The Humility of the Cross

1^st Corinthians 1:25-31

²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

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

²⁷But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

²⁸And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

²⁹That no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

³¹That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Introduction:

Remember that this book is to all people who have responded to Jesus Christ in Faith…not just some specific group. (See verse 2.) That does not change the fact that some passages address things that were specific to the Church at Corinth. It simply reminds us that such passages are the exception rather than the rule.

In verses 10-13, we saw the warning against the arrogance that was already polluting the local assembly, as they divided themselves over who their respective mentors had been.

Paul made it clear that such divisions were wrong, and he begged them to knock it off. He went on to point out that the Gospel is always “counter-cultural.” There is no culture among the human race that will not find themselves condemned by the “bad news” of the Gospel: But the “bad news” is what makes the “good news” become truly GOOD NEWS! And the result is clear: The ground at the foot of the Cross is level. There is no room for pride there!

How was Pride Set Aside?

Paul says that God has already destroyed the “wisdom” of the “wise men” of this world. He has brought to nothing the understanding of those who think they “know it all.” He has made their collective “wisdom” utterly foolish. It is a “fatal brand” of foolishness.

The key reason that the “wisdom” of this world turns out to be foolishness, is that, at no point does it actually address the true need of the human race. At no point does it admit, “We cannot solve our problems: We need the Grace of the Creator to straighten out this mess.” Thus, in verse 21, God points out that the “wisdom” of man failed to lead people to saving faith. In fact, it universally turns people away from the Savior! It is a shameful thing, not a good thing!

So, God decreed that the way He would reach the Human Race is through the “foolishness of Preaching.” (Never through human wisdom!)

How is Faith Connected to Preaching?

In Romans 10:13-17, We see that “Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord (in faith) shall be saved.” But then it asks a series of logical questions: “How shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?…how shall they hear, without a preacher (someone to “declare His name” to them.) And how shall they preach except they be sent? Then, verse 17 concludes that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

But that also means that we who preach are “tarred with the same brush” as those to whom we preach. We are not better than the people we try to reach: We are sinners who have received forgiveness and who, as a result, have become the Ambassadors of Christ.

We are beggars who have been fed and we now tell other beggars where to find that free food! But, in that foundational transaction of Grace and Faith, we have also become literally the “children of God.” (Not by adoption, which will happen in the future, but by the New Birth, which has already happened, and by which we now legitimately address our Creator as “Father.”) (There is no “Universal Fatherhood” of God. Jesus told the Jews (John 8:44) “Ye are of your father, the Devil…”) We have become His children through the New Birth!

What is The Foolishness of God?

The world sees the Gospel as foolishness. They hold the whole Bible in disdain, except for portions they think might be socially productive. They advocate a teaching that builds “morality and peace,” but they want to leave out the God whose Holiness demands Morality and whose Blood paved the way for Peace. Such people claim to desire peace, but they reject the Prince of Peace.

A man once told me he would like to see two church services: one for those who only want to embrace the social mores and ethics and Judeo-Christian values, and another for those who want to talk about “God and Jesus and that stuff.”

I told him that I would want nothing to do with a church like that. He was offended, and demanded, “Why??”

I replied, “If you take Christ out of Christianity, all that is left is a gutted, rotting corpse!” Jesus Christ is not only the “historical source of the name, Christianity: He is the only reason it works at all!

He alone has the power to change us from the inside and to make us into the Men and Women of God He has called us to be! He is the only one who can give eternal life to sinners and make us into His Saints… His personal property, to be used by Him alone!

What is The Weakness of God?

Throughout our study of the Old Testament, we have seen that the leaders God chose were frequently very flawed individuals. We saw that His power is what won battles and overcame evil and even death itself. All this, though He chose to use such weak vessels. And, He chose to do so especially so that the world could see that it was His Power, not that of the people through whom He chose to work.

What is Our Calling

Paul pointed out that not many Christians were noted “wise men,” before they were saved. Not many were “mighty” from the world’s perspective. Not many were “Noble” from the world’s perspective. (Queen Victoria is said to have commented “I am saved by the letter ‘M.’ If Paul had said ‘not any noble,’ then I could not be saved…but he said, ‘not many noble. Thus, I am saved by the letter ‘M’!”)

But the point Paul makes, in all of this, is that we have nothing to boast about on our own.

Foolish Things, Chosen by God

He says that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.” He does not usually work through the “highly educated,” so much as through the “highly humble:” Those who recognize that they have no wisdom of their own and who yield themselves to God, come what may, so that He can work through them. They are consistently able to “get out of God’s way and let Him work.”

John Bunyan, the author of the classic “A Pilgrim’s Progress,” spent more than twelve years in an English jail because he preached without approval from the Anglican Church.. He did not attend their school nor did he preach their message, so he was silenced under English law. Many other “heroes of the faith” were persecuted or executed for serving God without human approval.

Weak Things, Chosen by God

Remember how God used Gideon? Gideon was not a leader or a soldier: He was a scared young farmer trying to hide some grain from the Midianites. But God used him to defeat the Midianites. God used the Woman at the Well, in Sychar (John 4:7-39) to witness to many in her community. Not because she was “highly respected,” highly educated or a powerful speaker: She was a social reject: an outcast! But God chose to use her, and He received the Glory! She received Eternal life and the blessing of God. (She was also among the “things despised” mentioned here.)

Base Things, Chosen by God

God chose fishermen and farmers, tanners and itinerant fruit pickers to take His message to His people. Did he ever use kings? Surely, He did! But remember that the most famous king he used (King David) began life as the youngest in a family of shepherds. God delights in using the lowest members of human society to bring down those who think they are the “elite.”

Things Which Are Despised, but Chosen by God

This included the “Woman at the Well,” as we noted earlier. But it also includes the people in our own society who are scorned as “religious fools” by virtually everyone, but who have given themselves to the preaching of the Cross. They have steadily been winning souls to Christ. I have known some serious soul-winners who are taken lightly by others, even other believers, but who have been consistently used by God to draw others to safety in Christ.

What are the “Things Which Are Not?”

This might include prophetic utterance about things that currently do not exist. There is no “river proceeding from the temple mount in Jerusalem” today…but Ezekiel 47 says there will be one! When Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28) named Cyrus as the instrument of God who would provide for the rebuilding of the temple, that man did not exist. He was not born until nearly 180 years after the prophecy was given…but he did what God said he would do! (God used him!)

Why? That No Flesh Should Glory

One of the attributes of God is that He gives credit where credit is due, and does not give away the credit that is His alone. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The created things (including the Human Race) never take precedence over the Creator!

When an architect designs a new building, and it proves to be a magnificent edifice, that architect expects to get the credit. (It doesn’t always happen. Sometimes the wealthy people who paid for the construction take credit as if they thought of all the innovations and special features, and designed it all by themselves.)

But God says that He is a jealous God. In Isaiah 42:8, He says, “My Glory will I not give to another!” And the first commandment says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” He forbids idolatry at every level: Even our attempting to take credit for what He alone has done, is an arrogance and a foolishness that is forbidden by God.

Romans 3:27 “Where Then, is Boasting? It is Excluded!”

There is no place left where pride is appropriate in our lives. We are fully aware that all we have has been provided by our Creator. All we are, as believers, is due to His Grace and His Power. All we have to offer to anyone else is that which He has already provided to us! There is no place for Pride. Pride is universally condemned as sin, throughout the Bible. That is one reason the World hates God’s Word: it condemns human pride.

Romans 3:9 says, “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.”

There is a place for boasting, but not about ourself or any other human. It is “of Him” that we are in Christ! I did nothing to earn that position: it was offered as a gift, and I received it as a gift.

Verse 30 goes on to explain that Jesus (by God’s design) has become unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption. Jesus Christ is our source of Wisdom. His righteousness was transferred to us the day we trusted in Him as our Savior. It is only through His sacrifice that God has declared us to be holy. (That is what “sanctified” means!) And it is only through His sacrifice that we now have redemption. Some people think we are waiting for redemption. Our bodies are waiting for redemption, but we ourselves are already redeemed. (How do I know?)

Ephesians 1:7 says so! (It is written in the present tense: “In whom (in Christ) we HAVE Redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace.”)

So, what is left for us, about which we can boast? Only Jesus!

He that Glorieth, Let Him Glory in the Lord!

How do we “Glory in the Lord?”

When we “boast” of the glory of God, and tell of His Omnipotent Power, and His All-sufficient Grace, what are we really doing? We are telling people about Jesus! We are being a witness to others regarding the person and work of the Savior. Which is precisely the occupation to which ALL of us have been assigned! We are called to rejoice in His person and His presence. And we are called to tell others about it!

It seems appropriate that we should be thinking of these things constantly, as well, so that they will naturally overflow from our lives.

Lord Jesus, please fill us with the Joy of Your presence, and constrain our hearts to obedience to the Great Commission. Let us see the world around us through Your eyes, and care for the souls around us as You care for them.

November 4, 2023November 5, 2023

Brief Introduction to Paul’s 1st Epistle to the Corinthians

Introduction to 1^st Corinthians

1^st Corinthians 1:1-9

¹ Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

²Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s:

³Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

⁵That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

⁶Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

⁷So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

⁸Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Historical and Geographical Background: What do We Know About Corinth?

Corinth was an ancient city positioned at a very narrow isthmus in the southern end of the Grecian Peninsula. That Isthmus separates the Ionian Sea on the West from the Aegean Sea on the East. It is such a low, narrow isthmus that it was actually cheaper and safer to pull the old wooden cargo boats out of the water onto log rollers, and use teams of oxen to transport the ships across the isthmus, than to simply sail around the headland.

Thus, Corinth had several booming businesses going: Ship’s masters paid the owners of the transport service for their services. Furthermore, the Ship’s quartermasters doubtless bought supplies while they were in port. And, finally, the sailors themselves, if allowed a port leave, did what sailors have done throughout the centuries. They ran into town and blew their wages on sin of various kinds. (What kinds, you may ask? In the interest of honoring God, we will not delve into particulars, except to point out that the town’s biggest “business” was the Temple of Aphrodite located there.

As a matter of historical interest, I looked this up in our old Britannica Encyclopedia. I read there, that, in its heyday, that temple employed 10,000 temple prostitutes, both male and female. So, effectively, the entire town was a pit of evil! Therefore it is not surprising to see that the church that was planted there faced many problems associated with carnality.

How Did Paul Happen to Come There?

If we go back and read through Acts 16 and 17, we see that Paul planted a small church in Philippi, but it cost him and Silas a public beating and a brief imprisonment. He left there and he and Silas ended up in Thessalonica. He planted a church there, too, but again was driven out by the violent response of the unbelieving Jews: they were his kinsmen according to the flesh, but they were enemies of the Gospel.

Then he and Silas went to Berea, and they were in process of planting a church there, when the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica caught up with them (Paul, Silas and Timothy by this time) and Paul was again forced to leave. (Silas and Timothy stayed and taught.)

