“Truth
in
Thought, Word, and Deed”
means truth at all levels,
and also
truth not only as a concept, but as active work.
As human beings, we
express ourselves through our thoughts (and feelings),
through what we say (our words),
and
through what we do (our deeds; our actions)
In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer,
Jesus prays to His Father, saying,
“Sanctify them by the truth; your
word is truth”
(John 17:17).
In this verse, Jesus communicates two important facts:
God’s Word is truth--
God’s Word equals truth--
and it’s
by that truth that God sanctifies us,
or sets us apart
for
holy service to Himself
When wealth becomes an
idol,
it also becomes our downfall.
Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the rich fool,
which teaches the foolishness of trusting in riches
without keeping God as the center of one’s life
(Luke 12:14–21).
Jesus, who knows our hearts, warned us about
trying to serve two masters (Luke 16:13).
We cannot love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength if we also love money (Mark 12:30).
God will not share His throne
Proverbs 30:7–9 is a prayer that models the
right attitude about wealth:
“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have
too much and disown you and say,
‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the
name of my God.”
When our daily prayer is that God will
meet all our needs
according to
His riches in
glory
(Philippians 4:19),
we remind ourselves
where our help comes from
(Psalm 121:1–2).
Any abundance beyond that daily sustenance is a gift from the Lord,
and we are to use it wisely.
When we consider that all we have and all we are
belongs to God,
we are more careful to use it
all for His glory
(1 Corinthians 10:31).
When we see wealth as an investment
entrusted to us by its rightful Owner, we are more likely
to keep it in right perspective.
How do you feel about a Pastor of
The Gospel of Christ
preaching about feeding poor people and the homeless, and
how many starving children there are
while goes home to his 2 million dollar home with a
40 car garage?
What is Worldly Living?
Hypocracy makes it very difficult to trust
what is, and what is not
truth
If we believe the truth of God,
we will not say one thing and
do another
God’s desire is that all people repent and be saved
(2 Peter 3:9).
At the same time, Satan, the “father of lies” (John 8:44),
deceives the very people who
need to accept the truth.
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Surely, God could stop Satan’s lies and
give people a fighting chance.
The Bible presents a consistent picture of how
sin and deception are related
What’s revealed is that the way we tend to think of deceit is, well, a bit deceived. Spiritually speaking, deception is deeper than merely being tricked or lied to. In order to be saved, one does not need any particular level of intelligence, philosophical ability, or wisdom (Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 1:20, 26). In fact, mankind has an unfortunate habit of using increased knowledge to develop more sophisticated ways to sin.
Key to understanding
spiritual deception
is the fact that we often choose what we want to believe
rather than what we should believe,
even in the face of the evidence
(Luke 16:31).
“Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him” (John 12:37). Notice that they would not believe Jesus, despite the miracles. Their unbelief was willful.
Faith
The Children of Abraham
Overcome by Faith
The question “who are the seed of Abraham?” can be answered several ways, and it is important to make some distinctions. There is the Seed of Abraham (Seed being singular); there is the seed of Abraham physically (descendants of Abraham according to the flesh); and there is the seed of Abraham spiritually
(those who, like Abraham, have faith in God).
Who is God? God is Truth
Dictionaries define righteousness as
“behavior that is morally justifiable or right.”
Such behavior is characterized by
accepted standards
of morality, justice, virtue,
or uprightness.
The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word.
Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both
describe His own character and constitute the plumb line
by which He measures human righteousness.
The Greek New Testament word for “righteousness” primarily describes conduct in relation to others, especially with regards to the rights of others in business, in legal matters, and beginning with relationship to God. It is contrasted with wickedness, the conduct of the one who, out of
gross self-centeredness, neither reveres God nor respects man.
The Bible describes the righteous
person as just or right,
holding to God and trusting in Him (Psalm 33:18–22).
The bad news
is that true and perfect righteousness is
not possible for man
to attain on his own; the standard is simply too high.
The good news is
that true righteousness is possible for mankind,
but only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ
and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We have no ability to achieve righteousness
in and of ourselves.
But Christians possess the righteousness of Christ, because
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This is an amazing truth. On the cross, Jesus exchanged our sin for
His perfect righteousness so that we can one day stand before God and He will see not our sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
This means that we are made righteous in the sight of God; that is, that we are accepted as righteous and treated as righteous by God on account of what the Lord Jesus has done.
He was made sin; we are made righteousness.
On the cross, Jesus was treated as if He were a sinner, though He was perfectly holy and pure, and we are treated as if we were righteous, though we are defiled and depraved. On account of what the Lord Jesus has endured on our behalf, we are treated as if we had entirely fulfilled the Law of God and had never become exposed to its penalty.
We have received this precious gift of righteousness from the
God of all mercy and grace.
To Him be the glory!
The gospel is good news because in it we find
God’s promise of forgiveness from sin.
John testified that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29; see also Luke 24:46–47; Isaiah 53:4–6; Acts 13:38; Hebrews 9:28).
Through the gospel, we receive God’s power
to live a new life in the
righteousness of Jesus Christ:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed--
a righteousness that is by faith
from first to last”
(Romans 1:16–17; see also Romans 3:21–26).
According to the gospel, sin separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 4:18). But when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price and canceled the debt of sin for all who would believe in Him. He was “pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him” (Isaiah 53:5; see also Colossians 1:20). The gospel is good news because, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are reconciled to God and brought near to Him in fellowship: “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1, NLT).
The gospel is good news because “to all who did receive him,
to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become
children of God—children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband’s will,
but
born of God”
(John 1:12–13).
Everyone who believes in the gospel and submits to its demands receives new life in Jesus Christ. We are adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:14–17; Galatians 3:26). We are “born of the Spirit” (John 3:5–8) and receive the “gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38; see also John 7:37–39), who guarantees our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14).
The gospel is the greatest love story ever told (John 15:13). What could be more excellent news than its promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ?: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16–17; see also John 11:25).
What do Christian theologians mean by
'righteousness by faith”?
Among Christian theologians, “righteousness by faith”
refers to the divinely
conferred status upon people who receive
the gospel proclamation with
trusting belief.
God’s gift is offered by virtue of the sacrificial death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Among the key passages for understanding righteousness by faith are Gal 2:15-21 and Rom 3:21-5:21.
A significant backdrop of Paul’s teaching is the imagery of the law court. The verb typically rendered “justify” is from the same root as the noun translated “righteousness.” This word group evokes the notions of being declared by a judge to be “in the right” and of having a right relationship given or restored. More specifically, the Pauline passages referred to above have been understood as pointing to the gift of divine forgiveness of sins bestowed on one who responds with faith to the gospel—in contrast to doing any “works” or accomplishments that could avail one of having right standing before God.
The believer’s status changes from “guilty” to “righteous,”
and his or her relationship
with God and others is marked by reconciliation.
Especially since the time of the Reformation, the precise details concerning righteousness by faith have been the source of debate among Christians of different denominations. For example, is the gift conferred by God something merely imputed (i.e., attributed) or actually imparted (i.e., bestowed)? Is Paul’s emphasis on the righteousness that comes from God through Christ, or is it on the righteousness through Christ that now avails one before God?
Despite different points of emphasis, the idea of righteousness by faith has traditionally focused on the image of God as judge, on
the atoning death of Jesus, on the primacy of
faith over works,
and on the new status of individual
What did Paul mean when he wrote about righteousness by faith?
While the above description captures important elements of Paul’s teaching, recent scholarship has argued that there is more to it. In the first place, Paul’s concern is primarily communal. The immediately preceding context of Gal 2:15-21 is the controversy over table fellowship between Jewish and gentile members of the community of faith in Antioch. Similarly, in Romans Paul stresses the new family of faith that consists of both Jewish and gentiles believers, both of whom can claim Abraham as “father” (Rom 4:11-12, Rom 4:16). The divine declaration of “righteous” thus pertains to the status of membership in God’s covenant people that includes gentile believers (a status, to be sure, that includes forgiveness of sins), in
fulfillment of the divine promises to Israel
now realized through Christ.
Secondly, when contrasting faith and works, Paul has something more specific in mind than works as a way of attempting to earn one’s salvation. He employs the specific phrase “works of the law,” by which he means those practices of Jewish law—especially circumcision, Sabbath observance, and restrictive food regulations—that marked off Jews from gentiles. Paul insists on the primacy of what God has done through Jesus’s faithfulness-unto-death, and on the response of faith to the gospel message, whether by Jew or gentile, that brings people into the community of believers.
We need the righteousness of Christ imputed to us because
we have
no righteousness of our own
We are sinners by nature, and we cannot make ourselves righteous--
we cannot place ourselves in right standing with God.
We need Christ’s righteousness imputed to us—meaning,
we need His holiness
before God
credited to our account.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes our need for imputed righteousness plain. He says, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). This comes after Jesus had just corrected His listeners’ misunderstanding of the law. In Matthew 5:20, Jesus says that, if His hearers want to enter into the kingdom of heaven, their righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees, who were the experts in the knowledge of the law.
Then, in Matthew 5:21–47, Jesus radically
redefines obedience
to the law from mere outward conformity,
which characterized the “righteousness” of the Pharisees,
to an obedience of both outward and
inward conformity.
Six times in this passage, He says, “You have heard that it was said . . . but I tell you.” In this way, Jesus differentiated the requirements of the law as the people had been taught from its actual requirements. Obeying the law is more than simply abstaining from murder or adultery, for example. It’s also not getting angry with your brother and not lusting in your heart. At the end of this section of the sermon, Jesus says we must “be perfect” (verse 48).
At this point, the natural response is, “But I can’t be perfect,”
which is absolutely true.
In another place in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus summarizes the
Law of God with two commandments:
love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,
and love your neighbor as yourself
(Matthew 22:37–40).
These commands also condemn us, because has anyone ever
loved the Lord with all his heart, soul,
mind, and strength
and loved his neighbor as himself?
Everything we do, say, and think must be done, said, and
thought from love for God and love for neighbor.
We have never achieved that level of spirituality.
We are not righteous.
