Seven Sins God Hates

Posted on May 31, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Tom Winckels on Unsplash

Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Have You Heard Of “The Seven Deadly Sins”?

I’m sure many of you have heard of “The Seven Deadly Sins”. As I studied our text tonight, I thought about what people call “The Seven Deadly Sins”. Where did the concept come from?

This is a concept that crept into Christianity
by way of the Catholic Church.

Illustrate: The concept of “Seven Deadly Sins” has been pushed as Biblical through television and the movies. Do you remember the show Gilligan’s Island? Not many young people today know this show, but I grew up watching it. The show’s creator Sherwood Schwartz (the head writer for The Red Skelton Show and producer of The Brady Bunch) wrote a book called “Inside Gilligan’s Island” where he stated that each of the characters on the show represented one of the so called “deadly sins”.

The Professor – Pride
Thurston Howell III – Greed
Ginger – Lust
Mary Ann – Envy (of Ginger’s looks)
Mrs. Lovey Howell – Gluttony
The Skipper – Anger or wrath
Gilligan – Sloth

The concept of “The Seven Deadly Sins” came from the writings of a Catholic Monk named Evagrius Ponticus, who called it “The Eight Evil Thoughts” (addingsadness as a sin). In the Sixth Century Pope Gregory I wrote a Commentary on Job, rearranged the list from Ponticus, and gave it the name “The Seven Deadly Sins”. A later Catholic Leader named Thomas Aquinas created the list of Seven Deadly Sins we have today.

The Catholic Church today teaches that these “Deadly Sins”, also called “Capital Vices” or “Cardinal Sins” are mortal or deadly because they lead to the death of the soul. Professor of English at Arizona State University Richard G. Newhauser stated:

“Committing one of these mortal sins and not confessing {to your priest}, not doing penance and so on, will result in the death of the soul. And then you’ll be in hell for eternity, or your soul will be in hell for eternity”.

Does the Bible just list “Seven Deadly Sins”?

No, it does not. In fact, the Bible teaches that ALL sin is “Deadly”. I have often quoted:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin Defined: Sin is – properly defined – “a work of the flesh and of self satisfaction, separated from the glory of God”. The Apostle Paul told us that when we walked apart from God that we would default to “the works of the flesh” or sin:

Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV) Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

This list contains 15 types of sin, “works of the flesh” that destroy the Kingdom of God. This list is not extensive. We are told in …

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

In this list Paul addresses 9 sins – and clarifies the sexual sins of adultery and homosexuality. In the text the Apostle sent to his student Timothy, he wrote:

1 Timothy 1:9-10 (ESV) … the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine

Again getting more specific into sins like striking your parents, homosexuality, the sin of enslaving others (chattel slavery is a sin to God), lying, and so on. There are much more than “Seven Deadly Sins” – much more.

Any work of the flesh where you put yourself above God or above respect of others is a deadly sin. If unrepentant, it will lead to some form of death in your world.

The Sins Of Proverbs 6 Are Sins God HATES

Read the text again:

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him:

Word Study: This is not about “The Seven Deadly Sins”, but it is about “The Seven Sins God in Particular Hates”. We are told that these “seven are an abomination” to God. The word “abomination” is the Hebrew tôʿēḇâ (pronounced to-ay-baw’), which means “disgusting, unclean, idolatrous”. To get an idea of how God views these sins in Proverbs 6, we can see how the Lord uses the word tôʿēḇâ in other contexts. On sexual perversion God decreed:

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination [tôʿēḇâ (pronounced to-ay-baw’)]

Concerning idolatry God said:

Deuteronomy 7:25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination [tôʿēḇâ (pronounced to-ay-baw’)] to the LORD thy God.

And on giving God less than your best, He said:

Deuteronomy 17:1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination [tôʿēḇâ (pronounced to-ay-baw’)] unto the LORD thy God.

God also despises cheating your neighbor:

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination [tôʿēḇâ (pronounced to-ay-baw’)] to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

That which God considers an ABOMINATION makes little of Him, and little of those around us. Our Lord Jesus said that the entire Law could be boiled down into two points:

Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV) … “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

What are the sins that God HATES? It is the sins that destroy love for God and love for others. We are to “love the Lord your God with all” that we have, above all else – and “love your neighbor as yourself”. Love for God must be FIRST. But since mankind is created in the image of God, we are also to love other humans (Genesis 1:27).

Down the street there is a church with a sign out front that says “Open minds, open doors, open hearts”. What’s wrong with that? We are to have the MIND OF CHRIST (1 Corinthians 2:16), not a worldly mindset. We love God FIRST.

Defining The Sins God Hates

The Bible says “Hate what is evil; cling to that which is good” (Romans 12:9). As believers in Christ we are to hate what God hates, and love what God loves.

The “Hateful Seven” sins are all tied to the misuse of what God has given you. He has given you life. He has given you a body. You did nothing to earn nor deserve that body, but it is a grace gift. Thus, God wants you to use your body in a way that glorifies Him and blesses others. When you do not, then God HATES what you are doing.

Proverbs 6:17 … A proud look (rûm ʿayin)

God starts with our EYES. This is literally “PRIDEFUL EYES”. A departure from the ways of God always comes when we reject His clearly taught Word and begin to examine the sinful with our eyes. This is what happened in the Garden of Eden. The Serpent (the devil, see Revelation 12:9; 20:2) tempted Eve, saying “If you eat of the forbidden fruit, you will not die. God knows that in the day you eat of it, you’ll be just like Him, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). What happened next? The Bible says:

Genesis 3:6 … the woman SAW that the tree was good for food, and THAT IT WAS PLEASANT TO THE EYES …

This is the way that sin always entraps us. It starts with the eyes. You reject the Word of God, and then the devil parades out a good looking LAND MINE. Look in our context:

Proverbs 6:23-26 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.

God hates it when we ignore His Word, and look longingly at something He has forbidden. That is an ABOMINATION to God.

Proverbs 6:17 … a lying tongue

We go from the eyes, next to the MOUTH as we see that God hates lying. Our Lord Jesus told the Pharisees who told lies about Him and His ministry:

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The Devil – a.k.a. Satan – is the inventor of lies. He lied in the Garden of Eden when he told Adam and Eve “You will not die!”. The devil uses lies and trickery to get the righteous to fall, and to keep the unrighteous hell-bound. Lying is foreign to God. The Bible says “God NEVER LIES” (Titus 1:2). Believers in Christ are to be “speaking the TRUTH in LOVE” (Ephesians 4:15).

It was the lie of Satan that destroyed Paradise, and lies in the so called Churches that are leading the lost to greater lostness. God says:

Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight

We are to cling to His Word and faithfully speak His Word – for His Word is TRUTH (John 17:17).

Proverbs 6:17 … hands that shed innocent blood

Eyes, mouth, and now to the hands. God established the death penalty for shedding the blood of someone who did not deserve to die. He first established this when Noah left the Ark:

Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Life is sacred because God made us in His image. In fact, God states that “we are gods” (Psalm 82:6; John 10:34) – not in the sense that God is God, but we are little “g” gods because we are made in His image. God gave man dominion over the earth and all that is in it. Animals are animals but humans are NOT animals – we are in God’s image. That makes human life supremely sacred, and this is why God demands “life for life” (Exodus 21:23) if innocent life is taken.

Not too long ago Comedian Bill Maher stated “abortion is murder, and I’m okay with that because there’s 8 billion people in the world. We don’t need you.” God hates the shedding of innocent blood (which is what abortion is) and finds it abominable.

Proverbs 6:18 … An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations

The heart is next. The heart of a person is the control center of the soul. God hates the heart that focuses not on His Word, but on “wicked imaginations” because of the evil it introduces into the world. It was the heart focused on evil that caused God to flood the entire world with water in the days of Noah:

Genesis 6:5-7 … (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

The reason there is rampant crime and pain on this earth is because of the wicked imagination of the heart. Jesus said:

Matthew 15:19-20 (ESV) For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person.

Proverbs 6:18 … feet that be swift in running to mischief

God calls His people to be “Light” and “Salt”. Jesus said:

John 8:12 (ESV) … “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Where we go, we are to bring the LIGHT OF CHRIST with us, not the darkness of sin. God hates when people run to an area to tear down rather than build up. It is contrary to the Christian way of life.

Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies …

God despises the “lying Tongue” (verse 16), that is, the Tongue that speaks against His Word. But God also hates the tongue that bears FALSE WITNESS. The Ninth Commandment of the Law is:

Exodus 20:16 (ESV) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Numerous times in the Book of Proverbs the Lord speaks out against the False Witness. We are told:

Proverbs 19:5 (ESV) A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.

Proverbs 19:9 (ESV) A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.

It was the lies of the False Witnesses that brought Jesus to the judgment seat of Pilate (Matthew 26:59), and the lies of False Witnesses that caused the unlawful execution of the Evangelist Stephen (Acts 6:13). God condemned the False Witness under the Law, warning “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” (Exodus 23:1). Under U.S. Law perjury is punishable by imprisonment of 5-7 years. Under the Mosaic Law, the false witness would receive the punishment he intended to bring on the falsely accused, up to and including capital punishment.

The Worst Sin Is Sowing Discord

In the first part of this text, we read:

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

All of the sins mentioned are hated by God – but the SEVENTH sin puts the cap on it. God particularly hates DISUNITY. The Seventh HATED sin is:

Proverbs 6:19 … he that soweth discord among brethren

God particularly hates those who run around behind the scenes stirring up trouble among His people. Previously God spoke of the worthless man in:

Proverbs 6:12-14 A NAUGHTY {bᵊlîyaʿal, son of Belial, worthless} person, a wicked man, walketh with a FROWARD {ʿiqqᵊšûṯ, perverse} mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14 FROWARDNESS {ʿiqqᵊšûṯ, perversity} is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

A worthless person tears down the work of God. Jesus said “where two or three are gathered TOGETHER IN MY NAME, I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:20). It pleases God when His Church is in one accord, glorifying Him. God HATES it when a member of the body, like a cancer, goes rogue and begins to destroy the unity that Christ purchased with His own blood.

Shame on you!

The Apostle told the Church at Corinth to handle the young man spreading discord in the harshest of ways. Paul said:

1 Corinthians 5:5 … deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Turn that person out. “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, for Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Our Lord Jesus said:

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

Division destroys the Work of God, and hinders the growth of the Kingdom of God. May God teach us to stand together, loving God with our all, and loving one another the way we want to be loved. Pastor Scott L. Harris of Grace Bible Church, NY writes:

“God’s desire is for brothers to dwell in unity (Psalm 133:1). Such unity is even more important for those who are spiritual brothers. It is our love for one another that demonstrates we are disciples of Jesus (John 13:35). There is not to be divisions among us (1 Cor. 1:10) for we are to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 3:6). That is done by having the humility to regard others more important than yourself and look out for their interests and not just your own (Philippians 2:3-4).”

For Christ’s glory. For the advancement of His Kingdom. Amen and Amen.

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How We Got Our Bible #2: Do We Have All Of The Scripture?

Posted on May 27, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by John Spalding: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-lighthouse-on-a-coast-5425672/

Isn’t There Bible Texts That Are “Lost”?

When we talk about “How We Got Our Bible”, one of the questions that I’ve been asked is:

“I’ve heard there are books that should have been included in the Bible, but were excluded. How do we know we have ALL of the Bible available to us – that portions weren’t taken away or hidden.”

God gave us the Scripture through the Prophets and the Apostles. The “Prophets” were specifically chosen by God to carry His Word to the people. God said of the Prophets:

Numbers 12:6-8 … Hear now my words: If there be a prophet (Hebrew nāḇî’, pronunciation naw-bee’) among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Moses was a prophet of God, a Premier Prophet. God spoke to Moses not in dreams, but in an audible voice. God spoke to the Prophets through dreams and visions, but Moses directly. The Prophets wrote the Old Testament as God gave them direction – and Moses wrote the Pentateuch, also called the Torah or the Books of the Law. These first five Books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy give the history of the founding of creation and the founding of Israel. These Books also set out the ceremonial, civil, and sacrificial laws that are unique to Israel, as well as the moral laws that apply to all people.

The office of the Prophet elevated and glorified God. The Prophet did not exist to make people feel good about themselves, but to point them to God as Savior and Lord.

