The First Principles Of The Oracles Of God

Posted on April 29, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Hebrews 5:10-14 {Jesus} Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull (nōthros, pronunciation no-thros’, means SLOTHFUL, SLUGGISH, LAZY) of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The Danger Of Becoming Stalled In Your Faith

Why is it important that you not only hear the Word of God, but do the Word of God? It is because you can never advance and mature as Christ followers unless your hearts are opened to Him, unless you see His Word as the most valuable thing on earth – then apply that Word. The Book of Hebrews has been comparing the House of Moses (the Old Covenant) to the House of Christ (The New Covenant). We found out that God spoke to His people through both Moses and Jesus Christ. We found out that:

  • The Old Covenant relied on animal sacrifices and ceremonies to provide a temporary salvation.
  • The New Covenant relies on the once and for all sacrifice of Christ to provide a permanent salvation.
  • The Old Covenant was offered to ethnic Jews, and the Gentiles who would agree to circumcision.
  • The New Covenant relies on the work of the Holy Spirit to circumcise the heart of a person. Through the Spirit we are born again, born into the family of God.
  • The Old Covenant relied on fallen humans as priests to cover the sins of the people.
  • The New Covenant relies on the sinless Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, Who sits on the right hand of the Father covering our sins.
  • The Old Covenant was but a shadow of the coming New Covenant in Christ. The moral laws have not changed, but Atonement has.
  • Under the Old Covenant the Tribe of Judah led God’s people, whereas the Tribe of Levi ministered as priests. Messiah would come from the Tribe of Judah. Kings could not be priests.
  • Under the New Covenant Jesus, of the Tribe of Judah and the House of David, is the promised Messiah. Jesus is a High Priest of the Order of Melchizedek, an ancient priesthood that predates Mount Sinai. Jesus is both King and Priest, and the children of God by faith in Christ are Kings and Priests unto God (Revelation 1:5-6). We are children of the Most High.

Jesus is a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, & there are many great truths that go with this that bless us. But the lazy listeners hear but refuse to do the commands of God’s Word.

Many today are like the children of Israel at the base of Mount Sinai, demanding that Aaron create them a Golden Calf. When Israel left Egyptian bondage that God moved on the hearts of the Egyptians, and “Israel borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver and gold” (Exodus 12:35). When Israel came to Aaron and demanded “gods that shall go before us” (Exodus 32:1), the High Priest told the people to bring him the blessing that God bestowed on them at Egypt. He took that blessing, those jewels – and created a golden calf (Exodus 32:4).

God’s people are called to be salt, not sugar. We are called to hear God’s Word, and DO those things which glorify Him. We are not to make golden calves of God’s blessings to us. Those whom God is addressing should be mature believers, teachers of others. But instead they have become dull of hearing. They are lazy hearers. The lazy hearer hears what is being preached or taught, and is probably fascinated by it.

The lazy hearer rejects the MEAT but wants the MILK of the Word. Our text states:

Hebrews 5:12 are become such as have need of milk

There is nothing wrong with being a “babe in Christ” when you are first saved. Newly saved believers should want the “pure milk of the word”

1 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV) Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Every Christian is a baby when they are first born again (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23). As you study God’s Word, you will grow. God has promised, “My Word will not return to Me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please” (Isaiah 55:11). But you must DO what God directs.

The Hebrew Christians had “BECOME” in need of milk. They brought this condition on themselves by their failure to live in Christ, to

Romans 13:14 … put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Saved by Grace, as Christians we

Ephesians 4:1-3, 24 (NKJV) …. walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. … 24 … put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Salvation is by Grace – but sanctification and growth is by spiritual effort.

The Blood of Christ POSITIONALLY makes us right with God. Our partnership with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible PRACTICALLY let’s us walk with God.

God gave us salvation so that we might positionally be righteous, righteous because of Christ. But once positionally righteous, God wants us to be practically righteous. We are to be salt and light, not sugar and darkness. God did not save us so we could be gossips, homosexuals, transgenders, adulterers, murderers, kidnappers, thieves – in short, walk in the flesh. God saved us by the blood of Christ so that we might walk according to the Spirit of God:

Romans 8:2-8 (NKJV) … the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The thought that Christ died for our sins so we could remain in our sins is foreign to the Scripture. The Scripture says:

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) {Jesus} Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

God did not save us just to send us to Heaven. He saved us to make us children of God by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26). As the Apostle John noted:

1 John 3:10 whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

We are to love our God, and keep His commandments (1 John 5:2).

Hebrew 5:13-14 For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But STRONG MEAT BELONGETH TO THEM THAT ARE OF A FULL AGE, even those who by reason of use have THEIR SENSES EXERCISED TO DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL …

The Christian who learns to not only HEAR but to DO what God has said is able to “DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL”. That Christian understands WHY something is right and WHY something is wrong. The Christian that not only HEARS the Word of Christ but DOES it has the ability to make godly, adult decisions. Children, on the other hand, often make bad decisions because they don’t know any better. Listen Beloved,

It is not PHYSICAL age that makes a mature Christian. It is SPIRITUAL OBEDIENCE and APPLICATION of the Scripture to your life.

You cannot, as a Christian, “DISCERN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL” unless you are applying the Word of God to your life. When asked, “Why is homosexuality incompatible with the Christian way of life?”, you cannot answer this if you have never graduated from milk to meat. When asked, “What is Biblical marriage?”, or “Why do you think Jesus is the only Way to be saved – don’t you think that’s a bit intolerant?”, babies cannot answer this. “STRONG MEAT BELONGS TO THOSE OF FULL AGE”, Christians who not only read but DO what God’s Word says.

The First Principles Of The Oracles Of God

Hebrews 6:1 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

The “First Principles Of The Oracles Of God” mentioned in Hebrews 5:12 are the foundational doctrines or truths that the Christian life is built on. The very FIRST foundational truth is “the doctrine of Christ”. The Doctrine of Christ is not only mentioned here, but also in:

2 John 1:9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

The “DOCTRINE OF CHRIST” is the belief that there is no salvation outside of faith in Jesus Christ. He is the Only Savior. The Doctrine teaches that, once saved by faith, you are saved into a Family, the Family of God. You no longer belong to yourself, but are a purchased possession, a child of God. The Doctrine of Christ teaches that He Who saves you is also the One you wish to please and follow. Jesus said:

Matthew 4:19 … Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Matthew 8:22 … Follow Me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Matthew 16:24 … Deny yourself, take up your Cross, and Follow Me

Matthew 19:21 … Come and Follow Me …

John 10:27 … My sheep … Follow Me

John 12:26 … If any one serve Me, let them Follow Me …

The Doctrine of Christ is the doctrine of ABIDING. We cling to Jesus, like a branch to a vine (John 15:4-11).

John 15:5 I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that ABIDE (menō, cling to, remain in) in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.

Every work that the Christian does is built on the FOUNDATION OF CHRIST:

1 Corinthians 3:11 (ESV) For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus Who saves you, His Blood which covers your sins, His High Priesthood that maintains your status as a Child of God in the Father’s eyes. We live to glorify our Lord Jesus!

What is the next foundational truth?

Hebrews 6:1 … the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

“repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God” is key to the Christian way of life. Everyone fails at times. Everyone sins. What does the Christian do when we sin? Do we do PENANCE before God? Do we sacrifice animals, or beat ourselves with whips, or promise to do better? Every human action that attempts to bring us righteousness before God is a DEAD WORK. The Scripture says:

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

We cannot make ourselves RIGHT with God. Only CHRIST can make us right with God. When the Apostle Paul examined his own life – an Apostle – an APOSTLE I say – he declared:

Romans 7:18 … I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

Romans 7:24 … Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

But then Paul cries out in verse 25, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”. When we as believers sin, we REPENT and RETURN TO WHERE SALVATION IS. We do not strive to do penance, but we do REPENTANCE. Just as we were saved, we enter into His presence through the door of REPENTANCE. We put our faith in Him Who loved us, and gave Himself for us.

