A few days back I discovered some additional shorts from Dr Leighton, teacher at Soteriology 101.
As I may have spoken of earlier in my posts, I spent many years consumed with the Calvinistic teaching, only to break free because of men like Dr. Flowers, who offer alternative views that make more sense and glorify God, making Him purer, and more loving.
I do hope you will consider the teaching with an open mind.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
The book of Hebrews has always been a challenge in my reading, as I am not a first century Hebrew, a saint who may pick up on nuances of truth the ancient saint might see.
But then again, those folk have passed long ago, and as long as we see Jesus in the book, I think we do well, for the book of Hebrews is brimming with statements, claims, truths and passages teaching of the superiority of the Christ over Old Testament saints, Old Testament covenants, Old Testament Temples, Old Testament rules, Old Testament promised lands, Old Testament Sabbaths…. Need I go on?
He is the culmination of all Old Testament teaching, the principal and only King over God’s Kingdom. There is no truth greater than we find in Jesus, and the outworking of His kingdom will only magnify Him more and more.
Our passage speaks of two results of His sacrificial offering on the cross, that He has provided for His people. Two results of His sacrifice are that we, an undeserving group are now able to enter before the Lord.
With confidence due to His blood
Through a new and living way due to His flesh
We have access before the Lord, the Holy and All-Powerful God of creation. This, at least in my life, has become such a “common” truth, I sometimes (most of the time) do not realize or appreciate the tremendous honor it is to have access before the throne of God.
Beyond that privilege, we have acquired through our faith in the Son, the Great Priest, One who rules over the house of God, One who represents us before the highest throne. He is not only the One who offered the greatest sacrifice, but became the sacrificial Lamb, and now stands before the Father, representing His brothers and sisters.
The apostle has laid it out once again in this book. God has performed His mighty work. He has lined out three blessings provided to us.
What are we to do?
He provides us three directions, each of them with the familiar “Let us”
Before we dive in to the three “let us”, I want to suggest this direction is given primarily for the church body to exercise as a body, and not as I often think of as direction primarily to individuals. Throughout these injunctions, the apostle continually address “us”, “we”, “our” and “one another” A definite injunction for body life.
So how does this apply for conditional security Carl? Good question my friend. As these injunctions, or commands are aiming for the outworking of faith in a body life, the claim may be made that any individual that is not partaking in Body Life (of some sort) is not exhibiting a grateful heart towards the One who has provided the previous blessings.
Let us consider the apostles three “Let us” commands.
Let us…
Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Draw Near.
This is the response we are to have in realizing the blessing He has provided. A response, but also a responsibility, the appropriate response of the heart, mind and body towards the Great Priest.
Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Hold Fast
This is the ongoing protection, and ownership of this blessing we have been granted. The term used translated as “hold fast” in this passage is defined within Strongs Dictionary as “to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of” This speaks of responsibility on our part. We are to keep firm possession of this blessing!
Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another
Consider How.
To hold fast speaks of maintaining or keeping a position or possession. To consider how speaks of advancing the position, spurring others onto greater works of love. The apostle is not content to have these folk maintain. The march is to go forward!
Each of these “Let us” phrases speak of our responsibility before the Great Priest over the House of God who has provided us access to the Throne of God.
Let us hear His direction and respond accordingly!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, Galatians 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, Galatians 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul has raked these folks over the coals.
From claiming they are listening to angels/teachers that are to be cursed (1:6-10), to retraining them in the fundamental teaching of justification by faith (2:15-21), to calling them foolish, and being bewitched (3:1), to describing the inability of the law to justify anyone (3:10-14), calling them slaves as opposed to their rightful status of sons (4:1-7) and decrying his heart for them in their errors (4:16-20), Paul was astounded at the condition of this church.
We have previously considered Galatians 5:4, where Paul comes right out and says they are severed from Christ. Severed! Attached at one time, and now severed!
Now we come to a passage that provides proof of the life these “believers” were exhibiting, with the fruit of the Spirit being evidence of the Spirit controlled life.
As an aside, to be Spirit filled, or led by the Spirit, or to walk by the Spirit is the equivalent of Spirit controlled! Any who claims to be Spirit filled and yet is not exhibit self control is suspect. Those who insult and abuse others in an effort to “show how spiritual” they are, are not impressing Paul, and should not impress us!
Paul begins to list a number of life characteristics that he describes as “the desires of the flesh”. The list is extensive and Paul indicates these “works of the flesh” are evident, easily recognized by those observing!
Works of the Flesh are evident!
sexual immorality
impurity
sensuality
idolatry
sorcery
enmity
strife
jealousy
fits of anger
rivalries
dissensions
divisions
envy
drunkenness
orgies
Paul provides such a list, so daunting and all encompassing. How many believers that may be reading are not susceptible to at least one of the vices above? To make matters worse, Paul opens up the list of problem vices with the general description of “things like these”
Oh my goodness! Is there no hope? If I fall into one of these vices, is it all over for me?
My friends, it is critical, at least in my thinking, that Paul is describing the outcome of two types of life. One of dependence on the Lord Jesus, of waiting and listening, learning from the One who is meek and lowly, One who is forgiving, good and patient.
The other life Paul is describing is the life that depends on the fulfillment of the law based on their own efforts. The Law is not (never was) the focus of the truly faithful, but a teacher, showing us how weak and disobedient we naturally are. To trust in that school teacher, and to refuse the One who the schoolteacher is pointing to is truly foolish.
Paul provides this list to give the believers in Galatia a check list, or a guide as to the root of their actions. Bad actions means a bad root! The next list, describing the fruit of the Spirit, not only describes only the highest of good characteristics in a person, but attributes the effort and work of producing the fruit to the Lord. They are not the works of our efforts, or the fruit of our labor. They are the natural out growth of our commitment to learning of the One who leads us.
Paul finishes this passage with a warning.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
To reiterate, when Paul mentions “do” in this verse, he is describing a continual practicing of these horrible characteristics.
As believers, maturing in the faith, we all fall into periods of weakness or times when we struggle with some of these works of the flesh. To actively pursue these characteristics, or to ignore the warning signs these evidentiary works provide us is to find ourselves the subject of Paul’s warning. He warned them once. He warns them again in the passage. Hopefully the warning took and many in the Body of Christ repented of their dependence on the false teachers in their midst, and the Law for their salvation.
Trust in the Person of the Messiah, and refuse any teacher or spirit that pulls you back to a performance/law based life. Follow Him, and in the following, find joy, peace, love and the fulfillment of the law in your life.
Romans 8:3-4 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
To be Christian is great! May His name be praised for all His mighty works.
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14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
Let’s remember that Paul birthed this church, ministered in this church longer than in many of the churches he was associated with. If Paul could claim to know those of his churches, the Corinthians would be the top of his list.
He is not writing to believers he had never met. No no no. These were people that he lived amongst, prayed over and struggled spiritually with. His first epistle was basically a letter of shock and correction, as to the issues that the Corinthians allowed in their midst.
Now, in this epistle, he is defending his apostleship from those in the Corinthian church that are defaming him, false apostles that are providing the fleshly Corinthians excuses to indulge in their wants.
Paul pleads with his people, and eventually pulls out the stopper. Get off the fence. The Corinthians can not partner with the enemy and consider themselves right with God. He calls believers the temple of the Living God, not only in this passage but twice in the previous letter.
His first reference to the temple of the Living God is referring to the congregational body as the temple of the Living God.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
His second reference is to the physical body of each believer, being the temple of the Living God.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
The Corinthians were taught of this privilege and in our verse this morning, Paul reminds the Corinthians of this truth, starts to ask some tough questions.
What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?
What fellowship has light with darkness?
What accord has Christ with Belial?
What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
Paul is really drawing a line in the sand, and I want to remind my reader of the context this passage is found after.
The previous verse speaks of Paul
2 Corinthians 6
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
The Corinthians need to make a decision. Paul is closing his plea to the believers regarding his apostleship, and to whom the believers are to listen to. He has opened his heart to them, speaking things of his suffering and his experiences that have been reluctantly provided for the believers to consider.
Now they need to decide. Righteousness or lawlessness. Light or darkness. Christ or Belial. Believer or unbeliever. Temple of the Living God or idols. They, and we, cannot have both.
Considering the context, it appears Paul is not mincing words. The false teachers are the enemy, and to bend the ear to them is to join with them, restricting their affections to the apostle Paul, and his message.
These believers, at least some if not many, having turned to the false apostles, whom Paul called angels of light earlier in the letter, are now on the outskirts of the church, with the invitation from God that if they repent, He will welcome them back.
These believers are being called to reject the false teachers, go out from amongst them, and return to the Living God. They were in a very precarious position before the Lord and Paul needed them to know of the danger!
