​


Jesus ​Christ is who he

says he is



​
Why do we forgive? 


Because we have been


forgiven! 




Our forgiveness of others should

reflect 

God’s forgiveness of us



​Every believer plays a part

in this

ministry of reconciliation


One plants; one waters,

and

God brings growth


(1 Corinthians 3:7). 

​

Everyone has been wronged,

offended, and sinned against at some point.

How are Christians to respond

when such offenses occur against them?

According to the Bible, we are to forgive others. 


Ephesians 4:32declares,

“Be kind and compassionate to one another,

forgiving each other,
​

just as in Christ God

forgave you.”


​Similarly, Colossians 3:13 proclaims, “Bear with each other

and forgive whatever

grievances you may have against one another.


Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”


The key in both Scriptures is that we are to forgive

fellow believers as God has forgiven us.



In order to forgive

those who sin against us,

we must first of all


understand God’s forgiveness


God does not just forgive everyone automatically with

no preconditions—if He did,

​there would be no lake of fire in Revelation 20:14–15.



Forgiveness, properly understood,

involves repentance on the sinner’s part

and



​love and grace on God’s part.



The love and grace are there, but the repentance is often lacking. So, the Bible’s command for us to forgive one another does not mean we ignore sin. It means we gladly, gracefully, lovingly extend forgiveness to those who repent.


We are always willing to forgive when

​given the opportunity.

Not just seven times,

but “seventy times seven” times

(Matthew 18:22, KJV).


Refusing to forgive a person

who requests it

demonstrates resentment, bitterness,

​and anger,

none of which are the traits of a


true Christian.


To forgive those who sin against us

​requires patience and forbearance.



To forgive those

who sin against us requires

the transformational

power of God in our lives.



There is something deep within fallen human nature that thirsts for revenge and urges retaliation in kind. We naturally want to inflict the same type of injury on the one who injured us—an eye for an eye seems only fair.


In Christ, however,

we have been given the power

to love our enemies,

do good to the haters,

bless

​ the cursers, and pray for the abusers

(see Luke 6:27–28).


Jesus gives us a heart

that is

willing to forgive

and

will work to that end.
​

Forgiving those who sin against us is made easier
when we consider the
extent to which God forgives our transgressions.


We who have been lavished

with grace have

no right to

withhold grace from others.


We have sinned against God infinitely

more than

any person can sin against us.


Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:23–35 

is a powerful

illustration of this Truth


God promises that, when we

come to Him

​asking for forgiveness,

He freely grants it (1 John 1:9).


The grace we extend to those

who seek our forgiveness

should be


Just as readily available

(Luke 17:3–4).



Jeremiah 31:31–33




The New Covenant


"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new-covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant-that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it ton their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.


Hebrews 8:8–108 

For he finds fault with them when he says:

'Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,

when I will establish a new covenant with 

the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah,

not like the covenant that I made 

​with their fathers

on the day when I took them by the hand 

to bring 

them out of the land of Egypt

For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with

 the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:


I will put my laws into 

their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,
​
and they

 shall be my people.
​



James 2:13 says,



“Because judgment without mercy

will be shown

to anyone who has not

been merciful.


​
Mercy triumphs

over

judgment.”


The first half of chapter 2—which includes verse 13—addresses the favoritism some believers were showing toward the rich at the expense of the poor (verses 1–9). James then goes on to speak about the Law and how breaking even one of God’s commands makes one guilty of breaking all of them—one infraction is all it takes to make one a lawbreaker (verses 10–11). While some in the church may have seen favoritism as a “lesser” sin,


James informed them that


any sin, no matter how small it seems,

constitutes breaking

the entirety of God’s Law for His people.


James 2:12–13 fit right into the flow of the previous verses. Verse 12 says,


“Speak and act as those who are

going to be judged

by the law that gives freedom.”


James reminds the believers that they are

no longer held under the

old Law;

instead, they are under anew

law of freedom

that was established

through

Jesus’ death and resurrection

—born-again believers

​ are under


The New Covenant


This liberty, which comes

through

the gospel of Christ,


​gives us freedom from the power of sin.

We are under the law of liberty now.


In James 2:13, the thought is continued:


“Because judgment without mercy 

will be shown

to anyone who has not been merciful.”


We dare not violate the law of liberty

in our hearts by

​withholding mercy from others.


If we who have been shown such great mercy

act unmercifully toward our neighbors,

then we will be dealt with in similar fashion.


Jesus made the same point

in the parable of the unforgiving steward 

​(Matthew 18:23–35).

​
And the principle goes back to Solomon’s time:


"Whoever shuts their ears to the cry

of the poor

will also cry out and not be answered”

(Proverbs 21:13).


James’ mention of “mercy” here corresponds

to his mention of “love” in verse 8:

the “royal law” is

to love your neighbor as yourself.


In the Beatitudes, Jesus proclaims,


'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy”

(Matthew 5:7).


James gives the converse of that statement in James 2:13, saying,

in essence,


“Cursed are the unmerciful, for they will

​be shown no mercy.”


A Christian is not under

God’s curse.

One

​of the qualities of the Christian

is that he

shows mercy and compassion

toward others.



This brings us to the final statement of James 2:13,


“Mercy triumphs

​over

judgment.”


The idea is that mercy “glories” or “boasts”

against judgment,

knowing that, where mercy and judgment

seem to conflict,



Mercy Wins



The GOOD NEWS

for every child of God in


CHRIST

is that

​God’s mercy toward US 

will TRIUMPH

over His judgment

of us

(see Romans 8:1).

