How Do I Know All of the Bible is For Me? (Part 3)

**How Do I Know All of the Bible is For Me? (Part 3)**

2^nd Timothy 2:15 and many others…

Introduction

For three weeks, we have explored evidence that “the whole Bible is for me, though not all of it is directed to me.” But, what about the idea that perhaps not even every bit of the New Testament is “directed to us?”

We cited the example of Jesus’s command to Judas: We agreed that it was not directed to us, but only to Judas Iscariot. But, along with the context in which that command was given, we see that Jesus was in full control of the circumstances of His death. When He said, “No man taketh my life: I lay it down of my own will, and I will take it up again,” He spoke the truth. And so, even that command was FOR us. We gain faith through it!

But that is only a tiny example of the question we are really asking: When we read the account of the Lord’s Supper, we hear Jesus say, “This cup is the New Testament (or New Covenant) in My Blood!” So, the New Testament, proper, could not begin until His Blood was shed at the Cross. What does that tell us about the Gospels?

What About the Gospels?

Though they are the introduction to the New Testament (or New Covenant,) the Gospels are the culmination of the Old Testament. Galatians 4:4 states, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law….” Jesus was born under the Law, lived His entire life under the Law, and He kept the Law perfectly.

Jesus initially preached the Gospel of the coming Kingdom (the Messianic, or Millennial Kingdom.) His message was focused on Israel, and He eventually warned Israel of what the Tribulation would entail for them. As a result, there is a great deal of Kingdom-age teaching and a fair amount of warning to the Jews who will live during the Tribulation, that the end of the Tribulation is imminent and that the King will soon return. (Matthew 24:3-34)

But, What about Us? The Church?

Can I learn from the messages Jesus preached in the Gospels? Yes! Absolutely; I can! But is His message “to the Church?” Sorry…no! He only mentions “the church” three times: twice in Matthew 18:17, and in that verse, it only means “the assembly” (the Greek word, “ecclesia,” translated as “church,” means “assembly.”)

The only time Jesus mentions the “Church, proper” (with the same meaning as in the Epistles,) is in Matthew 16:18, and it is prophetic. He was looking forward to what His Church would be.

When Jesus mentions the “Kingdom” He is talking specifically about the Kingdom the Jews had been waiting for. John the Baptist also preached “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Why? Because Jesus, the King, was right there!) Theoretically, had they received Him as their King, right then, He could have ushered in the Kingdom age.

But He knew what they were going to do: Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 were already in writing! They already had it in their scriptures! The Crucifixion was going to happen! Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus was “the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the World.” The offer was legitimate, but God already knew the outcome.

But, What about the Parables?

All the Parables were primarily about Israel, not the Church, proper. They declared the requirements of God’s Righteousness and the standard of righteousness in the coming Kingdom. They especially addressed the fact that “professed faith” is not what God wants: He wants the real thing! Jesus said the religious “piety” of the Jewish leaders was not what He wanted.

The Jews had been professing faith for centuries! But God condemned their hypocrisy, in the Old Testament! For example, in Ezekiel 33:30-33, God warned Ezekiel that the people coming “to hear him speak the Word of the LORD” were only coming for entertainment value, as though they were attending a concert or a recital. They enjoyed hearing the Word of the LORD, but they were not at all willing to allow it to change their lives. (We can learn from that!)

What can we Learn in the Gospels?

Matthew: Jesus the King!

In Matthew 23:34-36, we see that Jesus is the one who sent the prophets and teachers to Israel! And, in the next passage, (Matthew 23:37-39) Jesus mourns that, down through the ages, He has been offering to lead, comfort, and protect Jerusalem; but they have rejected Him! He revealed Himself as the King of the Jews, and Jerusalem utterly rejected His claim.

Mark: Jesus the Servant!

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus stopped the storm by his sheer authority. The disciples were mostly seasoned, experienced fishermen, but they believed they were about to drown, In their fear, they called on Jesus, and, amazingly, He stood up and calmed the storm with His spoken Word!

And then they were more afraid of Him than they had been of dying! They said, “What manner of Man is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him?” They began to see that the God of the Universe was in the boat with them! And they were terrified! (We can learn from that, too!)

Luke: Jesus the Son of Man!

In Luke 16:19-31, we learn truths about the afterlife that we could not learn elsewhere. We learn that there were once two compartments in Sheol/Hades. One side, a temporary holding place for the righteous dead, was sometimes called Paradise, or “Abraham’s Bosom.” It was a place of total Comfort and Peace. The other side, a temporary holding place for the unrighteous dead, was simply called “Hell.” It was a place of Torment, Flame, and (maybe) solitary confinement. But it was not the Lake of Fire. (That place is explained later, and it is permanent.)

John: Jesus the Eternal God

The Gospel of John (the entire book) presents Jesus as THE omnipotent God of the Universe. In John 1:1-3, John introduced Him as the Word of God, as God, and as the Creator! Then he revealed His incarnation as Jesus, the Messiah, in verse 14. In the Gospel of John. Jesus reveals His Deity, His office as Savior, His character as the Shepherd, and His authority as the Judge,

Yes, every bit of the Gospels is for us. And many passages of the Gospels can be applied directly to us. But we want to be careful to discern whether a particular command or promise is to the church and church-age believers, or specifically to the tribulation saints, for example, as there is plenty of that sort of teaching, as well.

So, What About The Book of Acts?

The Book of Acts is “about the Church,” it is “for the Church,” and it is “to the Church.” It is the true “transition” between the Old and New Testaments. It is an exciting Book to read, and we can learn a great deal, there. But, a few odd things occur there, which are never repeated: They demonstrate the omnipotent authority of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is GOD! He can do things we didn’t expect. He can give commands we don’t understand. When something of that sort is in view, we may not want to “build a general doctrine from it” as it may be a “one-time-only” miraculous intervention. But the Book of Acts is definitely Church-age teaching. It is for us, and it is directed to us!

Then, What about the Church Epistles?

Aha! Now we are talking about letters to the Church! As we see in the various epistles, the language includes the modern church! (Ephesians 1:1 is addressed not only “to the saints at Ephesus,” but also “to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” (That’s us!) Also, in John 17:20, Jesus prayed “ Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.” (That’s US! Jesus was praying for YOU, right there in His High Priestly prayer!)

Are there any Exceptions?

Are there certain passages within the epistles, where a certain individual is called out by name? Yes, of course there are! There are very few, but even those are still within the context of church-age teaching, and we can apply them pretty freely to our own case.

For example, in Philippians 4:2, 3, Paul tells two believing women, called by name, to learn to get along with each other and to choose to be in unity. But, I can compare it to other scriptures and see that it applies equally to all believers.

What was special about these two was that both women were named as faithful servants of God, who had served with Paul: but, for some reason, their fellowship had been broken. They had allowed their differences to build up a wall of enmity between them. He begged them to put that rift aside, and rebuild unity. He begged the others to help them to do so. Does that apply to believers at large? Yes, it does! Does he have to call us each by name, as He did those two women? Of course, not!

Do some passages seem to address problems, that perhaps were peculiar to a certain culture? Probably so…but I want to be very careful not to “just ignore” things that are peculiar to a given culture, simply because “I don’t like it.” (Maybe because it’s “uncomfortable” or “inconvenient,” or because it cuts across our culture.) But, if it is in the epistles, it probably is “to me.”

Finally, What About the Revelation?

All but two chapters of the Apocalypse (“the Revelation”) are either prophetic (Chapters 4-22) about a time during which we will no longer be on the earth,) or (Chapter 1) about the specific vision of Christ that prefaced all the rest of the book.

Chapters 2 and 3 are TO the Church:

They are specifically “to the Churches.” (That means us!) Were they primarily addressing specific churches at that time? Certainly, they were! Were they also (possibly) predicting the trajectory of the Church at large, throughout the Church Age? Probably so. But without a doubt, those two chapters are “to the churches.” Jesus says so!

Warnings

There are warnings about apathy, there. Jesus warns the churches against tolerating subversive teaching and people who encourage immorality. Jesus warns that if a church continues in counterproductive behavior, He will shut it down!

He warns that He is Holy, and reminds the churches that He is their Source of Life and Light. He is the One who empowers the churches to be the Light of God in their communities.

Promises

Jesus promises the believers of the churches that the eternal life He has given is theirs and that He is aware of their faithfulness, love, and labor. He promises that rewards will accompany their salvation. He promises that the second death will not touch them.

Exhortations

Jesus admonishes the hearers (seven times) to heed what the Holy Spirit says to the Churches. He acknowledges that what He says is also what the Spirit says. The Holy Spirit is never at variance with the Word of God.

The Prophecy of the End Times

From Revelation 4:1-19:21, the Book of the Revelation gives us the events of the Tribulation (also called “the Seventieth Week of Daniel,” and sometimes “the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.”)

God allows us to see what is coming. We cannot understand every bit of it: Some events will not be understood until they occur. But He gives us enough detail that when the people of the Tribulation see those events occurring, they will understand them clearly.

Conclusion

So, what can we say about all this? ALL of God’s Word is “Sheep Food.” If you are hungry, eat! Yes, all of it is for you. All of it is “edifying.” (That means, when you read God’s Word, it “builds you up and strengthens you.”) Study it, meditate upon it, and learn to understand it.

2^nd Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (What??) Is he saying we are supposed to divide the Word? (Some translations use the word “handle.”) And, does it say that there are “right” ways to divide it, and, (by implication,) wrong ways to divide it? (Or, to “handle” it?) Well, yes, that does seem to be what he just said!

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

And…you may have noticed: that is what we have been attempting to do. We are trying to “Rightly divide the Word of Truth!” Every time we teach, every time we preach, and every time we study, our goal is to “show ourselves approved unto God”…and to “rightly divide the Word of Truth. And God says that, as a result, we will be “workmen that need not be ashamed!”

This is not always a comfortable idea, but when we are committed to correctly understanding what anyone says, we must also carefully consider who said it, exactly what was said, to whom, and the context in which it was given.

The various News Media and Political influencers frequently do exactly the opposite, in their attempt to mislead the public. We know it is happening. We try to avoid being deceived. But it is difficult! We do not have a clear, reliable “source of truth” in the News Agencies. Each reporter has an agenda: Each is willing to “shade the truth” (lie) to accomplish his/her goals.

But we do have God’s Word! He has given to us a source of unchanging truth, and in 2^nd Peter 1:19-21, God says it is our only reliable source of light until the Lord Jesus returns for us! We need to take this seriously! We need to choose to hunger for the Word of God.

And, He says, if you eat, you will grow strong!

Lord Jesus, please stir our hearts to hunger for Your presence, and to find your blessing by feeding on your Word. Protect us against the deceit of the enemy, the deceit of the world around us, and, the deceit of our own sinful hearts. Let us see the path before us through Your Eyes, in the Light of Your Word!

June 1, 2024June 1, 2024

How Can I Know That All of the Bible is For Me? (Part 2-1/2)

**How Do I Know all of the Bible is For Me? (Part 2-1/2)**

Romans 7:13; Romans 8:2 and many others…

Introduction

Last week we ran out of time, so we had to truncate “part 2” and continue later. We left off in the portion about the Law itself…the Mosaic Law…the Old Testament Law, with which we are all familiar, to one degree or another, and about which we have a wide variety of reactions.

We had already talked about the Old Testament Narratives…the history books, from Genesis to Judges, and a little about the personal narratives, such as Ruth, Esther, and Job.

**But, What About The Law?**

In Exodus 19:5, God told Israel that they were to be “a peculiar people” unto Him. (We would say, “special.”) The concept is that God gave His covenant (and His Law) to Israel alone. That Law was “iron-clad” to Israel, but it had zero bearing on the heathen nations around them. (By the way, “Gentile” means “heathen.”) The Law revealed the depravity of the entire human race. That judgment includes Israel, but the Law was only directed to Israel, and Israel alone.

