The Parable

Matthew 13:5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
Matthew 13:6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.

The Explanation

Matthew 13:20 ESV – As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
Matthew 13:21 ESV – yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

If this passage supports the conditional security teaching, it is in seeing that, though the seed had no root, “they” (vs 6) sprang up. The debate in my mind is that “they” who sprung up, may have sprung up merely emotionally, and not due to conviction of sin and the birth of the new heart.

Yet as the Lord explains the passage to His disciples, He speaks of …

the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,

“Hearing and receiving” certainly falls into the description of life, and at least for a short time, to be evidence of life in this one. To “receive” is used of true conversion, or at least the process of conversion taking place.

Acts 19:2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

One additional phrase that may argue for this one to have been truly saved, and yet to have fallen away or apostatized, is that

…he endures for a while

This one walks the walk for a period of time, providing evidence of life, even in the midst of trials. This is typically the very thing I watch for in any that claim they follow, that is if hard times come, do they turn their back on the Master. This one did not for a while….

One last phrase that this passage provides may help us understand the teaching of conditional security. The Lord declares..

…he falls away

This is not the Greek word that is transliterated as apostacy, which prior to looking, I assumed I would find. The term found in the gospel is σκανδαλίζω skandalízō, and typically is translated as offend, to be offended, or to trip up. So the first thing I need to understand is what might be the stumbling rock upon which this one trips up over. He has endured for a while, it is looking promising, so what is it that trips him up?

It is…

when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the Word.

This is enlightening, but not for my purposes in relation to conditional security. It may support the teaching, it may not, I will let my reader consider.

For this one who we are considering, he endured for a while, assuming the endurance was due to troubles he suffered, but when persecution was due to the Word, this caused the one to stumble.

• Could the Word become a stumbling block for a believer?
• Might a truly born again person get to the point that the Word offends them, causes them confusion or inner conflict?
• Might a truly repentant, blood bought believer apostatize, due to the Word?

As we are on our pilgrimage, it is critical to have a humble and sensitive spirit towards the Word, to approach it with respect and to acknowledge it is the truth, the witness of the Son of God, the Savior. Some things in the Word are very difficult to understand, and some seem to be in conflict with what we think is true. It is at this point we need to confess our ignorance of all things, of our near complete ignorance of the universe, of history, of our own current affairs in this world and even our own lives.

We are simply too limited in our understanding! How then could we take the position of judge over the Word of God? It is the message God has provided to His people, that has survived for millennium the attacks of the faithless, and given us the witness of His Son, the Sacrificial Lamb who died for our sins. As we become a judge over the Word, finding problems or supposed conflicts, statements that are uncomfortable, or things we just don’t want to accept, we should realize this may be dangerous territory to enter into.

No matter what the specific message you may be struggling with this very day, a willing heart, an inquisitive mind, and a humble spirit is needed to provide opportunity for solutions to be found, or the patience to endure until the Lord provides direction for our souls.

He is good, but sometimes He lets us struggle for our own good. Do not give up the fight of living a life of humility before the One who died for us.

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Psalm 51:11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Talk about a verse to discuss for this topic! How have I went for over 5 years of blogs considering this topic, and yet not addressed this seemingly obvious verse.

Some general background may be beneficial. David is the author, and he has fallen hard. Fallen into sin that includes, adultery and murder. Confession didn’t come immediately, but when it did, amazingly forgiveness was granted.

2 Samuel 12:13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Capital offences according the the covenant of God! When Nathan speaks of David and death, he is speaking of the Law of God demanding the offender to die.

Adultery demands death.

Leviticus 20:10 If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Murder demands death.

Exodus 21:14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

David should die. He should die for either one of these offenses! The Law demanded death! Nathan delivered to David God’s reprieve of physical death, of the Lord putting away his sin. David would experience trouble in his family, but he would not be put to death. David would live.

David realized this physical judgement mirrored his spiritual life. Though the judgement of physical death had been taken from him, he understood the spiritual death he was wallowing in presented a much greater danger.

Over and over again, in different ways and with different phrases, David looked to God for forgiveness beyond the physical in this psalm.

Blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin, purge me with hyssop, wash me, hide Your face from my sins, blot out all my iniquities.

He openly confessed his sin and sought from God the forgiveness he needed to experience and posses his spiritual life. He had been released from physical death. He would live, but he was desperate to live!

Eventually he begged God to not take away the Holy Spirit from him. He needed a new heart! A clean heart.

What a man of God!

He realized his complete poverty before God and openly confessed his total lack of ability to make things right, to be right with God. He knew the Spirit of God had been taken from Saul, and now it looked like he was heading down the same path of self destruction, being abandoned by God due to sin.

Of course, as an OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved) adherent, I would reject any connection to David or Saul, or any Old Testament saint who spoke of the Holy Spirit being taken from them, as being applicable for the New Testament saint.

We have many verses in the New Testament speaking of the faithfulness of God to the believer, of His never leaving us, of His constant ministry in our lives. The New Testament is replete with describing God’s commitment to the believer.

Hebrews 13:5 … he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Matthew 28:20 …I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 10:28 …no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Ephesians 4:30 ….you were sealed for the day of redemption

Romans 11:29 …the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

The faithfulness of God is described in the New Testament to the believer, and for that we are to be ever so thankful.

But consider.

Does the faithfulness of God somehow guarantee our faithfulness to Him? Are they one and the same? For God to be faithful, as He is, describes God’s faithfulness. Should we be of such boldness to assume we are as faithful as He? We are a weak, crippled people, and though we have been given a new heart, and the Spirit of God has come to abide with us, we are but jars of clay. He is the light and we are but dust. Though He is able to provide strength, we must not assume we are without responsibility in our relationship with the Almighty God. Our lives are to exhibit a humility and godly fear before Him, not assuming on the promises of God, and ignoring our part in the relationship with the Master!

David and us

• Does the New Testament believer and David have the same God?
  • Of course! He is faithful!
• Does the New Testament believer and David possess the same covenant?
  • Of course not. We have such a deeper and greater covenant with Him, by the blood of the Lamb.
• Does the New Testament believer and David share in the sinfulness of a darkened, deceitful heart?
  • Of course! We are not faithful to God by our very nature!
• Does the New Testament believer and David struggle with sin, causing pain and grief to the Lord?
  • Of course! Let us not deceive ourselves, thinking we are of any better stock than the man after God’s own heart! We have a much greater understanding and covenant with God, but we are on our own, weak, poor and blind.

Let us learn from this passage, not some implied connection between David’s experience and a possible experience of the New Testament believer. That will be debated by believers until He comes back.

No, the lesson is that as David reacted to his sin before God in this psalm, we should also react to our sin before Him, from a heart of sorrow, out of a need for His grace, sensing a desperation for God, desperate to be created anew!

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Matthew 10:32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
Matthew 10:33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Two words pop up in this short passage. Acknowledge and deny. I behoves me to look into each and try to find out what is going in in the two verses above. A parallel passage may be found in Luke 12:8-9.

Acknowledge

To acknowledge something or someone is to confess or agree with that person or topic. The Greek word is ὁμολογέω homologéō. (Strong’s number G3670). It is a compound word made up of two base Greek words.

• ὁμοῦ homoû, (Strongs G3674) meaning the same, or as an adverb, at the same place or time, together
• λόγος lógos, (Strongs G3056). Strongs definition includes the following
  • …something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive.

To acknowledge is to agree with a person on his teaching, to admit (before men, as the passage clearly teaches) that you agree, confess and openly declare agreement (before men) with the teaching of the Rabbi.

The term is somewhat defined by the negative at times. To acknowledge is to concede, or not to deny, not to refuse. There may be an element of grudgingly admitting defeat to the truth of the message in this term.

Alternatively, the term allows the meaning of declaring openly, speaking out freely and to profess one’s self the worshipper of the Rabbi, to praise and celebrate the Rabbi in His teaching and life.

As you can see, it has a broad base of meaning to the hearer, and allows for some variation within those confessing as to the inner motivation.

Have you always, and without exception been joyous and exuberant in your confession of the Lord before men? I imagine it is the desired method of confession, that is to openly and with great joy agree with the Savior in His teaching. Yet I know from personal experience, I have at times (and in fear) provided a confession that appeared reluctant, almost grudgingly. I admit, from my point of view, this is the worst type of confession before men, but according to my little study, I find it is an acceptable confession before men.

