When I first entered the Air Force I thought I was going to be a “Dental Technician”. That was what my recruiter told me I could be, and so he had me sign paperwork that gave me a “Guaranteed Field”. I found out later that this was actually double talk, a government lie created to fool new recruits. My “Guaranteed Field” was the “General Field”, of which there were about 100 menials jobs. I was not given a “Guaranteed Job” but a “Guaranteed Field”. Because of that, after Basic Training I was made a “Food Service Technician” (a Cook) inside of the “Guaranteed General Field”. When I protested, I was told that I could go be a “Food Service Technician” or I could go to Leavenworth and make rocks into gravel for the next 4 years. I became a Cook.
That was a very good learning experience for me. I found out that people can lie like a rug on the floor without even batting an eye. The recruiter knew he was lying to me. The commander of that recruiter knew he was lying to me. I suspect the government knew it was lying to me. But I was and am still a Christian, and I know that GOD DOES NOT LIE TO ME. God has never lied to me. God has said,
Romans 8:28 All things work together FOR GOOD to those who LOVE THE LORD, to those WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
God is in control of all things, and God is good. God sent His Only Beloved Son to this earth to give Himself for my sins.
God gave His best to save the worst.
The Bible says:
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is FAITHFUL, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Adrian Rogers: As God is faithful, and has given His best and noblest for us, He deserves our worship. I was listening to Adrian Rogers this morning who noted that the word “worship” is formed of two words: “WORTHY” and “SHIP”. The word “SHIP” means to “transport or convey something, from one place to another”. Since our God is WORTHY we speak His worth. Worship is speaking the worth of our God to others, and to Heaven itself.
We WORSHIP because our God is WORTHY.
What you worship says a lot about you. The Phariseesworshiped RELIGION. They were not concerned about a relationship with God. They were concerned about how good they looked, and made the Law of God into a game of one-upmanship. The Pharisees worshiped themselves, declaring themselves worthy because of their works. The Herodians and Sadducees worshiped POWER and HUMANTY. Again, the center of their worship was themselves. They basked in the infamy they had, their popularity, their status as being above the common man. Yet among humanity God has said:
Psalm 14:3 … there is none who does good, not even one.
Romans 3:23 … all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Humans are not worthy of worship. Money is not worthy of worship. Things are not worthy of worship. Only God is worthy of worship.
Only Jesus Christ is worthy of glory, and honor, and exaltation.
God declares …
Psalm 46:10 … I will be EXALTED among the heathen, I will be EXALTED in the earth.
Word Study: Once a Christian is saved, it is our calling, our purpose, to EXALT the Lord. The word “EXALTED” is the Hebrew rûm (pro. Room). The word means to “lift up above all else, to glorify, to extol, to magnify”. God is to be put above all else in our lives.
The Church exists to exalt the Lord. To be a LIGHTHOUSE magnifying Christ. The Christian should give God his best, not his leftovers. The Christian and the Church must not cease to lift up God. Our God is worth it all!
Word Study: God says “I will be EXALTED among the HEATHEN”. The word “HEATHEN” is an Old English word for “those who are NOT God’s people”. This is the Hebrew gôy (pro. go’-ee), a word that was used by Israel in the Old Testament for the Gentiles. Under the Old Covenant, the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, were God’s people, and all others were gôy (pro. go’-ee). Rather than spread the Gospel of God that He calls all to salvation, the Israelites became self focused. The Bible prophesied that the Lord Jesus would be the:
Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Preaching Here: The Gentiles were never to be rejected as gôy (pro. go’-ee), but God told Israel repeatedly that it was His desire that “My Salvation may reach the end of the earth (ESV)” (Isaiah 49:6). Israel was to be the LIGHTHOUSE that promoted by exaltation the Son of God, the One to Whom “The Nations (gôy (pro. go’-ee)) shall come to Your Light, and the kings to the brightness of Your Rising (ESV)”. Israel was to exalt God among the gôy (pro. go’-ee), to speak of the Coming Messiah. When Christ was manifested by God, Israel was supposed to exalt Him as the One Who “open(s) the eyes that are blind, (Who) bring(s) out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness (ESV)”.
Israel would not listen to God. Oh, many were saved. But like many Churches today, Israel made God second place, and gave Him only the leftovers. They forgot that God said:
Psalm 46:10 … I will be EXALTED among the heathen, I will be EXALTED in the earth.
God will be glorified. The Gospel will go out.
When Jesus rose from the Grave, He commissioned His Apostles, saying:
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
God WILL BE EXALTED. The message of the Gospel MUST go out. Israel forgot that. Jesus told His Apostles before ascending into Heaven:
Acts 1:8 (ESV) … you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
The Apostles were to start in Jerusalem and Judea. God wants to save Israel. But God does not want His Church to imitate Israel. The Gospel is to go to “Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. The Church must exalt God among the heathen. The Church must exalt God among those who are not children of God. The Church must continue to spread the Word of God by whatever means necessary.
Did the early Church do this?
No, but the Apostles sent a great deal of time in Jerusalem in Solomon’s Porch – at the Temple – preaching Christ. That is not a bad thing, for God wanted to reach Israel. God wants to save Israel by exalting Christ, by sharing the Gospel to that deceived and largely unsaved nation. But God also wants the Church to reach out to all people, to share the Word of God, the glorious Gospel of Salvation.
It is the sharing of the Gospel that brings “those were once far off from God into the Presence of God” (Ephesians 2:13). God will be exalted among the worldly. Christ will be magnified among those who are yet to be born again.
The Only Thing That Endangers The Church Is To Go Against The Exaltation Of God, The Spreading Of The Gospel!
Again we read:
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
We are to rest in the Gospel that saved us. We are to “BE STILL”. We are not to tremble in fear at that which is coming. We are told:
Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
God is where we hide ourselves. He is the “REFUGE” for His people. “I will say of the LORD, He is my REFUGE and FORTRESS: My God; in Him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:2). God is our “STRENGTH”. He fights our battles for us, as we exalt Him in the earth.
Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
When we exalt our God, when we put Him first, He is in our midst. God is our Help, our Protector, our Comforter. I end this devotion with a repeated text. We see this in:
Psalm 26:7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Psalm 46:11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
God is the “LORD OF HOSTS”. He rules all the armies of Heaven and earth. Our God is in control. The same God Who made this planet and all that is on it, the sun and the moon, the stars without number. This God is our God. This God sent His Only Begotten Son to secure our salvation, that “whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This God, the “GOD OF JACOB”, He is the One we hide ourselves in. We exalt Him. We glorify Him while we can.
There will be a day when we all shall stand before Him, and our works shall be judged. For the unbeliever, they will stand before Him at a Great White Throne, and their works will not help them ascend into Heaven. Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you – depart from Me, You workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23, ESV). Rather than come to Christ in humility and receive Him as Lord and Savior, they exalted themselves. Because they exalted themselves, glorifying themselves rather than God, they will spend an eternity in a Lake of Fire, a place of torment (Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15).
The lost will enter the Lake of Fire because their name was NOT found in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15).
The saved also will be judged. This judgment, called the “Judgment Seat of Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The Bible says:
2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) For we MUST all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
God says “I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Our works will be judged as to whether we exalted God or not, as to whether we helped spread the glorious Gospel of Christ or not. May God the Holy Spirit work in our hearts to encourage us to go and grow for Christ, to exalt the One Who gave so much for us.
May God touch your hearts with his Word. Amen.
A devotional preached in our October 9, 2024 Business Meeting. DEB.
Romans 2:8-11 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Summary:God has no favorites, but will judge each person on the fruit of your life. The fruit of your life matters both now and into eternity. The fruit of your present life shows whether you are born of sin, or born again of the Son.
In 2017, Pope Francissaid“Is it possible God has some children He does not love? No! We are all God’s beloved children.”
That’s not what God tells us. We have seen that there are two categories of people according to God. There are those who are “Beloved” (Agapetos) and those who are “Of Humanity” (Anthropos). The “Beloved” are beloved children of God because they have believed on God’s Beloved Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17). Receiving Christ as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit causes the heart of the recipient to be “born again”. Those who reject Christ are “condemned already, because they have not believed in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). These people are “in the flesh” (Romans 7:5), they are “of humanity” (Anthropos). They are a creation of God, but are not children of God.
God can look at a person and see what is in their hearts. He can look at you right now and tell if you are saved by faith in Christ (Beloved), or lost and in the flesh (of humanity, Anthropos).
1 Samuel 16:7 … (ESV) the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
The Fruit Of Your Life Matters To God. The Beloved produce good fruit from born again hearts. The Anthropos, the fleshly, produce bad fruit from spiritually dead hearts.
Jesus said in Luke 6:45 (ESV) The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
When you surrender your life to Jesus, our Lord sends the Holy Spirit of God into our hearts to change them, to make us “born again”. Jesus said “You must be BORN AGAIN” (John 3:3). The New Birth is a supernatural event, engineered by God, purchased by Christ. You cannot make yourself “born again” no more than you made yourself come from your mother’s womb in your first birth. This is a Spirit created state. The Biblical synonyms for “born again” are:
Converted (John 12:40; Acts 3:19) New Birth (1 Peter 1:3, NIV) New Life (Acts 5:20; Romans 6:4, NIV) Transferred (Colossians 1:13)
Once you give your life to Jesus, He gives life to you. You are changed. Your heart is changed. Following salvation, you follow Christ. With a new heart, the fruit of your life changes.
And God will judge that fruit.
The Lost Produce Dead, Godless Fruit
Romans 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath
Word Study: The lost who continue to reject Christ as Lord and Savior are “contentious”, the Greek eritheia, which means “to court distinction, to put yourself forward as first”. The contentious are those who are constantly focused not on others and their welfare, but on “I, Me, Mine”. These people – though they may be on a church roll – are NOT saved. The basis of salvation is to first REPENT, that is, to DENY YOURSELF. Jesus said:
Mark 8:34 (NASB) … If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
The mark of the lost contentious person will put themselves FIRST, and God LAST. The lost person also will not “Obey the TRUTH” (John 14:6), that is, obey Jesus Christ. The lost person follows the crowd. The lost “OBEY UNRIGHTEOUSNESS”. They do not care what God has said, but minimize the will of God and the word of God in order to celebrate themselves. God promises to those who leave this life without Jesus that they will have “INDIGNATION AND WRATH”.
Jesus’ greatest critics were the Jews, His own people. They hardened their hearts against God, against Jesus. The Jews – particularly the Pharisees – were PUFFED UP because they kept the ceremonial Laws of God. Since they kept these Laws, the Pharisees felt that they had a front row seat to Heaven. They didn’t. Rejecting Jesus, “The Way, the TRUTH, and the Life” (John 14:6), the Pharisees hardened their hearts to God and did evil.
Beware The Leaven Of The Pharisees And Of Herod
Right after Jesus fed upwards of 4000 with seven loaves of bread and a few fish (He had previously done this same thing with 5000 Jews) (Mark 8:1-9), Jesus had His disciples go with Him to the district of Dalmanutha. The disciples got on the boat, but forgot to bring the seven baskets of leftover bread with them. Jesus told them,
“Beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees, and the LEAVEN of Herod” (Mark 8:15)
Now you’ll not understand this unless you understand what “LEAVEN” is. “LEAVEN” is the rising agent that you put in flour when you are making bread. Yeast is a leaven, as is baking powder. If you make bread without leaven, it will be hard and difficult to eat, like the bread we partake of during the Lord’s Table (Communion). Leaven or yeast feeds on sugars in the dough mixture, and expel a non-poisonous gas that causes pockets and rises to form in the bread. Leaven makes bread soft because leaven “puffs up” the bread.
When Jesus warned us “Beware the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and the LEAVEN of Herod” He was warning us to not let that which “puffs up” the Pharisees and Herod enter into our lives. What was the “LEAVEN of the Pharisees”? It was self pride, a puffed up attitude because they kept the ceremonial laws perfectly. They went about arrogant, judging others, mocking those they considered beneath them. The Leaven of the Pharisees says “I am so good, I’ve earned my way into Heaven”. Yet the Pharisees in keeping the ceremonial laws ignored the most important things. They ignored the suffering of those around them. As long as they had their Synagogues and their pew and their fame among the people, they were satisfied. They cared for no one else but themselves. And they will be judged.
The “LEAVEN of Herod” was also a puffed up attitude, but it was without the Law of God. This is the root of Humanism. Herod felt that he was king, and thus better than anyone else. He had little love for the people he ruled, as long as he was center stage. What were the Pharisees and Herod missing?
They were missing Jesus. Jesus told the disciples:
Mark 8:17-21 (ESV) … “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
The Jews (like the Pharisees) thought because they kept the Law, they were right with God. Herod felt that since he was king, he was above God. It was Jesus Who fed the 5000+ Jews. It was Jesus Who fed the 4000+ Gentiles.
We are not to be “puffed up” by religious ceremony nor by human ability. We are to be surrendered to Jesus Christ! We are to be empowered by the Spirit of God.
Your works matter. Your fruit matters. If you do evil, you have God’s promise:
Romans 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every SOUL of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
A judgment day is coming where the SOUL of every person will stand before God. For the Jew who wallowed in the Leaven of the Pharisees, they shall have tribulation and anguish. Judgment day for those who have rejected Christ in favor of their own good works apart from Christ will not have a soft landing in eternity. Yes, dear ones, Jews WILL go to hell, just as do Gentiles. For those who “DO EVIL”, they shall receive the wage of their evil one day. Neither Jew nor Gentile shall escape.