​
Our sins may argue against us, but Christ is our loving Advocate who argues for us and prevents us from receiving the judgment we deserve.


We, in turn,


display God’s type of mercy

toward others


In essence, James 2:13 tells us that, since


God will judge us with mercy,

we should

judge others with mercy


Being merciful is an act

that shows our thankfulness

for all God has done,

and it is made possible through

the Holy Spirit’s indwelling


When we come to faith in Christ, our

debts are cancelled,

we are given anew name,

and we are given all the rights

that heirs of God possess.


One difference from Roman adoption

is that

Christians are not adopted because

God thinks

they will make worthy heirs.



God adopts people

who are

completely unworthy, because

He adopts on the basis of



His Grace


​
God being merciful basically means that, when we deserve punishment, He doesn’t punish us, and in fact blesses us instead. Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation. Throughout the Bible, God gives many illustrations of His mercy. God fully demonstrates His mercy in Jesus Christ.

God was merciful to the wayward Solomon in 1 Kings 11:13.

God was merciful to Israel in captivity (Psalm 106:45; Nehemiah 9:31).

David illustrated God’s mercy when he showed kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:7).



God’s mercy

was illustrated every year

on the Day of Atonement,

when the high priest entered

the Holiest Place

and sprinkled the blood of

the sacrifice

before the mercy seat 



Leviticus 16:14).

Another illustration of God’s mercy is found in Matthew 18:23–27. In this parable, Jesus describes a rich ruler who was owed a large sum of money. The ruler ordered that money be collected, but then the debtor came and begged for mercy.


The ruler, in turn,

graciously forgives the debt.

Here’s the point:

we owed God a debt we could

never repay,

and He has freely

forgiven us that debt


in Christ!


Interestingly, after the ruler in the parable forgives the debt, the person who owed the money refuses to forgive someone else. The ruler then judges that ungrateful person.


God requires us

to be merciful and forgiving to

others here on earth


(see Matthew 6:15).


We who have been forgiven so much have no right to
withhold forgiveness from others.


Mercy is coupled with other attributes of God

in Psalm 86:15,


“You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger

and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (ESV).


​God’s mercy is rooted in His love

for us.

He is merciful, in large part,

because



He is love


(1 John 4:8).

As sinners, we deserve punishment (Romans 3:23). God’s righteousness requires punishment for sin—He wouldn’t be holy otherwise.

Since God does love us and is merciful,


He sent His Son

(John 3:16).

The fullness of His mercy is seen in 

​Matthew 27.

Jesus is brutally beaten and murdered

on our behalf;

Jesus received our just condemnation,

and we received God’s mercy.

Because of His love for us, God wants us to be with Him. His mercy is required for that to take place; there is an inseparable connection between God’s love and mercy. Jesus laid down His life and became the sacrificial lamb (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29) so that God’s mercy could be extended to us. Instead of punishing us for our sin, God allowed His Son to take the condemnation in our place. That is the ultimate act of God’s mercy (see Ephesians 2:4–5).


To our eternal benefit,

“mercy triumphs over judgment”

(James 2:13b).


What biblical support does Bell offer for ultimate reconciliation? Bell cites Matthew’s statement of

Elijah coming who “will restore all things”

Matthew 17:11


Peter’s sermon in Acts 3 that states there

will be a “period of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21),

and Paul’s statement about the Father

using Christ to “reconcile all things to Himself”


(Colossians 1:20).

Bell also argues that God, being omnipotent, should be able to get what He wants, and the Bible clearly says that God


“desires all men to be saved

and to come to

the knowledge of the truth"


(1 Timothy 2:4).

Estrangement from God ends when we humble ourselves and repent

(Acts 2:38; 3:19).


God promises to forgive and restore anyone

who comes to
​

Him in the name of His Son,

Jesus


(Romans 10:12–13; John 14:6; Psalm 80:19; John 3:16–18).



The death and resurrection

of Jesus Christ puts

an end to the estrangement

from God

​for all who come to Him


in faith
​

(John 1:12)



In Philippians 4:7 we have a

wonderful promise:


"The peace of God,

which passes all understanding,

will guard

your hearts and your minds

​
in Christ Jesus.”


It is important to note the context of this promise, because that’s where we find the condition: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (verse 6). God’s peace is promised to guard those who pray—with thanksgiving—about everything.


This peace will

transcend

our ability to understand it.


There are other GIFTS of God

that are not

fully comprehensible to us.


The GIFT
​
of salvation is “indescribable”


(2 Corinthians 9:15).



The complexity and wisdom of God’s plan

is inscrutable

(Isaiah 55:8–9).


According to Ephesians 3:19,



the love of Christ

is something else so great

we will


never fully understand it.


Likewise, human reasoning

is incapable of fully comprehending

the peace of God.


The believer who places his or her full confidence in a loving God and is thankful in every circumstance

will possess a supernatural peace.


An inner calm will dominate the heart.

The faithful believer will know peace—his heart and mind are “guarded” by it—despite the tempest raging without. No one, especially those outside of Christ, will be able to fathom that peace.


To most, it will remain a mystery

how someone can

be so serene in the midst of turmoil.

The peace that comes from being in a right relationship with God is not the peace of this world. The world’s peace depends on having favorable circumstances: if things are going well, then we feel peaceful; when things go awry, the peace quickly dissipates. Jesus made the distinction between His peace and the world’s vacillating peace:

"Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give you.

I do not give

to you as the world gives”


(John 14:27).

God’s supernatural peace surpasses natural understanding.


