True Religion The Way Of Christ

Posted on September 7, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Matthew 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

What Is The “True Religion”?
Only The Way Of Jesus

I was shopping for some more pants the other day when I came across a brand of blue jeans called True Religion™ . That caught my eye. Why is it called “True Religion™ ”? I went and looked up the brand on the Internet. It was founded in 2002 by Jeffrey Lubell. The name of the company is based on his philosophy – these are his words – “There’s really only one religion in the world, and that’s people—and we all wear jeans”. What Lubell is selling besides blue jeans is what the devil sold from the beginning. He believes that every person should stay true to themselves regardless as to societal rules or religious divides. In short, a “True Religion” puts me first.

I don’t wear blue jeans, and the True Religion™ jeans are too expensive for me anyway. But the philosophy is just the old sermon the snake preached in the Garden of Eden.

When Jesus sat down to preach His “Sermon on the Mount”, the first thing He did was go through the various misunderstandings that the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees had about the Law of God. These religious teachers had departed from the core of the Scripture many years before, and Jesus would call them out on it. He told them:

(Matthew 15:7-9 NKJV) Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: [8] ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with [their] lips, But their heart is far from Me. [9] And in vain they worship Me, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’

Jesus is not rewriting the Law, nor erasing the Law. Jesus told us last week “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to FULFILL {plēroō, to bring forth the full measure}” (Matthew 5:17). That’s what Jesus starts to do. He says:

Jesus Fulfilling The Law

Matthew 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, THOU SHALT NOT KILL; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the JUDGMENT

Jesus is careful in how He states this. He doesn’t say “It is written in the Law, but I say unto you”. What Jesus says is “it was said OF THEM OF OLD TIME”. Not the Prophets. Not Moses. It was said by the religious teachers, not by God. The Sixth Commandment of God was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. It states:

(Exodus 20:13 NKJV) You shall not MURDER {rāṣaḥ, to murder or assassinate}.

The Pharisees and Scribes taught that that which was punishable was only to take innocent life. It was only the physical action that was prohibited. This is what was taught in the Synagogues, and had been mistaught from the time of the giving of the Law. Jesus said, “That’s not all that the Father was speaking of”. Jesus then fulfills the Law by saying:

Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is ANGRY WITH HIS BROTHER WITHOUT A CAUSE shall be in danger of the judgment …

It is not sinful to be angry with someone, especially when they hurt you. The Bible says:

(Ephesians 4:25-27 KJV) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. [26] BE YE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: [27] NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL.

You can be angry with a brother or sister WITH CAUSE. But there must be cause. And even so, you MUST NOT NURSE THE ANGER beyond the sunset.

Homicide is many times the fruit of uncontrolled anger and hatred. If you leave the seed of anger in your soul, it may grow to destroy not just your life, but the life of another.

When you carry anger against another person beyond the sunset, you open the door for Satan to manipulate your life. Anger is not a fruit of the Spirit. It is the fruit of the flesh. God says that murderers will be in the Lake of Fire one day:

Revelation 21:8 (ESV) … as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as FOR MURDERERS, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

The Law of God declared:

(Leviticus 19:16-18 LSB) You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and YOU SHALL NOT STAND AGAINST THE LIFE OF YOUR NEIGHBOR; I am Yahweh. [17] ‘You SHALL NOT HATE YOUR BROTHER IN YOUR HEART; you MAY SURELY REPROVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and so not bear sin because of him. [18] ‘You SHALL NOT TAKE VENGEANCE, and you SHALL NOT KEEP YOUR ANGER AGAINST THE SONS OF YOUR PEOPLE, but you shall LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF; I am Yahweh.

The Apostle John stated:

(1 John 3:14-15 NKJV) We know that we have passed from death to life, because WE LOVE THE BRETHREN. HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER ABIDES IN DEATH. [15] Whoever HATES HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER, and you know that NO MURDERER HAS ETERNAL LIFE ABIDING IN HIM.

Uncontrolled Anger Can Not Only Lead To Murder
It Can Effect Your Walk With God

Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, RACA, shall be in danger of the Council: but whosoever shall say, Thou FOOL {mōros}, shall be in danger of hell fire.

God looks at the heart of every person. If you harbor anger – even if no one else sees it – God sees it. And you are “in danger of the judgment”. God can punish you for this. God punishes His children because He loves them and wants the best for us (Hebrews 12:5-8; Proverbs 3:11-12). If you say to your brother “RACA”, and Arabic word which means “you are empty headed, worthless, or good for nothing”, you can be taken before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Ruling Council, and be charged with slander or defamation of character. The Bible says:

Proverbs 10:18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

To slander someone is also a violation of the Ninth Commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). God told His Old Covenant Israel:

(Psalm 101:5-6 LSB) Whoever SECRETLY SLANDERS HIS NEIGHBOR, HIM WILL I DESTROY; Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart, I will not endure. [6] MY EYES SHALL BE UPON THE FAITHFUL OF THE LAND, that THEY MAY ABIDE WITH ME; He who walks in the way of the blameless is the one who will minister to Me.

Jesus also said “whosoever shall say, THOU FOOL, shall be IN DANGER OF HELL FIRE”. To call someone a “FOOL” is to say that they are totally without God. God can make these judgments. In fact, Jesus chastised the Scribes and Pharisees, saying:

(Matthew 23:17, 19 KJV) [Ye] FOOLS {mōros} and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? … [19] [Ye] FOOL {mōros} and blind: for whether [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

All judgment is committed to Jesus – God Incarnate – so He, looking at the heart of the Scribes and Pharisees, could call them FOOLS {mōros}. But we cannot do this. And we should not.

Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there REMEMBEREST {mnaomai} that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

When you come to serve the Lord, if you are nursing an old grudge and are a child of God, God the Holy Spirit will bring this to your memory (John 14:26). He will remind you the words of Christ. Before you serve God, go and seek reconciliation with your brother. As Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25). The Kingdom of God does not need division, but unity and love.

Only The Darkness Wins When Believers
Are Public Adversaries

Matthew 5:25-26 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles THOU ART IN THE WAY WITH HIM; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Jesus is not telling us to modify or adjust the teachings of the Word of God in order to placate a lost and dying world. As believers in Christ, the most important thing we do is bring light into a lost world. There are many things that are just not worth arguing about. If someone is mad at you, or you are mad at them, you cannot share the Gospel of salvation with them.

In this particular text Jesus is not addressing the battles that occur between the Christ follower and the children of Adam.

Jesus would later tell His disciples that “If you were OF THE WORLD, the WORLD WOULD LOVE YOU. You are NOT OF THE WORLD. I have CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, therefore THE WORLD HATES YOU” (John 15:18-19). The lost will hate you, just as they hated Jesus THEN and hates the Biblical Jesus NOW. The “ADVERSARY”Jesus is talking about is not a lost person. Look carefully at His words:

Matthew 5:25 Agree with THINE ADVERSARY quickly, whiles THOU ART IN THE WAY WITH HIM

The phrase “IN THE WAY” is an early reference to Christ followers. Before we were called “Christians” we were called “Those IN THE WAY”. This is because Jesus said “I AM the WAY” (John 14:6).

To be “IN THE WAY” is to be “IN CHRIST”. You see this amply illustrated in the Book of Acts, which shows us the beginnings of the Church.

(Acts 9:2 LSB) {Saul} asked for letters from {the High Priest} to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any BELONGING TO THE WAY, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

This same Saul would later be saved on the Damascus Road, and would become through the Grace of God the Apostle Paul. When Paul went to preach at Ephesus, Paul was heckled by unbelievers. The Bible says:

(Acts 19:9 LSB) But when some were becoming hardened and were not believing, SPEAKING EVIL OF THE WAY before the multitude, he left them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

As Paul preached, people got upset and became adversarial – yet he kept preaching. Traveling to Asia, a maker of idols named Demetrius the silversmith said Paul was against the idols he and others were making. The Bible says:

(Acts 19:23 LSB) Now about that time there occurred NO SMALL DISTURBANCE CONCERNING THE WAY.

If you stand for Jesus, if you stand against idolatry, you will find many adversaries you CANNOT agree with. The darkness hates the light of God, and will always do so. Paul would eventually be brought to stand trial before The Roman Governor Felix. When the High Priest accused Paul of being in a cult and causing riots, Paul told Felix:

(Acts 24:11-15 LSB) … no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. [12] And neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor across the city did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. [13] Nor are they able to prove to you of what they are now accusing me. [14] But this I confess to you, THAT ACCORDING TO THE WAY, WHICH THEY CALL A SECT, I DO SERVE THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; [15] having a hope in God, for which these men are waiting, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

So let’s go back to this text.

Matthew 5:25-26 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles THOU ART IN THE WAY WITH HIM; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Jesus wants us as believers to NOT GO TO COURT WITH ONE ANOTHER. The Apostle Paul will later chastise the Corinthians believers for this very same behavior. In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Paul chastised the believers at that Church for suing one another in court. It’s this kind of silliness that puts a basket over the Light of the Gospel. Paul asked those doing so at Corinth:

(1 Corinthians 6:5-8 LSB) I say [this] to your shame. [Is it really] this way: there is not one wise man among you who will be able to pass judgment between his brothers? [6] On the contrary, brother is tried with brother, and that before unbelievers! [7] Actually, then, it is already a failure for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? [8] On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. YOU DO THIS EVEN TO YOUR BROTHERS.

When a church has silly fights over mortal things, it does not represent Jesus but the flesh. Jesus said “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35, LSB). A court battle between believers does not promote the glory of God.

Listen Beloved: Jesus is not advocating that Christians conceal crimes. He is not saying that we should allow abuse, or be walked on. Serious crimes should be prosecuted, as the Bible tells us that “we are to be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). However, Christians should not carry personal or financial disputes outside of the Church and into the world. Our focus should be to shine our light, to let others see the glorious Gospel of Christ. Believers should be predisposed to seeking reconciliation between one another. Believers should want to glorify God with their lives.

If you get the Baptist and Reflector, you probably read about the lawsuit Johnny Hunt has brought against the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Mr. Hunt led the North American Mission Board Evangelism and Leadership Group (2018). A longtime Pastor at First Baptist Church Woodstock, Georgia, and the past President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Hunt said:

“I want to lead Southern Baptist churches to put evangelism back on the front burner again. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, we know what He is doing. We must join Him.”

Allegations became public May 22, 2022 concerning Hunt and another Pastor’s wife. Hunt resigned from the North American Mission Board and acknowledged a brief, inappropriate, extramarital encounter with a married woman in 2010. The woman claimed sexual abuse, which he denies.

Hunt has since sued the SBC for “lost employment, lost speaking engagements, and lost product sales”. The case went before a U.S. District Court Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee. I quote this article:

“Last April, Judge William Campbell of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee tore apart Hunt’s claims in a scathing opinion that left only one part of the suit intact. He released the SBC, the SBC Executive Committee and Guideposts from the case but left open one small window — the claim against Barber, who tweeted about Hunt while Barber was serving as SBC president.

Then on August 12, Judge Campbell dismissed the last piece of the case because, he determined, Hunt was a public figure, which requires proving actual malice in a defamation case. Campbell said any reasonable jury would find Hunt to be a public figure, therefore requiring the higher standard.”

Without judging Hunt, should he be trying his case in an unbelieving courtroom? Jesus said no. Paul says no. I have to go with no. Mr Hunt should not have been in any compromising position with any member of Christ’s Kingdom. This is sin. And Mr. Hunt should repent, and drop the lawsuits. It is contrary to Jesus’ teaching, to Pauline doctrine, and to the spirit of love that we are to have for one another. As Mr Hunt previously said,

“Jesus came to seek and save the lost, we know what He is doing. We must join Him.”

Amen.

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The Temple Of God Ain’t Made Of Bricks

Posted on September 7, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Kevin Mueller on Unsplash

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and that the SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLETH IN YOU? 17 If any man DEFILE {phtheirō} the temple of God, HIM SHALL GOD DESTROY; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

When a person repents and turns away from their sin and toward Jesus, our Lord sends the Holy Spirit to each and every one of us. The Spirit is sent by the Father:

Jesus asks the Father to send the Spirit:

(John 14:16-17 NKJV) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever– [17] THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and WILL BE IN YOU.

(John 14:26 NKJV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Why does the Father send the Spirit? Because the Father is the Head of the Trinity. The Spirit comes to cause us to be born again into the family of God (John 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:23). We sing about that in the hymn, Heaven Came Down:

Born of the Spirit with life from above
into God’s family divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary’s love,
O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made,
When as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer,
He saved me, O praise His dear name!

The Holy Spirit changes our status from child of Adam to child of God. We are adopted into the Family of God by the Blood of Christ and the operation of the Spirit:

Romans 8:15 You have RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION, whereby we cry, Abba, Father

We are spiritually and legally placed into God’s Family because of Jesus, because we came to Him surrendered. The Bible says:

(2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NKJV) Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us [is] God, [22] WHO ALSO HAS SEALED US and GIVEN US THE SPIRIT IN OUR HEARTS as a guarantee.

The Holy Spirit indwells the believer. The Bible is clear,

(Romans 8:9 NKJV) … you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed THE SPIRIT OF GOD INDWELLS IN YOU. Now IF ANYONE DOES NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT of Christ, he is not His.

Word Study: In verse 17 the Apostle makes a frightening statement. He says:

1 Corinthians 3:17 If any man DEFILE {phtheirō} the temple of God, HIM SHALL GOD DESTROY; for the temple of God is HOLY, WHICH TEMPLE YE ARE.

The Greek phtheirō means “to corrupt, defile, destroy, deprave”. As we saw in John 14:16-17 the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of TRUTH – God’s Truth. As we saw in John 14:26 what the Holy Spirit does is “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I SAID TO YOU”. The Holy Spirit teaches us God’s Word. The Holy Spirit leads us back to Christ, and away from sin.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of TRUTH. What defiles the Temple is UNTRUTH, human wisdom disconnected from the Word of God.

Preach: What defiles the temple of God, the Christian believer? The same thing that defiled Adam – acceptance of the word of man over the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will draw the believer into a “It is written” faith. These were Jesus’ favorite words, “It is written”. We will imitate Christ by cherishing the Bible over man’s doctrine. We will heed God’s Word, not man’s word. When Adam defiled the Garden by receiving the serpent’s word over God’s Word, he and his family were cast out of Eden. He lost the tree of life, and became susceptible to death. The wages of sin are always death (Romans 6:23). Step away from God’s Word and into human opinion, and you are playing with a ticking time bomb!

It is not food or drink that defile the Temple. It is the walk that does not honor God or His Word.