Romans 2:10-11 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
To those who are “born again” by faith in Christ, who are following Jesus and doing God’s Will, they will receive “glory, honor, and peace”. There is a joy in following Jesus both now and into eternity. The Prophet said:
Isaiah 32:17 (ESV) And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
Jesus took our punishment on the Cross so that we could be born again. Once born again, we are “MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we are saved, we
Isaiah 2:5 … walk in the light of the LORD.
1 John 1:7 … we walk in the light, as He {Jesus Christ} is in the light ..
Those who are saved walk with Jesus, for Jesus, to honor Jesus in this life. Those people we be honored and blessed both now and into eternity.
Keeping The Law Cannot Save You, But Sin Will Curse You
If you do not invite God into your life – if you do not repent and call on the Name of Jesus for salvation – you shall stand in judgment before God judged by His Law. God does not wink at sin. Sin is an affront to God, an abomination, a bad decision made in the darkness that ultimately destroys God’s best for us. There is no respect of persons with God. When you stand before God, He will not care whether you are Jew or Gentile. He will not care whether you are black, white, brown, yellow, red, or polka dotted. God doesn’t care!
What God cares about is “Did you obey My Son – or did you obey Sin?”
Romans 2:12-13 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Those who sinned “without Law”, a reference to the Gentiles, “shall also perish without law”. When you stand before God one day you will not be able to say, “But Lord, I never knew”. Every person – Jew or Gentile – has the basics of the Law of God written in their hearts. People know that it’s wrong to steal, wrong to kill, wrong to rob others. The Ten Commandments were written on stone and given to Israel, not to the Gentiles. But the Gentiles know. When we sin without the Law that Israel had, we still perish though without law – for the wages of sin is ALWAYS death (Romans 3:23).
For the Jew, those who sin in the Law will be judged by the very Law they hide behind. God doesn’t care that you KNOW the Law, but that you DO the Law. When a policeman stops you, his first question is always “Do you know how fast you were going?” He wants you to know that you have broken the law. If you say, “Yes, and I was 15 miles over the speed limit”, the next question is “Then WHY didn’t you obey the Law? Here’s your ticket!” If your reply was, “Was I going too fast? I thought that WAS the speed limit!” Then the policeman will say, “No, you were breaking the Law. Here’s your ticket.”
We all know the Law of God. The Apostle brings this out in:
Romans 2:14-15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
We may delude ourselves. We may harden our hearts. But we all know that there is a God, that He made us, and we know what is right and wrong. We shall all stand before Jesus Christ one day and be judged.
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
We hide our sins from others, or else deceive ourselves into believing that what is clearly sin is not. Judgment day is coming. Every sin we kept secret, every thing we hid or thought we his from God and others, we will be judged by Jesus. All judgment belongs to Jesus. Jesus told us:
John 5:21-24 (ESV) For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
We will all be judged by Jesus one day. For those who were contentious, that chose to ignore the truth of His Gospel and live their lives without Jesus, they will find a bad judgment day. But those who have repented and called on Jesus for salvation, who followed Him in this life, will have their works judged. Yet their salvation will not be in danger for Christ’s sake.
The Jew Without Jesus Is Not God’s “Chosen”
The Lord now addresses the Jew through the Apostle Paul. Before Paul was “Paul”, he was “Saul”, a Jew of Jews, a Pharisee, a member of the ruling council of Jews called the Sanhedrin. As Saul, Paul felt that he was serving God as he pursued and captured Christians, bringing them back to the Temple to be judged and executed. Saul was a Jew, but he was not one of God’s chosen. Why? Because – until his Damascus Road experience – he rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Romans 2:17-20 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and rest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Saul like other Jews who have rejected Jesus thought that their knowledge of what the Law of Moses taught – the ceremonies, the feasts, the tithing, etc – made him God’s “Chosen”. Though Saul and other unsaved Jews wrapped themselves in the cloak of God’s Law, the fruit of their lives was still that of a lost person. Why? Because they were still lost. We read:
Romans 2:21-25 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
There are people who, like the Jews, wrap themselves in the Law of God or the Laws of Humanism. They look good on the outside. But like the Pharisees Jesus chastised:
Matthew 23:27 (ESV) … you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
You can paint the mausoleum, but what’s inside is what matters. The Jews declared they were God’s “Chosen People” because they were Jews, because they kept the Law. And yet the fruit of their lives was just as evil as those around them. They may have been outwardly circumcised according to the Law of Moses, but their hearts still belonged to sin. We saw this at the trial of Christ. The Bible says:
Matthew 26:59 … Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; but found none …
They actively looked for people who would lie about Jesus’ ministry, a clear violation of the 9th Commandment. The fruit of their lives was evil. Why? Because they were not saved by faith in Christ. They were not born again of the Spirit. No, they were pigs dressed up in silk finery. They were wolves wearing sheep clothing.
By violating the very law they proclaimed to love, the fruit of their lives proved they were “uncircumcision”, that is, not of the Family of God.
Romans 2:26-29 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
The Jew said “The Gentile cannot be of the Family of God, for he has not been circumcised”. Yet though the Gentile who believed in Christ was not circumcised, that Gentile strives to follow the Law of God, the Ten Commandments. If the Gentile strives to follow the Law of God – if the FRUIT of that person’s life strives to glorify God – then isn’t that person a member of the Family of God? This is what the Apostle is asking in verse 29:
Romans 2:29 he is a Jew, which is one INWARDLY; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God
It doesn’t matter what you look like outwardly. Are you living your life to glorify God? Are you striving to please Jesus in the fruit you produce? You may be outwardly called “Jew”, “Baptist”, “Christian”, “Pastor”, “Teacher”. But is the fruit of your life honoring to Him Who saved you? Or do you just possess a title, but your works are ungodly?
Judgment day is coming for us all. We will all stand before Jesus Christ one day, and our works will be judged. What will Jesus say to you in that day? Will He say,
Matthew 25:21 …. Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.
or will He say,
Matthew 7:23 (ESV) …. I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
Your fruit will be judged. Give yourselves to Jesus today. Do not delay.Billy Graham wrote:
“A born-again Christian is someone who has repented of their sins and turned to Christ for their salvation, and as a result has become part of God’s family forever. All this takes place as God’s Spirit works in our lives. … Jesus Christ came to save us and to make us part of His family forever! He did this by dying for our sins on the cross and by conquering death through His resurrection. You see, as a human being you were born into a family—and nothing can ever change that. But when we come to Christ we are spiritually reborn into another family—the family of God. The Bible says to Christ’s followers, “You have been born again … through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).”
Repent! Deny yourselves. Take up His Cross. Embrace Calvary. Believe that Jesus gave His life for you, and that He gives eternal life to as many as receive Him. Oh Beloved, do not delay! Surrender to Christ this very day. Amen and Amen.
Romans 2:1-6 (KJV) Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds…
The Lost Have No Excuse
When we were in Romans chapter one the Apostle was addressing the Church of the Lord Jesus. We know this because he wrote:
Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Word Study: The Apostle addresses the “beloved of God”. The word “BELOVED” is the Greek agapētos, which certainly means “BELOVED”, but it means also “those well favored, those worthy of love”. The believer in Christ is worthy of love because he is a believer in Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s “BELOVED Son” (Matthew 3:17). God told the Prophet Isaiah of the Lord Jesus, saying:
Matthew 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
When you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior you are “BELOVED” for His sake. You are “called to be SAINTS” because Christ’s sacrifice is reckoned to your life. As father Abraham believed on and received Christ, we do as well. Christ’s righteousness is “imputed to us, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offenses, and raised for our justification”.
But as we come to Romans chapter two, the Word of God does not address the Church, but the lost world. We read:
Romans 2:1 … Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man …
Romans 2:3 … And thinkest thou this, O man …
Word Study: It is not the “BELOVED” that is addressed, but “MAN”, the Greek anthrōpos which means “human being, whether male or female”. The Beloved of God, the Christian is to “let your light so shine before MEN (anthrōpos), that they (the lost) may see our good works, and glorify our Father Who is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Whereas agapētosor “Beloved” is used to address the Christian, the lost are called anthrōpos or “mankind”.
It is the lost who were addressed in Romans 1:18-32 who have clearly seen the evidence of God all around them, and yet have rejected that evidence in order to create their own idols. We have seen – especially during this election season – how people have judged, condemned, ridiculed, and tormented others so as to make themselves feel superior. Anthrōpos or humanity – the lost world – has no excuse for rejecting the Gospel. They judge one another. They judge the Beloved of God when they misstep. They judge people around them rather than judging themselves.
The very fact that people judge one another is proof of an internal, God ordained conscience.
What makes it so bad, the Apostle tells us, is that
Romans 2:1 … thou that judgest doest the same things.
The devil loves to lure people into the judging game. In the fall of Adam in the Garden, when man sinned and was questioned by God, rather than confess the sin man decided to judge others. Adam told God:
Genesis 3:12 (ESV) … “The woman whom You {God} gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Adam judged God first, then the defective woman that God gave to him. This is what people – lost people (and Adam was lost at this moment) do when they themselves sin. They look for someone to blame. Adam blamed God and Eve. When asked, Eve said “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). Rather than repent, the lost look for someone to blame!
Looking for someone else to blame fixes none of the problems in your life. It is dangerous deflection!
People say “If God controls all things, then why is there so much evil in the world? Obviously God is either not good, or not all powerful!” People make statements like, “Since I’m a homosexual, or a child molester, or a whore-monger, God made me this way. Who is He to judge me, if He is the Creator?” The Bible tells us that God is indeed all mighty, all powerful, and all knowing. The Lord says:
Isaiah 45:7 (ESV) I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.
And again, in Isaiah 46:9-11 (ESV) … remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
God is God. He is all mighty. He is all knowing, and all loving. God’s purposes will ultimately come to pass, for God is ultimately in control. If that is true, why not blame God when things go in ways we don’t want or expect? Because God in creation made us in His image and in His likeness. God in creation gave us domination over the creatures of the earth, and even earth itself.
God has given us free will, the ability to choose good or evil, right or wrong. God is continually reaching out to the lost world, calling the sinner to REPENT and COME TO CHRIST as Lord and Savior.
“When we blame God, we make ourselves His judge and jury. But mere human beings have no right to pass judgment on the Almighty. We are His creation; He is not ours: “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’? Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’” (Isaiah 45:9–10)”.
Romans 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
God’s ways are always true and right. As God is love, His every action is designed to bring humanity to the best state it can be brought to. As we are NOT God, we need to understand that while we may blame God rather than repent, our blaming of the All Mighty will not change our judgment in the least bit. What is particularly ironic is that, though you may blame others and point them out to God, the final state of your own soul will ultimately be judged not on what someone else did or didn’t do. The final state of your soul is going to be based on what YOU did or didn’t do.
Romans 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
The lost person judging others is no more than another HYPOCRIT! You judge others. You judge God. But if you would look carefully at your life, you’d realize you do the exact same things you are accusing others of doing. I have heard people lambaste the Church, saying “I don’t go to Church because there are so many hypocrites there”. Dr. M.R. DeHaan of the Radio Bible Class Ministries says:
“The biggest hypocrite of all, however, is the man or woman who refuses to come to Christ because there are so many hypocrites in the church. Such a person is being inconsistent. Business is full of hypocrites, but that does not stop him from doing business. Society is full of them, but he does not decide to become a hermit. Hell is full of hypocrites, so if a person doesn’t like hypocrites he had better make sure he’s not going there.”
There’s no bigger hypocrite than the person who pretends that he doesn’t need Jesus.
The Lost Judge God Only When The Bad Happens
Have you ever noticed when good is happening, people thank their idols, be it “lucky stars” or “good karma”? But when the bad happens, they blame God.
There is a type of lost person the Bible calls “The Fool”, the Atheist who says “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). They are fools because they have standards of right and wrong, but ignore Him Who gave those standards.
Imagine If: acclaimed Richard Dawkins, a British Atheist (what God calls “the Fool”) was in Africa, and came across a tribe of cannibals who seized him and prepared to eat him. Dawkins would no doubt plead with the cannibals to spare his life, that “murder is wrong!”. The cannibals ask, “Why is it wrong for us to eat you?” Dawkins would no doubt say “Well, I’m a human!” As the cannibals sharpen their knives they say, “But you say there is no God, and that humans are just animals evolved from other animals. As that’s true, and we eat deer and antelope, why can’t we eat YOU?”
“If humans are just animals, and we eat animal meat – then why can’t we eat YOU?”
The fool, the Atheist would say “But it’s MURDER to kill a human?” But why is it murder to kill a human, and not murder to kill a pig, or a deer, or a beef? There is no logic to the fool, though I will tell you the difference. Animals often mate within their families. If we are animals, why is it wrong for us to do so?Animals steal meat other animals have killed, and eat their own kind. Animals eat rotted food, maggot infested food. Animals many times eat their food alive, kill the weakest in the pack, leave the elderly behind to die and be eaten. All this begs the question, are humans animals?
The Bible says NO!
God made humanity above the animals. Though I may kill an animal to eat its meat, I may not kill a human, who is NOT an animal. Though I may kill an animal to eat, I will not torture it to death, nor eat it while it screams. We know better. Dawkins is not an animal, and his very conscience tells him so. Most people are not as stupid as atheists like Richard Dawkins!
