​You should think outside the box



hes not judgding

We first hear about



Noah


in Genesis 5,



which begins with “this is the book of the generations of Adam.”


This is a recurring phrase in Genesis, and chapter 5 details the godly line of Seth as opposed

to the worldly line of Cain


(Genesis 4:17-24).


Assuming no generational breaks, Noah represents the tenth generation from Adam. The genealogical account of Noah reads, “When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, ‘He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed’”

(Genesis 5:28-29)


Right from the start, we see that Noah is going to be special as he is the only member of this genealogy whose name is explained. His father, Lamech, states that his son, Noah, will bring relief (“Noah” sounds like the Hebrew word for “rest or relief”). We learn quickly what Noah was to relieve them from in Genesis 6:1-8, where we see the unfettered results of the fall as unrighteousness increases throughout the world. God indicts mankind with these words: “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time”

(Genesis 6:5)


God determined to "wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them" (Genesis 6:7). Yet, even in this situation, there is hope: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD”

(Genesis 6:8)


Despite the rampant wickedness that was increasing exponentially upon the earth, there is one man who stands out—a man whose life was characterized by the hand of God’s grace upon him.

Noah found favor with the Lord. God was about to send judgment upon the world for its wickedness, but He extends His saving grace to Noah and his family.

Genesis 6:9 marks the beginning of the flood narrative, and it is here that we learn the most about Noah’s life. We learn that Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and that he walked with God.

One can almost see a progression of spirituality in this description of Noah’s life. By saying Noah was righteous, we know that he was obedient to God’s commands (as best as he was able and understood them at that time).

He was blameless in his generation, standing out among the people of his day. While they were engaging in debauchery, Noah was living an exemplary life.

Finally, Noah walked with God, which puts him in the same class as his great grandfather, Enoch (Genesis 5:24); this implies not only an obedient life, but one that has a vibrant and intimate relationship with God.

We see Noah’s obedient life demonstrated in his willingness to obey without question the Lord’s commands regarding the ark (Genesis 6:22; 7:5, 9; 8:18). Consider that Noah and his generation more than likely had never seen rain before, yet God tells Noah to build a large seagoing vessel nowhere near a body of water.



Noah’s trust in God

was such that he promptly obeyed.



Noah’s blameless life is made manifest

as he obeys the Lord in light


of the approaching day of wrath.



The apostle Peter tells us that Noah was a “herald of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5),

and the author of Hebrews says that he “condemned the world” (Hebrews 11:7)

through his righteous actions.

Throughout the long delay of the coming judgment,


Noah continued to faithfully obey the Lord.

As evidence of his walk with God, after the flood,


Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices to God


(Genesis 8:20).


​Worship


was a central part of


Noah’s life





Aside from the flood narrative and the vignette

of his drunkenness recorded in Genesis 9:20-27,

we don’t know much about Noah’s life.

Surely, the drunkenness wasn’t the only instance

of impropriety in Noah’s life.

Like all of us, Noah was born with a sin nature.

​The episode of his drunkenness was included

in the narrative,

more than likely, to explain

the animosity

between the Canaanites and the Israelites.



Despite this incident, we do see that


Noah was revered as one of the


​
few


exceptionally righteous men


in the history

of


God’s people



Twice in Ezekiel 14, God says through the prophet that


even if


Noah, Daniel, and Job

were


present in the land,


God would not spare

the people


from judgment.



That’s some righteous company to be in (Daniel and Job).


We also know that Noah is included as an example of faith in Hebrews 11,

another indication that

​

Noah


was considered

a


model of faithfulness


and that

he had the kind of


faith

that


Pleases God


(Hebrews 11:6).




With all that said,


Who was Noah in the Bible?



Practically speaking,


Noah is an example of a

life of faith. 



Hebrews 11:7 says of Noah, “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Noah didn’t need to “test” God before going into action; God commanded, and he obeyed.


This was typical of Noah’s life.


Noah was part of the godly line of Seth,

of whom it was said,



“At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD”


(Genesis 4:26).


Noah was the result of generational obedience and faithfulness toward God.

If we were to model our lives after

Noah, there is no better rule to follow that to be

“righteous, blameless in our generation, and to walk with God.” In other words, be right with God,

be right with others, and have a reverent and worshipful relationship with God.

You can almost hear the words of Jesus echoing here when

He responds to the

lawyer’s question regarding the greatest commandment

(Matthew 22:37-39).



Theologically speaking, we can also draw some lessons from Noah’s life.



First and foremost, Noah’s life shows us the eternal truth that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Noah wasn’t an exemplary individual because he was somehow able to bypass the fallen sin nature we all possess. God’s grace was upon him, aside from which Noah would have perished with all of the other wicked sinners in the flood. Noah is also a prime example that God saves His elect. We see that God was patient concerning the coming judgment while Noah built the ark (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5).


The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials. This truth is explicitly stated in 2 Peter 3:8-9, as we learn that the Lord will postpone final judgment until all of the elect reach repentance.

Finally, Noah’s life serves as a reminder that judgment on sin will come.

The Day of the Lord will come (2 Peter 3:10). Jesus uses the life of Noah as a foreshadowing of what it will be like when the Son of Man returns in final judgment (Matthew 24:37-38; Luke 17:26-27).

As such, we need to follow Noah’s example and be a “herald of righteousness”

and heed the words of Paul:


“Therefore, we are ambassadors

for Christ,


God making his appeal through us.

We implore you on behalf of Christ,

be reconciled to God”


(2 Corinthians 5:20).


Like Noah,

we are Christ’s ambassadors in these last days.

God’s judgment is coming, but He offers reconciliation

through Jesus Christ.

We must take

this message of reconciliation to others.




​In 1 Corinthians 13:8–13,

the apostle Paul


compares the Christian

​virtue of love to other highly prized spiritual gifts


and finds them all lacking.


Love is uniquely superior (verse 8).


As Christians,

we share in giving and receiving

the

grace of God’s love


(see 1 John 4:8, 16)



This earthly experience

of God’s divine love gives us a taste of

​
His perfect grace and glory.



Through the love of Christ poured

into our hearts


(see Ephesians 3:17; Romans 5:5),



we participate to a limited degree

in the

full perfection we will know

and enjoy

when we stand


in God’s presence in eternity: 




”For now we

see in a

mirror dimly, but then

face to face.

Now I know in part;

then I shall

know fully, even as I have

been fully known”


(1 Corinthians 13:12, ESV)



Paul explains that spiritual gifts 

​like prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are temporary and partial.


Eventually, they “will become useless. But love will last forever!


Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete,

and even the gift of prophecy

reveals



only part of the whole picture!



But when the


time of perfection comes,

these

partial things will become useless”


(1 Corinthians 13:8–10, NLT)


​

In our current state of existence, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are valuable to us and to the church, but their worth will run out when we are face to face with the Lord in heaven. These gifts only give us an obscured, unfinished picture of our spiritual reality, and they will ultimately pass away.

Paul uses two illustrations to explain


this truth.


​First, he employs the example

of a child

maturing into adulthood:



“When I was a child,

I talked like a child, I thought like a child,

I reasoned like a child.



When I became a man,

I put the ways of childhood behind me”


(1 Corinthians 13:11)



Right now, we are like children playing with plastic toys that will wear out and become unusable.




One day we will trade them in for the

enduring, grown-up, perfection of eternity.



Second, Paul contrasts looking at someone in a dull, dimly lit mirror

with meeting that person face to face.


In the Greco-Roman world,

mirrors were fashioned out of polished metal discs that

reflected a blurred, imperfect image,

nothing like

seeing someone up close, in vivid, eye-to-eye clarity.