You Can Be Judas, Or You Can Be Simon Peter

Who failed Jesus – Judas Iscariot or Simon Peter? If you answered BOTH, you’d be right.

When Jesus was telling the disciples that He had to go to the Cross for our sins, Peter rebuked Jesus, and said, “No, this will not happen to You!”. Jesus rebuked Peter, saying:

Matthew 16:23 … “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Peter had left the foundation of Christ and began to follow the flesh. He was rebuked. Later Peter told Jesus,

Matthew 26:33 … (NKJV) … Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble

Peter was heavily relying not on the power of God, but of his flesh, his own strength. Jesus told Peter,

Matthew 26:34 (NKJV) … Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.

Jesus knows us better that we know ourselves. Peter continued to argue with the Lord. “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (vs 35). What happened? Jesus went to Gethsemane. While praying in Gethsemane, Peter couldn’t stay awake to pray with Jesus. When the soldiers came, Peter cut off a man’s ear, and was rebuked by Jesus (Matthew 26:52). Peter then ran away with the others. As Jesus was being tried, a servant girl saw Peter and said, “You were with Jesus of Galilee” (Matthew 26:69). Peter denied Jesus. Another young girl saw Peter and said, “That man was with Jesus of Nazareth” (Matthew 26:71). Again, Peter denied Jesus. Finally, several in the crowd spoke up. “You are one of Jesus’ men – your speech betrays you!” (Matthew 26:73). Peter swore and cursed, saying “I do not know Jesus!”.

And the rooster crowed. Peter left, weeping bitterly.

Then there was Judas Iscariot. He had all the blessings that the other disciples had. Judas was an Apostle, just as was Peter and the others. Judas had the power to heal the sick, and to preach the Gospel. As the disciples were sharing the Last Passover together, Jesus honored Judas and gave him the “sop”, a special honor, the Bible says “Satan entered Judas” (John 13:27) and Judas left the table to betray Jesus to the Pharisees for thirty pieces of silver. Interestingly, it was not long after this that Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crowed, he would deny Him three times (John 13:38).

You all know the story. Judas left the Table, and Jesus, after teaching the disciples a few more truths, instituted the Lord’s Table. Judas contracted with the Chief Priests and Pharisees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. When Jesus went to Gethsemane for His final prayer prior to His trial, He was abandoned by all His disciples. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Jesus was tried, convicted, beaten, and carried before Pilate to be executed (Matthew 27:2). What happened to Judas?

Matthew 27:3-5 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Judas “repented himself”. He did not repent, and return to God. Judas “repented himself”. He tried to do penance instead of repentance. He did not go to God for forgiveness, but tried his own do it yourself religion. He thought by bringing the 30 pieces of silver back, that all would be well. It wasn’t. Finally, Judas killed himself, sacrificing his own life to make what he did right with God. Did it? No. Jesus called Judas “the son of perdition”, the “son of apōleia, of waste or destruction, of damnation” (John 17:12). Though Judas had the title of Apostle, though he was chosen by Jesus but “was a DEVIL” (John 6:70). Judas is the picture of many who PROFESS Christ, but are not POSSESSED of Christ.

The Devil enter Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter,
but only one repented and believed.

Peter denied Jesus also. He wasn’t at the foot of the Cross with Mary his mother and John the Apostle. Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Cleophas was at the foot of the Cross, but Peter was absent (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 23:49; John 21:24). But on the first day of the week, when the women ran back to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead, both Peter and John ran to the Tomb – but Peter was the first to enter the Tomb. John got to the Tomb first, but Peter went in to see where His Lord lay. The Bible tells us that the first man to see Jesus resurrected was PETER:

1 Corinthians 15:5 {after His resurrection Jesus} WAS SEEN BY CEPHAS, THEN by the TWELVE.

“CEPHAS” is the Aramaic form of “Peter”, which is the name Jesus gave Peter once he recognized our Lord as the one and only Christ (Matthew 16:18). According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus appeared to Peter FIRST before He appeared to the other Apostles. Why? Because Jesus has promised us:

“I will never leave YOU nor forsake YOU” (Hebrews 13:5)

Peter belonged to Jesus by faith. And it was proved by his actions. In the final chapter on John’s Gospel, Peter was out fishing in the Sea of Tiberius with 6 others – including John. They fished all night long and found nothing. As they were coming toward shore, a Man called out:

John 21:5 (NKJV) … Children, have you any food?

When they said “No”, the Man said “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some”. As they hauled in the net, now filled with fish, John said “It is the Lord Jesus!” As soon as Peter heard this,

John 21:7 … {Peter} put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.

Peter never tried to do penance. He never tried to make things right with his own works. Peter understood the basic foundation of Christianity is not our works, but to RUN TO JESUS. When we fail, we RUN TO JESUS. When we sin, we RUN TO JESUS. Our works cannot make things right – but Jesus can. And once we return to Jesus, we do that which Jesus tells us to do. Jesus asked Peter three times

“Do you love Me?”

Peter replied, “Yes Lord, You know I love you” (John 21:16). And Jesus said, FEED MY SHEEP. Do what I tell you to do. Cling to Me, as I cling to you. Obey Me if you love Me. If you fail Me, repent, and return to Me. I am your Lord, your Savior, your all.

That is the foundation our faith is built on – Jesus. Do you know Him? Have you received Him by faith? Have you repented, and come to Him with empty hands to receive the glorious Gospel of salvation. I pray you have. May God the Holy Spirit work in your heart today. Amen and Amen.

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Prospecting For Wisdom In God’s Word

Posted on April 26, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Steven Paton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bird-flying-near-a-flower-7200775/

Proverbs 3:13-18 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Opening: In Sri Lanka a man had hired a well dug in his back yard. While workmen were digging – looking for water – they found a star sapphire cluster. Since it was on his property, it belonged to him. He had it appraised through a gem trader and found out the 2.5 million carat sapphire is worth up to $100 million. The owner named it the “Serendipity Sapphire”. If you found it in your back yard, it wouldn’t look like anything at all to you. You might have rolled it out to the trash pickup. You’d have been wrong!

Gold is much like this sapphire. The inexperienced may find gold, but never know it’s gold, because it looks like dirty quartz until its refined. What looks like gold when you find it is Iron Pyrite, Chalcopyrite or Fool’s Gold. Gold, which isn’t golden until it’s processed, is worth $2336.30an ounce as of April 23, 2024. Fool’s Gold is worth .55 cents per ounce.

The miner is a person who has studied gold and it’s value. The miner knows how to prospect for gold, and how to ignore the false. Had the man who discovered the Serendipity Sapphire not been acquainted with gemstones, he would have tossed out this Guinness Book of World Records (largest star sapphire cluster ever found) stone.

As valuable as the Serendipity Sapphire is, there is something much greater in value. It is WISDOM.

Wisdom cannot be stolen from you. This is why the Bible says:

vs 14 the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver

Learn To Mine Wisdom From God’s Word, Not Rock From the Earth

Silver, gold, and diamonds can be easily stolen. Money in your bank account can be easily stolen. Hackers can get into your bank, and get all you have. Or bank tellers can push a wrong button, and your life savings is gone. Poof. Just like that.

Illustrate: Several years ago I left my silver coin sets out on a table in my home. While Sherry and I were gone out, thieves broke in and stole a lot of the silver. Oddly enough, they grabbed the shiniest pieces which, worth much, were not worth as much as they left behind. In the world of Numismatics (pronounced noo-miz-ma-ticks) it is the older, often dingier looking coin that is much more valuable. The fools go for the “Fool’s Gold”, but the wise know real value. Wisdom can be gained, and should be accrued as you grow. That wisdom you have cannot be taken away from you. You can only give it away, blessing others. We are told:

Vs 15 more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her

Word Study: Sapphires and Rubies are of the same mineral called corundum. When it forms blue, it’s a sapphire. When red, it’s a ruby. God is telling us that – as valuable as the Serendipity Sapphire is – WISDOM is much more “PRECIOUS” (yāqār), “more excellent, more costly”. In fact,

The Lord tells us that if you were to take everything you’ve ever desired – money, power, fame, good looks – wisdom would be worth more than it all.

