do About Sin?

11   And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We don’t like the prospect of “reproving sin”—but our lives will do so, if we are walking in the Light, and, occasionally we will verbally confront evil behavior. If we live the way God says to live, our lives will be demonstrating the shortfalls of the world. (SeeJohn 16:8-11)

And that light will never be popular with people. Other people will accuse you of thinking you are “too good” for them because you have abandoned the life-patterns you once followed. You will be shunned because you no longer fit their pattern.

12   For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

It is neither desirable nor profitable to describe, discuss, or “repeat news” of the evil deeds that lost people do. There is some sick part of our old sin nature that loves to hear such things and “experience it vicariously:” But this is a shameful thing in our nature: don’t indulge it!

We sometimes see this pattern in gossip, where one believer tells another, “Let me tell you about this so you can pray about it…” Sorry…God warns against that sort of thing. It is an easy trap to fall into, but He specifically says that it is a shame to speak of such things. Besides, it is also an unloving thing. God says that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1st Peter 4:8), but that it is an evil heart that wants to “tell all.” (Proverbs 11:13)

Light Does “Make Manifest!”

13   But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

We don’t have to get into a detailed discussion of the evil in the world. But if we walk in the light, we can’t help reflecting that light into a sin-sick world: And some people will see themselves in that light, and they will be ashamed. Then, they will either run from the light, or they will turn to it for salvation. (John 3:19, 20) The way they respond to the light reveals the content of their heart. There is a common saying: “The same warm sunlight that softens wax, hardens potter’s clay: That saying is true… but that metaphor assumes that some of us are “made of different stuff.” (Which is not true….)

We All Have The Same Flaw

God says we were all formed of the same dust, so the difference has to be somewhere else. A rat in a barn, at night, runs for cover when someone walks into the barn with a lantern; but it is because the rat has learned that the farmer doesn’t want him there, and will kill him if possible, as a destructive, filthy, disease-carrying animal: a threat to everything the farmer holds valuable.

The finches, however, and the swallows, living among the rafters of the same barn, will respond quite differently. They may actually mistake the light for sunrise, and they may begin to sing. They would be afraid, too, if the farmer got too close to them, but in general, they do not see him as an enemy, and they always welcome the light.

A tame rat, though, raised as a pet, in clean surroundings, does not fear the light. It does not fear people, and is quite bold, as it sees humans as a source for handouts. The squirrels at a park, for example, begging for treats, demonstrate the same idea.

So, Why Do Some Respond In Faith, and Others In Indifference Or Rebellion?

What Is The Difference?

The difference appears to be relational. Before He created the Earth, God chose to receive those who would respond to Him in faith: Those who would believe His Word, allowing His light to dispel the darkness in their souls. Remember: the “thief on the Cross,” who now is famous for his faith, initially was mocking Jesus along with the crowd and the other thief. He did not initially respond in faith: but he repented, confessing that he was a sinner, and asking that Jesus remember him. He responded to the light he saw in Jesus.

Faith Is An Obedient Response To A Revealed Truth.

Abram (“Abraham”) lived in “Ur of the Chaldees” (modern-day Iraq) when God called him. He was not far from ancient Babylon, a center for idolatrous worship, where they attempted the construction of the Tower of Babel. The confusion of languages occurred there only a generation before.

But, God told Abram to leave ther, and Abram went: He partially obeyed. (God told him to leave his extended family behind, but he brought them along; possibly because his father insisted on it.) Later, God called him again, and he still brought his nephew, Lot. But Abram’s life was beginning to demonstrate faith, and worship. Finally, after God separated Abram from Lot, God made him a promise, and, (Genesis 15:6) Abram believed God, and God credited it to him as righteousness.

This is what God is looking for, both initially, in salvation, and as an ongoing lifestyle. Think about how your own life either reflects this or fails to do so: are you really believing God over your own fears and the constant arguments of the World around you? Are you trusting God, on a day-by-day basis? Hebrews 11:6 says Faith is what pleases God. Obedience (as the result of faith) is the fruit of that relationship.