Thus, now we see in a mirror dimly is Paul’s

figure of speech

for “now we have imperfect knowledge and understanding.”



The New Living Translation renders the imagery like so: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely”


(1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT).


​



Flawless understanding and unrestricted

knowledge

of matters pertaining to God

and His kingdom


will only be achieved

when we


​

meet Jesus Christ in person




The apostle John


affirms that our knowledge


of Jesus


is partial now

but will


become clear when we


see Him


face to face:



“Dear friends,



we are already God’s children,

but he

has not yet shown us


what we will be like


​when Christ appears.


But


we do know that we will be like him,


for we will see him as he really is”


(1 John 3:2, NLT).



Within the Scriptures,

we have the complete revelation of God,

but

our understanding of it remains limited


(see 1 Corinthians 8:1–3).



As we grow in the

 faith,

we undergo a process of

spiritual maturation as individual

believers


(2 Peter 3:18)



and together as the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–16).


Paul calls this


progressive development toward


Christian maturity
​

“the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”


(Philippians 3:14, ESV).


It is our heavenward journey of


intimate


fellowship with Jesus Christ



Along the way, we must stay laser-focused on Jesus, who is the trailblazing forerunner of our quest

(Hebrews 12:1–2).


He demonstrates the way through His perfect obedience to the Father

(John 4:34; 5:30; Luke 22:42).


As the Author and Perfecter of our faith,

He not only inspires us,

but Christ also empowers us to


grow toward

our

heavenly stature.



He starts the good work in us

​and


“will carry it on to completion


​until the


day of Christ Jesus”


(Philippians 1:6)


In the meantime, until the Lord returns or we reach heaven,

we have limited understanding

and knowledge—we see in a


mirror dimly


But one day our

onward and upward growth

in ever-increasing

degrees of Christian maturity

will culminate in heavenly perfection

as “we bear the image of the heavenly man”


(1 Corinthians 15:49).


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).



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).
​


In Romans 8:2,

Paul draws a sharp contrast between the law


of the Spirit of life



and the law of sin and death with this statement:



“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from

the law of sin and death.”

This serves as a powerful testament to the action God has taken on behalf

of those who place their faith in Christ.



The law of sin and death refers to a principle found

in Scripture that

“the wages of sin is death”


(Romans 6:23).


The law of sin and death is not a reference to the Mosaic Law, but it is linked to it.

The law revealed God’s standard, our shortcomings, the consequences of falling short, and even our innate proclivity to reject God and defy His standard.

The law of sin counters the Law of God on every point,

and it leads to death.


The New Living Translation aptly describes this law as the


“power of sin that leads to death”


due to the authoritative grip this principle exerts over us.


When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, their action tainted their nature, instilling in them a tendency to reject God. We all inherit this inclination, which explains why it’s effortless for a young child to disobey, while obedience must be learned over time.


The more we succumb to our rebellious tendency,

the more ensnared we become by sin,

and its consequences grow.




In contrast



to the


law of sin and death,




the law of the Spirit of life


represents a reversal



of the wages of sin.


Just as sin leads to death,


the Spirit gives life.

​

This is tied to


God’s grace, as revealed


in the gospel.


The fact that we are under the law of the Spirit of life shows that we

are still under a law—the law of Christ

 (see Galatians 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 9:21).

​
​Romans has the theme of faith


(Romans 1:16–17)



Paul addresses the process by which faith is produced

​in the heart in Romans 10:17:


“Faith comes from hearing

the message,

and the message is heard through the

word about Christ.”


The first eight chapters of Romans contends with the ideas of positional salvation through faith

(Romans 1:18—5:21),


the process of


growing in holiness through faith


(Romans 6:1—8:17), and


the


future glorification Christians

will

receive because of faith


(Romans 8:18–39).


Chapters 9—11 of Romans works from the implied question, “Has God then failed to fulfill His promises to Israel?”

It is within this context that Paul gives the reason for the Israelites’ lack of salvation; namely, they lack faith (Romans 9:32; 10:4). The Israelites are saved through faith in Christ, just like the Gentiles. Eternal salvation does not distinguish between Gentile or Jew but is received through belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:12–13; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8; Galatians 3:23–29).

In the lead-up to the statement that faith comes by hearing, Romans 10:14–16 explains the requirements for a series of actions to take place. In order for one to “call on the name of the Lord,” he or she must believe. In order to believe, one must hear (or receive the report). In order for one to hear, another has to give the report. And that other won’t give the report unless he or she is sent.

Paul continues in Romans 10:17 to summarize the argument thus far: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (NASB).

“Faith” is translated from the Greek word pistis, which means “belief, trust, or confidence in someone or something.” It is key to the book of Romans and is used 40 times in the book—three of those occurrences appearing in chapter 10. The verb form of the word is also used 21 times within the book and most often translated as “believe.”

If faith comes by hearing, then what does Paul mean by “hearing”? In this context, it is not simply the physical receiving of sounds by the ear as most English speakers would understand the term. “Hearing” seems to designate something more—the receiving or acceptance of a report. Note the use of the word, translated “message” in Romans 10:16, as Paul quotes Isaiah 53:1: “Lord, who has believed our message?” In Isaiah’s day, the Lord had provided Israel with a message, but the prophet laments that few actually received it. The “hearing” was not attached to simple sounds but to a message or report given. In Romans 10, Paul makes the point that the good news has been given and the people of Israel have heard (Romans 10:18).

The nature of the gospel is a report: a report of God saving people from the wrath they deserve. In order to believe the report, one must receive the report! Faith comes by hearing. It is not a guarantee that the report will result in faith, as Paul makes clear in Romans 10:16. For just as the Israelites refused to believe the message of Isaiah, every human today can refuse to believe the message of the gospel.

The nature of “hearing” also does not require the physical act of hearing with the ear. The report simply needs to be received. For instance, someone could read the gospel through GotQuestions.org and receive it by faith, without an audible word being spoken. As long as the message can be received fully, the medium does not affect the outcome. The content of the message must be “the word about Christ.” As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:3–5, the message is “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve” (NASB). Faith that leads to eternal salvation comes after “hearing”; that is, after receiving this message concerning Christ.


Hebrews 11:7-9


It was by faith that Noah heard God's warnings about things he could not yet see. He obeyed God and built a large boat to save his family. By his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong, and he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.



The condemnation you are like whitewashed tombs was part of Jesus’ indictment of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. It is one of seven woes Jesus pronounced on the religious leaders as He confronted them about their hypocrisy.

Whitewashed tombs means exactly what it sounds like: tombs or mausoleums that have been covered with white paint, so they “look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27). This speaks to the spiritual condition of the scribes and Pharisees. Outwardly, they were holy and clean, but inside they were spiritually dead.

The comparison to whitewashed tombs would have been quite offensive because the Mosaic Law states, “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days” (Numbers 19:11, ESV). For a group of people who prided themselves on ceremonial cleanliness and following the law, the accusation that they were full of dead bodies would be insufferable. That was precisely Jesus’ point, though. They may have been ceremonially clean, but, inside, they were the highest level of unclean—full of the death and decay they tried so hard to avoid.

Such a harsh statement from Jesus reveals His anger at the hypocrisy in the religious leaders, who only cared about appearances. They took care of what people could see—and took pride in it—but they neglected what God could see. They “painted the outside,” leaving the inside full of greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:25). In their eyes, if they followed the law to the letter, they were holy, and the condition of their hearts wouldn’t matter. Jesus needed to confront the superficiality of these dangerous leaders who did not practice what they preached. The whitewashed tombs were leading themselves and others to death and separation from God (Matthew 23:15).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that the law was less about what to do and not do and more about changing the heart. One analogy is that the law is like a mirror, revealing the flaws in man and how much they need God, like a mirror showing the food stuck between one’s teeth. The law can reveal uncleanness, but it cannot be used to make a person righteous; only God can do that. The Pharisees were taking the mirror off the wall and trying to use it to pick their teeth. It simply does not work.