Paul went alone to Athens, a place already famous for worldly wisdom, learning, and philosophy. The sermon he preached there has been praised ever since, by homiletics teachers and modern preachers. Why? Because it did such a “slick” job of “sneaking the gospel in there, sideways,” But that sermon had nearly zero fruit, and Paul left town without planting a church. He went directly from there to Corinth, just about three miles away. And, he had learned something!

**What was Different when Paul Preached in Corinth?**

Paul says in 1^st Corinthians 1:17 that he was sent there “…not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the preaching of the Cross be made of none effect!”

He took to heart the poor response at Athens, and rather than blaming the hard hearts of the Athenian philosophers, he saw that he had made an error in judgment: In 1^st Corinthians 2:1, 2, he said, “¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. ²For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

So, his approach was different, and the result was different. The Corinthian church was still riddled with sin, as a direct result of the environment in which they lived and everything they thought was “normal.”

The result, for us,is two fairly lengthy letters. And the content of both letters is nearly all some sort of corrective teaching.

Introduction to Chapter One:

Notice how Paul introduces himself and his co-laborer, Sosthenes: “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,”

You may notice in your Bible that the words “to be” are in italics. That indicates that the italicized words are not in the original manuscript, but were added by the translators, to make the passage fit English grammar and usage. This is a good example of such a thing, and we can easily see the reason they were added.

In English, if I said, “I am called a pastor.” It might mean, “that’s what people say about me, but it isn’t necessarily true.” But the sense of the word “called”, in Greek is not “that’s what people say,” but rather “God called me to do this: I didn’t appoint myself!” He was called by God, through the will of God. We will see a similar thing in verse two, where we find that all believers are called by God to be Saints…His holy People.

What about Sosthenes?

Notice, too, that while he includes “Sosthenes,” as a believing brother and implies that he is his co-worker, he makes no further mention. Paul was the apostle, writing the epistle. He simply acknowledged that he was not alone in the work: Sosthenes was with him. Why would that be important? Because, if we read Acts 18:17, we see that Sosthenes had (briefly) been the chief ruler of the Synagogue in Corinth. Why “briefly?” Because the previous “Chief Ruler of the Synagogue,” Crispus, according to Acts 18:8 had become a Christian, a believer in Jesus!

Evidently that disqualified Crispus as leader of the Synagogue! And, in Acts 18:12-17, we saw that as an unbelieving Jew (at that time) Sosthenes (the new leader) was part of the widespread insurrection of the unbelieving Jews in Corinth. They seized Paul and dragged him into court, before Gallio. But it turned out that Gallio was not at all sympathetic.

What happened to Sosthenes?

Sosthenes, along with his fellow leaders, were driven out of the court by Gallio, because Gallio, as the Roman governor, had zero interest in Jewish Law! And the unbelieving Greeks, there, savagely beat Sosthenes, right in front of the judgment seat…and Gallio didn’t care!

So, this man Sosthenes had gone from being the leader of the unbelieving Jews in Corinth to being a disciple of the Lord Jesus and a co-worker with Paul! Did the beating somehow “wake him up?” We don’t know. But that specific testimony to the believers at Corinth had great importance, and it glorified God immensely, as Sosthenes had once been their enemy!

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

**Notice the people listed:**

First, it is not to “the pastor,” nor to the “leaders.” It is to the Church of God at Corinth.
1. Church, singular.
But it includes…
1. Them (plural) that are sanctified (set apart for God’s private use!) who are
1. Called to be Saints! (Declared to be Holy to God!) AND
All (everyone!) that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord
1. Their Lord and Ours!

Do you see how the entire Body of Christ is included, for all time? If you have placed your exclusive trust in Jesus Christ as “God’s chosen sacrifice” for your sins, then, according to this verse, this letter is most definitely to YOU! Please take it as God speaking to you! Are there some passages that were specific to just Corinth? Absolutely, there are! And we will come to them. But this letter is to the entire Church, the Body of Christ at large! (Keep that in mind!)

And What is the “Wish of God” for Us?

³Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is always given in that order: Grace, then Peace. It is impossible to experience the Peace of God, or even Peace with God, apart from first being the recipients of His Grace. In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: Not as the World giveth, give I unto You. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (How important is that Peace to you? This verse tells us the beginning of how to receive it. Receive His Grace!)

Paul thanks God for the Church:

Why? What is he thankful for? (vs. 4-8)

“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;”

That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge. (v. 5)
The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, (v. 6) so that
1. Ye come behind in no gift (v. 7) (and you are….)
1. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: (v. 7)
(The Lord Jesus Christ) Who shall also confirm you unto the end, (v. 8) that
1. ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s Break that Down, Point by Point:

As we have already observed, this letter is to you: It is to us! That means that this verse says we are not lacking any gift that God has offered: He is the One True Shepherd, and He is protecting and feeding His Flock! He sends under-shepherds (such as myself and the other leaders, here) to “carry the buckets of Sheep Food,” and to work as His servants, protecting and guiding the flock, but the flock is always to be under His hand…we are not free to just expound our own ideas. They have to come from Him, through His Word!

How was the testimony confirmed? The believers at Corinth saw the transformed lives of those who believed, and they saw the miraculous defense God gave the newborn church through an unbelieving Governor. They saw the transformation of Sosthenes, and the growth of the Church, there at Corinth. They saw the gifts of the Holy Spirit beginning to be evident in their assembly, and they saw that God was giving the knowledge of His Word, to feed them.

How About Today?

The Testimony of Christ has been confirmed here in our little assembly in similar ways. When our unbelieving governor said that because of Covid, Oregon churches could have no more than 30 people in attendance, we called the Chief of Police in our town, and he stated that the only reason he or any of his officers would be coming to our church is to worship with us! That is a prety amazing response!

We, too, have seen the transformed lives, and the answers to prayer!

As he wrote to them, they were joyfully pressing forward, waiting for the Coming of the Lord. (So are we!) And they knew that HE is the One who will cause them to appear before Him, blameless, in that day. (So do we! That is our hope, too!)

Were they “Perfect Christians,” then? (Had they “Arrived?”) Most emphatically, NO! They were one of the most carnal churches Paul ever dealt with. But they were eternally secure in Christ, because Jesus was the One who promised to “confirm them to the end.” The result is that they WILL “be blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And that is our confidence as well!

Paul’s Conclusion:

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

The same God who called you to faith in Jesus is the One who makes these promises. He is utterly faithful, and He will draw you along to walk with Him, and to serve Him in fellowship and partnership with Jesus.

Yes, He does call us to Service and to Holiness, but His promise is sure: We will appear before Him, dressed in His righteousness, not our own, and we are bound to Him eternally by His Love, not by our own feeble efforts, or by our own vacillating love and faith. He is the Faithful One!

We need to keep these promises in mind as we study this epistle, and every day realize that these promises are to us! To you! To me! Don’t lose sight of the Faithfulness of the God who has called you into the light of His Son!

Lord Jesus, we ask that you secure our hearts against the attacks of the evil one, and stay our minds upon the Promises of Your Word!

October 31, 2023October 31, 2023

The Question of Religion, You, Me, and Jesus Christ

Religion, You, Me, and Jesus Christ

Passages Cited, in the Order Used:

Romans 5:1-4; Acts 25:19; Acts 26:5; Amos 5:21; Amos 8:10; Acts 17:22-23; Colossians 2:16; Hebrews 10:11; James 1:26, 27; 2^nd Peter 3:15; 2^nd Peter 3:9; 1^st Peter 3:15-16.

Introduction:

As we find our way through this rapidly changing world, what we knew as reality, 20 or 30 years ago, is vastly different today. Let’s face it: ten years ago, the landscape we faced in our everyday society was foreign to what we see today. (Remember that I am communicating this to you from the viewpoint of a grey-haired, slightly past middle-aged man.)

Think about what we see on a daily basis. There are more tents along our highways and even on city sidewalks than we have in our forest parks! The State of Oregon, (and, in particular, the City of Portland) has made it legal to use hard narcotics right on our city streets. It is no wonder that the young people of today are having problems getting the footholds in today’s society, that most of us were able to attain at the same age.

Old vs. New

Many of us were born and raised in Northwest Oregon, where, as teenagers and younger, we picked strawberries and other crops for summer employment. This is how we purchased our school clothes for the next year. I’m not sure precisely what today’s employment laws are, but I know, today, a pair of Levi’s jeans can cost $50 or $60, and they already have holes in them!

So, I have said all this to show compassion for the “twenty-somethings” of today, and when they show up in church, my heart goes out to them immediately.

What Else has Changed?

I have been lucky enough to have received 98% of my Bible teaching at True Hope Christian Fellowship. I have been to a few other churches, where I was always greeted by a charming and charismatic person, and they were always polite and “bubbly.”

Then, after we sang some songs, I waited for the teaching; but it never materialized! We were told of the great expansion of their church buildings, or how they were saving money to send a few lucky individuals to the Holy Land. But never about spreading the Gospel. I can look back, now, and see that we were not being taught the words of Christ, but rather, how to be a prosperous member of their congregation.

What was Missing?

Christ calls on each of us to be people of strong and upright character, regardless of our financial status. We are to put our faith in the Grace of God. In Romans 5:1-4, Paul tells us this: “¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

³Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Now, by “sufferings,” does he necessarily mean “suffering physical pain?” I don’t think so: He is referring to the trials and issues we deal with in everyday life. I believe we come out the other side stronger for it all.

Brothers and sisters, I do not mean to use this time to give “my life’s testimony.” But, my life is the best example I know of someone starting as an adult, and so completely ignorant of God. So there will be a reference or two of my experience. Please bear with me.

What About “Religion?”

I actually began this study, months ago, to better understand the word “Religion, and how it was used, Biblically. There is no word used in the Old Testament, that actually means “religion.” In the New Testament, as I read the NIV, there are five occurrences of the English word, religion.

The Latin root of the English word, “religion” is “religare” which means “to hold back” or “to restrain.” (What are we being held back from?)

In Greek, the root word is “threskeia” meaning “an outward expression of spiritual devotion.”

How is the Word used?

The word first appears in Acts 25:19 where Festus used the word describing to King Agrippa the accusations against Paul, and again in Acts 26:5, where Paul was defending himself before Festus and King Agrippa. He used the word, describing himself as an upstanding member of the Pharisees (prior to his conversion,) giving credibility to his testimony concerning Jesus Christ.

There are three more occurrences of the word Religion: all have reference to simple worship, and they are mostly in the NIV.

**And What About “being Religious?”**

My study became much more interesting when I moved my focus from “Religion” to “Religious.” Again, in the Old Testament, the KJV does not include a single use of the word. NIV has two, both in the Book of Amos. Both times, God was reprimanding Israel, for idol worship, ultimately. Amos 5:21 reads, “I hate, I despise your religious festivals. Your assemblies are a stench to me!” And Amos 8:10 says, “I will turn your religious festivals into mourning, and all of your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads.”