Does my reader have a similar experience? Let me ask you a question.

In your imagination, which type of confession communicates dedication to God better?

When things are great in our lives, with no outward resistance being experienced, confession is relatively easy. On the other hand, when the enemy is attacking, difficulties pile up, situations are dark and we may have lost that inner confidence, but we confess anyway, simply because we know the truth, is this a confession that will be rejected?

Something to consider!

DEny

To deny is to reject. May I suggest that to deny is to understand a position or a persons message and after having understood it, to reject the person or the message. Jesus is not speaking of those who have never heard His message. That group of people are not being dealt with in this passage.

The Greek word is ἀρνέομαι arnéomai, Strongs G720, and includes the idea on contradiction, of refusing or rejecting a teaching, of disowning a person. To deny is to reject or renounce a person or teaching.

To deny is interestingly enough used in relation to the teachings of Christ and of our own desires.

The passage above speaks of denying the Christ and His teachings. Jesus also speaks of denial in relation to our own desires in Luke 9, and to take up a life of suffering in order to follow Him.

Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

In summary, Jesus is providing us the opportunity to know how He represents us before the Father. He is providing us the knowledge of His communication to the Father of our reaction to His teaching and person.

Jesus is providing us the opportunity to know how He represents us before the Father.

Note one additional difference between Acknowledge and deny in this set of verses.

The Greek word for “acknowledge” in verse 32 is a future active indicative* verb. Jesus is stating that anyone who actively (of his own power and volition) acknowledges Him before men (after He makes this statement) will be acknowledged by Jesus before God.

The Greek word of “deny” in verse 33 is an aorist middle subjunctive* Understanding each of these descriptions of the verb is beyond my depth. I will only refer my reader to the difference, and imply that since it is aorist, there is no time defined, that the verb being in middle voice, speaks of the one denying as being involved (possibly with other’s influencing the denial), and as subjunctive, it speaks of possibility or potentiality, depending on circumstances.

Was Jesus speaking to those who, at the time of His message were actively confessing, acknowledging and agreeing with Him? Chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew is describing and preparing the apostles for their mission to the lost sheep of Israel. Those hearing this message were, to all appearances, the most committed of His followers.

Jesus warns these followers of the potential of denial.

Paul speak the same later on in his message to Timothy.

2 Timothy 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

To deny is an option for the believer.

What a far better choice we have, as we agree with the Master, willingly comply with what we know of His message, fully agree with Him and openly confess Him before men. If we do this, Jesus has told us of how He will communicate with the Father.

Perty good news if you tell me!

*I am not, and will never claim to be any level of Greek scholar, but simply depend solely on the work of learned men and women of the past who have provided such great tools as the Strong’s Concordance, in combination with the interlinear provided by Blue Letter Bible website. Any corrections or assistance in understanding the above from a formally taught linguist will be happily received.

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Matthew 5:22

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

The beatitudes. The longest sermon the Lord provided for His people. Yes, it may be a compilation of Jesus teachings, given over a period of days, but that does not detract the sheer power of the message delivered.

Our verse, Matthew 5:22 is found in a portion of the sermon addressing anger. The question being addressed is – How is a believer to understand anger in his life?

There are some well meaning believers that consider this passage to be applicable to the future, to the saints who will exist in some future kingdom. As such, this passage supposedly does not apply to the church age believer. I know of these teachings because I was drawn to them, believed this slant and taught others of it. It is an outgrowth of a dispensational thought process and it was a comfortable way of thinking.

A comfortable way of thinking since this passage is a very challenging portion of Scripture if we allow it to be applicable to the current age. After many years of hanging on to a teaching that I currently reject, that strips the Word of much instruction for the modern believer, and causes much confusion, I began to consider that this passage Jesus gave His followers while He was on earth were for His followers while He was on earth.

Nevertheless, Jesus is instructing those who want to know of His teaching, what He expects of those who follow Him, and occasionally provides the results of not obeying His Word.

Such is the case in this passage. He builds in intensity of judgement, based on three acts escalating acts of anger.

• Angry with his brother = liable to judgement
• Insults his brother = liable to the council
• Calls his brother fool = liable to the hell of fire (Gehenna)

His teaching is a correction of the Pharisees, in that they allowed anger to be resident in the faithful adherent, teaching that physical murder is where sin is found. Anger seemed to be allowed, but not under the Lordship of Christ.

A bit of a sidebar. Note that the Lord speaks of anger in relation to a brother. This is critical, for we know that the overarching message to the follower of Christ is to love the brethren, to care for them, to carry their burdens if called upon.

Yet there is a place for anger in the believers life. I fear I may be going down a bit of a rabbit trail mentioning this, but I do want to make clear that Jesus is addressing interpersonal relationships within the body of people we eventually call the church. There are situations where anger is called for, but this post is not addressing that topic. Maybe another day!

Let us move on to the reason for considering this passage. What is the outcome of anger being resident in the believers life, the one who is following the Savior?

It is not good!

According to Jesus, being angry with a brother is equal in judgement to that of physical murder! The first mention of anger Jesus addresses is equal to the sin of murder, and the worst judgement the Pharisees spoke of. Both murder and anger with a brother are described as being “liable to judgement”.

Jesus continues His teaching that a believers act of insulting a brother would result in being liable to the council. I don’t understand this to be yanked in front of the Sanhedrin, other than Jesus saying it to provide context. This judgement may be before a council that had not been convened as yet, or that was convened, but without physical location. It may be the very council of God, setting judgement for the believer in his life.

Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

A careless word certainly would include insulting a brother! To give account speaks of our defense, but we know we have no real defense before the holy and righteous God, sitting on the throne. Our only defense is the Lamb of God, slain for our sins. Yet we must remember that our actions have consequences, even as we live in the abundant forgiveness of the Lord.

For the last phrase, Jesus mentions Gehenna fire. As you know if you have been following Considering the Bible, I am not convinced this reference is to what is commonly thought of as hell, or the lake of fire. For those who may be interested in my current thoughts, I would direct you to Perishing in Eternal Torment. I readily admit that I am unsure of the exact fate of the lost, other than it will not (at least immediately) be with the Living Savior.

No matter, for as the Lord speaks of Gehenna, He communicates clearly that any believer who degrades a brother, calling him a fool, is liable for the fires of gehenna.

Ok, we should make every effort to understand what the people Jesus was teaching would associate with when He uses this word. Did they have, as a general teaching in their culture and religion, a concept of Dante’s inferno, with pitchforks, darkness, fire, demons, eternal suffering and torture already in their consciences? Was that a common thought in the first century?

I would suggest that Jesus’ audience more likely associated the term Gehenna with a garbage dump on the east side of the City of Jerusalem. A waste pit, the repository of the garbage generated by the city, constantly being consumed by the fires that were continually burning.

A very vivid picture for Jesus to refer to.

As a believer, if we are angry with our brother, we are liable (destined?) for the waste pit. A stark message from the Savior, that anger has no place in the believer’s life, and that if anger is resident in the believers life, it escalates and consumes the believer until he has wasted his life, destined for a waste pit.

Would Jesus’ audience have understood the Savior as such? Should we?

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Proverbs 21:16 One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead.

As we read the proverbs, we have to remember that they describe general truths of life. A good example may be found in Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Many parents, when their child seems to wander from the faith, run to this verse and find some comfort. Two thoughts give me pause though.

Proverbs 22:6 does not speak of faith but of lifestyle. Yes I know those two things can be synonymous, but not necessarily so. The second thing to notice is that Solomon does not instruct us with what we want him to say, such as my mashed up verse 6.

Train up a child in the way he should go; and though he departs from the faith for a season, never going to church, or even praying, I promise he will return to the very denomination he left when he gets older.

See the difference? Solomon speaks of the child never departing. We think he is telling us the child will return.

My point is that the proverbs should be read carefully, and we should not try to extract an absolute truth from a proverb. They are general truths. Solomon speaks of the child not departing if he/she has been trained properly, but we all know godly families who have a son or daughter who has rebelled and walked away.

The proverbs provide general truths.

Now, back to our topic verse, and to consider what Solomon is trying to generally tell us. I think there are two items worthy to consider in this verse.

1. – TO WANDER

First off, consider that the one spoken of here is “wandering from the way of good sense”, or “strays from common sense” (NLT).