God told His people:

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

If a Prophet rises up who tries to draw God’s people away from God, that Prophet is to be ignored. The Prophet existed to glorify God, not man. God went on to say:

Deuteronomy 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

God raised up a number of Prophets to write Scripture, the Old Testament that we have in our Bible. But Moses was a special Prophet of God. As Moses life came toward it’s end on this earth, he prophesied:

Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken;

God would raise up another Prophet like Moses. This Prophet would hear God audibly – not in visions and dreams, but directly. Moses went on to prophesy:

Deuteronomy 18:18-19 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

Who was this unique Prophet Who was like Moses in how God approached Him? It is none other than Jesus Christ. We are told in:

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV) God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…

Jesus is the Prophet Who spoke to God face to face. Jesus told us:

John 8:28 … (ESV) I do nothing on My own authority, but SPEAK JUST AS THE FATHER TAUGHT ME.

John 12:49-50 (ESV) … I have not spoken on My own authority, BUT THE FATHER WHO SENT ME has Himself given Me a commandment – WHAT TO SAY AND WHAT TO SPEAK … What I say, therefore, I SAY AS THE FATHER HAS TOLD ME

When Jesus began His ministry, He hand picked men whom He called “Apostles” (Matthew 10:2). Apostles (the Greek apostolos, pronunciation

ap-os’-tol-os) were delegates or messengers specifically chosen by Christ, commissioners of Heaven. Apostles were “called or appointed by God, just as Old Testament Prophets were called of God” (Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 9:1).

Apostles And Prophets Wrote Scripture. False Apostles And Prophets Wrote Pseudepigrapha, or false scripture.

When early Christians were gathering the Scriptures – the Old Testament writings and the New Testament letters that the Apostles had written to the Churches – the devil tried to flood the Word of God with the word of man. He did this in the Garden of Eden when he questioned God’s Word to Eve. “Has God really said”? The devil asked (Genesis 3:1). The devil tried flooding both Old and New Testament Scriptures with false scripture, technically called Pseudepigrapha (meaning “false writings”). Some people have said that these are “lost books of the Bible”. That’s untrue. These books were rejected because they taught false doctrines rejected by the Biblical text. Some of these books are:

3 Maccabees
4 Maccabees
Assumption of Moses
Ethiopic Book of Enoch (1 Enoch)
Slavonic Second Book of Enoch
Book of Jubilees
3 Baruch

and so on. There are many more false writings that were rejected from the Canon of Scripture. One false writing called The Gospel of Thomas contains statements like:

Saying 114: Simon Peter said to him, “Let Mary go forth from us, for women are not worthy of life.” Jesus said, “Look, I myself will lead her in order to make her male, so that she too might become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who makes herself male will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

That is absolute nonsense, and not something that the Jesus represented in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John would have said. Another false writing called …

“The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is a narrative account of periods in Jesus’ childhood, including legendary episodes in which Jesus strikes dead another boy who bumps into him, miraculously lengthens a wooden beam to help his stepfather, Joseph, with his carpentry, raises from the dead his friend who falls off a roof on which they were playing, and makes live sparrows out of clay. ”

Another false scripture called “Acts of John” tell the reader that Jesus is only a spirit who left no footprints when He walked, could not be touched, and did not really die on the Cross but just appeared to die. The Acts of John taught the false doctrine called Docetism, which claims that Jesus’ earthly form was just an illusion.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Churches, he had to deal with forgeries that were going out in his name. One false writing that went out, a forgery with Paul’s name on it, claimed that the Rapture had already occurred:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 (ESV) Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

The devil has actively sought to twist, dilute, or counterfeit the Word of God from the beginning of human history. To counter the evil, Paul would write:

2 Thessalonians 3:17 (ESV) I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.

Though Paul had a secretary that wrote for him as he dictated, he always closed the letters with his own signature (see 1 Corinthians 16:21; Galatians 6:11; & Colossians 4:18).

Determining “Canon” Or The Rule Of Scripture

The false writings or Pseudepigrapha were rejected by the early Church as Scripture because they did not fit the “canon” or “rule” of Scripture. My commentary notes:

“The term pseudepigrapha comes from the Greek pseudo, meaning “false,” and epigraphein, meaning “to inscribe,” thus, “to write falsely.” The pseudepigraphical books were written anywhere from 200 BC to AD 300. They are spurious works written by unknown authors who attempted to gain a readership by tacking on the name of a famous biblical character. Obviously, a book called the “Testament of Abraham” has a better chance of being read than the “Counterfeit Testament of an Unknown Author.”

Rules Of Canon

There are three basic rules that determine the Canon or Rule of Genuine Scripture:

1 Scripture is clearly INSPIRED OF GOD. It is not the opinion of man, but a direct Word from the Creator. For instance, in

Exodus 24:3-4 (NKJV) So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has said we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

2 Once a clear Word of God was received through the Prophet, that Word is recognized by other men of God.

Deuteronomy 31:24-26 (NKJV) So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you …

Joshua 1:7-9 (NKJV) Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

God’s people are led by God our Savior. God leads His people to affirm His Word.

2 Kings 23:3 (NKJV) Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.

God’s people knows what is right and wrong, for God stays with His people. “The LORD is My Shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). The Shepherd makes sure His sheep hear His Voice. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). God makes sure that His people can hear His Word, and not a false word.

3 The Word of God was collected and preserved by the people of God. Every Book included in the Canon of Scripture was carefully scrutinized. Was the Book written by a Prophet of God? Did that Prophet do acts that only God could have done? Did the Book speak truthfully about God, and have through its text the power of God? What the unbelieving world has called “The Lost Books Of The Bible” were routinely rejected by the early Church.

The Canon of Scripture the Church accepts as Biblical, the Word of God, is:

  • Books of the Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
  • Historical Books (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
  • Poetic Books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon)
  • Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel)
  • Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obediah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). These are called “Minor” because the books are comparatively short, though just as important as the “Major” prophets.

These all comprise our OLD Testament, or books written under the Old Covenant that God gave to Israel. The last Old Testament Book was written about 400 BC, 400 years before Christ became incarnate, perfect Man.

The NEW Testament, books written when the Prophet Who would succeed Moses came – our Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament Canon that the Church agreed on is:

  • The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
  • The History (Acts)
  • The Church Letters (Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I & II Peter, I, II, & III John, Jude
  • The Future (Revelation)

The Devil Wants To Deny The Church God’s Word

The early Church was heavily persecuted by both religious Jews as well as Roman Emperors. The Church flourished under persecution. However, in 325 AD Roman Emperor Constantine called together the Council of Nicaea (the modern Turkish city of Iznik). The purpose of the Council was to establish a state religion – Roman Catholicism. As with anything that is politicized, it wasn’t long until corruption crept into the Catholic Church. As the priests began to drift away from the Scripture, they began to hide the drift by forbidding the masses access to the Scripture.

This was absolutely foreign to the teaching of the Bible. Moses organized public reading of the Scripture:

Exodus 24:6-8 (NKJV) Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”

In Deuteronomy 31 God commands the Israelites to read the entire Law every seven years:

Deuteronomy 31:10-12 (NKJV) Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law

When Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, the Bible says:

Joshua 8:34-35 (ESV) {Joshua} read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

When King Josiah was reigning in Israel the Word of God – thought to be lost – was found in the Temple. As soon as it was found Josiah …

2 Kings 23:2 … (ESV) read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord

When Jesus started His public ministry, He went to the Synagogue in Nazareth and read Scripture:

Luke 4:16 (ESV) as was His custom, {Jesus} went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read.

God has always wanted His Word to be shared with His people. He specifically commanded this in Deuteronomy 6:1-9 when He told His Israel “these Words I command you shall be in your heart. You shall teach them to your children, talk of them while at home whether at rest or at work. You shall even put these Words on the doorposts of your homes.” God wants His Word to be given to His people. He wants His people to know what He has said, and to DO what he says.

As the Catholic Church became corrupted, it began to hide the Scripture from the people. Services were held, and preachers read scripture in Latin, a language the people did not know. People were not allowed to have Bibles. The Decree of the Council of Toulouse (1229 AD) stated:

“We prohibit also that the laity {those that are not priests}should be permitted to have the books of the Old or New Testament; but we most strictly forbid their having any translation of these books.”

The Ruling of the Council of Tarragona (1234 AD) decreed:

“No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments in the Romance language, and if anyone possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days after promulgation of this decree, so that they may be burned”

In 1380 AD Oxford Professor and Theologian John Wycliffe translated the New Testament into English. He wrote that this would “helpeth Christian men to study the Gospel in that tongue in which they know best Christ’s sentence.” Though Wycliffe was deceased when they met, the Ecumenical Council of Constance (1415 AD) said that he was a heretic. His bones were dug up and publicly burned, and the ashes were thrown into the river!

English Bible Scholar and Linguist William Tyndale translated most of the Bible into English, though forbidden to do so by the Catholic Church. Tyndale was burned at the stake in 1536 AD for the sin of making the Scripture available to the people in their own language.

The devil tried twisting the Word of God. Then he tried counterfeiting the Word of God. Then the devil got religious leaders to forbid the Word of God to the people. They hid the Word of God in languages the people could not understand, so they could control the people and have power over the so called Church.

The Protestant believers rose up against Catholicism, and stood strong against the false teachings of that Church. Martin Luther, one of the first Protestants, was a Catholic Monk that was troubled over the Catholic Priests selling of “Indulgences”. An “Indulgence” is when you gave the Priest money to “forgive” the sins of a loved one, so they could go to Heaven. No one has the power to forgive sin but God, and there is no forgiveness of sin outside of faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once believers separated from the then false church, people began to translate the Bible into the language of the people.

Though today we have the whole Bible translated in 736 languages, and the whole New Testament is available in 1658 languages. There are portions of Scripture in 1264 languages. This means that there are 3658 languages with at least some access to the Bible – about 49.5% of all languages. Many still have no access to the Bible, as there are7394 living languages in the world. In America, most people have more than one Bible. They are not restricted from the Scripture. But the devil encourages people to ignore the Word of God and the Biblical Church.

That is very sad, as the only way to grow as a Christian is through study and reading of the Word of God. God has – in His love – provided us with various translations of the Scripture in our language in North America. May God lead us to cherish the Word He has given us. Next session we shall discuss Bible Translations. May God touch your hearts with His Word!

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Three Great Truths

Posted on May 25, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

As we come to Proverbs chapter 6, Solomon introduces us to several truths that a Wise King led by God wants us to know. John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible notes:

“In this chapter the wise man dissuades from rash suretyship; exposes the sin of idleness; describes a wicked man; makes mention of seven things hateful to God; exhorts to attend to parental instructions and precepts, and cautions against adultery.”

We’ll look at the first three of these truths tonight. We’ll start with:

The Dangers Of Rash Suretyship: Verses 1-5

Proverbs 6:1-3 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, 2 Thou art snared (yāqōš [pronounced yaw-koshe’], caught in a trap) with the words of thy mouth, thou art TAKEN (lāḵaḏ [pronounced law-kad’], captured) with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

I’m sure Jerry our Lawyer knows what “Suretyship” is, but for the rest of us I’m going to give you the Merriam-Webster Legal Definition:

“the contractual relationship in which a surety engages to answer for the debt or default of a principal to a third party”

To put that in simpler terms, you have a person come to you in financial trouble. Say that person is your “friend”, someone you have known for a long time. This “friend” says, “I need your help. I’m in trouble, and I desperately need a loan, but I can’t get one on my own. Will you co-sign my loan?” Since he’s your friend, and you’ve known him for a long time, you go ahead and co-sign.

Six months later you’re on the hook for a pile of money!

The Bible places a high value on something the world cares little about, and that is keeping your word. As believers in Christ we represent the Kingdom of Heaven. Our word should be our bond. The writer of Proverbs writes in another place:

Proverbs 5:2-5 (NKJV) Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words. 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— 5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

God holds us accountable for how we live our lives. We need to be very careful about what we say we will do. We read:

Proverbs 6:2 Thou art snared (yāqōš [pronounced yaw-koshe’], caught in a trap) with the words of thy mouth, thou art TAKEN (lāḵaḏ [pronounced law-kad’], captured) with the words of thy mouth

When you have promised to do something – become surety for another – God expects you to follow through on that promise. If it is a matter of Law, then the Law expects you to follow through on that promise. Your word is to be your bond.

Word Study: There are many times when people approach me about someone else. “Will you help them – I understand they need help”. My response is always the same. “I need to talk to that person first, and insure that what I’m promising I can do – and I want to do”. To immediately say “yes” because a friend asks me is foolish. You may find yourself like a wild animal, caught in a cage that you can’t get out of. That’s the sense of the two words used in verse 2, yāqōš [pronounced yaw-koshe’] and lāḵaḏ [pronounced law-kad’]. Because you were hasty in becoming surety for another, you are now on the hook. You are stuck in a trap of your own making. What does God tells us to do before giving our word?