Paul continues this thought …

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 Let NO MAN DECEIVE HIMSELF. If any man among you seemeth to be WISE IN THIS WORLD, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For IT IS WRITTEN, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

This is not a new subject. Paul is warning us NOT TO DECEIVE YOURSELF. The wisdom of this present world is not of God, and has never been. Let the world call you a fool – cling to the Word of God and the Spirit of God. He tells us “the WISDOM ON THIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS WITH GOD”. In verse 19 Paul quotes

Job 5:13 He {God} taketh the wise in their own craftiness …

These are the words of Eliphaz the Temanite as he encourages Job to keep his eyes on God as he is tried. Eliphaz began by telling Job that the foolish and godless take root – they prosper – but in time they are cursed. Eliphaz was encouraging Job, telling him that, “Yes, the wise of this world may look like they are the winners. But in time God causes their own craftiness to trap and destroy them”.

My Friend Don: There are temptations all around us, Christ followers, to leave the path and follow another way. I remember years ago a Preacher I knew and had great respect for quit the ministry, walked away from his Church, and went to work for a well to do brother. I met him several years later, and he invited me out to a steak for lunch. When the check came, he grabbed it, and told me “Let me get it. I’ve got money for a change.” He mocked me for staying in the ministry. But Beloved, I’ve always had enough if I have Jesus!

I often think about that brother, where is he today? Is he happy? I am. I have Jesus. I have His Spirit. And I have my calling. It’s enough. That’s what Paul means when he writes:

1 Corinthians 3:20-21 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that THEY ARE VAIN {mataios}: therefore LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN. For ALL THINGS ARE YOURS;

Word Study: To be the Temple of God is a great honor. God will take care of His Temple. The thoughts and philosophies of the world are “VAIN” (mataios), which means “To be devoid of force or success, to be useless or without purpose”. It is useless to worship people or idols. The Corinthians were worshiping preachers, not God. There is no value in worshiping celebrities, fallen humans. They can do nothing.

Do Not Seek Human Glory, But God’s Smile

When Paul and Barnabas went into Lystra and Derbe to preach the Gospel, they healed a man who was crippled from his mother’s womb. The Bible says:

(Acts 14:11-12, 14-15 KJV) … when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. [12] And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. … [14] [Which] when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard [of], they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, [15] And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should TURN FROM THESE VANITIES {mataios} UNTO THE LIVING GOD, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

It is useless to worship the Pastor, a base human, the Evangelist, or anything other than the Living God. As Paul said, “LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN. For ALL THINGS ARE YOURS”. We are children of God, indwelt by God, and we have access to God’s Word. There are no second class Christians. Every believer is a priest and a child of Christ. We are joint heirs with Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:22-23 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; ALL ARE YOURS; 23 And YE ARE CHRIST’S; and CHRIST IS GOD’S.

What does Paul mean by “ALL ARE YOURS”? Adam had everything he needed when he had Jesus. But when he received the serpent’s word, he lost everything of greatest value.

Everything you have, whether it be a Church, a Pastor, your job, your current health status, how you are now and how you will be tomorrow – these are things given you by God for your good. No single circumstance has authority over me. I belong to God. And, as the Bible says,

Romans 8:28 we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, to them who are the CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

Preach! The greatest thing you can learn in this life, dear Christian, is “I am God’s property. I am God’s child”. Whatever happens to you, happens to God. God is in you. Keep walking with Jesus, believer. Don’t be like Ananias and Sapphira.

The Case Of Ananias And Sapphira:
Bragging And Making A Name For Themselves

We who are saved should live knowing that God is in us. He hears us. He sees us. He is with us, and will destroy those who defile the Temple unrepentantly.

When you got saved, God the Holy Spirit came to live within the framework of your life. If you persist in living fleshly, sarkikos lives, either sin or Godmay destroy your earthly vessel. We’ll see this later in Corinthians, but there are evidences throughout Scripture that dramatically show this. Consider the case of Ananias and Sapphira.

In the early Church there were no Church buildings, but local Churches met in groves, on Solomon’s Porch in the Temple, in Catacombs, or in people’s homes. The Church was heavily persecuted, so believers met in small groups. Donations were given regularly and voluntarily. The Bible says:

Acts 4:32 The multitude of them that believed were of ONE HEART and of ONE SOUL: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but THEY HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON.

Acts 2:44-45 And ALL THAT BELIEVED WERE TOGETHER, and HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need

God gripped the heart of the early Church, and every Christians was more concerned with the glory of God and reaching souls than they were with their own earthly possessions.

Then Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a possession (Acts 5:1). What they made for the sale, the brought only a part of it to the Apostles. This was fine – but they claimed they brought ALL of the sale price for donation. Peter told Ananias,

Acts 5:3-4 Why has Satan filled your heart to LIE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, and to keep back a portion of the price of the land. It was your land, and you had the power to sell it or not sell it. Why did you conspire TO LIE TO GOD?

Then Ananias died. The Bible addresses a “sin unto death”. The wages of sin is always death (Romans 3:23), but the Apostle John warned:

1 John 5:16-17 If any man see his brother SIN A SIN WHICH IS NOT UNTO DEATH, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that SIN NOT UNTO DEATH. THERE IS A SIN UNTO DEATH: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and THERE IS A SIN NOT UNTO DEATH…

Both Ananias and Sapphira committed a sin unto death. God dramatically took their lives so the early Church – and we – can know that the greatest sin you can commit is to try and lie to God.

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as LIVELY STONES, are built up A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The Synagogue was the Old Covenant Church, where believers regularly met to study the Word of God. The Temple was the House of Sacrifice and of Prayer. People came to the Temple to worship and pray (Luke 1:10; 18:10-13), and the Temple with its Holy of Holies was the earthly dwelling place of God. Under the New Covenant the Temple was destroyed, and believers themselves became the dwelling place of God.

Jesus Christ is our High Priest, and we are a kingdom of priests (Malachi 1:11; Matthew 18:20; 1 Peter 2:5). We are each responsible to keep our temple undefiled.

We do this by heeding God’s Word, and living to please Him.

We Are Called To Faithful Stewardship

1 Corinthians 4:1-4 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and STEWARDS {oikonomos} of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in STEWARDS {oikonomos}, that A MAN BE FOUND FAITHFUL. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but HE THAT JUDGETH ME IS THE LORD.

Word Study: A “STEWARD” , the Greek oikonomos, means “someone appointed or commissioned to manage household affairs”. The steward was appointed by the owner, the head of the house, or the proprietor to manage his affairs, to take care of receipts and expenditures, and to even pay other staff members.

The steward is accountable to the owner, and to no one else. The steward owns nothing, but manages what is entrusted to him for the owner.

Paul was a steward “OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD”. God wrote Scripture through Paul and the other Apostles. The Apostles lived so as to please – not themselves or others – but the Lord. This is true for every Christian.

1. God owns everything – and the Christian should recognize this and live this principle. The Psalmist states:

(Psalm 24:1 NKJV) The EARTH IS THE LORD’s, and ALL ITS FULLNESS, THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO DWELL THEREIN.

God owns everything and everybody. It’s not ours, but His. When God requires a tithe, or ten percent, He could require all. In reality, He gives us all – but He can take back all anytime He wants. The lost person, blinded by sin and greed, thinks they are over everything. How foolish! God gave you life, and breath, and talent. God told His Israel:

(Deuteronomy 8:17-20 NKJV) … you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ [18] “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for IT IS HE WHO GIVES YOU POWER TO GET WEALTH, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as [it is] this day. [19] “Then it shall be, if you by any means FORGET THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND FOLLOW OTHER GODS, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that YOU SHALL SURELY PERISH. [20] “As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would NOT BE OBEDIENT TO THE VOICE of the LORD your God.

God owns every single thing that we have. We should never worship our stuff, but Him Who has so graciously given us our blessings. God even owns my life, and can take me home anytime He wishes. As stewards, we will all be held accountable for how we spent that which God gave us.

2. Good stewards are rewarded for doing what pleases the Lord. The Apostle told the Church at Colossae:

(Colossians 3:23-25 NKJV) And whatever you do, do it heartily, AS TO THE LORD, AND NOT TO MEN, [24] knowing that FROM THE LORD you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for YOU SERVE THE LORD CHRIST. [25] But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

I heard a preacher the other day recounting what happened in his Church. He said a young girl came to him and said, “Pastor, I love your sermons! My boyfriend and I laid in bed last Sunday listening to you preach”. The Pastor was stunned. He told the young woman, “Don’t you know you’re not to be in bed with a man not your husband? Don’t you know that sexual sin defiles the Temple of God? It defiles YOU?” He said that several members told him they were leaving the Church because of his comments to that girl. His response – “Then leave. I will not change the truth of God into a lie.”

God give us all Biblical leaders who love Jesus.

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Wise And Foolish Virgins

Posted on September 7, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

(Matthew 25:1-13 KJV) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. [2] And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. [3] They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: [4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. [5] While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. [6] And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. [7] Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. [8] And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. [9] But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. [10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. [11] Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. [12] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. [13] Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Are You Watching For Jesus?

As I prepared this message, I studied a sermon “The Ten Virgins” developed by a dear saint now with Jesus, Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843). He could be known as the Billy Graham of Scotland. Though he only lived to be two months short of 30 years old, he loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart. He glorified Jesus in his life, and went to be with Jesus unexpectedly … just as we all will go. Jesus told us:

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh

When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven in this parable, He was not talking of the future Heaven every believer in Christ will be in. He was speaking of the Kingdom of God on the earth, the Church. This message is a message to the assembled Church. Jesus told His Church to “WATCH”. To watch for His return. To be diligent. In Matthew 24:42 Jesus warned:

“Watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. … Be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect Him!”

When we get to Heaven, we will glorify Jesus for all eternity. The Church should be watching, and be always ready to worship and glorify Him. John the Revelator looked into Heaven, and saw this picture …

(Revelation 5:8-13 NKJV) (they) … fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS. [9] And they sang a new song, saying: “YOU {JESUS} ARE WORTHY to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, [10] And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” [11] Then I looked, and I heard the VOICE OF MANY angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the NUMBER OF THEM WAS TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND, AND THOUSANDS OF THOUSANDS, [12] saying with a loud voice: “WORTHY IS THE LAMB WHO WAS SLAIN TO RECEIVE POWER AND RICHES AND WISDOM AND STRENGTH AND HONOR AND GLORY AND BLESSING!” [13] And EVERY CREATURE which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power [Be] to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

When the Church gathers, those who are truly members of the Kingdom of Heaven gather to worship Jesus. He saved us. He gave us life and grace. We praise Him.

The parable that Jesus speaks to us today is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. It is very much a parable for every Church today. In the parable Jesus shows us a gathering with two classes of people. In every Church gathered there are two classes of people. Those who are gathered – the Ten Virgins – profess to serve the Bridegroom. The Church belongs to Jesus. The Church exists for Jesus. The Bible says:

Ephesians 5:25 … Christ LOVED THE CHURCH, and GAVE HIMSELF up FOR HER

The Ten Virgins are the gathered Church. But we read:

Matthew 25:2 five of them were WISE, and five [were] FOOLISH.

The “WISE” are those who know the Bridegroom by faith. They have heard the Scripture. It is the …

2 Timothy 3:15 … Holy Scriptures, which are ABLE TO MAKE YOU WISE FOR SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS

The “WISE Virgins” have heard the Gospel message, and believed the Scripture as honest and true. The “WISE” have entered into a New Covenant with Christ Jesus (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Luke 22:20; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24).

But then there are the “FOOLISH Virgins”. In the Bible, the word “FOOL” or “FOOLISH” is not an insult, but a diagnosis of the unbeliever. The “FOOLISH Virgins” were in the same gathering with the Wise who were saved. The Bible says:

Psalm 14:1 The FOOL says IN HIS HEART, ‘There is no God’

Outwardly the Foolish Virgin attends the meetings, but they never apply the Word of God to their lives. Jesus says:

(Matthew 7:26 ESV) … everyone who HEARS THESE WORDS OF MINE and DOES NOT DO THEM will be LIKE A FOOLISH MAN …

When you say “I believe”, yet your actions declare “There is no God”, this is the life of the Foolish Virgin. Jesus called the rich man who, prospering under the blessings of God, worshiped money rather than the Lord Who allowed him his riches. God told that rich man, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you. Who will now enjoy your riches?” (Luke 12:20).

In every Church around the world in every age, there are WISE and FOOLISH. None of us know when the Bridegroom will come. If He comes in the next ten days, the next ten hours, the next ten minutes, the next ten seconds …

Will Jesus receive you as a Wise Virgin,
Or lock you out of Heaven saying
I know you not

Let Us Heed The Bridegroom’s Call And
Let Him Make Us Wise Unto Salvation

Matthew 25:2 And five of them were WISE

Those who are God’s children by faith in Christ are the Wise Virgins in this parable. They have heard the call of Jesus. They have heard the message of Calvary. The world rejects the message of the Cross. The Bible says:

(1 Corinthians 1:18-21 LSB) For the WORD OF THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING, but TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED, IT IS THE POWER OF GOD. [19] For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.” [20] Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [21] For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not [come to] know God, God was well-pleased, through the foolishness of the message preached, to save those who believe.

There is the wisdom of God, and
there is the wisdom of this world.

The WISDOM OF THIS WORLD says “You are enough. God loves everyone just as they are. All people are God’s children. You need not repent – just live your life the way you want. If you are a “good person”, God will let you into Heaven. The Cross of Calvary was a mistake. Jesus Christ was unjustly martyred, and His death accomplishes nothing!”.

But the WISDOM OF GOD says something else. The devil and the world will lie to you, but the Bible will not. God says that apart from Jesus Christ we are all sinners, separated from God. We are born into this world “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Every righteous act that we try to do for God on our own is considered by God to be “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). The Bible condemns humanity at large, saying …

(Romans 3:10-12 LSB) … THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; [11] THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; [12] ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME WORTHLESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.

The worldly religious person looks like a Wise Virgin, but they are in fact Foolish Virgins. They – like Nicodemus – thought that their Biblical education brought them into union with God. But this is not true. As Jesus told Nicodemus,

(John 3:3, 6 LSB) Truly, truly, I say to you, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN he cannot see the kingdom of God. … 6 That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit … You MUST BE BORN AGAIN

We are born into this world Foolish. We must be born again. We must hear the Gospel message. We must come to Calvary, realizing we need to be re-created. It is God the Holy Spirit Who causes us to be born again. The Bible says:

(1 Peter 1:3, 23 LSB) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, … [23] for YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, [that is], THROUGH THE LIVING AND ENDURING WORD OF GOD.