Whitewashed tombs work as a good contrast to Jesus Himself, the Son of Man, who came to bring life (John 10:10). He offered rest and grace instead of the impossible burden and condemnation of the Pharisees (Matthew 11:28–30). The superficial cleanness of whitewashed tombs cannot compare to the deep-cleaning blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

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!

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 New Covenant is the promise that God will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the promise (Luke 22:20). The New Covenant was predicted while the Old Covenant was still in effect—the prophets Moses, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all allude to the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant that God had established with His people required strict obedience to the Mosaic Law. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), the Law required that Israel perform daily sacrifices in order to atone for sin. But Moses, through whom God established the Old Covenant, also anticipated the New Covenant. In one of his final addresses to the nation of Israel, Moses looks forward to a time when Israel would be given “a heart to understand” (Deuteronomy 29:4, ESV). Moses predicts that Israel would fail in keeping the Old Covenant (verses 22–28), but he then sees a time of restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1–5). At that time, Moses says, “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (verse 6). The New Covenant involves a total change of heart so that God’s people are naturally pleasing to Him.

The prophet Jeremiah also predicted the New Covenant. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. . . . This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’” (Jeremiah 31:31–33). Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and to establish the New Covenant between God and His people. The Old Covenant was written in stone, but the New Covenant is written on hearts. Entering the New Covenant is made possible only by faith in Christ, who shed His blood to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Luke 22:20 relates how Jesus, at the Last Supper, takes the cup and says, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (ESV).

The New Covenant is also mentioned in Ezekiel 36:26–27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel lists several aspects of the New Covenant here: a new heart, a new spirit, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and true holiness. The Mosaic Law could provide none of these things (see Romans 3:20).

The New Covenant was originally given to Israel and includes a promise of fruitfulness, blessing, and a peaceful existence in the Promised Land. In Ezekiel 36:28–30 God says, “Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. . . . I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.” Deuteronomy 30:1–5 contains similar promises related to Israel under the New Covenant. After the resurrection of Christ, God in His grace brought the Gentiles into the blessing of the New Covenant, too (Acts 10; Ephesians 2:13–14). The fulfillment of the New Covenant will be seen in two places: on earth during the Millennial Kingdom, and in heaven for all eternity.

We are no longer under the Law but under grace (Romans 6:14–15). The Old Covenant has served its purpose, and it has been replaced by “a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22). “In fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).

Under the New Covenant, we are given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9). Our responsibility is to exercise faith in Christ, the One who fulfilled the Law on our behalf and brought an end to the Law’s sacrifices through His own sacrificial death. Through the life-giving Holy Spirit who lives in all believers (Romans 8:9–11), we share in the inheritance of Christ and enjoy a permanent, unbroken relationship with God (Hebrews 9:15).

​One of the wonderful truths of Scripture is found in Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

In his letter to the Romans, Paul presents the importance of the good news of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16–17). We need this good news because all people, in their sin, are under condemnation (Romans 1:18—3:20). Paul then explains the gospel (Romans 3:21—4:25) and what it means to no longer be under condemnation, describing the implications of being declared righteous by God (Romans 5—8). He concludes this section of the epistle by affirming the eternality of the righteousness given by God and asserts that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Paul adds an example of the trustworthiness of God (Romans 9—11) and challenges believers in Christ to behave in a manner consistent with their new position of righteousness in Christ (Romans 12—16).

The need for salvation is universal because of our connection to Adam and his sin. Adamfell, his nature became sinful, and all humanity bears his image and likeness (Genesis 5). All people born of Adam are naturally under condemnation and separated from God like Adam was (Romans 5:12–15). But Paul explains that those who have believed in Christ are now positionally in Christ. They are justified, or declared righteous, by grace through the redemption in Christ (Romans 3:24), and they are now alive in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). They have eternal life (Romans 6:23). Elsewhere, Paul emphasizes that the one believing in Jesus now has a new identity in Christ (Ephesians 1:3–14). Where there was once condemnation by God, there is now justification by God. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The believer’s new position, received by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), cannot be taken away. Once God declares someone righteous, no one can correctly accuse that person or justly condemn him (Romans 8:31–34). There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, He took our condemnation upon Himself; He took the punishment that was due us all (1 Peter 3:18). All who believe in Him have eternal life (John 6:47) and are no longer condemned by God.

It is worth noting that the KJV and some other translations contain an added clause in Romans 8:1: “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, KJV). In the context, Paul explains that those who believe in Christ are those who walk by the Spirit, and the evidence of that is that they have the Spirit of God in them (Romans 8:9). Even if the added words in the KJV are not original to verse 1, the same truth (that we walk in the Spirit) is communicated in Romans 8:4 and Romans 8:9. Those who “walk after the Spirit” are those who are “in Christ”; these are two ways of describing the same thing. In other words, the statement of Romans 8:1 that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus is not conditional.

Once someone has believed in Christ, he is in Christ and can never be separated from the love of Christ, as Paul explains in Romans 8:38–39. No created thing (including an individual) can separate anyone from the love of God that is in Christ. When Paul affirms that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), we can be confident of our secure position in Christ.
​
In Romans 8:38–39, the apostle Paul articulates one of the most profoundly comforting reassurances in Scripture: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of Godthat is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The psalmist echoes Paul’s conviction that neither death nor life can separate us from God’s love: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there!” (Psalm 139:7–8, NLT). God is present everywhere. There is no place we can go and be cut off from His presence. The Bible also tells us that God, by His very nature, is love (1 John 4:8, 16). And if God is love and exists everywhere, then it stands to reason that nothing and no place can isolate us from His love.

Paul relates a laundry list of things that could potentially have the power to barricade us from God’s loving presence: life, death, angels, demons, the present, the future, powers, height, depth, and anything else in all creation. With that last item, nothing is left out! And then Paul affirms that none of these things are powerful enough to create a barrier between us and the boundless love of God in Christ. Everything in all the universe, whether in this present life or the life to come, is under God’s sovereign control and the dominion of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 15:27–28; Hebrews 2:8).

God displayed His great love for us on the cross (Romans 5:8; John 3:16–17). On Calvary, Jesus Christ triumphed over all things, including death and every living enemy, by offering His life in our place (Colossians 2:15). When we receive God’s gift of salvation, we are “buried with Christ” through baptism and “raised to new life” by “the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead” (Colossians 2:12, NLT). Paul continues, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13–14, NLT).

The redeemed of the Lord are made spiritually and eternally alive in Christ. We died and were buried with Jesus and then raised and restored to newness of life. Not one thing in this life or even in death can ever cause lasting harm to us because Jesus Christ rescinded all charges against us. For this reason, nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ. We belong to the Lord forever (Isaiah 43:1; John 1:12; 10:28; Romans 8:15; 14:8).

We may sometimes feel like our pain, sorrow, and loss distance us from God’s affection. But to this deception, Paul asks, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:35–37, NLT).

When we feel separated from God’s love, the problem is not any lack on His part. The hindrance comes from our perception. When instability and insecurity threaten us, our confidence must rest securely in the knowledge of God’s love for us and not in our own feelings. Human love is often erratic, weak, fluctuating. Doubt, circumstances, and fear can obscure our awareness of the Lord’s presence. We must stand on the sure promise of God’s Word that His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). It is never-ending (Lamentations 3:22). The Lord’s faithful love endures forever (Psalm 136:7, 13, 21).