The Hebrew verb תָּעָה tâʻâh, is typically translated “wander” in this verse. The one passage I found above, translating it as “stray” is rare. To wander or to stray, speaks of an undisciplined life, a life that may not have a goal in sight, or that the life goal has been lost, ignored, or even forgotten.

When the topic of wandering comes to mind, I always think of my days trapping beaver and muskrat with Reynald in northern Canada. He definitely had a goal as we trudged through that field to the beaver dam, but I seemed to wander! If interested, check out Let Me Tell You a Story – Plowing

To wander implies no goal, or a forgotten goal. Might Peter be speaking to the same topic?

2 Peter 1:9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2 – TO WANDER FROM

Yes I know my first point included wandering, but let me explain.

This soul who is wandering in Solomon’s mind is wandering from something. Solomon is not stating that this soul is one who is currently in the assembly of the dead, but that he has his origin in the “way of good sense”. He wanders, not from a neutral position, or even from within an immoral, sinful position, but from the way of good sense.

Does this verse speak directly of the absolute truth of the conditional security for the Christian believer? No. I don’t think so. It is a general truth. A truth that may apply to one who wanders.

As we have looked at passages in the Conditional Security series, it has become evident (at least to me) that walking away from God is a common thread in the Word, that there is danger in sliding away, and that we need to pay attention, not wander, from the Savior and His will for our lives.

Paul warns the early church of an apostacy from sound teaching, and this counsel is appropriate for us in the modern church.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
2 Timothy 4:4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Teachers in the church are not immune to this wandering, sometimes swerving from the truth and into vanities.

1 Timothy 1:6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,
1 Timothy 1:7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Finally, though speaking specifically of widows, the truth is still presented, that after some wandering from, there is the next step of straying after.

1 Timothy 5:15 For some have already strayed after Satan.

My friend, there is only One Savior and He is the way, the good path. Let us not be the one who “wanders from the way of good sense”.

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Ezekiel 33:12 “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins.
Ezekiel 33:13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die.
Ezekiel 33:14 Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right,
Ezekiel 33:15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

Last week we spent a short time in Ezekiel 18:24, where Ezekiel is addressing the people of God during the captivity regarding personal responsibility. A difficult teaching for ever since the fall, us humans have been very apt to shift the blame of our own decisions onto someone else.

Consider our original parents.

Adam blames God for the actions he took in eating the fruit of the tree.

Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Eve blamed the serpent for her decision.

Genesis 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

It is a favored method of avoiding our responsibility, and as I have recognized in my own life, an automatic response, a response that I need no training in, nor any guidance in. It is a natural response, a common response, a routine response, yet it draws us away from a faithful life before God.

For the people of Ezekiel’s day, in this passage, it may seem to have a similar truth as in chapter 18. A good man slips into sin. A sinner repents and turns to God.

I am not so sure that it is as simple as that.

Consider a verse immediately prior to our passage.

Ezekiel 33:10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’

Can you hear the fatalism, the determinism that the children of Israel is expressing to the Lord? There is no hope to do right Lord because of the sin laid on us. It is hopeless, and our condition will not allow us to live a righteous life.

God turns back and tells them He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Think about that. If He could provide an out for the wicked, would He not do that. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked! But the problem lies in the attitude of the people in saying they are helpless, that their condition is their fate. Is there a hint that they may be blaming God for the state they are in? In my mind, this sounds very similar to those who claim that they were not chosen by God, and therefore are not able to trust in God.

Nevertheless, Ezekiel provides two situations.

Sinner turns

One known as a sinner, who is characterized by his sin, that has history of rebellion, and a past of disobedience, one who is under the judgement of God and has no hope, if he turns from his sin, restores that which he unjustly took, and walks properly before the Lord – He shall live.

His active obedience to the known will of God will provide life to him. He shall not die. He shall live

For a sinner in Ezekiel’s day to turn toward from God was to have the debt of his many years of wrong living thrown away.

Saint Turns

One known as a saint, who is characterized by his obedience, that has a history of doing right, and a past of righteousness, one who is under the blessing of God and has great hope, if he turns from his God, trusts in his righteousness and walks away from the Lord – He shall die.

His active disobedience to the known will of God will provide death to him. He shall not live. He shall die.

For a saint in Ezekiel’s day to turn away from God was to throw the benefit of his many years of right living away.

Past performance does not dictate current conditions!

Notice that Ezekiel is very strong in defining the responsible party in each of these situations. God reacts to the life decisions of each of Ezekiel’s audience.

If they hate God – that is they turn from Him – forget about their history – God lets them and they die. (Sounds somewhat like the truth of Romans 1!)

If they love God – that is they turn to Him – forget about their history – God accepts them and they live. (Sounds somewhat like the truth of Romans 3!)

In his message to saint or sinner, Ezekiel is trying to wake up the nation to a fatalistic belief, slapping them in the face with personal responsibility, and not allowing them to blame shift their condition onto anyone else, especially on to God.

You know, when I read a passage like this, I can hear my pretty wife talking, saying that what is past is past, and all we can do is look to the future. look to do the right thing today, and to throw the past in the back seat of life.

I like that girl. She speaks a good life lesson, for our past is sometimes an anchor we simply cannot bear! We have been given the blessing of one more day, and we have opportunity to do right and to love God.

Simple!

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Ezekiel 18:24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

When reading Ezekiel in my former thoughts, I would conveniently skip over chapter 18, and 33.

For this post, let’s not skip the message Ezekiel delivered to the nation of Israel in chapter 18. It is a difficult passage, and will sting as it did I when I eventually allowed it to get through to my contractual heart!

I say contractual heart, for as I have mentioned of my previous thoughts on this topic of eternal security, I considered my initial faith to be the signing of a contract with the Lord that was unassailable, that the contract could not be deemed null and void, that all decisions and heart thoughts I entered into and acted upon had no bearing on my relationship with the Living God.

I had a contract!

Since those days of old, I have come to a considered opinion, an opinion some near and dear friends consider a wrong position, but that as I read the Word, seems to be the consistent witness of the Word.

One of the many passages that cracked open the possibility of my error in thinking was the passage we are looking at today.

Ezekiel is in the middle of a generation of Israeli’s that are under the judgment of God, with deportation and captivity from the land being experienced by the nation. Of course, as we know of human nature, we should expect complaints and blame-shifting by those who are in trials. This generation does not disapoint.

Those with Ezekiel in Babylon are speaking a proverb about sour grapes, and that their circumstances aren’t fair, that their fathers sinned and they are being punished for their father’s sin.

Ezekiel provides the nation a lesson on personal responsibility.

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

He goes through a recounting of a man and his son’s life choices.

Ezekiel 18:5-9 Speaks of a faithful man and that he shall live.

Ezekiel 18:9 walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully–he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord GOD.

This faithful man’s son decides to sin. Ezekiel 18:10 – 13

Ezekiel 18:13 ….shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

This violent man fathers a son, and walks the faithful life.

Ezekiel 18:17 withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live.

So Ezekiel lays it out before the people of Israel, that each generation has a choice to walk properly, and will be judged on their own lives. Life and death is dependent on their life time decisions.

• Faithful = life
• Sinful = death

The summary of the story – the soul who sins shall die

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Verse 24 fleshes this truth out, for Ezekiel speaks of the righteous man who turns away from righteousness, in his treachery he shall die. His past righteousness shall not be remembered!

Ezekiel 18:24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

In explaining this truth to the people of God, Ezekiel asks a rhetorical question.

If a righteous person turns away, shall he live?

Of course the people of God argued against this teaching, even saying that the Lord is not just in His ways.

Incredible how history repeats itself, and that those who struggle with this general teaching will claim that God is unjust.

No matter your opinion on this topic, Ezekiel’s words are as pertinent to us as to the men and women during the captivity. The people who know God are to have a new spirit and a new heart. Our ways are to reflect the faith we espouse – continuously.

Ezekiel 18:30-32 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”

My friend, seek God and do as He directs. Be faithful unto God in all that you know, and His Spirit will be with you.

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Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Consider the first verse. Why are the subjects of the verse blessed? What is the result of this blessing?

When I first read this passage, I automatically though John was simply stating a past fact – that those who had washed their robes – they would have the right to the tree of life. I washed my robes in 1981 – I’m good. Let’s move on!

Yet as I started looking at the passage, I started to consider that the verb was in the present tense. That is to say, it is a continual action. Now I am not a greek scholar, nor even a student of the language. I rely heavily on those who went before, and I am fully open to any for correction. With that said, I will provide what I have found regarding this verb.