Now, through all of the Old Testament, we came to know that sackcloth and shaved heads were not signs of joy. (And idol worship does not sit well with God, ever!)

**How was this Word used?**

In Acts 17, Paul was brought before the Areopagus council in Athens. The “powers that be” in Athens, viewed Paul as nothing more than a babbler, advocating foreign gods and strange ideas. In Acts 17:22, 23, addressed the council, saying, “People of Athens, I see that in every way, you are very religious (KJV says “too superstitious”), for, as I walked around, and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown god.’ So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship.”

Paul went on to tell them that the One True God (who is Jesus) makes Himself available to them, but that they must come to know Him as such: The One True God. Paul tried to delineate between truth and superstition. Some of his audience believed, but most just sneered.

There are four more occurrences of the word “religious” in the NIV. You can find them in Colossians 2:16, Hebrews 10:11, and James 1:26, 27. All are in reference to unnecessary actions during festivals and rituals of repetitious prayers to gain attention.

God’s Call

Our Lord calls us to use His Word as a blueprint for our lives and families. Not all of us came to Christ at an early age: I had 40 years to learn how to be self-reliant, self-serving, and really proud of all that I was.

Our Lord is very patient with all of us. 2^nd Peter 3:15 says, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.”

Just how patient He is, is spelled out in the KJV, in 2^nd Peter 3:9 “⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, (to each of us) not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

What Changes Should Occur?

Brothers and sisters, Our Lord is never going to change. He is the same today as He was yesterday, and the same as He will be tomorrow. In order for us to experience the true measure of the Love He has for us, it is you and I who need to fit into His mold, not the other way around.

We all have differing testimonies as to how we came to faith, but I am lucky enough to know at what moment it took place. And, like all of you, I was made to be a new creation, having a new character, and a very new eternity!

What Makes the Change?

I came across a quote by Oswald Chambers, saying, “It is not the Baptism of the Holy Ghost which changes men, but the power of the Ascended Christ coming into men’s lives by the Holy Ghost, that changes them.” (AMEN!)

Let’s think about that for just a moment: We have the power of Jesus Christ in us. Obviously we cannot perform miracles or walk on water, but we can communicate with the Almighty God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

In the course of my study, I came across a statement by J. Vernon McGee: He told of a pastor friend who said, “When I came to Christ, I lost my religion!” (I agree!) I have seen, many times, that when a person labels someone else as “religious,” he himself has no faith.

What’s the Difference?

We are all well aware of our Lord’s command to share the Gospel. Maybe we could use the discussion about “religion” as a springboard to the Gospel, and explain what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ.

1^st Peter 3:15, 16 tells us, “But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Verse 15 says to share the message with “gentleness and respect,” not with a bunch of screaming or yelling, such as we may see on some platforms, or on television. Not all people are going to respond to the Good News in the same way. Evangelism is a process. It may be a different process for each person to be reached. That process may take five minutes, five days, or five years. The end result is worth it!

What is at Risk?

I recently lost a close family member…a cousin with whom I was very close. I had made several attempts to lead him to a discussion of eternal security. No matter what my lead-in was, his response was the same: He would tell me he believed in God, he believed in Jesus, and he even attended midnight mass a few times on Christmas Eve.

But if I asked him about a personal relationship with Christ, he would raise his hand, and start talking about his favorite sports team, of the week, or last year’s elk hunt, which are both good topics, but they do not remove you from your sins. I continue to have a weight on my shoulders, not knowing whether Steve will be waiting for me in Heaven.

What can be Gained?

I have a friend with whom I have spent countless hours and days, after more than 50 years of friendship. After losing my cousin, I was determined to know whether Dan knew Christ in an intimate manner. Dan is a Catholic, as was Steve. He and I speak of God often, but up until this time, we had never spoken of eternal security.

So, one day, when we were cutting firewood, I asked him directly, “Do you have Jesus, leading you to heaven?” He looked at me with a blank look on his face, and finally replied, “Randy, Jesus is all I’ve got! What else is there??” We both wept, and hugged one another.

I have read that “Religion is Man’s search for God, and the Gospel is God’s search for man.” That statement is one reason why, when someone asks me “what religion I am,” I respond that “I have no religion! I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!” I explain that I have put my faith in the Savior of the Bible. HE is the reason I attend Wednesday Bible Study, and Sunday morning service. HE is the reason I am standing in front of you now…(with my blood pressure way too high!)

What is the Result?

Almost all of you know that Cheryl, my wife, has terminal cancer. We have “put all our eggs in One Basket,” Jesus Christ! Yes, we still see a lot of doctors, but she nearly died from their answer to the cancer. I made them quit. They argued, but I refused to allow them to continue the chemotherapy and radiation. Those treatments work great for some, but for her, it took six weeks in the hospital to recover from the treatments.

Yes, she still has the cancer, and it is growing, but she is alive and at home. Had she continued the chemotherapy, she would not have recovered. Her oncologist is amazed at how well she is doing. She is alive, and we are together! The Oncologist knows what part we want him to play, and he is good with it.

You who are sitting in front of me now are a huge part of my therapy! I would not do well without you. Many times I have walked through the doors of this building, and it is almost as though I can smell Love! I nearly always arrive early, because I know I have some burdens to shed, before I go before the Lord. I know that greeting my brothers and sisters in Christ is so much sweeter after I have “had a drink of Jesus!”

Who is the Master?

As I go on with my words, some of you may think I am “really a godly man.” Far from it! I am very, very human. My choices have led me to some really dark places. Believe me when I tell you, “I have seen the pit!” But, for some reason, unbeknownst to me, Christ reached out and plucked me from oblivion. And this was many years before I even knew that I needed Jesus Christ! But I can look back now, and see it for what it was. He had a place, in His will, where He wanted me: and I found it! At least for right now, He wants me at True Hope Christian Fellowship.

Channel Markers

God will give you “channel markers” to follow in your life. Just as you would follow such markers when navigating a river, in a boat, you should follow His leading. If you look, you will find them in the scriptures. But as I have found, you will not “absorb them through osmosis.”

You must be in the Word, to find your way! You must follow the light of Christ, and learn to skip over the pitfalls that the enemy sets for you. The Word of God will give you inspiration in times when your life seems empty. It will give you solace and comfort when your world seems full of bitterness and pain. God’s Word gives us a place to gather as His children, and in the Love that is the Person of Jesus Christ.

One last thing: Just as Peter did (and as I have done today,) “Get out of the boat, and keep your eyes on Christ!”

Thank you all!

October 9, 2023October 9, 2023

We are Called to Prayer and Service

2^nd Thessalonians 3:1-5

¹Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: ²And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. ³But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. ⁴And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. ⁵And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Introduction:

Last week we ended our study of 2^nd Thessalonians 2, We were looking at the last three verses. We asked, “What should be the result of our having become chosen in Christ?”

As you know, this epistle was a letter to the church at Thessalonica. It had no chapter or verse divisions. So, whatever was being discussed at the end of one chapter usually led into what would begin the next. (For example, we read the teaching about the Rapture, back in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18. But it leads directly into the Tribulation, in 1^st Thessalonians 5:1-11.)

So, let’s go back and see the transition between the end of 2^nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and the beginning of 2^nd Thessalonians chapter 3:

**What Should the Result Be? (2^nd Thessalonians 2:15-17)**

¹⁵Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. ¹⁶Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, ¹⁷Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

He says we are to stand fast, and to hold to sound doctrine. We are to be obedient to the Word of God as we have been taught. We are taught by the Holy Spirit, by Christ Himself, and by whatever teachers He has sent to us.

Ephesians 4:14, 15 says we are to “grow up into Him!” We are to grow to be like Him!

And Ephesians 5:1-20 tells us what that “looks like.” We are to leave behind our old ways, along with all the “unprofitable works of darkness.” We leave the darkness behind, because we now are “children of the light.”

Children of Light

He says that because we are children of the light, we are to walk as the children of light. Behave like a child of God because you have become one, by the new birth. You were born again through placing your full trust in His blood alone for redemption. (Behaving that way as an unbeliever will not save you. But if you truly are a saved child of God, then the results should begin to show in a changed life.)

And (v. 17) as we continue to learn to walk with Him, we can expect that He will “comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work.” The result will be that our work and our words will all prove to be to His Glory.

2nd Thessalonians 3

**Prayer is Part of That Result**

Paul said, “¹Finally, brethren, pray for us.” But, take note of what Paul asks the Thessalonian believers to pray for his sake:

“…that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

He asked prayer that the Word of the Lord would have “free course,” and be glorified. Flowing water, as in a river or a stream, when unrestricted, is said to have “free course.” The stream’s course, or water-way is not obstructed by anything.

Numerous farmers have had to remove beaver dams. The dams had stopped the flow of water in their irrigation systems. (I am thrilled by God’s creation: that a rodent could instinctively know how to build dams of sticks and mud. And I’m amazed that the dams can hold back thousands of tons of water!) But… I can sympathize with the farmers, who only want the beavers to go somewhere else!) All the farmers hoped to do was to restore the “free course” of the water. That way, the water could freely flow to their fields. In some cases, they needed the water to flow away, draining their fields to prevent flooding.

Praying for “free course” for the Word of God means Paul asked for the obstructions to be removed. He desired that the effect of the Gospel would not be diminished. Also, he said that the unrestricted Word would be glorified in those who heard it. He said, despite their persecution, that the Gospel had “free course” in Thessalonica. So, we can see that persecutions are not the “obstructions” to which Paul referred. The obstructions are the arguments of “unreasonable and wicked men.”

²And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.”

Looking Back to Berea

Remember what happened in Acts 17:10-14…

“¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ¹²Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. ¹⁴And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.”

The Bereans

We can see in Acts 17:11 that the people of Berea were receptive. The Word had “Free Course” there. The people “received the Word with all readiness of mind and they searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” That is what we call “free course.” That is the best we can hope for. We want people to hear the word, and go check their Bible to be sure we told them the truth. (Wonderful! That is exactly what we want!)

But, in Acts 17:13 we see that the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica were not content to have “run Paul out of their own town.” They sent a delegation over to Berea, to do the same thing there! And it worked! The “unreasonable and wicked men” were able to stir up the unbelieving Jews of Berea, just as they did in Thessalonica. So, Paul left town, because he was the one they were mostly clamoring against, but he left Silas and Timothy there to continue teaching the new believers. Paul moved on to Athens, and then to Corinth.

So, How Do We Respond?

Some churches, still today, name themselves after that little town, calling themselves the “Berean Bible Church,” or the “Berean Baptist Church,” or the “Berean Brethren” or some such thing. Why? Because they want to be associated with, and (hopefully) to emulate those who were “noble” in their behavior, at Berea.

Do they actually maintain that attitude? Well…I’m sure it varies. It is easy to start off receptive and obedient to the Written Word. But the tendency is to gather together and work out some sort of “set-in-stone, no-longer-to-be-questioned DOCTRINAL STATEMENT.” That in itself is not a problem, provided that all it really says is “this is what we have gained so far.”