If someone from another nation desired to become part of Israel, they had to submit to God’s Law for Israel. They could “do business” with Israel without becoming a Jewish Proselyte. They could even worship the God of Israel without becoming a proselyte. But they could not “attach themselves” to the Nation of Israel without embracing the Law.

Naaman the Syrian, in 2^nd Kings 5, is a prime example. Naaman chose to worship the God of Israel but he never became a Jewish Proselyte. God healed his leprosy “by Grace, through faith.” (Does that sound familiar?) He placed his faith in the God of Israel but he remained a Syrian! He asked for, and took a mule-load of Israel’s soil, to make an altar at home: He chose, now, to worship only the God of Israel. And through Elisha, God pronounced His blessing on his choice.

Then What Value Does the Law Hold for Us, Today?

That question comes up repeatedly, today: But the “road to understanding the answer” has two “ditches.” (Most roads have two “ditches.” The idea is to “stay between the ditches!”)

“Ditch 1:”

One “ditch” to avoid, is the idea that the Law has no bearing on our lives today. That is simply not true! It has great value, as Romans 7:13 points out. Paul says the Law “showed the exceeding sinfulness of sin!” We can learn the principles of the Righteousness of God by reading the Law and meditating upon the underlying concepts.

“Ditch 2”

Trying to“achieve the righteousness of God” through our human efforts at obedience is the other “ditch” to avoid. 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 tells us that God made Jesus (who knew no sin) to BE sin, for us “…that we might be made the Righteousness of God, in Him!”

“Staying between the Ditches”

God has to do it! You cannot “achieve” the righteousness of God. Romans 10:3 says (regarding the Jews) that in “…going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God.” This righteousness is not based on works at all! It is God’s gift, through Jesus Christ. God has to “declare you righteous.” We call that “justification.”

Galatians 2:19-21 says “I, through the Law, am dead to the Law that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

You see, the Law cannot produce Righteousness: it never could! God “declared righteous” the Jews who placed their trust in the God of Israel because of their faith…not their ability to keep His Law.

Justified by Faith

In Genesis 15:6, we read thatAbram “believed God,” and God credited it to him as righteousness. Romans 4:1-4 reiterates this concept, reminding us that this is the only way anyone has ever been “declared righteous” (justified) by God.

Peter confirmed this truth in Acts 15:7-11. He said that the Jews had never been able to keep God’s Law! He showed that it was unreasonable, unjust, and unkind for the Jewish believers to try to burden the Gentile believers with the Law when they couldn’t keep it themselves!

But the Law still stands as a principle of holiness. Jesus upgraded the Law of Moses; First by pointing out that all sin begins in the heart. He gave examples: He showed that God fully condemned the sin in the heart, just like the outward expression of the same sin.

Then, He taught that anyone who “loved God with all his heart,” and who “loved his neighbor as himself,” fulfilled the whole Law. (Mark 12:28-34) He confirmed that the Agapé Love encompassed all the Old Law…in principle.

Finally, He gave a new commandment: John 13:34, 35 “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.”

Therefore, when Galatians 6:2 commands “…so fulfill the law of Christ,” It specifically refers to the practical outworking of that Agapé Love: reaching out to help another brother or sister.

What About “The Law of Sin and Death?”

When Romans 8:2 says Jesus set free from the Law of Sin and Death, it looks back to the only law Adam faced: “…in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17)

But ALL of the Mosaic Law connected “sin” to “death:” either YOU died, as a guilty sinner, or, in most cases, it was possible for a blood sacrifice to take your place in death. Ezekiel 18:4 encapsulates this connection, saying “…the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

Through further study, we discovered that “death” always has to do with “separation:” Physical death for humans is the separation of the soul and spirit from the physical body. Spiritual death, whether temporary or permanent, is the separation of a human spirit from the Spirit of God. In Revelation 20:14, we see something called the “Second Death:” This is the permanent separation of human spirits from God, in the lake of Fire.

How Can We Be Free?

So, Romans 8:2 says, “…the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. I am no longer under that law! Why? Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of that Law by His death in my place, at the Cross. His blood met the Law’s demand for a blood sacrifice. The Law of God declares that He died in my place. And, as a result, God’s Old Testament Law, the “Mosaic Law,” now sees me as dead: it has nothing more to say to me! (The Law does not talk to dead people!) God sees the believer only “in Christ.”

The Law is still God’s Word, and it is eternally valuable to convict my stubborn heart and to remind me that I cannot live up to God’s standards in my own strength or ability. Jesus confirmed this in John 15:5, saying “…Apart from Me ye can do nothing.” We tend to “re-phrase” that passage, to say, “Without Me, you can’t do as much!” But that is not what Jesus said. He said, “Apart from Me, ye can do nothing!”

Philippians 2:13 also confirms this: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Yes, the Law is still FOR me…but it has never been TO me!

What About the Prophetic Books?

God shows that they are all for us, as a general rule…but not all are “to” us. Let’s look at some passages filled with information, hope, and blessing for us.

Daniel

Daniel heard the prophecy God gave, but he complained that he couldn’t understand it. And God told him (Daniel 12:8-13) “Write it down, close the book, and run along! It is to the people of the end times! (Not you!)” So, some parts are “not directed to us.” But the whole Bible is “for” us.

In Daniel 9:24-27, the prophet reveals details about the Tribulation, the Antichrist, and the Kingdom Age. And the Lord Jesus cites his prophecy (Matthew 24:15,) and God recommends that we read it and understand it.

Isaiah

Isaiah ministered to Judah alone, but some of his messages are for specific Gentile nations. Also, he announced a “sign” in Isaiah 7:14 and spelled out the Virgin Birth! And in Isaiah 9:6, 7 we see part of the mystery of the Trinity spelled out for us! (“The Son shall be called the Everlasting Father!” Do I truly understand that? No! I don’t!)

In Isaiah 53:1-12 we can read about the crucifixion and the resurrection.

¹ Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? ²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

(Remember that this prophecy was from 700BC. It was all “future” even though much of it is given in”past tense”)

³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

God’s Purpose in the Suffering of Christ

⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. ⁹And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

The Result of His Suffering

¹⁰Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

¹¹He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. ¹²Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

It says that after His death, when God has made His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed…His offspring… and shall prolong His days. That is the resurrection and the church age!

In Isaiah 65:17 we see the “new heavens and the new earth” that God promises is coming!

Jeremiah

Jeremiah also ministered to Judah alone, but his prophecy (Jeremiah 31:31-34) included the promise of the New Covenant! And, the way it is worded, it sounds very much as though it was offered only to Judah and Israel! (Read it!)

“³¹Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: ³²Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

³³But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

What a great promise! And it WILL be fulfilled to Israel! But God is already fulfilling it in part, with the Church! He has given us the indwelling Spirit, and He remembers our sins no more!

Ezekiel tells us what the Kingdom age temple will be like, and describes the tremendous geographical changes that will occur with the beginning of the Kingdom.

And the Rest!

Habakkuk 3:17-19 teaches us to choose Joy in the God of our Salvation, in the face of the destruction of all we know and love. We tie that to 1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18.

And, in all these things we see that God has not changed: He remains the same, His Grace is not new, and His plan for redemption (involving the Cross) was in place before He created the World! (1^st Peter 1:19, 20; Revelation 13:8.)

Finally, Micah 5:2 says the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem! Furthermore, scholars tell us that there are roughly 300+ other prophecies specifically concerning the life and times of Jesus the Messiah. And all of them had to be fulfilled in that one life: That One Person!

Please do take the time to feed heavily on God’s Word: Several of you are involved in programs that arrange for reading through the entire Bible every year. That is a good idea…but it’s all Food! If you are hungry, eat!

Next week, we will consider all of the New Testament.

Lord Jesus, Open our eyes to the divisions in Your Word that YOU ordained. Help us to be “workmen that need not be ashamed.” Help us to “rightly divide” Your Word, and faithfully to proclaim Your Name to others.

May 25, 2024May 25, 2024

How Do I Know ALL of the Bible is Really For Me? (Part 2)

How Do I Know the Bible is For Me? (Part 2)

Romans 7:13; Romans 8:2 and many others…

Introduction:

Last week we began looking at the internal evidence that some of the Bible is directed to us, personally, and ALL of it is for us, given for our learning and edification. (“Edification” means to “build up,” or to strengthen. The word “edifice” is still sometimes used to mean “a building.” And, in 1^st Corinthians 3:9, God says “…ye (plural) are God’s building.” So, He wants to “build us up” and strengthen us. And all of His Word is given for that purpose.

2^nd Timothy 3:16, 17 reminds us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, (complete) thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Last week we looked at commands and promises given to individuals in the historical narratives of the Old Testament, and we saw how some of them could be applied as being for us to live by. But God gave others, only for examples from which we can learn the principles of God’s righteousness.

In 1^st Corinthians 10:11, Paul says, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

Who is it For?

You remember that Daniel (in Daniel 12:8, 9) was told that the prophecy he had just received was not for him but rather for the people of the end times. The Apostle Paul saw that the church is increasingly part of that “end times” fulfillment. Today we eagerly look to see that “end times” fulfillment of Daniel’s Prophecy, as it is happening. But, we also need to look eagerly to see and obey the admonitions of the Old Testament scriptures that Paul points out.

David spoke to that effect, as well, in Psalm 119:9-11, 105, 130. “⁹Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. ¹⁰With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from they commandments. ¹¹Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

“¹⁰⁵ Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

“¹³⁰The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.”

This is how we learn to walk with God: by feeding on His Word. (And it is all food! If you are hungry, Eat!)

What About the “Personal” Books?

In the books of Ruth, Esther, and Job, we see corroboration of the historical books, as well as “inside information” about some of the events in those histories.

The events in the Book of Ruth all occurred during the history of the Book of Judges. But it tells us some “inside information” regarding the Genealogy of Christ, and, in doing so, it paints a clear picture of the coming Kinsman-Redeemer. We could see that Boaz was a picture of Jesus, our Redeemer. We could also see that Ruth, the Moabite woman, was a picture of the Church. She was a gentile woman. She came from a tribe God had cursed (the Moabites,) but God “grafted her into” the genealogy of Christ, as one of his human ancestors!

The events in the Book of Esther happened during the Babylonian captivity: This book links the Jews in Exile to their Redeemer, showing that He had not forgotten them. When the enemy moved to destroy them, God intervened. (Incidentally, this book is also the origin of the Feast of Purim, which commemorates that delivery, and is still celebrated today by Orthodox Jews.)

The events in the Book of Job probably transpired about the same time Abraham was alive, though we can’t attach a definite date. But it tells us a good deal of “inside information” about our relationship with God, the limitations of Satan’s authority, and a few details about the Creation, as well as hints about the angelic host. And we see a prophecy, (Job 19:25–27) reaching far into the future, to the second coming of Christ, after the Great Resurrection!

Again: it is all food! If you are hungry, EAT!

What About the “Meditations and Wisdom” Portions?

What Should We Do With Them?

The Psalms and Proverbs hold Eternal Wisdom. So do the Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes. Some parts are more easily applicable than others, but all of them are there for us to read, to memorize, upon which we are encouraged to meditate, and always, by which we are to profit!

We just quoted a portion of Psalm 119. That chapter is 176 verses long, and all but four verses refer in some way directly to the profitability and necessity of the Word of God! David used many other terms other than “word” to make clear the multifaceted nature of God’s Word:

“Precepts, commandments, statutes, testimonies, law, ways, judgments, words, truth, and ordinances.” All these are used to describe His Word. And, the four verses that do not directly refer to His Word all speak of His faithfulness and judgment, or (in one verse) His eternal Name.