As I have found, the verb πλύνω plýnō, – wash in our verse – describes a plunging, or of a flow, a laundering of sorts. The parsing, as shown in the graphic speaks of the possibilty of the verb to be a past action. If this is the correct understanding of this passage, it would definitely support my previous thought.

But in reviewing numerous english translations, non of the translations available translate it as “Blessed are those who have washed…”

Some are so bold to interpret this first phase as

• Blessed are those who do His commandments… NKJV
• Happy are those doing His commands… YLT
• Blessed are they that do his commandments… WEB

I fear that my original understanding, though somewhat comforting, did not provide me the surety of my condition. Surety of my right to the tree of Life, our Savior, is to be found in following Him, washing our robes as they get soiled from our living on this earth.

Got clean robes?

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Exodus 32:31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.
Exodus 32:32 But now, if you will forgive their sin–but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”
Exodus 32:33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.

Moses has a problem. The newly formed nation, whom God has delivered out of Egypt by His mighty hand has a problem. After receiving the covenant and confirming the covenant, obligating themselves to obey the covenant delivered to them by Moses, decided to fall back to the old ways of idolatry.

Exodus 32 is the story of the golden calf and of Israel’s deliverer interacting with God Almighty on the mount, while the people, are running roughshod over the very agreement they made with God.

Consider

Exodus 32:7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
Exodus 32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”

God is about to wipe the nation off the face of the earth, and speaking of replacing the nation!

Exodus 32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

Moses went down the mountain, saw what God was referring to and was furious.

Exodus 32:19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Moses laid it out on the line for the nation. They had sinned a sin, a great sin.

Exodus 32:30 ESV – The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

Even after undertaking such a great sin, Moses offered the hope of atonement. The hope of continuing with the Lord as a nation. Moses provided an option for the Lord, a chance for the Lord to simply take Moses and punish him instead of the entire nation. This is Moses acting like Jesus, a tremendous exercise of the love of God being offered for the rebellious people of God by Moses the mediator.

This passage speaks the truth – the one who sins will bear responsibility – he will be blotted out of God’s book. Now it bears to reason that to be blotted out of God’s book means the person was in God’s book in the first place.

It is easy, coming from my position to assume that to be in God’s book is equal to being saved, and to be removed from the book is to loose salvation. It would be easy to make the equivalent, but I think it wise to be careful, since we are speaking of a national existence and individual sinners within the nation that will have judgement fall on them.

The very next verse helps us understand the extent of the judgement, and our topic verses are directly linked to the reason for the death entering the camp.

Exodus 32:25 Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.

People died because of sin. This is the point, even for the rescued people of God. It is obvious the people of God fell under judgement, and death resulted. How we as New Testament believers are to understand this passage is worthy of pause and consideration.

Are we to consider it only a physical death that may result as in 1 Corinthians,

1 Corinthians 11:30, 32 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Or are we to understand that, just as the people who fell in Exodus, the New Testament people of God can also loose spiritual privileges, even life with God by wanton, great sin?

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Revelation 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation. What a book. If you understand it, you don’t. Every time I try to enter it’s mysteries, I come out of it with more questions. Yet every time I enter it, I also come out of it knowing one single truth.

Jesus wins in the end.

How we get there is up to Him, and by His grace I’m gonna hang on, but He wins in the end, and that is a great comfort to us.

For the passage above, let’s consider the context of the verse. The portion of Revelation this verse is found in has John describing the new Jerusalem, after experiencing the New Heaven and the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-8).

Verse 8 end the first passage on a very sour note.

Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

A disturbing verse for what it says and what it does not say. Nowhere in that passage does John speak of those in the lake of death as being faithless. Not once are those who are suffering related to how they believed or did not believe in Jesus. It is an assumption I always made, and other passages surely connect our faith with our destiny, but for this verse, that connection is absent. Interesting – disturbing but also intriguing!

On to our passage in Revelation 21:9-27. A bulk of the passage describes the “physical” appearance of the holy city of Jerusalem. Verses 11 through 21 speak of the walls and the gates, which is worthy of comment, but we need to focus on the topic Carl!

Verse 22- 26 speaks of no temple, as expected, but that

22 ….its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.

He is all in all!

Verse 23 – 26 speaks of the needs of the city – there is none, and

25 …its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.

Amazing – No restriction to the city. It’s gates will never be shut by day, yet there is no night. The gates will always be open!

What is entering the City? The glory and honor of the nations. Now that alone bears to ask a multitude of questions, but I digress again! I gotta get to the point.

How about we read verse 27 in full once more.

Revelation 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it (the City), nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who have asked Jesus into their heart, trusting Him at some point in the past to secure an unalterable contract between God and them, without concern for life decisions since.

Ok I stretched the point out only to ensure you didn’t go from this blog thinking something wrong.

The verse speaks of equating those written in the Lambs book of Life as those who are not unclean, nor doing what is detestable or false.

These descriptions have nothing to do with our very real heart feelings, but as to actual actions in our lives. If we are to be truthful with ourselves, we should not feel saved if we are living unsaved.

As men and women on this earth, we have a tremendous capacity to deceive ourselves. Check your life. Be honest with yourself.

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Hebrews 4:11 ESV – Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

I was chatting with a friend recently, a brother I have know for over a decade, a brother that used to enter into some Bible discussions with me at a previous employer.

Nothing to extended, for we were not being paid to discuss the location of the New Jerusalem, or to relieve the tension between Calvinism and Arminianism, but when my brother would come in my office with a question, we would consider what the Word says, discuss a few moments and let it ruminate. It was a good environment to work in, I learned bunches, and the people were great.

But that was over a decade ago, and my brother and I parted ways due to different choices for our careers. But lately he has taken the opportunity to reach out, and we had broke bread together just a few days ago. In the midst of the lunch, I let slip that I have a blog, and he has been reading.

Out of that reading, our recent chat revolved around the topic of conditional security and the once saved always saved teachings. During the discussion, I referred to a passage in Hebrews on this topic, (of which there are numerous passages addressing this topic), and the topic of striving came up.

What is it to strive? The apostle exhorts us to strive to enter rest, which is a paradox in my mind, but let us not get too distracted. (Besides the verse has been considered in Paradoxical Passages – Hebrews 4:11)

So – to strive, to persevere, to be diligent or to endeavor to do. The Greek word is σπουδάζω spoudázō, and it simply means to exert yourself, to give diligence, even to hasten or to make haste. Note that there is the idea of effort (exerting, laboring) and the component of time (hasten, make haste) in this word.

Do not both these ideas of exerting and hastening rest within the very same character of one “striving” I have yet to meet someone striving that is not giving it all he or she has. Not a partial effort, but with the strength provided, pushing forward. I have also never met someone who striving that is not striving now. He or she isn’t planning on striving in 2 years. How foolish of an idea that is. To strive is to be active now.

Strive to enter that rest, the sabbath rest. Yes this rest the apostle speaks of is a sabbath rest provided for the believer

Hebrews 4:9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,

So if we don’t strive to enter that sabbath rest, what might the outcome be? Let’s read Hebrews 4:11 one more time.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

So let me get this straight. The apostle is writing to believers, and providing instruction – that is to strive to enter a rest – so that no one, no believer, may fall. Does that not imply that believers may fall?

Are you still depending on your own works in some way to add to your salvation? Do you consider your efforts to add (or subtract) from the finished work of Christ on the cross, His complete salvation?

Enter the rest He has provided, not only in your initial decision to lay it before Him and follow, but in your daily walk with Him. There is a rest for the people of God.

Are you walking in it, even today? He is good, and His rest is beyond our own doing!

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1 Timothy 4:16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

In Paul’s closing days, he wrote to Timothy, his child in the faith, reminding him that he needed to persist.

Persist. Other translations use “persevere”, or “continue”. As you may know, I use the Blue Letter Bible web site for much of my research and they provide a parsing option of the Greek words used in the Word. Notice that to persevere is in the present tense – an action Paul expected to be occurring in the present, and was second person, to be applied to the reader. Paul isn’t speaking of Timothy persevering in the faith in order for others to become Christians. He was giving this command to Timothy for his own salvation

Now I provide this information as overkill, for the English also provides the same message. Timothy was to persevere in the faith for his own life, and for the teaching he provided.