Illustration: Animals never thank God for their food. A young boy was invited over to eat at a friend’s home. When the meal was served, they all dug right in … all except the little guest. The head of the house asked, “Son, why aren’t you eating?” The little boy said, “At our home we never eat until we thank God for the food.” The father said, “We don’t believe in God, so we just eat.” The little boy replied, “I guess that’s all right. When I feed my dog, he never thanks me before he eats.” Those who move away from God become like the animals. We read:
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Common Grace: If most of us would just stop and think for a moment, most of our lives have been GOOD. God has been good to us all. The theologians call the goodness of God to His creation “Common Grace”. God graciously provides good to all of His creation, saved or unsaved. Jesus spoke of this when He said:
Matthew 5:44-45 (ESV) But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
God blesses the good and the evil every day. He gives us the beauty of life, the wonderful blessings that we receive day by day. The lost usually do not thank the Lord for the food they have received, or the body that processes that food. The lost enjoy the wonders of sight and sound. The lost have so many blessings in life, and yet ignore the God Who makes these things possible.
God is so good!
When the lost get in a terrible traffic accident, and miraculously walk away, they say “wasn’t that LUCKY?”, as if fate had anything to do with it. The Bible says “The dice are cast into your lap, but it’s every decision is FROM THE LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). The All Mighty God controls everything – even the outcome of the cast dice. Every blessing is from God. The stepbrother of Jesus wrote:
James 1:17 (ESV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
It is God Who gives us life. We grow from fetus to baby in the womb, but it is God Who gives that spark of life. When John the Baptist began to lose converts – people who used to follow him who now chose to follow Jesus – John said:
John 3:27 (ESV) … A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
It was God Who gave John life. It was God Who called John into ministry. It was God Who sent the converts to follow John as he baptized in the wilderness of the Jordan. It was God Who fed John locusts and wild honey while he ministered. It is God Who has given us everything that we have, and He has put more good on our plates than He has put bad.
As the lost person curses God’s name, dragging His goodness in the dirt, God in His goodness allows that person to blaspheme and mock His holy Person one more day. Why would God do this? Because He is LOVE.
The Scripture says “{God is} … patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).
God in His goodness allows the Atheist Richard Dawkins one more day to mock, and ridicule, and make money off of his foolishness and dark books. Why? To give him an opportunity to repent and come to salvation.
God allowed Atheist Christopher Hitchens to make statements like “I am not an atheist, but an Anti-theist, a term I’m trying to get into circulation … someone who is RELIEVED that there’s no evidence {that there is a God}”. God allowed this godless soul to live until, at 62 years old, he died of cancer induced complications leading to pneumonia. He is now in a burning hell for rejecting the the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus told us:
John 3:16-18 (ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Ignoring the goodness of God and the Grace He offers through Jesus Christ, Hitchens stepped off into eternity mocking the One Who made him. He and others ignore the goodness of God. The hardened lost would have no authority over them, none whatsoever, lest it interfere with the idol that they have erected. But the goodness of God toward the lost eventually wears out.
The Horror Of The Hardened Heart
Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God…
Those who reject the clear evidence of God in the world around us, in our bodies, and who harden their hearts to His goodness – rather than put Christ in their eternal treasury they put the wrath of God into their eternal bank account.
Word Study: Whose fault is it that the lost will eventually incur the wrath of God? It is their fault. They will not repent. They hear the Gospel, and reject it time and time again. Our text speaks of their “hardness and impenitent heart”. The word translated “HARDNESS” is the Greek sklērotēs (pronounced sklay-rot’-ace), which means “calloused, stubborn, hardened”. When a person hears of Christ and senses the Holy Spirit of God encouraging them to repent, but hardens their heart because they do not want to turn their life over to God. They are “IMPENITENT”, they refuse to repent or turn to God.
Right after Jesus fed upwards of 4000 with seven loaves of bread and a few fish (He had previously done this same thing with 5000 Jews) (Mark 8:1-9), Jesus had His disciples go with Him to the district of Dalmanutha. The disciples got on the boat, but forgot to bring the seven baskets of leftover bread with them. Jesus told them,
“Beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees, and the LEAVEN of Herod” (Mark 8:15)
Rather than listen to Jesus, hearing the word “LEAVEN” – which is yeast used in bread production – they began to argue about the bread they left behind. I can hear them now. “Who forgot the bread? You idiot, how are we going to eat? It wasn’t my job to bring the bread, Peter. You’re the leader of this ragged band.”
Jesus looked at the disciples and said:
Mark 8:17-21 (ESV) … “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Jesus was warning them to not become like the Pharisees, the religious crowd, or like Herod, the political crowd. These two groups were godless. They did what they did to be seen of men, but rejected the Christ Who is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). The Pharisees worshiped the Law of God, but rejected the Author of the Law, Jesus Christ the Son of God. The Herodians worshiped the Law of Politics, but rejected the Creator of nations and governments, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The disciples were hardening their hearts just as the godless Pharisees and Herodians were hardening their hearts. Oh, what a horrible thing the hardened heart is!
The hardened heart – like skin being rubbed by an abrasive – becomes deaf and dumb to the things of God. Those so afflicted forget that Jesus is the Bread of Life, that Jesus is both Savior and Lord. Those with a hardened heart forget that there is coming a Judgment Day. We read:
Romans 2:5-6 the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
A Judgment Day is coming for every person who has ever walked the face of this earth. We are told that God will “render to every man according to his deeds”. It is certain that no person is saved by their good works. The Bible is clear that “there is NONE GOOD BUT ONE, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17). The Apostle will tell us in the next chapter,
Romans 3:12 (KJV) … there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one..
This is why God the Father sent His Son Jesus to this earth. Jesus took upon Himself humanity, being made “lower than the angels for the suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9). As humans are made in the image of God, and as humans are universally born in a spiritually dead state, Jesus came to take our penalty upon Himself. The wondrous Gospel calls out to whosoever will, saying:
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (ESV) … We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
When you receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit causes you to be “born again” (John 3:1, 3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3, 23). You are changed – and God does the changing. He calls you to walk with Him, “in Christ” (Romans 8:1-2), a child of the King. One day your WORKS will be judged, the WORKS you started doing as a supernatural result of coming to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life
Those who are God’s children ACT like God’s children. They glorify Jesus and honor the Father with their lives. God’s children know that their works will be judged (which is another sermon), not for salvation, but for reward or loss (see Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Romans 2:8-9 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
But to those who reject the truth which is Christ (John 14:6) and will not obey Him (for Beloved, He is BOTH Savior and Lord), these people are not born again. They will one day receive the reward for their evil works: the “INDIGNATION AND WRATH” of God. That will be horrible. Horrible. But it is a reality that will come.
Romans 2:10-11 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Are you “born again”. Have you called upon Jesus Christ, giving your life over to Him? Or do you reject Him so that you can continue in your idolatrous lifestyle? Judgment day is coming, and we all shall be judged. Do not enter eternity – or even live one more day on this earth – without receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
May God draw you to Him Who is the Bread of Life. Amen and Amen.
Proverbs 12:1-5 (KJV) Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. 2 A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. 3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. 4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. 5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
Opening: I very rarely read Facebook – I just generally use it as a tool to spread the Gospel. But I recently read – and enjoyed – a post made by Jason Lowrance that I thought was very good. I’ll read it to you:
“The devil appeared to three Pastors and said to them: “If I gave you the power to change something in the past, what would you change?” The first of them, with great apostolic fervor, replied: “I would like to prevent you from leading Adam and Eve to sin, so that humanity does not separate from God.” The second, a man full of mercy, said to him: “I will prevent you from straying from God and condemning you forever.” The third of them was the simplest and instead of answering the tempter, he knelt down, bowed his head and prayed: “Lord, deliver me from the temptation of what might have been and what was not.” The demon, screaming and trembling with pain, fled. The other two were surprised and said to him: “Brother, why did you react like this?” And he answered them: “First, we should never talk to the enemy.” “Secondly, no one in the world has the power to change the past.” “Third: Satan’s interest was not to prove our virtue, but to trap us in the past, so that we neglect the present, the only time God gives us His grace and we can cooperate with Him to fulfill His will.” Of all the demons, the one that most holds men back and prevents them from being happy is “what could have been and was not.” The past is left to the mercy of God and the future to His providence. Only the present is in our hands. Live today loving God with all your heart.”
I like the response of that third Pastor. Our Lord Jesus spoke directly to the Devil when tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), but never used His own ideas or opinion. Jesus instead told the devil “It is written”. The Bible tells us about a battle between the devil and Michael the Archangel over the body of Moses. We don’t fully understand what that battle was about – perhaps the devil wanted to possess Moses’ body for some nefarious reason. We don’t know. But we do know what the Scripture says:
Jude 8-9 (KJV) Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
When battling evil neither Jesus nor Michael the Archangel used their own power, opinion, or desires – even though Jesus is God become flesh (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16). The All Mighty in human form relied on the Word and power of God. The Archangel, more powerful than we can imagine, relied on the Word and power of God.
The power for abundant living is found in knowledge of God’s Word. To reject God’s Word is to become “brutish”.
The devil often comes to us and through our sincere emotions seeks to manipulate us into doing that which is contrary to God’s Will and God’s Word. Sincerity is no proof of truth. The truth is in God’s Word. Jesus said
John 17:17 (KJV) {Father,} Thy Word is TRUTH” (John 17:17).
The Psalmist wrote,
Psalm 119:160 (KJV) The sum of Your Word {O God} is TRUTH, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.
Our souls are only purified when we obey the truth of God’s Word. The Apostle wrote:
1 Peter 1:22-23 (ESV) Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again. …
And the stepbrother of Christ wrote:
James 1:21 (ESV) put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
The Wise Person Knows That The Instruction Of God’s Word Can Only Improve His Life
Proverbs 12:1 (KJV) Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
Word Study: We should – if we are born again – “LOVE INSTRUCTION”. The word rendered “INSTRUCTION” is the Hebrew mûsār (pro. Moo-sawr’), which means “chastening, discipline, correction”. The Bible says:
Job 5:17 (KJV) Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the CHASTENING{mûsār} of the Almighty …
God teaches us His Word through the Holy Spirit, and then calls on us to adhere to His Word through the trials of life. We have a tendency to hate pain and suffering. But God uses pain and suffering to strengthen us, to make us more like Jesus. Humans must learn obedience to God by heeding His Word and living by it. Jesus talked about the “wise man who built his house on the Rock” (Matthew 7:24), and the “foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26). God allowed the “rains, the floods, and the wind” to hit both the wise man and the foolish man. When these trials came to the wise man, his house did not fall, but was proven strong because it was built “on the Rock that is Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). But for the foolish man who built on sand, his house fell under the same pressures and trials. His faith was in vain.
It never occurred to me until I worked on this study that both sand and rock are ROCKS. Sand is weaker rock that has broken down by trials. Sand is the destroyed foundations of humanity, the DEI, the willfulness of man, humanism, atheism, evolution, pagan religions, idolatry, et al. Some people build on the shattered rock of humanity and when trials come are dismayed that their lives fall apart. They shouldn’t be – but are blind!
Proverbs 12:1 (KJV)Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
Word Study: Two key words we need to look at in the last part of this verse is “REPROOF” and “BRUTISH”. The word rendered “REPROOF” is the Hebrew tôḵēḥâ (pro. To-kay-khaw’) which means “rebuke, correction, reproof, punishment, chastisement”. The word “BRUTISH” is the Hebrew baʿar (pro. bah’-ar) which means “foolish or stupid”. The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon notes:
Those who live by God’s Word and go through the trials of life relying on God’s Word are children of God becoming more like the Son of God. Those who reject God’s Word and build their lives on the word of man (sand) become like animals, stupid animals. Such people never find the abundant life that God wants to give to them through Christ.
It’s Not Karma. It’s God. There Are Benefits To Obedience
Proverbs 12:2 (KJV) A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
When the Bible speaks of the “good man”, it is not talking of a morally right person. There are many people who walk through this life and are regarded as “good men or women” by society, by culture.
“Good” in the scripture is not what humans are born to, but is what we are born again to.
The Bible tells us that “there are none good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:10, 12), and that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23; 5:12). Apart from God our “righteous acts are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:5). The “good man” is the person who has found the Lord Jesus. God says:
Proverbs 8:35 (ESV) For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord …
Acts 11:24 (ESV) … {Barnabas} was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
It is God Who makes is “good” by His Grace. It is God Who gives us the power to do good. God blesses those who follow Him and do as He says. We who are obedient gain the “favor of the Lord”.
Proverbs 12:2 (KJV) … but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
But to those who ignore the correction of God, who ignore His call to salvation, He will condemn them. They may seem to prosper on the earth, but they will eventually come before God for eternal condemnation.
Proverbs 12:3 (KJV) A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
There is no foundation to wickedness, to evil, to disobedience to the command of God. I am often asked if an eight year old child can be saved. My response is:
“If an eight year old can become an effective King by obeying God’s Word, then an eight year old can be saved by hearing and obeying the Gospel”.