God Calls for a Change!

14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Since we know that, before we were saved, we were dead in sin; and that when we walk in sin now, we are truly living as “walking dead men,” it is entirely fitting that he would say, “awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”

Do you really want the light of God to rule in your life? Then let go of that old, dead pattern of sin and unbelief, and allow Jesus to fill you with the light of His Word. 2 Peter 1:19 says that the light upon which we are to focus our attention is the written Word of God!

Learning Wisdom

15   See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,  16   Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Yes, there are many possible “demonstrations of faith and wisdom,” but there seems to be a connection here, when I consider verses 15 and 16 together, and then consider the other parallel passages. Let’s read and compare Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.”  Isn’t it interesting that God says a soul-winner is behaving wisely? And, reading on, see what He says about how we use our time:

See Colossians 4:5, 6 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without…” (unbelieving neighbors and friends) “…redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with Grace, seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man.”

Compare, also, 1 Corinthians 15:34 “Awake to righteousness and sin not: for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” I really don’t think I can safely overlook these connections in God’s Word, nor can I deny that all of these are in direct reference to practical, relational evangelism.

Choose Wisdom!

Romans 10:17 assures me that Faith does come by hearing, and that hearing comes by the Word of God. We are responsible for those in our daily sphere of contact. We cannot simply shrug, and say, “Well, whatever they believe, it is their business, and I ‘don’t feel called’ to try to persuade them to believe something else.” God says that we are called; and we are His ambassadors, and that our primary task is to persuade men, and reconcile them to God. (2nd Corinthians 5:18-20.)

17   Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

How am I going to know God’s will? I am to begin by looking in His Word. Only there will I learn the principles by which He wants me to live. God says I am to learn wisdom there—learn to make good decisions habitually—and to learn to have the same values as God does. (Jesus stated His priorities in John 4:34) Then I can hope to find the life of obedience to be a sweet experience rather than bitter drudgery, and I can learn how to guide my steps.

I want my life to count for eternity. The only way I can hope to see that outcome, is if I allow Jesus to work through me. I cannot achieve eternal re4sults working with temporal tools. Only Jesus, as the Author of our faith, and the only source of eternal life, can achieve eternal results.

Lord Jesus, we desire to see our lives transformed into Your likeness. We desire to be transformed from the inside, out, and sow the seeds of righteousness and peace, and see lives changed by the Gospel. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and allow us to serve.

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

How can We Learn to be Followers of Jesus?

Email, RSS Follow

Learning to Follow God

© 2025 C. O. Bishop

Ephesians 5:1-8

Introduction:

When I was a young believer, my dad (who was not walking with God) said, “Chet, the world is passing you by!” I said, “As far as I can see,  the World is headed for hell in a handbasket! It is just fine if it passes me by: I don’t want to go there anyway!” Perhaps that was not very polite, but: Jesus said, “the way is broad, and many go there, which leads to destruction.” The way wherein few go, and which is not easy, is the way God chooses for his people.

For the new believer, God calls for a definite change in direction. An unbeliever is just “moving along,” whether randomly, or with great determination and direction, as in the case of Saul of Tarsus. But, when the unbeliever becomes a believer, there is a sharp “change in direction.” He/she has become a follower of God. And God is not going the same way as everyone else.

Whose Voice Are You Following?

Two different friends visited Israel and each happened to be in a taxi, waiting as a flock of sheep crossed the road. As they watched, another flock approached from the opposite side. The two shepherds greeted each other cordially, but they walked on, calling their sheep. My friends had expected pandemonium: “How will they separate all those sheep into the two original flocks?”

But, in both cases, the two flocks simply flowed through one another, as the sheep followed the voices of their respective shepherds. There was no confusion at all from the perspective of the sheep, or the shepherds. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” John 10:27, 28. Jesus is God in the Flesh, and it is He whom we are to follow. He is not going the same way the World goes, and so He calls us to follow Him, and ignore the voice of the World.

