Time to Put
God First
I will set Him on High
because he has
Known
My Name
UPDATE:
BIGGEST CALL UP IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY
ONE FOR ISRAEL
We have now learned
that
October 7th was the
deadliest day for the Jewish people
since the Holocaust
So now we are seeing the largest number
of reservists called up in
Israel’s short history
360,000 Israelis
have received what is known as a
“Tzav 8”
the order to go and take their place
in the
military effort to repel Hamas and
Prevent
such a
massacre happening again
Fathers, sons, brothers and boyfriends are missing
from their homes now,
while their loved ones can only wait and
Pray for Good News
The mass conscription has also meant many are
called away from their professions,
leaving many in the lurch as their coworkers are absent.
Many people have had to come back
from overseas, navigating the challenges of
flight cancellations
and an airport under fire just to get here.
People were expected to arrive for
duty at such speed that
many had no time to take anything with them.
Left without any change of clothes
or basic personal equipment,
there have been calls on social media asking if
people could bring key items to them.
And people have responded,
rallying around to make sure people have what they need –
even a pilot offering to take people
from the US to Israel if they needed to get there.
It has been our joy
to be able to gather provisions and packages with things
like camping mattresses,
water, sandwiches,
and socks
for reservists going to defend Israel on our behalf
Many believers
have been conscripted, including several
members of our
ONE FOR ISRAEL
Team
We have already heard of two believers who
have fallen in battle
We really need your prayers
HOW TO PRAY
- Please pray Psalm 91 over our soldiers, for God to cover and protect every one
- Pray for wisdom and divine intelligence for those making military decisions
- Pray for the families left behind, for comfort and strength
- Pray for Israelis to turn to God at this time, and see His deliverance
In English to trespass means to
go beyond the
legal boundaries
or to
violate
legal, moral, or social standards
In a biblical context, a
trespass is going
beyond the boundaries
God has set
In other words,
it is sin
In the Old Testament, there are several Hebrew words that have been translated as "trespass" depending upon the translation being used. All of the original Hebrew words carry the idea of sin, guiltiness, and wrong-doing. There are also two words in Greek in the New Testament that have been translated as "trespass." Both original Greek words carry the idea of error, missing the mark, or falling short. These same Greek and Hebrew words have also been translated into English as the word "sin," "iniquity," or "transgression."
So what does the Bible say about sin? Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." In other words, trespassing God's boundaries earns us death; we now owe God a life to compensate for our sin. In the Old Testament, God implemented a sacrificial system to allow the Israelites to pay for their sins using the life of an animal: "the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty" (Leviticus 6:7). Leviticus 16:30 expounds, "atonement [is] made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins." And Hebrews 9:22 explains, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."
Lest we believe we could be capable of living without sinning, David remarks,
"They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one"
(Psalm 14:3).
In his psalm of confession,
David admits that he has
existed in a state of sin since his conception
(Psalm 51:5).
When Paul claims in the New Testament "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," he confirms what David has written (Romans 3:23). Every person has trespassed God's lawful boundaries and now owes God a life. God so desired a relationship with His people that He first provided a substitutional sacrificial system to allow the people's sin to be paid for by the life of another, namely animals.
But the sacrificial system
was only a foreshadowing of
God's ultimate plan.
Hebrews 9:13–14 says, "For if the blood of goats and bulls… sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience." God sent His son Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice to cover our sins. In preparation for His death on the cross, Jesus told His disciples, "this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28). Unlike the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament, Jesus' sacrifice of Himself was so perfect that it covers all sins for all times and need not be repeated. Hebrews 9:26 says, "He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Every trespass we commit can be forgiven by relying on Jesus' shed blood on the cross.
But Jesus' sacrifice and His resurrection did more than offer forgiveness for trespasses. He actually frees all who put their faith in Him from the power of sin. Romans 8:2 declares, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Romans 6:6adds, "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." Because Jesus' sacrifice covers our trespasses, the Holy Spirit can now dwell within the hearts of humankind and enable us to stay within the boundaries of God's law. In Ezekiel 36:27 God promised, "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." Paul explains the Spirit's work to the Galatians in this way, "walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). God's Spirit within us can actually help us overcome our sinful inclinations.
Trespasses are any sin we commit by overstepping God's boundaries or any way in which we fall short of living up to God's standard of perfection. Because these trespasses have to be paid for with death, God graciously provided a sacrificial system first with animals and then ultimately with the death of His own son to extend forgiveness to those who recognize their need for it and put their faith in Him. He then puts His Holy Spirit within us to enable us to avoid future trespasses. What a merciful and gracious God we serve!
To be called a Christian is to believe in Jesus Christ and the supporting text that talks of life before, during, and after His time walking amongst people. That text is the Bible, God’s Holy Word. Within Scripture itself, aside from the various stories and characters we read about, there are several verses that give us insight into why God has blessed us with His Word to begin. One such verse is written in the Book of Psalms.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (119:105)
Verses such as this are rare areas where the Bible talks about itself. These verses highlight the importance of not only hearing God’s Word but living accordingly. In order to live life according to God’s will, we first have to know how He has called us to live. In order to know that, we cannot rely first on our own thinking, but instead, must hear what the Bible says. This verse from Psalms 119 embodies the wisdom we receive from reading the Bible. The verse also reveals an important truth - to live like a Christian is to live like Christ, who lived out God’s teachings perfectly.
How Is God's Word a Lamp Unto My Feet?
The phrase “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet” is a metaphorical statement meant to emphasize the wisdom that comes from following God’s instruction. This particular chapter in the Book of Psalms is authored by an unknown person. Over the course of this passage, the author writes in an acrostic pattern, including twenty-two stanzas with eight lines each. Each stanza begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
This chapter lacks a cohesive narrative as each stanza
is written with varying topics and tones.
One underlying theme
that is present throughout is the
idea of understanding God’s Word.
The writer assures
that people who follow God are blameless
(119:3).
The speaker wants to do better in following God,
and that only occurs
when living by the Lord’s precepts.
The phrase “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet”
appears far into the writing, as the 105 verse.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
This verse furthers the idea that
reliance on God’s Word
is the only way
to successfully live as a Christian. Lamps are used in society to
create light for movement and activity.
The Hebrew word for lamp is niyr.
This description of a lamp is more equivalent to the subtle
light of a candle.
The implication then is that there is
limited visibility of the surrounding area,
but just
enough light to navigate.
With enough light to navigate through life,
God gives us the direction that we need,
not all at once, but as needed.
In this way, God’s Word operates
for the
speaker as a form of direction.
In the verses following 105, the writer continues on to ask God for teaching
(Psalm 119:108).
The speaker wants to learn
from God.
This illustrates God’s Word operating
as a lamp in bringing wisdom into the
mind of a believer.
When they compare God’s Word to being a light on a path,
that pathway is life.
Within the details of Psalm 119,
abiding by God’s word
in every instance creates a more fulfilling life.
Walking in the light is very distinctive from walking in the
ways of the wicked
(Psalm 119:110)
If God’s Word is a lamp, helping us to
navigate the pathway of life, then
we know God’s Word is intended to help us live
prosperously.
God does not fully reveal the future with the lamp He gives us.
However, our prosperity in living
by God’s word is not contingent upon
how much
of the path ahead we can see.
That prosperity
is not contingent
on financial and occupational
standards,
but on a
closeness with God
God is the speaker’s chief concern in Psalm 119 and according to Jesus is to be our chief concern too
(Matthew 22:35-37).
If we can focus on loving God, obeying His Word, then we will have better lives.
This idea is not only present in Psalm 119 but also in other passages where God reveals similar
commentary on His Word.
What Does God Say about
His Word?
In addition to what we read in Psalm 119, there are other areas in the Bible
where the Bible talks about itself and offers key insight into
why reading God’s Word is vital for any Christian.
These other passages from Scripture complement the message from Psalm 119.
Upon reading, we can confirm that the Bible is intended to offer wisdom to believers,
and help us live according to God’s commandments,
not other ideas
that we sometimes confuse with God
“For the word of God is
alive and active
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible when followed or
when ignored,
reveals certain truths and emotions that lay in our hearts.
If God’s word is meant to edify our behavior,
how we respond to His teachings will reveal characteristics about
our beliefs, personality, and more.
For example, the Bible says to forgive others just as we ask God for forgiveness
(Matthew 6:15)
If we find that exercising forgiveness is difficult,
then
God’s Word has revealed truth to us.
“Jesus answered, ‘
It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on
every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
(Matthew 4:4)
Reading, interpreting, and living by God’s Word is as essential as our
daily food and drink.
Jesus himself indicates the significance of applying God’s word to our lives.
Just as we instinctively know to eat and drink, and
we make plans to do so, we should
respond
likewise to Scripture
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Certain translations indicate that Scripture is God “inspired” rather than breathed. Whatever the translation or word choice, the Bible makes full admission that God Himself did not physically write the Bible. Neither is Jesus known to have written anything. Nevertheless, the purpose of the Bible is consistent throughout each book. By reading, we learn how and why we should aim to be more Christ-like. In this way, God redeems us from our sinful nature.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
(Mark 13:31)
The tangible things and people in our lives, and the ideas that they exclusively represent pass away with time. However, since the beginning of time, God’s Word has been true and has endured throughout the generations.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success.”
(Joshua 1:8)
To live according to God’s Word is not as simplistic as rehearsing or reciting
what Scripture says.
Instead, to live by God’s Word means to design your life in a way
that
reflects His teachings
God wants us to live so in tune
with Scripture
that we think about what
He teaches throughout the day.
Recognizing that God’s Word is intended
to redeem us by
making us better people is important for any Christian to do
early on
in their faith-journey
If we call
ourselves believers in Christianity,
then we should
understand what our religious text, the Bible,
says about our
faith
The more versed we are in
the Bible,
the more we can become
like Jesus.
The more like Jesus we are, the
more God can call us to
His purpose
Not only will we be redeemed, but we can help
God redeem others.
go beyond the
legal boundaries
or to
violate
legal, moral, or social standards
In a biblical context, a
trespass is going
beyond the boundaries
God has set
In other words,
it is sin
In the Old Testament, there are several Hebrew words that have been translated as "trespass" depending upon the translation being used. All of the original Hebrew words carry the idea of sin, guiltiness, and wrong-doing. There are also two words in Greek in the New Testament that have been translated as "trespass." Both original Greek words carry the idea of error, missing the mark, or falling short. These same Greek and Hebrew words have also been translated into English as the word "sin," "iniquity," or "transgression."
So what does the Bible say about sin? Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." In other words, trespassing God's boundaries earns us death; we now owe God a life to compensate for our sin. In the Old Testament, God implemented a sacrificial system to allow the Israelites to pay for their sins using the life of an animal: "the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty" (Leviticus 6:7). Leviticus 16:30 expounds, "atonement [is] made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins." And Hebrews 9:22 explains, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."
Lest we believe we could be capable of living without sinning, David remarks,
"They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one"
(Psalm 14:3).
In his psalm of confession,
David admits that he has
existed in a state of sin since his conception
(Psalm 51:5).
When Paul claims in the New Testament "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," he confirms what David has written (Romans 3:23). Every person has trespassed God's lawful boundaries and now owes God a life. God so desired a relationship with His people that He first provided a substitutional sacrificial system to allow the people's sin to be paid for by the life of another, namely animals.
But the sacrificial system
was only a foreshadowing of
God's ultimate plan.
Hebrews 9:13–14 says, "For if the blood of goats and bulls… sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience." God sent His son Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice to cover our sins. In preparation for His death on the cross, Jesus told His disciples, "this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28). Unlike the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament, Jesus' sacrifice of Himself was so perfect that it covers all sins for all times and need not be repeated. Hebrews 9:26 says, "He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Every trespass we commit can be forgiven by relying on Jesus' shed blood on the cross.
But Jesus' sacrifice and His resurrection did more than offer forgiveness for trespasses. He actually frees all who put their faith in Him from the power of sin. Romans 8:2 declares, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Romans 6:6adds, "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." Because Jesus' sacrifice covers our trespasses, the Holy Spirit can now dwell within the hearts of humankind and enable us to stay within the boundaries of God's law. In Ezekiel 36:27 God promised, "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." Paul explains the Spirit's work to the Galatians in this way, "walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). God's Spirit within us can actually help us overcome our sinful inclinations.
Trespasses are any sin we commit by overstepping God's boundaries or any way in which we fall short of living up to God's standard of perfection. Because these trespasses have to be paid for with death, God graciously provided a sacrificial system first with animals and then ultimately with the death of His own son to extend forgiveness to those who recognize their need for it and put their faith in Him. He then puts His Holy Spirit within us to enable us to avoid future trespasses. What a merciful and gracious God we serve!
To be called a Christian is to believe in Jesus Christ and the supporting text that talks of life before, during, and after His time walking amongst people. That text is the Bible, God’s Holy Word. Within Scripture itself, aside from the various stories and characters we read about, there are several verses that give us insight into why God has blessed us with His Word to begin. One such verse is written in the Book of Psalms.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (119:105)
Verses such as this are rare areas where the Bible talks about itself. These verses highlight the importance of not only hearing God’s Word but living accordingly. In order to live life according to God’s will, we first have to know how He has called us to live. In order to know that, we cannot rely first on our own thinking, but instead, must hear what the Bible says. This verse from Psalms 119 embodies the wisdom we receive from reading the Bible. The verse also reveals an important truth - to live like a Christian is to live like Christ, who lived out God’s teachings perfectly.
How Is God's Word a Lamp Unto My Feet?
The phrase “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet” is a metaphorical statement meant to emphasize the wisdom that comes from following God’s instruction. This particular chapter in the Book of Psalms is authored by an unknown person. Over the course of this passage, the author writes in an acrostic pattern, including twenty-two stanzas with eight lines each. Each stanza begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
This chapter lacks a cohesive narrative as each stanza
is written with varying topics and tones.
One underlying theme
that is present throughout is the
idea of understanding God’s Word.
The writer assures
that people who follow God are blameless
(119:3).
The speaker wants to do better in following God,
and that only occurs
when living by the Lord’s precepts.
The phrase “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet”
appears far into the writing, as the 105 verse.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
This verse furthers the idea that
reliance on God’s Word
is the only way
to successfully live as a Christian. Lamps are used in society to
create light for movement and activity.
The Hebrew word for lamp is niyr.
This description of a lamp is more equivalent to the subtle
light of a candle.
The implication then is that there is
limited visibility of the surrounding area,
but just
enough light to navigate.
With enough light to navigate through life,
God gives us the direction that we need,
not all at once, but as needed.
In this way, God’s Word operates
for the
speaker as a form of direction.
In the verses following 105, the writer continues on to ask God for teaching
(Psalm 119:108).
The speaker wants to learn
from God.
This illustrates God’s Word operating
as a lamp in bringing wisdom into the
mind of a believer.
When they compare God’s Word to being a light on a path,
that pathway is life.
Within the details of Psalm 119,
abiding by God’s word
in every instance creates a more fulfilling life.
Walking in the light is very distinctive from walking in the
ways of the wicked
(Psalm 119:110)
If God’s Word is a lamp, helping us to
navigate the pathway of life, then
we know God’s Word is intended to help us live
prosperously.
God does not fully reveal the future with the lamp He gives us.
However, our prosperity in living
by God’s word is not contingent upon
how much
of the path ahead we can see.
That prosperity
is not contingent
on financial and occupational
standards,
but on a
closeness with God
God is the speaker’s chief concern in Psalm 119 and according to Jesus is to be our chief concern too
(Matthew 22:35-37).
If we can focus on loving God, obeying His Word, then we will have better lives.
This idea is not only present in Psalm 119 but also in other passages where God reveals similar
commentary on His Word.
What Does God Say about
His Word?
In addition to what we read in Psalm 119, there are other areas in the Bible
where the Bible talks about itself and offers key insight into
why reading God’s Word is vital for any Christian.
These other passages from Scripture complement the message from Psalm 119.
Upon reading, we can confirm that the Bible is intended to offer wisdom to believers,
and help us live according to God’s commandments,
not other ideas
that we sometimes confuse with God
“For the word of God is
alive and active
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible when followed or
when ignored,
reveals certain truths and emotions that lay in our hearts.
If God’s word is meant to edify our behavior,
how we respond to His teachings will reveal characteristics about
our beliefs, personality, and more.
For example, the Bible says to forgive others just as we ask God for forgiveness
(Matthew 6:15)
If we find that exercising forgiveness is difficult,
then
God’s Word has revealed truth to us.
“Jesus answered, ‘
It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on
every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
(Matthew 4:4)
Reading, interpreting, and living by God’s Word is as essential as our
daily food and drink.
Jesus himself indicates the significance of applying God’s word to our lives.
Just as we instinctively know to eat and drink, and
we make plans to do so, we should
respond
likewise to Scripture
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Certain translations indicate that Scripture is God “inspired” rather than breathed. Whatever the translation or word choice, the Bible makes full admission that God Himself did not physically write the Bible. Neither is Jesus known to have written anything. Nevertheless, the purpose of the Bible is consistent throughout each book. By reading, we learn how and why we should aim to be more Christ-like. In this way, God redeems us from our sinful nature.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
(Mark 13:31)
The tangible things and people in our lives, and the ideas that they exclusively represent pass away with time. However, since the beginning of time, God’s Word has been true and has endured throughout the generations.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success.”
(Joshua 1:8)
To live according to God’s Word is not as simplistic as rehearsing or reciting
what Scripture says.
Instead, to live by God’s Word means to design your life in a way
that
reflects His teachings
God wants us to live so in tune
with Scripture
that we think about what
He teaches throughout the day.
Recognizing that God’s Word is intended
to redeem us by
making us better people is important for any Christian to do
early on
in their faith-journey
If we call
ourselves believers in Christianity,
then we should
understand what our religious text, the Bible,
says about our
faith
The more versed we are in
the Bible,
the more we can become
like Jesus.
The more like Jesus we are, the
more God can call us to
His purpose
Not only will we be redeemed, but we can help
God redeem others.
Each occurrence of the phrase
knowledge of God
in the Bible
must be studied within its own context
Sometimes the author might be referring to
God’s knowledge
(Romans 11:33),
while other times he may be referring to our knowledge of God
(Romans 1:28).
We will focus on the second sense, which is the most common.
It is impossible to
cover every nuance in every passage, but we can make
some general observations
about the way knowledge of God is used in the Scriptures.
The knowledge of God
usually
refers to knowing
the
truth about God
(Romans 1:19–21)
According to the Bible, the
knowledge of God starts with God
(Proverbs 2:6)
He graciously chooses
to reveal Himself to humanity in many ways
(Isaiah 33:6).
He reveals Himself to everyone through creation
(Psalm 19:1–2),
so that every person knows at least about His “eternal power and divine nature”
(Romans 1:20).
This basic knowledge of God’s righteousness and our
moral responsibility
is enough to condemn us for not following His law
(Romans 1:18)
Those who fear God,
or have
a relationship with Him,
can grow
in the knowledge of God,
as
He reveals Himself
(Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 33:6)
God reveals Himself through the Scriptures
(2 Timothy 3:16), through His people
(Romans 15:14),
through His Holy Spirit
(John 14:26),
and through His Son, who is His perfect image
(Colossians 1:15).
In the Bible, the
knowledge of God is closely
tied to
relationship with God
God gives knowledge to those who love Him,
and rejection
of knowledge results in broken relationship
(Proverbs 2:4–6; Hosea 4:6; Romans 1:21–25)
It is a little like our human relationships:
the closer we get to someone, the more we know that person,
and the more we get to know him or her, the closer we become.
As we grow in the knowledge of God,
we learn more about His will, His works, and His character.
Increasing in our knowledge of God, or learning more about Him,
should motivate a change in our lives,
as we contemplate
His goodness, mercy, and glory
(2 Peter 2:20).
As Christians, we GROW
in the
knowledge of God
through
our
relationship with Jesus Christ
(2 Corinthians 4:6)
Our goal is to grow in the knowledge of God, so
that we become more like His Son.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is a beautiful example of this dynamic:
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we
have not stopped praying for you.
We continually ask God to fill you with
the knowledge of his will
through all
wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
so that you may live a life worthy
of the Lord and please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work,
Growing
in the
Knowledge of God,
being strengthened with all power according to
his glorious might
so that you may have great endurance and patience,
and giving joyful thanks to
the Father,
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance
of his holy people
in the kingdom of light”
(Colossians 1:9–12).
Finally, as Christians,
we do not keep the knowledge of God
to ourselves.
As we grow in the knowledge of God,
we are to share it with others,
so that they can
come to know Him as well
Paul’s life of self-sacrificial ministry
spread the
knowledge of God to everyone around him
(2 Corinthians 2:14).
God also used Paul’s
ministry to
break down every obstacle
in the
human mind
that prevented people from
hearing the knowledge of God
(2 Corinthians 10:5)
In the same way,
we should share the knowledge of God everywhere we go,
so that people would
come to know Him
through the grace of His Son.
by the
Grace of God,
“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 4:13
To Blaspheme
is to speak with
Contempt
about
God or to be defiantly
irreverent
Blasphemy is verbal or written
reproach of
God’s Name,
character, work, or attributes
Blasphemy
was a serious crime
in the Law
God gave to Moses
The Israelites were to worship and obey God.
In Leviticus 24:10–16, a
man blasphemed the
Name of God
To the Hebrews,
A Name
wasn’t just a convenient label
It was a symbolic representation
of a
person’s character
The man in Leviticus
who
blasphemed God’s
Name
was stoned to death.
Isaiah 36 tells the story of Sennacherib,
king of Assyria, and his attempt to demoralize Jerusalem
before he attacked. After pointing out Assyria’s many victories,
he says,
"Who of all the gods of these countries
have been able
to save their lands from me?
How then can the LORD
deliver
Jerusalem from my hand?"
(Isaiah 36:20).
Sennacherib committed
blasphemy by
assuming Israel’s God was equal to
the false gods
of the surrounding nations
The king of Judah, Hezekiah, points out this blasphemy in his prayer to God,
in which he asks that
God deliver them for the purpose of defending His own honor
(Isaiah 37:4, 17).
And that’s exactly what God did. Isaiah 37:36-37 explains,
"Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand
in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there."
Later, Sennacherib was murdered in the temple of his god Nisroch (Isaiah 37:38).
Followers of God are also responsible to
make sure their behavior
doesn’t incite others to blaspheme God.
In Romans 2:17-24, Paul scolds those
who claim to be
saved through the law and yet still live in sin.
Using Isaiah 52:5,
Paul tells them,
“God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you”
(verse 24)
In 1 Timothy 1:20 Paul explains that
he had abandoned
two false teachers to Satan so
they would
“be taught not to blaspheme”; thus, promulgating
false doctrine and
leading God’s people astray
is also a
form of blasphemy
Jesus spoke of a
special type of blasphemy
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
committed by the religious leaders of His day.
The situation was that
the Pharisees were
eyewitnesses to Jesus’ miracles,
but they attributed the
work of the Holy Spirit to the presence of a demon
(Mark 3:22-30)
Their portrayal of the holy as demonic
was a deliberate,
insulting rejection of God and was unforgivable
The most significant
accusation of blasphemy
was one that happened
to be
completely false
It was for the crime of
blasphemy
that the priests and Pharisees
condemned Jesus
(Matthew 26:65).
They understood that
Jesus was claiming to be God
That would, indeed, be a
reproach on God’s character--
if it wasn’t true.
If Jesus were just a man claiming to be God,
He would have been a blasphemer.
However, as the
Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus could truthfully claim deity
(Philippians 2:6).
Fortunately, Jesus forgives even the sin of blasphemy
When repented and corrected, resulting in
change of word and deed
Paul was a blasphemer (1 Timothy 1:13) and tried to make others blaspheme (Acts 26:11).
Jesus’ own brothers thought He was insane (Mark 3:21)
Blasphemy, by definition, is both deliberate and direct.
That being the case, a
believer in Jesus Christ
will not/cannot
commit blasphemy
Even so, we
should be careful to reflect God’s holiness
and
never misrepresent the
glory,
authority, and character of God
V. SANCTITY
4«For I say onto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of heaven."—Matthew v. ao.
"Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Take heed that ye do not your righteousness
before men,
to be seen of them:
else ye have no reward with your Father which is in heaven.
"— v. 48-vi. 1.
"Father, the hour is come ; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee."
"I manifested Thy name unto the men whom
Thou gavest Me out of the world:
Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to me; and they
have kept Thy word.
Now they know that all things
whatsoever Thou hast given Me are from Thee: for
the words which Thou gavest Me
I have given unto them ; and they received them,
and knew of a truth that I came forth from Thee,
and they believed that Thou didst send Me."
"Sanctify them in the truth : Thy word is truth."
—John xvii. 1,6-8,17.
SANCTITY
Our theme is that of the
teaching of
Christ concerning sanctity
Our Lord had been speaking to His disciples in the upper room in view of His departure, giving them those teachings which we now speak of as the Paschal discourses. Ceasing to teach, He began to pray ; and in this seventeenth chapter of John we have the words of that great Paschal prayer, offered in anticipation of the Cross.
They are a revelation of His purpose for the men whom He had been teaching, and who were gathered about Him. He prayed here, as He ever prayed, alone, while yet in their presence. They were sinning men, some of the men whom He had come to seek and to save.
He was to them the Saviour; not that they at the moment
perfectly understood the meaning of His mission,
or fully apprehended all the results thereof;
but that He stood to them in His own purpose and in
His own power, in that sacred relationship.
If they were sinning men they were also men who had fulfilled the responsibilities which He had revealed. They were men who had repented towards the Kingdom of God, and men who had believed in Him; they did not understand His teaching perfectly, had no final truth in their mind concerning the mystery of His Person, and were certainly quite ignorant of that passion towards which His face was set, for they were in rebellion against the very thought thereof. Nevertheless, they had believed in Him, and by that belief had appropriated values far greater than they themselves did know ; and He prayed for these men, and in the brief words of this particular verse we have the ultimate word expressive of His desire for them," Sanctify them in the truth:
Thy word is Truth."'
Sanctification,
—or preferably because not so common,--
the word sanctity, already used, is the
ultimate word in salvation.
We have been considering the teaching of our Lord
on these co-related themes;
sin as constituting the need for salvation;
salvation as the supply of that need in the economy of God ;
salvation interpreted by our Lord's use of
the word;
salvation as the purpose of His mission in the world ;
salvation as to the human
responsibilities
which this provision creates
Now we come to consider the issue of salvation, which is sanctity. That is the ultimate word concerning salvation. If I may borrow the great words of the Roman letter;— justification, sanctification, and glorification,—I would remind you that justification is the root; glorification will be the ultimate fruit; while the supreme experience of the present life, which is in itself a fulfillment of those conditions whereby
the root shall proceed to the ultimate fruit, is that of sanctity.
The will of our Lord for His people is that they may live the life of sanctity,
that they may know the experience of sanctification.
These words of Jesus constitute a brief petition in which we have our
Lord's teaching concerning sanctity suggestively revealed, when the petition is
interpreted by the context of the whole prayer.
He prayed that these men might be
sanctified in the truth,
and He immediately revealed what He meant by
His own term," the truth," as He said, "
Thy Word is truth."
We are led therefore to enquire what He meant when He said,
"Thy Word."
If we have the interpretation of the term
"the Truth" in the term "Thy Word,"
then we enquire what He meant, when in that
great prayer under the shadow of
the Cross,
amid the silence
of the consecrated hour,
He spoke of the Word of God.
If we go back to the earlier part
of the prayer we shall find our answer.
It is recorded that He said, "
I manifested Thy Name unto
the men whom
Thou gavest Me out of the world
Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me; and they have kept Thy word."' We immediately recognize the connection between the opening statement of that verse, and the closing one; between
"I have manifested Thy name "
and
"They have kept Thy word."
When He spoke therefore of the
truth,
and defined it as being the
Word of God,
He was, according to the interpretation of His own
uttered words, referring to that
manifestation of God which He had made, and which
He described as the
manifestation
of the
Name
And yet again we have further light in the statement:
“The words which Thou gavest Me I have given unto them;
and they received them,
and knew of a truth that I came forth from
Thee, and they
believed that Thou didst send Me."
In these two statements we have
two expressions of our Lord, arresting our attention,
and enabling us to
understand His thought concerning sanctity.
He spoke of the
Word of God, and when He so spoke
He referred to a manifestation
of the
Name of God,
which He said He had given
to these men.
This is the great word with which we are familial through all the writings of John, and indeed through all our New Testament, the word logos, signifying the unified and complete revelation of God made through Christ Himself. That, fundamentally and inclusively, is the truth in which He prays that men may be sanctified. In the second statement we have not the same expression, but another carrying another thought: My sayings, that is, such sayings as make application of essential truth in local particulars. If when He spoke of the Word He was referring to the unified and Inclusive truth ; when He spoke of the sayings, He was 1 John xvii. & * John xvii. 8.
referring to the words which He had uttered in application to
certain human needs.
We shall understand our Lord's thoughts
concerning sanctity in proportion as
we know the truth to which He referred when
He prayed
that we might be sanctified in the truth.
For that purpose
we shall consider that matter under the twofold division of the word
as the manifestation of the name;
and the sayings as the application of truth, included in
the Word, to the needs of men
The manifestation of the name producing the right attitude to God issues in sanctity of [being, which is holiness. The revelation of duty producing right attitude to men issues in sanctity of doing, which is righteousness. Sanctity is holiness and righteousness, two matters which cannot be severed; two matters which I sometimes fear we are in danger of severing. On one hand, I hear a great deal about holiness, with little reference to righteousness. On the other hand, I hear a great deal about the necessity for righteousness, with very little reference to holiness. But it is impossible that there ever should be righteousness which is not the outcome of holiness; and it is equally impossible that there should be any holiness which is not expressed in righteousness. Holiness is rectitude of character. Righteousness is rectitude of conduct. Both the ideas are related, and are expressed most perfectly in the word sanctity.
Our Lord in this great prayer uttered His ultimate desire for the sinning men who by faith in Him as Saviour enter into new relationship with God. His desire for them is, that they may be sanctified in the truth. We turn first of all to the study "of sanctity of character by the Name; and secondly to sanctity of conduct by the sayings, or moral system, which our Lord has given to us.
We commence then with this first conception of truth, "Thy word is truth."i "I manifested
Thy Name
unto the men."
Now to understand this we must take a larger outlook, and remind ourselves of the method and system of this Gospel according to John. It is not a life story, a biography. It is exactly what John declared it to be, the
gathering together of certain incidents, of signs in the way of works;
of teaching in the form of words; which in their relationship to each other
serve to demonstrate the fact that
Jesus was the Son of God.
When that is borne in mind we shall discover at the commencement of the
Gospel a key
to the interpretation of the revelation which Jesus gave to us,
and which John made clear in the process of his book:
"The law was given by Moses;
grace and truth came
by
Jesus Christ."
John was
looking back to a past economy,
in order that he might draw attention to the new economy.
He was reminding those for whom he
wrote his Gospel of a previous revelation,
of how the law came,—the preposition "by" is a very unfortunate one,—"
through Moses " ;
and how—for there was a new revelation,
not contradicting the old, but fulfilling it, explaining it,
leading out its essential values to ultimate perfection,—"
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
I have referred to that key word in order that we may go
back to the previous revelation.
"The law came by Moses."
What was the first word in
that law?
Not a moral enactment,
but a
Revelation of God
When after eighty years of preparation,
forty years in Egypt, and forty years in the magnificence of the desert,
Moses came to the hour of crisis, and was called to his great work, he was called by the mystic symbolism of a bush that burned with fire and was not consumed, and by a revelation of the God Who dwelt in the bush. As this man Moses, of reverent habit and demeanour, who had learned deep secrets from Nature during the forty years of his shepherd life, drew .• John xvii. 17. 'Ibid., xvii. 6. * Ibid., i . 17.
near to the unusual sight of a bush burning with fire and
yet not consumed, a voice said to him, "
Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet,
for the place whereon thou standest is
holy ground."'
Then God revealed Himself to him by a
Name,
and this is the name,
a Name
which is an announcement of revelation, imperfect, incomplete,
" I AM "
and as it appeared as though something were to be added to the essential word,
by way of revelation, the word recoiled upon itself.
"I Am, That I Am."
The law came through the man who had received that revelation.
Now I take up this Gospel according to John, and having read that key word, "
The law came by Moses;
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,"
I find that its supreme value
is not its revelation of an ethical code,
but its revelation
of a
Name,
its revelation of how through this
New Messenger of the covenant,
the very
Son of God Himself,
the
Name was proclaimed;
and this prayer of Jesus bears witness to the
truth of that assertion,
for in the final praying He said to His Father,"
I have manifested
Thy name."
What then is the Name?
That name is revealed in the course of the discourses of Jesus,
some of them careful and continued,
some of them fragmentary and incidental, in which we find great words, characterized
at once by sublimity and simplicity. The words to which I refer are those in which
He took again the word that had been spoken incompletely from
the splendour of the burning bush,
" I AM," and
completed the revelation, " I am the Bread of life,"
" I am the light of the world,"
" I am the Door," 5 " I am the good Shepherd,"8 "lam the resurrection, and the life,"7 " I am the way, and the truth,and the life,"8" I am the true Vine."' Thus He linked the sublime declaration of essential Being to symbols so full of simplicity that all our children love them; the simplest words of human speech. "I am "; the formula of the fundamental fact in the nature of Deity, that
God is the Self-existent One,
without beginning and without support other than that within
His own Being;
Jesus linked to every-day symbols;--
bread, light, a door, a shepherd, a resurrection, a way, a vine.
When
His ministry of teaching was complete,
The One
Who had uttered these words
came into the presence of the Father,
Who bears
the
essential and eternal
Name, and
He said:
"I have manifested Thy Name unto these men."
That manifestation may thus be summarized:
"I am the bread of life." i God Himself as the very bread of life to man.
"I am the light of the world ; "
God Himself as the illumination
of
man's life and pathway
"I am the door."
God Himself as the safety of His people.
"I am the good Shepherd."
God Himself as the Love that cares for His people.
"I am the resurrection and the life."
God Himself as the power by which
men shall come to the consummation of purpose,
and that in spite of the
tragedy of death which results from their sin.
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life;"
God Himself as the very pathway
or course in which men shall proceed in order to the
fulfillment of that purpose.
"I am the vine."
God Himself in intimate association with men,
making their ministry, perfecting them,
and
enabling them to fulfill high and holy service
This was the sevenfold unveiling of
The Name,
and we at once discover its value to men.
"I am the bread of life "—that is, ability at the disposal of men. "I am the light"—that is, light or direction upon the pathway for men. "I am the door "—that is, love, perfect safety for men folded within the enclosure. "I am the good Shepherd "—that is, care, and perfect rest for all hearts who trust in Him. "I am the resurrection "—that is, consummation, hope upon the darkest day of sorrow and bereavement. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life ";
that is the course or the pathway of the pilgrimage, and consequent confidence even
when the sun is blotted out of the heavens.
"I am the true vine";
that is provision for ministry or service, discipline and purging,
in order that much fruit may be brought forth.
Such was the manifestation of the name, and in every case it was manifestation through Himself. In every case He was, in human guise and form and fashion, the unveiling of Deity; and as men touched the warm flesh of the Son of Man they were thrilled by contact with God through the Son of God.
And now at the end He said," I have manifested Thy name." . . . "
I have given them Thy word . . . sanctify them in the truth: Thy word is truth."
And of these men He said, "
They have kept Thy word"—that is, they have kept it in view,
they have observed it.
What, then, is this picture of sanctity?
It is that of sanctity of character by the Name.
This revelation produces love in the heart of a believer; love inspires obedience to the things revealed; and, almost without consciousness at first, when the revelation has inspired love, and love has inspired obedience, character becomes holy, because the life is adjusted to the truth concerning God. Holiness is not something which we can accurately designate by the impersonal pronoun
Holiness of character
is the attitude
of
life adjusted towards God
in response to the
revelation of the
Name
through Jesus Christ our Lord
We now pass to the second matter;
sanctity of conduct
in response to the sayings of Jesus.
All the things to which we have referred
constitute the
inclusive, unified, final revelation
He is the I Am. Now out of the " I am " of Jesus came His sayings. Sayings are component parts of the whole, uttered for the instruction of individual lives, and social conditions, and immediate requirements. Christ in Himself is the full and final Truth; and even if He had never uttered a precept or a maxim, He had uttered all Truth in Himself. Nevertheless because of the frailty of human life and the finiteness of the human mind, He, the essential Truth, did speak in sayings, in maxims, in instructions; and the supreme collection is to be found, not in John's Gospel, but in Matthew's, in the Manifesto. The Manifesto is less than the King; all truth is not in the Sermon on the Mount; but it is in the One Who uttered it. But the Sermon on the Mount must be uttered in order that I may be helped in my desire to obey the truth, the revelation of which has called me to the character of holiness, in order that I may express the character of holiness in the conduct of righteousness. He spoke in sayings, in words, in moral and ethical terms; and if we would understand what the sayings of Jesus are, then we must take the
whole of the Manifesto, and
study it carefully.
There are two master principles which occur in the midst of it:
"Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no wise enter
into the Kingdom of heaven " ;'
"Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."*
Gathered around these
two principles,
are words of direct and immediate application;
conditioning
individual life, and social life;
and revealing the
moral standards of the
Kingdom of God
Take the first.
"Except your righteousness shall
exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees."
The contextual interpretation shows
that this is
rightness towards men and the
affairs of this life,
as the outcome of right
Relationship with God.
The failure of the righteousness of scribes and Pharisees is revealed in an incidental saying of
Jesus in the course of the Manifesto:
"Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them."
That is an illuminative word, it is a startling word.
Bring the ordinary morality of the world
into the light
of that word,
and it stands condemned.
Rightness,
in order that we may be thought well of by men,
is condemned
in the Christian economy, not in itself, but as
being relatively worthless.
There is a vast amount of morality
which is conditioned by the presence pf the policeman;
and there is still a vaster amount of morality,
on a higher level
judged
by the ordinary standards
of human life,
which is conditioned by
pride
It is very valuable for all merely material purposes,
but it is condemned.
Honesty is the best policy!
But the man who is honest merely because it is politic to
be honest is a rogue and a rascal at heart.
That is the righteousness which
the
Lord condemned;
the
righteousness which is done to
be seen of men
What, then, is the righteousness that He inculcated?
The righteousness which is done to be seen of God;
to please God whether men understand or not;
whether it shall please men or not
His illustrations are as remarkable as His ideal.
Alms are to be given,
and prayer is to be offered
privately;
and in fasting men are to go amid the crowds as though
they had been
to a feast, with brightness upon their faces
The second principle is expressed in the words, "
Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your
heavenly Father is perfect."
We must not interfere with that saying of Jesus.
Some people are terribly afraid of criticism, higher or lower,
but they indulge in it for themselves when they read that word.
Let us interpret the text in relation to its context.
When did He say it? Immediately after He had said 1 Matt. vi. i.
"Love your enemies."
The second principle of man's relationship to his fellow men is that he is
to act towards them by likeness to God in love.
The command is thus superlative, rather than minimized by its connection
with the command to love our enemies.
This is sanctity of conduct.
Love for the Lord inspires us to
receive His word,
to accept it as authoritative, as final;
and the reception of the word thus expresses itself in obedience,
which is conduct love-impulsed.
Thus righteousness is life adjusted to the
truth about God,
expressing itself in conduct towards men
"Sanctify them in the truth:
Thy word is truth." This is the word which He gave ;
the manifestations of the Name,
the sayings which He uttered; these constitute the moral code
which men must obey.
"Sanctify them in the truth."
That was His prayer.
And His estimate of sanctification
is that holiness of character which
results from the soul responsive to God
as revealed in Christ;
and that righteousness of conduct
which grows from
such character,
the expression of relationship to God
in a
man's dealings with his fellow men.
Finally this teaching was included in a prayer. He was praying for these men,
and in the selfsame prayer He prayed for us.
"Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on Me through their word."'
We are of that host and company
who have believed
through the apostolic word.
The ultimate value of His prayer is found in the opening words, " Father, the hour is come."
What hour?
And again there need not be and must not be any speculation. Throughout this
Gospel according to John,
that hour is constantly referred to. When His mother came to Him at the first sign, He said,
" Woman, what have I to do with thee?
Mine hour is not yet come."s They could not arrest Him "because His hour was not yet come."s 1
John xvii. ao. * Ibid., ii. 4. * Ibid., viii. 20.
At last, under the
very shadow of the Cross,
He said,
"Father, the hour is come,
glorify Thy Son,
that the Son may glorify Thee."'
The hour was the hour of His passion.
He was praying first for continued fellowship on the part of His Father with Himself
in that ultimate darkness of the Cross,
and the victory of the resurrection that lay beyond; and in that prayer He uttered this petition.
That first petition of the prayer was answered. His Father glorified Him by raising Him from among the dead, by completing the Exodus; and now we can go through that answer of death and resurrection in the person of our Lord Himself, and therefore sanctity is possible to us. Had there been none other than the manifestation of the name in a life, and the uttering of the law in precepts, I should have closed the book and should have said, The ideal is stupendous and marvellous, but I can never attain unto it.
But the One Who manifested
The Name
the One Who uttered the moral code,
was glorified
in the mystery of death and resurrection;
and placed all His resources at the
disposal of sinful men,
that they might live the life of sanctity,
that they might turn to God,
and their life be adjusted to Him
in holiness;
that in the power ot such adjustment they
might turn back to the affairs of
everyday life,
in office and mart and shop
the life
adjusted towards God, which
is the
life of righteousness through
Christ
« John xvii. 1.
C. THE TEACHING OF CHRIST CONCERNING
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
I. THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTION
From that time began Jesus to preach,
and to say,
Repent ye; for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."
—Matthew iv. 1j.
"Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done, as in heaven,
so on earth."
—vi. o, to.
- Seek ye first
His Kingdom,
and
His righteousness;
and all
these things shall be added unto you."
—vi. 33.
"The Kingdom of heaven is at hand."
"Art Thou He that cometh, or look we for another? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go your way and tell John the things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them."
"From the days of John the Baptist
until now the
Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force."—xi. 12.
- If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the Kingdom of God come upon you."—xii. 28.
"The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the Gospel."—Atari i. 1j.
"The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you."—Luke x. a.
"Nicodemus came unto Him by night, and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these signs that Thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered, and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and
the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God."
—John Hi. 2-j.
"Verily I say unto you,
I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine,
until that day
when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God."
--xiv. 25.
When the Bible speaks
of “the law,” it refers to the detailed
standard God gave to Moses,
beginning in Exodus 20with the Ten Commandments.
God’s Law explained His requirements for a
holy people and included three categories:
civil, ceremonial, and moral laws
The Law was given to separate God’s people from the evil nations
around them and to define sin
(Ezra 10:11; Romans 5:13; 7:7).
The Law also clearly demonstrated that
no human being could purify himself enough to please God—i.e.
The Law
revealed our need for a
Savior
By New Testament times, the religious leaders had hijacked the Law and added to it their own rules and traditions (Mark 7:7–9). While the Law itself was good, it was weak in that it lacked the power to change a sinful heart (Romans 8:3). Keeping the Law, as interpreted by the Pharisees, had become an oppressive and overwhelming burden (Luke 11:46)
It was into this legalistic climate that Jesus came,
and conflict with the
hypocritical arbiters of the Law was inevitable.
But Jesus, the Lawgiver, said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The Law was not evil. It served as a mirror to reveal the condition of a person’s heart (Romans 7:7). John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Jesus embodied the perfect balance between grace and the Law (John 1:14).
God has always been full of grace (Psalm 116:5; Joel 2:13), and people have always been saved by faith in God (Genesis 15:6). God did not change between the Old and New Testaments (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 55:19). The same God who gave the Law also gave Jesus (John 3:16). His grace was demonstrated through the Law by providing the sacrificial system to cover sin. Jesus was born “under the law” (Galatians 4:4) and became the final sacrifice to bring the Law to fulfillment and establish the New Covenant (Luke 22:20). Now, everyone who comes to God through Christ is declared righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:15).