Proverbs 6:3 Do this now, my son, and deliver (nāṣal, [pronounced naw-tsal’], rescue) thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure (rāhaḇ, to strengthen or ensure, to press) thy friend.

To protect yourself from entrapment, do not allow a friend or a loved one to coerce you into suretyship. Go and talk with them plainly. Ask direct questions. The New American Standard states “be urgent with your neighbor”, the English Standard to “plead urgently with your neighbor”. Ask questions. You may have others around you pleading that you help this “poor unfortunate”, and who will malign you when you hesitate to do so. The text says,

“Humble yourself!” Make sure you know what you’re saying yes to – because God expects you to keep your word. Don’t worry about pleasing others. Focus on pleasing GOD!

The last two verses of this Proverb read:

Proverbs 6:4-5 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Do not procrastinate in sitting down with your neighbor or “friend” before you give your word or sign the contract. Not too long ago someone came to me for something – I forget what – but I remember saying, “I’m not saying no – but I want you to explain to me carefully what it is you want me to do. Until I fully understand your request, my answer has to be emphatically “no”!” Don’t beat around the bush – communicate. If you can’t get a good answer from the “friend”, then,

Do what the “ROE” or deer does with the hunter: RUN!
Do what the “BIRD” does when it spots the gun: FLY AWAY!

Some may claim you’re stingy, or mean, or hard hearted. Tough! Do not let anyone lead you into a quicksand pit!

The Danger Of Laziness – Verses 6-11

Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

God speaks to us through His Bible, but He also has given us teachings in His nature. God designed nature. He made every creature as He wants it to be. God made the tiny ant – and teaches us the value of preparedness and work. Every ant colony has one or more Queens. As God speaks of the worker ant, He calls that ant a “her”(consider her ways). Harvard University has a 4000 acre laboratory & classroom they call Harvard Forest. They note about the ants:

“Every ant colony has one or more queens. Even though the worker ants are female, the queen is the only ant that can lay eggs. … They have highly evolved social systems with three different castes ~ queens, males, and workers. The workers are female, but cannot reproduce. Most of the eggs the queen lays hatch into workers. Workers are specialized. Some spend their lives tending the eggs and larvae. Other workers forage for food. ”

The worker ants are “she” ants, and they leave the nest to gather food. The “Queen” does not direct them, but they work diligently and TOGETHER to get the job done. Ants know that winter is coming when there will be little food, so they gather and store what they can when food is available.

God wants us to be like the ant. We should not wait until we are in a desperate situation, then try and fix the problem. We are to look for opportunities to serve God and bless the Church and the Community. The ants have “no guide, overseer, or ruler”. They don’t have anyone chasing them around, telling them what to do.

There are many people today – and even some in this Church – that are sluggards. They know what they need to do, but would rather be entertained by television and social media, on the golf course or at the park. God has many things that He wants His people to do, to help facilitate the spread of the Gospel. Sluggards do nothing but drag their feet and complain. The Bible speaks of these people:

Philippians 3:17-20 (NASB) Brothers and sisters, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ …

The sluggard cares nothing for the Colony – the Church. The ant works together with other worker ants, doing what they are called to do, to expand the Kingdom. The sluggard sits at home in a darkened room watching television, never thinking of the coming winter, just satisfying himself for “his GOD is his BELLY”.

If you’ve ever noticed the common American field ant, it can carry up to 350 times its body weight. Why? Because God designed it to do so. An ant will work – in unison with others of its colony – within its design.

What God calls us to, He will equip us to do. You have probably seen ants carrying leaves or dead bugs many times their size. They can do so because God makes them do so. When we are serving God and doing that which pleases Him, He will enable us to do.

Psalm 147:5-6 (ESV) Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure. 6 The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked to the ground.

The ant is HUMBLE, not arrogant. It is willing to be nameless, to simply do the job that God has made it to do. King David said:

Psalm 84:10-12 (NKJV) I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.

The ant knows that it cannot do the entire job of the colony, just its part. So the ant labors on, trusting in God’s calling, doing what it is designed to do. Ants will not fight within their colony, but will battle other colonies if they invade their nest. Ants seem to understand that any disharmony in the colony can lead to its death.

Would that local Churches understand this concept!

God calls us to unity, to work together for the glory of Christ and the salvation of mankind. We are not to allow false teachers to invade our colony, nor are we to compromise with the godless and their ideologies. The Bible says:

Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV) … walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

And again,

Philippians 2:2-5 (NKJV) … fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus …

There is another reason not to be a sluggard. If you fail to serve the Lord like the ant serves the colony, if you lay about and do little – what you fail to sow, you will reap. We read:

Proverbs 6:9-11 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth {hālaḵ, [pronounced haw-lak’], sense wanders away from the colony}, and thy want as an armed man.

The above slide shows a sloth traveling from his normal habitat. When sloths travel, they are often run over on the highways. The sluggard traveling will often end up dead. Even so, the ant that wanders away from the colony and its calling will find itself in a threatening situation. Other ant colonies are antagonistic toward any ant outside that colony. An ant that wanders away invites quick death or worse, slow death by starvation.

I often meet with homeless people who have decided to be sluggards, to rely on others for their sustenance. I can feed them, but never really help them.

Their failure to prepare and laziness has put them in a situation that may eventually kill them. I try to help those I can, but unless they repent and turn to a better lifestyle, they will find themselves in an early grave. The average lifespan of a homeless person is 17.5 years shorter than that of the general population.

Laziness kills. Just as an armed man will kill you, laziness kills.

The Danger Of Wickedness – Verses 12-15

Proverbs 6:12-15 A NAUGHTY person, a wicked man, walketh with a FROWARD mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14 FROWARDNESS {perversity} is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Word Study: The word “NAUGHTY” is the Hebrew bᵊlîyaʿal, which means “One like Belial, someone who is worthless or good for nothing”. Good for nothing people will drag you down to their level. Where ever they go, they have a “FROWARD” (Hebrew ʿiqqᵊšûṯ (pronounced ik-kesh-ooth’), that is a “crooked or perverse” mouth. The Bible says that they do three things:

winketh with his EYES,
speaketh with his FEET,
teacheth with his FINGERS

They make suggestions to see what you’ll say, then do the old wink wink at you. Where they take themselves speaks volumes about their lives. What they do teaches you whether they are light or dark. Their hearts are devoted to perversity. They are constantly planning mischief, sowing discord where ever they go.

People like this think they will never be hurt – but they will. Those who sow discord will find themselves – in time – without friends. Some people call this “karma”. The Bible calls it “reaping what you sow”. As believers in Christ we are commanded to not allow the worthless person to drag you down to their level. They will, in time, meet their doom. Our calling is to do good, even to the evil.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-48 … Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Keep doing good. Keep being the light. Do the right thing even if all the world attack you. God will one day level the field – and your reward will come. May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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What Is A Pastor? What Is a Church?

Posted on May 22, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Maxime Gauthier on Unsplash

It is a honor and a privilege to be here tonight, recognizing the ordination of a man into the Gospel Ministry. I remember when I was ordained into the Gospel Ministry, August 22, 1999 at Greenwood Baptist in Valdosta, Georgia. It is a blessing to have God call a Pastor to a Church. It is my prayer that both Mission Chapel Baptist as well as Brother Ronnie Burns grow spiritually and physically, glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ by spreading His Gospel.

Jesus said “Upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). It seems that today the gates of hell IS prevailing against the church, but I don’t believe it is prevailing against Jesus’ Church. As long as the Church belongs to Jesus it has power. As long as the Church and it’s Pastors believe that “Jesus is THE Christ, THE Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16), that Church will stand strong though all the world stand against it.

My prayer for Mission Chapel Baptist and Ronnie Burns is that you grow together over the coming years to celebrate and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and the written Word of God, the Bible.

The Pastor Is A Shepherd Of God’s People

God loves His Church, and calls men out to serve His Church. God first called Apostles and Prophets. These men wrote the Scripture – the Word of God – that our Churches are built on. Once the Scripture was given, God gave the Church Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers (Ephesians 4:11).

The title Pastor (Greek poimēn) means “A Shepherd”.

God often uses Shepherds in His Work. God Himself is our Great Shepherd:

Psalm 100:3 (ESV) Know that the LORD, he is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Those who have believed on Christ for salvation are God’s Sheep. In the Old Testament, the people chose Saul to be the first King of Israel. The Bible says of Saul:

1 Samuel 9:2 (AP) There was not a more HANDSOME PERSON than Saul among the children of Israel …

He was a movie star – a celebrity – someone that, if he ran for President of the United States, he’d be a “shoo-in”. There was only one problem. As talented and beautiful as Saul was, Saul cared little for the glory of God, the Word of God, or for His people. Saul wanted to do things his own way. Finally God told Saul through the Prophet Samuel:

1 Samuel 15:23 (ESV) … rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.

God chose another man, a lowly shepherd boy named David to be the next King of Israel. David was a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) because, God said, “he will do everything I want him to do”.

David heeded God’s Word. Though he failed God at times as all humans do, he loved the Lord and His Word. God promised that through David, God would send another to Shepherd His people. On the night that Jesus came into the world, faithful shepherds were watching their sheep at night. The Angel of God came and told them,

Luke 2:10-12 (ESV) … Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.

God used a Shepherd called David to lead His people under the Old Covenant. Now God sent another Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, to lead His people under the New Covenant. And God announced the coming of the Chief Shepherd through lowly but faithful Shepherds, watching their flock by night.

Our Chief Shepherd or Pastor is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said:

John 10:11, 14-15 (ESV) I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 14 I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, 15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

Jesus loves His Church. He suffered, bled and died for His Church. He rose from the grave, and sits on the right hand of the Father making intercession for His Church.

Just as God called David from the fields,
And God announced the Chief Shepherd to those faithful unnamed men.
Just as Christ was called to lay down His life for the sheep,
God calls unnamed and unknown men to watch over His Church.
The Pastor is a Shepherd. His primary calling is to share God’s Word.

The Bible says that the Pastor is to …

Ephesians 4:12-16 equip the Saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ… making the Body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Pastors are to work with the Word of God and in the power of His Spirit to equip the Saints, to help each believer grow to be more Christlike in their walk of faith. Every believer in the Church Age is a PRIEST. Your Pastor is a priest, but he is not YOUR priest. In the Church every believer is a priest with direct access to God. The Preamble to the Baptist Faith and Message states:

“We honor the principles of soul competency and the priesthood of believers, affirming together both our liberty in Christ and our accountability to each other under the Word of God.”

Each local Church is a kingdom of priests, and each person – whether male or female – has direct access to God. The Scripture says:

Revelation 1:5-6 (ESV) {Jesus} … loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. And made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The function of the Pastor – the Shepherd is to feed and equip every believer in his charge so that they will grow into Christian maturity, to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not the Pastor’s opinion that matters, but what the Word of God has said. When Jesus prayed for His Church prior to going to the Cross, Jesus prayed for the UNITY OF THE FLOCK, saying “Father, let My Church be ONE, even as WE ARE ONE” (John 17:11). Jesus went on to say, “Sanctify them in the TRUTH – YOUR WORD IS TRUTH” (John 17:17).

The Pastor has oversight of the Church, leads the Church through preaching and teaching the Word of God. He is not LORD of the Church, but the under-shepherd of the Lord. The Chief Apostle said:

1 Peter 5:2-4 (ESV) … shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The Pastor is an “overseer”, that is, you “exercise oversight” on the Church. The Church belongs to Jesus – you all belong to Jesus. The Pastor is to “LABOR IN PREACHING AND TEACHING”, as the Scripture says:

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

Pastors are called to “Oversee” the flock, to insure it adheres to the Word of God. When the Apostle Paul got ready to leave Ephesus, he warned the Pastors in that city, saying:

Acts 20:27-30 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

You are called of God to lead the Church, to feed the Church, but always to remember to not be “domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock”. Live out your faith. Be patient with the Church. Love it, and lead it toward Christian unity. Glorify God in all that you do. Remember, this is Christ’s Church. When you serve the Church, you serve Jesus.

The Church Is Christ’s Prize Possession

Just as the Pastor has a calling, the Church has a calling. Your Pastor is human, and as all humans do, he will make mistakes. Church, if you want a better Pastor, help him. The Bible says:

Hebrews 13:7 (ESV) Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

As your Pastor leads you, follow him. Imitate his faith. Pay attention to the Word of God that he shares with you, and do Christ’s Word. The Bible says:

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV) Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Love the Pastor that God has given you, and lift him and his family up in prayer daily. Realize this, too …

Your Pastor and his wife are human.
They, like you, will make mistakes.