The ancient Philosopher Plato said, “Better be unborn than untaught, for ignorance is the root of misfortune”. Wisdom from God teaches us to live our lives in joy and peace. Properly applied wisdom brings blessing. The Scripture says:

Vs 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor.

We’ve seen this before in Proverbs. Throughout the Proverbs God expresses the same thing using different poetic language. When we studied verse 2 of this chapter last week:

Proverbs 3:2 … for LENGTH OF DAYS and LONG LIFE … shall they add to you ..

We found out that “LENGTH OF DAYS” and “LONG LIFE” refers to QUANTITY as well as QUALITY of life. The same thing is true here. Wisdom is shown as a woman who, in her RIGHT hand has “Length of days”. Throughout the Scripture the RIGHT HAND was the hand of blessing.

Illustration: When Israel (Jacob) blessed Joseph’s children before he died, he laid his right hand on the second born child, Ephraim. When Joseph objected – for the firstborn was to be blessed with the right hand – Israel said:

“God will make Ephraim (the second born) as Manasseh” (Genesis 48:20)

The Right Hand of God is where the Son of God sits (Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; Acts 7:55-56; Romans 8:34). When you heed God’s Word, His Wisdom, you are blessed by the Son of God.

Riches And Honor Are Not From The World, But God

When you are under Wisdom’s right hand, with it comes the LEFT HAND. In Wisdom’s left hand is “RICHES AND HONOR”. Riches and honor does not mean to have a full bank account. It means to LIVE A GOOD LIFE IN CHRIST. King David prayed in:

1 Chronicles 29:10-12 (NKJV) Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.

Longer life as well as a blessed life is promised to those who seek out and cherish wisdom. Silver, gold, and sapphires can buy you things, but they cannot add one minute to your life. Often those who are richest in material wealth are the most miserable of people.

Wisdom not only protects you from misery, but it
protects you from an early death.

The unwise person runs around with other foolish people who do things that endanger their lives. They drink alcohol to excess, or take dangerous drugs, or as a few years ago, eat Tide™ pods. Why? Because you are trying to impress someone who could care less about you. If you want a good life, we should mine for Wisdom through God’s Word.

Proverbs 3:17-18 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold (ḥāzaq, pronounced khaw-zak’, to grab with all your strength) upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth (tāmaḵ, pronounced taw-mak’, to hold fast, to stay close to) her.

Again we have a picture of the miner, who goes outside his comfort zone to find gold. He dedicates his life to seeking out the true gold. It is so sad that we as Americans today will burn up all our energy on jobs, hobbies, games, politics, television, social media, foods, and so on – but will devote little time to God and His Word. The writer of Ecclesiastes states:

Ecclesiastes 9:16-18 … Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard. 17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.

Wisdom does not matter whose hands it is in. The “poor man’s wisdom” is much greater than the rich man’s foolishness. I am reminded of the story Jesus told us of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man – well respected, famous, and blessed financially – ignored Biblical Wisdom, the Word of God, and lived his life as if there was no God. He had no respect for human life, but treated the poor as dogs, even wild dogs. Lazarus, on the other hand, was known by Jesus. Jesus knew his name. JESUS KNEW HIS NAME.

Word Study: He was “Lazarus” (lazaros, pronunciation lad’-zar-os) which means “The One Whom God Helps”. The rich man helped himself year after year, ignoring God, having no relationship with Him. But Lazarus looked to God for blessing, and trusted in His Grace though times were often tough. When they died, what happened?

Luke 16:22-23 {Lazarus} died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Lazarus had wisdom. He looked to God, the Author of True Wisdom. Having wisdom, Lazarus had “RICHES AND HONOR”. What! You say he has “RICHES AND HONOR”? You’re mad, he was a BEGGAR. Those who are saved are all BEGGARS at the Throne of Grace. When Lazarus died, he had “RICHES” for he was known of Jesus. In this life Lazarus had nothing, but in the next life he was taken to Father Abraham, the father of all who believe (see Romans 4:16). When Lazarus died, he had “HONOR”. He was given an ANGELIC ESCORT into glory, where he could be comforted in the arms of God.

God’s Word Brought Order From Darkness

Proverbs 3:19-20 The Lord by wisdom hath founded (yāsaḏ, pronunciation yaw-sad’) the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

Word Study: It is God’s “WISDOM” that lay the foundation of the earth. It is by Christ “all things CONSIST” (Colossians 1:17), Greek synistēmi (pronunciation soon-is’-tay-mee) which means “are held together”. The Scripture says “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6).

It was not evolution that created earth and its environment. It was not man, nor any creature that brought about creation. It was God. It is God Who sustains all things by His Word. Compare that to the wisdom of man, the wisdom of the rich.

Rich people on the Massachusetts coast spent $500,000.00 to build sand dunes in front of the beach front property. It was washed away in three days! What of God’s creation? Earth is in a remote part of our Galaxy, the Milky Way. The only star near us is the sun, which is placed a perfect distance from the earth. How long will our sun last? Scientists calculate that the fuel of the sun, hydrogen, will run out in 5 BILLION years, but once it runs out will take 2-3 BILLION years to go through star death. What the rich fools did cost half a million dollars and lasted three days. What God did in the sun will last another 7.5 BILLION years.

The molten magnetic core of the earth not only helps us find North and South, but protects us from sun flares. The energy emitted by a solar flare is a million times more powerful than a volcanic eruption on earth.

The giant planet Jupiter protects the earth by eating up asteroids or comets that come near. It has been called “the vacuum cleaner of our solar system”. Our moon stabilizes our climate. God’s hand of design is seen all throughout creation.It is God’s Word that designed the rain clouds, and the cycle of water that sustains life on our planet.

Proverbs 3:21-23 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep (nāṣar pronunciation naw-tsar’) sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

Word Study: The believer in God is encouraged to “KEEP or GUARD SOUND WISDOM”. The stepbrother of Christ wrote:

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The Wisdom of God is based on God Himself. It is SPIRITUAL, not fleshly and self serving. “the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace”. God used His Word to give us life, and offers His Word to save us.

The Wise Live To Honor The God Who Saved Them:
5 Applications Of Wisdom

At this point Proverbs 3 God uses 5 verse sets to teach Biblical truth. Let’s look at these texts:

Proverbs 3:25-26 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

1 Don’t worry about what your enemy may or may not do. Trust in the Lord. Let Him avenge you:

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Proverbs 3:27-28 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 28 Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

2 If God in Grace has given you the means to do so, do good to your fellow man. Jesus spoke of this when He said:

Matthew 5:42-48 (ESV) Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

3 Be Light, Not Darkness To Those Around You.

Proverbs 3:29-30 Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. 30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

Who is your neighbor? It is not the person who looks like you, but the person near you. Jesus explained this with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). In that story a man of unknown race and heritage was attacked, stripped, and left on the side of the road as dead. A “Priest”, more than likely a Levite who functioned in the office of priest in the Temple, actually crossed the road when he saw the wounded man. Then a “Levite”, a person from the Tribe of Levi who worked in the Temple taking care of the things of God, also crossed the road rather than help the wounded man. Both Priest and Levite wanted to avoid being made “unclean” by touching this unfortunate.

Then came the Samaritan, the hated Samaritan. He bound the man’s wounds, took him to an inn, and payed for his accommodations. Jesus asked,

Luke 10:36 (ESV) Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?

It was the Samaritan who showed mercy. He was the neighbor. Jesus commands that we “go and do likewise” (37).

4 Do not imitate or desire what evil people have. Desire God.

Proverbs 3:31-32 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. 32 For the froward (lûz, the perverse) is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.