I refer to the youngest King Israel ever had, King Josiah. He is found in:
2 Chronicles 34:1-7 (NKJV) Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. 4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes. 7 When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
Josiah sought God when he was young – probably long before he was eight years old. Seeking God, Josiah used his throne to purge the idolatry out of the land of Judah. He took an active part in the destruction of the pagan altars. When he was eighteen years old Josiah ordered the“repair {of} the house of the Lord his God” (verse 8), the Temple which had fallen into disrepair. Once the Temple was repaired, the Bible says:
2 Chronicles 34:14 (NKJV) Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses …
Judah had gotten away from God’s Word. It was ignored, like the Bible on the shelf, or the King James on the coffee table. The previous King Manasseh, who took throne at 12 years old, was evil and idolatrous, without Christ (2 Chronicles 33:1-2). Because of his evil God caused the Army of Assyria to capture Jerusalem, and bind Manasseh with hooks and fetters, and carry him to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11). Intensely suffering, Manasseh repented, and God allowed him to once more ascend the Throne of David. The seed of disobedience and evil that Manasseh did was planted in his son King Amon, who assumed the throne at 22 years old (2 Chronicles 33:21). King Amon was assassinated after just two years – which brought Josiah to the throne.
Josiah had seen the evil of his grandfather and his father, so that even as a young boy he wanted none of it.
When the Law of Moses was found, Josiah mourned, ordering his staff:
2 Chronicles 34:21 (NKJV) Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.
Because Josiah sought God’s Will and Word, the Lord promised him that he would have peace in his reign (2 Chronicles 34:27-28). Interestingly this was prophesied by a woman prophetess named Huldah (vs 22). When the men will not do God’s Will, the Lord will raise up women to do so. Hearing the prophecy of Huldah, Josiah continued pushing idolatry out of the land, and leading Judah to follow the Lord. The Bible says:
2 Chronicles 34:33 (NKJV) … Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers.
Josiah understood Proverbs 12:3 A man {nor a King, nor a nation}shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. The place for abundant life is in the will and Word of God.
Not Just Men, But Women Are Called To Virtue
Proverbs 12:4 (KJV) A VIRTUOUS woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
Word Study: The word rendered “VIRTUOUS” is the Hebrew ḥayil (pro. khah’-yil), which is a very interesting word. It means “excellent, valiant, focused”. It refers to a woman who is “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). The woman who is focused on the Will and the Word of God is a “crown to her husband”. She lifts him up toward God. She helps her husband as he serves the Lord. A crown brings glory to the wearer. The virtuous woman brings glory to her husband. She is like Huldah the Prophetess, who is described as:
2 Chronicles 34:22 (NKJV) … Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.)
When Josiah told his staff “Go, inquire of the Lord for me”, without hesitation these men sought out Huldah. They did not seek her out because she had a title, but because they knew her as a virtuous woman. Though God has established the office of the Pastor to be filled by men (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6, “the husband of ONE WIFE”), God still uses women of virtue – especially when men will not step up to the plate. The Bible says that during the time of the Judges:
Judges 4:4-5 (KJV) Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Deborah was known as a “virtuous woman”, a woman who loved the Lord. Her home was well known, “and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment”. Is it any wonder that God used her to spur Barak to lead the army of Israel against Canaanite hoards?
God raised up a virtuous woman named Ruth (Ruth 3:11), a Moabite who converted and gave her life to Christ. God chose Ruth to be in the lineage of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5)when she married Boaz. Their son would be the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David.
Sarah the wife of Abraham was a virtuous woman, and is used as a model for Christian women today. The Apostle wrote:
1 Peter 3:1-6 (ESV) Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
The antithesis of the virtuous woman is Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab. It was Jezebel that introduced pagan worship of Baal into Israel, and who supported the evil reign of her husband. The Prophet Job was married to a shrew who, when he was in his greatest suffering, counseled her husband:
Job 2:9 (NKJV) …. Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!
Such a woman is not a crown to her husband, but a knife in his back. I know of a woman like this who, professing to be saved by grace, does all she can to insure that her lost husband stays lost. I’ll end with this:
Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
The righteous woman, the virtuous woman, will think Biblically. Her thoughts will be right, and she will counsel her husband and those around her to that which is right and righteous. The wicked, however, are prone to deceit. They use twisted logic. They play the “blame game”, and deflect Biblical teaching so that they might wallow in their sinful ways. Such a woman is not a crown to her husband, but a hindrance.
Let us all pursue the Will of God by studying the Word of God. For His glory. Amen and Amen.
I was watching a video the other day where they were conducting “Man (or Woman) on the Street” interviews. The reporter was asking each person, “Who said this?” and then they named two political candidates.. What interested me is that most everyone guessed wrong on “Who said this?”. That got me to thinking about doing the same thing, but in a sermon. No, not politics – we’ve got enough of that on television. But on things we hear every day. I’m going to ask quite simply, “Who said this – Jesus or Satan?”
1. Who said “Follow your heart” – Jesus or Satan?
If you thought “Jesus”, you’d be wrong. Jesus never told us to “follow your hearts”. When Jesus came from glory to this earth, He came bearing the Word of God, that which God had said from eternity past. God told us through the Prophet:
Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
The wisest man who ever lived was King Solomon. He wrote in:
Ecclesiastes 9:3 (NKJV) … Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live…
Did Jesus say “follow your heart?” No! Jesus saw the heart of mankind as the source of all evil. Jesus said:
Matthew 15:19 (NKJV) … out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
And in Mark 7:21-23 (ESV) For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.
The heart of mankind (and womankind) has been warped from the time of Adam’s sin and fall from Paradise. God gave Adam a very clear order and a clear warning. He said, “You may eat of every tree in the Garden, BUT the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Genesis 2:16). Satan appealed to the heart of man when he called on Adam and Eve to “Follow your heart”. Satan said, “You will not die when you disobey God. You will become like gods, knowing right and wrong, establishing your own truths”. Jesus never told us to follow our hearts.
Jesus said “Follow Me”.
To the men who loved to fish with all their hearts, Jesus said “FOLLOW ME, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17).
To the ones who had lost loved ones, who said “Let me first go and bury my father”, Jesus said “FOLLOW ME, and let the dead bury the dead”. (Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:59).
To the rich man who loved his money with all his heart Jesus said, “If you would be right with God, go, sell all you have. Give your money to the poor, and come FOLLOW ME.” (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22).
In fact, to be saved you must specifically NOT follow your heart. Jesus said:
“If anyone would come after Me, let him DENY himself, and take up his CROSS, and FOLLOW ME.” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
Judas Iscariot followed his heart when he sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver. After Judas saw Jesus in chains, beaten and bruised, he realized the evil he had done. Judas followed his heart. He took the thirty pieces of silver back the chief priests and elders and tried to give it back. Following his heart, Judas told them “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). The elders said, “That’s your responsibility, not ours”. Throwing down the money, Judas continued to follow his heart. Judas went away, and hung himself. (Matthew 27:5). Had he repented and followed God, he would have lived. But following his heart Judas found no recourse. He died a terrible death, “his body burst open, his intestines spilled out” (Acts 1:18).
Pilate the Governor of Judea found no fault with Jesus. Washing his hands (Matthew 27:24), he followed his heart, and had an innocent Man crucified to please a crowd that was following its murderous heart.
The devil loves when we follow our hearts. The Bible tells us to follow Jesus, and to “guard our hearts” (Proverbs 4:23). Fill your hearts with the Word of God and follow the Lord. That is where joy is.
2. Who said “Be TRUE to yourself” – Jesus or Satan?
I came across this quote the other day, and like it:
“Society preaches three seemingly innocent phrases: “Be true to yourself;” “You be you;” and “You do you.” They all communicate the same philosophy: everyone should unapologetically do what he or she wants, because that’s the path to freedom.”
I’ve already quoted this – but I’ll do it again. The Christian way of life – the Way of Christ – is not in pleasing self but in denying self. In order for God’s work to be done on this earth there must be a denial of self. At one point in His ministry the Bible says that:
Matthew 16:21 (ESV) … Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised …
The Bible tells us that (vs 22-23, AP) “Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him, saying, ‘No Lord, You’re not going to do this. This shall never happened to you’. Jesus told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan – that is devilish thinking. You are hindering Me. You are setting your mind – your HEART – on the things of Man, not God”. At that point Jesus went on to say:
Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV) … If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
God does not call us to “Be True To Yourself”, but to “Deny Yourself” and follow Jesus in carrying the Cross. As my commentary notes:
“Remember, when Jesus invited/commanded his disciples to follow Him:
they left their boats and nets (their identity & livelihood)
began to obey His other commands (leaving their own priorities)
began to learn from Him (beginning to leave their own opinions)
began to imitate Him (beginning to leave their self-righteousness)”
Christians are “New Creatures in Christ”. Accordingly the Scripture tells us not to be true to OURSELVES, but to be true to JESUS. The Bible says:
Romans 13:12-14 … Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
We are to deny ourselves, and be true to Jesus. Period. Any other way is of Satan.
3. Who said “Believe In Yourself” – Jesus or Satan?
The false prophet Norman Vincent Peale (writer of “The Power of Positive Thinking”) wrote:
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy”.
Jesus never told us to believe in ourselves – this is the devil’s whisper. The pagan religions teach “Believe in yourself”. Hindu Swami Vivekananda said, “You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself”. But what didJesus say?
John 14:1 (ESV) Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
As we believe in GOD, we are to believe in JESUS. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Great I AM, God manifest in the flesh. Jesus is the One Whom God has sent to show us the way of light. When Israel believed in themselves, they lost the Promised Land. God told Israel that every 7th year was to be a Sabbatical Year where Israel believed not in themselves, but in God. God gave Israel numerous Sabbaths where they were to cease their own works, and believe in God. Yet Israel believed in themselves – and lost the Promised Land and their freedoms. We are never to believe in ourselves – but in God and in Christ. Jesus said:
John 12:44-50 (ESV) …. Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.
We are not to believe in ourselves apart from the power of Jesus. The Scripture does not say “I can do all things”, but “I can do all things through CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME” (Philippians 4:13, KJV). The Christian is saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The Christian is sanctified – made more godly – by faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said:
John 11:25-26 (KJV) … I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Well, do you?
4. Who said “Live Your Truth” – Jesus or Satan?
The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (Essays) wrote:
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
The concept of “Live YOUR truth” implies that each person has a truth deep within their soul that they must discover and live out. The thought is that your truth may not be the same as my truth – just live YOUR truth. This is not a new idea, but has been around since ancient times. When Jesus stood in front of the Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, he asked Jesus “Are You a King?” Jesus replied:
John 18:37 (AP) I was born and came into the world to bear witness to THE TRUTH. Everyone who knows THE TRUTH hears My voice …
Pilate replied, “What is TRUTH?”. Like most of the world, people want to define truth their way. But Jesus said “I bear witness to THE TRUTH”. In another place, Jesus said:
John 14:6 I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.
Jesus is THE TRUTH. Jesus bears witness to THE TRUTH. Jesus prayed for the Church before He went to the Cross for us all:
John 17:17 (KJV) {Father}, Sanctify them {the Church} through THY TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH.
We do not each have a “truth” within us. There is but One Truth, and that Truth is found in the Word of God, in following Jesus the Faithful Witness of the Truth (Revelation 1:5). Jesus is “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14), God’s Word embodied in perfect Man. If Jesus said it, you can guarantee it is true. We are to not live our truth, but are to live like Jesus, to imitate Him, to let Him as “The Truth” dominate our lives. The Apostle wrote:
Galatians 2:20 (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Our worth comes from God. It is He that made us, and He Who determines what is and is not truth. Rather than “Live Your Truth”, the way of God is to “Live God’s Truth” and “be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).
5. Who said “As Long As You’re Happy, That’s All That Matters” – Jesus or Satan?
Happiness is a temporary emotion. The word “happiness” comes from the Old Norse word “hap”, which means “chance, luck, fortune, fate”. The Norse or Vikings practiced polytheism, the belief in many gods and goddesses. The concept of “happiness” was embedded in American culture by our Declaration of Independence which states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Thomas Jefferson – a Deist and NOT a Christian – borrowed the phrase “pursuit of happiness” from the English Philosopher John Locke, and incorporated it into the Declaration of Independence.
As a Deist, Jefferson valued reason over revelation, and rejected traditional Christian doctrines. Jefferson did not believe in the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of Christ, or the Biblical Doctrine of original sin. The Philosopher Locke wrote:
“The necessity of pursuing happiness [is] the foundation of liberty. As therefore the highest perfection of intellectual nature lies in a careful and constant pursuit of true and solid happiness; so the care of ourselves, that we mistake not imaginary for real happiness, is the necessary foundation of our liberty. ” (An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, pg 348).
The concept “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters” has permeated our culture from its inception. But is it Biblical, something that Jesus endorsed? In His Sermon on the Mount in a section commonly called The Beatitudes, Jesus showed us that Godly Happiness comes not from “the care of ourselves, our self satisfaction”, but in laying ourselves down in service to others. Jesus said:
Matthew 5:3-11 (NKJV) BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [4] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. [5] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. [6] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. [7] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. [8] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the pure in heart, For they shall see God. [9] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. [10] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] BLESSED {makarios, happy} are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Jesus saw happiness not coming from self care and selfishness, but from laying your life down for a greater good. Happiness is only found in pursuit of God, in the enjoyment of Jesus Christ, in following Him. After washing the disciples feet – the act of a slave – our Lord Jesus said:
John 13:13-17 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am. [14] If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. [15] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. [16] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. [17] If ye know these things, happy {makarios} are ye if ye do them.
There is no happiness in self care, in pandering to our every want and desire. Jesus saves us freely when we come to Him by faith, when we repent of serving ourselves as gods and come to Him as the Son of God and God the Son. Once saved by faith, we serve Him as Lord, doing good to others. This is why Jesus told us to “love your enemies. BLESS them that curse you, DO GOOD to them that hate you, and PRAY for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).
The Happy Christian is not the selfish Christian, but the serving Christian.