The conflict between Jesus and the
self-righteous
arose immediately
Many who had lived for
so long
under the Pharisees’
oppressive system
eagerly embraced
the
mercy of Christ and the freedom
He offered
(Mark 2:15).
Some, however, saw this new demonstration of grace as dangerous: what would keep a person from casting off all moral restraint? Paul dealt with this issue in Romans 6: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (verses 1—2). Paul clarified what Jesus had taught: the Law shows us what God wants (holiness), and grace gives us the desire and power to be holy. Rather than trust in the Law to save us, we trust in Christ. We are freed from the Law’s bondage by His once-for-all sacrifice (Romans 7:6; 1 Peter 3:18).
We are saved by grace, through faith
(Ephesians 2:8–9).
The keeping of the Law
cannot save anyone
(Romans 3:20; Titus 3:5).
In fact,
those who claim righteousness on
the basis
of their keeping of the Law
only think they’re keeping the Law;
this was one of
Jesus’ main points in the
Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5:20–48; see also Luke 18:18–23).
The Bible indicates that there
will be a
Great apostasy
during the end times
The
“great apostasy”
is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
The KJV calls it the
“falling away,” while the NIV and ESV call it “the rebellion.”
And that’s what an apostasy is:
a rebellion, an abandonment of
the truth
The end times will include
a wholesale rejection
of
God’s revelation,
a further
“falling away” of an already fallen world.
The occasion of Paul’s writing to the Thessalonians was to correct some of the errors concerning the end times that the believers had heard from false teachers. Among the falsehoods was that “the day of the Lord has already come” (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The Christians in Thessalonica were afraid that Jesus had already come, they had missed the rapture, and they were now in the tribulation. Paul had already explained the rapture to them in his first letter (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). Paul writes his second letter to assure them that, contrary to what they had heard, and despite the persecution they were enduring, the “day of Christ” had not yet come.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul makes it clear that the day of the Lord, a time of worldwide judgment
(Isaiah 13:6; Obadiah 1:15),
will not transpire until two things happen. First, the falling away, or great apostasy, must occur. Second, the “man of lawlessness” must be revealed, he who is called the “son of perdition,” also known as the Antichrist. Once this person makes himself known, the end times will indeed have come. Numerous speculations about the identity of the man of sin, beginning in the first century, have included Caligula, Caius Caesar, Mohammed, Napoleon, and any number of Roman popes. None of them were the Antichrist.
The man of lawlessness, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, is the one who “will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” Clearly, this has not yet happened; no one since Paul’s time has set himself up as God in the Jewish temple. Two thousand years have passed since the epistle was written, and the “day of the Lord” has not yet come. Paul assures us that it will not come until the falling away comes first.
The Greek word translated “rebellion” or “falling away” in verse 3 is apostasia, from which we get the English word apostasy. It refers to a general defection from the true God, the Bible, and the Christian faith. Every age has its defectors, but the falling away at the end times will be complete and worldwide. The whole planet will be in rebellion against God and His Christ. Every coup requires a leader, and into this global apostasy will step the Antichrist. We believe this takes place after the church has been raptured from the earth.
Jesus warned the disciples concerning the final days in Matthew 24:10–12: “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” These are the characteristics of the great apostasy of the end times.
A common tactic of Satan is
to imitate or counterfeit the things of God
in order to
make himself appear to be like God.
What is commonly referred to as the “unholy trinity,” described vividly in Revelation 12 and 13, is no exception. The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Their counterparts in the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.
While the Holy Trinity is characterized by infinite truth, love, and goodness, the unholy trinity portrays the diametrically opposite traits of deception, hatred, and unadulterated evil.
Revelation 12 and 13 contain prophetic passages that describe some of the main events and the figures involved during the second half of the seven-year Tribulation period. Although many Bible passages allude to Satan in various forms, such as a serpent or an angel of light, he is described in Revelation 12:3
as a “great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.”
The seven heads symbolize seven evil kingdoms that Satan has empowered and used throughout history to attempt to prevent God’s ultimate plan from coming to fruition.
Five of the kingdoms have already come and gone—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.
All these kingdoms
severely oppressed and persecuted
the Hebrews,
killing many of them.
Satan’s intent was to prevent
the
Birth of Christ
(Revelation 12:4).
The sixth kingdom,
Rome, was still in existence during the writing of this prophecy.
Under Roman rule,
King Herod murdered Hebrew babies around the time of
Christ’s birth
and Pontius Pilate ultimately authorized the
crucifixion of Jesus.
The seventh kingdom,
which is more fierce and cruel than the others,
will be the final world kingdom that the
Antichrist forms during the end times.
These kingdoms were also prophesied in Daniel, chapters 2 and 7.
The seven crowns represent universal rule,
and ten horns represent complete world power or authority.
Revelation 12
indicates many important facts about Satan.
Satan and one-third
of the angels were cast out of heaven
during a rebellion before the world began
(Revelation 12:4).
The Archangel Michael and the other angels will make war
with Satan and his demons,
and Satan will be excluded from heaven forever
(Revelation 12:7-9).
In his attempt to prevent God’s fulfillment
of His earthly kingdom,
Satan will attempt to annihilate the Jews, but God will supernaturally protect
a remnant of the Jews in a location
outside of Israel for the last 42 months of the Tribulation
(Revelation 12:6, 13–17; Matthew 24:15–21).
The second member of the
unholy trinity
is the Beast or Antichrist described in Revelation 13 and Daniel 7.
The beast comes out of the sea,
which typically in the Bible
refers to the Gentile nations.
He also has seven heads and ten horns,
indicating his connection to and indwelling by Satan.
The ten horns indicate
ten seats of world government
that will provide power to the Antichrist,
three of which will be
totally yielded to or taken over by the
Antichrist
(Daniel 7:8).
The number ten also indicates
completion or totality, in other words, a one-world government.
The one-world government will be
blasphemous, denying the
true God.
The final kingdom will possess traits in common with the former
“beast kingdoms” of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and particularly Rome
(Revelation 13:2; Daniel 7:7, 23).
Revelation 13:3 seems to indicate that the Antichrist will be mortally wounded
about halfway through the Tribulation, but Satan will miraculously heal his wound
(Revelation 13:3; 17:8–14)
After this wondrous event, the world will be totally enthralled by the Antichrist.
They will worship Satan and the Antichrist himself
(Revelation 13:4–5).
The Antichrist becomes emboldened, and, dispensing
with all pretenses of being a peaceful ruler,
he openly blasphemes God,
breaks his peace treaty with
the Jews,
attacks believers and the Jews,
and desecrates the rebuilt Jewish temple,
setting himself up
as the one to be worshiped
(Revelation 13:4–7; Matthew 24:15.)
This particular event has been called the Abomination of Desolation.
The final personage
of the unholy trinity is the
False Prophet,
described in Revelation 13:11–18.
This second beast comes out of the earth,
not the sea, possibly indicating that he will be an
apostate Jew coming from Israel.
Although he presents himself as a meek, mild, and benevolent person,
the horns indicate that he will have power.
Jesus expressly warned believers to watch out for false prophets
that may look innocent but actually can be very destructive
(Matthew 7:15)
The False Prophet
will also compel each person to
receive a
permanent mark of some kind,
just as slaves did in John’s day, to show
total devotion to the Antichrist and renunciation of God.
Only those who receive the mark will be permitted to engage in commerce.
Acceptance of the mark means eternal death (Revelation 14:10).
The Bible makes clear that humans will fully understand that, by accepting the mark, they are not only accepting an economic system but also a worship system that rejects Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:18 reveals the number of the Beast—666.
No one knows precisely what this means. Some believe that the Antichrist’s first, middle, and last names will have six letters each. Some believe that the designation refers to a computer chip, since some computer programs start with 666.
Satan is the anti-God, the Beast is the anti-Christ, and the False Prophet is the anti-Spirit.
This unholy trinity will persecute believers and deceive many others, resulting in their eternal death. But God’s kingdom will prevail. Daniel 7:21–22 states, “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”
The main passage in the Bible that mentions the “mark of the beast” is Revelation 13:15-18.
Other references can be found in Revelation 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, and 20:4.
This mark acts as a seal for the followers of Antichrist and the false prophet
(the spokesperson for the Antichrist).
The false prophet (the second beast)
is the one who causes people to take this mark.
The mark is literally placed in the
hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries.
The recent breakthroughs in medical implant chip and RFID technologies have increased interest in the mark of the beast spoken of in Revelation chapter 13. It is possible that the technology we are seeing today represents the beginning stages of what may eventually be used as the mark of the beast. It is important to realize that a medical implant chip is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be something given only to those who worship the Antichrist. Having a medical or financial microchip inserted into your right hand or forehead is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be an end-times identification required by the Antichrist in order to buy or sell, and it will be given only to those who worship the Antichrist.
Many good expositors of
Revelation differ widely as to the exact nature of the
mark of the beast.
Besides the implanted chip view, other speculations include an
ID card, a microchip, a barcode
that is tattooed into the skin,
or simply a mark that
identifies someone as being faithful to the Antichrist’s kingdom.
This last view requires the least speculation, since it does not add any more information to what the Bible gives us. In other words, any of these things are possible, but at the same time they are all speculations.
We should not spend a lot of time speculating on the precise details.
The meaning of 666 is a mystery as well.
the number 666 identifies a person, not a date. Revelation 13:18tells us,
“This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the
number of the beast,
for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
” Somehow, the number 666 will identify the Antichrist.
For centuries Bible interpreters have been trying to identify certain individuals
with 666.
Nothing is conclusive.
That is why Revelation 13:18 says the number requires wisdom.
When the Antichrist is revealed
(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4),
it will be clear
who he is
and how the number 666 identifies him
Usually, when people speak of the “great deception,” they refer to 2 Thessalonians 2:11, which predicts that God will, in an end-times judgment, send “a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” This great deception is associated with the satanic work of the Antichrist and his “displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie” (verse 9).
The same passage in 2 Thessalonians also speaks of a great apostasy that will
take place before the man of lawlessness is revealed.
Similar apostasies are predicted elsewhere:
“The Spirit clearly says that
in
later times some will abandon the faith
and follow
deceiving spirits and things taught by demons”
(1 Timothy 4:1).
Of course, people are complicit in the deception, for they reject the truth and prefer lies: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away
from the
truth and turn aside to myths”
(2 Timothy 4:3–4)
Jesus spoke about a time to come when the deception
will be especially
great when false messiahs and false prophets will appear.
Even the people of God could be deceived
if it were not for God’s providential protection:
“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform
great signs and wonders to deceive,
if possible, even the elect”
(Matthew 24:24, see also Mark 13:5–6, Luke 21:8)
All of these deceptions
are instigated by the devil
However, 2 Thessalonians 2:11
also speaks
of the deception as God’s punishment
on people
who refuse to believe the truth
The context seems to be similar to that of the gospel passages above and
speaks of one to come who will be especially
deceptive:
“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan
with all power and false signs and wonders,
and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing,
because they
refused to love the truth and so be saved
Therefore God
sends them a strong delusion,
so that they may
believe what is false,
in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth
but had pleasure in unrighteousness”
(2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, ESV)
In this passage,
after people have
refused the truth for so long,
God causes them to
believe what is false--
a “strong delusion.”
This is not an instance where God actively deceives people; rather,
God is simply giving those who reject the truth what they really want.
We see a similar pattern in
Romans 1:18–25
where people reject God’s truth for so long
that He simply
abandons them to their own sinfulness.
They have, as it were, crossed the point of no return:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven
against all the
godlessness and wickedness of people,
who suppress the truth by their
wickedness,
since what may be known about God is
plain to them,
because God has made it plain to them.
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
“For although they knew God,
they 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 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for images made to look like
a mortal human being
and birds and animals and reptiles.
“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of
their hearts to sexual impurity
for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
They exchanged the truth about God
for a lie,
and worshiped and served
created things rather than the Creator--
who is forever praised.
Amen.”
Much the same thing happened to Pharaoh after he refused
to let the Israelites leave Egypt, and
God hardened his heart
It was not as though Pharaoh would have been an
obedient follower of the
Lord if God had not hardened his heart.
Pharaoh
set his heart against the Lord,
and God simply
confirmed for all time Pharaoh’s decision
(see Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34; 10:1).
The deception spoken of in
the Gospels
has to do with
false prophets and/or messiahs
who appear and seem to be authenticated by miracles
associated with the coming of the Antichrist after the rapture of the church.
“Those who are perishing”
will willingly embrace
the imitation and follow the beast of the end times;
they will perish
“because they
refused to love the truth and so be saved”
(verse 10).
We don’t know exactly what the
great deception will be,
only that it will be a strong delusion
capable of swaying the
world’s allegiance toward
the Antichrist
The Bible says that, in the time of the Antichrist and false prophet, there
will be many signs to bolster their lies.
The false prophet “performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the
earth in full view of the people.
Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast,
it deceived the inhabitants of the earth”
(Revelation 13:13–14).
It is hard to imagine,
but the deception during the tribulation will be worse than all of
Satan’s other deceptions.
The Antichrist will have a deadly wound healed,
his “image”
will breathe and speak and give orders, etc.
(Revelation 13:12, 15)
In the broader sense,
anyone who
rejects the truth of God is being deceived,
and at some point,
God may simply abandon him to the
deception
that he has willingly embraced
There are plenty of
false teachers today who
claim to teach
God’s Word
Some claim to be Christians,
and some claim
to bring a word from God from
outside of the Bible
It is vitally important that
every Christian
compare every teaching with what the Bible says
I
and spend the time necessary to
evaluate
what is being
taught
In keeping with that mission,
we would
encourage every reader to
compare
what we say
with
Scripture as well
Only what God has chosen to reveal of Himself can be known.
One of God’s attributes or qualities is “light,” meaning that He is self-revealing in information of Himself
(Isaiah 60:19; James 1:17).
The fact that God has revealed knowledge of Himself should not be neglected (Hebrews 4:1).
Creation, the Bible, and the Word made flesh (Jesus Christ) will help us to
know what God is like.
Let’s start by understanding that God is our Creator and that we are a part of
His creation
(Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1) and are created in His image.
Man is above the rest of creation and was given dominion over it
(Genesis 1:26-28).
Creation is marred by the fall but still offers a glimpse of God’s works
(Genesis 3:17-18; Romans 1:19-20).
By considering creation’s
vastness, complexity, beauty, and order,
we can have a sense of the
awesomeness of God.
Reading through some of the
Names of God
can be helpful in our search of what God is like.
They are as follows:
Elohim - strong One, divine (Genesis 1:1)
Adonai -
Lord, indicating a Master-to-servant relationship (Exodus 4:10, 13)
El Elyon - Most High, the strongest One (Genesis 14:20)
El Roi - the strong One who sees (Genesis 16:13)
El Shaddai - Almighty God (Genesis 17:1)
El Olam - Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28)
Yahweh - LORD “I AM,”
meaning the eternal, self-existent God (Exodus 3:13, 14)
God is eternal, meaning He had no beginning and His existence will never end. He is immortal and infinite (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). God is immutable, meaning He is unchanging; this in turn means that God is absolutely reliable and trustworthy (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 102:26, 27).
God is incomparable; there is no one like Him in works or being.
He is unequaled and perfect
(2 Samuel 7:22; Psalm 86:8; Isaiah 40:25; Matthew 5:48).
God is inscrutable, unfathomable, unsearchable,
and past finding out as far as understanding Him completely (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 145:3; Romans 11:33, 34).
God is just;
He is no respecter
of persons in the sense of showing favoritism
(Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 18:30)
God is omnipotent; He is all-powerful and can do
anything that pleases Him,
but His actions will always be in accord
with the rest of His character
(Revelation 19:6; Jeremiah 32:17, 27).
God is omnipresent, meaning He is present everywhere, but this does not mean that God is everything
(Psalm 139:7-13; Jeremiah 23:23).
God is omniscient,
meaning He knows the past, present, and future, including
what we are thinking at any given moment.
Since He knows everything,
His justice will always be administered fairly
(Psalm 139:1-5; Proverbs 5:21)
God is one; not only is there no other, but
He is alone in being able to meet the deepest needs and longings of our hearts.
God alone is worthy
of our worship and devotion
(Deuteronomy 6:4).
God is righteous, meaning that God cannot and will not pass over wrongdoing.
It is because of
God’s righteousness and justice that,
in order for our sins to be forgiven,
Jesus had to experience God’s wrath when our
sins were placed upon Him
(Exodus 9:27; Matthew 27:45-46; Romans 3:21-26
God is sovereign, meaning He is supreme.
All of His creation put together cannot thwart His purposes
(Psalm 93:1; 95:3; Jeremiah 23:20).
God is spirit, meaning He is invisible (John 1:18; 4:24).
God is a Trinity.
He is three in one, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
God is truth, He will remain incorruptible and cannot lie (Psalm 117:2; 1 Samuel 15:29).
God is holy,
separated from all moral defilement and
hostile toward it.
God sees all evil and it angers Him
God is referred to as a consuming fire
Isaiah 6:3; Habakkuk 1:13; Exodus 3:2, 4-5; Hebrews 12:29
God is gracious, and His grace includes His goodness, kindness, mercy, and love.
If it were not for God’s grace,
His holiness would exclude us from
His presence
Thankfully, this is not the case,
for He desires to know each of us personally
(Exodus 34:6; Psalm 31:19; 1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16, 17:3).
Since God is an infinite Being, no human can fully answer this God-sized question,
but through God’s Word, we can understand much about who God is and what He is like. May
we all wholeheartedly continue to seek after Him
(Jeremiah 29:13).
Corruption is a state of decay, pollution, or incorrectness.
In the Bible, corruption is one of the effects of sin that resulted from the fall of man. In the beginning, God created a perfect paradise, free of sickness, pain, and death. But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, sin entered the world, spoiling its perfection. That sin also brought contamination and decay to Adam and Eve and to the human nature of every person born after that (Romans 5:12). Thus, corruption in the Bible is the state of moral contamination and spiritual decay expressed through disobedience toward God.
Corruption is closely related to spiritual death. God told Adam that, if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would “surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Adam didn’t die a physical death that day but a spiritual one that involved separation from God (Ephesians 2:1–3).
By the time of Noah, the corruption of mankind had been amplified: “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways” (Genesis 6:11–12).
The Bible describes sinful humanity as corrupt: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:1–3; see also Psalm 53:1–3; Isaiah 1:4).
In the Old Testament, corruption can refer to literal, physical decay (Job 17:14; Psalm 16:10), but, most often, corruption is used figuratively for moral corruption and depravity (Exodus 32:7; Hosea 9:9). The prophets boldly took a stand against moral decay among God’s people: “The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of murder, and the city is full of corruption” (Ezekiel 9:9, NET).
The Bible teaches that the consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Living in a state of moral corruption brings about eternal separation from God: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36).
This wrath will eventually result in God’s judgment of
sinners and their final, irreversible separation from Him
(Matthew 25:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9; Revelation 20:11–15).
The power of corruption is
broken
by the divine power
of the
gospel of Jesus Christ:
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:2–4).
When we come to know Jesus Christ, we embark on a personal relationship with Him.
The more that relationship grows, the better we understand who Jesus is and what He’s done for us. We start to grasp what His divine power accomplished for us. One of Jesus’ promises to us is the empowering and purifying ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer (John 14:15–17; 16:7; Acts 1:4–5, 8). The Holy Spirit empowers us to obey God, reversing the curse of corruption and making us partakers of God’s divine nature.
The book of Galatians likens the
process of spiritual development
in the
child of God to sowing and reaping:
“For the one who sows to his own flesh
will from the flesh reap corruption,
but the one who sows to the Spirit
will from the Spirit reap eternal life”
(Galatians 6:8, ESV).
As the Holy Spirit undoes
the
effects of corruption and decay,
we reap
The rewards of eternal life
One glorious future day,
the curse of corruption and decay will be lifted for all eternity:
“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day
when God will reveal who his children really are.
Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.
But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day
when it will join God’s children
in glorious freedom from death and decay”
(Romans 8:19–21, NLT; see also Revelation 22:3).
The opening verses of John’s gospel
are perhaps the most theologically packed writings in all the Bible:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
The
Word was God
He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1–2).
These words and the concepts they express form the
foundation for John’s entire gospel,
which was written to prove that
Jesus Christ is
God’s incarnate Son
The term translated “Word” is Logos in the Greek language.
John uses it here as an
unmistakable reference to Jesus Christ
The Hebrews often referred
to God in terms of His powerful word
(Psalm 33:6; 107:20)
With a few simple statements, John declares that Jesus,
like His heavenly Father,
has always existed since the beginning of time.
Jesus was with God
in the
beginning because He is God,
and
He always has been
Right out of the gate,
John presents the doctrine of the deity of Christ and affirms
His co-eternal nature with God as Creator of the universe (John 1:3).
To his first-century, Greek-speaking audience, John communicates straightforward truths that don’t require explanation. But for current-day Bible readers, the expression the Word was with God hides a vital truth about the relationship between God and Jesus. No single English equivalent exists to better express the full meaning of the word with in the phrase.
In English, we typically understand the preposition with to mean “near” or “beside.” But the original Greek term expresses a living, active union in the closest, most intimate sense. When John said, “The Word was with God,” he meant that the divine Word—Jesus Christ—was not only present alongside God from all eternity but was in a living, dynamic, co-equal relationship of close communion with Him. The Holman New Testament Commentaryexplains, “The Greek word is pros which literally means ‘toward,’ implying a face-to-face relationship” (Gangel, K., Broadman & Holman, 2000, Vol. 4, p. 9).
The relationship between God and Jesus is eternal and intimately personal.
The works of Christ are the works of God. The words of Jesus are the words of His heavenly Father. Because they are one, Jesus reveals the heart and mind of God to us (John 14:9–10). The author of Hebrews explains: “In these last days he [God the Father] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:2–3, ESV).
Jesus, who is the Word, was with God in every sense of the word. Not only is Christ the image of the invisible God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15), but He and the Father are one nature and essence (John 10:30). Jesus prayed for His followers to share in this same inseparable, face-to-face union: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one” (John 17:21–22, NLT).
When Jesus said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58), He was claiming to be God. There was no doubt among the Jewish people that these words were a declaration of deity, for they reacted by picking up rocks to stone Jesus for blasphemy according to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 24:16).
English readers may have to dig under the surface to understand the apostle’s statement that “the Word was with God” expresses the deity of Jesus Christ and His inseparable oneness with God the Father. But in John’s first epistle, his meaning couldn’t be more evident: “And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.
And now we live in fellowship
with the true God because
we live in
fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ.
He is the only
true
God, and he is eternal life”
1 John 5:20, NLT
Several places in the Bible speak of being crucified with Christ or having died with Christ: for example, Colossians 2:20; 3:3; and 2 Timothy 2:11. An extended discussion on the subject is found in Romans 6:3–14. Since no believer was literally crucified with Christ, the phrase crucified with Christ is symbolic for a spiritual truth.
Galatians 2:20 is a key passage: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The context of Galatians 2 is how the believer is made right with God. False teachers were telling the Galatian churches that faith in Christ was not enough. To be saved, they said, believers must also be circumcised and become “Jewish.” Only then would they be wholly right with God. In Galatians 2:15–16 Paul counters that idea: “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
Paul says, “Through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God” (Galatians 2:19). While Paul was trying to please God by keeping the Law, he was not really living for God. The more he tried to keep the Law, the more he saw how much he failed. It was only when he gave up trying to achieve righteousness on his own and accepted the righteousness of God by faith in Christ that he truly began living for God. Justification by faithactually makes it possible to live for God.
Being crucified with Christ means that we are no longer under the penalty of the Law. That penalty was paid by Christ on our behalf. When Christ was crucified, it was as if we were crucified with Him. The penalty was fully paid—just as surely as if we had been crucified for our own sins. When Christ rose from the dead, we rose, too. Now the risen Christ empowers us to live for Him in a way that pleases God. We used to seek life through our own works, but now we “live by faith in the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20).
Being crucified with Christ means that we are new creations.
“If anyone is in Christ,
the new creation
has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!”
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
The old life is dead and gone.
We walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
Being crucified with Christ
means that
we have anew love
Being crucified with Christ means that we have a new way of life.
At one time we
“followed the ways of this world and of
the ruler of the kingdom of the air,
the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient”
(Ephesians 2:2).
But that way of life was nailed to the cross.
Now we follow Jesus,
the
author and finisher of our faith,
and we seek
to please Him in every way
(Hebrews 12:2)
The idea of being crucified with Christ emphasizes our union with Him and His death on our behalf. We trust in Christ’s crucifixion as payment for our sin penalty, and we rely on His power to live in a way that pleases God. The emphasis is on what He has done for us, not what we have to do for God. Too often, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is Christ who lives in me” becomes “I need to crucify my sinful desires and try harder to live for God.”
When this becomes our perspective, we have slipped out of grace-living and
back into law-living,
and we minimize the power of Christ’s death for us.
We are relying less upon the power of Christ
and more upon our own power--
and that will never work out well!
The apostle Paul exhorts
Christians to
walk by faith and not by
sight
(2 Corinthians 5:7).
What we see here is a contrast between truth and perception—what we know and believe to be true and what we perceive to be true. This is where the Christian struggle with a lack of faith finds its basis. The main reason why so many Christians struggle with a lack of faith is that we follow our perceptions of what is true rather than what we know to be true by faith.
Perhaps before going any further it may be helpful to come up with a working definition of faith. Faith, contrary to popular opinion, is not “belief without proof.” This is the definition that many skeptics give for faith. This definition reduces faith to mere fideism—i.e., “I believe despite what the evidence tells me.” Skeptics are right to reject this concept of faith, and Christians should reject it, too. Faith is not belief without proof or belief despite the evidence; rather, faith is a complete trust or confidence in someone or something. That trust or confidence we have in someone is built up over time as he proves himself faithful time and time again.
Christianity is a faith-based religion. It is based on faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. God has provided us with His Word, the Holy Bible, as a testimony of His faithfulness to His people all throughout history. In its bare essentials, Christianity is faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ claimed to be the promised Messiah and the Son of God. His life was one of perfect righteousness according to the revealed Law of God, His death was an atoning sacrifice for the sins of His people, and He was raised to life three days after His death. When we place our faith and trust in Christ alone for our salvation, God takes our sin and places it on the cross of Christ and awards us, by grace, with the perfect righteousness of Christ. That, in a nutshell, is the Christian message. As Christians, we are called to believe this message and live in light of it.
Despite this, Christians still struggle with believing the biblical account because it doesn’t match up with our perception of reality. We may believe that Jesus was a real person, we may believe that He died by crucifixion at the hand of the Romans, we may even believe that He led a perfect life according to God’s Law, but we don’t “see” how faith in Christ makes us righteous before God. We can’t “see” Jesus atoning for our sins. We can’t “see” or “perceive” any of the great truths of Christianity, and, therefore, we struggle with lack of faith. As a result of this lack of perception, our lives often do not reflect the fact that we really believe what we claim to believe.
There are many reasons for this phenomenon among Christians. The main reason we struggle with faith is that we don’t truly know the God in whom we profess to have faith. In our daily lives, we don’t trust complete strangers. The more intimately we know someone and the more time we have had to see him “in action,” the more likely we are to believe what he says. But, if God is essentially a stranger to us, we are less likely to believe what He has said in His Word. The only cure for this is to spend more time in God’s Word getting to know Him.
The world, the flesh, and the devil often distract us. By “the world” is meant the accepted “wisdom” of the unbelieving world and the culture in which we find ourselves. For those of us living in Europe and North America, that dominant worldview is naturalism, materialism, skepticism, and atheism. “The flesh,” refers to our sinful nature that still clings to Christians and with which we struggle on a daily basis. “The devil” refers to Satan and his horde of evil spirits who excite and entice us through the world and our senses. These things all afflict us and cause us to struggle with faith.
That is why Christians need to be constantly reminded of what Christ has done for us and what our response should be. The apostle Paul says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Our faith is built up as we have the gospel continually preached to us. Our churches need to be built on the solid preaching of the Word and the regular observance of the ordinances. Instead, too many churches spend their time, energy, and resources on the creation of “programs” that neither feed the sheep nor draw a clear distinction between godliness and ungodliness.
Consider the example of the Israelites in the Old Testament. God had performed great miracles in rescuing His chosen people from slavery in Egypt—the Ten Plagues, the pillar of smoke and fire, and the crossing of the Red Sea. God brings His people to the foot of Mount Sinai, gives them the Law and makes a covenant with them. No sooner does He do this than the people begin to grumble and lose faith. With Moses gone up on the mountain, the people convince Aaron, Moses’ brother, to construct an idol (against God’s clear prohibition) for them to worship (Exodus 32:1–6). They were no longer walking by faith, but by sight. Despite all the clear miracles God did in their redemption, they lost faith and began to go on their perception.
That is why God instructed
the
new generation of Israelites
before going into the Promised Land
to continually remind
themselves of what God had done for them:
And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you rise”
(Deuteronomy 6:6–7)
so He commands His people to be in constant remembrance of these things.
In conclusion, we need to heed the example of the disciple Thomas. When Thomas heard the stories of the resurrection, he wouldn’t believe them until he saw Jesus with his own two eyes. Jesus accommodated Thomas’ lack of faith by making an appearance to him and allowing him to see and touch Him. Thomas responds in worship, and Jesus says to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Many skeptics today echo Thomas’ sentiment: “
Unless I see Jesus face to face, I will not believe!”
We must not behave as the unbelievers do. We need to continually
keep in mind Paul’s exhortation to
walk by faith rather than sight.
We learn in the book of Hebrews that without faith it is impossible to please God
(Hebrews 11:6)
because faith is believing the Word of God
and acting upon it, not responding to our perceptions.
Godly sorrow results from a heart-felt conviction
that we have
offended God by our sin
Such a burning conviction
produces
in our hearts a godly sorrow
As we look upon Him who was
pierced for our sins,
we are deeply grieved in spirit.
And we resolve within our hearts that we will,
with the help of God,
“cease to do evil, and learn to do good”
(Isaiah 1:16).
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!
Honesty is truthfulness
An honest person has the habit of
making accurate,
trustworthy statements
about life,
self, others and God
An honest person represents himself
just as he is and tells others the truth about themselves.
Honesty is not
“expressing everything that goes through your mind.”
That’s transparency, and a person can be
honest without being transparent.
However, no one can be consistently honest without a commitment to the truth.
Honesty will, at times, hurt someone’s feelings,
but that does not
mean that dishonesty is preferable.
Dishonesty is reproved in Scripture.
God does not accept a person
who
“practices deceit”
(Psalm 101:7),
and Jeremiah 9:5 says of a wicked society,
“Everyone deceives his neighbor,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
they weary
themselves committing iniquity.”
Speaking the truth, or honesty,
is a mark of
healthy human interaction.
A person who knows the
truth
but (for whatever reason)
says differently is a liar
The Bible emphasizes
the importance of making true statements about God.
To purposely misrepresent God is a serious offense.
A liar is defined,
first and foremost,
as someone who denies that
Jesus is the Christ
(1 John 2:22).
“Trusting in lies” is consistent with forgetting God
(Jeremiah 13:25).
And those who claim to know God but contradict Him, add to His words, or
refuse to follow or accept His commands are also called liars
(1 John 2:4; 5:10; Proverbs 30:
Honesty
as a character quality
is a
sign of the Spirit’s work
in a person’s soul
God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18); therefore,
His presence in a person gives
rise to
truthfulness
God’s people are honest
Humankind is not naturally honest (Psalm 116:11). Dishonesty has worldly rewards–lying can often bring financial gain, power, or temporary satisfaction. But the rewards come at a price. Dishonesty leads to more and more wickedness (Proverbs 17:4). Lying to fulfill worldly desires ultimately results in the loss of everything a person has, including his life. Hell’s inhabitants will include “all liars” (Revelation 21:8). “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
While it is sometimes tempting to lie, misrepresent ourselves, or downplay uncomfortable truths in an effort to avoid conflict, dishonesty is never good for relationships. Speaking dishonest words in order to avoid conflict is flattery (Psalm 12:2). Again, at times honesty will hurt the feelings of others. It’s inevitable.
Remember the words of the wise:
“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses”
(Proverbs 27:6).
A friend is willing to wound with the truth; sweet words, if lies, are the enemies of our soul.
Above all, the
honest person is concerned with telling the truth about God and
fostering the spiritual growth of other people (Ephesians 4:29).
Those who follow Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6),
will speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
To trespass
is to go beyond one’s right
by
violating a boundary or a law
When we trespass on someone’s property, we
violate the physical boundaries they have in place.
In a similar way,
we trespass
when we
violate God’s moral law
or the
rights of other people
Ephesians 2:1 shows how serious it is to trespass against God’s commands:
“You were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
The words trespass and sin can be used interchangeably, and it is possible that Paul uses both terms here for emphasis’ sake or to refer to all sorts of sins. It could also be that the thought in Ephesians 2:1 is that,
while all are guilty of inherited sin through Adam (Romans 5:12), we are
also guilty
of individual
trespasses against God’s law
However we interpret it, Scripture says we are all trespassers.
The Greek word most often translated
“trespass” in the New Testament literally
means
“a false step”
It implies a falling away after being close beside.
It is a tripping up, a deviation of course, a stumble away
from the truth, or a falling over of some kind.
Trespasses can be intentional or non-intentional.
The trespass offering
(or guilt offering) in the Old Testament was
offered by those who
realized
they had inadvertently committed a
sin against the sanctified items of the tabernacle
(Leviticus 5).
“We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). We all trespass. A husband can trespass against his wife by dealing harshly with her, causing her to pull away (Colossians 3:19).
A friend can trespass against another friend by
breaking a trust or betraying a confidence
(Proverbs 18:19).
Trespasses
have a way of
catching us as if in a trap
(Galatians 6:1).
Jesus taught us how to deal with trespasses and offenses in Matthew 18:15–17.
He also taught that we are to forgive those who trespass against us so that our Father will forgive us
Matthew 6:12; 18:23–35
We all trespass against God because we are all sinful (Romans 3:23). God posted His “No Trespassing” signs, and we violated His boundaries. But God is willing to forgive our trespasses when we confess them to Him and place our faith in Christ (1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19). Jesus took our trespasses upon Himself on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). His death and resurrection removed the barrier that our trespasses and sins created between us and God (Colossians 2:14). When we repent of our sin and receive Christ by faith, His blood cancels our trespasses, and God pronounces us righteous.
In his second letter,
Peter explains that Christians do not just believe
cunningly devised fables:
“We did not
follow cunningly devised fables
when we made known to you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but
were eyewitnesses of His majesty”
(2 Peter 1:16, NKJV).
Peter and the other
disciples didn’t concoct fables or myths; rather,
they recorded what they saw and heard.
Peter points out that they were actually there on the mountain
when
Christ was transfigured (or glorified),
and they heard the Father affirm Christ, saying,
“This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”
(2 Peter 1:17–18, ESV)
Peter could lean on his own personal experience, as could the other disciples,
to confidently say that
Christians are not simply believing cunningly devised fables.
However, Peter appeals to something even more reliable than their experience.
Peter adds that the prophetic message is even more certain
(2 Peter 1:19)
God’s revelation in Scripture
is an even more reliable and trustworthy
way to know the truth about God.
As reliable as Peter’s experience was, the
written Word of God is even more trustworthy.
As Peter points out the certainty of prophecy in Scripture,
he reminds his readers that the
prophets themselves relied on God,
not their own understanding
(2 Peter 1:20).
Peter explains that the prophecies were
made not by human will,
but by the
Holy Spirit moving the writers.
The prophets accurately recorded the
Word of God
(2 Peter 1:21).
Christians believe in actual historical events involving
actual historical persons.
They do not just believe cunningly
devised fables
Peter helps us understand an important principle about interpreting the Bible.
Readers don’t determine the meaning of the Bible;
the Author does. Often people ask, “What does the text mean to me?”
but Peter gives us a better question to ask:
“What did God say?”
The meaning of a passage
isn’t different for one reader than for another,
because it is from the Holy Spirit and recorded by the men
He chose to speak through. Certainly,
there are different applications based on a reader’s situation,
but the meaning doesn’t change.
It means what it says.
Because of the certainty and reliability of the Bible,
Christians can have confidence that the
Scriptures will accurately guide them (see Psalm 119:105).
What they read in those pages is
not a collection of cunningly devised
fables
Jesus really did heal the sick, teach the multitudes, die, and rise again.
These are facts of history.
Peter also reminds us that,
even when we may be unsure of or doubt our experience,
we can be sure of what
God has said.
We ought to shape our beliefs and understanding
by what the Scriptures say.
Without the certainty the Bible provides, we would not have a
standard for discerning the truth
from
cunningly devised fables.
As it is, we have
“something completely reliable, and [we] will do well to pay attention to it,
as to a light shining in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning star rises in [our] hearts”
(2 Peter 1:19)
That message, Peter says, is even more reliable than our own experience.
An unrepentant person
knows
that he or she has sinned and
refuses to ask God
for forgiveness
or turn away from the sin.
The unrepentant show
no remorse for their wrongdoing and
don’t feel the need to change.
Unrepentance is the sin
of willfully remaining sinful.
Repentance is a change of mind
that results
in a change of action.
Repentance leads to life (Acts 11:18),
and it is a
necessary part of salvation
God commands everyone to repent and have
faith in Christ
(Acts 2:38; 17:30; 20:21).
Unrepentance is therefore a serious sin with
dire consequences
The unrepentant live in a state of
disobedience to God,
unheeding of His gracious call.
The unrepentant remain unsaved
until they turn from their sin
and embrace Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote,
“Whoever remains stiff-necked
after many rebukes will
suddenly
be destroyed—without remedy”
(Proverbs 29:1)
To be
stiff-necked is to have a stubborn,
obstinate spirit
that makes one unresponsive to
God’s guidance or correction.
The stiff-necked are, by definition,
unrepentant
The apostle Paul warned of the
consequences of unrepentance:
“Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart,
you are
storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath,
when his
righteous judgment will be revealed.
God
‘will repay each person according to
what they have done.’
To those who by persistence in
doing good seek glory,
honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,
there will be wrath and anger.
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil”
(Romans 2:5–9; cf. Psalm 62:12).
There is a judgment coming.
The results of righteousness will be beautiful, but the
consequences of unrepentance will be harsh.
In essence, “hypocrisy”
refers to the
act of claiming to believe
something but
acting
in a different manner
The word is derived from the Greek term for “actor”--
literally, “one who wears a mask”—in other words,
someone who pretends to be what he is not.
The Bible calls hypocrisy a sin. There are two forms hypocrisy can take: that of professing belief in something and then acting in a manner contrary to that belief, and that of looking down on others when we ourselves are flawed.
The prophet Isaiah condemned the hypocrisy of his day: “The Lord says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men’” (Isaiah 29:13). Centuries later, Jesus quoted this verse, aiming the same condemnation at the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 15:8-9). John the Baptist refused to give hypocrites a pass, telling them to produce “fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). Jesus took an equally staunch stand against sanctimony—He called hypocrites “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15), “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27), “snakes,” and “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33).
We cannot say we love God if we do not love our brothers (1 John 2:9). Love must be “without hypocrisy” (Romans 12:9, NKJV). A hypocrite may look righteous on the outside, but it is a façade. True righteousness comes from the inner transformation of the Holy Spirit not an external conformity to a set of rules (Matthew 23:5; 2 Corinthians 3:8).
Jesus addressed the other form of hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust
in your brother’s eye
and PAY
no attention to the plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Jesus is not teaching against discernment or helping others overcome sin; instead, He is telling us not be so prideful and convinced of our own goodness that we criticize others from a position of self-righteousness. We should do some introspection first and correct our own shortcomings before we go after the “specks” in others (cf. Romans 2:1).
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He had many run-ins with the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees. These men were well versed in the Scriptures and zealous about following every letter of the Law (Acts 26:5). However, in adhering to the letter of the Law, they actively sought loopholes that allowed them to violate the spirit of the Law. Also, they displayed a lack of compassion toward their fellow man and were often overly demonstrative of their so-called spirituality in order to garner praise (Matthew 23:5–7; Luke 18:11). Jesus denounced their behavior in no uncertain terms, pointing out that “justice, mercy, and faithfulness” are more important than pursuing a perfection based on faulty standards (Matthew 23:23). Jesus made it clear that the problem was not with the Law but the way in which the Pharisees implemented it (Matthew 23:2-3). Today, the word pharisee has become synonymous with hypocrite.
It must be noted that hypocrisy is not the same as taking a stand against sin. For example, it is not hypocrisy to teach that drunkenness is a sin, unless the one teaching against drunkenness gets drunk every weekend--thatwould be hypocrisy.
As children of God, we are called to strive for holiness (1 Peter 1:16). We are to “hate what is evil” and “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). We should never imply an acceptance of sin, especially in our own lives. All we do should be consistent with what we believe and who we are in Christ.
Play-acting
is
meant for the stage,
not for real life
The book of Revelation shows how inured to sin the sinner can be. During the tribulation, after three different judgments of God, the wicked will remain unrepentant, despite their great suffering (Revelation 9:20–21; 16:8–11). The tragedy is that, even as some people are experiencing the horrendous consequences of their sin, they will continue in their state of unrepentance.
Is there such a thing as an unrepentant Christian? Biblically, to become a Christian, one must repent and believe; a believer in Christ is one who has repented of sin. What, then, of professed believers who live in unrepentant sin? Most likely, they are not saved; they are mere professors, with no work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. The apostle John states it bluntly: “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth” (1 John 1:6). The other possibility is that people claiming to be saved yet living in unrepentant sin are saved but acting in disobedience—in which case their unrepentance is a temporary hardness of heart, and God will discipline them (Hebrews 12:4–13). There is a sin unto death for the believer (1 John 5:16; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:29–31), but, barring that extreme circumstance, God will eventually restore His disobedient child to fellowship (see 1 Corinthians 5:1–5).
The unrepentant sinner needs to hear the good news of
God’s salvation.
God’s goodness leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4),
and He is a God of forbearance and longsuffering. Christians should confess their own sins, pray for the unrepentant, and evangelize the unsaved: “Opponents [of the truth] must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25–26).
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. Correspondingly, the term unstable is analogous to a drunken man unable to walk a straight line, swaying one way, then another. 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).
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).
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).
n John 13 Jesus begins teaching His faithful disciples in what has come to be known as His “Upper Room Discourse.” In that great discourse, Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all the truth (John 16:13). Many wonder whether this is something that applies to us as well or simply to the disciples. In the context, Jesus helps us understand the specificity of His promise that the Holy Spirit will “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13, NKJV).
First, it is worth noting that some English translations say
“all truth,”
while the Greek New Testament actually includes the definite article, so a more precise way to translate what Jesus said is that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all the truth. There is a specific truth to which He is referring, and the Holy Spirit would guide them into that.
Specifically, the
Spirit would reveal what the Son and the Father would have Him disclose
(John 16:13–15)—things about Jesus (John 16:14).
Jesus had already told the disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit—the Helper—who would teach them and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had said to them (John 14:26). Jesus’ later reference (in John 16:13) to the coming of the Holy Spirit and His work of guiding them into all the truth was fulfilled literally. Peter later said that God moved the writers of Scripture, and they spoke from God (2 Peter 1:21). When Matthew wrote his gospel, for example, Matthew didn’t need to borrow from anyone; he was in the room when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. It seems that Mark, who served alongside Peter for some time, wrote down Peter’s account (as church historian Eusebius suggests in his History, 24:5–8). Luke researched reliable sources (presumably including the disciples) as he wrote his account of Jesus’ ministry (Luke 1:1–4). John, another eyewitness, wrote his own gospel, stating that what he had written provided sufficient information for people to believe in Jesus and have life in His name (John 20:30–31).
Before the disciples would begin their ministry, they were to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). After the Holy Spirit came, the disciples were equipped for their work, and we see them proclaiming powerfully the gospel of Jesus Christ (e.g., Peter in Acts 2—4). The Holy Spirit had indeed guided them into the truth (John 16:13) and brought to their remembrance what Jesus had said to them (John 14:26).
