Love
is patient, love is kind
Love does not envy,
is not
boastful, is not conceited,
does not act improperly,
is not
selfish, is not provoked,
and does
not keep a record of wrongs.
Love finds
no joy
in unrighteousness
but
rejoices in the truth
Broadly speaking,
spiritual awareness
is the
consciousness
of
spiritual matters
Because spiritual awarenessis such a vague term, it’s difficult to know whether everyone who speaks of spiritual awareness has the same thing in mind. To some, it is a connection to one’s own soul; to others, it’s getting in touch with the divine through the stimulation of the pineal gland in the brain; and to others, it’s the knowledge of what’s happening in the incorporeal, spiritual realm all around us.
There is no doubt that the spiritual realm is real (Matthew 17:18). Spiritual awareness can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the spirit in question and the motive of the person seeking the awareness.
Connection to evil spirits is not beneficial.
Unfortunately, evil spirits often present themselves as beings of light and knowledge, and “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Psychics and “ghost-hunters” often have a spiritual awareness of what demonic forces are doing, but this is not a good thing because the demons’ goal is to lie and delude. The serpent in the garden tempted Eve with knowledge or “awareness” of things that were beyond her comprehension. When she told the serpent that she and Adam would die if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the serpent (Satan) said, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4–5)
The serpent promised a type of
spiritual awareness
that only brought Eve harm
Jesus, of course,
had
spiritual awareness
Jesus “knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person” (John 2:24–25). Jesus knew the hypocrisy of those who came to entrap Him (Mark 12:15) and had all knowledge of the spiritual forces at work in the world (Luke 22:31). As an apostle of Jesus, Peter was given the ability to see the spiritual condition of Simon the sorcerer in Samaria: “I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin,” Peter rightly concluded (Acts 8:23).
All believers should possess a certain amount of spiritual awareness. We have been removed from the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). Our spiritual eyes have been opened to the reality of our sinful condition, the grace of God, and the lies of the enemy. We know the love of God; we experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit. We understand that we are in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) and that Satan has a plan. “We are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Our spiritual awareness is the result of Christ’s redemption. In Christ, we have a whole new perspective: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1–3). We know there is more to life than what we can see, hear, and touch; our existence is not limited to the material realm. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). There is a spiritual reality, and God’s children are aware of it.
A primary purpose of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians was to combat the work of false teachers who were invading the church and undermining the simple truth of the gospel. In his opening prayer, Paul states that God the Father “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13, ESV).
The verb rendered as “transferred” in the English Standard Version of Colossians 1:13 is alternatively rendered “translated” (KJV) or “brought us into” (NIV). In the original Greek, the term literally means “to move something from one place or sphere to another.” When God rescues Christians “from the kingdom of darkness” through the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, He packs them up and moves them, spiritually speaking, into “the Kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13, NLT).
Paul likens salvation to acquiring a brand-new address in a shiny new domain. This imagery of deliverance evokes the Lord’s dramatic rescue of His people out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 6:6; 12:27; Deuteronomy 13:5). God brought the Israelites out of the dark land of Egypt and transferred or “translated” them, eventually, into the Promised Land. Today, He moves believers into the kingdom where His Son reigns as King over every power of darkness (see Acts 26:17–18; Ephesians 6:12).
Paul’s imagery also recollects the prophet Isaiah’s hope-filled vision of the Messiah: “There will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:1–2; see also Isaiah 42:6–7; 58:10; Isaiah 60:1–3). At the moment of salvation, God plucks us out of Satan’s dark domain and transplants us into the brilliant light of Jesus Christ’s kingdom.
Believers are transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son means our citizenship changes when Jesus becomes our Savior. Before being rescued, we walk in disobedience and sin, obeying our commander, the devil (see Ephesians 2:1–3). After salvation, our passport gets stamped “citizen of heaven,” and our King is now “the Lord Jesus Christ” (see Philippians 3:20). We are “no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Ephesians 2:19). The apostle Peter declares, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Much of Christ’s teaching focused on His kingdom (Matthew 4:17; 5:1–12; Luke 12:32; Matthew 13:10–52). Believers must be “transferred” into the kingdom of heaven because we can’t move there of our own volition. The Bible says we are powerless to save ourselves (Romans 5:6–8; Ephesians 1:7). The heavy lifting can only be accomplished by God, who “saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life” (Titus 3:4–7, NLT; see also Ephesians 1:7; 2:4–9, 13).
Believers are transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son “by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11, NLT; see also Romans 3:21–24). In Christ, God gives us the golden ticket that transfers us from death to life (John 5:24); from alienation to acceptance (Colossians 1:22); from separation to nearness (2 Corinthians 5:18–20); from despair to hope (1 Peter 1:3); from darkness to light (1 John 2:8); from slavery to freedom (Romans 6:16–23; 8:2; John 8:32); from enemies to friends (Romans 5:11); and from strangers to compatriots (Hebrews 11:13–16).
There are two types of light in the world.