Keep His commands and you will have His joy. If you are saved, follow Jesus. Jesus said:
John 15:9-11 (KJV) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [10] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. [11] These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.
If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are called not to be selfish, but to serve and love others. You are to show love to others, whether they show it to you or not. Period. You do not do this to work your way to Heaven, but because, saved by faith in Christ, you are a son or daughter of God. You are children born of love. If you are not saved, I invite you to come and receive Jesus as lord and Savior this very day. As the Scripture says:
Romans 10:9-13 KJV That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. [13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Opening: What is the most deadly poison in the world? If you ask scientists, they will tell you that it is not snake venom, nor black mold, nor even radiation poisoning. The most deadly poison they say is not cyanide, arsenic, or strychnine. It is Botulinum toxin. A tiny particle – 1 nanogram, a billionth of a gram … and a gram is 1/30 of an ounce – will kill you.
There is something even more deadly than Botulinum toxin, and what makes it so deadly is that it can creep up on you. No, I’m not talking about Covid or the Flu.
The deadliest thing ever was introduced to our species not by a monkey or a sheep, but by a snake in a garden. This deadly thing is idolatry.
What makes idolatry so deadly is that it’s sneaky. Idolatry turns the truth of God into a lie. Idolatry tells us to not worship the God Who made us, the God of the Bible, but to worship created things. In the Gym that I visit each week there is a mirror that stretches along one of the walls – a HUGE MIRROR. I was walking on the treadmill the other day , and watching people working out with weights while looking in the mirror. There is one woman who is there quite frequently. She’ll work out for a while, then stop, turn and stare at herself in the mirror. I wondered what she was looking at. As I wondered the Lord spoke to my heart, saying: “She’s worshiping her idol”.
Our text defines idolatry.
WORSHIPED and SERVED the CREATURE MORE than the CREATOR
It is God Who made us. The Psalmist wrote:
Psalm 100:3 (AP) Know that the LORD HE IS GOD: It is HE WHO MADE US, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the Sheep of HIS PASTURE
It is God Who created us, created this world, and all that is in it. The Scripture says:
Psalm 24:1 (NKJV) The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
As Creator, God deserves our respect and our worship. He is the Owner of all things, including us. As such, God expects us to serve Him. And yet, so often we expect God to serve us. We ignore God until we have a need in our lives, then we call out to God and demand that He fix what ails us. We want Him to wait on us, instead of what the Scripture says. God wants to bless us. The Scripture says:
Psalm 27:14 (ESV) WAIT {qāvâ, kaw-vaw’ look for with expectation} for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; WAIT {qāvâ} for the Lord!
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) but they who WAIT {qāvâ, kaw-vaw’ look for with expectation} for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
As God’s creatures, His creation, we have the right to LOOK FOR the Lord when we are tried. But we must always remember.
He is THE LORD! He’s not our Servant. He’s not our Genie.
He is the CREATOR and SOVEREIGN over all.
This means that we are to put God first in our lives. When we
WORSHIPED and SERVED the CREATURE MORE than the CREATOR
then we have fallen into idolatry. When we put ourselves first in all things, we are guilty of idolatry.
Idolatry Worships The Human Above The Holy
Romans 1:26-27 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
In idolatry we ask ourselves, “What pleases ME most” as opposed to “What has God said?”
Idolatry began in the Garden of Eden, and was introduced into this world by Satan who took the form of a Serpent. Satan is called “the Great Dragon, the Devil, and that Old Serpent” in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2. He has the power to possess those who are open to his ways. In Ezekiel chapter 28 God condemns the King of Tyre:
Ezekiel 28:1 (ESV) … Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god ….
The King of Tyre made an idol of himself, making himself out to be “a god in the seat of the gods”. The King was following a pattern that the Devil, that old Serpent followed in the Garden of Eden. As God chastises the King of Tyre, He says:
Ezekiel 28:12-17 (ESV) … “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering… You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
The God Who made the King of Tyre, and Lucifer the Arch Angel, made these creatures with wisdom and beauty. Lucifer the Angel was “the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty … in Eden, the garden of God”. Lucifer was given a great job. As an Arch Angel, he was “on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire”. Lucifer ruled the other angels as an Arch Angel, just as the King of Tyre rule a great kingdom that God gave him. Both Lucifer and the King of Tyre began to look at themselves, and forget their purpose. In forgetting their purpose, they stared at their beauty. “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor”. They forgot who made them.
And God cast them down!
The King of Tyre lost his kingdom because of idolatry. Lucifer lost his position as Arch Angel over the other angels. And so it is with all who move into idolatry, worshiping the creature rather than the Creator. When you misplace your God and make yourself a god, then your life falls apart.
Romans 1:26 For this cause GOD GAVE THEM UP unto VILE AFFECTIONS: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Word Study: The phrase “GAVE THEM UP” is the Greek paradidōmi (pro. par-ad-id’-o-mee), which means “to give into the hands of another, to transfer custody to another to be judged, scourged, or condemned”. The word is used in Matthew 4:12 when it states “John the Baptist was CAST INTO PRISON {paradidōmi}”. The woman who looks at herself in the mirror and begins to worship herself, to set her pleasure above the will of the God Who made her. Fixated on herself, God paradidōmi, turns her over to what she is pursuing. These are not godly desires but “VILE AFFECTIONS” {atimia pathos}, “disgraceful or dishonorable suffering passions”. Though this is what the woman pursued, wanting it, it brings with it its own suffering and pain. It is not what the woman was designed for, but something lesser, without actual created purpose.
It is AGAINST NATURE, against created order.
Romans 1:27 And LIKEWISE also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, BURNED in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Word Study: The man that begins to worship himself rather than the Creator Who give him life is “LIKEWISE” turned over to another. They “BURNED” in their lust. This is the Greek ekkaiō (pro. ek-kah’-yo) which means “to set on fire, to burn out”. The picture here is of the man or men who, dousing themselves with gasoline, strike a match and immolate themselves. The “BURNING” they initially chase in passion eventually takes its toll on the creature. Satan through idolatry has convinced them that such behavior is not only normal, but beneficial … but in reality it is destructive and damning.
Sexual Sin Is Not The Only Idolatry
Though God is calling out the LGBTQ+ lifestyle in these passages, He is condemning ALL FORMS of idolatry. It is easy to look at these passages and say with a sense of superiority, “Well, I’m not homosexual or lesbian, so it has nothing to do with me”. But it does. In the next verse we read:
Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Let’s look at that first phrase: “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge”. The idolater does things without any consideration of God. They do not want to “RETAIN” {Greek echō, to have and hold} God in their “KNOWLEDGE” {epignōsis, the knowledge you have in daily life}. They lived their lives divorced from God. Pastor Chuck Smith wrote in “The Gospel According to Grace”:
“Man becomes perverted because he doesn’t want to retain God in his mind. He refuses to glorify God as God, and he seeks to make a god after himself. God gives him up to these vile affections because he has rejected the truth of God within his own heart.”
The idolater always asks the question “What do I want?”, but never asks “What does God want me to do?”
In the marriage, the idolater puts himself or herself FIRST, ignoring the needs of the partner. The idolater doesn’t see the partner as a gift from God, or made in the image of God. That person is just there to fulfill THEIR needs.
In the family, the idolater does not discipline the children, setting standards that they must keep. Children are either ignored, or spoiled. They are raised without any direction from the Word of God.
In the community, the idolater has no concern for what God would have them do for others. The idolater is always looking out for number 1, for what he or she can get.
In the Church, the idolater is constantly moving from congregation to congregation, looking to where he or she feelsbest served. The question is never asked “Where is God leading me to attend and serve?”, but rather “Which Church will best cater to my wants and desires?” The idolater is often easily offended by clear scriptural teaching – and wants as little of it as possible.
In The Kingdom of God the idolater does not heed the call of Christ, Who commanded those He has saved:
Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV) Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Idolatry is self satisfaction, but Christianity is first of all SELF DENIAL. We are not gods. He alone is God. What we do, we do to serve Him, not ourselves. Christianity is to TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. Idolatry is comfortable, myself laying in a recliner all the live long day. Christianity is uncomfortable. It is standing with Christ in the Light of God.
Isaiah 2:5 … come and let us walk In the light of the LORD
1 John 1:7 … if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Jesus was hated for walking in the Light of God. We will be hated for walking in the Light of God. We are to “FOLLOW CHRIST”. We FOLLOW Him, not LEAD Him. We go where Jesus bids us go, and avoid the things He tells us to do. We want to retain God in our knowledge if we are saved. God warns those who reject Him for their own idols:
Isaiah 50:11 … all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled— This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment.
If you reject God, and cling to yourselves, becoming idolaters, God tells us that He will turn us over to another.
Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Word Study: Rejecting God and His call to salvation, refusing to heed Him but instead becoming their own gods and goddesses, God turns them over to a “REPROBATE MIND”. The word translated “REPROBATE” is the Greek adokimos which means “something rejected, cast away, discarded as unfit”. When you will not put God first in your minds, making His will and His Word a priority, God will turn away from you.
Fill your minds with God and Christ and you will do divine things. Empty your minds of God and Christ and you will do useless and harmful things.
Where Does The Troubles Of This World Come From?
Romans 1:29-31 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Someone once asked me, “If there is a loving God, why is there so much evil in the world?” Here you have your answer. The reason there is so much evil in the world is that people refuse to repent and turn to Jesus. They choose instead to build their own gods and goddesses. If God is not in your life, if your heart is not filled with Jesus, then you can BE FILLED WITH ALL else.
God in His Word warns us against idolatry. Our Lord Jesus said:
Luke 14:25-26 (ESV) Now great crowds accompanied {Jesus}, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not HATE his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Word Study: I have heard preachers try to explain away Jesus’ use of the word “HATE” in this passage. I have heard them say “Jesus really didn’t say HATE, but LOVE LESS. You need to love others LESS than Jesus. That’s all He was saying.” Beloved, God chooses His Words very carefully. The word rendered “HATE” is the Greek miseō (pro. mis-eh’-o), which literally means “To DETEST or HATE”. Jesus used the word repeatedly in texts like:
Matthew 5:44 … do good to them that HATE (miseō) you …
Matthew 10:22 … you shall be HATED (miseō) of all men for My sake
Luke 6:22 … Blessed are you when men shall HATE (miseō) you …
John 15:23 … He that HATES (miseō) Me HATES (miseō) My Father
You get the point. The word HATE (miseō) just means “to HATE or DETEST”. So what was Jesus saying when He said the saved need to HATE (miseō) their father, mother, wife, husband or children? The Fifth Commandment of God is to honor our father and mother (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 19:19; Ephesians 6:2). Jesus didn’t mean to dishonor any of our family, or even our own life. But what He was saying is
Don’t make an idol out of your family, of out of yourself. Love Jesus so much more than you love anyone else, even if your family thinks your service to Him is hateful to them.
Not far from this Church there is another gathering of professing Christians. The pastor of that flock believed the Bible, and upheld its teachings until his son came out of the closet and openly professed he was homosexual. At that point the Pastor did a 180 turn and began to preach that homosexuality was perfectly normal, that “Love is love” no matter how it is expressed.
But what does God’s Word say?
The Word of God is always right, and Christ is always right. Jesus defined marriage as one man and one woman. The pastor of that Church is an idolater, as is the pastor of every church that affirms what God condemns. The Scripture says:
Romans 3:4 … let God be true but every man a liar
The further a nation gets from God, the greater the anarchy and lawlessness reigns. People know that sin is wrong. But we believe if we create a law like Roe Vs Wade or Obergefell v. Hodges, and get the majority to say that it’s fine, then God will overlook it. We think that we can name a month of the year after evil, and build television stations dedicated to that which God condemns, then it will be all right. Beloved, when you sin, you sin against the Lord, and your sin shall find you out (Numbers 32:23).
King David thought he could get away with murder and adultery.
Nathan brought his sin to light.
Queen Jezebel thought she could spread idolatry throughout Israel.
Her payday came, and dogs ate her for lunch.
Samson though he could play with prostitutes because he was strong.
Delilah gave him a bad haircut, and the Philistines an eye exam.
Israel thought as God’s Chosen they could chase after idols.
They were chased out of their homes and land for their foolishness.
When King Solomon looked over His Kingdom, he wrote:
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 (ESV) …. I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.
Dear ones, you cannot get away with sin. You cannot get away with idolatry. You may think you can, but there is coming a judgment day. On that day you will stand before God, and your life will be examined.
Do you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Have you repented of your sin, your idolatry, and turned to Him Who gave Himself for you? Or are you putting off Jesus so you can continue in the darkness of idolatry and sin? Our last verse notes:
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Those who pursue sin are “WORTHY OF DEATH”. A judgment day is coming. Which Judge will you stand before? If you reject Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, you will stand before a Great White Throne, and will go into a Lake of Fire for all eternity. But if you put down your idols, and turn to Him Who died for you, calling Him “Lord”, then you have eternal life. Our Lord Jesus said:
John 3:16-21 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
May God the Holy Spirit lead you to put down your idols, and turn to Him Who loves you so. Amen and Amen!
Proverbs 11:22 As a JEWEL OF GOLD in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is WITHOUT DISCRETION (sûr ṭaʿam).
A woman’s beauty is her riches – both internal and external. External beauty will be marred by time and life itself, but internal beauty will deepen as a woman grows in her relationship with the Lord. Solomon likens the woman’s beauty to a “JEWEL OF GOLD”. The woman should guard her beauty, to be careful to whom she gives it. To give her beauty “WITHOUT DISCRETION” (Hebrew sûr ṭaʿam, without careful judgment) through lewd behavior, sexual advances, or immodest dress is to defile that which God gave her for good. When women are indiscrete in dress or behavior with the opposite sex – or even their own gender – they are like a jewel in a pig’s snout.