For us this morning, one truth stands out! Let us not be drawn away from the truth of the apostolic teaching the Lord has provided us by listening to fancy pastors, showy personalities, humorous teachers, or lecherous men who make excuses for sin. These agents of the enemy will pull us away!
The written Word, with the enabling of the Spirit of God is sufficient for the believer to remain in the Temple of God. Teachers that seek to draw us away fron the Temple will attack the authority God gave His apostles, and the teaching they left us.
Is the Word and His presense sufficient for you?
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Matthew 13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, Matthew 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Matthew 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, Matthew 13:42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
I sometimes fear, as my thoughts wander around in that hollow space above my neck, that some may read this series and understand each post as an effort to induce a fear of loss, or to communicate a risk in the walk of faith, or to produce an uncertainty in the heart of the believer. After all, to speak of the conditionality of our security in Christ it may be understood that our relationship implies some weakness in our God, some inability in our Father’s work, or some lack in His planning.
If this is your understanding, please be reassured the love of the Father, and the salvation of the Lord Jesus is as secure as the breath we breathe, stronger than the grave and greater than all our enemies.
The message to be understood is the challenge before us as weak, blind and beggarly people to continue to seek Him, to look to Him for our strength, to keep our eyes on Him, to trust Him and to rest in Him. He is all and everything we need, and to walk away from that is to put ourselves in dangerous territory. His mercy extends beyond our understanding, and His kindness continually reaches out to our hardened hearts. But we do have the option to jump from His care, to apostacize from His loving call, and to abandon all hope in running from the hound of heaven.
The passage we breach this morning is a tough one, a passage where some in “his kingdom” will be gathered out and thrown into the fiery furnace.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
Jesus is speaking a parable in this instance, and I am of the opinion, as if that matters, that He is directly speaking of the theocratic kingdom of Israel as He presents this parable. Some in the kingdom (national Israel) will not be spared.
Although there are very many questions I would love to delve into regarding what “his kingdom” refers to, what the fiery furnace is speaking of, and a discussion on “weeping and gnashing of teeth”, I will refrain for later posts. (And after I have thought, prayed and studied much more!)
But for now, it is the general message that some in the kingdom will be removed that has alerted me and is why this passage is associated with the topic of conditional security in my mind.
There were some that the Lord may have been speaking to during this parable that were sure of their kingdom status, their belonging to rule of God, and yet the Lord has the nerve to say they will be yanked out, and tortured in fire!
Note that the passage refers to some in the kingdom as weeds, son’s of the evil one in verse 37. Yet in verse 41, the Lord simply refers to “all causes of sin and all law-breakers”. Now obviously the weeds are included in this judgement, but this last phrase possibly allows for more than just the weeds.
Possibility of more than just the weeds. Yes this is not explicitly stated, yet there is a possibility that those who feel safe may not be.
As I am thinking through this passage and all the implications, all the unknowns and all the questions rising in my mind, I cannot help but resort to one passage in Hebrews that provides a comfort, a place of security that each believer can rest in.
Hebrews 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Seek the Lord in your life. Hear His voice and strive to do His will. Run from any “cause of sin” in your life, from any law breaker that seeks to influence you.
Be the righteous that will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, that will reflect the glory of the Lord in the daily grind of life, being kind as the Father is kind, being merciful as the Father is merciful, being patient as the Father is patient.
Jesus summed it up so well, for the life of the righteous is not a life of a false security, but of an active life of love towards our enemies, being kind to the ungrateful and and the evil!
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
The Message is a paraphrase I especially like to listen to, as it turns a phrase often and it catches something in my mind, like a spur under a saddle. Luke 6:35, 36 is such a passage in the Message.
35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
Simple and direct. Our Father is kind. You be kind.
Replace “kind” with any characteristic you rejoice in, that our Father has expressed through the crucifixion of His Son, and be that.
Did I not mention this series was intended to be a challenge. This passage is a challenge that is beyond our strength, and as we look to Him, seek Him, striving for peace and holiness, you will shine in his kingdom!
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Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, Matthew 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Last post, we considered the unpardonable sin in relation to conditional security and I suggested the next portion of the passage may support my initial suggestions. So lets get back to this difficult passage.
Note the first word in verse 33! Either. A term providing a choice between two thoughts or concepts. When I see this word, I think of a decision to be made!
In relation to this passage, Jesus is calling out the Pharisees to make the tree good or make the tree bad. Might the Lord be referring to the Pharisees estimation of His power when speaking of these “trees” and it’s fruit being good or bad?
It is simple logic. Good fruit means a good tree. Bad fruit means a bad tree. The Pharisees have just witnessed an exorcism of a demon possessed man, a man who was blind and mute. Don’t miss the enormity of this miracle, and the resulting fruit! This demon possessed man, who was blind and mute, spoke and saw!
Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.
But lets remember who the Lord is speaking to? The men He is telling to make a decision are the very ones who are claiming He is in league with the devil! Although an aside, to consider the Master maintaining a logical argument for the sake of these Pharisees in the middle of such a defaming claim is so appealing, so evident of truth, and of such a peaceful stance, it make Him all the more amazing.
Back to this “either” command of the Lord towards the Pharisees, (and any listening) in verse 33. He is laying out the logic that this good result of healing the demoniac (a good fruit) must be from a good source, (a good tree). The Pharisees logic of the power Jesus resorting to diabolical forces to perform this miracle forces the resulting healing into the bad fruit category, and that simply makes no sense.
Even as the Pharisees spread a slurring accusation against the Lord of mercy, He is still reaching out to them, proving His truth, His identity, His mission to them.
And yet He continues with the logic a tree being known by it’s fruit in relation to the Pharisees themselves, stating that their very illogical claim must be evil, since they are evil! He has publicly called the most visibly religious men amongst God’s God’s chosen people evil!
Ok Carl, all your argument follows the text (hopefully) but what has that to do with the topic of conditional security? I am glad you asked, for I want to return to the first word again.
Either. Jesus, after having been defamed by the most powerful men in Israel, places a challenge before them. It is not as though it is too late to revise their estimation of this Rabbi. Yes, they are of the chosen people, and yes they are under a covenant with God. Personal relationship with the most High has always been dependent on faith in God, and not performance of religion, but these men may have some flicker of faith still resident in them. They may, under all the religiosity of their life, have a dim, smoldering faith of some type that the Lord is reaching out to.
Make a decision based on logic, and understand Who is standing before them. Either call Jesus good or call Jesus bad, but their decision will either justify or condemn them.
Matthew 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus is the Messiah, the full expression of the truth, evidenced by logic, by miracles, by the Spirit and by His message. Those who may have some faith in the Living God are dangerously close to condemning themselves by their illogical claims.
A dangerous position to be in, and yet the Lord reaches out to those who have openly and publicly expressed an obviously outrageous claim of His abilities. He is kind, and in His kindness, is very blunt with these men, seeking their repentance and acceptance of Him as the “Good Tree”!
I like to think some in the crowd took heart and rekindled their faith in the Living God of Israel and His Messiah, Jesus. I am hoping someone reading may also rekindle their faith in the Risen One. He has provided all the proof we need, in order to know who He is, the greatness of His love and His completed mission for lost, blind and mute sinners such as us!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
Matthew 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Matthew 12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
This is a difficult passage and to consider it under the topic of conditional security may at first be difficult to justify. Let me give you my thoughts on why this passage may be addressing this topic.
I am of the opinion that this particular passage is very specific to the time frame in which it was spoken. Consider the audience and the hingepoint of history we find it spoken in.
Jesus, The Messiah, the Gift of God to all mankind is again discussing God’s truth with those Pharisees. By the time we get to this morning’s interaction with the Pharisees, Jesus has dealt with them a number of times.
Interaction with the money changers – John 2:12-25
Interaction with Nicodemus (a Pharisee) – John 3:1-21
Interaction, rejection and attempt to murder Jesus in Nazareth – Luke 4:16-30
Interaction and rejection of Jesus claims of equality with God -John 5:16-47
Interaction on Sabbath importance – Matthew 12:1-8
Interaction concerning John the Baptist – Matthew 11:2-24
Interaction based on the Pharisees claiming His power is from the devil– Matthew 12:22-32
We are seeing from this brief list that things are getting very tense from the standpoint of the Pharisees. To pull out the non-logical argument that this Rabbi is depending on Satan to perform His life giving, healing ministry is a stretch by any account.
And Jesus does not mince words.
He openly confesses that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven. Did you get that? Will be forgiven, not may be forgiven! He is telling these religious men that all sins will be forgiven. That must have tied their knickers in a knot!
He did place a caveat though as he addressed these men who would deny the obvious work of God through this Rabbi. If you will defame and lie against the work of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit in God’s Messiah, there is no hope for you. You see, He continues in his address to these men, declaring the sin of speaking against the Holy Spirit as being applicable in two ages. This age, or in the age to come.