We can perceive one, or both, or neither! When we are born into this world, we perceive physical light, and by it we learn of our Creator’s handiwork in the things we see. However, although that light is good, there is another Light, a Light so important that the Son of God had to come in order to both declare and impart it to men. John 8:12 records, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.’”
The metaphor used by the Lord in
this verse
Speaks of the
Light of His Truth,
The
Light of His Word,
The Light of Eternal Life
Those who perceive
the
True Light
will never walk
in
spiritual darkness
We take a candle into a room to dispel the darkness. Likewise, the Light of Jesus Christ has to be taken into the darkness of sin that engulfs the hearts and lives of those who are not following Him. That’s the condition behind having this Light—that we follow Him. If we do not follow Him, we will not have this light, this truth, this eternal life.
Physical light is necessary for physical life. The earth would certainly change very rapidly if there were no longer any sunlight. A forest full of trees with very thick canopies of foliage high above has very little plant life on the ground except for moss or lichen, which needs little sunlight. Plants will never move away from the light—they are said to be positively phototropic, drawn to the light. In the same way, spiritual light is necessary for spiritual life, and this can be a good test of our standing in Christ. The believer will always tend toward spiritual things; he will always tend toward fellowship, prayer, the Word of God, and so on. The unbeliever always does the opposite (John 1:5; 3:19–20) because light exposes his evil, and he hates the light. Indeed, no man can come into the true spiritual light of Jesus Christ, unless he is enabled (John 6:37).
Following Jesus is the condition of two promises in John 8:12. First, His followers will never walk in darkness, which is a reference to the assurance of salvation we enjoy. As true followers of the Light, we will never follow the ways of sin, never live in a state of continually sinning (1 John 1:5–7). Rather, we repent of our sin in order to stay close to the Light of the world. The second promise is that we will reflect the Light of Life. Just as He came as the Light of the world, He commands us to be “lights,” too. In Matthew 5:14–16 we see believers depicted as the light of the world. Just as the moon has no light of its own, reflecting the light of the sun, so are believers to reflect the Light of Christ so that all can see it in us. The Light is evident to others by the good deeds we do in faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The emphasis here is maintaining a credible and obvious witness in the world, a witness that shows us to be faithful, God-honoring, trustworthy, sincere, earnest, and honest in all that we do. Also, we should always be ready to give an account of the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15), for the gospel Light we have is not to be covered, but made obvious for all to see and benefit from, that they, too, may leave the darkness and come into the Light.
Both New Age teaching and biblical Christianity wholeheartedly affirm that there is more to the human being than just the material and the physical. Both would agree that the human being has a spirit and that there are other spirit beings that can interact with the world and with people. Both agree that human beings need to develop spiritually or they will miss out on the most important things in life. However, the similarities between New Age thought and biblical Christianity end quickly at the discussion of how and in what direction one should develop spiritually.
The Bible teaches that God desires our spiritual development. Human beings are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:28–29). We were made to have fellowship with Him, but that fellowship was broken by sin. Sin, or rebellion against God’s law (1 John 3:4), is the obstacle to our spiritual development. Every human being’s spirit is separated from God, the Author of life, so human beings are described as spiritually dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). The only hope for dead spirits is that they be made alive in Christ and then start to grow and develop into the kind of spiritual people God intended for us to be—people that accurately reflect His image.
The goal of the Christian life is to become more and more like Christ, as the Holy Spirit works in our spirits, producing fruit (Galatians 5:22–24). As we yield to the Spirit, He will guide us (Galatians 5:16, 25). Spiritual development occurs through reading God’s Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and active participation in a local church. Christians do not choose the direction or the means of their development; the means have been chosen by God as revealed in His Word. Through the church, God equips His people “for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants. . . . Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:12–15).
The Christian’s spiritual development is based on the promises of God’s Word and the willing participation of the individual believer as he submits to Christ. The goal is to leave sin behind and increase in Christlikeness: “He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:4–8).
New Age spiritual development starts with a completely different premise. Rather than seeing mankind as created in the image of a personal God, New Age spirituality sees human beings as independent manifestations of an impersonal spirit (energy, force, or chi) that energizes the universe. Spiritual development, according to New Age teaching, is simply tapping into this energy to achieve greater fulfillment and harmony here on earth and possibly in life to come. One New Age website describes the goal of New Age spiritual development like this: “The world is a magnificent cornucopia, filled with wondrous and delightful items. Here we can find exactly what we are looking for. If we seek enjoyment of the senses, there are many opportunities. Similarly if we seek to learn and draw closer to our higher self, this opportunity exists as well. In part, the earth phase of our existence is an opportunity to learn, create and experience all the parts of self and grow closer to that which we wish to become.” The direction of New Age spiritual development is chosen by the individual. By properly aligning oneself with the spiritual force, the individual can become anyone or anything that he or she desires.
New Age philosophy teaches that aiding one’s spiritual development are spirit guides and angels who can provide direction and strength on the journey toward self-actualization. Physical items such as crystals may help focus the psychic/spiritual energy. Properly arranging items in one’s home (the idea behind feng shui) can also help the flow of energy. Psychic abilities such as ESP can be developed.