The devil will do his best to bring disharmony to the flock, to scatter it if he can. Do not allow him to do so. As a Pastor, I have made many mistakes in my lifetime. When your Pastor makes a mistake, do as Jesus said in:

Matthew 18:15-17 (ESV) If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.

Try and handle any division in the Church at the lowest and most private level. Our Lord Jesus said:

John 13:34-35 (ESV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

As Christians we are to love the Lord Jesus with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. We are also to love one another. My prayer is that you will grow in love, both for God and for one another.

As we prepare to lay hands on Brother Ronnie, praying for Him, let me pray for Mission Chapel Baptist as well as for its new Pastor.

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Jesus The Bondsman Of A Better Covenant

Posted on May 22, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Romain Dancre on Unsplash

Hebrews 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

Our Lord Jesus is a “surety of a better testament”. What does that mean? The word “surety” is the Greek engyos, (pronounced eng’-goo-os), which means “a sponsor, Someone pledged or given”.

The Engyos is a Person Who guarantees something with His own life. Jesus said “No one takes My life, but I lay it down of My own accord”.

Jesus is the PROMISE of God, the One Who came representing a “better testament” or a better Covenant between us and God. Jesus “was in the beginning with God, and WAS GOD” (John 1:1-3). Jesus is the Engyos of God, not just now, but from all eternity.

Word Study: What is the proof that Jesus is the Engyos of God? The phrase “BY SO MUCH” is the Greek kata tosoutos, which means “by so many GREAT proofs”. There are many proofs set forth in Chapter 7 that proves Jesus to be the Head of a Greater Covenant. One of those proofs is in the life of a mysterious Person called Melchizedek. Before we talk about the Melchizedek and Abraham, let me ask this question:

Does God Speak To People?

Illustrate: I was watching an episode of a show Sherry and I like called “Blue Bloods”. I’ve been a Tom Selleck fan from his Magnum P.I. days. The show is generally clean, and depicts a Catholic family in law enforcement, with Selleck in the lead as the Police Commissioner of New York City. On one episode a woman told “Danny” (the Police Commissioner’s son) that “the Lord spoke to me”. As Danny and his partner talked about this, they agreed “you have to be crazy if you think God speaks to you”.

I’ve heard this a lot. People say, “God doesn’t speak to man”. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that God speaks to His people. I’ve had people ask me, “What does His voice sound like?” as they smirk, and I tell them “I can’t explain it to you”. God’s voice is internal, to His people, and easily discerned if you pay attention. He speaks through His Scripture, the Bible. But God speaks to His people. He guides us.

God spoke to Moses. God called Moses to service in Exodus 3 at a burning bush. In Exodus 6 God spoke to Moses, and told him:

Exodus 6:2-8 (ESV) “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.”

God spoke to Moses, and spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God gave the land of Canaan to Israel, and because He verbally promised that land to Israel, He told Moses to tell the people they would be led into that land.

God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, giving him
the ceremonial & sacrificial Laws of Israel.

God speaks to people. If He didn’t, then our entire Bible is a fairytale. God calls us into a relationship with Him. A relationship implies communication. If you are in a relationship with someone, there is communication between you both. God says to His people:

Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV) Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known

And spoke in David, saying in Psalm 85:8 (ESV) Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

God Not Only Speaks To People,
But Appeared To People

The Bible teaches that no one has ever seen God fully but Jesus Christ. God spoke to Moses, but told His servant:

Exodus 33:20 (ESV) … you cannot see My face, for man shall not see me and live …

The Apostle said “No one has EVER SEEN GOD – the only God, Who is at the Father’s side, He {Jesus} has made Him {God the Father} known” (John 1:18). We who are frail and sin tossed humans cannot look on the pure and absolute holy Face of God and it not kill us. Jesus Christ – Who is Incarnate God (Matthew 1:23) is able to look on God the Father, for Christ is without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). But God HAS appeared to man in the Old Testament. God appeared to Abraham.

Abraham had no Bible – the Bible was not yet made.
Abraham had no Church – the Church was not formed.
Abraham had no Priest – he was Priest over his family.

Abraham had nothing that we in the Church Age have. But God came to Abraham and spoke to him. God led Abraham, and Abraham followed God by faith. God sent an image of Himself to Abraham, an Old Testament picture of God.

Theologians call this Old Testament appearance of God a CHRISTOPHANY or a THEOPHANY. The Burning Bush that Moses spoke to, the Pillar of Fire and of Cloud, these are Theophanies. The High Priest Who appeared to Abraham named Melchizedek is a Christophany.

As you read the description of Melchizedek, you can easily see that He is not as we are. Let’s look at the text:

Hebrews 7:1-2 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Background: A little background here. Abraham had been following God, and the Lord led him to the Promised Land of Canaan. Abraham was following God, but his nephew Lot was following his heart. Abraham went where God sent him, but Lot went where his heart sent him. Lot ended up in Sodom. Four Kingdoms made war with Five Kingdoms, and Sodom was part of the Five Kingdom alliance. When the two sides battled in the Valley of Siddim (Genesis 14:8) the four defeated the five. As part of their winnings:

Genesis 14:12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

When Abraham heard that his nephew Lot and his family were captured, Abraham led 318 of his men into battle against these 4 nations. Using guerrilla tactics at night, the Bible says “Abraham brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people” (Genesis 14:16).

Abraham’s defeat of a vastly superior force was not due to his skills, but to the power of God operating in his life.

Two men came to meet Abraham in the Valley of Shaveh (the King’s Valley). One was Melchizedek, the other the King of Sodom. The King of Sodom sought to reward Abraham, but Abraham refused, saying:

Genesis 14:22-23 (ESV) I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’”.

Abraham refused to receive anything whatsoever from the King of Sodom. Why? Because he did not want to glorify the King of Sodom, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Abraham acknowledged it was God alone Who gave him the victory. To Melchizedek, this mysterious Visitor, Abraham gave a tenth part of all the spoils of war.

Who was this Melchizedek? We are told in verse 2 that He is:

“the KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”, and
“the KING OF PEACE”

No human can be “King of Righteousness” or the “King of Peace”. These are divine titles.

The “KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” cannot be a Man as we are. Jesus said, “There is NONE GOOD, BUT ONE – that is, GOD” (Matthew 19:17). The Bible says in Romans 3:10, 17: “There is NONE RIGHTEOUS, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and goes on to say “the way of PEACE have they not known” (Romans 3:17). Humans cannot be the King of Righteousness or the King of Peace. These are attributes of God.

But this Melchizedek cannot be God the Father. Our text states:

Hebrews 7:1 … this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him

He is not God the Father, but He is the “priest of the most high God”. This ancient Priest blessed Abraham, saying:

Genesis 14:19-20 (ESV) “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

Abraham was blessed of God because he walked with “God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and earth”. This is the only reason that Abraham with his 318 men could defeat 4 nations of armies where 5 nations could not stand. Abraham walked with God, and served God apart from the Law of Sinai. Melchizedek is further described:

Hebrews 7:3-4 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

This Melchizedek cannot be a human person like we are, though He is called a “Man”.

This MAN, for verse 4 calls Him a MAN, is “Without father, without mother, without descent”. Melchizedek had no father nor mother. Is there anyone here in this room that has never had a father or mother? No, we are all descendant from parents. Melchizedek had no family tree. To be a Levitical Priest, you had to be able to trace your genealogy back to Levi, as we are told in…

Ezra 2:62 (NKJV) {Some Levites} sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but they were not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.

Melchizedek had no family tree – yet He was a “Priest of the Most High God”. Further, we are told that Melchizedek had “neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God”. He was “LIKE UNTO THE SON OF GOD”. He is a Man, but not as we are men. He is eternal, without beginning or end.

When Abraham met Melchizedek, he gave TITHES to Him. This was long before Sinai and God’s creation of the Levitical Priests. We are told in Hebrews:

Hebrews 7:9-11 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him. 11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

When Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, it was like Levi himself was paying tithes. Levi was the great-grandson of Abraham. In the Law of Sinai the people paid tithes to the priests. When Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, it was like Levi was paying tithes to Melchizedek, for Levi was “still in the loins of Abraham”. This makes Melchizedek the superior Priest.

Melchizedek is a Christophany, an Old Testament appearance of the New Testament Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ Came From Judah, Not Levi

Melchizedek had no lineage to trace. The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin named Mary, and His lineage could be traced back to Judah and King David (see Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). This is why we are told …

Hebrews 7:14-18 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of JudaH; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest, 16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

Under the Law of Israel you could be either a priest or a king. The priests were descended from Levi, the kings from David and Judah. Jesus is a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that he would have a Son that ruled forever (2 Samuel 7:8-29). Jesus – from the Tribe of Judah – could NOT be a Levitical Priest. But Melchizedek is the High Priest of God. Without beginning or end, without family tree, Melchizedek was “made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”

This is an Old Testament appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. God promised that the Messiah, when He came, would be a Melchizedek:

Psalm 110:4 (ESV) The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Here is the point of the text:

Jesus Christ, the Engyos of God or Sponsor of the New Covenant, appeared to Abraham in Melchizedek long before Moses received the Law at Sinai. Jesus Christ, the Engyos of God or Sponsor of the New Covenant, appears to us today, offering Eternal Salvation. Jesus was BEFORE the Law of Moses. Jesus is AFTER the Law of Moses.

The Law Cannot Make Us Perfect, Righteous Enough To Stand Before God. But Jesus Can!

Hebrews 7:19-22 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek:{quotation Psalm 110:4}) 22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

The Law of Moses, delivered at Sinai by God, could not bring Israel into a relationship with God. All the Law could do was continually point out the failings of mankind. Jesus is the Sponsor of a Better Covenant, because He is a Better Hope than the Law was.

The Melchizedek that blessed Abraham, is the Jesus Who blesses us today. Abraham was blessed apart from animal sacrifice, apart from the feasts of Israel, apart from the Levitical Priesthood, apart from either Temple or Tabernacle. The Priests of Levi could not continue forever, for like all men, they died.

Hebrews 7:23-25 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24 But this Man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Levitical Priests came and went. In time, each suffered death. But Jesus Christ, like Melchizedek, never dies.

He saves “to the UTTERMOST those who come unto God by Him”. Why? Because Jesus never ceases praying for us, never ceases representing us before the Throne of God.

The Levitical Priests were all fallen men, just as I am. But Jesus is so much more. The One Who represents us before God is without flaw, without sin. He is …

Hebrews 7:26 … holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

The Levitical Priests were holy because they shed the blood of animals, paying for their own sins, before ever paying for the sins of the people. But Jesus is “HOLY” because He is God Incarnate.

Word Study: Jesus is “HARMLESS” (akakos, “free from guilt”). Jesus is “UNDEFILED” (amiantos, unsoiled, without deformity”). Jesus is not a sinner as we are. He is “HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS”. He is righteous and just, the Holy Son of God. The Levitical Priests had to make offering for their sins, then for the people. But our Lord Jesus:

Hebrews 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when he offered up himself.

Jesus is “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29-32).

Hebrews 7:28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Salvation is in Christ alone. Eternal security is in Christ alone. God spoke to His people prior to the Law, saving Abraham, who believed on God. God speaks to His people today, saving whosoever will answer His call. Do you know Him? Do you know my Jesus? Oh, that God the Holy Spirit would open your hearts to Him today. Call on Him and be saved. Don’t delay. The Law cannot save you. Your morality cannot save you. Jesus Christ alone can save you. Amen and Amen.

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Guard Your Heart

Posted on May 16, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues (tôwtsâʼâh, pronounced to-tsaw-aw’, the SOURCE) of life.

The most pushed theme on television today is “Follow your heart”. What is interesting is that this is not what God tells us, but what the devil tells us. God tells us to “Guard your heart”.

Humans Are Three Parted

The Bible teaches us that a person is composed of three parts:

Body,
Soul,
and spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Human Spirit: The “spirit” of a person is that which connects them with God. The lost person is spiritually dead or disconnected from God. When Adam sinned (Genesis 3:6) in the Garden of Eden, he brought spiritual death on all his progeny. Spiritual death is evidenced by,

hiding from God (Genesis 3:8)
shifting blame for sin (Genesis 3:12)

Sin came into the world through Adam, and spiritual as well as physical death by sin (Romans 5:12). In Ephesians chapter 2 the Bible tells us that before a person is saved, that person is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). The “spirit of man” connects us to the Spirit of God, so that we can know the things of God. The Bible says:

Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Our human spirit is made alive the moment we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit of God – also called the Spirit of Christ – indwells us (Romans 8:9). Our God examines the human spirit to see if we are in a relationship with Him or not. Our context continues …

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy {Spirit} teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural 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 discerned.