I have often wondered what the “age to come” refers to, for it is not necessarily the next age, though it may be. I do not struggle when the Lord mentions “this age”. He is referring to the time in which he was living and breathing, talking to the men who opposed Him.
So here is how I understand this passage. Jesus is seeing the Pharisees becoming more and more desperate in denying His rightful place as Messiah, going to the incredible extreme of associating Him with Satan! As the people of God during the age of Moses, (prior to the resurrection and the wide spread explosive dispersion of the Spirit amongst the Gentiles) these Pharisee’s knew the truth of the Messiah, and understood that Jesus fit many, many of the required prophecies regarding the coming Savior.
As a matter of fact, there have been many studies revealing that the generation Jesus appeared in was the last generation a Messiah could appear to the people of Israel.
One specific prophecy that the Pharisees surely studied was that found in Daniel 9. A very detained and definite prophecy of the Messiah’s appearance within a certain time frame based on the captivity of the Jewish nation. Jesus was right on time. The Pharisees would not have it. He wasn’t working with them on their plans and objectives!
Nevertheless, the Pharisees knew Jesus was the Messiah, but out of envy and a refusal to submit to truth, refused Him and the witness of the Spirit!
Now as I mentioned earlier, these men were amongst the people of God, but at this point, it appears that all privilege assigned to the faithful Jew, though rejecting the message of the Spirit, would not receive forgiveness! In a word, privilege would be revoked from those who would not submit to truth!
Prior to this interaction, where did the Pharisees stand with God? Classed as of the Jewish nation, and as such, in the age of Moses, these men were in covenant with the God of Israel. Yet in this age, these men would be cast out, even as spoken of in numerous parables later in Jesus ministry!
Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
In our next post, Jesus continues with His message to the Pharisees, speaking of fruit and trees, hopefully understanding the message we find in Matthew 12.
Let me know your thoughts.
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Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, Philippians 2:15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Philippians 2:16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
In our last post on this passage, we discussed (with some tongue in cheek language) of a better motivator for the saint if we are eternally secure. We spoke of replacing “fear and trembling” with an alternate motivator, since being eternally secure removes any concern over the quality of our relationship with the Father. We spoke of a silly option Paul may have used to motivate the Philippians. He chose not to!
I may have been a bit crass. I hope it made at least one of my readers think about the text, and reconsider the possibility that Paul’s message may mean more than we currently understand.
Paul continues with the Philippians in our passage this morning, speaking of the characteristics of the believer, of refraining from grumbling and disputing, and of the believers life exhibiting a character that is blameless and innocent. We have previously addressed what it means to be blameless and innocent in this blog (See Philippian Bits – 2:15.01 & Philippian Bits – 2:15.02), so I will not repeat it here.
What I would like to consider is the last verse, where Paul speaks of his labor in the ministry. The topic of this last phrase is the effect of the Philippians obedience on the potential vanity of Paul’s ministry.
If the Philippians were not obedient, Paul’s ministry, at least in relation to the Philippians would be in vain. Now to say something is vain is difficult for our modern society since we are so immersed in it. So much of our society is a chasing after vanity, of emptiness, of smoke and mirrors. For you see, for something to be “vain” is stating that it is devoid of truth, empty, full of nothing. It is of no purpose, without fruit and of no lasting value.
To be vain is to be empty. Maybe our world will wake up some day to the vanity of living for themselves, but I fear not, for this is a vain, vain world we live in!
But Paul uses it in relation to the souls of the Philippians, of his work amongst them. Now remembering the thoughts in our last post on this passage, if the saved are eternally secure, that to be once save always saved is the way to understand the Word, why would Paul be concerned about the emptiness of his ministry, especially since the Philippians have exhibited a previous fruitfulness. Surely the Philippians were a saved people, exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit and worshipping in truth. Even a few verse earlier, Paul confessed to the reality of their identity in the Messiah.
All is well Paul, for they could not fall away, they could not apostatize! Have no concerns Paul. Your ministry work is also secure, for the past fruit of the Philippians has proven your work. The possibility of your work amongst the Philippians being in vain is impossible, for the souls you reached are destined for glory, no matter what they do. Oh they may loose some rewards, but they will be before the throne, and prove your effectiveness in converting lost souls.
My friends, I think I have been excessively sarcastic, even crass in these last two posts. Forgive me. But if there is truth amongst my words of harshness, and something is stirring in you, consider your standing before the Lord. Confession and repentance of sin before the Lord is never rebuffed by the One who has proven us His love.
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Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
Sorting through my past posts on this topic and was quite surprised that I hadn’t dedicated a posting to the verse above. How could I have missed a passage that provides support for the conditional security such as this one?
Consider the verse, and try to understand the heart Paul had in writing it. He loved this church, likely more than any other church he had birthed. He sought the best for them, and even in this verse, he expresses confidence that the saints were obeying. Note that he does not say that he was confident that the saints were believing. No no no.
If Paul was to encourage a saint, he looked to the fruit of obedience for topic matter. Believing can be so “malleable”, but acts of faith, of service and of spiritual worship are forged in the indelible framework of time and can not be revised, edited or interpretated with alternate understandings. The works that are past are fixed in time and provide proof of what is important to the one being examined.
Paul had examined these saints while he was amongst them, and saw that their obedience was giving evidence of the faith they espoused.
Now he seeks their continued obedience, as he encourages them with the challenge to work out their salvation. With fear and trembling.
Now I can not tell you what was going on in the recesses of Paul’s mind at the time of this writing, but a guess would be that there was something to fear if these saints did not work out their salvation.
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Of course my Calvinistic brothers would refer to the very next verse to remind us that it is God who is working in the believer, and for that I am eternally thankful. God is a faithful God, a loving and caring God who seeks our best.
But the passage does not say that God forces His work into our lives, or that we have no choice in the matter. God is present, He is powerful, and He seeks our best, but as I and my Calvinist friends agree on, we are a sinful people – a people that tends to walk away, to ignore the whispers of God, to forget His promises and take the easy road to often.
God is working in our lives and as we obey we have many many blessings in our lives, most of which is the knowledge of the Living God being active and personal in our own soul. This is an incredible truth, and one which we should treasure.
So why did Paul mention fear and trembling? Let’s think about this for a moment.
If we are a people that are eternally secure, disobedience causes the loss of eternal rewards. I cannot number the times I used this reasoning in my former belief was that. I simply did not entertain the thought that disobedience would potentially strain or fracture a relationship with the Father and Son. No – that did not fit my thinking at that time, for I was committed to a salvation that was of a contractual nature, and not of the relational nature.
But let’s suppose I am incorrect in my current understanding, and salvation includes the teaching of eternal security. Once saved always saved! Let’s assume OSAS is true for a moment. If so, I suppose one way Paul might have motivated the saints in Philippi would be to instruct him to work out his salvation with self interest and a “godly” desire.
Paul could remind the believer of his rewards! Admittedly the loss of rewards would bring shame on the believer before the throne, but wouldn’t Paul’s message resonate with the faithful Philippian saint by appealing to the rewards as opposed to the fear and trembling of loosing that relationship with the Father. It is in the interest of the saint to gain more rewards!!
I know – that is crass, vulgar and not called for. But you get my point.
We are to work out our salvation with a fear and a trembling that is settled in our soul, a fear that our old nature may rear it’s ugly head and we pay attention to it. We are a people that are easily distracted by the the lusts of the flesh, the world and the pride of life!
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life–is not from the Father but is from the world.
We are a people who are to fear, even tremble at the thought of not pleasing the One who calls us to Him. Is this a debilitating fear, a trembling of heart that cripples us into inaction? If this is your continual experience, I dare say the fear and trembling you are experiencing is not of the Father. Yes – there may come times when the realization of how great He is knocks us down, floors us before Him. The prophets of old experienced this often. (See Psalms for Psome – Ps 36.00 for a discussion on men of old facing God and falling down!)
Yet they rose up and did mighty things. His is the invitation to a life of adventure, of listening to His will and walking in obedience.
Who cares about rewards when we can walk with the Almighty, and experience His loving care.
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Revelation 14:9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, Revelation 14:10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Revelation is a difficult book to understand. There – I said the obvious.
In my early years, I was of the mind that John had written the book of Revelation, his magnum opus of apocalyptic Scripture, for the saints in our modern times. I was so selfish, so self centered that I was convinced John must be speaking of the 21st century, and of the conditions believers would face over 2000 years after his death!
That is until I realized the incredible impact the Old Testament had on John as he wrote the Book of Revelation. Of all the New Testament books, none is so dense with allusions, references and quotations from the Old Testament as is this book we are reading this morning.
A case in point to consider.
John refers to a mark on the head or hand. Is John possibly thinking his readers may know the Old Testament well enough that this reference reminds them of an earlier time, a time that may have similar characteristics?
My first thought would be the mark God called for on the mantle of each Israelites home on the night of the first passover.