Whereas biblical spiritual development has as its goal becoming more like Christ, New Age spiritual development’s goal is determined by each individual, empowering each individual to become the master of his or her own fate. It is the difference between the Holy Spirit’s sanctification and the individual’s self-realization. It is the difference between submitting to God and seeking to become one’s own god. It is the difference between hearing God say, “Commit your way to the LORD” (Proverbs 37:5) and hearing Satan’s lie “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).
After Jesus ministered to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, the townspeople heard her incredible testimony of salvation and began coming out in droves to investigate her claims about Jesus. Meanwhile, the disciples were concerned about the Lord’s physical state, thinking that He must be tired and hungry. Jesus told them that serving the Father by fulfilling His mission was more satisfying than physical food: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:34–35, ESV).
The harvest is a common biblical theme associated with the kingdom of God (Isaiah 27:12; Joel 3:13; Amos 9:13; Matthew 7:16–19; 9:37; 13:24–30; Luke 10:2; Revelation 14:14–16). When the fields are “white” for harvest, it means they are “ripe” or “ready” to be harvested. When grain is fully sprouted and in peak condition for gathering, it approaches the color of white. A ripe grainfield looks like a sea of white.
Jesus wanted His disciples to understand the urgency and the immediate opportunity of His mission. People hungry for the truth, ready to receive His salvation, were coming to Him; therefore, “the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NLT). Harvest time might have been four months distant in the natural world, but the moment for spiritual reaping had arrived.
The disciples were focused on physical, earthly concerns like rest and food. But Jesus saw the spiritual necessity. He was consumed with the more urgent and gratifying mission of winning souls for His Father’s kingdom. He urged His disciples to open their eyes, too, and see the crowd of villagers streaming toward them like a ripened field of white, eager and ready to hear the gospel and be gathered into God’s eternal kingdom.
Some Bible commentators suggest the Lord’s choice of the word white, also reflected the color of the people’s robes, white against the backdrop of ground and sky. The white-robed Samaritan crowd was the harvest Jesus was eager to reap for God, and, indeed, many believed in Jesus and received Him as Lord and Savior (John 4:39–42).
Jesus had a similar passionate reaction in Matthew 9:36–38: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”
God is the Lord of the harvest (see also Luke 10:2). He chooses the right moment to do His work of salvation in the hearts of men and women. At the same time, God chooses to partner with us in that work (John 4:36–38). We must keep our eyes open, seizing the opportunities He presents, both to receive salvation and join with Him in offering it to others.
The fields are white for harvest means the right time to bring people into God’s kingdom is now. Paul tells Timothy to be prepared to preach the gospel “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:1–2). In the agricultural world, farmers must wait between the sowing and reaping seasons. In the spiritual realm, the time for gathering in the harvest is now—whenever and wherever a crop of white-ripe souls exists.
The phrase “the Body of Christ” is a common New Testament metaphor for the Church (all those who are truly saved). The Church is called “one body in Christ” in Romans 12:5, “one body” in 1 Corinthians 10:17, “the body of Christ” in 1 Corinthians 12:27 and Ephesians 4:12, and “the body” in Hebrews 13:3. The Church is clearly equated with “the body” of Christ in Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:24.
When Christ entered our world, He took on a physical body “prepared” for Him (Hebrews 10:5; Philippians 2:7). Through His physical body, Jesus demonstrated the love of God clearly, tangibly, and boldly—especially through His sacrificial death on the cross (Romans 5:8). After His bodily ascension, Christ continues His work in the world through those He has redeemed—the Church now demonstrates the love of God clearly, tangibly, and boldly. In this way, the Church functions as “the Body of Christ.”
The Church may be called the Body of Christ because of these facts:
1) Members of the Body of Christ are joined to Christ in salvation (Ephesians 4:15-16).
2) Members of the Body of Christ follow Christ as their Head (Ephesians 1:22-23).
3) Members of the Body of Christ are the physical representation of Christ in this world. The Church is the organism through which Christ manifests His life to the world today.
4) Members of the Body of Christ are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9).
5) Members of the Body of Christ possess a diversity of gifts suited to particular functions (1 Corinthians 12:4-31). “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” (verse 12).
6) Members of the Body of Christ share a common bond with all other Christians, regardless of background, race, or ministry. “There should be no division in the body, but . . . its parts should have equal concern for each other” (1 Corinthians 12:25).
7) Members of the Body of Christ are secure in their salvation (John 10:28-30). For a Christian to lose his salvation, God would have to perform an “amputation” on the Body of Christ!
8) Members of the Body of Christ partake of Christ’s death and resurrection (Colossians 2:12).
9) Members of the Body of Christ share Christ’s inheritance (Romans 8:17).
10) Members of the Body of Christ receive the gift of Christ’s righteousness (Romans 5:17).
In Colossians 1:13, the apostle Paul describes salvation as God’s work of rescuing believers “from the kingdom of darkness” and transferring them “into the Kingdom of his dear Son” (NLT). This imagery of rescue and deliverance as moving people out of darkness into light appears throughout the book of Isaiah, and Paul may have borrowed from it (see Isaiah 9:1–2; 42:6–7; 58:10; 60:1–3).