Sin affects us to the very core of our being, and
no matter how good we try to be, we will never
meet God’s standard of perfection on our own.
The Bible says that all our righteous deeds are like a “polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6).
Our own attempts at goodness are simply not good enough.
We need an imputed righteousness, and for that we
look to Christ
On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself and purchased our salvation.
We have “been justified by his blood” (Romans 5:9),
and part of that justification is an imputation of His own righteousness.
Paul puts it this way:
“For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”
(2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus is righteous by virtue of His very nature—He is the Son of God.
By God’s grace, “through faith in Jesus Christ,”
that righteousness is given “to all who believe”
(Romans 3:22).
That’s imputation: the
giving of Christ’s righteousness to sinners.
Having Christ’s righteousness imputed to us does not mean we automatically do what is right—that will come through the process of sanctification. What it does mean is that we are positionally righteous; even though we still sin, we are forensically or legally righteous.
God has credited the righteousness of Christ to our account, and He did this when He saved us. In grace, the holiness of Jesus Christ is ascribed to us.
Christ “has become for us wisdom from God--
that is, our
righteousness, holiness and redemption”
(1 Corinthians 1:30).
By having the righteousness of Christ imputed to us,
we can be seen as sinless,
as Jesus is sinless. This is amazing grace!
We are not righteous in ourselves; rather, we possess Christ’s righteousness applied to our account. It is not our perfection but Christ’s that God sees when He brings us into fellowship with Himself. We are still sinners in practice, but the grace of God has declared us to have righteous standing before the law.
A wonderful illustration of Christ’s imputed righteousness is found in Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet. Guests are invited to the king’s celebration from every street corner, and they are brought in, “the bad as well as the good” (Matthew 22:10). All the guests have something in common: they are each given a wedding garment. They are not to wear their street clothes in the banquet hall but are to be dressed in the garment of the king’s providing.
They are covered in a
gracious gift.
In a similar way, we, as guests
invited into God’s house,
have been given the pure
white robe of Christ’s
righteousness. We receive
this gift of God’s grace by faith.
Theology isn't just a term...
Theology is, in fact.... God
THEOLOGY IS GOD
Faith comes through Hearing,
And Hearing through the Word of God
The Word of God is our Food
as
Vessels for change
The Word of God.. Interpretation; Food
Feeds Us;
The Food that feeds us IS JESUS
We rely on that food, the bread of life...We either rely on God or we
rely on ourselves,
meaning, we rely on the truth of gods word our we
rely on ourselves
The. Message of the Gospel is HOW God
is an Agent of change
We are merely Vessels, we need God
The Presence of god is encountered through the
Word of God
Are YOU in Right standing with God?
''Prosperity"
has two different understandings and interpretations
depending on your knowledge of God
Paul's Gospel describes the eternal realm..
We are either investing in the Kingdom of this world,
''or
we are investing in the kingdom of the
World to Come
as
Coheirs with Christ
Monetary Value relates to the kingdom of this world
It is only an agent in this world
unless it is used to
proclaim the good news, than it is an agent for the world to come
Living with "eyes to see" means that
we have inherited the riches in Christ
in the spiritual realm,
and it is our responsibility to bring that realm to earth
on earth
as it is in heaven
Through Proclaiming the
Good News
of the
Kingdom of Heaven;
those who are truly in Christ are
preaching the gospel of heaven
Having saving grace
means we intimately
Know Christ
through his word, and have
fully trusted him
through faith to
Meet his Will by faith
in following the truth
of his word
We need to be aligned with Gods Will
We need to be aligned with Truth
We need to be aligned with God, the word of god
Praying in accordance with Gods Will is what
brings it to fruition
There is the
True living God,
the Gospel
And there are other
positive spirits that are similar but not
fully truth
A partial truth or false religion can bring about blessings in your life,
this would surely make us believe that it was the true living
god who brought these blessings
The truth is, If it's not the tru living god (aligned with truth) then
it is not of God,
''the blessings are blessings, but not blessings given by god
Many people acquire blessings not given by god
This is putting our trust in Christ (the word of god) and not in men
Trusting the mind of Christ, what he has communicated
Christ wants us to believe his truth, and because we do, we trust that his will for humanity will be achieved through faith in his truth and not in our works of good deeds
Gods blessings are stored in the spiritual Realm,
which is an eternal inheritance
This life is momentary,
The next life is our investment; Seeing the eternal life
clearly
We need to Come to the
Full Knowledge of the
Truth
and have the Faith of the
Truth.
According to 1 Tim. 2:4,
God desires that
all man would be saved and come to the
full knowledge of the truth.
He wants us not only to believe
into the Lord Jesus to be saved but also to
come to the
full knowledge of the truth.
Grace cannot be fully given until
Truth is fully known
Truth needs to be spoken
Gods Glory is the Purpose
God gave us his word so that we can find him
those that find him, share him through
sharing the gospel
god uses all of us in different ways so that the gospel is shared,
So that the lost find god
it is spiritual, not physical
Everything works together for Gods Glory
'When you look at the Bible, there's a billion things
to see.
The one thing that the Bible is, is True.
Whether the Message communicated or delivered is
obnoxiously, offensively or favorably received,
it unmistakably needs to
be true
Anything untrue is not in Gods Will
Gods Will cannot be False
False isn't God, False doesn't
move Forward
The Bible is the Message of the Crucifixion,
The Gospel
Christ is the only one
who saves, redeems, delivers and illuminates
truth
Only having saving faith in Christ's ability to save is what
actually does save,
be sure it is fully reliant on his unmerited grace
there are honorable, amazing, noble things we can do for humanity,
but it's only Gods power and strength that delivers
''The Gospel points to Christ
the appearance and message of Human leaders does
not reflect the gospel,
the gospel is delivered through the message they communicate,
the truth of god
The ways of God are in stark contrast with the
thoughts of Man,
If we are to discern his will,
We need to pursue,
know and hopefully understand the
Message of the Gospel
Man’s highest aim should be to bring glory to God
(1 Corinthians 10:31), and this includes
praying according to
His will.
First, we must ask for wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). In asking for wisdom, we must also trust that God is gracious and willing to answer our prayers: “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt” (James 1:6; see also Mark 11:24). So, praying according to the will of God includes asking for wisdom (to know the will of God) and asking in faith
(to trust the will of God).
Here are seven biblical instructions that will guide the believer
in praying according to God’s will:
1) Pray for the things for which the Bible commands prayer. We are told to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44); for God to send missionaries (Luke 10:2); that we do not enter temptation (Matthew 26:41); for ministers of the Word (Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1); for government authorities (1 Timothy 2:1-3); for relief from affliction (James 5:13); and for the healing of fellow believers (James 5:16). Where God commands prayer, we can pray with confidence that we are praying according to His will.
2) Follow the example of godly characters in Scripture. Paul prayed for the salvation of Israel (Romans 10:1). David prayed for mercy and forgiveness when he
sinned (Psalm 51:1-2).
The early church prayed for boldness to witness (Acts 4:29). These prayers were according to the will of God, and similar prayers today can be as well. As with Paul and the early church, we should always be praying for the salvation of others. For ourselves, we should pray as David prayed, always aware of our sin and bringing it before God before it hinders our relationship with Him and thwarts our prayers.
3) Pray with the right motivation. Selfish motives will not be blessed by God. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3). We should also pray, not so our lofty words can be heard and we may be seen by others as “spiritual,” but mostly in private and in secret, so that our heavenly Father will hear in private and reward us openly (Matthew 6:5-6).
4) Pray with a spirit of forgiveness toward others (Mark 11:25). A spirit of bitterness, anger, revenge or hatred toward others will prevent our hearts from praying in total submission to God. Just as we are told not to give offerings to God while there is conflict between ourselves and another Christian (Matthew 5:23-24), in the same way God does not want the offering of our prayers until we have reconciled with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
5) Pray with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2; Philippians 4:6-7). We can always find something to be thankful for, no matter how burdened we are by our wants or needs. The greatest sufferer that lives in this world of redeeming love, and who has the offer of heaven before him, has reason to be grateful to God.
6) Pray with persistence (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should persevere in prayer and not quit or be dejected because we have not received an immediate answer. Part of praying in God’s will is believing that, whether His answer is “yes,” “no,” or “wait,” we accept His judgment, submit to His will, and continue to pray.
7) Rely on the Spirit of God in prayer. This is a wonderful truth: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:26-27). We have the Spirit’s help in praying. At the times of our deepest depression or sorrow, those times when we feel that we “just cannot pray,” we have the comfort of knowing that the Holy Spirit is actually praying for us! What an amazing God we have!
What assurance we have when we seek to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh! Then we can have confidence that the Holy Spirit will accomplish His work in presenting our prayers to the Father according to His perfect will and timing, and we can rest in the knowledge that He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
The first thing to do when we believe we may be under a spiritual attack is to determine, as best we can, whether what we are experiencing is truly a spiritual attack from demonic forces or simply the effects of living in a sin-cursed world. Some people blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on demons they believe need to be cast out. The apostle Paul instructs Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6) and to wage war against the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18). But whether we are truly under spiritual attack from demonic forces or just battling the evil in ourselves and that which inhabits the world, the battle plan is the same.
The key to the battle plan is found in Ephesians 6:10-18.
Paul begins by saying that we must be
strong in the Lord and in His power,
not in our own power
which is no match for the devil and his forces.
Paul then exhorts us to put on the armor of God, which is the only way to take a stand against spiritual attacks. In our own strength and power, we have no chance of defeating the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (v. 12). Only the “full armor of God” will equip us
to withstand spiritual attack.
We can only be strong in the Lord’s power;
it is God’s armor that protects us,
and our battle is against spiritual forces of evil in the world.
Ephesians 6:13-18 gives a description of the spiritual armor
God gives us, and the good news is that these things are
readily available to all
who belong to Christ
We are to stand firm with the belt of truth,
buckle on the breastplate of righteousness, wear on our feet
the gospel of peace, hold up the shield of faith, wear the helmet of salvation, and wield the
sword of the Spirit, which is the
Word of God--
the only offensive weapon in the whole armory. The rest are defensive.