God does not promise us a life free of affliction, but He does promise to be with us through anything and everything we face with His all-powerful, steadfast agape love. For believers in Jesus Christ, God’s love is a constant supply poured out by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). His love can be counted on in the calamities of life and leaned upon in the crisis of death.

---

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).


In selecting a team, the criteria used often include a person’s abilities, status, and history of success. However, the world’s measure of success is different from God’s. God does not require intelligence, ability, power, or status to become a believer. Those who come to Christ are on His “team” by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). In fact, God chooses the foolish things to confound the wise, or, as rendered in the NIV, He “chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Previously, Paul reminded the Corinthian believers that the message of the cross unites them (1 Corinthians 1:10–17). Trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins brings all believers into the same family, the same team. No other external qualifier—status, wealth, intellect, nobility, fame, or anything else—defines us.

Everything else becomes secondary to

​our status in Christ:

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,
nor is there male and female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus”

(Galatians 3:28).
​


“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”

(1 Corinthians 1:18),
​

but God, in His infinite wisdom,

chooses the

foolish things to confound the wise


While the message of the gospel appears foolish

​ to the world,

“to us who are being saved it is the power of God”

(1 Corinthians 1:18).

The unbelieving world sees Christ’s death on the cross as foolish, seeing it as a sign of weakness or a proof of criminality; however, this is where God chooses the foolish things to confound the wise. It is through the death of Christ that we have forgiveness of sin and life eternal. This gospel message is simple enough that a child can understand it. In Matthew 11:25, Jesus praises the Father because He has “hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” God’s truth is not foolish; it is of infinite value and brings life for all who believe.

God’s plan of salvation is so simple, so surprising, that the learned of this world often miss it. Salvation does not come through mankind’s ability to reason; we cannot think our way to heaven: “Where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:20–21, NLT).

Not only does the message of God seem foolish to the unbelieving world, but so do the people of God: “Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:26–27, ESV).

Scripture exhorts us not to be wise in our own eyes (Proverbs 3:7). Rather, we should humbly submit ourselves to the Lord and His truth. We may appear foolish to the world, but this is the path to true wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). “God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance]” (1 Corinthians 1:27, AMP). God uses foolish things and foolish people to confound the wise—at least those who think they are wise.

“The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:19–20). There is a difference between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom (James 3:13–17). Worldly wisdom is characterized by pleasing oneself or following what one thinks is best in his own estimation. Worldly wisdom is not at all concerned about honoring God. To the world, believers are foolish and weak. Yet God indeed uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things to shame the strong. A person is not saved by following worldly wisdom but by trusting in what seems foolish to the world (1 Corinthians 1:20–21).

God uses the foolish things to confound the wise; i.e., He uses what the world deems foolish to show that the so-called wisdom of the world is not all it is cracked up to be. God’s wisdom through salvation is available to all: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). By God’s grace, all who humble themselves and trust in Him will receive the wisdom that lasts for all eternity.
​

10Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you, save Crispus and Gaius; 15lest any man should say that ye were baptized into my name. 16And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

​

For Christ sent me not to baptize,

but to preach the gospel:

not in wisdom of words,

lest the cross of Christ should

be made void.



Paul's letter to the Christians in Corinth begins with thanks for the great and powerful gifts God has given to them by His grace and through their faith in Christ. They will stand blameless before God in the end. Right now, though, they must stop dividing themselves according to which Christian teacher they follow and become unified in and around Christ. The gospel message of Christ's death on the cross is weak and foolish to the world, but God has given faith in Christ to those who believe it and find God's power and wisdom.

Many of the principles of God’s kingdom are paradoxes. When the apostle Paul pleaded with God to remove his affliction—one he called a “thorn in the flesh”—the Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8–9, NKJV). The New Living Translation says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” God’s strength is made perfect in weakness because He delights in taking situations where human strength is lacking to demonstrate the greatness of His power.

God’s denial of Paul’s request for healing turned out to be a blessing in the apostle’s life. One commentary explains that the thorn “kept Paul from imagining himself as a spiritual superman, and revealed to him the reality of his human mortality and weakness despite his extraordinary revelations. The ‘thorn’ also kept Paul pinned close to the Lord, in trust and confidence” (Barnett, P., The Message of 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness, InterVarsity Press, 1988, p. 178).

Paul stopped protesting his situation and began to boast and even take pleasure in his weakness so that the power of Christ could work through him: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Paul expressed the paradox of his condition—that in his frailty, he was strong because his strength came from Christ.

The words made perfect in 2 Corinthians 12:9 mean “fully or entirely accomplished or made complete.” Christ’s power is made complete—it is able to fully accomplish its purpose—when His people are weak and depend on Him for strength. When we, like Paul, stop resisting and complaining and let the power of Christ rest on us, we make room to receive countless unexpected blessings from the Lord. By allowing God’s strength to be made perfect in our weakness, we have the opportunity to display God’s glory flawlessly. “The grace and power of God interlock with human lives at the point of mortal weakness,” writes Barnett (op. cit., p. 179).

Over and over, the Bible gives examples of God’s strength manifesting when His people are weak. Moses, the great leader of Israel, was deeply aware of his human shortcomings (Exodus 4:10). When the Lord called him to go to Pharaoh, Moses cried, “I’m not adequate. Please send someone else!” But God replied, “Go anyway, Moses, because I will be with you” (see Exodus 4:12–15).

Gideon’s story proves that God can accomplish great things through people who forget about their human weaknesses, trust in God’s strength, and obey His guidance (Judges 6:14–16).


And, of course, our most notable biblical example,


Jesus Christ, was


“crucified in weakness”

​but

“now lives by the power of God”


(2 Corinthians 13:4, NLT).



First Corinthians 1:27 teaches,

​ “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

​We must never shrink away from God because of our weakness but run to Him, letting Him equip and empower us to accomplish His will. We must remember His promise: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29–31).

When we are in a position of need, it allows us to see how much we need God (2 Corinthians 1:9; 3:5; 13:4). The more aware we are of our weakness, the more God can reveal His power through us: “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NLT)


God’s strength


​ is made perfect in weakness

when

we put our faith and trust in Him.



The Lord’s presence is all we need

in times of weakness.

His great power and sufficiency

rest on us as we

find our strength in Him, and


He is glorified.



We can say with

the psalmist,

​
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but

God is the strength

of my heart and my portion forever”


(Psalm 73:26).




Psalm 118



Give thanks to the 

​Lord, 

for he is good;

    his love

endures forever


​
Let Israel say:

    “His love endures forever.”

Let the house of Aaron say:
​
    “His love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say:
    “His love endures forever.”
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense;
​
    he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
    I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
    through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
    you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.
25 Lord, save us!

    Lord, grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.

The Lord is God,
    and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
    up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.



Psalm 118 is one of the Hallel psalms,

also called the “Egyptian Hallel,” a short series of psalms (Psalm 113—118) incorporated
in the celebration of the Passover. The final psalm is sung in the festive processional
​as the people enter the temple gates to worship.


In Psalm 118:26,

the congregation welcomes the

vindicated king, singing,

“Blessed is he who comes in the

name of the LORD.

From the house of the LORD

we bless you.”



Originally, this psalm depicted Israel’s exodus journey from Egypt to their eventual arrival at Mount Zion. But its celebratory welcoming of the king was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. All four gospels quote Psalm 118:26: “Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:9, NLT; see also Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38; John 12:13).