The “kingdom of darkness” in Colossians 1:13 is alternatively rendered “domain of darkness” (ESV) and “dominion of darkness” (NIV). Bible scholars interpret Paul’s meaning in a couple of ways. For some, the kingdom of darkness represents a spiritual realm, or domain, where Satan heads a hostile resistance force against the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ. In this dark sphere, Satan holds the position of power, authority and rule over human hearts and other spiritual beings. Such an invisible kingdom is depicted by Paul in Ephesians 6:12: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (NLT).
Others view the kingdom of darkness more as a darkened, unregenerated condition in which Satan dominates the hearts and minds of sinful humanity. Before salvation, people’s minds are “full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him” (Ephesians 4:18, NLT; see also Romans 1:21). Unbelievers live under the rule of darkness in contrast to Christians “who live in the light” (Colossians 1:12, NLT; see also Romans 13:12–13; 1 John 2:10). Paul explained, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (Ephesians 5:8, NLT).
At Paul’s conversion, Jesus said that He was sending Paul out as a servant to open people’s eyes “so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me” (Acts 26:18, NLT).
The kingdom of darkness is a realm controlled by sin and rebellion toward God (1 John 1:6; 2:11; John 3:19). But the kingdom of Christ is the new home of believers. God relocates us from our country of origin to become “citizens of heaven” (Philippians 3:20, NLT) and “members of God’s family” (Ephesians 2:19, NLT). We are rescued from the dangerous and deadly dominion of darkness and transferred into the glorious light and fellowship of God’s kingdom, where Jesus Christ rules and reigns (1 John 1:7).
The kingdom of darkness is a domain dominated by death. The author of Hebrews explains that Satan has “the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14). “But God is so rich in mercy,” writes Paul, “and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 2:4–5, NLT). God rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and the power of death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Our Savior’s death takes away sin’s curse of death that was on us (Galatians 3:13).
Jesus is “the light of the world,” and those who follow Him “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Christ gives His “light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79, NLT). If we receive God’s gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, we pass “from death to life” (John 5:24; see also 1 John 3:14; Romans 6:3–4, 13; Ephesians 2:6). In His mercy, love, and grace, God the Father through Jesus, His Son, gathers us out of bondage to sin and death in the kingdom of darkness and moves us into the eternal light and freedom of Christ’s kingdom.
The Bible, God’s Word, tells us what God is like and what He is not like. Without the authority of the Bible, any attempt to explain God’s attributes (inherent qualities) would be no better than an opinion, which by itself is often incorrect, especially in understanding God (Job 42:7). To say that it is important for us to try to understand what God is like is a huge understatement. Failure to do so can cause us to set up, chase after, and worship false gods contrary to His will (Exodus 20:3-5).
Only what God has chosen to reveal of Himself can be known. One of God’s attributes or qualities is “light,” meaning that He is self-revealing in information of Himself (Isaiah 60:19; James 1:17). The fact that God has revealed knowledge of Himself should not be neglected (Hebrews 4:1). Creation, the Bible, and the Word made flesh (Jesus Christ) will help us to know what God is like.
Let’s start by understanding that God is our Creator and that we are a part of His creation (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1) and are created in His image. Man is above the rest of creation and was given dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28). Creation is marred by the fall but still offers a glimpse of God’s works (Genesis 3:17-18; Romans 1:19-20). By considering creation’s vastness, complexity, beauty, and order, we can have a sense of the awesomeness of God.
Reading through some of the names of God can be helpful in our search of what God is like. They are as follows:
Elohim - strong One, divine (Genesis 1:1)
Adonai - Lord, indicating a Master-to-servant relationship (Exodus 4:10, 13)
El Elyon - Most High, the strongest One (Genesis 14:20)
El Roi - the strong One who sees (Genesis 16:13)
El Shaddai - Almighty God (Genesis 17:1)
El Olam - Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28)
Yahweh - LORD “I AM,” meaning the eternal, self-existent God (Exodus 3:13, 14).
God is eternal, meaning He had no beginning and His existence will never end. He is immortal and infinite (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). God is immutable, meaning He is unchanging; this in turn means that God is absolutely reliable and trustworthy (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 102:26, 27). God is incomparable; there is no one like Him in works or being. He is unequaled and perfect (2 Samuel 7:22; Psalm 86:8; Isaiah 40:25; Matthew 5:48). God is inscrutable, unfathomable, unsearchable, and past finding out as far as understanding Him completely (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 145:3; Romans 11:33, 34).
God is just; He is no respecter of persons in the sense of showing favoritism (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 18:30). God is omnipotent; He is all-powerful and can do anything that pleases Him, but His actions will always be in accord with the rest of His character (Revelation 19:6; Jeremiah 32:17, 27). God is omnipresent, meaning He is present everywhere, but this does not mean that God is everything (Psalm 139:7-13; Jeremiah 23:23). God is omniscient, meaning He knows the past, present, and future, including what we are thinking at any given moment. Since He knows everything, His justice will always be administered fairly (Psalm 139:1-5; Proverbs 5:21).