It is the Word of God, the Gospel that you must hear. You must hear the CALL of JESUS. It is the Lord – the Bridegroom – Who calls us out of this world and into His Kingdom. Our Lord Jesus said:

(John 6:44, 65 LSB) NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS HIM; and I will raise him up on the last day. … [65] And He was saying, For this reason I have said to you, that NO ONE CAN COMER TO ME UNLESS IT HAS BEEN GRANTED HIM FROM THE FATHER from the Father.

God awakens us to our need. God defines us as Foolish, but calls us to the Wisdom of God. The Cross of Jesus draws people to the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who are Wise Virgins have seen Jesus “LIFTED UP, DRAWING ALL MEN TO HIMSELF” (John 12:32). We are called out of the foolishness of this world and into the Kingdom of Christ. Paul wrote:

(1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NKJV) For you see YOUR CALLING, brethren, that NOT MANY WISE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]. [27] But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; [28] and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, [29] that no flesh should glory in His presence. [30] But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption– [31] that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

God calls the broken. He calls the less than. He calls the disenfranchised. He calls the poor. Didn’t Jesus say in

Matthew 11:5, “The POOR have the Gospel preached to them”.

And again, Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT, for THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

The broken are those who come to Jesus. Those who believe they have it all together, the rich of this world, the lovely, the best the world has to offer are the foolish Virgins. Jesus chose “the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen”. These are the wise Virgins, the ones who will be in eternity with Christ. But those who seek religion, who divide their hearts, who are politically correct, who have great numbers of followers on social media – they think they need nothing. Refusing to repent and call upon the Name of the Lord, they pridefully refuse the Word preached. Jesus prayed:

(Matthew 11:25 NKJV) … Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from [the] wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

To those willing to humble themselves and REPENT, coming to Jesus, God will save them by His Holy Spirit. There can be no salvation without the Holy Spirit, and there can be no Holy Spirit without humble submission to Jesus. Jesus stood up and cried out:

(John 7:37-39 NKJV) … If anyone thirsts, LET HIM COME TO ME AND DRINK. [38] “HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, as the Scripture has said, OUT OF HIS HEART WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.” [39] But THIS HE SPOKE CONCERNING THE SPIRIT, whom those believing in Him would receive…

The Wise And The Foolish Have Lamps
But ONLY The Wise Can Serve The Bridegroom

Matthew 25:3-4They that [were] FOOLISH took their lamps, and TOOK NO OIL with them: [4] But the WISE TOOK OIL IN THEIR VESSELS with their lamps.

As I said before, in every Church there are WISE – who are saved by grace, born again of the Holy Spirit – and FOOLISH. The FOOLISH are much like the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and Chief Priests who attacked Jesus and His disciples when He walked the earth.

Preach! The FOOLISH are self made people. They study the Bible, and know much scripture – but they do not know its Author. They know the Law of Moses, but not the Son of God. They take Communion with us in a sanctified manner, but in their hearts they are just eating hard bread and grape juice. They may have gone under the waters of Baptism, but they never saw their baptism as a death to self and a commitment to the Resurrected Christ. They sing the hymns with us, perhaps with beautiful voices. But their hearts do not praise Jesus in the singing. The Foolish Virgins are more concerned with someone sitting in their seat than they are with the visitor’s eternal destiny. Like Judas Iscariot, they appear to walk with Jesus. But they steal from God’s mission just as Judas did (John 12:6). When I was in the military we always had to be on the lookout for IEDs, “Individual Explosive Devices”. Hidden in the sand of the desert, or along places where soldiers could walk, these IEDs if met with could kill. Many of my fellow soldiers have fallen under IEDs. The devil has IEDs – Foolish Virgins – he plants in the Church. The Foolish do not love people, nor the Lord Jesus. They love their own comfort. They love how they look. Jesus said of these IEDs:

(Matthew 23:27-28 LSB) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. [28] In this way, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but INWARDLY YOU ARE FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND LAWLESSNESS.

In Jesus’ parable, please note that both the FOOLISH AND THE WISE took lamps with them:

Matthew 25:3-4 They that [were] FOOLISH took their lamps, and TOOK NO OIL WITH THEM: [4] But THE WISE TOOK OIL in their vessels with their lamps.

But the FOOLISH “TOOK NO OIL WITH THEM”. What does the oil represent?

The “OIL” represents the Holy Spirit of God.

In the Old Testament Priests were anointed with oil, symbolizing the Holy Spirit sanctifying and separating them to God’s service (Leviticus 8:12). Oil was symbolic of the blessing of God’s Spirit bringing unity among the congregation of Heaven. The Psalmist wrote:

(Psalm 133:1-2 LSB) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For BROTHERS TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY! [2] It is like the GOOD OIL UPON THE HEAD, Coming down upon the beard, Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

Our Lord Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit Who indwelt Him as “ANOINTING ME”. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because HE HAS ANOINTED ME” (Luke 4:18). The Apostles said:

Acts 10:38 God ANOINTED JESUS OF NAZARETH WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and power

The Christian is “Wise” because God saved them. Repenting, We call on Jesus for salvation. Hearing, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us, causing us to be born again. The Spirit of God inhabits us, and will not leave us. He is the Oil in our lamps, an Oil that the Foolish rejected when they refused the call of Christ to salvation.

Robert Murray McCheyne said in a sermon before he passed into glory:

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness. Those of you who have fled to Christ are becoming like God. You have got His Spirit. You are being changed into His image. You have one will with God. You fall in with God’s purposes in this world. His joy is your joy. You that are mere professors have none of God’s likeness.”

Those who are Christ’s have oil in their lamps. The Holy Spirit indwells them. The Apostle said,

(Romans 8:8-9 LSB) … those who are in the flesh are NOT ABLE TO PLEASE GOD. [9] However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN YOU. But if ANYONE DOES NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE DOES NOT BELONG TO HIM.

The Holy Spirit teaches the wise Virgin the Word of God. Our Lord Jesus said:

John 14:26 But the Comforter, WHICH IS THE HOLY GHOST, whom the Father will send in my name, HE SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:13 when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH

The Holy Spirit assures the wise Virgins that they belong to the Bridegroom. The Spirit leads those who are Christ’s.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD.

Are You Wise Or Foolish? Today Is The Day To Come To Christ. Today Is The Day Of Salvation.

The Bridegroom tarries, and we do not know when He is going to come. Some of you may not be with us tomorrow. Are you ready? Let’s look at the parable once more:

Matthew 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, THEY ALL SLUMBERED {nystazō, were on the nods} AND SLEPT.

Both the WISE as well as the FOOLISH Virgins “SLUMBERED AND SLEPT”. They were supposed to be waiting and working for the Bridegroom, shining their lamps for the world to see. But the Foolish had no oil, and the Wise got groggy. They stopped serving as they should. They began to nod, to get comfortable, to enjoy their Church status, their soft seats. Like the church at Ephesus they forgot that their purpose is to love Jesus and to willingly serve Him until He calls us home.

(Revelation 2:4-5 LSB) But I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love. [5] ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and DO THE DEEDS YOU DID AT FIRST. But if not, I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place, unless you repent.

If we love the Bridegroom, we must not slumber. We are to “redeem the time, for the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). We are to keep our lamps lit, serving Jesus through the power of His Holy Spirit and His Scripture. We are not to be “weary in well doing” (2 Thessalonians 2:13), but are to “do all things heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).

But even the Wise Virgins slept. But if we fail Him, He remains faithful. We read:

Matthew 25:6-8 … at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him. [7] Then ALL THOSE VIRGINS AROSE, and trimmed their lamps. [8] And the foolish said unto the wise, GIVE US OF YOUR OIL; for our lamps are gone out.

The Wise Virgins had oil. The Foolish had no oil, and demanded oil from the Wise. Beloved, I cannot save you. I cannot give you of the Holy Spirit. I have to tell you, “go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves”. You have to call upon the Name of Jesus for salvation. You have to repent NOW, THIS DAY. If not, one day you will stand at a Great White Throne. You will depart that Throne, and step into a Lake of Fire that burns forever. I can’t save you from that. I can only tell you to repent, and throw yourselves on the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ RIGHT NOW. Tomorrow may be too late. The Foolish Virgins waited too long. When the day of salvation was passed, they cried out “Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”

May God the Holy Spirit move on your hearts today. Amen.

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Christ’s Words Of Victory

Posted on September 1, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Royce Fonseca on Unsplash

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.

Opening The Obituaries

I receive obituary notices through my email from Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home, Heritage Funeral Home, and Williams Funeral Home every day. I rarely know who these people are who passed, but I like to keep up and read the obituaries. I started this practice years ago as a Pastor when I found out I was preaching a funeral that afternoon – but no one from the Funeral Home let me know! It was only by the Grace of God that I found out.

As I read the obituaries this week, I read things like:

1. The departed loved animals, and was a collector of many things.
2. The loved one was devoted to family, faith, country, and community.
3. The person had a love for the simple things of life, like fishing, music, and spending time with family.
4. She “passed away peacefully”, and was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend.
5. The lady helped build a world shaped by devotion, honest work, and dedication.
6. If the person attended Church at all, they are noted as “a member of such and such Church”.

One of the oldies but goodies is “She earned her angel wings”. Did you know Dolly Parton earned her angel wings this week? That’s what one article stated.

As you all probably know, Dolly Parton passed away this Tuesday, August 25. She was 80 years old. One newspaper article stated “Cause of Dolly’s death revealed”. When I read the article it stated that she had “a brief battle with cancer”. May I say something about this? Dolly didn’t die because she had a brief battle with cancer. Dolly died because she had an appointment with God.

We All Have An Appointment With God

Though Moses was 120 years old when he died, he wrote in Psalm 90:

(Psalm 90:10 LSB) As for the days of our life, they contain SEVENTY YEARS, Or if due to might, EIGHTY YEARS, Yet their pride is [but] labor and wickedness; For SOON IT IS GONE AND WE FLY AWAY.

Moses lived 40 years past the average lifespan of seventy to eighty years. I believe he lived that long because he allowed God to use him. Only when Moses ceased to be used of God did he leave this earth.

The oldest Book of the Bible, Job, states:

(Job 14:1-4 LSB) Man, who is born of woman, IS SHORT LIVED AND FULL OF TURMOIL [2] “Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not stand. [3] “You also open Your eyes on him And bring me into judgment with Yourself. [4] “Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!

Job then revealed this truth …. It is GOD Who determines our lifespan.

Job 14:5 Since HIS DAYS ARE DETERMINED, The NUMBER OF HIS MONTHS IS WITH YOU (O God); And HIS LIMITS YOU (O Lord) HAVE SET SO THAT HE CANNOT PASS.

It is God Who determines the length of life. The doctors don’t determine it. Diseases don’t determine it. We don’t determine it. There is only One human in all of history that determined when His life would end. That Person was Jesus, the Incarnate God.

Jesus said,

(John 10:17-18 LSB) For this reason the Father loves Me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE SO THAT I MAY TAKE IT UP AGAIN. [18] NO ONE TAKES IT AWAY FROM ME, but from Myself, I LAY IT DOWN. I HAVE AUTHORITY TO LAY IT DOWN, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.

When Pilate told Jesus “Don’t You know I have the authority to crucify You?”, Jesus replied,

(John 19:11 LSB) … You would have no authority over Me, UNLESS IT HAD BEEN GIVEN YOU FROM ABOVE…

The Prophet Isaiah (53:12) said that Messiah would “choose to pour out His soul unto death”. Jesus Christ determined the end of His life. We read today His final words:

Luke 23:46 … Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, HE GAVE UP THE GHOST.

My mama’s favorite singers were Elvis Presley, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton. They have all passed from this life. Why did they pass? Because they had an appointment with God, an appointment we must all keep. Paul wrote of this in …

(Hebrews 9:27 NKJV) And as it is APPOINTED FOR MEN TO DIE ONCE, but AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT

We all have an appointment with God we must keep. Dolly’s appointment came this past Tuesday. Is she in Heaven? I hope so. But if she – or Elvis or Loretta – are in Heaven, the reason they will be in Heaven is because they loved Jesus, and received Him as Lord and Savior. Right after Paul speaks of our appointment with death and the judgment, he completes the thought with this:

(Hebrews 9:28 NKJV) … so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. TO THOSE WHO EAGERLY WAIT FOR HIM He will appear a second time, apart from sin, FOR SALVATION.

Do you love Jesus? Of all the obituaries I read this week, only one even referred to Jesus.

A daughter wrote, “Momma had the biggest, most selfless heart of anyone I’ve ever known. While our world feels entirely dark right now, we take comfort in knowing that she loved Jesus, and today she is in Heaven, completely restored.”

When I read obituaries and see nothing about “Jesus”, just religion or a Church name, it kind of bothers me. Because you cannot get into Heaven unless you love Jesus.

Jesus Alone Finished The Work Of Salvation

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, IT IS FINISHED: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.

Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED”, and not “I am finished”. Jesus was not talking about His life. These were not the words of a discouraged and defeated Man. These are words of victory. Listen to what Jesus said – repeatedly – to us through the Scripture:

(John 4:34 NKJV) Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and TO FINISH HIS WORK.

(John 5:36 NKJV) But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the WORKS WHICH THE FATHER HAS GIVEN ME TO FINISH–the very works that I do–bear witness of Me, that THE FATHER HAS SENT ME.

(John 6:38 NKJV) For I HAVE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, not to do My own will, but THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME.

From the time that Adam fell in the Garden, dragging us all into sin and death, God began to prophecy of the coming of our Savior and Lord. God told the Serpent that “the Seed of the Woman would crush his head” (Genesis 3:15), a strange prophecy for women do not carry SEED but EGGS. But later God explained Himself when He said:

(Isaiah 7:14 NKJV) Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, THE VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE AND BEAR A SON, and shall call His name Immanuel.

This was fulfilled in Mary. The Angel Gabriel told Joseph:

(Matthew 1:21-23 NKJV) {Mary} will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” [22] So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: [23] “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

It was prophesied that Jesus would be the seed of Abraham (Genesis 22:18), a descendant of King David (2 Samuel 7:12-13). The Messiah would be named before He was born (Isaiah 49:1; Luke 1:30-31), and that He would be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2). It was prophesied that Jesus would be hated from birth (Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 49:3, 6; Matthew 2:14-15). Every part of Jesus’ life was foretold. Jesus would be despised, rejected by the Jews (Isaiah 53:3; 8:14; Psalm 69:4), and hated without a cause. Jesus would be betrayed by His close friend, abandoned by His disciples, beaten and mocked. There were over 300 prophesies fulfilled by Jesus Christ – from His Incarnation and until He died at age 33 ½ years old.