The problems begin later: The believers may become complacent in their “solid teaching.” And, after that, they frequently quit being receptive. They just “drop anchor” on that document, saying, “This is what WE believe,” and they neglect to “search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so.” At that point, Jesus, the Living Word, no longer has “Free Course” in that assembly, even if the “doctrinal statement” is completely correct. They feel they have “arrived,” and that they no longer need to “Feed on the Word of God.” They have set Jesus aside!

The Hidden Trap of Being “Orthodox”

The word “orthodox” just means having “correct opinions.” But you can have “correct opinions” and still be dead. The whole point is to have those “correct opinions” because the Living Word of God has free course in your life! We need to have those “correct opinions” because we have been born again, and because the Holy Spirit has had the freedom to teach our hearts, not just our minds.

Remember, some time ago, we talked about “having the truth in our library, but not in our living room.” It is entirely possible to “mentally agree” with correct Bible teaching, but not be willing to apply it to one’s own life. Some people claim to “believe the Gospel,” but when they are questioned, it becomes clear that they have never applied it to themselves, personally. It is a good thing for everyone else!

I pray the Lord will grant that we do not make such an error as to become complacent in our “doctrinal correctness.” We must keep feeding on the Word, and searching the scriptures daily. In this way, as we study the Written Word, the Living Word will have “free course” in our lives. We want to eliminate the obstructions in our lives, so that the Holy Spirit is free to flow through us to the world around us.

So, How Can We Avoid the Traps?

³But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. ⁴And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

Our only Hope is in the Person of Christ! In Philippians 2:13, Paul said, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” God both gives us the desire to do His will and carries us through to the doing of it. All we need to do is to be willing, and to make ourselves available to Him for His service, so that we follow Him and obey Him.

Here, in 2^nd Thessalonians 3:3, 4. we see the same Hope. Our Hope is in the Person of Christ. As we feed on Jesus, the Living Word, it says, “the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you and keep you from evil.” He is the one to build our “solid teaching” and our “sound doctrine,” and He is the One to continually guide us into deeper truth, and safe relationships and behavior.

We Are Not Alone

We are not left on our own to “build the Church.” In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my Church.” Yes, He will use us to accomplish His will, as we submit ourselves to Him, but it is His Church, and He will build it!

In Psalm 23, it says that He makes us lie down in green pastures, and He leads us beside still waters. I am told that sheep only lie down in the pasture when they have been fully fed. They were eating that green grass, and now they are resting in it peacefully. We can rest peacefully because He has fed us on His Word. He “makes us to rest” in that “green pasture.”

Also, we are led by means of His Holy Spirit, the Living Water, because He “leads us beside still waters.” The Holy Spirit does not stir up fear and resentment and chaos among us. There are many loud voices in the world, demanding that we be alarmed. We need to realize that the voice of God brings peace.

The Spirit of Fear or the Spirit of God?

The Holy Spirit does not bring fear and timidity. 2^nd Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of Love, and of a sound mind.” Remember this when you “hear news” that disturbs you. We are “called to action,” but we are called in Peace.

Gideon was called to do something that would have been terrifying to anyone, in their natural strength. But God provided Strength and Peace. In Judges 7:15, He sent Gideon into the enemy camp at night, along with his servant. There he heard a message from God, through an enemy soldier! That message caused him to worship the Lord for having given them the victory. As a result, he was in complete peace, as they launched an attack against a vast enemy force. He was only allowed to use three hundred men, and all of them had their hands full so that they could not use a weapon!

They were given the same three-fold task as we are given!

Stand fast,
Shine a light, and
Sound the Alarm!

We are to stand fast in Christ, shining the light of transformed lives, in the midst of a dark world. And, as we shine, we are to sound the alarm that Judgment is coming, but that Jesus Saves! And as we do those three things, we can rest in Him.

Current Events and Our Future

Many of you have heard terrible news in the last two days, and we may feel fearful about the outcome. But they had much worse news back then. What did Paul say about responding to their circumstances?

⁵And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

We are not called to fear the future, but rather to delve deeper into a loving relationship with the Holy God we serve. We are to live in cheerful expectation of His soon return. That is it! And this idea was not new.

Old Testament Truth

Habakkuk expressed this truth in Habakkuk 3:17-19, His “current events” were far worse than ours! In his case, there was no “warning that judgment might fall.” Instead, it was God’s promise that Judgment would fall, and very soon, at that! But Habakkuk chose to find his Peace and Joy in the Person of Christ. He said, “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD. I will joy in the God of my Salvation!”

We are called to that same Peace and Joy, regardless of our “current events.” We are called to live every day knowing that He could return today. The only way to do that is to feed daily on His Word, and walk with the Shepherd daily, as His flock, and as His servants.

Lord Jesus, please call us to the three-fold action of Bible Study, Prayer, and Discipleship. Make us aware that the time is short, and that we have only this one opportunity to work with You. Thrill our hearts with the privilege of that opportunity and move us to do Your Will!

September 30, 2023September 30, 2023

What does The Doctrine of “Election” mean, in the Bible?

From the Beginning, God Has Chosen You to Salvation

2^nd Thessalonians 2:13-17

¹³But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

¹⁴Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

¹⁶Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, ¹⁷Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Introduction:

There are several key points in this passage. We need to address them one by one: to begin with, notice that this is addressed to believers: “Brethren beloved of the Lord.” If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, then, again, this is to you!

But what about the next phrase: “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.” How can we understand that, in light of what we know about how people are saved individually, by Grace, through Faith?

How can it be that God has “chosen us to salvation” from the beginning? Have we not already learned that we were born sinners and we were headed for Hell? Are some people “predestined” to Salvation, and others “predestined” to Eternal punishment? (Some people teach exactly that!)

The Doctrine of Election:

The noun phrase, “the elect” means “the chosen.” As a verb, “elect” means, “to choose.” We will run into this idea in several places in the New Testament. So, what, exactly, was the choice that God made before the creation of the World?

According to 1^st Peter 1:19, 20, Jesus was “ordained before the foundation of the world” to be the Savior. The word “ordained” means “appointed.” Revelation 13:8 agrees with this, saying that he was the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” But how does that affect us?

In Ephesians 1:4, we see that God chose us “in Him, before the foundation of the World.” So, before the world was created, Jesus, as “God the Eternally Existent Son,” was chosen to become a man. He was sent to die as a sacrifice, providing the full satisfaction of God’s righteousness and holiness.

He was chosen before humans existed…and before sin had entered the world. And those in Him were chosen at that same time! But we were not born “in Him,” originally: we had to be reborn to be placed into Him.

Where did We Start Out?

Ephesians 2:1-5 says we were all dead in our sins. It says that we were all the children of wrath, just like the rest of the world. That is where we began. But we can read in Ephesians 1:12-14 that when we believed the Gospel, placing our trust in Christ, we were sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit. And God sees us as being completely identified with Jesus Christ: He sees us as being holy, blameless, and already dead to sin. We are dead to the Law, and resurrected to a new life in Him.

God’s choice, before the foundation of the World, was that all those who believed His Word concerning Jesus, would be born again as children of God, and placed into the Body of Christ, never to be separated from Him again. He chose us in Him.

Does that mean that some are “predestined” to end up in Heaven, (regardless of what they might choose in life?) While that is commonly believed, it would also require us to believe that the rest of humanity is “predestined” to spend eternity in Hell (regardless of what they choose!)

So, How Can it Be Both Ways?

How can Jesus offer the invitation to “whosoever believeth” when so many people teach that either God chose you to be saved, from eternity past, or He didn’t: and if He didn’t, then you are just without hope and destined for Hell? (“Aw, too bad! You lose!”)

But, you see, the truth is revealed in 1^st John 2:2…”And He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

The word “propitiation” means “satisfaction,” in terms of a legal settlement…a satisfaction of a judgment. In this case, it means that the Holiness of God, and His righteous Judgment was completely satisfied by Jesus dying in our place…but that His death covered the sins of the whole human race, not just the “elect.”

Jesus stated the promise this way: “For God so loved the World…” (meaning, “In this manner God loved the World”) “…that He gave His only Begotten Son…” (The Greek word “monogenés” which is translated “only begotten son,” carries the same idea as the English concept of “crown prince:” The eternal heir…the One who has the eternal relationship of Son to Father, from eternity past. That’s the One whom God gave!) “…that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

You see, that promise of eternal life is offered to “Whosoever!” The sacrifice was offered for the sins of the whole world.

Belief of the Truth

Romans 1:16 very clearly lays out the explanation for this verse. It says that “the Gospel of Christ is THE power of God unto Salvation to everyone that believes…” The “Good News” of Jesus’s death and burial and resurrection for our sins, being believed in, is the only thing God claims as His power to save sinners.

No one has ever been saved apart from the Word of God. 1^st Peter 1:23 says that we have been born again “by the Word of God which lives and abides forever.”

So, the “belief of the truth” in 1^st Thessalonians 2:13 is in regard to one specific truth: The fact that Jesus shed His Blood for you, personally! This concept is reiterated throughout the New Testament.

What Does Jesus Say About it?

Jesus addressed this idea in John 3:17-19 “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.

¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

Did you see the dividing principle? It was faith! “He that believes” versus “He that does not believe.” He said, “they who believe are not condemned,” and “they who do not believe are condemned already, because of their unbelief.” That is the dividing line!

Then He explained the underlying principle: “Light has come into the World!” (He is the “Light of the World”) and people prefer darkness to light, because their deeds are evil. That is the status of the whole human race! That is our original position. We reject Him as a matter of choice. But, He has now called us to a new position…in Him!

Romans 3:25 makes it even more specific: it states that He is the propitiation… (Remember, that word “propitiation” means the “satisfaction of God’s Holiness and His Righteous judgment”) “…Through faith in His Blood.” It is not just a general statement that “I believe in Jesus:” It means faith in His completed Work at the Cross, as it applies to me, personally!

Sanctification of the Spirit (v. 13)

To “Sanctify” a person (or an object) means to set them (or it) apart for a holy purpose. The vessels in the temple were sanctified for that use, and that use only!

When the Holy Spirit placed you into the Body of Christ, the moment you trusted in His blood sacrifice for your salvation, He also set you apart as God’s private property…for His personal use. He bought you, and you belong to Him. You were permanently sanctified to His use.

He has chosen you to be his personal property as well as the object of His love. He calls us to reflect His holiness in our choices…in our daily lives. That kind of sanctification requires that we set ourselves apart to His service as well. We agree with Him concerning our lives. He calls us to do so continually! How did He call us?

“He Called you by our Gospel.” (v. 14)

No matter who you are, or when or where you are born, ultimately, you were called to God by the Gospel. Someone told you, or perhaps you were reading something that included the Gospel.

What do I mean by the phrase, “the Gospel?”