When you receive Christ as Lord and Savior, God causes you to be “born again”. That is, your human spirit is made alive, and the Holy Spirit of God indwells you. You can now know the things of God because you are attached to God.

The Body: Our “BODY” is the fleshly, outer container of our “SOUL” and our “SPIRIT”. The Body is temporal, being composed of the dust of the earth. God told Adam:

Genesis 3:19 (NKJV) 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 was formed of “dust” or of the earth before he ever sinned before God (Genesis 2:7). Abraham said “I am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27). He wasn’t talking about his soul or spirit, but about his body. Our present bodies were never meant to be eternal, but temporal. Those who are saved by faith in Christ can look forward to a body made for all eternity. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 15:49 … as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

The Soul: Our “SOUL” is actually who we are. Your soul is the ME of YOU. Every person who is physically alive has a functioning soul. The lost have a human spirit, but it is dead in trespasses and in sins. The lost live their lives focused on pleasing not God, but their own flesh. They are “natural men”, not “supernatural men”. Since their human spirit is dead, they have no connection to God. If they acknowledge God, they rely on religion and ritualism to sensually attach themselves to a god. But they cannot know God.

Back to the “SOUL”. Everyone has a soul. The soul is the living part of you that animates your body. Your soul is made by God. When you die, your soul returns to God. He says:

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Everyone has a soul, made by God. Each soul is unique, but each soul will eventually return to God for blessing or cursing.

The Heart Is The Control Center Of The Soul

When the Bible speaks of the “Heart”, it isn’t talking about the pump in your chest that keeps your blood circulating. The Heart is the control center of your soul. Satan and the world is constantly trying to take control of your heart. If your heart is influenced for good, then you will produce good. If your heart is influenced for evil, then you will produce evil. It’s like that old saying,

“Whatever is down in the well, comes up in the bucket!”

The first King of Israel, King Saul, did not guard his heart. He followed his heart, and as a result lost the throne. When God chose a King to replace King Saul, a very flesh driven soulish man, God sent Samuel to the home of Jesse. When Samuel saw Eliab, the firstborn son of Jesse, he said:

1 Samuel 16:6 (AP) Surely this is the one the Lord wants me to anoint as King!

But God told Samuel:

1 Samuel 16:7 “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

When God had Samuel anoint the little shepherd David to be the next King of Israel, the Lord said:

Acts 13:22 … (ESV) I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do

As God is Spirit and not flesh, and we see from these words that God Himself has a Heart, the Heart spoken of is not that pump of flesh. It is the control center of who you are. This is why we are warned to:

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy HEART with all diligence

Word Study: The word translated “Keep” is the Hebrew nāṣar {pronounced naw-tsar’} which means “set a watch on, guard, preserve from danger”. Our Lord Jesus said:

Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

If the control center of the soul is fouled with sin, the outward actions of the soul reflected through the body will be sinful.

We need to guard our hearts. The guarding of our hearts must be both defensive as well as offensive.

Defensively guard your heart

Understand that there is a war going on all around you, and that you are constantly being bombarded with messages and “truths” that are counter to what God teaches us in His Word. The devil and this lost world wants you to lose hope, to walk away from your faith. The dark world will twist truth and malign scripture. They will do all they can do to erode your faith.

Be careful who you WALK with. It effects your heart.

Proverbs 4:14-19 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

God does not tell us to avoid wicked people. He wants us to witness to the wicked, to those who are fleshly, dead in trespasses and sins. What God tells us is to AVOID WALKING WITH THE WICKED. He says,

Enter not into the path of the wicked

Not the PRESENCE, but the PATH. God says “go not in the way of evil men”. Don’t walk with them. Don’t bind with them in business. Do not partner with them in their enterprises. God says “these people would rather DO WICKEDNESS than sleep” (vs 16), and they so delight in dragging the righteous down that they will lose sleep if they can’t make someone stumble in their faith. They “eat and drink wickedness and violence”. Yes, you should witness to the lost – but you should never walk their paths. In the Scripture God commands us:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NKJV) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”

When you “yoke” yourself in business, in marriage, in any partnership with a lost person, that lost person will drag your heart away from God.

When King Solomon under the inspiration of God wrote these words, he was writing from experience. The Bible says:

1 Kings 11:1-4 (NKJV) But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods …

I have seen this played out over and over again in Christ’s Church. A young man, dedicated to God, falls in love with a lovely but lost girl, and binds with her in marriage. What happens? She drags him away from Christ. Or a young lady marries an infidel, believing that she can change him. Does she? No. He drags her away from Christ in most every instance.

The devil is always watching, looking for an opportunity to drag our hearts downward and away from God. Don’t let him do it. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV) Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Offensively guard your heart

You should not only guard your heart by protecting yourself from bad characters – but you should “load your spiritual gun”. If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide you into spiritual truth. Do these three things:

Purposely study the Word of God.
Prioritize Scripture Memorization.
Practice that which God tells you to do in His Word.

We are told:

Proverbs 4:20-22 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Feed the control center of your soul – your heart – the Word of God. Read Scripture. Memorize Scripture. Meditate on Scripture. King David wrote:

Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek You; let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

The problem with most American Christians is that they spend hours feeding their hearts the bilge that is on network television, but minutes feeding their heart the Word of God. The Bible says:

Colossians 3:1-5 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

The devil watches us, and looks for opportunities to drag us back into darkness. He did this with our Lord Jesus before He started His earthly ministry. Satan came to Jesus and tempted our Lord three times, each time enticing Jesus to betray His mission. With each temptation Jesus replied:

“It is WRITTEN”

Jesus quoted Scripture to the devil, Scripture He had stored in His soul. Satan was defeated because Jesus offensively prepared Himself to do battle with Satan. As Jesus’ ministry progressed, over the next 3 ½ years He was attacked by agents of darkness. Jesus was attacked by Pharisees (the Conservatives), Sadducees (the Liberals), Herodians (the politicians), and Scribes (the lawyers). Each group did their best to trip Jesus up. At one point, even Peter got in on the act, and tried to trip Jesus up. How did Jesus guard His soul? By those very words,

“It is WRITTEN”

Proverbs 4:24-26 Put away from thee a froward (ʿiqqᵊšûṯ, pronounced ik-kesh-ooth’, “crooked”) mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

We are to put away anything that stands in opposition to what God has written in this Book. Our focus is on Jesus Christ. We follow Him, and heed the word that He has given us. Refuse to dwell on evil things. Do not follow the crowd, but follow Jesus. Heed God’s Word. Guard your control center. That is the way to joy and peace. Amen and amen.

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God Is Faithful, So Keep Walking

Posted on May 15, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Jad Limcaco on Unsplash

Hebrews 6:11-20 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

I have to admit that there are times I get very weary. It seems like I’m trying to put out a forest fire with a thimble of water. I just want to give up. Evil has abounded so much in America, and it seems as if there’s no hope. Our world is spinning out of control.

Then I come to passages like this.

The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:8, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (NKJV). We can dwell on the sad state of our country – or we can dwell on the faithfulness of our God. We can commiserate over the Goliaths that face the Church in the 21st century – or we can focus on God, realizing He is bigger than anything that is against us.

Never Stop Being What God Wants You To Be

Hebrews 6:11-12 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The story of Old Testament Israel is a story of a people who started strong, but too often let other things get in the way of God’s promises. When the journey was easy, Israel was excited and hopeful. But when the journey became difficult they took their eyes off of Jesus, and focused on that which hindered them. God’s desire for this Church is that we show the …

same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end

Word Study: Let’s break this down. “SAME DILIGENCE” is the Greek autos spoudē. The word translated “SAME” is autos means “HIS”, “HER” or “THEIR”. This is a reflexive pronoun of self. It is pointing to the diligence that someone else showed. The word “DILIGENCE” is the Greek spoudē, which means “diligence, earnestness in accomplishing, carefulness in following through”. The person referred to – the one we are to copy – did not start out like gangbusters then fizzle out. This person acted as if they had a “full assurance of hope unto the end”. We are told in verse 12:

be not slothful

Word Study: This is the Greek ginomai mē nōthros, which means “to become sluggish, dull, or half hearted”. We have the promises of God Himself to rely on. Our God is faithful, and what He has promised will come to pass. God has called us into His Kingdom as sons and daughters of God, as VICTORS and not VICTIMS.

We are to trust God and keep on doing what He has told us to do with ALL DILIGENCE – for we serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Bible repeatedly tells the Christian, the recipient of the New Covenant:

Ephesians 4:1 (ESV) … walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called ..

Colossians 1:10 (ESV) … walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God …

1 Thessalonians 2:12 (ESV) … we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Once saved, we are not to drag our feet, but are to go where Christ bids us go, and do as Christ bids us do.

We do not know when the promises of God will come to fruition, but they will come in God’s own time. The Scripture says:

Galatians 6:7-9 (ESV) Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

We are to be, as verse 12 tells us,

followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises

We are to follow the examples of the Old Covenant Saints who paid attention to God’s Word, and honored God by – however imperfectly – continuing to have PATIENT FAITH.

We are not to follow the example of the first generation of Israel who whined and murmured and complained their way to the border of the Promised Land – and then refused to enter in. These sad sacks ended up dying in the wilderness over 40 years, wandering in circles while their destination was just over the horizon.

Believers Imitate Abraham, The Father of Faith

Hebrews 6:13-14 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by Himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

When God first called Abraham (who then was called Abram), the Bible says that:

Genesis 12:4 … Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

God had promised Abraham that – if he left his family and his country and FOLLOWED GOD, that God would “make of thee a GREAT NATION” (Genesis 12:2). This intrigued Abraham, as both he and his wife Sarai were without children, and past child bearing years. God promised Abram that if he’d follow God, that he would have not just a child, but a nation of children.

So Abram followed God. And the very next year Abram and Sarai had a child!
NOT!

When God makes a promise, God always follows through with that promise. The Scripture says:

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

When God makes a promise, He is ALL POWERFUL. “Our God is in the Heavens – He does ALL THAT HE PLEASES” (Psalm 115:3, ESV). “Nothing is too hard for God to do” (Jeremiah 32:17, AP). God knows “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10, ESV). So when God promises something, there is NOTHING that can come up to make God change His mind. Further, God is absolutely HOLY – He will not renege on what He has said He will do.

So God promises Abraham and Sarah a child, and a nation of children. But God doesn’t fulfill the promise the next year, nor the year after that, nor the year after that. In fact, God doesn’t fulfill the promise to Abraham until 25 years later:

Genesis 21:1-5 (ESV) The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Why did God make Abraham wait 25 years before Sarah had Isaac? What hindered God in fulfilling His promise? Nothing hindered God – absolutely nothing. The reality is,

God delayed in giving Abraham a son until Abraham was READY to have a son.

Abraham WANTED a son sooner than he got one. But Abraham wasn’t ready. God promised to give Abraham a son, but Abraham kept trying to help God out. God made a promise, and God was going to keep it. Abraham was called of God to follow God and do as God said – not to BE GOD and HELP GOD OUT.

We, Like Abraham, Are To Wait On God No Matter What!

So Abraham waited. The Bible tells us to trust God’s Promises, to “wait on the Lord”:

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Proverbs 20:22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

Abraham needed to learn to “WAIT ON THE LORD”.

What does it mean to “Wait On The Lord”?

It doesn’t mean to be slothful. We who are saved by the promise of God have, as we seen earlier, to keep on diligently serving God, doing as He says. The best way I can describe “Waiting on the Lord” is to talk about table waiters.

Illustrate: I was at “Legends” the other day with my dear wife, and I had gotten a horrible waitress. When we were seated it took her 15 minutes to get to our table. She wasn’t busy – she just wasn’t present. Other waitresses were busy waiting on their tables, and a couple even stepped in to help us though we weren’t their responsibility. Finally she showed up, took our order – and we didn’t see her again until she brought the check. I asked her where she had been, and she said “I was in the kitchen with the manager”.

The waitress is not to be the COOK.
The waitress is not to be the MANAGER.
The waitress is to TEND to the CUSTOMER.
To make the CUSTOMER HAPPY.