Ephesians 5: Becoming Followers of God

1   Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

We see children’s desire to be like their parents as a precious trait. When we see them imitate good things, or even mannerisms, and skills, it pleases and blesses us. When they imitate our sin, we are ashamed: we know where they got that behavior! Then, we either: admit our own shortcoming, and with them, try to change the pattern, or, simply say “Don’t do as I do; do as I say!” God doesn’t have to do either of those options. He is the perfect Father: He leads by example, saying, “Do as I do!” (What did He “do?”) Read the next verse:

2   And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

In the first place, He (as God in the Flesh) obeyed His own command, by continually living out the reality of Agapé Love. He fully demonstrated that love by going to the Cross. And He asks us to follow Him in every way. When we read 1st Corinthians 13:4-8, we can see that every attribute of the Agapé love is an action word. Not one of the attributes of Agapé Love is about feelings. We must act so as to be a blessing to those around us, not continually seeking our own good.

Choosing What to Abandon

3   But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

God then lists some behaviors that don’t belong in our lives at all…they are unbecoming for us: God calls us to be holy! God calls us Saints (it means holy ones), and He intends to “make it stick.” He has created a new nature in us, as well as having given us the indwelling Holy Spirit, and He says that new nature is created completely Holy and Righteous, just like Him. So, uncleanness of any kind; sin of any kind simply does not belong in our lives. It is an unfitting thing!

He calls us to completely abandon sexual immorality. And, He listed “covetousness” along with “fornication.” Fornication (Greek “porneia”)means “sexual immorality.” The word translated “covetousness,” here, is the Greek word “pleonexia.” The Greek word “philargurion”is also translated covetousness: It means “the love of silver—the love of money.” But this one is a much broader term, meaning “plain old greed!” it means the desire to have more (and more!) In Colossians 3:5, Paul says covetousness (greed: “pleonexia”) is idolatry. And God called the idolatry of Israel “whoredom, in Hosea 4:12.” (God names Fornication and covetousness side-by-side, because He sees them as similar sins.)

How God Categorizes Sins: Uncleanness

Do you ever find it odd that God “lumps together” certain sin issues as being “in a similar category,” where we think that one is “really bad,” while the other is just “annoying?” It is interesting to me that if there is a “hierarchy” of “really bad, sorta bad, and not so bad” sins, it is not in the order we think it ought to be. In Romans chapter one, God lists habitual arguing (debate) right along with murder and deceit;and He lists disobedience to parents, side-by-side with being inventors of evil things. And God says all of them amount to uncleanness.

Teaching Cleanliness to Children

When rearing a child, we try to teach them cleanliness. We teach them there are certain things we “don’t do.” We have certain “vessels” we use for certain tasks. A toilet is fairly specific. You may do some things with it that could be done with something else, such as stacking decorations or other stuff on the back of the tank (sigh…), or flushing facial tissue, when you could have put it in the trash, but the primary use for a toilet is also exclusive to the toilet: using anything else for that purpose is not fitting. And children have to learn these things.

Our eldest son, as a toddler, just had to put things in his mouth—if you didn’t watch him closely, he would grab a rock off the street, and pop it into his mouth. We had to train him to not do that. Today, as an adult, he would not consider doing such a thing: but it isn’t because it wasn’t in his nature to do so—it is because we taught him not to do so. And God wants us to learn to obey Him, and to take on His character, to go along with our new Nature.

2nd Peter 1:4 says that we are to become partakers of the Divine Nature…and he goes on to say how to do it. He says we will partake in His Nature through God’s written Word and His “exceeding great and precious Promises.”

What Else Must We Leave Behind?

4   Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

He says to set aside our old ways, and deliberately replace them with something new and clean. I once had a very filthy mouth. (Sorry: it’s just a fact. I was an atheist, and rebellious to the core.) God changed my heart: not only do I no longer rejoice in that sort of folly, but it grieves me when I fail and commit that sin again. My jobs have always been in places full of men who all spoke that way, so I have had to take special care to not relearn that habit.