I mean the same thing that the Apostle Paul meant, when he cited the “Gospel of Christ” in Romans 1:16, and explained it,in 1^st Corinthians 15:3, 4, and it is repeated through all the rest of the epistles. It is the Good News that Jesus Christ died for our sins, in fulfillment of the prophecies and that He was buried, and that He rose again after three days and three nights…and that He is returning for His Bride!

This is what Paul and Silas preached in Thessalonica, and the people heard that call and they believed! That produced a new position! A new Location! And Paul says they were called to “the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is your new location! You have been placed into the Body of Christ, and you are permanently bound to Him, anticipating an eternity of Glory with Him.

**What Should the Result Be? (v. 16, 17)**

He says we are to stand fast, and to hold to sound doctrine and be obedient to the Word of God as we have been taught by the Holy Spirit and by Christ Himself, and by whatever teachers He has sent to us.

Ephesians 4:14, 15 says we are to “grow up into Him!” We are to grow to be like Him!

And Ephesians 5:1-20 tells us what that “looks like:” We are to leave behind our old ways, along with all the “unprofitable works of darkness,” as we now are “children of the light.”

He says that because we are children of the light, we are to walk as the children of light. Behave like a child of God because you have become one, through the new birth; through placing your full trust in His blood alone for redemption. Behaving that way as an unbeliever will not save you, but if you really are a child of God, then the results should begin to show.

And (v. 17) as we continue to learn to walk with Him, we can expect that He will “comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work:” The result will be that our work and our words will all prove to be to His Glory.

Lord Jesus, we desire that our words and our works should be to Your Eternal Glory. Please transform our lives from the inside, by the renewing of our minds through Your engrafted Word. Glorify Yourself in Your people.

September 23, 2023September 23, 2023

What do we Know about The Antichrist?

When Will the Antichrist Be Revealed?

2^nd Thessalonians 2:1-12

Introduction:

Several times recently, someone has expressed to me concern about “The Antichrist,” or, as he is called in Revelation 13, “the Beast.” Other questions have also come up. (Has the Tribulation already begun? Will the church go through the Tribulation?

The internet is loaded with such suggestions, and we are tempted to feel alarmed, that somehow we have “missed out!” When the Covid vaccinations were being offered, people were saying it was the “Mark of the Beast.” (It absolutely is not!) Whether you choose to take such medicines is up to you. But the “mark” discussed in Revelation 13 is definitely not something that could be hidden in a vaccination. It also is not something that can be “secretly” administered.

So, in light of all these concerns, it seems entirely appropriate that we are just now coming to a passage that will address many of those fears.

**Meet the “New Fear!” (Same as The Old Fear!)**

There was a fear among the believers in Thessalonica that they had somehow “missed the Rapture.” Or, perhaps, that the Tribulation had already begun. Remember, this is an account from almost 2000 years ago: They didn’t even have television, let alone the internet! But someone told them that the day of the Lord had come! Do you wonder how it happens that the same fear was triggered in Thessalonica 2000 years ago, as is being triggered in us, today? You would almost think that the same deceiver was responsible! (And he IS!)

Paul assured them that the rumors were not true. Then he gave them the order of events that will begin the tribulation and the final countdown. Let’s read what he said:

¹Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, ²That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Where did the Fear Come From?

Notice, first, that Paul begged them not to be deceived: He recognized that there were enemies involved. “Someone” may have claimed that a spirit had told them these things. Or perhaps someone said that they had been told by some “authoritative person.” Or it seems that someone had even gone so far as to write a letter, and claim that Paul had sent it to them. Paul said it didn’t matter from where the falsehood had arisen: it was simply false!

Notice that the various possible “sources” still add up to one root source. This is increasingly obvious when we consider that these specific fears and deceptions have been dumped on believers nearly continually, ever since the beginning.

Who would gain by Christians always being afraid and trying to “prepare for a coming tribulation and judgment?” (Especially, as it means we concentrate on that, as opposed to joyfully, fearlessly living out the great Commission which we have received from Jesus?)

What is the Day of Christ?

We have discussed the “Day of the LORD” (all uppercase) as it is addressed throughout the Old Testament Prophets. In the New Testament it is also called the Day of the Lord (normal capitalization.) In several places it says the “Day of the Lord” comes “as a thief in the night.”

The Day of the Lord begins with the Rapture of the Church, as seen in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18. That is the only portion of the Day of the Lord about which it can be said, “it will come as a thief in the night.” All the rest of it is fully laid out in scripture.

It is often given in rather obscure terms, though, and that makes sense. The people who initially received the prophecy (including the prophets themselves) did not understand the message. In Daniel 12:8, 9 Daniel commented that he heard it, but he didn’t understand it! And he was told, effectively, “Write it down, close the book, and run along! The message is not for you, but rather, for the people of the end times!”

Paul’s End-Time Teaching (Eschatology)

In 1^st Thessalonians chapters 4 and 5, Paul began to lay out the End-time truths, (sometimes called “eschatology.”) The first “act” in the “Day of the Lord” is the Rapture, and it sweeps directly into the Tribulation, which will culminate in the return of Christ, and the immediate “Judgment of the Living Nations.” (But John tells us this same “Day of the Lord” then continues through the Millennial Kingdom, and it will end with the Great White Throne Judgment.)

As far as I can tell, the “Day of Christ” is identical to the previously named and often referenced “Day of the LORD” (All uppercase, in the Old Testament, showing where the tetragrammaton (YHWH) is used in the Old Testament. The New Testament “Day of the Lord,” (with the lowercase “ord”) is the same event, but using Jesus’s title as “the Master:” the Lord. It is mentioned throughout the New Testament. (Especially, see 1^st Thessalonians 5:2)

The only difference might be simply that the New Testament believers are specifically looking forward to the return of Christ, whereas the Old Testament prophecies were including everything from His return at the Rapture and His physical return as Judge and King, all the way through the millennial Kingdom.

When is the Day of the Lord?

In Acts 1:7, Jesus said that it is not given to us to know the times or the seasons. And, here in Thessalonians, Paul makes it clear that neither we nor any other human will know the time of His coming. We won’t know until it is too late to change anything based on that knowledge. But he does give us ample reason to not fear that we have been “left behind.”

³Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,…

The Greek word translated “falling away,” here, is “apostasis.” It is where we get our English word, “apostasy.” And it means a “falling away,” just as it is translated, here. It is only used a few times in scripture, and it always is used in a negative sense. While some would like to view it as the catching away of the church at the Rapture, it simply is not used in that way. It is never used in the sense of a “rescue,” or any other “positive” thing.

However! The organized church “falling away from Christ,” and denying Him the honor due Him would be a true apostasy. In Luke 18:8, Jesus posed the question, “When the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith?” (It was a rhetorical question, the implied answer being “NO!”) But, for the complete apostasy of the organized church to occur, the remnant of true believers would have to be entirely removed from the mix, first. And that is what we saw happening, back there, in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18…the removal of the believers.

When Will the Antichrist be Revealed?

With the genuine believers gone, the tribulation can begin, and the “Man of Sin” can be revealed. Paul goes on to describe that person and the events surrounding his entrance on the “World Stage.” (verse three continued.)

³ …and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; ⁴Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

This is the one we see in Revelation 13 and in Daniel 9:27. He is the one we call “the Antichrist.” (He is also called the “Son of Perdition:” Ony he and Judas Iscariot are called this name…,and both end up possessed by Satan, personally. There is no other such example.)

Avoid Foolish Speculation

When I was a new Christian, many people speculated that a certain politician was “the Antichrist.” A few years later, they were pointing to a different politician. Obviously, the fifty years of history since then have repeatedly proved them wrong! People repeat this folly every time there is a politician they don’t like. But it is foolish to keep speculating! Right here, in verses three through eight, we read that the Man of Sin will not be revealed until certain things happen. One of those is the apostasy of the church at large. Another, necessarily, is the Rapture which will leave the apostasy of the church complete.

We already read in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18, that the believing church would suddenly be removed. And then, in chapter five, immediately following the departure of the believers, we saw that the Tribulation will begin.

⁵Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

So, this is the second letter Paul has written to the believers at Thessalonica. And he reminds them that he taught them this when he was still there with them in Thessalonica. (Paul and Silas evidently told them these things before they left town, in Acts 17! We are getting told today!)

What’s the Holdup?

⁶And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. ⁷For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (restrains) will let (restrain), until he be taken out of the way.

So long as the Person, the Holy Spirit, is present, indwelling all the believers, the person of the Antichrist will not be revealed. In 1^st John 4:3, we see that the spirit of Antichrist is already in the world and working. But the man called the Antichrist will not be revealed until the Holy Spirit is removed. In John 14:16 we see that the Holy Spirit will be with us forever. Therefore, when He is taken out of the way, we will be going with Him!

When Does all this Take Place?

⁸And then (and not before!) shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: ⁹Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

In Revelation chapter 13, we see what kind of “wonders” are in question. Notice that, right here in verse nine, Paul labels those supposed “miracles” as “lying wonders.” They are not “miracles,” but rather, they are false, and specifically intended to deceive.

Most “magicians” today are entertainers. Some are very honest, publicly pointing out that what they are doing is not magic, but rather, a trick that looks like magic. The problem is that, as humans, we are “easily deceived,” and we can be led astray by tricksters who are not honest enough to say, “ This is not magic! It is a trick!” So, we have been warned in advance that such a deceiver is coming and that he will deceive the majority of the world.

Who will be Deceived? (Notice the Tenses, Here:)

The people who (future tense) will be deceived all made choices in the past (before The Rapture unveiled the truth.) And God will (in the future) send them a strong delusion, so that (in the future) they will stick with their earlier (past tense) choice, and so face eternal judgment.

¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not (past tense) the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this cause God shall (future tense) send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹²That they all might (future tense) be damned who (past tense) believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

This is similar to what happened in Egypt: Pharaoh originally hardened his own heart against God. But in the end, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he persisted in his bad decision, past the point of insanity. Everyone else knew God had destroyed Egypt, but Pharaoh was blind to that truth. Those unbelievers who rejected Christ before the Rapture will not “change their minds” when it occurs.

Unbelievers who simply never heard of Him (or who had only heard “bits and pieces,” (never enough to make any sort of decision) will hear the Gospel (through the witnesses God provides during the Tribulation) and millions of them will believe…and many will die for their faith.

But You are NOT to be Deceived!

1^st Thessalonians 5:4-11 “⁴But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. ⁶Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

⁷For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

⁸But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ¹¹Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

So, we are to believe God, and trust Him for the future, and not be deceived by the clamoring voices in the world around us. Then we will be free to serve Him rather than constantly worrying. In doing so, we can comfort one another and build one another up in the Lord. (That is what “edify” means.) That is part of what Jesus calls us to do.

Lord Jesus, we ask that you teach our hearts to trust in you and not to be discouraged by the deceivers in the World. Draw us along to follow you faithfully and fearlessly.