In Romans 11 Paul makes a compelling observation--
an affirmation he refers to as a mystery—that

​ a partial hardening has happened until


“the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”


(Romans 11:25, ESV).

The context helps us understand the

meaning of the

partial hardening and what is the


fullness of the Gentiles.

In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul catalogs the mercies of God in God’s provision of righteousness through the gospel. First, in Romans 1:1—3:20 Paul considers the universal human need for God’s righteousness, as all are unrighteous and separated from God. Then in Romans 3:21—4:25 Paul lays out how God applied righteousness through faith to all who believe in Jesus, outlining three different and significant types of descendants of Abraham: 1) ethnic Israel (Romans 4:1), 2) believing Gentiles (Romans 4:11), and 3) believing Jews (Romans 4:12). These three sets of descendants of Abraham are especially important for understanding the partial hardening and the fullness of the Gentiles that Paul talks about in Romans 11.

Romans 5—8 discusses the implications of that righteousness applied in freeing believers from the penalty and bondage of sin (Romans 5—7)

and assuring them of a present and future

​of reconciliation and peace with God

(Romans 8).


At the end of Romans 8 is a powerful affirmation

of the believer’s eternal security--

God will keep His promises to those who have

believed in Jesus Christ,

and they will

never be separated from the love of Christ

(Romans 8:35)


While discussing these mercies of God, Paul seems to anticipate that his readers might wonder why, if God is so faithful to restore those who believe in Jesus, God’s promises of restoration to Israel do not seem to be fulfilled yet.

​Simply put, if God is faithful, and if His promises to believers are trustworthy, then why is He not keeping His promises to Israel?

It is to answer this concern that Paul writes Romans 9—11, as he introduces the ideas of a partial hardening of Israel and the fullness of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25).

In Romans 9 Paul expresses his love for his Jewish brethren (Romans 9:1–5) and recognizes that the covenant promises are to be fulfilled to a specific group of Abraham’s descendants. Paul shows the distinct groups by highlighting God’s choosing of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and affirms that God’s blessing would be for those descendants who believe in the Messiah (Romans 9:33).

Salvation would not only be for believing Jews, though, as Gentiles could also call upon the name of the Lord for salvation (Romans 10:12–13).

While there are believing Jews and Gentiles, Paul explains that the nation of Israel as a whole has not yet received her Messiah

(Romans 10:18—11:10),

but they will one day be saved through believing in

​their Messiah

 (Romans 11:26).

In the meantime, Paul explains that there is a partial hardening of the nation—that many will refuse the Messiah—until the fullness of the Gentiles occurs. Israel’s hardening will continue until the divinely set
​number of Gentiles are saved:

"Some of the people of Israel have

hard hearts,

but this will last only

until the full number of Gentiles

​comes to Christ”


(Romans 11:25, NLT).


Paul recognized that Israel’s failure to accept the Messiah when He came offering the kingdom represented blessing for the Gentiles because,

instead of setting up that kingdom on earth

​at that time,

Christ died to pay for the sins of all.

In so doing, Christ fulfilled the promise God made to Abraham that in Abraham’s seed all the peoples of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3b).

That partial hardening of Israel also represented a shift in focus to the announcement of salvation to the Gentiles.

Paul acknowledged himself as an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13) and sought that many Gentiles would come to know Christ so those promises could be fulfilled and then the Jewish people might return to their Messiah (Romans 11:14–15).

Paul alluded to this in 2 Timothy 4:17 when he expressed gratitude for God’s sustaining him so that Paul might fulfill his ministry and that all the Gentiles might hear.

Even though God’s promises to save the nation of Israel are not presently being fulfilled, Paul recognizes that God will keep those promises after the fullness of the Gentiles.

Paul seems to be building on the foundation of Daniel 9, in which is revealed a 490-year prophetic timeline after which God will accomplish His covenant blessings for Israel. After the first 483 years of the timeline, the Messiah was cut off (Daniel 9:26a), signaling a shift in the focus away from Israel as Gentiles (Rome) would dominate, and there would be wars and desolation. But one day in the future, the ruler who would be known as the Antichrist would make a seven-year agreement with Israel.

​That last seven years of the timeline would begin to return the focus back to Israel and would conclude the times of the Gentiles of which Jesus spoke in Luke 21:24.

The fullness of the Gentiles in Romans 11:25 reminds us of God’s global focus (with the universal proclamation of the gospel of salvation) and chronology (with the times of the Gentiles not yet complete). One day, the fullness of the Gentiles will be complete, and God will deliver the nation of Israel.

Anyone who might have doubts about God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises can consider these passages as important reminders that


God has a detailed plan that

He is fulfilling

patiently and carefully.


The writer to the Hebrews talks about the arrangement of the tabernacle of the Old Testament. The tabernacle was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the temple in Jerusalem


​ (see Exodus 25–27).


Within the tabernacle was

the ark of the covenant

which included the mercy seat


(Hebrews 9:3-5 NKJV).
​

The ark of the covenant, the chest containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, was the most sacred object of the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem, where it was placed in an inner area called the Holy of Holies.


Also within the ark were the

golden pot of manna,

such as was provided by God in the

wilderness wanderings

(Exodus 16:4) and

Aaron’s almond rod (Numbers 17:1-13).


On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. Here God was supposed to be seated, and from this place He was supposed to dispense mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there.

In a manner of speaking, the mercy seat concealed the people of God from the ever-condemning judgment of the Law. Each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of God’s people. This blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat.

The point conveyed by this imagery is that it is only through the offering of blood that the condemnation of the Law could be taken away and violations of God’s laws covered.