While we certainly benefit from that work of the Holy Spirit—as we have the writings of these men whom the Holy Spirit guided into the truth—it is clear from other contexts that this is not how the Holy Spirit works with all believers. Guiding into the truth was simply a purpose for which He was sent to empower and equip the disciples. Paul tells Timothy, for example, that Timothy should be diligent as a workman, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Timothy would have to work to understand what had been written, and he would have to be diligent to hold true and pass along the things he had heard from Paul (2 Timothy 2:2). Similarly,
we are told that all Scripture is from
God’s mouth
and is profitable for believers’ growth and equipping
(2 Timothy 3:16–17).
We are thankful for and benefit greatly from the
Holy Spirit guiding the apostles into all the truth,
and we recognize that, because of the
Spirit’s work through the disciples, we have His record: the Bible.
We should be diligent
in studying the Bible
to
know the Lord better
The city of Corinth was prominent in the first century. It is located in Greece on an isthmus between the Aegean and Ionian Seas, which guaranteed its importance both militarily and commercially. Corinth was the capital of the Roman province Achaia. It was a prosperous city but also known for its immorality. Because of Corinth’s sordid reputation, a new Greek word was coined, korinthiazomai, which meant “to live immorally like a Corinthian.”
Acts 18 tells of Paul’s ministry in Corinth during his second missionary journey. Paul came to Corinth from Athens, which was about 45 miles away. In Corinth he met Aquila and Priscilla and worked with them in the tentmaking trade. Paul used the income he earned to preach the gospel without relying upon support from others. Paul preached in the synagogue every Sabbath. When the Jews en masse would not respond, Paul decided to take the message to the Gentiles. His ministry resulted in the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles, so the church in Corinth was made up of both. Paul ministered in Corinth for about a year and a half.
During Paul’s time in Corinth, opposition against him began to grow. The unbelieving Jews in the city brought charges against Paul before the Roman proconsul, but he refused to get involved in a Jewish religious dispute. Paul stayed a bit longer but eventually moved on to Ephesus. Paul remained in contact with the Corinthian church through letters and personal emissaries, sending them warnings and instruction. The books of 1 and 2 Corinthians are just two of the letters that he sent to them to address issues and concerns.
Paul’s letters to the Corinthians make up his largest body of work directed to an individual congregation. These two letters address problem areas that are still often problems in churches today.
The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders.
Paul rejects this disunity,
telling the church members to
focus on Christ.
The individual leaders should
only
point them to Christ.
In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Paul’s character and authority
(1 Corinthians 1—4).
There was gross immorality in the Corinthian church, and it was being tolerated. Paul tells the church they must exercise church discipline (1 Corinthians 5—6). Also, believers were taking each other to court, and Paul says they should handle disagreements among themselves (1 Corinthians 6).
There was some confusion about whether or not it was better to be married or single, and how married people should relate to each other. Paul clarifies those issues for them and for the church today (1 Corinthians 7).
Because of the mixed background of the church in Corinth, food was an area of conflict and concern. Jews had strict dietary laws while Gentiles did not. How could they maintain table fellowship? Also, meat sold in the marketplace may have been sacrificed to an idol before being sold. Could a Christian eat that meat? And how should a Christian respond to a fellow believer who holds a different opinion? Paul says that the Christian is free to eat anything as long as he is not actively participating in idol worship. However, if one Christian’s freedom causes spiritual harm to another believer by enticing him to do something against his conscience, Paul says the Christian should voluntarily curtail his freedom for the sake of his fellow Christian (1 Corinthians 8—10).
Paul also addresses the extent of women’s involvement in worship services and deals with problems the Corinthians were having in their gatherings, including abuses of the Lord’s Supper and their misuse of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 11—14). In the midst of all the confusion, love should be the guiding principle (1 Corinthians 13).
The Corinthians were also confused about the future resurrection. It seems that some of them were questioning whether or not those who had died in Christ would be raised bodily. Paul affirms that, just as Jesus rose bodily, so also will all believers (1 Corinthians 15).
Paul also gives the Corinthian church instructions on giving money to support ministry, and he enjoins the principle of “grace giving” vs. an obligation based on a set percentage (1 Corinthians 16).
In 2 Corinthians, Paul has to cover much of the same territory again. False teachers had followed Paul and tried to convince the Corinthians that he was not a legitimate apostle or that they, the false teachers, were much better than Paul. In his second epistle, Paul has to defend his calling and reiterate and expand upon his previous instructions, as well as correct the church’s misapplication of his previous letter.
The New Testament does not give us any further information about the church at Corinth; however, Clement of Rome wrote a letter to them, probably near the end of the first century (almost 50 years after Paul’s time ministering there), and he had to deal with some of the same issues again.
Over the years, the city of Corinth began to decline in size and influence. There is evidence of a continuing Christian presence in Corinth for centuries, but how biblical it was at any point in time is difficult to ascertain. In 1858, the ancient city of Corinth was completely destroyed by an earthquake. A new city was rebuilt. Today, the city of Corinth is officially under the Church of Greece (part of the Greek Orthodox Church) under the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. There is a small evangelical presence in Greece today, but it is often oppressed if not persecuted outright by the Greek Orthodox authorities.
In spite of all the problems the church at Corinth had, Paul refers to them as “those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people” (1 Corinthians 1:2). It would be easy to read 1 and 2 Corinthians smugly, given the multitude of their problems, yet the same problems present in Corinth are found in the church today. The church in the 21st century still needs 1 and 2 Corinthians to know how to deal with today’s issues.
Timothy had incredible advantages. He was taught the Word of God by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5), and he was discipled by Paul and served with Paul in ministry for years. Timothy knew the Word of God and was well-equipped. Even still, Paul tells Timothy that he needed to be diligent in the study of the Word and in rightly dividing the Word of truth. Without that continuing diligence in the Word, Timothy would not be able to stand firm, and he would not be able to maintain sound teaching. Paul warned Timothy to pay attention to himself and to his teaching (1 Timothy 4:16). Because all Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, it is exactly what we need in order to be equipped for every good work God intends for us (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Paul encourages Timothy to be diligent to present himself as a workman approved by God who would not need to be ashamed because he was rightly dividing or accurately handling the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). First, Paul’s instruction makes it clear that the study of the Bible is work. It takes effort. It takes diligence. We need to be committed to doing that work if we desire to be equipped for what God intends us to do in life. Second, Paul helps us to focus on the idea that this work in the Word is not about the approval of other people. Rather, it is God who is assessing how we handle His Word, and so we are studying His Word for Him. Also, we understand that, if we are diligent, we will not need to be ashamed because we will have been faithful with the remarkable stewardship of His Word. Sometimes we may take for granted that we have His completed Word—the Bible. We may be unaware of how many people suffered and died to provide us the freedom and opportunity to own our own Bibles and read them in our own language. How sad would it be if we took this—one of the very greatest of freedoms—and were not diligent to make the most of it?
Paul’s final comment in 2 Timothy 2:15 is helpful because it tells us what success looks like in the study of the Word: to be “rightly dividing” the Word of truth (NKJV). The Greek word translated as “rightly dividing” is orthotomounta--ortho means “right or proper,” and tomounta means “to cut.” Literally, success in handling the Word is to cut it properly or correctly. This is farming imagery, as a farmer who is plowing a field would seek to cut straight furrows in order to plant rows of seed. When plowing, a farmer would look at a point on the other side of the field and focus on that point to ensure the line cut in the dirt was straight. This is what the good student of the Word is doing, as well: remaining focused on the goal or outcome and being diligent to handle the Word of God properly. To rightly divide the Word of truth is to “cut it straight.”
Ultimately, in studying the Word, we are trying to understand what the Author has said and not allow our own opinions or views to cloud the meaning of what He has written. When we are diligent to “cut straight”—to rightly divide the Word of truth—we can understand what He has communicated in His Word and be well-equipped for what He would have us to do and how He would have us to think.
In Matthew 21:44, Jesus says, "He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." The key to understanding this statement lies in the context of the verse and the larger conversation Jesus was having.
Jesus was teaching in the temple courts when the chief priests and elders approached Him and demanded to know the source of His authority. In response, Jesus asked them about John the Baptist—was he a prophet of God or not? The religious leaders, fearing the people’s response, refused to reveal their true opinion on the matter. In turn, Jesus refused to reveal the source of His authority (Matthew 21:23-27). In doing so, Jesus made it clear that the Jewish leaders themselves had no authority to judge Him.
Jesus then related two parables concerning vineyards. In the first, Jesus told of two sons who were told by their father to go work in the vineyard. The first son initially refused but later changed his mind and went to work. The second son promised to work, but he never went to the vineyard. Jesus applied this to the religious leaders of Israel, who were like the second son—they expressed agreement with the Father but, in the final analysis, were disobedient. The sinners who responded to John the Baptist’s message were like the first son—they seemed unlikely candidates for heaven, but they repented and thus will enter the kingdom (verses 28-32).
In the second parable, Jesus tells of a landowner who, at harvest time, sent some servants to his vineyard to collect the fruit. However, the farmers who were tending the vineyard were a wicked lot, and when the servants arrived, the farmers beat some of them and killed others. Finally, the landowner sent his own son to collect the fruit, expecting that the farmers would show him respect. But the farmers treated the son worst of all, throwing him out of the vineyard and killing him (Matthew 21:33-39).
Jesus then asks a question: "When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" (Matthew 21:40). The chief priests and elders respond, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end" (Matthew 21:41). Jesus then presses His point home with a quotation from Psalm 118: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes" (Matthew 21:42). After a warning that the religious leaders will not inherit the kingdom (Matthew 21:43), we come to the statement in question, which is the culmination of a series of dire pronouncements aimed at the chief priests and elders.
Jesus begins with a question about John the Baptist in Matthew 21:25, but by the end of the conversation, Jesus is plainly speaking of Himself, referring to a "father" sending his "son" who was killed (Matthew 21:37). He then immediately quotes a Messianic prophecy (Matthew 21:42), in effect claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah. The progression is logical: a rejection of John leads one naturally to a rejection of Christ, to whom John pointed (John 1:29, 3:30).
The stone which "the builders rejected" in verse 42 is Jesus. Although rejected, He nevertheless becomes the "chief cornerstone" (NKJV). See also Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; and 1 Peter 2:6-8. The builders’ rejection of the stone is a reference to Christ’s crucifixion. The Lord’s choice of the stone to be the cornerstone is a reference to Christ’s resurrection. God chose His Son, despised and rejected by the world, to be the foundation of His church (1 Corinthians 3:11). "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation" (Isaiah 28:16).
Now, there are consequences for coming into contact with a stone. If you trip over the edge of a rock and fall on it, you may break some bones. If a large enough rock falls on top of you, you may be killed. Jesus uses these truths to deliver a warning to the Jewish leaders.
The stone in verse 44 is also Jesus. In saying that those who fall on this stone "will be broken to pieces," Jesus is warning against opposing Him. Defying Jesus is like beating one’s head against a solid rock—a foolish action. In saying that those upon whom the stone falls "will be crushed," Jesus is warning against ignoring Him or trivializing Him. Apathy towards Jesus is like standing in the way of a falling rock—another foolish action. "I am here to do God’s work," Jesus essentially says. "The foundation for the church will be laid. It is unwise to oppose Me because God’s work is not inconsequential."
Rejection of the Savior is fatal. Unfortunately, many do reject Him. "He will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall" (Isaiah 8:14). To persistently reject the Savior is to court judgment so severe that the only thing left will be dust. The prophet Daniel gives a similar picture of the Messiah, likening Him to a rock "cut out, but not by human hands," which smashes into the nations of the world and completely obliterates them (Daniel 2:31-45).
Matthew 21:44 is a call to faith, an appeal to open one’s eyes and see that Jesus is indeed the Son of God sent into the world. The verse is also a strict warning against rejecting Jesus Christ. He is the sure Rock of salvation for those who believe, but an immovable stumbling stone for those who do not.
In Matthew 5—7 Matthew records Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In that historic message, Jesus challenges His listeners to change their minds about how they can be part of His kingdom, saying at one point that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will be saved (Matthew 7:21). To that point many believed that just by being related to Abraham and Moses and by obeying the Law of Moses they were assured of their place in God’s kingdom. Jesus counters that notion directly.
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Leading up to this statement, He had explained that His hearers’ righteousness must exceed even the righteousness of those who were most faithfully obeying the outward expressions of the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:20). He added that righteousness does not come from external obedience to laws and that, by their internal thought violations of those laws, they all were guilty (Matthew 5:21–47). In short, Jesus presented them with a standard they hadn’t considered before: they must be perfect like their heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Of course, living up to that standard is impossible. That is why Jesus proclaimed that people need to repent—to change their minds—about how they could be part of God’s kingdom. They thought they simply needed to be of a certain bloodline and obey a set of laws. Jesus smashed those ideas, pointing them to the actual standard: perfection.
Jesus further explains that the only way to achieve this perfection (since no one can do it on his own) is to have it provided. Ultimately, Jesus would go to the cross to pay for the imperfection of all of us (1 Corinthians 15:1–3) so that by believing in Him we can have life in His name (John 20:31). Jesus was clear—and the apostles after Him—that to be declared righteous by God is to receive grace through faith; righteousness does not come by works or human effort (John 3:16; 6:47; Ephesians 2:8–9).
The recipe is so simple, but we still want to do things our own way. People still want to justify themselves by their own efforts. If we could do that, we would have reason to boast, and we all, it seems, want to have reason to boast in ourselves. In Matthew 7:15–20 Jesus warns His audience about false prophets who will teach deceitfully about righteousness and bear the fruits of that falsehood. Jesus explains that these false prophets can be recognized by their fruits, even if their words are deceptive. Their words may come across as words of righteousness, but they aren’t faithful to the recipe that God provided. In fact, Jesus says, many of them will even call Him “Lord,” but their teachings and their deeds do not align with the will of God. Not everyone who says to Him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter His kingdom (Matthew 7:21). That honor is reserved for those who actually do His will. What is the will of God? That people change their minds (i.e., repent) about how they become righteous before God and come to Him with faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
Simply saying the right things doesn’t grant us God’s righteousness. Not everyone who says to Him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter His kingdom (Matthew 7:21). In Genesis 15:6 we discover that belief in the Lord is credited as righteousness. This is a magnificent and liberating truth. We can’t be perfect on our own, but He is perfect and has sacrificed and paid the penalty so that we can have forgiveness of sin and His righteousness. When we receive these by faith in Him, we are at that moment transferred to His kingdom (Colossians 1:13), and we look forward to the arrival of that kingdom on earth (Colossians 3:1–4).
Matthew 10:34–36 describes Jesus telling the disciples that He came not to bring peace to the world, but a sword. Jesus’ sword was never a literal one. In fact, when Peter took up a sword to defend Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus rebuked him and told him to put away his sword, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Why then, did Jesus say, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” What kind of sword did Jesus come to bring?
Among the names of Jesus Christ is that of Prince of Peace. Such verses as Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:14, and John 14:27 make it clear that Jesus came to bring peace, but that peace is between the man and God. Those who reject God and the only way of salvation through Jesus (John 14:6) will find themselves perpetually at war with God. But those who come to Him in repentance will find themselves at peace with God. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are restored to a relationship of peace with God (Romans 5:1).
Still, it is inevitable that there will be conflict between good and evil, the Christ and the antichrist, the light and the darkness, the children of God (believers) and the children of the devil (those who refuse Christ). Conflict must arise between the two groups, and this can and does happen within a family in which some are believers and others are not. We should seek to be at peace with all men but should never forget that Jesus warned we will be hated for His sake. Because those who reject Him hate Him, they will hate His followers as well (John 15:18).
In Matthew 10:34–36, Jesus said He had come at this time not to bring peace to the earth, but a sword, a weapon which divides and severs. As a result of His visit to the earth, some children would be set against parents and a man’s enemies might be those within his own household. This is because many who choose to follow Christ are hated by their family members. This may be part of the cost of discipleship, for love of family should not be greater than love for the Lord. A true disciple must take up his cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24). He must be willing to face not only family hatred, but also death, like a criminal carrying his cross to his own execution. True followers of Christ must be willing to give up, even to the point of “hating” all that is in our lives, even our own families, if we are to be worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37–39). In so doing, we find our lives in return for having given them up to Jesus Christ.
Romans 1 paints a disturbing picture about people who have rebelled against God. Part of the indictment against them is that “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Romans 1:25). In exchanging the truth for a lie, these people have “worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”
In the first few chapters of Romans, Paul explains how all humanity is guilty before God and how God intervened with a means for the forgiveness of that guilt. Paul calls this the gospel, or the good news. He says that this good news is God’s ability to save all who believe in Jesus (Romans 1:16–17). Before establishing how God resolved the problem, Paul explains the depth of the problem.
God’s wrath is revealed against
all ungodliness
and unrighteousness.
The ungodly suppress God’s truth in their unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). It is unrighteous of them to suppress His truth because He made His truth so evident to them (Romans 1:19). Truth is part of His revelation to them and an expression of His love. His invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen through what He has made (Romans 1:20). Consequently, all of humanity are without excuse—which makes it all the more heinous that humanity has exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
Even though fallen (or unrighteous) humanity knew God, they did not honor Him or thank Him for all He had done for humanity (Romans 1:21). Instead, humanity became foolish in their speculations, and their hearts were darkened further (Romans 1:21b). While humanity professed to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:22). They could have had a relationship with their Creator; instead, they exchanged “the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:23). Consequently, God gave them over to impurity to fulfill the lusts of their hearts, to the dishonor even of their own bodies (Romans 1:24).
God gave them over because they had exchanged the truth for a lie (Romans 1:25). They had chosen to worship that which was created instead of the One who created everything. God gave them over further to degrading passions (Romans 1:26–27) and to depraved minds (Romans 1:28–29) because they did not see fit to acknowledge Him. Rather than acknowledge and thank their Creator, they exchanged the truth for a lie and chose to worship anything and everything else.
Paul explains that the consequences of exchanging the truth for a lie were fitting. God allowed humanity to pursue their passions, and it led to further depravity and evil (Romans 1:28–31). Paul’s indictment is chilling. He says that all who do these things are worthy of death (Romans 1:32; cf. Romans 6:23).
When we examine the list of sinful expressions that are worthy of death (Romans 1:29–31), we realize that it is not just they who have exchanged the truth for a lie, but it is also we. We are guilty. We have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). None of us are good or righteous in His sight (Romans 3:12). Paul wants everyone to understand that we are all guilty—we have all earned the wages of sin: death.
Paul did not write his letter to the Romans simply to show that all are condemned. He wrote to proclaim the gospel of God. While the wages of sin is indeed death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23b). Paul champions this wonderful news that God loved us so much that, while we were dead in our sin, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). All who believe in Him are reconciled to God and are saved (Romans 5:9–10). We are given new life and can embrace the truth rather than exchanging the truth for a lie.
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).
The concept of “binding and loosing” is taught in the Bible in Matthew 16:19: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In this verse, Jesus is speaking directly to the apostle Peter and indirectly to the other apostles. Jesus’ words meant that Peter would have the right to enter the kingdom himself, that he would have general authority symbolized by the possession of the keys, and that preaching the gospel would be the means of opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers and shutting it against unbelievers. The book of Acts shows us this process at work. By his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-40), Peter opened the door of the kingdom for the first time. The expressions “bind” and “loose” were common to Jewish legal phraseology meaning to declare something forbidden or to declare it allowed.
Peter and the other disciples were to continue Christ’s work on earth in preaching the gospel and declaring God’s will to men and they were armed with the same authority as He possessed. In Matthew 18:18, there is also a reference to the binding and loosing in the context of church discipline. The apostles do not usurp Christ’s lordship and authority over individual believers and their eternal destiny, but they do exercise the authority to discipline and, if necessary, excommunicate disobedient church members.
It’s not that the apostles were given the privilege of changing God’s mind, as if whatever they decided on earth would be duplicated in heaven; rather, they were encouraged that, as they moved forward in their apostolic duties, they would be fulfilling God’s plan in heaven. When the apostles “bound” something, or forbade it on earth, they were carrying out the will of God in the matter. When they “loosed” something, or allowed it on earth, they were likewise fulfilling God’s eternal plan. In both Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, the syntax of the Greek text makes the meaning clear: “Whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens” (Matthew 16:19, Young’s Literal Translation). Or, as the Amplified Bible puts it, “Whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”
Jesus taught that the apostles had a special task on earth. Their words of authority, as recorded in the New Testament epistles, reflect God’s will for the church. When Paul declared an anathema on those who pervert the gospel, then we know that anathema was already declared in heaven (see Galatians 1:8–9).
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). This statement of Jesus has become somewhat of an idiom in Western culture and is found, paraphrased, in Uncle Ben’s words of wisdom to Peter Parker in Spider-man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
The idea of “to whom much is given, much will be required” is that we are held responsible for what we have.
If we are blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is
expected that we use these well to glorify God and benefit others.
In context, Jesus had just told a parable about being ready for His return.
His disciple Peter asked if the parable was for just them or for everyone. Jesus replied with another parable in which He defines the “faithful and wise manager” as one who gives out food and other allowances “at the proper time.” When the master returns and finds the faithful servant managing his resources well, he “put him in charge of all his possessions”
(Luke 12:42–44).
We have been entrusted with certain things, and faithfulness requires that we
manage those things wisely and
unselfishly
Jesus continued the parable with a contrast: “Suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows” (Luke 12:44–47). The unfaithful servant mismanages the master’s resources to satiate his own greed, and Jesus warns that judgment is certain for that servant. The Lord then summarizes the point of the parable with these words: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (verse 48, ESV). A related parable that also deals with stewardship is the Parable of the Talents (or the Parable of the Bags of Gold) in Matthew 25:14–30.
It is easy to assume that only wealthy people have been “given much,” but, in truth, we have all been given much (1 Corinthians 4:7). We have been granted the abundant grace of God (Ephesians 1:3–10; 3:16–21; Romans 5:8–11; 8:14–17), the Word of God, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–21; 16:13; Romans 12:6). “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).
We should also not assume that the less we know about God and His gifts, the less we’ll have to do. As evident in Jesus’ parable, we are held responsible to know our master’s will. God has plainly shown us what He requires (Micah 6:8).
God gives us resources such as finances and time, talents such as culinary skills or musical ability, and spiritual gifts such as encouragement or teaching. We should ask God for wisdom on how to use those resources and commit ourselves to expending them according to His will so that He may be glorified. In regards to spiritual gifts, Paul said, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:6–8). This is simply responsible stewardship.
We have been given much, and God desires us to use what He has given to further His Kingdom and proclaim His glory. It’s what we were created to do. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. . . . For the Son of Man . . . will reward each person according to what they have done’” (Matthew 16:24–25, 27). We are living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), giving the things God has given us in service to others, and in that we actually find life. God, the giver of all good things (James 1:17), gives us everything we need to fulfill His will. “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
The dictionary definition of self-righteousness is “confidence in one’s own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.” Biblically speaking, self-righteousness, which is related to legalism, is the idea that we can somehow generate within ourselves a righteousness that will be acceptable to God (Romans 3:10).
Although any serious Christian would recognize the error of this thought,
because of our sin nature,
it is a constant temptation to all of us to believe we are, or can be,
righteous in and of ourselves. In the
New Testament,
Jesus and the apostle Paul came down
particularly hard
on those who attempted to live in
self-righteousness
Jesus’ condemnation of self-righteousness was especially harsh in His treatment of the Jewish leadership of the time. Six times in Matthew 23, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for rigidly adhering to their legalistic traditions in order to make themselves look better to others. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collectorwas specifically told by Jesus to “some who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9–14). The Pharisee assumed his acceptance with God based on his own actions, whereas the tax collector recognized that there was nothing in himself that would cause God to approve of him. Over and over again in the Gospels, Jesus clashes with the Pharisees and scribes about true righteousness. At the same time, He spends a great deal of time and energy warning His disciples about the dangers of self-righteousness, making it clear that, without Him, they could do nothing (John 15:5).
Paul’s treatment of self-righteousness is no less scathing than Jesus’ was. He began his great argument in Romans for the grace of God by condemning the Jews’ self-righteous trust in circumcision (Romans 2:17–24). He follows that up in chapter 10, saying that the Jews tried to gain acceptance with God based on their own righteousness, demonstrating ignorance of the true righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). His conclusion is that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, not man (verse 4).
Paul’s letter to the Galatian church also addressed this issue. These believers were being told that they had to do certain things to be acceptable to God, specifically, to be circumcised. Paul goes so far as to say that this is another gospel and calls those who advocate it “accursed” (Galatians 1:8–9). More tellingly, he tells his readers that, if righteousness could come from their own actions, then Jesus died “for no purpose” (Galatians 2:21), and that righteousness could come “by the law” (Galatians 3:21). Paul’s conclusion about the Galatian believers was that they had been foolish in their attempt to be perfected by the flesh (Galatians 3:1–3).
It would be an understatement to say that every believer is plagued by this attitude. It is in our sin nature to try to do something to merit our salvation. The costly freedom of grace, bought for us by the blood of Jesus with no contribution from us, is difficult for our prideful hearts to understand or appreciate. It is far easier to compare ourselves with one another than it is to recognize that we cannot measure up to the standards of a holy God. However, in Christ we can know true righteousness. In Christ, we can know the forgiveness of sin that comes to us through grace. Because He stood in our place, we benefit from both His sinless life and His sin-bearing death (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of His sacrifice, we can face our sin and bring it to the cross, rather than try somehow to be good enough for God. Only in the cross can we see the grace that covers all our sin and defeat the constant tendency toward self-righteousness in our hearts.
The narrow gate, also called the narrow door, is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. Jesus compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What exactly is meant by this? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”?
First, we need to understand that Jesus is the Door through which all must enter eternal life. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).
While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd. The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10).
Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort. But we must be clear here. No amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it. But entering the narrow gate is still difficult because of the opposition of human pride, our natural love of sin, and the opposition of Satan and the world in his control, all of which battle against us in the pursuit of eternity.
The exhortation to strive to enter is a command to repent and enter the gate and not to just stand and look at it, think about it, complain that it’s too small or too difficult or unjustly narrow. We are not to ask why others are not entering; we are not to make excuses or delay. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. We are to strive forward and enter! Then we are to exhort others to strive to enter before it’s too late.
What makes compromise so dangerous is the subtle way it approaches us. Compromise, by definition, doesn’t involve a wholesale capitulation to worldly ways or ideals; rather, it accommodates them. Most of us would recoil at the thought of tossing Jesus aside and embracing an idol, but compromise never asks us to do that. Compromise says that we can have the idol and keep Jesus, too. There’s room on the shelf for one more object of worship, right? And what’s the harm, since we still have Jesus?
It is vital to know when compromise is appropriate and when it is not. In general, we could say that we can compromise on preferences but not on principles. Based on that rule of thumb, here are some matters in which compromise might be helpful:
• the color of the church carpet
• the type of vehicle your family should drive
• where to host the corporate luncheon
• when to schedule a trip to the library
But there should be no compromise over values and the standards that stem from those values. Here are some examples of things about which we should not compromise:
• the essentials of the Christian faith, including the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3–6)
and the faithful preaching of the Word (2 Timothy 4:2)
• the lordship and authority of Christ (Luke 16:13)
• your personal convictions (Romans 14:5)
• moral issues, as defined in Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:18)
We must be careful to live out our biblical beliefs. It is pointless to know and speak up for truth if we do not also act on that truth in the way we live our lives (John 15:1–11; James 2:14–17, 26). Not compromising includes not being hypocritical. When our intention is to actively pursue a deeper relationship with God and obey Him in all things, we are less likely to compromise. We will more readily recognize the things that seek to draw us away from God. We will more readily recognize His voice and trust Him (see John 10:4).
Resisting compromise is not up to our own strength or efforts. Rather, God has equipped us (2 Peter 1:3), and He is with us. Philippians 2:12–13 encourages, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” God’s Word and His presence nourish our souls (Psalm 1:1–3; 119:9–16; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). Other believers encourage us and walk alongside us, and we do the same for them (Hebrews 10:24–25; Galatians 6:1–5). When we are focused on God and living in active relationship with Him and His people, we come to understand the magnitude of His holiness, the crushing nature of our sin, and the depth of His grace. We see His goodness and that true life is in Him (Psalm 34:8; John 10:10). We long to follow Him in all our ways and to share the good news of salvation with others. The better we know God, the better we can resist the temptation to compromise what’s important.
During Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor asked the Lord, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33). Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36, ESV).
As Roman governor in Judea, Pilate’s primary responsibility was to maintain peace and order. The Jewish high council wanted to put Jesus to death, so they sent Him to Pilate because he alone held the power to pronounce a death sentence (John 19:10). The high priest Caiaphas had to convince Pilate that Jesus was a troublemaker and a threat to Roman stability. He accused Christ of claiming to be a king—a charge that would insinuate Jesus in the crime of recruiting rebel forces to launch a revolution against Roman authority (Luke 23:2–5). Caiaphas hoped that, to avoid a rebellion, Pilate would determine to put Jesus to death.
When Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world,” He was, in essence, telling Pilate that He needed no earthly defense because His kingdom wasn’t from the world. Christ admitted He was head of an empire, but not one that Rome needed to fear as a political rival. If His kingdom were of this world, His servants would have been fighting to defend Him. But Jesus had restrained His disciples from preventing His arrest (John 18:10–11).
Pilate realized that Jesus had no interest in stirring up a rebellion. He posed no threat to Rome. Directly following this conversation, Pilate told the Jewish leaders, “I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 18:38).
“My kingdom” refers to a spiritual kingdom of truth where Jesus reigns as Lord over the lives of His people. Jesus told Pilate, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true” (John 18:37). Jesus did not come to earth to rule over a mortal empire. He came to bear witness to the truth of who He is—the Messiah, Savior of the world. Everyone who loves and recognizes this truth is a citizen of Christ’s kingdom.
The Jewish high council wanted Pilate to condemn Jesus under the pretense that He was raising a rebellion against Rome and proclaiming Himself “king of the Jews.” But that scenario was inaccurate, and Jesus cleared up the distortion, saying, “My kingdom is not of this world.” The Lord hit on the word truth as if to say, “The real truth is this, Pilate: they want me dead because they are horrified by the truth of my claim—that I am ‘I Am,’ the promised Jewish Messiah.”
Jesus offers the truth of intimate fellowship with the only true God. He was born into this world for this purpose: “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (John 17:3, NLT). His kingdom presents the opportunity to know the truth that sets us free from sin and death (Romans 8:2; John 8:32). Only those who are born again can see Christ’s kingdom (John 3:3). And only those who are born of water and spirit can enter His kingdom (John 3:5).
Once, Jesus told the Pharisees, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). To His disciples, the Lord explained that the world and the “prince of this world” held no power over Him (John 14:22–30). The world hates Christ and His followers, “for they are not of the world” (John 17:14, 16).
The statement, “My kingdom is not of this world,” relates to the origin and nature of Christ’s kingdom, not the location. The authority and power of Christ’s kingdom are drawn from a source outside of this world—from God, our heavenly Father. Christ’s headship is not of human origin but divine.
Christ’s kingdom is unlike any on this earth: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Other kingdoms are rooted in the realm of this world, but Christ’s is unique. His kingship is spiritual. It comes down to us from heaven and gives life to the world (John 6:33).
While not of this world, the Lord’s kingdom is most certainly in this world, exercising authority over this world and impacting this world. Jesus Christ and all of His disciples take orders from above, not from below. We are to set our minds “on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). When it comes to obeying the law, the apostle Peter said, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29, NLT).
As believers in Jesus, we are subjects of Christ’s kingdom. This world is not our home (Hebrews 13:14; Philippians 3:20; 1 John 2:15–17). We are citizens of heaven, and we owe our highest allegiance to our ultimate authority—King Jesus. Just as He declared, we, too, can say, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
From the beginning, God’s covenant with Israel was based on exclusive worship of Him alone (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). The Israelites were not even to mention the names of false gods (Exodus 23:13) because to do so would acknowledge their existence and give credence to their power and influence over the people. Israel was forbidden to intermarry with other cultures who embraced false gods, because God knew this would lead to compromise. The book of Hosea uses the imagery of adultery to describe Israel’s continual chasing after other gods, like an unfaithful wife chases after other men. The history of Israel is a sad chronicle of idol worship, punishment, restoration and forgiveness, followed by a return to idolatry. The books of 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles reveal this destructive pattern. The Old Testament prophets endlessly prophesied dire consequences for Israel if they continued in their idolatry. Mostly, they were ignored until it was too late and God’s wrath against idol-worship was poured out on the nation. But ours is a merciful God, and He never failed to forgive and restore them when they repented and sought His forgiveness.
In reality, idols are impotent blocks of stone or wood, and their power exists only in the minds of the worshipers. The idol of the god Dagon was twice knocked to the floor by God to show the Philistines just who was God and who wasn’t (1 Samuel 5:1-5). The “contest” between God and His prophet Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is a dramatic example of the power of the true God and the impotence of false gods (1 Kings 18:19-40). The testimony of Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship. Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate (Isaiah 42:8).
Even today there are religions that bow before statues and icons, a practice forbidden by God’s Word. The significance God places upon it is reflected in the fact that the first of the Ten Commandments refers to idolatry: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:3-5).
Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images and false gods.
The apostle Paul wrote a warning for the church: “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).
The Greek word translated “itching” literally means “to itch, rub, scratch, or tickle.” To want one’s ears “tickled” is to desire massages rather than messages—sermons that charm rather than challenge, entertain rather than edify, and please rather than preach. The people Paul warns about will have, as one commentator put it, “ears which have to be continually titillated with novelties.”
“Itching ears” is a figure of speech that refers to people’s desires, felt needs, or wants. It is these desires that impel a person to believe whatever he wants to believe rather than the actual truth itself. When people have “itching ears,” they decide for themselves what is right or wrong, and they seek out others to support their notions. “Itching ears” are concerned with what feels good or comfortable, not with the truth—after all, truth is often uncomfortable. Paul’s warning is that the church would one day contain those who only opened their ears to those who would scratch their “itch.”
Those with “itching ears” only want teachers who will assure them that all is well, teachers who say, “Peace, peace . . . when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). Where there is a demand for something, the suppliers are not far away. Paul says that not only will there be great demand for watered-down, personalized messages, but there will be “a great number of teachers” willing to provide such pap and steer people away from “sound doctrine.”
Evidence today of people having “itching ears” includes the popularity of messages that people are not required to change, as if repentance were outmoded; that people are basically good; that God is too loving to judge anyone; that the cross, with all its blood, is not really necessary; and that God wants His children to be healthy, wealthy, and content in this world. As people turn their backs on the truth about sin and condemnation, they disregard their need for repentance and forgiveness. And a craving for “new” and “fresher” ideas grows—even though there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9–10)—accompanied by a longing to feel good about who they are and where they’re going. Messages that tickle ears can fill a lot of churches, sell a lot of books, and buy a lot of time on cable tv.
Some of the early followers of Jesus complained about some of the Lord’s words: “Many of his disciples said, ʻThis is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:60, 66). Walking away from hard truth is easy to do.
In today’s postmodern church, we see many walking away from the hard truth. Some churches that once preached sound doctrine now teach as acceptable the very evils the Bible condemns. Some pastors are afraid to preach on certain passages of the Bible. “Christian feminists” deny God as a heavenly Father, calling Him a “she.” “Gay Christians” are not only welcomed without repentance into church fellowship but into the pulpit, as well.
The church’s remedy for those who have “itching ears” is found in the same passage of 2 Timothy: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). It is a solemn charge, made “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom” (verse 1). And it contains all the elements needed to combat the temptation to tickle ears: preach, correct, rebuke, and encourage. The content of preaching must be the written Word of God, and it must be preached when convenient and when inconvenient. This takes “great patience and careful instruction,” but sound doctrine is worth it.
The church’s quest to manage the comfort level of its audience must never take priority over preaching the Word. The fear of offending people’s sensibilities can never supersede the fear of offending God. Rather, the church should follow the example of the apostles: “We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).
The church today, more than ever, needs to re-examine the teachings it endorses. We need to ask ourselves the following questions:
• Are our teachings truly from God or simply itches we want to scratch?
• Are we standing on solid biblical grounds, or have we allowed the world to influence our thinking?
• Have we guarded ourselves from the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:11)?
• Are we keeping ourselves “blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)?
The truth is, God is not concerned with scratching our itches but in transforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24).
Justice is a major theme in Scripture, which contains many calls for justice and commands to worship God for His justice. Justice has to do with conduct in relation to others. Just behavior accords with what is morally right and fair.
Justice is the quality of doing
what is right.
The Justice of God
God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4).
The justice of God can be defined as “that essential and infinite attribute which makes his nature and his ways the perfect embodiment of equity, and constitutes him the model and the
guardian of equity throughout the universe” (ATS Bible Dictionary, 1859).
God’s rule over the universe is grounded in justice and righteousness (Psalm 89:14). There is never a time when God has been unjust; it is against His unchanging nature to be anything but perfectly just. “The King is mighty, he loves justice—you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right” (Psalm 99:4).
“The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9, NKJV). Adam and Eve saw the justice of God when they were punished for their sin in the Garden. Even in that judgment, however, they experienced mercy, as “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). God’s justice requires Him to deal with sin. Scripture records many instances of God’s justice meted out for mankind’s rebellion: the flood of Noah’s day, the plagues in Egypt, the destruction of Ahab and Jezebel’s house, and the Babylonian Captivity, just to name a few.
The justice of God is also demonstrated at the cross. As Jesus was crucified, the sins of the world were laid on Him (Isaiah 53:4–5), and Jesus’ death became the propitiation, or the satisfaction, of God’s justice: “God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness” (Romans 3:25). God could not just ignore sin; justice requires a penalty. To our eternal benefit, that penalty for sin fell on Jesus Christ: “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
Of course, it was also at the cross where God’s mercy and love were on full display. “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8, NLT). The cross is the intersection of God’s justice and mercy; God’s justice was meted out in full (upon Christ), and God’s mercy was extended in full (to all who believe). He is truly “a just God and a Savior” (Isaiah 45:21, NKJV).
The Mandate for Justice Because God is just, He demands that mankind, created in His image, also display justice (Micah 6:8). Before Israel had a king, God ensured that His people had justice, as the whole book of Judges attests. Deborah the prophetess set up court beneath a palm tree (Judges 4:5), and Samuel presided over a circuit court, traveling from place to place to hear cases and administer justice (1 Samuel 7:16). Later, the king became the nation’s chief justice.
Scripture is full of commands that humans act justly. This includes acting on behalf of those whose rights are being denied and those who are powerless to defend themselves:
• “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause” (Isaiah 1:17, ESV).
• “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:3, ESV).
• “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3–4).
God’s desire for justice extends to crime prevention and the punishment of evildoers:
• “For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong” (Isaiah 61:8, ESV).
• “When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers” (Proverbs 21:15, ESV).
• “Whoever says to the wicked, ‘You are in the right,’ will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them” (Proverbs 24:24–25, ESV).
The Mosaic Law specifically forbade unjust weights and measures (Leviticus 19:35–36) and condemned the taking of bribes (Exodus 23:8). God places a special responsibility on judges and other authorities to provide justice, warning them in Psalm 82 that they will themselves face judgment. Every human tribunal is under God’s order to do what is right:
• “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15, ESV).
• “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another” (Zechariah 7:9, ESV).
• “Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God” (Deuteronomy 1:17).
• “In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor” (Exodus 23:6, NLT).
• “Justice, and only justice, you shall follow” (Deuteronomy 16:20).
Justice is linked to a right relationship with God, and those who know God will act justly:
• “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Proverbs 29:7).
• “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely” (Proverbs 28:5, ESV).
• “The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice” (Proverbs 17:23).
• “Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:3, ESV).
Man’s Injustice
We live in a world of injustice. Because of the fall of mankind and the sinful nature we inherited from Adam, we all have a bent away from what is morally right toward what is morally wrong. The result is that we live amid partiality and unfairness, and, even as we honor the concept of justice, we see many examples of the corruption of justice.
Isaiah the prophet decried the state of Jerusalem in his day, as the city “once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her--
but now murderers!
Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
Your rulers are rebels,
partners with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them” (Isaiah 1:21–23).
And Isaiah continues, “Justice is far from us. . . . We look for justice, but find none. . . . Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance. . . . The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice” (Isaiah 59:9, 11, 14–15).
As the world drifts further from God, justice becomes a rarer commodity. When sin is redefined as a virtue, and righteousness becomes offensive, then justice is twisted, the wicked go unpunished, and innocent people are victimized.
God Will Bring Justice
Believers look forward to the day when the Lord returns and establishes true justice on the earth. Whatever the injustice in this world, God has promised, “I will repay” (Romans 12:19). A world pining for justice will finally see it administered when the King of Righteousness comes:
• “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:27; cf. Psalm 62:12).
• “With righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4).
• “Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13).
• “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war” (Revelation 19:11).
• “Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 32:19).
The Lord has promised to
return
and set things right.
Truth will win in the end
In the meantime, we wait, and we do not lose hope:
“The Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him”
(Isaiah 30:18, ESV).
And we praise Him for His justice: “I will thank the LORD because he is just;
I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High”
(Psalm 7:17, NLT).
The first incident involving Lot’s daughters appears in
Genesis 19:1–11.
Two men who were really angels appeared in Sodom where Lot lived with his family. The wicked men of the city surrounded Lot’s house seeking to have homosexual relations with the angels. Lot begged the men of the city not to do this evil thing, and he offered up his two virgin daughters to them instead.
The second incident (Genesis 19:30–38) occurs after Lot and his daughters had fled Sodom just before its destruction. Lot’s wife was destroyed for her disobedience during the journey, and Lot and his two daughters fled to live in a cave in a mountain. Afraid they would never have husbands or children in their hideout, Lot’s daughters plotted to make their father drunk so they could sleep with him and thereby assure that they would have children.
To our modern sensibilities, it’s hard to understand why God would allow these two terrible incidents to occur. We are told in 1 Corinthians 10:11 that the record of the Old Testament is meant as an “example” to us. In other words, God gives us the whole truth about biblical characters, their sin, their failures, their victories and good deeds, and we are to learn from their example, what to do and what not to do. In fact, this is one of the ways God teaches us what we need to know in order to make good choices as believers. We can learn the easy way by knowing and obeying God’s Word, we can learn the hard way by suffering the consequences of our mistakes, or we can learn by watching others and “taking heed” from their experiences.
Scripture does not reveal Lot’s reasoning for offering up his daughters. Whatever his thought process was, it was wrong and indefensible. Based on what is revealed about Lot’s life, one might wonder if he was righteous. However, there is no doubt that God had declared him to be positionally righteous, even during his time in Sodom. “And if God rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds)” (2 Peter 2:7–8). At some point Lot had believed in the coming Messiah, and that faith resulted in a righteous standing before God. It is likely that Lot’s uncle, Abraham, had passed this truth down to him.
What we have in the story of Lot is an illustration of a man who once lived close to his godly relatives and had backslidden and was living according to his sin nature. Lot had moved to Sodom, even though he knew what it was, and he “sat in the gate” (Genesis 19:1). That sounds quite simple, but, in fact, sitting in the gate meant that Lot had so entered into the society of Sodom that he was a judge there (Genesis 19:9). In spite of his position, the men of Sodom had no respect for him because they knew he was a hypocrite.
We may sit in judgment of the culture of that day, but protecting one’s guests required great sacrifice. Was Lot right to offer his own daughters in place of the men the Sodomites wanted? No. We can see in the story that the Lord’s messengers protected Lot and his daughters in spite of Lot’s lack of character and worldly viewpoint. Lot meant to appease the men of Sodom so that the hospitality of his house would not be damaged, but he makes the wrong choice in offering his own daughters, and God’s messengers overruled him.