What do these pieces of spiritual armor represent in spiritual warfare?
We are to speak the
truth
against Satan’s lies
We are to rest in the fact that we are
declared
righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for us.
We are to Proclaim
The Gospel
no matter how much resistance
we receive
We are not to waver in our faith,
no matter how fiercely we are attacked.
Our ultimate defense is the
assurance we have of our salvation,
an assurance that
no spiritual force can take away.
Our offensive weapon is the
Word of God,
not our own
opinions and feelings.
Finally, we are to follow
Jesus’ example in recognizing that some
spiritual victories
are only possible through prayer
Jesus is our ultimate example when it comes to warding off spiritual attacks.
Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks
from Satan when He was tempted by him in the wilderness
(Matthew 4:1-11).
Each temptation was answered the
same way
—with the words
“It is written”
and a quote from the Scriptures.
Jesus knew the Word of the living God
is the most powerful weapon against the
temptations of the devil. If Jesus Himself used
the
Word to counter the devil, do we
dare to use anything less?
The ultimate example of how not to engage in spiritual warfare is the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish priest, who went around driving out evil spirits by trying to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. One day the evil spirit answered them,
“‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul,
but who are you?’
Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them
and overpowered them all.
He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the
house naked and bleeding” (Acts 19:13-16).
The seven sons of Sceva
were using Jesus’ name,
but because they
did not have a relationship with Jesus,
their words were void of any
power or authority.
They were not relying on
Jesus as their Lord and Savior,
and they
were Not employing
the
Word of God
in their spiritual warfare. As a result, they received
a humiliating beating. May we learn from their
bad example and conduct spiritual warfare as the
Bible instructs
We often hear about the power of God, and Scripture
is full of examples of His power in action.
He is “the great God, mighty and awesome” (Nehemiah 9:32).
We are taught to rely on His great power to get us through trials such as a job loss, a sticky divorce, bankruptcy, hateful persecutions, a debilitating illness, or the loss of a loved one.
Learning to rely on the
power of God is
part of
living the Christian life.
The apostle Paul gives us a
glimpse of the power of God
when he writes of
"his incomparably great power for
us who believe.
That power is the same as the mighty strength
he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead
and seated him at his
right hand in the heavenly realms,
far above all rule and authority”
(Ephesians 1:19–21).
The Greek word translated
“great” is megethos, which means “strong” or “great,”
and it appears only here in the New Testament.
This word obviously wasn’t sufficient for Paul to express
God’s great power, so he adds the word
incomparably or, in Greek, hyperballon,
related to a verb that
literally means to
“throw beyond the usual mark” or
to “excel or surpass.”
So, the full idea of the expression hyperballon megethos is
that of a power beyond measure,
a super-abounding
or surpassing power, power
that is “more than enough.”
Greek authorities tell us that, because the term megethos is found only here in all the New Testament, this reflects the outreach of Paul’s mind when he sought to describe the power of God. Paul was “stretching at the seams” as he tried to describe the power of God and pour more meaning into his words.
What Paul is really telling us is that
God’s power
exceeds or surpasses everything--
it is
unimaginable power.
God spoke the universe into existence,
raised Jesus from the dead,
and
"placed all things under his feet and
appointed him to be
head over
everything for the church”
(Ephesians 1:22),
and He has power far beyond
any possibility of being measured.
Paul simply could not say enough about
the greatness and majesty of God,
and he had difficulty
finding the words to express his
thoughts about the
power of God
How can we learn to rely on the enormous power of God?
First of all, we
choose to remember the things that God has done:
“Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always. Remember the
wonders he has done, his miracles, and the
judgments he pronounced”
Psalm 105:4–5
Every miracle recorded for us in the Bible should
give us encouragement that
His strength is more than enough for our need.
Also, to rely on the power of God, we must
learn to cease
trusting in our frail efforts and
hand our
resources over to the One
who can do anything.
God’s power
is perfected in our weakness
(2 Corinthians 12:9).
The disciples were at their wits’ end trying to figure out how to feed the 5,000; it was not until they brought the small amount of food they had to Christ that anyone was fed. Joshua stood helpless before the walls of Jericho, but he learned to trust the Lord’s battle plan. Zerubbabel faced the daunting task of
rebuilding the temple,
and God reminded him
that the work would be done
“not by might nor by power,
but by my Spirit”
(Zechariah 4:6).
Prayer is a vital part of relying on the
power of God, as we pray,
“Thy will be done” (Luke 11:2, KJV).
Jesus said,
Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds, and to him
who knocks it will be opened”
(Matthew 7:7–8).
It was after a prayer meeting in the early church that “the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31). It was during a prayer meeting that Peter was miraculously released from prison (Acts 12).
The resurrection of Jesus certainly demonstrates the great power of God and is the great hope of all believers. Because He lives, we will live also (John 14:19). Peter said we have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away” (1 Peter 1:3–4, NASB). No matter what happens in this world, we have the power of God and Jesus’ resurrection; the Lord will grant us an inheritance and sustain us through eternity. We “through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (verse 5). As Martin Luther sang during the Protestant Reformation, “The body they may kill; / God’s truth abideth still.”
No matter how weak or ill-equipped we may at times feel, we can rely on the power of God. We have the assurance that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). We have confidence that ultimately God will accomplish His good in our lives: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Spiritual adultery
is
unfaithfulness
to God.
It is having an undue fondness
for the
things of the world.
Spiritual adultery is analogous
to the
unfaithfulness of one’s spouse:
"‘But like a woman faithless to her lover,
even so have you been faithless to me,
O house of Israel,’ says the LORD”
(Jeremiah 3:20; see also Isaiah 1:21; 57:8; Ezekiel 16:30).
The Bible tells us that people who choose to be friends with the world are an “adulterous people” having “enmity against God” (James 4:4–5). The “world” here is the system of evil under Satan’s control (John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19). The world system, with its contrived and deceitful scheme of phony values, worthless pursuits, and unnatural affections, is designed to lure us away from a pure relationship with God. Spiritual adultery, then, is the forsaking of God’s love and the embracing of the world’s values and desires (Romans 8:7–8; 2 Timothy 4:10; 1 John 2:15–17).
Spiritual adultery includes any form of idolatry. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel tried to mix the worship of other gods such as Baal with that of God (Judges 3:7; 1 Kings 16:31–33; Jeremiah 19:5). In doing so, Israel became like an adulterous wife who wanted both a husband and another lover (Jeremiah 9:2; Ezekiel 6:9; 16:32). In the New Testament, James defines spiritual adultery as claiming to love God while cultivating friendship with the world (James 4:4–5). The person who commits spiritual adultery is one who professes to be a Christian yet finds his real love and pleasure in the things that Satan offers. For believers, the love of the world and the love of God are direct opposites. Believers committing spiritual adultery may claim to love the Lord, but, in reality, they are captivated by the pleasures of this world, its influence, comforts, financial security, and so-called freedoms.
The concept of spiritual adultery against God is a major theme throughout the Old Testament (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:20; Ezekiel 16:15–19). This theme is illustrated especially well in the book of Hosea. The prophet’s wife, Gomer, symbolizes the infidelity of the children of Israel (Hosea 2:2–5; 3:1–5; 9:1). Hosea’s commitment to Gomer symbolizes God’s faithful, patient love with His erring people.
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). The Bible exhorts us, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:15–16). Believers must echo the words of the old hymn: “The world behind me, the cross before me; no turning back.”
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14–16). Spiritual adultery is like trying to straddle the fence with one foot in the world and the other in heaven. We cannot have both. As Jesus warned the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16).
The love of the world is primarily an attitude of one’s heart, and we can cast away worldliness by cultivating a new affection. To avoid spiritual adultery, “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2, KJV).
In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul quotes Isaiah 40:13 and then makes a statement concerning all believers: “We have the mind of Christ.” Having the mind of Christ means sharing the plan, purpose, and perspective of Christ, and it is something that all believers possess.
Having the mind of Christ means we understand God’s plan in the world—to bring glory to Himself, restore creation to its original splendor, and provide salvation for sinners. It means we identify with Christ’s purpose “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). It means we share Jesus’ perspective of humility and obedience (Philippians 2:5-8), compassion (Matthew 9:36), and prayerful dependence on God (Luke 5:16).
In the verses leading up to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we note some
truths concerning the mind of Christ:
1) The mind of Christ stands in sharp contrast to the wisdom of man
(verses 5-6).
2) The mind of Christ involves wisdom from God,
once hidden but now revealed
(verse 7).
3) The mind of Christ is given to believers through the Spirit of God
(verses 10-12).
4) The mind of Christ cannot be understood by those without the Spirit
(verse 14).
5) The mind of Christ gives believers discernment in spiritual matters
(verse 15)
In order to have the
mind of Christ,
one must first have saving
faith in Christ
(John 1:12; 1 John 5:12).
After salvation, the believer lives a life
under God’s influence.
The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens
the believer,
infusing him with wisdom--
the mind of Christ.
The believer bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading
(Ephesians 4:30)
and to allow the Spirit to transform and
renew his mind
(Romans 12:1-2).
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.
The term double-minded comes from the Greek word dipsuchos,
meaning “a person with two minds or souls.”
It’s interesting that this word appears only in the book of James
(James 1:8; 4:8). Bible scholars conclude that James might have coined this word. To grasp the full meaning of this word, it is best to
understand how it is used within its context.
James writes of the doubting person that he
is “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does”
(James 1:6–8).
A doubter is a double-minded person.
Jesus had in mind such a person when He spoke of the
one who tries to serve two masters
(Matthew 6:24).
As such, he is “unstable,” which comes from a Greek word meaning
“unsteady, wavering, in both his character and feelings.”
A double-minded person is restless and confused in his thoughts,
his actions, and his behavior.
Such a person is always in conflict with himself. One torn by such inner conflict can never lean with confidence on God and His gracious promises.
He has no defined direction and as a result doesn’t get anywhere.
Such a person is “unstable in all he does.”
Those who are double-minded
do not have the faith spoken of in Hebrews 11:1, 3:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. . . . By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
We cannot be both “certain” and doubting, as is the double-minded person.
