How to Make The Connection Between Separation And Holiness

The Connection Between Separation And Holiness: Choosing Fellowship with God

2^nd Corinthians 6:13-18

¹³Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. (Paul wanted true fellowship with the Corinthian Believers.)

¹⁴Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ¹⁵And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

¹⁶And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷Wherefore come out from among them, (Break off fellowship!) and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. ¹⁸And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Compare 2^nd Chronicles 19:1-3

¹And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

²And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.

³Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

Introduction:

When we hear the words “unequally yoked,” we usually think God is reminding us to not marry an unbeliever. But, while the verse does teach that idea, that is just one application. And it is a very narrow application of a very broad concept. The overall issue is Fellowship: Partnership.

**What Kind of Yoke?** (The Yoke indicates fellowship…Partnership.)

The concept of a “yoke,” in the context of being “yoked together,” is a double-harness. It is used so two people (or two draft animals) can work together. They are uniting their efforts toward a common goal, or task. So, the person with whom you are joined could have a world view and loyalties contrary to yours. If they have entirely different goals than you do, why would you want to be joined with them?

In this country, we sometimes see people who have joined themselves to a foreign nation. They are either sending them restricted technology, or actually selling secrets to them. We call that behavior “spying,” in some cases, “treason” at worst, and it is universally condemned. God takes it seriously, too, but does not call us “spies” or “traitors.” He simply tells us how unfitting, and how counterproductive it is.

Fellowship is Partnership

In our culture, we think “fellowship” means “drinking coffee, eating sweets, and chatting.” (No…as a matter of fact, it does not.) Fellowship involves partnership. It means “having something in common.” It especially means sharing a goal and work or a project, together. Two workers who might have nothing to do with one another outside of work, can join together for a project, and treat one another with respect and cooperation in that work, and come away with a sense of :fellowship. (“We got that done! We accomplished that together!”)

I have worked on small crews, with other men, when, other than work, we had nearly nothing in common. But all of us were pleased at the amount of work we were getting done, and proud of our accomplishment. We all knew our jobs very well, and also knew when there was a lifting job that needed all of us. But when the lift was done and we had secured the large part in place for the man whose job it was to weld it, the rest of us dropped back into our separate welding tasks, all of which combined to produce a product that was very professional.

In fact, the four of us were accomplishing more together, on our shift, than a team of sixteen were accomplishing on a different shift, working at the same task. Collectively, we were happy about that, with a deep satisfaction. We had fellowship…partnership… in that work, though we shared nothing at all outside of work.

Fellowship also is not just “two fellows in a ship.”

Just “being in the same boat” does not produce fellowship: it does not imply “partnership.” Two fellows in a ship may be plotting to kill one another! Two fellows “in the same boat” because they both are out of work may have bitter rivalry between them, striving to get the same job.

But Paul said the Philippians had shared in the fellowship of the Gospel with him. They were partners in the work, sharing the gospel with others, seeing that as the job they had in common.

Paul points out that righteousness (having a right standing with God, and behaving that way) has nothing in common with unrighteousness (not having a right standing with God, and living that way.) He compares it to the dichotomy between light and darkness. They literally cannot have anything in common. Light specifically dispels darkness. Darkness is the absence of light.

Finally, he makes it very pointed: What agreement does Christ have with the evil one? And the necessary conclusion: “What part does a believer have with an unbeliever?” You are on “opposing teams!” You are soldiers in opposing armies!

Fellowship implies agreement: Verse 16 calls the question, “What agreement does the temple of God have with idols?” He goes on to point out that, collectively, the Church is the living Temple of the Living God on Earth. God Lives in us! He lives in you! He is our God! We are His people! (So, Ask yourself: Why is it all right for me to take what absolutely belongs to God, and join it in a common purpose with that which absolutely does not?)

An Old Testament Example Of A Bad Choice in Fellowship

In 2^nd Chronicles 19:1-3, we see the tail end of a bad situation. In 2nd Chronicles 18, we saw Jehoshaphat, a good king (of Judah, the southern kingdom) joined to Ahab, an evil king, already under a specific curse from God. Ahab asked for his help fighting the Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead.

Red Flag #1 (Association in fellowship)

Jehoshaphat wanted to ask God’s approval. Ahab called in four hundred false prophets who all said God would give them victory. But Jehoshaphat saw that the four hundred were not Prophets of the LORD, and He asked whether there were no actual prophets of the LORD there. Ahab answered, “Yeah, there’s one, a guy named Micaiah, but I hate him, because he always says bad stuff about me!” (That should have been a big red flag for Jehoshaphat, right there! If the only genuine prophet in town says “Ahab is a bad guy,” and you already know his history, why would you even consider pressing on with such a bad idea??) This is the Road to Failure!

Red Flag #2 (Potential Results of a bad Choice in Fellowship)

But Micaiah was called in, and ultimately said Ahab would not be coming home alive. (Wow! And you still want in on this? This should have been a second huge red flag. Stop!)

Red Flag #3 (The Hypocrisy of Bad Fellowship.)

But Ahab decided on a bright idea: He would disguise himself as a common soldier, but Jehoshaphat would wear his normal royal robes. (“You put a target on your back, and I will fight incognito!” Honestly, if you can’t see a problem with that, then you must be blind!)

But Jehoshaphat went along with it! (Wow…!)

Prophecy Fulfilled

So, you know the rest of the story. Predictably, the Syrian army went after Jehoshaphat, thinking he was Ahab. In fact, their king had commanded them to only go after Ahab! But Jehoshaphat cried out in terror, and the enemy soldiers somehow realized from his voice that he was not Ahab, so they turned their attention elsewhere. They had no quarrel with him personally. Ultimately, Ahab was hit by a “random” arrow (just another coincidence!) and he bled to death in his chariot.

(By the way, the specific curse on Ahab included the prediction that “where the dogs had licked up the blood of Naboth, whose death by stoning Jezebel had arranged, there the dogs would also lick up the blood of Ahab.” Want to guess where they washed out his chariot after he bled to death in it? Yep. Right where Naboth had died!)

The Rest of the Story

So: Ahab is dead and gone, and Jehoshaphat heads home, just glad to be alive. But the story is not really over: A prophet of God, named Jehu, met Jehoshaphat on the road, with a message from God. The prophet said, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” The bad choices of Fellowship and Partnership caught up with him!

That is BAD News! “You are in trouble, brother!”

Fortunately, God also allows us to see the good news: “³Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.”

Jehoshaphat’s position was still secure in Christ, just as my position and yours are secure in Christ. But God was definitely not pleased! And 2^nd Corinthians 6:13-18 reminds us that God has not changed. He still hates sin, and specifically hates to see us joining together with His enemies, and literally working with unbelievers, against His cause. He can’t have fellowship with us when we are working against Him!

So, What do We do With All of This?

Verses 17 and 18 tell us the answer:

¹⁷Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. ¹⁸And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

If you find that you have been partnering (joining in fellowship) with unbelievers in a cause that ultimately will work against God’s values, repent! Knock it off! Turn back, and go do what you are supposed to be doing! That is repentance!

Repentance

This is a “1^st John 1:9” matter, to start out, but then it becomes a lifestyle change, if we hope to bear fruit in our walk with God. Repentance (Greek “metanoia “) means a change of mind. But “separation” has the same meaning as “sanctification,” which is the same as saying “Be ye holy for I am Holy!” (1^st Peter 1:16) We are “separated unto God, for His purpose!”

So, the command to “come out from among them and be separate” is a call to commit oneself to living for God. Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who Loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Paul demonstrated the “separated life” by spending every bit of his energy, time and strength in serving the risen Christ. He threw himself completely into his partnership and Fellowship with Jesus.

So, how did Jehoshaphat demonstrate Repentance?

2^nd Chronicles 19:4-7

⁴And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.

He went back to working WITH God, partnering with HIM, and fellowshipping with Him.

⁵And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,

⁶And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.

⁷Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

Jehoshaphat went home and began mending his fences, so to speak: He traveled around among his people (Judah, Benjamin, and the half tribe of Manasseh.) He functioned as an “evangelist” of sorts: He turned people back to the LORD, the God of Israel, and he restored the judicial system of God in all the cities in his country. He drew others into fellowship with the Living God.

So, What Can We Do?

Well, of course, it varies with every person. But it still always comes down to confessing your sins (1^st John 1:9,) and then seeking God’s face in prayer and in the Word, and asking what He wants you to do next.

“Do the Next Thing” is what walking implies. We can’t coast, or glide. Uphill, downhill, or on the level: Walking still requires “putting one foot in front of the other!” Take the next step! Do the Next Thing!

Will it be easy? No! Emphatically, No! It is not just “difficult:” It is impossible, apart from allowing Jesus himself to use us at His choosing. In John 15, He says that with His empowerment, we can bear much fruit. Without it, we bear none. Give that some thought!