When Jesus said “It is finished”, His suffering in our place was accomplished. As Jesus hung on the Cross, the crowd mocked Him, and He said nothing. But when three hours of darkness fell on the land, the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus in our place. Jesus could have said:

(Lamentations 1:12-13 NKJV) [Is it] nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see If there is any sorrow like my sorrow, Which has been brought on me, WHICH THE LORD HAS INFLICTED IN THE DAY OF HIS FIERCE ANGER. [13] “From above HE HAS SENT FIRE INTO MY BONES, And it overpowered them; He has spread a net for my feet And turned Me back; He has made Me desolate [And] faint all the day.

Jesus Finished The Way Of Salvation

Jesus finished the Old Covenant sacrifices. Under the Old Covenant, man made animal sacrifices through a Priest. The animals “without spot or blemish” (Leviticus 1:3; 22:20; Exodus 12:5; Deuteronomy 15:21) were sacrificed on an altar to God, then the sacrificed was burned. This symbolized the wrath of God being poured out on the substitute, the animal, the innocent in the place of the guilty. The Old Covenant was temporary, until the Messiah came. The Bible tells us that

(Hebrews 10:1-4 NKJV) For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. [3] But in those [sacrifices there is] a reminder of sins every year. [4] For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

No work that man does can take away the eternal judgment of God against sin. No good work we do, no penance, nothing. The animal sacrifices were a temporary thing, a teaching tool that God used to show us how desperately we need Jesus. When Jesus came into the world, He said:

(Hebrews 10:1-10 NKJV) For THE LAW, having a shadow of the good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can NEVER WITH THESE SAME SACRIFICES, which they offer continually year by year, MAKE THOSE WHO APPROACH PERFECT. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. [3] But IN THOSE SACRIFICES THERE IS A REMINDER OF SINS every year. [4] For [it is] NOT POSSIBLE THAT THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND GOATS COULD TAKE AWAY SINS. [5] Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME. [6] In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin YOU HAD NO PLEASURE. [7] Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come–In the volume of the book it is written of Me–To do Your will, O God.’ ” [8] Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and [offerings] for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure [in them]” (which are offered according to the law), [9] then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” HE TAKES AWAY THE FIRST THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH THE SECOND. [10] By that will WE HAVE BEEN SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE OFFERING OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST ONCE FOR ALL.

When Jesus came to this earth, God Incarnate, God in the flesh, “HE OFFERED ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOREVER” (Hebrews 10:12). Under the Old Covenant, an animal symbolized the coming Christ, but a symbol cannot take away sin. The sacrifices of the Law were repeatedly yearly, reminding the penitent that they were entirely useless at fully covering sin. But when Jesus came, He was Perfect and Sinless Man. Jesus “through the eternal Spirit OFFERED HIMSELF WITHOUT SPOT TO GOD” (Hebrews 9:14). The Bible says:

(Hebrews 9:15 KJV) And for this cause {Jesus} IS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Jesus suffered and died in our place. He Who was without sin literally became sin in our place.

Because of Jesus, we are under a New Covenant, with a Once For All sacrificial system. He have a New High Priest, and every believer is both a child of God and a priest before God.

We are made right (righteous) because Jesus said “IT IS FINISHED”.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He {the Father} hath made Him {Jesus Christ} to be sin for us, WHO KNEW NO SIN; that WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.

We who were far off from God are brought near to God because Jesus declared, “IT IS FINISHED”.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS, the just for the unjust, that HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD.

Jesus Christ finished the work of our salvation BY HIMSELF. He didn’t declare “WE ARE FINISHED”, but “IT IS FINISHED”. How dare you take credit for what Jesus alone did.

Jesus made the payment. His Blood redeems us from Satan’s grasp, and from sin’s mastery. Because of Jesus, “the Author and Finisher of our Faith” (Hebrews 12:2), we are saved. Because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit can cause the believers to be “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23). Because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer (1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9). Because of Jesus, death has no hold on the believer (1 Corinthians 15:54-57) and Satan’s power is destroyed in your life (Hebrews 2:14-15). In fact, Jesus has abolished death for the believer (2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus said:

(John 11:25-26 NKJV) … I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. [26] “And WHOEVER LIVES AND BELIEVES IN ME SHALL NEVER DIE. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?”

I Wish Everyone Would Quit Trying To Take Credit
For What Jesus Did

As I mentioned before, one of the things I often see in obituaries is “He or She EARNED THEIR ANGELS WINGS”. Angels do have wings (Isaiah 6:2, 6; Ezekiel 1:5-11; 10:15; Exodus 25:20; Revelation 4:6-8). But if you go to Heaven, you are NOT going as an angel, and you are not going because you earned or deserved it. The Bible tells us of Jesus …

Hebrews 2:9 … we see Jesus, who was MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS FOR THE SUFFERING OF DEATH, crowned with glory and honor; that HE BY THE GRACE OF GOD SHOULD TASTE DEATH FOR EVERY MAN.

Humans are a little lower than the angels. Jesus became human to taste death for us. We who are saved are not saved to be angels. We are saved to be sons of God.

As Jesus is “So much better than the angels” (Hebrews 1:4), we, because of Jesus, we are “heirs – heirs of God and JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST (Romans 8:17). We will not be angels. We will be better than the angels. We are God’s children.

You do not “earn” your way into Heaven. You do not “earn your wings”. What does the Bible say about the Christian, the person who has received Jesus as Lord and Savior:

1 Corinthians 15:42–44 Believers are raised with imperishable, glorious, powerful, spiritual bodies.

(Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] WHO WILL TRANSFORM OUR LOWLY BODY THAT IT MAY BE CONFORMED TO HIS GLORIOUS BODY, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

In Heaven, the Christian will not be an angel. We’ll be like Jesus.

(1 John 3:2-3 NKJV) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that WHEN HE IS REVEALED, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him as He is. [3] And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

To be an angel in Heaven would be to be demoted. We will not be like angels. We will be like Jesus. And one further thing before I go. Jesus’ final words teach us that …

There Is No Such Thing As “Soul Sleep”, The Soul Sleeping With The Body Until The Resurrection

The last thing Jesus said before passing into glory was:

Luke 23:46 Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.

When Jesus gave His life, His soul did not “sleep” in His body for three days and three nights. Jesus told the thief who repented, “Today you shall BE WITH ME IN PARADISE” (Luke 23:43). Jesus was in Heaven. While His body lay in a tomb, the Bible says:

(Hebrews 9:11-12 NKJV) But Christ came [as] High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. [12] Not with the blood of goats and calves, but WITH HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE ONCE FOR ALL, having obtained eternal redemption.

Jesus went into the Holy of Holies in Heaven. He presented Himself to the Father, having finished the work the Father gave Him. Jesus “has the keys of Hell and death” (Revelation 1:18). Jesus has “the key of David” (Revelation 3:7). And only by faith in Jesus Christ will any of us get to Heaven.

When the Deacon Stephen was being stoned to death for speaking the Gospel, the Bible says:

(Acts 7:59 NKJV) …. they stoned Stephen as he was calling on [God] and saying, “LORD JESUS, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT”

You all have an appointment with death and with God. You all will be judged by God right after death. How will you stand through that judgment. If you have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, your soul will go to Jesus. It won’t stay asleep in a grave no more than Jesus’ soul lay asleep in the grave. You’ll leave this life to go to a greater life with Jesus.

That is, if you love Jesus. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, your works will be judged, but your salvation is secure. I hope to meet Dolly, Loretta, and Elvis in Heaven. For that matter, I hope to see you all there. Whether I do or not will depend on whether you love Jesus or not. Have you received Him as Lord and Savior? If not, today is a great day to be saved. Amen.

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Making A Difference For Jesus: Matthew 5:13-20

Posted on September 1, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Aliaksei Lepik on Unsplash

Matthew 5:13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

As Christians We Are To Be A Change Agent
Wherever We Are

After describing the seven characteristics of the Christian,

1. RECOGNIZING you are in spiritual poverty (Matthew 5:3)
2. REPENTING and turning to Jesus (Matthew 5:4)
3. RESTING on God to instill a controlled spirit in you (Matthew 5:5)
4. RIGHTEOUS hunger, forsaking darkness (Matthew 5:6)
5. REALIZING & trying to meet the needs of others (Matthew 5:7)
6. RELIANCE on God and His Word (Matthew 5:8)
7. REMAINING at peace with God and others (Matthew 5:9)

Jesus wanted us to know that we would be persecuted, misrepresented, and hated by those not in God’s Kingdom (Matthew 5:10-12). The darkness despises the light.

It is interesting to me anytime a well loved performer who is said to be “Christian” dies, that the world celebrates that person. Jesus was very clear that if you walk with Him, just as He was hated, you will be hated. Jesus told Nicodemus:

John 3:19-21 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL. 20 For EVERY ONE THAT DOETH EVIL HATETH THE LIGHT, NEITHER COMETH TO THE LIGHT, LEST HIS DEEDS SHOULD BE REPROVED. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

One famous entertainer who professed Christ as Savior said, “We’re not supposed to try to change people. We should allow people to be who they are, and love them as they are”. I believe that’s not Biblical.

The focus of the Gospel of Christ is to change people. Jesus changed from God to Man to bring us into His family. If there is no change after salvation, there is no salvation. Those who declare this is “love” are worshiping a god not of this Bible.

(Colossians 1:12-14 NKJV) giving thanks to the Father WHO HAS QUALIFIED US to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints IN THE LIGHT. [13] He has DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS and CONVEYED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF THE SON of His love, [14] in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

To love someone is not to endorse a lifestyle that will bring death and disease and despair. To love someone is to point them to Christ, to be a change agent. Those who are in the darkness stay in the darkness because they love the darkness. We who are Christians walk with Jesus in the LIGHT, not the darkness.

If Saved By Grave, We ARE Salt

Matthew 5:13 Ye ARE the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Jesus did not say “You SHOULD BE salt”, but “You ARE salt”. This is what God created you to be when He caused you to be born again. And like salt, what you touch should change for the better. Our lives and the way we live should have a godward influence on those around us. In the ancient world food was preserved in root cellars, or in springs of water. Food was also both seasoned and preserved by salt. Salt was precious in the ancient world. Roman soldiers were paid by salt, not by coins.

Salt is only valuable when it is pure. Salt comes from the earth, but becomes unusable and useless when mixed WITH the earth. Take salt, and mix the things of this world with it, things like sand, dirt, dust or ash. When that type of salt is added to food, it doesn’t enhance it, but degrades it.

Christians are to be Christ oriented and God glorifying. We are to be visibly different from the lost world, living for the glory of God, doing the work of God.

Christians must not compromise with the lost world. The world is morally and spiritually far from God. When salt is blended with other earth elements it becomes powerless, ineffective, and will ultimately be cast away. If you look like the world, then what good can you do for the world? You can’t.

if the salt have LOST HIS SAVOR {mōrainō}

Word Study: The three words “LOST HIS SAVOR” is just one word in the Greek, mōrainō, a very interesting word. This word means “to be foolish or act foolishly”. We get our word “moron” from this. The Apostle used this word when describing those who reject the Gospel, and embrace godlessness. He wrote:

(Romans 1:21-27 KJV) … 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 {mōrainō}, [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. [24] 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 worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. [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: [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.

The word mōrainō means to act the fool, to act like a moron. Though David was a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), at one point DavidPROUDLY ordered the numbering of Israel. What he was doing was not glorifying God, but glorifying himself. David repented, saying:

(2 Samuel 24:10 BES) And the HEART OF DAVID SMOTE HIM after he had numbered the people; and David said to the Lord, I have sinned grievously, O Lord, [in] what I have now done: remove, I pray thee, the iniquity of thy servant, for I have been EXCEEDINGLY FOOLISH {mōrainō}.

David’s salt lost his savor. He became like a lost person. David repented, but God wanted David – and US – to know how horrible it is when the salt loses its savor. God “sent a pestilence on Israel from morning till noon” (2 Samuel 24:15).

The Bible says that because David’s salt lost his savor, SEVENTY THOUSAND MEN lost their lives. When we become like the world, it can have catastrophic consequences. When a Christian endorses unsaltiness, it hurts thousands!

When the King, seen by many people, steps away from God, MANY follow his bad example. When an Entertainer or Movie Star steps away from God, MANY justify the darkness – and are condemned because of it! Think about it.

What led to the Great Noahic Flood? The great Flood of Noah was a judgment of God on the earth because the salt had lost its savor. Leadership stepped away from God. Believers backed away from following the Lord. Before God destroyed civilization with water, the Bible says:

(Genesis 6:5-8 ESV) The LORD saw that the WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT in the earth, and that every intention of the THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY. [6] And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. [7] So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” [8] BUT NOAH FOUND FAVOR IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.

Praise God that Noah kept his saltiness. He loved the Lord, and lived for the smile of God, not the grin of man.

There is a constant temptation within us to want to be liked, want to be loved. This may be what led Adam to eat the forbidden fruit when his wife offered it to him. But we must retain our courage. The Apostle Paul, attacked from all directions, wrote:

(Galatians 1:9-10 ESV) As we have said before, so now I say again: If ANYONE IS PREACHING TO YOU A GOSPEL CONTRARY TO THE ONE YOU RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED. [10] For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? IF I WERE STILL TRYING TO PLEASE MAN, I WOULD NOT BE A SERVANT OF CHRIST.

Oh, how easy it is to compromise. But we are not supposed to be people pleasers, but Christ pleasers. The Gospel is not what we own, but what owns us. It is a stewardship given to us. Salty Apostle Paul reminds us all:

(1 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV) but just as we have been approved by God TO BE ENTRUSTED WITH THE GOSPEL, SO WE SPEAK, NOT TO PLEASE MAN, BUT TO PLEASE GOD who tests our hearts.

Salt that has become moronic or godless will not be used by God. God will toss it out, and humanity will stomp on it.

it is thenceforth good for nothing, but TO BE CAST OUT, and to be TRODDEN UNDER FOOT OF MEN

Who casts bad salt out? God does. He makes us salt. He gave us the Gospel as a stewardship. When a Christian or a Church loses its saltiness and will not repent, Christ casts it out, or sets it aside. That person and that group lose all meaningful influence on the world they are in. They are non-entities. They serve no purpose. The world no longer has any respect for that Church. The message of that Church is ignored. And people count that body of believers as if they are a dirt road – something to walk on till something better comes along.

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus addresses seven Churches through their Pastors. Jesus told the Church at Laodicea:

(Revelation 3:15-17 ESV) I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I WILL SPIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH. [17] For you say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

The Church was more focused on glorifying themselves and their riches than they were in lifting up the name of Christ. They lost their saltiness. Jesus said, “I’m going to spit you out”. But before Jesus did, He told them:

(Revelation 3:19-20 ESV) THOSE WHOM I LOVE, I REPROVE AND DISCIPLINE, so BE ZEALOUS AND REPENT. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.