Under the Law of God (Leviticus 11:7) the pig was not to be eaten because it had hooves but did not chew the cud. The Orthodox Jew considered pigs to be so unclean that they were not even called by their proper name, but were called “davar acher, meaning “another thing”. Jews were not even allowed to raise pigs. Pigs were abhorrent because:
It carried diseases. The Talmud (Kiddushin 49b) states “Ten measures of plagues descended to the world; pigs took nine of them”. The indiscrete woman, like the pig, spreads sexually transmitted diseases throughout the population.
It carries filth. The indiscrete woman enables doing the things which God has decreed are “abominations”. Leviticus 20:10 specified adultery as punishable by death, as did Deuteronomy 22:22-24. To be in a forbidden sexual union was to make yourself unclean (Leviticus 18:10). Both the male and the female were placed under capital punishment for adultery.
The pig symbolized hypocrisy. The outward hooves made it appear clean, but since it did not chew the cud, inwardly it was unclean. A woman who is sexually indiscrete may look outwardly clean, but inwardly she is defiled and a defiler before God.
The Lord tells the woman:
1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV) Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
The godly woman prioritizes her relationship with Jesus Christ above that of any other man. As she grows spiritually, God will increase her inner beauty, and one day she will find the man that is her God chosen mate.
The Benefits Of Righteousness And Generosity Over Stinginess And Trust in Riches
Proverbs 11:23 The desire of the RIGHTEOUS is only good: BUT the expectation of the wicked is WRATH.
The person who is “RIGHTEOUS”, that is, the one who has called on the name of Jesus and has been saved, this person does good. Why? Because this person was “born again” of God’s Holy Spirit because of the shed blood of Christ on Calvary. A person is not “RIGHTEOUS” because they are moral creatures. We are “RIGHTEOUS” because God has imputed the righteousness of Christ to our lives. We are – because of Jesus –
1 Peter 1:23 (KJV) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Unless a person is born again into the family of God, that person cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, 7). The Apostle Paul said:
Philippians 3:8-9 NKJV – Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which [is] from the law, but that which [is] through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
The “RIGHTEOUS” are not Nominal Christians, but Born Again Christians, people who were once dead in trespasses and sins but are now alive through God’s Spirit. The “RIGHTEOUS” seek to do GOOD, not evil. The “RIGHTEOUS” seek to build, not to tear down. Matthew Henry’s Commentarynotes:
“The righteous would have good, only good; all they desire is that it may go well with all about them; they wish no hurt to any, but happiness to all; as to themselves, their desire is not to gratify any evil lust, but to obtain the favor of a good God and to preserve the peace of a good conscience; and good they shall have, that good which they desire, Psalm 37:4. … The wicked would have wrath; they desire the woeful day, that God’s judgments may gratify their passion and revenge, may remove those that stand in their way, and that they may make an advantage to themselves by fishing in troubled waters; and wrath they shall have, so shall their doom be. They expect and desire mischief to others, but it shall return upon themselves; as they loved cursing, they shall have enough of it.”
Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
Those who withhold in giving do so because they think “to scatter my funds or myself is to use up my resources”. But God gives us life to share, not to hoard. When you hoard resources then you have made an idol out of those resources. God has said:
Isaiah 42:8 (NKJV) I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
When you hoard that which God has given you, making an idol of His gifts and blessings, God sees what you do. Just as the farmer can only raise a great crop when he gives away the seed, you cannot have blessings in this life if you don’t share what you have with others. The Bible says:
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NKJV) [So let] each one [give] as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. [8] And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may have an abundance for every good work.
If “God LOVES a CHEERFUL GIVER”, what does God think of the stingy and begrudging?
As we giver, God causes “ALL GRACE ABOUND TO US”. There will always be plenty when we worship God and generously give of our lives and fortunes. Conversely, when we worship our lives and fortunes, God will take away what we have and give it to another.
Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
When you graciously share what God has given you, God will replenish whatever you have given away. Life itself is a gift from God – how are you spending it? Are you hoarding your life? If you sit around all day, selfishly watching the television and not giving of yourself – but demanding of God and others – you bring misery on your own life. I was reading a V.A. email today warning about blood clots in your legs. These clots form when we stay inactive for a long period of time, because when we move our legs it causes blood to flow through our veins. Stay idol or slothful, sitting in your recliner for hours upon hours, and your blood pools and thickens into clots. These clots cause swelling in the legs, and can break loose and move toward the lungs.
Then you can die!
God gives us life to use it for good, especially if you are a born again Christian. You need to get up and GO, and DO that which Christ has commanded. Hoard your life, and you may lose your life. Jesus illustrates this in a parable found in:
Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV) For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
What a wonderful parable! The Master has given each of us “TALENTS”, lives that we have neither earned nor deserved. Some have beauty. Some have talent. Some have riches. Everybody has something that God has given us. If we invest what we have been given for the glory of the Master, we will receive blessings from it. But if we hoard what we have been given – if we are “UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS” – we will LOSE OUR TALENT and be cast off into a place of misery, of darkness, of weeping and gnashing of teeth. I do not believe that this place is hell. I think it is HELL ON EARTH, the place of misery that we make when we are stingy with our lives.
Proverbs 11:26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
The person who is stingy – who hoards the blessings that God has given him – has few friends and many enemies. Word gets around as to how bad Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch is. When God gave Israel the Promised Land of Canaan, He told them:
Leviticus 23:22 (NKJV) When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
God repeated this command again and again:
Leviticus 19:9-10 (NIV) When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord…
When God told Israel to leave grapes on the vine or corn in the field, He always ended the command with “I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD”. God is saying, “I gave the good harvest to you. Let others enjoy some of the harvest. I gave your good health to you. Let others enjoy some of your life. Volunteer. Be a part of your Church. Quit being a bloodthirsty tick or leech who is always wanting. Give. Give of yourself, of your goods, of your time. I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.”
Proverbs 11:27-28 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. 28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
Those who “DILIGENTLY SEEK GOOD”, who reach out and try to uplift and bless others with their lives, they will receive favor from God. But those who try and tear down, who seek the destruction of others – they themselves will fail in the end. If you worship your money like an idol – “TRUSTING IN YOUR RICHES” – you shall fall. Money is a pitiful god. The Scripture says:
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
God is the Source of our blessings – not our money. If you trust in money, if money is your god, then in time you will fall. But if you trust in God, “YOU SHALL FLOURISH LIKE A BRANCH”. Jesus said:
John 15:5 (ESV) I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Bound to Jesus, doing as He commands, we give. We give of ourselves. We give of our time, our tithe, and our talent. When we do so, God blesses. But lay around all day watching television. Stingily hoard what God has given you, instead of giving it away. And watch your life become smaller and smaller, until you have no life left.
Our Greatest Riches Is That We Belong To Christ’s Kingdom
Proverbs 11:29-31 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and HE THAT WINNETH SOULS IS WISE. 31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.
Those who are born again Christians are of the House of Christ, the Kingdom of God. We are told in:
Hebrews 3:6 (KJV) Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
By giving of ourselves we contribute to the building of the House of Christ. When we are stingy with ourselves and our resources, we trouble our own house – and WE WILL INHERIT THE WIND. That’s a fancy way of saying you’ll get NOTHING for your stinginess. The righteous want to give. We want to share Christ with others. “HE THAT WINNETH SOULS IS WISE”. By living for Jesus, and giving as Jesus commands, others see Christ in us and are led to come into the House of Christ by faith in Him. God promises “THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE RECOMPENCED IN THE EARTH”. When you honor the Lord NOW with what He has given you in stewardship, you will be blessed NOW because of it. Conversely, if you do NOT honor the Lord with what He has entrusted to you, what you have, you will lose.
We who are born again Christians belong to Christ’s Kingdom. Let others see Him through how we live our lives. To God be the glory, both now, and into eternity.
Romans 1:17-20 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. [18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; [19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them. [20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…
The “JUST” or “RIGHTEOUS” Shall Live By Faith In God
Word Study: The Bible says “The JUST shall live by faith”. The word translated “JUST” is the Greek dikaios (pro. dik’-ah-yos) which means “those who are RIGHTEOUS, JUSTIFIED or in a RIGHT STATE WITH GOD, the HOLY or BLAMELESS”. This statement is used frequently in the Bible – and NOT just in the New Testament. In the Book of Habakkuk God told the Prophet:
Habakkuk 1:6-7 (ESV) … I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.
Why? Because Israel had departed from following God. Habakkuk wrote:
Habakkuk 1:12 (ESV) … We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
God used the proud, the arrogant Chaldeans (aka Babylonians) to punish Israel for moving from faith. God told Habakkuk:
Habakkuk 2:4 (ESV) … Behold, his soul {the Chaldean soul, the godless ones} is puffed up {proud, believing only in themselves}; it is not UPRIGHT {Hebrew yāšar, pro. yaw-shar’} within him, BUT the RIGHTEOUS {Hebrew ṣadîq, the JUST, the LAWFUL, those RIGHT with God} shall live by his faith.
The righteous live by their faith IN GOD, in the GOD of the Bible. God can use the lost to temper the righteous, to teach us to rely on Him. The mark of the believer is that we KEEP OUR FAITH IN THE LORD.
This passage is from the Old Testament – that’s where it originated, “The JUST shall live by FAITH”. The Apostle uses this same phrase repeatedly throughout the New Testament:
Galatians 3:11 (ESV) Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
It is not keeping the Law of God that saves us, but FAITH in the GOODNESS of God in Christ. We believe that God is good. We believe that God is ALWAYS right. We follow the Law – the Commandments He has given us – not to BE saved, but BECAUSE we are saved. Belief follows with obedience. We are told in:
John 3:36 (ESV) Whoever BELIEVES {Greek pisteuō} in the Son has eternal life; whoever DOES NOT OBEY {Greek apeitheō} the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
If you BELIEVE, you OBEY. You BELIEVE to be saved. You believe that God is Who He says He is. You believe God is right, regardless as to what is popular or politically correct. There are passages in the Old Testament that people – usually so called Nominal Christians – find disturbing, and try to explain away. In 1 Samuel 15:3 God tells Saul:
“go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”
That is a difficult passage that many have tried to explain away. I have heard “theologians” suggest that there are actually two Gods in the Bible – the mean Old Testament God, and the meek and mild New Testament God called Jesus.
Is There A “God Of The New Testament” And Another “God Of The Old Testament”? Absolutely not!
People are appalled by the God Who “struck down the FIRSTBORN in every Egyptian household” (Psalm 135:8; 136:10), the tenth plague He brought on Egypt to force Pharaoh to release Israel. How dare God “take the little ones of Babylon, and dash them against the rocks” (Psalm 137:9)? Didn’t Jesus love the little children, and say “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14)? Did God send Jonah to Nineveh to preach so that 120,000 children might be saved (Jonah 4:11)? How dare God order the deaths of women and children! Has He lost His mind? God cannot be pro-life if He does this!
Beloved, if you are saved you know why such passages are in the Bible. “The Just shall live by faith”. We trust God. We believe God. God doesn’t owe us an explanation – we OWE HIM. If God declared it, if God ordered it, then God knows best. God always knows best!
God has the right to do what He will with His creation. It is His. He says, “All souls are MINE … and the soul that sinneth, IT SHALL DIE” (Ezekiel 18:4). It is God Who made all things. God has the right to do what He will with His creation.
But people want to be God. The created want to be the CREATOR. The job is not available – EVER!
God Himself Has Clearly Shown Us The He Is God (And We Are Not)
Romans 1:18-19 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
People ask “Why has God allowed this? If God is there, why doesn’t He fix things?” Well, God is there, and God is doing what God is supposed to do. When God created humanity, God created us to do specific things. God said:
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) … Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion …
God made humanity “in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”. As God is a Compound Unity, Man and Woman in marriage are a Compound Unity. God created Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion” (Genesis 1:28). When God created us, He gave humanity a specific job. We were to reproduce, and we were to dominate the planet and all that is in it as stewards of God. We are told:
Romans 1:19 …that which may be known of God is manifest in them
Word Study: God has not left Himself a “secret”, but has left very clear evidence that He is. He has “MANIFEST” (Greek phaneros, pro. Fan-er-os’) or “made Himself apparent or easily recognized”. God has not hidden Himself from us, nor is He hard to discover. We just don’t want to discover Him. If there is no God, then WE can be GODS. So we ignore God and His clear evidences.
God reveals Himself IN US in our CONSCIENCE: God has given each and every one of us a conscience. Yes, there are some people who are psychopaths, who have a distorted conscience because of their sin nature. There are the twisted ones like Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, H.H. Holmes, Ted Bundy who do horrid things. But even these people hide what they do because they know it’s evil. We all have consciences. In our conscience, we know that certain things are right and wrong. From civilization to civilization murder, theft, rape are wrong. Only the most depraved of people will justify cannibalization, the eating of human flesh. God gave Israel the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, but every society that is stable recognizes the Commandments. The Apostle tells us that:
Romans 2:14-15 (ESV) … when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness …
The Jews knew that murder was wrong because God’s Law forbade it. But the Gentiles – the non-Jews – know that murder is wrong because God wrote it in our hearts. We know what is right and wrong. It’s in our conscience. God manifests Himself through our conscience.