One part of his mind is sure of something, while the other part doubts.
It brings to mind the “pushmi-pullyu” of the Dr. Doolittle stories, an animal with a head at either end of its body and which was
constantly trying to walk in two directions at once.
Such is the double-minded man.
Jesus declared, “No one can serve two masters.
Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24).
God and the things of this world are of such opposite natures that it is impossible to love either one completely without hating the other. Those who try to love both will become unstable in all their ways. If someone struggles with being double-minded, he or she should read, study, and memorize the Word, for it is the Word of God that produces faith (Romans 10:17). And he or she should pray for faith. God freely gives what is good to those who ask Him (Luke 11:9–12), and it’s good to ask for an increase of faith (Luke 17:5; Mark 9:24).
The magi recognized that the star they saw signified that the King of prophecy had arrived. They followed the star to Bethlehem until it was directly overhead the Christ Child’s location (Matthew 2:9). They “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” when they saw the star above (Matthew 2:10, ESV), and they came to the house where Mary and Jesus were.
In contrast to the magi’s reaction to the birth of Christ is that of King Herod (the Roman-appointed ruler in Jerusalem). Herod heard that the magi had come to Jerusalem looking for the King of the Jews. He reached out to them secretly to inquire when they had first seen the star in the east (Matthew 2:7). He then tried to deceive them into thinking that he also wanted to worship this newborn King, but God warned the magi of Herod’s deception. Rather than report Jesus’ location back to Herod, the magi went home another route (Matthew 2:12).
Matthew does not make it clear whether the star the magi saw in the east is the same star predicted through Balaam, but there was a star predicted to rise in Israel, and that star would be associated with the King (Numbers 24:17). The magi rightly calculated that the particular star they saw from the east would lead them to the King of the Jews. Perhaps God communicated something directly to them (as He did in Matthew 2:12). Perhaps they also knew of Daniel’s prophecy concerning the timing of the King’s birth (Daniel 9:25). Perhaps they just recognized a connection to Balaam’s prophecy. In any case, the magi got it right: they were guided by “His star in the east,” and they arrived at the exact place where the newborn King of the Jews was staying.
It is a common misconception that the wise men visited Jesus at the stable on the night of His birth. In fact, the wise men came days, months, or possibly even years later. That is why Matthew 2:11 says the wise men visited and worshiped Jesus in a house, not at the stable.
We know that the magi were wise men from "the East," most likely Persia, or modern-day Iran. This means the wise men traveled 800 to 900 miles to see the Christ child. Most likely, the magi knew of the writings of the prophet Daniel, who in time past had been the chief of the court seers in Persia. Daniel 9:24-27 includes a prophecy which gives a timeline for the birth of the Messiah. Also, the magi may have been aware of the prophecy of Balaam (who was from the town of Pethor on the Euphrates River near Persia) in Numbers 24:17. Balaam’s prophecy specifically mentions a “star coming out of Jacob.”
The wise men were guided to look for the King of the Jews by a miraculous stellar event, the “Star of Bethlehem,” which they called “His star” (Matthew 2:2). They came to Jerusalem and asked concerning the birth of Christ, and they were directed to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:4–8). They followed God’s guidance joyfully (Matthew 2:10). When they arrived in Bethlehem, they gave costly gifts to Jesus and worshiped Him. God warned them in a dream against returning to Herod, so, in defiance of the king, they left Judea by another route (Matthew 2:12).
So, the magi were men who 1) read and believed God’s Word, 2) sought Jesus, 3) recognized the worth of Christ, 4) humbled themselves to worship Jesus, and 5) obeyed God rather than man. They were truly wise men!
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
Angels are God’s heavenly servants who do His will. Angels announced the birth of Jesus: “You will conceive in your womb and bear and son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Angels also announced His resurrection from the dead: “He is not here, for he has risen” (Matt. 28:6)
Angels also promised the glorious return of Jesus (Acts 1:11). And they are constantly, even now, in service to their Lord. If angels are the model of doing God’s will in heaven, what does their obedience to the Word of God look like?
The angels do God’s will fully
The angels are ready to obey the command of Christ. There is no mission on which they will not go. Jesus said, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53). Christ only needs to speak the word, and the angels do what He says.
The angels do God’s will gladly
Hebrews speaks about “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering” (Heb 12:22). There is no reluctance in their service. They do what God commands gladly.
The angels do God’s will immediately.
We are told that God “makes his angels winds” (Heb. 1:7). The wind moves fast. Angels do not hang around, deciding if they are going to obey. When God speaks, their response is immediate. They fly like the wind to do God’s will.
Jesus tells us to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” How is God’s will done in heaven? It is done fully, gladly, and immediately.
Reflect on your own obedience to the Word of God. Do you find yourself struggling to obey God fully? Gladly? Or immediately?
In Romans 11 Paul makes a compelling observation—an affirmation he refers to as a mystery—that a partial hardening has happened until “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25, ESV). The context helps us understand the meaning of the partial hardening and what is the fullness of the Gentiles.
In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul catalogs the mercies of God in God’s provision of righteousness through the gospel. First, in Romans 1:1—3:20 Paul considers the universal human need for God’s righteousness, as all are unrighteous and separated from God. Then in Romans 3:21—4:25 Paul lays out how God applied righteousness through faith to all who believe in Jesus, outlining three different and significant types of descendants of Abraham: 1) ethnic Israel (Romans 4:1), 2) believing Gentiles (Romans 4:11), and 3) believing Jews (Romans 4:12). These three sets of descendants of Abraham are especially important for understanding the partial hardening and the fullness of the Gentiles that Paul talks about in Romans 11.
Romans 5—8 discusses the implications of that righteousness applied in freeing believers from the penalty and bondage of sin (Romans 5—7) and assuring them of a present and future of reconciliation and peace with God (Romans 8). At the end of Romans 8 is a powerful affirmation of the believer’s eternal security—God will keep His promises to those who have believed in Jesus Christ, and they will never be separated from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35).
While discussing these mercies of God, Paul seems to anticipate that his readers might wonder why, if God is so faithful to restore those who believe in Jesus, God’s promises of restoration to Israel do not seem to be fulfilled yet. Simply put, if God is faithful, and if His promises to believers are trustworthy, then why is He not keeping His promises to Israel? It is to answer this concern that Paul writes Romans 9—11, as he introduces the ideas of a partial hardening of Israel and the fullness of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25).
In Romans 9 Paul expresses his love for his Jewish brethren (Romans 9:1–5) and recognizes that the covenant promises are to be fulfilled to a specific group of Abraham’s descendants. Paul shows the distinct groups by highlighting God’s choosing of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and affirms that God’s blessing would be for those descendants who believe in the Messiah (Romans 9:33). Salvation would not only be for believing Jews, though, as Gentiles could also call upon the name of the Lord for salvation (Romans 10:12–13). While there are believing Jews and Gentiles, Paul explains that the nation of Israel as a whole has not yet received her Messiah (Romans 10:18—11:10), but they will one day be saved through believing in their Messiah (Romans 11:26).
In the meantime, Paul explains that there is a partial hardening of the nation—that many will refuse the Messiah—until the fullness of the Gentiles occurs. Israel’s hardening will continue until the divinely set number of Gentiles are saved: “Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ” (Romans 11:25, NLT).
Paul recognized that Israel’s failure to accept the Messiah when He came offering the kingdom represented blessing for the Gentiles because, instead of setting up that kingdom on earth at that time, Christ died to pay for the sins of all. In so doing, Christ fulfilled the promise God made to Abraham that in Abraham’s seed all the peoples of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3b). That partial hardening of Israel also represented a shift in focus to the announcement of salvation to the Gentiles. Paul acknowledged himself as an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13) and sought that many Gentiles would come to know Christ so those promises could be fulfilled and then the Jewish people might return to their Messiah (Romans 11:14–15). Paul alluded to this in 2 Timothy 4:17 when he expressed gratitude for God’s sustaining him so that Paul might fulfill his ministry and that all the Gentiles might hear.
Even though God’s promises to save the nation of Israel are not presently being fulfilled, Paul recognizes that God will keep those promises after the fullness of the Gentiles. Paul seems to be building on the foundation of Daniel 9, in which is revealed a 490-year prophetic timeline after which God will accomplish His covenant blessings for Israel. After the first 483 years of the timeline, the Messiah was cut off (Daniel 9:26a), signaling a shift in the focus away from Israel as Gentiles (Rome) would dominate, and there would be wars and desolation. But one day in the future, the ruler who would be known as the Antichrist would make a seven-year agreement with Israel. That last seven years of the timeline would begin to return the focus back to Israel and would conclude the times of the Gentiles of which Jesus spoke in Luke 21:24.
The fullness of the Gentiles in Romans 11:25 reminds us of God’s global focus (with the universal proclamation of the gospel of salvation) and chronology (with the times of the Gentiles not yet complete). One day, the fullness of the Gentiles will be complete, and God will deliver the nation of Israel. Anyone who might have doubts about God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises can consider these passages as important reminders that God has a detailed plan that He is fulfilling patiently and carefully.
Romans has the theme of faith (Romans 1:16–17). Paul addresses the process by which faith is produced in the heart in Romans 10:17: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
The first eight chapters of Romans contends with the ideas of positional salvation through faith (Romans 1:18—5:21), the process of growing in holiness through faith (Romans 6:1—8:17), and the future glorification Christians will receive because of faith (Romans 8:18–39). Chapters 9—11 of Romans works from the implied question, “Has God then failed to fulfill His promises to Israel?”
It is within this context that Paul gives the reason for the Israelites’ lack of salvation; namely, they lack faith (Romans 9:32; 10:4). The Israelites are saved through faith in Christ, just like the Gentiles. Eternal salvation does not distinguish between Gentile or Jew but is received through belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:12–13; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8; Galatians 3:23–29).
In the lead-up to the statement that faith comes by hearing, Romans 10:14–16 explains the requirements for a series of actions to take place. In order for one to “call on the name of the Lord,” he or she must believe. In order to believe, one must hear (or receive the report). In order for one to hear, another has to give the report. And that other won’t give the report unless he or she is sent.