Exodus 12:7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. Exodus 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
The Israelites definitely understood the idea of marking, and that it was a representation of protection. But Ezekiel goes even further, and I think John may be reaching back to this prophet for his context!
Ezekiel 9:3 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. Ezekiel 9:4 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.” Ezekiel 9:5 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.
After this man clothed in linen performed his task of identification, judgement fell! But note the very next verse, where those who were to show no pity were to begin the killing!
Ezekiel 9:6 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.
At God’s sanctuary! The killing was to begin at the very location where those who have the appearance of godliness congregate. And what was the mark identifying? The mark was on all those who mourned and groaned over the apostacy in the nation, over the abominations the Israelites performed, even in the sanctuary of God.
An incredible judgement of God occurred during Ezekiel’s time.
Is John using this message, and applying it to believers in relation to the taking of a mark, instead of simply accepting a mark of identification? After all, believers are already marked!
Revelation 22:4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
John clearly brings in hints of Ezekiel in this passage, and it may be instructive that Ezekiel’s judgement started in the sanctuary. In the very house of God!
In Ezekiel’s passage, the mark was provided for protection, for those who mourned the condition of the temple and the sanctuary, the religious state of the nation. In Revelation, this mark is accepted by those who chose allegiance against God and Jesus.
Ok – I can hear the question even now. Is it a physical mark we are to fear?
If it gets to that point where a believer is to make a decision of receiving a mark, (whatever that may be), I am afraid we may be too far gone.
You see, for as those in the Ezekiel passage are described, the mark identifies the type of person it is placed on, and it is not the result of a single decision of accepting a mark. As believers, our allegiance is to the Christ today, and though fundamentally this is not an external condition, it is also not simply the absence of a mark, or the absence of a laser imprint, or the absence of a chip inserted into a hand or on your forehead.
Our allegiance, that which “marks us” even today, should be seen in our good works which glorify our Father. These exterior “marks” are sourced from an internal faith buried deep in our minds and hearts. Our faith in the Risen One produces decisions of the mind (represented by the forehead in our passage) and actions in our lives (represented by the right hand in our passage) that reflects a living faith!
We already have His mark on us! We are marked as sons and daughters of the Most High God by the Messiah, and unless some other mark is more appealing, more satisfying, or more desirable in the eye of the beholder, we will not desire any other!
Yet the passage in Revelation does not simply state what I have described and walked away. John continues with a statement that should be accepted for what it is, a challenge that needs to be overcome in the faith.
Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
His call for endurance is not an idle statement, for their may be days ahead when the enemy makes threats, when the enemy seeks to feed our fears, when the enemy will challenge our resolve to follow the Crucified One.
Story Time
One such time for this family was a few years back, when the world was in the deep confusion of Covid, when all was falling apart and ignorance and misinformation was rampant. There were forces that sought to have control over this family, to take advantage of this condition of fear and confusion.
The threat I speak of for my wife and I was the loss of my career. We are fundamentally a one income family, and when I was challenged to take a jab, I humbly refused. Many temptations and justifications tumbled through my mind, with my boss seeking to help me change my mind. He truly meant well, and at the time, it seemed abundantly clear that the loss of my income would have an immediate impact on my family, causing the loss of home, health and happiness. (That was the pitch!)
Yet the very intensity of the threat was telling, and the continual effort to have everyone take it seemed out of order. As a family, we were convinced this was God’s will for us, stuck to our guns, and refused the jab.
We waited on the Lord.
Not one in our family lost our careers, although a few of us experienced the sickness. Dang I lost almost 30 lbs. to that sickness. (Don’t worry – I found it again!)
The Lord provided a minor test for this family during those days of confusion, and for that I am thankful. He provided us a history of standing up for bodily freedom, for not accepting any demand on our person that we are not convinced of, and of giving us the strength to wait on the mercy of the Lord.
There will be days ahead my friend, when additional challenges may fall onto our lives, impacting our families and loved ones. Take a message from the apostle John, for he knew the way of the believer.
Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus
Be the marked of the Messiah, for if you are not fully devoted to the One who died for you, you will accept another mark.
Without His life, you have no hope.
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James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. James 3:15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
James hits hard!
It is an easy task to establish that James is speaking to believers. He continually speaks of his audience as brothers.
James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers….
James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers….
James 2:1 My brothers….
James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers….
James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers…
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers….
So when we get to verses 14-16, it must be obvious that James continues with addressing the believer. The true believer.
Granted this may be James’s way of showing to each one in his audience the character of a true believer, and allowing them to self judge. But he may also be addressing those who have, in thier actions, show a change in their allegiance, boasting and being false to the truth.
Does it not make sense that to be “false to the truth” demands that the truth was known at some point in the life of the reader.
Is that a fair assumption?
If this assumption is correct, some who read James text may have in the past shown good conduct in works of wisdom, but now are entertaining bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. This passage hits hard for that man, that believer. Has he in some manner apostatized from the truth?
James continues with a description of the source of this wisdom that produces jealousy and selfish ambition, and calls it earthly, unspiritual, even demonic. And he describes what this wisdom produces as disorder and every vile practice! What an incredible statement to consider for those in the church who are accepting, even encouraging, jealousy as a “godly” motivation and selfish ambition as a “spiritual” pathway in the Christian life.
How did the church become so willing to promote jealousy and selfish ambition in believers? Self promotion (selfish ambition) and ministry comparison (a form of jealousy) is rampant in the modern church! Where did the family of God disappear to? We are brothers in the family of God, not competitors with each other.
Our God is a God who is
James 3:17 …first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
My apologies for that little rant, for the topic is to be our personal relationship with the Almighty God, and not a commentary on the idolatrous church we see evidence of in our modern culture! Nevertheless, for our own personal application, it is wise for each of us to check our actions. Are we producing disorder, confusion and instability. Or are we working vile (worthless) practices? If so, we are listening to the wrong wisdom!
Let us be as the Master, who is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
James tells us that a jealous and self promoting man will not comply with this self abnegating life! He is listening to the wrong voice!
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To address this verse properly, I feel the need to focus on this passage directly in relation to this topic at hand.
Should we yank this verse out of context and consider the verse as a standalone message to be applied “willy nilly”? Maybe, if the Word speaks of this topic consistently, speaking of the priority of faithfulness in relationship to the Person of the New Covenant.
If we are to faithful in our Christian life, to refuse apostacy in our lives, in our decisions and in our actions, then this passage may be considered a key passage that warns against the absense of endurance. Endurance, or faithfulness is the key component of the Christian life, for we are saved by faith, walk be faith, fight for the faith and know the Lord through our faith.
Better yet, let’s consider the message Jesus was providing the original listeners, and by trying to understand His message, hopefully apply His message to our lives with confidence.
Chapter 24 starts with the disciples having questions. Questions about the temple, when the temple will be torn down, and some information about some sign of Jesus coming, (whatever that meant for them) and the end of the age, (whatever that meant for them).
Matthew 24:1 ESV – Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Matthew 24:2 ESV – But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:3 ESV – As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
As you can tell, I want to confess ignorance on the exact questions the disciples had at the time, especially regarding the sign of Jesus coming, and what the end of the age was referring to.
But when it comes to the question “When will these things be?”, I am confident the disciples were questioning about the destruction of the temple. After all, it is the very topic Jesus brought up in verse 2.
Though the first question is regarding the temple, Jesus seems to address His coming first, and speaks of the deception in the future, by many coming on the scene and speaking as though they were the Messiah.
Jesus speaks of deception, wars, famines and earthquakes in various places occurring prior to His coming. The disciples will be delivered up to tribulation, exposed to deceptions, hated by the nations, and experience an apostacy prior to Jesus coming. The disciples listening in on Jesus message will experience all these difficult trials, whether it be persecution, discouragements, or deceptions. The time before the Messiah comes will be difficult for the believer. Whatever time that may be.
Could Jesus have been referring to 70 AD? I think there is a lot to be said for considering that time to relate to this teaching for the disciples.
Could it be some other time in the past that Jesus may be referring to? Maybe. There are passages in the book of Revelation that speaks of His coming to individual churches. Could that be the reference that makes sense?
Might the coming Jesus refers to still be in the future? Definitely. There is a teaching in the church that speaks of all prophecy having been accomplished, even the second coming of the Lord. I absolutely consider that to be of no value, full of error, and detrimental to the hope filled life of the Christian.
No matter the timing of His coming to separate the sheep from the goats, to take His church away, to raise the dead out of the grave – no matter when that may occur, each of us will have a very specific time that we will meet with Him, that we will come before Him.
We might not see the global return of the Messiah, (hopefully I am wrong!) but no matter His timing, our time is approaching. Until then we are to endure to the end. We are to remain faithful, and looking at the context of this verse, we are to remain faithful in the most dire of situations.
We are to endure! We are to be faithful to Him. To the very end!