One thing I often did, was, when I heard the filthy language, I responded, under my breath, by praising the Lord, and actively filling my mind with scripture, praise, and thanksgiving. (“I praise you, Lord Jesus, Hallelujah! Let no corrupt communication proceed out of my mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister Grace to the hearer…”, etc.)

I wanted to avoid re-learning their ways, so I reinforced the behavior of God’s way: I fed my new nature. The nature you feed will thrive. Keep that in mind. If you feed the old man, it will take over your thoughts and life. If you feed the new man, it will grow strong, so that you can walk with God. But it requires persistence.

The Old Sin Nature Cannot Be Redeemed

5   For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

People who only have their old nature do not have a part with God. But does this mean that Christians will “lose their salvation” if they commit any of these sins? No! God says you are no longer a whoremonger! You have a new nature! He nailed that old man to the cross, with Jesus. And now He only sees you as “the new you.”

Paul (Romans 7:7-25) recounts his own struggles, “trying to live for God in his own strength:” He concluded that there were two natures living in him; and that he (the new nature) was no longer the one doing the sinning. (Romans 7:17)

He does not excuse himself: He is aware that all sins will have consequences. But he also sees that his old nature is never going to improve. (See Romans 8:7) He rejoices because God set him free from the body of that death. (Romans 7:24, 25 read it!)  But are there consequences to sin? You’d better believe there are!

Sowing and Reaping

6   Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Jesus is the Judge: He is God! He not only judges the sin; He also judges sinners, though He offers Grace to them in Agapé Love. Judgment is still coming! And in a believer’s life, God brings chastening: Don’t think you are “getting away with something.”

Yes, God forgave your sins; that is your new position: You are a child of God.

But God’s Children must expect a “trip to the woodshed,” if we fail to confess sin. Your peace will depart. You must expect that your prayers will go unanswered. Your testimony will suffer. Your sin can affect your health , as well as every human relationship you have. Don’t allow yourself to get in that sort of trouble with God. Confess your sins and forsake them, so that you can enjoy your walk with God.

The Law of the Harvest

Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap…” This is the Law of the Harvest: (Plant corn, reap corn. Plant wheat, reap wheat. If I plant laziness, I will reap waste and want. When we plant grievous words, we reap strife. If we plant soft, kind words, we can hope to reap peace.) This law was laid down before sin entered the world. Genesis 1 points out that each plant and animal brought forth seed “after its kind.” Like begets like!

You will reap in keeping with what you sowed. Plant the Gospel, and reap saved souls. Plant careless talk, and watch friends die in their sin. You will reap what you sow. Keep that in mind!

No Prosperity (“Health and Wealth”) Gospel is Taught in Scripture

Some people try to teach that the “other side” of this doctrine is a guarantee that, if they walk in obedience to God, they will never get sick. (That is not true!) Godly people sometimes die of bad diseases, and it is not a judgment from God.

In Psalm 116:15, God says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints!” Those who preach a “Prosperity Gospel” are willfully ignoring Hebrews 11:35-39. God lists people who had been tortured, dying horrible deaths; destitute of any human comfort, (food, clothing, and shelter) and were martyred for their faith. These were the “best of the best!” He says that “the World is not worthy of them.” If the ones God called the best were those with the very least in the way of prosperity, how can prosperity be our primary goal and value in life?

In Philippians 2:25-28, Epaphroditus was so sick he nearly died, but he got well in the ordinary, “natural” way, even though he was with the Apostle Paul the whole time. He was not “sick because of sin.” He was sick in spite of righteousness. In Philippians 1:29, we are told to expect suffering, as part of the Christian life. (The “prosperity” doctrine is not from God!)

7   Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

That’s pretty much the bottom line. If you don’t want the kind of fruit they will reap, (those who  walk in the World) then don’t sow what they sow! Remember the Law of the Harvest: It does not make exceptions for believers. We may pray for a “crop failure” while  we confess our sins, but in general, we will reap what we have sown.