Genesis 19:31–32 tells us that Lot’s daughters believed there would be no man for them and no children. This may be because they saw the destruction of Sodom and believed they were the only people left on earth. They were trying to preserve the family line. Why did Lot have sex with his own daughters? He got drunk. Yes, his daughters conspired to get him drunk, but Lot willingly drank and, when he was drunk, he lost what little control and common sense he had (Genesis 19:30–38), and this is the final step in Lot’s backsliding. The lesson we can learn from this is, when a person has too much to drink, he does not make good choices and loses control of his morals and operates out of the sinful, carnal nature. As a result of the incest, two children were born, and those two children are the fathers of two nations that have been at odds with and the source of much suffering to Israel down through history.
Why did God allow Lot to offer his daughters, and why did He allow them to commit incest? Sometimes God gives us His reasons for doing something but not very often. The more we get to know God, the more we understand Him and His reasons for doing things. But, again, this doesn’t always happen. We must be very careful when we ask why God does something and be sure we are not calling into question God Himself, His judgment, His character, and His very nature.
The psalmist tells us, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). If God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He does—and the reason for whatever He allows—is also perfect. This may not seem possible to us, but our minds are not God’s mind. It is true that we can’t expect to understand His mind perfectly, as He reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says 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” (Isaiah 55:8–9). Nevertheless, our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him, and to submit to His will, whether we understand it or not.
Lot did the things he did because he chose to live in his old sin nature and do what was easy, and he made choices to flirt with evil instead of living to honor God. As a result, there was suffering for Lot, his wife and daughters, and, by association, the nation of Israel for years to come. The lesson for us is that we need to make choices that do not conform to the world and to submit to the Word of God, which will guide us into living lives that are pleasing to God.
The phrase “transformed by the renewing of the mind” is found in Romans 12:2. Chapter 12 marks the transition in that epistle from the apostle Paul’s theological teaching to his practical teaching. The book of Romans is probably the closest thing in the Bible to a systematic theology. Paul did not found the church at Rome, but he had every intention of visiting that church on his way to Spain. As a result, Paul wrote this epistle as a way of introducing himself to that congregation and to give them an overview of the gospel and what it means in the lives of believers.
After teaching the great doctrine regarding the gospel of God’s righteousness that is ours through faith in Christ in Romans chapters 1—11, Paul begins to exhort us to godly living. How are we to live in light of the saving power of the gospel? That is what Romans 12—16 aims to teach. The practical section of Romans begins with a great “therefore.” Seeing all that God did on our behalf, therefore live like this. The first of Paul’s great exhortations is to be renewed in our minds:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1–2).
The phrase “the mercies of God” refers to all of what has preceded in chapters 1—11. The exhortation that Paul presents is that since we have been the gracious recipients of God’s great mercies, we are to be “living sacrifices” to God. How do we do this? We are living sacrifices to God by not conforming to this world, but by being transformed by the renewal of our minds.
This exhortation really serves as a summary statement of all that follows. A living sacrifice to God is one who does not conform, but is transformed. We are not to be conformed to this world. Paul is using the word worldhere to refer to the spirit of the age. In other words, world refers to the popular worldview that rejects God and His revelation. As unbelievers, we are naturally conformed to the world (Ephesians 2:1–3). As believers, we are no longer conformed to this world because we no longer belong to the spirit of this age. We have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Therefore, rather than continuing to conform to this world, we are to be transformed by having our minds renewed.
It is interesting to note that Paul says that we must be transformed by the renewing of our “minds.” The mind is the key to the Christian life. The reason why non-Christians do not respond to Christian truth is that they cannot discern spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). The gospel is a call for the unbeliever to repent of his sin and embrace Christ by faith. The Greek word translated “repentance” carries the notion of a change of mind. Our thinking must be changed (transformed) from old, ungodly ways of thinking into new, godly ways of thinking. What we know in our minds to be true forms a conviction in our hearts of that truth, and that conviction in our hearts translates into action. Therefore, we must first renew our minds.
The only way to replace the error of the world’s way of thinking is to replace it with God’s truth, and the only infallible source of God’s truth is His revealed Word, the Bible. Transformation through renewed minds comes as believers expose themselves to God’s Word through the faithful exposition of it each week in church, personal Bible study, and group Bible study. A solid church that believes in preaching the Word, reading the Word, and singing the Word is invaluable in helping us renew our minds.
There are no shortcuts. There is no magical formula for renewing our minds. We must fill our minds with God’s Word. As Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
This proverb is spoken by Jesus in Matthew 23:24. On His last trip to Jerusalem, Jesus spoke at length about life under the oppressive reign of the Pharisees. The religious leaders tested Him continually “and plotted how to entangle him in his words” (Matthew 22:15). In Matthew 23, Jesus pronounced seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees, accusing them of hypocrisy, laying heavy burdens on the people, exalting themselves, and preventing people from entering God’s kingdom. He was especially harsh in His assessment of their strict adherence to the laws of tithing while they “neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). He concludes by saying, “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” (verse 24).
The KJV translates the first part of the proverb as “strain at a gnat.” That wording gives the impression of choking while trying to swallow the gnat while easily gulping down the camel. But the better translation is “strain out a gnat.” The Greek word refers to straining water through a cloth or sieve to remove impurities. The GNT translates it this way: “You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!”
The Jews had a law that forbade eating any flying insects that did not have jointed legs for hopping (Leviticus 11:20–23), and in this they were strictly observant. Because water could have insects and insect larvae in it, pious Jews were careful to strain the water through a cloth before drinking it. They did not want to accidentally ingest an unclean insect and thus violate the law. Jesus mentions this practice in His proverb and then contrasts it with a hyperbolic picture of gulping down a camel. In this way, Jesus accused them of taking great pains (straining out gnats) to avoid offence in minor things of little importance, while tolerating or committing great sins (swallowing camels) such as deceit, oppression, and lust.
Christ’s fifth woe relates to the same type of hypocrisy (Matthew 23:25–26). All Jewish sects agreed on the need to wash their dishes in order to maintain their ceremonial cleanness, but Jesus pointed out that it is senseless to clean the outside of a cup and leave the inside filthy. But this is exactly what the actions of the Jewish leaders achieved. They focused on outward behavior but neglected the most important commands—loving God and one another. They strained at a gnat, mistakenly believing that external conformity to the law was enough, while not seeing that the evil in their hearts was a camel-sized problem. The Pharisees were scrupulous in counting out their mint leaves and tithing their “dill and cumin” (verse 23), but their hearts were full of envy, pride, greed, and malice. They strained at the gnat of ceremony, but they ignored the camel of sin in their hearts.
An alarming epidemic of spiritual adultery and “friendship with the world” ran rampant in the early church (James 4:4). James passionately told his readers to repent from their wicked ways and return to the Lord: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, ESV).
God desires His followers’ wholehearted loyalty and devotion (Exodus 34:14; Mark 12:29–31). Believers who stray from the Lord must submit themselves to God and draw near to Him again through repentance.
“Purify your hearts, you double-minded” was James’ clear and distinct call to inner purification—to recognize and confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. His language closely resembles that of the psalmist: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3–4).
James branded the believers “double-minded” because they continued to live with one foot in the world while claiming to love and worship God. Their vacillating was dividing their loyalties. A similar charge was issued against the people of Isaiah’s time: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Earlier, James noted that double-minded people are “unstable in all they do” (James 1:8).
The apostle John acknowledged that the true children of God who look forward to Christ’s return “purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). The Lord Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). The term pure here indicates the absence of impurity, contamination, or filth. It suggests a single-mindedness of purpose that is free of distractions.
Double-minded people lack purity of heart. The Lord desires His followers to be laser-focused in heart, mind, and purpose (Matthew 6:33). The greatest commandment, Jesus said, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
The apostle Paul explained that God looks for servants who commit their entire being to Him: “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:21–22, NLT).
Anything that distracts us or has a contaminating influence on our lives will divide our loyalties and soil our hearts, rendering us ineffective kingdom servants. A pure heart is evidenced by openness, clarity, and an uncompromising desire to please the Lord in everything we think, say, and do. Purity goes beyond just cleaning up our outward behavior (“cleanse your hands”) to the internal purification of heart, mind, and soul (“purify your hearts”).
In reality, humans are incapable of purifying their own hearts. David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). God is the only one who can make us pure in heart and single in mind. It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ His Son that “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that cleanses our lives (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 1:2). Christ provided the necessary sacrifice for sin so that we could receive God’s forgiveness (John 1:29; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12–22; 1 Peter 1:18–19).
God’s Word commands us: “Purify your hearts, you double-minded.” And God’s Word—the Logos, who is Jesus Christ—makes the command possible. Since we can enter God’s presence “by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19–22, ESV).
The Bible has a great deal to say about revenge. Both the Hebrew and Greek words translated “vengeance,” “revenge,” and “avenge” have as their root meaning the idea of punishment. This is crucial in understanding why God reserves for Himself the right to avenge.
The key verse regarding this truth is found in the Old Testament and quoted twice in the New Testament. God said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them” (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). In Deuteronomy, God is speaking of the stiff-necked, rebellious, idolatrous Israelites who rejected Him and incurred His wrath with their wickedness. He promised to avenge Himself upon them in His own timing and according to His own perfect and pure motives. The two New Testament passages concern the behavior of the Christian, who is not to usurp God’s authority. Rather, we are to allow Him to judge rightly and pour out His divine retribution against His enemies as He sees fit.
Unlike us, God never takes vengeance from impure motives. His vengeance is for the purpose of punishing those who have offended and rejected Him. We can, however, pray for God to avenge Himself in perfection and holiness against His enemies and to avenge those who are oppressed by evil. In Psalm 94:1, the psalmist prays for God to avenge the righteous, not out of a sense of uncontrolled vindictiveness, but out of just retribution from the eternal Judge whose judgments are perfect. Even when the innocent suffer and the wicked appear to prosper, it is for God alone to punish. “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies” (Nahum 1:2).
There are only two times in the Bible when God gives men permission to avenge in His name. First, after the Midianites committed hideous, violent acts against the Israelites, the cup of God’s wrath against the Midianites was full, and He commanded Moses to lead the people in a holy war against them. “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people’" (Numbers 31:1-2). Here, again, Moses did not act on his own; he was merely an instrument to carry out God’s perfect plan under His guidance and instruction. Second, Christians are to be in submission to the rulers God has set over us because they are His instruments for “vengeance on evildoers” (1 Peter 2:13-14). As in Moses’ case, these rulers are not to act on their own, but are to carry out God’s will for the punishment of the wicked.
It is tempting to try to take on the role of God and seek to punish those who we feel deserve it. But because we are sinful creatures, it is impossible for us to take revenge with pure motives. This is why the Mosaic Law contains the command “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus. 19:18). Even David, a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), refused to take revenge on Saul, even though David was the innocent party being wronged. David submitted to God’s command to forego vengeance and trust in Him: “May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you (1 Samuel 24:12).
As Christians, we are to follow the Lord Jesus’ command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), leaving the vengeance to God.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21–23).
In Jesus’ words on Judgment Day, we see several important truths: it’s not a verbal claim that one follows Jesus that saves (Matthew 7:21). Nominal Christianity cannot save. Also, it’s not a demonstration of spiritual insight or power that saves (verse 22). A person can seem like a Christian in the eyes of other people, yet still be an “evildoer” in God’s sight and sent away from His presence (verse 23). Only those who do the Father’s will and who are known of God will enter heaven.
So, what is the Father’s will? Some men came to Jesus once with a question about what God required of them: “They asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:28–29). God wants us to have faith in His Son: “This is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23). Those who are born again by faith in Christ will produce good works to the glory of God (Ephesians 2:10).
When Jesus said, “I never knew you,” to the feigned disciples, He meant that He never recognized them as His true disciples or His friends. He never had anything in common with them nor approved of them. They were no relations of His (Mark 3:34–35). Christ did not dwell in their hearts (Ephesians 3:17), nor did they have His mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). In all these ways and more, Jesus never knew them. Note that Jesus is not breaking off the relationship here—there was never a relationship to break off. Despite their high-sounding words and showy displays of religious fervor, they had no intimacy with Christ.
So it turns out that what matters isn’t so much that we know God on some level, but that God knows us. As Paul explained, “Whoever loves God is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3; also see Galatians 4:9). The Lord “tends His flock like a shepherd” (Isaiah 40:11), and He knows who are His sheep (John 10:14).
Those somber words
“I never knew you:
depart from me,
ye
that work iniquity”
in Matthew 7:23 (KJV) show that Jesus is indeed omniscient. He did not “know” them in the sense He would if they were His followers, but He knew their hearts—they were full of iniquity! Isaiah’s condemnation of hypocrisy fits this group well: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). The evildoers whom Jesus does not know are fake Christians, false teachers, and nominal adherents of religion.
Those who are bid depart from the presence of the Lord will not partake of the blessings of the kingdom: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). They will be cast “into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). Those fake Christians whom Jesus says He never knew will not produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23); rather, they will produce the opposite, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21).
Jesus warns that one day He will tell a group of religious practitioners, “I never knew you.” God takes no delight in sending people to hell (2 Peter 3:9). But those who are told to depart have rejected God’s eternal purpose and plan for their lives (Luke 7:30). They have spurned the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), choosing the darkness instead, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). At the judgment, they try to justify themselves as worthy of heaven on the basis of their works (prophecies, exorcisms, miracles, etc.), but no one will be justified by his own works (Galatians 2:16). While claiming to do all these good works in Christ’s name, they failed to do the only work of God that counts: “to have faith in the one he sent” (John 6:29, CEV). And so Jesus, the Righteous Judge, condemns them to eternal separation from Him.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “integrity” means “the condition of being without blemish, completeness, perfection, sincerity, soundness, uprightness, wholeness.” Integrity in the New Testament means “honesty and adherence to a pattern of good works.”
Jesus is the perfect example of a man of integrity. After He was baptized, He went into the wilderness to fast for forty days and nights, during which time Satan came to Him at His weakest to try to break His integrity and corrupt Him. Jesus was wholly man and wholly God at the same time, and He was tempted in every way we are, yet He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15); that is the definition of integrity. Jesus is the only one who was ever without blemish, perfect, completely truthful, and always showing a pattern of good works.
Christians are called to be like Jesus. In Christ, we are new creations and can be considered without blemish before God (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Ephesians 1:4–8).
In Christ, we also have the indwelling Holy Spirit at work in us, sanctifying us and making us more like Jesus (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). We are also to strive to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12–13).
It is by God’s power that we become increasingly people of integrity. We are called to obey God and, in so doing, to be people of uncompromised morality and integrity.
Christians should be those who adhere to the truth and who do good works.
“Integrity”
in our world today
implies
moral incorruptibility
Christians should be those who
cannot be
bribed or compromised
because we
serve God rather than men
(Colossians 3:17, 23; Acts 5:29).
We are to be people who
keep our word
(Matthew 5:37; James 5:12).
We are to love those around us in both word and deed
(1 John 3:17–18; James 2:17–18; Ephesians 4:29).
We are called upon to believe in God and therefore to follow Him in all our ways
(John 6:19; 15:1–17).
Our lives should line up
with our belief in God and evince a trust that
His ways are best
(Proverbs 3:5–6).
Living with integrity in a world where the corrupt seem favored, not to mention our battle with our own sin nature, is challenging. First Peter 3:13–18 gives this encouragement: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But 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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” To live with integrity is to follow the example of Christ.
And we can only live with true integrity by His power, which
He graciously and freely gives to all who are His
(John 16:33; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 1:13–14).
The pages of the Bible reveal a detailed portrait of
the character of God
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of God’s character is that He is a loving Father to all believers
(Ephesians 1:2; Galatians 1:1; Colossians 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:3).
God, by His nature, is wholly good (Mark 10:18; 1 Timothy 4:4). His goodness is unmatched, and because of it, we can trust in Him: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7; see also Exodus 33:19; Psalm 25:8; 34:8; Matthew 19:17; 2 Peter 1:3). In His goodness, God always has our best interests at heart: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, CSB; see also Genesis 50:20; Jeremiah 29:11; Lamentations 3:25). Everything God does is an expression of His goodness and designed to benefit His people.
God’s holiness is unequaled: “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2; see also Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; Isaiah 6:3; 43:15; 1 Peter 1:15–16; Revelation 4:8).
There is no stain of evil or impurity in God:
(1 John 1:5; see also Psalm 12:6; 19:8).
Another defining characteristic of God is His righteousness, meaning
He exists in a state of moral perfection: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,
through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25–26; see also 2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalm 33:5; Isaiah 45:21).
God is also just; He is perfectly upright and fair in how he treats His creation: “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18; see also Deuteronomy 32:4; Zephaniah 3:5; Acts 17:31; Revelation 16:5–6).
Loving, compassionate, gracious, kind, and merciful are all central descriptions of the character of God (Nehemiah 9:31). So kindhearted and caring is He that Scripture says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). The psalmist describes God as “compassionate and gracious” and “abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). So great is God’s love for us “that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16; see also 1 John 4:9–10). Because of His great love, Christ died for us, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8; see also Titus 3:4–5). God’s mercy and compassion never fail; they are renewed continuously toward us day in and day out (Lamentations 3:22–23).
Part of God’s character is faithfulness: “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9; see also Isaiah 49:7 1 Thessalonians 5:24). In our struggles and failures, God is faithful to forgive us when we confess our sin and return to Him: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In times when we stumble and fall, it is immensely encouraging to know that God will never abandon us. Even when we are utterly unfaithful, God remains faithful and true because that is who He is; it is God’s character to be faithful (2 Timothy 2:13; see also Revelation 19:11).
God is truthful, and His Word is true:
“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20; see also John 17:17). God and His Word form a trustworthy foundation for life (Psalm 12:6; 26:3; 33:4; 43:3; 86:11). In Him is no falsehood, lies, or deception (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 45:19; Romans 1:25; Hebrews 6:18). What God says is absolutely reliable (Jeremiah 10:10). His Word is consistent with His character and His revelation of Himself (John 7:28; 8:26). Because of God’s character, we can count on Him to fulfill His promises (Psalm 31:5).
Patience and longsuffering are attributes of God’s character. He is “slow to anger,” dealing patiently with rebellious sinners (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15;). God was patient in delaying the flood in Noah’s time while the ark was under construction, giving sinners plenty of time for repentance (1 Peter 3:20). Likewise, the prolonging of Christ’s return is not an indication of slowness or hesitation on God’s part, but of His longsuffering, as He does not want anyone to die without the opportunity to repent, be saved, and enter into His family (2 Peter 3:9–10). At the heart of God’s character is His desire to be a Father to all who draw near to Him (Psalm 68:5; 103:13; Isaiah 63:16; 64:8; Ephesians 4:6; 1 John 3:1).
The more deeply we dig into the Scriptures, the more we will uncover new and beautiful facets to the character of God. And the longer we spend time with Him and in His Word, the better we will know and understand His nature. We will discover that God never changes (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17), that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present everywhere (Psalm 139:7–10; Hebrews 4:13). He is perfect (Matthew 5:48), and He is three in one. We can spend a lifetime seeking after Him and still only scratch the surface of comprehending the depth of our heavenly Father’s character.
What exactly do Paul and Peter mean by telling Christians to not conform to the world?
The Christian and the world are not to be “like-shaped.” That is, we should not allow ourselves to be pressed into following the corrupt customs, ungodly principles, or evil plans of action promoted by worldly men.
The blessed man, according to Psalm 1:1, resists being conformed to the pattern of the world:
“Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers.”
Just as a boat is in the water, but not of the water, the Christian is in the world, but not of the world. Followers of Christ pattern their lives after their Lord (see 1 Peter 2:21), not according to the principles of the world, which the Bible says is controlled by the devil, the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The reference to “world” is not the physical world, but rather the aion or age. The Bible says that Christians are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4), which Satan oversees and which is marked by idolatry, fleshly lusts, and rebellion. The believer lives by the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5), even while residing in this world.
The key to escaping the world’s grip of conformity is the metamorphosis (rendered “transformed” in Romans 12:2) of the Christian’s mind. This is accomplished through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit who is working to change believers’ hearts and minds from within, so that their obedience to God might be natural and immediate (see Romans 7:6; 8:5–9; Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6–7; Ephesians 4:22–24).
What does it mean to not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2)?
ANSWER
Romans 12:1–2 says,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve
what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
As followers of Christ,
we are not to be conformed to this world’s pattern.
In Romans 12:2, Paul has a “don’t” follow by a “do.” The negative command is to not conform to the pattern of this world. As the J. B. Phillips Bible translates it, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould,” which is what the Greek term for “conform”—syschēmatizō—means: “
to form according to a pattern or mold.”
What exactly do Paul and Peter mean by telling Christians to not conform to the world?
The Christian and the world are not to be “like-shaped.”
That is, we should not allow ourselves to be
pressed into following the corrupt customs, ungodly principles,
or evil plans of action promoted by worldly men.
The blessed man,
according to Psalm 1:1, resists being conformed to the pattern of the world:
“Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers.”
Just as a boat is in the water, but not of the water, the Christian is in the world, but not of the world. Followers of Christ pattern their lives after their Lord (see 1 Peter 2:21), not according to the principles of the world, which the Bible says is controlled by the devil, the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The reference to “world” is not the physical world, but rather the aion or age.
The Bible says that Christians are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4), which Satan oversees and which is marked by idolatry, fleshly lusts, and rebellion. The believer lives by the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5), even while residing in this world.
The key to escaping the world’s grip of conformity is the metamorphosis
(rendered “transformed” in Romans 12:2) of the Christian’s mind.
This is accomplished through
God’s gift of the Holy Spirit
who is working to change believers’ hearts and minds from within,
so that their
obedience to God might be natural and immediate
(see Romans 7:6; 8:5–9; Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6–7; Ephesians 4:22–24).
What does it mean to not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2)?
Romans 12:1–2 says,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters,
in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God--
this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world,
but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and
approve what
God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
As followers of Christ,
we are not to be
conformed to this world’s pattern
In Romans 12:2,
Paul has a “don’t” follow by a “do.” The negative command
is to not conform to the pattern of this world.
As the J. B. Phillips Bible translates it,
“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould,”
which is what the Greek
term for “conform”
—syschēmatizō—means:
“to form according to a pattern or mold.”
The same term is found in only one other place in the New Testament, which is 1 Peter 1:14: “
As obedient children,
do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.”
What exactly do Paul and Peter mean by
telling Christians to not conform to the world?
The Christian and the world are not to
be “like-shaped.”
That is, we should not allow ourselves to be pressed into
following the corrupt customs,
ungodly principles, or evil plans of action promoted by worldly men.
The Blessed man,
according to Psalm 1:1,
resists being conformed to the pattern of the world:
“Blessed is the one
who does not
walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners
take
or sit in the company of mockers.”
Just as a boat is in the water, but not of the water, the
Christian
is in the world,
but
not of the world
Followers of Christ pattern their lives after their Lord
(see 1 Peter 2:21),
not according to the principles of the world,
which the Bible says is
controlled by the devil, the “god of this world”
(2 Corinthians 4:4).
The reference
to “world” is
not
the
physical world,
but
rather the
aion or age
The Bible says that Christians
are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4),
The believer lives by the powers of the age to come
(Hebrews 6:5),
even while residing in this world
The key to escaping the world’s grip of conformity
is the metamorphosis
(rendered “transformed” in Romans 12:2)
of the Christian’s mind.
This is accomplished through
God’s gift of the Holy Spirit
who is working to change believers’ hearts and
minds from within, so that their
obedience to God might be natural and immediate
(see Romans 7:6; 8:5–9; Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6–7; Ephesians 4:22–24)
Two passages in the Bible say that
“in the last days, scoffers will come.”
Second Peter 3:3 and Jude 1:18 both explain what that means.
A “scoffer” in this context is
one who mocks Christ,
ridicules the things of God,
and
opposes the gospel
Both Peter and Jude were
writing warnings
against false teachers who were intent on
leading others astray.
The word scoffer refers
to one
who denies the truths of Scripture
and
entices others to go along
with his error
Scoffers have been present since the Garden of Eden.
Satan’s first temptation of man was in the form of scoffing at God’s command:
“Did God really say—?” (Genesis 3:1).
Scoffers dominated Noah’s day
(Genesis 6:5–8; Hebrews 11:7),
leaving God with little choice but to destroy them all and start over with Noah,
the only righteous man on earth.
Scoffers refuse to believe the word of the Lord and set themselves up as their own gods
(2 Chronicles 36:16)
The psalmist warns against the digression
that leads from casual association with
wicked people to sitting “in the seat of scoffers”
(Psalm 1:1, ESV),
embracing their worldview—and sharing their fate.
Although scoffers have always been a part of this fallen world,
Scripture seems to indicate that,
as the Day of the Lord draws nearer, the scoffing will increase.
Peter describes these scoffers as “following their own evil desires” (2 Peter 3:3)
and questioning the second coming of the Lord Jesus (verse 4)
Thousands of years have passed since
Jesus ascended into heaven, promising to return for His faithful ones
(John 14:1–4; Revelation 22:12)
Scoffers point out the lapse of time
and mock those who still wait and yearn for
His appearing
(2 Timothy 4:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Jude describes the
scoffers of the last days as
people who follow ungodly desires
and
create division in the church
(Jude 1:18).
They may even
present themselves as church leaders,
but they
“do not have the Spirit”
(verse 19)
Paul goes into more detail about the condition
of the world before Jesus returns: “But mark this:
There will be terrible times in the last days.
Having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:1–5).
Scoffers will fit right in with such a crowd
Romans 1:21–22 has never been more relevant:
“Although they knew God,
they 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.”
The proliferation
of scoffers is a sign of the last days.
Regardless of the eschatological timeline one prefers,
we can all agree that the number of
scoffers and deceivers is increasing rapidly,
just as Scripture warned us it would
(2 John 1:7)
It is critically important that every
Christian take seriously the commands to study and meditate on
God’s Word
(2 Timothy 2:15; Joshua 1:8)
so that we won’t be led astray
by the
lofty-sounding ideas presented to us by scoffers
(2 Corinthians 10:5)
but We
Preach Christ crucified:
a stumbling block to Jews
and
foolishness to Gentiles,
The true gospel is the good news that God saves sinners. Man is by nature sinful and separated from God with no hope of remedying that situation. But God, by His power, provided the means of man’s redemption in the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” But to truly comprehend how good this news is, we must first understand the bad news. As a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6), every part of man—his mind, will, emotions and flesh—have been corrupted by sin. Because of man’s sinful nature, he does not and cannot seek God. He has no desire to come to God and, in fact, his mind is hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). God has declared that man’s sin dooms him to an eternity in hell, separated from God. It is in hell that man pays the penalty of sin against a holy and righteous God. This would be bad news indeed if there were no remedy.
But in the gospel, God, in His mercy, has provided that remedy, a substitute for us—Jesus Christ—who came to pay the penalty for our sin by His sacrifice on the cross. This is the essence of the gospel which Paul preached to the Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 15:2-4, he explains the three elements of the gospel—the death, burial and resurrection of Christ on our behalf. Our old nature died with Christ on the cross and was buried with Him. Then we were resurrected with Him to a new life (Romans 6:4-8). Paul tells us to “hold firmly” to this true gospel, the only one which saves. Believing in any other gospel is to believe in vain. In Romans 1:16-17, Paul also declares that the true gospel is the “power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” by which he means that salvation is not achieved by man’s efforts, but by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Because of the gospel, through the power of God, those who believe in Christ (Romans 10:9) are not just saved from hell. We are, in fact, given a completely new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) with a changed heart and a new desire, will, and attitude that are manifested in good works. This is the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us by His power. Works are never the means of salvation, but they are the proof of it (Ephesians 2:10). Those who are saved by the power of God will always show the evidence of salvation by a changed life.
The message of the cross is unmistakably clear. The Son of God came into the world to bear witness to the truth, not to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him (Mark 10:45). This is the power and wisdom of God. The gospel evokes very different responses from its hearers: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the weak things of the world to shame the strong, and the “low and despised” things of the world to be raised up for His glory (1 Corinthians 1:27–29, NET). This is the wisdom of God. Wisdom is the power of insight to use knowledge to one’s advantage, and God definitely has the advantage. “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who would believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
The message of the cross is that the Son of God was crucified to atone for the sins of mankind and secure pardon and salvation for all who would believe in Him. It is this message that is considered folly by those who are perishing—those who disbelieve God’s sentence of death on humanity and prefer human ideas over God’s truth. The message of the cross is divinely inspired, holy, and eternal. It is the love of God come into the world through the Son to destroy the works of the devil (John 18:37; 1 John 3:8). The message of the cross is the wisdom and power of God to keep the promise of John 3:16, to give eternal life to all who believe in the Son. It is also the grace of God rendering to the believer the gifts of repentance, justification, and sanctification, all of which find their meaning in Christ crucified (Luke 23:33–43).
If the message of the cross is the power and wisdom of God, then why is the cross foolishness to some? Here are some reasons:
1. The cross is foolishness to some because in their wisdom they judge the Bible as an antiquated, mystical book. They see Scripture as irrelevant, silly, and valueless in a post-Christian era. They reject the teaching that they are wretched, poor, miserable, blind, and naked before a holy God (Revelation 3:15–19). “They knew God, [but] they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21–22, KJV).
2. The message of the cross is foolishness to some because it fails the “cleverness test” when compared to the philosophies of men (Colossians 2:8). Some mock, despise, and reject the message of the cross as meaningless and unimportant. Blinded by arrogance and lacking wisdom, they see no beauty in Christ and no value in the cross. God is not mocked by such as these: “For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?’” (1 Corinthians 1:19–20, NASB).
3. The message of the cross is foolishness to some because wealth and status can erase the felt need for God and the hope of glory. Though the world is their focus, “all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). “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 2:16).
4. The message of the cross is foolishness to some because in their pride they will not bend the knee at the foot of the cross. They do not allow their hearts to be broken from having sinned against a good, holy, and loving God. They have no godly sorrow driving them to seek forgiveness and restoration with God (Psalm 34:18; 51; Luke18:13; 2 Corinthians 7:9–11; Romans 10:13).
5. The cross is foolishness to some because they love their sin and do not want to change. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25). This is a radical call to turn around and go in a new direction. This requires repentance, a change of mind about God and the things of God.
6. The cross is foolishness to some because they reject the idea that a loving God would crucify His own Son to appease His own wrath. They view the cross as slaughterhouse religion, declaring the wisdom of God objectionable. They are mistaken. They do not know the love and goodness of God that condescended to step out from glory (John 1:1–4) to take their place on the cross.
7. The cross is foolishness to some because they are deceived and misled “by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, ESV). Church movements abandoning the message of the cross are misled by deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). The outcome is another gospel and a Jesus that cannot save. The apostle Paul warned of this eventuality: “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!” (Galatians 1:8).
8. The cross is foolishness to some because they do not know the Scriptures. They lack a rudimentary understanding of the Bible, having no foundation. “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Timothy “from childhood” knew the Holy Scriptures, and they were able to make him “wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy knew the prophecies, promises, and doctrines of Scripture, and that knowledge was foundational to his faith in the Son of God, the Messiah.
The story of Barabbas’s pardon is a remarkable comparison to the life granted to a believer in Christ. For Barabbas, pardon meant Jesus would take his place on the cross to endure the wrath of Rome (Matthew 27:16–22). For the believer, pardon means Jesus took our place on the cross to endure the wrath of God (Romans 3:24–26). With Rome appeased, Barabbas was released to walk free. With God appeased, we are released to walk in newness of life (Romans 3:25, 8:1; 1 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:1; 1 Peter 3:18).
Those who are blind to the wisdom and power of God need a work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14). They need to see the message of the cross as a loving invitation from God to walk in newness of life (John 14:6). If they continue in unbelief, labeling the message of the cross as foolishness, the tragic result will be fully experienced condemnation from God (John 3:18). There is only one name whereby they can be saved, and that is the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
n 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, the natural man is compared to the spiritual man and the carnal man. Verse 14 says, “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (NASB). This verse does not define the natural man, as such; rather, it uses the term to describe one who does not understand God’s words and thoughts. The one who can understand God’s words is a “spiritual” man (verse 15).
Dr. Henry Morris, in the New Defender’s Study Bible, gives this comment on verse 14: “The ‘natural’ man, still unsaved, cannot appreciate spiritual truths. He must first understand Christ’s atoning sacrifice for him, but even that is ‘foolishness’ to him (1:18) until the Holy Spirit Himself convicts him of its reality (John 16:7-11).” Basically, the “natural” man is one who does not have the Holy Spirit residing within him. As Jesus said, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6).
Let’s look at some other uses in the Bible of the word natural. In Romans 11:21 we read, “For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.” In 1 Corinthians 15:44-46, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, then there is also a spiritual body. …However the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.” Ezekiel 44:31 speaks of a natural death. Daniel 10:8 speaks of a natural color. James 1:23 speaks of a natural face, and James 3:15 states, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”
In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul uses the word natural to refer to someone still in his original (sinful) state. The Greek word psuchikos (“natural”) can be defined as “animal,” as opposed to “spiritual.” Natural men are those who are occupied with the things of this material world to the exclusion of the things of God. They are led by instinct rather than by the Spirit of God. They intuitively choose sin over righteousness. They are the “pagans” Jesus refers to in Matthew 6:32 who only seek after the things of this world.
The supernatural work of God is to change the natural man into a spiritual one. When a person trusts Christ, God exchanges what is natural (received from Adam) for what is spiritual (received from Christ). “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The Christian life is, therefore, a supernatural one. We do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).
Discernment is defined as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; an act of perceiving something; a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.” The definition also stresses accuracy, as in “the ability to see the truth.” Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. It is basic to having wisdom.
Arguments and debates surround spiritual truth because it is obscure. Jesus, speaking to His disciples about the Pharisees, said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:11). Satan has “blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4), so God must shed light on the human mind to enable us to understand truth. It is impossible to attain wisdom without God. He gives discernment or takes it away (Job 12:19-21).
Some have mistakenly defined spiritual discernment as a God-given awareness of evil or good spiritual presences—the ability to tell if a demon is in the room. While some people may possess this capability, it is not the biblical meaning of discernment. Spiritual discernment ultimately has to do with wisdom and the ability to distinguish truth from error.
Wisdom is personified in Proverbs 1 and described as someone that we can “get to know” (vv. 20-33). The Bible says that Jesus Christ is “wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Therefore, wisdom, or spiritual discernment, is something that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. The world’s way of getting wisdom is different from God’s way. The learned of the world gain knowledge and apply reason to knowledge to solve problems, construct buildings and create philosophies. But God does not make the knowledge of Himself available by those means. First Corinthians 1:18-31 says the “wisdom of the wise” is frustrated by God who delivers wisdom to the “foolish” and the “weak” by way of a relationship with Jesus Christ. That way, “no human being can boast in His presence” (verse 29). We learn to be spiritually discerning by knowing Him.
It is not wrong to possess knowledge or have an education, and it is not wrong to use reason and logic to solve problems. However, spiritual discernment cannot be attained that way. It must be given by the revelation of Jesus Christ to the believer, and then developed by way of training in righteousness (Hebrews 5:14) and prayer (Philippians 1:9). Hebrews 5:11-14 shows how spiritual discernment is developed. The writer speaks to those who had become “dull of hearing,” meaning they had fallen out of practice discerning spiritually. The writer of Hebrews tells them that everyone who lives on “milk” (rather than the “solid food” desired by the mature) is unskilled in the word of righteousness; however, the mature Christian has been “trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” The keys, according to this passage, are becoming skilled in the Word of God (by which we define righteousness) and “constant practice” (through which we gain experience).
So, how does one increase spiritual discernment? First, recognizing that God is the only one who can increase wisdom, pray for it (James 1:5; Philippians 1:9). Then, knowing the wisdom to distinguish good from evil comes by training and practice, go to the Bible to learn the truth and, by meditation on the Word, reinforce the truth.
When a bank hires an employee, he is trained to recognize counterfeit bills. One would think that the best way to recognize a counterfeit would be to study various counterfeits. The problem is that new counterfeits are being created every day. The best way to recognize a counterfeit bill is to have an intimate knowledge of the real thing. Having studied authentic bills, bank cashiers are not fooled when a counterfeit comes along. A knowledge of the true helps them identify the false.
This is what Christians must do to develop spiritual discernment. We must know the authentic so well that, when the false appears, we can recognize it. By knowing and obeying the Word of God, we will be “trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” We will know God’s character and will. This is the heart of spiritual discernment – being able to distinguish the voice of the world from the voice of God, to have a sense that “this is right” or “this is wrong.” Spiritual discernment fends off temptation and allows us to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).
This statement, “all have sinned,” is found in Romans 3:23 (“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”) and in the last clause of Romans 5:12 (“…because all sinned”). Basically, it means that we’re all lawbreakers, because sin is the violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). Sinfulness is the general characteristic of all mankind; we are all guilty before God. We are sinners by nature and by our own acts of transgression.
In Romans 5:12 the point of “all sinned” seems to be that all humanity “participated” in Adam’s sin and were condemned to death even before they themselves deliberately chose to sin; in fact, that is exactly what Paul confirms in Romans 5:14. Within this passage (5:12-21), Paul explains how and why the “death sentence” for Adam’s sin has come upon the entire human race.
Augustine explained Adam’s transmission of his sin to us with a theory known as “federal headship,” a view held by most evangelical scholars. Augustine taught the concept of “inherited guilt,” that we all sinned “in Adam”: when Adam “voted” for sin, he acted as our representative. His sin was thus imputed or credited to the entire human race—we were all declared “guilty” for Adam’s one sin.
Another view is that the statement “all have sinned” refers only to personal sin arising from our sin nature. After clarifying in Romans 5:13-17 how personal sin is imputed and then spreads, Paul explains why “all die,” even if they have not committed personal sin. The reason all receive this “death sentence” (5:18a) is that, through Adam’s disobedience, all were “made sinful” (5:19a). The verb made means “constituted”; thus, the sin nature is an inherited condition that incurs a death sentence, even in those who are not yet guilty of personal sin (5:13-14). This inherited condition inevitably spawns personal sin when conscience matures and holds a person accountable as soon as he chooses to knowingly transgress the law (2:14-15; 3:20; 5:20a).
We are all sinners because Adam passed on his sinful condition that leads inevitably to our personal sin and death. All share Adam’s death sentence as an inherited condition (the “sin nature”) that is passed down to and through the human race and that every child brings into the world. Even before a child can be held accountable for personal sin, he or she is naturally prone to disobey, to tell lies, etc. Every child is born with a sin nature.
“The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God” (Psalm 14:2). And what does the all-seeing God find? “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (verse 3). In other words, all have sinned.
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.
Galatians chapter 1. We are now past the kind of introduction to the book, and we get into the heart of it, and it comes on us with some fierce power. The verses that I want you to look at this morning are chapter 1, verse 6 through verse 9. Let me read it for you.
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
There is a word there repeated twice, it is the word “accursed.” It is the Greek word anathema.It means devoted to God for destruction, devoted to God for destruction.
The command to touch not God’s anointed is found in two places in Scripture: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm” (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15). These passages are sometimes used in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles to defend certain preachers from criticism. Preachers who promote themselves or their ministries as “anointed” warn their would-be critics, “Do not touch God’s anointed!” Of course, this helps to insulate them from scrutiny and allows them to spread falsehood and bad theology unrestrained.
Others take God’s command “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm” to mean that Christians are promised protection from all bad things.
Both of the above interpretations of “Do not touch my anointed ones” ignore the context of the passages in question. The “anointed ones” in these passages are not modern-day Pentecostal preachers. And the Bible never promises that God’s prophets, anointed ones, children, or other faithful believers will never suffer harm from evil people. As Jesus explained to the Pharisees, “God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute’” (Luke 11:49).
Here is the context of 1 Chronicles 16:22: David is publicly praising God by giving a condensed review of the miraculous history of Israel. He cites some of the miracles God performed to fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (1 Chronicles 16:15–18, referencing Genesis 50:24 and Exodus 2:24). Through these miracles, God created a nation of Abraham’s descendants that would bless the entire world (see Genesis 12:1–3). No one and nothing could prevent God’s promise from being fulfilled, even against all odds.
In the verses leading up to God’s command “Do not touch my anointed ones,” we read this:
“When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings” (1 Chronicles 16:19–21).
This passage refers to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When “they” (the patriarchs) were few in number, they lived as wandering strangers in a strange land (see Hebrews 11:9). Through all their travels and travails, God protected them, increased their number, and prevented the powerful rulers of the lands where they stayed from harming them.
For example, God protected Abraham twice while staying in hostile nations whose kings lusted after his wife. Neither king laid a finger on Abraham or Sarah but instead sent the couple away unharmed and even enriched them (Genesis 12 and 20). The same happened to Isaac (Genesis 26). Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram with nothing, but he left with vast riches (Genesis 31); after all his dealings with his unscrupulous Uncle Laban, Jacob said, “God has not allowed him to harm me” (verse 7).
So the point of 1 Chronicles 16:22 (and Psalm 105:15) is that nothing and no one can derail God’s will; God had a plan for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He refused to let the kings of Canaan and Egypt injure them: “For their sake he rebuked kings: ‘Do not touch my anointed ones’” (1 Chronicles 16:21–22). The patriarchs were His prophets. They were His “anointed ones”; that is, God chose them to accomplish a specific work in the world.
David, who orchestrated the praise of 1 Chronicles 16, applied God’s command not to injure God’s anointed to his own situation. King Saul was trying to kill David at one time, and David and his men were on the run. One night, David’s men came upon Saul and his army while they were sleeping. Abishai rejoiced that they had the advantage over their enemies and suggested they kill Saul then and there. But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? . . . As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down. . .
. But the LORD
forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed”
(1 Samuel 26:9–11).
It is God who takes vengeance, not we (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19).
The command from God “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm” was for a specific group of people for a specific time: God preserved the patriarchs from physical harm. The prophets of the Old Testament have given way to teachers in the New (see 2 Peter 2:1). No one today can properly quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 to deflect criticism or silence challengers. No apostle in the New Testament ever told anyone “Do not touch God’s anointed” as a means of insulating himself from critique.
The gospel is the good news
about salvation,
the
good news about salvation.
Anyone who distorts the good news about salvation is cursed. This is severe language.
It is as harsh as the Word of God ever gets,
pronouncing a damning double curse
on anyone
who distorts or alters
the gospel
The gospel,
the
good news of salvation in Christ,
by grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone,
is the only way
that sinners
can escape hell and enter heaven.
It is by believing the
true gospel
Obviously, Satan, wanting to hold onto those that are in his kingdom of darkness, wants to confuse and deceive and distort the gospel. This then becomes a major enterprise of Satan, the distortion of the gospel, so that people are believing something that is not true, does not save, and they end up in hell, saying, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we do this, and didn’t we do that?” only to hear, “Depart from Me, I never knew you, you workers of iniquity.”
The apostle Paul here has no hesitation, no reluctance. He starts these severe verses, this very fierce declaration of divine punishment without any reservation. This is so direct, so confrontational, so explicit that, frankly, this kind of forceful pronunciation of damnation is just not what you would hear preachers preach today. This is a day of tolerance. This is the day for the post-modern mind to decide that you can believe anything, there’s no absolute truth: you can have your truth, I can have my truth. Nobody should condemn anybody for anything theybelieve or any religion that they adhere to. That doesn’t pass Paul’s inspection. This passage is extremely disturbing to the post-modern mind. It is extremely disturbing to the tolerant world in which we live. But it is absolutely necessary, because salvation is at stake, and it only happens through belief in the true gospel.
Now there are curses in the Old Testament. You can go through the Old Testament and just find the curses, and you will find that again, and again, and again God was pronouncing curses on people who turned against Him. You come to the New Testament, you see Jesus going into Jerusalem in Mark 11 and seeing a fig tree and cursing the fig tree; and when the disciples come back the next day it is dead, and this is a symbol of the divine curse on the nation Israel for its rejection of God and the Messiah. Jesus attacked the Jewish religious system at the beginning of His ministry when He assaulted the temple, at the end of His ministry when He did it again. The curse that comes out of the mouth of Jesus is directly from heaven. There is a curse from God when God is not pleased. That curse is severe and everlasting.