The “SECRET” of God is His personal presence and favor. Evil people may have riches and fame for a time, but they do not have what you have – a relationship with God each day of your life. I admire the Old Testament Saint Enoch. Enoch was born of Jared, and Jared lived 962 years. But Enoch lived 65 years before he had his first son Methuselah. He walked with God another 300 years, outliving all of his children and family but Methuselah. The Bible says:

Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

5 In time, God will bless His Children, but curse the wicked. Be patient. We end with these words:

Proverbs 3:33-35 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. 34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Our God “giveth grace unto the lowly”. To those who are arrogant and perverse, God gives them their head. But a payday is coming someday. But God gives Grace to those who are humble. The Bible says:

James 4:6 (ESV) … {God} gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Young and immature believers tend toward arrogance, but God tells us to “clothe ourselves with humility” (1 Peter 5:5). We are to hear and do His Word. This is the only way to blessing. May God move on our hearts this very day. Amen.

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Jesus Is A Priest Forever

Posted on April 21, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-bearded-man-in-white-long-sleeves-praying-8720998/

Hebrews 5:1-6 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4 And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus Came To Lead Israel From Old Covenant
To New Covenant

I do a lot of reading – and studying – because I’m fascinated with the Bible. I read an article the other day from a College Professor (Emeritus, City University of N.Y) named Bernard Starr (Ph.D). This learned man made the statement:

“Christianity began as a Jewish sect and that Jesus was a thoroughly dedicated practicing Jew who never suggested the launch of a new religion … Jesus lived and died a dedicated Jew, as observed by Christian writer Jean Guitton in his book ‘Great Heresies and Church Councils’ … Jesus did not mean to found a new religion. In his historical humanity, Jesus was a devout Israelite, practicing the law to the full, from circumcision to Pesach, paying the half-shekel for the Temple. Jerusalem, the capital of his nation, was the city he loved: Jesus wept over it”.

As many of the “great theologians” of the Scripture have done, they often ignore passages of Scripture while pushing their own doctrines. Jesus was a Jew, born of the lineage of David, of the Tribe of Judah. The Bible says that as Messiah:

John 1:11-12 (NKJV) {Jesus} came unto His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name …

Jesus came to the Jews first, the Messiah, to save whosoever would believe in Him. Jesus followed the laws of Judaism insofar as they were correctly interpreted. Jesus said,

Matthew 5:17-18 (NKJV) … Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, BUT TO FULFILL. 18 till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled ..

Jesus Came To Make The New Covenant Possible:Jesus came to fulfill the Law of God, the Ceremonial and Sacrificial portions that were shadows that would be fulfilled by the Messiah. The Bible is very clear that “the Law was a SHADOW OF THE GOOD THINGS TO COME” (Hebrews 10:1). The Feasts and Animal Sacrifices could not make a permanent covering for sin. The Messiah would have to come and, being perfect and holy, without sin, He would have to willingly go to an altar of sacrifice for sinners. His blood being shed would provide a covering for sin once and for all. As we are told in:

Hebrews 7:27 (NKJV) {Jesus} does not need daily, as those high priests {of Israel}, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law of Moses, but He did not save us from the Law of Moses to bring in a new religion, but a NEW COVENANT. Jesus made this clear when He instituted the “Lord’s Table” out of the Feast of the Passover. Giving His disciples the “cup” of new wine, He said:

Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new (kainos, “recently made, a new kind of, unprecedented, novel, unheard of, new or fresh”) testament (diathēkē, a covenant, a will or “testament” like “last will & testament”), which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new (kainos) testament (diathēkē), which is shed for many.

Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new (kainos) testament (diathēkē) in my blood, which is shed for you.

God spoke of this New Covenant to His Old Testament Israel through the Prophet

Jeremiah 31:31-24 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Under the Old Covenant that God gave Israel, the Law of God was given through Moses. The Law was proscriptive, but not prescriptive. It showed man to be a sinner, but did nothing to eradicate the sin – it only temporarily covered the sin. Under the New Covenant God would address the heart. He would cause people to be born again, Children of the Kingdom of God. When God speaks of “the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”, this is a reference to a divided Israel – one that through civil war became North & South. The “house of Israel” or Northern Israel rejected the Levitical Priesthood and the Temple. Ten Tribes in revolt, they left Judah and Benjamin and started their own system of worship with Samaria as their Capital City. The “house of Judah” or Southern Israel (Judah and Benjamin) kept Jerusalem as their Capital City, and continued to worship in the Temple – though they were not obedient to God.

Israel was divided, conquered, and ineffective because they failed to keep the Old Covenant, and largely rejected the New Covenant that Jesus brought.

Jesus told us that

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

Jesus Christ was born of the Tribe of Judah, the Ruling Tribe, and is the fulfillment of God’s Prophecy to King David:

2 Samuel 7:12-13 … when thy days be fulfilled {when you leave this earth}, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

The “Seed of David” from the Tribe of Judah is Jesus Christ. God sent His Son Jesus to “BUILD A HOUSE FOR MY NAME”. God was not speaking of a Temple, but of a People. The Apostle tells us:

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV) Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Where God’s people gather together in Christ’s name, we are His Temple. Our focus is on Jesus!

Under The Old Covenant, The High Priest Was Broken

Hebrews 5:1-3 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

God appointed Aaron, the brother of Moses, to be the “High Priest” of Israel under the Old Covenant. As High Priest Aaron (and his children) were to offer “sacrifices for sins”. The High Priest and his children, his successors, had to offer animals without blemish to God. But the priests themselves had to be without blemish:

Leviticus 21:17-21 (ESV) “Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, 19 or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. 21 No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD’s food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.”

The High Priest was a “shadow” of the coming Messiah, just as the “lambs without spot or blemish” were shadows of the coming “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). The High Priest had to be physically healthy – though as our text tells us:

Hebrews 5:2 … he himself also is compassed with infirmity (astheneia, pronounced as-then’-i-ah, “weakness”)

When called as a High Priest, Aaron and his sons were physically fine – but they were weak with sin. Outwardly they were without spot or blemish, but inwardly they were fallen and broken creatures, just as we all are. Under the New Covenant God would send us “The Holy Spirit to help our infirmities, our astheneia, our weaknesses” (Romans 8:26). Aaron had to make offerings for sin himself, before he could ever offer for the sin of the people.

God chose Aaron, knowing that Aaron was weak, a sinner. We are told in

Hebrews 5:4 And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

Aaron did not choose to be High Priest, no more than Moses chose to be Israel’s liberator. They were called.

God chose the Tribe of Levi to be the Priestly Tribe because of what happened at Mount Sinai. While Moses was receiving the Old Covenant, Israel turned to the flesh, to idolatry. When Moses came down the mountain and saw the children of Israel worshiping a Golden Calf, the Bible says:

Exodus 32:26 … Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

The Levites stood with their brother Moses. They were “ON THE LORD’S SIDE”. So God chose the Levites to be the Priests of Israel, and Aaron – with his sons – to be the High Priests.

Jesus Is Unlike The Levitical High Priests

Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest; but He that said unto Him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

Aaron did not choose to be High Priest, but was a sinner chosen of God. Aaron was a Levite. But Jesus, as I’ve noted before, was of the line of David. He is the Messiah God promised David in 2 Samuel 7. Jesus, like David is of the line of Judah, not Levi.

Under Judaism Jesus could NOT be the High Priest. Under the Old Covenant Jesus could NOT be the High Priest. Why? He is of JUDAH, not LEVI.

As the Son of God, Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords, and with Him are His called, His chosen, His faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14). Jesus Christ did not come to reform Judaism, but to fulfill the Laws of Judaism so that He could bring in the NEW Covenant. Jesus is NOT a Priest of Judaism, for the Priests of Judaism are LEVITES. Jesus is High Priest of the New Covenant – the Messiah from the Tribe of David.

How could Christ be a High Priest? Because God the Father chose Him to be so. But also because Christ comes from a different priesthood.