It really shouldn’t be a surprising requirement. The Christian life is a life of faith! Let us be faithful!
May His name be honored in our lives!
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2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 2 Samuel 12:11 Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 2 Samuel 12:12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” 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. 2 Samuel 12:14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die.”
David fell hard.
He was at the pinnacle of success, and the chosen king of Israel. God had given him direction, protection, wisdom and victories over his enemies. He had attained to the throne and united the kingdom!
Over and over again, his life provided to all watching him the sun the witness of a man after God’s own heart. If any man in Israel was a walking talking believer in the God of Israel, David was the man!
Deception, lust, adultery and murder came fast for this king. It was no accidental occurrence of sin. He was the man who gave the orders to bring that woman to him, to send that husband into the battle, to ignore the Lord.
I suppose it is the way of sin isn’t it? To fall into sin, to chase after sin is to ignore the Lord in the daily battles and temptations we face. Some may say David should have been in the battle instead of at the palace, but he has fallen, and by the law, is to be condemned to death!
As we read passages that describe his time from his sin to his restoration, we see a man who had died inside, who was dried up, torn down and without comfort. Even as Nathan came to David in our passage this morning, he came to David with the message of death. Only upon David’s confession of sin was the sentence of death lifted, and that not by legal determination, but by grace, and mercy from the hand of the Lord.
David confessed. He received pardon, for the Lord put away his sin. Yet for the remaining days of David’s life, all under the sun would witness David’s sufferings under the temporal judgement of shaming the Lord in private.
So may I ask my reader – What condition before the Lord was David in prior to his confession? He was surely a man after the heart of God prior to the fall. He was surely a man after the heart of God after this period of rebellion.
But what condition was he in between the sin and the confession?
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Romans 11:22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Context is everything. And I think I understand the hotbed of Calvinism I enter into by looking at anything in Romans 9-11, but these passages are not to be held captive by a teaching I consider to be misguided.
As I mentioned at the start, context is everything, and we must remember that Paul is writing his magnum opus to a church that is comprised of both Jewish and Gentile converts.
The particular passage we are addressing this morning is discussing the remnant of Israel, a faithful within the nation that God maintained even during periods of complete apostacy within the nation of Israel.
Within the physical nation of Israel, there were a pocket of faithful folk that were right with God. They lived by faith, and did not rely on any bloodline or heritage. The rest of the nation of Israel, those who did not exercise faith in the Living God, but on bloodlines, rules, laws or traditions, were not of the family of God.
Romans 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
Paul repeats this teaching over and over again within this portion of Scripture. The nation of Israel was made of a social order that sought righteousness through works, while a portion of the nation of Israel understood the grace, kindness and most importantly the Person of the Savior. Yes they didn’t have a name for the Messiah yet, but when He stepped on earth, those who had listened to the voice of God in years past, recognized it in Jesus, and proved themselves to be of the remnant.
Nevertheless, for our verse this morning, we must address Paul’s warning. It was not a warning to those who were not of the faithful, for they would not hear it. Those of the remnant, even those of the gentiles, would recognize this warning, for it was the voice of the Lord through His apostle.
Paul speaks of kindness and severity.
Severity
This severity, I believe, relates to God’s handling of the (physical) nation of Israel, those who were not of the remnant. God directed severity to those who belonged to the faith of Judaism, a system of teaching that was to direct the adherent to God but seemed to become a deterrent, an actual impediment. This faith produced a people who did not recognize the Messiah. A religion that actually condemned the Son of God to the cross.
What was the Lord to do with a people like this? They were to be cut off, removed from the rolls of the righteous.
It is somewhat coincidental that this concept comes up in this study, for I recently posted on the topic in Conditional Security – Psalm 69:27-28. In that psalm, David is speaking of those who were against his call to Kingship. His prayer spoke of those within the (physical) nation of Israel as being blotted out of the book of the living. I will not repeat what I wrote there, but it may provide some context to this message if interested.
Kindness
The kindness Paul speaks of, based on the context of this passage seems to be related to the grafting of the Gentiles into the faith, a faith that is rooted in the life of God. Yet even in this discussion of kindness, Paul acknowledges that branches were broken off because of unbelief.
Note the connection of kindness from God as a result of continuance in faith. Some of the nation of Israel, who had faith at some earlier time, fell into unbelief. They were broken off! Cut off. Blotted out of the book of the Living. Again refer to the link above for (hopefully) some clarity on this topic.
As Paul closes this discussion on the conditional security of both the Jewish and the Gentile in this passage, he directs the warning of being cut off to believers. Personally, I think it is specifically for the Gentile believer, but I am splitting hairs here, and dulling the point of the message.
God’s kindness is directed to us, provided we continue in his kindness. Otherwise we too will be cut off.
What is the Lord to do with a people that abandon Him?
My friend, look to the Lord for His direction in your life, tell Him of your commitment to His will and ways, and cling to the Savior, for He is our only hope!
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Psalm 69:27 Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. Psalm 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
Early on in my walk of faith, when I would come across a passage such as this, I would default to the position that those that David referred to were those Philistines, or those Ammonites. Someone who had no relationship, no covenant, no connection with the God of Israel.
I should have read the passage a bit slower.
For David is not saying – Do not allow these enemies to get right with you God – that is do not write their names into the book of the living, but David is asking that the names would be removed, blotted out of the book of the living.
In my research, I have found this likely refers to the records of the nation of Israel, those who formally belonged to the nation of Israel. As children were born to natural Israelites, or as a proselyte joined the faithful people of God, their names would be recorded in the temple. This recordation provided those in the books to enjoy all the privileges of the people of God.
To have a name blotted out of the book of the living, as David prays for, is to remove them from being a part of the nation, removed from the covenant Israel entered into with Almighty God. David was not praying that these enemies simply cease to live, but to lose the privilege of belonging to the covenant people of God.
Remember, as I mistakenly assumed early on, these enemies David is referring are not “those Philistines”, or “those Ammonites”, but Israelites, specifically under the leadership of Saul, the king of Israel.
So, if I hear your right Carl, this blotting out of names from the book of life applies to those who are in covenant with God?
Consider a fellow centuries before David, as he mentions the blotting out of names in relation to the nation. Israel had recently entered into covenant with God, sealed with blood.
Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
This fellow offered his own covenant relationship with the God of all Creation to be given up so that the nation could continue with God. (Very Christlike!)
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, along with all the nation of Israel were in covenant with God, and the blotting out of names in this context was directly connected to those of covenant.
Though there are many passages that discuss the topic of the book of life, with many of those passages found in the New Testament, this post was not intended to be exhaustive on the topic. This post is intended to be but a challenge to each of us to consider the tremendous benefit and privilege of belonging to the people of God. Let us not take it lightly, but walk in a way that is worthy of the King.
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Matthew 3:8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:9 And do not presume 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. Matthew 3:10 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.
John the Baptist was on fire. He was lighting up the desert with a message all of Israel was curious about. Some came out to see this rebel out of curiosity, some out of a severe hunger for authenticity, some to confess their sins to get right with God, some even thinking John was the coming Savior.
And there were some in Israel who came out to condemn him, to question his right to preach and baptize, to dissuade those who were listening to him. In this particular passage, John was confronting “many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism”
It is interesting that there is no record of these men speaking against John at this time. Open rejection would come from the leaders of Israel, but the text only speaks of their presence in the crowds. And of John’s judgement on these men.
The relationship these men had with God is the question for the topic of conditional security. We know after multiple teachings of both John and Jesus that these men needed repentance and to trust the Savior instead of their bloodlines and religion.
But at this time, both John and the Pharissees/Sadducees had the assumption of these leaders possessing salvation, an assumption that these men were in covenant with God. The crowds listening in must have taken a collective inhale when John hurled this claim at the religious “cream of the crop” in Israel.
Some may consider John’s message as a message to the nation, and not a message to the individual. I heartily agree, for the nation was on the edge of judgement, with the Savior at the door, ready to provide salvation. Rejection would not be an acceptable outcome for anyone!
Yet, John speaks in the personal.
You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
The term “you” is the second person singular in this verse. (It is not “y’all” or “all y’all” as we say in Texas to include more than a single person in the group!) John was addressing the individual. And he was speaking of a judgement that was imminent.
A judgement that was imminent due to bad fruit. Or possibly John intended to be understood as claiming they had no fruit. Either way, these men who understood they were right with God were not right with God.
Does this address the security of the New Testament believer? Not directly. There are many conditions that are different between them and us.
But there is one condition that is ever true for the people of God. We are to bear good fruit. A life that mimic s the Saviors, a life of giving, of self sacrifice, or holiness and love towards those who are our enemies.
As I am driving the highways of Texas, I often listen to the “Message” paraphrase Bible. I have settled in the early chapters of Matthew for that last few weeks. A theme becomes evident from the words of Jesus that echoes John’s message of good fruit required from the life of the believer. Jesus is letting us know that He expects good fruit.