The Greek word for “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5 

is hilasterion,

which means

“that which makes expiation” or “propitiation.”


It carries the idea of the removal of sin. In Ezekiel 43:13-15, the brazen altar of sacrifice is also called hilasterion (the propitiatory or mercy seat) in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) because of its association with the shedding of blood for sin.

What is the significance of this? In the New Testament, Christ Himself is designated as our “propitiation.” Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans:

​“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed”

(Romans 3:24-25 NKJV).

What Paul is teaching here is that Jesus is the covering for sin, as shown by these Old Testament prophetic images. By means of His death, and our response to Christ through our faith in Him, all our sins are covered. Also, whenever believers sin, we may turn to Christ who continues to be the propitiation or covering for our sins (1 John 2:1, 4:10).

This ties together the Old and New Testament concepts regarding the covering of sin as exemplified by the mercy-seat of God.

​A beloved person is one who is dearly loved. In the Old Testament, the word beloved is used repeatedly in the Song of Solomon as the newlyweds express their deep affection for each other (Song of Solomon 5:9; 6:1, 3).

In this instance, beloved implies romantic feelings. Nehemiah 13:26 also uses the word beloved to describe King Solomon as “beloved by his God” (ESV). In fact, at Solomon’s birth, “because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah” (2 Samuel 12:25). Jedidiah means “loved by the Lord.”

For reasons known only to Him, God sets special affection on some people and uses them in greater ways than He uses others. Israel is often called “beloved of God” (e.g., Deuteronomy 33:12; Jeremiah 11:15). God chose this people group as His beloved in order to set them apart for His divine plan to save the world through Jesus (Deuteronomy 7:6–8; Genesis 12:3).

The word beloved is also used repeatedly throughout the New Testament. A notable use of the word is at the baptism of Jesus. In this scene, all three Persons of the Trinity are revealed.

​God the Father speaks to the Son

from heaven:

"This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”

(Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).



Then the “Holy Spirit descended

like a dove

and rested on Him”


(Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32).



God again calls Jesus

“beloved” at

the 

Mount of Transfiguration:


"This is my beloved Son, with whom

​I am well pleased; listen to him”

(Matthew 17:5).

We can learn a little about the loving

relationship shared

by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

by God’s use of the word beloved.

​Jesus echoes that truth

​in John 10:17 when He says,


“The reason my Father loves me is that

I lay down my life--

only to take it up again.”



Many New Testament writers

used the word beloved 

to address the recipients of their letters


(e.g., Philippians 4:1; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:11).


Most of the time, the Greek word

translated “beloved” is agapētoi,

related to the


word agape.



In the inspired letters, beloved means “friends dearly loved by God.” In the New Testament, the use of the word beloved implies more than human affection. It suggests an esteem for others that comes from recognizing their worth as children of God. Those addressed were more than friends; they were brothers and sisters in Christ and therefore highly valued.

Since Jesus is the One whom God loves, Beloved is also used as a title for Christ. Paul speaks of how believers are the beneficiaries of God’s “glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6, ESV). The Father loves the Son, and He loves and blesses us for the Son’s sake.


All those adopted into

​God’s family

through faith in the

finished

work of Jesus Christ are beloved

by the Father


(John 1:12; Romans 8:15).

It is an amazing, lavish love:

"See what great love

the Father has lavished

on us, that we

should be called children of God!


And that is what we are!”


(1 John 3:1).


Because God has shed His love on us,

we are free to apply

the words of Song of Solomon 6:3 

to

our relationship with Christ:



“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”



The nation of Israel

is referred to as the wife of the Lord

in the Old Testament,

while the Church

is referred to as the Bride of Christ

in the New Testament
​

​
Song of Solomon 2:7:


“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles

or the does of the field, that

you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases” 


Using beautiful imagery, the speaker underscores

the truth

that love must have freedom.


Just as gazelles and deer are

free to roam,

so love should have

freedom to move in our hearts in

its own time and in its own way.

Love should not be manipulated any more

than a
​
gazelle​ should be fettered

or caged.

When the time is right, love


​will bloom. 

​
​The Davidic Covenant

refers to God’s promises to David

through Nathan

​ the prophet and is found in 2 Samuel 7 

and later summarized

in 1 Chronicles 17:11–14 and 2 Chronicles 6:16.
​

This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever.

The Davidic Covenant is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God’s faithfulness and does not depend at all on David or Israel’s obedience.

The Davidic Covenant centers on several key promises that are made to David. First, God reaffirms the promise of the land that He made in the first two covenants with Israel (the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants).

This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:10, “I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore.” God then promises that David’s son will succeed him as king of Israel and that this son (Solomon) would build the temple. This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:12–13, " I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.

He is the one who will build a house for my Name.”

But then the promise continues and expands: “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (verse 13), and “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (verse 16).

What began as a promise that David’s son Solomon would be blessed and build the temple turns into something different—the promise of an everlasting kingdom.

​Another Son of David would rule forever and build a lasting House. This is a reference to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, called the Son of David in Matthew 21:9.

The promise that David’s “house,” “kingdom,” and “throne” will be established forever is significant because it shows that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and that He will establish a kingdom from which He will reign. The covenant is summarized by the words “house,” promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; “kingdom,” referring to a people who are governed by a king; “throne,” emphasizing the authority of the king’s rule; and “forever,” emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to David and Israel.

​
Other references to

the Davidic Covenant are found in 

Jeremiah 23:5; 30:9; Isaiah 9:7; 11:1; Luke 1:32, 69; Acts 13:34; and Revelation 3:7.