Hebrews 5:6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

At this point the Holy Spirit quotes a Messianic Psalm,

Psalm 110:4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

When the Messiah came, He was to be LORD and King, because He would be from the Tribe of Judah, of the House of David. But when the Messiah came He was to be HIGH PRIEST of His House, a Priest NOT from the Tribe of Levi, but a more ancient priesthood.

One day Jesus was being attacked by the Pharisees, as they often did. They hated Jesus because He called them out on how they had modified the Old Covenant to suit themselves. Jesus told them “You are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father you do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and would not abide in the truth … he is the father of lies and liars” (John 8:44, AP). Jesus told them, “If anyone keeps My Word, he shall never see death” (John 8:51, ESV). The Pharisees challenged what Jesus said, saying “Our father Abraham died” (John 8:53). Jesus told them, “Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:56). Jesus went on to say, “Truly, truly I say to you, BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM” (John 8:58).

Jesus lived before Abraham. He is the Great I AM of God. Jesus said “Abraham saw My day, and was glad”. What is Jesus talking about?

In Genesis 14 we read where Abraham’s nephew Lot and his household was taken captive by several invading kings with their armies (vs 12). This was a huge group of armies that did this. When Abraham heard this, he stepped out in faith. The Bible says that Abraham “armed 318 servants, and pursued them” (vs 14). Abraham brought back all of the people taken by the armies – Lot and his family included – and brought them home to Sodom. At the end of this great victory the Bible says:

Genesis 14:18-20 … Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And {Abraham} gave him tithes of all.

This is before the giving of the Law on Sinai. This is before the Old Covenant. The Bible says “Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God”. This is an Old Testament picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Abraham saw Jesus, saw an Old Testament incarnation of Him, and was elated.

As A High Priest Of The Order Of Melchizedek,
Jesus Saved Us

Hebrews 5:7-9 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

When Jesus went to Gethsemane right after the Lord’s Table – a Table that represented Christ’s broken body and spilled Blood – He sought the Father’s will with “prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears”. In the darkness of that Garden Jesus told Peter, James and John:

Matthew 26:38 … My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.

Jesus knew what was about to happen, but He sought the Father in prayer. He said,

Matthew 26:39 … My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

Our High Priest, not a Levite but of the order of Melchizedek, prepared to offer the one thing that would pay for our sins. As He prayed, three times Jesus asked “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”. And three times the Father said, “Son, You must go. There is no other way. Your Blood must be shed.” Jesus was obedient even to death. The Bible says:

Hebrews 5:9-10 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Word Study: Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord. He is the “author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him”. The word translated “” is the Greek hypakouō, pronunciation hoop-ak-oo’-o, which means “to be obedient to, to listen to, to heed”. The New Covenant is marked by a heart that loves the Lord, that seeks to follow Him.

Beloved, you are NOT SAVED if you have
no intention of following Jesus.

Yes, we are flawed. Yes, we fail God at times. None are perfect. But we love Him Who saved us at such great cost. Jesus Christ is both KING and HIGH PRIEST to His people.

Do you know Jesus? Have you trusted your soul to Him? If you have, you have the promise of eternal life. And to God the Father, Christ has made you special. Jesus “has loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own Blood, and has made us KINGS and PRIESTS unto God the Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). As Jesus is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, we are priests not of Levi, but of the order of Melchizedek. As Jesus is the Son of God, we are sons and daughters of God.

Do you know Him? If you do not, call on His name. Acknowledge yourself a sinner worthy of hell, and call on Him to bestow His abundant Grace on you. He suffered to save you. Do not leave this place today without the Lord.

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Your Best Life Is In God

Posted on April 19, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rolled-20-u-s-dollar-bill-164527/

Proverbs 3:1-12 My son, forget not My law; but let thine heart keep My commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

The mega-church Pastor Joel Osteen preaches a prosperity gospel. In his book “Your Best Life Now” he makes statements like:

“God wants to increase you financially” (pg 5)
“Think big. Think increase. Think abundance. Think more than enough.” (pg 11)

Mega-church Pastor Steven Furtick preaches a Word of Faith gospel. The Word of Faith preachers are modalists. They deny the Trinity of God in favor of something they claim is more understandable, more relatable to the flesh. The modalists teach that there is one God, Who presents Himself in three different forms – Father, Son and Spirit. Preaching the words of Christ in

John 16:7-8 (NKJV) Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Furtick made this statement:

“{Jesus was saying} No, I am not leaving you. I am changing forms. See, up until now I have walked with you, but when I send my spirit, I will be in you.”

That isn’t what Jesus was saying. He spoke of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit as a Seperate Person. Furtick went on to preach:

“and now Jesus is taken from their sight, and hidden in a cloud, but he did not leave. He just changed forms. He did not disappear. He just was no longer visible. Instead he was internal… He said “it’s good that I’m ghosting you. It’s good that I leave in physical form because then I can give you in spiritual form, then I can direct you from a deeper place.”

This is not what the Scripture says. Osteen, Furtick, the various Word of Faith and Prosperity Preachers (Joyce Meyer, T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar) appeal to the flesh of man rather than preach the Gospel. As Creflo Dollar preached:

“As the righteousness of God, your inheritance of wealth and riches is included in the “spiritual blessings” (or spiritual things) the apostle Paul spoke of in Ephesians 1:5. Based on Psalm 112:3, righteousness, wealth and riches go hand—in—hand. You have every right to possess material wealth—clothes, jewelry, houses, cars and money—in abundance.”

What does the Gospel preach? It does not preach peace and comfort in this physical world. God does not preach that we will all be rich in the things of this world. As a matter of fact, Jesus said:

Luke 12:15 (NKJV) … Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.

Matthew 6:19-20 (NKJV) Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And the Apostle Paul – who was a tentmaker – wrote:

1 Timothy 6:6-9 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

There is an easy way to determine if something is false and not from God, or if it is true and from God. Ask yourself, “Does it elevate GOD, or elevate MYSELF, my FLESH?” If the “truth” elevates God, it is from God. If it elevates US, it is from Satan.

Follow Your HEART?

For instance, people say “Follow your HEART. Your HEART will always be right?” Is that true? Let’s put that on the Scripture Scales and weigh it:

Proverbs 3:1-2 My son, forget not My law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

God does not say “Follow your Heart”. In fact, this is what brought sin into the world in the first place. God gave Adam a very clear set of instructions, and a warning against doing what his heart told him to do. Instead of listening to God, Adam listened to his heart. He let his flesh control him, instead of the Word of God. What happened? Paradise was lost.

God said:

“let thine heart keep my commandments”.

Word Study: The word “let” or allow is not in the original text. The word “keep” is the Hebrew nāṣar (pronounced naw-tsar’) which means “to OBSERVE, to PRESERVE as presented, to GUARD from evil, to WATCH CAREFULLY, to DRAW CLOSE TO so as to obey”. We are not to revel or elevate the flesh, our own desires, but are to glorify God our Creator by heeding at doing what He said. We are not to “let” our hearts do God’s Word – that is a poor translation. We are to “KEEP” our hearts focused on God’s Word. We are to put a leash on our hearts, and say to ourselves “What has GOD said and GOD ordered. We will follow GOD regardless as to where our hearts want us to go”.

When we reject our desires and instead put God first, then we are promised:

length of days and long life, and peace

What is the difference between “length of days” and “long life”? The first phrase has to do with the QUALITY of your life, and the second with the QUANTITY of your life. When I lay in the hospital with my left leg crushed, every day seemed like a week, and every minute like an hour, and every second like a minute. When you are suffering and in pain you have a bad day, or a long and torturous day. What got me through each day was my relationship with Jesus Christ. When you heed God’s Word, and cherish it, God helps you make it even through those kind of days. When you guard and cherish God’s Word, your life is extended. To disobey God is to court disaster.

It’s better for your flesh to ignore the flesh, and
heed the Spirit and the Word.