Conclusion: Walk as Children of Light

8   For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

The character of light? Light dispels darkness! In fact, darkness can only be defined in terms of light. We define light in terms of energy, photons, waves, spectrums, refraction, diffusion, lumens, etc. But there are no similar definitions for darkness. Darkness is only defined as the absence of light. The tiniest, faintest light, in some measure, dispels darkness. A single match, or a small candle, is enough to see our path in what would otherwise be total darkness.

“Walking With Jesus” Means “Walking in the Light.”

God says, “Walk as children of light.” Compare this with 1st John 1:5-7. It says “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” The kind of light in question, here, is Moral light. God is the ultimate source. He is the One who shines in the darkness and that darkness can never overpower His light (John 1:5). He goes on to say that the only way we can have fellowship with Him is to walk in the Light, as He is in the light.

And we walk in the light because we want to have fellowship with Him. We want to be allowed to join Him in His work, reaching a lost world. (See John 4:34)

Was I once a truly ungodly young man, utterly committed to the works of darkness? Yes! I truly was! Should that be reflected at all, in my life today? No! I am a child of God, and a child of light, now. I desire to walk in the Light, with Him! So, I need to know how to do that. We will address this more specifically next week.

Lord Jesus, we ask that You will teach us to walk with You as You walk in the Light, and allow us to have unbroken fellowship with You, the Source of all Light!

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

What are the Gifts of the Spirit in 1st Corinthians 12?

Email, RSS Follow

Spiritual Gifts (4)

© 2025 C. O. Bishop

1st Corinthians 12 

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

Introduction:

We have spent the last three weeks discussing the gifts of the Spirit, including also those called the gift of God, and the gifts of Christ. Today let’s consider the gifts listed in 1st Corinthians 12.

Categories of Gifts:

Notice that Paul listed three “categories” in verses 4-6:

  • Gifts, all by the same Spirit
  • Administrations, all by the same Lord, and
  • Operations, all by the same God.

We may not understand these ideas, but we can at least recognize that the categories exist. We saw the four administrative “gifts” given by Christ, in Ephesians 4:7-11. All four are human servants of the Church: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastor/Teachers. These may be the ones Paul calls “administrations,” in verse 5.

Purpose of the Gifts

But the same principle applies to all the gifts: They are for the benefit of all. (See verse 7.)

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Other translations say, “…for the common welfare.” The idea is that God has given every single believer one or more gifts by which the whole body of Christ is to profit in some way. In this chapter, we find that “there is one Body of Christ,” and every single believer is a part of that one Body, and every single member has a function. We are all designed to function. God has not called us to “just attend church.” Rather, we are all called to personally serve the Lord Jesus.

We already learned elsewhere (Romans 8:9, John 14:16, 1st Corinthians 6:19, etc.) that every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, so the question now, is: “Because I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit, what should I expect in terms of function?” Paul lists some “gifts of the Spirit.”

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

  • Word of wisdom
  • Word of knowledge
  • Faith
  • Healing
  • Miracles
  • Prophecy
  • Discerning of Spirits
  • Tongues
  • Interpretation

Notice that the Holy Spirit distributes all the gifts as “He” wills. We do not get to “choose.”

Sign Gifts

It is strange that usually when people start stating their gifts, they want to claim one of the sign gifts. But of all those who have told me they “have the gift of ____,” it has never proved to have identifiable results in their lives. I have not seen miracles brought about by some other believer “having the gift of miracles.” The same goes for the other “sign gifts.”

Do I believe that those gifts still exist? Yes, I do! The “perfect” in 1st Corinthians 13:10, which Paul says is yet to come, is in reference to the completion of the Body of Christ. After the completion of the church, we will no longer need the miraculous gifts, or the sign gifts. We will see Him face to face! But for now, evidently the gifts still exist.

