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.