September 17, 2023September 17, 2023

What Should We Know about 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:

Last week we saw how Paul was using the good report of the spiritual growth in the church at Thessalonica to encourage other churches as he travelled. He said “We glory in you in the churches of God…” We also saw that part of the reason he could see their Faith and Love was evidenced by how they were responding to persecution and hardship.

But we only briefly touched upon the Coming Judgment. (Notice, too, that he 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 several Judgments we need to 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 being destroyed in the Judgment which His Righteousness requires Him to bring. But these five are the judgments that we see presently or 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.” (Our “position” In Christ, separates us from Judgment, just as Noah and his family were separated from judment by their position inside the Ark.)

Which of These Five Judgments Will 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, and pain in the world still exist because of the curse in Genesis 3, which still has not been lifted. But we have been separated from that curse by our position in Christ.

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. Until they make that choice, they are still “in Adam,” where we all died spiritually, because of Sin. (See 1st Corinthians 15:22)

The Judgment Seat of Christ

All believers face the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2^nd Corinthians 5:10) But this judgment is the judgment of the works of believers. It is an “awards ceremony.” We can read some details about it in 1^st Corinthians 3:10-16, The works will be evaluated for their eternal value. Reward for service is to be awarded on the basis of that Judgment. And it is for believers only. Our position in Him guarantees that we will face this judgment, just as it guarantees our security in Him. We will never be condemned, because we are in Him (Romans 8:1, 2; John 5:24)

When people “line up for their pay” in a large factory, or in a military organization, for example, 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, but rather, it brings punishment for “trespassing,” or for “impersonating a member of the military.”

It is possible for a believer’s works to not have eternal value. In John 15:5, Jesus said “Apart from Me ye can do nothing.” So, if we have not been walking with Him, and have not been working with Him, then our works may “look good,” but their eternal value is questionable.

The Judgment of the Living Nations

Matthew 25:31-46 gives us the most details about this judgment. It includes believers and unbelievers, all in their natural bodies and all facing judgment as to whether they will enter the Millennial Kingdom alive, right then, or enter eternal punishment as enemies of God.

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 it seems likely that the Judgment will 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 and the Tribulation saints. People who believe in Jesus as their Savior will express that faith by caring for His people. People who do not believe will not care for His people. But the determining factor, as always, is still 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 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 (see 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.)

When will this Judgment occur?

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

So where will the church-age believers be, during that Judgment? Our position will not have changed: We will still be in Him. And, as a result, we will be with Him on that throne! (According to Ephesians 2:6, we are already there. And in John 14:3, Jesus promised, saying “…that where I am, there ye may be also.”)

Deep Grief and Solemn Joy

Will we be “happy” to be at that judgment? No! It will be a terrible tragedy, but we will absolutely know and agree that God the Son is doing right, by making that judgment. But, 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, and 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 this Final Judgment? (verse 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, for the first time, when He returns, believers who are still in their natural bodies (those in Matthew 25:31-46) will 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.

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.

And the result in our lives?

“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 I think it is healthy to fear displeasing Him, because it means we are missing out on our only opportunity to serve with Him.

When we take Communion together, we are publicly stating that we have placed our faith in Jesus’s shed blood at the Cross, as full payment for our sins.

Each of us is saying “Jesus died for me! And He is coming back to take me home with Him!”

This is what we have in common. This is what we share at the Lord’s Table.

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.

September 9, 2023September 9, 2023

Being Counted Worthy of the Kingdom of God

Being Counted Worthy

2^nd Thessalonians 1:1-5

¹Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: ²Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

Introduction (Long):

We are sometimes fearful that somehow we will not “measure up” and that we will be left behind, or booted out of the family of God. We harbor doubts about whether we are “good enough” or consistent enough, or sincere enough, and, despite Jesus’s promises that we are secure in Him, we tend to doubt, just as Peter and the other disciples did.

Peter believed Jesus, sufficient to walk on the water, one stormy night! And, just a few seconds later, he doubted, and he sank! But Jesus caught him and walked with him back to the boat.

Jesus said in John 6:29 that the “work” God asks of sinners, in order to please Him, is to “believe on Him whom He hath sent.”

A few verses later, in John 6:37, He promised, “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”

Then, in verse 39, He said, “And, this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”

Now: that leaves us with a choice: do we believe Jesus’s clear promises, or do we build doubt, founded upon our misgivings over verses that are less clear?

Peter’s Example:

Going back to Peter’s example, we can see that he asked Jesus for a clear command. And Jesus gave it to him! There was no possibility of a misunderstanding. So, Peter got out of the boat, and stepped onto the surface of that violent, heaving, stormy lake!

Now, consider: Peter knew he could not walk on water. He knew it was physically impossible! So, believing Jesus, enough to get out of the boat during a storm was really incredible faith! And it resulted in his actually walking on the water, for a few steps.

So, why did he begin to add “amendments” to the “constitution” of his faith? He knew walking on water was not possible at ALL! Then he found that under Jesus’s authority, it was possible to walk on water. Then, why did he suddenly think, “…except when the wind and waves are strong!”? Why do we add provisions and exceptions to the promises of God?

No Surprises to God

God is never “surprised” by my failings. I find them very discouraging, but He knew from eternity past, exactly how I would respond (or fail to respond) to His Grace and His authority.

So, Jesus was not surprised by Peter’s failure. Peter was surprised and thrilled to find himself walking on water, and was disappointed when he doubted, and sank. Here’s the question: did either experience (walking or sinking) make him worthy or unworthy of God’s kingdom?

That answer, of course, is “NO!”

Human Opinion

We are not qualified for Heaven by our actions. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to Him as Righteousness. But in James 2:18, we find that humans cannot see faith without works. So, from a human perspective, we may be seen as “unworthy to call ourselves believers” or “unqualified to serve God.”

But it has been God’s specialty to take those “unqualified, unworthy and unlovely” people and use them to His Glory. He says so! (1^st Corinthians 1:27 “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”)

Faith and Love (v. 3)

Paul expressed his gratitude that the church at Thessalonica was growing in Faith and Love. Their Faith in God was growing and constantly being proved by their actions, so that Paul boasted of their walk with God when he spoke to other churches. He knew the persecutions and tribulations they were enduring, and he was pleased and satisfied to have been a part of their beginnings.

You will notice that the King James Version says their “charity” was abounding. “Charity” is the word that the Kong James Version translators used for the “agapé love, as opposed to the other three or four words which also could be translated “love.”

Their Love (specifically the Agapé Love) was abounding toward one another. They were taking care of one another and accepting one another, and cherishing one another, as brothers and sisters in Christ.

These are the two key things Jesus requires of believers: Faith and Love.

Endurance by Faith (v. 4)

Endurance is what we are to grow into: the King James Bible uses the word “patience” here, but the issue is not one of “patiently waiting,” but rather, enduring the hardships the believers were experiencing. Immature believers might say, “I just can’t understand why a loving God would allow…” whatever it is that they don’t like. (By the way, that is exactly what the unbelieving world says, too.) But a mature believer recognizes that the world is chock-full of evil and danger and tragedy, and that all of it is the long-term result of sin. And he/she endures in faith!

Past, Present and Future Salvation

Jesus saved us (past tense) from the eternal penalty of Sin, at the Cross: that is a “positional truth.” Because I am in Him, I am no longer condemned. That is my position: “in Him!”

He saves us (present tense) from the current power of sin on our own lives, as we walk with Him: that is a “conditional truth.” As I walk with Him, He can guide me and protect me from the traps laid by the Enemy.

He will eventually (future tense) deliver us from the presence of Sin, eternally. That is also a Positional truth: The Thief on the Cross, who was being executed as a consequence of his own sin, is just as free today from the presence of sin as any of us can hope to be.

But the general consequences of sin, which fill this broken, sin-ruined world around us, we usually simply have to endure. Diseases exist for which there is no cure. Believers contract those diseases, too, and there is no guarantee against them. We accept that burden, and we endure it in faith.

In the nations where persecution awaits all those who believe in Jesus, the believers endure that persecution by faith.

A Token of Judgment (v.5)

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have Peace. In the World ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the World.”

Those who are doing the persecuting face the Judgment of God, whether they know it or not. Jesus said, “they are already condemned because they have not believed on the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God.”

Different Judgments

But the coming judgment, including the tribulation, about which Paul had told them in the previous letter, will be a worldwide judgment on sin, upon all nations, and upon Israel, fulfilling the prophecy in Daniel chapter nine. The seven-year tribulation will pour out the judgment of a righteous God on the unbelieving world.

The judgment of our sins was poured out at the Cross, and that included the sins of the whole World. But the Judgment on the unbelieving World has a specific purpose in Daniel nine. He says it is to complete several things, and that the judgment is upon Israel and the World.

At the end of that time, Jesus will return, as we have read in the previous book. And in the process of His return, (Revelation 19:15) He will speak, and it says that His enemies will be destroyed by the sword that proceeds from His mouth. (His Word!)

But at the end of the Kingdom age, the entire earth will pass away in a flash of supernatural fire.

Not a single believer will be harmed by that final judgment:

How do I know? Because Jesus said so! He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” He said my future is secure: I will not be condemned.

And, in Romans 8, he says “there is now therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” He goes on to say that “the Law of the Spirit of Life, in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.”

So, Are We “Worthy?”

If the question has to do with our own personal “worthiness,” then obviously the answer has to be a resounding “NO!” But if I can reply concerning the “Righteousness without the Law” as Paul mentions in Romans 3:21, then I can freely say that we have been judged worthy, solely on the basis of Jesus’s shed blood: His completed work at the Cross.

As Paul put it in Philippians 3:9, he wanted to ”… be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

That, again, is a positional truth…”in Him!” We are to be found “in Him.” In Him, we have been “accepted in the Beloved.” In Him, “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Can Grace be Earned?

Please turn to Romans 11:6. “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Grace specifically means “unearned favor.” If you think that you can “earn” God’s favor, either as an unbeliever or as a believer, you are falling prey to the trap of the Evil One. The entire book of Galatians was written to warn against this trap of “legalism,” supposing that “something I do” can earn God’s Favor.

If at any point, my salvation or my security depends upon my feeble works, instead of Christ alone, then ultimately, it is entirely dependent upon my works, as I guarantee, my works will always be the “weak link.” Jesus finished His perfect Work at the Cross. He is my only hope.

Does Our Testimony Demonstrate “Worthiness?”

In Ephesians 4:1, we are exhorted to “walk worthy” of the vocation wherewith we have been called. The calling is secure…but are we walking in such a way as to demonstrate that calling?

We do not become a child of God, nor do we maintain that status, by the way we live. We live in such a way as to demonstrate our new life in Christ, because we ARE His children! And we live for Him out of gratitude and Love, not fearing that if we don’t “live up to our calling,” He will cast us out. (Remember the promise of John 6:37? “He that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out!”)

But our testimony to others will either reflect that reality or fail to do so. That is our choice, day by day, and moment by moment.