Lord Jesus, teach us to daily seek Your face, seek Your will, and seek Your blessing. Teach us to walk by faith and not by sight. We desire to serve You, and we confess that we are not able, apart from Your intervention and supervision, Your direction, and Your empowerment. Give us Grace to seek You with a clean heart.

August 15, 2026August 15, 2026

Know How To Be Real “Workers Together With Him”

How Can We Be “Workers Together With Him?”

2nd Corinthians 6:1-4

Workers together With Jesus! What does that mean? And, How can we be those workers?

¹We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. ²(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) ³Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: ⁴But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

Introduction:

We are among the recipients of this epistle, though nearly 2000 years removed. We should take this passage personally, not as a theory. Yes, He calls us “workers together with Him.” God also directs us to take the Great Commission personally, as well as most of the epistles. (The few exceptions might include things like a personal greeting to an individual, by name…or similar passages. And such passages still have teaching for us.)

But, in this case, Paul begins to address the question of how we can be workers together with Jesus. In the next several verses, he gives personal testimony as to what it meant to the apostles. But we can apply these four verses directly to every believer. What does it mean to US?

WE, Then, As Workers Together With HIM

Is this the apostle Paul talking? Yes it is! And is the “we,” here, specific to the Apostles? Undoubtedly, yes! But the next three words are his plea. He begs that we follow in their steps, as they follow in the steps of Jesus! The Apostles worked together with Jesus. We are also workers together with Him.

This exactly matches what Paul said in 1^st Corinthians 11:1 “Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ.” How can we even imagine trying to “wiggle out of” such a calling? Our call is precisely the same as that of the apostles, with the exception that, though we are workers, we are not apostles.

But, we definitely are Ambassadors. And, Romans 8:28-30, says that we definitely are among “the called of God.” Workers, together with Him.

“²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

Are You Called To Be A Worker With Him?

Most believers like to quote the first half of Romans 8:28. They claiming that “God will work all things together for Good” on their behalf. But that promise is only “to them who are the called, according to His Purpose.” If God hasn’t called you, then He does not offer that promise to you. And, according to the rest of that passage, if you aren’t called…you aren’t born again!

A genuine believer can’ t say, “Well, discipleship isn’t for everyone!” or, “Well, I just don’t feel called!”

Paul suggests that if we do that, and miss the central issue of discipleship, then we have “received the Grace of God in vain.” We have made it a useless and fruitless thing, both for God and for ourselves. That is sad even to consider, and somewhat frightening, as well. If we deny that He calls us Workers together with Him, then we cannot walk with Him, as He works.

In a Time Accepted, In the Day of Salvation

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Jesus died at the right point in time, according to Romans 5:6. “⁶For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

God says Jesus died at the correct time in History. Frankly, that is just one more thing that is “over my pay grade.” Why is it that Revelation 13:8 calls Him “the Lamb Slain from the foundation of the Earth?” But we see Him crucified in Jerusalem, nearly 2000 years ago. How can both be true? And which one was the “Right Time?”

1^st Peter 1:18-20 says, “¹⁸Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; ¹⁹But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ²⁰Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”? According to that passage the crucifixion was a “done deal,” in God’s perspective, before He created the Earth at all!

How Can These Things Be?

Ephesians 3:8-12 gives us a clue: “⁸Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: ¹⁰To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, ¹¹According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: ¹²In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”

So, God had a plan before He created planet Earth! And, surprisingly, it did not center on people. It centered upon His Righteousness and Wisdom. His Eternal Purpose was, through the Church (that’s us!) to teach the Holy Angels (the ones still in heaven with Him, perhaps) the manifold wisdom of God.

**What Had Just Happened in Heaven?**

God does not give a precise timeline, but, immediately after God’s creation of the human race, the enemy set about to destroy us all through sin: And a blood sacrifice for sin was provided, right there in the Garden of Eden.

From Adam, through Abraham, to the Thief on the Cross, to the last person who ever chooses to trust in Jesus, we are all saved the same way: By God’s Grace, through Faith in God’s chosen Sacrifice: Jesus, the Messiah!

Judgment had already fallen on the angelic host who rebelled with Satan. But God had also already set up an eternal “object lesson” for the entire heavenly host. (Remember, this is still before the Creation!) His plan was to demonstrate His Own Wisdom through a group of People called the Church.

(Not through Noah, though he demonstrated a great deal about the coming Savior. Not through Abraham, though he was a great man of faith; and not through Israel, though it truly is the Chosen Nation of God. He chose to do it through the Church, which is a “motley mob of mixed-breed mongrels,” whom God has called from among both Jews and Gentiles.

So, What is the Church: The “Called-ones of God? We Are Workers, Too!

In 1^st Corinthians 1:26-31, we see what typifies the calling of God: It is not the best-educated, the ones with greatest physical prowess, nor the rich, etc. It is the common people.

He says, “²⁶For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

²⁷But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; ²⁸And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: ²⁹That no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: ³¹That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

That is the group through whom God has chosen to teach the angels something about HIS Wisdom! That is “our calling!” God says so! We may look like a “bunch of ignorant savages,” compared to the Angelic hosts who watch our progress (and whom God occasionally sends in, to give us a boost!) But He says that is who we really are. God deliberately chooses people with nothing much to offer, through whom to do His best Work.

He chooses, as a group, all those who will confess that they have nothing to offer of their own. He helped us: first by means of the Cross, then by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and finally by the Indwelling Holy Spirit and the Living Word of God.

And How Does He Want Us to Respond As His Workers?

^“3Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: ⁴But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses…”

God tells us that as a general rule, we are to be model citizens: We are not to cause offense…not to give people a cause to stumble, and so to reject the Gospel. Does God ever authorize disobedience to Civil Law? Very seldom!

In general, Civil Law does not go against God’s Law. (Can it do so? Yes, but it seldom actually happens.) It is good to remember that when Romans 13:1-7 told us to be in subjection to the civil authorities, they were living under the “Iron Fist” of Rome. This was not some progressive, nice-smelling, sweet-talking Utopian world-system! That specific Government heavily persecuted the church for three hundred years, but Romans 13:1-7 never changed. Jesus paid taxes, knowing full well that Rome would (at least partially) use it for evil.

When we make trouble, bicker among ourselves, stir up rebellion, or utter railing complaints against politicians, etc., we give cause for unbelievers to despise the Church, and with us, they despise Jesus. He says, “In all things” demonstrate that we are approved as the servants of God.

We are called to endurance in hard times and sufferings, in poverty in some cases. And through distresses of all sorts, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the Grace of God in the Christian Life. These are the kinds of things that demonstrate that we are approved as servants of God. Failing to respond well to those challenges demonstrates the opposite.

Jesus Gave The World The Right To Judge His Workers In Three Areas:

The Agapé Love among believers, (John 13:34, 35)
The Unity of the Spirit among believers, (Ephesians 4:3, John 17:21) and
The general pattern of “good dealings:” Good Works among and through the believers. (Matthew 5:14-16)

These are the criteria Jesus gave the World, by which to Judge the Church. That is why Paul reminds us to “Give no offense!”

What About Today? How Can We Be Workers Together With Him?

We have all known men and women who claim to be believers, some claiming special prominence in the Church, but who consistently deal with other people unkindly, and exhibit self-centered pride, instead of humble submission to a Holy, Righteous, but Merciful God.

The Pharisees claimed to be genuine believers, but were constantly at odds with Jesus, the very God they claimed to serve! He said that He sent the prophets to them down through the years, and those to whom He sent them rejected the Prophets, one and all, killing many of them.

The common people knew the Pharisees were arrogant, and that they were harshly judgmental of the common folk around them. They knew they were hypocrites. And, they could see that Jesus was the “Genuine Article,” where the Service and Character of God was concerned.

People need to be able to see that in our lives as well. Make certain that your relationship with Jesus is actually producing the pure character and genuine Agapé Love of God in you, not just a man-made piety.

Lord Jesus, raise us up to be workers together with You. Allow us to see the World and the Church through Your Eyes, and not judge by Human Standards.

June 20, 2026June 20, 2026

How to Understand Why The Gospel is Not of Us, but of God

The Gospel: Not of Us, but of God; Not Pride but Humility.

2^nd Corinthians 4:5-7

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Introduction:

As we attempt to share our faith with others, we are plagued with the sense that it’s not “Normal” to talk to people about Jesus. We shrink from doing so, because it is socially unacceptable, and potentially offensive. We fear the rejection of our fellow humans.

There are several ways to address that fear:

First, We All Evangelize About Everything Else!

We tell people about a great restaurant we really like: “Great food, great portions, great prices, friendly staff, etc. ….” And no one is offended! They are glad to know about that place.

We tell people about the great recipe we tried recently, and we offer to send it to the other person: They are glad to receive it, even if they never actually use it. Or we tell them about a great book we just read…or where we got our shoes, or the effectiveness of the new medication for (whatever the ailment)…and no one is offended.