But somebody might say, “Well, it’s one thing to have curses in the Old Testament, another thing to have curses from Jesus in the gospels, and maybe even another thing to have Paul pronouncing curses in the apostolic era. What about today? What about today? Is God still in the business of cursing, consigning to judgment? Is God still pronouncing destruction and devastation people today?” And the answer comes to us in 1 Corinthians 16:22, “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed,” same word, anathema. Damnation is pronounced onanyone who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever your religion, if you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ you are cursed.
Now what does it mean to be cursed? What is the result of being cursed? In Romans chapter 9,just a couple of verses will answer that question. In Romans chapter 9, Paul says in verse 3, “I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren.” He is very desirous for the Jews to come to Christ, and He is so passionate about it that he says, “I could almost wish myself were accursed,” and then he defines what it means: separated from Christ. That what it is to be cursed, separated from Christ forever, and therefore separated from God, out of the presence of God forever.
And it’s more than that. To be cursed, also according to Matthew chapter 25 and verse 41 is this: “Depart from Me,” – Jesus said – “you accursed, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Out of the present of God, out of the presence of Christ,and in an eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; that’s where the curse puts people.
Those cursed in the Old Testament are there now. Those cursed by Jesus in the nation of Israel-at the time they rejected Him are there now. Those propagating a false gospel during the apostolic era that Paul addresses here are there in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and separated from God and Christ now. And continually throughout all of human history, those who do not come in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ to love Him, acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior are cursed and are sent to eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Paul’s curse is very severe, and it
applies to anyone
who
perverts the gospel
People who dishonored God in the Old Testament.
People who
dishonored God in the gospels
were cursed
People who reject Jesus Christ are cursed.
And people who pervert the gospel or substitute a
false gospel are cursed.
Anathema is pronounced on them.
Now, look,
assaults on the gospel
are relentless.
They have always been present, since the
very beginning.
Here we are very early in the life of the apostles.
I told you last time that
Galatians is likely the second
New Testament book written.
Already at the beginning of the ministry of the apostles,
just halfway through the first century,
there is already
widespread distortion of
the
gospel,
promulgated by Satan, his demons, and his human agents.
And it’s been going on since then down to this very day,
and
will always be Satan’s greatest effort.
In Corinth, Paul wrote that he and others taught
God's wisdom among the mature,
apparently referring to those who have come
to God by faith in Christ
and are ready for the
deeper truths of God
(1 Corinthians 2:6).
He also described spiritual people as Christians who understand and believe in spiritual things with the help of God's Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 2:14).
Now, though, Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth that he
cannot call them "spiritual" people.
Is the problem that they have not truly believed in Jesus or that they have not received the Holy Spirit? No. Paul very clearly wrote in the first chapter how thankful he was that that their faith had been confirmed by the gifts of the Spirit given to them (1 Corinthians 1:4–9).
He said they would absolutely stand blameless before God on the day of the Lord. These are Christians.
The problem, as Paul will go on to describe it in this chapter, is that they are still living as if they were unspiritual people: "merely human," (1 Corinthians 3:3), suggesting someone lacking understanding as if they lacked the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).
They are like
"infants in Christ"—spiritually speaking,
they are still
newborn, weak, undeveloped Christians.
instead of living in the
Power God has given to them in the
Holy Spirit,
according to the Truth of God
and the Pure Faith in the
Testimony and Power of Christ
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,
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).
In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told
His disciples,
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me.”
When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day,
no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden.
To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only:
death by crucifixion.
To carry a cross was to face the most painful
and humiliating means of death human beings could develop.
Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of
atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love.
But in Jesus’ day the cross represented a torturous death.
The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion
(see John 19:17).
Bearing a cross meant one
was about to die, and that one would face ridicule and disgrace along the way.
Therefore, Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me”
is a call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice.
One must be willing to die in order to follow Jesus.
Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God
After Jesus commanded cross-bearing,
He said,
For whoever
wants to save their life will lose it,
but whoever loses
their life for me will find it
What good will it be
for someone to gain the whole world,
yet forfeit their soul?
Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:25–26). Although the call to take up our cross is tough, the reward is matchless. Nothing in this world is worth passing up eternal life.
Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Their view of who the Messiah really was—and what He would do—was often distorted. They thought the Christ would immediately usher in the restored kingdom (Luke 19:11). They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Some hoped He would continue to provide free lunches for everyone (John 6:26). Jesus’ statement that following Him requires taking up a cross made people think twice about their motivations and level of commitment.
In Luke 9:57–62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus pressed them, however, their commitment was shown to be half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None were willing to take up their cross and crucify upon it their own interests.
Jesus’ apparent attempts to dissuade people from following Him surely limited the number of false converts and insincere disciples (see John 6:66).
But God seeks
“true worshipers [who] will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”
(John 4:23).
Jesus’ call to “take up your cross and follow Me”
serves to screen out the
disingenuous, double-minded, and dissembling.
Are you ready to take up your cross and follow Jesus?
Consider these questions:
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your closest friends?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your reputation?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?
In some places of the world, these consequences are a reality. But notice the phrasing of the questions: “Are you willing?” Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but the disciple of Christ must be willing to suffer loss. Are you willing to take up your cross? If faced with a choice--
Jesus or the comforts of this life—which will you choose?
Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, and even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. Remember that, as Jesus called His disciples to “take up your cross and follow Me,” He, too, bore a cross. Our Lord led the way.
Philippians 2:3–4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Paul goes on to instruct the Philippians to have the same mindset as Jesus when relating to others, and he details just how humble Jesus was. What does it mean to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit?
First, let’s define a few terms. Selfish ambition can be understood as “motivation to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another’s.” It is a self-above-others approach. The Greek term here carries with it a connotation of contentiousness. In fact, the King James Bible translates the word as “strife.” Vain conceit means “excessive pride” or “self-esteem that has no foundation in reality”; vain conceit is an elevated and incorrect sense of self. Therefore, doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit means not letting our actions be motivated by selfishness, pride, or one-upmanship.
We can learn how to avoid acting out of selfish ambition or vain conceit by looking at the contrasting words in the same context. The opposite of being selfish and vain is to “in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3–4, ESV). We must learn to be others-focused, not self-focused. If we’re putting others first, we won’t be conceited or proud or overly ambitious. It’s hard to be self-important when we’re considering others as more important.
In Philippians 2:1–2 Paul writes, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” It is through understanding our salvation that we can live in unity with other believers and love them in Christ. The basis of our being like-minded and free of strife is four-fold: 1) we are united with Christ, 2) we are comforted with God’s love, 3) we have the same Spirit, and 4) we have been given tender compassion for others. When we truly see how much Christ has done for us and understand the fullness of His love, pride and selfishness melt away. Those who know the love of Christ do not wrangle for position within the family of God; rather, they recognize the purpose of the body of Christ and live it out. They are willing to take a lower place in order to serve others (1 Peter 4:10). They engage in Christian fellowship with a focus on loving God and others (Mark 12:30–31).
Philippians 2:3b–4 instructs believers to value others above themselves and look out for their interests. We do not elevate ourselves above others but willingly sacrifice in order to love them. When all believers act this way, we are of one mind and everyone is cared for. Paul gives similar instructions to the Galatians, counseling them to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and to do good to all, especially fellow believers (Galatians 6:10). Jesus was the epitome of servanthood. Shortly after washing His disciples’ feet, something usually done by the lowliest of servants, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35). Jesus’ love was self-sacrificial. He acted for the best of others rather than for His own glory (see Matthew 20:28).
In Philippians 2:5–11 Paul details Jesus’ example of humility. Jesus was “in very nature God, [yet] did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:5). Rather, the Son of God became human. More than that, He humbled himself to the lowliest position and died a shameful criminal’s death in our place. How can we who follow such a Lord act in pride? When we consider what Christ did for us, we learn not to be so self-absorbed. Jesus promised that, as we seek to glorify God, our needs will be met (Matthew 6:25–34), so we can focus more on meeting the needs of others.
When we understand the incredible sacrifice, grace, and mercy of God on our behalf, we realize that we have no use for pride. When we recognize God’s abundant grace, provision, and love, we understand that we have no need for selfishness. We need not focus solely on our own interests because we rest in our Savior. We have been adopted into an eternal family, and we can learn to love that family as the Father loves us. Rather than be motivated by selfishness or pride, we can be of one mind with fellow believers and put their interests before our own.
John wrote the book of Revelation near the end of the first century AD, and the book begins its conclusion with Jesus’ admonition, “Behold I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:7, ESV). The New King James Version reads, “Behold I am coming quickly.” Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus made this proclamation, and He still hasn’t come back yet. It is fair to ask what Jesus meant when He said, “Behold I am coming soon.” The Greek word translated “soon” here is tachus, a word that denotes immediacy and suddenness.
To understand the immediacy and suddenness of Jesus’ coming, even though it has been delayed for two millennia, consider Jesus’ exhortation that His listeners should make friends “quickly” (tachus) with their opponents at law “while you are still together on the way” (Matthew 5:25). The speed of the action itself is to be set in motion when the conditions are in place—“when you are on the way to court,” (NLT).
After the resurrection of Jesus, an angel spoke to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, telling them to come see the place where Jesus had been lying and to go “quickly” (tachus) and tell the disciples (Matthew 28:6–7). Per the angel’s instructions, before the women could go “quickly,” they had to see the place where Jesus had been. When they left, they did so “quickly” (Matthew 28:8), but, even then, they encountered Jesus and talked with Him (Matthew 28:9–10). So, they moved with haste, but there were several circumstances that delayed their arrival to tell the disciples the good news. In the same way, the book of Revelation presents a series of events that will precede Jesus’ return to earth. He says, “Behold I am coming quickly” (NKJV), but He doesn’t say is coming right away. Jesus’ coming will be sudden and hasty, but there are many prophetic fulfillments that will happen before He comes.
Paul illustrates the idea of suddenness coupled with delay in 1 Corinthians 15 when he unveils the mystery that we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51). In a moment so sudden that it can be compared to a twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), that transformation will occur. The event will happen “quickly,” but it might not happen soon (though imminent, the rapture has been delayed for two millennia). When it happens, it will happen suddenly and completely. Even though Paul doesn’t use the word tachus in this context, he shows that an event can happen quickly event if it is preceded by a lengthy delay.
Jesus says, “Behold I am coming quickly!” When He comes, He will judge and reward. The prophecy about His sudden coming is given to encourage believers that they can trust Him, that the time is short, and that they should make the most of the time they are given (see Ephesians 5:16).
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, or Tares, is filled with spiritual significance and truth. But, in spite of the clear explanation of the parable that Jesus gave (Matthew 13:36-43), this parable is very often misinterpreted. Many commentaries and sermons have attempted to use this story as an illustration of the condition of the church, noting that there are both true believers (the wheat) and false professors (the weeds) in both the church at large and individual local churches. While this may be true, Jesus distinctly explains that the field is not the church; it is the world (v. 38).
Even if He hadn’t specifically told us the world is the setting of the story, it would still be obvious. The landowner tells the servants not to pull up the weeds in the field, but to leave them until the end of the age. If the field were the church, this command would directly contradict Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18, which tells us how to deal with unrepentant sinners in the church: they are to be put out of the fellowship and treated as unbelievers. Jesus never instructed us to let impenitent sinners remain in our midst until the end of the age.
So, Jesus
is teaching here about
“the kingdom of heaven”
(v. 24)
in the world.
In the agricultural society of Christ’s time, many farmers depended on the quality of their crops. An enemy sowing weeds would have sabotaged a business. The tares in the parable were likely darnel because that weed, until mature, appears as wheat. Without modern weed killers, what would a wise farmer do in such a dilemma? Instead of tearing out the wheat with the tares, the landowner in this parable wisely waited until the harvest. After harvesting the whole field, the tares could be separated and burned. The wheat would be saved in the barn.
In the explanation of parable, Christ declares that He Himself is the sower. He spreads His redeemed seed, true believers, in the field of the world. Through His grace, these Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). Their presence on earth is the reason the “kingdom of heaven” is like the field of the world. When Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17), He meant the spiritual realm which exists on earth side by side with the realm of the evil one (1 John 5:19). When the kingdom of heaven comes to its fruition, heaven will be a reality and there will be no “weeds” among the “wheat.” But for now, both good and bad seeds mature in the world.
The enemy in the parable is Satan. In opposition to Jesus Christ,
the devil tries to destroy Christ’s work
by placing
false believers and teachers in the world
who lead many astray.
One has only to look at the latest televangelist scandal to know the world is filled with professing “Christians” whose ungodly actions bring reproach on the name of Christ. But we are not to pursue such people in an effort to destroy them. For one thing, we don’t know if immature and innocent believers might be injured by our efforts. Further, one has only to look at the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and the reign of “Bloody Mary” in England to see the results of men taking upon themselves the responsibility of separating true believers from false, a task reserved for God alone. Instead of requiring these false believers to be rooted out of the world, and possibly hurting immature believers in the process, Christ allows them to remain until His return. At that time, angels will separate the true from false believers.
In addition, we are not to take it upon ourselves to uproot unbelievers because the difference between true and false believers isn’t always obvious. Tares, especially in the early stages of growth, resemble wheat. Likewise, a false believer may resemble a true believer. In Matthew 7:22, Jesus warned that many profess faith but do not know Him. Thus, each person should examine his own relationship with Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5). First John is an excellent test of salvation.
Jesus Christ will one day establish true
righteousness
After He raptures the true church out of this world,
God will pour out His righteous wrath on the world.
During that tribulation,
He will draw others to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
At the end of the tribulation, all unbelievers
will be judged for their sin and unbelief;
then, they will be removed from God’s presence.
True followers
of Christ will reign with Him.
What a glorious hope for the “wheat”!
Jesus had just finished explaining to the
disciples the meaning of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares,
and these two short parables are a continuance of
His discussion of the “kingdom of heaven.”
He expressed truths about the kingdom in three pairs of parables in Matthew 13:
the seed and the sower
(vv. 3-23) and the weeds in the field (vv. 24-30); the mustard seed (vv. 31-32) and the leaven (v. 33);
and the hidden treasure (v. 44) and the pearl of great price (vv. 45-46).
The similarities of these two short parables make it clear they
teach the same lesson--
the kingdom of heaven is of
inestimable value.
Both parables involve a
man who sold all he had to possess
the kingdom.
The treasure and the pearl represent Jesus Christ
and the salvation He offers.
And while we cannot pay for salvation by selling all our worldly goods,
once we have found the prize,
we are willing to give up everything to possess it.
But what is attained in exchange is so much more valuable
that it is comparable
to trading an ounce of trash for a ton of diamonds
(Philippians 3:7-9).
In both parables, the treasures are
hidden,
indicating that spiritual truth is missed by many and
cannot be found
by intelligence or power or worldly wisdom
Matthew 13:11-17 and 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, 14 make it clear that the mysteries of the kingdom are hidden from some who are unable to hear, see, and comprehend these truths. The disobedient reap the natural consequences of their unbelief—spiritual blindness. Those whose eyes are opened by the Spirit do discern spiritual truth, and they, like the men in the parable, understand its great value.
Notice that the merchant stopped seeking pearls when
he found the pearl of great price.
Eternal life,
the incorruptible inheritance, and the love of God through Christ
constitute the pearl which,
once found, makes further searching unnecessary.
Christ fulfills our greatest needs, satisfies our longings, makes us whole and clean before God, calms and quiets our hearts, and gives us hope for the future. The “great price,” of course, is that which was paid by Christ for our redemption. He emptied Himself of His glory, came to earth in the form of a lowly man and shed
His precious blood on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
Romans 12:2 reveals that the believer who is
being transformed by a new, godly way of thinking “
may prove what is
that good and acceptable
and
perfect will of God”
(NKJV).
This three-fold description of
God’s will can teach us
more about who God is and
His plan for us.
God’s will for the believer is good. It is good because He is fully good (Luke 18:19) with no evil or darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). Every “good and perfect gift” comes from God (James 1:17), and “He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). God’s good will is revealed for our benefit and the benefit of those we serve.
God’s will for the believer is acceptable. God’s will is acceptable, or pleasing, in that it is approved by God and fully pleasing to Him. Those who obey the will of God are acceptable to Him (Matthew 12:50). The believer who serves the Lord in a spirit of deference, love, and righteousness is “acceptable to God and approved by men” (Romans 14:18, ESV).
God’s will for the believer is perfect. His perfect will has no defect and fully reaches the goal, purpose, or end that was intended. Following God’s perfect will makes us better reflections of God’s perfect nature. God’s perfect will leads us to spiritual maturity. Scripture was given to make the believer “perfect” in the sense of “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17).
In Romans 12:2, the words good, acceptable, and perfect can also be taken as nouns that rename the will of God; in other words, God’s will equals that which is good and acceptable and perfect. This appositional construction is brought out in the ESV: “You may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Viewed this way, if you are doing good things that are pleasing to God and leading to your maturity, then you are doing God’s will.
At times God’s will does not seem to us to be good, acceptable, or perfect. If His will includes suffering, or if it doesn’t make sense to us, we question it. When God called Moses to go to Egypt and rescue the Israelites, he questioned God’s will, wondering if the people would believe him (Exodus 4:1). Moses gave excuses for why he could not do it, saying he was not “eloquent” of speech (Exodus 4:10). God reminded Moses that God made man’s mouth and that He would help Moses speak and teach Moses what to say (Exodus 4:11).
God’s will revealed to Joshua probably didn’t seem to be good, acceptable, or perfect, either. What human sense did it make to walk around Jericho for seven days (Joshua 6:1–27)? What sense did it make for the widow of Zarephath to give Elijah her last meal (1 Kings 17:7–16)? For Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River seven times (2 Kings 5)? For Peter to cast his net on the other side of the boat after a night of fishing in vain (John 21:1–14)? When Jesus revealed His will that the disciples feed 5,000 people, Philip remonstrated: “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece” (John 6:7). Jesus told the people at Lazarus’s tomb to roll away the stone, a seemingly pointless thing to do, since Lazarus had been dead for four days (John 11:17–44). In each of these cases, people obeyed the Lord, with the result that God’s plan was fulfilled perfectly. In our limited thinking and strength, God’s will seems strange, but it truly is good, acceptable, and perfect.
Romans 12:1–2 tells us how we can know and fulfill God’s will. The process begins by consecrating ourselves to God: “In view of God’s mercy, . . . offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (verse 1). As we offer our whole selves to Him, He transforms and redirects our lives. Verse 2 continues with setting ourselves apart from the world and allowing our minds to be transformed: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Then comes the ability to discern God’s will: “You will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). As believers renounce the ways of the world and submit to Christ, their minds, hearts, and wills are renewed by God’s Word and Spirit. This is how we can test and approve God’s will.
By His divine power, God “has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). Following God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will allows us to enjoy life abundantly (see John 10:10). May we echo the psalmist’s words in Psalm 119:111–112:
“Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end.”
People-pleasing is a well-worn scheme and trap of Satan.
If we think people-pleasing began with self-esteem training, the tolerance movement, or social media, we have underestimated how interwoven this temptation has been with humanity. The sin of people-pleasing is as old as people. Since the fall, we have been tempted to live for the praise and approval of others.
Man has always fallen into the fear of man.
Our stubborn, often subtle weakness for the esteem of others
has roots that stretch far and wide --
in society, in history, and too often in us.
And God hates people-pleasing.
The apostle warns,
“Am I now seeking the
approval of man, or of God?
Or am I trying to please man?
If I were still trying
to please man,
I would not be a servant of Christ”
(Galatians 1:10). No one can ultimately serve both God and man. And God knows whom we really serve (1 Thessalonians 2:4), whose pleasure we crave the most.
Jesus put his finger on the ancient fear of man when he confronted the proud people-pleasers of his day: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44). People-pleasing had blinded them to Jesus. Unchecked, it will cover our eyes as well. “They loved the glory that comes from man,” John 12:43 tells us, “more than the glory that comes from God.” That preference is the essence and danger of people-pleasing.
How to Kill People-PleasingSo, how do we expose our proneness to people-pleasing and begin putting it to death? Paul confronts this particular temptation head-on in two remarkably similar passages,
Ephesians 6:5–9 and Colossians 3:22–25,
both of which are specifically addressed to bondservants:
Bondservants, obey your earthly masters . . . not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers.
(Ephesians 6:5–6)
Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers. (Colossians 3:22)
The apostle calls servants to relate to their masters in countercultural ways, despite what they may be suffering and enduring. His admonitions, however, apply far beyond masters and servants, to bosses and employees, husbands and wives, parents and children, friends and neighbors. The two passages are a several-sentence textbook on how to resist people-pleasing in any relationship, including at least five important lessons.
1. Love with fear and trembling.Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling. (Ephesians 6:5)
The antidote to the fear of man is not fearlessness but a better, healthier, more life-giving fear: the fear of God. To avoid people-pleasing, we must love people with fear and trembling toward God. Much of our captivity to the feelings and desires of others stems from our relative indifference to the eyes and heart of heaven. We’ve developed a devastating allergy to trembling — the vital tremors any healthy soul feels before the awe-inspiring wonder of God (Psalm 96:9).
“The antidote to the fear of man is not fearlessness but a better, healthier, more life-giving fear: the fear of God.”Paul makes the same point in Colossians 3:22: “Obey in everything . . . not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” How many of us fear the disappointment or disapproval of others far more than we fear displeasing God? Subjecting our fears of one another to a greater fear of God will, over time, clarify and purify our motivations in relationships. Instead of constantly worrying what others might think or how they might respond, we need to spend more time meditating on the holiness, justice, and mercy of God.
2. Always do what God says to do.[Obey] not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. (Ephesians 6:6)
This lesson and exhortation may seem too simple to be practically helpful: Resolve to do what God says to do. “Do the will of God.” The people-pleaser desperately chases the wills of other people; the God-fearer focuses on discerning and pursuing the will of God. Well, yes, but how do we know what the will of God is in any given situation?
Paul answers that question with surprising clarity and simplicity: “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The will of God for you is that you be sanctified — that you steadily and progressively become more and more like him. When confronted with a decision, one good question to ask is, What choice will make me more like Jesus? What would make me rely most on God (2 Corinthians 1:9; 12:9)? What would help bring others closer to him (1 Peter 3:18)? What would bring him the most glory (John 17:4; 12:27–28)?
Many decisions, however, are not as black-and-white as we’d like. Typically, there isn’t a manifestly Jesus path and a manifestly sinful path. So, beyond the simplicity of our pursuing sanctification (holiness), Paul also says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). God-fearers listen as carefully as possible to all that God says in his word, meditating on his law day and night (Psalm 1:2), and then they strive to obey to the best of their knowledge and ability.
None of us will know all that God wants and commands at all times, but we cancommit to do, at all times, what we do know he has said to do.
3. Sacrifice the safety of superficiality.Obey in everything . . . not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart. (Colossians 3:22; Ephesians 6:5)
The sin of people-pleasing, almost by definition, presumes duplicity. If we’re constantly angling to do what pleases others, it is almost impossible to remain consistent or maintain integrity (especially if we’re trying to please several people at once). That means one way we battle people-pleasing is to prize and protect sincerity.
Do we alter ourselves before certain people in order to make or keep them happy? Do we act or speak a certain way to fit in with one crowd, and then transform ourselves to fit in somewhere else (perhaps in neither place being honest about who we really are)? Insincerity camouflages weaknesses and embellishes strengths. It hides secret sins and parades virtues. It’s self-protective, self-congratulating, and always projecting.
The call to sincerity is the call to put off and forsake all superficiality. No one, believer or otherwise, wants to be known as superficial, so why do so many still fall into its trap? In part, because superficiality makes us feel safe, important, successful. If we can project the image to others we love and admire, then we will be loved and admired, we think. The problem, of course, is that we (and God) know who we are behind all the elaborate costumes and performances. And so, whomever the people love, it is not really us.
Sincerity, not superficiality, is the surer path to peace, love, purpose, and freedom.
4. Obey God in public and in secret.Obey . . . with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service.(Ephesians 6:5–6; Colossians 3:22)
This test may be the most immediately enlightening: “not by the way of eye-service.” Or, not only when others are watching. Especially the particular people whose approval or praise we crave. This point overlaps with the previous one, but presses on the differences between our public self and our secret self — who we are when we are all alone. One of the surest ways to forfeit our souls is to use God merely to garner attention and applause for ourselves.
“One of the surest ways to forfeit our souls is to use God merely to garner attention and applause for ourselves.”“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them,” Jesus warns, “for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). The hypocrites, he says, announce themselves when they give to the needy, or pray, or fast “that they may be praised by others.” We hear the sobering severity in his next words: “Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:2). People-pleasers may enjoy the pleasure of earthly praise for a time, but if that is what they live to have, that is all they will ever have. A few more trophies at work, a few more compliments from friends, a few more likes on social media, a few more smiles and pats on the back — and then they lose everything.
To be done with people-pleasing, we have to see the shallow, shortsighted, ultimately empty rewards of people-pleasing. And we have to come awake to the enormous, never-ending, ever-escalating prize of pleasing God regardless of whether anyone else sees or not.
5. Seek your reward from God.Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. (Colossians 3:23–24; Ephesians 6:8)
People-pleasers may enjoy the pleasure of earthly praise, but only at the expense of a heavenly reward. Every time we prefer the glory of man to the glory of God, we believe the terrifying lie that the stray crumbs of human praise will be more satisfying than the wedding feast that awaits us (Revelation 19:9). Against the tragedy of people-pleasing hypocrisy, Jesus encourages us,
When you give to the needy [or pray or fast or love one another], do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:3–4)
We cannot measure the worth of this reward. For those who live to please him, God will not withhold any gift or pleasure. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Whatever we receive and experience in the new world God gives to us, no reward, accomplishment, or approval could ever have made us happier (Psalm 16:11). We starve the craving for the praise and approval of people by striving for what we can get only from God.
Please God, Love PeopleNow, pleasing God does not mean despising people. The Son of God himself “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He counted others and their interests more significant than his own (Philippians 2:3–5) — imagine that! He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Pleasing God does not release us from relentlessly and sacrificially loving people. It does release us from the tyranny of needing their praise or fearing their rejection.
So, please God and love people, like Christ. “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits,” worrying about how well he will be received or remembered by men, “since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4). Do all that you do before his loving, watchful, fearsome eyes. If we learn to rejoice and tremble before him (Psalm 2:11), the seduction of people-pleasing will wither and wane.
In Romans 1:16 Paul writes, “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.” The gospel is intended for all people. But, chronologically, the gospel message was first revealed to the Jewish people before it was revealed to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people).
The Jews are God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6–7). Through the Jews, God demonstrated His love and holiness to the world: “Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah” (Romans 9:4–5). It was through the seed of Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed” (Acts 3:25; cf. Genesis 22:18; 26:4). That promised blessing came through Jesus Christ, as explained in Galatians 3:16. Jesus was born as a Jew under the Law, fulfilled the Jewish Law perfectly, and died as a once-for-all sacrifice on behalf of all who would put their faith in Him (Galatians 4:4–5; Hebrews 9:14–15, 23–28).
In His public ministry, Jesus spoke of being sent to the Jews, and He focused His efforts on them. He was the Jewish Messiah, and He had come, in part, to “strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph” (Zechariah 10:6). On one occasion, Jesus seemed to rebuff the pleas of a Gentile woman (though He later helped her) in Matthew 15:21–28 (also see Matthew 10:5). Jesus predicted that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in [Christ’s] name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47, emphasis added). The gospel of the kingdom was to be a blessing to the whole world, but it was natural that it be first proclaimed to Israel.
When Paul speaks of the gospel
bringing
salvation “first to the Jew”
in Romans 1:16,
he alludes to the special relationship
the
Jews had to the Messiah.
The Christ was the Son of David,
and the
hope of the
Messiah
had long been held by the Jews
(see Luke 2:38).
So, when the
gospel of Christ was first proclaimed,
the
Jews had priority,
as it is
AGAIN
in the Last Days
We see this prioritization in Paul’s first missionary journey.
Every time they would come to a new city,
Paul and Barnabas would preach in the synagogue to the Jews in that city.
In Pisidian Antioch,
they were so opposed by the unbelieving Jews that the missionaries said,
“We had to speak the word of God to you first.
Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).
The persecution in Antioch continued, and Paul and Barnabas were eventually expelled,
so they went to the next town (verse 51).
There are several important things to note about Paul’s statement
that the
Power of God in the Gospel
“brings salvation
to everyone who believes: first to the Jew,
then to the Gentile.”
First, God did not cease saving Jews in order to save Gentiles.
In all of his missionary journeys,
Paul continued to
preach first in the synagogues
God continues to desire
The
salvation of all the world
(John 3:16–18; 1 Timothy 2:4)
The GLORY of God
is the
Beauty and Truth of his Spirit
It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty,
but the
beauty that emanates from His character,
from all that He is.
The glory of man
—human dignity and honor—fades
(1 Peter 1:24).
But the glory of God, which is manifested in all
His attributes together,
never passes away.
It is eternal.
Moses requested of God,
“Now show me your glory”
(Exodus 33:18).
In His response,
God equates His glory with “all my goodness”
(verse 19).
“But,” God said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (verse 20).
So, God hid Moses in “a cleft in the rock” to protect him from the
fulness of God’s glory as it passed by (verses 21–23).
No mortal can view God’s excelling splendor without being
utterly overwhelmed.
The glory of God puts the
pride
of man to shame:
“Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,
The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,
And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day”
(Isaiah 2:10–11, NKJV).
Often, in the Old Testament,
the manifestation of God’s glory
was accompanied by
supernatural fire, thick clouds, and a great quaking of the earth.
We see these phenomena when God
gave the law to Moses: “Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,
because the Lord descended on it in fire.
The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,
and the
whole mountain trembled violently”
(Exodus 19:18; see also Deuteronomy 5:24–25; 1 Kings 8:10–11; and Isaiah 6:1–4)
The prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God was full of fire and lightning and tumultuous sounds, after which he saw “what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds
on a rainy day,
so was the radiance around him
This was the appearance
of the likeness of the glory of the Lord”
(Ezekiel 1:26–28).
In the New Testament,
the
glory of God is revealed in
His Son, Jesus Christ:
“The
Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one
and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”
(John 1:14).
Jesus came as
“a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of [God’s] people Israel”
(Luke 2:32)
The miracles that Jesus did
were
“signs through which he revealed his glory”
(John 2:11)
In Christ, the glory of God
is meekly veiled, approachable, and
knowable.
He promises to return some day
“on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory”
(Matthew 24:30).
Isaiah 43:7 says that God saved Israel for
His glory—in the redeemed
will be seen the
distillation of
God’s grace and power and faithfulness.
The natural world also exhibits God’s glory, revealed to all men,
no matter their race, heritage, or location.
As Psalm 19:1–4 says,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim
the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech,
they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into
all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
Psalm 73:24 calls
heaven itself “glory.” Sometimes Christians speak of death as being
“received unto glory,”
a phrase borrowed from this psalm. When the Christian dies, he or she will be
taken into God’s presence and surrounded by God’s glory and majesty.
In that place, His glory will be seen clearly:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face”
(1 Corinthians 13:12).
In the future New Jerusalem,
the glory
of God will be manifest:
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp”
(Revelation 21:23).
God will not give His glory to another
(Isaiah 42:8; cf. Exodus 34:14).
Yet this is the very thing that people try to steal.
Scripture indicts all idolaters:
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and
exchanged the glory
of the immortal God
for
images made to look like
a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles”
(Romans 1:22–23).
Only God is eternal,
and
His perfect and eternal attributes
of
holiness, majesty, goodness, love, etc.,
are not to be exchanged
for the
imperfections and corruption of anything
in This World
Psalm 19:1 states,
“The heavens declare the Glory of God,
and the
sky above
Proclaims His handiwork.”
This is one of the clearest biblical statements that nature
itself is meant to show the greatness of God.
These words are in the present tense.
That is, the heavens
“are declaring,” and the sky “is proclaiming” the
creative work of God.
It’s a continual display.
What we see in nature is meant to constantly show us that
God exists
and tell us how amazing a Creator
He truly is.
Psalm 19:1 connects this idea that the universe did have a “beginning.”
At first, this idea was rejected by scientists as being theology, not science.
Over time, however, it became impossible to deny.
The fact that the universe “began” is something we can
see purely by
observing the heavens and the sky—just as Psalm 19:1
says.
Romans 1 also ties into this idea.
God has revealed enough of Himself in nature that
nobody has an
excuse for rejecting Him
or for
doing what is wrong
“Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities . . .
have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made”
(Romans 1:20).
The heavens Declare the Glory of God.
Because
“the heavens
Declare the Glory of God,”
we can be confident in using science to explore.
The more we know about the world around us,
the more glory we give to God.
The more we discover,
the more evidence we have that
He is the One responsible for
nature and its laws
Several times in his instruction to Timothy, Paul introduces content
as “a trustworthy statement”
(1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11).
The “trustworthy” designation highlights
what follows as an important and reliable principle.
Shortly after such an introduction, Paul remarks that
God cannot deny Himself
(2 Timothy 2:13).
In 2 Timothy 2:11 Paul introduces what reads like a poetic verse from a
hymn that includes four couplets.
The words may have already been familiar to Timothy, or Paul may have been simply
providing new content. Literally rendered, the passage reads like this:
“Since together we died, also together we will live;
since we are enduring, also together we will reign;
if we will deny, He will also
deny us;
if we are not faithful, He remains faithful, for
to deny Himself He cannot”
(2 Timothy 2:11–13).
In the first couplet (2 Timothy 2:11), Paul acknowledges that,
because we have died together
with Christ
(as in Colossians 2:20 and 3:3), we will live together with Him.
We will enjoy life everlasting
with Christ.
Paul states this as fact
(using the first class condition in the Greek)—this is not merely
an “if” but a “since.”
It is a fact that we have died together
(Paul uses the aorist tense, denoting the action is completed),
and it is a certainty
that in the future we will live
together with Christ
Next, Paul encourages
believers that, since we are enduring
(also assumed as fact, using the first class conditional),
then we will reign together with Him and each other (2 Timothy 2:12a).
As John explained it in Revelation,
believers overcome through Christ
who has
Himself overcome
(compare Revelation 2:7, 11; 3:5; 21:7, etc., with Revelation 5:5).
This is an encouragement for believers to persevere—and, assuming their endurance,
reminding that there is a
future of reward
and meaningful activity in store.
The third couplet (2 Timothy 2:12b) changes the tense of the (protasis) action from present
(as was used on the first two couplets) to future, rendering the first part of the couplet,
“if we deny in the future.”
If there is such a denial, then
He will also deny us
Jesus used similar terminology when He explained that,
if people denied Him
before men,
He would deny them before
the Father
(Matthew 10:33).
It is important
to NOTE
that Jesus was talking to
His twelve disciples
(Matthew 10:5; 11:1).
He explains that the Spirit
would be speaking through them
(Matthew 10:20),
and
He warns them of the
need to be
faithful in confessing Him before men
and
not denying Him--
He is challenging them
to be
faithful messengers for Him
There was reward
for confessing Him before men
(Matthew 10:32) and
consequences
for denying Him before men
(Matthew 10:33)
In 2 Timothy 2, Paul is challenging Timothy
to endure and fulfill his ministry,
which included
doing the work of a good-news proclaimer, or evangelist
(2 Timothy 4:5).
Paul challenges Timothy with the
importance of confessing
and
not denying Jesus
When Paul says that Jesus will deny us,
he is not talking about
loss of salvation or change in positional standing
before God.
Much like Jesus warned His twelve disciples,
Paul reminds Timothy
that there are consequences to
unfaithfulness in ministry
Paul had explained earlier in this context the
importance of engaging like a good soldier,
an athlete competing
according to the rules, and a hard-working farmer
(2 Timothy 2:3–6).
Paul had elsewhere explained that he was
working hard to be faithful
so he would
not be disqualified from ministry
(1 Corinthians 9:23–27)
He refers to faithfulness in practice,
and
Eternal Rewards
not
“loss of salvation”
as he explains after the fourth couplet in 2 Timothy 2:13:
God “cannot deny Himself”
(NKJV)
To ensure that people rightly understood
the rewards and consequences
of
faithfulness in the Christian life,
Paul told the
Corinthians that the works of all believers
would
one day
be assessed at Christ’s judgment seat
If those works stand the test,
the believer will be rewarded
(1 Corinthians 3:14).
If the works are burned up,
then the
believer will lose out on
the reward,
but he would not lose salvation
(1 Corinthians 3:15).
God cannot deny Himself
Once a person is
in Christ
(by belief in Him),
God remains faithful to that person--
He keeps His word
The one who believes has eternal life from the moment of faith
(e.g., John 6:47; Romans 8:29–31)
Nothing can separate a child of God from the love of God
(Romans 8:38–39),
because He is faithful to keep His promise.
God cannot deny Himself
Godly sorrow results from a heart-felt conviction
that we have
offended God by our sin
Such a burning conviction
produces
in our hearts a godly sorrow
As we look upon Him who was
pierced for our sins,
we are deeply grieved in spirit.
And we resolve within our hearts that we will,
with the help of God,
“cease to do evil, and learn to do good”
(Isaiah 1:16).
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!
Honesty is truthfulness
An honest person has the habit of
making accurate,
trustworthy statements
about life,
self, others and God
An honest person represents himself
just as he is and tells others the truth about themselves.
Honesty is not
“expressing everything that goes through your mind.”
That’s transparency, and a person can be
honest without being transparent.
However, no one can be consistently honest without a commitment to the truth.
Honesty will, at times, hurt someone’s feelings,
but that does not
mean that dishonesty is preferable.
Dishonesty is reproved in Scripture.
God does not accept a person
who
“practices deceit”
(Psalm 101:7),
and Jeremiah 9:5 says of a wicked society,
“Everyone deceives his neighbor,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
they weary
themselves committing iniquity.”
Speaking the truth, or honesty,
is a mark of
healthy human interaction.
A person who knows the
truth
but (for whatever reason)
says differently is a liar
The Bible emphasizes
the importance of making true statements about God.
To purposely misrepresent God is a serious offense.
A liar is defined,
first and foremost,
as someone who denies that
Jesus is the Christ
(1 John 2:22).
“Trusting in lies” is consistent with forgetting God
(Jeremiah 13:25).
And those who claim to know God but contradict Him, add to His words, or
refuse to follow or accept His commands are also called liars
(1 John 2:4; 5:10; Proverbs 30:
Honesty
as a character quality
is a
sign of the Spirit’s work
in a person’s soul
God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18); therefore,
His presence in a person gives
rise to
truthfulness
God’s people are honest
Humankind is not naturally honest (Psalm 116:11). Dishonesty has worldly rewards–lying can often bring financial gain, power, or temporary satisfaction. But the rewards come at a price. Dishonesty leads to more and more wickedness (Proverbs 17:4). Lying to fulfill worldly desires ultimately results in the loss of everything a person has, including his life. Hell’s inhabitants will include “all liars” (Revelation 21:8). “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
While it is sometimes tempting to lie, misrepresent ourselves, or downplay uncomfortable truths in an effort to avoid conflict, dishonesty is never good for relationships. Speaking dishonest words in order to avoid conflict is flattery (Psalm 12:2). Again, at times honesty will hurt the feelings of others. It’s inevitable.
Remember the words of the wise:
“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses”
(Proverbs 27:6).
A friend is willing to wound with the truth; sweet words, if lies, are the enemies of our soul.
Above all, the
honest person is concerned with telling the truth about God and
fostering the spiritual growth of other people (Ephesians 4:29).
Those who follow Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6),
will speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
To trespass
is to go beyond one’s right
by
violating a boundary or a law
When we trespass on someone’s property, we
violate the physical boundaries they have in place.
In a similar way,
we trespass
when we
violate God’s moral law
or the
rights of other people
Ephesians 2:1 shows how serious it is to trespass against God’s commands:
“You were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
The words trespass and sin can be used interchangeably, and it is possible that Paul uses both terms here for emphasis’ sake or to refer to all sorts of sins. It could also be that the thought in Ephesians 2:1 is that,
while all are guilty of inherited sin through Adam (Romans 5:12), we are
also guilty
of individual
trespasses against God’s law
However we interpret it, Scripture says we are all trespassers.
The Greek word most often translated
“trespass” in the New Testament literally
means
“a false step”
It implies a falling away after being close beside.
It is a tripping up, a deviation of course, a stumble away
from the truth, or a falling over of some kind.
Trespasses can be intentional or non-intentional.
The trespass offering
(or guilt offering) in the Old Testament was
offered by those who
realized
they had inadvertently committed a
sin against the sanctified items of the tabernacle
(Leviticus 5).
“We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). We all trespass. A husband can trespass against his wife by dealing harshly with her, causing her to pull away (Colossians 3:19).
A friend can trespass against another friend by
breaking a trust or betraying a confidence
(Proverbs 18:19).
Trespasses
have a way of
catching us as if in a trap
(Galatians 6:1).
Jesus taught us how to deal with trespasses and offenses in Matthew 18:15–17.
He also taught that we are to forgive those who trespass against us so that our Father will forgive us
Matthew 6:12; 18:23–35
We all trespass against God because we are all sinful (Romans 3:23). God posted His “No Trespassing” signs, and we violated His boundaries. But God is willing to forgive our trespasses when we confess them to Him and place our faith in Christ (1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19). Jesus took our trespasses upon Himself on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). His death and resurrection removed the barrier that our trespasses and sins created between us and God (Colossians 2:14). When we repent of our sin and receive Christ by faith, His blood cancels our trespasses, and God pronounces us righteous.
In his second letter,
Peter explains that Christians do not just believe
cunningly devised fables:
“We did not
follow cunningly devised fables
when we made known to you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but
were eyewitnesses of His majesty”
(2 Peter 1:16, NKJV).
Peter and the other
disciples didn’t concoct fables or myths; rather,
they recorded what they saw and heard.
Peter points out that they were actually there on the mountain
when
Christ was transfigured (or glorified),
and they heard the Father affirm Christ, saying,
“This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”
(2 Peter 1:17–18, ESV)
Peter could lean on his own personal experience, as could the other disciples,
to confidently say that
Christians are not simply believing cunningly devised fables.
However, Peter appeals to something even more reliable than their experience.
Peter adds that the prophetic message is even more certain
(2 Peter 1:19)
God’s revelation in Scripture
is an even more reliable and trustworthy
way to know the truth about God.
As reliable as Peter’s experience was, the
written Word of God is even more trustworthy.
As Peter points out the certainty of prophecy in Scripture,
he reminds his readers that the
prophets themselves relied on God,
not their own understanding
(2 Peter 1:20).
Peter explains that the prophecies were
made not by human will,
but by the
Holy Spirit moving the writers.
The prophets accurately recorded the
Word of God
(2 Peter 1:21).
Christians believe in actual historical events involving
actual historical persons.
They do not just believe cunningly
devised fables
Peter helps us understand an important principle about interpreting the Bible.
Readers don’t determine the meaning of the Bible;
the Author does. Often people ask, “What does the text mean to me?”
but Peter gives us a better question to ask:
“What did God say?”
The meaning of a passage
isn’t different for one reader than for another,
because it is from the Holy Spirit and recorded by the men
He chose to speak through. Certainly,
there are different applications based on a reader’s situation,
but the meaning doesn’t change.
It means what it says.
Because of the certainty and reliability of the Bible,
Christians can have confidence that the
Scriptures will accurately guide them (see Psalm 119:105).
What they read in those pages is
not a collection of cunningly devised
fables
Jesus really did heal the sick, teach the multitudes, die, and rise again.
These are facts of history.
Peter also reminds us that,
even when we may be unsure of or doubt our experience,
we can be sure of what
God has said.
We ought to shape our beliefs and understanding
by what the Scriptures say.
Without the certainty the Bible provides, we would not have a
standard for discerning the truth
from
cunningly devised fables.
As it is, we have
“something completely reliable, and [we] will do well to pay attention to it,
as to a light shining in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning star rises in [our] hearts”
(2 Peter 1:19)
That message, Peter says, is even more reliable than our own experience.