As we approach Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement,

Jewish believers in Jesus will join the nationwide fast, but with a different twist. Unlike the rest of Israel’s Jews, they will not be fasting to atone for their sins because they know that Yeshua, their Messiah, has already taken care of all that, once and for all. No—their fast is one of mediation

​for their dear brothers and sisters who do not yet know Him and the atonement He has bought for them at high cost.


The Ten Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah (the Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) are a time of concentrated prayer and reflection, asking for forgiveness and returning to God in repentance. As people seek God for exoneration, Israelis wish each other an “easy fast” and “a good signing”: that their names would be written in the book of life. But we who know Yeshua know that there is a new and living way to enter the Holy of Holies and receive atonement for our sins—not just once a year, but any time we like!

Tomorrow in Israel, people will fast from sunset to sunset, dress in white to go to the synagogue services, and refrain from driving and doing regular activities as they reflect on their sins. There is the idea that God is checking over everyone’s life, the way a car might have a yearly look-over, and deciding if you should be written in the Book of Life, Death, or be in limbo while your good and bad deeds are judged. These ideas have the same notions of repentance for sin but do not deal with the problem. Why?

The writer of Hebrews expands on what is written in Leviticus 17: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:22)

Blood must be shed in order to pay for sin—a life for a life. This is why the blood of Yeshua is now the only way for Jewish people and all people across the world to receive forgiveness. But the light of this truth is dawning in Israel. Please join us as we pray this Yom Kippur for the Lord to reveal the truth about the atonement Yeshua has bought for us.



https://www.oneforisrael.org/.../praying-for-israel-on.../

​

The Truth


​About


Living Water
​




 Costs.... from a biblical
​

Good News Minister
​

think about that...

​
Is it informative, helpful, biblical, constructive


and True?


Have we gathered all of our information

before assuming; or do we


​Know firsthand?


Do we know the circumstances, history.. background

before

making said assumptions?


Have Gods/Man's Laws been obstructed,

and why?


Secrecy holds no account,

​unaccountability holds no account


That's the perspective and verbiage you may be 


working with


the result of insufficient knowledge in


​Man's and 'God's morality and laws



​
What in God's 


Good Glory


is 'swimming naked?"
​


What is that?


If you could be more specific, I could address you

more appropriately


It could be interpreted various ways;
​
I don't particularity appreciate

A vague, nebulous use of 'sound alike'

parables



The analogy is inappropriate from

my perspective,


As I have never done that . 


And I'm not judging anyone 
​

Who has


But you need to be upfront with 
​
insufficiently supported terms 


Please dont

feed

​ sheep false bread


You're welcome to perceive public behavior, but to secretly
exploit someone due to private knowledge and not
take accountability in

speaking with them directly,

after a dozen opportunities? 


​Thats Wrong; a Moral Issue You


​Fail

to Recognize
​

That fraudulent 

Illegal Exploitation

is

not credible
​

We don't judge hersay, or Perceived behavior,


we judge morality on a reasonably

​visible,

understandable, consensual basis


Reasoning must be presented honestly


You can Not decipher any reasonable perspective among


​hidden premises


Scripture is not a deceptive


​language,

​
Man's dialogue is



Unless you are transparent,

your

​opinion is not evaluated



​Collect all of the facts first


Sources must be provided​

​
​
​Bread is considered

a staple food—i.e., a basic dietary item.


A person can survive a long time on

only bread and water.


Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase “breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with someone. Bread also plays an integral part of the

Jewish Passover meal.

The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt.

Finally, when the Jews were wandering

in the desert for 40 years,

God rained down “bread from heaven” to sustain the nation

(Exodus 16:4).

All of this plays into the scene being described in John 6 when Jesus used the term “bread of life.” He was trying to get away from the crowds to no avail. He had crossed the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd followed Him. After some time, Jesus inquires of Philip how they’re going to feed the crowd. Philip’s answer displays his “little faith” when he says they don’t have enough money to give each of them the smallest morsel of food. Finally, Andrew brings to Jesus a boy who had five small loaves of bread and two fish. With that amount, Jesus miraculously fed the throng with lots of food to spare.

Afterward, Jesus and His disciples

cross back

​to the other side of Galilee.


When the crowd sees that Jesus has left, they follow Him again. Jesus takes this moment to teach them a lesson.

He accuses the crowd of ignoring His miraculous signs and


only following Him for the “free meal.”


Jesus tells them in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” In other words, they were so enthralled with the food, they were missing out on the fact that their Messiah had come. So the Jews ask Jesus for a sign that He was sent from God (as if the miraculous feeding and the walking across the water weren’t enough).

They tell Jesus that God gave them manna during the desert wandering. Jesus responds by telling them that they need to ask for the true bread from heaven that gives life. When they ask Jesus for this bread, Jesus startles them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

This is a phenomenal statement!

First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. Jesus is trying to get the Jews’ thinking off of the physical realm and into the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously created the day before. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.

Third, and very important,



Jesus

is making another

claim to deity
​


This statement is the first of

the “I AM”

statements in John’s Gospel



The phrase “I AM” is

the covenant name of God


(Yahweh, or YHWH),

revealed to Moses

at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14).



The phrase speaks of self-sufficient existence (or what theologians refer to as “aseity”), which is an attribute only God possesses.

It is also a phrase the Jews who were listening would have automatically understood as a claim to deity.

Fourth, notice the words “come” and “believe.”

This is an invitation for those listening to place their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.


This invitation to come is found throughout

John’s Gospel.


Coming to Jesus involves making

a choice to forsake the world and follow Him.