But if we tell them about the Great God, the Creator: If we tell them of the Savior…Then we are seen as transgressors, and proselyters. They see us as zealots at best, and false witnesses at worst. Many people take offence at such talk: And we fear their disapproval.

We can observe, then, that evangelism is not the problem. The Person and Message of the Gospel is the Problem.

**Second, The World Habitually Rejects the True God**

Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

Because the Human Race does not want to think of God, and does not want to see Him for who He is, (The Creator, the Lawgiver, the Judge, and the Savior,) God has allowed them to follow their natural trajectory away from Him and to reap the inevitable results of their rebellion.

From a Biblical perspective, the reaction people have to the Gospel is completely predictable.

Consider The Following:

I have read, many times, that when a horse barn catches fire, the panicked horses will fight against any attempt to lead them out of the barn. The barn is their “safe place.” The fact that the barn is now burning around them does not translate in their minds to “GET OUT of the Barn!” Without intervention, they will stay there and burn.

The only way to calm them, so that you can lead them out of the fire, is to cover their eyes with something: A cloth, or a gunny sack, or some other covering, so that the only thing they can now trust is the hand on their bridle. Then you can lead them to safety. They no longer see the Terror around them.

So, Where Are We Hiding, as Humans?

Our “safe place” as humans, has been our ordinary life, among ordinary people, neighbors, friends, and co-workers: It includes our usual experiences, and our usual, habitual responses to those experiences. We have been taught by our societies (all of them) that we, as humans, are sufficient in ourselves. But Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” And the universal result of that folly, according to the following verses, is that we turn away from God, preferring virtually anything else.

It may involve literal idolatry: The worship of false Gods and bowing to their images. Or it may be the humanistic idolatry of believing that, somehow, WE have all the answers, or at least we will soon find them. But the literal idols have never replied to the prayers of their worshippers. And humanism can’t even cure the common cold. We are not nearly so “self-sufficient” as we want to believe.

So, God offers to take our eyes off of the surrounding devastation, and to turn our eyes to Him as our only hope. We are not “brute beasts,” like the horses, but we do have some of the same tendencies. We focus so completely on the insurmountable dangers and tragedies of our fallen world, that we fail to see the sovereign hand of God. He offers us eternal safety and peace in the Person of Christ. Because we fail to see Him, we are still trapped in the destruction of this world.

We Must Understand Where the People of the World are Living

Remember that the people of the world are not “just waiting for you” to tell them how to have eternal life. They have been trained to see themselves as having no need for help from God. They see themselves as being “just as good as anyone else,” (which doesn’t particularly help.) Or perhaps they see themselves as “beyond help.” I have had people tell me that they are too much of a sinner for God to save them.

This is where it is critical that we see what Paul says in verse 5. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

We don’t have the answers, any more than they do! Jesus is the only answer. He alone is God’s solution for the lostness of the Human Race. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the Life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” So, we have nothing to offer except Him!

**Remember Why He has Ordained Us to Shine for Him**

Verse 6 says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The same God who originally spoke the physical light into existence is the One who has commanded us to shine in the Darkness of this World. And, He has shined in us, enabling us to shine for others. In Matthew 5:15-16, Jesus commanded us to shine for the Glory of God. In Philippians 2:15-16, He says we are doing it!

And right here in 2^nd Corinthians 4, He says how that is even possible: He first shined in us, so that we could shine for Him in this dark World!

If God’s light has taken root in your life, it not only ordains you as a holder of that light, but it also commissions you to shine as a reflection of His Glory: He commands us to Supernaturally Shine, in three specific ways:

The Supernatural Agape love, abounding in our lives. (John 13:34, 35)
The Supernatural Unity of the Spirit, demonstrated among us. (John 17:21)
The Supernatural lifestyle of Spirit-driven Good Works, evidencing God’s Presence. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Remember Where You Came From!

Sometimes we forget that we are just “saved sinners,” and we begin to evidence our unregenerate ego, our old sin-nature. We become proud and self-righteous, rather than humble and only Righteous in Christ. Paul warns us against that trap:

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We may be tempted to think that “we are Fine China, of the best raw materials available!” There are two answers to that idea:

God says we are “earthen pots.” We are cheap clay vessels, available in any marketplace. The treasure inside these “cheap clay vessels” is what is important!
Suppose you do have some sort of “evidence” that you are “a cut above:” You are convinced that you are different, that you are “Fine China!” You should bear in mind that (ironically) toilets are made of fine china, too! Whatever “special stuff” you think you are made of is not necessarily an indicator of your superior status with God.

We have a few “fine china” plates at home that are made to hang on a wall, as decorations. Some of them actually have holes cut in them as part of the design. You can’t use such a plate for much of anything practical. They are just ornaments!

My Choice?

I’d rather be a plain vessel, consecrated to God’s use, and willing to actually do the job He has ordained for us, as opposed to a “classy-looking, but useless” ornament. I want to actually be useful to Him, not just “look good.”

When we do what He tells us to do, we are being practical. When we pray for the lost souls around us (and for one another,) we are being practical. And, when we share with someone else the good news that they can have Eternal Life today, we are being practical, too!

The people with whom you share may or may not respond well to your offer. But if you continue to love them, regardless of their response, that is a further evidence of practicality. Let’s try to take a practical, active stance, regarding the Word of Christ and the Work of the Gospel.

Lord Jesus, please clear our minds of the baggage and debris of human opinion, and the fear of human rejection, and allow us the privilege of sharing Your Love with the lost souls around us.

May 9, 2026May 9, 2026

How To Understand and Use God’s Plan Of Evangelism

What Is God’s Plan Of Evangelism?

2^nd Corinthians 1:1, Acts 17:1-14, Acts 18:1-8, Romans 15:15-20; Acts 8:1-4

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

Introduction:

Corinth was the Roman Capitol of Achaia at the time Paul was writing. Obviously, wherever he went, Paul made a practice of going to principal cities, such as Corinth, Philippi, etc. He sought to plant churches in each place as a “start,” like planting grape cuttings. This served to introduce the Gospel of Christ, via a self-supporting, self-propagating organism. He hoped each “start” (each fledgling church) would flourish and spread to all the villages around them.

To begin with, the Church exists as a Living, self-replicating, and self-propagating organism. The Holy Spirit has planted the church in the world, much as the wind plants dandelions in your lawn. (Obviously, You did not plant the dandelions there: They simply arrived, blown by the wind.) And they blossomed where the wind planted them: They sent down tough, resilient taproots, seeking water and nourishment. Furthermore, they maintained through dry summers, cold winters, and other hazards. And, every spring, they blossom again, producing hundreds of seeds. When mature, those seeds will blow away on the wind, like tiny parachutes and start new life elsewhere.

Clearly, the World does not want us here, any more than you want the dandelions in your lawn. But, like dandelions, we blossom where God planted us. And, like dandelion seedlings, we dig deep into God’s Word, seeking Living Water and Spiritual food. We multiply, and the “Wind of God” carries our “seeds” elsewhere. They take root in other places, other cities, other countries and languages.

This is God’s Plan of Evangelism

Paul demonstrates this “plan of evangelism” in Romans 15:17-20. It says “from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Now the distance from Jerusalem to Illyricum, by road, is anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 miles. (That distance depends on what cities he visited as “side-trips.”)

Paul did NOT “talk to every single person” in that area. He planted churches any where he found even a few receptive hearts. Then he allowed the natural, spiritual reproduction of the Living Spirit of Christ to spread out and “self-propagate” from each of those “starts.”

Normal Propagation

Corinth and other primary cities in Achaia had received the Gospel of Christ. God caused many small churches to thrive there, though Paul had not visited everywhere in that province…just a few chief cities and towns (We only know of Athens, Corinth, and Cenchrea, for sure.) But, he said that He extended his greeting “to all the saints which were in ALL Achaia!” The Gospel had spread, just as it is supposed to do!

Forced Propagation

Acts 8:1-8 gives us one example of a delayed, but highly productive “spread.” Persecution broke out in Jerusalem after a mob stoned Stephen to death. The persecution “broke up the party” that the believers were enjoying in Jerusalem. They had continued to increase, in and around Jerusalem, but they had made no effort to evangelize outside that area.

in Acts 1:8, Jesus gave the following assignment: “After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, ye shall be witnesses unto Me, in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth.”

The believers at Jerusalem, (whom we see in Acts chapters 2-6) had become pretty complacent: They were “having a great time around the Table of the Lord,” but they were not venturing out “into the field,” as they had been directed. We can’t really blame them: We tend to do the same thing.

What Happened in Jerusalem?

After the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7, a persecution broke out. Acts 8:1 “And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Please remember: Many of these believers were not natives of Jerusalem. They had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost, and the Apostles introduced them to Jesus as the Messiah. They stayed, to learn and grow, and to fellowship and grow strong. When the persecution began, most of them probably just went back to wherever they had originally come from.

And we see the result in Acts 8:4, : “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” (Aha! So, persecution can result in evangelism!)