Both arenas of effort were included. How often have you seen a Bible teacher dig into the Word, bring out doctrinal truth, and yet the witness is sullied due to his own life being shipwrecked with unfaithfulness and sin.

But Carl, is not Paul referring to sanctification before God in this passage? Does Paul not go on to say that this lack of perseverance will damage his sanctification before God.

Is that what he says? Let’s read that portion of verse 16 once more.

…by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Heck, let’s go back to the BLB and it’s parsing chart.

The word Paul uses is σώζω sṓzō, and I cannot find it translated as sanctification in my studies. It refers to preserving from danger, or to deliver from destruction, to rescue, or to keep safe and sound. The New Testament concept of sanctification comes from the Greek word ἅγιος hágios, and speaks of holiness, consecration or separateness from evil. Two different concepts, though linked, in the eternal life we are blessed to experience.

Notice that with this verb, it is future tense. Paul is speaking of salvation in the future for both his own life and those of the congregation. He and his current congregation will ensure their salvation by persevering in previous activities Paul lined out for Timothy.

…save both yourself and your hearers.

Paul taught this to a believer, a leader in the church!

If OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved) is correct, this makes no sense!

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Matthew 10:21-22 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,
and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

If I had my head on straight, I should have addressed this passage prior to my latest post in this series, Conditional Security – Matthew 10:42

The previous post spoke of how Jesus was warning His apostles of the dangers of being a believer, and of how they would recognize true believers as they went about the tribes of Israel, preaching of the Messiah.

The passage above was referred to in order to make the point that families may be split down the middle in relation to who Jesus is, and that rightness with God is not simply due to some physical bloodline, but association and relationship with Jesus and His men.

The purpose of this post is to focus on the last phrase of the provided verses.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Endurance. The verb speaks of “staying under”, or “remaining behind” To endure is the English translation of the Hebrew ὑπομένω hupŏmĕnō. In our journeys through the Bible, we have broached this word a number of times. If interested, check out the following posts.

• Patience – Associated with Suffering
• Love Like Jesus – Patience
• Love Like Jesus – Two Much Patience?
• Love Like Jesus – Enduring all Things

Suffice it to say, this concept pops up in the Scripture many times. In the context of our passage this morning, Jesus is telling us that to be saved we need to “stay under”, or “remain behind”, to not cut and run when the times are difficult.

But there is a finer point on His message I believe, for in the very next verse He instructs His disciples to flee, to cut and run, to not remain in the town if persecution comes.

Matthew 10:23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

So what is this endurance thing all about? Surely the Lord is not speaking of staying in a local area simply to be stubborn. He wants His people to be mobile, agile and able to move, able to escape persecution.

So if it isn’t the willingness to remain in a specific location no matter what happens, no matter what the local population wants to do to you, what might He be instructing He people to endure?

Consider verse 21. I think it gives some guidance.

• Brother will deliver brother over to death
• Father deliver his his child over to death
• Children will rise against parents and have them put to death

This is the dissolution of society, at least in the disciples world. The very building blocks of social order are the family unit. Jesus isn’t speaking of some stranger in some far off town persecuting the believer, and staying around to take it. No – it is the closest of family that is out to get them.

This endurance is relational, an endurance to stay committed to the ways of Christ, even amongst the closest of family. In the midst of resistance within your family, when those closest to you may betray you, may deny you, may bring authorities to your doorstep, will you endure, will you stay under for the sake of the name of the Lord?

To endure to the end will result in salvation.

Jesus is the great example, for His own family rejected Him, His closest friends denied Him, one who He broke bread with betrayed Him.

Look to Him to consider how He endured. No lashing out, no condemning or vengence spoken of. When an “enemy” lost an ear, He healed it. When they spit and mocked Him, He endured.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance (hupŏmĕnō) the race that is set before us,

Truly amazing. He is truly amazing. And we have been called to the same endurance. The same endurance, but note – without Him, we will not succeed.

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Matthew 10:42

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Jesus is sending out his disciples into the nation to preach the gospel, to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The disciples were given clear instructions, especially how to treat those who received them or rejected them

Matthew 10:13 -14 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.

In discussing those who would not receive the disciples, Jesus spoke of Sodom and Gomorrah as a preferred place to be.

Matthew 10:15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Jesus continues the discourse, referring to the persecution of disciples that would occur, even within the household of their family.

Matthew 10:21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,

He encourages his men to reject fear, speaking of not only physical death, but spiritual death.

Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Just prior to our topic verse, Jesus speaks of bringing a sword of division, for households will be split apart due to the good news, and how people receive or reject the person of Christ.

Matthew 10:36-37 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

As we have ventured through the 10th chapter of Matthew, it seems the message was centered on the reception of the apostles, and the results of either receiving or rejecting them, of how households would respond to the message of Jesus being the Messiah.

If this is true, then for one in a household to provide cold water to a “little one”, that disciple will by no means loose his reward. 

But what may I ask is the reward?

This passage is often spoken in reference to assisting other brothers and sisters in ministry, or even of simple charitable acts given to others as having an some added benefit to the giver, when they enter heaven. This may be a great application, and may be supported by many other verses in the Word, but is not the context of the entire 10th chapter of Matthew that of life and death?

By giving cold water to a disciple, especially in the midst of a household that is split down the middle concerning who Jesus is, would mark that person out as a disciple. This act would identify the person as one who believes in Jesus.

By giving cold water to one of the apostles, (little ones, as in spiritual stature, humble men) they would be associating or joining with those entering into the kingdom that was at hand.

So i ask my reader – might the reward be spiritual life itself?

Another way of considering this passage is to ask – Is Jesus speaking of folks having an option to “loose a reward” and yet maintain spiritual life?

Or is He speaking of how the disciples would recognize those who are entering the kingdom of God?

I think there are two different ways to consider this passage.

First, life in the kingdom is proven by acts of service to others in the kingdom. The apostles would know when to “shake the dust off” or to let their peace remain.

The second was of considering this passage would be that acts of service to those in the kingdom are independent of the offeror being a kingdom citizen. In my feeble mind that equates to life decisions being independent of a salvation reality. If acts of service are independent of salvation, then we might identify these acts of service as rewards instead of proof of life. If this scenario is true, a possible outcome may be seen in the soul who “got saved” 40 years ago but has not followed/obeyed Christ.  He has been taught he is eternally secure, yet may have no proof of life.

Does that make sense?

My friend, I propose this passage in Matthew 10 speaks of the identification of a true believer, one who serves at the risk of being ostracized by his own household and family. At the time of giving cold water, the disciples could know they were in the midst of a fellow disciple.

No dust to be shook off, and peace to be shared with all.

It is good to be in the family of God.

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Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–
Galatians 1:7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Paul is shocked. He is awestruck. The saints who cared for him, and had accepted him in their homes, willingly giving their time and talent due to the good news of Jesus that he brought them, were walking away from Jesus.

Walking away from the One who had called them into the grace of Christ.

Now it goes without saying that the passage speaks of God doing the calling, and not Paul himself, for their desertion may be from Paul’s gospel, but that meant the desertion was from the subject of Paul’s gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ also.

This desertion, or walking away may be defined as a removal, or a translation from one spot to another, a change. Paul is claiming these believers were in the process of being removed from the grace of Christ. But note that this isn’t due to persecution or to apathy, but by some person in the church who sought to trouble them (vs 7). It is by the teaching of these troublemakers that the believers are choosing to desert the One who called them to His side.

This is a decision these believers were making, a decision to reject the message provided by the gospel preacher and apostle, choosing to listen to those who speak contrary to the truth. True, they were being tempted with “new” teachings, but to start to succumb to the enticement of the message so quickly? How could this be?

In all of this, do they not hear the truth Paul spoke to them? Is their memory that faulty? Do they not have the privilege of remembering Paul’s passion, his love, his message of a crucified Savior, of a life of faith and not of works, providing them approach freely before a holy God?

For us today, we have multitudinous teachers in the “church”, troubling us with destructive doctrines, tempting us with worldly teaching, depending on personal experiences that cannot be verified, or teachings of religions that depend on the wisdom of man. My brother or sister, cling to the Word of God and it’s message, cling to the guiding Spirit of God and cling to the quiet Voice that guides true believers.

Having heard the truth does not allow us to venture off looking for different truths. Danger! Danger! The truth is a Person, the Lord Jesus. Religions will use Him for their purpose, but beware of those who do not walk as He did.