The term translated “blessed is” comes from the Hebrew word barukh (literally “to bless”) and is most often used of God. But in Psalm 118:26 it speaks of the king figure who comes in God’s authority. Faithlife Study Bible explains that barukh “describes bestowing someone with special power or declaring Yahweh to be the source of special power. In that regard, it means praising Yahweh for who He is” (Barry, J. D., et al, entry for Psalm 103:1, Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).

With the words, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” the ancient psalm praises God for who He is: “The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us” (Psalm 118:27). The blessing also forecasts His future coming as Israel’s Messiah. During passion week, we hear the echo, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” as the people of Christ’s day recognize Jesus as the long-awaited One.

Earlier, when Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, He predicted to the Pharisees, “Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Luke 13:35). Jesus identified Himself as the “stone the builders rejected” (Psalm 118:22; cf. Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17) who would bring salvation to all who prayed to Him, “Save us, Lord!” (Psalm 118:2). Through His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus was the “living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious” (1 Peter 2:4, ESV). He became the chief cornerstone (Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33), “and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” Romans 10:11; cf. 1 Peter 2:4–8).

Jesus came in the “special power” of Yahweh. He was vested with all the authority of His Father God. Jesus spoke with God’s authority so that “the people were amazed at his teaching” (Mark 1:22). He drove out unclean spirits (Mark 1:21–28, 39; Luke 4:31–37), healed the sick, and forgave people’s sins (Matthew 9:1–8; Mark 2:1–12; Luke 7:48). Jesus controlled the elements (Matthew 8:23–27), raised the dead to life (John 11:38–44), and cleansed the temple (Mark 11:27–33), all by God’s mandate.

“All authority in heaven and on earth” was given to Jesus by His Father (Matthew 28:18), including the authority “to judge” (John 5:27) and to lay down His life in sacrifice for the sins of the world (John 10:18). God “granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those” God had given to Him (John 17:2).

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” is a declaration of praise and recognition that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world who came in the power and authority of God. “I have come in my Father’s name,” said Jesus (John 5:43). All that Christ did was commissioned by His Father. Everything Jesus said and did was to glorify His Father and accomplish the work of making Him known to humans so that they might be saved (John 17:1–24).

First Peter 5:7, speaking to the humble child of God, relates a wonderful truth: “Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you” (CSB). This completes a thought begun in the previous verses: “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:5–6). We are commanded to humble ourselves in light of who God is. He is God, and we are not. And we trust that God will take care of us. Part of humbling ourselves includes “casting all your cares upon Him.”

Humans often overestimate their ability and underestimate their inability. Yet the humble recognize that they are not God. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and able to handle all our cares. As a humble person, you can cast all your cares on Him because you know He cares for you. To “cast” literally means to “throw.” It is from the same Greek word used to describe how the people threw their coats on the colt before Jesus rode it into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Luke 19:35). We should not hold onto our cares. Instead, we should throw them to our Father God who cares for us. He has big shoulders; He can handle our burdens.

Cares refers to worries, difficulties and needs of this world, and anxieties. The NLT says to “give all your worries and cares to God,” and the NIV says to “cast all your anxiety on him.” Everything that worries us or weighs us down is to be given to the God who cares so deeply for us. These verses do not promise that God will remove the source of our anxiety—although He certainly can and often has (see Isaiah 37:36 and Mark 4:39). Instead, the assurance is in knowing that He cares for us, which is why we can cast our cares on Him. God is trustworthy to handle our cares in the best way. Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. We trust that God is able and willing to deal with our cares.

Jesus also invited people to cast their cares on Him: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30). Jesus calls us to come to Him and cast our cares or burdens on Him. When we do, the promise is that we will find rest for our souls. The assurance is based on who He is. We can come to Him with any of our concerns in prayer, and, while the burden may still exist, our souls will find rest as we trust in Him to help us carry it and to sustain us through the trial.

Peter’s exhortation to humble ourselves and to cast all our cares on the Lord is a command, not a suggestion. We are commanded to trust in the Lord and not in ourselves (Proverbs 3:5) and to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). God does not want us to be weighed down by the difficulties and worries of this life.

Instead, He cares for us and promises rest for all who come to Him.

If you trust that God is in control and able to handle your concerns, cast all your cares on Him,

regularly giving Him your concerns in prayer and


living in the rest He gives.
​

Paul had many things about which he could have boasted. His experiences were incredible.

​He lists some of them in 2 Corinthians 11:22–28 to illustrate that, while he above others might have reason to boast in his own flesh—his experiences and his abilities—he would only boast in Christ. Paul recognizes that we have no real power in ourselves except for Christ in us, and he explains in Philippians 3:4–7 that, even though he has quite a list of impressive achievements, he counts all those as loss for the sake of Christ. They are worthless—even having negative value—in comparison to the joy of knowing Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 12:1 Paul provides an example of how a person should not find his or her identity and confidence in personal achievements because only God’s grace is sufficient. While showing mercy means not giving to someone what he does deserve, showing grace means giving to someone what he doesn’t deserve. God shows grace in giving us life and providing for us and strengthening us for the path ahead. That grace is sufficient—it is all we need.

To illustrate the principle, Paul tells of a man who was caught up to the third heaven and saw and heard indescribable things. This man was remarkably privileged, and it seems apparent in the context that Paul is talking about himself. He adds that, because of the greatness of the revelations he was given, he was also given a thorn in his flesh that would keep him from exalting himself (2 Corinthians 12:7). While Paul tells us very little about the nature of this “thorn” (what he also refers to as a messenger from Satan), he makes clear that its purpose was to help ensure his humility. Paul begged God that this thorn might go away, and God repeatedly said no to Paul’s request. God’s response to Paul is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9—“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God was reminding Paul that the strength behind Paul’s ministry was not Paul’s experiences or abilities, nor was it the absence of difficulty. On the contrary, Paul’s ability to be faithful in ministry and survive incredibly difficult times was due to God’s grace. God’s grace is sufficient. When we are weak, God’s strength is even more evident. Paul could rejoice and boast in God because Paul knew the power that God exerted in Paul’s life through God’s grace. Paul could then boast in God’s strength, recognizing that, even when we are weak, God is strong. He provides the strength for us to withstand whatever challenges are before us.

Paul illustrates this same idea in Philippians 4:11–13. He explains that he has learned how to be content in any circumstance no matter how severe. When things are going well or when things are going badly, Paul knows that contentment doesn’t come from circumstances—contentment comes from recognizing that we can do whatever God intends for us to do through Christ who strengthens us. God is so gracious to provide strength when it is needed so that we can find our identity, our confidence, and our contentment in Him. This is what God meant when He said that His grace is sufficient—it is all we need.

The saying “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” is part of a larger passage (Matthew 11:28–30), in which Jesus tells all who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. He isn’t speaking here of physical burdens. Rather, it was the heavy burden of the system of works that the Pharisees laid on the backs of the people that Jesus was offering to relieve. Later on in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus will rebuke the Pharisees for laying heavy burdens on the shoulders of the people (Matthew 23:4).

The “yoke of the Pharisees” is the burdensome yoke of self-righteousness and legalistic law-keeping. It has been said by biblical scholars that the Pharisees had added over 600 regulations regarding what qualified as “working” on the Sabbath. That is a heavy burden! Recall the story of the lawyer who asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment of the Law (Matthew 22:36). You can almost read between the lines of the man’s question: “What law, of all the laws we have, do I absolutely have to keep?”