Wisdom is Practical

In the Proverbs, we find God’s Wisdom, in practical application. Proverbs chapter two says that if we want the wisdom of God, we must pursue it through His Word and ask for it in Prayer.

In Ecclesiastes, we hear the echo of God’s Wisdom coming through a man (Solomon) who had engaged in much folly. At the end of his life, he recognized the total waste of time and energy it all had been. He counseled that the reader should drop the nonsense and focus on the Lord.

The Song of Solomon describes a love relationship between a bride and her beloved, the King. In the time when it was written, it spoke of the king (Solomon) and his betrothed (The Shulamite girl.) But, the ultimate fulfillment is in the relationship between Christ (the King of Kings) and the Church (The Bride of Christ.)

It is all food for your soul, and if you feed upon it, you will grow!

**But, What About The Law?**

In Exodus 19:5, God told Israel that they were to be “a peculiar people” unto Him. (We would say, “special.”) The concept is that God gave His covenant (and His Law) to Israel alone. The Law was “iron-clad” to Israel, but it had zero bearing on the heathen nations around them. (By the way, the word “Gentile” means “heathen.”) The Law revealed the depravity of the entire human race, including Israel. But God gave it to Israel, and Israel alone.

Naaman the Syrian, in 2^nd Kings 5, is a prime example. He chose to worship the God of Israel but never became a Jewish Proselyte. God healed him of his leprosy “by Grace, through faith.” (Sound familiar?) God’s Grace moved him to faith in the God of Israel, but he remained a Syrian! He asked for, and took a mule-load of Israel’s soil, to make an altar at home: He said he would now worship only the God of Israel. And through Elisha, God pronounced His blessing on his choice.

Then What Value Does the Law Hold for Us, Today?

That question comes up repeatedly, today: The “road to understanding the answer” has two “ditches.” (Most roads have two “ditches.” The idea is to “stay between the ditches!”)

“Ditch 1:”

One “ditch” to avoid, is the idea that the Law has no bearing on our lives today. That is simply not true! It has great value, as Romans 7:13 points out. Paul says God gave the Law “to show the exceeding sinfulness of sin!” We can learn the principles of the Righteousness of God by reading the Law and meditating upon the underlying concepts.

“Ditch 2”

“Staying between the Ditches”

The Law cannot produce Righteousness: it never could! Even the Jews who placed their trust in the God of Israel were declared righteous by God because of their faith…not their ability to keep His Law. In Genesis 15:6, we read thatAbram “believed God,” and God credited it to him as righteousness. Romans 4:1-4 reiterates this concept, reminding us that this is the only way anyone has ever been declared righteous by God.

The Law Still Stands!

But the Law still stands as a principle of holiness. Jesus upgraded the Law of Moses; First by pointing out that all sin begins in the heart. He gave examples, showing that the sin in the heart was just as condemned as the outward expression of the same sin.

What About The Law of Sin and Death?

When Romans 8:2 says we are set free from the Law of Sin and Death, it looks back to the only law Adam faced: “…in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17)

So, Romans 8:2 says, “…the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. I am no longer under that law! Why? Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of that Law by His death in my place, at the Cross. His blood met the Law’s demand for a blood sacrifice. And God’s Old Testament Law, the “Mosaic Law,” now sees me as dead: it has nothing more to say to me! (The Law does not talk to dead people!”

The Law is still God’s Word, and it is eternally valuable to convict my stubborn heart and to remind me that I cannot live up to God’s standards in my own strength or ability. Jesus confirmed this in John 15:5, saying “…Apart from Me ye can do nothing.”

What About the Prophets?

God shows that they are all for us, as a general rule…but not all “to” us.

Daniel heard the prophecy God gave, but he complained that he couldn’t understand it. And God told him (Daniel 12:8-13) “Write it down, close the book, and run along! It isn’t to you, but rather to the people of the end times!” So,God gave some parts that are “not directed to us.” But the whole Bible is “for” us.

Isaiah ministered to Judah alone. But the book of Isaiah directs some messages to specific Gentile nations. Also, he announced a “sign” in Isaiah 7:14 and spelled out the Virgin Birth! And in Isaiah 9:6, 7 we see part of the mystery of the Trinity spelled out for us! (“The Son shall be called the Everlasting Father!” Do I understand that? Nope! I don’t!)

In Micah 5:2, it says the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem! Furthermore, scholars tell us that there are roughly 300+ other prophecies specifically concerning the life and times of Jesus the Messiah. And all of them had to be fulfilled in that one life: That One Person!

Please do take the time to feed heavily on God’s Word: It’s all Food! If you are hungry, eat! Next week, we will consider all of the New Testament.

April 18, 2024April 18, 2024

“Who Are the “Unrighteous?” It’s a Divine Identity Question

A Question of Identity: Who Are the “Unrighteous?”

1^st Corinthians 6:9-11

⁹Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ¹⁰Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

¹¹And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Introduction

People often take this passage to prove that “sinners can’t get to heaven,” (thus making salvation dependent upon our works.)

There is no one here who does not confess that he or she is a sinner. In fact, had I not confessed that I am a sinner, unable to save myself, I could not have been saved. I had to place my full trust in Jesus, His Blood, and His completed work at the Cross: not in any works of my own!

So, when we read this stark condemnation, that “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” we have to ask, “Then, who are the unrighteous?” The world would reply that the answer is obvious: “The next sentence lists them by their sins.” And that begs the question, “Well, then: who are the righteous?” And that is the question we truly need to address.

Definition of Biblical Terms

We need to define some central terms, here.

Righteous: “Having a right standing with God.”

Unrighteous: “Not having a right standing with God.”

Notice that both of these ideas have a “positional” character: “Where are you with God? What is your standing before Him?” And, what does it take to achieve or receive such a right standing?

In verse 9, the opening statement is that “those who do NOT have a right standing before God” will not “inherit the kingdom of God.” Then Paul goes on to list the general characteristics of the lost, Christless world. He lists things that demonstrate an unregenerate heart: the character of one who has not been “born from above.”

Defined by God: Observed by Behavior and Character

In general, we expect the character of those who have been born from above…born again…to be different from that of the unregenerate world.

But, is this right standing something we “achieve” by strength of character, by “persistence in well-doing,” or through “heroic service” of some sort? Or is it something that we must receive?

An inheritance usually depends upon the written will of someone who died… and no effort by those not included in that will can put them into it so that they can claim that inheritance. Either the Testator wrote them into that “Last Will and Testament,” or He did not.

We may observe that the “worldly heir” of some vast “worldly fortune” may seem to be an undeserving wretch. They may be selfish, spoiled, and vain… and possibly grossly immoral, as well. That does not change the written will that caused them to inherit.

One might protest, “But isn’t that unfair?” Maybe it is! But like it or not, it is reality. We need to embrace reality. We have to accept the fact that life is frequently “unfair.” Sin has ruined the world in which we live. God has not yet lifted the curse. The Psalmists saw this reality and warned us to not fret over the apparent injustice in the world. God’s Justice is supreme, and He sees all of what is happening. As His “born ones,” we need to learn to trust in Him for the eventual outcome. He has “written into His Will,” as His born-again offspring!

Our Past

Paul has cited a list of gross sins. He stated that the people characterized by that list are not God’s heirs. Then he says, “And such were (past tense) some of you!” Your past includes all of your old way of life. Perhaps it did include some of the sins listed here, perhaps it did not. But, if I trust in my own righteousness, then the smallest sin is sufficient to condemn me.

Ezekiel 33:13 says, “When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.”

My past, whether checkered with sins of every kind, or seemingly pure, in the eyes of humans, is all under the Blood of Jesus Christ at the Cross.

In John 5:24, which we frequently quote, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him who sent Me, HATH everlasting life (present tense,) and SHALL NOT come into condemnation (future tense,) but IS PASSED from death into life (past perfect tense!) All of my past is under the blood of Jesus. His promise guarantees my future is. And, in the here and now, I already have eternal life! Jesus says so!

So…What Changed?

Just for the record, my past was anything but “pure.” I was an atheist, I was immoral, and I was a total rebel against God. I was on God’s Death Row. Ezekiel 18:4 says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die!” That is where I was. That was my position, as a lost sinner. And I was cocky and proud, and I had no concept of my peril. There was nothing I could have done to save myself. I had already utterly broken God’s Law. I was guilty.

Potentially, I might have tried to do “good deeds” to earn God’s approval. But my sin contaminated them all! That is why, in Isaiah 64:6, it says, “…all our righteousnesses are as filthy rag.” Our ever-present sin has already contaminated anything “good” we can do, as natural humans. So, what had to change?

But Ye Are Washed!

There is the beginning of the change: He washed us! How did that occur? Jesus spoke of it in John 13:10. He said the disciples (not including Judas) were “washed.” But He did not say by what means He had washed them. In John 15:3, after Judas had departed, He told the remaining disciples, “Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.”

And in Ephesians 5:26, Paul said that Jesus cleansed the church. He made it holy through the “washing of water by the Word.” That is both a one-time occurrence and a continuing process. Your initial cleansing occurred the moment you believed the Gospel: the moment you placed your sole trust in the Person and Work of Jesus at the Cross for salvation. You were made positionally clean. At that moment, you became one of His heirs, in writing! (Because it says “Whosoever believeth in Him!”)

Remember that Jesus declared that Peter was clean, in John 13 and John 15. Peter’s sin in denying the Lord occurred later that same night! Did that change Peter’s position? Was he no longer “cleansed by the Word?”

No! It changed his condition. He was miserable and despairing and guilty. He was not in fellowship with Jesus or even with the other disciples. Effectively, until that rift was healed, Peter lived as if he was “spiritually dead.” His position had not changed. He was still clean in Christ. But he desperately “needed his feet washed.” He had been in some deep mud!

If you have chosen by faith to place your trust in the cleansing blood of Jesus, then you “are washed!” That is a permanent reality. What else has changed?

Ye Are Sanctified!

“Sanctified” means “made holy.” It means “set apart” for God’s use, as His personal property.

God says you are now Holy! He has permanently declared that you are his child by rebirth. (Not by “adoption:” Biblical adoption comes later… see Romans 8:23.) He declared you to be clean through having believed His Word. He has now declared to be holy unto Him.

As you may remember, the Babylonian army stole the holy vessels of God’s temple in Jerusalem and took them to Nebuchadnezzar’s treasury in Babylon. But a later king, Belshazzar, took those vessels and used them in a worship service to his numerous false gods.

Did that deliberate misuse by Belshazzar and his officials defile those vessels? Yes, it did! They truly needed cleansing, and re-consecration to the service of God! But were they any less Holy? No! They still belonged to God! They were still “set apart for His specific use, in the temple of God.” God says that you now are His own treasure, and you are “set apart” for His use!

Ye Are Justified!

We posed a question, back in the introduction: “Who are the Righteous?” This is the answer! So, here is another term to define:

“Justified” means “declared righteous.” It is obvious, then, that it truly matters who “declared you to be righteous.” If I declare myself righteous, then we call it “self-justification,” and the only possible result is “self-righteousness.”

No one likes self-righteousness, but we all tend toward self-justification. We protest our excuses for our failures and we bolster our fragile egos, usually, by self-justification. Romans 10:3 says, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God,”

Yes, Paul was specifically referring to the Jews in that passage, but it has general application to all those who “justify themselves” at any level. When we self-justify, we fail to avail ourselves of God’s Righteousness.

How Can We Avail Ourselves of the Righteousness Of God?

In 2^nd Corinthians 5:21, God says, “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him.