When God promised Abraham a son through Sarah, Abraham initially didn’t do what he was supposed to do but instead tried to do what God had promised. That’s a recipe for disaster. When Pharaoh took Sarah to be in his harem Abraham didn’t stand up like a husband should have and said “She’s MY WIFE”. No, he let fear reign, and Sarah was taken. God intervened. Abraham was supposed to leave his family and follow God, but took Lot his nephew with him. He did not honor God fully, and it ended up bringing trouble into his household. When Abraham separated from Lot God spoke to him, showing him the land of Canaan, saying …

Genesis 13:15-17 … all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

When Abraham fought the armies of five nations and won, Melchizedek the priest of the Most High God appeared to him (Genesis 14:18). Jesus said of this encounter that “Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:58). He saw Jesus. God had promised Abraham a son – a nation of children – but he had to learn to wait on God.

In Genesis 15 Abraham offers to help God out. Time has passed, and God has not given Abraham or Sarah a child. So Abraham tells God:

Genesis 15:3 … Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Abraham had a young man born in his home Eliezer of Damascus (Genesis 15:2). A trustworthy young man, Abraham had already set him apart from the other servants. After all, if God wasn’t going to give an heir, then Abraham would have to step in and help God out! God told Abraham:

Genesis 15:4-6 … This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and {God} counted it to {Abraham} for righteousness.

Abraham believed God when he left Ur of the Chaldees. But there are varying degrees of belief. He believed God – but took Lot with him though God had forbidden it. He believed God – but feared Pharaoh and let him take Sarah to be his own. Abraham walked the aisle of the Church – but his heart was not committed to God. The Bible says that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the HEART” (1 Samuel 16:7). “The LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS” (2 Timothy 2:19). The Bible says that at this moment “Abraham believed in the Lord; and {God} counted it to {Abraham} for righteousness”. It is faith in God that brings righteousness. Not faith in our efforts, but faith that He is able to do what He says. God promised Abraham that he would have a child and a nation of children – and Abraham believed.

Abraham is a pattern of faith for every believer in Christ.

The statement found in Genesis 15 is repeated throughout the New Testament. The Apostle wrote:

Romans 4:18-24 In hope {Abraham} believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Abraham was physically and sexually dead, unable to have children. But the God Who made the universe is able to make the dead come back to life. Abraham believed God, and God counted that as righteousness. Did Abraham have a child at the end of chapter 15? No. Why?

Because Abraham was not quite ready to have that child.
Though he believed God, he kept trying to help God out.
Which is why Ishmael was born.

We Wait On And Trust God, No Matter What God Tells Us To Do, No Matter What God Sends Us Through!

Year after year passed. Five years, ten years, fifteen years. No child. Twenty years. In the twenty-fourth year from when God first called Abraham God told Abraham “next year” he would have the promised son. Then Abraham turned 100 years old. “after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise”. God promises, but will not give us the blessing of the promise until we trust in and wait on God. Abraham had to learn to trust and obey God. When Abram was 99 years old God spoke to him, saying:

Genesis 17:5-6 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.

God told Abraham to circumcise himself, and the males of his household – an act that Abraham immediately did. Yet he had to wait another another year until the promised child was born. Why? Why did God wait?

Abraham was not ready yet.

Then Abraham has Isaac. What a blessing that was, after 25 years, to have this precious Promised child. Was Abraham ready for the child? Absolutely! Think about this. You’ve waited for a child for 25 years, and at the age of 100 years old you get that child. How will you treat that child? Some people would make an idol of that child. They’d spoil that child rotten. They’d put that child on a pedestal.

God gave the child, but had He given that child too soon, Abraham would have made that child into a golden calf, a false idol. But Abraham was ready for the child, ready for the blessing – for his focus was on God.

God tells Abraham:

Genesis 22:2 (ESV) … “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

What does Abraham do? He loves Isaac, but he loves the Lord MORE. Isaac is not his idol, but his son, his only son. God had promised that:

Genesis 21:12 … in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Abraham’s seed would only come when he believed in God, putting GOD FIRST. This is the basis of salvation. We come to God, trusting what He has promised us in Christ, and receive Jesus as both Lord and Savior. Ishmael was a seed of Abraham, but not the child of promise. In ISAAC shall thy seed be called.

So now we have the test of salvation. You say you love the Lord. Do you love the Lord if your body fail you? Do you love the Lord if your child die? Do you love the Lord if your business fall into bankruptcy? Do you love the Lord if your spouse leave? God has said in His Word:

1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

And

Jonah 2:8 Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.

God will not share His love with another. He demands you love Him above all else. Abraham was ready for Isaac, for without a whimper he took Isaac to Mount Moriah, laid him upon an altar, and prepared to sacrifice him to God. Abraham told Isaac, “God will provide Himself the Lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8).

Abraham understood. What God promised, God will do. Abraham understood that, even if God had him kill Isaac, that God would raise Isaac from the dead. “IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE”.

Jesus Christ Is The Sure Hope Of Every Believer

Hebrews 6:18-20 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Abraham put his trust in God. Not in circumstances, but in God. And when he was fully ready to trust the Lord, God gave him the blessing of Isaac.

We who are saved put our trust in God. We run to Jesus. We “LAY HOLD UPON THE HOPE” that is Jesus. We cling to Him like a drowning man would cling to a life preserver, like one who has bailed out from a burning plane clings to the parachute above him. Jesus Christ is the “hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast”. It is impossible to lie. God has set His Son forth as the only PROPITIATION, the only SATISFACTORY OFFERING for our failures.

Just as there was only ONE ISAAC, there is only ONE JESUS, the Son of Promise. It is Jesus Whom the Father …

Romans 3:22-26 (ESV) … the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Do you know Him? Do you know my Jesus? Is He your Lord and Savior? It is Jesus Who went into Heaven, into the very Presence of God the Father, the Lamb of God offered for those who believe. Oh, that God the Holy Spirit would pierce your heart today, and bring you to Christ. Give your lives to Jesus. Believe in Him, follow Him. Trust Him. Not just momentarily, but for life. May God guide you to Him. Amen and Amen.

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How We Got Our Bible #1: Introduction To The Series

Posted on May 6, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

As soon as I met the Lord Jesus Christ in salvation, believing that He died for my sins and rose again to be my High Priest, I decided to study the Scriptures. I believe that the Bible is God ordained and God inspired. The Bible says:

2 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV) But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

This is a perfect picture of American culture today. A nation that was built on the faith of the Puritan Christian, Americans have become detached from God and enamored of the Serpent of Eden, that Old Devil called Satan (Revelation 12:9). The devil has, through godless media outlets and social networks, promoted the ideology that “we are our own gods”. This started in the Garden of Eden when Satan suggested that Adam and Eve depart from the Word of God and eat that which was forbidden. The Devil said, “God knows when you eat of the forbidden, YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD. You will determine what is good and evil” (Genesis 3:5, AP).

When Jesus came into the world, He came to “fulfill the Scriptures”. The Bible is the written Word of God, but Jesus is the Living Word of God, the Incarnate Word. John 1:14 (ESV) tells us “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”.

God gave humanity His Word – both written and Eternally Living – because He wants us to know the way of peace and blessing, the way to abundant LIFE.

The Bible Testifies About Christ

The Old Testament of our Bibles – every type, figure, sacrifice, altar, and even the Tabernacle and Temple – speak to the coming Christ of the New Covenant. The Bible says:

Luke 24:27 (ESV) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, {Jesus} interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:44 (ESV) Then {Jesus} said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

And Jesus told the Pharisees and the Scribes who stood against Him:

John 5:39-40 (ESV) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life.

Jesus held the Scripture in high esteem, because the Scripture He preached from – the Old Testament that the Jews maintained – foretold His Messianic coming. Jesus told them:

John 5:46-47 (ESV) if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

The Scripture is not a man made book. It is a PROPHETIC Book. It PROPHESIED about Jesus, about the coming Messiah. The Old Testament believed in Jesus – and Jesus believed in the Old Testament, the Scripture, as God ordained. Throughout His ministry Jesus said:

“It is WRITTEN”

He was not talking about some philosophy or human writing, but about the Bible, the Word of God. When Jesus was questioned about marriage He replied:

Matthew 19:4-6 (NKJV) “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus spoke authoritatively about the things of God because He viewed the Scripture of His day – the Old Testament – to be the Word of God. Jesus believed, like Solomon, that

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

Jesus chastised the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadduccees and Herodians – the religious leaders of that day – for they twisted the Word of God rather than merely presenting it. Jesus told them:

Mark 7:13 (AP) You have made the Word of God of NO EFFECT THROUGH YOUR MAN MADE TRADITIONS – these things you keep saying and teaching …

Jesus lived His life following the true Word of God, the Bible. He said to the devil when tempted, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but BY EVERY WORD OF GOD” (Luke 4:4). Jesus told those seeking a blessing, “blessed are they that HEAR THE WORD OF GOD and KEEP IT” (Luke 11:28). Jesus as God Incarnate, God in the flesh, knew that the Bible is NOT a man-made thing. As the Apostle says:

2 Peter 1:21 (ESV) … no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

We started out by addressing this fallen world through 2 Timothy 3. The world detached from the Word of God gets crazier and crazier every day. After stating this premise, the Apostle writes:

2 Timothy 3:14-16 (ESV) But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

God uses the Word of God, the Bible, to not only save us, but to grow us. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing BY THE WORD OF GOD” (Romans 10:17). “The sword of the Holy Spirit is THE WORD OF GOD” (Ephesians 6:17). We are “BORN AGAIN BY THE WORD OF GOD, which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23)

We Have No Original Signed Books Of The Bible.
How Do We Know OUR Bible Is THE Bible?

One of the frequently made objections to belief in the Bible is:

“There are NO ORIGINAL COPIES of any book of the Bible in existence. How do we know what we are using is accurate to the original texts?”

or “The people that are obeying it to the letter of the words, they might not be following what Jesus really said because it’s been passed down from so many different people … So, do we really know what the Word of God in the Bible is?”

WHY are there no original signed texts {autographa} of the books of Scripture? Why do we have only copies? I believe it is because God knows our hearts. We as humans are prone to idolatry. When Israel was left by Moses so he could receive the first five Books of Scripture from God, the Israelis got a “Committee” together, went to Aaron, and said “Make us gods who will go before and lead us” (Exodus 32:1, AP). Aaron quickly complied. Had God left us with an original “signed” text (an autographa) from Moses, or Peter, or Paul, or King David, we would have put it in a glass case, and stood around it worshiping the scroll rather than the God Who gave us the Word.God wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger in stone (Deuteronomy 9:10), and gave it to Moses. Israel put the Ten Commandments inside the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:16; 31:18; 40:20). The Ark of the Covenant was first taken by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4-8), and 40 years later it disappeared when the Babylonians sacked the Temple (586 BC). The Bible tells us that the only Ark of the Covenant is now in Heaven:

Revelation 11:19 (ESV) God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

The earthly Ark of the Covenant was a shadow or copy of the Heavenly (Hebrews 9:23; 8:5). I suspect God took away the earthly Ark because God’s people started to worship the THING rather than the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS. God despises idolatry. We are repeatedly told throughout Scripture:

1 Corinthians 10:14 … Dear friends, FLEE FROM IDOLATRY.

1 John 5:21 … Dear Children, KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS.

God told us “those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them” (Jonah 2:8). God says to His people, “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:3-4).

Like Israel did with the Ark of the Covenant, we would have stopped looking to the God Who commanded the Ark be made, and instead look at the Ark as a type of god or rabbit’s foot. God does not want this. He wants our faith to be in Him, and wants us to follow His Word because He gave it.

We have no “autographa” or original signed copies to protect us from ourselves.

Word Study: So how do we know that the Bible we have today is the same as the Bible which was originally written? If we only had a few copies of manuscripts we would not know what the original said. However, God has left us with a vast number of copies of “manuscripts”. The word “manuscript” is from two Latin words, “manu” (by hand) and “scriptum” (written). So “manuscript” means “that written by hand”. My source at Houston Christian University notes:

“There are approximately 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. In addition, there are 10,000 Latin manuscripts, and 9,300 manuscripts in other languages. The New Testament autographa, the manuscripts written by the original authors, are unavailable, but manuscripts have been discovered that are dated as early as the 2nd century.”