Jesus told us:

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

If you live in this fallen system, you will have trials and tribulations. However, our Lord has promised to see us through the worst of everything. He will “never leave nor forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5), saying “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

As we go through this life we will find ourselves at odds with others. When someone does not agree with us, there is a temptation to do one of two things (both equally wrong):

1. We COMPROMISE the TRUTH of God so as to keep the peace, or


2. We ELEVATE THE FLESH and let our FEELINGS, our HEART
take the place of God’s Word.

Word Study: We are told to not allow either TRUTH or MERCY to “FORSAKE” us (the Hebrew ʿāzaḇ, to depart from us). We uphold and cling to the truths that God has given us in His Word. But we also operate from the place of mercy. We do good toward those who have done evil to us. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:43-45 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, 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.

You do not compromise the Word of God in order to please the enemy – but you DO GOOD to those who have done evil to you. You emulate your Heavenly Father. Our natural inclination is to “get someone back” when they hurt us. Jesus said, “Get then back by NOT COMPROMISING TRUTH, but DO GOOD to them”.

Let the Word of God direct your heart and
your hands, not fleshly feelings.

bind them about thy neck

When the neck is injured, the doctors will put a brace around your neck that keeps you from turning your head or bending your neck. Mercy and Truth are to be bound around your neck. They should control your head. You are also to

write them upon the table of thine heart

You are to take the Words of God and WRITE THEM – those words of Truth and Mercy – on the table of your heart. We are to control our hearts. Our hearts are not to control us.

We read:

Proverbs 3:4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

The reason why many Churches have lost their influence over a lost and dying world is because the members of the Churches are no more spiritual than the lost world. God calls us to be Light and Salt, not Darkness and Sugar. The Author of the popular devotional “The Imitation of Christ”, Thomas à Kempis (Thomas of Kempen, the Netherlands) wrote:

“Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from Grace.”

Trust In God Will Bless Your Physical Life

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Modalism leans toward our own understanding. God is Triune. He is incomprehensible. His ways are incomprehensible. When the Apostle Paul considered the majesty of God, he wrote:

Romans 11:33-36 (NKJV) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

The way we glorify God is NOT to argue with Him at the border of the Promised Land, but to say “I don’t understand it. But Lord, if You say it, if it is in Your Word, I believe it”. God doesn’t care if we understand. He just tells us to DO what He says do, to glorify Him and Him alone. We have a tendency to “LEAN TO OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING”, and that is foolish. If God can be understood, then He’s not God. God is high above us. “IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM”. Put God first, and you will be blessed.

fear the Lord, and depart from evil

Fear of the Lord is when we hate what God hates. God hates evil, because evil destroys creation.

Global warming is not our world’s greatest threat. It is the spread and legalization of EVIL.

That which God has deemed is an “abomination” has become a plaything in America. The liberal leaning NPR (National Public Radio) published an article entitled “Live free and die? The sad state of U.S. life expectancy” (March 25, 2023). In the article we read:

“Across the lifespan, and across every demographic group, Americans die at younger ages than their counterparts in other wealthy nations. … How could this happen? In a country that prides itself on scientific excellence and innovation, and spends an incredible amount of money on health care, the population keeps dying at younger and younger ages. … Referring to a study “Shorter Lives, Poorer Health” the author quoted, “American children are less likely to live to age 5 than children in other high-income countries,” the authors write on the second page. It goes on: “Even Americans with healthy behaviors, for example, those who are not obese or do not smoke, appear to have higher disease rates than their peers in other countries.”

The article went on to give a myriad of reasons why the lifespan of Americans is decreasing. The Bible makes it clear. “The wages of sin is DEATH” (Romans 6:23). If you heed and do God’s Word, we are told:

It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones

The ancient knew that the “navel” was the place where you received life. Your naval was where you were attached to your mother – but it was God Who formed you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-15). The ancients also knew that the MARROW is what produces your blood cells – and blood contains the life (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 10:10).

If you heed God and trust Him, not your heart, your stress levels will be lower, and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:5-7)

Do Not Let “Stuff” Control You

Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

God will bless you physically when you put Him – and not your “stuff” – first. Everything you have, you have because of the Grace of God. There are three things we need to always remember:

1. God is TRUSTWORTHY. What He has promised, that He will do. Always!

2. God has ENTRUSTED us with what we have. If we are saved by faith in Him, we are HIS POSSESSION – and all of our possessions are His as well. Boyd Bailey (founder of Wisdom Hunters) said:

“Only in complete surrender to Christ are we complete in Him.”

If we belong to Jesus, then our stuff belongs to Jesus. We’re just borrowing it for a time. Honor God with your stuff.

3. We are TRUSTEES or stewards of all that God has given us. Our souls belong to God, and will one day return to Him who made us. Are we honoring Him? There will be a judgment day. Those who know Jesus by faith will stand before Him, and that which He entrusted to us will be judged for reward or loss. The Shekinah glory of God shall test what we did with what He entrusted us with. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The foundation is our relationship by faith in Christ. We build on this relationship. We do works that glorify our God, trusting Him above all else. May God move on us all to live for His Kingdom – for one day, if we are saved, we will be IN His Kingdom. Amen.

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With Whom We Have To Do

Posted on April 16, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Adrien Olichon: https://www.pexels.com/photo/inside-photography-of-church-2537598/

Hebrews 4:13-16 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The past few weeks we have been looking at Israel, God’s Old Testament people. The Word of God led Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, through the deserts, and to the base of Mount Sinai. When God gave His Word to Israel through Moses, His people – saved by Grace – said:

Exodus 24:3 (NKJV) … All the words which the Lord has said we will do ..

The Way To Blessing Is To Hear & Obey God

Yet Israel did not do it. Rather than hear the Word of God and do it, they murmured and complained and balked. In the end the first generation of Israel did NOT go into the Promised Land (other than Joshua and Caleb) because they disobeyed His Word. God had warned Israel:

Deuteronomy 30:15-18 (ESV) See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.

Israel was saved by Grace, just as all are saved by Grace. But BLESSING only comes by obedience. But look at what our text tells us today:

Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not MANIFEST in his sight: but ALL THINGS are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Word Study: This is a very powerful statement. All creatures – all created beings – are MANIFEST IN HIS SIGHT. The word “MANIFEST” is the Greek aphanēs (pronounced af-an-ace’) means “not hidden, clearly visible”. This word is found only here in the New Testament, but it’s meaning is found throughout all scripture. There is nothing hidden from God. When God called Israel from Egypt, He knew that the first generation was going to fail. God knows everything. One of the characteristics of God is that He is omniscient, all knowing:

Isaiah 46:9-10 (NKJV) Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’

The Bible tells us that “God’s understanding is without measure” (Psalm 147:5). Before we were ever formed in our mothers, God knew us. God knows everything, and nothing is a secret to Him, nothing a surprise.

Isaiah 40:28 (ESV) Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

God knows everything. “The hairs of your head are NUMBERED” (Matthew 10:30). You cannot hide anything from God. He knows. He knows. You cannot hide anything from God. “Can a man hide himself in secret places SO I CANNOT SEE HIM? NO! I FILL HEAVEN AND EARTH.” (Jeremiah 23:24, AP). God even knows what we are going to say next. King David said:

Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV) O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

God knows. God knows. Did God know that the first generation of Israel would fail Him, and lose the promised land? Yes, God knew. It was not a surprise to God. He saved Israel by faith, and promised to bless Israel if they would hear and do His Word. He warned Israel repeatedly against failing His Word. Yet Israel chose to disobey, and the first generation died in the desert. Was this a surprise to God? Absolutely not!

ALL THINGS are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do

Word Study: The Bible says “ALL THINGS are naked and opened”. The word “naked” (Greek gymnos, pronounced goom-nos’) means “is laid bare, cannot be covered”. The word “opened” (Greek trachēlizō, pronounced trakh-ay-lid’-zo) means “to seize by the throat or neck, to expose the gullet of a victim to kill, to bend back the neck”. This is a fighter or wrestler’s term. Why are these two words used together? Because there is nothing you can hide or cover up that God does not see. Further, you are defenseless against the gaze of our Almighty God. God knows everything.