Jesus was saying that any kind of law-keeping is burdensome and amounts to a “heavy yoke” of oppression because no amount of law-keeping can bridge the gap between our sinfulness and God’s holiness. God says through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah that all of our righteous deeds are like a “polluted garment,” and Paul reiterated to the Romans that “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law” (Romans 3:20). The good news is that Jesus promises to all who come to Him that He will give them rest from the heavy burden of trying to earn their way into heaven and rest from the oppressive yoke of self-righteousness and legalism. Jesus encourages those who are “heavy laden” to take His yoke upon them, and in so doing they will find rest for their souls. The yoke of Jesus is light and easy to carry because it is the yoke of repentance and faith followed by a singular commitment to follow Him. As the apostle John says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

This is what Jesus says in Matthew 11:30. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Now, we might think that there is really no difference between the commandments of Jesus and the Jewish Law. Isn’t the same God responsible for both? Technically speaking, yes. If anything, one might argue that the commands of Jesus are even more burdensome because His reformulation of the Mosaic Law in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7) actually goes above and beyond a mere outward conformity to the Law and deals instead with the inner person.

What makes Jesus’ yoke easy and His burden light is that in Jesus’ own active obedience (i.e., His perfect fulfillment of the Law of God), He carried the burden that we were meant to carry. His perfect obedience is applied (imputed) to us through faith, just as His righteousness was exchanged for our sin at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our obedience to Jesus then becomes our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Furthermore, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who works in our lives to mold us into the image of Christ, thereby making the yoke of Jesus easy and His burden light. The life lived by faith is a much lighter yoke and a much easier burden to carry than the heavy and burdensome yoke of self-righteousness under which some continually strive to make themselves acceptable to God through works.

John 3:16 presents Bible readers with what is likely the purest, most straightforward summary of the good news of God’s saving love that Jesus Christ brings to the world: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus, speaking with the Jewish Pharisee Nicodemus, continued, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world was an important truth and a new revelation that Jewish believers would need to wrap their heads around. The Jews had no problem accepting the idea of God’s special love for Israel, but the notion that “God so loved the world” was groundbreaking theological material to the Jewish mindset. With this statement, Jesus revealed the all-embracing scope of God’s love under the New Covenant.

God’s agape love does not discriminate between Jew and Gentile, enslaved person or free, male or female (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11). The Father sent His Son to destroy prejudices and break down barriers of division to bring God’s great love and salvation to every man, woman, and child in the entire world (Matthew 28:19). And His plan of salvation has been a global strategy all along (See Revelation 5:9; 7:9; 14:6).

Jesus did not come to condemn the world because the world was already condemned. The Greek word (krinō) translated as “condemn” in John 3:17 means “to declare guilty; to pronounce guilt and a punitive sentence on someone in a legal sense; to judge.” The Bible says that all people are born in sin inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5). We come into this world already pronounced guilty and condemned to die (Romans 5:17–19; 6:23).

In Romans 3:21–31, the apostle Paul teaches that Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sin upon Himself when He sacrificed His life on the cross. He died so that we could be “made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (verse 22, NLT). Anyone who puts his or her faith in Jesus Christ is restored to fellowship with God (verse 26). Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer condemned because “the power of the life-giving Spirit” frees them “from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1–2, NLT).

Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to escape a guilty sentence: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18). Rejecting Jesus results in condemnation and death (John 3:36). Ultimately, salvation for everyone in the world, from the beginning of history until the end of time, is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ (see Romans 4:1–24; Hebrews 11:6, 13, 26; John 1:12). There is no other way to be saved (John 3:14–15; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 4:12).

God sent His one-and-only Son to die, not just for the people of Israel, but as a loving Savior for everyone. He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save those who believe in Him. Our Savior’s mission was not to sentence people to death: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Christ laid down His life to take away the curse of sin that separates sinners from God (Romans 8:33–34). Jesus came to bring His Father’s gift of salvation so that all who believe in Him might enjoy fellowship in His presence for all eternity.

The phrase unsearchable riches of Christ comes from Ephesians 3:8–9: “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things” (ESV). The Greek for “unsearchable riches” is translated “boundless riches” in the NIV.

The Greek word translated “unsearchable” describes something that cannot be fully comprehended or explored. In other words, there is no limit to the riches of Christ; they are past finding out. Try as we might, we can never plumb the depths of Christ’s worth. Paul delineates some of these riches in Ephesians 1:7–14: redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, the knowledge of the mystery of His will, the message of truth, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the guarantee of our inheritance. These are spiritual riches with eternal benefits, and we cannot fully comprehend them.

Jesus taught two short parables that emphasize the value of eternal life and the kingdom of God: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44–46). Like a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price, admission to the kingdom is of incalculable worth—and it is Jesus Christ who grants the admission. The unsearchable riches of Christ are on display in every believer’s heart.

The unsearchable riches of Christ cannot be fully traced out. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9), so the riches of Christ include all that God is. The unsearchable riches of Christ are the Glory of God, the Truth of God, the Wisdom of God, the Life of God, and the Love of God. In Christ, God “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ are hidden “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). In Christ, God “has given us everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3).

In Ephesians 3:8 Paul refers to himself as “less than the least of all the Lord’s people.” This humble statement is then contrasted with “the boundless riches of Christ.” Paul describes himself as the lowest of believers while lifting Jesus up as the greatest of all. Every believer, in like humility, acknowledges the all-surpassing goodness and grace of God: “The LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).

Christ’s riches that He makes available to us are not material but spiritual. The unsearchable riches of Christ provide salvation to everyone who believes (John 3:16; Romans 1:16). We may be the worst of sinners, yet Jesus can forgive us and transform our lives (Romans 12:1–2). It is the gift that truly keeps on giving, as we are changed, by God’s Spirit, into “loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled” people (Galatians 5:22–23, CEV).

King Solomon was a man of great riches and wisdom, and his fame spread throughout the known world. Dignitaries from other countries came to hear his wisdom and see his lavish display of wealth (1 Kings 10:24). Scripture says that Solomon had no equal in the earth at that time: “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” (verse 23). Yet, for all that, Solomon’s riches were not unsearchable. They could be quantified; the gold bars could be counted, and he had no inexhaustible supply of silver. Besides that, Solomon’s riches were only the temporal treasures of this world. Jesus is “greater than Solomon” (Luke 11:31). The treasures of Christ are inexhaustible, they are unsearchable, and they are forever.
​
Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples’” (John 8:31). True discipleship is more than intellectual assent; those who are “really” followers of Christ will “hold to” His Word. That means they will not only accept His teachings as truth, but they will also obey His teachings. Action is proof of faith (cf. James 2:17).

True disciples of Jesus believe that He speaks the truth about God and the Scriptures. They also know that He is who He claims to be. Back in verse 25, the people asked Jesus who He was, and He responded, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.” There may be a tinge of exasperation in His response; He had repeatedly made known that He was the Messiah, the one they had anticipated for many years.

Verse 32 begins with, “Then you will know the truth.” “You” refers to those who are true disciples of Jesus. True disciples will know the truth. More than that, their eyes are opened to a greater understanding of the truth (cf. 1 John 5:20).

The truth Jesus’ disciples receive brings with it freedom. Jesus continues, “And the truth will set you free” (verse 32). At that point in history, the Jews were under the rule of the Roman government. Even though Rome gave them an exceptional amount of autonomy, they were keenly aware of the Roman presence around them in the form of soldiers, governors, and empirically appointed kings. When Jesus said the truth would set them free, however, He was not talking about political freedom (though the following verses indicate that’s how the Jews took it). Jesus provides the best commentary for His own statement in verse 34. Jesus explains, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Being a slave to sin is the ultimate bondage.

The freedom Jesus offers is a spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin—that is, release from the lifestyle of habitual lawlessness. He continues with an analogy: “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever” (verse 35). The people would have understood Jesus to mean that they were not members of God’s family, despite their biological relationship to Abraham (verse 37), because they were slaves to sin. If they were to become disciples of Jesus, they would know the truth of their condition and the truth about Christ, and Jesus would set them free. Believers would be freed from their bondage and brought into the family of God.

Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). Knowing the Truth will set one at liberty—free from sin, free from condemnation, and free from death (Romans 6:22; 8:1–2). Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives (Luke 4:18). “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16, ESV).

​Colossians 1:27 is a powerful verse: “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Let’s start by clarifying that the apostle Paul is writing to believers in Jesus Christ—the “you” whom he addresses. He calls them “the Lord’s people” in the previous verse (Colossians 1:26). The “Gentiles” are non-Jewish people. A “mystery” in the New Testament is simply something that was hidden in times past but has now been revealed by God. The former mystery, now understood, is that Christ in us is the hope of our future glory.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon certain people to empower them for service, but then He would leave again. New Testament believers have a different experience, as the Spirit indwells us permanently. The permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit given to New Testament believers was a “mystery” to the Old Testament saints. After Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, never to leave (John 14:16–17; 16:7). Jesus told His disciples, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father . . . and I am in you” (John 14:20).

The Holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). In other words, the Spirit’s presence in our hearts guarantees our ultimate salvation. Though we are in this world, we are not of it (John 17:16). God will continue to work in us until He is finished perfecting us (see Philippians 1:6). This forward-looking guarantee of perfection is what is meant by “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The J. B. Phillips translation of Colossians 1:27puts it this way: “The secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you bringing with him the hope of all glorious things to come.”

The hope of glory is the fulfillment of God’s promise to restore us and all creation (see Romans 8:19–21 and 1 Peter 5:10). This hope is not a wishful thought, but the confident, expectant, joyful knowledge that we are being changed by God and will one day see Christ face to face, having been conformed to His image

(Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

The hope of glory includes our resurrection: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).

It includes a heavenly inheritance:

“In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3–4). The Spirit of Christ within us is the “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance”

​(Ephesians 1:14).

Christ’s presence in us is the hope of glory, and this truth is full of “glorious riches.” Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive. Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is life beyond this earthly existence—a life that will be glorious beyond all imagination.

There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers. They are the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life. The Greek word translated “crown” is stephanos (the source for the name Stephen the martyr) and means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally.” Used during the ancient Greek games, it referred to a wreath or garland of leaves placed on a victor’s head as a reward for winning an athletic contest. As such, this word is used figuratively in the New Testament of the rewards of heaven God promises those who are faithful. Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 best defines for us how these crowns are awarded.

1) The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV). All things on this earth are subject to decay and will perish. Jesus urges us to not store our treasures on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). This is analogous to what Paul was saying about that wreath of leaves that was soon to turn brittle and fall apart. But not so the heavenly crown; faithful endurance wins a heavenly reward which is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

2) The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice always in the Lord” for all the bountiful blessings our gracious God has showered upon us. As Christians we have more in this life to rejoice about than anyone else. Luke tells us there is rejoicing even now in heaven (Luke 15:7). The crown of rejoicing will be our reward where “God will wipe away every tear . . . there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

3) The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained. Because it is obtained and possessed in a righteous way, and not by force and deceit as earthly crowns sometimes are, it is an everlasting crown, promised to all who love the Lord and eagerly wait for His return. Through our enduring discouragements, persecutions, sufferings, or even death, we know assuredly our reward is with Christ in eternity (Philippians 3:20). This crown is not for those who depend upon their own sense of righteousness or of their own works. Such an attitude breeds only arrogance and pride, not a longing, a fervent desire to be with the Lord. 

4) The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Though Peter is addressing the elders, we must also remember that the crown will be awarded to all those who long for or love His appearing. This word “glory” is an interesting word referring to the very nature of God and His actions. It entails His great splendor and brightness.


Recall Stephen who,

while being stoned to death,

was able to look

into the heavens and see the

glory of God


(Acts 7:55-56).


This word also means

that the

​praise and honor we bestow

to God alone

is due Him because of who He is

​
(Isaiah 42:8, 48:11; Galatians 1:5).

​
It also recognizes that believers are

incredibly blessed to enter into the kingdom,

into the very likeness of Christ Himself.

For as Paul so eloquently put it,

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time

are not worthy to be compared

with the glory which shall be revealed in us”

(Romans 8:18 NKJV).


5) The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” This crown is for all believers, but is especially dear to those who endure sufferings, who bravely confront persecution for Jesus, even to the point of death. In Scripture the word “life” is often used to show a relationship that is right with God. It was Jesus who said, “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Just as things such as air, food, and water are vital for our physical lives, Jesus provides us what is required for our spiritual lives. He is the One who provides “living water.” He is the “bread of life” (John 4:10, 6:35). We know that our earthly lives will end. But we have the amazing promise that comes only to those who come to God through Jesus: “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life”

(1 John 2:25).

James tells us that this crown of life is for all those who love God (James 1:12). The question then is how do we demonstrate our love for God? The apostle John answers this for us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). As His children we must keep His commandments, obeying Him, always remaining faithful. So, as we endure the inevitable trials, pains, heartaches, and tribulations—as long as we live—may we ever move forward, always “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and receive the crown of life that awaits us.



“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


“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).


Isaiah says, 

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

​This passage is often used as a proof text to condemn all our acts of goodness as nothing more than “filthy rags” in the eyes of God.

The context of this passage is referring specifically to the Israelites in Isaiah’s time

(760—670 B.C.)


who had strayed

from God. Isaiah was writing


​concerning his

nation and their hypocrisy


Yet he includes himself 

in the description, saying


“we” and “our.”


Isaiah was redeemed and set

​apart

as a prophet of God,

yet he saw himself

as part of a

group that was utterly sinful.

The doctrine of total depravity

is taught clearly elsewhere in Scripture

(e.g., Ephesians 2:1–5), and the illustration

​ of Isaiah 64:6 

could rightly be applied to the whole world,

especially given Isaiah’s

inclusion of himself in the description.
​

​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!


​
God raised us up

with Christ and seated

us with him 

in the heavenly realms 

in Christ Jesus,


in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)--remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.


 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 

​
And in him

you too are being built together to

become a dwelling

in which God lives by his Spirit.

​
In Hebrews 11, we learn about faith from the Bible’s Old Testament heroes. One crucial detail stands out in their lives: they placed their whole confidence in God, entrusting themselves into His hands. The actions and accomplishments of these men and women proved that faith pleases God, and He rewards those who seek Him: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The author of the book of Hebrews points out two critical convictions of believers. First, “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists.” Those who desire to draw near to God must have a deep-rooted belief that He is real. Such belief is not mere intellectual knowledge but a wholehearted devotion to His presence and participation in every part of one’s life. Without a genuine conviction that God exists, it is impossible to have an intimate relationship with Him. Second, the Lord’s followers must believe “that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” This aspect of faith trusts in the character of God as a good, loving, generous, gracious, and merciful Father (James 1:17; Psalm 84:11; Lamentations 3:22–23). These two certainties are the groundwork of saving faith—a faith that pleases God.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because faith is the avenue by which we come to God and trust Him for our salvation. In His infinite goodness, God provides the very thing we need to draw near to Him: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). God gives us the faith required to please Him.

Hebrews 11:1 gives a definition,

or at least a good description, of the


​faith that pleases God:


“Now faith is confidence

in what we hope for

and

assurance about what

we do not see.”


“Confidence” is the translation of a Greek word

that means “foundation.”


Faith is the foundation that undergirds our hope. It is not a blind grasping in the dark, but an absolute conviction that comes from experiencing God’s love and the faithfulness of His Word. The term translated “assurance” is also translated as “evidence” or “proof.” With our natural eyes, we cannot see the realities of God’s kingdom, but by faith we receive the evidence or proof that they exist.