Paul continues in Romans 10:17 to summarize the argument thus far: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (NASB).
“Faith” is translated from the Greek word pistis, which means “belief, trust, or confidence in someone or something.” It is key to the book of Romans and is used 40 times in the book—three of those occurrences appearing in chapter 10. The verb form of the word is also used 21 times within the book and most often translated as “believe.”
If faith comes by hearing, then what does Paul mean by “hearing”? In this context, it is not simply the physical receiving of sounds by the ear as most English speakers would understand the term. “Hearing” seems to designate something more—the receiving or acceptance of a report. Note the use of the word, translated “message” in Romans 10:16, as Paul quotes Isaiah 53:1: “Lord, who has believed our message?” In Isaiah’s day, the Lord had provided Israel with a message, but the prophet laments that few actually received it. The “hearing” was not attached to simple sounds but to a message or report given. In Romans 10, Paul makes the point that the good news has been given and the people of Israel have heard (Romans 10:18).
The nature of the gospel is a report: a report of God saving people from the wrath they deserve. In order to believe the report, one must receive the report! Faith comes by hearing. It is not a guarantee that the report will result in faith, as Paul makes clear in Romans 10:16. For just as the Israelites refused to believe the message of Isaiah, every human today can refuse to believe the message of the gospel.
The nature of “hearing” also does not require the physical act of hearing with the ear. The report simply needs to be received. For instance, someone could read the gospel through GotQuestions.org and receive it by faith, without an audible word being spoken. As long as the message can be received fully, the medium does not affect the outcome. The content of the message must be “the word about Christ.” As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:3–5, the message is “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve” (NASB). Faith that leads to eternal salvation comes after “hearing”; that is, after receiving this message concerning Christ.
There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers. They are the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life. The Greek word translated “crown” is stephanos (the source for the name Stephen the martyr) and means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally.” Used during the ancient Greek games, it referred to a wreath or garland of leaves placed on a victor’s head as a reward for winning an athletic contest. As such, this word is used figuratively in the New Testament of the rewards of heaven God promises those who are faithful. Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 best defines for us how these crowns are awarded.
1) The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV). All things on this earth are subject to decay and will perish. Jesus urges us to not store our treasures on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). This is analogous to what Paul was saying about that wreath of leaves that was soon to turn brittle and fall apart. But not so the heavenly crown; faithful endurance wins a heavenly reward which is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
2) The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice always in the Lord” for all the bountiful blessings our gracious God has showered upon us. As Christians we have more in this life to rejoice about than anyone else. Luke tells us there is rejoicing even now in heaven (Luke 15:7). The crown of rejoicing will be our reward where “God will wipe away every tear . . . there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
3) The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained. Because it is obtained and possessed in a righteous way, and not by force and deceit as earthly crowns sometimes are, it is an everlasting crown, promised to all who love the Lord and eagerly wait for His return. Through our enduring discouragements, persecutions, sufferings, or even death, we know assuredly our reward is with Christ in eternity (Philippians 3:20). This crown is not for those who depend upon their own sense of righteousness or of their own works. Such an attitude breeds only arrogance and pride, not a longing, a fervent desire to be with the Lord.
4) The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Though Peter is addressing the elders, we must also remember that the crown will be awarded to all those who long for or love His appearing. This word “glory” is an interesting word referring to the very nature of God and His actions. It entails His great splendor and brightness. Recall Stephen who, while being stoned to death, was able to look into the heavens and see the glory of God (Acts 7:55-56). This word also means that the praise and honor we bestow to God alone is due Him because of who He is (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11; Galatians 1:5). It also recognizes that believers are incredibly blessed to enter into the kingdom, into the very likeness of Christ Himself. For as Paul so eloquently put it, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NKJV).
5) The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” This crown is for all believers, but is especially dear to those who endure sufferings, who bravely confront persecution for Jesus, even to the point of death. In Scripture the word “life” is often used to show a relationship that is right with God. It was Jesus who said, “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Just as things such as air, food, and water are vital for our physical lives, Jesus provides us what is required for our spiritual lives. He is the One who provides “living water.” He is the “bread of life” (John 4:10, 6:35). We know that our earthly lives will end. But we have the amazing promise that comes only to those who come to God through Jesus: “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25).
James tells us that this crown of life is for all those who love God (James 1:12). The question then is how do we demonstrate our love for God? The apostle John answers this for us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). As His children we must keep His commandments, obeying Him, always remaining faithful. So, as we endure the inevitable trials, pains, heartaches, and tribulations—as long as we live—may we ever move forward, always “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and receive the crown of life that awaits us.
Romans 11:26 plainly says, “All Israel will be saved.” The question that arises is: “What is meant by Israel?” Is the future “Israel” literal or figurative (i.e., referring to the ethnic Jews or referring to the Church)? Those who take a literal approach to the promises of the Old Testament believe that the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be restored to a right relationship with God and receive the fulfillment of the covenants. Those who advocate replacement theology basically affirm that the Church has completely replaced Israel and will inherit God’s promises to Israel; the covenants, then, will be fulfilled only in a spiritual sense. In other words, replacement theology teaches that Israel will not inherit the actual land of Israel; the Church is the “new Israel,” and ethnic Israel is forever excluded from the promises—the Jews will not inherit the Promised Land as Jews per se.
We take the literal approach. The passages that speak of future Israel are difficult to view as figurative for the Church. The classic text (Romans 11:16–24) depicts Israel as distinct from the Church: the “natural branches” are the Jews, and the “wild branches” are the Gentiles. The “olive tree” is the collective people of God. The “natural branches” (Jews) are “cut off” the tree for unbelief, and the “wild branches” (believing Gentiles) are grafted in. This has the effect of making the Jews “jealous” and then drawing them to faith in Christ, so they might be “grafted in” again and receive their promised inheritance. The “natural branches” are still distinct from the “wild branches,” so that God’s covenant with His people is literally fulfilled. Romans 11:26–29, citing Isaiah 59:20–21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33–34, says:
“And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”
Here, Paul emphasizes the “irrevocable” nature of Israel’s calling as a nation (see also Romans 11:12). Isaiah predicted that a “remnant” of Israel would one day “be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD” (Isaiah 62:12). Regardless of Israel’s current state of unbelief, a future remnant will in fact repent and fulfill their calling to establish righteousness by faith (Romans 10:1–8; 11:5). This conversion will coincide with the fulfillment of Moses’ prediction of Israel’s permanent restoration to the land (Deuteronomy 30:1–10).
When Paul says Israel will be “saved” in Romans 11:26, he refers to their deliverance from sin (verse 27) as they accept the Savior, their Messiah, in the end times. Moses said, “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). Israel’s physical inheritance of the land promised to Abraham will be an integral part of God’s ultimate plan (Deuteronomy 30:3–5).
So how will “all Israel be saved”? The details of this deliverance are filled out in passages such as Zechariah 8—14 and Revelation 7—19, which speak of end-times Israel at Christ’s return. The key verse describing the coming to faith of the future remnant of Israel is Zechariah 12:10, “I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” This occurs at the end of the tribulation prophesied in Daniel 9:24–27. The apostle John references this event in Revelation 1:7. The faithful remnant of Israel is epitomized in Revelation 7:1–8. These faithful ones the Lord will save and bring back to Jerusalem “in truth and righteousness” (Zechariah 8:7–8, NASB).
After Israel is spiritually restored, Christ will establish His millennial kingdom on earth. Israel will be regathered from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 11:12; 62:10). The symbolic “dry bones” of Ezekiel’s vision will be brought together, covered with flesh, and miraculously resuscitated (Ezekiel 37:1–14). As God promised, the salvation of Israel will involve both a spiritual awakening and a geographical home: “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land” (Ezekiel 37:14).
In the Day of the Lord, God will “reclaim the surviving remnant of his people” (Isaiah 11:11). Jesus Christ will return and destroy the armies gathered against Him in rebellion (Revelation 19). Sinners will be judged, and the faithful remnant of Israel will be set apart forever as God’s holy people (Zechariah 13:8—14:21). Isaiah 12 is their song of deliverance; Zion will rule over all the nations under the banner of Messiah the King.
Jesus told us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). He linked this command to the desire of our hearts: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21; see also verses 10–20).
The Bible mentions rewards that await the believer who serves the Lord faithfully in this world (Matthew 10:41). A “great” reward is promised to those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Various crowns are mentioned (in 2 Timothy 4:8, e.g.). Jesus says that He will bring rewards with Him when He returns (Revelation 22:12).
We are to treasure the Lord Jesus most of all. When Jesus is our treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents—to His work in this world. Our motivation for what we do is important (1 Corinthians 10:31). Paul encourages servants that God has an eternal reward for those who are motivated to serve Christ: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24).
When we live sacrificially for Jesus’ sake or serve Him by serving the body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. Even seemingly small acts of service do not go unnoticed by God. “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Some with more visible gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12) such as teaching, singing, or playing a musical instrument might be tempted to use their gift for their own glory. Those who use their talents or spiritual gifts coveting the praise of men rather than seeking God’s glory receive their “payment” in full here and now. The applause of men was the extent of the Pharisees’ reward (Matthew 6:16). Why should we work for worldly plaudits, however, when we can have so much more in heaven?
The Lord will be faithful to reward us for the service we give Him (Hebrews 6:10). Our ministries may differ, but the Lord we serve is the same. “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8).
The rich young man loved his money more than God in Matthew 19:16–30, a fact that Jesus incisively pointed out. The issue wasn’t that the young man was rich but that he “treasured” his riches and did not “treasure” what he could have in Christ. Jesus told the man to sell his possessions and give to the poor, “and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 21). The young man left Jesus sad, because he was very rich. He chose this world’s treasure and so did not lay up treasure in heaven. He was unwilling to make Jesus his treasure. The young man was very religious, but Jesus exposed his heart of greed.
We are warned not to lose our full reward by following after false teachers (2 John 1:8). This is why it is so important to be in God’s Word daily (2 Timothy 2:15). That way we can recognize false teaching when we hear it.