An unrepentant person
knows
that he or she has sinned and
refuses to ask God
for forgiveness
or turn away from the sin.
The unrepentant show
no remorse for their wrongdoing and
don’t feel the need to change.
Unrepentance is the sin
of willfully remaining sinful.
Repentance is a change of mind
that results
in a change of action.
Repentance leads to life (Acts 11:18),
and it is a
necessary part of salvation
God commands everyone to repent and have
faith in Christ
(Acts 2:38; 17:30; 20:21).
Unrepentance is therefore a serious sin with
dire consequences
The unrepentant live in a state of
disobedience to God,
unheeding of His gracious call.
The unrepentant remain unsaved
until they turn from their sin
and embrace Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote,
“Whoever remains stiff-necked
after many rebukes will
suddenly
be destroyed—without remedy”
(Proverbs 29:1)
To be
stiff-necked is to have a stubborn,
obstinate spirit
that makes one unresponsive to
God’s guidance or correction.
The stiff-necked are, by definition,
unrepentant
The apostle Paul warned of the
consequences of unrepentance:
“Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart,
you are
storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath,
when his
righteous judgment will be revealed.
God
‘will repay each person according to
what they have done.’
To those who by persistence in
doing good seek glory,
honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,
there will be wrath and anger.
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil”
(Romans 2:5–9; cf. Psalm 62:12).
There is a judgment coming.
The results of righteousness will be beautiful, but the
consequences of unrepentance will be harsh.
In essence, “hypocrisy”
refers to the
act of claiming to believe
something but
acting
in a different manner
The word is derived from the Greek term for “actor”--
literally, “one who wears a mask”—in other words,
someone who pretends to be what he is not.
The Bible calls hypocrisy a sin. There are two forms hypocrisy can take: that of professing belief in something and then acting in a manner contrary to that belief, and that of looking down on others when we ourselves are flawed.
The prophet Isaiah condemned the hypocrisy of his day: “The Lord says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men’” (Isaiah 29:13). Centuries later, Jesus quoted this verse, aiming the same condemnation at the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 15:8-9). John the Baptist refused to give hypocrites a pass, telling them to produce “fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). Jesus took an equally staunch stand against sanctimony—He called hypocrites “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15), “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27), “snakes,” and “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33).
We cannot say we love God if we do not love our brothers (1 John 2:9). Love must be “without hypocrisy” (Romans 12:9, NKJV). A hypocrite may look righteous on the outside, but it is a façade. True righteousness comes from the inner transformation of the Holy Spirit not an external conformity to a set of rules (Matthew 23:5; 2 Corinthians 3:8).
Jesus addressed the other form of hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust
in your brother’s eye
and PAY
no attention to the plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Jesus is not teaching against discernment or helping others overcome sin; instead, He is telling us not be so prideful and convinced of our own goodness that we criticize others from a position of self-righteousness. We should do some introspection first and correct our own shortcomings before we go after the “specks” in others (cf. Romans 2:1).
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He had many run-ins with the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees. These men were well versed in the Scriptures and zealous about following every letter of the Law (Acts 26:5). However, in adhering to the letter of the Law, they actively sought loopholes that allowed them to violate the spirit of the Law. Also, they displayed a lack of compassion toward their fellow man and were often overly demonstrative of their so-called spirituality in order to garner praise (Matthew 23:5–7; Luke 18:11). Jesus denounced their behavior in no uncertain terms, pointing out that “justice, mercy, and faithfulness” are more important than pursuing a perfection based on faulty standards (Matthew 23:23). Jesus made it clear that the problem was not with the Law but the way in which the Pharisees implemented it (Matthew 23:2-3). Today, the word pharisee has become synonymous with hypocrite.
It must be noted that hypocrisy is not the same as taking a stand against sin. For example, it is not hypocrisy to teach that drunkenness is a sin, unless the one teaching against drunkenness gets drunk every weekend--thatwould be hypocrisy.
As children of God, we are called to strive for holiness (1 Peter 1:16). We are to “hate what is evil” and “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). We should never imply an acceptance of sin, especially in our own lives. All we do should be consistent with what we believe and who we are in Christ.
Play-acting
is
meant for the stage,
not for real life
The book of Revelation shows how inured to sin the sinner can be. During the tribulation, after three different judgments of God, the wicked will remain unrepentant, despite their great suffering (Revelation 9:20–21; 16:8–11). The tragedy is that, even as some people are experiencing the horrendous consequences of their sin, they will continue in their state of unrepentance.
Is there such a thing as an unrepentant Christian? Biblically, to become a Christian, one must repent and believe; a believer in Christ is one who has repented of sin. What, then, of professed believers who live in unrepentant sin? Most likely, they are not saved; they are mere professors, with no work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. The apostle John states it bluntly: “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth” (1 John 1:6). The other possibility is that people claiming to be saved yet living in unrepentant sin are saved but acting in disobedience—in which case their unrepentance is a temporary hardness of heart, and God will discipline them (Hebrews 12:4–13). There is a sin unto death for the believer (1 John 5:16; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:29–31), but, barring that extreme circumstance, God will eventually restore His disobedient child to fellowship (see 1 Corinthians 5:1–5).
The unrepentant sinner needs to hear the good news of
God’s salvation.
God’s goodness leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4),
and He is a God of forbearance and longsuffering. Christians should confess their own sins, pray for the unrepentant, and evangelize the unsaved: “Opponents [of the truth] must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25–26).
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. Correspondingly, the term unstable is analogous to a drunken man unable to walk a straight line, swaying one way, then another. 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).
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).
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).
n John 13 Jesus begins teaching His faithful disciples in what has come to be known as His “Upper Room Discourse.” In that great discourse, Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all the truth (John 16:13). Many wonder whether this is something that applies to us as well or simply to the disciples. In the context, Jesus helps us understand the specificity of His promise that the Holy Spirit will “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13, NKJV).
First, it is worth noting that some English translations say
“all truth,”
while the Greek New Testament actually includes the definite article, so a more precise way to translate what Jesus said is that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all the truth. There is a specific truth to which He is referring, and the Holy Spirit would guide them into that.
Specifically, the
Spirit would reveal what the Son and the Father would have Him disclose
(John 16:13–15)—things about Jesus (John 16:14).
Jesus had already told the disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit—the Helper—who would teach them and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had said to them (John 14:26). Jesus’ later reference (in John 16:13) to the coming of the Holy Spirit and His work of guiding them into all the truth was fulfilled literally. Peter later said that God moved the writers of Scripture, and they spoke from God (2 Peter 1:21). When Matthew wrote his gospel, for example, Matthew didn’t need to borrow from anyone; he was in the room when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. It seems that Mark, who served alongside Peter for some time, wrote down Peter’s account (as church historian Eusebius suggests in his History, 24:5–8). Luke researched reliable sources (presumably including the disciples) as he wrote his account of Jesus’ ministry (Luke 1:1–4). John, another eyewitness, wrote his own gospel, stating that what he had written provided sufficient information for people to believe in Jesus and have life in His name (John 20:30–31).
Before the disciples would begin their ministry, they were to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). After the Holy Spirit came, the disciples were equipped for their work, and we see them proclaiming powerfully the gospel of Jesus Christ (e.g., Peter in Acts 2—4). The Holy Spirit had indeed guided them into the truth (John 16:13) and brought to their remembrance what Jesus had said to them (John 14:26).
While we certainly benefit from that work of the Holy Spirit—as we have the writings of these men whom the Holy Spirit guided into the truth—it is clear from other contexts that this is not how the Holy Spirit works with all believers. Guiding into the truth was simply a purpose for which He was sent to empower and equip the disciples. Paul tells Timothy, for example, that Timothy should be diligent as a workman, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Timothy would have to work to understand what had been written, and he would have to be diligent to hold true and pass along the things he had heard from Paul (2 Timothy 2:2). Similarly,
we are told that all Scripture is from
God’s mouth
and is profitable for believers’ growth and equipping
(2 Timothy 3:16–17).
We are thankful for and benefit greatly from the
Holy Spirit guiding the apostles into all the truth,
and we recognize that, because of the
Spirit’s work through the disciples, we have His record: the Bible.
We should be diligent
in studying the Bible
to
know the Lord better
The city of Corinth was prominent in the first century. It is located in Greece on an isthmus between the Aegean and Ionian Seas, which guaranteed its importance both militarily and commercially. Corinth was the capital of the Roman province Achaia. It was a prosperous city but also known for its immorality. Because of Corinth’s sordid reputation, a new Greek word was coined, korinthiazomai, which meant “to live immorally like a Corinthian.”
Acts 18 tells of Paul’s ministry in Corinth during his second missionary journey. Paul came to Corinth from Athens, which was about 45 miles away. In Corinth he met Aquila and Priscilla and worked with them in the tentmaking trade. Paul used the income he earned to preach the gospel without relying upon support from others. Paul preached in the synagogue every Sabbath. When the Jews en masse would not respond, Paul decided to take the message to the Gentiles. His ministry resulted in the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles, so the church in Corinth was made up of both. Paul ministered in Corinth for about a year and a half.
During Paul’s time in Corinth, opposition against him began to grow. The unbelieving Jews in the city brought charges against Paul before the Roman proconsul, but he refused to get involved in a Jewish religious dispute. Paul stayed a bit longer but eventually moved on to Ephesus. Paul remained in contact with the Corinthian church through letters and personal emissaries, sending them warnings and instruction. The books of 1 and 2 Corinthians are just two of the letters that he sent to them to address issues and concerns.
Paul’s letters to the Corinthians make up his largest body of work directed to an individual congregation. These two letters address problem areas that are still often problems in churches today.
The church at Corinth had divided loyalty to different leaders.
Paul rejects this disunity,
telling the church members to
focus on Christ.
The individual leaders should
only
point them to Christ.
In conjunction with this, some people were questioning Paul’s character and authority
(1 Corinthians 1—4).
There was gross immorality in the Corinthian church, and it was being tolerated. Paul tells the church they must exercise church discipline (1 Corinthians 5—6). Also, believers were taking each other to court, and Paul says they should handle disagreements among themselves (1 Corinthians 6).
There was some confusion about whether or not it was better to be married or single, and how married people should relate to each other. Paul clarifies those issues for them and for the church today (1 Corinthians 7).
Because of the mixed background of the church in Corinth, food was an area of conflict and concern. Jews had strict dietary laws while Gentiles did not. How could they maintain table fellowship? Also, meat sold in the marketplace may have been sacrificed to an idol before being sold. Could a Christian eat that meat? And how should a Christian respond to a fellow believer who holds a different opinion? Paul says that the Christian is free to eat anything as long as he is not actively participating in idol worship. However, if one Christian’s freedom causes spiritual harm to another believer by enticing him to do something against his conscience, Paul says the Christian should voluntarily curtail his freedom for the sake of his fellow Christian (1 Corinthians 8—10).
Paul also addresses the extent of women’s involvement in worship services and deals with problems the Corinthians were having in their gatherings, including abuses of the Lord’s Supper and their misuse of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 11—14). In the midst of all the confusion, love should be the guiding principle (1 Corinthians 13).
The Corinthians were also confused about the future resurrection. It seems that some of them were questioning whether or not those who had died in Christ would be raised bodily. Paul affirms that, just as Jesus rose bodily, so also will all believers (1 Corinthians 15).
Paul also gives the Corinthian church instructions on giving money to support ministry, and he enjoins the principle of “grace giving” vs. an obligation based on a set percentage (1 Corinthians 16).
In 2 Corinthians, Paul has to cover much of the same territory again. False teachers had followed Paul and tried to convince the Corinthians that he was not a legitimate apostle or that they, the false teachers, were much better than Paul. In his second epistle, Paul has to defend his calling and reiterate and expand upon his previous instructions, as well as correct the church’s misapplication of his previous letter.
The New Testament does not give us any further information about the church at Corinth; however, Clement of Rome wrote a letter to them, probably near the end of the first century (almost 50 years after Paul’s time ministering there), and he had to deal with some of the same issues again.
Over the years, the city of Corinth began to decline in size and influence. There is evidence of a continuing Christian presence in Corinth for centuries, but how biblical it was at any point in time is difficult to ascertain. In 1858, the ancient city of Corinth was completely destroyed by an earthquake. A new city was rebuilt. Today, the city of Corinth is officially under the Church of Greece (part of the Greek Orthodox Church) under the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. There is a small evangelical presence in Greece today, but it is often oppressed if not persecuted outright by the Greek Orthodox authorities.
In spite of all the problems the church at Corinth had, Paul refers to them as “those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people” (1 Corinthians 1:2). It would be easy to read 1 and 2 Corinthians smugly, given the multitude of their problems, yet the same problems present in Corinth are found in the church today. The church in the 21st century still needs 1 and 2 Corinthians to know how to deal with today’s issues.
Timothy had incredible advantages. He was taught the Word of God by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5), and he was discipled by Paul and served with Paul in ministry for years. Timothy knew the Word of God and was well-equipped. Even still, Paul tells Timothy that he needed to be diligent in the study of the Word and in rightly dividing the Word of truth. Without that continuing diligence in the Word, Timothy would not be able to stand firm, and he would not be able to maintain sound teaching. Paul warned Timothy to pay attention to himself and to his teaching (1 Timothy 4:16). Because all Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, it is exactly what we need in order to be equipped for every good work God intends for us (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Paul encourages Timothy to be diligent to present himself as a workman approved by God who would not need to be ashamed because he was rightly dividing or accurately handling the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). First, Paul’s instruction makes it clear that the study of the Bible is work. It takes effort. It takes diligence. We need to be committed to doing that work if we desire to be equipped for what God intends us to do in life. Second, Paul helps us to focus on the idea that this work in the Word is not about the approval of other people. Rather, it is God who is assessing how we handle His Word, and so we are studying His Word for Him. Also, we understand that, if we are diligent, we will not need to be ashamed because we will have been faithful with the remarkable stewardship of His Word. Sometimes we may take for granted that we have His completed Word—the Bible. We may be unaware of how many people suffered and died to provide us the freedom and opportunity to own our own Bibles and read them in our own language. How sad would it be if we took this—one of the very greatest of freedoms—and were not diligent to make the most of it?
Paul’s final comment in 2 Timothy 2:15 is helpful because it tells us what success looks like in the study of the Word: to be “rightly dividing” the Word of truth (NKJV). The Greek word translated as “rightly dividing” is orthotomounta--ortho means “right or proper,” and tomounta means “to cut.” Literally, success in handling the Word is to cut it properly or correctly. This is farming imagery, as a farmer who is plowing a field would seek to cut straight furrows in order to plant rows of seed. When plowing, a farmer would look at a point on the other side of the field and focus on that point to ensure the line cut in the dirt was straight. This is what the good student of the Word is doing, as well: remaining focused on the goal or outcome and being diligent to handle the Word of God properly. To rightly divide the Word of truth is to “cut it straight.”
Ultimately, in studying the Word, we are trying to understand what the Author has said and not allow our own opinions or views to cloud the meaning of what He has written. When we are diligent to “cut straight”—to rightly divide the Word of truth—we can understand what He has communicated in His Word and be well-equipped for what He would have us to do and how He would have us to think.
In Matthew 21:44, Jesus says, "He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." The key to understanding this statement lies in the context of the verse and the larger conversation Jesus was having.
Jesus was teaching in the temple courts when the chief priests and elders approached Him and demanded to know the source of His authority. In response, Jesus asked them about John the Baptist—was he a prophet of God or not? The religious leaders, fearing the people’s response, refused to reveal their true opinion on the matter. In turn, Jesus refused to reveal the source of His authority (Matthew 21:23-27). In doing so, Jesus made it clear that the Jewish leaders themselves had no authority to judge Him.
Jesus then related two parables concerning vineyards. In the first, Jesus told of two sons who were told by their father to go work in the vineyard. The first son initially refused but later changed his mind and went to work. The second son promised to work, but he never went to the vineyard. Jesus applied this to the religious leaders of Israel, who were like the second son—they expressed agreement with the Father but, in the final analysis, were disobedient. The sinners who responded to John the Baptist’s message were like the first son—they seemed unlikely candidates for heaven, but they repented and thus will enter the kingdom (verses 28-32).
In the second parable, Jesus tells of a landowner who, at harvest time, sent some servants to his vineyard to collect the fruit. However, the farmers who were tending the vineyard were a wicked lot, and when the servants arrived, the farmers beat some of them and killed others. Finally, the landowner sent his own son to collect the fruit, expecting that the farmers would show him respect. But the farmers treated the son worst of all, throwing him out of the vineyard and killing him (Matthew 21:33-39).
Jesus then asks a question: "When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" (Matthew 21:40). The chief priests and elders respond, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end" (Matthew 21:41). Jesus then presses His point home with a quotation from Psalm 118: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes" (Matthew 21:42). After a warning that the religious leaders will not inherit the kingdom (Matthew 21:43), we come to the statement in question, which is the culmination of a series of dire pronouncements aimed at the chief priests and elders.
Jesus begins with a question about John the Baptist in Matthew 21:25, but by the end of the conversation, Jesus is plainly speaking of Himself, referring to a "father" sending his "son" who was killed (Matthew 21:37). He then immediately quotes a Messianic prophecy (Matthew 21:42), in effect claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah. The progression is logical: a rejection of John leads one naturally to a rejection of Christ, to whom John pointed (John 1:29, 3:30).
The stone which "the builders rejected" in verse 42 is Jesus. Although rejected, He nevertheless becomes the "chief cornerstone" (NKJV). See also Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; and 1 Peter 2:6-8. The builders’ rejection of the stone is a reference to Christ’s crucifixion. The Lord’s choice of the stone to be the cornerstone is a reference to Christ’s resurrection. God chose His Son, despised and rejected by the world, to be the foundation of His church (1 Corinthians 3:11). "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation" (Isaiah 28:16).
Now, there are consequences for coming into contact with a stone. If you trip over the edge of a rock and fall on it, you may break some bones. If a large enough rock falls on top of you, you may be killed. Jesus uses these truths to deliver a warning to the Jewish leaders.
The stone in verse 44 is also Jesus. In saying that those who fall on this stone "will be broken to pieces," Jesus is warning against opposing Him. Defying Jesus is like beating one’s head against a solid rock—a foolish action. In saying that those upon whom the stone falls "will be crushed," Jesus is warning against ignoring Him or trivializing Him. Apathy towards Jesus is like standing in the way of a falling rock—another foolish action. "I am here to do God’s work," Jesus essentially says. "The foundation for the church will be laid. It is unwise to oppose Me because God’s work is not inconsequential."
Rejection of the Savior is fatal. Unfortunately, many do reject Him. "He will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall" (Isaiah 8:14). To persistently reject the Savior is to court judgment so severe that the only thing left will be dust. The prophet Daniel gives a similar picture of the Messiah, likening Him to a rock "cut out, but not by human hands," which smashes into the nations of the world and completely obliterates them (Daniel 2:31-45).
Matthew 21:44 is a call to faith, an appeal to open one’s eyes and see that Jesus is indeed the Son of God sent into the world. The verse is also a strict warning against rejecting Jesus Christ. He is the sure Rock of salvation for those who believe, but an immovable stumbling stone for those who do not.
In Matthew 5—7 Matthew records Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In that historic message, Jesus challenges His listeners to change their minds about how they can be part of His kingdom, saying at one point that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will be saved (Matthew 7:21). To that point many believed that just by being related to Abraham and Moses and by obeying the Law of Moses they were assured of their place in God’s kingdom. Jesus counters that notion directly.
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Leading up to this statement, He had explained that His hearers’ righteousness must exceed even the righteousness of those who were most faithfully obeying the outward expressions of the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:20). He added that righteousness does not come from external obedience to laws and that, by their internal thought violations of those laws, they all were guilty (Matthew 5:21–47). In short, Jesus presented them with a standard they hadn’t considered before: they must be perfect like their heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Of course, living up to that standard is impossible. That is why Jesus proclaimed that people need to repent—to change their minds—about how they could be part of God’s kingdom. They thought they simply needed to be of a certain bloodline and obey a set of laws. Jesus smashed those ideas, pointing them to the actual standard: perfection.
Jesus further explains that the only way to achieve this perfection (since no one can do it on his own) is to have it provided. Ultimately, Jesus would go to the cross to pay for the imperfection of all of us (1 Corinthians 15:1–3) so that by believing in Him we can have life in His name (John 20:31). Jesus was clear—and the apostles after Him—that to be declared righteous by God is to receive grace through faith; righteousness does not come by works or human effort (John 3:16; 6:47; Ephesians 2:8–9).
The recipe is so simple, but we still want to do things our own way. People still want to justify themselves by their own efforts. If we could do that, we would have reason to boast, and we all, it seems, want to have reason to boast in ourselves. In Matthew 7:15–20 Jesus warns His audience about false prophets who will teach deceitfully about righteousness and bear the fruits of that falsehood. Jesus explains that these false prophets can be recognized by their fruits, even if their words are deceptive. Their words may come across as words of righteousness, but they aren’t faithful to the recipe that God provided. In fact, Jesus says, many of them will even call Him “Lord,” but their teachings and their deeds do not align with the will of God. Not everyone who says to Him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter His kingdom (Matthew 7:21). That honor is reserved for those who actually do His will. What is the will of God? That people change their minds (i.e., repent) about how they become righteous before God and come to Him with faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
Simply saying the right things doesn’t grant us God’s righteousness. Not everyone who says to Him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter His kingdom (Matthew 7:21). In Genesis 15:6 we discover that belief in the Lord is credited as righteousness. This is a magnificent and liberating truth. We can’t be perfect on our own, but He is perfect and has sacrificed and paid the penalty so that we can have forgiveness of sin and His righteousness. When we receive these by faith in Him, we are at that moment transferred to His kingdom (Colossians 1:13), and we look forward to the arrival of that kingdom on earth (Colossians 3:1–4).
Matthew 10:34–36 describes Jesus telling the disciples that He came not to bring peace to the world, but a sword. Jesus’ sword was never a literal one. In fact, when Peter took up a sword to defend Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus rebuked him and told him to put away his sword, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Why then, did Jesus say, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” What kind of sword did Jesus come to bring?
Among the names of Jesus Christ is that of Prince of Peace. Such verses as Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:14, and John 14:27 make it clear that Jesus came to bring peace, but that peace is between the man and God. Those who reject God and the only way of salvation through Jesus (John 14:6) will find themselves perpetually at war with God. But those who come to Him in repentance will find themselves at peace with God. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are restored to a relationship of peace with God (Romans 5:1).
Still, it is inevitable that there will be conflict between good and evil, the Christ and the antichrist, the light and the darkness, the children of God (believers) and the children of the devil (those who refuse Christ). Conflict must arise between the two groups, and this can and does happen within a family in which some are believers and others are not. We should seek to be at peace with all men but should never forget that Jesus warned we will be hated for His sake. Because those who reject Him hate Him, they will hate His followers as well (John 15:18).
In Matthew 10:34–36, Jesus said He had come at this time not to bring peace to the earth, but a sword, a weapon which divides and severs. As a result of His visit to the earth, some children would be set against parents and a man’s enemies might be those within his own household. This is because many who choose to follow Christ are hated by their family members. This may be part of the cost of discipleship, for love of family should not be greater than love for the Lord. A true disciple must take up his cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24). He must be willing to face not only family hatred, but also death, like a criminal carrying his cross to his own execution. True followers of Christ must be willing to give up, even to the point of “hating” all that is in our lives, even our own families, if we are to be worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37–39). In so doing, we find our lives in return for having given them up to Jesus Christ.
Romans 1 paints a disturbing picture about people who have rebelled against God. Part of the indictment against them is that “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Romans 1:25). In exchanging the truth for a lie, these people have “worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”
In the first few chapters of Romans, Paul explains how all humanity is guilty before God and how God intervened with a means for the forgiveness of that guilt. Paul calls this the gospel, or the good news. He says that this good news is God’s ability to save all who believe in Jesus (Romans 1:16–17). Before establishing how God resolved the problem, Paul explains the depth of the problem.
God’s wrath is revealed against
all ungodliness
and unrighteousness.
The ungodly suppress God’s truth in their unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). It is unrighteous of them to suppress His truth because He made His truth so evident to them (Romans 1:19). Truth is part of His revelation to them and an expression of His love. His invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen through what He has made (Romans 1:20). Consequently, all of humanity are without excuse—which makes it all the more heinous that humanity has exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
Even though fallen (or unrighteous) humanity knew God, they did not honor Him or thank Him for all He had done for humanity (Romans 1:21). Instead, humanity became foolish in their speculations, and their hearts were darkened further (Romans 1:21b). While humanity professed to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:22). They could have had a relationship with their Creator; instead, they exchanged “the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:23). Consequently, God gave them over to impurity to fulfill the lusts of their hearts, to the dishonor even of their own bodies (Romans 1:24).
God gave them over because they had exchanged the truth for a lie (Romans 1:25). They had chosen to worship that which was created instead of the One who created everything. God gave them over further to degrading passions (Romans 1:26–27) and to depraved minds (Romans 1:28–29) because they did not see fit to acknowledge Him. Rather than acknowledge and thank their Creator, they exchanged the truth for a lie and chose to worship anything and everything else.
Paul explains that the consequences of exchanging the truth for a lie were fitting. God allowed humanity to pursue their passions, and it led to further depravity and evil (Romans 1:28–31). Paul’s indictment is chilling. He says that all who do these things are worthy of death (Romans 1:32; cf. Romans 6:23).
When we examine the list of sinful expressions that are worthy of death (Romans 1:29–31), we realize that it is not just they who have exchanged the truth for a lie, but it is also we. We are guilty. We have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). None of us are good or righteous in His sight (Romans 3:12). Paul wants everyone to understand that we are all guilty—we have all earned the wages of sin: death.
Paul did not write his letter to the Romans simply to show that all are condemned. He wrote to proclaim the gospel of God. While the wages of sin is indeed death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23b). Paul champions this wonderful news that God loved us so much that, while we were dead in our sin, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). All who believe in Him are reconciled to God and are saved (Romans 5:9–10). We are given new life and can embrace the truth rather than exchanging the truth for a lie.
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).
The concept of “binding and loosing” is taught in the Bible in Matthew 16:19: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In this verse, Jesus is speaking directly to the apostle Peter and indirectly to the other apostles. Jesus’ words meant that Peter would have the right to enter the kingdom himself, that he would have general authority symbolized by the possession of the keys, and that preaching the gospel would be the means of opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers and shutting it against unbelievers. The book of Acts shows us this process at work. By his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-40), Peter opened the door of the kingdom for the first time. The expressions “bind” and “loose” were common to Jewish legal phraseology meaning to declare something forbidden or to declare it allowed.
Peter and the other disciples were to continue Christ’s work on earth in preaching the gospel and declaring God’s will to men and they were armed with the same authority as He possessed. In Matthew 18:18, there is also a reference to the binding and loosing in the context of church discipline. The apostles do not usurp Christ’s lordship and authority over individual believers and their eternal destiny, but they do exercise the authority to discipline and, if necessary, excommunicate disobedient church members.
It’s not that the apostles were given the privilege of changing God’s mind, as if whatever they decided on earth would be duplicated in heaven; rather, they were encouraged that, as they moved forward in their apostolic duties, they would be fulfilling God’s plan in heaven. When the apostles “bound” something, or forbade it on earth, they were carrying out the will of God in the matter. When they “loosed” something, or allowed it on earth, they were likewise fulfilling God’s eternal plan. In both Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, the syntax of the Greek text makes the meaning clear: “Whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens” (Matthew 16:19, Young’s Literal Translation). Or, as the Amplified Bible puts it, “Whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”
Jesus taught that the apostles had a special task on earth. Their words of authority, as recorded in the New Testament epistles, reflect God’s will for the church. When Paul declared an anathema on those who pervert the gospel, then we know that anathema was already declared in heaven (see Galatians 1:8–9).
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). This statement of Jesus has become somewhat of an idiom in Western culture and is found, paraphrased, in Uncle Ben’s words of wisdom to Peter Parker in Spider-man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
The idea of “to whom much is given, much will be required” is that we are held responsible for what we have.
If we are blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is
expected that we use these well to glorify God and benefit others.
In context, Jesus had just told a parable about being ready for His return.
His disciple Peter asked if the parable was for just them or for everyone. Jesus replied with another parable in which He defines the “faithful and wise manager” as one who gives out food and other allowances “at the proper time.” When the master returns and finds the faithful servant managing his resources well, he “put him in charge of all his possessions”
(Luke 12:42–44).
We have been entrusted with certain things, and faithfulness requires that we
manage those things wisely and
unselfishly
Jesus continued the parable with a contrast: “Suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows” (Luke 12:44–47). The unfaithful servant mismanages the master’s resources to satiate his own greed, and Jesus warns that judgment is certain for that servant. The Lord then summarizes the point of the parable with these words: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (verse 48, ESV). A related parable that also deals with stewardship is the Parable of the Talents (or the Parable of the Bags of Gold) in Matthew 25:14–30.
It is easy to assume that only wealthy people have been “given much,” but, in truth, we have all been given much (1 Corinthians 4:7). We have been granted the abundant grace of God (Ephesians 1:3–10; 3:16–21; Romans 5:8–11; 8:14–17), the Word of God, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–21; 16:13; Romans 12:6). “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).
We should also not assume that the less we know about God and His gifts, the less we’ll have to do. As evident in Jesus’ parable, we are held responsible to know our master’s will. God has plainly shown us what He requires (Micah 6:8).
God gives us resources such as finances and time, talents such as culinary skills or musical ability, and spiritual gifts such as encouragement or teaching. We should ask God for wisdom on how to use those resources and commit ourselves to expending them according to His will so that He may be glorified. In regards to spiritual gifts, Paul said, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:6–8). This is simply responsible stewardship.
We have been given much, and God desires us to use what He has given to further His Kingdom and proclaim His glory. It’s what we were created to do. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. . . . For the Son of Man . . . will reward each person according to what they have done’” (Matthew 16:24–25, 27). We are living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), giving the things God has given us in service to others, and in that we actually find life. God, the giver of all good things (James 1:17), gives us everything we need to fulfill His will. “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
The dictionary definition of self-righteousness is “confidence in one’s own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.” Biblically speaking, self-righteousness, which is related to legalism, is the idea that we can somehow generate within ourselves a righteousness that will be acceptable to God (Romans 3:10).
Although any serious Christian would recognize the error of this thought,
because of our sin nature,
it is a constant temptation to all of us to believe we are, or can be,
righteous in and of ourselves. In the
New Testament,
Jesus and the apostle Paul came down
particularly hard
on those who attempted to live in
self-righteousness
Jesus’ condemnation of self-righteousness was especially harsh in His treatment of the Jewish leadership of the time. Six times in Matthew 23, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for rigidly adhering to their legalistic traditions in order to make themselves look better to others. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collectorwas specifically told by Jesus to “some who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9–14). The Pharisee assumed his acceptance with God based on his own actions, whereas the tax collector recognized that there was nothing in himself that would cause God to approve of him. Over and over again in the Gospels, Jesus clashes with the Pharisees and scribes about true righteousness. At the same time, He spends a great deal of time and energy warning His disciples about the dangers of self-righteousness, making it clear that, without Him, they could do nothing (John 15:5).
Paul’s treatment of self-righteousness is no less scathing than Jesus’ was. He began his great argument in Romans for the grace of God by condemning the Jews’ self-righteous trust in circumcision (Romans 2:17–24). He follows that up in chapter 10, saying that the Jews tried to gain acceptance with God based on their own righteousness, demonstrating ignorance of the true righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). His conclusion is that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, not man (verse 4).
Paul’s letter to the Galatian church also addressed this issue. These believers were being told that they had to do certain things to be acceptable to God, specifically, to be circumcised. Paul goes so far as to say that this is another gospel and calls those who advocate it “accursed” (Galatians 1:8–9). More tellingly, he tells his readers that, if righteousness could come from their own actions, then Jesus died “for no purpose” (Galatians 2:21), and that righteousness could come “by the law” (Galatians 3:21). Paul’s conclusion about the Galatian believers was that they had been foolish in their attempt to be perfected by the flesh (Galatians 3:1–3).
It would be an understatement to say that every believer is plagued by this attitude. It is in our sin nature to try to do something to merit our salvation. The costly freedom of grace, bought for us by the blood of Jesus with no contribution from us, is difficult for our prideful hearts to understand or appreciate. It is far easier to compare ourselves with one another than it is to recognize that we cannot measure up to the standards of a holy God. However, in Christ we can know true righteousness. In Christ, we can know the forgiveness of sin that comes to us through grace. Because He stood in our place, we benefit from both His sinless life and His sin-bearing death (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of His sacrifice, we can face our sin and bring it to the cross, rather than try somehow to be good enough for God. Only in the cross can we see the grace that covers all our sin and defeat the constant tendency toward self-righteousness in our hearts.
The narrow gate, also called the narrow door, is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. Jesus compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What exactly is meant by this? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”?
First, we need to understand that Jesus is the Door through which all must enter eternal life. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).
While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd. The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10).
Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort. But we must be clear here. No amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it. But entering the narrow gate is still difficult because of the opposition of human pride, our natural love of sin, and the opposition of Satan and the world in his control, all of which battle against us in the pursuit of eternity.
The exhortation to strive to enter is a command to repent and enter the gate and not to just stand and look at it, think about it, complain that it’s too small or too difficult or unjustly narrow. We are not to ask why others are not entering; we are not to make excuses or delay. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. We are to strive forward and enter! Then we are to exhort others to strive to enter before it’s too late.
What makes compromise so dangerous is the subtle way it approaches us. Compromise, by definition, doesn’t involve a wholesale capitulation to worldly ways or ideals; rather, it accommodates them. Most of us would recoil at the thought of tossing Jesus aside and embracing an idol, but compromise never asks us to do that. Compromise says that we can have the idol and keep Jesus, too. There’s room on the shelf for one more object of worship, right? And what’s the harm, since we still have Jesus?
It is vital to know when compromise is appropriate and when it is not. In general, we could say that we can compromise on preferences but not on principles. Based on that rule of thumb, here are some matters in which compromise might be helpful:
• the color of the church carpet
• the type of vehicle your family should drive
• where to host the corporate luncheon
• when to schedule a trip to the library
But there should be no compromise over values and the standards that stem from those values. Here are some examples of things about which we should not compromise:
• the essentials of the Christian faith, including the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3–6)
and the faithful preaching of the Word (2 Timothy 4:2)
• the lordship and authority of Christ (Luke 16:13)
• your personal convictions (Romans 14:5)
• moral issues, as defined in Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:18)
We must be careful to live out our biblical beliefs. It is pointless to know and speak up for truth if we do not also act on that truth in the way we live our lives (John 15:1–11; James 2:14–17, 26). Not compromising includes not being hypocritical. When our intention is to actively pursue a deeper relationship with God and obey Him in all things, we are less likely to compromise. We will more readily recognize the things that seek to draw us away from God. We will more readily recognize His voice and trust Him (see John 10:4).
Resisting compromise is not up to our own strength or efforts. Rather, God has equipped us (2 Peter 1:3), and He is with us. Philippians 2:12–13 encourages, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” God’s Word and His presence nourish our souls (Psalm 1:1–3; 119:9–16; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). Other believers encourage us and walk alongside us, and we do the same for them (Hebrews 10:24–25; Galatians 6:1–5). When we are focused on God and living in active relationship with Him and His people, we come to understand the magnitude of His holiness, the crushing nature of our sin, and the depth of His grace. We see His goodness and that true life is in Him (Psalm 34:8; John 10:10). We long to follow Him in all our ways and to share the good news of salvation with others. The better we know God, the better we can resist the temptation to compromise what’s important.
During Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor asked the Lord, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33). Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36, ESV).
As Roman governor in Judea, Pilate’s primary responsibility was to maintain peace and order. The Jewish high council wanted to put Jesus to death, so they sent Him to Pilate because he alone held the power to pronounce a death sentence (John 19:10). The high priest Caiaphas had to convince Pilate that Jesus was a troublemaker and a threat to Roman stability. He accused Christ of claiming to be a king—a charge that would insinuate Jesus in the crime of recruiting rebel forces to launch a revolution against Roman authority (Luke 23:2–5). Caiaphas hoped that, to avoid a rebellion, Pilate would determine to put Jesus to death.
When Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world,” He was, in essence, telling Pilate that He needed no earthly defense because His kingdom wasn’t from the world. Christ admitted He was head of an empire, but not one that Rome needed to fear as a political rival. If His kingdom were of this world, His servants would have been fighting to defend Him. But Jesus had restrained His disciples from preventing His arrest (John 18:10–11).
Pilate realized that Jesus had no interest in stirring up a rebellion. He posed no threat to Rome. Directly following this conversation, Pilate told the Jewish leaders, “I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 18:38).
“My kingdom” refers to a spiritual kingdom of truth where Jesus reigns as Lord over the lives of His people. Jesus told Pilate, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true” (John 18:37). Jesus did not come to earth to rule over a mortal empire. He came to bear witness to the truth of who He is—the Messiah, Savior of the world. Everyone who loves and recognizes this truth is a citizen of Christ’s kingdom.
The Jewish high council wanted Pilate to condemn Jesus under the pretense that He was raising a rebellion against Rome and proclaiming Himself “king of the Jews.” But that scenario was inaccurate, and Jesus cleared up the distortion, saying, “My kingdom is not of this world.” The Lord hit on the word truth as if to say, “The real truth is this, Pilate: they want me dead because they are horrified by the truth of my claim—that I am ‘I Am,’ the promised Jewish Messiah.”
Jesus offers the truth of intimate fellowship with the only true God. He was born into this world for this purpose: “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (John 17:3, NLT). His kingdom presents the opportunity to know the truth that sets us free from sin and death (Romans 8:2; John 8:32). Only those who are born again can see Christ’s kingdom (John 3:3). And only those who are born of water and spirit can enter His kingdom (John 3:5).
Once, Jesus told the Pharisees, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). To His disciples, the Lord explained that the world and the “prince of this world” held no power over Him (John 14:22–30). The world hates Christ and His followers, “for they are not of the world” (John 17:14, 16).
The statement, “My kingdom is not of this world,” relates to the origin and nature of Christ’s kingdom, not the location. The authority and power of Christ’s kingdom are drawn from a source outside of this world—from God, our heavenly Father. Christ’s headship is not of human origin but divine.
Christ’s kingdom is unlike any on this earth: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Other kingdoms are rooted in the realm of this world, but Christ’s is unique. His kingship is spiritual. It comes down to us from heaven and gives life to the world (John 6:33).
While not of this world, the Lord’s kingdom is most certainly in this world, exercising authority over this world and impacting this world. Jesus Christ and all of His disciples take orders from above, not from below. We are to set our minds “on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). When it comes to obeying the law, the apostle Peter said, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29, NLT).
As believers in Jesus, we are subjects of Christ’s kingdom. This world is not our home (Hebrews 13:14; Philippians 3:20; 1 John 2:15–17). We are citizens of heaven, and we owe our highest allegiance to our ultimate authority—King Jesus. Just as He declared, we, too, can say, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
From the beginning, God’s covenant with Israel was based on exclusive worship of Him alone (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). The Israelites were not even to mention the names of false gods (Exodus 23:13) because to do so would acknowledge their existence and give credence to their power and influence over the people. Israel was forbidden to intermarry with other cultures who embraced false gods, because God knew this would lead to compromise. The book of Hosea uses the imagery of adultery to describe Israel’s continual chasing after other gods, like an unfaithful wife chases after other men. The history of Israel is a sad chronicle of idol worship, punishment, restoration and forgiveness, followed by a return to idolatry. The books of 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles reveal this destructive pattern. The Old Testament prophets endlessly prophesied dire consequences for Israel if they continued in their idolatry. Mostly, they were ignored until it was too late and God’s wrath against idol-worship was poured out on the nation. But ours is a merciful God, and He never failed to forgive and restore them when they repented and sought His forgiveness.
In reality, idols are impotent blocks of stone or wood, and their power exists only in the minds of the worshipers. The idol of the god Dagon was twice knocked to the floor by God to show the Philistines just who was God and who wasn’t (1 Samuel 5:1-5). The “contest” between God and His prophet Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is a dramatic example of the power of the true God and the impotence of false gods (1 Kings 18:19-40). The testimony of Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship. Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate (Isaiah 42:8).
Even today there are religions that bow before statues and icons, a practice forbidden by God’s Word. The significance God places upon it is reflected in the fact that the first of the Ten Commandments refers to idolatry: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:3-5).
Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images and false gods.
The apostle Paul wrote a warning for the church: “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).
The Greek word translated “itching” literally means “to itch, rub, scratch, or tickle.” To want one’s ears “tickled” is to desire massages rather than messages—sermons that charm rather than challenge, entertain rather than edify, and please rather than preach. The people Paul warns about will have, as one commentator put it, “ears which have to be continually titillated with novelties.”
“Itching ears” is a figure of speech that refers to people’s desires, felt needs, or wants. It is these desires that impel a person to believe whatever he wants to believe rather than the actual truth itself. When people have “itching ears,” they decide for themselves what is right or wrong, and they seek out others to support their notions. “Itching ears” are concerned with what feels good or comfortable, not with the truth—after all, truth is often uncomfortable. Paul’s warning is that the church would one day contain those who only opened their ears to those who would scratch their “itch.”
Those with “itching ears” only want teachers who will assure them that all is well, teachers who say, “Peace, peace . . . when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). Where there is a demand for something, the suppliers are not far away. Paul says that not only will there be great demand for watered-down, personalized messages, but there will be “a great number of teachers” willing to provide such pap and steer people away from “sound doctrine.”
Evidence today of people having “itching ears” includes the popularity of messages that people are not required to change, as if repentance were outmoded; that people are basically good; that God is too loving to judge anyone; that the cross, with all its blood, is not really necessary; and that God wants His children to be healthy, wealthy, and content in this world. As people turn their backs on the truth about sin and condemnation, they disregard their need for repentance and forgiveness. And a craving for “new” and “fresher” ideas grows—even though there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9–10)—accompanied by a longing to feel good about who they are and where they’re going. Messages that tickle ears can fill a lot of churches, sell a lot of books, and buy a lot of time on cable tv.
Some of the early followers of Jesus complained about some of the Lord’s words: “Many of his disciples said, ʻThis is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:60, 66). Walking away from hard truth is easy to do.
In today’s postmodern church, we see many walking away from the hard truth. Some churches that once preached sound doctrine now teach as acceptable the very evils the Bible condemns. Some pastors are afraid to preach on certain passages of the Bible. “Christian feminists” deny God as a heavenly Father, calling Him a “she.” “Gay Christians” are not only welcomed without repentance into church fellowship but into the pulpit, as well.
The church’s remedy for those who have “itching ears” is found in the same passage of 2 Timothy: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). It is a solemn charge, made “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom” (verse 1). And it contains all the elements needed to combat the temptation to tickle ears: preach, correct, rebuke, and encourage. The content of preaching must be the written Word of God, and it must be preached when convenient and when inconvenient. This takes “great patience and careful instruction,” but sound doctrine is worth it.
The church’s quest to manage the comfort level of its audience must never take priority over preaching the Word. The fear of offending people’s sensibilities can never supersede the fear of offending God. Rather, the church should follow the example of the apostles: “We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).
The church today, more than ever, needs to re-examine the teachings it endorses. We need to ask ourselves the following questions:
• Are our teachings truly from God or simply itches we want to scratch?
• Are we standing on solid biblical grounds, or have we allowed the world to influence our thinking?
• Have we guarded ourselves from the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:11)?
• Are we keeping ourselves “blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)?
The truth is, God is not concerned with scratching our itches but in transforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24).
Justice is a major theme in Scripture, which contains many calls for justice and commands to worship God for His justice. Justice has to do with conduct in relation to others. Just behavior accords with what is morally right and fair.
Justice is the quality of doing
what is right.
The Justice of God
God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4).
The justice of God can be defined as “that essential and infinite attribute which makes his nature and his ways the perfect embodiment of equity, and constitutes him the model and the
guardian of equity throughout the universe” (ATS Bible Dictionary, 1859).