The Christian IS Light, Not Darkness

Just as Christians ARE salt, we ARE light. We don’t grow into being light.

Matthew 5:14-15 Ye ARE the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

I was asked the question, “Should an employer hire someone who lives a lifestyle inconsistent with the Kingdom of God?” My answer is – IF the person is qualified to do the job, YES you should hire them as long as they understand their job is not pushing their lifestyle on others. In other words, while on duty, DO YOUR JOB. If they can’t, I wouldn’t hire them. But even if you hire that person (and I think you should) you should stand by the Biblical standard of marriage and family. I believe that Christians should use every legally and morally and Biblically acceptable way to reach the lost. We are to be light in the midst of darkness.

Those in darkness cannot be reached unless we reach them with Christ’s glorious Gospel. Jesus must change them, but we must shine.

When Jesus walked the earth, He came up to a Roman Tax Collection Booth one day and told the Tax Collector Matthew:

(Matthew 9:9 ESV) He said to him, “Follow Me.” And {Matthew} rose and followed {Jesus}.

The Bible tells us that “Jesus is the Light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5). So what was the next thing Jesus did? The Bible says that Jesus:

(Matthew 9:10 ESV) And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, MANY TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS CAME AND WERE RECLINING WITH JESUS and his disciples.

Jesus went to Matthew’s home – and Matthew threw a party for all his friends. In the midst of this party, Jesus reclined alongside of the hated “TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS”. The Pharisees were enraged!

(Matthew 9:11-13 NKJV) … when the Pharisees saw [it], they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [12] When Jesus heard [that], He said to them, “THOSE WHO ARE WELL HAVE NO NEED OF A PHYSICIAN, BUT THOSE WHO ARE SICK. [13] “But go and learn what [this] means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I DID NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS, TO REPENTANCE.”

Jesus did not justify the lifestyle of the lost. But He loved them, and called them “to repentance”. The Evangelist Mark records the same event:

(Mark 2:16-17 NKJV) And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How [is it] that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” [17] When Jesus heard [it], He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call [the] righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A CITY THAT IS SAT ON A HILL THAT CANNOT BE HID.

We are the City of God. Those who are Christians are not to hide their faith or transformed lives. A “CITY SAT ON A HILL” can be seen from a distance. We should be distinctly different from the lost world around us. God calls us to loving service and obedience to God.

Do Not Hide Your Light Under A Bushel (Modios)

Matthew 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and PUT IT UNDER A BUSHEL {modios} but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Word Study: The “BUSHEL”, the Greek modios, is “a large basket”. There are a lot of large baskets we can hide our faith behind. Jesus will talk about some of these baskets throughout His sermon:

The Basket Of Sin and Self Righteousness (verses 17-20). Some claim to come to Christ so they can freely and without guilt sin (Antinomianism). Others glorify themselves as righteous apart from Christ’s power (Pharisaism). Both are baskets that hide the light of the believer.

The Basket Of Anger and Unforgiveness (verses 21-24).

The Basket Of I’m Always Right – Even When I’m Wrong (verses 25-26).

The Basket Of Lust (verses 27-30).

We don’t have time to touch on all these areas tonight. But from this point on in Jesus’ sermon, He talks about baskets that need to be avoided, things that can cover your light. Let’s talk about one of the most used basket among religious people today:

The Basket Of Sin And Self Righteousness

Matthew 5:17-20 Think not that I am come to destroy THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, ONE JOT or ONE TITTLE shall in no wise pass from THE LAW, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall BREAK ONE OF THESE LEAST COMMANDMENTS, and shall teach men so, he SHALL BE CALLED THE LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall EXCEED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

When the Jews referred to “The Law and the Prophets”, they were speaking of the Bible that they had – what we call the Old Testament. When Jesus referred to “The Law and the Prophets”, He was referring to the Old Testament. Here’s a few examples:

(Matthew 7:12 KJV) Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.

(Matthew 22:40 KJV) On these two commandments hang all THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.

(Luke 16:16 KJV) The LAW AND THE PROPHETS [were] until John {The Baptist}: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

(Acts 13:15 KJV) And after the reading of THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, [Ye] men [and] brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

When Jesus said,

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS: I am not come to destroy, but TO FULFILL.

He is saying that He has come to fulfill the Old Testament. Jesus did this. Jesus told His disciples:

Luke 24:44 EVERYTHING MUST BE FULFILLED that is written about Me in THE LAW OF MOSES, THE PROPHETS AND THE PSALMS.

Jesus did fulfill everything that was written about Him in the Old Testament – down to the last little bit. Jesus continued:

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, ONE JOT {iōta} or ONE TITTLE {keraia} shall in no wise pass from THE LAW, till ALL BE FULFILLED.

Word Study: The “JOT”, Greekiōta or the Hebrew yod, is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The “TITTLE”, Greek keraia, is a tiny stroke that differentiates one Hebrew letter from another. It looks like a tiny horn. Jesus was emphasizing that not the smallest part of the Old Testament – not the tiniest prophecy of the Coming Messiah – could be left unfulfilled. Jesus would fulfill every shadow, every sacrifice, every festival and feast, every ceremonial law that taught of the Coming Savior.

Some have suggested that – since Jesus fulfilled all the Law – that now what used to be considered sin is now acceptable. This is a lie from the mouth of the Serpent of Eden, Satan himself. This is an ancient lie called “Antinomianism”, meaning “against the Law”, and it seeks to justify sin.

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall BREAK ONE OF THESE LEAST COMMANDMENTS, and shall teach men so, he SHALL BE CALLED THE LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law, but not to erase it. He made it plain that to “BREAK ONE OF THESE LEAST COMMANDMENTS”, the commandments of God found in the Old Testament, is wrong and not justified in the eyes of God. Then Jesus says this:

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall EXCEED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, ye shall in NO CASE ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

The Pharisees and Scribes had a blended righteousness. They blended light and dark, salt and dirt, God’s Word and human tradition. And Jesus said that just WILL NOT DO. Those who are saved by faith in Christ are saved to be salt and light, ambassadors for Christ in this fallen world. We cannot compromise with the world and expect to be blessed of God.

I hope you understand that.

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Christ’s Word of Suffering

Posted on August 24, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Jonathan Greenaway on Unsplash

John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I THIRST

Where Does Thirst Come From?

When God created us, He gave us something called a HYPOTHALAMUS. It’s in the center of our brain, and it constantly monitors our fluid balance, our blood concentration, and even our blood pressure. There are two types of thirst: Osmotic and Hypovolemic. Most of us have experienced the first type – Osmotic thirst. This is when you labor and overheat, you lose water through sweat, and that triggers thirst. In the Garden of Eden before Adam’s sin I do not think people ever really suffered thirst. It was only after Adam’s betrayal of God’s Covenant that the Lord told him:

(Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV) … Cursed [is] the ground for your sake; IN TOIL YOU SHALL EAT OF IT ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. [18] Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. [19] IN THE SWEAT OF YOUR FACE YOU SHALL EAT BREAD Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you [are], And to dust you shall return.

Adam’s sin brought toil, and cursing, thorns and thistles, hard labor to cause sweat. Adam’s sin brought suffering along with sin into the world. Adam thought that God’s Word could be trifled with. Our Lord Jesus told us “Scripture – the Word of God – CANNOT BE BROKEN” (John 10:35). What God has said must come to pass. What God has promised must be fulfilled. Adam’s sin brought suffering into the world. Adam’s sin brought thirst to man. Adam’s sin brought thirst to animals. But Adam’s sin did something much more startling.

Adam’s Sin Brought Thirst To The Son Of God

The second type of thirst isHypovolemic. This occurs when the volume of the blood in your body drops to an unnatural level. That brings on a raging thirst. All three on that Hill called Calvary suffered this type of thirst that day – but only One was the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is very God of very God. He is on the same level of power and authority as our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. He is infinite in knowledge, so much so that only God knows Him. Jesus said:

(Matthew 11:27 NKJV) All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and NO ONE KNOWS THE SON EXCEPT THE FATHER. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and [the one] to whom the Son wills to reveal [Him].

Jesus Christ has an unimaginable bond with God. Though “Abraham was called the Friend of God” (James 2:23), Jesus is much more. Jesus is God become Perfect Man. The Bible says:

(1 Timothy 3:16 NKJV) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

Jesus Christ is God MANIFEST IN THE FLESH, something God NEVER did – not even in Eden.

In Eden God walked in the Garden “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8) with Adam and Eve – but not in the flesh. Following the Fall of Adam, God “tabernacled” with Israel, His chosen people. But again, this was not in the flesh. Israel had to build first the Tent of Meeting or the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:8; 29:45; Joshua 22:19; 1 Kings 6:13), and God would appear to His people in that place alone.

But when Jesus came, this was different. Prior to the coming of Jesus, God walked in Spirit among His people. He was seen in temporary forms, in His Shekinah glory. But when Jesus came …

(Galatians 4:4-5 KJV) … GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON, MADE OF A WOMAN, made under the law, [5] TO REDEEM THEM that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

John 1:14 … And the Word was made flesh, and DWELT {skēnoō, tabernacled} among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

To redeem us, God had to become man. And God became Man, perfect Man. God did not meet us in either tent of Temple. God met us in a perfect body. Then God suffered alongside us, till the day He died on Calvary.

Jesus walked among us as fully Man and fully God. The Prophet Isaiah (9:6) described the coming Messiah as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace”. The Prophet Micah (5:2) spoke of the coming Messiah, he said “He will rule Israel, and His going forth shall be from eternity”. Jesus came from the Father, was sent of the Father, and is equal to the Father. Jesus said,

(John 6:45-46 NKJV) It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore EVERYONE WHO HAS HEARD AND LEARNED FROM THE FATHER COMES TO ME. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, EXCEPT HE WHO IS FROM GOD; He has seen the Father.

Jesus is One with God. He is not lesser God, nor greater God. He is equal to God, for he is God Himself. He said …

(John 14:9 NKJV) … HE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

God came to this earth, and suffered among us. He was “born, wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Luke 2:7). Jesus was “wearied in body” (John 4:6). Jesus got hungry (Matthew 4:2). Jesus “wept” (John 11:35). And how Jesus suffered! Betrayed by His friend Judas (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:47-48), forsaken by His disciples (Psalm 31:11; Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50), falsely accused (Psalm 35:11; Mark 14:56-57). Jesus was stripped naked, and His clothing gambled over (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24; Matthew 27:35). And now Jesus thirsts. The Bible says:

(Hebrews 2:17-18 NKJV) Therefore, IN ALL THINGS HE HAD TO BE MADE LIKE HIS BRETHREN , that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make PROPITIATION {satisfactory payment} for the sins of the people. [18] For in that He Himself has suffered, BEING TEMPTED, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Jesus Was Tempted As None Other Was

As Jesus suffered on that Cross, He was tempted. Jesus just passed through three hours of darkness. Last week we studied this text:

(Matthew 27:46 NKJV) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Jesus passed through a severe spiritual conflict as He bore the punishment for our sins. We cannot imagine the pain – both physical and spiritual – that He suffered for us. And thirsting, requesting just a drop of water,

(Matthew 27:48 KJV) … one of {the soldiers} ran, and took a sponge, and FILLED IT WITH VINEGAR, and put [it] on a reed, and gave {Jesus} to drink.

This evil shows us why Jesus had to die for our sins. A man in torment is offered vinegar, but not a drop of water. Though Jesus would receive the vinegar (John 19:30), it would just be one more brick of suffering added to the Messiah’s load!

Oh, how Jesus was tempted, from the beginning of His ministry till the very end. When He began His ministry, the Bible says that “Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL” (Matthew 4:1). After 40 days and 40 nights of fasting, seeking the will of the Father, Jesus was terribly hungry. And the Devil, that old Tempter – the Serpent of Eden, fallen Lucifer, tells Jesus:

Matthew 4:3 … If thou be the Son of God, COMMAND THAT THESE STONES BE MADE BREAD.

Jesus refused to play Satan’s game. He could have turned stones to bread. In a storm our Lord commanded, “Peace! Be Still!” (Mark 4:35-41), and the wind and waves ceased. Jesus commanded the demons Legion come out of the possessed, and sent them into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:8-13). Just one word from Jesus and disease is destroyed, the devil runs away, and the dead return to the living.

Jesus Could Have Satisfied His Physical Thirst,
But He Refused Himself, And Satisfied The Will Of God

(John 19:28 KJV) After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, THAT THE SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED, saith, I THIRST.

When Jesus said “I THIRST”, He was suffering thirst from extreme blood loss ( Hypovolemic Thirst). He was drained to the point of death. But this was not what caused Jesus to say “I THIRST”. As Jesus reviewed every stage of the Cross, He knew that “all things were accomplished – but one”. Throughout His life on earth Jesus fulfilled every prophecy. As Jesus went to Golgotha, He fulfilled one prophecy after the next.

  • Jesus was hated without a cause.

John 15:24-25 (ESV) If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and HATED BOTH ME AND MY FATHER. But THE WORD WRITTEN IN THEIR LAW MUST BE FULFILLED: THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.

Jesus quoted the prophecy of

Psalm 69:4 (ESV) More in number than the hairs of my head are THOSE WHO HATE ME WITHOUT CAUSE; mighty are those who would destroy Me, those who attack Me with lies…

  • Jesus’ family turned away from Him. The Scripture says, “For not even His brothers believed in Him” (John 7:5), for His family said “He is out of His mind” (Mark 3:21). This was the fulfillment of

Psalm 69:8 (ESV) I have BECOME A STRANGER TO MY BROTHERS, an alien to my mother’s sons.

  • Every prophecy of Christ was fulfilled – but one. It was the prophecy of …

(Psalm 69:21 NKJV) They also gave Me gall for my food, And for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.

In order to fulfill this last prophecy – for scripture cannot be broken – Jesus said “I THIRST”. Throughout His ministry Jesus often said, “It is written”. He quoted sacred text. He cherished the Word of God. Jesus honored the words of the Holy Spirit spoken through David:

(Psalm 119:30-31, 59-60 NKJV) I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid [before Me]. [31] I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put Me to shame! … [59] I thought about My ways, And turned My feet to Your testimonies. [60] I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.

In many Churches and among many Christians today the Word of God is an add on, something to be tacked to the service if not too long, as long as all the other elements are satisfied. Jesus began His ministry by honoring the Word of God, by quoting it each time He was tempted in the wilderness of Satan, by adhering to its precepts perfectly at all times. Jesus lived out His life cherishing and obeying the Word of God. He submitted Himself to the Word of God and therefore obeyed the Will of the Father.