The treasures that await the child of God will far outweigh any trouble, inconvenience, or persecution we may face (Romans 8:18). We can serve the Lord wholeheartedly, knowing that God is the One keeping score, and His reward will be abundantly gracious. “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
God does not always define reward the same way we do. When we think of God rewarding us for behaving well, we usually think of tangible, material goodies. But God has eternity in mind. The Bible and ensuing history are filled with examples of people who obeyed the Lord at great cost to themselves. Scripture’s godly men and women often did not appear to reap any earthly rewards for their obedience, yet many are listed in the Hall of Faith as people whose rewards are in heaven. Hebrews 11:39–40 summarizes: “All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.”
Obedience to the Word includes obedience to the gospel, and that carries great reward. When we accept God’s offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, we are pronounced righteous in His sight (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13). There is no longer any condemnation waiting for us because, in His grace, God considered the sacrifice of His Son as sufficient payment for the great debt we owed Him (Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:8–9; Colossians 2:14). As part of that salvation, we are promised an eternity in glory with Him.
None of salvation’s benefits are a reward for our performance. Forgiveness and heaven are gifts granted to us because of God’s great love. The most unworthy criminal who cries out in repentance on his deathbed will receive the same pardon and eternity in heaven as the missionary martyred on the mission field (Luke 23:39–43; Matthew 20:1–16). However, Jesus does promise many different kinds of rewards in heaven for every deed done in His name on earth (Mark 9:41; James 1:12; Revelation 22:12). When we walk in fellowship with Him, keeping our sins confessed and our lives free of besetting sins, we are rewarded daily with fruit from the Holy Spirit(Galatians 5:22–23), communion with God (James 4:7–8), and power to resist the attacks of Satan (Ephesians 6:10–17). Whatever struggles we face on earth in order to obey God’s Word will be overly compensated in eternity with rewards we cannot even imagine (Romans 8:18).
Salvation by grace through faith is at the heart of the Christian religion. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). The statement has three parts— salvation, grace, and faith—and they are equally important. The three together constitute a basic tenet of Christianity.
The word salvation is defined as “the act of being delivered, redeemed, or rescued.” The Bible tells us that, since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, each person is born in sin inherited from Adam: “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Sin is what causes all of us to die. Sin separates us from God, and sin destines each person to eternal separation from Him in hell. What each of us needs is to be delivered from that fate. In other words, we need salvation from sin and its penalty.
How are we saved from sin? Most religions throughout history have taught that salvation is achieved by good works. Others teach that acts of contrition (saying we are sorry) along with living a moral life is the way to atone for our sin. Sorrow over sin is certainly valuable and necessary, but that alone will not save us from sin. We may repent of our sins, also valuable and necessary, and determine to never sin again, but salvation is not the result of good intentions. The road to hell, as the saying goes, is paved with good intentions. We may fill our lives with good works, but even one sin makes us a sinner in practice, and we are already sinners by nature. No matter how well-intentioned or “good” we may be, the fact is that we simply do not have the power or the goodness to overcome the sin nature we have inherited from Adam. We need something more powerful, and this is where grace comes in.
The grace of God is His undeserved favor bestowed on those He has called to salvation through His love (Ephesians 2:4–5). It is His grace that saves us from sin. We are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Being justified, we are vindicated and determined to be sinless in the eyes of God. Our sin no longer separates us from Him and no longer sentences us to hell. Grace is not earned by any effort on our part; otherwise, it could not be called grace. Grace is free. If our good works earned salvation, then God would be obligated to pay us our due. But no one can earn heaven, and God’s blessings are not His obligation; they flow from His goodness and love. No matter how diligently we pursue works to earn God’s favor, we will fail. Our sin trips us up every time. “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20, NKJV).
The means God has chosen to bestow His grace upon us is through faith. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Salvation is obtained by faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, in what He has done—specifically, His death on the cross and His resurrection. But even faith is not something we generate on our own. Faith, as well as grace, is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). He bestows saving faith and saving grace upon us in order to redeem us from sin and deliver us from its consequences. So God saves us by His grace through the faith He gives us. Both grace and faith are gifts. “Salvation belongs to the LORD” (Psalm 3:8, ESV).
By grace, we receive the faith that enables us to believe that He has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and provide the salvation we cannot achieve on our own. Jesus, as God in flesh, is the “author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Just like the author of a book creates it from scratch, Jesus Christ wrote the story of our redemption from beginning to end. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:4–6). The Lord died for our sins and rose for our justification, and He forgives, freely and fully, those who accept His gift of grace in Christ—and that acceptance comes through faith. This is the meaning of salvation by grace through faith.
Everyone knows that God exists. “God has made it plain” that He is real, “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20). Some try to suppress the knowledge of God; most try to add to it. The Christian has a deep desire to know God better (Psalm 25:4).
In John 3 we read about a man who clearly wanted to know God better and who became more studied than most in the things of God. His name was Nicodemus, and he was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews. This Nicodemus knew that Jesus had come from God, and he was truly curious to learn more about Jesus. Jesus patiently explained to Nicodemus how he must be born again (verses 3-15). In order to know God better, Nicodemus had come to the right person—“In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). Jesus is indeed the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14). Jesus revealed God through His words and works. He even said that no one comes to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus.
So, we must start with faith. The first step in knowing God better is to know Jesus Christ, who was sent from God (John 6:38). Once we are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can truly begin to learn about God, His character, and His will. “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). By contrast, “the person without the Spirit . . . cannot understand [the things of God] because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (verse 14). There is a difference between the “natural” man and the “spiritual” man.
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.” It cannot be emphasized enough how the study of God’s Word, the Bible, is paramount to knowing God better. We must, “like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it [we] may grow up in [our] salvation, now that [we] have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3). God’s Word should be our “delight” (Psalm 119:16, 24).
Those who are learning more about God are also those who obey the command to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Born-again believers always have the Holy Spirit, but Ephesians 5:15-21 teaches us to walk in the Spirit and surrender to His will.
The apostle Paul combatted those who taught a false gospel in Galatians 1:6–9: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” An issue in the Galatian churches was the teaching that believers in Christ must follow the Old Testament Law (specifically concerning circumcision) in order to be saved. Paul’s unequivocal pronouncement is that a “gospel” of grace plus works is false.
Salvation is provided in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9). No person is perfect, and no human action can make a person right before a sinless, holy God. No one can earn or merit salvation, no matter how “religious” he or she is or how meritorious the work seems to be.
There are many genuine Christians who have a misunderstanding of the gospel of grace. This was true even in Paul’s time. Some of those who expected Gentile believers (non-Jewish Christians) to follow Jewish legal customs were true believers (Acts 15). They were Christians, but they misunderstood the free gift of the gospel to some extent. At the Jerusalem Council, the church’s early leaders encouraged Gentile Christians in the grace of God and noted only a few important guidelines for them to follow to promote peace within the church.
The problem of trying to mix grace plus works continues today. There are many Christians who have come to genuine faith in Jesus Christ who still believe they must also perform certain works to make sure they do not go to hell, as if the grace of God in Christ were not enough. While such teaching should be confronted and corrected—we must trust Christ, not ourselves—this does not mean the person is unsaved or has lost his or her salvation.
According to Galatians 1, those who teach the false gospel of grace-plus-works are “anathema”; that is, they are condemned by God. Other New Testament passages speak against teaching a false gospel. For example, Jude wanted to write his epistle about the common salvation he shared with his readers, yet he found it necessary to change topics: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3). In the next verse, he refers to those with another gospel as “ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God.”
This is perhaps the best way to describe such teaching. A person can misunderstand the issue of salvation by grace versus works and still truly believe in Christ. However, there are also ungodly people who do not know the Lord and who preach a false gospel. These ungodly individuals are called cursed, as they knowingly pervert the true message of Jesus.
Proverbs is a book based on metaphor. It is packed with word-pictures of universal truths. Throughout Proverbs, wisdom is anthropomorphized as a woman. As early as Proverbs 1:20, wisdom is compared to a woman who shouts in the streets, chastising fools and scoffers. Proverbs 31 provides a detailed metaphor of feminine wisdom in the context of a family and a community.
The most quoted section, verses 10–31, is a chiastic poem, that is, a poem that cycles through repeated thoughts in a particular order. The chapter speaks of the worth of a good wife to her husband, the manual labor that she does, her fulfillment of responsibilities to those who need her, her ability to provide for her family, and her wisdom in caring for herself so she can share her strength with others. These ideas are presented in a kind of circular pattern throughout the section.
The chapter begins with King Lemuel recounting advice his mother had given him. She exhorted him to not fall to weaknesses that would compromise his position as king, but to care for the poor. One of the weaknesses the king’s mother mentioned was the susceptibility of his strength—or “noble character” (31:10)—to be harmed by improper relationships with women. Although verses 10-31 do not directly follow this warning in the original, they do illustrate a fitting description of what kind of woman Lemuel should seek.
10An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
A good, supportive, trusting wife is a blessing to a man. A woman who partners with her husband, who is reliable and looks out for his interests, gives a man a security that is greatly lacking in the world. She is worth more than a substantial paycheck. To bring in the metaphor, wisdom provides the same benefits—it is worth more than money, you can always trust it to make the right decision, and it provides blessings for those who have it.
13She looks for wool and flax,
And works with her hands in delight…
19She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle…
27She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
The wife of Proverbs 31 isn’t afraid of work. She gets up in the morning and gets things done. In the time of Solomon, this involved making fabric and sewing clothes, but verse 27 certainly applies directly to us today—taking care of our responsibilities is a characteristic of wisdom.
15She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens…
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
20She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
Another characteristic of wisdom is the grace to help others. The Proverbs 31 wife ensures that those under her care receive what they need—food, clothing, protection. And she is able to serve others out of the excess of her work and the leaning of her heart. She has so internalized her role as a provider that it extends past her immediate responsibilities and into the community.