In Genesis 15:6, it says Abram believed God and God reckoned it to him as righteousness. (I can hear legalists howling, “But that’s “easy believe-ism!” Sorry: it is God’s Word, telling the means by which GOD declared Abram to be a righteous individual. Like it or not, that is what it says!)

Paul reiterates this concept in Romans 4:1-3. He emphasized that Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of Faith, alone: before any “religious works” were recorded. He cites Psalm 32:1, 2, where David confirmed that the real issue is whether God counts you as righteous.

If God has called you Righteous, based on your faith in Him, then you stand Righteous before Him forever! In Romans 11:29, we read that “the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance”…(without revocation.) He will not “repent,” or change His mind about you. Jesus said, (John 6:37) “He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out!” In John 10:27, 28, Jesus confirms His promise, saying, “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish!”

Do You Desire to be Declared Righteous by God?

If you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ as God’s chosen sacrifice for your sins, then this is your path! Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” He also said (in John 10:7), “I am the Door of the Sheep!”

If you “want in,” He is the “way in.” And you “access Him” simply by believing Him: By taking Him at His Word and receiving Eternal Life, as a gift from Him to you. You cannot “achieve” Eternal life! You can only receive it. God says, “The wages (earned and deserved) of Sin is Death, but the gift of God (unearned, and undeserved) is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

As a believer, you have received that gift of eternal life. You are eternally secure in Christ. He has already “declared you Righteous” in Him through Faith. God now calls you to live for Him. He says we no longer belong to ourselves (as if we ever truly did.) He says that, as those risen from the dead through His authority, we should be living in the newness of His Resurrected Life. We are to live as a light to the world around us and as a continual act of worship to Him!

The Resulting Reward

This is the sort of life that results in hearing, “Well done, thou Good and Faithful Servant!” That honor is truly the best any believer can hope for. And, it is something we achieve: it is still done by faith, simply by walking with Him and allowing Him to live through us. But the walk with Jesus is not easy: it is impossible, apart from His continued control: It is not just difficult, it’s impossible! “Walking on Water” is not “difficult:” It is impossible, unless Jesus enables us! And that is what Jesus said! “Apart from Me, ye can do Nothing!”

No one had to “explain” to Peter that “walking on water is impossible!” He knew it, and he got out of the boat, knowing that unless Jesus backed him, it was a fatal error! But…he walked! And when he took his eyes off of Jesus, he sank! That is as clear a lesson as we can ask for! You are declared righteous by Faith. But you are also called to walk in Him by faith.

Lord Jesus, teach our hearts to believe in You and to focus on You so that we can faithfully walk with You, in all circumstances. We know hard times are coming, and we want to honor You with our lives through those hard times; not to fail through lack of faith. Make us the Men and Women of God that You have called us to be.

April 6, 2024April 6, 2024

Fail to Address Sin? Pride is Still the Root of the Problem

Pride is Still the Root of the Problem

1^st Corinthians 5:1-13

¹ It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. ²And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

³For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, ⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Pride was the Problem!

⁶Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ⁷Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: ⁸Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

⁹I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: ¹⁰Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

¹¹But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. ¹²For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? ¹³But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Introduction:

This is a very uncomfortable passage to study: The immoral behavior of the persons in question repulses us, and the response of the assembly perplexes us. But then, we are also uncomfortable with the response of the apostle in calling for judgment.

The simple fact is, we are uncomfortable “talking about sin,” as sin! We are conscious of our own fallibility: and due to our fragility, we are reluctant to judge sin in others. A friend once encouraged me to sing some sacred songs to a group of hardened unbelievers. I told him I thought it would be inappropriate, as Jesus had said (in Matthew 7:6) “Do not cast your pearls before swine, neither give that which is holy to the dogs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn and rend thee.”

He said, “But, are we supposed to judge such things?”

I retorted, “Of course we are! How else could we obey the command?” He said, “I never thought of that!” You see, we have to “use good judgment!”

Things to Bear in Mind

There are several points of which we should take note, as we seek to understand this passage: First, simply as a foundation for reading, we need to see that this is not about “condemning” believers. Romans 8:1-4 teaches that “there is now therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ.”

In John 5:24, Jesus promised that “he that heareth my Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death into life.” (Again, no condemnation!)

Second, we need to see that, while the correction God extends to his saints may seem harsh, at times, His only goal is to teach us to walk with Him.

Third, we need to remember that Jesus is the Judge, here. This is not an encouragement for believers to attack believers. The only goal is restoration.

Finally, the twin purposes of this chapter are (a) to protect the church by removing someone who was badly affecting the other believers, and (b) to bring that sinning believer to repentance and restore him to a walk with Christ.

What Do We See in 1^st Corinthians, chapter 5?

There is a fairly obvious “outline” we can discern as we read through the chapter:

This Was Open, Public, Flagrant Sin

The sin in question was open, flagrant, and unbelievers universally condemned it. Thus, it was truly affecting the testimony of the whole church. This was not some “quiet” thing, that was affecting no one else. Everyone already knew about it. It affected the whole church.

In the past, unmarried couples have attended here and in other churches. They were quietly living in error. But we did not reject, judge, or condemn them. We taught the Bible as the Word of God, and the scriptures soon convicted them. They asked the church to marry them. And we rejoiced with them!

The situation in this chapter was not that sort of thing. Unbelievers universally condemned the sin, and it could not be rectified except by confession and repentance. It had to stop, not just change. Technically, it was incest. Virtually all cultures forbid this sin: usually by law.

**This Was Not a “Questionable” Issue**

Virtually every culture has things largely disapproved, but which have no bearing on the teachings of the Bible at all. This is not such a thing. Some people think it is sin to subscribe to a Sunday newspaper. Others think it is sin to wear colorful clothing. Some judge others for their haircut, their personal hygiene, or their grooming. This is not that sort of thing.

We have had members who truly desire to stop a bad habit, such as smoking. The Bible does not touch on that at all, yet some people condemn it as a sin, as if it were a definite moral issue. But it is not. Is it unhealthy? Surely, it is! So is welding; as are most heavy construction jobs. So is overeating. So are many other societal patterns. We do not condemn such a person.

If they need help, we offer our support. We pray for one another. In some cases, we go to such a person privately, and we intervene at one level or another, encouraging them to drop the self-destructive behavior and to follow Jesus. But there is no condemnation.

God condemned this particular sin and the unbelieving world rejected it, as well. Everyone knew it was wrong. The man involved was not ignorantly sinning, nor did he just “innocently fall into a bad pattern.” It was not just a “lifestyle choice.” It was open rebellion and sin.

Pride is Still the Root of the Problem

We saw back in the first chapters of the book, that pride was dividing the church and demonstrating the carnality of the church. And pride was still the root of the problems. The believers at Corinth were “proud of their tolerance.” They were “puffed up.” They did not mourn the sin; nor did they consider the damage to their testimony. They approved of the sin and thought they were “spiritual” for doing so!

Romans 1:32 concludes, “Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them.” They approve of the sins that God condemns. In Romans, Paul was addressing the sins of the unbelievers.

We still see the same patterns today as those spelled out in Romans chapter one. For example, the movies that receive the highest ratings in terms of popularity are always the ones with the most sin in them, whether violence, nudity, vile language, or immoral sexual behavior. Even when a society “claims to reject such behavior,” they vote with their feet and pocketbooks, and those movies show the overall approval of the population.

Unfortunately, when we tolerate flagrant sin, as believers, one of the possible results is that we can become “proud” of it. We are proud of our reluctance to “judge sin.” But God commanded us to judge sin. Pride has led us astray once again! We are “proud of tolerating evil” and “proud of not admitting that evil is evil.”

And, it still is the problem, today!

This is becoming a very current issue, today, in the modern church: There is a local church group here, who are quite proud of their sin, and they no longer see it for what it is. There are no Bibles in their building. Their teacher no longer addresses the Word of God at all. They have forgotten the repeated teaching in the Bible that Jesus is the Living Word of God. They still claim the name of Christ, but they have turned away from Him entirely, and they have dragged His Name into such deep shame, by their uncleanness, that they are truly a dead church.

In Revelation 2:20, Jesus condemned the behavior of the Church at Thyatira, specifically because they tolerated the sin of the woman he called “Jezebel.” She was teaching believers to commit immorality and idolatry. Yes, He judged the sin of that person and those who followed her into sin, but He also judged the Church for tolerating the sin.

Why is it such a problem? Because it infects the whole Church, one way or another. Verse six compares sin to leaven or yeast. It does not stay in one spot. It spreads and grows until it permeates all of the bread dough it can reach.

**What is the Goal of this Warning?**

The purpose or goal of this warning, which required the church to unanimously judge sin, was twofold:

to purge the church of that specific uncleanness, or wickedness, and
to restore the sinning believer. (Verse 5)

This is in keeping with Galatians 6:1-5…the purpose of “church discipline” is always restoration, not condemnation of the believer. And, again, notice that the judgment is not directed toward unbelievers: this is about those who call themselves believers, but who are polluting the church by open rebellion against God.

We treat unbelievers kindly: they are welcome here, but they are not allowed to teach, nor to create division. This church does not ask for money from visitors, at all, lest anyone think that contributing to a church brings a right relationship with God. We cannot become a “monastic” society, closing ourselves off from the World. We are here to reach out to the world. Verse 10 points out that we would have to “leave the planet” to achieve such separation.

But a believer, who is bringing shame to Christ by his or her behavior, is in a different category. Those are the ones regarding whom this warning is given.

No Hierarchy of Sin

Finally, when we look at “sin” as a general topic in scripture, we cannot discern a “hierarchy” of sin. God lumps them all together as condemned by His Righteousness. In Proverbs 6:16-19, the one “list” where God says, “these things the LORD hates,” Pride is listed, along with gossip, lying, and talebearing: But sexual immorality is NOT. Does that mean God does not hate all sin? No…but the heart issues that cause all the others are where God points out the root of the outward sins…the heart is the source, and pride is frequently the root.

Everyone sins. There are no exceptions, except for Jesus, who was God in the Flesh. We confess to everyone that we are saved sinners. We continually confess our sins to God, to maintain a fellowship relationship with Him. So, this is not an invitation to a “feeding frenzy” of believers attacking other believers for perceived faults. (Remember, in Revelation 12:10, we see that Satan is the “Accuser of the Brethren.” We do not want to do his “dirty work!”)

The Church at Corinth was in trouble. And the issue was their pride in their tolerance of open rebellion and sin. Not simply that there was “sin in the camp.”

What is the Real issue?

The church can be seen as a “hospital for saints and sinners.” We are not surprised that the “hospital has sinners:” That is why we are here! We confess that Jesus died for our sins. And, yes, our sins grieve us, and our failures grieve us. We are not “surprised that it happens.” We are simply grieved that it continues!

But consider again the “illustration” of a hospital ward. A “patient” may come in with zero desire for healing. Also, he is preventing others from healing. Such a patient is to be quietly and kindly ushered back outside. They do need help, but we can’t help them when they reject the help.

We want them to know we care about them. We assure them that, if they repent, and come back to submit to the Great Physician, desiring to be healed, they will be welcomed with open arms. There is no condemnation. It is simply a matter of protecting the church from those who turn others away from the Christ who bought them with His Blood.

Lord Jesus, help us to read your Word, understand it, and take it to heart. Help us to apply it with the Love and Mercy that You offered through the Cross.

March 30, 2024March 30, 2024

Judgment, Justice, Grace, and Mercy in the Resurrection

Judgment, Justice, Grace, and Mercy

Introduction:

How does Easter show the Judgment and Justice of God?

We frequently consider what the Bible calls the Day of the LORD: It is the terrible Judgment of God (followed by great blessing) which is to be poured out upon the whole World, but especially upon Israel, since they had the most information, and they failed to respond. We saw how the final warning was given to Israel by Jesus, in His “Palm Sunday” entrance into Jerusalem.