God is one; not only is there no other, but He is alone in being able to meet the deepest needs and longings of our hearts. God alone is worthy of our worship and devotion (Deuteronomy 6:4). God is righteous, meaning that God cannot and will not pass over wrongdoing. It is because of God’s righteousness and justice that, in order for our sins to be forgiven, Jesus had to experience God’s wrath when our sins were placed upon Him (Exodus 9:27; Matthew 27:45-46; Romans 3:21-26).
God is sovereign, meaning He is supreme. All of His creation put together cannot thwart His purposes (Psalm 93:1; 95:3; Jeremiah 23:20). God is spirit, meaning He is invisible (John 1:18; 4:24). God is a Trinity. He is three in one, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. God is truth, He will remain incorruptible and cannot lie (Psalm 117:2; 1 Samuel 15:29).
God is holy, separated from all moral defilement and hostile toward it. God sees all evil and it angers Him. God is referred to as a consuming fire (Isaiah 6:3; Habakkuk 1:13; Exodus 3:2, 4-5; Hebrews 12:29). God is gracious, and His grace includes His goodness, kindness, mercy, and love. If it were not for God’s grace, His holiness would exclude us from His presence. Thankfully, this is not the case, for He desires to know each of us personally (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 31:19; 1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16, 17:3).
Since God is an infinite Being, no human can fully answer this God-sized question, but through God’s Word, we can understand much about who God is and what He is like. May we all wholeheartedly continue to seek after Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
“I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35) is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. Jesus used the same phrase “I AM” in seven declarations about Himself. In all seven, He combines I AM with tremendous metaphors which express His saving relationship toward the world. All appear in the book of John.
John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
Bread is considered a staple food—i.e., a basic dietary item. A person can survive a long time on only bread and water. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase “breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with someone. Bread also plays an integral part of the Jewish Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt. Finally, when the Jews were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God rained down “bread from heaven” to sustain the nation (Exodus 16:4).
All of this plays into the scene being described in John 6 when Jesus used the term “bread of life.” He was trying to get away from the crowds to no avail. He had crossed the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd followed Him. After some time, Jesus inquires of Philip how they’re going to feed the crowd. Philip’s answer displays his “little faith” when he says they don’t have enough money to give each of them the smallest morsel of food. Finally, Andrew brings to Jesus a boy who had five small loaves of bread and two fish. With that amount, Jesus miraculously fed the throng with lots of food to spare.
Afterward, Jesus and His disciples cross back to the other side of Galilee. When the crowd sees that Jesus has left, they follow Him again. Jesus takes this moment to teach them a lesson. He accuses the crowd of ignoring His miraculous signs and only following Him for the “free meal.” Jesus tells them in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” In other words, they were so enthralled with the food, they were missing out on the fact that their Messiah had come. So the Jews ask Jesus for a sign that He was sent from God (as if the miraculous feeding and the walking across the water weren’t enough). They tell Jesus that God gave them manna during the desert wandering. Jesus responds by telling them that they need to ask for the true bread from heaven that gives life. When they ask Jesus for this bread, Jesus startles them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This is a phenomenal statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. Jesus is trying to get the Jews’ thinking off of the physical realm and into the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously created the day before. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.
Third, and very important, Jesus is making another claim to deity. This statement is the first of the “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel. The phrase “I AM” is the covenant name of God (Yahweh, or YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). The phrase speaks of self-sufficient existence (or what theologians refer to as “aseity”), which is an attribute only God possesses. It is also a phrase the Jews who were listening would have automatically understood as a claim to deity.
Fourth, notice the words “come” and “believe.” This is an invitation for those listening to place their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. This invitation to come is found throughout John’s Gospel. Coming to Jesus involves making a choice to forsake the world and follow Him. Believing in Jesus means placing our faith in Him that He is who He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do, and that He is the only one who can.
Fifth, there are the words “hunger and thirst.” Again, it must be noted that Jesus isn’t talking about alleviating physical hunger and thirst. The key is found in another statement Jesus made, back in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:6, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When Jesus says those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst, He is saying He will satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.
If there is anything the history of human religion tells us, it is that people seek to earn their way to heaven. This is such a basic human desire because God created us with eternity in mind. The Bible says God has placed [the desire for] eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The Bible also tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven because we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23) and the only thing our sin earns us is death (Romans 6:23). There is no one who is righteous in himself (Romans 3:10). Our dilemma is we have a desire we cannot fulfill, no matter what we do. That is where Jesus comes in. He, and He alone, can fulfill that desire in our hearts for righteousness through the Divine Transaction: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Christ died on the cross, He took the sins of mankind upon Himself and made atonement for them. When we place our faith in Him, our sins are imputed to Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed to us. Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness. He is our Bread of Life
Matthew 9 lists a number in incidents, in somewhat “rapid fire” fashion, that involve Jesus ministering while the Pharisees are being critical:
verses 1–8 — Jesus heals a paralytic.
verses 9–13 — Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, and is chided by the Pharisees for spending time with “sinners.”
verses 14–17 — The Pharisees criticize Jesus and His disciples for not fasting enough. Apparently, Jesus’ followers are too social.
verses 18–26 — A woman with chronic bleeding is healed, and Jesus raises a young girl back to life.
verses 27–31 — Jesus heals two blind men.
verses 32–34 — Jesus heals a man unable to speak, but the Pharisees say He heals by demonic power.