Though Moses received the Ten Commandments written on stone by God, Moses wrote down what God told him. The Bible says:

Exodus 24:2-4 (ESV) {God said} Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” 3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 31:9 (ESV) … Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

Moses wrote the first five Books of the Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. He gave the Law to the priests, the sons of Levi to guard and transmit to all of Israel. Once the Law was given:

The LAW = The TORAH = The PENTATEUCH = MOSES

to the Priests, the Priests that tended to copy the Scriptures were called Scribes (Hebrew groups of Scribes were Soferim, Tannaim, Amoraim, and Masoretes). My commentary notes:

“In the Mishnah (a Jewish collection of exegetical works that form the first part of the Talmud, or Rabbinic teachings) they are presented as pre-rabbinic teachers with authority, as well as copyists and teachers.”

The best known Old Testament Scribe is Ezra (Ezra 7:6). He was both priest and Scribe. The Scribes were considered guardians of the Law of God. The Scribes carefully copied Scripture on:

Parchment, made from lamb, goat, deer or cow skin, or
Papyrus, a reed plant that grows along the Nile.

Scripture was written in Scrolls (rolled pieces of papyrus or parchment) or Codex (bound like a book). The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, Chaldean, and Aramaic. Apologist Josh McDowell notes on his website:

“Paul D. Wegner, professor of Old Testament studies at Gateway Seminary in Ontario, California, shares further safeguards and protocols that aided scribes in their copying and storage of biblical texts:

~ Jewish writings mention that the temple employed correctors (meggihim) who scrutinized the scrolls to safeguard their precision.

~ At some point during the Talmudic period (100 BC to AD 400), meticulous rules were developed to preserve the Old Testament text in synagogue scrolls. These included only using parchment made from clean animals, using only black ink, lining the page before adding letters, and establishing a set column width and word spacing (the space of a hair between each consonant, and the space of a consonant between each word). Too, the scribe had to be freshly bathed and in full Jewish dress before beginning to copy the scroll.”

The Uniqueness Of The Bible

The Bible is unique in it’s writing. It has God as it’s Author, though God used human agents to accomplish His work. We saw earlier that God spoke as Moses wrote the Pentateuch or the Books of the Law. As God spoke through the various Prophets, they used phrases like:

Jeremiah 1:4 (ESV) Now the word of the LORD came to me …

We are told in:

Hebrews 1:1 (ESV) Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets

As the New Testament was written by the Apostles that our Lord Jesus hand picked, these Apostles often referred to the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote:

Galatians 3:8 (ESV) … “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’”

The Apostle who wrote Hebrews (most believe it was Paul) quoted Psalm 95:7-11 and attributed the writing not to King David, but to the Holy Spirit:

Hebrews 3:7 (ESV) Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,

The Bible was written by more than 40 humans, but they were not its author, but God is. God called people to write Scripture from all walks of life:

Kings Generals Peasants Philosophers Poets
Fishermen Tax Collectors Musicians Politicians
Scholars Shepherds Farmers Priests Servants

And on and on. Moses was saved from death by the princess of Egypt, and murdered a man – but God used him to write scripture. King David started out as a shepherd, and at one time failed God by committing murder and adultery – but God used him. Amos was a herdsman, Joshua a General, Nehemiah a lowly cupbearer for a foreign King. Daniel was enslaved, but rose to be Prime Minister in two kingdoms. Luke was a doctor, Peter a fisherman, Matthew a tax collector for the hated Roman Empire, and Paul a failed Rabbi.

God used various and broken people to write His Word, but the Word was flawlessly transmitted because God was its Author!

The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years by people from the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. The Bible, as I said before, was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Chaldean for the Old Testament. Aramaic and Hebrew were common languages in the Old Testament times:

2 Kings 18:26 (NKJV) … Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.

Daniel chapters 2-7 and Ezra 4-7 are in Aramaic. There is also Aramaic in the New Testament. For instance, where Jesus cried out from the Cross:

Matthew 27:46 (NKJV) … 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?”

At the time our Lord Jesus ministered on the earth, the language of the people was Aramaic, Koine (Common) Greek, and Latin (Rome). This is because Alexander the Great, a Greek, conquered the world before the Roman Empire did. As Alexander conquered areas, he demanded that the people in those areas learn Koine or Common Greek. When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he wrote in Greek rather than Latin. Why was this?

As Israel had wandered from God, and had been under the conquest of: the following nations:

Assyria (740 BC)
Babylon (597 BC)
Medo-Persia (539 BC)
Greece (329 BC)
Rome (63 BC)

Had Israel followed God and revered His Word, they would have never been captured and held against their will. God used the nations to punish His disobedient and wayward people:

Isaiah 9:13-17 (NKJV) For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. 15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

Israel continued to reject God. The Bible tells us that when the Messiah came:

John 1:11-13 (NKJV) {Messiah} came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Much of Israel had become so hard hearted to God, that they would not repent nor turn to the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. Over time, many Jews – particularly Jews living in Alexandria – had forgotten how to read Hebrew. The Bible speaks of this in:

Nehemiah 13:24 (ESV) … half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.

As the Jews could not understand Hebrew, they could not understand the Bible So a plan was devised to translate the Bible into Koine Greek, the more common language of the people of that day.

Around 250 BC the Hebrew Old Testament was TRANSLATED from Hebrew and into Koine Greek.

This is the earliest translation of the Bible. Called The Septuagint (which means “70”) because there were 72 translators, 6 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Septuagint was considered by many to be on equal footing with the Hebrew text. The New Testament writers, like Matthew, often quoted the Septuagint as Scripture. Consider Isaiah 7:14, quoted in

Isaiah 7:14 {Hebrew} “Behold, the YOUNG WOMAN [‘almah] shall concieve”

Isaiah 7:14 {Septuagint} “Behold, the VIRGIN [parthenos] shall concieve”

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the VIRGIN [parthenos] shall conceive.”

It is very likely that the Bible the New Testament writers referred to was the Septuagint. What do we learn from this? God has always worked to insure His people have an understandable Word of God, Holy Scripture. The Bible tells us that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth:

John 16:13-15 (NKJV) However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

What is the “Truth” that the Holy Spirit will guide us into? Jesus later said, as He prayed for His Church:

John 17:17 (NKJV) Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

God the Holy Spirit gave us the Bible through over 40 human writers. The Bible is divinely inspired, written by man, but its output was controlled by Almighty God. May God bless us as we learn of His Word. Amen.

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We Are Persuaded Better Things Of You

Posted on May 6, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Job Savelsberg on Unsplash

Hebrews 6:1-9 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Last week we started studying verse 1 of this text:

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto PERFECTION…

Word Study: The word rendered “PERFECTION” is the Greek teleiotēs (pronunciation tel-i-ot’-ace) which actually means maturity or better Christian maturity. When a person believes in the Doctrine of Christ, that is:

1- We are all sinners deserving of damnation. (Romans 3:10, 23-24)
2- Christ came to save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)
3- Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved from hell. (John 14:6)
4- Christ died to pay for my and your sins. (1 Peter 2:21-25)
5- Christ rose from the grave to be my Lord and your Lord (Romans 10:9-13), my High Priest and your High Priest.
6- I am saved by REPENTING, that is, turning from being my own god, and by SURRENDER to Christ as Lord and Savior. (Luke 3:9-14; Acts 3:19; 26:20). The same applies to you.
7- When I, from my heart, cried out for salvation, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to cause me to be “born again” into the family of God. Every believer is “born spiritually” into the family of God. We are members of His Kingdom, citizens & children. (John 3:5-7)
8- Learning the basics, we do not stay where we were at the point of salvation. We grow spiritually, more like Christ every day.

This last point is what God is addressing now. The Christian has the basics. What are some of these basics?

Hebrews 6:2 … Of the doctrine of baptisms

Note that the word is PLURAL and not singular. There are two baptisms required for the Christian. One is physical, the other spiritual. Water Baptism is where a believer is submerged in water in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). Water Baptism is an ordinance, a command. The other baptism is Spirit Baptism, which is what God does to you when you receive Christ as Savior and Lord. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Though Christians debate the exact nature of Spirit Baptism, the Bible makes it plain that if you are a believer in Christ you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into His Body. You have, as a Christian, experienced “BAPTISMS”.

Hebrews 6:2 … Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands …

The Christian faith is an intensely personal faith, with its roots in Judaism. When the head of the family came to the end of his life, he would pass on leadership of the family by “laying on of hands”. The child blessed with the right hand would become the new family head (Genesis 48:14-20). In Judaism this is called Semikhah.

In Christianity, we pray for those who are sick by anointing with oil and laying on of hands (James 5:14). Jesus healed people by laying hands on them, though He sometimes healed without touching them (Matthew 8:8-13).

When the early Church called Deacons to serve the widow’s table, the Bible says:

Acts 6:6-7 {When the Deacons were} set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased …

When men were recognized called of God into the Gospel ministry, an Ordination Council of Elders laid hands on the candidates:

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Hebrews 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead

There is a life beyond this one. When you die, your soul goes to be with God (2 Corinthians 5:8; Revelation 6:9) if you are in Christ, or goes to hell and torment (Luke 16:23) if you have rejected Christ. There is a resurrection of the righteous where we will receive glorified bodies:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

There is also a resurrection of the dead who have rejected Christ. They will be gathered from hell, and stand before a Great White Throne where their works shall be judged. The Bible says of this terrible judgment:

Revelation 20:13-15 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

What a sad day that will be. Released from hell, they go into a lake of fire. Why? Because they rejected the Doctrine of Christ. They do not “burn up” in that lake.

Hebrews 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

It is “ETERNAL JUDGMENT”, or as Jesus called it, “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46). How sad it is that people will reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! This life is so fleeting, and eternity forever.

Christians understand these “basics” of our faith. Those who are born into God’s family are to grow, to mature, to become more like Christ.

But what if they don’t?

If There Is No Growth As Believers, No Fruit But Only Thorns, You May Not Be Saved

Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Some people see this text as proof that the Christian, saved by grace, can lose his or her salvation. But that is a sloppy reading of the text. The text tells us of people who have experienced some levels of blessing from Christianity, but because they are flippant or will not repent they cannot be “renew(ED) them again unto repentance”. The text isn’t talking about those who are saved, but those who are on the fringes.

I see it all the time.

There are people who come to this Church, or other Churches where the Word of God is fully preached. They are “once enlightened”. They have heard the truths the Scripture teaches. They “tasted of the heavenly gift”. They heard all about the glories of walking with Christ daily, being in a living relationship with Him. In fact, there are many who “were made partakers of the Holy Ghost”. They enjoyed the benefits of God’s blessing.

Illustrate: I remember years ago when I pastored Rock Hill Baptist – a sweet congregation much like this – when a family on the Church roll who had ceased coming to Church (or any Church) experienced terrible sickness. The elder lady had an abscess in her back that had turned septic, and she was on the brink of death. I visited her in the hospital for weeks, then followed her to rehab, praying for her, anoint her with oil. And Beloved, God intervened! She was healed. She and her husband swore they would recommit themselves to Christ, return to Church – that they would give their lives to Jesus. Did they? No! They came to Church one time, and were totally unaffected by the Word of God. They never returned – and both died within the next two years.

They could not be RENEWED TO REPENTANCE. Instead of receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, they used Jesus as a spare tire or a stepping stool. He was a convenience, a tool to satisfy and enable their flesh.

This type of thing is found all throughout Scripture. I am reminded of the vast numbers who came to Jesus for healing when He walked this earth. One day Jesus entered a village between Samaria and Galilee on His way to Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that:

Luke 17:12-13 (NKJV) … there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Word Study: These ten men call Jesus “MASTER”, epistatēs (pronunciation ep-is-tat’-ace) which means “overseer” or “superintendent”. They did not call Jesus “Lord” or “Messiah” or “Son of David”, which is what He is. They did not even call Jesus “Teacher” or “Rabbi”. They saw Jesus as Someone Who had power – they didn’t care where that power came from. He is a “miracle man” or a “shaman”. Even though they did not see Jesus as Lord and Savior, they cried out “HAVE MERCY ON US”. God does this every day. God has had mercy on America for over two hundred years. We mock Him, we take His Name in vain. We murder the babies He blesses us with. We snuff out little lives in the name of “Health Care” and in order to support godless sexual behavior. But God has mercy on us.

God is so good, so merciful. We read:

Luke 17:14 (NKJV) So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

Jesus did not heal these lepers immediately, as He often did. Under the Law a leper was to show themselves to the priests once they were healed (Leviticus 14:2-4). Jesus told them to go to the priests. The Bible tells us “as they went, they were cleansed”. Jesus is Lord! When they obeyed Him and the Word of God, as they went the sickness was ended. These men, unbelievers all, experienced the Grace of God. As our text states, they “tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come”. They experienced the power of God through Christ, Who healed by the Spirit of God (Luke 11:20; Matthew 12:28). Oh, how they were blessed.