Remember that He stepped down in order to lift you up. He died in order that we may live. His people are to mimic this life of self denial for the sake of others. Any teacher that elevates himself over you, demands something from you, or departs from the Word of God is to be avoided like a plague.

Why allow yourself to be tempted to desert the One who loves you? Don’t walk away from Him!

It makes no sense! It is quite simply “Shocking”.

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Ephesians 5:3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
Ephesians 5:4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Ephesians 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Paul provides us a tough passage here, and his motivation appears to be the correction of a slackness in the people of God, for he comes out of the gate speaking of certain sins as not even to be named among the them. Those who are in the body should never hear whispers of this type of activity. Heaven forbid that the lost hear!

But alas, in todays church, it seems to be commonplace that the world hears of every dirty little secret the church has, and it seems the church, like the Corinthian church of old, revells in their “freedoms” But enough of my whining, and back to the passage.

So when Paul speaks of something not even being named amongst them, is Paul simply lamenting the churches ability to keep things under wraps amongst themselves, that secret sins should be not spoken of? Hardly think so. He is providing a warning to those who claim to follow the Savior.

The key verse within the passage for the sake of our topic is Paul’s reference to the inheritance in the kingdom of God. Two things needed to be considered.

1. Who is Paul talking to?

Is it fair to consider Paul’s warning to be applied to the believer’s in this church. Should we understand his warning to be towards those outside of the church? (Does that even make sense?)

2. What is the intended message of inheritance.

Lets read the verse once more

Ephesians 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

If he is talking to believers, (and I think that is obvious) when he speaks of having no inheritance, is he implying that they belong to the kingdom, but receive no benefits? A sort of still saved but no rewards scenario? Could that be his message?

Or might it be that having no inheritance in the kingdom, means there is no family connection, no legal standing with the kingdom, the citizenship is not existent?

This is deadly serious council from the apostle, for the specific sins Paul speaks of seems to be considered flippant in todays society, and in the church, many consider it to be a norm for many within the body.

No inheritance! This should make the heart of the believer shudder.

May we find peace in the Lord and strength to maintain purity in our lives, that judgement does not fall on the church

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Hebrews 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Let us “hold fast our confession”.

It is a common refrain within the book of Hebrews, for the author uses the phrase “holding fast” and “confession” in two other passages within the book.

Hebrews 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

That terminology may seem a bit archaic for us moderns, so I would like to break the phrase down for our consideration.

To “hold fast” is synonymous to retaining, or to keeping carefully. The transliteration of the Greek word is kratéō (G2904 in the Strong’s Dictionary).

Thayer’s dictionary adds the idea of it referring to becoming masterful of or to be powerful. The idea in using this term is to communicate that there is a battle, a resistance to maintaining this confession. It is not a neutral condition, for if it was, we would not be exhorted so often to persist, maintain, and persevere.

Is it not understood that our confession will be resisted against, our confession will find opposition, even a deadening. A “force” will seek to pull it from us, whether it be the world, the devil or our very own selves.

Ourselves? Why would we fight against our our confession? Is there not an assumption commonly taught that our confession, once publicly spoken, is a continual and everlasting, never changing truth?

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Let’s consider what the author is speaking of when he refers to a confession. The Greek term is homologia, and means “to say together” or to agree to the same thing with someone. It had legal connotations in the ancient world, and the context of this passages speaks of believers agreeing with God about who the Messiah is. Throughout the book of Hebrews, the author elevates Jesus above all. He is the Christ, the Messiah, God Almighty in human form.

The statement “Jesus is the Christ” is eternal. There is no challenge to this truth for there is no force capable of changing the declaration of God in the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. He is the living One. Yet that is not a confession. A confession takes two parties to agree to. God has made the statement “Jesus is the Christ” by raising Him from the grave.

But as the apostle writes to the Hebrews, he is writing to a group of believers who are under the gun, struggling with the world’s influence on them, with the devil’s temptation to return to mere religion, reducing the Lord Jesus to simply a good teacher, or a moral man that loved His enemies. He is writing to a people, not about an absolute truth statement, that is that Jesus is the Christ, but their confession of that truth in their own lives.

We know – or should I say, I know – that when an easier route to take is offered, when resistance may be reduced in the fight, the temptation is very real. If I do not keep my eyes on the crucified One, my confession will become historical. Something I entered into in the past. A confession that may not be current.

A historical confession, great as it may be, is no match for a living and vibrant confession on a day by day basis.

That is the message of this text. Yesterday’s confession was good yesterday. How is your confession today?

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Luke 3:8 ESV – Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
Luke 3:9 ESV – Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

First off, let’s all agree that Abraham was a great man of faith. A pillar of the Old Testament, and a hero to those who came after him. He is referred to in the Gospels 33 times, and in the remaining portions of the New Testament 40 times. He is a lynch pin in the Covenant of Promise and was the chosen man to provide seed for the nation of Israel, and the Messiah. His faith shone through the ages and he is called a friend of God. What a hero, an example and a saint!

John is telling those who look to Abraham as their father to quit. To stop depending on the physical lineage they claimed to have. Yes, Abraham may have some physical link with those John was speaking to, but that is of no import. Absolutely none, and this bloodline issue may actually become a snare, a point of diversion that entraps those who claim Abraham as father.

Of course having the blood of Abraham flowing through your veins is not necessarily a detriment to knowing God. Thankfully this connection can no longer be claimed. But this distraction of focus is typical of those who claim religion.

Abraham was a believer. Those who followed after him, some had faith, many did not. As a matter of fact, as we read through the Old Testament, it seems there were masses of people claiming rightness with God simply because of association with Abraham.

So Carl, your point is understood, but this passage is evangelistic, of John speaking a rebuke to the crowds who were being baptized. He spoke of them as vipers in the previous verse, and now he is demanding fruits (actions) in keeping with their repentance (changed mind).

Agreed. But His emphasis in verse 8 is on the (continuing) production of fruits based on their decision to repent and receive baptism. They have “repented” and they have been “baptized”, but now they have a life of fruits to produce.

So as I read this passage, I see personal application to those who are present at this time, to those who have entered into some covenant with the Master, though they may not understand all the ramifications.

Well, I think John makes one of the ramifications fairly clear. Make sure you don’t convince yourself of another Master. Note His clear statement.

And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’

This group facing Jesus were told to not to start to depend on Abraham. By application, we can extend this warning to all that may be tempted to see as their master the Lord’s apostles, Augustine, any pope, Buddha, Muhammad, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, or any other religious figure that appears.

As believers, they (and us) had entered into another relationship that was far greater, much stronger and so much better than what Abraham (or these teachers) could provide. Yet John knew His audience, and seemingly He knows our hearts. So He makes it clear.

Bear fruit my friends. Bear fruit or die!

Is that too blunt? Should I have said that? Is that a bit much?Am I exaggerating His message simply to make a point for my topic?

My friends, He goes on to continue the picture of fruit bearing with an illustration of an axe at the base of trees. No fruit – no life. No fruit – into the fire. How did the audience understand that. Did they explain it away thinking this was some eschatological or theological teaching those two thousand years later would understand? Did they walk away thinking the message was for someone else?

We must remember He is speaking to a religious community, a religious community that had God’s written message, and claimed they personally had a physical link to a major player in the Word. He is shaking them up with some harsh truth.

Do we also need harsh truth to understand the grace of God?

My friends, seek to produce fruit in your lives.

Love your neighbor, love your enemy, love those who can’t love you back. Exercise patience while we wait, show humility to those who are proud, have a peaceful presence in the midst of turmoil, live a joyful life while others worry, sacrifice willingly for those who may be greedy. Show self control while everyone’s hair is on fire.

In other words, keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t look away from Jesus by looking to somewhere else, such as Abraham (or any other) as your father.

The fruit will dry up. And John is telling us that ain’t good. Not at all!

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1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

I have spent much of my life trying to grasp the intent of John in his first letter. Much of my early time in my faith walk centered on 1 John 5:13 as the purpose of the book.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

It seemed to my understanding John wrote it as a treatise for believers, to provide assurance of salvation based on an initial belief. He says it right in the verse! How could I deny John’s message?

Of course I read this passage over and over again with my Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS) glasses on, reinforcing my understanding of salvation being no more than a binding contract with God upon my initial faith. My eternal salvation hung on that night of Feb 19, 1981, when I bent the knee and confessed my sin, repented of my ways, and trusted in the Lord. After that night, my salvation was eternally secured, and praise God, He is faithful in every instance of my walk. He has been so good to me and my family, and provided all that we need and much of what we wish for. But I digress.