God reveals Himself IN US in our CREATION:
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse
There is evidence of God’s handiwork in us, and all about us. The human eye is a miracle that creation denying evolutionists cannot explain. Our fingerprints are distinct, I am told that no two are exactly alike. When you go outside you can see a design in the leaves of trees, the systems that keep this world alive. People betray their belief in God by their language. People often take God’s Name in vain in a variety of ways, and even text God’s name in vain (OMG). If there is no God Who created all things, then why don’t we curse Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny? The reality is, even the slowest among us can – if we stop and look – see evidence of God in us, and around us. King David wrote:
Psalm 8:3-9 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
David had no telescopes, no special equipment. He just opened his eyes and looked about him. People have no problem seeing the evidence of God. The reality is, God has manifested Himself very clearly – we just don’t want to acknowledge Him. When we acknowledge Him, then we have to DO something with Him. If He is God and we are not, this will change us. So we reject Him.
It is not that we don’t know there’s a God. We just don’t want to deal with Him.
When Paul preached at Athens “in the midst of Areopagus” (Acts 17:22) he said:
Acts 17:24-28 (ESV) The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In Him we live and move and have our being’;
God is clearly represented in our Conscience and in Creation. He is not far from any of us. The reason that we do not see God is because, as Jesus said:
John 3:19-20 … light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
If there is a God, and He has clearly revealed Himself to us, then we have to do something about that. But if we ignore the clear evidences of God we are free to wallow in the darkness of being our own gods, our own creators.
Romans 1:20 … they are WITHOUT EXCUSE
People Prefer Idols – Man Made Gods – To The Real God
Romans 1:21-23 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
They KNEW GOD. People know God. He has revealed Himself through Conscience, through Creation, and through Christ. People rejected the very clear evidence that God gave of Himself in our bodies, in our souls, and in our world and beyond. God raised up Israel, and gave her the Law. And yet people continued to reject God and turn instead to idols.
Rejecting the God Who clearly is in favor of a man-made idol is Divine Identity Theft. God could have destroyed us all when we robbed Him of His glory. But instead, the God Who is so good went beyond conscience and creation.
God sent His Son Jesus to show us God.
Jesus came into this world with a very clear message. Jesus “spoke the Words of God, and God gave His Spirit unto Jesus without measure” (John 3:34). Jesus came into a broken world to bring wholeness. He called on people to “REPENT” and to “believe on Me, Whom God has sent” (John 6:29). Jesus offered union with God to whoever would believe on Him. Jesus said:
John 17:3 (KJV) … this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
God sent His Son to save us from ourselves, from our sins. God loves us, and calls us to His side to love Him, to be filled with the love of God.
1 John 4:10 (KJV) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation {Greek hilasmos, satisfactory payment}for our sins.
Jesus was proved to be the Son of God by the miracles that He did while on this earth. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead. Jesus did that which no human can do. Jesus forgave sins. “Your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5-12)Jesus told the paralyzed man before healing him. “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more” (John 8:10-11) Jesus told the woman taken in adultery. Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus, and cried “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43-44)! With His word, the dead was raised back to life. When Jesus cast out demons, the demons cried out “You are the Son of God” (Luke 4:41). When Jesus commanded the storm “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39) and it stopped, those in the boat with Him said “Truly You are THE Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). Jesus told His disciples:
John 8:32 … You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world …
and prayed,
John 17:5 … Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
When Jesus was beaten and tormented, tortured and nailed to the Cross, dying for your sins and mine, He said “It is finished” and the veil of the Temple tore from top to bottom. Following that earthquake the Centurion who crucified Jesus and the men with Him said,
Matthew 27:54 … this Man TRULY WAS THE SON OF GOD
This Jesus rose from the dead, three days and three nights later, just as He said He would. Jesus proves there is a God, for He Himself is God. My commentary notes:
“John writes in his gospel: “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:18, NLT). Paul told the Colossians, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation” (Colossians 1:15, NLT). And Jesus said to Philip, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9, NLT).
The signs and wonders Jesus performed revealed the glory and power of God. The way He lived, the miracles He performed, and His teachings and parables all demonstrated how much the Father cares for us. The way to know the Father and have a relationship with Him is to know the Son, who is the fullness of God’s revelation of Himself (Galatians 4:4–5; Hebrews 1:1–2).”
Through Conscience, through Creation, through Christ we clearly see that there is a God Who loves us, and calls us to His side. But many instead of believing on God,
Romans 1:23 … changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
If You Give Up On God, Eventually God Will Give Up On You
Romans 1:24-25 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Those who reject God “love darkness more than light” (John 3:19). It is not that God isn’t there or that God is hard to find. He isn’t. God is near to us all. “In Him we live and move and have our being”. You can no more ignore the reality of God than you can wade in the ocean and doubt its existence.
When people reject God and His advances over and over again, in time “God WILL give them up to uncleanness”. If you want the darkness, and repeated reject the light of Christ, God will let you have what you want. We are told that:
John 3:18 (ESV) He who believes in Him {in Jesus} is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Our text today should stand as a stark reminder to us all that we should RUN, not walk but RUN into the arms of Jesus. We should put our idols down and give our lives to Him, believing that Jesus has power to save us. Those who reject Christ “DISHONOR THEIR OWN BODIES between themselves”. They do things which are not only destructive to themselves, but that bring destruction on their friends and loved ones.
There is a God. He has proven Himself in creation, in your conscience, and in Jesus Christ. He calls you to Himself through Jesus. Repent! Turn from being your own God. Put all your idols down, and come to Jesus. Do so without delay. In Jesus’ name I beg you.
Proverbs 11:15-21 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretyship is sure. 16 A gracious woman retaineth honor: and strong men retain riches. 17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. 18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. 19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death. 20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in their way are his delight. 21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
Christians Are Gracious
The fruit of the Christian life should be graciousness. We have received undeserved grace from the Lord Jesus Christ. We – in turn – should be gracious to others. When Jesus sent out His Apostles to minister, He told them:
Matthew 10:8 … (NIV) Freely you have received; freely give ..
The Apostle Paul gathered the Church at Ephesus and, speaking to those he so loved, encouraged the Church to live by GRACE. He said:
Acts 20:32-35 (NKJV) So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
God gave grace freely to His Children, and we, in turn, are to give graciously. The mark of the true Christian is the one who shows the fruit of hospitality. The Scripture says “show HOSPITALITY to one another WITHOUT GRUMBLING” (1 Peter 4:9). We are commanded to “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (Romans 12:13). But our generosity is not just to be IN the Church, but OUTSIDE of the Church. We are told:
Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
The stingy Christian has forgotten where their priority is to be. As Christ gave to the glory of the Father, so we give to the glory of the Son.
However, we are to be careful in our grace giving. We read:
Proverbs 11:15 He that is SURETY for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretyship is sure.
This Proverb is almost poetic! “He that hateth suretyship is sure”. What is the Proverb talking about? The Hebrew for “SURETY” is ʿāraḇ (pro. Aw-rab’) which means “to give a pledge for, to sign a contract or enter a covenant for”. As believers we are to give help to those in need – as needed. But we are NEVER to enter into a contract or an obligation for another whom we do not know. The only ones that we should give “SURETYSHIP” (tāqaʿ, pro. taw-kah’) to is someone that we are WELL acquainted with. The word tāqaʿ means “to bind yourself with contractually, to tie the knot with, to become a bondsman with or yoke yourself legally with”. You need to be very careful who you make a pledge to, who you make a contract with. Your good name is important. If you are not careful with who you become “co-signers” with, they can destroy your estate.
In short, there are a lot of godless monsters out there that will destroy you if you yoke yourself with them. Be careful! Hate suretyship with anyone that you are not VERY WELL acquainted with – even if it’s a relative.
The Bible tells us to avoid unequal yokes or partnerships with people. Particularly with unbelievers:
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
As a pastor I come into contact with people who are down on their luck, and needing assistance. I do not give loans to anyone. People come to me needing help with their utility bills. If I do this, I go to the utility myself and pay what portion of the bill I agree to. I’ve had people ask if we have “gas cards”. No, I will not give gas cards nor food cards to strangers. They can use the cards to buy alcohol, cigarettes, etc rather than gas. I go to the gas station and pump their gas myself. There was a time when we could put people in motel rooms overnight. Now I can’t. If I do, the motel requires that we exercise surety for that homeless person. If they steal a television, I am liable for it. I will NOT put someone up because of that.
As believers, we are to be gracious. But we are also to be careful. Jesus said,
Matthew 10:16 … I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Several years ago I had the pleasure of knowing a strange couple I’ll just call “R” and “K”. “R” worked a good job, and brought in much more money every week than I did as a pastor (though I didn’t know it at the time). “R’s” wife “K” was a bipolar manic-depressive person. She would get hold of the bank card and spend all their money on frivolous things, so much so that they couldn’t pay their utility bills. This is when “R” would call me, and beg the Church to pay his utility bills. I did that twice before I realized “R” and “K” were robbing me and the Church. “R” made twice my paycheck. I told “R” that before we would help them any more, they would have to come to the Church and the Deacons along with the Treasurer would help them set a budget. “R” refused indignantly. This was a violation of his privacy. “R” and “K” left the Church, spreading the news that the Church was money grubbing, and would not help its members. They are liars on the order of Ananias and Sapphira.
This couple tried looking me up a couple of years ago, but I hid from them. I gnawed my leg off one time to get away – I’m not going to get back into that trap again!
Proverbs 11:16 A GRACIOUS woman retaineth honor: and STRONG men retain riches.
Word Study: The word “GRACIOUS” is the Hebrew ḥēn (pro. Khane) which means “one who is favored, precious, the recipient of Grace”. The Christian woman should always remember that the greatest thing she possesses is her HONOR, her standing in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the world. I can’t tell you how many young women I have met who chose to marry ungodly and uncouth men thinking that they could change them in time.
Beloved, if you marry a monkey, you’ll have to live with an ape!
The Blood of Jesus Christ purchased your salvation. You are daughters of God. Walk as His daughters. He has chosen a proper mate for you, and will reveal that man at the right time. Before giving yourselves away, realize who you are giving yourselves to. Turn away from the godless man, regardless as to how “exciting” he looks. Retain your honor – do not give away your precious life to a person who hates Christ. Now the man is addressed:
STRONG men retain riches
Being a Christian does not mean that you are to be a doormat. You are a son of God by the sacrifice of the Only Begotten. You are precious in God’s sight. Do not allow yourself to be bullied into the foolishness of this fallen world. Be generous with what you can freely give, but do not let anyone take evil advantage of you. The Bible says that …
Numbers 12:3 … the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.
Moses was a humble man, but he was not a milksop nor effeminate. Moses stood his ground when challenged, and clung to the Word of God. When challenged, he prayed to God. And Moses knew how to say NO. He was a STRONG MAN.
When we as men rely on God, we have His promise.
Psalm 37:11 … the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Psalm 147:6 … The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
Our Lord Jesus is “meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29), but He was not wishy-washy, effeminate, sissy, or a floor-mat. Jesus spoke the truth in love whether it hurt feelings or not. Twice Jesus chased the money changers out of the Temple with knotted cords, saying “You shall not make My Father’s House a den of thieves” (Jeremiah 7:11; Matthew 21:12-13).
A strong man will not let another rob him of his riches. The strong Christian man will not let the devil or this world rob him of his blessed walk with Christ.
Christians Are Gracious In Forgiveness
Proverbs 11:17 The MERCIFUL man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is CRUEL troubleth his own flesh.
When Jesus said “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), He did not say it was BETTER, but MORE BLESSED. There is a difference. Yes, it is better to give. But it is better BECAUSE IT BRINGS MORE BLESSINGS TO THOSE WHO DO SO. “MORE BLESSED” is the Greek mallon makarios, which literally means “much greater HAPPINESS”. People today are looking for happiness in fame, in beauty, in money or power. These are all things that are focused on self. But Jesus said “If you want to truly be HAPPY, then GIVE of yourself”. When you give of yourself, freely and without strings, God will bless it. We are told in;
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV) The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
When you graciously give, God will give graciously to you. The same is true nor of just TANGIBLES like goods and food, but INTANGIBLES like forgiveness and mercy. When someone wrongs you, rather than seek retribution, do good toward that person. Jesus said:
Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
You love your enemies not because it is better for THEM, but because it is better FOR YOUR SOUL.
Proverbs 11:17 The MERCIFUL man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is CRUEL troubleth his own flesh.
When you carry grudges or hatred, a sense that you have been wronged, then it weighs down on your own soul. It is sinful to do so. I tried explaining this to a Deacon named “S” years ago. He had a grudge again another Deacon named “T” because “T’s” wife hurt his feelings with her sharp, naggy tongue. Yes, “T’s” wife “L A” was a hot mess … but Deacon “S” mounted a campaign to have the family he hated cast out of the Church. He did so, but also ended up destroying the Church. The Bible says to trust God and let it go:
Romans 12:19 (NKJV) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Let God deal with it. Put it out of your head. Be merciful, not cruel – and protect your own soul.
The Christian Is To Do Good, Not Evil. To Be Light, Not Dark.