But were they saved? No, only one was. We read:

Luke 17:15-19 (AP) And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you WHOLE.”

All ten of the lepers were healed, but only the one who returned to Jesus was told “Your faith has made you WHOLE”. The word translated “WELL” is the Greek sōzō (pronunciation sode’-zo), which literally means “has SAVED you”. The same Greek word is used in:

Matthew 1:21 {Mary} shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall SAVE {sōzō (pronunciation sode’-zo)} his people from their sins.

Matthew 18:11 For the Son of man is come to SAVE {sōzō (pronunciation sode’-zo)} that which was lost.

All ten experienced the blessings of association with Christ – but only ONE was saved, the ONE WHO RETURNED TO CHRIST.

There are many who are USERS of Christ but are not CHILDREN of God. They live their lives not to serve God and man, but to serve themselves. Notice the text:

Hebrews 6:6 they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Who was it that “crucified to themselves the Son of God” in the Scripture? It was those who refused to receive Christ as Lord, like the Roman soldiers:

Matthew 27:27-31 (NKJV) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

Unbelievers want what Jesus offers, but do not want to acknowledge Him as Lord God Almighty. Richard Dawkins, a famous atheist who has said of faith “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence”. He wrote the book “The God Delusion” where he stated that “not only does God not exist, but if He did exist, He would be regarded by every right thinking person as a moral monster” (pg 31). This same Richard Dawkins recently stated:

““It’s true that statistically, the number of people who actually believe in Christianity is going down and I’m happy with that, but I would not be happy if, for example, we lost all our cathedrals and our beautiful parish churches. So, I count myself a cultural Christian.”

He wants what Christ offers, but not Christ Himself. Like so many lost people, he mocks the Lord, saying “it is a fundamentally decent religion in away I think Islam is not”. He admires certain elements of Christianity, but despises the Lord. He is like those at the foot of the Cross:

Luke 23:35-36 (NKJV) And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

How many thousands did Jesus heal while He walked the earth? How many did He make whole? How many did He feed and bless? How many supported Him at the foot of the Cross?

The Proof Of Salvation Is In The Fruit Of The Life

Hebrews 6:7-8 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Those who profess Christ as Savior but never bear fruit, never grow, never change from where they were to where they are supposed to be …. they may not be saved. Where is the fruit? Where is the fruit? Jesus promised eternal life to those who believe in Him. He said:

John 10:27-28 (ESV) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

If you are saved, you belong to Jesus. He calls you “My sheep”. He is the Shepherd, you the follower – not the other way around. As His sheep we “HEAR HIS VOICE”. We are not deaf to His Word – we hear and obey Him. He is our Protector and Friend. He knows us and “WE FOLLOW JESUS”. We are loved with an infinite love, our Lord’s Love. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love (Romans 8:35-39). “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). The Bible says “Jesus is the Vine, we are the BRANCHES” (John 15:5). When we abide in Him, we “BRING FORTH MUCH FRUIT”. Not briers, not thorns, but fruit. God has promised to the believer:

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) … He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

That is not true of the pretend Christian, but of the born again Christian. We who have received Christ not as a convenience, but as Lord and Savior have His assurance that we are heirs of God, headed toward

1 Peter 1:4-5 (ESV) … an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Is Jesus YOURS? Or better, do you belong to Jesus? As we close, the Lord says:

Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

The Lord saw the fruit of salvation in the Hebrew believers. He said:

Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

The proof of salvation is how you show love toward God and toward your fellow believers. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Christ could be seen in a crowd because He was the One doing good, regardless as to what others did to Him. He loved the unlovable. His life shows the fruit of the Spirit. Does yours? Is Christ to you just a way to Heaven – or a way of life? Your answer will determine your eternity. But do not fool yourselves. If you are your own god, your own shepherd – then you are not saved.

Make your calling and election sure. Do not put off repenting and coming to Jesus today, lest your heart harden, and it become impossible to renew you to repentance.

For God’s glory. In Jesus Name. Amen and Amen.

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Good Fathers Teach The Word Of God

Posted on May 3, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

Tonight we’ll be in Proverbs chapter 4. In way of introduction I’d like to note,

The greatest gift a father can give to his
children is the Word of God.

The Christian faith must be purposely passed on from father to children if the faith is to progress as Jesus designed it to. The only time that angels will proclaim the Gospel is during the Great Tribulation:

Revelation 14:6 (ESV) I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Even during that time God will set out 144,000 Hebrew Evangelists (Revelation 7:4) to preach and lead the lost on the earth out of that Great Tribulation (Revelation 7:14) – though it will cost them their lives. Until that time God has called humans to spread the Word of God. We are all familiar with the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The Church is to spread the Gospel. But in the home, the father – as leader of the family – is to share the Word of God with his children.

Proverbs 4:1-4 HEAR, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Let’s break this down.

Proverbs 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

The father as the head of the family teaches his children to love God’s Word. In a section of scripture the Jews call “The Shema” or “The Hearing”, God tells His people:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NKJV) “Hear (šāmaʿ pronunciation shaw-mah’), O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Word Study: The word HEAR or šāmaʿ found in Deuteronomy 6:4 and in our text at Proverbs 4:1 means not to just hear something as noise, but to “hear with the intent of obeying, to perceive and do”. There is no value in hearing something – even if it is intelligent – then doing nothing about it.

Illustrate: I was talking with a pastor friend of mine this morning about the homeless problem in America. Politicians and liberal tell us if we throw enough money at it, the problem will go away. That’s not true. The only way to alleviate homelessness is to teach the homeless to be productive, and to reward productivity. The Bible is very clear on this point:

1 We are to give to the poor:

We are to help poor BELIEVERS: Deuteronomy 15:7, 11 (NKJV) “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 11 For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

Galatians 6:10 (NKJV) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

We are to help ALL poor: Psalm 41:1 (NKJV) Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

Proverbs 19:17 (NKJV) He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.

2 We are not to give to those who will NOT work:

2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 (ESV) For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.

The welfare system in America is a tool of Satan, for it holds down rather than lifting up. It enables bad behavior. If we love people – if we love our children – then what we do or don’t do will be modeled based on the teaching of Scripture.

Not OPINION, But GOD’S WORD

Proverbs 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

Many people attend Church today to get a little “sugar”, a little something “sweet” to make them feel better about themselves. Parents are instructed to spoil and give in to their children. The Bible, however, instructs fathers to “give GOOD DOCTRINE”.

What is “GOOD DOCTRINE?”

Word Study: The word translated “GOOD” is the Hebrew ṭôḇ (pronunciation tobe), which means “good, wealthy, precious, pleasant, beneficial”. This type of “GOOD” does not come from man, but from God. As God created the earth and the Heavens, the Scripture says:

“God saw the light, that it was GOOD (ṭôḇ)” (Genesis 1:4)


“God called the dry land Earth … it was GOOD (ṭôḇ)”
(Genesis 1:10)


“God saw everything He had made … it was very GOOD (ṭôḇ)”
(Genesis 1:31)

What God made is GOOD (ṭôḇ). God alone has the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of GOOD (ṭôḇ) and evil (Genesis 2:17). It is God, not man who establishes what is GOOD (ṭôḇ). The Bible teaches is that:

“There is NONE GOOD but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17)


“All have gone astray … there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD,
no, not one (Psalm 14:3)

Human good is no good at all. When the father says “I give you GOOD DOCTRINE (leqaḥ pronunciation leh’-kakh, learning, teaching)”, this is not based on his opinion, but on what God has said. Further, the father says:

Proverbs 4:2 … forsake ye not my law.

He is not saying that this is truths that he made up, but as a believer he has assumed ownership of the Word that God gave him.

The Apostle Paul did the same thing with the Gospel of salvation when he said:

Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ …

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

The Apostle Paul did not write the Gospel, but he assumed ownership and stewardship of it without changing it. It became “MY GOSPEL”. We as believers are to be so appreciative of the Word of God that we, like Paul and the writer of Proverbs, call the text “MY DOCTRINE”. God gave it to us as a stewardship – and we are to share it with others that we love.

Proverbs 4:3-4 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

The writer tells us that “I was my father’s son”. He was loved of his father, for his father taught him the Heavenly Father’s Word. He was “only beloved” in the sight of his mother. Why was Solomon “only beloved” of his mother? Solomon was not the firstborn child of King David. The firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess. The second-born was Daniel by Abigail the Carmelitess, and the third-born Absalom the son of Maacah. While David was in Jerusalem, he had four children by Bathsheba: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. (see 1 Chronicles 3:1-9). If you’re counting, Solomon was actually the seventh-born child of David.

Why did David choose Solomon his son to reign in his place (1 Chronicles 29:28)? Why didn’t David follow the regular succession, and choose the firstborn Amnon to succeed him?

The Bible gives us the answer in:

1 Chronicles 22:7-10 (NKJV) … David said to Solomon: “My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God; 8 but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

The reason that David chose Solomon to succeed him is because God chose Solomon to be the successor. David said “THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ME”. God called Solomon to succeed David, because SOLOMON BELIEVED IN GOD AND HIS WORD. Solomon was a born again believer. God said of him, “he shall be My son, and I will be his Father”.

God established the Throne of David through a believer, not through unbelievers. God blesses those who hear and DO His Word. David was “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) because, though flawed as we all are, he cherished and looked for God’s Word. David said of God’s Word:

Psalm 119:47-48 (ESV) … for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. 48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

And again,

Psalm 119:2-3 (ESV) … Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

Solomon was like his father in this. He sought the Word of the Lord.

Wisdom – The Application Of God’s Word –
Will Richly Bless You

Proverbs 4:5-8 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

Word Study: WISDOM – the ability to not only know what the Scripture says, but the ability to USE it – “is the principal thing”. The phrase “THE PRINCIPLE THING” is the Hebrew rē’šîṯ {pronunciation ray-sheeth’}, which means “that which is chief or best, the choicest”. Again, to understand this word we have to go back to the Creation of all things. The word rē’šîṯ is the very first word in the Bible:

Genesis 1:1 IN THE BEGINNING {rē’šîṯ} God created the heaven and the earth.

Wisdom is from Heaven. It is from God. It is the foundation of EVERYTHING. To have wisdom in your life is to be blessed beyond measure. James 3:17 says:

“the wisdom that comes from Heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”.

Proverbs 4:9-13 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. 11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Biblical wisdom – the ability to not just know what the Scripture says, but to put it into action – leads to

GRACE
A CROWN OF GLORY
LONG LIFE
A STEADY WALK

Without applying Biblical knowledge, you cannot be saved. The Bible says that:

Romans 10:9 (NKJV) if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.You can know that you are a sinner in need of salvation. But unless you “CONFESS” Jesus as Lord, and do so PUBLICLY, you cannot be saved. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:33 … whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Grace is a free gift from God, but it is not received in secret. When Noah found grace in the eyes of God (Genesis 6:8), the Lord told him to build an Ark – and do so publicly. If you do not both HEAR and DO what Jesus says, you will not be saved.

Wisdom – the application of Biblical knowledge – brings “A CROWN OF GLORY”. The Crown of Glory is mentioned in Peter in reference to God Called Pastors who do their jobs:

1 Peter 5:1-4 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

The Pastor who cares for the Church God has entrusted him with, who FEEDS the flock the Word of God, who is not authoritarian or power hungry, who does not do it for money but who models Christ – this Pastor shall receive the Crown of Glory. The Crown of Glory is given to those who effectively use the spiritual gifts that God has entrusted to them for HIS glory and honor. It doesn’t apply to just the Pastor, but to every member in the Body of Christ. A devotional at Ligonier Ministries notes:

“… even though our salvation is a gift we do not earn, our Father not only promises eternal life to those who follow His Son, He promises many extra rewards to those who obey Him. This promise of extra blessings is found throughout the Bible. To the people of Israel already saved from the bondage of slavery, God promised many blessings if they would persevere in their obedience to Him (Deut. 28:1–14). Jesus promised that those who would leave everything to follow Him would receive a hundredfold reward in addition to eternal life (Mark 10:29–31). … God’s faithful servants can expect a reward. … And in the end, this reward will be for God’s glory, for one day we will cast these crowns at the foot of His throne in worship (Revelation 4:9–11; 22:3).”

Those who love the Lord and His Word will be granted a long and stable life. Oh, that we all would realize that the greatest blessing is not the land of Canaan nor the glory of Heaven. The greatest blessing is to live the life that God has given you under His watchful eye, doing what He says until the day you are received into glory.

Amen and Amen.

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