Judgment on Jerusalem

The crowd of disciples who had worshipped him as the King, as he rode into Jerusalem, were not the ones screaming for his death, three days later. Rather, the citizens of Jerusalem rejected their King. We also saw that, since they rejected the King, they inherited the promised Judgment.

The Judgment described thereafter (specifically the fact that not one stone of the temple, proper, would be left standing on another) definitely includes the destruction under the Roman general Titus, in AD 70, but it also includes the Great Tribulation, which has not happened yet. Judgment is definitely coming!

Judgment on Jesus

However, we seldom think of the Judgment that fell upon the Lord Himself that Wednesday: Isaiah 53:4, 5 says, “He bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows…but we thought he was smitten by God (as an evildoer). But (in contrast): He was wounded for our transgressions, and He was bruised for our iniquities…” The Scriptures make it clear that He didn’t die for anything He had done. He died in the place of the whole World, for all that we have done, or failed to do.

Most Easter sermons focus either on the Lord’s sufferings, in gory detail, or upon the facts of the Resurrection, and the effects it had on the lives of all those who were actually there. I would like to focus, instead, on the reason for His suffering, and the result of His resurrection, for us, who were not there!

The Specific Reasons for The Crucifixion

There were many ways in which prisoners might have been executed in those days. Some were relatively quick, others were deliberately slow and agonizing. The Cross was one of the latter: it usually took several days of torturous struggling to breathe and straining against the spikes holding them to the cross. We can compare crucifixion with the Old Testament law regarding “hanging a criminal on a tree,” which was actually only done to a criminal who was already dead (usually by stoning,) to signify God’s curse on that particular criminal:

The Scriptures had to be Fulfilled

According to Deuteronomy 21:23 they were not to be left hanging overnight. They had to be cut down before sundown, according to the Mosaic Law.
- Jesus was taken down before sundown, though Crucifixion usually took days!
When they wanted the execution shortened, they accomplished that end by breaking the legs of the condemned individual, so that he could no longer lift himself to breathe. Thus, he died in minutes, instead of days. (John 19:31)
- But for the Passover Lamb, which was a picture of Christ, it was specifically forbidden that any bone be broken (Exodus 12:46.)
- Why did Jesus choose to “cut the suffering short” and “lay down his life?” (Remember, in John 10:18, He specifically said that no man could take his life: He would lay it down of His own accord.) When they came to break the legs of the criminals, he was already dead. Thus, though they broke the legs of the other two men, they did not break a bone of the Messiah…our Passover Lamb!
The scourgings and beatings were described in Isaiah 53 (bruised, stripes, etc.)
The crucifixion was described in Psalm 22:7-18 (Read it!)
The fact that he was to be crucified at Jerusalem, by the Jews, is given in Zechariah 13:6 “What are these wounds in thine hands? …Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
The fact that it is the eternal God who was wounded for our transgressions is given in Zechariah 12:1-10…and it was God the Son!
The Old Testament sacrifices were tied to the altar by the four horns of the altar… they were held by four points, just as in the crucifixion.
The Original Passover predicted the crucifixion, in that the people were commanded to kill the lamb, catch its blood in a basin, and to dip a bundle of Hyssop into that blood, and then strike it on the lintel and the two doorposts. The physical action of striking the lintel and the two doorposts physically described a bloody cross in the air across that doorway. Those frightened Jews believed God’s Word regarding the imminent destruction of the firstborn. They obeyed the command of God by faith, and chose to accept the blood sacrifice that HE would accept. And, as a result, they were huddled under the blood of the Cross, just as we do today. The difference is that they expressed that faith 1500 years before the Crucifixion, while we do so 2000 years after it.

He Fulfilled the Prophecies!

God’s Judgment for the sins of the whole world fell upon Jesus at the Cross. How do I know? Jesus said so! John 3:16-18 says,

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Notice the parallel with what we just saw, regarding Palm Sunday: Jerusalem rejected her King, and inherited the Judgment. All those who do not believe the Gospel, inherit judgment because they, too, reject the Savior, the King. Also, notice that it does not say they “will be judged,” or “will be condemned:” it says that they are already condemned because they do not believe in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.

So: How does that apply to me? For the first eighteen years of my life, I was on God’s “death row,” as an unbeliever; and as a natural-born rebel against God. I was already condemned. Had Jesus not stepped in and died in my place, I would still be headed for Hell. (That is the “Bad News” of the Gospel! And it is the reason for the “Good News” of the Gospel!)

So, What is The Good News of the Gospel?

According to 1^st Corinthians 15:3, 4, the Good News is divided into three parts:

The Death of Christ, fulfilling God’s Prophecies
The Burial of Christ, also fulfilling His Prophecies (including the time-lapse.)
And, the third-day Resurrection: God’s confirmation that the sacrifice was accepted!

**Why is His Death Good News?**

1^st John 2:2 clearly states that Jesus is the satisfactory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. “And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (“Propitiation” means the sacrifice that satisfies the Justice and Righteousness of God.) The fact that it was for the sins of the whole world is especially reassuring: if God had named a list of people, ethnic groups, or whatever, there is a chance I might not be on that list. If I were called by name, it is still possible that it meant someone else with that name…not me.

But he included the whole world…so I am “on the list.” John 3:16 says “…whosoever believeth in Him…” You see, “whosoever” includes me!ThatBlood Sacrifice, ordained by God the Father, offered by God the Son, and administered by God the Holy Spirit, is full payment for all my sins, past, present and future. All the work of Salvation and Redemption was finished by Jesus at the Cross. All that’s left for me to do, is to place my faith in His finished Work.

**Why is His Burial Good News?**

The fact that Jesus died on the evening of Passover, as our blood sacrifice—our Passover Lamb—is significant enough. But why do I say he was crucified on Wednesday, when tradition has always held out for Friday? The tradition that Jesus was crucified on a Friday is patently false.

In Matthew 12:39, 40 Jesus Himself said that Jonah, being three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, was a specific prophecy that He, Himself, would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Between Friday evening and Sunday morning, there are two nights and one day! But, if He was Crucified on a Wednesday, then any time after sundown Saturday, by Jewish understanding of time and days, Jesus was free to leave the Grave. This was another sign that He was the Messiah! It had to be that specific time frame.

He also had to have died with criminals, (as in the crucifixion, with thieves beside Him) but also with the rich (Isaiah 53:9)…which would usually be a total paradox. The bodies of criminals were cast into the city dump, and left for the scavengers, vultures, flies, etc., as a statement of the result of their evil deeds.

But rich people had hand-carved stone tombs for their graves. So, this seemed a contradiction, perhaps, or at least very puzzling. But, two rich men (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea,) asked for the body of Christ, and they buried it in the tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had prepared for his own burial. So, Isaiah 53:9 was fulfilled, just as it was written!

And, The Best News of All: The Resurrection!

So, three days and three nights later (Wednesday night, Thursday, Thursday night, Friday, Friday night, and Saturday: three days and three nights!) Jesus left the grave behind, forever! Mary Magdalene and the other women showed up at the tomb long before daylight, Sunday morning, and He was already gone. The angels had rolled away the stone for the express purpose of letting the women and the disciples see that He was already gone.

**What is The Result of the Resurrection?**

Remember the result of the Crucifixion: The disciples (all of them, not just the eleven), were scattered, just as Jesus predicted, fearing that they were “next on the list;” slated for execution. When Jesus appeared, the Eleven were hiding; locked in an upper room, fearing the Jews.

But what was the result of the Resurrection, in the lives of those same believers? Confusion and disbelief, initially! But, as they gained confidence that Jesus was really alive, and that He was really all He had claimed to be (literally God in the Flesh,) they became completely bold, where they had previously been in hiding. They committed their lives to His service, as those alive from the dead, as they began to recognize that:

His death was in place of their own deaths;
And, His righteousness had been credited to their own accounts, and that
His resurrection was the guarantee of their own resurrection.

Thus, they had no further fear of death. Their life took on a sense of Eternal Purpose, as they began to allow the Lord to live through them (Galatians 2:19-21; Philippians 1:21,) and their priorities were completely rearranged, as Jesus became the center of their existence.

But, What about Repentance?

We are often told, “Yes, but you have to repent!” That is surely true! But what does that mean? Does it mean “groveling on your knees begging for forgiveness”? Or, “renouncing sin forever?”

The word translated as “Repentance” is the Greek word, “metanoia.” It literally means to change your mind. Change your mind regarding Jesus. Who was He, to you, before you believed the Gospel? A myth? Just a Man? A Prophet? Or, did it even really matter to you? (It didn’t matter to me: I was lost, and I didn’t know it, or even care.) So, when you believed the Good News of Jesus’s Death, and Burial and Resurrection, you “changed your mind” regarding all that you had previously thought about Jesus.

You also “changed your mind” regarding all that you previously thought about sin. Somehow, you came to realize that you, personally, were a lost sinner, and you feared the judgment of God. You changed your mind regarding Jesus’s work, realizing that you could not save yourself, and, at some point, you threw yourself upon the Mercy and Grace of God!

The Result of that Repentance

At that moment, according to Jesus’s promise, in John 5:24, you received eternal life. (That is Grace!) You will never face judgment again. (That is Mercy!) You permanently crossed over from being spiritually dead, to being spiritually alive. Yes, you were truly born again! You received a new nature, and you were permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit! All these are true, even if you were not aware of any of these things, as they happened!

This is why the Resurrection is such a huge joy and relief to all of us. We weren’t there to see the Crucifixion, the Burial, or the Resurrection of the Lord, but those three together still make the best News in history! He is Risen! And we have been forgiven and set free, through Faith!

Lord Jesus, teach us the importance of the facts of the Gospel, especially the fact of Your Resurrection, and make them a living reality in each of our lives.

March 16, 2024November 28, 2025

How To Know What Jesus Meant: “For Judgment I am come….”

I came into this World For Judgment

John 9:39-41

Introduction:

As we read this passage, please remember, that Jesus had just healed a blind man, who was born blind. He miraculously gave the man his sight. The Jews persecuted the man, afterward. They did not persecute him because his blindness had healed, but because he credited Jesus with the miracle. And they cast him out of the synagogue….essentially, they “excommunicated” him, for confessing that Jesus had healed him, and for refusing to recant his testimony.

When Jesus found him again and introduced Himself as the Son of God, the formerly blind man spontaneously worshipped Him. We still have people today who resent those who worship Jesus…or anyone who prays to Him. I once had a pastor tell me that he did not want people praying to Jesus. Such people reveal their hearts by their attitude. They reveal what they think of Jesus. And the next verse is what Jesus said in response:

³⁹And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

What a strange thing to say! And, who was He talking to? His disciples were there with him…the healed man was there…and some Pharisees were there. Those are the only ones we know of, for certain.

Context

Remember the context: Jesus had been under attack for the last two days. In John 8:1-11, He dispersed the men who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery. In John 8:12, He introduced Himself as the Light of the World. The Jews tried to stone Him, when He announced His own eternality, in John 8:58, and the fact that He preexisted Abraham. Then, immediately after miraculously escaping the mob in the temple, he went out of His way to heal a man who had been born physically blind.

This Blindness was not Judgment

In John 9:1, 2, The disciples asked Jesus whether that man or his parents had sinned, to bring this “judgment” of congenital blindness upon the man. Jesus said that neither had sinned…God had prepared this man for the purpose of showing His own mighty works. (Unlike Bartimaeus, this man had not even asked Jesus for healing. He knew nothing about Jesus before this day.)

But, Jesus explained His identity. And this man fell down and worshipped him! Jesus took away not only his physical blindness but also the spiritual blindness of his soul. He saw Jesus for who He was!