Where or when should I expect to see the sign gifts? Probably only when someone first carries the Gospel into a given geographic area,. Or, perhaps when there are unbelieving Jews present. Jesus commented that the Jews always were asking for a sign, and Paul confirmed, “…the Jews require a sign….” (1st Corinthians 1:22)

Can the Holy Spirit manifest Himself in one of the above ways, without giving the believer any gift in that area? Surely He can! He is God! In light of that, it does not bother me to know that most believers can look back over their lives and remember one or more times when God miraculously intervened, and either saved their life, met a physical need, or simply gave them the words they needed to answer an unbeliever’s challenge.

All In One Body, and All Under God’s Authority (v. 12-31)

Physical Body as an Object Lesson

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

Individual examples

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

The Reality of the Body of Christ

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Examples in the Body

Paul lists a number of gifts, as examples, with the intent of demonstrating that all are for the Body’s general health and function. They are not for the glory of the individual believer. God does not give us gifts for our own enjoyment: They are for the blessing and health of the whole Body of Christ. I will not give a “scholarly discourse” on the meaning and function of every gift, here, but I would like to use this same figure of a “body” in a slightly more graphic way:

Let’s consider a single human cell, taken from the living body of an athlete, an inventor, a ruler, a teacher, a fashion model, or any other person. But let’s say that it is a cell from the body of someone extraordinary in some way: the reason for their prowess is immaterial. The point is that this single cell, examined under a powerful microscope, displays none of the characteristics of “greatness” that we saw in the tissue donor. It will simply look like a tiny, ugly, essentially shapeless, and seemingly useless blob of tissue. That is a simple fact.

Every Part is a Picture of The Whole

But, it is also a fact, that, regardless of the location within the body from which you took the sample, whether it was from the brain, the nasal mucous membrane, the stomach lining, or whatever, every single cell from that same human body has, in its nucleus, the entire genetic code for the whole body. Ponder on that idea, for a moment, and consider how it might apply to the relationship between an individual believer and the whole Body of Christ:

God may have designed that particular cell (from a human body) for a single task: producing a specific endocrine, perhaps, or to help form the protective layers of the skin. But all the cells, collectively comprised the whole body, and, along with the collective experience of the whole body, they produce the person.

In our physical bodies there are parts we use all the time and other parts we completely forget about until we need them. None of them “feel left out!” They all do their jobs as planned. We nourish all the parts through the same stomach, heart and lungs. The brain connects withall the parts. Some responses require thought: others are automatic and involuntary. But they all work together for the benefit of the whole body.

God’s Object Lesson

God chose to use the physical human body as an “object lesson” as to how the Body of Christ is to function. We worry a lot about defining and identifying gifts. In the human body, most people do not know the “technical names” for each of their teeth… and no one planned or organized their own teeth: The teeth developed in God’s timing and by His assignment. Whether we know the proper terminology for them or not has no bearing on their function. We have them because God gave them, and we (mostly) use them for the benefit of the whole body, as we eat.

What about the Body of Christ? Each individual believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit: In fact, according to John 14:15-23, we can see that we are each indwelt by the entire Trinity, in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Individually, then, we each possess the key (or code) to what makes the entire Body of Christ what it is…we have Christ!

God makes the Church (collectively) to be the Bride of Christ, though it is incomplete, as yet. Collectively, the Spirit is building us into the Temple of God, though, for now, we are scattered across time and space.

Personal Knowledge and Satisfaction

I do not have to know how all the gifts work together: A living human cell, which, with others like it, comprises a hair follicle, for example, knows nothing about the workings of the neuron to which it is connected. But those neurons ultimately connect it to the brain! And, if a tiny weight, so much as a fruit-fly, lands on the hair that hair follicle has produced, the brain will immediately sense it, and make a decision as to whether the touch is a threat, an irritant, or something which may safely be ignored.

Lack of Satisfaction does not mean Lack of Blessing

The prophet Jeremiah had an incredibly unsatisfying ministry: He knew (though he embraced it very reluctantly) that he had been selected as a prophet; a “mouthpiece for God.” God had called him to communicate to the unbelieving, backsliding house of Judah, as well as other nations.