Believing in Jesus

means placing our faith in Him that


He is who

He says He is, that He will do

what He says He will do,

and that

He is the only one who can.


Fifth, there are the words “hunger and thirst.” Again, it must be noted that Jesus isn’t talking about alleviating physical hunger and thirst. The key is found in another statement Jesus made, back in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:6, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When Jesus says those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst, He is saying He will satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.


In Genesis 3, God pronounces judgment against Adam, Eve, and the serpent for their sinful rebellion. To the serpent, God says, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (verse 15, KJV). This verse is known as the protoevangelium, or the “first gospel,” because it introduces the theme of a Savior who will redeem humanity from the curse of sin (Galatians 3:13). In Genesis 3, the Savior is called the “Seed” of the woman (NKJV and AMP).

The Hebrew word for “seed” here means “offspring,” which is how many translations render it (e.g., NIV, ESV, CSB). The figurative language in Genesis 3:14 (“dust you shall eat,” ESV) indicates that the subsequent verse speaks of a spiritual war between Satan (the serpent) and humanity (the seed of the woman).

The woman spoken of is Eve, the mother of humanity (Genesis 3:20). The prophecy is that her offspring would be continually harassed by Satan and his followers (the offspring of the serpent). Sin entered the world through Adam’s disobedience, and we all suffer because of it (Romans 5:12–14). The perpetual war Satan wages against humanity began in the Garden of Eden.

There is an indication of number in Genesis 3:15 that we cannot overlook. The woman’s offspring is referred to by the singular noun seed, and that seed is immediately antecedent to the singular pronouns he and his.

So, the seed of the woman is individualized. There is one Seed in particular who is to come. The sole tempter will be countered by the sole Savior.

Also, Genesis 3:15 speaks of the seed of a woman rather than the seed of a man. This unusual wording could indicate that the woman’s offspring would not have an earthly father.


In that case, the protoevangelium is certainly

fulfilled in Jesus Christ,

who was begotten of the Holy Spirit and 

born of a virgin 

(Luke 1:34–35).


The enmity spoken of in Genesis 3:15 is ultimately between Satan and Christ. Satan “bruised the heel” of the Savior when Jesus was crucified—Jesus suffered in His flesh. But the story does not end there. On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave. In so doing, He crushed the power of Satan, sin, and death--

He crushed the serpent’s head. Jesus is the Seed of the woman who has won the victory over the tempter and enemy of mankind. And, to His eternal praise, He grants victory to everyone who believes in Him (John 16:33). “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne”

(Revelation 3:21).



In Revelation chapter 12,

John sees a vision of a woman


"clothed with the sun, and the moon

under her feet,

and on her head a crown of twelve stars"

(Revelation 12:1).


Note the similarity between this description and the description that Joseph gave of his father Jacob (Israel) and his mother and their children

(Genesis 37:9-11).



The twelve stars refer

to the

twelve tribes of Israel.

So the woman in 


Revelation 12 is Israel.



Additional evidence for this interpretation is that Revelation 12:2-5 speaks of the woman being with child and giving birth. While it is true that Mary gave birth to Jesus, it is also true that Jesus, the son of David from the tribe of Judah, came from Israel. In a sense, Israel gave birth—or brought forth—Christ Jesus. Verse 5 says that the woman’s child was "a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne." Clearly, this is describing Jesus. Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11) and will one day establish His kingdom on earth (Revelation 20:4-6), and He will rule it with perfect judgment (the “rod of iron”; see Psalm 2:7-9).

The woman’s flight into the wilderness for 1,260 days refers to the future time called the Great Tribulation. Twelve hundred, sixty days is 42 months (of 30 days each), which is the same as 3 1/2 years. Halfway through the Tribulation period, the Beast (the Antichrist) will set an image of himself up in the temple that will be built in Jerusalem. This is the abomination that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14. When the Beast does this, he breaks the peace pact he had made with Israel, and the nation has to flee for safety—possibly to Petra (also see Matthew 24; Daniel 9:27).



This escape of the Jews is pictured

as the


woman fleeing into the wilderness.


Revelation 12:12-17 


speaks of how the devil will make

war against Israel,


trying to destroy her


(Satan knows his time is short, relatively speaking—see Revelation 20:1-3, 10). It also reveals that God will protect Israel in the wilderness. Revelation 12:14 says Israel will be protected from the devil for "a time, times, and half a time (“a time” = 1 year; “times” = 2 years; “half a time” = one-half year; in other words, 3 1/2 years).


The apostle Paul

refers to the law of sin and

​death

in Romans 8:1–2:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”


What is the “law of sin and death”?


In these verses, Paul contrasts two laws:

the law of the Spirit

and the law of sin and death.



The law of the Spirit

is the gospel or good news of Jesus,

the message of new life

through faith in the resurrected Christ.


The law of sin and death

is the

Old Testament Law of God. 

Romans 7:5 explains Paul’s focus on the Law as leading to sin and death: “For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.” In contrast, the “way” or law of the Spirit is noted in Romans 7:6: “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” The Law itself is not sinful (Romans 7:7). However, the Law defined sin and stirred up our natural rebellion against God’s rules, resulting in sin and death.

Romans 7:10–11 speaks of how sin, death, and the Law are connected: “I found that the very commandment that


was intended to bring life actually


​brought death.


For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.” This death refers to spiritual separation from God. Shackled by our depraved nature, we naturally opposed the Law, and we found that God’s life-giving Word served only to sentence us to death. It is because of this that Paul can refer to

​the Law as the


“law of sin and death.”