When God made Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam His Word. He said:

Genesis 2:16-17 … Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God made Adam with free will, and put him in a beautiful place. When Adam sinned against God, was it a surprise to God? No. Look at the words that God uses:

“in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”

Not “IF you eat of it”, but “IN THE DAY YOU EAT OF IT”. God made Adam perfect. Adam was made in God’s image. Adam neither earned nor deserved this, and yet God in His Grace bestowed His blessings. To keep His blessings, Adam had to heed and DO God’s Word. But Adam failed to do so – and brought sin and death on both himself, and all his progeny.

God is OMNIPOTENT, all powerful. The Scripture says,

Psalm 102:25 Of old hast Thou (O God) laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands.

God created all things. He said in Isaiah 48:13, “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.” God made everything, and God knows everything. He is both OMNIPOTENT and OMNIPRESENT. God in His Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit – made all things. And as Jesus said:

John 17:24 … Father… Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus Christ was with the Father, Eternal God the Son, Eternal Word of God from time past. God made us perfect, but knew we would fail. This Jesus Who “Was with God, and Was God, the Same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-3), this same Jesus “was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20).

There Is A Great High Priest

Hebrews 4:14-15 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

God knows our brokenness. He knew Adam’s bad choice before Adam was ever made. God did not make Adam make that bad choice – God gave Adam free will. But God knew.

Beloved, we are saved by “A GREAT HIGH PRIEST”. Israel had a High Priest who served in the Tabernacle and in the Temple, but Israel’s High Priest was just like us. Just as with all of humanity, the High Priest of Israel was himself a sinner. The Bible says:

Leviticus 16:11 (ESV) Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself.

Under the Law a sinful man called a “High Priest” made “atonement” or a covering for sin for HIMSELF by killing an ANIMAL. Only after the High Priest atoned for his sin did he make atonement for the people:

Leviticus 16:15 (ESV) Then {the High Priest} shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

The High Priest shed the blood of a BULL – not a human but a flawless BULL – then once his sins were paid for he shed the blood of a GOAT or a SHEEP. But until the High Priest “killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar” (Leviticus 9:7-24), until the sin offering was made for himself, he could not minister to the people.

This is why the Law of Moses could not bring a true salvation. Animals payed for the sins of mankind. Animals without spot or blemish – a representation of Someone Greater – paid for what Adam and the sons and daughters of Adam did and do daily.

The Law of Moses, the Law of CEREMONY and CIRCUMCISION and SACRIFICE were but shadows that pointed to a greater COVENANT, a greater BLESSING. That blessing is CHRIST JESUS!

The Bible says in

Galatians 3:19-26 (ESV) Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

God knew that we were broken – but WE did not know that we were broken. So God gave us the Law of sacrifice and ceremony and circumcision to teach us we are sinners. Even our High Priest was a sinner, and had to cover his sins with the blood of bullocks. But the Law of Moses was given to lead us to Christ, to show us our need for Him.

Hebrews 4:14-15 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Aaron was a GOOD High Priest, and many who followed afterwards perhaps were GOOD High Priests. They did their best. But Beloved, WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST in Jesus. Jesus Christ can trace His lineage back to Adam, but being born of the Holy Spirit. As the Angel told Mary the mother of Jesus:

Luke 1:35 (NKJV) … The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Those born fully human, Jesus’ blood line did not come from Adam, but from God Himself. All of the children of Adam are sinners, for Adam sinned. But Christ is God incarnate, God in the flesh. “The virgin was with Child. She brought forth a Son, and He is called EMMANUEL, meaning “God With Us” (Matthew 1:23, AP). Christ was not born of sinners, but He is the Eternal Son of God. He is a Great High Priest because, as our text tells us,

Hebrews 4:15 {Jesus} was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin

No Man Who walked the face of this earth was more scrutinized than Jesus was. The Pharisees who loved the Law hated Jesus, because Jesus called them on their hypocrisy. The Herodians hated Jesus, because He loved the Lord and not a political party. The Sadducees hated Jesus, because He spoke of resurrection, and they did not believe in an afterlife. The Romans hated Jesus because He would not bow the knee to Caesar. The Scribes hated Jesus because He would not bow the knee to the Chief Priests. Jesus was more examined than any person in history. What was the conclusion?

1 Peter 2:22-24 (AMP) {JESUS} COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT EVER FOUND IN HIS MOUTH. While being reviled and insulted, He did not revile or insult in return; while suffering, He made no threats [of vengeance], but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.

Jesus is our Great High Priest. He is sinless, and stands before God the Father making intercession for us. “He Who knew NO SIN was counted as sin in order that we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, AP). When Jesus walked this earth, He kept the Law of God – the Law He wrote – PERFECTLY. The day that Jesus died, His executioner, Pilate, said “I find NO GUILT nor A BASIS FOR CHARGES against this Man” (Luke 23:4).

Jesus did not die because He is a sinner. He died because WE are sinners. Jesus did not offer an animal sacrifice for our sins, but offered HIMSELF, pure and holy, in our place!

Our Great High Priest died on Calvary. The Bible says that after His death:

Hebrews 9:11-12 (NKJV) Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Jesus walked through our broken world, and suffered the effects of our broken world, but He Himself remained without sin.

Jesus is SINLESS.
Jesus is ETERNAL.
Jesus is the SON OF GOD.
Jesus is at the Father’s RIGHT HAND.

What Does God Demand Of Us?

God knows our brokenness. God knows our failures. He knows our imperfections. We cannot hide our limitations from Him. But God has given us a GREAT HIGH PRIEST in Jesus. What must we do?

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God bids us first of all to “come BOLDLY”. This does not mean to approach God with ARROGANCE, or in a DEMANDING way. But we are to come to God’s Throne WITH CONFIDENCE. God knows your brokenness, He knows all our failures. Jesus came for every person, for WHOSOEVER WILL. Will you come to Him, and humble yourself before Him?

Revelation 22:17 … (NKJV) the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

What limits you from coming to Christ, to making Him your High Priest? Nothing. Come to Him Who gave Himself for you. If you are thirsty, COME. If you are a sinner, COME. There is no one too broken to where Jesus will not intercede, Jesus will save. But you are to come “with CONFIDENCE, not ARROGANCE or GRUMBLING”. Notice we are told:

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace

Notice that this place we come is not an ALTAR OF GRACE. We do not come, as the ancient Jews did, with a sheep or goat without blemish. We do not bring anything we deem worthy to God. We make no payment nor penance before God, for there is no way that we can pay for our sins. What does God say?

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) … we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

We bring nothing of worth to pay for Grace – Grace is a gift from God. But Grace is for whosoever will. This is not an ALTAR of Grace.

We come boldly to the THRONE of Grace

It is a THRONE because HE IS LORD. We come to Him Who is “King of Kings and lord of Lords” (Revelation 17:14). We come to “The Blessed and Only Potentate”, the Ruler and Creator of all. Beloved, let me be very clear on this:

There is no salvation, no GRACE outside of the THRONE. God calls us to salvation through UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER. HE IS LORD.

Certainly, we all come to Christ broken. Certainly, we come to Him as lepers needing cleansing. And He cleanses us. He gives us IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS through the sacrifice of Himself. He represents us before the Throne of Grace. But we are HIS PEOPLE. We belong to HIS KINGDOM. What does the Scripture say?

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) Jesus … will SAVE HIS PEOPLE from their sins

Salvation is a free gift to the person that surrenders their allegiance to the King of the Kingdom of God. Jesus was manifest to “take away sins” (1 John 3:5). The Bible says:

Titus 2:14 (ESV) {Jesus} gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

It is a THRONE of grace. Once saved by Grace, you belong to Him. You belong to Jesus. You “are not your own – YOU ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We live to bring glory to Him Who saved us. We belong to Jesus. But that’s the best place to be.

In Him.