We’ve established that without faith it is impossible to come to God. It is also impossible to live for God—to follow and serve Him daily and persevere until the end—without faith. The entire Christian life is lived out by faith: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Romans 1:17; see also Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).


The apostle Paul affirmed,


“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”

(Galatians 2:20)
​

Scripture refers explicitly to Enoch’s faith as pleasing to God: “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—‘he disappeared, because God took him.’ For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5, NLT; cf. Genesis 5:24). How did Enoch please God? Through living by faith. Enoch walked by faith in God. He obeyed the Word that had been revealed up to that point and lived in the light of its truth. Walking by faith means consistently living according to God’s Word (John 14:15). Without faith, it is impossible to believe God’s Word and obey it.

Scripture says that it is impossible to please God through works of the flesh: “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8, ESV). We can’t earn God’s approval through good works. Only based on what Jesus Christ has done for us can we become holy and able to live a life pleasing to God (1 Corinthians 1:30). Christ’s life in us produces the righteousness that pleases God (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:13; 3:9).


Without faith,

it is impossible to please God;


in fact,

we cannot even begin to approach

the Lord and

experience a personal relationship

with Him without it.


Faith is the atmosphere in which the believer’s life is lived.

We are called “believers” because we are

continually putting our faith, trust, and confidence in God.

By faith the Christian life begins,

​and by faith it perseveres until the end.


The champions of the Old Testament like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Joseph, Rahab, Gideon, and David all lived by faith. As they looked toward their future hope, they relied on God to fulfill His promises (Hebrews 11:13–16). And they obeyed God’s Word even when they did not understand it. This kind of walking by faith—accepting as truth the things we cannot yet touch, feel, or see, and then acting on them in obedience—is the prescription for living a life that pleases God. We may not see ourselves right now as God does—holy and made righteous by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But when we accept the evidence in God’s Word (Romans 10:17) and reach out in response to experience fellowship with Him, then we begin to live by faith, and that pleases God.

First Corinthians 15:58 

is the concluding verse of a famous chapter in the New Testament, which focuses on the resurrection and contains one of the earliest creeds in the first-century church. The verse states, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” The expression “stand firm” is also translated as being “steadfast” in the ESV and NKJV.

The connecting word therefore indicates that the verse is related to what comes before. Since this verse comes at the end of the chapter, we should examine the entire chapter to understand the broad context and gain a better understanding of what it means to stand firm.

First Corinthians 15 is Paul’s apologetic of the resurrection, and internal evidence indicates that he is responding to claims denying the resurrection of the dead (verse 12). He presents his response with a creedal reminder of the gospel essentials (verses 1–4) and by sharing key appearances of the resurrected Jesus to eyewitnesses (verses 5–10). In the remaining parts of the chapter, Paul argues for the reality of resurrection of the dead, which forms the Christian’s hope. Based on this hope and the victory over death, the reader is encouraged to stand firm.

The Greek phrase for “stand firm” implies stability, firmness, and strong devotion to something. The Corinthians of old and modern Christians are encouraged to remain committed to Christ and devoted to Him. Several metaphors come into play here. One can think of a tree standing firm against a strong wind, soldiers holding down a fort, or a spouse supporting an ailing partner. To stand fast is to be loyal, faithful, devoted, and unmoving.

The resurrection of Christ is evidence that there is more to this world. This should broaden our perspective from the temporary to the eternal. Whatever we do on earth for Christ is not in vain because of the resurrection. Pain and suffering are also temporary, as our new resurrected bodies will not be subject to these limitations (1 Corinthians 15:42–44).

We should stand firm in the face of trials, temptations, persecutions, and opposition. The Christian journey is not an easy one, especially with the increasing animosity toward Christian values. The church also faces attacks from false teachers who preach a different gospel, deny core Christian doctrines, and deceive many people. The deconstruction movement further emphasizes the need for steadfastness. While these trends are to be expected, they also serve as a wake-up call.

How does a Christian stand firm? It all begins with a strong trust in the Person and sacrificial work of Christ. He is the foundation. Christians should also depend on the Holy Spirit for strength, regularly feed on Scripture, and maintain fellowship with God through prayer. Christians are told to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10–11). A day will come when God will “wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
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Beginning with Revelation 21:9, John records his final vision picturing the city of God, the New Jerusalem where believers in Christ will spend their eternal lives. The New Jerusalem is the ultimate fulfillment of all of God’s promises. It exemplifies the total goodness of God, its infinite brilliance “like that of a very precious jewel, like as jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:11). It is here that Scripture gives us a description so magnificent that we are able to get a glimpse of the glories of eternal heaven. In this passage, an angel of God has taken John to the top of a great and high mountain. From there John looks down upon this Holy City and tries to describe the indescribable. The city is like a massive, crystal-clear diamond with the glory of God shining from its center over all the new heavens and the new earth. All of eternity is bathed in its splendor.

Then in verse 12, John moves from describing its general appearance to its exterior design beginning with the walls. Human words are incapable of describing what John is trying to convey, which is why he continually uses similes, saying often “it is like” something else. But he gives us just enough to excite our hearts and stir our souls. God, through John, gets us as close to the understanding of this place as our finite minds can comprehend. 

The walls of the city, described as “great and high,” are an obvious symbol of exclusion of all that are unworthy to enter the city. Though innumerable believers will enjoy its glory, there is the chilling reminder that only the redeemed may enter. In the wall itself are twelve gates guarded by twelve angels and inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. In keeping with the square shape of the city, the gates are located on each of the four sides as specified in verse 13. It is noteworthy, however, that not only are the twelve tribes of Israel represented but also the twelve apostles. This should settle beyond any question the matter of the inclusion of Old Testament saints. It apparently is the divine intent to represent that the New Jerusalem will have among its citizens not only believers of the present age, but also Israel and the saints of other ages.

But a final question remains: if those within the walls of the New Jerusalem are the saved, who then are those outside its walls? The last three verses of chapter 21 gives us the answer: “On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:25-27).

​The city’s gates in the wall will never be shut. It is not that outside of the New Jerusalem, unsaved people are still roaming around, but this pictures a city with open gates on a new earth where believers will dwell throughout eternity. Ancient cities shut their gates at night for security purposes. However, since there will be no night there, and since all evil will have been eradicated, these gates will stay open constantly. Revelation seems to picture a great amount of activity coming and going from the city, but all who go in and out are those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The unredeemed are a long way outside the city’s walls—in the “outer darkness” of hell (Matthew 8:12), consigned to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15)—and can never come near the Holy City.



Jesus Himself, as well

​ as John,


specifies the “impure” as those who will not enter the city:

“Outside are the dogs who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” as well as the “cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, and all liars”

​(Revelation 22:15).



​By contrast, those people whose

Names are

recorded in the Lamb’s book of life

are free to enter


the Holy City;
​

they possess

​ life eternal and belong

to their

faithful Savior Jesus Christ.



The Lamb,

who bought them with

​His blood

(Rev. 5:9),


will never blot out their names from

His book

(Revelation 3:5)


and will grant them the right to

the tree of life

and entrance into the city

(Revelation 22:14).

​

The revelation given

to John

describes a

beautiful and glorious future

for all who put

their trust in the living God.



Conversely,

it reveals to us that when the end does come,

no opportunity will remain

for one’s repentance and acceptance into heaven.

The truth is this: spiritual renewal

takes place in this present life, not in the afterlife.



​
If you have Jesus,

you have life.


Not temporary life,

but eternal.



And, according to 1 John 5:13,


you can know that you have

​this eternal life.