But, do we have to wait for persecution to drive us to the world around us? Or can we do it for the sheer joy of responding in obedience to the Great Commission?

The Joy of Christ

If we read the rest of Acts 8, we see that Philip went straight to Samaria. It was the old capitol city of the region of Samaria. Idolatry was common there. Jews and Gentiles existed in a confusing mix. They pracitced a “mixed bag” of Judaism and a host of other religions. Paul preached the Gospel there: Specifically, it says, “He preached Christ unto Them.” (That is what we are called to do, too!)

The result? Acts 8:8 says, “There was great Joy in that city.”

The Joy of Christ has been the result wherever there has been a true reception to the Gospel. In individual lives, we see that Joy replicated, today. We see lives transformed by the Living Word of God. As a result, we see the Person and the Character of Christ beginning to appear in their lives, and the Fragrance of the Savior beginning to emanate from their lives.

We see people, young and old, lifting up their eyes from the World around them, taking their attention away from the crushing apathy, the evil desires and the gross self-centeredness of the Human Race, and seeing Jesus, the perfect human who is also the True God, in the flesh.

The Result In Our Lives

Together, we find Refuge in Him. We rejoice together in His Light, and we feed together on His Word, and we fellowship together around the Person and Work of the Risen Christ. We learn to find our Joy in Him, (Habakkuk 3:17-19) and, as Habakkuk did, to find that He “makes our feet like the feet of the ‘hind,’ a rock-climbing, mountain-loving deer: He places our feet on our high places,” so that the troubles of this life seem far below us. And even when they affect us directly, we see those troubles from the vantage point of Citizens of Heaven, not as those still enslaved to the World.

How We Choose God’s Plan

People have written scores of books about evangelism. One such book claims the title of “The Master’s Plan of Evangelism,”and it is actually a pretty good book. If one is truly going to follow “The Master’s Plan of Evangelism,” then regardless of how they see that plan, the first item on the agenda is to deliberately choose God’s plan, as opposed to our own, or a program set up by our school or by the founder of a movement, or anything else.

If we can Look to God’s Word, and see how He planned to reach the world, and deliberately choose to learn His way, and to follow His way, then we are already on the right path.

Acts 16:6-11

⁶Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, ⁷After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. ⁸And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. ¹⁰And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. ¹¹Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

When we read Acts 16:6-11, we see that Paul and his entourage did not get to just “look at a map and pick where to go next:” God forbade them to go in one direction, then another. (verses 6, 7) But a little further along, He sent a vision, directing them to Macedonia. So, off they went, going where HE directed them to go, and doing as HE directed them to do!

**Being “In” The Way: (On The Path: “On Task“)**

In Genesis 24:27, we see that the servant of Abraham, who was on assignment to find a wife for Isaac, stated that he was “in the right place, doing the right thing,” when he prayed and asked God for direction. He said “I being in the way, the LORD led me!” He was already choosing, day by day and step by step, to follow the assignment given to him, and the directions he had been given so far. And so it was, that, when he asked for specific direction, God responded immediately, and very specifically.

Paul and his group were in the same situation in Acts 16:6-11. They were doing their “best diligence” to follow what they knew of God’s direction. But then it came down to a need for a specific direction: They had tried two directions, and God had “closed the door.” (We are not told how: All we know is that He forbade them to go to the first two places they attempted.)

So, they continued seeking His will, and He gave them very specific direction. They obeyed that new directive immediately, and they headed for Macedonia.

What About Us?

As a Church, we were already promoting evangelism and discipleship. Our church preached the Gospel and we taught the Word, and we avoided distraction. We taught that the one assignment Jesus gave to the Church was the Great Commission. We understand that the propagation of the church occurs because of a “Spiritual chain reaction.” (One beliver shares with one unbeliever. If that person believes, and is born again, then TWO believers are now sharing with others, and so forth.)

We continually sought His direction as to how we could reach out and be a part of His plan. And we had no idea how that might work out. Then He dropped “His plan for us” into our collective laps! We responded with joy and eager obedience, and God has been blessing this little church, beyond anything we had hoped for! We have now supplied hundreds of Bibles for believers in places where they could not possibly afford to buy them.

The Results?

We can see the results in the Philippines, in Papua New Guinea, in Kenya and in Pakistan. Hundreds of hungry hearts are being fed on the Word of God. Hundreds whom we may never meet in this world are being trained up to “Blossom where they are planted, to Dig deep into God’s Word, to Press closer into Him for the Living Water of His Grace, to Bear fruit, and to multiply.” (Just like Dandelions!) And we are called to do the same!

Can there be more? Without a doubt, there can be! But what we must continually do, is to continue in obedience and to look to Him for direction, just as we have done before.

Lord Jesus, please raise our eyes to see You clearly, and to discern the path of obedience for each soul among our flock. We desire to do Your Will, and we confess that, apart from Your leading, we do not know how to do so.

March 18, 2026March 18, 2026

Join Us In A Walk Through Galatians (Part 1)

A Walk Through Galatians Part 1

© Lee Tankersley
(Part 1: Chapter 1 verses 1-10)

Today I want to start by thanking the LORD for all he has done for us, and take a deeper look into my favorite (and in my opinion one of the most powerful) books in the Bible, that I feel doesn’t get referenced enough: A letter that was written to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia, which is present-day Turkey.

I have read this Letter by Paul to the Galatians numerous times, and it is where I go to see the love that our Father has for us. In doing this message and study, my hope is that this letter can become just as powerful to someone that was in (or may be in) the same position when it was revealed to me. What do I mean, you might ask: Well, let’s go back to not long after I put my faith in Jesus Christ…

Back toward the beginning, probably around the one-year mark, I had been eagerly taking in so much information through videos and podcasts along with reading my Bible. But I would quite frequently come across people saying things that would tell me I need to be doing this or that, trying to convince me Jesus wasn’t enough, and the lines began to blur. I noticed myself becoming confused and feeling lost. So many people have an opinion on what they think we need to be doing to keep, earn, or not lose our salvation or earn favor with God.

It all came to a head one Wednesday evening at Bible study, I was waiting for the moment that Chet would ask if anyone has any Bible question, the time came and I asked my question… if I remember right it was me processing Romans 4-8, not understanding the law and its purpose and trying to figure out what “I” should be doing now that I have been saved. What I got from everyone after I “hijacked” another one of the Bible studies was nothing but love and compassion from all of you and the teaching from Chet.

On my walk home I began to pray… asking if God could just help make things clear to me or even give me a revelation of some sort. I got home and set down my bag and pulled out my Bible and opened it up to the letter to Galatians, at that time I have probably read this book a couple of times up to this point, but this time it hit different: So I started reading this letter from Paul, and for the next hour, with tears filling my eyes, I was filled with the confident hope that Jesus is enough, restoring my freedom from the slavery that our LORD has purchased us out of.

This book that I have read many times now is my favorite book, and with the encouragement, guidance, and love that many have for me, I want to share this letter with all of you, for those who may feel lost or confused, I ask to just listen with an open mind and let Jesus give you a new heart.

I invite you to grab a Bible, your Bible if you have one with you. Let’s read Galatians 1:1-10. I read from the NLT: You can follow along with me with whatever translation you like.

(Read Galatians 1: 1-10)
¹ This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. ²All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. ³ May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. ⁴Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. ⁵ All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

⁶ I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News ⁷ but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

⁸ Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. ⁹ I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.
¹⁰ Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Okay, there is already a lot to unpack here. Where do I start… This letter that Paul penned for the LORD is one of the first, if not the first, letters that Paul wrote to the churches and I think it is fundamental in the understanding of salvation and security. There are really 6 books in the Bible that I look at for our fundamentals, and we may remember the phrase “Go Eat Pop Corn” being Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, with that I have added two other. First and second Thessalonians closing it out, I added “once today twice Tomorrow” to the end of the “Go Eat Pop Corn” to help me remember where the fundamentals are.

Being in amateur boxing it was crucial that I learned the fundamentals before my coach would even consider letting me get placed in the ring for a fight. No matter how much I tried to convince him and talk myself up that I was ready, he made sure I was prepared. It probably took 3 years of training before I had that first fight, learning footwork, protecting myself, conditioning, hitting a speed and heavy bags, and sparring with some of my team who were all much younger than me at that point of time and one that was a bit older but had the accolades of playing college football.

I tell ya, that is a humbling experience. If it wasn’t for my coach being adamant in the fundamentals and making sure I was well prepared I could have gotten seriously hurt. I see that, and I thank him now.

And that is what the Bible does for us, being the word of God as declared in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.” It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. Teaching us the fundamentals of our faith, so when we are in the world we know where our foundation is and can spot the lies or attacks as they come, and they will come.

¹ This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.