But, as far as we know, only two people believed his messages during his ministry. Did that mean he was ineffective, or even a “failure,” perhaps? No: it means that humanity, as a whole, habitually rejects the word of God. But, the false prophets of his time were quite popular, by comparison. (Give that some thought! Is it also true today? On the radio, say, or on the internet?)

And, even in Ezekiel’s case, though he was always faithful to bring only what God said, it turned out that the people were coming for the entertainment value, not because they were receptive to the Word of God. (Ezekiel 33:30-32)

Your gifting may not be particularly obvious, and it may not result in human praise. We are only called to do what God calls us to do: We are to be a blessing to one another, in ways that will profit the body of Christ, which will help or bless those in our circle of associates, and which, above all else, will honor God.

Choosing to Function

Sometimes it is very satisfying, to function: sometimes less so. Some gifts are fairly obvious, some are less so. Commit yourself to honoring God, and serving Him with your life, and He will reveal how he intends for you to function at your best. That does not mean you will only do that one thing: Paul was an Apostle, and a teacher, and a prophet; but he was also a tentmaker. When God required it of him, he served in that capacity. Was he honored by people, as a tentmaker? Perhaps he was… at least enough that he earned the money for himself and his entourage to proceed with their journey. But, was he honored as an apostle?

Sometimes he was, yes!…But, at other times he was savagely attacked: he was beaten, stoned, whipped, and imprisoned. Nearly everywhere he went, he was verbally abused, and, eventually, he was executed! Was he being faithful to God? Absolutely! Was he always happy and comfortable in the process? Nope! I don’t think so!

In Romans 12, and in 1st Corinthians 13, Paul told how all the gifts are to be used: The core principle is to be the Agapé Love. And, in 1st Corinthians 14, he said orderliness was to rule the use of the gifts—if the Holy Spirit is in charge, there will be neither disunity nor disorder.)

That is what we hope to see, here in our little assembly. We want the Holy Spirit to be in charge.

Lord Jesus, please help us to follow You closely, and to be submissive to Your hand, so that we begin to see how we are being used by Your Grace and Wisdom to bless others.

Email, RSS Follow
Posted on

Learning More Details About The Gifts of The Spirit

Email, RSS Follow

Spiritual Gifts (3)

More About Spiritual Gifting

Introduction:

For the lasttwoweeks, we have discussed the Spiritual Gifts listed in Ephesians, and in Romans. We only brushed over a few of gifts in Romans, for lack of time, and I want to delve into them a little more deeply, today.

Romans 12:8-11 (read it)

8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

The Relational Gifts

8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Exhortation–Encouragement

Encouragement is a pretty vital gift: it is the ability to see a need in someone’s life, and strengthen them by drawing alongside and being a friend, or a helper, or to encourage them to make good decisions.

Some people are constant encouragers to those around them. Some are not. But, in Hebrews 10:24, 25, God tells us all to encourage one another! So those of us who do not come by it naturally have no excuse— we still have the command to do it.

But God has truly gifted some believers to be encouragers to other believers. Encouragement just seems to flow out of them wherever they go. These brothers and sisters are a tremendous blessing to the Church. We so badly need encouragers.

Giving with Simplicity

Giving, obviously, requires having something to give. But I remember hearing about a woman of limited income, who picked blackberries for pay, all summer, with the express intent of having enough to buy her little daughter a student violin. You can imagine how precious that violin had become, many years later, to her grown daughter, after her mother had passed away! She did not  have enough to give what she wanted to give, so she found a way to earn the money, to give that violin to her daughter. It was truly a gift of love.

A person can “give for show,” making a spectacle of the gift—but Jesus condemned that practice. One can give simply, privately, with no attention to the gift or the giver: just to meet a need. That is a blessing. And the Greek word, “haplotēs,” sometimes translated as “simplicity” in  King James English, also means “bountifully,” or “liberally.” So, be generous in your giving.

Seeing to the need of another person without regard to one’s own benefit is the simplest definition of Agapé Love. When we consider what Jesus did at the Cross, we see that he completely personified that Love.