5:13 Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
5:20 Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.
5:29 Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile.
Faith in the Messiah includes repentance from a life of no fruit. John spoke to the religious folks of the day, waking them up to the basis of their trust. Trusting in bloodlines and religiosity offends the True God and His Messiah. He is looking for hearts that are malleable, able to take in truth without an argument, willing to be taught, and willing to obey.
For the Pharisees and Sudducees of John’s day, the axe was at the root of the tree. Nowhere did John describe the tree as dead. The tree was alive. The reason for the axe?
It was not producing good fruit. And judgement was about to fall.
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Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Now right off the top, I need to confess that this first verse, regarding my right eye, has a special place in my mind as being really yucky. You all may know my hatred of all things eyeball related, as mentioned in an earlier post. To think of gouging out an eyeball is exceptionally difficult to consider.
Nevertheless, the Lord is making a point about how the believer, one of His followers were to treat anything in our lives that causes us to sin.
It is good to remember that though many believers may live in a debauched and sinful society, a culture that is dripping in unrighteousness and rebellion against the principals and person of God, Jesus is not commanding us to clean up our environment in this passage. Granted, if we believers were to take this command with greater seriousness, some of our society would respond properly and in kind. But that is not the intent of the passage!
I would suggest He is speaking of our own impulses, our own inner desires and rebellion against God and His Savior. James addresses this same tendency, this desire to wander, to leave the One we love, this fallenness within our hearts when he writes in chapter one of his letter
James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Jesus, in Matthew 5 provides two examples of the believers attitude, or better yet, what the believer’s attitude toward this inner desire should be. A ruthlessness, even to the most sensitive organ in the body, (the eye), and the most useful appendage in the body (the hand).
Sometimes the believer may argue it to be innocuous, or of no impact in putting up with a certain rebellion, a certain sin since the removal of this sin in our lives would touch a sensitive area in our lives. Or it may require the removal of a very useful situation, a condition that makes life easier, more “tolerable”.
Jesus is addressing hard things here. Difficult issues that the believer will face as he follows after the Lord. Some decisions to follow after Him will require the loss of sensitive relationships in our lives, such as leaving behind close friends who will only drag you back to sin. Jesus even warns us of the dangers to our faith within our own families.
Sensitive relationships, people that we have loved for many years, may need to be left behind. That portion of our heart, that easily (and willingly) succumbs to the ungodly charms of an old friend or loved one, is to be starved, cut out of our lives, and left behind.
He is brutal in this passage, describing how we are to be committed to His rule, in issues that are difficult to face, to admit weakness in and to find victory in rejecting their influence.
But there is more to this verse than an over the top requirement for discipleship. As He speaks to His followers, He brings up the topic of hell.
What? Followers and hell in the same sentence? What is that all about?
As many of you who may follow this blog, I am not convinced of any specific teaching regarding hell, but if there be one of the three mainstream teachings I find to be least obvious in the Word, it is the teaching of eternal conscious torment. Though there be a few verses that may seem to support it, does Jesus apply this potential destiny to the believer?
Whatever He is referring to, whether it be ECT or some other form of punishment/destiny, when He speaks of my “whole body being thrown into hell”, Jesus is talking to those who are attentive to His message, to His disciples,.
And how can that be?
Might it be a theoretical threat, in that Jesus is using this description of being thrown into hell to emphasize the importance of fleeing temptation, even that which resides within us?
Maybe, but since I wasn’t there to see Him wink or provide a slight grin during the talk, it might not be wise to assume this understanding to quickly.
Ok, so might it be a call to perfection, as He speaks of later in the same chapter of Matthew?
Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
More likely in my opinion, yet this very verse also is a double edged sword. You see, there are two options in my mind.
The call to be perfect is something that can be realized in the believers life, by walking in the Spirit and growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. This perfection is sometimes considered maturity and support for this thinking can be found in both Philippians and Hebrews.
The call to perfection is an actual call to moral perfection, and if taken seriously will cause the believer to understand his complete and utter helplessness and hopelessness before the perfect Son of God and the Father of Light.
Now both options drive us to the Savior, which we should expect and be thankful for
Nevertheless, however you read these two topic verses in Matthew, of the call to gouge our eye and cut off our hand, it is a jarring call, with a severe punishment for the believer if he fails.
What think ye? I would love to hear your opinion of this difficult and challenging passage.
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Matthew 13:24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, Matthew 13:25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. Matthew 13:26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. Matthew 13:27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ Matthew 13:28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ Matthew 13:29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘”
It must have been a late night when I pulled this passage into the Conditional Security series, for at first glance, I found little that would direct a person (without bias) towards the conclusion of conditional security in this passage.
The passage spoke of the kingdom, specifically of the harvest time and how to bring to judgement those who were enemies within the Kingdom.
But after a slight glance at the parable, and especially the explanation given to the disciples, there may be hints as to the general teaching of conditional security found within.
First off, it is granted that the weeds grew along with the wheat, and that in the parable the weeds have always been weeds. By that I mean, they were sown as weeds, lived as weeds and were gathered as weeds. The parable, in it’s simplicity, seemed to keep these two types of field plants separate throughout the passage.
Yet the parable did speak of the early pulling of weeds and potentially of pulling wheat with the weeds, all of which was destined for the fire. But per the Master’s decision, and his care for the wheat, this was to be avoided by allowing the weeds and wheat to grow together in the field.
29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
No – the harvest was to be immediately preceded by the pulling of the weeds, for at fruition, the weeds showed their true colors. There would be no mistaking of the wheat as weeds.
A little later, the disciples asked for clarity.
Jesus provided clarity in identifying all the parties in the parable, including the sowers and the seed, and how the harvest would act out in the end.
Verse 41 gives me some pause in relation to the way judgement at the end is to be exercised. Let’s read it once more.
41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
Notice that in the Lord’s explanation of the parable, the weeds and wheat are not identified in relation to the source seed, (good seed, / weeds) but in the work or actions of those being gathered, (righteousness / sin and law-breakers).
Granted, nothing is specified in the Lord’s explanation that the original good seed, that is the wheat, in included in the that “causes of sin and all law-breakers”, but in the same breath, there is no specific claim that the wheat stayed wheat. Jesus changed the description of the plants from a source seed related identifier to a fruit related identifier. I find that somewhat interesting!
When I first became a follower of Jesus, I was told not to take a parable and make it walk on four legs. I think my brother was telling me that parables typically have a single point of teaching, and that we shouldn’t try to find justification for a teaching in the parables, but to let them speak for themselves in the main point.
I may be doing that very thing with this post. The teaching of conditional security is definitely not the main point of this parable, (dang – it might not be the tenth point of the parable) and if this was the only teaching in the Word that hinted at conditional security, I readily admit it would be heretical to suggest this teaching here.
Yet, throughout the Word, it seems there are subtle hints to the danger of slipping from wheat to weed.
What is your opinion of this parable, and it’s relation to the teaching of conditional security?
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Psalm 26:9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, Psalm 26:10 in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.
Psalm 26 is a psalm of David, a man who followed after God through struggles, disappointments, persecutions and trials. Even as a young teenager, he knew the Lord and spent many hours communing with the God of Israel while with his sheep.
Considered a nobody by his father, for he was never considered when Samuel requested to see Jesse’s sons, he nevertheless honored his father and trusted the Lord throughout his life. Even during times of persecution, of which produced a psalm as we read this morning, he looked to the Lord and begged for understanding, for the Lord to vindicate him (vs 1), for the Lord to examine him (vs 2), and declared his innocence in comparison to those who sought his life (vs 4-7).
David makes the case for his integrity, and has an open heart for the Lord’s work in his life. The first 7 verses of this psalm are a fantastic example of the Christian life before the Lord. David was so New Testamental!
So it is somewhat shocking that David pleads God not to take away his soul with sinners in verse 9. On top of that plea, he continues with begging that the Lord not gather his life with bloodthirsty men.
What is going on here?
Might it be that he is simply requesting that he not die in the presence of sinners? Maybe.
In the ESV, which is the version I typically use, the term “sweep away” speaks of receiving, removing, collecting and gathering. It isn’t quite clear to me if David is begging to be saved from being gathered with sinners in their judgement/destiny or to be separated from them in the act of death. Or possibly to be separated from them in their sinful actions.
Too many questions, but the verse is admittedly surprising.
Immediately after this plea to God for His protection, David returns to his previous confidence.
Psalm 26:11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. Psalm 26:12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.
Maybe I shouldn’t have looked at this verse as I seem to be producing more questions than answers. Thankfully, I know there are readers that follow my blog, and I would reach out to them for suggestions on the passage above.
Until then, I will continue to consider the passage. And I may come back to it if the Lord gives me any clarity. Nevertheless, may the Lord bless you as you travel the pilgrim way today.