The letter to Galatians is understood to be written just after Paul’s first mission with Barnabas as referenced in Acts 13: 2 – 14: 28, placing it just before the Jerusalem Council of AD 48-49 referenced in Acts 15:1- 35. Paul and Barnabas had just returned to Antioch, and Jewish Christians known as “Judaizers” began to criticize Paul’s teaching, accusing him of diluting Christianity to make it more appealing to Gentiles, saying that Christians needed to be circumcised and follow all the Jewish laws and customs to be saved: Basically they were saying they had to become Jews before becoming Christians.

And some of these Judaizers were following Paul and Barnabas through their time in Galatia. Paul wrote this letter to combat the response he received. Paul explains that his apostleship was from Jesus: Not to elevate his apostleship above the original 12 but to show it rested on the same basis as theirs. If they are to question Paul then then they should be questioning Peter, James and John along with the rest. And such questioning is ridiculous for they were all called by Jesus and God the father, and they answered to God as their final authority.

² All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.

Paul is expressing that all the people who have been traveling with him stand by this, such people would have been the likes of prophets and teachers. Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul (that we now know as Paul) listed in Acts 13:1, and that all the people reading this letter would have known from their time in Galatia. The names here highlight the diversity of the group, those of which come from different races, backgrounds, wealth, and education.

When we start excluding people because they are not like us or they have not met certain requirements as Paul is combating in this letter, we are not representing the teachings of Jesus. The only requirement I can point to is in John 6:28-29 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

The more we understand the gospel and embrace God’s vision for the body of Christ, the more we will appreciate and understand these differences and not allow them to divide us. At that point we will be able to say from our hearts that we love each other.

³ May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Now Paul has arrived at his greeting that he starts all of his letters he is known for, and they are always in the order of grace and peace, because you can’t have peace without grace. Let’s dive into the Greek a little deeper for these two words. For grace the Greek word is charis (pronounced khar’-ece). It describes as unmerited or undeserved favor. And peace comes from the Greek word eirēnē (pronounced i-ray’-nay), representing the state of tranquility, harmony, and order. Paul’s letters always tie them to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ from which they come.

⁴ Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. ⁵ All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

Paul is now pointing out to the Galatian churches that this has been the plan all along, forgiveness and salvation comes through Jesus’s finished work on the cross. No amount of good deeds or following traditions can supplement that: It is a gift we receive through faith that Jesus has done enough to rescue us from the coming judgement that is declared on this world.

You may not even believe in any of this, and I could say to you that I don’t believe the sky is blue or 2+2=4, but that doesn’t make it “not true.” Even being ignorant of it is not an excuse: that even applies in the world and culture we live in today, and to say you were unaware will not save you from a ticket or possibly jail time.

Go read for yourself Romans 1:18 – 3:23. The case has been made! And you will see in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. I ask you to humble yourselves and to actually read all the scripture I bring up for yourselves. Don’t just listen to what I say: Go read it! So, Paul is absolutely right to say, “All glory goes to God our merciful Judge and Savior. Amen!”

⁶ I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News ⁷ but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

As Paul, Barnabas and the others traveled through the province of Galactica, they already were experiencing conflict by the Judaizers who were following them, trying to undermine the good news that Salvation is a gift. They were saying faith in Christ was not enough, putting the burden of requirements and traditions of the old covenant and causing confusion.

We can see in Philippians 3:2-11 while Paul was in prison, (which was written 10 + years later than this letter to the Galatians) that it is something Paul dealt with throughout his ministry. and it still goes on today. Whether the Judaizers were deliberately trying to undermine Paul out of jealousy, or a sincere love for the richness of Jewish heritage and the laws of Moses, or the belief that one must become Jewish before becoming Christian is not known, but a twisted or distorted version of the truth is harder to spot then a straight up lie. Jesus has made the gift of Salvation available to all people, not just the Jews.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:14 “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”

We need to be careful, so we don’t fall for the same traps: Whether it’s because they don’t understand what the Bible teaches, or they think they know better, or they just reject the truth. God has provided only one way to be forgiven of sin and to inherit eternal life: By believing in Jesus finished work on the cross. Some religions even say that there are many paths to God: In a free society people have the right to their religious opinions, but this doesn’t guarantee their ideas are right. God does not accept human religion as a substitute for faith in Christ.

⁸ Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. ⁹ I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.

These are some harsh statements being made by Paul, but look at what is at stake, someone’s salvation. Paul says that God’s curse should fall on anyone, even an angel from heaven, if an angel came preaching another good news he wouldn’t be from heaven no matter how he appeared. In 2 Corinthians 11:14 -15 Paul warns that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 “But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.”

Paul also extends the curse to include himself if he should ever twist the good news. Paul’s message must never change, because the truth of the Good News never changes. When we add to the Good News we are basically saying “Jesus gave it a good shot but let me show him how it’s done.”

I know that I can look at my life and see that I can’t even follow my own rules that I come up with for my day-to-day life let alone do them all the time. And if I’m being honest with myself, half the time I don’t want to.

Now if you are thinking that I am saying to go do whatever… you are severely mistaken and is not the right heart attitude to have, Paul says in Romans 6:1-2 “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”

Now if you have any issues with what Paul has been saying then you have issues with Peter. But Peter “the rock” has declared in 2 Peter 3:16 “…speaking of these things in all of his (Paul’s) letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.” And if you have an issue with that then I would say you have an issue with Jesus.

^“10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

Now Paul makes an important statement here, and I will walk the same path to defend the good news about Christ.

Now to close, I will be going to Matthew 23. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Matthew 23:13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.”

Matthew 23:15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!”

Matthew 23:27-31 “²⁷What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. ²⁸ Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. ³⁰ Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’ ³¹ “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.”

Matthew 23:33 “Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?”

Let that sink in, and ask yourselves “How will I escape the judgment of hell?”

Let’s give glory to God and pray.

March 29, 2025March 29, 2025

Do You Know The Spiritual Enemies in Our Spiritual Warfare?

The Spiritual Enemies in Our Spiritual War

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,

God was with him, and
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 (1^st 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:

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

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

Stand fast
Shine the light of a holy life (Philippians 2:15, 16; Matthew 5:15, 16)
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:

The World
The Flesh
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. 1^st 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.

August 25, 2024August 25, 2024

How to Enjoy Your Liberty Without Causing Offense

Enjoy Your Liberty Without Causing Offense

1st Corinthians 10:30-33; 11:1, 2

³⁰For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

³¹Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

³²Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

³³Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

1st Corinthians 11:1, 2

¹ Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

²Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

Introduction:

Last week we addressed a specific problem that (as a rule) we do not face in our culture: “Foods sacrificed to Idols.” But it opened the general subject of living with our liberty, but avoiding causing others to “stumble” or sin.

The issue of the idols is a rather blatant example of a case where our liberty could be a real problem for someone else. But it served as a springboard to other such examples, and the general subject of “If I have all this liberty, but can’t use it, then what good is it?”

³⁰For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

Paul asks why he should be accused, regarding something in which he enjoyed full freedom. That is a good question, and it is one we may ask in our hearts as well.

Example in Nature

I read a rather sad story, years ago, in which a brooding hen was given a clutch of duck eggs to incubate and hatch. She succeeded in hatching them all, and she was a wonderful mother to the strange-looking “chicks” which (of course) were actually ducklings.

All went well until she happened to walk near the pond. The ducklings all plunged into the pond and began paddling around in the water. The mother hen was frantic, of course, because her “chicks” had no business swimming!

The ducklings had perfect freedom to swim: they were created to do so. But the hen could not understand that. People who have not yet grasped the reality of their liberty in Christ are alarmed to see Christians doing a thing that they feel must be wrong (because someone told them it was.)

The believer has seen in the scriptures that he or she is free: Believers can eat anything, and they know their food cannot defile them. In Mark 7:15, Jesus said, “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”

Paul pointed out that all things were “lawful” to him (he had no dietary restrictions under God’s rule,) but not all things were expedient. (Yes, you can eat the meat of a puffer fish, but it truly is not a good idea: Many people have died, in an attempt to sample that delicacy, as most of the flesh of the puffer fish contains a deadly poison.)

Does it Glorify God?

The bottom line for us as believers is “Does it glorify God?”

Years ago, an older man was telling me how a particular televangelist was persuading people to give heavily to his ministry: He was financing a huge new church building, and he told his radio and television audiences, “If you send me $500, I will send you a brick with your name on it: And, I’ll put another one, just like it, in my new building!”

Stop and think what the motivation had to be: Their motive for giving was to get their name embossed in a brick in that building! They wanted to exalt their own name. (Or, possibly worse, they may have thought that identifying themselves with that evangelist would somehow draw them “closer to God!”)

I was uncomfortable with the story, and I told the man, “That seems repugnant to me!” He replied, “But the bottom line, Chet, is that it works!” I did not want to argue with him as he was old enough to be my dad, so I walked away…but after a minute or so it came to me: The bottom line is not “it works!” the bottom line is, “Does it Glorify God?”

That particular televangelist was caught in multiple acts of flagrant immorality just a few years later. I could not help wondering how his followers felt after the truth of his sin was in the open.