14She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar…
16She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard…
18She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night…
24She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Beyond that, she’s savvy. She’s educated about the world and the world of business. She knows how to use her skills to provide for her family, and she’s not afraid to go interact with that world, whether it be as a merchant or a buyer. She knows how to use her strengths to her best advantage, and she fully realizes how valuable her efforts are.
17She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong…
22She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
25Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
The Proverbs 31 woman not only knows her worth, she knows her responsibilities to herself. She would not be able to provide for others if she neglected her needs—both physical and spiritual. She makes sure her appearance reflects her respected position as an influence in her community. Her greatest strength is her wisdom—her accurate judgment about the world and her influence in it. And she is quick to share the wisdom she has gained to encourage others to reach their potential.
23Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land…
28Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
She knows that, as a partner in her marriage, she has a tremendous influence on her husband’s ministry. She can integrate her life—both domestic and professional—with her ministry in such a way that her husband has the freedom to serve. In fact, her reputation is so established, that it bleeds off onto him.
The Proverbs 31 wife is a fierce provider and protector for those she cares about. She is wise to the ways of the world, but lives by the wisdom of God. As in the rest of the Proverbs, these specific examples provide a metaphor for the larger truth. How any individual woman exemplifies these characteristics will depend on her situation, gifts, and abilities. The key is in verse 30, just as it is in the beginning of Proverbs, in 1:7:
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
The apostle Paul never missed a teaching opportunity. In Ephesians 3:1–13, he interrupted his own prayer to expound on the divine mystery of God revealed in the New Testament church of Jesus Christ. The previously hidden secret was now made known—both Jews and Gentiles would share equally in the gospel of salvation (verse 6). God had a specific purpose for using the church in this way: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10–11).
The word translated “manifold” in Ephesians 3:10 means “many and varied; having many features and forms; wrought in various colors; diversified, intricate, complex, many-sided.” God’s wisdom in His extraordinary plan of salvation, as seen in the new and mysterious creation of the church, is a multi-faceted, many-colored, culturally diverse, rich, and beautiful community of believers. There is no other human co-op like it in the world.
According to Bible commentators, “the manifold wisdom of God” is a poetic and artistic expression suggesting the intricate nature of an embroidered pattern as in Joseph’s “tunic of many colors” (Genesis 37:3, NKJV). Each member of the body of Christ manifests a different aspect of God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27; James 3:9; Ephesians 4:24). Together, believers form a perfect blend of harmony and diversity. The many features, forms, and colors of fellowship in the church reflect the manifold wisdom of God.
For the earliest Christians, and particularly the Jews, the up-to-that-time secret mystery of the church was truly a mind-blowing revelation. Even “the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” were learning about it for the first time. To the Romans, Paul declared, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Romans 11:33, NLT).
Paul referred to the church as “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26–27).
God’s mystery is Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Jesus possesses the manifold wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30) and reveals it to the world through His body, the church. We have Christ in us—the hope of glory. It still astonishes and overwhelms that God has chosen to package the treasure of His manifold wisdom in fragile, human “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7–11).
The Bible reveals the manifold wisdom of God as unsearchable, deep, and beyond measure (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 92:5; 147:5). James describes it as “wisdom from above,” which is “first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere” (James 3:17, NLT). On the other hand, human wisdom has no merit of its own (1 Corinthians 1:19–21; Isaiah 29:14). Nevertheless, God gives His wisdom to humans as a gift (Proverbs 2:6; 1 Corinthians 2:6–16; James 1:5), and His followers are to continue praying and asking Him for spiritual wisdom (Colossians 1:9).
As believers, we can picture the manifold wisdom of God as a global, body of Christ-shaped tapestry. Our individual lives are the various colored threads woven together in unity of purpose—to display God’s manifold wisdom through the church. We do this by taking the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to all the people of the world.
Proverbs 3:5-6 is a familiar passage to many: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." Verse 5 is a complementary pair of commands. We are told, positively, to trust the Lord and, negatively, not to trust our own understanding. Those two things are mutually exclusive. In other words, if we trust in the Lord, we cannot also depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing.
First Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." We only see part of the picture God is painting. If we are to truly trust Him, we have to let go of our pride, our programs, and our plans. Even the best-laid human plans cannot begin to approach the magnificent sagacity of God’s plan. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
Most of us have a desperate desire to understand, but in so many areas we must acknowledge that we cannot understand. We must approve of God’s ways, even when we can’t comprehend them. Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us why we often don’t understand what God is doing: "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" God sees the whole picture, while we only see our tiny corner of it. To trust in the Lord with all our heart means we can’t place our own right to understand above His right to direct our lives the way He sees fit. When we insist on God always making sense to our finite minds, we are setting ourselves up for spiritual trouble.
Our limited understanding can easily lead us astray. Proverbs 16:25 says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." When we choose to direct our lives according to what seems right to us, we often reap disaster (Judges 21:25). Every culture has tried to get God to approve of its definition of right and wrong, but God never changes and His standards never change (Numbers 23:19; James 1:17; Romans 11:29). Every person must make a decision whether to live his or her life according to personal preference or according to the unchanging Word of God. We often will not understand how God is causing "all things to work together for good" (Romans 8:28), but when we trust Him with all our hearts, we know that He is. He will never fail us (Psalm 119:142; Philippians 2:13).
James 4:14 reminds us that our earthly lives are no more than a fog that appears and then quickly evaporates. Our money and possessions will be given to someone else. Our jobs will be filled by others. Our families may remember us with fondness but will move on with lives that don’t include us. All that remains of our lives on earth is that which was invested in eternity. In the end, all that matters is what we did or did not do to redeem the time (Psalm 102:3; 144:4).
The gift of discerning spirits, or “distinguishing” spirits, is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Like all these gifts, the gift of discerning spirits is given by the Holy Spirit, who disperses these gifts to believers for service in the body of Christ. Every believer has a spiritual enablement for a specific service, but there is no room for self-choosing. The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts according to the sovereignty of God and in accordance with His plan to edify the body of Christ. He gives His gifts “just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11).
When it comes to the gift of discerning spirits, every born-again believer has a certain amount of discernment, which increases as the believer matures in the Spirit. In Hebrews 5:13-14 we read that a believer who has matured beyond using the milk of the Word as a babe in Christ is able to discern both good and evil. The maturing believer is empowered by the Spirit of God through the Scriptures to tell the difference between good and evil, and, beyond that, he can also distinguish between what is good and what is better. In other words, any born-again believer who chooses to focus on the Word of God is spiritually discerning.
There are certain believers, however, who have the spiritual gift of discerning spirits—that is, the God-given ability to distinguish between the truth of the Word and the deceptive doctrines propagated by demons. We are all exhorted to be spiritually discerning (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1), but some in the body of Christ have been given the unique ability to spot the doctrinal “forgeries” that have plagued the church since the first century. This discernment does not involve mystical, extra-biblical revelations or a voice from God. Rather, the spiritually discerning are so familiar with the Word of God that they instantly recognize what is contrary to it. They do not receive special messages from God; they use the Word of God to “test the spirits” to see which line up with God and which are in opposition to Him. The spiritually discerning are diligent to “rightly divide” (2 Timothy 2:15) the Word of God.
There are diversities of gifts in equipping the body of Christ, but those diversities are meant for the edification and building of that body as a whole (Ephesians 4:12). And the success of that body is dependent upon all parts of the body faithfully fulfilling their tasks as God has enabled them. No spiritual gift should be used to domineer others or claim for oneself a special anointing from God. Rather, the love of God is to guide our use of the spiritual gifts to edify each other in the Lord.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
In this verse believers are commanded to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” This same command is echoed in other parts of Scripture as well. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 we find Paul exhorting the Christians to not “despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”
These two passages are just a few of the many that warn Christians to test the message that people or spirits proclaim. This is true in all situations but most importantly when a person or spirit is claiming to speak for God. Christians are to be discerning hearers and readers of all messages. The reason for the admonition to “test the spirits” or “test all things” is that there are “many false prophets” or “wolves in sheep’s clothing” that try to lead Christians astray. Sadly, there are many people who claim to speak for God who are presenting a false gospel that is powerless to save. Such errant teaching leaves people with a false hope of salvation and, in a way, inoculates them from the true message. People who are deceived into thinking everything is fine will be more resistant to the truth.
Second Corinthians 11:13-15 warns us that “such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” So the reason for testing the spirits, for testing all religious teaching, is to see if it is truly from God or if it is a lie from Satan and his servants.
The test is to compare what is being taught with the clear teaching of the Bible. The Bible alone is the Word of God; it alone is inspired and inerrant. Therefore, the way to test the spirits is to see if what is being taught is in line with the clear teaching of Scripture. In Acts 17:10-11 the Berean Jews were commended because, after they heard the teachings of Paul and Silas, they “examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The Bereans were called “noble” for doing so.
Testing the spirits means that one must know how to “examine the Scriptures.” Rather than accept every teaching, discerning Christians diligently study the Scriptures. Then they know what the Bible says and therefore can “test all things and hold fast to what is true.” In order to do this, a Christian must “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The Word of God is to be “a lamp” and “a light” to our path (Psalm 119:105). We must let its light shine on the teachings and doctrines of the day; the Bible alone is the standard by which all truth must be judged.
Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Basically, this verse teaches that the fear of God is foundational to true wisdom; all other types of learning are worthless unless built upon a knowledge of the Lord Himself. Many other passages talk about the fear of the Lord (e.g., Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 14:27; 15:33). Before we can understand how the fear of the Lord leads to wisdom, we need to define what the Bible means by “fear” in this context.
In the Bible, the word translated “fear” can mean several things. It can refer to the terror one feels in a frightening situation (Deuteronomy 2:25). It can mean “respect” in the way a servant fears his master and serves him faithfully (Joshua 24:14). Fear can also denote the reverence or awe a person feels in the presence of greatness (Isaiah 6:5). The fear of the Lord is a combination of all of these.
Fear of the Lord can be defined as “the continual awareness that our loving heavenly Father is watching and evaluating everything we think, say, and do” (Matthew 12:36; Psalm 139:2; Jeremiah 12:3). As Jesus told each of the seven churches in Revelation 2—3, “I know your works.” Nothing escapes His attention.