All of these incidents lead to the final section of Matthew chapter 9, verses 35–38: “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to
the Lord of the harvest
to send out
laborers into his harvest.’”
Jesus could have spent every waking hour healing and teaching. There was no shortage of people who needed the gospel of the kingdom proclaimed to them. In His earthly existence, He was limited by His human body. He could not be everywhere at once, nor could He meet every need. He grew tired and hungry. Practically speaking, He needed others to go out and preach the gospel. People are the harvest—lost souls waiting to be saved and brought into God’s kingdom. The problem was not that there were not enough people to harvest, but that there were not enough laborers to do the work.
If a man owned a farm, there are two problems he might encounter when it came time to harvest. The first is that he might hire a lot of people to work in the fields but there would not be enough work to keep them busy. The second might be that there is so much to harvest that he just can’t find enough people to do the work.
The same set of problems could be evident in any church or Christian ministry. There might be so many volunteers and donors that the needs are fully met and many of the helpers just stand around with nothing to do. On the other hand, there might be so many needs that everyone who turns out to work is stretched to the max, with many needs remaining unmet. In reality, the second scenario is far more common, and the first is virtually unheard of.
In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out the disciples to begin the harvest. That pattern continues with the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28. All Christians are supposed to be working in the harvest. The problem is not that there are not enough needs to meet and souls to harvest but that there are too few workers to do all that needs to be done.
In Christian ministry, we need to pray for more workers to go out into the harvest fields to work. Practically speaking, instead of praying for more people to be saved, we should pray that more people actively share the gospel. When praying for a lost loved one, we should pray for him or her to encounter more believers who will reach out with truth and love. If we are dissatisfied with the way things are, we need to pray that God will send us out to make a difference. If any Christian is not involved in gospel ministry, it is not because there is nothing for him to do; rather, is that he has chosen to sit on the sidelines instead of joining in the work that surrounds him.
The harvest is plentiful.
May God use this small article to
motivate Christians
to join the harvest workforce!
The precise phrase river of life does not appear in the Bible. However, Revelation 22:1–2 does refer to “the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The apostle John, in his vision of the New Jerusalem, describes the river as flowing “down the middle of the great street of the city.”
The “water of life” referred to here does not have to be considered physical water as we know it. Rather, the water flowing from the throne is probably symbolic of the water of eternal life, crystal clear to reflect the glory of God in a dazzling, never-ending stream. The fact that the stream emanates from the throne tells us that eternal life flows from God to His people.
Water is a common symbolic representation of eternal life in Scripture. Isaiah refers to drawing water from the “wells of salvation” with joy (Isaiah 12:3). The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah rebuked the Israelites for abandoning God’s “spring of living water” and digging for themselves their own cisterns which could not hold water (Jeremiah 2:13). The Israelites had forsaken the living God, who alone provides eternal life, to chase after false idols, worldliness, and works-based religions. Men do the same today, refusing the water of life only Christ provides for a parched and dusty life of materialism and self-indulgence.
Jesus encouraged the Samaritan woman at the well to take from Him the water of (eternal) life so that she would never thirst again spiritually (John 4:13–14). Those who believe in Him, Jesus goes on to say in John 7:38, will have streams of living water flowing from them. Water is an appropriate and easily understood symbol for life. Just as physical water is necessary to sustain physical life on earth, living water from the Savior is necessary to sustain eternal life with Him. Jesus is both the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and the source of living water, sustaining His people forever.
Spiritual darkness is the state of a person who is living apart from God. The Old Testament book of Isaiah, in prophesying of the Messiah, speaks of a deep spiritual darkness that enveloped the people: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). This passage reappears in the New Testament, in Matthew 4:16, to announce that those who have come to know the God of Israel through His Son Jesus Christ are the ones who have been delivered from spiritual darkness and now walk in the light of God’s life.
The apostle John taught that God is light: “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth” (1 John 1:5–6, NLT). And Jesus declared that He is the light of the world: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Thus, spiritual darkness means not having fellowship with God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. The darkness of separation from God is overcome through Christ: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4–5).
From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, humans have lived in a fallen world. All people are born in a fallen state of sin and separation from God. Until a person is reborn of God’s Spirit, he or she lives in spiritual darkness. Sin darkens our understanding and destroys our spiritual sight, cloaking us in deep darkness: “But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble” (Proverbs 4:19). Moses compares this state of sin and disobedience to groping about like “a blind person in the dark” (Deuteronomy 28:29). One of Job’s friends speaks of those who are lost in spiritual darkness: “Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night” (Job 5:14).