The conclusion of Romans 7 shows the need of the gospel to deliver us from the consequences of sin under the Law: “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?



Thanks be to God,

who delivers me

through



Jesus Christ

our Lord!”


(Romans 7:22–25).




The next chapter, Romans 8, begins by declaring there is no longer any condemnation or judgment for those who are in Christ. We have been released from the law of sin and death. Paul’s argument from Romans 7 transitions in Romans 8 to a rejoicing over the change the gospel makes in the lives of those who believe in Jesus. The chapter concludes by confirming, in the strongest terms possible, that believers can never be separated from God’s love: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39).
​

If there is anything the history of human religion tells us, it is that people seek to earn their way to heaven.

This is such a basic human desire because God created us with eternity in mind. The Bible says God has placed [the desire for] eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The Bible also tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven because we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23) and the only thing our sin earns us is death (Romans 6:23). There is no one who is righteous in himself (Romans 3:10). Our dilemma is we have a desire we cannot fulfill, no matter what we do. That is where Jesus comes in. He, and He alone, can fulfill that desire in our hearts for righteousness through the Divine Transaction: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).



When Christ died on the cross,


He took the sins of mankind upon Himself and made atonement for them.

When we place our faith in Him, our sins are imputed to Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed to us. Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness.


He is our Bread of Life.


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 idea of “circumcision of the heart” is found in Romans 2:29. It refers to having a pure heart, separated unto God. Paul writes, “A Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” These words conclude a sometimes confusing passage of Scripture regarding circumcision and the Christian. Verses 25-29 provide context:

“For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

Paul is discussing the role of the Old Testament Law as it relates to Christianity. He argues that Jewish circumcision is only an outward sign of being set apart to God. However, if the heart is sinful, then physical circumcision is of no avail. A circumcised body and a sinful heart are at odds with each other. Rather than focus on external rites, Paul focuses on the condition of the heart. Using circumcision as a metaphor, he says that only the Holy Spirit can purify a heart and set us apart to God. Ultimately, circumcision cannot make a person right with God; the Law is not enough. A person’s heart must change. Paul calls this change “circumcision of the heart.”

This concept was not original with the apostle Paul. As a Jew trained in the Law of Moses, he was certainly aware of this discussion from Deuteronomy 30. There, the Lord used the same metaphor to communicate His desire for a holy people: “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). Physical circumcision was a sign of Israel’s covenant with God; circumcision of the heart, therefore, would indicate Israel’s being set apart to love God fully, inside and out.

John the Baptist warned the Pharisees against taking pride in their physical heritage and boasting in their circumcision: “Do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham” (Matthew 3:9). 




True


“children of Abraham”

are those

who follow

Abraham’s example of


​believing God


(Genesis 15:6).


Physical circumcision does not make one a child of God; faith does. Believers in Jesus Christ can truly say they are children of “Father Abraham.” “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

God has always wanted more from His people than just external conformity to a set of rules. He has always wanted them to possess a heart to love, know, and follow Him. That’s why God is not concerned with a circumcision of the flesh. Even in the Old Testament, God’s priority was a spiritual circumcision of the heart: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done” (Jeremiah 4:4).

Both Testaments focus on the need for repentance and inward change in order to be right with God. In Jesus, the Law has been fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). Through Him, a person can be made right with God and receive eternal life (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). As Paul said, true circumcision is a matter of the heart, performed by the Spirit of God.


​Jesus told the Parable of the Fig Tree--Luke 13:6-9—immediately after reminding His listeners of a towerover the pool of Siloam (John 9:7) which unexpectedly fell and killed eighteen people. The moral of that story is found in Luke 13:3: “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.” To reiterate this moral, Jesus tells the story of the fig tree, the vineyard owner, and the gardener who took care of the vineyard.

The three entities in the story all have clear symbolic significance. The vineyard owner represents God, the one who rightly expects to see fruit on His tree and who justly decides to destroy it when He finds none. The gardener, or vineyard keeper who cares for the trees, watering and fertilizing them to bring them to their peak of fruitfulness, represents Jesus, who feeds His people and gives them living water. The tree itself has two symbolic meanings: the nation of Israel and the individual.

As the story unfolds, we see the vineyard owner expressing his disappointment at the fruitless tree. He has looked for fruit for three years from this tree, but has found none. The three-year period is significant because for three years John the Baptist and Jesus had been preaching the message of repentance throughout Israel. But the fruits of repentance were not forthcoming. John the Baptist warned the people about the Messiah coming and told them to bring forth fruits fit for repentance because the ax was already laid at the root of the tree (Luke 3:8-9). But the Jews were offended by the idea they needed to repent, and they rejected their Messiah because He demanded repentance from them. After all, they had the revelation of God, the prophets, the Scriptures, the covenants, and the adoption (Romans 9:4-5). They had it all, but they were already apostate. They had departed from the true faith and the true and living God and created a system of works-righteousness that was an abomination to God. He, as the vineyard owner, was perfectly justified in tearing down the tree that had no fruit. The Lord’s ax was already poised over the root of the tree, and it was ready to fall. 

However, we see the gardener pleading here for a little more time. There were a few months before the crucifixion, and more miracles to come, especially the incredible miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which would astound many and perhaps cause the Jews to repent. As it turned out, Israel as a nation still did not believe, but individuals certainly did (John 12:10-11). The compassionate gardener intercedes for more time to water and fertilize the fruitless tree, and the gracious Lord of the vineyard responds in patience. 

The lesson for the individual is that borrowed time is not permanent. God’s patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit, no repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is near. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

The precise phrase river of life does not appear in the Bible. However, Revelation 22:1–2 does refer to “the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The apostle John, in his vision of the New Jerusalem, describes the river as flowing “down the middle of the great street of the city.”