Jesus remarked on the irony that His presence gave sight to the physically blind but also revealed the spiritual blindness of those who rejected His light. Remember John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation; that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

The people had an issue with the light, there, too. They rejected the Light of Christ.

Blindness Can be Judgment for having Disregarded the Light

Samson and others ignored the light of God’s direction and His Word. Samson’s enemies physically him, and enslaved him

Romans 11:25 also records that “…blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”

Most of the Jews rejected Jesus at that time. (And they have done so, ever since then.) Those few Jews who believed became the foundation of the church. (Along with the Jewish proselytes on the day of Pentecost.) They taught the Gentile believers who believed afterward.

When Jesus confronted Saul of Tarsus on the Road to Damascus, two things happened. He fell to the ground, along with the others in his group, and he (alone) became blind. Three days later, Jesus sent another disciple, Ananias, to restore his sight. Saul then changed his name to “Paul.” Jesus healed his physical and spiritual blindness, and He saw Jesus for who He was.

The rest of Israel remains partially blinded, to this day, and in Romans 9:1-3, Paul grieved their loss. But God promises to restore their sight, as a nation, and they will see Him, physically, and, for the first time recognize Him for who He is.

Zechariah 12:10 says “…They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and be in bitterness for Him as one is that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

For Judgment I am Come

Jesus had earlier said that He had come to save the lost. But, in the same verses (John 3:18, 19) He had said that condemnation was already there in the World. He said, “He that believeth not is condemned already…and this is the condemnation… that light is come into the World, and Men loved darkness rather than light.”

Many people teach, that “if you don’t stop sinning, you’re going to be condemned!” But the truth is, we can’t stop sinning, and we are already condemned! The whole human race was in this same trap of sin…every single one of us was guilty and lost. Our only hope is in Jesus!

Romans 1:21, 22, tells us how that happens. “When they (the human race) knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

By choosing darkness, we, as a race, were filled with darkness, and we perpetuated our role as children of darkness. All that we do, as humans, confirms what God had said from the beginning. He said, “In the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die!” Adam ate, and all his progeny (including Eve) were instantly plunged into the darkness of sin: spiritual separation from the Light of God. We became spiritually blind and spiritually dead!

Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12)

His presence revealed the hearts of everyone who came in contact with Him. Those who rejected light rejected Him. Those who yearned toward the light turned to Him in faith. Even today, the same truth applies.

The Light of Christ appears in the World, through his servants, the believers. People will either turn toward that light, in faith, or they will reject that light, and even attempt to extinguish it.

The Blindness of “Religion”

Romans 2:19 tells us that the Jews saw themselves as being “…a light of them which are in darkness.” But Judgment was about to fall on them, because, in truth, they were the opposite of a “light to those in darkness:” They shrouded the light with their corruption, and their hypocrisy, to the extent that no one could see the Light of God in them at all. And they tried to extinguish the Light of Christ when He was there among them. They revealed who they truly were!

⁴⁰And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? ⁴¹Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

It is easy for us to sneer at the Pharisees and say, “Yeah, those bad old Pharisees!” But, we are always in danger of doing something similar! We can become so self-satisfied and smug in our “good doctrine,” or our “healthy church,” that we close ourselves off from the unsaved world.

At that point, we are no longer allowing the Holy Spirit to reach out through us to the world around us. We would be “just a bunch of religious folks.” That is what had happened to the Pharisees, and to a certain extent, to the entire nation of Israel. They were “very religious” people, but they denied the reality of the Love and the Power of the God they claimed to serve.

A Modern Example:

Years ago, I visited a church, which was so ingrown and exclusive, that when a shabby-looking stranger arrived on Easter Sunday, they didn’t know what to do. (I was the “stranger!” My car was a beat-up old Toyota, and I was wearing clean, but older, inexpensive clothing.) The four “greeters” looked like “deer in the headlights,” clutching their church bulletins against their suit-clad chests. They stared at me, wide-eyed, but they did not greet me at all. They offered no handshake, nor asked my name: Never offered me a bulletin, nor asked whether I knew the Lord: they said nothing. As “ambassadors,” they had become irrelevant.

The Pharisees had become blind to the light of God. That was Jesus’s judgment of them: He revealed their true blindness. In Revelation 3:19 the church at Laodicea as a group, had become blind, as well, and Jesus shut them down! He still invited them to fellowship with Him, individually, but as a church, He completely shut them down.

Professing themselves to be Wise, they Became Fools

Because the Pharisees still claimed to “see,” and even claimed that they saw better than others, they were under the Judgment of God. In John 5:22, we see that Jesus, alone, as God the Son, is the “Judge of all the Earth,” and He is the One they were rejecting and slandering!

Less than 40 years later, the Romans would destroy the entire temple and everything they held precious. Through repressing a series of bloody revolts, over 70 years, the Romans killed hundreds of thousands of Jews. The Romans eventually eradicated Israel, as a nation. They renamed it “Palestine,” to exterminate the memory of Judaism. And, it stayed that way until 76 years ago, when it was reborn as “Israel,” on May 14^th, 1948. But the spiritual blindness remains, even today.

The Assignment of the Church is to Represent Jesus

God called us to be Ambassadors of Christ…we are to represent Him before the World. But the way we apply God’s Word in our daily lives and the way we respond to others because of His presence in our lives will determine the result of our service.

He told us to testify to His Love and His Grace. Our job is to demonstrate His Love and His Mercy. As His Body, we become His hands and feet. God calls us to function as His voice, speaking His Righteousness, Love, and Mercy into the ears of the lost World.

When we partake in communion, we testify before one another that His blood was shed for us, and that we are trusting in His Grace, and looking forward to His return. But the result of that Sacred Relationship should be that we willingly, voluntarily reach out to the people around us, too. This isn’t all about us! Jesus’s agenda reaches out to the whole world.

Changed Lives

The result should be that we desire His righteousness and His wisdom. It means that we should want to see our lives transformed, to be like Him. We should be concerned that the “grime” in our lives does not shroud the light of His presence. The sin in our lives should grieve us as deeply as it does Him. We should want what He wants.

As ministers of the light…servants of the light, we need to make certain that the light we shine is clean and clear. We mentioned some time ago that the headlamps of a vehicle can become so encrusted with road grime that the light burning within seems very dim as seen from the outside.

He wants our lives to be clean enough and clear enough that anyone looking our way will see the light of Jesus. He wants us to “Glow in the dark.” He told us to “shine as lights, in a corrupt nation.” No nation in history has been completely free of corruption, but God’s people are to shine through that darkness, drawing people to Jesus: (not “to church:” to Jesus!)

A Fragrance of Christ

In 2^nd Corinthians 2:14-16, we are called to “smell like Jesus.” The Fragrance of Christ is to emanate from our lives at all times. The only way that will happen is if we allow Him to live through us, and allow His presence to permeate our lives.

As we celebrate communion together, please be thinking about what that may mean, to allow Jesus to live through you.

Lord Jesus, we know that we are blind to so much of the truth of God. We yearn to experience Your light in such a way that it transforms us into Your likeness. Let us be true children of the light, and not limit Your light in any way.

March 10, 2024March 10, 2024

How To Understand the Coming Judgment

The Coming Judgment

2^nd Thessalonians 1:4-12

⁴So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: ⁵Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: ⁶Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; ⁷And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

⁸In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; ¹⁰When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

¹¹Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: ¹²That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction:

We have talked about Judgment as a general Principle, but we only briefly touched upon the Coming Judgment. Some time ago, we studied this passage in 2^nd Thessalonians. I’d like to review it so that we can see the broader sense of Judgment, from God: not just between humans.

(Notice that it says in verses six and seven that God will “recompense tribulation to them that trouble you,” and (in contrast,) to you who are troubled, rest, with us.”The believers will receive rest from the harsh realities of living among hostile nations. Those who were their antagonists will face judgment.

There are Five Judgments we should address:

The General Judgment (condemnation) of the World. (John 3:18, 19; Romans 1:18, etc.)
The Judgment of Sin at the Cross. (Colossians 2:14; 1^st John 2:2)
The Judgment Seat of Christ (believers) (2^nd Corinthians 5:10; 1^st Corinthians 3:10-16)
The Judgment of Living Nations (believers and unbelievers Matthew 25:31-46)
The Great White Throne Judgment (unrighteous dead only) (Revelation 20:11-15)

This list is not exhaustive…looking back in time, we can see many judgments. It is important for us to remember that Jesus is always the Judge. He is not “just the Savior:” He is also the Judge. He gave His life to prevent our destruction in the Judgment which His Righteousness requires Him to bring upon the World. But the five I have listed are the judgments we can see ahead of us and which we might be worried about.

Please bear in mind the two promises of God:

John 5:24, which says believers will not come into condemnation, and
Romans 8:1, 2, which says we have been set free from the Law of Sin and Death, and that “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (these are positional truths. We are “In Christ.” That is our position!

Which of these Five Judgments Affect Believers?

The General Condemnation

Clearly, the General Condemnation of the Human Race once affected every one of us, directly. We all were lost sinners, regardless of our individual qualities or actions. But that is why Jesus went to the Cross! He freed us from that condemnation. It still affects us indirectly, as all the troubles, evil, sickness, suffering, and pain in the world still exist because of the curse that fell in Genesis 3, …and which still has not been lifted. We all die!

The Judgment of Sin at the Cross

Jesus lifted the Judgment of the Curse, by bearing the Judgment of the Cross! Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” His blood paid the sin-debt for all humans, past, present, and future. 1^st John 2:2 spells it out: “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole World.”

But the General Condemnation remains for those who reject His sacrifice. (John 3:18 says they are condemned already, because they “have not believed in the only begotten Son of God.”) All that is required of them to escape that Judgment is to choose the Judgment of the Cross, where Jesus bore the judgment of our sins. And the consequence of sin still remains for the whole creation. (See Romans 8:21, 22)

The Judgment Seat of Christ (the “Bema Seat”)

All believers face the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2^nd Corinthians 5:10) But this judgment is concerning the works of believers. It is an “awards ceremony.” We can read some details about it in 1^st Corinthians 3:10-16. Our works will be evaluated for their lasting, eternal value. Reward for service will be awarded on the basis of that Judgment. And it is for believers only.

When workers “line up for their pay” in a large factory, or in a military organization, perhaps, they have to already be an employee, or already a member of the armed forces. Working without having been an employee does not bring reward: rather, it brings punishment for trespassing, or for impersonating a member of the military. People claiming to be believers who are not are in serious trouble! Until they choose by personal faith, to place themselves under His Blood, for salvation, they are still under His condemnation.

But, a believer’s works can lack eternal value, too. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “Apart from Me ye can do nothing.” So, if we are not walking with Him, and are not working with Him, then our works may “look good,” outwardly, but their value is questionable.

The Judgment of the Living Nations

Matthew 25:31-46 gives us the most details about this judgment. It includes the survivors of the tribulation, both believers and unbelievers. They are all in their natural bodies and all are facing judgment. They will either enter the Millennial Kingdom alive, right then, or enter eternal punishment as enemies of God…right then!

There are numerous mentions of this “division of the people by the omniscient Judge,” but this passage allows us to see when it will happen (at the end of the Tribulation, immediately after Jesus’s physical return to earth. Compare Revelation 19.) It tells us where it will occur: on planet Earth…and, very likely at Jerusalem, as it says, “He shall sit upon the throne of His Glory.” He will be reigning from Jerusalem, so the Judgment will likely take place there.

This Judgment, as usual, will be based upon faith or the lack thereof; but, in this case, that faith will have been evidenced by how the people treated the Jews. The Tribulation saints, people who believed in Jesus as their Savior, will have expressed that faith by caring for His people. People who do not believe will not care for His people. The determining factor is always faith.