What do others see?

The world and other believers can only see our faith by our works, according to James 2:18. How I endure hard times is a statement to others, either that Jesus is in control, or that He is not.

Lot’s life was a demonstration that he was not walking with God. If that were the only information we were given, then we might assume he was not a believer at all. But God says he was a believer—that God had declared him righteous! (2^nd Peter 2:7, 8) Yes, he was saved, but his life was a sad wreck, due to his own sin.

We want a better experience than that of Lot! We want to walk with God in such a way that our lives shine as a testimony of His Grace…not our own character or works.

Jesus alone is worthy!

Lord Jesus, change our motivation, so that we live to please You, not to impress other people, nor to “prove ourselves.” Draw us along as Your children and as laborers together with You. Teach us to see through Your eyes and care as you care.

September 2, 2023September 2, 2023

God’s Preservation of the Saints

How Does God “Preserve His Saints?”

1^st Thessalonians 5:23-28

²³And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

²⁵Brethren, pray for us. ²⁶Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.

²⁷I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Introduction:

This passage gives seven precious doctrinal points:

GOD is the one who sanctifies us, in every sense of the word.
We have a Body, a Soul, and a Spirit, and all three are to “preserved blameless” by God unto the Lord’s return.
Again, the Faithful God who calls us is the One who will bring all these things to fruition.
We are called to consistent prayer for one another.
We are called to true fellowship with one another (holy brethren, holy kiss …as opposed to Judas’s treacherous greeting to Jesus.)
We are Called to Be in the Word.
We are called to be the daily partakers in the Grace of God.

The God of Peace, Who Sanctifies Us

Who is the God of Peace? Romans 5:1 says we gained peace with God, the moment we trusted in His saving sacrifice. Also, Jesus promised Peace to His followers…the Peace of God.

John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give unto you. Not as the World giveth, give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 16:33 says “These things I have spoken unto you that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the World.”

The Peace of God

And in Philippians 4:6-9 we see how to experience the Peace of God:

“⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

The God of Peace who is “With us”

⁹Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

So, when Paul prays that the God of Peace would “wholly sanctify” the believers, he refers to the same “God of Peace” whom he said would “be with us,” in Philippians 4:9. And there were conditions attached, in the Philippians promise. If you want to experience the Peace of God, you need to walk with Him, in fellowship with Him, “pulling in double harness with Him.” He listed several conditions:

Don’t be anxious
Pray about everything, with thanksgiving
Take seriously the list of things upon which we are to think, instead of worrying.
DO the things God has taught you to do, and those which you have learned from (and seen in) other believers.

AND: The God of Peace shall be with you!

How Does God Sanctify Believers?

That is also the way that God sanctifies you. (Sanctified means “set apart for God’s use): As you walk with Him, he gradually builds into your life a practical holiness, so that in a very practical way, you are becoming more and more clearly “His personal property” and “set aside for His personal use.“

Some people attempt to use this passage to teach that believers can eradicate their sin nature, and no longer be subject to temptation, as they have become “wholly sanctified.” That is false teaching. We are constantly surrounded by the enemy’s attempts to render us fruitless. Paul was constantly on guard, knowing (1^st Corinthians 9:27) that it was possible that after he had taught others, he himself could become a “castaway” … having suffered a “shipwreck” of his faith (1^st Timothy 1:19). (He did not fear losing his salvation. That is not a possibility. But it was entirely possible that he could become fruitless, through a collapse into sin.)

Body, Soul, and Spirit

All three of these terms are frequently used in regard to our natural humanity. To begin with, all humans have a body, a soul and a spirit. And, as believers, we have a promise that our bodies will be resurrected, intact. Our souls will live forever with God, and our Spirits will be forever in fellowship with Him, in eternity.

Do I really understand the difference between the “soul” and the “spirit?” Not really, no! I know that the Greek word, “psuke” is translated “soul,” usually, and that it is where we get our words “psyche, psychology, psychosomatic, and psychotic.” It apparently has to do with the seat of emotions, and feelings and basic thought.

The Greek word for “spirit” is “pneuma,” and it is where we get out words, “pneumologist, and pneumonia.” It literally means “breath.” But it evidently refers to the portion of humans which was originally capable of fellowship with God, in Adam and Eve. That fellowship was broken by sin, of course, and humans effectively are born with a “broken communicator.” We are born spiritually dead, apart from God’s Grace to reconnect us. He offers that Grace in the Person of Jesus, at the Cross.

All Preserved Blameless?

The body of every single person (excluding of the Rapture of the Church) will die, and decay, and return into the dust of the earth, one way or another.

The soul of every human is eternal, and will either stand with Jesus as part of the Body of Christ, or stand before Him for final judgment, at the Great White Throne.

The spirits of all humans are eternal…but some will spend eternity with Him, and others will spend eternity apart from Him.

All will be resurrected: some to eternal Judgment, some to Eternal Joy. The judgment of those who have placed their trust in Jesus’s Blood at the Cross, was completely fulfilled at the Cross. Jesus died as our representative. Therefore, God sees our sins as having been fully judged at the Cross. As a result, He sees us only in Christ.

This is how God can say that our spirit, soul, and body will be preserved blameless until the return of Christ. In 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18 we saw the resurrection of the righteous dead, and the transformation of the living believers at the Rapture of the Church. Consequently, every single Church-age believer will be raised eternally at that point.

The Faithful God

“Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.”

1^st Peter 4:19 says, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of our souls to Him, in well doing, as unto a Faithful Creator.”

Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”

Who are we to trust? The LORD, in the Old Testament, whom we find to be the Jesus of the New Testament. (In Hebrews, and in the Gospel of John, we discovered that Jesus is the Creator! In John 5:22 we saw that Jesus is the Eternal Judge of all the Earth!)

He is the one who calls us to walk with Him and to “pull in double harness” with Him. He is the faithful Creator! And He is the one who will bring all these promises to fruition. There is nothing I can do to “improve” upon His promise.

We are Called to Consistent Prayer

In the previous passage (1^st Thessalonians 5:17) God says “pray without ceasing.” In Ephesians 6:18, 19 we see Prayer listed as the seventh piece of the armor of God. We are told to:

Pray always,
With all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
Watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication,
For all the believers

(Lots of use of the word “All,” there!) And in verse 19, the Apostle Paul requested prayer for himself that he would be given the ability to boldly preach the Mystery of the Gospel. Paul needed Prayer! And we are commanded in no uncertain terms to give ourselves to the practice of consistent prayer for one another, in all things, at all times. Especially pray for your leaders, as they will especially be under attack by the enemy.

We are Called to True Fellowship With One Another

Remember how Judas greeted Jesus with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane: Still today, we call it a “Judas-kiss,” when someone pretends to be a friend, but in reality is betraying their victim to an enemy. Kissing has been a standard greeting of a dear friend, for thousands of years in many cultures. In others that is not the case, unless it is a family member.

In our culture, kissing is reserved for familial relations, as a general rule, but the Old Believers of the Russian communities, here in the United States, still practice this “holy kiss” as a matter of normal obedience to scripture.

To the average American believer, a handshake is considered normal. In fact, that was also recognized in scripture, as the Apostles offered the “right hand of fellowship” to Paul and Barnabas in Galatians 2:9.

Acceptance in the Beloved

The core issue is sincere acceptance of one another, as we have been fully accepted by God. Ephesians 1:6 says that we have been fully accepted by God, in the Beloved. God sees us only in Christ, and in Him, we are fully accepted.

Accept one another on the same basis! Are we still flawed individuals who irritate one another with our idiosyncrasies? Certainly we are! That is why He commands us to “forbear one another in Love.” Accept the flaws, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies of those around you and love them for the sake of the Gospel of Christ.

We are Called to Be in the Word!

Verse 27 seven gives us a command! ²⁷I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. That is a command! (And it even includes the illiterate. The literate were commanded to read the Word to the illiterate, or, possibly simply to a congregation at large.) Either way, we cannot escape the fact that feeding on God’s Word is normal behavior for all believers! In fact, this is where our walk with God will live or die! We need to feed on His Word!

**We are Called to Be Daily Partakers in the Grace of God**

This is not the “Saving Grace,” by which we entered into Christ: this is the “Living Grace,” by which we learn to walk with Him, and learn to endure hard circumstances. For example, when Paul suffered from some malady (probably with his eyes) he petitioned God three times to heal it (whatever it was.) And then God told him to drop it! (Stop asking! The answer is no!) He said, “My Grace is sufficient for thee!” (2^nd Corinthians 12:9)

We have a hard time with that, but that Grace is what enables us to walk with Jesus at all. This is not some “special Grace” that only Paul got! It is what we depend upon for every breath! Lamentations 3:22 says, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” In this age, we call it the Grace of God. Grace means “unearned favor.” Unmerited favor. I have not earned special treatment form God. When He gives it, it is Grace. And when we face hard trials, we depend upon His Grace to sustain us.

This is How God Preserves His Saints.

We need to learn to walk with Him, daily spending time in His Word and in Prayer, and seeking His face in our daily lives. He is the One who accomplishes His Will in our lives. Philippians 2:13 says “For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

God will preserve you until the end of time. Trust in Him once for all for salvation. Trust in Him daily for Grace by which to live, and enjoy His Service!

Lord Jesus, please teach us to walk closely with You, and to experience Your Grace for living, every day, as we learn to look to You at all times, for direction, sustenance, and strength.

August 26, 2023August 26, 2023

Faith and Baptism– Two Concepts

Faith and Baptism

Linked Concepts

Salvation:

Ephesians 2:8, 9;

Faith:

John 6:29; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:25;

Baptism:

1^st Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:3, 4; 1^st Peter 3:21;

Introduction:

We have been studying through 1^st Thessalonians, recently, but, three people have asked to be baptized, this morning. Therefore, we are going to take a short “side-excursion,” to discuss Faith and Baptism: The two concepts have been linked from the beginning of the Church age, but they are also frequently misunderstood. As a result, they are often wrongly taught. Thus, before we actually baptize anyone, we need to connect the two concepts carefully and scripturally, in order to clear up any questions that believers may still have.

Is Salvation received “By Grace, through faith?”

**(Or: is it “by Grace, through faith, plus something?”)**

Ultimately, this is the key question: How does God save sinners? In Genesis 15:6, it says that Abraham “believed God,” and God counted his faith as righteousness. Later, this passage is quoted and expanded upon in Romans 4:3. The Conclusion? We are saved by Grace, through Faith, plus nothing!

Ephesians 2:8, 9 tells how we are saved: “For by Grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” However, “salvation by faith” is taught throughout both the Old and the New Testaments.

Numbers 14:11 recalls God’s complaint against Israel: He said that despite His numerous signs, proofs, and provisions for them, and all the judgments on Egypt, they still did not believe Him, when He commanded them to enter the promised land.

Additionally, Romans 1:16 says “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” (The Greek word for “power” here, is “dunamis:” His ability.)