As I read this book of 1 John, I settled on a few of the favorite verses, such as 5:13, and of course 1:9, the great escape clause in the start of the book – you know, where we can get forgiveness by confession. I really liked that verse!

That was then and this is now.

As you may know, my opinion on the book has been tweaked, as I sought to understand the book through a series of posts a year or so back. For some background to my travels through this book I would refer my reader to 1 John – Testing to Know – Introduction.

Suffice to say, my general sense of the book is that John provides self tests for believers to check themselves out on as they walk with Jesus. John provides a number of tests – I think I found 12 within the book – to help believers understand that the Christian life is a provable, testable reality we can and should test and recognize within our lives.

Our verse above is the heart of such a test. I will refer to this short passage supplied, since it hits the point hard. Hate your brother – You ain’t got life. Now of course we all fall into sin, loosing our love for others as we seek our own ways, but this verse speaks of hatred as a verb, indicating an action performed by the subject, with the verb in its present tense, meaning it is a continuous action.

The verse prior speaks of those who do not love the brothers (believers) abiding in death. To abide, or remain in death. To choose to stay in the realm of death.

Love and hate are action words (verbs) that are being contrasted in this passage, and John is telling us the source of these decisions. If I hate, I am like a murderer, and abide in the realm of death. If I love, I have passed out of death, and abide in Him, having eternal life.

A believer who constantly, consistently and continually hates on a brother is living in a self deception that may one day be irrevocable. The hatred will be set in a stony heart, reigning over the life of the hater, a slave to the decision to hate. When this occurs is between God and the believer, and I am confident God provides abundant warnings (as John provides one here) to pull the believer back to life. It is the love of God continually inviting us back!

Is it not only right to love our brother and sister, to forgive those who may have hurt us, to mimic the Savior who forgave us our own sin?

Hatred is a choice my brother, and as we harbor this hatred, we may find it overpowers us, deadening our souls and forcing an abandonment of a faith that produces good things in our life. Good things such as….

1. love
2. joy
3. peace
4. patience
5. kindness
6. goodness
7. faithfulness
8. gentleness
9. self-control

I have recently been in the book of Galatians, and as I was listening to the Message translation, I came across the same passage, yet with a non-standard list, it provoked me to reconsider the list of fruit for my own life. Consider.

1. affection for others
2. exuberance about life
3. serenity
4. a willingness to stick with things
5. a sense of compassion in the heart
6. a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people
7. involved in loyal commitments
8. not needing to force our way in life
9. able to marshal and direct our energies wisely

We have a choice in our walk with God. To hate is to depart from God, for God is love. and to hate is to be of the devil. May we seek to love those we come in contact with, those who are a blessing, and to those who are not.

It is for us to enjoy the life of love, abandoning the act of hatred, along with the death associated with it.

May God teach us of His ways.

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Revelation 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Two topics arise in this short passage regarding conditional security. The messages in verse 4 of abandoning the love, and in verse 5 of removing your lampstand need to be considered.

Left

To leave is not to apostatize, as I expected, but is the Greek term aphiemi, which has the meaning of to leave, leave alone, forsake or neglect.

The Ephesian church had left their first love behind, they had departed from that first love and yet continued to exhibit all the ear marks of a very orthodox, “healthy” church.

We don’t read of this church actively leaving that first love, or in the process of leaving that first love. They have left it (past tense), departed from their first love and seemed to be existing quite fine in all appearance. As a matter of fact, some semblance of a church existed for centuries in Ephesus, for by the year 431 AD,  The Fourth Ecumenical Council was convened in Ephesus. It was at this council Mary was declared as the Mother of God Theotokos.

So in review, we have a church that was the center of great teaching through Paul, a sending church, a center for early theological debate and a very orthodox church, but by the time of this letter, around 69 AD, the church began living for truth and not for Christ. By the time of Constantine and the Roman nation accepting Christianity as the state approved religion, the church had continued to exist, yet it’s decay had become evident to all true believers and the lamp had been pulled.

Removing

Though the church had left their first love, the Lord did not immediately remove their lampstand. He petitioned the church body to repent, to change her mind about her priorities, to do the works she had first performed to exhibit their love.

But what is it for a church to have it’s lampstand removed? As mentioned above, the church had continued to physically exist up to the 5th century as a body representing God, recognized at least by the state. It was as influential as any church at the time, for the state convened a very important convention to determine a theological teaching.

So what is going on? Two options are allowable for the reader to consider.

1. The church had repented and was a vibrant living branch of the vine, a body fully alive to it’s Redeemer and Lord. No removal of the lampstand had been necessary and the church continued in a loving relationship with her Lord and the faithful.
2. The other option was that the church continued in its cold orthodox “letter of the law” only existence, and the removal of a lampstand was executed.

This last option, though difficult to accept, may be the correct outcome of the message. Let me explain.

The Lord has described the churches as lampstands.

Revelation 1:20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To be described as lampstands forces us to remember the purpose of a lampstand. Is it too much to consider the lampstands purpose was to shine a type of light, the gospel of Jesus. The light of the gospel in the cities referred to here emanated from the church body. No other source is provided. The life of Christ was to be flowing though these church bodies to the cities, just as oil was used to create light for it’s surroundings.

But let us not make the mistake that thinking a group of people congregating together and calling themselves Christians creates a lampstand. The lampstand is simply a vehicle for the oil to produce light. For a group of people to be a true lampstand, the correct oil is critical. For any “oil” other than the Spirit of God, to be the “fuel” for their light, would be a misuse of the lampstand, and represent the Lord incorrectly. For a church to depend on anyone or anything, other than God is to be condemned to having it’s life giving authority from God to be removed.

A very similar truth of the kingdom of God being removed, or taken away from a group of people may be found in Matthew 21:43.

Matthew 21:43 ESV – Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

As we know, the nation of Israel existed for 40 years after she crucified her Lord. In this instance the Lord gave the nation, and it’s inhabitants a full generation to repent prior to her destruction. Many individual Israelites followed the Master, yet as a nation, she rejected the truth and continued to persecute those who followed her Messiah. It did not end well for the nation.

Does this passage directly address a conditional security teaching as this series seeks to find out? In my opinion, the passage speaks of the death of a lampstand, of a body of believers, transitioning from a loving relationship with God, to a dead relationship with their truth.

Might some within the church have apostatized? Possibly, but this isn’t the intent of the passage. The judgement of removal is directed to the church body within the city, and not directly to an individual.

Let me know your thoughts.

Be blessed my friends and may the Lord continue to work in you to produce His good pleasure.

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1 Peter 4:17-18

17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

In our last posting on this passage in 1 Peter, we considered the context, the audience Peter is speaking to and some timing considerations. In this post, I would like to suggest an Old Testament passage that Peter may have in mind as he writes to us.

A Background for Peter?

During the Babylonian invasion, a prophet named Ezekiel gave us the following passage, and may provide some background to Peters thoughts in his warnings. We will pick up where God directs the commencement of judgement upon the city of Jerusalem, including the sanctuary.

Ezekiel 9:5-6
5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity.
6 Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house.

According to Ezekiel, judgement was to begin at the sanctuary, similar to Peter’s warning at his time of writing. The judgement was to be without pity, upon young and old, women and children. All the inhabitants of the city were considered worthy of judgement, even those in the sanctuary. Those who attended the sanctuary may suffer! Yet there is an exception. Those with a mark.

Ezekiel 9:3-4

3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist.
4 And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”

Prior to judgement falling on Jerusalem and the sanctuary, God ordered “the man clothed in linen” to put a mark on the foreheads of those who mourned over the sin of the nation. Those who mourned over the sin of the nation could easily be described as people who sought God, and eschewed sin. Those who were marked were deep in a culture that was full of “the ungodly and sinner”, and they were marked by their heart response to the culture they were in. Due to their faith, their heart of pain, they were saved from the judgement. The city would be ravaged, burned and tore down. Death was everywhere, blood flowing, bodies strewn, even in the sanctuary. A horrible tragedy, second only to the Roman invasion of Jerusalem.

Surely those who were marked must have felt they were scarcely saved from this total destruction of Jerusalem.

The marked were saved. The ungodly and the sinner were put to death.

Might Peter be considering this Old Testament passage to provide warning for the church prior to the Roman invasion coming in the late 60’s?  Many parrallels suggest that in my mind.