Living in rebellion to God and His will is equivalent to living in spiritual darkness. When the Lord commissioned Paul, He said, “I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me” (Acts 26:17–18, NLT).
After salvation, believers become beacons of the spiritual light of Christ: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Those who are in Jesus Christ have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13, ESV). Those who reject Jesus Christ face eternal separation from God in “blackest darkness” (Jude 1:4–13).
In Judaism, a person’s inner character and moral quality are understood to be reflected through the eyes. In Matthew 6:22–23, Jesus compares the moral condition of an unregenerate soul to darkness: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Jesus’ listeners would have understood that a healthy eye is one that lets in light just as a healthy regenerated heart lets in spiritual light. But a sick or sinful eye (or heart) shuts out light, leaving the soul in spiritual darkness.
The apostle Paul describes those in a sinful state before knowing Christ as possessing a darkened, closed mind and a hardened heart: “Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him” (Ephesians 4:18, NLT).
Unbelievers live in spiritual darkness because Satan, the god of this world, has blinded their minds. They cannot see the glorious light of the gospel: “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4, NLT).
Spiritual darkness refers to all that is in opposition to the light of God’s love in Christ. The good news that Jesus brings to this world is that His light—His life-giving Spirit—floods light and life into the spiritual darkness of the sinner’s heart. The One who opened the eyes of the blind can also bring us out of spiritual darkness. No matter how deep the darkness, the light of God’s love and truth overcomes every sin that separates us from God.
What does it mean that love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6)?
First Corinthians 13:4-6 contains a list of several things love “does not” do. The final item in this list is that love “does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Love loves the truth. Love does not love evil, or, as the ESV puts it, “it does not rejoice at wrongdoing.”
Corinth was an evil place with pervasive idol worship and rampant sexual immorality. The recently converted Christians in Corinth sometimes had a hard time shaking the old habits. One man involved in egregious immorality had been tolerated in the church (chapter 5), and the Lord’s Supper had been dishonored to the point of including gluttony and drunkenness (chapter 11). To combat these evils, Paul taught that love does not enjoy or “delight in” such actions; rather, true love finds joy in truth and righteousness.
Psalm 1:1-2 offers the proper attitude concerning truth: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” The “blessed” person despises evil but loves God’s truth, reflecting upon it constantly.
Psalm 5:4 says, “You are not a God who delights in wickedness.” The God who is love (1 John 4:8) delights in what is true and just. God loves us, and He “desire[s] truth in the inner parts” (Psalm 51:6). In other words, God does not ignore our sin just because He loves us. In fact, it is because of His great love that He provided the means of cleansing our sin in Christ (1 John 4:10).
True love rejoices in what is right and good. Anything that covers up sin or seeks to justify wrongdoing is the polar opposite of godly love. Love does not sweep sin under the rug. Love does not try to find ways to get away with bad behavior, and it does not put up with injustice. Instead, it treasures truth, celebrates good behavior, and promotes virtue. True love has nothing to hide.
Further, to “not delight in evil” carries the idea of not gloating over someone else’s guilt. It is common for people to rejoice when an enemy is found guilty of a crime or caught in a sin. This is not love. Love rejoices in the virtue of others, not in their vices. Sin is an occasion for sorrow, not for joy.
Basically, to exhibit God’s kind of love, we must have God’s perspective on sin and righteousness. The better we understand love, the more we will sorrow over those who commit sin. The more we love the truth, the better we can love those around us.
What does 1 John 3:4 mean?
The third chapter of 1 John focuses mostly on the concept of love. Because of His love, God not only calls us His children, He actually makes us His children. John also explains how sin, including hate, is never the result of a proper relationship with God. Christians, in contrast to the world, are supposed to do more than simply ''feel'' love; we are to act on it, as well
John then notes why unbelievers do not "know" believers: Unbelievers do not know Christ. As used by John, the concept of "knowing" involves more than just information. It refers to a sense of intimacy, fellowship, and connection. The unbelieving world does not have a relationship with Christ. Therefore, they have no relationship with His children. God's children are to become increasingly like the Father, regardless of whether others recognize us.
John next refers to his readers as his "beloved," or dear ones. Being a child of God is not a future event for the believer; we are His children from the point when we believe into eternity future (John 1:12). In addition, our future has not yet completely been revealed. In eternity with the Lord, believers will experience a new body and exist forever in God's presence, in a way far superior to our lives today. Some of this is simply impossible for us to understand; certain things will only be "revealed" to us once Christ appears to bring us home.
John anticipates this appearing will take place at any moment. Believers will see God "as He is" at that time and become like Him. John's words appear to closely connect with passages associated with the rapture, such as 1 Corinthians 15:50–58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. Jesus will appear, believers will see Him, receive a new body, and be with the Lord forever.
It is critical to notice John's point that we are not yet what we will be. John's warnings about sin and fellowship, like the rest of Scripture, recognize that even saved believers will not be perfect. The expected result of salvation is a life that grows to become more and more like Christ—but this does not mean an immediate change to perfection. God loves us enough to forgive our sins (1 John 2:1–2), and to help us overcome them (1 John 2:14; 1 John 4:4).