The Great White Throne Judgment

Remember that the Judge, in all the cases we have listed, is Jesus Christ. John 5:22 says He is the only Judge. Jesus said, “The Father judgeth no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son.” (That means the “Judge of all the Earth” in Genesis 18:25, with Whom Abraham spoke face-to-face, was also Jesus!) So, the One sitting on the Throne, in Revelation 20:11, is Jesus, in His full Glory.

It is interesting to see that in Genesis 3:8 in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve heard “the voice of the LORD God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day,” they fled at the sound of His voice, and they hid. (That was Jesus, too! God the Son is the Member of the Trinity who always shows up to walk and talk with humans.)

So, now, at the very end of time, Jesus shows up on the Great White Throne as the Eternal Judge. And all the progeny of Adam and Eve respond the same way they did! It says, “Heaven and Earth fled from before His face.”

And that is when the Judgment of 2^nd Peter 3:10 will also occur: “The heavens and earth shall pass away with a fervent heat and a great noise.” (Revelation 21:1confirms this connection.)

What About the Church?

So where will the church-age believers be, during that judgment? We will be with Him on that throne! According to Ephesians 2:6, we are already there. And Jesus promised, saying “…that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3)

Will we be “happy” to be at that judgment? No! It will be a terrible tragedy, worse than any tragedy in human history! But we will absolutely know and agree that God the Son is doing right, by making that judgment. And it is after that judgment that He says, “He will wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

You see, that will be the final Judgment and the end of all death, sorrow, crying, and pain.

Psalm 30:5 says, “…weeping may endure for a night, but Joy cometh in the Morning!” Jesus is called the Morning Star, and His Day is eternal. That is the “Morning” we all long to see!

Why are Believers Excluded from these final Judgments?

(2^nd Thessalonians 1:10)

“…because our testimony among you was believed…”

We are saved by Grace, through Faith, plus Nothing! The Thessalonian believers were saved sinners, just like us. But Paul said that the Lord will be worshipped and admired by all those who believe in Him, and then he specifically reminds them of how they became believers. Paul and Silas had brought the message of Salvation to Thessalonica, in Acts 17. Those who became believers did so because they believed the testimony of Paul and Silas. They believed the Gospel!

The long-term effect of believers’ faith is the eternal worship of Christ, as our Redeemer. And, when He returns, believers who are still in their natural bodies (those in Matthew 25:31-46) will, for the first time, be seeing Jesus in His full glory!

What Should be the Result of all this “Positional Truth?”

All of the things we have talked about so far, (except the results of the Judgment Seat of Christ) have been positional Truths. They are true because we are “In Christ.” That is our location: our position. But positional truths should result in conditional changes!

Wherefore…

Paul says that he was praying for the believers that their lives would be pleasing to God so that He would agree that they lived up to their calling: That they were acting in a manner worthy of their family connection to Him.

The Result

And the result in their lives was that God would fulfil the Good Pleasure of His Goodness in them, and that His Grace would be manifested in their lives and that others would Glorify God because of what they could see happening in the lives of those believers. They would see the power of God working in the lives of the believers and the work of faith being done by the believers.

This is why we take seriously His commands that we are to love one another and to work together to glorify Him. We avoid criticizing one another for things that God does not call “sin,” and we collectively avoid doing or saying things that dishonor the Lord.

It requires that we “use good judgment” as we discussed last week, and avoid “bad judgment.”

And the result? “That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him”…all according to the Grace of the Father and the Son. We are not to fear condemnation from God, but it is healthy to fear displeasing Him because it means we are missing out on our only opportunity to serve with Him.

We want to reflect His glory, and not shroud it with our own folly and sin. He has called us to shine in this sin-dark world, as we reflect His light.

Lord Jesus, we desire to see you as our Savior and our Lord; We know we will stand before you at the Judgment seat to receive reward, and we desire to be worthy of that reward. Teach us to consistently walk with you, and let our daily behavior have eternal worth.

March 2, 2024March 2, 2024

What Does The New Testament Say About “Judging?”

What About “Judging?”

Introduction:

As a matter of course, this Sunday we would have gone forward into 1^st Corinthians 5, simply because last week we completed chapter four. However, the various subjects of chapter 5 are fairly uncomfortable for most people. They include the concepts of sin and judgment, as well as some things such as polygamy, which is illegal in our culture, but fairly common in other cultures. Finally, it deals with “church discipline” which is a very uncomfortable idea for most people.

In particular, Paul names a specific sin of sexual immorality involved, which we may feel is not an appropriate subject for a Church service. But he deals with the subject of judgment rather strongly, there, as well, and not in a “negative” sense. In that passage, he commands the Church to judge something.

Since our modern society tells us that “judgment is a bad thing,” we need to study what God says about judgment and make our best determination about what we are to do. (Are there other things we should consider? Under some circumstances, God commands us to not judge. Under some circumstances God commands that we must judge! And under some circumstances He simply advises us to use good judgment, or to judge carefully what we should do.)

What Can We Learn About Judgment?

We usually think of “judging, and judgment,” only in a negative sense: The unbelieving World acts as if “all judgment is bad.” (But is it?)

Jesus is the Judge of all things, and over all the World. Genesis 18:25, says Abraham recognized Him, face to face, as the Judge of all the earth. And, in John 5:22 Jesus confirmed that He, Himself, God the Son…is that Judge!

So, it follows, at the very least, that not all judgment is “bad.” Further, we use the same word, saying, “One has to exercise good judgment, to avoid the snares and bad decisions in life!” So, we admit, by our words, that there is such a thing as “good judgment.”

But then we insist that “there must be a different kind of judging, that Jesus condemned!”

Perhaps we need to examine the various Greek words used in the New Testament, and translated as “judge, judging, or judgment,” to see what Jesus truly said about the matter:

Several Greek Roots for the New Testament Passages about Judgment:

Primary Greek Root: Krinō

Krinō is the infinitive verb, “to judge.” It includes, but is not limited to, the concept of condemning. It also includes the concept of making a good decision or discerning between good and bad.

Krinō can also include making an authoritative decree as a Judge, in a civil matter, or making a weighty decision in church matters, that calls for “good judgment.” Or it can even mean just “stating an opinion.” (Krinō is used 110 times in various grammatical forms, and it is translated as “judge” 87 of those times.)

Secondary Greek Root: Krima

This means to judge or condemn. (This is where we get our English words, “crime,” “criminal,” and “incriminate.”.) (It is used only 29 times…and it is translated as “judgment” 13 of those times. The other uses are mostly “condemnation” or “damnation.”)

So, in the following passages, we hope to examine examples of each of those ideas and the particular grammatical changes in the Greek root.

Four Other Greek Roots:

Hegeomai: This means “to consider.” It is only used once in the New Testament, and it carries the idea of “regarding,’ or ‘considering” Hebrews 11:11 (about the faith of Sara) “…because she judged Him faithful Who had promised.” We rarely use this form in modern English, but it was once quite common. (“We judged that a quart of water ought to be enough to prime the pump…”)

There are others: (dikē) is related to the concept of the judgment of a ruler. (It is only used in that way nine times.)

A few other examples related to the concept of knowledge or thinking: (three from the Greek root “gnosko.”) Or the concept of perception, (one from the Greek word “aesthesis.”)

The Majority of Biblical Examples Come from “Krinō”

The majority of the occurrences of the English words, “judge,” or “judgment” in the New Testament are from the root “Krinō,” in various grammatical forms. Here are five examples:

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (This verse is most commonly quoted.) (krinete with negative prefix “mē.”) but “krima” (condemnation) appears in the very next verse: “with what judgment (krima) you judge (krinō) ye shall be judged (krinō)….” So, the “krinō” judgment, in this context, is connected to “krima,” implying condemnation.

Matthew 19:28 Judging, as righteous, ordained Judges… (Jesus said that the apostles would serve as judges over Israel.”…ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”) (krinontes…judging)

Acts 13:46 Judge: (krinō, krinete) (meaning, to “give an opinion:” especially an authoritative opinion…a judgment) “…ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life…”, and

Acts 15:19 “Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.” (“Sentence,” here, is from the word “krinete”… meaning “judgment.”)

John 18:31 “Pilate said, take Him and judge Him according to your law.” (“Judge,” here, is from “krinate” meaning “to sit in Judgment”…in court)

There are Various Concepts of Judgment

1^st Corinthians 6:1-8 is a very good passage within which to see the various uses of the verb “krinō.”

¹Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law (krinesthai) before the unjust, and not before the saints? ²Do ye not know that the saints shall judge (krinousin)the world? and if the world shall be judged (krinetai) by you, are ye unworthy to judge (kritērion)the smallest matters? ³Know ye not that we shall judge (krinoumen) angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

⁴If then ye have judgments (kritēria) of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge (the word “judge” is not in the original, it is only implied by the context…it literally just says, “set them up”) who are least esteemed in the church. ⁵I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge (diakrinai) between his brethren?

⁶But brother goeth to law (krinetai) with brother, and that before the unbelievers. ⁷Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law (krinata) one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? ⁸Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

Multiple Uses: Multiple Implications

We can see that there are ten different uses, with six or eight different implications, all lumped under the Biblical word “judgment,” just in that one passage!

Go to judgment in a legal court
Judge over the world, in righteousness.
To Judge as an arbiter of justice between people of the world
Judge as one having to make decisions by good judgment: discernment.
Judge over angels (!) No idea where that takes place.
Judgments as court cases…civil disagreements.
Judge as an arbitrator.
Take to court, as opponents

Not all of these examples are negative. God advises some, and commands others, while He prohibits still others. We must read carefully and understand the context, to know what kind of “judgment” is in question.

Another Example:

Romans 14:1-4 gives a pair ofconflicting opinions that may arise between believers. And Paul says that they are not to “judge” each other over such issues.

“¹ Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful (“diakrisis:” judgmental) disputations. ²For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

³Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge (“me krinetō”not judge) him that eateth: for God hath received him.

⁴Who art thou that judgest (“krinōn” judging) another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

⁵One man esteemeth (“krinei” judges…considers) one day above another: another esteemeth (“krinei” judges…considers) every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”

So, there we see another four applications of the word “krinō.”

Hold in Disregard
Criticize
Condemn
Consider (judging something to be a certain way.)

What Did Jesus Mean?

Jesus said, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” I would have guessed that the word He used was “krima,” meaning condemn, as a criminal. But it is not: The word is actually the Greek word “krinē.” And, in the subsequent verse, he uses two other forms of the same root word, “krinō”

He says those who believe on Him (meaning “trust in Him as Savior”) are not judged (“ou krinetai…not condemned,” KJV) but that those who do not believe are already judged (“kekritai…condemned,” KJV) because they have not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

So, we can see that the range of meaning in the infinitive verb krinō (“to judge”) is pretty huge!

Different Kinds of Judges

No one condemns a person for taking a position as a livestock judge in a county fair, or, if they are qualified to do so, a judge in any contest. We require a referee or an umpire, in most sporting events. Sometimes we employ electronic devices to eliminate errors due to human failings. But the judges are still there. And we want them there!

No law-abiding person condemns another person for taking a position as a Judge in a court of Law. We only require that they do that job with integrity and justice; entirely following the law. Kindness and Mercy are additional qualities we admire in a good judge. We see Patience, in listening carefully to testimonies from upset, confused people, as another good trait.

Jesus is that sort of Judge.

He is perfect, and Holy, but He is kind, and just. His Mercy and Love took Him to the Cross to blot out the Holy judgment against us: not by denying it, but by fulfilling it. His blood, spilled at the Cross, fulfilled the righteous demands of His Holiness and made it possible for us to approach Him through that Blood Sacrifice.