The “water of life” referred to here does not have to be considered physical water as we know it. Rather, the water flowing from the throne is probably symbolic of the water of eternal life, crystal clear to reflect the glory of God in a dazzling, never-ending stream. The fact that the stream emanates from the throne tells us that eternal life flows from God to His people.

Water is a common symbolic representation of eternal life in Scripture. Isaiah refers to drawing water from the “wells of salvation” with joy (Isaiah 12:3). The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah rebuked the Israelites for abandoning God’s “spring of living water” and digging for themselves their own cisterns which could not hold water (Jeremiah 2:13). The Israelites had forsaken the living God, who alone provides eternal life, to chase after false idols, worldliness, and works-based religions.


​Men do the same today, refusing the water of life only Christ provides for a parched and dusty life of materialism and self-indulgence.



Jesus encouraged

the Samaritan woman at the well

to take from Him

the water of (eternal) life

so that she

would never thirst again spiritually

(John 4:13–14).


Those who believe in Him, Jesus goes on to say in John 7:38, will have streams of living water flowing from them. Water is an appropriate and easily understood symbol for life. Just as physical water is necessary to sustain physical life on earth, living water from the Savior is necessary to sustain eternal life with Him.


​Jesus is both the Bread of Life


(John 6:35)

and


the source


​of living water,


sustaining His people forever.

​
​The Parable of the Sower concerns a sower who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground. The hard ground “by the way side” prevents the seed from sprouting at all, and the seed becomes nothing more than bird food. The stony ground provides enough soil for the seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but because there is “no deepness of earth,” the plants do not take root and are soon withered in the sun. The thorny ground allows the seed to grow, but the competing thorns choke the life out of the beneficial plants. The good ground receives the seed and produces much fruit.

Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears. The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it. The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit (Matthew 3:7-8; 7:15-20).

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” He spoke these words as part of His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), in which He had said it was foolish to store up treasures on earth where “moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19–20); rather, He urged us to store up treasure in heaven where it will last forever. The obstacle that prevents us from wise investment is the heart. Wherever our treasure is, there will our hearts be (Matthew 6:21). We follow what has captivated our hearts, and Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters.

Jesus’ call to follow Him is a call to abandon all other masters. He called Matthew from the tax collector’s booth (Matthew 9:9). Matthew obeyed and walked away from extravagant wealth and dirty deals. Jesus called Peter, James, and John from the fishing docks (Mark 1:16–18). To obey Jesus’ call meant that they had to leave behind everything they knew, everything they’d worked for. Jesus called Paul, a successful Pharisee, with the words, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Those words will never make it into a mass-market ad campaign for Christianity—but maybe they should, because that’s what it means to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). We must forsake everything else, no matter the cost (Matthew 10:34–39).

The Lord describes Himself as a “jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). This means He guards what is rightfully His. He is righteously jealous for our affections because we were created to know and love Him (Colossians 1:16). He is not jealous for His own sake; He needs nothing (Psalm 50:9–10). He is jealous for us because we need Him (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37). When we serve another master such as money, we rob ourselves of all we were created to be, and we rob God of His rightful adoration.

Jesus’ claim to us is exclusive. He bought us with His own blood and delivered us from our former master, sin (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Romans 6:17). He doesn’t share His throne with anyone. During Jesus’ time on earth, some people followed Him for a ways, but their devotion was superficial (Luke 9:57–62). They wanted something Jesus offered, but they weren’t committed (Mark 10:17–22). Other things were more important. They wanted to serve two masters.

We cannot serve two masters because, as Jesus pointed out, we end up hating one and loving the other. It’s only natural. Opposing masters demand different things and lead down different paths. The Lord is headed in one direction, and our flesh and the world are headed in the other. A choice must be made. When we follow Christ, we must die to everything else. We will be like some of the seeds in Jesus’ parable (Luke 8:5–15)—only a portion of those seeds actually bore fruit. Some sprouted at first but then withered and died. They were not deeply rooted in good soil.

If we attempt to serve two masters, we will have divided loyalties, and, when the difficulties of discipleship clash with the lure of fleshly pleasure, the magnetic pull of wealth and worldly success will draw us away from Christ (see 2 Timothy 4:10). The call to godliness goes against our sinful nature. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we remain devoted to one Master


(John 6:44).


During Jesus' earthly ministry, He provided spiritual correction

(Matthew 8:26; Mark 8:33; Luke 24:25) and physical protection (Mark 4:39) to the disciples. In a very real sense, Jesus was "right there" to keep them from being taken away (John 10:28).


​His guarding was tangible and personal. However, as a physical human being, Jesus cannot be visibly and physically accessible to everyone everywhere at once. To spread the gospel across the entire world (Acts 1:8), the primary connection between God and believers will need to be the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–21; 16:7). As Jesus prepares for His arrest and crucifixion (John 18:1–3), He reiterates that those who have been given to Him (John 17:6) have been preserved. 

Earlier, Jesus mentioned that He had taught the message of God to His inner circle (Matthew 10:1–4; John 17:6–8). Among that group was Judas, whom Jesus always knew was a false believer (John 6:64; 13:21). Judas alone, of the Twelve, chose to ignore what he saw from Christ, to his own ruin (Mark 14:21). Christ knew that was a necessary part of God's plan to redeem mankind

​(John 3:16).



for that Day shall not come, unless

there come a falling away first,

and that man of sin

be revealed, the son of perdition
​