What Drove Jesus Was Thirst – But Not Physical Thirst

Whether you will acknowledge it or not, the cry of the world is “I thirst”. People chase after wealth, after fame, after a social media presence, after fleeting beauty. Everywhere I go, I see thirsty people. They chase after false gods, false christs, silly things. They think, “If I can change my sex, I’ll be happy”. They attempt to do so, and they are not. They think, “If I can find a significant other, I’ll be happy”. They find what the think is their “other” and aren’t happy. They want the applause of the world, but gaining it they are still unhappy.

There’s a song that captures the futility of trying to fulfill your thirst with what you find. Called 7 Years, it was sang by a Danish group called Lukas Graham. It starts out:

Once, I was seven years old, my mama told me,
“Go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely”
Once, I was seven years old…

As the song progresses the group talks about all the different things they sought looking for glory and joy. As the song ends they sing,

Soon, I’ll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?
Soon, I’ll be sixty years old…

Sadly, they find no joy, no lasting happiness. Why? It’s very simple.

God made us, and He alone can satisfy us. As David said, “My Soul THIRSTETH FOR GOD, FOR THE LIVING GOD: when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:2)

A.W. Pink wrote, “Christ alone can quench our thirst. He alone can meet the deep needs of our hearts. He alone can impart the peace which the world knows nothing of and can neither bestow nor take away”. We thirst for God. Not the cheap imitations that the world and the prince of the power of the air can offer.

In John Chapter Four Jesus tells a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, “Give Me a drink” (John 4:7). The Bible says:

(John 4:9-11, 13-14 NKJV) Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. [10] Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU LIVING WATER.” [11] The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? … [13] Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, [14] “but WHOEVER DRINKS OF THE WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE HIM WILL NEVER THIRST. But the WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE HIM WILL BECOME IN HIM A FOUNTAIN OF WATER SPRINGING UP INTO EVERLASTING LIFE.

As Jesus rebuked the woman for her sins, He presented Himself as the Messiah. The woman believed Jesus, and went to Samaria, telling others,

(John 4:29 NKJV) Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?

One thing occurred to me as I studied this section of Scripture. Jesus started His conversation with the Samaritan woman with “Give Me a drink”. But the woman never gave Him a drink. And Jesus never asked again. The woman satisfied Jesus’ thirst – not by giving Him a sponge full of vinegar – but by believing on Him.

Jesus Christ thirsts even today. He is thirsty for your fellowship. Your love and faith in Him refreshes His heart. Jesus is thirsty to save you, to walk with you, to be your Lord and Savior.

When the disciples returned from Samaria with food, they offered the Master what they had gathered. Jesus told them,

(John 4:32, 34 NKJV) I have food to eat of which you do not know.” … My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Jesus desires to save you. He desires to be a part of your life. Come to Him this very day. Satisfy your thirst – and His – by receiving Him as Lord and Savior. May God help you to do so without delay. Amen.

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Wednesday Night Study: 1 Corinthians 2:14-16; 3:1-15

Posted on August 22, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 But the NATURAL {psychikos} man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are SPIRITUALLY {pneumatikōs} discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual {pneumatikos} judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Word Study: Last we saw the difference between the “NATURAL” (psychikos, sensual, psychotic, bestial or animal like) person and the “SPIRITUAL” (pneumatikos, Spirit led) Child of God. The flesh controlled person can not receive the things of the Spirit of God. They are enslaved to the flesh. They have not been set free by faith in Jesus. Jesus said:

(John 8:34-36 LSB) … Truly, truly, I say to you, EVERYONE WHO COMMITS SIN IS THE SLAVE OF SIN. [35] “And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. [36] “So IF THE SON MAKES YOU FREE, YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED.

We are born into this world bound to the flesh and sin. This is the “NATURAL” state. But once you receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, He sends the Holy Spirit to us to cause our new birth and indwell us. Once saved, the “SPIRITUAL” or Spirit led Christian – though they may occasionally sin- are no longer bound to sin but to righteousness. The Apostle said:

(Romans 6:1-2 KJV) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] God forbid. How shall WE, THAT ARE DEAD {apothnēskō} TO SIN, live any longer therein?

Word Study: The Greek apothnēskō means “to be at the point of death, to kill off”. The word is used for those who physically died, as when Jesus said “Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and ARE DEAD (apothnēskō)”. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, sin loses its control over us. We become the possession of God. Though we may have residual sin in our lives, it is not enslaving sin. The Apostle said:

(Romans 6:11-14 NKJV) Likewise you also, RECKON YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD (nekros) INDEED TO SIN, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [12] Therefore DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY, that you should obey it in its lusts. [13] And do not present your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but PRESENT YOURSELVES TO GOD as being alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God. [14] For SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU, for you are not under law but under grace.

Word Study: Here the Apostle uses a different word for our relationship to sin: we are nekros. This word means “one who has breathed his last, one whose soul is in heaven or hell, without life”. Paul is emphatic:

(Romans 6:17-18 NKJV) But God be thanked that [though] you WERE slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. [18] And having been set free from sin, YOU BECAME SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The lost soul is led by the flesh, servants of sin, separated from God. The saved person is led by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, servants of righteousness, bound to God eternally.

When the Apostle says:

vs 15 he that is spiritual {pneumatikos} judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man

he is not saying that we make our own rules as Christians. What he is saying is that – as we follow the Word of God and the Spirit of God – the judgments of this world do not matter. We are servants of God – and we are in the right place because we are walking with God.

Verse 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but WE HAVE {echō, to possess} THE MIND OF CHRIST.

The Holy Spirit and the Book that He wrote – the Bible – is the “MIND OF CHRIST”. We have access to the mind of God in the Scripture. The “MIND OF CHRIST” has at least 7 characteristics that God wants to develop in us:

1. Controlled {praos} and humble {tapeinos}

(Matthew 11:29 KJV) Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I AM MEEK {praos} AND LOWLY {tapeinos} IN HEART: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

2. Sacrificially loving

(John 13:34 NKJV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, that you also love one another.

(2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, YET FOR YOUR SAKES HE BECAME POOR, that YOU THROUGH HIS POVERTY MIGHT BECOME RICH.

3. Compassionate for the wandering

(Matthew 9:36-38 NKJV) But when He saw the multitudes, He was MOVED WITH COMPASSION {splagchnizomai, have deep sympathy or pity} for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. [37] Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly [is] plentiful, but the laborers [are] few. [38] “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

4. Faithful and obedient to His calling

(Hebrews 3:1-2 NKJV) Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, [2] WHO WAS FAITHFUL TO HIM WHO APPOINTED HIM, as Moses also [was faithful] in all His house.

5. Passionate in His service

(John 2:17 NKJV) Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE HAS EATEN ME UP.”

Psalm 69:9 (ESV) For ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE HAS CONSUMED ME, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on Me.

6. Enduring and visionary

(Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

7. Unconditionally forgiving

(Luke 23:34 NKJV) Then Jesus said, “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Though They Had Access To The Mind Of Christ,
The Corinthian Believers Did Not Have It

The Corinthians do not actually “HAVE and hold” (echo) the mind of Christ at this time. They have access to it – but are themselves acting foolishly. Saved by Grace, they are not living the Spirit filled life. They are allowing self and the flesh to control them, rather than the Spirit. This is brought out in this chapter.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto SPIRITUAL {pneumatikos}, but as unto CARNAL {sarkikos}, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Word Study: Paul could not speak to the Corinthian believers as if they were pneumatikos or Holy Spirit led, because they, like Israel when they came out of Egypt, kept going back to Egypt in their minds every time they were challenged. Paul told them they were sarkikos, which means “under the control of animal appetites; depraved, acting like animals”.

When a Christian is first born again, they must be fed basic truths. Paul taught the Corinthians the basic truths of the faith. These are found in:

(Hebrews 6:1-2 NKJV) Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary [principles] of Christ, LET US GO ON to PERFECTION {teleiotēs, the state of the mature}, not laying again the FOUNDATION {themelios, first principles, foundation} of REPENTANCE from dead works and of faith toward God, [2] of the DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS, of LAYING ON OF HANDS, of RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, and of ETERNAL JUDGMENT.

Salvation is by Grace, but GROWTH is by PARTNERSHIP. We as believers must submit ourselves to the Word of God and the Spirit of God to “GO ON to PERFECTION – Christian maturity”.

The JFB Commentary notes, “When building a house one must never leave the foundation; yet to be always laboring in ‘laying the foundation’ would be ridiculous”. The foundational truths on which our faith is built on is:

1. Repentance from dead works and faith toward God: Our works will not save us. Apart from God’s intervention we are spiritually dead, divorced from God. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Repentance means turning from our own means of salvation and surrendering to God – receiving Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.

2. The doctrine of baptisms: Jesus was baptized in water, though perfect and holy. Jesus considered it necessary. Baptism is a symbolic washing of a believer in Christ, ordered by Christ. Baptism did not save Jesus, nor does it save the believer in Jesus. But our Lord commands it.

3. Laying on of hands: The laying on of hands is a sacred physical act used to transfer authority, to bless, in prayers for those in need. Under the Old Covenant the sinner laid hands on the animal to be sacrificed to symbolically transfer the sin to the sacrifice (Leviticus 4:24; 16:21). Jesus laid hands on the sick (Luke 4:40) to heal people, and Jesus told us to “lay hands on the sick and they will recover” (Mark 16:18). Our Lord Jesus blessed the children by laying hands on them (Matthew 19:13-15). When ordaining Deacons or Pastors hands are laid on the candidate (Acts 6:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6) to transfer authority from the ordained to the candidate. Under the Old Covenant Moses transferred authority to Jacob (Numbers 27:22-23) by laying on of hands.

4. Resurrection of the dead: Though the Old Testament spoke of resurrection of the dead (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; Ezekiel 37:12-14), and in particular Job said:

(Job 19:25-26 LSB) As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will rise up over the dust [of this world]. [26] “Even after my skin is destroyed, YET FROM MY FLESH I SHALL BEHOLD GOD

The thought that there was no future resurrection crept into Judaism through the liberal theology of the Sadducees. They rejected all of Scripture BUT the Torah, the five Books of the Law. Jesus proved to the Sadducees that there is a future resurrection, and that all will stand before God one day. Quoting Exodus 3:6 Jesus told them:

(Matthew 22:31-32 LSB) But REGARDING THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, [32] ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? HE IS NOT THE GOD OF THE DEAD, BUT OF THE LIVING.

5. Of eternal judgment: There is a judgment day coming. For the unbeliever, they shall stand before a Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15; John 5:22; Revelation 22:1, 3; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29). For the believer, they shall stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 4:5). One judgment is to damnation, the other to judge the works the believer did in this life.

1 Corinthians 3:3 For ye are yet CARNAL {sarkikos}: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and WALK AS MEN?

Paul started the Corinthians on the “MILK” of the Word of God, teaching them the five foundational truths of Christianity. But he could go no further in their training because they allowed selfish sins of the flesh to control them. Notice the progression of sin. It starts out as “ENVY”, wanting what someone else has rather than enjoying what God has given you. This leads to “STRIFE”, non-productive battles within the assembly of the saints. These things lead to “DIVISIONS”, breaking apart of the harmony of the assembly of God. This is Satanic. When Peter tried to keep Jesus from fulfilling His mission – to Cross – Jesus told Peter:

(Matthew 16:23 KJV) … Get thee behind Me, Satan: THOU ART AN OFFENSE UNTO ME: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Peter was walking according to his own desires, not according to the will of God. So was the Corinthian Church. They had broken into factions. Jesus told us,

(Matthew 12:25 KJV) Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

The reason many Churches today do not flourish is because of the members failing to move forward in application of Scripture in their lives. Internal divisions disrupt the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 3:4-8 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not CARNAL {sarkikos}? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, EVEN AS THE LORD GAVE TO EVERY MAN? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and EVERY MAN SHALL RECEIVE HIS OWN REWARD ACCORDING TO HIS OWN LABOR

God will not bless division. He gives each person spiritual; gifts, and each person is responsible to use his or her own spiritual gifts in a way that will build up the fellowship of the Kingdom of God. God will reward those who labor for Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s HUSBANDRY {geōrgion}, ye are God’s BUILDING.

We are all suppose to be working together for the glory of God. We belong to God. We are “bought with a price. Because of this, glorify God in your body and in your spirit. You belong to God!” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

The Church Belongs To God

The Apostle said that the Church is “God’s HUSBANDRY”. This is the Greek geōrgion, which means “a cultivated field, a garden”. In John 15:5 Jesus told us:

(John 15:5 KJV) I am the Vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.

As children of God, if we “ABIDE IN CHRIST” then we will produce fruit that glorifies God our Father. If we do NOT produce fruit, Jesus said,

(John 15:1-2 KJV) … My Father is the {Gardener}. [2] Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit {the Father} taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, He {prunes} it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

The Church is the Garden of God. The members that will not bear fruit to the glory of God will be cut away – sometimes even to physical death. The members that bear fruit will be pruned – tried and tested – so they can bear even more fruit. God is continually working on His Church. We are His BUILDING {oikodomē, that which He is growing}.

The Judgment Seat Of Christ

Now Paul begins to speak of the judgment that every believer will go through: The Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul laid the foundation in Corinth – as He should – on Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST

The foundation of every person’s faith is Jesus Christ. Once saved we begin to build on that foundation. Everything built on that Foundation is to be honoring to Jesus Christ. We live to bring glory and honor to our Savior. We do the things we do to honor Jesus. Christ is the Foundation of the Church. Christ is the Foundation of the Christian Way of Life. Christ is the Rock on which we are to be built. It is His Word that brings stability to the Life we have. We are to do His Word for blessing in this life:

Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV) Everyone then who HEARS these words of Mine and DOES them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who HEARS these words of mine and DOES NOT DO them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

The Judgment Seat of Christ does not determine if we as Christians are saved or not. It determines the quality of the works we did for Jesus.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 EVERY MAN’S WORK SHALL BE MADE MANIFEST: for the day shall declare it, because it shall BE REVEALED BY FIRE; and THE FIRE SHALL TRY EVERY MAN’S WORK of what sort it is.

There are six materials listed here. Gold, silver, and precious stones are QUALITY materials all found in the building of the Temple in Israel. These are materials worthy of the Foundation that is Christ. Wood, hay, and stubble are POOR materials.

When wood was used in the Temple of Israel it was overlayed by gold or precious stones.