We need to learn to emulate Jesus, the One perfect Judge, so that we do not fail to judge correctly and do not exceed His judgment and begin to condemn others.

Lord Jesus, take each of us in hand: Correct our heart attitudes toward those around us. Help us to Love as you Love, and not to harbor ill-will. Free us from our slavery to sin.

February 23, 2024February 23, 2024

How to be Emissaries of God

Emissaries of God

1^st Corinthians 4:17-21

¹⁷For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

¹⁸Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

¹⁹But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

²¹What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

Introduction:

Several times in our studies, we have seen Timothy mentioned as a companion in Paul’s travels, or as his fellow laborer. But this time, Paul states the reason Timothy was sent… the service that Timothy was to carry out. And, implicit in the assignment, is the authority of God backing His Emissaries.

What is an Emissary? The Dictionary defines an Emissary as “a person sent on a mission to represent another.” Paul was also such a person, then. So are the missionaries we support. So are we all, in the general sense. God has called each of us, individually and collectively, to be Ambassadors of Christ, according to 2^nd Corinthians 5:20.

Timothy had a more specific assignment: He was to remind the people (to re-teach the believers) exactly what Paul had taught them originally. He had some other responsibilities as well.

When Jesus sent the eleven apostles, He authorized them to teach and to make disciples in all the world. He specifically commanded them to teach the believers all that He, Himself, had taught the Apostles. He said that they were to teach the believers to behave according to that teaching.

What Were Timothy’s Instructions?

We read in 1^st Timothy 1:2-20 that Paul gave Timothy some very specific tasks when he sent him to Ephesus. He was to straighten out some tendencies toward false teaching and corrupt behavior that were springing up in that church.

In 1^st Timothy 3:1-8, Paul instructed Timothy regarding how to select and appoint church leadership. (Ordination is not a “popularity contest.” It is not a “general election.” Timothy sorted out the character of the men in question. He determined by scripture who God had raised up to perform that work.

Then he appointed them publicly, and he recognized that calling. That entire process of examining the character and publicly recognizing such a person as an elder (a pastor) is called “ordination.” We see that both Timothy and Titus were commanded to “ordain elders (plural) in every church” (singular.)

More Specific Instructions

Incidentally, 1^st Timothy 4:12-16 underscores this concept. God sent Timothy, but Paul and other elders appointed, and recognized him. Because he had God’s backing as evidenced by prophecy and public ordination, he was to remember that other people’s opinion of his “youth” was no longer a valid concern. Paul told him to allow no one to despise his youth. Instead, Paul said to devote himself to being a good example for the believers, in every way.

“¹²Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. ¹³Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. ¹⁴Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. ¹⁵Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. ¹⁶Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Can we List His Instructions?

Let no man despise your youth.
Be an example for the believers,
- in word
- in conversation
- in charity
- in spirit
- in faith
- in purity
Until I come, give attendance to
- Reading
- Exhortation
- Doctrine (teaching)
Don’t Neglect the gift that is in you.
- In Timothy’s case, prophecy revealed the gift, The elders of his home church ordained him. (Presbytery is a transliteration of the Greek word “presbuteros,” meaning “elders.”)
Meditate upon these things.
- Give yourself completely to the assignment.
- In this way, the spiritual blessing and flourishing in your life will be obvious to all those around you.
Pay close attention to yourself, and to what you are teaching.
- Continue with this assignment and lifestyle.
- The result will be salvation for your hearers as well as yourself.
  - (“salvation” has three different tenses: what is meant, here?)

Can We Apply this Assignment to Ourselves?

We are Ambassadors of Christ. There is no question that, at least in some regards, all of this could apply to each of us. One thing I would immediately point out is that we are ambassadors of Christ, directly. We are not to be concerned with whether the Apostle Paul is going to show up in our presence and sharply rebuke us: (He is already doing so in the pages of the Book you hold in your hands!)

But we are to be cognizant of the truth that Jesus is going to return, without further warning, and our opportunity for faithful, voluntary service in this life will end forever. God has given you a gift, but it must be used today, in this life.

We cannot keep “putting off” the idea that we are servants of God, or thinking, “Well, I will do some growing, first, and then I will see how He wants me to serve!” No: the call of God is a “come as you are” event! He wants us to start where we are, today, and then allow Him to do the “cleaning up and straightening out” that is needed in each of our lives.

Choose Obedience First

When Isaiah’s call came in Isaiah 6:1-8, God said “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” And Isaiah immediately replied, “Here am I Lord! Send me!” Notice that Isaiah did not know what the assignment would be. He volunteered first, and then waited while God told him the assignment!

Paul gave Timothy and Titus a very specific ministry: He sent them to travel from church to church, to straighten out doctrinal problems and behavioral issues, and to set up qualified leadership in every church.

They were not pastors. They had an itinerant ministry, whereas the pastors (elders, overseers…always plural) did not. Paul gave the elders strict instructions to “stay put.” He told them to feed (tend) the flock they served. (Acts 20:28-31)

But God calls every believer to be an ambassador! He appointed every believer a priest in the Body of Christ. As such, He calls us to bring spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, as well as prayers for the other believers and the unbelievers around us. He re specifically commands us to pray for the leaders of the unbelieving world, as well as for the salvation of others.

Every believer has assignments that are specific to him or her alone. God calls each of us to a life of intentional discipleship, learning to follow Christ, and applying His written Word to our lives.

False Teachers

Some teachers rebel against sound teaching, and they teach others to reject God’s Word. Some go so far as to teach that Jesus will not physically return, but only will come in some mystic fashion and permeate the world with His presence in that way. Several cults teach something along this line of thinking. But it is a lie: He will return! He will return physically and visibly, as predicted in Zechariah 12:10 and Zechariah 14:3-5, and where He places his feet (on the Mount of Olives) will split wide open! (There is nothing “mystical” about that!)

The irony is that some of the very people who once taught that Jesus would never return (or that He had already returned in some invisible, mysterious fashion, but would not return physically) will be there, at the end of the Tribulation, to see Him physically return! They will be unable to “go back and change their minds.” Judgment will arrive with Jesus! No one will escape. Whatever they have done and whatever they have become will be permanent at that point.

Paul warned the rebels in Corinth that he would be coming to town to confront them personally. This is a good picture for us of the same warning that is given to the world today. Jesus will return and Judgment comes with Him!

God’s Word is not just rhetoric, not just wishful thinking: the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day had wonderful things to say, promising God’s intervention and saying that the siege of Jerusalem would fail. But God showed that their words were just that: “their words!” He said that they did “dream dreams,” but that they caused the dreams themselves! (Jeremiah 29:8)

So, What is the Difference?

God’s Word is not of human origin! His Word accomplished what He sent it to do! Romans 1:16 says that the Gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto Salvation to them that believe.” We have seen how God’s power has transformed each of our lives to varying degrees, and we can read the scriptural account of how the disciples were transformed. They were terrified men, hiding for fear of execution, when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they were changed into fearless advocates of Christ, cheerfully accepting whatever it cost them to follow Jesus.

Paul says the Kingdom of God is not just about words, but about power…specifically, the power to make things happen! (I had thought the word for “power,” here, might be the Greek word, “exousia,” meaning “authority,” but it is not. It is the Greek word, “dunamis:” meaning, “the “ability to make things happen, physically.”

Paul knew that, if necessary, God would work through him to bring judgment on the rebels at Corinth. As an Apostle, he carried tremendous authority. In my case, I have no such authority. All I have is God’s Written Word. But the Authority behind the Written Word of God is the Living Word of God: Jesus Christ!

His Word will be fulfilled, to the letter! All we can do is either align ourselves with His Word, or ignore His Word, and eventually find that He is forced to oppose us!

Paul’s Conclusion

Paul asked the Corinthian believers how they wanted Him to arrive: In Gentleness and love, or, in Judgment and heavy consequences? We can ask ourselves the same question: When we see Jesus, will we be grateful, glad, and blessed to finally see Him face to face, or will we be dismayed and sorry to have wasted our lives in foolish pursuits?

The choice is ours, and we make our choices every day. We choose, moment by moment, how to respond to Jesus, the Living Word of God, by the way we respond to what we know of His Written Word.

We need to re-read these passages and meditate upon what they mean in our individual lives. God grant that we will make good choices as a result. He says that good choices in this area will result in our own deliverance, and will result in deliverance for others, as well. Our lives always affect others. Consider how your life will affect those in your sphere of influence. Will it turn hearts to Jesus, or will it turn them away?

Lord Jesus, awaken our hearts to follow You faithfully and act as Your Emissaries: Your Ambassadors. Teach us to use our lives wisely, so as to receive Your blessing.

How Do I Know All of the Bible is For Me? (Part 3)

Introduction

What About the Gospels?

But, What about Us? The Church?

But, What about the Parables?

What can we Learn in the Gospels?

Matthew: Jesus the King!

Mark: Jesus the Servant!

Luke: Jesus the Son of Man!

John: Jesus the Eternal God

So, What About The Book of Acts?

Then, What about the Church Epistles?

Are there any Exceptions?

Finally, What About the Revelation?

Chapters 2 and 3 are TO the Church:

Warnings

Promises

Exhortations

The Prophecy of the End Times

Conclusion

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

How Do I Know all of the Bible is For Me? (Part 2-1/2)

Romans 7:13; Romans 8:2 and many others…

Introduction

But, What About The Law?

Then What Value Does the Law Hold for Us, Today?

“Ditch 1:”

“Ditch 2”

“Staying between the Ditches”

Justified by Faith

What About “The Law of Sin and Death?”

How Can We Be Free?

What About the Prophetic Books?

Daniel

Isaiah

God’s Purpose in the Suffering of Christ

The Result of His Suffering

Jeremiah

And the Rest!

How Do I Know the Bible is For Me? (Part 2)

Introduction:

Who is it For?

What About the “Personal” Books?

What About the “Meditations and Wisdom” Portions?

What Should We Do With Them?

Wisdom is Practical

But, What About The Law?

Then What Value Does the Law Hold for Us, Today?

“Ditch 1:”

“Ditch 2”

“Staying between the Ditches”

The Law Still Stands!

What About The Law of Sin and Death?

What About the Prophets?

A Question of Identity: Who Are the “Unrighteous?”

1st Corinthians 6:9-11

Introduction

Definition of Biblical Terms

Defined by God: Observed by Behavior and Character

Our Past

So…What Changed?

But Ye Are Washed!

Ye Are Sanctified!

Ye Are Justified!

How Can We Avail Ourselves of the Righteousness Of God?

Do You Desire to be Declared Righteous by God?

The Resulting Reward

1st Corinthians 5:1-13

Pride was the Problem!

Introduction:

Things to Bear in Mind

What Do We See in 1st Corinthians, chapter 5?

This Was Open, Public, Flagrant Sin

This Was Not a “Questionable” Issue

Pride is Still the Root of the Problem

And, it still is the problem, today!

What is the Goal of this Warning?

No Hierarchy of Sin

What is the Real issue?

Judgment, Justice, Grace, and Mercy

**How Do I Know All of the Bible is For Me? (Part 3)**

**How Do I Know all of the Bible is For Me? (Part 2-1/2)**

**But, What About The Law?**

**But, What About The Law?**

1^st Corinthians 6:9-11

1^st Corinthians 5:1-13

What Do We See in 1^st Corinthians, chapter 5?

**This Was Not a “Questionable” Issue**

**What is the Goal of this Warning?**

**Why is His Death Good News?**

**Why is His Burial Good News?**

**What is The Result of the Resurrection?**

2^nd Thessalonians 1:4-12

(2^nd Thessalonians 1:10)