First John 3:1–3 highlights the amazing love God has for us. Not only is He willing to call us His children, we actually are His children. Some of that transformation is immediate, but not everything we will be has been revealed, yet. Only when Christ returns will we see everything He has in store for us. John also connects a relationship with Christ to ''pure'' living.
Because believers have hope, and anticipate being with Jesus for eternity, they pursue a pure life. The goal of living a pure life is to be like Christ. He is pure, and believers seek to live like Him. This lays groundwork for comments John will make later in this chapter, depicting sin as incompatible with fellowship in Christ.
Purity is a strong theme in the New Testament. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus taught, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Paul sought to present believers as a "pure virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). Believers are to "be pure and blameless for the day of Christ" (Philippians 1:10). First Peter 3:2speaks of the "pure conduct" a believer should pursue, which stands out to unbelievers. To be pure is to be free from sin, to live increasingly like Christ in a world filled with evil. Those who do can look forward to heaven rather than fear future judgment.
In contrast with the purity described in verse 3, John labels the "practice of sinning" as "lawlessness." This is strong, spiritually-loaded terminology. In the Bible, those who do not know Christ are called "workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). Unbelievers are marked by lawlessness (Matthew 23:28), and will increase in the end times (Matthew 24:12). Lawlessness was associated with those who broke the Law of Moses (the Torah) and were therefore sinners.
Romans 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:14 also describe unbelievers as those involved in lawlessness. In the last days, the Antichrist, a man of lawlessness, will come (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12). Christ, however, gave Himself "to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14).
At the very least, John is dispelling the claim that the gospel is a license to sin. Much as Paul does in the books of Romans and Galatians, John indicates that a true walk with Christ leads a person to sin less. Sin is sin, and even though believers are capable of sinning, the presence of Christ means they cannot do so lightly.
The false teachers John spoke against likely had a weak view of sin, considering holiness unimportant. John clearly notes that those who know God will seek to live for Him, including a life that increasingly flees from sin and follows the teachings of Christ.
The most important element of God’s nature is His holiness. Holy means “set apart,” and God is clearly separate from His creation based on His nature and attributes. Holiness is the foundation of all other aspects of God’s character. Revelation 15:4 says of God, “You alone are holy.” Revelation 4:8 describes the four living creatures who sing to God day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” It is God’s holiness that makes Him the “consuming fire” that will judge all sin (Hebrews 12:29). Beautiful doxologies exalting God’s holiness are found throughout Scripture, including Psalm 99:9; Psalm 33:21; Psalm 77:13; Psalm 89:18; Psalm 105:3; and others.
It is also important to understand that God is an eternal spirit (John 4:24). He is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4) who has always existed as three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He does not have a physical body (although the Son became incarnate). A doctrine is false if it denies the Trinity, views God the Father as a man, or denies the humanity and deity of Christ (see 2 John 1:7).
God is also, by nature, sovereign. He is judged by no one and has absolute authority over the entire universe and everything in it. His sovereignty is expressed in many ways, including His omnipotence. All of His ways are right (Psalm 145:17), and whether mankind believes God’s ways to be “fair” is irrelevant. The Lord God is not constrained by time or place. He has a plan, He has had it from eternity past, and His purpose will be accomplished (Daniel 4:37; Psalm 115:3).
Another key aspect of God’s nature is His immutability. He does not change, being the same “yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He states outright in Malachi 3:6, “I the LORD do not change.” Because of His unchanging nature, we can depend on His blessings: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
The Almighty’s sovereignty speaks to His right to do whatever He wishes, and His omnipotence speaks to His ability to do so. He also knows everything, from eternity past to eternity future, everything we think, do, and say. He has personal knowledge of every person who has ever lived or will live, knowing them intimately in every way. It is encouraging to hear God’s words in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”
We must not overlook God’s wrath, which flows from His holiness. He has a righteous anger against sin (Psalm 7:11), and, because of God’s impending judgment, mankind needs the gospel message of grace and salvation. It is also God’s nature to love (1 John 4:16), and in His love for the world, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us (John 3:16). Nothing less than a perfect sacrifice would do.
Love is more than an attribute of God; He is literally the essence of love. This is stated clearly in 1 John 4:8, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” God’s love is eternal. Because He is immutable, His love never changes. His love is perfect and holy.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39).
God's Righteous Judgment
…or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? but because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”…
Exodus 32:34
Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin."
Deuteronomy 32:34
"Have I not stored up these things, sealed up within My vaults?
Psalm 110:5
The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings in the day of His wrath.
Proverbs 1:18
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
Proverbs 28:14
Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
Jeremiah 40:3
and now the LORD has fulfilled it; He has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed His voice, this thing has happened to you.
Ezekiel 11:19
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
Romans 11:25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Exodus 8:15
But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exodus 14:17
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
treasurest.
Romans 9:22
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Deuteronomy 32:34
Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
Amos 3:10
For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
the day.
Job 21:30
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
Proverbs 11:4
Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
2 Peter 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
revelation.
Romans 2:2,3
But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things…
Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.