God’s rule over the universe is grounded in justice and righteousness (Psalm 89:14). There is never a time when God has been unjust; it is against His unchanging nature to be anything but perfectly just. “The King is mighty, he loves justice—you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right” (Psalm 99:4).
“The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9, NKJV). Adam and Eve saw the justice of God when they were punished for their sin in the Garden. Even in that judgment, however, they experienced mercy, as “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). God’s justice requires Him to deal with sin. Scripture records many instances of God’s justice meted out for mankind’s rebellion: the flood of Noah’s day, the plagues in Egypt, the destruction of Ahab and Jezebel’s house, and the Babylonian Captivity, just to name a few.
The justice of God is also demonstrated at the cross. As Jesus was crucified, the sins of the world were laid on Him (Isaiah 53:4–5), and Jesus’ death became the propitiation, or the satisfaction, of God’s justice: “God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness” (Romans 3:25). God could not just ignore sin; justice requires a penalty. To our eternal benefit, that penalty for sin fell on Jesus Christ: “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
Of course, it was also at the cross where God’s mercy and love were on full display. “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8, NLT). The cross is the intersection of God’s justice and mercy; God’s justice was meted out in full (upon Christ), and God’s mercy was extended in full (to all who believe). He is truly “a just God and a Savior” (Isaiah 45:21, NKJV).
The Mandate for Justice Because God is just, He demands that mankind, created in His image, also display justice (Micah 6:8). Before Israel had a king, God ensured that His people had justice, as the whole book of Judges attests. Deborah the prophetess set up court beneath a palm tree (Judges 4:5), and Samuel presided over a circuit court, traveling from place to place to hear cases and administer justice (1 Samuel 7:16). Later, the king became the nation’s chief justice.
Scripture is full of commands that humans act justly. This includes acting on behalf of those whose rights are being denied and those who are powerless to defend themselves:
• “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause” (Isaiah 1:17, ESV).
• “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:3, ESV).
• “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3–4).
God’s desire for justice extends to crime prevention and the punishment of evildoers:
• “For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong” (Isaiah 61:8, ESV).
• “When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers” (Proverbs 21:15, ESV).
• “Whoever says to the wicked, ‘You are in the right,’ will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them” (Proverbs 24:24–25, ESV).
The Mosaic Law specifically forbade unjust weights and measures (Leviticus 19:35–36) and condemned the taking of bribes (Exodus 23:8). God places a special responsibility on judges and other authorities to provide justice, warning them in Psalm 82 that they will themselves face judgment. Every human tribunal is under God’s order to do what is right:
• “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15, ESV).
• “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another” (Zechariah 7:9, ESV).
• “Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God” (Deuteronomy 1:17).
• “In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor” (Exodus 23:6, NLT).
• “Justice, and only justice, you shall follow” (Deuteronomy 16:20).
Justice is linked to a right relationship with God, and those who know God will act justly:
• “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Proverbs 29:7).
• “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely” (Proverbs 28:5, ESV).
• “The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice” (Proverbs 17:23).
• “Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:3, ESV).
Man’s Injustice
We live in a world of injustice. Because of the fall of mankind and the sinful nature we inherited from Adam, we all have a bent away from what is morally right toward what is morally wrong. The result is that we live amid partiality and unfairness, and, even as we honor the concept of justice, we see many examples of the corruption of justice.
Isaiah the prophet decried the state of Jerusalem in his day, as the city “once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her--
but now murderers!
Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
Your rulers are rebels,
partners with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them” (Isaiah 1:21–23).
And Isaiah continues, “Justice is far from us. . . . We look for justice, but find none. . . . Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance. . . . The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice” (Isaiah 59:9, 11, 14–15).
As the world drifts further from God, justice becomes a rarer commodity. When sin is redefined as a virtue, and righteousness becomes offensive, then justice is twisted, the wicked go unpunished, and innocent people are victimized.
God Will Bring Justice
Believers look forward to the day when the Lord returns and establishes true justice on the earth. Whatever the injustice in this world, God has promised, “I will repay” (Romans 12:19). A world pining for justice will finally see it administered when the King of Righteousness comes:
• “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:27; cf. Psalm 62:12).
• “With righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4).
• “Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13).
• “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war” (Revelation 19:11).
• “Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 32:19).
The Lord has promised to
return
and set things right.
Truth will win in the end
In the meantime, we wait, and we do not lose hope:
“The Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him”
(Isaiah 30:18, ESV).
And we praise Him for His justice: “I will thank the LORD because he is just;
I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High”
(Psalm 7:17, NLT).
The first incident involving Lot’s daughters appears in
Genesis 19:1–11.
Two men who were really angels appeared in Sodom where Lot lived with his family. The wicked men of the city surrounded Lot’s house seeking to have homosexual relations with the angels. Lot begged the men of the city not to do this evil thing, and he offered up his two virgin daughters to them instead.
The second incident (Genesis 19:30–38) occurs after Lot and his daughters had fled Sodom just before its destruction. Lot’s wife was destroyed for her disobedience during the journey, and Lot and his two daughters fled to live in a cave in a mountain. Afraid they would never have husbands or children in their hideout, Lot’s daughters plotted to make their father drunk so they could sleep with him and thereby assure that they would have children.
To our modern sensibilities, it’s hard to understand why God would allow these two terrible incidents to occur. We are told in 1 Corinthians 10:11 that the record of the Old Testament is meant as an “example” to us. In other words, God gives us the whole truth about biblical characters, their sin, their failures, their victories and good deeds, and we are to learn from their example, what to do and what not to do. In fact, this is one of the ways God teaches us what we need to know in order to make good choices as believers. We can learn the easy way by knowing and obeying God’s Word, we can learn the hard way by suffering the consequences of our mistakes, or we can learn by watching others and “taking heed” from their experiences.
Scripture does not reveal Lot’s reasoning for offering up his daughters. Whatever his thought process was, it was wrong and indefensible. Based on what is revealed about Lot’s life, one might wonder if he was righteous. However, there is no doubt that God had declared him to be positionally righteous, even during his time in Sodom. “And if God rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds)” (2 Peter 2:7–8). At some point Lot had believed in the coming Messiah, and that faith resulted in a righteous standing before God. It is likely that Lot’s uncle, Abraham, had passed this truth down to him.
What we have in the story of Lot is an illustration of a man who once lived close to his godly relatives and had backslidden and was living according to his sin nature. Lot had moved to Sodom, even though he knew what it was, and he “sat in the gate” (Genesis 19:1). That sounds quite simple, but, in fact, sitting in the gate meant that Lot had so entered into the society of Sodom that he was a judge there (Genesis 19:9). In spite of his position, the men of Sodom had no respect for him because they knew he was a hypocrite.
We may sit in judgment of the culture of that day, but protecting one’s guests required great sacrifice. Was Lot right to offer his own daughters in place of the men the Sodomites wanted? No. We can see in the story that the Lord’s messengers protected Lot and his daughters in spite of Lot’s lack of character and worldly viewpoint. Lot meant to appease the men of Sodom so that the hospitality of his house would not be damaged, but he makes the wrong choice in offering his own daughters, and God’s messengers overruled him.
Genesis 19:31–32 tells us that Lot’s daughters believed there would be no man for them and no children. This may be because they saw the destruction of Sodom and believed they were the only people left on earth. They were trying to preserve the family line. Why did Lot have sex with his own daughters? He got drunk. Yes, his daughters conspired to get him drunk, but Lot willingly drank and, when he was drunk, he lost what little control and common sense he had (Genesis 19:30–38), and this is the final step in Lot’s backsliding. The lesson we can learn from this is, when a person has too much to drink, he does not make good choices and loses control of his morals and operates out of the sinful, carnal nature. As a result of the incest, two children were born, and those two children are the fathers of two nations that have been at odds with and the source of much suffering to Israel down through history.
Why did God allow Lot to offer his daughters, and why did He allow them to commit incest? Sometimes God gives us His reasons for doing something but not very often. The more we get to know God, the more we understand Him and His reasons for doing things. But, again, this doesn’t always happen. We must be very careful when we ask why God does something and be sure we are not calling into question God Himself, His judgment, His character, and His very nature.
The psalmist tells us, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). If God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He does—and the reason for whatever He allows—is also perfect. This may not seem possible to us, but our minds are not God’s mind. It is true that we can’t expect to understand His mind perfectly, as He reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says 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” (Isaiah 55:8–9). Nevertheless, our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him, and to submit to His will, whether we understand it or not.
Lot did the things he did because he chose to live in his old sin nature and do what was easy, and he made choices to flirt with evil instead of living to honor God. As a result, there was suffering for Lot, his wife and daughters, and, by association, the nation of Israel for years to come. The lesson for us is that we need to make choices that do not conform to the world and to submit to the Word of God, which will guide us into living lives that are pleasing to God.
The phrase “transformed by the renewing of the mind” is found in Romans 12:2. Chapter 12 marks the transition in that epistle from the apostle Paul’s theological teaching to his practical teaching. The book of Romans is probably the closest thing in the Bible to a systematic theology. Paul did not found the church at Rome, but he had every intention of visiting that church on his way to Spain. As a result, Paul wrote this epistle as a way of introducing himself to that congregation and to give them an overview of the gospel and what it means in the lives of believers.
After teaching the great doctrine regarding the gospel of God’s righteousness that is ours through faith in Christ in Romans chapters 1—11, Paul begins to exhort us to godly living. How are we to live in light of the saving power of the gospel? That is what Romans 12—16 aims to teach. The practical section of Romans begins with a great “therefore.” Seeing all that God did on our behalf, therefore live like this. The first of Paul’s great exhortations is to be renewed in our minds:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1–2).
The phrase “the mercies of God” refers to all of what has preceded in chapters 1—11. The exhortation that Paul presents is that since we have been the gracious recipients of God’s great mercies, we are to be “living sacrifices” to God. How do we do this? We are living sacrifices to God by not conforming to this world, but by being transformed by the renewal of our minds.
This exhortation really serves as a summary statement of all that follows. A living sacrifice to God is one who does not conform, but is transformed. We are not to be conformed to this world. Paul is using the word worldhere to refer to the spirit of the age. In other words, world refers to the popular worldview that rejects God and His revelation. As unbelievers, we are naturally conformed to the world (Ephesians 2:1–3). As believers, we are no longer conformed to this world because we no longer belong to the spirit of this age. We have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Therefore, rather than continuing to conform to this world, we are to be transformed by having our minds renewed.
It is interesting to note that Paul says that we must be transformed by the renewing of our “minds.” The mind is the key to the Christian life. The reason why non-Christians do not respond to Christian truth is that they cannot discern spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). The gospel is a call for the unbeliever to repent of his sin and embrace Christ by faith. The Greek word translated “repentance” carries the notion of a change of mind. Our thinking must be changed (transformed) from old, ungodly ways of thinking into new, godly ways of thinking. What we know in our minds to be true forms a conviction in our hearts of that truth, and that conviction in our hearts translates into action. Therefore, we must first renew our minds.
The only way to replace the error of the world’s way of thinking is to replace it with God’s truth, and the only infallible source of God’s truth is His revealed Word, the Bible. Transformation through renewed minds comes as believers expose themselves to God’s Word through the faithful exposition of it each week in church, personal Bible study, and group Bible study. A solid church that believes in preaching the Word, reading the Word, and singing the Word is invaluable in helping us renew our minds.
There are no shortcuts. There is no magical formula for renewing our minds. We must fill our minds with God’s Word. As Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
This proverb is spoken by Jesus in Matthew 23:24. On His last trip to Jerusalem, Jesus spoke at length about life under the oppressive reign of the Pharisees. The religious leaders tested Him continually “and plotted how to entangle him in his words” (Matthew 22:15). In Matthew 23, Jesus pronounced seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees, accusing them of hypocrisy, laying heavy burdens on the people, exalting themselves, and preventing people from entering God’s kingdom. He was especially harsh in His assessment of their strict adherence to the laws of tithing while they “neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). He concludes by saying, “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” (verse 24).
The KJV translates the first part of the proverb as “strain at a gnat.” That wording gives the impression of choking while trying to swallow the gnat while easily gulping down the camel. But the better translation is “strain out a gnat.” The Greek word refers to straining water through a cloth or sieve to remove impurities. The GNT translates it this way: “You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!”
The Jews had a law that forbade eating any flying insects that did not have jointed legs for hopping (Leviticus 11:20–23), and in this they were strictly observant. Because water could have insects and insect larvae in it, pious Jews were careful to strain the water through a cloth before drinking it. They did not want to accidentally ingest an unclean insect and thus violate the law. Jesus mentions this practice in His proverb and then contrasts it with a hyperbolic picture of gulping down a camel. In this way, Jesus accused them of taking great pains (straining out gnats) to avoid offence in minor things of little importance, while tolerating or committing great sins (swallowing camels) such as deceit, oppression, and lust.
Christ’s fifth woe relates to the same type of hypocrisy (Matthew 23:25–26). All Jewish sects agreed on the need to wash their dishes in order to maintain their ceremonial cleanness, but Jesus pointed out that it is senseless to clean the outside of a cup and leave the inside filthy. But this is exactly what the actions of the Jewish leaders achieved. They focused on outward behavior but neglected the most important commands—loving God and one another. They strained at a gnat, mistakenly believing that external conformity to the law was enough, while not seeing that the evil in their hearts was a camel-sized problem. The Pharisees were scrupulous in counting out their mint leaves and tithing their “dill and cumin” (verse 23), but their hearts were full of envy, pride, greed, and malice. They strained at the gnat of ceremony, but they ignored the camel of sin in their hearts.
An alarming epidemic of spiritual adultery and “friendship with the world” ran rampant in the early church (James 4:4). James passionately told his readers to repent from their wicked ways and return to the Lord: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, ESV).
God desires His followers’ wholehearted loyalty and devotion (Exodus 34:14; Mark 12:29–31). Believers who stray from the Lord must submit themselves to God and draw near to Him again through repentance.
“Purify your hearts, you double-minded” was James’ clear and distinct call to inner purification—to recognize and confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. His language closely resembles that of the psalmist: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3–4).
James branded the believers “double-minded” because they continued to live with one foot in the world while claiming to love and worship God. Their vacillating was dividing their loyalties. A similar charge was issued against the people of Isaiah’s time: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Earlier, James noted that double-minded people are “unstable in all they do” (James 1:8).
The apostle John acknowledged that the true children of God who look forward to Christ’s return “purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). The Lord Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). The term pure here indicates the absence of impurity, contamination, or filth. It suggests a single-mindedness of purpose that is free of distractions.
Double-minded people lack purity of heart. The Lord desires His followers to be laser-focused in heart, mind, and purpose (Matthew 6:33). The greatest commandment, Jesus said, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
The apostle Paul explained that God looks for servants who commit their entire being to Him: “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:21–22, NLT).
Anything that distracts us or has a contaminating influence on our lives will divide our loyalties and soil our hearts, rendering us ineffective kingdom servants. A pure heart is evidenced by openness, clarity, and an uncompromising desire to please the Lord in everything we think, say, and do. Purity goes beyond just cleaning up our outward behavior (“cleanse your hands”) to the internal purification of heart, mind, and soul (“purify your hearts”).
In reality, humans are incapable of purifying their own hearts. David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). God is the only one who can make us pure in heart and single in mind. It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ His Son that “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that cleanses our lives (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 1:2). Christ provided the necessary sacrifice for sin so that we could receive God’s forgiveness (John 1:29; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12–22; 1 Peter 1:18–19).
God’s Word commands us: “Purify your hearts, you double-minded.” And God’s Word—the Logos, who is Jesus Christ—makes the command possible. Since we can enter God’s presence “by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19–22, ESV).
The Bible has a great deal to say about revenge. Both the Hebrew and Greek words translated “vengeance,” “revenge,” and “avenge” have as their root meaning the idea of punishment. This is crucial in understanding why God reserves for Himself the right to avenge.
The key verse regarding this truth is found in the Old Testament and quoted twice in the New Testament. God said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them” (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). In Deuteronomy, God is speaking of the stiff-necked, rebellious, idolatrous Israelites who rejected Him and incurred His wrath with their wickedness. He promised to avenge Himself upon them in His own timing and according to His own perfect and pure motives. The two New Testament passages concern the behavior of the Christian, who is not to usurp God’s authority. Rather, we are to allow Him to judge rightly and pour out His divine retribution against His enemies as He sees fit.
Unlike us, God never takes vengeance from impure motives. His vengeance is for the purpose of punishing those who have offended and rejected Him. We can, however, pray for God to avenge Himself in perfection and holiness against His enemies and to avenge those who are oppressed by evil. In Psalm 94:1, the psalmist prays for God to avenge the righteous, not out of a sense of uncontrolled vindictiveness, but out of just retribution from the eternal Judge whose judgments are perfect. Even when the innocent suffer and the wicked appear to prosper, it is for God alone to punish. “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies” (Nahum 1:2).
There are only two times in the Bible when God gives men permission to avenge in His name. First, after the Midianites committed hideous, violent acts against the Israelites, the cup of God’s wrath against the Midianites was full, and He commanded Moses to lead the people in a holy war against them. “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people’" (Numbers 31:1-2). Here, again, Moses did not act on his own; he was merely an instrument to carry out God’s perfect plan under His guidance and instruction. Second, Christians are to be in submission to the rulers God has set over us because they are His instruments for “vengeance on evildoers” (1 Peter 2:13-14). As in Moses’ case, these rulers are not to act on their own, but are to carry out God’s will for the punishment of the wicked.
It is tempting to try to take on the role of God and seek to punish those who we feel deserve it. But because we are sinful creatures, it is impossible for us to take revenge with pure motives. This is why the Mosaic Law contains the command “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus. 19:18). Even David, a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), refused to take revenge on Saul, even though David was the innocent party being wronged. David submitted to God’s command to forego vengeance and trust in Him: “May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you (1 Samuel 24:12).
As Christians, we are to follow the Lord Jesus’ command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), leaving the vengeance to God.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21–23).
In Jesus’ words on Judgment Day, we see several important truths: it’s not a verbal claim that one follows Jesus that saves (Matthew 7:21). Nominal Christianity cannot save. Also, it’s not a demonstration of spiritual insight or power that saves (verse 22). A person can seem like a Christian in the eyes of other people, yet still be an “evildoer” in God’s sight and sent away from His presence (verse 23). Only those who do the Father’s will and who are known of God will enter heaven.
So, what is the Father’s will? Some men came to Jesus once with a question about what God required of them: “They asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:28–29). God wants us to have faith in His Son: “This is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23). Those who are born again by faith in Christ will produce good works to the glory of God (Ephesians 2:10).
When Jesus said, “I never knew you,” to the feigned disciples, He meant that He never recognized them as His true disciples or His friends. He never had anything in common with them nor approved of them. They were no relations of His (Mark 3:34–35). Christ did not dwell in their hearts (Ephesians 3:17), nor did they have His mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). In all these ways and more, Jesus never knew them. Note that Jesus is not breaking off the relationship here—there was never a relationship to break off. Despite their high-sounding words and showy displays of religious fervor, they had no intimacy with Christ.
So it turns out that what matters isn’t so much that we know God on some level, but that God knows us. As Paul explained, “Whoever loves God is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3; also see Galatians 4:9). The Lord “tends His flock like a shepherd” (Isaiah 40:11), and He knows who are His sheep (John 10:14).
Those somber words
“I never knew you:
depart from me,
ye
that work iniquity”
in Matthew 7:23 (KJV) show that Jesus is indeed omniscient. He did not “know” them in the sense He would if they were His followers, but He knew their hearts—they were full of iniquity! Isaiah’s condemnation of hypocrisy fits this group well: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). The evildoers whom Jesus does not know are fake Christians, false teachers, and nominal adherents of religion.
Those who are bid depart from the presence of the Lord will not partake of the blessings of the kingdom: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). They will be cast “into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). Those fake Christians whom Jesus says He never knew will not produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23); rather, they will produce the opposite, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21).
Jesus warns that one day He will tell a group of religious practitioners, “I never knew you.” God takes no delight in sending people to hell (2 Peter 3:9). But those who are told to depart have rejected God’s eternal purpose and plan for their lives (Luke 7:30). They have spurned the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), choosing the darkness instead, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). At the judgment, they try to justify themselves as worthy of heaven on the basis of their works (prophecies, exorcisms, miracles, etc.), but no one will be justified by his own works (Galatians 2:16). While claiming to do all these good works in Christ’s name, they failed to do the only work of God that counts: “to have faith in the one he sent” (John 6:29, CEV). And so Jesus, the Righteous Judge, condemns them to eternal separation from Him.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “integrity” means “the condition of being without blemish, completeness, perfection, sincerity, soundness, uprightness, wholeness.” Integrity in the New Testament means “honesty and adherence to a pattern of good works.”
Jesus is the perfect example of a man of integrity. After He was baptized, He went into the wilderness to fast for forty days and nights, during which time Satan came to Him at His weakest to try to break His integrity and corrupt Him. Jesus was wholly man and wholly God at the same time, and He was tempted in every way we are, yet He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15); that is the definition of integrity. Jesus is the only one who was ever without blemish, perfect, completely truthful, and always showing a pattern of good works.
Christians are called to be like Jesus. In Christ, we are new creations and can be considered without blemish before God (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Ephesians 1:4–8).
In Christ, we also have the indwelling Holy Spirit at work in us, sanctifying us and making us more like Jesus (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). We are also to strive to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12–13).
It is by God’s power that we become increasingly people of integrity. We are called to obey God and, in so doing, to be people of uncompromised morality and integrity.
Christians should be those who adhere to the truth and who do good works.
“Integrity”
in our world today
implies
moral incorruptibility
Christians should be those who
cannot be
bribed or compromised
because we
serve God rather than men
(Colossians 3:17, 23; Acts 5:29).
We are to be people who
keep our word
(Matthew 5:37; James 5:12).
We are to love those around us in both word and deed
(1 John 3:17–18; James 2:17–18; Ephesians 4:29).
We are called upon to believe in God and therefore to follow Him in all our ways
(John 6:19; 15:1–17).
Our lives should line up
with our belief in God and evince a trust that
His ways are best
(Proverbs 3:5–6).
Living with integrity in a world where the corrupt seem favored, not to mention our battle with our own sin nature, is challenging. First Peter 3:13–18 gives this encouragement: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But 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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” To live with integrity is to follow the example of Christ.
And we can only live with true integrity by His power, which
He graciously and freely gives to all who are His
(John 16:33; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 1:13–14).
The pages of the Bible reveal a detailed portrait of
the character of God
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of God’s character is that He is a loving Father to all believers
(Ephesians 1:2; Galatians 1:1; Colossians 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:3).
God, by His nature, is wholly good (Mark 10:18; 1 Timothy 4:4). His goodness is unmatched, and because of it, we can trust in Him: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7; see also Exodus 33:19; Psalm 25:8; 34:8; Matthew 19:17; 2 Peter 1:3). In His goodness, God always has our best interests at heart: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, CSB; see also Genesis 50:20; Jeremiah 29:11; Lamentations 3:25). Everything God does is an expression of His goodness and designed to benefit His people.
God’s holiness is unequaled: “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2; see also Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; Isaiah 6:3; 43:15; 1 Peter 1:15–16; Revelation 4:8).
There is no stain of evil or impurity in God:
(1 John 1:5; see also Psalm 12:6; 19:8).
Another defining characteristic of God is His righteousness, meaning
He exists in a state of moral perfection: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,
through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25–26; see also 2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalm 33:5; Isaiah 45:21).
God is also just; He is perfectly upright and fair in how he treats His creation: “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18; see also Deuteronomy 32:4; Zephaniah 3:5; Acts 17:31; Revelation 16:5–6).
Loving, compassionate, gracious, kind, and merciful are all central descriptions of the character of God (Nehemiah 9:31). So kindhearted and caring is He that Scripture says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). The psalmist describes God as “compassionate and gracious” and “abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). So great is God’s love for us “that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16; see also 1 John 4:9–10). Because of His great love, Christ died for us, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8; see also Titus 3:4–5). God’s mercy and compassion never fail; they are renewed continuously toward us day in and day out (Lamentations 3:22–23).
Part of God’s character is faithfulness: “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9; see also Isaiah 49:7 1 Thessalonians 5:24). In our struggles and failures, God is faithful to forgive us when we confess our sin and return to Him: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In times when we stumble and fall, it is immensely encouraging to know that God will never abandon us. Even when we are utterly unfaithful, God remains faithful and true because that is who He is; it is God’s character to be faithful (2 Timothy 2:13; see also Revelation 19:11).
God is truthful, and His Word is true:
“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20; see also John 17:17). God and His Word form a trustworthy foundation for life (Psalm 12:6; 26:3; 33:4; 43:3; 86:11). In Him is no falsehood, lies, or deception (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 45:19; Romans 1:25; Hebrews 6:18). What God says is absolutely reliable (Jeremiah 10:10). His Word is consistent with His character and His revelation of Himself (John 7:28; 8:26). Because of God’s character, we can count on Him to fulfill His promises (Psalm 31:5).
Patience and longsuffering are attributes of God’s character. He is “slow to anger,” dealing patiently with rebellious sinners (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15;). God was patient in delaying the flood in Noah’s time while the ark was under construction, giving sinners plenty of time for repentance (1 Peter 3:20). Likewise, the prolonging of Christ’s return is not an indication of slowness or hesitation on God’s part, but of His longsuffering, as He does not want anyone to die without the opportunity to repent, be saved, and enter into His family (2 Peter 3:9–10). At the heart of God’s character is His desire to be a Father to all who draw near to Him (Psalm 68:5; 103:13; Isaiah 63:16; 64:8; Ephesians 4:6; 1 John 3:1).
The more deeply we dig into the Scriptures, the more we will uncover new and beautiful facets to the character of God. And the longer we spend time with Him and in His Word, the better we will know and understand His nature. We will discover that God never changes (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17), that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present everywhere (Psalm 139:7–10; Hebrews 4:13). He is perfect (Matthew 5:48), and He is three in one. We can spend a lifetime seeking after Him and still only scratch the surface of comprehending the depth of our heavenly Father’s character.
What exactly do Paul and Peter mean by telling Christians to not conform to the world?
The Christian and the world are not to be “like-shaped.” That is, we should not allow ourselves to be pressed into following the corrupt customs, ungodly principles, or evil plans of action promoted by worldly men.
The blessed man, according to Psalm 1:1, resists being conformed to the pattern of the world:
“Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers.”
Just as a boat is in the water, but not of the water, the Christian is in the world, but not of the world. Followers of Christ pattern their lives after their Lord (see 1 Peter 2:21), not according to the principles of the world, which the Bible says is controlled by the devil, the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The reference to “world” is not the physical world, but rather the aion or age. The Bible says that Christians are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4), which Satan oversees and which is marked by idolatry, fleshly lusts, and rebellion. The believer lives by the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5), even while residing in this world.
The key to escaping the world’s grip of conformity is the metamorphosis (rendered “transformed” in Romans 12:2) of the Christian’s mind. This is accomplished through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit who is working to change believers’ hearts and minds from within, so that their obedience to God might be natural and immediate (see Romans 7:6; 8:5–9; Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6–7; Ephesians 4:22–24).
What does it mean to not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2)?
ANSWER
Romans 12:1–2 says,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve
what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
As followers of Christ,
we are not to be conformed to this world’s pattern.
In Romans 12:2, Paul has a “don’t” follow by a “do.” The negative command is to not conform to the pattern of this world. As the J. B. Phillips Bible translates it, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould,” which is what the Greek term for “conform”—syschēmatizō—means: “
to form according to a pattern or mold.”
What exactly do Paul and Peter mean by telling Christians to not conform to the world?
The Christian and the world are not to be “like-shaped.”
That is, we should not allow ourselves to be
pressed into following the corrupt customs, ungodly principles,
or evil plans of action promoted by worldly men.
The blessed man,
according to Psalm 1:1, resists being conformed to the pattern of the world:
“Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers.”
Just as a boat is in the water, but not of the water, the Christian is in the world, but not of the world. Followers of Christ pattern their lives after their Lord (see 1 Peter 2:21), not according to the principles of the world, which the Bible says is controlled by the devil, the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The reference to “world” is not the physical world, but rather the aion or age.
The Bible says that Christians are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4), which Satan oversees and which is marked by idolatry, fleshly lusts, and rebellion. The believer lives by the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5), even while residing in this world.
The key to escaping the world’s grip of conformity is the metamorphosis
(rendered “transformed” in Romans 12:2) of the Christian’s mind.
This is accomplished through
God’s gift of the Holy Spirit
who is working to change believers’ hearts and minds from within,
so that their
obedience to God might be natural and immediate
(see Romans 7:6; 8:5–9; Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6–7; Ephesians 4:22–24).
What does it mean to not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2)?
Romans 12:1–2 says,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters,
in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God--
this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world,
but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and
approve what
God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
As followers of Christ,
we are not to be
conformed to this world’s pattern
In Romans 12:2,
Paul has a “don’t” follow by a “do.” The negative command
is to not conform to the pattern of this world.
As the J. B. Phillips Bible translates it,
“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould,”
which is what the Greek
term for “conform”
—syschēmatizō—means:
“to form according to a pattern or mold.”
The same term is found in only one other place in the New Testament, which is 1 Peter 1:14: “
As obedient children,
do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.”
What exactly do Paul and Peter mean by
telling Christians to not conform to the world?
The Christian and the world are not to
be “like-shaped.”
That is, we should not allow ourselves to be pressed into
following the corrupt customs,
ungodly principles, or evil plans of action promoted by worldly men.
The Blessed man,
according to Psalm 1:1,
resists being conformed to the pattern of the world:
“Blessed is the one
who does not
walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners
take
or sit in the company of mockers.”
Just as a boat is in the water, but not of the water, the
Christian
is in the world,
but
not of the world
Followers of Christ pattern their lives after their Lord
(see 1 Peter 2:21),
not according to the principles of the world,
which the Bible says is
controlled by the devil, the “god of this world”
(2 Corinthians 4:4).
The reference
to “world” is
not
the
physical world,
but
rather the
aion or age
The Bible says that Christians
are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4),
The believer lives by the powers of the age to come
(Hebrews 6:5),
even while residing in this world
The key to escaping the world’s grip of conformity
is the metamorphosis
(rendered “transformed” in Romans 12:2)
of the Christian’s mind.
This is accomplished through
God’s gift of the Holy Spirit
who is working to change believers’ hearts and
minds from within, so that their
obedience to God might be natural and immediate
(see Romans 7:6; 8:5–9; Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6–7; Ephesians 4:22–24)
Two passages in the Bible say that
“in the last days, scoffers will come.”
Second Peter 3:3 and Jude 1:18 both explain what that means.
A “scoffer” in this context is
one who mocks Christ,
ridicules the things of God,
and
opposes the gospel
Both Peter and Jude were
writing warnings
against false teachers who were intent on
leading others astray.
The word scoffer refers
to one
who denies the truths of Scripture
and
entices others to go along
with his error
Scoffers have been present since the Garden of Eden.
Satan’s first temptation of man was in the form of scoffing at God’s command:
“Did God really say—?” (Genesis 3:1).
Scoffers dominated Noah’s day
(Genesis 6:5–8; Hebrews 11:7),
leaving God with little choice but to destroy them all and start over with Noah,
the only righteous man on earth.
Scoffers refuse to believe the word of the Lord and set themselves up as their own gods
(2 Chronicles 36:16)
The psalmist warns against the digression
that leads from casual association with
wicked people to sitting “in the seat of scoffers”
(Psalm 1:1, ESV),
embracing their worldview—and sharing their fate.
Although scoffers have always been a part of this fallen world,
Scripture seems to indicate that,
as the Day of the Lord draws nearer, the scoffing will increase.
Peter describes these scoffers as “following their own evil desires” (2 Peter 3:3)
and questioning the second coming of the Lord Jesus (verse 4)
Thousands of years have passed since
Jesus ascended into heaven, promising to return for His faithful ones
(John 14:1–4; Revelation 22:12)
Scoffers point out the lapse of time
and mock those who still wait and yearn for
His appearing
(2 Timothy 4:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Jude describes the
scoffers of the last days as
people who follow ungodly desires
and
create division in the church
(Jude 1:18).
They may even
present themselves as church leaders,
but they
“do not have the Spirit”
(verse 19)
Paul goes into more detail about the condition
of the world before Jesus returns: “But mark this:
There will be terrible times in the last days.
Having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:1–5).
Scoffers will fit right in with such a crowd
Romans 1:21–22 has never been more relevant:
“Although they knew God,
they 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.”
The proliferation
of scoffers is a sign of the last days.
Regardless of the eschatological timeline one prefers,
we can all agree that the number of
scoffers and deceivers is increasing rapidly,
just as Scripture warned us it would
(2 John 1:7)
It is critically important that every
Christian take seriously the commands to study and meditate on
God’s Word
(2 Timothy 2:15; Joshua 1:8)
so that we won’t be led astray
by the
lofty-sounding ideas presented to us by scoffers
(2 Corinthians 10:5)
but We
Preach Christ crucified:
a stumbling block to Jews
and
foolishness to Gentiles,
The true gospel is the good news that God saves sinners. Man is by nature sinful and separated from God with no hope of remedying that situation. But God, by His power, provided the means of man’s redemption in the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” But to truly comprehend how good this news is, we must first understand the bad news. As a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6), every part of man—his mind, will, emotions and flesh—have been corrupted by sin. Because of man’s sinful nature, he does not and cannot seek God. He has no desire to come to God and, in fact, his mind is hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). God has declared that man’s sin dooms him to an eternity in hell, separated from God. It is in hell that man pays the penalty of sin against a holy and righteous God. This would be bad news indeed if there were no remedy.
But in the gospel, God, in His mercy, has provided that remedy, a substitute for us—Jesus Christ—who came to pay the penalty for our sin by His sacrifice on the cross. This is the essence of the gospel which Paul preached to the Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 15:2-4, he explains the three elements of the gospel—the death, burial and resurrection of Christ on our behalf. Our old nature died with Christ on the cross and was buried with Him. Then we were resurrected with Him to a new life (Romans 6:4-8). Paul tells us to “hold firmly” to this true gospel, the only one which saves. Believing in any other gospel is to believe in vain. In Romans 1:16-17, Paul also declares that the true gospel is the “power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” by which he means that salvation is not achieved by man’s efforts, but by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Because of the gospel, through the power of God, those who believe in Christ (Romans 10:9) are not just saved from hell. We are, in fact, given a completely new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) with a changed heart and a new desire, will, and attitude that are manifested in good works. This is the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us by His power. Works are never the means of salvation, but they are the proof of it (Ephesians 2:10). Those who are saved by the power of God will always show the evidence of salvation by a changed life.
The message of the cross is unmistakably clear. The Son of God came into the world to bear witness to the truth, not to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him (Mark 10:45). This is the power and wisdom of God. The gospel evokes very different responses from its hearers: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the weak things of the world to shame the strong, and the “low and despised” things of the world to be raised up for His glory (1 Corinthians 1:27–29, NET). This is the wisdom of God. Wisdom is the power of insight to use knowledge to one’s advantage, and God definitely has the advantage. “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who would believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
The message of the cross is that the Son of God was crucified to atone for the sins of mankind and secure pardon and salvation for all who would believe in Him. It is this message that is considered folly by those who are perishing—those who disbelieve God’s sentence of death on humanity and prefer human ideas over God’s truth. The message of the cross is divinely inspired, holy, and eternal. It is the love of God come into the world through the Son to destroy the works of the devil (John 18:37; 1 John 3:8). The message of the cross is the wisdom and power of God to keep the promise of John 3:16, to give eternal life to all who believe in the Son. It is also the grace of God rendering to the believer the gifts of repentance, justification, and sanctification, all of which find their meaning in Christ crucified (Luke 23:33–43).
If the message of the cross is the power and wisdom of God, then why is the cross foolishness to some? Here are some reasons:
1. The cross is foolishness to some because in their wisdom they judge the Bible as an antiquated, mystical book. They see Scripture as irrelevant, silly, and valueless in a post-Christian era. They reject the teaching that they are wretched, poor, miserable, blind, and naked before a holy God (Revelation 3:15–19). “They knew God, [but] they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21–22, KJV).
2. The message of the cross is foolishness to some because it fails the “cleverness test” when compared to the philosophies of men (Colossians 2:8). Some mock, despise, and reject the message of the cross as meaningless and unimportant. Blinded by arrogance and lacking wisdom, they see no beauty in Christ and no value in the cross. God is not mocked by such as these: “For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?’” (1 Corinthians 1:19–20, NASB).
3. The message of the cross is foolishness to some because wealth and status can erase the felt need for God and the hope of glory. Though the world is their focus, “all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). “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 2:16).
4. The message of the cross is foolishness to some because in their pride they will not bend the knee at the foot of the cross. They do not allow their hearts to be broken from having sinned against a good, holy, and loving God. They have no godly sorrow driving them to seek forgiveness and restoration with God (Psalm 34:18; 51; Luke18:13; 2 Corinthians 7:9–11; Romans 10:13).
5. The cross is foolishness to some because they love their sin and do not want to change. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25). This is a radical call to turn around and go in a new direction. This requires repentance, a change of mind about God and the things of God.
6. The cross is foolishness to some because they reject the idea that a loving God would crucify His own Son to appease His own wrath. They view the cross as slaughterhouse religion, declaring the wisdom of God objectionable. They are mistaken. They do not know the love and goodness of God that condescended to step out from glory (John 1:1–4) to take their place on the cross.
7. The cross is foolishness to some because they are deceived and misled “by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, ESV). Church movements abandoning the message of the cross are misled by deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). The outcome is another gospel and a Jesus that cannot save. The apostle Paul warned of this eventuality: “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!” (Galatians 1:8).
8. The cross is foolishness to some because they do not know the Scriptures. They lack a rudimentary understanding of the Bible, having no foundation. “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Timothy “from childhood” knew the Holy Scriptures, and they were able to make him “wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy knew the prophecies, promises, and doctrines of Scripture, and that knowledge was foundational to his faith in the Son of God, the Messiah.
The story of Barabbas’s pardon is a remarkable comparison to the life granted to a believer in Christ. For Barabbas, pardon meant Jesus would take his place on the cross to endure the wrath of Rome (Matthew 27:16–22). For the believer, pardon means Jesus took our place on the cross to endure the wrath of God (Romans 3:24–26). With Rome appeased, Barabbas was released to walk free. With God appeased, we are released to walk in newness of life (Romans 3:25, 8:1; 1 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:1; 1 Peter 3:18).
Those who are blind to the wisdom and power of God need a work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14). They need to see the message of the cross as a loving invitation from God to walk in newness of life (John 14:6). If they continue in unbelief, labeling the message of the cross as foolishness, the tragic result will be fully experienced condemnation from God (John 3:18). There is only one name whereby they can be saved, and that is the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
n 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, the natural man is compared to the spiritual man and the carnal man. Verse 14 says, “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (NASB). This verse does not define the natural man, as such; rather, it uses the term to describe one who does not understand God’s words and thoughts. The one who can understand God’s words is a “spiritual” man (verse 15).
Dr. Henry Morris, in the New Defender’s Study Bible, gives this comment on verse 14: “The ‘natural’ man, still unsaved, cannot appreciate spiritual truths. He must first understand Christ’s atoning sacrifice for him, but even that is ‘foolishness’ to him (1:18) until the Holy Spirit Himself convicts him of its reality (John 16:7-11).” Basically, the “natural” man is one who does not have the Holy Spirit residing within him. As Jesus said, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6).
Let’s look at some other uses in the Bible of the word natural. In Romans 11:21 we read, “For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.” In 1 Corinthians 15:44-46, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, then there is also a spiritual body. …However the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.” Ezekiel 44:31 speaks of a natural death. Daniel 10:8 speaks of a natural color. James 1:23 speaks of a natural face, and James 3:15 states, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”
In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul uses the word natural to refer to someone still in his original (sinful) state. The Greek word psuchikos (“natural”) can be defined as “animal,” as opposed to “spiritual.” Natural men are those who are occupied with the things of this material world to the exclusion of the things of God. They are led by instinct rather than by the Spirit of God. They intuitively choose sin over righteousness. They are the “pagans” Jesus refers to in Matthew 6:32 who only seek after the things of this world.
The supernatural work of God is to change the natural man into a spiritual one. When a person trusts Christ, God exchanges what is natural (received from Adam) for what is spiritual (received from Christ). “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The Christian life is, therefore, a supernatural one. We do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).
Discernment is defined as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; an act of perceiving something; a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.” The definition also stresses accuracy, as in “the ability to see the truth.” Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. It is basic to having wisdom.
Arguments and debates surround spiritual truth because it is obscure. Jesus, speaking to His disciples about the Pharisees, said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:11). Satan has “blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4), so God must shed light on the human mind to enable us to understand truth. It is impossible to attain wisdom without God. He gives discernment or takes it away (Job 12:19-21).
Some have mistakenly defined spiritual discernment as a God-given awareness of evil or good spiritual presences—the ability to tell if a demon is in the room. While some people may possess this capability, it is not the biblical meaning of discernment. Spiritual discernment ultimately has to do with wisdom and the ability to distinguish truth from error.
Wisdom is personified in Proverbs 1 and described as someone that we can “get to know” (vv. 20-33). The Bible says that Jesus Christ is “wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Therefore, wisdom, or spiritual discernment, is something that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. The world’s way of getting wisdom is different from God’s way. The learned of the world gain knowledge and apply reason to knowledge to solve problems, construct buildings and create philosophies. But God does not make the knowledge of Himself available by those means. First Corinthians 1:18-31 says the “wisdom of the wise” is frustrated by God who delivers wisdom to the “foolish” and the “weak” by way of a relationship with Jesus Christ. That way, “no human being can boast in His presence” (verse 29). We learn to be spiritually discerning by knowing Him.
It is not wrong to possess knowledge or have an education, and it is not wrong to use reason and logic to solve problems. However, spiritual discernment cannot be attained that way. It must be given by the revelation of Jesus Christ to the believer, and then developed by way of training in righteousness (Hebrews 5:14) and prayer (Philippians 1:9). Hebrews 5:11-14 shows how spiritual discernment is developed. The writer speaks to those who had become “dull of hearing,” meaning they had fallen out of practice discerning spiritually. The writer of Hebrews tells them that everyone who lives on “milk” (rather than the “solid food” desired by the mature) is unskilled in the word of righteousness; however, the mature Christian has been “trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” The keys, according to this passage, are becoming skilled in the Word of God (by which we define righteousness) and “constant practice” (through which we gain experience).
So, how does one increase spiritual discernment? First, recognizing that God is the only one who can increase wisdom, pray for it (James 1:5; Philippians 1:9). Then, knowing the wisdom to distinguish good from evil comes by training and practice, go to the Bible to learn the truth and, by meditation on the Word, reinforce the truth.
When a bank hires an employee, he is trained to recognize counterfeit bills. One would think that the best way to recognize a counterfeit would be to study various counterfeits. The problem is that new counterfeits are being created every day. The best way to recognize a counterfeit bill is to have an intimate knowledge of the real thing. Having studied authentic bills, bank cashiers are not fooled when a counterfeit comes along. A knowledge of the true helps them identify the false.
This is what Christians must do to develop spiritual discernment. We must know the authentic so well that, when the false appears, we can recognize it. By knowing and obeying the Word of God, we will be “trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” We will know God’s character and will. This is the heart of spiritual discernment – being able to distinguish the voice of the world from the voice of God, to have a sense that “this is right” or “this is wrong.” Spiritual discernment fends off temptation and allows us to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).
This statement, “all have sinned,” is found in Romans 3:23 (“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”) and in the last clause of Romans 5:12 (“…because all sinned”). Basically, it means that we’re all lawbreakers, because sin is the violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). Sinfulness is the general characteristic of all mankind; we are all guilty before God. We are sinners by nature and by our own acts of transgression.