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2 Corinthians 12:21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
Paul is reaching out to his church in Corinth. As you may remember, Corinth was a church that Paul founded and had spent much time there, discipling the faithful, and exhorting them to continue in the faith. Paul spent 18 months with this church, much longer than most of his plants.
Acts 18:11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
While there, he wasn’t acting in the evangelist mode as much as the Bible teacher, and the Corinthians had the blessing of being under Paul’s teaching for an extended period of time!
If he personally knew a people claiming Christ, it was in Corinth, but as he eventually moved on under the leading of God, he heard rumors, stories of the Corinthians acting like little children, bickering and fighting with one another. Acting unChristian.
The reports of this church’s activities included some sin that even the heathen don’t put up with. And yet he designated them as saints, believers.
1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Paul goes so far as to speak of the Corinthians surety in the faith.
1 Corinthians 1:6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you–
But in our verse this morning, we find Paul speaking of mourning. A requirement of mourning over many of those he has declared to be saints.
Mourning is typically associated with death, with grief over the loss of a loved one. While there is hope, mourning is not the word I think of. For Paul to bring this word into the discussion may breach our topic of conditional security, for he has established these as saints, and is now fearing the mourning required at the death of a loved one.
May this mourning be associated with physical death? We know some in the church were judged because of their sin and were taken home early, as we read in 1 Corinthians 11.
1 Corinthians 11:30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
But when Paul speaks of physical death amongst the believers, it is in the context of judgment, without any reference to mourning, sorrow or grief. It is a matter of judgement.
For our verse here, I suggest Paul may be breaching a far greater death, not simply of a saint being judged and taken home early, though still a believer.
Might Paul be introducing the mourning required in the loss of a believer from the faith? Just a few verses later Paul is asking these folks to check themselves out. They need to examine themselves, test themselves, to see if they pass or fail.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Now some may be thinking Paul is writing this to a mixed audience, those who are of the faith and those who are simply watching from outside. Some may think that Paul has two audiences in mind, and this testing is for the self-deluded outsider, the professor and not the possessor of the Christian life. This may make sense, except for the fact I don’t recall him addressing any outsiders throughout this letter.
He continues to address believers, bringing to mind the responsibilities and lifestyle requirements of the believer, sometimes rebuking the believer, and speaking to those who have made claims of new life.
How do you understand his reference to mourning in relation to the saints he was about to visit?
Leave me a comment – I am curious of my readers opinions!
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1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life–is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
I used to spend hours every night delivering newspapers to over 400 homes in the city of London Ontario. Yes, I was an adult newspaper “boy” and it was a great job for a young married man to have. It provided sufficient funds to care for my young wife, provided ample time to spend with my beautiful wife, and I was readily available as we waited for our first born to enter the world, for I worked for less than four hours each morning! And in those nightly four hours, walking the streets of London, mindlessly following a path that rarely changed, I began a habit of Bible memorization that has been of tremendous benefit to my own spiritual life. To those reading, I encourage this discipline in your walk with the Master, for He often calls to mind a passage from my memory to provide guidance, encouragement and often correction!
All that to say that this mornings passage was one of the first passages I memorized as a multiple verse challenge.
Early in my faith, I understood that John wrote his epistle to believers in order to encourage them in the agreement they entered into upon initial faith in the Messiah. This agreement was a static, “set in stone” promise of a believers destiny based on an initial faith at a point in time in the past.
Nowadays, I am of the understanding that this salvation we are privileged to enter into is not dependent on a contract of sorts, but on a continuing living faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
For those interested in my findings, I published a series of posts beginning with 1 John – Testing to Know – Introduction. In summary, I am of the opinion John was providing tests for the believer, as the believer seeks to follow the Lord, some tests to check his life against in order to know if he has the Son, which is to have eternal life.
My faith has shifted from depending on a night in February of 1981, when I initially confessed my sin and asked for His salvation. Now, the issue I need to address is my life reflecting the character of Jesus, growing, yet admittedly never attaining the perfection He calls us to. Again, it is not that any believer attains, but that all believers rely on the Son and not on an agreement. We are to trust in the Lord, not an agreement, or covenant, fantastic as it is!
The Lord is full of mercy and plenteous in forgiveness. This re-understanding of salvation magnifies the grace of God towards the one following the Master. Many times I have wandered and His faithful ministry in my life has pulled me back to Him over and over again. The great challenge for the believer is to continue to follow, to be faithful, to continue to believe, to continue to rely on the Savior, to do that which He commands in the midst of trials, temptations disappointments and victories.
As we follow, we slowly, and incrementally become more like Him, which is the point. We are called Christians, for the term actually means little Christs, and was given to us as a derogatory name given by the world to each follower of Christ.
So when we come to our topic verses, this revised understanding presents a challenge that is much more complex than I first thought.
Let me do a real quick study through the verses.
Love
John refers to love three times in verse 15. All three words are of the root word for agape. When referring to the believers relation to the world, the word agapáō a present active imperative, speaking of a continual, ongoing love for the world. This is the verbal form of “agape love”
When referring to the love of the Father, the word is revised to agápē , the same word only this time in the noun form.
It is somewhat surprising that John used the same word relating to both the world and God. After studying the term agape, I have come to understand it as the word that describes a sacrificial love that is bestowed on something or someone out of the character of the giver and not based on the recipient’s actions or efforts.
After a brief review, this use of agape for the world is quite appropriate, for the world certainly does not deserve our love, and if we bestow this sacrificial love onto the world, the sacrifice of our lives, time and talent is just that – sacrificed to a non – worthy recipient.
World
John uses this word bunches! Twenty three times in this short 5 chapters. The kicker is that the word “world” has a broad meaning, for even a cursory review of the passages in John reveal this. Consider.
“World” speaks of the inhabitants of His creation. People.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
“World” speaks of the creation itself – matter space and time.
John 9:32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.
“World” speaks of the mission field for those who are sent by Jesus.
John 17:18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
“World” speaks of followers present with Jesus at the time, and as Jesus prepared for death, He was about to depart from them. It is a temporary location!
John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
And of course our present verses in 1 John, which speak of something believers are not to love.
Now to think. Might John be speaking of people in our passage? No that makes no sense. When he speaks of the world, is he speaking of creation? This doesn’t fit the logic of the passage. Ok, might he be referring to the mission field in our passage? That is silly, for He has sent us out into it.
I think John 13:1 may bring the some clarity to the discussion, for it speaks of a temporary condition, and John goes on to speak of the believer living forever in verse 17.
All of that is good, and helpful (I hope) but is there something more, something a bit more concrete to this reference to the world in John’s thinking?
The term κόσμοςkósmos, translated as world, may also describe an ordered arrangement, an order or government, even a decoration or adornment, an aggregate of goods, pleasures, riches and goods that distract, that appeal, that seduce the believer from God.
In my mind, it speaks of any temptations presented to the believer to pull them away from the Christ, the Son of God. John goes on to describe all that is in the world – fleshly desires, visual desires and a life of pride, as being not from the Father, and by inference, is a competing force in the believers life.
Ok, all that to say the world is temporal, enticing and not of God. How does this relate to the series topic of conditional security? Let’s read John’s summary one more time.
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Note John uses the word “but”. “But” is a term that speaks of exclusion or of difference. The world is passing away. The desires for / of the world is passing away. These are temporal.
The one doing the will of God lives forever, an statement of eternality. John relates this to obedience, but John is the apostle who continually speaks of faith in his writings.
Here he speaks of ποιέωpoiéō, doing. And for those interested in the tense of poiéō? It also is a present active verb, speaking on continuity, continuing, constancy.
My understanding of depending on a contract entered into with God in February of 1981 for my salvation has taken a hit with studies like this. Now no matter how some may consider my findings, the message of the Word is consistent.
Trust God today. Do what He commands today. Look to Jesus for guidance, strength, direction, knowledge, wisdom today.
Look to Jesus for life today!
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Luke 9:23, 26 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Months back, we journeyed into a passage regarding Jesus’ denial of the believer before the Father in heaven. For a review for those interested, I am supplying a link for your convenience. Conditional Security – Matthew 10:32-33.
At first glance, our Luke 9 appears to be the parallel passage to Matthew 10 message from the Lord. Such is not the case, for the parallel is in Luke 12:8,9.
It is not exactly the same topic, for in the Matthew verses, Jesus is speaking of how He will respond before the Father based on our relation with Him. Verse 23 is a simple statement of qualification that precedes a passage that is somewhat similar to Matthew 10:32-33 and Luke 12:8,9
A quick table will provide a comparison.
Now before we proceed, it may be wise to consider some differences. In Matthew 10 and Luke 12, the warning is of denial before the Father. Might this occur even daily in our lives, that as we walk with Him and fall into a denial of some type, Jesus may also reflect this denial before the Father in heaven.