When you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ it is not the QUANTITY of works that are judged but the QUALITY of the works. When you look at this list it can be divided into two categories:

Fireproof or Inflammable
Eternal or Temporal
Worshiping Jesus or Pleasing Men
Willing Service orLittle or No Service
Generosity or Stinginess & Self Centeredness

Illustrate A wealthy woman died one day and went to heaven. Jesus took her to her heavenly abode, which was a plain old ordinary building. Right next door to her was her gardener who had a palatial mansion. She said, “How did my gardener get a mansion and I get a plain old ordinary building?” Jesus said, “Well, I built with the material you sent Me”. Don’t expect a mansion if you gave little or nothing to Jesus in this life.

What is the FIRE that judges our works? The Book of Revelation describes Jesus in glory this way:

Revelation 19:12-13 (KJV) HIS EYES WERE AS A FLAME OF FIRE, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. 13 And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.

Jesus – the Word of God will intensely examine our works. The works we did for the glory of God will be purified by fire. But the works we did that were out of self and pride will burn under the gaze of our Master.

1 Corinthians 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, HE SHALL RECEIVE A REWARD.

This reward is spoken of several times in Scripture. For instance, Paul wrote:

Colossians 3:23-25 (KJV) And whatsoever ye do, DO IT HEARTILY, AS TO THE LORD, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that OF THE LORD YOUN SHALL RECEIVE THE REWARD of the inheritance: for YE SERVE THE LORD CHRIST. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

What you reap, you will sow. If you strive to serve Jesus from the heart – even if you do so imperfectly – Jesus will know your heart and reward you accordingly. We are to do our best – our best – for His glory. BUT if our works do not stand up to Jesus’ judgment, we have this assurance:

1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire.

Unlike the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), this is not a judgment for eternal life. This is a judgment of temporal works, and it determines whether there will be eternal rewards for those works or not. If your works do not stand up to Christ’s judgment, the work itself will burn up – and with in your reward. But rest assured – only the poorest of Christians, the most carnal, will leave the Judgment Seat without some type of reward. May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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The Day I Agreed To Go

Posted on August 21, 2026 by bibleteacherorg
Daily writing prompt
If you could relive one day from your past, which day would it be and why?
View all responses

If I could re-live a day, it would be the day a man named Terry deceived me, and led me to leave a place I loved to follow a lie. I thought I was doing the right thing, but he was the devil’s agent. Though God worked it out for me, my life was never the same again. I let a deceiver lead me from the Promised Land to a devil’s paradise.

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Christ’s Word Of Anguish: Matthew 27:45-46

Posted on August 17, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Why Are We Confused?

After His brutal crucifixion, two disciples who had witnessed it were on the road to Emmaus, returning from the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As it was a seven mile walk from Jerusalem, they were discussing the horror they had seen. They were arguing about Jesus. Though the conversation wasn’t recorded, Luke 24:15 (LSB) states “they were conversing and debating (syzēteō, questioning, disputing)”. We can imagine what they were saying.

“That was horrible! Jesus must have been guilty of something, or else He wouldn’t have been crucified.”

“But I heard Pilate say he saw no guilt in the man. He was innocent. That was murder, not an execution.”

“Well, if He were the Messiah like we thought He was, He wouldn’t have been killed. I thought He was going to restore Israel, and defeat Rome. But now He’s dead. I am so disappointed.”

“I don’t understand it either. I really believed Jesus when He said He was the Son of God and the Son of man. I just don’t know how this could happen.”

While they were debating on that road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to the unnamed disciples. They didn’t know it was Jesus, because the Bible says “their eyes were restrained, so they did not know Him” (Luke 24:16). What kept them from seeing Jesus? I personally believe that …

they were so full of themselves that they couldn’t see Jesus.

Jesus listened to them for a minute, then chastised them, saying:

(Luke 24:25-27 LSB) … O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in ALL THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE SPOKEN! [26] Was it not NECESSARY FOR THE CHRIST TO SUFFER THESE THINGS and to enter into His glory? [27] Then BEGINNING WITH MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES.

Jesus had to fulfill everything – every prophecy of the Old Testament (the Bible at that time) – or else He would not be “THE Christ, the Messiah”.

There were over 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Though many then and even today claim to be Christ, only Jesus Christ fulfilled every prophecy.

The two disciples invited this Stranger to dinner. As they sat at the table Jesus broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to them – “and their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus”. Then Jesus disappeared!

I can imagine their shock! They didn’t wait, but ran back to Jerusalem to find the eleven Apostles. As they were telling the Apostles they had seen the Risen Savior,

“Jesus stood in their midst, saying, ‘Peace be unto you’”.

Again, being human, they though they saw a ghost. Jesus had them touch Him. Jesus ate a piece of cooked fish. And they believed. And then, just as Jesus did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, He reminded them all:

(Luke 24:44-47 LSB) … These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN ABOUT ME IN THE LAW OF MOSES AND IN THE PROPHETS AND THE PSALMS MUST BE FULFILLED. [45] Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, [46] and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that THE CHRIST WOULD SUFFER AND RISE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD THE THIRD DAY, [47] and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Jesus Was Silent As He Was Led To The Slaughter

Everything written about the Christ had to be fulfilled – and every part of His trial and crucifixion. Jesus would be betrayed by a close friend (Psalm 41:9; John 13:18), by a kiss on His cheek. Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariiah 11:12-13). The Bible tells us that when Jesus was tried, beaten, mocked, that He was silent. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; LIKE A LAMB THAT IS LED TO THE SLAUGHTER, and LIKE A SHEEP THAT BEFORE ITS SHEARERS IS SILENT, so HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH.

When liars spoke against Him at His trial, Jesus said nothing. When the soldiers beat Him, Jesus said nothing. When dragged before Pilate, we read:

(Matthew 27:11-14 LSB) Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “You yourself say [it].” [12] And WHILE HE WAS BEING ACCUSED by the chief priests and elders, HE DID NOT ANSWER. [13] Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” [14] And HE DID NOT ANSWER HIM WITH REGARD TO EVEN A SINGLE CHARGE, so the governor marveled greatly.

There is no indication in Scripture that Jesus even cried out when pushed the crown of thorns down over His brow, or when they drove the spikes through His hands and feet. Peter, watching some distance away, wrote:

(1 Peter 2:23 LSB) {Jesus} being reviled, was NOT REVILING IN RETURN; while suffering, HE WAS UTTERING NO THREATS, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously.

Nailed to the Cross, Jesus PRAYED for His enemies:

(Luke 23:34 LSB) Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.

Jesus PROMISED a repentant thief next to Him eternal life:

(Luke 23:43 LSB) Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.

And Jesus PREPARED His mother for His departure:

(John 19:26-27 LSB) {Jesus} said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” [27] Then He said to {the Apostle John}, “Behold, your mother!”

And up to this point Jesus has not complained. Every word is measured. Though He is suffering immensely, Jesus is in control of Himself. Our Hero never loses control of Himself.

The Sixth Hour Came – And With It Darkness
And God’s Judgment

Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

In the Bible and among the ancient Jews, time was measured by the rising and setting of the sun. As the sun rose around 6 am, the SIXTH hour would be about noon. It’s about noon. The sun should be straight overhead, beating down on those on the Cross. But instead there is an unnatural darkness over Golgotha. It’s not a passing cloud.

This was not a solar eclipse. Jesus was crucified during Passover, 14th of Nisan, during a full moon. The moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun.

The darkness lasts from the sixth to the ninth hour – THREE HOURS. From noon till three in the afternoon it was like nightfall. The Greek historian Phlegon of Tralles (c. 140 AD) stated:

“In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad [c. 32–33 AD], there was the greatest eclipse of the sun … it became night at the sixth hour of the day, so that stars even appeared in the heavens.”

Phlegon thought it was an eclipse, but it couldn’t be. It was so dark that even the stars were seen in the heavens. For three hours the sun was covered by the hand of God. Unnatural darkness signifies the judgment of God. This same thing happened in the Old Testament – not for 3 hours but 3 DAYS.

When God sent the ninth plague on Egypt, there were three days of thick darkness (Exodus 10:21-23), though all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. God’s people had light, but the unbelieving Egyptians suffered in darkness. God withdrew His hand of blessing, and cursed Egypt.

Later in the Scripture God through the Prophet Amos, God promised to punish Israel for rejecting His leadership. God told Israel:

(Amos 8:9 KJV) … it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I WILL CAUSE THE SUN TO GO DOWN AT NOON, and I WILL DARKEN THE EARTH IN THE CLEAR DAY

The sun going down at noon – the darkness of the earth when it should be clear day – shows the judgment of God.

When Pilate tried to free Jesus, but could get no where, we are told:

(Matthew 27:24 KJV) When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of THE BLOOD OF THIS JUST PERSON.

The mocking Jewish crowd cried out,

(Matthew 27:25 KJV) … His blood [be] on us, and on our children.

“We will bear the guilt of His death. Crucify Him! Our children will bear the guilt of His death. Crucify Him!” But God did not judge the evil of Israel that day, nor did He judge the wickedness of the Gentiles who were complicit in the execution of Jesus. The crowd blindly followed sin and Satan. The executioners blindly followed sin and Satan.

When Adam blindly followed the Serpent, he committed spiritual suicide. In fact, he was guilt of spiritual genocide, because his act would bring sin and Satanic destruction on all his children. Adam would experience the pain that sin brings when one son, Cain, would murder the other, Abel. How horrible that was! But here we see the horror of DEICIDE, the murder of God the Son. The ultimate sin. So horrible, that the sun is covered for three hours.

Jesus Fully Drank The Cup Of God’s Wrath For Us!

As time passed, the crowd became frightened. What was this unnatural darkness? God was judging. But He was not judging the mocking but now frightened crowd. God was judging His Son.

For three hours, the Bible says “The Father made Jesus TO BE SIN FOR US” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was what Jesus prayed about in Gethsemane. This is what caused Christ to pray three times – and sweat drops of blood! In Gethsemane …

(Matthew 26:39 NKJV) {Jesus}… fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let THIS CUP pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You [will].”

Waking up His disciples, the Bible says:

(Matthew 26:42 NKJV) {Jesus} went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if THIS CUP cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

He returned to His disciples – and they were once more asleep. The Bible says,

(Matthew 26:44 NKJV) So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, SAYING THE SAME WORDS.

The “CUP” Jesus dreaded drinking was the cup of God’s wrath. The sin of the world could not be taken away until Jesus drank the cup dry. He paid our penalty in full. He alone is the satisfactory Payment for our sins (1 John 2:2)

For three hours Jesus endured the darkness. From noon till 3 pm there was no word from the Cross. Then …

Christ’s Misunderstood Word Of Anguish

Matthew 27:43 “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani”

It is amazing the depravity that sin will lead us to. Several years ago I was preaching from this text my Hero Jesus – my Savior and Lord – when an older gentleman in the audience got offended. I’ll never forget it. He sent another Pastor to me with the complaint that I was speaking in tongues while I was preaching. Sin closed this man’s mind to the Savior. Satan – that Old Serpent – blinded this man close to the end of his life with foolishness, rather than examining his own life and running to the Savior’s arms.

Oh, my Lord!

When Jesus said “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani” (Mark 15:34 records it as “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani”), He was speaking Hebrew and Aramaic.

The Jews of Jesus’ day had been in captivity for so long, that many of them (outside of the Pharisees and Priests) could not speak nor understand their own native language. Many spoke Greek, so many that about 3 years before Christ became incarnate that the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek by a group of Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt. That what we call the Septuagint, the Bible most quoted by the Apostles. Not knowing their own language, when Jesus cried out:

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani”

(Matthew 27:47 KJV) Some of them that stood there, when they heard [that], said, This [man] calleth for {ELIJAH}.

Like the old man I mentioned before, they spoke from ignorance. They couldn’t understand Hebrew, the language of their forefathers. The soldiers, misinterpreting what Jesus was saying, thought Him babbling from the pain. The Bible says,

(Matthew 27:48 KJV) And straightway one of them ran, {an executioner} and TOOK A SPONGE, and FILLED IT WITH VINEGAR, and put [it] on a reed, and GAVE HIM TO DRINK.

This was done to mock Jesus (Luke 23:36), because what was offered would not offer comfort. It would be like giving sea water to a person dying of thirst. There was no comfort in it. The crowd told the soldier:

(Matthew 27:49 KJV) THE REST said, Let be, let us see whether {Elijah} will come to save Him.

No compassion. Just mocking. Let’s see what happens. Leave Him alone. He’s out of His head. What was Jesus saying when He said? Was He cursing His tormentors? No! When our Lord said …

Matthew 27:46 “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani”

Jesus was praying. Matthew, himself of the Tribe of Levi, understands Hebrew and Aramaic. Matthew tells us what Jesus means:

(Matthew 27:46 KJV) … that is to say, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?

Was Jesus babbling, complaining, out of His head with pain? No. My Hero was not out of His head. Our Savior and Lord was finishing the work set before Him.

Jesus Was Fulfilling The Psalms

Jesus said:

(Luke 24:44 NKJV) … ALL THINGS MUST BE FULFILLED which were written in the Law of Moses and [the] Prophets AND THE PSALMS CONCERNING ME.”

Jesus was not out of His head. He was in absolute control. He was fulfilling the Psalm which prophesied:

(Psalm 22:1-5 NKJV) MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? [Why are You so] far from helping Me, [And from] the words of My groaning? [2] O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. [3] But You [are] holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. [4] Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. [5] They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

Jesus was fulfilling that which was prophesied of Him in the 22nd Psalm. He trusted in His Father. The Father delivered Israel. But the Father could not deliver the Son. How low is Jesus? The words of the prophecy go on to state:

Psalm 22:6-8 But I [am] a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. [7] All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying], [8] “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

God couldn’t deliver Him. Jesus died for us. He died for our sins. He died for our foolishness. He drank the cup of wrath, so that we would not have to suffer the wrath of God. Bible Scholar A.W. Pink stated:

“Here we see the absolute holiness and inflexible justice of God. The tragedy of Calvary must be viewed from at least four different viewpoints. At the Cross man did a work: he displayed his depravity by taking the perfect One and with “wicked hands” nailing Him to the tree. At the Cross Satan did a work: he manifested his insatiable enmity against the woman’s seed by bruising His heel. At the Cross the Lord Jesus did a work: He died—the Just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. At the Cross God did a work: He exhibited His holiness and satisfied His justice by pouring out His wrath on the One who was made sin for us.”

Hearing The Word Of Anguish, Only Utter Fools Would Rely On Themselves For Salvation

Jesus never lost control on the Cross. He was never out of His head. He suffered terribly for our salvation. God poured out His wrath fully on Christ as He hung on that terrible tree. Jesus became cursed in our place.

(Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV) Christ has redeemed us from THE CURSE OF THE LAW, having BECOME A CURSE FOR US (for it is written, “Cursed [is] everyone who hangs on a tree”), [14] that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Listen to me. If God punished His Beloved Son on that Cross, if He poured out His wrath on Jesus without mercy – be assured that God will most certainly pour out His wrath on YOU if you die without Jesus!

I don’t want to hear any of this pie in the sky “God loves everyone, and all are going to Heaven” nonsense. The Bible is very clear:

(John 3:16-18, 36 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. … [36] “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE, but THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDES ON HIM.

There is coming a day when you will stand before God. How will you stand? Those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will stand as sons and daughters of God. Why? Because Jesus took our beating. Jesus covered our sins. Jesus brought us peace with God through His agony.

Have you believed on Him? If not, you are daily playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun. Run to His arms, the One Who gave Himself for you. He is MY HERO. Is He yours?

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Characteristics Of A Spiritually Healthy Believer, Part 2

Posted on August 14, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by E Hillsley on Unsplash

Matthew 5: 3-9 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Last Sunday we started looking at the 7 characteristics of the spiritually healthy believer. The King of Kings went up a mountain and sat down. Here He is teaching those who come to Him what is expected of the believer under the New Covenant.

Salvation is a gift received of God, but once received it brings you into the Kingdom of Heaven/ Kingdom of God. Citizens of the Kingdom are under a standard of behavior.

To review, the first four characteristics are:

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

1 I am spiritually impoverished before God. I must be born again of God. We all fall far short of God’s holiness, and have no hope of justification before God apart from faith in the Cross of Calvary. None can be saved unless they first repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that MOURN: for they shall be comforted.

2 To be saved, one must REPENT. You must realize your natural standing before God, and grieve. This is not a reference to mourning over some sad thing that happened in your earthly experience. It is a reference about grieving for your deficiencies before God, about wanting to be better than you are in God’s presence. Humans are emotional creatures. This is not a reference to worldly sorrow (sorry that you got caught) but a reference to godly sorrow. The Bible says:

(2 Corinthians 7:9-10 KJV) Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that YE SORROWED TO REPENTANCE: for YE WERE MADE SORRY AFTER A GODLY MANNER, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. [10] For GODLY SORROW WORKETH REPENTANCE TO SALVATION not to be repented of: but the SORROW OF THE WORLD WORKETH DEATH.

Repentance is preceded by godly sorrow. Our Lord Jesus said, “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the MEEK {praos}: for they shall inherit the earth.

3 Those saved by Grace are not wild eyed, but self controlled. To be “meek” (praos) means to have a gentle spirit. To have self control. To be meek doesn’t mean to be weak. Meekness is controlled strength. Not letting someone push your buttons. Trusting that God will look after you. When Jesus was reviled, the Bible says “reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23). The meek understand that God is our Shepherd, and nothing comes to the sheep except it come through Him.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

4 Those who are saved hunger not for more sin, but for more God. Those who are God’s children by faith pursue not sin, but righteousness. They want to be more like Jesus. To those who pursue righteousness, Jesus said, “they shall be SATURATED {chortazō}”. If you work with God, God will fill your desires.

The reason many who profess Christ are like chaff in the wind is because they have no desire for the righteousness that comes by faith. They saturate themselves with other things. They want to be heroes, but don’t want to work with God the Holy Spirit, so they are only zeroes.

Follow the examples that the ancients have given us. The Prophet said:

(Isaiah 51:1-2 NKJV) Listen to Me, YOU WHO FOLLOW AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock [from which] you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit [from which] you were dug. [2] LOOK TO ABRAHAM YOUR FATHER, And to SARAH WHO BORE YOU; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.

God blessed Abraham for following Him. God gave him and his progeny the Promised Land, while taking it away from the native pagans living there. “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (1 Corinthians 10:26). It is God Who gives life to all, who sets the boundaries of the people (Acts 17:26; Deuteronomy 32:8).

Though Abraham fell many times, He was constantly looking for God. Abraham stepped out on faith, believing the promise of God. When Lot and his family was abducted by an alliance of four Mesopotamian kings led by Chedorlaomer, King of Elam, ABRAHAM TOOK 318 TRAINED MEN against FOUR COMBINED ARMIES, defeating the Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, Horites, Amalekites, and Amorites. Destroying massive forces in the Valley of Siddim, Abraham recovered Lot and his family.

God fought for Abraham! Abraham followed God.

Those Who Are Saved Exhibit Mercy To Others

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

The Psalmist wrote of God our Father:

(Psalm 18:25-27 NKJV) With the MERCIFUL You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; [26] With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. [27] For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty {rûm, high or lofty, prideful} looks.

God our Father showed us compassion by sending His own Son to the Cross for us. The Holy Spirit, sinless and pure, shows us loving compassion by coming to us and causing us to be born again. Our offenses against God are infinite – something we can never pay back. But the offenses of others toward us are finite.

Not too long ago we studied the Parable of the Wicked Servant in Matthew 18:23-35. In that parable the King (representing God) forgave a servant ten thousand talents, a lifetime of indebtedness. “the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt” (vs 27). But then that same servant went out, and demanded immediate payment of one hundred denarius (a very small sum), and cast his servant in prison when he could not pay. When the King heard about this, Jesus said, “his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” (vs 34-35).

After teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus told us:

(Matthew 6:15 KJV) But if YOU FORGIVE NOT men their trespasses, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES.

At the foot of the Cross our Lord and Savior paid our immeasurable debt against God. As children of the Kingdom of God we are to default to mercy, not retaliation. We are to be like Christ in how we deal with others. Richard Chenevix Trench (1807 – 1886), the author of Synonyms Of The New Testament stated:

“the Christian stands in a middle point, between a mercy received and a mercy yet needed. Sometimes the first is urged upon him as an argument for showing mercy—’forgiving one another, as Christ forgave you’ (Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32) … thus, while he is ever to look back on the mercy received as the source and motive of the mercy which he shows, he also looks forward to the mercy which he yet needs, and which he is assured that the merciful… shall receive”

There is not a day that we as believers do not fail God in some way or another. We always need mercy. If we want mercy, God demands that we show mercy daily to those around us. Showing mercy does not mean to justify bad behavior – but it means to “turn the other cheek” rather than raise the fist when you are offended.

The Christian Is Pure In Heart

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the PURE {katharos} in heart: for they shall see God.

Word Study: The word translated “PURE” is the Greek katharos, which means “to be cleansed, freed from corruption, blameless”. When a person comes to Christ, God writes His Law on the hearts of His people. God promised that under the New Covenant:

(Jeremiah 31:33 LSB) But this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days, declares Yahweh: “I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM, and ON THEIR HEART I WILL WRITE IT; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

In the Book of Hebrews, the Apostle quotes this verse twice (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16) to emphasize that Christianity is not a DIY religion. The Christian is supernaturally changed by God from the inside out. Jesus told the Pharisees:

(Matthew 23:26-28 KJV) [Thou] blind Pharisee, CLEANSE FIRST THAT WHICH IS WITHIN THE CUP AND PLATTER, that the outside of them may be clean also. [27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited {MAUSOLEUMS}, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men’s] bones, and of all uncleanness. [28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

If the heart is not given to God, nor cleansed by God, then you shall never see God. A good picture of the cleansed heart is in Enoch and Noah:

(Genesis 5:24 KJV) And ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD: and he [was] not; for God took him.

(Genesis 6:9 KJV) These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] NOAH WALKED WITH GOD.

Those who are pure in heart walk with God daily. They pursue the light, not sin. The Bible says:

(1 John 1:6-7 KJV) If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and WALK IN DARKNESS, WE LIE, and DO NOT THE TRUTH: [7] But 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.

(1 John 3:6 KJV) Whosoever ABIDETH IN HIM SINNETH NOT: WHOSOEVER SINNETH HATH NOT SEEN HIM, NEITHER KNOWN HIM.

(3 John 1:11 KJV) Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. HE THAT DOETH GOOD IS OF GOD: but HE THAT DOETH EVIL HATH NOT SEEN GOD.

Yes, Christians occasionally step into sin – we are all broken. But the Christian does not pursue nor justify sin. We pursue God. We love Jesus. We know what it cost Jesus to pay for our sins, so we do not chase after nor condone the darkness.

As Ambassadors, We Are To Lead Others To Peace With God

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS: for they shall be called the children of God.

Under the Old Covenant man made peace with God through the animal sacrifices of the Law. The Peace Offering required an animal – male or female – offered without blemish before the Lord. It could be a bullock, or a lamb, or goat without blemish. Regardless as to the animal, before it was killed:

(Leviticus 3:2 NKJV) … And HE SHALL LAY HIS HAND ON THE HEAD OF HIS OFFERING, and kill it [at] the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. (also Leviticus 3:8, 13)

By laying the hands on the head the offering received the judgment of God. It was “an offering made by fire to the Lord” (Leviticus 3:3).Yet not all of the offering was burned. The sacrifice was offered to God, then the worshiper and his family shared in a fellowship meal.

The slain animal represented reconciliation and peace with God. The slain animal was consumed by both God and man. “A sweet savor unto the Lord” (Leviticus 3:5)

Under the New Covenant, “we have PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Romans 5:1). Under the Old Covenant the animal was brought, the hand laid on the head of the animal, then it’s blood was shed. Under the New Covenant Jesus Christ Himself came forward – of His own accord – to purchase our peace with God. The Bible says:

(Colossians 1:19-23 LSB) For in {Jesus Christ} all the fullness [of God] was pleased to dwell, [20] And THROUGH HIM TO RECONCILE ALL THINGS TO HIMSELF, having MADE PEACE THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS–through Him–whether things on earth or things in heaven. [21] And although you were FORMERLY ALIENATED AND ENEMIES IN MIND AND IN EVIL DEEDS, [22] but now He RECONCILED YOU IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH THROUGH DEATH, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach– [23] if indeed you continue in the faith firmly grounded and steadfast, and NOT MOVED AWAY FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL, which you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

God the Son “laid down His life for His sheep” (John 10:15). The Father sent the Son, but the Son willingly came.

John 10:19 (HCSB) No one takes {my life} from Me, but I LAY IT DOWN ON MY OWN. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.

Jesus willingly came, and offered Himself for us. When we receive Him as Lord and Savior we are “putting our hand on the head of the Sacrifice”. Jesus doesn’t merely give us peace – HE IS OUR PEACE:

(Ephesians 2:13-16 LSB) But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been BROUGHT NEAR {to God} BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. [14] For HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, who made both [groups] one and broke down the dividing wall of the partition [15] by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, the Law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so that in Himself He might create the two into one new man, making peace, [16] and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having IN HIMSELF PUT TO DEATH THE ENMITY.

The Lord’s Table is a picture of the Peace Offering. It is at that Table that we drink the Cup, and symbolically eat the flesh of Christ. Jesus told us, “Unless you EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN, AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). We have peace with God – not because of our works – but because of Jesus and what He did on Calvary.

“The God of Peace” only has peace with us through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Throughout the Old Testament and under the Old Covenant, God was called “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, for- giving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6). But only in one place do we see God called “The God of Peace”. This is in Judges chapter 6, when God calls Gideon to lead Israel against the Midianites.

Gideon was hiding out in a wine press, thresh wheat there for fear of the Midianites. Amusingly the Bible says:

(Judges 6:12 NKJV) … the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD [is] with you, you mighty man of valor!”

He’s not now a “mighty man of valor”, but God has called him and will make Gideon into one. Gideon argued and doubted that it was God Who he was talking to. Then God had him make a peace offering – “And the Angel of the Lord departed out of Gideon’s sight” (Judges 6:21). Gideon cried out, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face”. Then we read:

(Judges 6:23-24 NKJV) Then the LORD said to him, “Peace [be] with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” [24] So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it THE LORD IS PEACE {YHWH-Shalom}

Who was the “Angel of the Lord”? I believe that was an Old Testament manifestation of Jesus. When the Messiah came, He would be “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 29:11 The LORD will bless His people with peace.

(Hebrews 13:20-21 KJV) Now THE GOD OF PEACE, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, [21] Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.

We who believe in Christ have peace with God. He is the “God of peace”. This is a favorite title that Paul gave God (Romans 15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20). Our God is the God of Peace. He seeks to reconcile the world to Himself through faith in Christ.

We are His Peacemakers.
We bring others to the peace of God through sharing the Gospel.

We Are To Be Peacemakers – Sharing Christ – Though The Enemies Of God Will Hate Us

The SEVEN (a number representing completeness) Characteristics of the Spiritually Healthy believer in Christ are in verses 3-9. As God’s “Peacemakers” we should not expect our duties to be easy. The world is locked in the dark grip of sin and Satan. Jesus said:

(John 3:20 LSB) For EVERYONE WHO DOES EVIL HATES THE LIGHT, and does not come to the Light LEST HIS DEEDS BE EXPOSED.

(John 15:19 LSB) If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because YOU ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, but I CHOSE YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, because of this THE WORLD HATES YOU.

The world treats genuine Christ following Bible believing Christians like Ahab treated Micaiah, son of Imla.

Ahab told Jehoshaphat: “ There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, but I HATE HIM, because HE NEVER PROPHESIES GOOD CONCERNING ME BUT ALWAYS EVIL” (2 Chronicles 18:7 LSB). The Seven Characteristics of the Christian are hated by the world. If we would compromise, if we would compliment and speak the lie that the serpent spake in the Garden of Eden, then the world would love us. We can be a Church – like one who’s sign said out front “YOU belong HERE”. But do you? Have you recognized your way is a waste. Do you realize how broken you are in God’s eyes? Do you realize you are at war with God, and are under His wrath without Jesus? Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness, or are you looking for every loophole to justify your sin? Do you have peace with God through Jesus?

These last three verses are a summary of what you can expect from the world if you are Kingdom Minded:

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Jesus repeats Himself, tying verse 10 back to the beginning of the discourse:

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Those who recognize their brokenness and their total inability to fix themselves, they run to Jesus – not to the world. And they will be persecuted for it. If you live RIGHTeously – not to the LEFT of God but RIGHT in His sight – you WILL BE HATED. But you must not hate back. They will do with you just what they did with Jesus.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall REVILE YOU, and PERSECUTE YOU, and shall SAY ALL MANNER OF EVIL AGAINST YOU FALSELY, FOR MY SAKE.

It’s going to happen. They will tell lies about you. Love them anyway. Do good to them anyway. Tell them about Jesus. Jesus says that our attitude should be to:

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN: for SO PERSECUTED THEY THE PROPHETS which were before you.

You are not prophets. You are priests of the Kingdom of God (Revelation 1:6). You represent God to the world. Be peacemakers. Lead others to Jesus. Do good, for “GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN”. Amen.

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