**When Might My Liberty Not Glorify God?**

This entire passage addresses this specific question: Last week we mentioned that we no longer use wine in Communion, because we found that we were causing some members to stumble because they were recovering alcoholics, and were afraid that embracing the “liberty” to drink the communion wine would cause them to fail in their commitment to sobriety.

Did we have the “liberty” to continue using wine in celebrating the Lord’s Table? Of course, we did! But would it have glorified God for us to ignore the fear and the need in another brother or sister’s life so that we could “enjoy our liberty?” My conviction is that it would not!

Three Groups

³²Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

Notice that Paul lists three groups of humans that we should consider in our desire to Glorify God and to avoid causing others to stumble:

The Jews
The Gentiles
The Church of God.

There Once Were Only Two

Before Jesus died and was resurrected, there existed two main groups on earth: Jews and non-Jews, whom the Jews called “Gentiles.” (The word means “heathen.”)

Paul still referred to those two groups in Romans 1:16, when he said “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

In John 10:16, Jesus said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

When Jesus died for the sins of the world, He began something new: In Ephesians 2:14, 15, Paul reminds us, saying, “¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;”

But Now There Are Three!

Jesus mentioned this third group only vaguely, as a mysterious truth. The John 10:16 comment is one such mention. The Jews must have wondered, “Who are the Other Sheep?”

But, in Matthew 16:18, He made the famous promise, “Upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” (Jesus referred to the Bedrock [Greek, “petra”] of the truth of His Deity, not the movable stone [Greek, “petros”], who was Peter)

Notice that both comments Jesus made were future tense. He intended (future) to go and bring those “other sheep.” He promised (future) to build His Church. Paul addresses these three groups in this passage in 1^st Corinthians. In the past, remember, there were believers and unbelievers within both of the people groups, but it was not so easy to define:

Who Is The Real Believer?

The Pharisees thought they were the “real believers,” because of their extreme religiosity. The Sadducees thought they were the “real believers,” because they philosophized about God’s Word and did not take it literally. They thought their “wisdom” exceeded that of the people who just believed what God said. They thought they could see “what He truly meant!” (We have folks like that, today, too! They think that we, who believe that “the Bible is to be taken literally” are poor, deluded, unsophisticated fools. That’s OK! Paul accepted that label, and so did the other apostles.)

But, while Jesus was on earth, we saw that the Pharisees and the Sadducees, along with the Religious authorities, were the primary enemies who aligned themselves against Him. Jesus taught that the Word of God meant exactly what it said, He pointed out both the extreme folly of the Sadducees and the extreme hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the priests. (They hated that, too!)

So, they continued to persecute Him, until He went to the Cross. It is important to remember that Jesus said, in John 10:17, 18, that no one was “taking” His life, but that He would lay down His life of His own will, and He would also take it up again. His death, in every detail, fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.

The Result Of The Cross

And, in Ephesians, we saw that, in laying down His life in that way, he abolished the division between the Jews and Gentiles by fulfilling all the demands of the Law and by creating one NEW man, the Church, within which all the believers from both of the earlier two divisions (Jew and Gentile) would be joined in peace.

When we share in the Lord’s Table, we underscore that unity: we confess that “His Blood was shed for ME!” We acknowledge that (one and all) our salvation is dependent upon the finished work of Jesus Christ at the Cross. We state our dependence upon His Death, His Burial, and His Resurrection. And, we declare our confidence that He is coming again (soon, we hope!)

The Effect of Unity

Knowing the humility of our position in Christ, that we have done nothing to earn it, we also reach out in humility to those around us. We are truly beggars who have been fed, and who now are eager to tell other beggars where to find that food.

In our new role as ambassadors for Christ, it becomes increasingly important to us that we not cause people to turn away from Jesus through our bumbling errors in behavior. We do not want anyone to be offended by our behavior. So we use our liberty wisely. As children of the Most High God, we are more inclined to “sit upon our rights,” in gentleness and humility than we are to “stand upon them” in arrogance and self-will.

**His Sacrifice Is FOR Us All, Offered By Himself**

When we share in the Lord’s Table it is vital that we remember our position in Christ and that every single truth of that new position in Him was bought by the sacrifice HE offered, of His body and blood. We do not offer this sacrifice: He offered it, Himself, on our behalf.

I once heard a priest declare, regarding communion, “We are offering this sacrifice, and Jesus is our victim!” But, Jesus said “No man takes my life from Me. I lay it down of my own will.” That priest was teaching blasphemy! Jesus is not a victim. He is the Sovereign God who created all things, and who determined, in His own foreknowledge, that He would be the Lamb slain, from the foundation of the World.

That is who we proclaim in the preaching of the Cross, and in the sharing of Communion. And that is why we desire to live in such a way as to offer His grace to others without offense.

Lord Jesus, convict our hearts of the need for unity and the need for an outpouring of Grace from our lives to the World around us. Draw us closer to your side through Your Spirit and Your Word.

July 1, 2024July 1, 2024

The Old Fashioned Way (1914 Hymn)

“The Old-Fashioned Way”

by Civilla D, Martin 1914

They call me old-fashioned because I believe
That the Bible is God’s holy Word,
That Jesus, who lived among men long ago,
Is divine, and the Christ of God.

Refrain

My sin was old-fashioned,
My guilt was old-fashioned,
God’s love was old-fashioned, I know;
And the way I was saved was the old-fashioned way,
Through the blood that makes whiter than snow.

Old-fashioned, because I believe and accept
Only what has been spoken from Heav’n;
Old-fashioned because at the cross I was saved,
At the cross had my sins forgiv’n.

Refrain

Old-fashioned, because I am bound to do right,
To walk in the straight narrow way;
Because I have given my whole life to God,
Old-fashioned because I pray.

Refrain

Old-fashioned, because I am looking above
To Jesus, my glorified Lord;
Because I believe He is coming again,
Fulfilling His Holy Word.

Refrain

I Can Relate to ALL of These Words!

I guess this labels me an Old Fashioned Christian, going to an Old Fashioned Church, reading an Old Fashioned Bible, singing Old Fashioned Hymns!

And, That’s OK by me!

June 22, 2024June 22, 2024

Last Thoughts on Marriage: Marriage In Troubled Times

Last Thoughts: Marriage In Troubled Times

1^st Corinthians 7:25-30

²⁵ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. ²⁶ I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. ²⁷ Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

²⁸ But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. ²⁹ But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

³⁰ And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; ³¹ And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

1st Corinthians 7:31-40

³² But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: ³³ But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

³⁵ And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

³⁷ Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. ³⁸ So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

³⁹ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

Introduction: What is Paul saying about Marriage, here?

We always want to compare scripture with scripture; We saw earlier that God ordained marriage in Genesis 2:24. God blesses it still today, (Hebrews 13:4. ) We also see that it is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church, in Ephesians 5:31, 32. In fact, in verse two of this same chapter, Paul said “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” Paul already gave full approval!

So, then, why does it seem that Paul now suggests that “believers are better off to stay single?” Is that even the point of the context?

Notice that, in verse 26, Paul prefaces the entire following passage with the phrase, “…this is good for the present distress…” (WHAT “present distress?” What does he mean?)

Temporary Distress Can Temporarily Change our Priorities.

When all is well in a transoceanic flight, the passengers may care about which in-flight meal they are to receive. They may be slightly concerned with what in-flight video is offered. But if an engine seems to be failing, no one cares about the “comfort” issues for the moment! They are only concerned with survival. For the immediate future, their priorities have changed!

In Matthew 24:19 Jesus said that a time will come , during the great tribulation, when to be pregnant or to be a nursing mother will be a very dangerous thing. The “present distress” of that time will be the trauma of the Great Tribulation.

The “present distress” in Corinth (at that time) was that the Temple of Aphrodite was the center of their civilization. It was on the highest peak of the city, and it dominated the skyline from any part of the city. At that time, (according to Encyclopedia Britannica,) it boasted a staff of 10,000 temple prostitutes, both male and female. It attracted people from all over . It was almost certainly a “trading house” for every kind of disease, as well as the gross immorality involved.

How Did This Become Such a Problem?

There was a very narrow, low isthmus at Corinth, between the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea. They used teams of Oxen to hauil ships out on log rollers. It was cheaper and safer to drag ships across the isthmus than to sail around the coast. So, most trading ships stopped there, just for economy and safety in their travels.

And, naturally, their crews often took a port-liberty while the ship was being transported across the neck of land. Sailors from all over the known world came up from the port area, walking through the city to approach the Temple of Aphrodite and everything it entailed. Whatever diseases they brought with them were also spread there in Corinth, to be passed along to anyone else who practiced this sin.

This was the depraved society into which the fledgling church at Corinth had been born. There, in the midst of them, was the biggest “house of ill repute” in history, and it enjoyed the full approval of everyone except these born-again children of God.

They had become outcasts within their own society, but Paul did NOT tell them to “pack up and leave town:” Paul told them to live holy lives, separated from the wickedness of the world.