In order to develop the fear of the Lord, we must recognize God for who He is. We must glimpse with our spirits the power, might, beauty, and brilliance of the Lord God Almighty (Revelation 11:17; Hosea 12:5; Isaiah 6:1–5). Those who fear the Lord have a continual awareness of Him, a deep reverence for Him, and sincere commitment to obey Him.
Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This verse gives us some added insight with its antithetical parallelism—there is a sharp contrast between the wise life and the foolish life. A wise person fears/reverences/obeys the Lord; a fool despises God’s instruction and cannot be told what to do. The wise person is wise because he has started at the starting place; the fool has no foundation on which to build wisdom.
Romans 1:21–22 speaks of those who “neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” This is a description of people who try to obtain wisdom while ignoring God—it cannot be done for the simple reason that God is the source of wisdom.
The link between the fear of God and wisdom means we cannot possess wisdom if we recreate God in our own image. Too many people want to “tame” God into a non-threatening nobody. But, if we redefine the Lord as a god that makes us feel comfortable, a permissive “buddy” who exists simply to bless us and give us what we want, we will not fear Him in the way He deserves to be feared. The Lord God Almighty is far greater than that, and the fear of the Lord begins when we see Him in His majesty and power (Revelation 4:11; Job 42:1–2) The Lord shows Job (and us) a glimpse of His power in Job 38—41 when He describes His absolute sovereignty over everything.
When the reality of God’s true nature has caused us to fall down in worship, we are then in the right position to gain wisdom. Wisdom is merely seeing life from God’s perspective and responding accordingly. Wisdom is a priority, and we are told to seek it above all else (Proverbs 3:13; 16:16). Proverbs is known as the wisdom book, and the entire second chapter gives a detailed explanation of the value of gaining wisdom.
Until our hearts are in a right relationship with God, we are unable to have the “wisdom that comes from heaven” (James 3:17). Without the fear of the Lord, we may gain knowledge of earthly things and make some practical choices for this life, but we are missing the one ingredient that defines a wise person (Psalm 14:1; Exodus 20:3; 34:14; Jeremiah 25:6; Matthew 22:37). In the parable of the rich farmer, the rich man had a “wise” and practical plan for his profits, but God said to him, “You fool!” because the farmer’s plans were made with no thought of God and eternity (Luke 12:16–21).
Without the fear of the Lord, we make final decisions based on our faulty human understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6). When we incorporate the fear of the Lord into every moment of our lives, we make decisions based upon His approval. We live with the knowledge that the Creator of the universe is intimately involved in our every move. He sees, knows, and evaluates all our choices, and we will answer to Him (Psalm 139:1–4).
Our respect for God’s majesty causes us to honor Him (Psalm 29:2). Our gratitude for His mercy causes us to serve Him well (Psalm 2:11; 107:15). And the understanding that our God of love is also a God of wrath inspires enough fear to help us stay away from evil (Romans 1:18; Proverbs 8:13). Sin is foolish; righteousness is wise. When we live righteously, we are on the path to wisdom, and everyone in our lives benefits (Proverbs 13:20; 19:8).
All that God deemed essential knowledge for His children is found in His Word—the Bible. Beyond that, all truth is God’s. God has, however, revealed His truth to all humans in the things created (Romans 1:20) called general revelation, and in His written Word called special revelation (1 Corinthians 2:6–10).
There is a difference between “earthly wisdom” and the “wisdom that comes from above” (James 3:14–18). To tap into God’s wisdom, we must, first of all, desire it and ask God for it. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). The next verse specifies that we must “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (verse 6).
We acknowledge that true wisdom comes from God and that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). To trust in Christ and yield to His Holy Spirit is to walk in wisdom; as Christians, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Love of God, the greatest commandment, is also required. “As it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9–10; cf. Isaiah 64:4).
To have knowledge is to have understanding or information about something. To have wisdom is to have the ability to apply knowledge to everyday life. It is in the reading and understanding of God’s Word that we obtain knowledge, and meditating upon that knowledge brings wisdom. The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, which is all about gaining understanding and wisdom from God’s Word. Just a few verses are “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (verse 97). “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (verse 105). “I will meditate on your precepts, and have respect to your ways. I will delight myself in your statutes: I will not forget your word” (verses 15–16). The word meditate is used five times in Psalm 119 and in various forms another fifteen times in the book of Psalms. Meditation is required to fully consider how to apply God’s Word in everyday life.
The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom. In that book, Wisdom calls for a hearing: “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings” (Proverbs 1:22–23). The promise of Wisdom is that those who desire God’s truth can have it, but it requires giving up the world’s foolish mockery of the truth. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).
To have the “fear of the LORD” is to have an awed respect of who God is and a reverential trust in His Word and His character, and to live accordingly. When one is walking in the fear of the Lord, he or she is relying on God’s wisdom in the matters of everyday life and making whatever changes need to be made in light of God’s Word.
Those who have God’s wisdom will show it in how they live: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” (James 3:13).
In summary, to tap into God’s wisdom, we must diligently study God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15), meditate on the Word, pray for wisdom, seek it with all our hearts, and walk in the Spirit. God desires to give His wisdom to His children. Are we willing to be led by that wisdom?
Paul reminds his readers that we all serve the same Lord and are part of the same body. He talks about Christ giving apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers “to equip 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” (Ephesians 4:12–13). Having reached maturity, we will not be spiritual infants, easily deceived, and tossed to and fro “by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
In this context—of church unity and spiritual maturity—Paul writes, “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 4:15). Rather than be spiritually immature and easily deceived, we are to speak the truth to one another, with love, so that we can all grow in maturity. We are to train one another in truth—the foundational gospel truths, truths about who God is and what He has called us to do, hard truths of correction, etc.—and our motivation to do so is love.
The “love” referred to in this verse is agape love, a self-sacrificial love that works for the benefit of the loved one. We speak truth in order to build up. Several verses later Paul writes, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). Our words should be beneficial to the hearers of those words. We should speak truth in love.
Paul also counsels “to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of you minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Ephesians 4:22–25). As members of the same body, we should not deceive one another. We cannot defraud each other through lies. Nor should we attempt to hide things about ourselves out of shame or in an effort to manage our images. Rather, as those who are part of the same body intended for the same purpose and united by the same love, we should be characterized by honesty. Those who love must speak the truth: “Love . . . rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Dishonesty is unloving and abusive.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” He spoke these words as part of His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), in which He had said it was foolish to store up treasures on earth where “moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19–20); rather, He urged us to store up treasure in heaven where it will last forever. The obstacle that prevents us from wise investment is the heart. Wherever our treasure is, there will our hearts be (Matthew 6:21). We follow what has captivated our hearts, and Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters.
A master is anything that enslaves us (Romans 6:16). Alcohol, lust, and money are all masters of some people. In Jesus’ warning that we cannot serve two masters, He specifies money (or “mammon” or “wealth” in other translations) as a master in opposition to God.
Jesus’ call to follow Him is a call to abandon all other masters. He called Matthew from the tax collector’s booth (Matthew 9:9). Matthew obeyed and walked away from extravagant wealth and dirty deals. Jesus called Peter, James, and John from the fishing docks (Mark 1:16–18). To obey Jesus’ call meant that they had to leave behind everything they knew, everything they’d worked for. Jesus called Paul, a successful Pharisee, with the words, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Those words will never make it into a mass-market ad campaign for Christianity—but maybe they should, because that’s what it means to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). We must forsake everything else, no matter the cost (Matthew 10:34–39).
The Lord describes Himself as a “jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). This means He guards what is rightfully His. He is righteously jealous for our affections because we were created to know and love Him (Colossians 1:16). He is not jealous for His own sake; He needs nothing (Psalm 50:9–10). He is jealous for us because we need Him (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37). When we serve another master such as money, we rob ourselves of all we were created to be, and we rob God of His rightful adoration.
Jesus’ claim to us is exclusive. He bought us with His own blood and delivered us from our former master, sin (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Romans 6:17). He doesn’t share His throne with anyone. During Jesus’ time on earth, some people followed Him for a ways, but their devotion was superficial (Luke 9:57–62). They wanted something Jesus offered, but they weren’t committed (Mark 10:17–22). Other things were more important. They wanted to serve two masters.
We cannot serve two masters because, as Jesus pointed out, we end up hating one and loving the other. It’s only natural. Opposing masters demand different things and lead down different paths. The Lord is headed in one direction, and our flesh and the world are headed in the other. A choice must be made. When we follow Christ, we must die to everything else. We will be like some of the seeds in Jesus’ parable (Luke 8:5–15)—only a portion of those seeds actually bore fruit. Some sprouted at first but then withered and died. They were not deeply rooted in good soil.
If we attempt to serve two masters, we will have divided loyalties, and, when the difficulties of discipleship clash with the lure of fleshly pleasure, the magnetic pull of wealth and worldly success will draw us away from Christ (see 2 Timothy 4:10). The call to godliness goes against our sinful nature. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we remain devoted to one Master (John 6:44).
Speaking the truth in love is not as much about having a gentle demeanor as it is about the way truth and love go hand-in-hand. Because we love one another, we must speak the truth. Because we know the truth, we must be people characterized by love (John 13:34–35; 15:1–17). Jesus “came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). As His followers who are being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29), we should also be characterized by grace and truth.
Importantly, we are also called to love those who do not know Christ. The best way we can show love is to share with them the truth of the gospel. Apart from Christ, people are dead in their sins and destined for an eternity in hell (John 3:16–18; Romans 6:23). But in Christ they can receive new life and eternal salvation (Romans 10:9–15; 2 Corinthians 5:17). This is a message we must share. Peter wrote, “In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). We share the gospel because we love the people for whom Christ died. We speak God’s truth because of His love and in a way that clearly and unapologetically communicates both truth and love (1 John 4:10–12).
Its basic meaning is to change the mind. Once a person hears the gospel and is convicted that his way of life is wrong, he must alter his present behavior and "bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:8). The fruits of repentance are visible actions—often called "works"—that show that a person has indeed changed.