I would suggest it is also a warning for our own lives? Are we not in the midst of a decadent, sinful culture, within a population committing abominations, in a land that is covered with the blood of the unborn, full of injustice and crime?

What may seem even worse, is that whatever is left of the church is following after a vile culture. The church needs a cleansing, a time of mourning over all the abominations committed in it.

Please look to the Lord for mercy in our days, that we would mourn over the evil committed, even in the church.

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1 Peter 4:17-18

17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

The question that has to be grappled with is who is Peter talking of?

As a former adherent of OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved), I automatically considered those who do not obey the gospel of God as those who have never obeyed the gospel of God. That is, Peter is speaking of both those in the church (believers) and those outside of the church (unbelievers).

Context

Starting at verse 12, Peter begins his challenge to believers to not be surprised at the fiery trial that was to come upon them. He continues to speak to believers as they share in Christ’s sufferings (vs 13) and are insulted for the name of Christ (vs 14).

He connects suffering and insults with believers. A trial is coming and includes suffering and insults.

He proceeds to warn believers not to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer or a meddler (vs 15). How can Peter assume this is a possibility? Was not the church of purer stock than to have evil doers in it’s ranks? Were there meddlers in the group? Murderers? Is it not obvious that Christians are to mimic the Lord Jesus, and these actions are definitely not of the character of God.

Peter sums up the discussion on the general attitude of the believer who suffers as a believer, standing up for Christ. No shame. Glorify God.

Audience

Next comes our verses, where Peter does not indicate that he is going to talk of both believers and unbelievers. Remember, just a verse or two earlier, Peter described some of his audience as suffering as a murderer.

If Peter does not change the focus of his audience, when he speaks in verse 17, might he be referring to rebellious Christians when he speaks of “those who do not obey the gospel of God”? Might Peter be speaking of those who may have started out on the journey with the Lord, and for some reason decided no longer to believe?

Timing

There is also a consideration of timing implied in verse 17 of this passage. I have inserted my assumptions (italicized) in the passage to help explain how I often read this passage.

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us (household of God), what will be the outcome (after the household of God has suffered) for those who (outside of the household of God) do not obey the gospel of God.

I sometimes compartmentalize this verse into two time periods, one period for believers suffering during their lives on earth for the Messiah, and the second time period referring to the lost souls suffering after death in eternal fires.

Is this the intent of Peter? What might Peter be thinking when he provides us this passage. Join me in my next blog to consider a possible source of some of Peter’s thoughts

Until then, as the household of God, let us give thanks for His mercies, and seek to live unto His glory!

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Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

I have recently published a number of passages in the Conditional Security series (including here, here and here) that included the Greek term ἀδόκιμος adókimos. This term is often translated as disqualified, failed, failed to meet a test or, in our verse above “unfit”. Other translations use terms such as reprobate, worthless, and disapproved.

As I read this passage previously, I did not make such a connection. I had not associated these folk that Paul is warning Titus about as being believers, but of those who are of the circumcision, as verse 10 refers to.

Titus 1:10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.

But then I noticed note that Paul does not state only those of the circumcision, but especially those of the circumcision. And lets consider the wider context.

Paul’s discussion prior to referring to the circumcision is a description of elders, believers who supposedly had been previously tested to fill the position of an elder. Elders who may have taught the believers, or oversaw believers who taught in the church.

Whoever the folk are that are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, they are upsetting whole families (verse 11) with their teaching. Are these teachers unsaved folk, for they are described as subordinate, empty talkers and deceivers? Does not Paul command Titus to “rebuke them sharply”, in order to bring them into the faith?

Lets read that verse together

Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Ooops – that may be a slip on my part. Did Paul command Titus to bring them into the faith through rebuke?. No, it appears Paul is telling Titus to straighten them up, to bring them to a soundness in the faith! These folk seem to have a faith that exists, but not in a healthy manner.

Is the previous context of elders, those who watch over the church, teaching us that the subordinate, empty talking deceivers (verse 10) as those in the church? Believers who have enough experience to be teachers within the home churches of the area?

It seems Paul is wanting Titus (and the elders) to rebuke believers, those who are insubordinate, empty talking deceivers, who have slipped from the truth of the gospel. The rebuke is for believers who have turned away from the truth. Consider verse 14, and the influence of people who have turned away on these teachers.

Titus 1:14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.

These teachers, may be pursuing and propagating a teaching of the circumcision (some food laws possibly) are professing to know God, and yet their mind and conscience are defiled, they deny God, and are disqualified.

The more I read this passage and try to understand the intent of the apostle, I am coming away thinking this passage is speaking of believers who have been lured away from the simple gospel by false teachers, and are, or beginning to, walk away from the Messiah.

Most of this post has dwelt with Paul’s description of these teachers being disqualified. He also brings to the discussion the idea of denial. Let me remind my reader that to deny is to disavow, reject and refuse. It is commonly synonymous with renouncing something or someone, typically that had been accepted previously.

When Paul uses a term such as deny, I can’t help but think he is speaking of those who at one time did not deny the Messiah, but had accepted, believed and followed.

When Paul uses a term such as disqualified I can’t help but think he is speaking of those who at one time were not disqualified, but had entered the contest, joined the fight and found success, even victory.

Let me know your thoughts. Is Paul speaking of believers in this passage and directing Titus do bring them back to a soundness of faith?

I would appreciate your thoughts.

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James 4:4-10

4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Our initial verse comes out swinging! James is not gentle with his audience, for he has a stern warning for them and us.

First – A truth statement. Friendship with the world is hostility (or hatred) toward God. I realize the translation says enmity with God, but the Greek term ἔχθρα échthra can be translated as either enmity or hostility/hatred. For me, enmity is not as defined as hatred or hostility.

So the truth is there are two camps each one of us will belong to. The world, or God. Joining one camp produces a war like attitude regarding the other camp. Love God – Hate the world (but not the people!). Love the world – Hate God.

Now that is some harshness coming of the apostle James! But remember this is simply a statement of fact. It is the next phrase is should shake us, for he takes a truth statement, and applies it to believers. Believers!

If you wish to be a friend of the world, you are making yourself an enemy of God. Did you get the jab? If you wish to be a friend of the world. It is a matter of desire, or better yet, an act of the will to be a friend of the world, a decision to pursue their acceptance, friendship, community or “gang”.

You see, when James speaks of “wishes”, he uses the Greek term βούλομαι boúlomai. Per Thayer’s Lexicon, this word has a range of meaning, from “to will deliberately, have a purpose, be minded”, to the idea of “an affection, to desire”

With this understanding, could James be telling us the mere desire to be friends with the world is casting us into the camp of the enemy? It certainly appears so. In the following verses, James submits pleas for those who desire/want/seek friendship with the world. Remember our context, for in our first verse, James comes out swinging, calling the audience adulterous. He has set the stage, and provided a truth fact, made application and is now making a plea to return to God. In the next few verses, James is pleading these believers to:

• Submit yourselves therefore to God.
• Resist the devil
• Draw near to God
• Cleanse your hands
• Purify your hearts
• Be wretched
• Mourn
• Weep.
• Let your laughter be turned to mourning
• Let your your joy be turned to gloom.
• Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

All of these previous actions are to come from our desire to be friends with God, our will to be right with the Father. This list of actions of our will should not be surprising to the believer who has walked with the Lord for any time, for as we walk with Him, we do get pulled away, we tend to wander, we get distracted and lured into alternate allegiances.

In the midst of this list exhibiting our brokenness towards God, God is ever there to provide motivation for us to turn back, to repent, to change our mind.  This motivation is that He is jealous for our devotion, willing to provide more grace, a promise that the grace of God is not limited, it is not of short supply.

Regarding the jealousy of God, check out my eight post series on “A Jealous God”. I think some of my findings will surprise you. But back to James.

He provides motivation and grace.

• He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us
• He gives more grace.

James also is not merely loading us up with requirements, and providing energy to perform, but defining the response we may expect from God as we turn back.

• The devil will flee from you.
• God will draw near to you.
• The Lord will exalt you.

If we have walked away, for a day or for a decade, to return to God will be a joyous event, with the enemy running, the Lord being close, and our being exalted. This is incredible, for as I have read this passage in the past, I had never took into account this exaltation.

Let me ask my readers. To come back to God will result in our exaltation. What does that mean for you?

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