So, then, within the context of that situation, we address the continued question about marriage.

**Under What Circumstances Might Marriage Be a “Bad Idea?”**

Paul suggests that under the circumstances the Corinthian believers were enduring, marriage might be a questionable option. In a culture so soaked in immorality and (probably) sexually transmitted diseases, how likely are you to find a “safe” marriage prospect? And how likely is your spouse to share your desire to live for the Lord?

Paul has already shown that, in general, marriage is a good idea, because it provides a moral, legal, and safe outlet for normal, God-given human desires. And in other places, as we said earlier, he confirms that marriage was God’s plan before sin entered the world. It was and is a holy gift from a Holy God.

But, he now says that because of the corruption of the human race, we need to think carefully before we plunge into marriage. He hastens to tell us that, regardless of the “present distress” it is not a sin to marry. He warns, though, that it will not be an easy life: There will be heartaches and hazards, along the way.

In What Way Does Marriage Change Our Walk with God?

In my case, marriage has absolutely enhanced my walk with God. My wife is my very best friend and companion and my very best help in all things, including my spiritual life.

However, I remember that when we were first married, in August of 1981, there was a sharp economic downturn, nationwide, and I lost my job, along with millions of others. Had I been single, “footloose, and fancy-free,” as they used to say, I could have drifted across the country looking for work, and probably I would have suffered little stress. I would have said, “The Lord is faithful! He will provide!” (And it was true!)

However, as a new husband, with a lovely young wife expecting our first child, I failed to think “The Lord is Faithful! He will supply!” I felt that it was my responsibility to care for my wife and child and to earn the money for their upkeep. And I was failing to trust the Lord.

I was not “cheerfully waiting on the Lord, while actively seeking work.” I was actively seeking work, and obsessing over where I could earn money for our groceries and housing. My first waking thought. every morning, and my last waking thought, every night, was “What can I do to earn some money?!”

My Focus Had Changed!

I was not resting in Christ at all! Now, was that Ann’s fault? Of course, not! I had allowed my focus to become redirected to my own strength instead of God’s supply. That was my fault, no one else’s! But the context was that of a newlywed couple in a harsh economy. I was distracted by the rigors of unemployment and my unrelenting responsibility.

Keep in mind that God has assigned that responsibility! He does hold me accountable for how I care for my family! But He also says, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!” He says, “Be anxious for nothing, but, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the Peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

And I was totally missing the mark by ignoring those promises. I had no peace because I was not willing to trust God for the needs of my family. I chose to think that my responsibility somehow negated God’s promises.

Don’t Allow Marriage Or The World To Alter Your Relationship With Christ

Verses 29-31 tell us that married or unmarried, in joy or tragedy, in business or in pleasure of any kind, we are not to allow circumstances or relationships to interfere with our walk with God. This is one reason he later says to not be “unequally yoked” together with unbelievers.

But verses 32-35 tell us that the whole issue is about being distracted and weighed down by our cares. Paul says God desires that we be able to avoid unnecessary distractions.

He admits that there may come a time when, despite the circumstances, marriage is a wise choice, to avoid other issues; A man may begin to behave inappropriately toward a young woman to whom he is attracted. That may be a “red flag” that he probably should marry her, rather than continuing to court disaster.

What About a Widow?

Paul says a widow is “freed” from her husband. He says she is free to remarry, provided the new man is also a believer. But Paul concludes that his personal opinion is that she will be happier in the long run if she can learn to live cheerfully without a husband.

Why? Because she has been “set free” from what may or may not have been a profitable relationship, and she may find, given a little time, that she feels happier and freer alone. This is certainly true if the alternative is to marry someone who will not treat her as Christ treats the Church (See Ephesians 5:26.)

So…Is This “Just Paul’s Opinion?” Or Is It God’s Word?

Some teachers insist that passages such as this (along with 1^st Corinthians 7:10-12) are “not authoritative.” They teach that “this was just Paul’s opinion.”

I choose to believe when God said, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2^nd Timothy 3:16, 17) that He meant “ALL!”

It is just fine for God to give “Law” in some areas, “Guidance” in other areas, and “Full freedom of choice” in others.

But if there are portions of the scripture that are truly not His Word, then I am in trouble, as it means I will have to either declare myself to be the arbiter of what “is or is not His inspired Word, or I will have to find someone else who claims to have that wisdom. (I know I do not possess inerrant wisdom. My experience and God’s Word both tell me that other humans are not reliable, either.) Ultimately, I am forced to make a choice: Believe God, or believe someone else!

I choose to believe what God says. It is God’s Word!

He tells us what the issues were in Corinth, and why “sometimes” marriage may not be a safe bet. But sexual sin is always wrong! So, he has given us a set of choices and tells us that, while it is not a sin to marry, a Godly Single Life might be a better plan in some cases. Paul outlined the “Pros and Cons,” but he leaves the choice up to us.

God Leaves Us With Choices, Too!

Throughout the scriptures, God gave commands, some to specific people, some to all believers. But He also taught principles for living: He gave solid, wise counsel by which we can make good choices, and have better lives for having made those good choices. Finally, He gave each person a choice: You can heed His counsel or ignore it.

He offers Salvation to all: Eternal life, based on the simple choice of Believing His Promise or rejecting it. You can either believe Him or not.

To all who have chosen to believe His promise, and who have received His gift of eternal life, He still offers a choice: walk with Him in obedience; or fail to do so. To those who choose to serve Him, He adds reward to their redemption. All those who follow His advice invariably find it to be wise and good.

He has told us the consequences of our bad choices. God warned us from the very beginning that Sin results in death. He allowed Adam to make a choice that affected the entire human race.

Your choices will not be as earthshaking as Adam’s choice was. But your choices will have consequences, for good or evil. And He leaves those choices to you!

Lord Jesus, help us to learn from Your Word: Help us to make Godly choices, so as to honor You with our lives and thus to have Your Blessing.

November 11, 2023November 11, 2023

How Important is Unity? And Why is it so Important?

**How Important is Unity? And Why is it so Important?**

1^st Corinthians 1:9-17

⁹God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹⁰Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

¹¹For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

¹²Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

¹³Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

¹⁴I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

¹⁵Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

¹⁶And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

¹⁷For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Introduction:

We already saw the backstory of the church at Corinth, and how it came about that Paul had arrived there with a new determination to preach the straight, unadorned Message of the Cross.

As we saw earlier, virtually all of the teaching in both Corinthian Epistles is corrective in nature. That is at least partly because of the extremely corrupt environment in which the Corinthian believers lived, This next segment, verses 9-17, addresses the first of those corrective teachings.

Disunity

Disunity, division, and heresies (which means to “pull apart”) can come from a variety of sources, but they always stem from the same root. We behave by nature as self-centered sinners. We easily turn our resentment or jealousy or bitterness toward those around us. Any little fault, (whether real or imagined, and whether doctrinal or behavioral) in any other individual, then becomes grounds for our criticism and rejection of the other person.

In John 13:34, 35 Jesus gave the “Prime Directive” regarding our relationships with one another. He commanded us to “love one another.” It amazes me that we do not see this tendency toward rejection, self-serving criticism, and judgmental thoughts or behavior as direct disobedience to that Primary Commandment.

But we seldom see ourselves in the light of God’s Word. We constantly compare ourselves to others. If we think we are superior to others, we will become smug and vain. If we think that we are inferior to others, we may become depressed and bitter. We may even become convinced that “God does not love me as much as He does them.” Do you see how that quickly became an accusation against God?

Disunity can have Different Outward Forms

Doctrine

Paul addresses doctrinal unity first. He wanted the people to stop bickering over minor things, and learn to be at peace. (How do I know it was “minor things?” In Ephesians 4:3-7, Paul gave seven “unities” that are the core issues. That’s one reason: Those “unities” pretty much have to be there. In the second place, the things he mentioned next were very much “peripheral issues.”)

Historically, the church has split over ridiculously minor issues: (the color of the carpet, which side of the room the piano is on…or whether to even allow a piano… etc.) The unbelieving world laughs to see our silly, sinful infighting, and concludes that our message is a lie!

“Personality Preferences”

Paul next addressed the issues of “respect of persons, and favoritism.” He said that a particular group of believers had shared with him that schisms and “cliques” were forming at Corinth, based on “who claimed who as their mentor,” etc.

Paul saw that the “issue” that was currently causing division in Corinth was, “Whose team are YOU on? Who is YOUR mentor and teacher?” They each said things such as “I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.”

People do that today, too, clinging to some specific teacher (or to a denomination, which is already contrary to God’s will.) He warns us right here that the divisions are not good. We can see that whole churches and denominations have split over such “personality cults.”

Some people completely forsake assembling themselves together with other believers. Why? Because they choose to listen to some teacher on the radio or television at that time, instead. (That is not a good excuse: today it is possible to go online and listen to such teachers at any time, day or night. Listening to your “favorite televangelist” does not force you to disobey the command of God. (Hebrews 10:25—“forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.”)