Proverbs 11:18-19 The wicked worketh a DECEITFUL work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. 19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Word Study: The WICKED or lost person is characterized by “DECEITFUL” work. The word “DECEITFUL” is the Hebrew šeqer (pro. sheh’-ker) which means “lying, falsehood, that which deceives or is fraudulent”. The Pastor who tells you that you can walk an aisle, profess Christ, then go live life whatever way you want and you’ll go to Heaven is wicked, evil, lost. That person is like the Pharisees of whom Jesus said:
Matthew 23:13-15 … woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
People are always church-hopping, looking for a preacher to tickle their ears, to make them happy. The preacher who loves you will tell you the truth – even if it stings. Jesus did this. He preached hard messages, but He did so because He loved those He preached to. God will bless those who “soweth righteousness”, who speak the Word of God truly and without embellishment. We are told:
righteousness tendeth to life
When God saves a soul, He saves that soul FROM sin, not IN sin. He saves a person, then leads us to follow Christ, to “walk in the light as He is in the light”(1 John 1:8-9). Those who pursue righteousness – who live for the Lord – have abundant life now, and eternal life in glory. However,
he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death
The Bible is very clear that “the wages of sin IS DEATH” (Romans 6:23). There is coming a payday someday. God promises,
Romans 2:8-9 (ESV) … those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek …
We read:
Proverbs 11:20-21 They that are of a FROWARD (ʿiqqēš, pro. Ik-kashe’, twisted or perverted) heart are abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in their way are his delight. 21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
God will one day cut off the unrighteous from this earth. The unrighteous cannot inherit Heaven, but are headed toward eternal damnation. But God will deliver the “SEED”, the house of those who love the Lord. Let us strive to honor our God while we have life. He will bless His children by faith – if we will but follow Him.
May God lead you to follow Christ this very day. Amen.
Romans 1:8-17 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
I was reading an article the other day about the first vending machine ever made. In the article the author stated:
“the first-ever vending machine was utilized all the way back in the 1st century A.D. — by the Christian church. No, it didn’t dispense indulgences, though that would have been awesome, and probably have inspired rampant sinning in a 10-foot radius of the machine. What it did dispense, as if it was Fruitopia or Surge, was holy water.
Apparently, there was a real problem with people taking more holy water than they paid for. As a non-Christian, this is surprising on two levels because first, I didn’t think that was something you bought, and second, hoarding holy water seems like a heavy-handed metaphor, not a real problem.
Nevertheless, everyone wanted as much of this water as they could get. It was like reverse Dasani. Thus, a man named Hero of Alexandria, which I assure you is his name and not a placeholder I forgot to remove, designed a solution. People would be given tokens that they could trade for their allotment of holy water…”
Of course there were numerous comments with the article about how crooked Christians were even back then. This idea has been spreading through the Internet for years – I didn’t learn of it until this week. But the reality is that the inventor of the Holy Water Dispenser – Hero of Alexandria – died in 70 AD. At that time the Church was under heavy persecution, and had no temples nor buildings until the time of Emperor Constantine in 313 AD signed the Edict of Milan. Christians didn’t have holy water dispensers nor buildings to put them in, as Christians were being killed for their faith. According to the site History Facts, the Holy Water Dispenser that Hero of Alexandria created was made for the pagan worship temples of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian gods.
It had nothing to do with Christianity.
But I’m not surprised. If the devil and the devil’s world hates any faith, it is the faith of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. The devil and his dark kingdom is constantly at work striving to manipulate the Gospel message. The Apostle said:
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) .. we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The devil does not want us to understand the Gospel, for it is the Gospel and the Gospel alone that will defeat the forces of evil, and saved those which are lost.
The Gospel Is A Work Of God That Produces A Visible Faith
Before the Apostle chastises or corrects the Roman Christians, he starts out with a positive note. He starts out with
Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Paul thanks God for the Christian Churches in Rome. Paul does the same thing for the Churches at Corinth:
1 Corinthians 1:4-5 (NKJV) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him …
The Churches at Ephesus:
Ephesians 1:15-16 (NKJV) Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers …
The Churches at Philippi:
Philippians 1:3-5 (NKJV) I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now…
and to the Churches at Colossae:
Colossians 1:3-5 (NKJV) We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel …
I can go through every New Testament Book and find similar statements, but you see my point. When the Writer (inspired by God the Holy Spirit) addresses the Churches, he always notes that there is a clear evidence that the Gospel not only saved these communities of faith, but brought about a God given love in the hearts of its people – an enduring changed faith. The Gospel is not a “bootstraps” program where we work our way to God. Paul writes:
Romans 1:8 … I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all …
Paul does not thank the people for living in their faith. He says “I thank my God THROUGH Jesus Christ”. The Gospel is the message of salvation, but God is the worker in the Gospel. God the Holy Spirit – the same One Who controlled the writers of the Scripture – brings a Gospel change to those who repent and surrender their lives to Christ. Think about this statement:
Romans 1:8 … that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
The Roman Christians had a FAITH THAT WAS SPOKEN OF. Though there was no Internet, no Television, no Newspapers nor Radio, no Social Media of any type, the Roman Empire was SPEAKING about these Christians. They were living their faith out loud. Not just in Church buildings (which did not exist until after the Edict of Milan), but on the street, in their businesses, and in the marketplace. The Roman world was decidedly NOT sympathetic to these Christian believers. Had Christians worshiped multiple gods and goddesses, they would have been accepted. But Christians worshiped One God, serving Him alone. Because of this
Romans called Christians “atheists”.
The Roman citizen was taught falsehoods about Christian rituals. They were taught that the Lord’s Table was “actually a cannibalistic affair in which Christians ate the flesh and drank the blood of their master. The use of the holy kiss led the Romans to believe that the Christians were engaged in raucous orgies when they met together. And the fact that Christians referred to each other as “brother” and “sister” gave rise to rumors of incest among them.”
As the Roman Empire grew, it became harder to maintain order over the various conquered nations with their gods and goddesses. To stabilize power Rome taught Emperor Worship – that Caesar was “Lord”. An article on the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary notes:
“Toward the end of the first century, (Roman) Emperor Domitian sent out a decree that all in his empire should worship him as “God the Lord.” Residents of the empire were ordered to come to the public square, burn a pinch of incense, and speak the words Caesar kurios, “Caesar is lord.” This act of devotion seemed little enough in light of the emperor’s divine power and benevolence toward his subjects. And refusal could result in imprisonment, confiscation of property, banishment, and even death. Christians, however, did refuse. They confessed a higher allegiance: Iesous kurios, “Jesus is Lord,” recalling Paul’s admonition, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)”
The Roman Christians were on the front line of this battle with darkness, and yet “their faith was spoken of THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD”. Christians in Rome were not just shamed, but were tortured, made sport of in the coliseum, and killed. Yet they continued to stand up for Jesus. Paul knew how hard this was, as he himself was a constant target for attack. He writes:
Romans 1:9-11 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established…
Paul prayed for these Churches, that they would be strengthened in their faith to endure the persecution they were going through. Paul wanted to get to Rome where he could share the Word of God with them, to strengthen them in their battle against darkness.
Paul Wanted To Preach The Gospel To The Romans
For some weird reason (and the devil is probably at the center of it), people think that the Gospel is only for the lost, to save a person to Christ. The Gospel is not just for the lost – it’s for the saved as well.
Romans 1:12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
The Gospel COMFORTS the believer, and brings us into union with one another. The Gospel bridges the differences in each person. We all have different opinions, different ideas, different likes and dislikes. But we have ONE GOSPEL. The Gospel is:
1. We are ALL SINNERS, and NONE are WORTHY on their own to come to God or be in God’s Presence. “No one is righteous – not even one” (Romans 3:10, NLT). We without Christ can do no good in God’s eyes. “No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:12, NLT).
2. We are born hopelessly separated from God. But “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). We are born spiritually dead, but God came to this earth to give His life for us. Jesus came down from Heaven and “died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 5:3). His end goal was to call whosoever will to His side so that God the Holy Spirit could cause us to be born again, changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive children of God.
3. Repenting and calling on the name of Jesus, we are saved because Jesus purchased us to His Kingdom. The Scripture says:
1 Peter 3:18 (AP) Christ suffered ONCE FOR SINS, THE RIGHTEOUS (SUFFERED) FOR THE UNRIGHTEOUS, to BRING US TO GOD
and again,
1 Peter 2:24 (AP) (Jesus Christ) HIMSELF BORE OUR SINS IN HIS BODY ON THE CROSS. Why? So that we (who are saved by faith in Him) might DIE TO SINS AND LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. By His wounds WE ARE HEALED.
4. Saved into the Kingdom of God by faith, our faith SHOULD BE SPOKEN OF THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
We are saved from darkness, and to light; from sin to the Savior; from this world to the Kingdom of God.
Christians come together because our faith is ONE. We comfort one another by looking to the Gospel, and realizing how good the Gospel is. The Apostle writes to the Christian Churches of Philippi:
Philippians 1:27 (ESV) … let your manner of life be worthy (axios) of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel
Sinclair B Ferguson in his book “Worthy: Living In Light of the Gospel”writes:
“In English versions of the New Testament, the Greek word axios is usually translated “worthy.” But its flavor is expressed elsewhere when it is translated “in keeping with” (Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20). Like many other words, there is a picture lying behind the origin of axios. It means “Properly, ‘bringing up the other beam of the scales,’ ‘bringing into equilibrium,’ and therefore ‘equivalent.’ … The basic idea is that a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ expresses in the form of a lifestyle what the gospel teaches in the form of a message. Such a life takes on a character that reflects the character of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
We are to be like Jesus. He is THE Son of God, but we are to be “sons and daughters of God”. Those saved by Him are to imitate Him.
Those who PROFESS Christ are to be POSSESSED of Christ. The Gospel is not a “one and done” message, but is what saves us, and what we live by.
Romans 1:13-14 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
Word Study: Though Paul has never preached the Gospel to the Churches at Rome, he has wanted to do so. He said “I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto)”. This is Old English. Let me put it in plain language. Paul is saying, “I tried to come be with you several times, but I was stopped up to this point”. Why? Because God sent Paul to preach the Gospel in other areas, to other nationalities of people. Paul says, “I am DEBTOR both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise”. The word “DEBTOR” is the Greek opheiletēs, which means “to be under obligation to another, be bound by duty”. Saved by the Grace of God, called to Christ’s side by the glorious Gospel, Paul is under obligation to “preach the Gospel”. He has preached the Gospel in other places, to well to do people, and to bums by the world’s standard. He has preached the Gospel to the wise, the educated, the Doctors and Pharisees. He has preached the Gospel to barbarians, uncivilized or savage people. Then Paul drops this bombshell:
Romans 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
Wait a minute! The Churches at Rome – we were told earlier – had a “faith spoken of throughout the whole world”. If they’ve got a faith that has endured through all the persecution at ground zero, through all the shaming, through all the torture and humiliation and, yes, the killing and raping …. then WHY DO THEY NEED TO HEAR THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL THROUGH PAUL?
Because the Gospel is the driving force of Christianity. The Good News that God loves us, and gave Himself for us – we need to hear some form of that every time we meet.
The Gospel reminds us that we need God in Christ every single moment of every day. The Gospel is God the Son holding my hand. I came to the Gospel when the Holy Spirit convicted me that I was damned and shortly headed to hell. Down on my knees I cried out, “What must I do?” (Acts 2:37; 16:30). Broken, I needed the Great Physician. I heard the answer of the Spirit, “Repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Give your life to Him, and you will be saved” (Acts 2:38). Forsake all you have, come and follow Jesus (Luke 18:22). And He will save – and keep on saving.
When people “backslide” from Christ, the problem always lies in their perception of the Gospel. When you become “your own”, then you have abandoned the Gospel. What says the Scripture?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (AP) … You are NOT YOUR OWN. You are BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: therefore glorify God in your BODY and in your SPIRIT, for they belong to God.
When you try to do penance for your sins, or say “I have no sin”, you have abandoned the Gospel:
1 John 1:7-9 (KJV) … if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When I consider myself superior to another believer, we have abandoned the Gospel. We are all broken. We all need the Gospel. Not just at the point of salvation, but every moment of every day.
The Gospel Is God’s Power Unto Salvation
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Paul loved the Gospel – and we should, too. We cannot change people. But God’s Gospel can. We cannot save the nation. But God’s Gospel can. The Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”. This is not talking about a momentary belief, a one time thing. When the Gospel is first believed, it brings about a change in that person. What is that change?
Romans 1:17 … the JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
We are born into Christ’s Kingdom by the Gospel. We live our lives by the Gospel. We leave this life confident of another, greater glory with God because of the Gospel. Do you know Him? Those who profess Christ, but live in sin, do not know the Gospel. The old time Puritan Chaplain John Owen (1616-1683) wrote:
“Never was there less regard of the person and offices of Christ, of his grace, and benefits of his mediation, among them that are called Christians, than is found among many at this day. Unless God graciously relieve, the world is like to lose Christ out of the gospel, as to the true glory of his person, and use of his mediation. … That which is the foundation of our profession in opposition hereunto, which we lay the weight of all our eternal concerns upon, is, that without Christ, before we receive him as set forth by God to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, we are in a lost, undone, and accursed condition; that our closing with him, our believing in him, is upon a conviction of our want of him for life, righteousness, and acceptation with God, both before and after believing.”
The Gospel is found in Christ. Christ is the Gospel. We need Him for salvation. We need Him for life. We need Him through life. We need Him throughout all eternity.
I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all And if I’m in trouble on his name I’ll call If I didn’t trust him I’d be less of a man ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand Oh Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand The mountains too high and the valleys too wide Down on my knees that’s where I learned to stand ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand Oh Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. (Cody Johnson)
bibleteacher.org 