Before we go any further, I need to ask – Is all denial of eternal consequence? Of course not, for we simply need to consider Peter. Some denial is not permanent.
For the passage this morning, it appears to be specifically describing an experience of shame Jesus will go through when He appears in glory.
The first two passages resulted in a denial of our person before the Father. This morning’s passage centers on the shame Jesus will experience at His great revealing.
Shame we experience regarding the Word of God, either the written declaration we possess in our hands or of the Living Son of God, which resides with us in our bodies, may trigger a shame based emotion in Jesus at His coming.
In a believers life, periods of weakness, doubt and shame may occur. Is this a desirable situation? Of course not. Can God work in these periods of dryness, periods of pain and doubt, periods where we are confused, possibly questioning His Word, and pursuing wrong solutions? Of course He can, and thankfully He does.
Yet if we continue to lay the cross down, continue to seek our ways and not His, there is a danger of bringing shame on the Lord at His coming.
For those who may be experiencing difficult times, please be encouraged in that God is still there for you, that He is working in and around you for His glory and your benefit. The charge for us as we struggle in down times is that we do not abandon in the struggle the very strength of God found in His Word and in His Son. None of us wants Jesus to experience any shame on His day, but in our struggles we need to continue in depending on His Word and His Way. It is upside down from what the world teaches, and we desperately need to be reminded of His will and way we are to pursue daily.
Don’t lay down the cross! It is a daily choice that produces life in each of us, as we die to our old desires.
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Romans 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Passages within the Word that speak of this topic may be abused by those who promote an understanding of conditional security. I would like to be as honest with the text as I can be, and want to inform those reading that there are arguments that justify thinking Paul is applying these verses to the unregenerate.
Even verse 9, where Paul informs those who are his audience that they are not in the flesh.
Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Note however, he did not specifically define them as not having the mind of the flesh, but only that they are not in the flesh. Could Paul be speaking of two different conditions – that of being in the flesh, and of having a mind set on the flesh? Is this his intent? I will leave that to my reader to consider!
Paul summarizes some spiritual facts for believers.
Verse 5 – those who live according to the flesh set their mind on the flesh.
Verse 6 – to set their mind on the flesh is death
Verse 7 – a mind set on the flesh is hostile to God
Verse 7 – a mind set on the flesh does not (cannot) submit to God’s law
Verse 8 – Those in the flesh cannot please God
Verse 9 -Believers are not in the flesh
Ok, so this summary seems to direct us to the conclusion that verses 5 – 9 do not apply to believers, and would negate this chapter as being applicable to the topic at hand. That is, if Paul had finished his teaching at this point! But Paul digs in and keeps challenging believers. To minimize repeating myself, I have written on verses 12-14 previously – See Conditional Security – Romans 8:12-14
To summarize though, Paul makes a point of our obligations to the flesh in the following verses, specifically in verse 12, and with the inclusion of the conditional word “if” of verse 13, it seems to be a decision that is incumbent on the believer.
In our passage this morning, Paul provides us some introductory spiritual facts and guidance for our everyday life.
Paul provides, in my humble opinion, characteristics of those whose mind dwells upon or is “set” on the flesh, as having a certain outcome resulting in death. He also provides characteristics of those whose mind dwells upon and is “set” on the things of the Spirit.
What does that mean in our day to day life? What helps me is to compare the characteristics of the Spirit with my own life, with my thinking, with the focus of my mind and consider the resultant fruit/work that is produced.
Those whose mind is set on the flesh will experience the following works of the flesh in their lives.
Galatians 5:19 – 21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Those whose mind is set on the Spirit will experience the following fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
Galatians 5:22 – 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Where is your mind set?
Our lives are the result of our decisions, and those decisions are based on the information that is available. Paul is blunt. If we constantly focus on the things of the flesh death will be the result.
Let us set our minds on the things of the Spirit, for as we do, He will develop the abundant life in us and continue to bring His fruit through us and to others.
And a key for us in this struggle? Where is our mind set?
You got to admit – it’s a no brainer!
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1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 1 Timothy 6:4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 1 Timothy 6:5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,
It has been over a year since I have visited this chapter in relation to conditional security, and as we looked at that passage, we considered the influence the love of money may have on a believers faith. If of interest to review, I offer a link. Refer to Conditional Security – 1 Timothy 6:9-11
Regarding our passage today, Paul is discussing the importance of correct doctrine, or right teaching and it’s effects on both the teacher and the one taught.
This passage seems very appropriate due to my recent interactions with a close friend. As many of you may know, my daughter was baptized recently and this dear friend informed me that the ordinances of baptism (and the Lord’s supper) were never intended for the church we are a part of. Those commands, says he, were instructions for a Jewish church, a church that no longer exists. We are of a church that has instructions from Paul, and more specifically, the prison epistles. Nothing needed from John, Peter James, Luke or Mark, is needed for the church. Only Paul has authority in the church, since he received the last revelation, as my friend says, from the Lord in the Arabian desert.
Paul experienced this type of destructive teaching in his day, for he warned Timothy that there were those who would not agree with the sound words of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,
It is simply amazing that a so called follower of Christ would reject Jesus teaching. Not only does Paul speak of the importance of the words of Christ, he adds additional teaching that is equal with the Lord’s instructions. He speaks of teaching “that accords with godliness”.
One short passage will suffice to provide a teaching that accords with godliness.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
One doctrine is to be taught from two sources, the words of Jesus and teaching that accords with godliness. It is self evident this “teaching that accords with godliness” is the accepted books of apostolic authority, based on the foundational Old Testament volumes. There was to be no separating, no dividing, no cutting up the Bible due to some desire to be better than those other “unwashed” ignorant average Christians. Conceit on the part of an erring teacher is the source of this error, at least humanely speaking.
Instead of seeking peace amongst the brethren, working towards a unity in the Body of Christ, a teaching that separates the words of the Lord Jesus from the teaching according to godliness has certain characteristics according to Paul
Characteristics of this teaching
Controversy
This is the Greek word ζήτησις zḗtēsis, and is commonly translated as controvery. Paul has much to say about the place of controversies in the church, especially for his men who were elders, overseeing the people of faith.
1 Timothy 1:4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
2 Timothy 2:23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
It is interesting that in one additional verse we find this term “controverises” (translated as debate). It is the debate Peter and the men in Acts 15 were involved in.
Acts 15:7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
Peter, a take charge type of guy, brought the debate to a close, instructing those present of God’s direction, and not their thoughts! I like that. A man seeking to find unity by appealing to the words and works of God!
Regarding my recent discussions with my friend, every topic is controversial. He has the spirit of this teaching deeply embedded in this thinking about many, many topics
Quarrels about words
Logomachía λογομαχία. We can see the Greek for “word” in logos, with machia providing the root meaning of arguing, or trifling over empty or trifling matters. It makes me think of the “straining out of a gnat” image again, as we discussed in a recent post, only this time, related to teaching. These guys make a mountain out of a molehill, as my momma used to say. Major on the major items Carl!
What are the fruits of this teaching?
Envy
Teaching that accords with godliness does not produce envy, but informs the church to put it away, to reject envy as a way of thinking, as a way of life!
1 Peter 2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
Dissension
Again we see that the fruit of these conceited teachers are opposing the actual teaching of the apostles. Dissension is the same Greek word as quarreling in the following passage.
Romans 13:13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Slander
This word surprised me, for the Greek word translated as “slander” is βλασφημία blasphēmía. I imagine Paul is referring to slandering others within the church, defaming their character, tearing down others in an effort to raise themselves up. This should not be surprising, since the fuel that keeps these teachers moving forward is conceit!
Of course, this teaching provides fuel for more and more fruit that the apostles directed the faithful from.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Evil Suspicions
Are we not to love the brethren and care for those whom the Lord has died for? To have evil suspicions speaks of a mind that is puffed up, thinking the worst of others, prideful and suspicious.
Is this not antithetical to the command to love one another in a humble and giving nature? Relationships exist amongst trust and care, and cannot exist being fed a diet of suspicious thinking
Constant Frictions
Another result of this teaching is constant friction among the people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth! What a sad state of affairs, for due to this false teacher, this hair splitter who rejects the words of the Lord Jesus and those words that foster godly living, boasts he has greater truth, with the result bearing friction amongst his hearers.
In the end this teacher, out of the conceit in his heart and mind, seeks to stir up controversies, thrives on friction amongst his audience, and judges his success by the financial gain he acquires by destroying lives.
Now it seems obvious this type of teacher is not producing the fruits of the Spirit, and per the common teaching of the Word, may be identified by the works he does produce. As we have seen, each is not of the Spirit.
My question for my dear reader isn’t necessarily the salvation status of this teacher, for it may be safe to say he never knew the Lord, but what of the man who has known the Lord, followed after the Lord, and is now bedeviled by a fractious, divider of the word and of the church?
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