Respect of Persons

Next, apart from that sort of “low-energy” disunity, there is the foundational issue of “Who is our Master?” To whom do I owe loyalty and obedience? It is not primarily to Paul, or Apollos, or any other human leader: it is primarily to the Person of Jesus Christ. Paul asked these rhetorical questions. The implied answer in every case is, “NO!”

Is Christ Divided? (No!)
Was Paul crucified for you? (No!)
Were you baptized in the name of Paul? (No!)

Jesus is not divided. And the “One Body of Christ seen in 1^st Corinthians 12:13 is all believers everywhere, as pointed out in verse 2. Therefore, we also should not be divided.

Is there Conflict in Authority?

Does our commitment to the authority of Christ diminish our submission to one another? No! it increases it, as we are commanded in Ephesians 5:21 to “submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” This is a little like asking a soldier, “To whom did you swear your oath of allegiance?” He will reply that it was “to the US Constitution!” Does that mean he does not have to obey his immediate supervisor? No! In fact, unless his supervisors clearly abandon obedience to their joint commitment to the Constitution, then he must obey those duly sworn and commissioned officers.

God has set up authorities in all of our lives, all under His supreme authority. In general, we are not free to see ourselves as “Lone Ranger” Christians. Ephesians 3:10 reveals that, God says that His eternal plan is to demonstrate His own righteousness to the Angelic Host in Heaven, through the Church as a whole. His work is always in keeping with His eternal plan. He has chosen to glorify Himself through the behavior of the Church as a whole. And we can fail to cooperate!

So, Who Baptized Who?

It is interesting to read the names of the people Paul listed as the few he baptized. Paul called Crispus and Gaius by name. Crispus would be important to the Corinthian believers because he had been the chief ruler of their Synagogue (before he became a believer and lost that position.) Paul baptized him.

Gaius, however, was not from that town at all—we see him in the next chapter of Acts, serving with Paul at Ephesus, and, in Acts 20, we find out that Gaius was from Derbe. But he was a co-laborer with Paul, and he was known to Paul’s audience. Paul baptized him, too.

In verse 16, (almost as an afterthought,) Paul remembered that he had also baptized the household of Stephanas. But this one verse and again in chapter 16 are the only two places Stephanas was mentioned.

So, Who was Stephanas?

They knew who he was: 1^st Corinthians 16:15-18 says,“¹⁵I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) ¹⁶That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth. ¹⁷I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. ¹⁸For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such.

“Submit…acknowledge”…Those are words with which we are not necessarily comfortable. But both require that we set aside self and look at our fellow-servants through God’s eyes.

And … Who Cares?

Paul concluded that, if there were others whom he had baptized, he had simply forgotten them. (That allows us to see the degree of importance Paul attached to water baptism.) But the main point here, is that there was no special value to having been baptized, or led to Christ, or having been trained by “someone special.” (I have known people who knew J. Vernon McGee personally and used to attend his church. That is certainly a privilege, but they did not hold it up as something that set them apart from other believers.)

In 1^st Corinthians 3:5-9, Paul will return to this issue, regarding “who is who:”

“⁵Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers (Servants!) by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? ⁶I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ⁷So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. ⁸Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: (They are in unity!) and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. ⁹For we are labourers together with God: (Remember Philippians 2:13!) ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

Why was Paul “Unconcerned” About Who He May have Baptized?

Many missionaries today keep careful records of “who they baptized” and, especially, “how many.” I have even known missionaries whose primary “claim to fame” was how many church buildings they built. If that truly is what God sent them to do, then they are blessed for doing His Will. But it raises some questions in my mind:

Paul said the reason he was unconcerned about “who and how many,” is that baptism was not his primary assignment! He said, “¹⁷For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

Paul even set aside the robes of his “superior education.” He saw it as a potential detriment to the assigned goal of winning souls for Christ.

So, Paul claimed that his primary assignment was to preach the Gospel. The Great Commission teaches that our primary job is to preach the Gospel. All the Epistles underscore our assignment as ambassadors of Christ. So, how likely is it that someone truly has a totally different assignment? What chance is there that God has “changed His mind” about the job He assigned us all to do?

But, What about Unity? Why is it So Important?

Go back to the first “correction” Paul addressed: He begged them to practice Unity, in doctrine and in action. Looking back at the Gospels, we see that Jesus gave three ways by which the World is to Judge the Church:

Agapé Love: In John 13:34, 35. He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; As I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love, one to another.”
Unity: In John 17:21 Jesus said, “ That they all may be One; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be One in us: that the World may believe that thou hast sent me.
Good Works: In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the World. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”

God-Ordained Priorities

God ordained these three things by which the World is to judge the Church. Perhaps we need to especially concern ourselves with those three, as all three affect our testimony as believers in Christ.

How do we get along with other believers? Do we go out of our way to treat them with Agapé Love? Do we seek ways to find common ground, or are we constantly stressing the differences between us and other believers? Remember that the World is watching!

Ephesians 4:3 tells us to “endeavor to maintain the Unity of the Spirit, in the bond of Peace.” God created that unity. We need to find ways to maintain it!

Lord Jesus, please help us to recognize the seeds of disunity and root them out before they can grow to cause broken fellowship. Help us to see opportunities to serve one another with Your Agapé Love. Modify our behavior to consistently reflect your Grace, so that our behavior lights the way for others and brings Glory to You.

The Connection Between Separation And Holiness: Choosing Fellowship with God

2nd Corinthians 6:13-18

Compare 2nd Chronicles 19:1-3

Introduction:

What Kind of Yoke? (The Yoke indicates fellowship…Partnership.)

Fellowship is Partnership

Fellowship also is not just “two fellows in a ship.”

An Old Testament Example Of A Bad Choice in Fellowship

Red Flag #1 (Association in fellowship)

Red Flag #2 (Potential Results of a bad Choice in Fellowship)

Red Flag #3 (The Hypocrisy of Bad Fellowship.)

Prophecy Fulfilled

The Rest of the Story

So, What do We do With All of This?

Repentance

2nd Chronicles 19:4-7

So, What Can We Do?

How Can We Be “Workers Together With Him?”

2nd Corinthians 6:1-4

Introduction:

WE, Then, As Workers Together With HIM

Are You Called To Be A Worker With Him?

In a Time Accepted, In the Day of Salvation

How Can These Things Be?

What Had Just Happened in Heaven?

So, What is the Church: The “Called-ones of God? We Are Workers, Too!

And How Does He Want Us to Respond As His Workers?

Jesus Gave The World The Right To Judge His Workers In Three Areas:

What About Today? How Can We Be Workers Together With Him?

The Gospel: Not of Us, but of God; Not Pride but Humility.

2nd Corinthians 4:5-7

Introduction:

First, We All Evangelize About Everything Else!

Second, The World Habitually Rejects the True God

Consider The Following:

So, Where Are We Hiding, as Humans?

We Must Understand Where the People of the World are Living

Remember Why He has Ordained Us to Shine for Him

Remember Where You Came From!

My Choice?

What Is God’s Plan Of Evangelism?

Introduction:

This is God’s Plan of Evangelism

Normal Propagation

Forced Propagation

What Happened in Jerusalem?

The Joy of Christ

The Result In Our Lives

How We Choose God’s Plan

Acts 16:6-11

Being “In” The Way: (On The Path: “On Task“)

What About Us?

The Results?

The Spiritual Enemies in Our Spiritual War

Introduction:

Active Involvement?

So, How Do We “Stand” For God?

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

How Does God’s Strength Enter the Picture?

Our Source of Strength

Are You Really On God’s Team?

Where Has He Sent Us?

Our Defense Against Evil

Gideon’s Experience, And Ours

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

Who Are Our Enemies?

Our Three Enemies

Our Goal: To Stand

Enjoy Your Liberty Without Causing Offense

1st Corinthians 10:30-33; 11:1, 2

1st Corinthians 11:1, 2

Introduction:

Example in Nature

Does it Glorify God?

When Might My Liberty Not Glorify God?

Three Groups

There Once Were Only Two

But Now There Are Three!

Who Is The Real Believer?

The Result Of The Cross

2^nd Corinthians 6:13-18

Compare 2^nd Chronicles 19:1-3

**What Kind of Yoke?** (The Yoke indicates fellowship…Partnership.)

2^nd Chronicles 19:4-7

**What Had Just Happened in Heaven?**

2^nd Corinthians 4:5-7

**Second, The World Habitually Rejects the True God**

**Remember Why He has Ordained Us to Shine for Him**

**Being “In” The Way: (On The Path: “On Task“)**

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

**Are You Really On God’s Team?**

**When Might My Liberty Not Glorify God?**

**His Sacrifice Is FOR Us All, Offered By Himself**

1^st Corinthians 7:25-30

**Under What Circumstances Might Marriage Be a “Bad Idea?”**

**How Important is Unity? And Why is it so Important?**

1^st Corinthians 1:9-17