Ruling with Diligence

Not all administrators are diligent…and not all are gifted to rule. But it takes diligent work to do a Godly job of overseeing any sort of work, or any group of people. Some people are gifted in administration: they can do a good job without damaging the people they serve. Others just want power: They cause offense, as they try to “bully” the others in their group, to force conformity.

This ungodly desire for preeminence is rooted in self-will. It has nothing to do with the gift of administration, or leadership. Compare 3rd John 9-11…Diotrephes is the counterexample to what God commands His shepherds to be. And the shepherds are to act as examples to the whole flock. 1st Peter 5:3 says, “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.” The Love of God has to be the motivating power in every area of the church, but especially in those who rule.  

A gifted administrator, leader, ruler, elder—whatever name you choose to apply—must live as an example of Christ’s abiding presence. In 1st Corinthians 11:1, Paul gave an invitation, “Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ!” Coming from anyone but a truly godly leader, that would sound incredibly arrogant. But every man to whom God has given the gift of leadership should be able and willing, along with Paul, to say that.You are supposed to be living as an example, so that you can truly say, “Do as I do!” (As opposed to “Do as I say!”)

Showing Mercy, with Cheerfulness

Mercy is another gift that goes along with service and encouragement. It is tremendously valuable, because it mends hearts, it comforts the feeble and it quiets the fearful. It is the Compassion of God, in human form.

The “Report Card” on this gift is how it is received. If little children and the elderly are blessed when they are near you, and people are comforted by your presence, then perhaps you are gifted in this area. It is difficult to describe, but it is easy to see in others.

In Hosea 6:6, God said that Mercy was more valuable, and more acceptable to Him than sacrifice. He said, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

Jesus cited this passage in Matthew 9:13, when He condemned the judgmental stance of the religious leaders. He said, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  And again, in Matthew 12:7, under nearly identical circumstances: “But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.”

Notice that Jesus shows “Mercy” to be the opposite of condemnation and accusation. If you have a pattern of accusation, please take note: God clearly identifies the “Accuser” in Revelation 12:10, as Satan.

The opposite behavior, “Mercy,” is what God says He wants from all of us. And God has specially gifted some believers in this area, with a tender heart toward their fellow saints and sinners.

Love is the Undergirding Principle for All the Gifts

9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Love– the Agapé love (along with its companion word phileo—brotherly love) is the key to all relationships in the body of Christ. Those two loves, working together, never lead to evil; only to what is best. So, a person who is claiming to express agapé love, but is doing wrong, is faking the love for the sake of cloaking the evil. Paul says, love is to “be without dissimulation”—without fakery—without pretense. If what you are doing is wrong, then the Agapé Love “left the room” a long time ago!

We are to completely avoid evil, and see it as abominable, wherever it appears…but especially in ourselves: We need to be looking at our motives, and our thoughts, since that is where God is looking. In  Hebrews 4:12,God says he “is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.” We are to cling to what is good, without exception. Our love for one another must be pure, drawing us closer to one another and to Christ. Agapé love never leads to sin!

Preferring One Another

We should be most comfortable in the company of other believers, and He commands that we give each other full respect and honor as children of God. In business and productivity, Agapé Love should produce an excellent work ethic, as we recognize that we are serving God as well as our employer.

If our spirit is right with God, it should produce a fervent love and worship for God, and a fervent desire to do His will and draw others to Him as well. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)

These are the principles by which we are to guide our walk with God, our relationships with other believers and our relationship with the World around us. I trust that, as we meditate on this passage we can see it come to life in us, and transform us into the hands and feet and heart of Jesus, doing His work in this World.

Next week we will begin to examine 1st Corinthians 12, and the rest of the spiritual gifts.

Lord Jesus, please grip our hearts with the urgency of Your great Commission. Teach us to live in a way that honors You. Teach us to reflect  Your Holiness, Your Love, and Your Mercy for the World around us to see, so that they will be drawn to You in faith.

Email, RSS Follow