In Romans 5:12 the point of “all sinned” seems to be that all humanity “participated” in Adam’s sin and were condemned to death even before they themselves deliberately chose to sin; in fact, that is exactly what Paul confirms in Romans 5:14. Within this passage (5:12-21), Paul explains how and why the “death sentence” for Adam’s sin has come upon the entire human race.
Augustine explained Adam’s transmission of his sin to us with a theory known as “federal headship,” a view held by most evangelical scholars. Augustine taught the concept of “inherited guilt,” that we all sinned “in Adam”: when Adam “voted” for sin, he acted as our representative. His sin was thus imputed or credited to the entire human race—we were all declared “guilty” for Adam’s one sin.
Another view is that the statement “all have sinned” refers only to personal sin arising from our sin nature. After clarifying in Romans 5:13-17 how personal sin is imputed and then spreads, Paul explains why “all die,” even if they have not committed personal sin. The reason all receive this “death sentence” (5:18a) is that, through Adam’s disobedience, all were “made sinful” (5:19a). The verb made means “constituted”; thus, the sin nature is an inherited condition that incurs a death sentence, even in those who are not yet guilty of personal sin (5:13-14). This inherited condition inevitably spawns personal sin when conscience matures and holds a person accountable as soon as he chooses to knowingly transgress the law (2:14-15; 3:20; 5:20a).
We are all sinners because Adam passed on his sinful condition that leads inevitably to our personal sin and death. All share Adam’s death sentence as an inherited condition (the “sin nature”) that is passed down to and through the human race and that every child brings into the world. Even before a child can be held accountable for personal sin, he or she is naturally prone to disobey, to tell lies, etc. Every child is born with a sin nature.
“The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God” (Psalm 14:2). And what does the all-seeing God find? “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (verse 3). In other words, all have sinned.
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.
Galatians chapter 1. We are now past the kind of introduction to the book, and we get into the heart of it, and it comes on us with some fierce power. The verses that I want you to look at this morning are chapter 1, verse 6 through verse 9. Let me read it for you.
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
There is a word there repeated twice, it is the word “accursed.” It is the Greek word anathema.It means devoted to God for destruction, devoted to God for destruction.
The command to touch not God’s anointed is found in two places in Scripture: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm” (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15). These passages are sometimes used in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles to defend certain preachers from criticism. Preachers who promote themselves or their ministries as “anointed” warn their would-be critics, “Do not touch God’s anointed!” Of course, this helps to insulate them from scrutiny and allows them to spread falsehood and bad theology unrestrained.
Others take God’s command “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm” to mean that Christians are promised protection from all bad things.
Both of the above interpretations of “Do not touch my anointed ones” ignore the context of the passages in question. The “anointed ones” in these passages are not modern-day Pentecostal preachers. And the Bible never promises that God’s prophets, anointed ones, children, or other faithful believers will never suffer harm from evil people. As Jesus explained to the Pharisees, “God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute’” (Luke 11:49).
Here is the context of 1 Chronicles 16:22: David is publicly praising God by giving a condensed review of the miraculous history of Israel. He cites some of the miracles God performed to fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (1 Chronicles 16:15–18, referencing Genesis 50:24 and Exodus 2:24). Through these miracles, God created a nation of Abraham’s descendants that would bless the entire world (see Genesis 12:1–3). No one and nothing could prevent God’s promise from being fulfilled, even against all odds.
In the verses leading up to God’s command “Do not touch my anointed ones,” we read this:
“When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings” (1 Chronicles 16:19–21).
This passage refers to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When “they” (the patriarchs) were few in number, they lived as wandering strangers in a strange land (see Hebrews 11:9). Through all their travels and travails, God protected them, increased their number, and prevented the powerful rulers of the lands where they stayed from harming them.
For example, God protected Abraham twice while staying in hostile nations whose kings lusted after his wife. Neither king laid a finger on Abraham or Sarah but instead sent the couple away unharmed and even enriched them (Genesis 12 and 20). The same happened to Isaac (Genesis 26). Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram with nothing, but he left with vast riches (Genesis 31); after all his dealings with his unscrupulous Uncle Laban, Jacob said, “God has not allowed him to harm me” (verse 7).
So the point of 1 Chronicles 16:22 (and Psalm 105:15) is that nothing and no one can derail God’s will; God had a plan for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He refused to let the kings of Canaan and Egypt injure them: “For their sake he rebuked kings: ‘Do not touch my anointed ones’” (1 Chronicles 16:21–22). The patriarchs were His prophets. They were His “anointed ones”; that is, God chose them to accomplish a specific work in the world.
David, who orchestrated the praise of 1 Chronicles 16, applied God’s command not to injure God’s anointed to his own situation. King Saul was trying to kill David at one time, and David and his men were on the run. One night, David’s men came upon Saul and his army while they were sleeping. Abishai rejoiced that they had the advantage over their enemies and suggested they kill Saul then and there. But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? . . . As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down. . .
. But the LORD
forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed”
(1 Samuel 26:9–11).
It is God who takes vengeance, not we (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19).
The command from God “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm” was for a specific group of people for a specific time: God preserved the patriarchs from physical harm. The prophets of the Old Testament have given way to teachers in the New (see 2 Peter 2:1). No one today can properly quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 to deflect criticism or silence challengers. No apostle in the New Testament ever told anyone “Do not touch God’s anointed” as a means of insulating himself from critique.
The gospel is the good news
about salvation,
the
good news about salvation.
Anyone who distorts the good news about salvation is cursed. This is severe language.
It is as harsh as the Word of God ever gets,
pronouncing a damning double curse
on anyone
who distorts or alters
the gospel
The gospel,
the
good news of salvation in Christ,
by grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone,
is the only way
that sinners
can escape hell and enter heaven.
It is by believing the
true gospel
Obviously, Satan, wanting to hold onto those that are in his kingdom of darkness, wants to confuse and deceive and distort the gospel. This then becomes a major enterprise of Satan, the distortion of the gospel, so that people are believing something that is not true, does not save, and they end up in hell, saying, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we do this, and didn’t we do that?” only to hear, “Depart from Me, I never knew you, you workers of iniquity.”
The apostle Paul here has no hesitation, no reluctance. He starts these severe verses, this very fierce declaration of divine punishment without any reservation. This is so direct, so confrontational, so explicit that, frankly, this kind of forceful pronunciation of damnation is just not what you would hear preachers preach today. This is a day of tolerance. This is the day for the post-modern mind to decide that you can believe anything, there’s no absolute truth: you can have your truth, I can have my truth. Nobody should condemn anybody for anything theybelieve or any religion that they adhere to. That doesn’t pass Paul’s inspection. This passage is extremely disturbing to the post-modern mind. It is extremely disturbing to the tolerant world in which we live. But it is absolutely necessary, because salvation is at stake, and it only happens through belief in the true gospel.
Now there are curses in the Old Testament. You can go through the Old Testament and just find the curses, and you will find that again, and again, and again God was pronouncing curses on people who turned against Him. You come to the New Testament, you see Jesus going into Jerusalem in Mark 11 and seeing a fig tree and cursing the fig tree; and when the disciples come back the next day it is dead, and this is a symbol of the divine curse on the nation Israel for its rejection of God and the Messiah. Jesus attacked the Jewish religious system at the beginning of His ministry when He assaulted the temple, at the end of His ministry when He did it again. The curse that comes out of the mouth of Jesus is directly from heaven. There is a curse from God when God is not pleased. That curse is severe and everlasting.
But somebody might say, “Well, it’s one thing to have curses in the Old Testament, another thing to have curses from Jesus in the gospels, and maybe even another thing to have Paul pronouncing curses in the apostolic era. What about today? What about today? Is God still in the business of cursing, consigning to judgment? Is God still pronouncing destruction and devastation people today?” And the answer comes to us in 1 Corinthians 16:22, “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed,” same word, anathema. Damnation is pronounced onanyone who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever your religion, if you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ you are cursed.
Now what does it mean to be cursed? What is the result of being cursed? In Romans chapter 9,just a couple of verses will answer that question. In Romans chapter 9, Paul says in verse 3, “I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren.” He is very desirous for the Jews to come to Christ, and He is so passionate about it that he says, “I could almost wish myself were accursed,” and then he defines what it means: separated from Christ. That what it is to be cursed, separated from Christ forever, and therefore separated from God, out of the presence of God forever.
And it’s more than that. To be cursed, also according to Matthew chapter 25 and verse 41 is this: “Depart from Me,” – Jesus said – “you accursed, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Out of the present of God, out of the presence of Christ,and in an eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; that’s where the curse puts people.
Those cursed in the Old Testament are there now. Those cursed by Jesus in the nation of Israel-at the time they rejected Him are there now. Those propagating a false gospel during the apostolic era that Paul addresses here are there in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and separated from God and Christ now. And continually throughout all of human history, those who do not come in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ to love Him, acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior are cursed and are sent to eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Paul’s curse is very severe, and it
applies to anyone
who
perverts the gospel
People who dishonored God in the Old Testament.
People who
dishonored God in the gospels
were cursed
People who reject Jesus Christ are cursed.
And people who pervert the gospel or substitute a
false gospel are cursed.
Anathema is pronounced on them.
Now, look,
assaults on the gospel
are relentless.
They have always been present, since the
very beginning.
Here we are very early in the life of the apostles.
I told you last time that
Galatians is likely the second
New Testament book written.
Already at the beginning of the ministry of the apostles,
just halfway through the first century,
there is already
widespread distortion of
the
gospel,
promulgated by Satan, his demons, and his human agents.
And it’s been going on since then down to this very day,
and
will always be Satan’s greatest effort.
In Corinth, Paul wrote that he and others taught
God's wisdom among the mature,
apparently referring to those who have come
to God by faith in Christ
and are ready for the
deeper truths of God
(1 Corinthians 2:6).
He also described spiritual people as Christians who understand and believe in spiritual things with the help of God's Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 2:14).
Now, though, Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth that he
cannot call them "spiritual" people.
Is the problem that they have not truly believed in Jesus or that they have not received the Holy Spirit? No. Paul very clearly wrote in the first chapter how thankful he was that that their faith had been confirmed by the gifts of the Spirit given to them (1 Corinthians 1:4–9).
He said they would absolutely stand blameless before God on the day of the Lord. These are Christians.
The problem, as Paul will go on to describe it in this chapter, is that they are still living as if they were unspiritual people: "merely human," (1 Corinthians 3:3), suggesting someone lacking understanding as if they lacked the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).
They are like
"infants in Christ"—spiritually speaking,
they are still
newborn, weak, undeveloped Christians.
instead of living in the
Power God has given to them in the
Holy Spirit,
according to the Truth of God
and the Pure Faith in the
Testimony and Power of Christ
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,
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).
In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told
His disciples,
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me.”
When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day,
no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden.
To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only:
death by crucifixion.
To carry a cross was to face the most painful
and humiliating means of death human beings could develop.
Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of
atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love.
But in Jesus’ day the cross represented a torturous death.
The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion
(see John 19:17).
Bearing a cross meant one
was about to die, and that one would face ridicule and disgrace along the way.
Therefore, Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me”
is a call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice.
One must be willing to die in order to follow Jesus.
Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God
After Jesus commanded cross-bearing,
He said,
For whoever
wants to save their life will lose it,
but whoever loses
their life for me will find it
What good will it be
for someone to gain the whole world,
yet forfeit their soul?
Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:25–26). Although the call to take up our cross is tough, the reward is matchless. Nothing in this world is worth passing up eternal life.
Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Their view of who the Messiah really was—and what He would do—was often distorted. They thought the Christ would immediately usher in the restored kingdom (Luke 19:11). They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Some hoped He would continue to provide free lunches for everyone (John 6:26). Jesus’ statement that following Him requires taking up a cross made people think twice about their motivations and level of commitment.
In Luke 9:57–62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus pressed them, however, their commitment was shown to be half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None were willing to take up their cross and crucify upon it their own interests.
Jesus’ apparent attempts to dissuade people from following Him surely limited the number of false converts and insincere disciples (see John 6:66).
But God seeks
“true worshipers [who] will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”
(John 4:23).
Jesus’ call to “take up your cross and follow Me”
serves to screen out the
disingenuous, double-minded, and dissembling.
Are you ready to take up your cross and follow Jesus?
Consider these questions:
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your closest friends?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your reputation?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
– Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?
In some places of the world, these consequences are a reality. But notice the phrasing of the questions: “Are you willing?” Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but the disciple of Christ must be willing to suffer loss. Are you willing to take up your cross? If faced with a choice--
Jesus or the comforts of this life—which will you choose?
Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, and even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. Remember that, as Jesus called His disciples to “take up your cross and follow Me,” He, too, bore a cross. Our Lord led the way.
Philippians 2:3–4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Paul goes on to instruct the Philippians to have the same mindset as Jesus when relating to others, and he details just how humble Jesus was. What does it mean to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit?
First, let’s define a few terms. Selfish ambition can be understood as “motivation to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another’s.” It is a self-above-others approach. The Greek term here carries with it a connotation of contentiousness. In fact, the King James Bible translates the word as “strife.” Vain conceit means “excessive pride” or “self-esteem that has no foundation in reality”; vain conceit is an elevated and incorrect sense of self. Therefore, doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit means not letting our actions be motivated by selfishness, pride, or one-upmanship.
We can learn how to avoid acting out of selfish ambition or vain conceit by looking at the contrasting words in the same context. The opposite of being selfish and vain is to “in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3–4, ESV). We must learn to be others-focused, not self-focused. If we’re putting others first, we won’t be conceited or proud or overly ambitious. It’s hard to be self-important when we’re considering others as more important.
In Philippians 2:1–2 Paul writes, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” It is through understanding our salvation that we can live in unity with other believers and love them in Christ. The basis of our being like-minded and free of strife is four-fold: 1) we are united with Christ, 2) we are comforted with God’s love, 3) we have the same Spirit, and 4) we have been given tender compassion for others. When we truly see how much Christ has done for us and understand the fullness of His love, pride and selfishness melt away. Those who know the love of Christ do not wrangle for position within the family of God; rather, they recognize the purpose of the body of Christ and live it out. They are willing to take a lower place in order to serve others (1 Peter 4:10). They engage in Christian fellowship with a focus on loving God and others (Mark 12:30–31).
Philippians 2:3b–4 instructs believers to value others above themselves and look out for their interests. We do not elevate ourselves above others but willingly sacrifice in order to love them. When all believers act this way, we are of one mind and everyone is cared for. Paul gives similar instructions to the Galatians, counseling them to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and to do good to all, especially fellow believers (Galatians 6:10). Jesus was the epitome of servanthood. Shortly after washing His disciples’ feet, something usually done by the lowliest of servants, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35). Jesus’ love was self-sacrificial. He acted for the best of others rather than for His own glory (see Matthew 20:28).
In Philippians 2:5–11 Paul details Jesus’ example of humility. Jesus was “in very nature God, [yet] did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:5). Rather, the Son of God became human. More than that, He humbled himself to the lowliest position and died a shameful criminal’s death in our place. How can we who follow such a Lord act in pride? When we consider what Christ did for us, we learn not to be so self-absorbed. Jesus promised that, as we seek to glorify God, our needs will be met (Matthew 6:25–34), so we can focus more on meeting the needs of others.
When we understand the incredible sacrifice, grace, and mercy of God on our behalf, we realize that we have no use for pride. When we recognize God’s abundant grace, provision, and love, we understand that we have no need for selfishness. We need not focus solely on our own interests because we rest in our Savior. We have been adopted into an eternal family, and we can learn to love that family as the Father loves us. Rather than be motivated by selfishness or pride, we can be of one mind with fellow believers and put their interests before our own.
John wrote the book of Revelation near the end of the first century AD, and the book begins its conclusion with Jesus’ admonition, “Behold I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:7, ESV). The New King James Version reads, “Behold I am coming quickly.” Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus made this proclamation, and He still hasn’t come back yet. It is fair to ask what Jesus meant when He said, “Behold I am coming soon.” The Greek word translated “soon” here is tachus, a word that denotes immediacy and suddenness.
To understand the immediacy and suddenness of Jesus’ coming, even though it has been delayed for two millennia, consider Jesus’ exhortation that His listeners should make friends “quickly” (tachus) with their opponents at law “while you are still together on the way” (Matthew 5:25). The speed of the action itself is to be set in motion when the conditions are in place—“when you are on the way to court,” (NLT).
After the resurrection of Jesus, an angel spoke to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, telling them to come see the place where Jesus had been lying and to go “quickly” (tachus) and tell the disciples (Matthew 28:6–7). Per the angel’s instructions, before the women could go “quickly,” they had to see the place where Jesus had been. When they left, they did so “quickly” (Matthew 28:8), but, even then, they encountered Jesus and talked with Him (Matthew 28:9–10). So, they moved with haste, but there were several circumstances that delayed their arrival to tell the disciples the good news. In the same way, the book of Revelation presents a series of events that will precede Jesus’ return to earth. He says, “Behold I am coming quickly” (NKJV), but He doesn’t say is coming right away. Jesus’ coming will be sudden and hasty, but there are many prophetic fulfillments that will happen before He comes.
Paul illustrates the idea of suddenness coupled with delay in 1 Corinthians 15 when he unveils the mystery that we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51). In a moment so sudden that it can be compared to a twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), that transformation will occur. The event will happen “quickly,” but it might not happen soon (though imminent, the rapture has been delayed for two millennia). When it happens, it will happen suddenly and completely. Even though Paul doesn’t use the word tachus in this context, he shows that an event can happen quickly event if it is preceded by a lengthy delay.
Jesus says, “Behold I am coming quickly!” When He comes, He will judge and reward. The prophecy about His sudden coming is given to encourage believers that they can trust Him, that the time is short, and that they should make the most of the time they are given (see Ephesians 5:16).
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, or Tares, is filled with spiritual significance and truth. But, in spite of the clear explanation of the parable that Jesus gave (Matthew 13:36-43), this parable is very often misinterpreted. Many commentaries and sermons have attempted to use this story as an illustration of the condition of the church, noting that there are both true believers (the wheat) and false professors (the weeds) in both the church at large and individual local churches. While this may be true, Jesus distinctly explains that the field is not the church; it is the world (v. 38).
Even if He hadn’t specifically told us the world is the setting of the story, it would still be obvious. The landowner tells the servants not to pull up the weeds in the field, but to leave them until the end of the age. If the field were the church, this command would directly contradict Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18, which tells us how to deal with unrepentant sinners in the church: they are to be put out of the fellowship and treated as unbelievers. Jesus never instructed us to let impenitent sinners remain in our midst until the end of the age.
So, Jesus
is teaching here about
“the kingdom of heaven”
(v. 24)
in the world.
In the agricultural society of Christ’s time, many farmers depended on the quality of their crops. An enemy sowing weeds would have sabotaged a business. The tares in the parable were likely darnel because that weed, until mature, appears as wheat. Without modern weed killers, what would a wise farmer do in such a dilemma? Instead of tearing out the wheat with the tares, the landowner in this parable wisely waited until the harvest. After harvesting the whole field, the tares could be separated and burned. The wheat would be saved in the barn.
In the explanation of parable, Christ declares that He Himself is the sower. He spreads His redeemed seed, true believers, in the field of the world. Through His grace, these Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). Their presence on earth is the reason the “kingdom of heaven” is like the field of the world. When Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17), He meant the spiritual realm which exists on earth side by side with the realm of the evil one (1 John 5:19). When the kingdom of heaven comes to its fruition, heaven will be a reality and there will be no “weeds” among the “wheat.” But for now, both good and bad seeds mature in the world.
The enemy in the parable is Satan. In opposition to Jesus Christ,
the devil tries to destroy Christ’s work
by placing
false believers and teachers in the world
who lead many astray.
One has only to look at the latest televangelist scandal to know the world is filled with professing “Christians” whose ungodly actions bring reproach on the name of Christ. But we are not to pursue such people in an effort to destroy them. For one thing, we don’t know if immature and innocent believers might be injured by our efforts. Further, one has only to look at the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and the reign of “Bloody Mary” in England to see the results of men taking upon themselves the responsibility of separating true believers from false, a task reserved for God alone. Instead of requiring these false believers to be rooted out of the world, and possibly hurting immature believers in the process, Christ allows them to remain until His return. At that time, angels will separate the true from false believers.
In addition, we are not to take it upon ourselves to uproot unbelievers because the difference between true and false believers isn’t always obvious. Tares, especially in the early stages of growth, resemble wheat. Likewise, a false believer may resemble a true believer. In Matthew 7:22, Jesus warned that many profess faith but do not know Him. Thus, each person should examine his own relationship with Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5). First John is an excellent test of salvation.
Jesus Christ will one day establish true
righteousness
After He raptures the true church out of this world,
God will pour out His righteous wrath on the world.
During that tribulation,
He will draw others to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
At the end of the tribulation, all unbelievers
will be judged for their sin and unbelief;
then, they will be removed from God’s presence.
True followers
of Christ will reign with Him.
What a glorious hope for the “wheat”!
Jesus had just finished explaining to the
disciples the meaning of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares,
and these two short parables are a continuance of
His discussion of the “kingdom of heaven.”
He expressed truths about the kingdom in three pairs of parables in Matthew 13:
the seed and the sower
(vv. 3-23) and the weeds in the field (vv. 24-30); the mustard seed (vv. 31-32) and the leaven (v. 33);
and the hidden treasure (v. 44) and the pearl of great price (vv. 45-46).
The similarities of these two short parables make it clear they
teach the same lesson--
the kingdom of heaven is of
inestimable value.
Both parables involve a
man who sold all he had to possess
the kingdom.
The treasure and the pearl represent Jesus Christ
and the salvation He offers.
And while we cannot pay for salvation by selling all our worldly goods,
once we have found the prize,
we are willing to give up everything to possess it.
But what is attained in exchange is so much more valuable
that it is comparable
to trading an ounce of trash for a ton of diamonds
(Philippians 3:7-9).
In both parables, the treasures are
hidden,
indicating that spiritual truth is missed by many and
cannot be found
by intelligence or power or worldly wisdom
Matthew 13:11-17 and 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, 14 make it clear that the mysteries of the kingdom are hidden from some who are unable to hear, see, and comprehend these truths. The disobedient reap the natural consequences of their unbelief—spiritual blindness. Those whose eyes are opened by the Spirit do discern spiritual truth, and they, like the men in the parable, understand its great value.
Notice that the merchant stopped seeking pearls when
he found the pearl of great price.
Eternal life,
the incorruptible inheritance, and the love of God through Christ
constitute the pearl which,
once found, makes further searching unnecessary.
Christ fulfills our greatest needs, satisfies our longings, makes us whole and clean before God, calms and quiets our hearts, and gives us hope for the future. The “great price,” of course, is that which was paid by Christ for our redemption. He emptied Himself of His glory, came to earth in the form of a lowly man and shed
His precious blood on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
Romans 12:2 reveals that the believer who is
being transformed by a new, godly way of thinking “
may prove what is
that good and acceptable
and
perfect will of God”
(NKJV).
This three-fold description of
God’s will can teach us
more about who God is and
His plan for us.
God’s will for the believer is good. It is good because He is fully good (Luke 18:19) with no evil or darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). Every “good and perfect gift” comes from God (James 1:17), and “He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). God’s good will is revealed for our benefit and the benefit of those we serve.
God’s will for the believer is acceptable. God’s will is acceptable, or pleasing, in that it is approved by God and fully pleasing to Him. Those who obey the will of God are acceptable to Him (Matthew 12:50). The believer who serves the Lord in a spirit of deference, love, and righteousness is “acceptable to God and approved by men” (Romans 14:18, ESV).
God’s will for the believer is perfect. His perfect will has no defect and fully reaches the goal, purpose, or end that was intended. Following God’s perfect will makes us better reflections of God’s perfect nature. God’s perfect will leads us to spiritual maturity. Scripture was given to make the believer “perfect” in the sense of “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17).
In Romans 12:2, the words good, acceptable, and perfect can also be taken as nouns that rename the will of God; in other words, God’s will equals that which is good and acceptable and perfect. This appositional construction is brought out in the ESV: “You may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Viewed this way, if you are doing good things that are pleasing to God and leading to your maturity, then you are doing God’s will.
At times God’s will does not seem to us to be good, acceptable, or perfect. If His will includes suffering, or if it doesn’t make sense to us, we question it. When God called Moses to go to Egypt and rescue the Israelites, he questioned God’s will, wondering if the people would believe him (Exodus 4:1). Moses gave excuses for why he could not do it, saying he was not “eloquent” of speech (Exodus 4:10). God reminded Moses that God made man’s mouth and that He would help Moses speak and teach Moses what to say (Exodus 4:11).
God’s will revealed to Joshua probably didn’t seem to be good, acceptable, or perfect, either. What human sense did it make to walk around Jericho for seven days (Joshua 6:1–27)? What sense did it make for the widow of Zarephath to give Elijah her last meal (1 Kings 17:7–16)? For Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River seven times (2 Kings 5)? For Peter to cast his net on the other side of the boat after a night of fishing in vain (John 21:1–14)? When Jesus revealed His will that the disciples feed 5,000 people, Philip remonstrated: “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece” (John 6:7). Jesus told the people at Lazarus’s tomb to roll away the stone, a seemingly pointless thing to do, since Lazarus had been dead for four days (John 11:17–44). In each of these cases, people obeyed the Lord, with the result that God’s plan was fulfilled perfectly. In our limited thinking and strength, God’s will seems strange, but it truly is good, acceptable, and perfect.
Romans 12:1–2 tells us how we can know and fulfill God’s will. The process begins by consecrating ourselves to God: “In view of God’s mercy, . . . offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (verse 1). As we offer our whole selves to Him, He transforms and redirects our lives. Verse 2 continues with setting ourselves apart from the world and allowing our minds to be transformed: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Then comes the ability to discern God’s will: “You will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). As believers renounce the ways of the world and submit to Christ, their minds, hearts, and wills are renewed by God’s Word and Spirit. This is how we can test and approve God’s will.
By His divine power, God “has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). Following God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will allows us to enjoy life abundantly (see John 10:10). May we echo the psalmist’s words in Psalm 119:111–112:
“Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end.”
People-pleasing is a well-worn scheme and trap of Satan.
If we think people-pleasing began with self-esteem training, the tolerance movement, or social media, we have underestimated how interwoven this temptation has been with humanity. The sin of people-pleasing is as old as people. Since the fall, we have been tempted to live for the praise and approval of others.
Man has always fallen into the fear of man.
Our stubborn, often subtle weakness for the esteem of others
has roots that stretch far and wide --
in society, in history, and too often in us.
And God hates people-pleasing.
The apostle warns,
“Am I now seeking the
approval of man, or of God?
Or am I trying to please man?
If I were still trying
to please man,
I would not be a servant of Christ”
(Galatians 1:10). No one can ultimately serve both God and man. And God knows whom we really serve (1 Thessalonians 2:4), whose pleasure we crave the most.
Jesus put his finger on the ancient fear of man when he confronted the proud people-pleasers of his day: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44). People-pleasing had blinded them to Jesus. Unchecked, it will cover our eyes as well. “They loved the glory that comes from man,” John 12:43 tells us, “more than the glory that comes from God.” That preference is the essence and danger of people-pleasing.
How to Kill People-PleasingSo, how do we expose our proneness to people-pleasing and begin putting it to death? Paul confronts this particular temptation head-on in two remarkably similar passages,
Ephesians 6:5–9 and Colossians 3:22–25,
both of which are specifically addressed to bondservants:
Bondservants, obey your earthly masters . . . not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers.
(Ephesians 6:5–6)
Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers. (Colossians 3:22)
The apostle calls servants to relate to their masters in countercultural ways, despite what they may be suffering and enduring. His admonitions, however, apply far beyond masters and servants, to bosses and employees, husbands and wives, parents and children, friends and neighbors. The two passages are a several-sentence textbook on how to resist people-pleasing in any relationship, including at least five important lessons.
1. Love with fear and trembling.Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling. (Ephesians 6:5)
The antidote to the fear of man is not fearlessness but a better, healthier, more life-giving fear: the fear of God. To avoid people-pleasing, we must love people with fear and trembling toward God. Much of our captivity to the feelings and desires of others stems from our relative indifference to the eyes and heart of heaven. We’ve developed a devastating allergy to trembling — the vital tremors any healthy soul feels before the awe-inspiring wonder of God (Psalm 96:9).
“The antidote to the fear of man is not fearlessness but a better, healthier, more life-giving fear: the fear of God.”Paul makes the same point in Colossians 3:22: “Obey in everything . . . not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” How many of us fear the disappointment or disapproval of others far more than we fear displeasing God? Subjecting our fears of one another to a greater fear of God will, over time, clarify and purify our motivations in relationships. Instead of constantly worrying what others might think or how they might respond, we need to spend more time meditating on the holiness, justice, and mercy of God.
2. Always do what God says to do.[Obey] not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. (Ephesians 6:6)
This lesson and exhortation may seem too simple to be practically helpful: Resolve to do what God says to do. “Do the will of God.” The people-pleaser desperately chases the wills of other people; the God-fearer focuses on discerning and pursuing the will of God. Well, yes, but how do we know what the will of God is in any given situation?
Paul answers that question with surprising clarity and simplicity: “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The will of God for you is that you be sanctified — that you steadily and progressively become more and more like him. When confronted with a decision, one good question to ask is, What choice will make me more like Jesus? What would make me rely most on God (2 Corinthians 1:9; 12:9)? What would help bring others closer to him (1 Peter 3:18)? What would bring him the most glory (John 17:4; 12:27–28)?
Many decisions, however, are not as black-and-white as we’d like. Typically, there isn’t a manifestly Jesus path and a manifestly sinful path. So, beyond the simplicity of our pursuing sanctification (holiness), Paul also says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). God-fearers listen as carefully as possible to all that God says in his word, meditating on his law day and night (Psalm 1:2), and then they strive to obey to the best of their knowledge and ability.
None of us will know all that God wants and commands at all times, but we cancommit to do, at all times, what we do know he has said to do.
3. Sacrifice the safety of superficiality.Obey in everything . . . not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart. (Colossians 3:22; Ephesians 6:5)
The sin of people-pleasing, almost by definition, presumes duplicity. If we’re constantly angling to do what pleases others, it is almost impossible to remain consistent or maintain integrity (especially if we’re trying to please several people at once). That means one way we battle people-pleasing is to prize and protect sincerity.
Do we alter ourselves before certain people in order to make or keep them happy? Do we act or speak a certain way to fit in with one crowd, and then transform ourselves to fit in somewhere else (perhaps in neither place being honest about who we really are)? Insincerity camouflages weaknesses and embellishes strengths. It hides secret sins and parades virtues. It’s self-protective, self-congratulating, and always projecting.
The call to sincerity is the call to put off and forsake all superficiality. No one, believer or otherwise, wants to be known as superficial, so why do so many still fall into its trap? In part, because superficiality makes us feel safe, important, successful. If we can project the image to others we love and admire, then we will be loved and admired, we think. The problem, of course, is that we (and God) know who we are behind all the elaborate costumes and performances. And so, whomever the people love, it is not really us.
Sincerity, not superficiality, is the surer path to peace, love, purpose, and freedom.
4. Obey God in public and in secret.Obey . . . with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service.(Ephesians 6:5–6; Colossians 3:22)
This test may be the most immediately enlightening: “not by the way of eye-service.” Or, not only when others are watching. Especially the particular people whose approval or praise we crave. This point overlaps with the previous one, but presses on the differences between our public self and our secret self — who we are when we are all alone. One of the surest ways to forfeit our souls is to use God merely to garner attention and applause for ourselves.
“One of the surest ways to forfeit our souls is to use God merely to garner attention and applause for ourselves.”“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them,” Jesus warns, “for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). The hypocrites, he says, announce themselves when they give to the needy, or pray, or fast “that they may be praised by others.” We hear the sobering severity in his next words: “Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:2). People-pleasers may enjoy the pleasure of earthly praise for a time, but if that is what they live to have, that is all they will ever have. A few more trophies at work, a few more compliments from friends, a few more likes on social media, a few more smiles and pats on the back — and then they lose everything.
To be done with people-pleasing, we have to see the shallow, shortsighted, ultimately empty rewards of people-pleasing. And we have to come awake to the enormous, never-ending, ever-escalating prize of pleasing God regardless of whether anyone else sees or not.
5. Seek your reward from God.Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. (Colossians 3:23–24; Ephesians 6:8)
People-pleasers may enjoy the pleasure of earthly praise, but only at the expense of a heavenly reward. Every time we prefer the glory of man to the glory of God, we believe the terrifying lie that the stray crumbs of human praise will be more satisfying than the wedding feast that awaits us (Revelation 19:9). Against the tragedy of people-pleasing hypocrisy, Jesus encourages us,
When you give to the needy [or pray or fast or love one another], do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:3–4)
We cannot measure the worth of this reward. For those who live to please him, God will not withhold any gift or pleasure. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Whatever we receive and experience in the new world God gives to us, no reward, accomplishment, or approval could ever have made us happier (Psalm 16:11). We starve the craving for the praise and approval of people by striving for what we can get only from God.
Please God, Love PeopleNow, pleasing God does not mean despising people. The Son of God himself “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He counted others and their interests more significant than his own (Philippians 2:3–5) — imagine that! He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Pleasing God does not release us from relentlessly and sacrificially loving people. It does release us from the tyranny of needing their praise or fearing their rejection.
So, please God and love people, like Christ. “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits,” worrying about how well he will be received or remembered by men, “since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4). Do all that you do before his loving, watchful, fearsome eyes. If we learn to rejoice and tremble before him (Psalm 2:11), the seduction of people-pleasing will wither and wane.
In Romans 1:16 Paul writes, “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.” The gospel is intended for all people. But, chronologically, the gospel message was first revealed to the Jewish people before it was revealed to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people).
The Jews are God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6–7). Through the Jews, God demonstrated His love and holiness to the world: “Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah” (Romans 9:4–5). It was through the seed of Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed” (Acts 3:25; cf. Genesis 22:18; 26:4). That promised blessing came through Jesus Christ, as explained in Galatians 3:16. Jesus was born as a Jew under the Law, fulfilled the Jewish Law perfectly, and died as a once-for-all sacrifice on behalf of all who would put their faith in Him (Galatians 4:4–5; Hebrews 9:14–15, 23–28).
In His public ministry, Jesus spoke of being sent to the Jews, and He focused His efforts on them. He was the Jewish Messiah, and He had come, in part, to “strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph” (Zechariah 10:6). On one occasion, Jesus seemed to rebuff the pleas of a Gentile woman (though He later helped her) in Matthew 15:21–28 (also see Matthew 10:5). Jesus predicted that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in [Christ’s] name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47, emphasis added). The gospel of the kingdom was to be a blessing to the whole world, but it was natural that it be first proclaimed to Israel.
When Paul speaks of the gospel
bringing
salvation “first to the Jew”
in Romans 1:16,
he alludes to the special relationship
the
Jews had to the Messiah.
The Christ was the Son of David,
and the
hope of the
Messiah
had long been held by the Jews
(see Luke 2:38).
So, when the
gospel of Christ was first proclaimed,
the
Jews had priority,
as it is
AGAIN
in the Last Days
We see this prioritization in Paul’s first missionary journey.
Every time they would come to a new city,
Paul and Barnabas would preach in the synagogue to the Jews in that city.
In Pisidian Antioch,
they were so opposed by the unbelieving Jews that the missionaries said,
“We had to speak the word of God to you first.
Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).
The persecution in Antioch continued, and Paul and Barnabas were eventually expelled,
so they went to the next town (verse 51).
There are several important things to note about Paul’s statement
that the
Power of God in the Gospel
“brings salvation
to everyone who believes: first to the Jew,
then to the Gentile.”
First, God did not cease saving Jews in order to save Gentiles.
In all of his missionary journeys,
Paul continued to
preach first in the synagogues
God continues to desire
The
salvation of all the world
(John 3:16–18; 1 Timothy 2:4)
The GLORY of God
is the
Beauty and Truth of his Spirit
It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty,
but the
beauty that emanates from His character,
from all that He is.
The glory of man
—human dignity and honor—fades
(1 Peter 1:24).
But the glory of God, which is manifested in all
His attributes together,
never passes away.
It is eternal.
Moses requested of God,
“Now show me your glory”
(Exodus 33:18).
In His response,
God equates His glory with “all my goodness”
(verse 19).
“But,” God said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (verse 20).
So, God hid Moses in “a cleft in the rock” to protect him from the
fulness of God’s glory as it passed by (verses 21–23).
No mortal can view God’s excelling splendor without being
utterly overwhelmed.
The glory of God puts the
pride
of man to shame:
“Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,
The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,
And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day”
(Isaiah 2:10–11, NKJV).
Often, in the Old Testament,
the manifestation of God’s glory
was accompanied by
supernatural fire, thick clouds, and a great quaking of the earth.
We see these phenomena when God
gave the law to Moses: “Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,
because the Lord descended on it in fire.
The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,
and the
whole mountain trembled violently”
(Exodus 19:18; see also Deuteronomy 5:24–25; 1 Kings 8:10–11; and Isaiah 6:1–4)
The prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God was full of fire and lightning and tumultuous sounds, after which he saw “what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds
on a rainy day,
so was the radiance around him
This was the appearance
of the likeness of the glory of the Lord”
(Ezekiel 1:26–28).
In the New Testament,
the
glory of God is revealed in
His Son, Jesus Christ:
“The
Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one
and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”
(John 1:14).
Jesus came as
“a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of [God’s] people Israel”
(Luke 2:32)
The miracles that Jesus did
were
“signs through which he revealed his glory”
(John 2:11)
In Christ, the glory of God
is meekly veiled, approachable, and
knowable.
He promises to return some day
“on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory”
(Matthew 24:30).
Isaiah 43:7 says that God saved Israel for
His glory—in the redeemed
will be seen the
distillation of
God’s grace and power and faithfulness.
The natural world also exhibits God’s glory, revealed to all men,
no matter their race, heritage, or location.
As Psalm 19:1–4 says,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim
the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech,
they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into
all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
Psalm 73:24 calls
heaven itself “glory.” Sometimes Christians speak of death as being
“received unto glory,”
a phrase borrowed from this psalm. When the Christian dies, he or she will be
taken into God’s presence and surrounded by God’s glory and majesty.
In that place, His glory will be seen clearly:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face”
(1 Corinthians 13:12).
In the future New Jerusalem,
the glory
of God will be manifest:
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp”
(Revelation 21:23).
God will not give His glory to another
(Isaiah 42:8; cf. Exodus 34:14).
Yet this is the very thing that people try to steal.
Scripture indicts all idolaters:
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and
exchanged the glory
of the immortal God
for
images made to look like
a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles”
(Romans 1:22–23).
Only God is eternal,
and
His perfect and eternal attributes
of
holiness, majesty, goodness, love, etc.,
are not to be exchanged
for the
imperfections and corruption of anything
in This World
Psalm 19:1 states,
“The heavens declare the Glory of God,
and the
sky above
Proclaims His handiwork.”
This is one of the clearest biblical statements that nature
itself is meant to show the greatness of God.
These words are in the present tense.
That is, the heavens
“are declaring,” and the sky “is proclaiming” the
creative work of God.
It’s a continual display.
What we see in nature is meant to constantly show us that
God exists
and tell us how amazing a Creator
He truly is.
Psalm 19:1 connects this idea that the universe did have a “beginning.”
At first, this idea was rejected by scientists as being theology, not science.
Over time, however, it became impossible to deny.
The fact that the universe “began” is something we can
see purely by
observing the heavens and the sky—just as Psalm 19:1
says.
Romans 1 also ties into this idea.
God has revealed enough of Himself in nature that
nobody has an
excuse for rejecting Him
or for
doing what is wrong
“Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities . . .
have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made”
(Romans 1:20).
The heavens Declare the Glory of God.
Because
“the heavens
Declare the Glory of God,”
we can be confident in using science to explore.
The more we know about the world around us,
the more glory we give to God.
The more we discover,
the more evidence we have that
He is the One responsible for
nature and its laws
Several times in his instruction to Timothy, Paul introduces content
as “a trustworthy statement”
(1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11).
The “trustworthy” designation highlights
what follows as an important and reliable principle.
Shortly after such an introduction, Paul remarks that
God cannot deny Himself
(2 Timothy 2:13).
In 2 Timothy 2:11 Paul introduces what reads like a poetic verse from a
hymn that includes four couplets.
The words may have already been familiar to Timothy, or Paul may have been simply
providing new content. Literally rendered, the passage reads like this:
“Since together we died, also together we will live;
since we are enduring, also together we will reign;
if we will deny, He will also
deny us;
if we are not faithful, He remains faithful, for
to deny Himself He cannot”
(2 Timothy 2:11–13).
In the first couplet (2 Timothy 2:11), Paul acknowledges that,
because we have died together
with Christ
(as in Colossians 2:20 and 3:3), we will live together with Him.
We will enjoy life everlasting
with Christ.
Paul states this as fact
(using the first class condition in the Greek)—this is not merely
an “if” but a “since.”
It is a fact that we have died together
(Paul uses the aorist tense, denoting the action is completed),
and it is a certainty
that in the future we will live
together with Christ
Next, Paul encourages
believers that, since we are enduring
(also assumed as fact, using the first class conditional),
then we will reign together with Him and each other (2 Timothy 2:12a).
As John explained it in Revelation,
believers overcome through Christ
who has
Himself overcome
(compare Revelation 2:7, 11; 3:5; 21:7, etc., with Revelation 5:5).
This is an encouragement for believers to persevere—and, assuming their endurance,
reminding that there is a
future of reward
and meaningful activity in store.
The third couplet (2 Timothy 2:12b) changes the tense of the (protasis) action from present
(as was used on the first two couplets) to future, rendering the first part of the couplet,
“if we deny in the future.”
If there is such a denial, then
He will also deny us
Jesus used similar terminology when He explained that,
if people denied Him
before men,
He would deny them before
the Father
(Matthew 10:33).
It is important
to NOTE
that Jesus was talking to
His twelve disciples
(Matthew 10:5; 11:1).
He explains that the Spirit
would be speaking through them
(Matthew 10:20),
and
He warns them of the
need to be
faithful in confessing Him before men
and
not denying Him--
He is challenging them
to be
faithful messengers for Him
There was reward
for confessing Him before men
(Matthew 10:32) and
consequences
for denying Him before men
(Matthew 10:33)
In 2 Timothy 2, Paul is challenging Timothy
to endure and fulfill his ministry,
which included
doing the work of a good-news proclaimer, or evangelist
(2 Timothy 4:5).
Paul challenges Timothy with the
importance of confessing
and
not denying Jesus
When Paul says that Jesus will deny us,
he is not talking about
loss of salvation or change in positional standing
before God.
Much like Jesus warned His twelve disciples,
Paul reminds Timothy
that there are consequences to
unfaithfulness in ministry
Paul had explained earlier in this context the
importance of engaging like a good soldier,
an athlete competing
according to the rules, and a hard-working farmer
(2 Timothy 2:3–6).
Paul had elsewhere explained that he was
working hard to be faithful
so he would
not be disqualified from ministry
(1 Corinthians 9:23–27)
He refers to faithfulness in practice,
and
Eternal Rewards
not
“loss of salvation”
as he explains after the fourth couplet in 2 Timothy 2:13:
God “cannot deny Himself”
(NKJV)
To ensure that people rightly understood
the rewards and consequences
of
faithfulness in the Christian life,
Paul told the
Corinthians that the works of all believers
would
one day
be assessed at Christ’s judgment seat
If those works stand the test,
the believer will be rewarded
(1 Corinthians 3:14).
If the works are burned up,
then the
believer will lose out on
the reward,
but he would not lose salvation
(1 Corinthians 3:15).
God cannot deny Himself
Once a person is
in Christ
(by belief in Him),
God remains faithful to that person--
He keeps His word
The one who believes has eternal life from the moment of faith
(e.g., John 6:47; Romans 8:29–31)
Nothing can separate a child of God from the love of God
(Romans 8:38–39),
because He is faithful to keep His promise.
God cannot deny Himself