Specifically, Romans 3:25 says that Jesus has been set forth as the propitiation (meaning the satisfaction of God’s righteousness and justice) through faith in His blood.

In John 6:28, 29 the Jews asked Jesus, “What work shall we do that we might work the works of God?” His answer was “This is the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom He hath sent.”

In Acts 16:31, the Philippian Jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas replied with the clear statement, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.”

One may point out that most of these early believers followed faith with water baptism. That is true! But salvation occurred the moment they believed!

So…What about Baptism?

As believers, we have been given two ordinances: Water Baptism and The Lord’s Table. We explain the nature of the Lord’s Table every month when we take communion, but we haven’t talked much about Baptism. Both are an outward testimony of something that has already occurred inwardly, and a physical, visible demonstration of a spiritual, invisible reality.

Communion testifies through the symbols of the bread and the cup that “Jesus died for me: His body was torn and broken for me, and His Blood was shed for me!” As believers we share in communion to testify of His sacrificial death, until He comes: which means we also express our confident assurance that He truly is returning!

Furthermore, when we celebrate communion, we testify that Jesus’s blood was the full payment for our sins. (Remember the Passover Lamb: the people who placed themselves under the blood of that Lamb for protection against the Wrath of God, did not just “stand there and watch:” They each ate of that lamb!) We eat as a commemoration of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the whole world. By faith we already have laid our hands upon that sacrifice, and claimed it as the substitute for our own lives. And now, we testify to that truth in communion. In doing so, we honor Jesus before the world, proclaiming His death until He comes.

Two Kinds of Baptism

There are two types of baptisms taught in the New Testament: one of them is absolutely necessary for Salvation, but it has nothing to do with water. The other does involve water, and has no bearing on our salvation! But it does become a matter of obedience, even if we don’t fully understand it. Let’s talk about the Real Baptism first.

The “Real” Baptism (by the Holy Spirit)

Turn to 1^st Corinthians 12:13. This whole chapter is teaching about the gifts of the Spirit, and how the Holy Spirit builds the church by giving appropriate gifts to each believer. He is the One who makes the choice as to who has what gift. Just as an individual cell in a body does not choose its individual task or its location in the body, believers are given their assignments by God, the Holy Spirit. (We also saw this in our study in Numbers, by the way. God assigned each tribe its work and its place in the national structure.)

But, this verse, in the midst of the larger passage, tells us a key point: every single believer has been “Baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ.” That is what makes you a “Member” of the Body of Christ.

What about Church Membership?

When we talk about “Church Membership,” this is the only kind of membership that God addresses. Every member of the Body of Christ is expected to find a local assembly of like-minded believers and attach themself to that assembly and serve there, as a functioning part of the Body of Christ. Every member is to function as a member.

Some churches have a “membership roll,” as if they are a country club, or something. No such idea is suggested in scripture. Other churches actually require that you be water-baptized again into that church, for membership. This also is unbiblical.

Some even require that you be “vetted” by a governing board, to see whether you are “worthy” to be a part of their organization. I personally find that to be especially repugnant: If Jesus’s Blood at the Cross, which made me clean enough to stand before a Holy God, and address Him as Father, is not enough to make me “worthy” to be in some human outfit, then I don’t belong there! (Is there “church discipline” in the Bible? Yes, but it has nothing to do with membership. We will discuss that at another time.)

“Real” Baptism

Baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ is the only kind of baptism necessary for salvation, and it occurs the moment you place your faith in Jesus as your Savior, even if you are unaware that it is happening. This is “real Baptism.” So, let’s talk about the other kind of baptism: water baptism.

Water Baptism

First: what is the meaning of the word, “baptize?” The Greek word for “baptize” is pretty much just “baptize.” Our problem is that when the first English Bibles were being published, the Church of England was scarcely removed from Catholicism, and it was practicing baptism by sprinkling. But the actual meaning of the word is “to dip!” The Greek word “baptizō”means “immersion!” The intensive verb “baptizō” is the most frequent derivative of the root “baptō”, which is always translated, and it is always translated “Dip.”

So… had they consistently translated the word to what it actually means, John the Baptist would have been “John the Dipper!” But when Jesus “dipped” the sop in the cup, and passed it to Judas, the word “baptō” actually was translated “dip.” (No one calls that a baptism!)

So, the concept of baptism involves immersion, and the result of that immersion is to fully identify the thing being dipped, with the substance into which it was dipped. The sop Jesus gave to Judas was permanently soaked in whatever was in the cup where He had dipped it.

Cloth dipped in a pot of dye is permanently identified with that specific pot of dye. According to 1^st Corinthians 12:13, when you were born again through faith in Jesus’s Blood, then The Holy Spirit immersed you (baptized you) into the Body of Christ. You are permanently identified with Him in every way. And so is every other believer.

**Why was Jesus Baptized?**

Jesus came to John the Baptist to be water baptized so that He would be identified with John’s message: John preached the Gospel of the coming Kingdom—the promised “Kingdom of Heaven,” which is the 1000-year reign of Jesus on earth. Jesus is the Promised King! So, He was identified with the Promised Kingdom through that baptism.

We practice water Baptism for the same reason as we practice Communion: we were told to do so! Communion commemorates the fact of the Gospel, as applied to each believer. Baptism commemorates the fact that the Holy Spirit has already placed us into the Body of Christ. He has already immersed us into Jesus, so that we are fully identified with Him, forever, in every way.

We practice water baptism once, as a believer, to testify of our new position in Christ. It is not how we “join a church,” or “repent of our sins” or any other such thing. This is a believer’s baptism. It is a public testimony of what has already happened.

So, even though we may not really be sure how it works as a testimony, we do practice water baptism by immersion. We do not require it of anyone, and we only offer it when it is requested.

What about Baptismal Regeneration?

People sometimes protest that 1^st Peter 3:21 clearly says, “…baptism now saves us!” In the context, though, Peter was talking about the people on the Ark with Noah, who were “saved by water.” Those people were permanently separated from the lost world around them by the flood, because everyone else died in that flood: they were saved from that judgment by God, through the Ark, which is an amazing picture of Jesus!

Peter says. “in like figure (a “similar picture”) baptism now saves us…” (How? Do you really think getting “dunked in water” can separate you from God’s judgment of the world? No! It cannot! But being placed into the Body of Christ does! “All in Adam die, but all in Christ shall be made alive!” 1^st Corinthians 15:22)

That verse in Peter is in reference to the Baptism of the believer by the Holy Spirit, into the Body of Christ. The same is true of Romans 6:3, 4, where it says that we’ve been baptized into the death and burial and resurrection of Christ. No water was involved in either case!

It is interesting to read 1^st Corinthians 1:10-17, where we can see how the Apostle Paul felt about water baptism. Paul said he was thankful he had only baptized a handful of them, and he concluded that “Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel.” Paul did practice water baptism, but it did not have a very high priority in his mind. The reality (being baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ”) came through the preaching of the Gospel. Water baptism is just a picture of the real thing: a testimony that it has occurred.

No Robes, and No rituals!

Water baptism does not require any special clothing or any ritual. it requires no oath-taking or any other such thing. The scripture shows that upon public confession of faith in Jesus, and in His finished Work at the Cross, any believer is fully qualified for water baptism, as a step of obedience and a testimony of the new birth. A classic example is the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-39: He believed the Gospel, and he asked to be baptized.

Phillip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may!” And they both went down into the water and Phillip baptized him. (No ritual, no waiting period, and no “baptismal certificate!”)

Therefore, on the authority of God’s Word, we will proceed with simple, believers baptism!

Lord Jesus, teach our hearts and minds, and use this service to strengthen our commitment to You. Raise us up to walk with You and to work with You.

I am going to ask each of the applicants to give their own testimonies now:

The Humility of the Cross

1st Corinthians 1:25-31

Introduction:

How was Pride Set Aside?

How is Faith Connected to Preaching?

What is The Foolishness of God?

What is The Weakness of God?

What is Our Calling

Foolish Things, Chosen by God

Weak Things, Chosen by God

Base Things, Chosen by God

Things Which Are Despised, but Chosen by God

What are the “Things Which Are Not?”

Why? That No Flesh Should Glory

Romans 3:27 “Where Then, is Boasting? It is Excluded!”

He that Glorieth, Let Him Glory in the Lord!

How do we “Glory in the Lord?”

Introduction to 1st Corinthians

1st Corinthians 1:1-9

Historical and Geographical Background: What do We Know About Corinth?

How Did Paul Happen to Come There?

What was Different when Paul Preached in Corinth?

Introduction to Chapter One:

What about Sosthenes?

What happened to Sosthenes?

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

Notice the people listed:

And What is the “Wish of God” for Us?

Paul thanks God for the Church:

Why? What is he thankful for? (vs. 4-8)

Let’s Break that Down, Point by Point:

How About Today?

Paul’s Conclusion:

Religion, You, Me, and Jesus Christ

Passages Cited, in the Order Used:

Introduction:

Old vs. New

What Else has Changed?

What was Missing?

What About “Religion?”

How is the Word used?

And What About “being Religious?”

How was this Word used?

God’s Call

What Changes Should Occur?

What Makes the Change?

What’s the Difference?

What is at Risk?

What can be Gained?

What is the Result?

Who is the Master?

Channel Markers

We are Called to Prayer and Service

2nd Thessalonians 3:1-5

Introduction:

What Should the Result Be? (2nd Thessalonians 2:15-17)

Children of Light

2nd Thessalonians 3

Prayer is Part of That Result

Looking Back to Berea

The Bereans

So, How Do We Respond?

The Hidden Trap of Being “Orthodox”

So, How Can We Avoid the Traps?

We Are Not Alone

The Spirit of Fear or the Spirit of God?

They were given the same three-fold task as we are given!

Current Events and Our Future

Old Testament Truth

From the Beginning, God Has Chosen You to Salvation

2nd Thessalonians 2:13-17

Introduction:

The Doctrine of Election:

Where did We Start Out?

So, How Can it Be Both Ways?

Belief of the Truth

What Does Jesus Say About it?

Sanctification of the Spirit (v. 13)

“He Called you by our Gospel.” (v. 14)

What do I mean by the phrase, “the Gospel?”

1^st Corinthians 1:25-31

Introduction to 1^st Corinthians

1^st Corinthians 1:1-9

**What was Different when Paul Preached in Corinth?**

**Notice the people listed:**

**And What About “being Religious?”**

**How was this Word used?**

2^nd Thessalonians 3:1-5

**What Should the Result Be? (2^nd Thessalonians 2:15-17)**

**Prayer is Part of That Result**

2^nd Thessalonians 2:13-17

**What Should the Result Be? (v. 16, 17)**

2^nd Thessalonians 2:1-12

**Meet the “New Fear!” (Same as The Old Fear!)**

2^nd Thessalonians 1:4-12

2^nd Thessalonians 1:1-5

1^st Thessalonians 5:23-28