Are you in Him? Are you in Jesus? If not, “come BOLDLY to the Throne of Grace. Here you will find MERCY, and GRACE to help in time of need”. Oh that God would draw you to Christ this very day. Hallelujiah. Amen and Amen.

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God Delivers From Evil

Posted on April 11, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Being.the.traveller: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-lighted-candle-2730218/

Proverbs 2:6-15 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. 10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths …

There is a reason that salvation is based on a relationship with the Lord, and not on your human works. Human works are flawed, suspect. We err. A summary of Romans 3:9-26 makes our position and God’s Grace very clear.

Everyone has sinned; Whether Jew or Gentile, we are under sin. we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. God gave us His Law to show us how far we are from perfect. Yet God in His Grace freely justifies us, brings us into His Family, and makes us right in His sight. He does this through Jesus. We are made right with God freely, without our works or worthiness, through the redemption God offers all in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the payment for and the covering of our sin. If we heed His call, and comer to Christ repenting of our former life, God brings us into a saving and joyous relationship in Him.

Once we are saved, we begin to walk with God in a personal relationship.

Proverbs 2:6-7 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

Notice how the Bible phrases this. True “knowledge and understanding” come from God. The definition of WISDOM is knowledge and understanding. Not just to know, but to apply. Notice that it says, “out of his mouth” is where this knowledge and understanding for life comes. As I speak, you hear what comes OUT OF MY MOUTH because you are either in my presence, or under technology like Facebook and are hearing what I’m saying. People who are outside of my presence cannot hear what comes out of my mouth. Likewise, the person who has no personal relationship with Christ cannot hear the Words of God, for the only way anyone can approach God is through Christ. Jesus said:

John 14:6 (NKJV) … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

You cannot hear wisdom from the mouth of God apart from a saving relationship with Christ. The Apostles preached:

Acts 4:12 (ESV) And there is salvation in no one else {but Jesus}, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Ephesians 2:18 (ESV) For through {Jesus} we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

1 John 5:11-12 (ESV) And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

God speaks to His Children giving us “sound wisdom”. Not the wisdom of this world, but the wisdom of God. God’s Word is to us “A BUCKLER” (Hebrew māḡēn, pronunciation maw-gane’) which means “a shield, that which defends you from harm”.

We live in a world today where we are encouraged to ignore sin, to rename sin, to tolerate sin. This is foolish. What comes of ignoring sin?

Illustrate: This past Monday I started smelling a funny smell in the Fellowship Hall. I didn’t think much about it. I sprayed “Febreeze”, thinking it was just stale odors because the Hall had been shut up. After spraying, I opened the windows and vented everything out. Tuesday the smell was back. I tried ignoring it, spraying “Febreeze”. I figured a mouse had died somewhere. Wednesday I went in the Hall, and what I smelled could have knocked a buzzard off a gut wagon. It was horrible. So I put on my gloves, picked up mouse bait stations, pulled out the refrigerator and stove, and looked through every cabinet. I couldn’t find mouse droppings, nothing! I went to push the stove back in to its cubby hole, and it bound up, so I emptied the bottom drawer. I opened the stove door, then picked myself up off the floor. Something was in a metal disposable pan in the stove on to top rack, all the way back. You couldn’t see it unless you bent over, but you could smell it. It was a unused pan of macaroni and cheese – and it had a longer beard on it than I have! That stuff had sat in the stove, my best guess, probably a month or a month and a half. And it was rank. It was all I could do to get it to the dumpster – and the buzzards were grinning when I left!

Sin is like that. You cannot ignore it, or make light of it, and hope that it goes away. Sin will, if ignored, get worst and worst.

The wages of sin is death – sin unrepented of and unforgiven leads to death. The way of life is to walk with God.

Proverbs 2:8-11 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. 10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

When you decide to live your lives walking with God, you become a “saint” (Hebrew ḥāsîḏ pronunciation khaw-seed’), which means “one set apart to belong to God”. When we walk with God we are, like Jesus, salt and light. Jesus said to those who follow Him:

Matthew 5:13 … You are the SALT of the earth

Matthew 5:14 … You are the LIGHT of the world

Salt is a preservative. It was used in the ancient world – and even today – to keep foods from spoiling and rotting. “Those who are in the FLESH cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Those who chase after self satisfaction, self identification, self promotion – these people do not better the world, but darken it.

Salt was also used as a flavor enhancer and a nutrient. We need salt to live. As one commentary put it:

“salt has a positive influence on the flavor of the food it seasons. Where there is strife, we are to be peacemakers; where there is sorrow, we are to be the ministers of Christ, binding up wounds, and where there is hatred, we are to exemplify the love of God in Christ, returning good for evil (Luke 6:35).”

Light is directly tied to God. The first thing that God created when He made all things was light. “Let there be LIGHT, and there was LIGHT” (Genesis 1:3). Before God made anything, there had to be light. Light was made before God made the stars, the sun and the moon (Genesis 1:14). Light is wisdom and knowledge from God. God’s light keeps us from stumbling. “righteousness, and judgment, and equity” can only be understood properly when it comes from God Himself. When we walk with God heeding His Word,

Proverbs 2:11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

Word Study: You will be PRESERVED (Hebrew šāmar, pronunciation shaw-mar’), that is God will put a HEDGE about your life. If you follow the Lord you will be KEPT (Hebrew nāṣar, pronunciation naw-tsar’)or GUARDEDfrom the evils of life.

Evil People Are Harmful To All

Proverbs 2:12-15 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

Word Study: There’s a word we need to define before we can understand this passage, and that is the word “froward”. What the heck does it mean to be “froward”, or to “speak frowardthings”? The word translated “FROWARD” is the Hebrew tahpuḵôṯ pronunciation tah-poo-kaw’, which means “something which is perverse, totally against faith in God”. In verse 15 we are told these people “froward in their paths”, which literally means “deliberately walk after perversity and deviousness”. These people do not stumble into perverse things – they actually seek them out.

When a person seeks to follow a perverse path apart from a righteous walk with God, they destroy themselves and others. Perhaps you’ve been following the trials of the Michigan School shooter Ethan Crumbley, and his parents James and Jennifer Crumbley. On November 30, 2021 Ethan entered Oxford High School with a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, and murdered four students and injured seven others. Crumbley was sentenced to life without parole plus 24 years. His parents were arrested on involuntary manslaughter charges, and sentenced to 10-15 years in prison.

Four days before the shooting, James Crumbley bought his 15 year old son the gun. The boy showed signs of mental illness and instability. Several hours before the shooting, the school counselor called the parents in to discuss some disturbing drawings that he had made of him killing someone, along with the words “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. My life is useless. I want help but my parents don’t listen to me so I can’t get any help. It’s causing me to shoot up the … school”. The parents refused to do anything, but were in a hurry to get back to their jobs, and left the boy at school. And four people died.

If you ask me, the parents got off lucky with a 10-15 year sentence.

There is no blessing in walking a crooked or perverse path. It came out during the trial that the father was inattentive, the mother in a extra-marital affair, and the boy ignored. Sin ignored can lead to death. It did in this case.

People need the Lord. I pray that this young man will be found of Jesus, and those so horribly hurt by the perversity of the parents will find peace in Christ. Oh, how our America needs the Lord!

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God’s Word Our Rest – Hebrews 4:1-12

Posted on April 9, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-reading-indoor-2325729/

Hebrews 4:1-3, 8-9Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into HIS REST, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into REST, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into MY REST: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. … 8 For if Jesus had given them REST, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a REST to the people of God.

We took a break from Hebrews last Sunday to commemorate “Resurrection Sunday” or what many call “Easter”. We talked about the importance of the Resurrection of Christ, and explained how – without the Resurrection – there is no proof that Jesus of Nazareth is the One and Only Messiah. I brought out last Sunday that there were two very common names in Israel,

Mary or Miriam
Jesus or Joshua

Many parents named their daughters “Mary” because Mary or Miriam saved Moses from certain death as a baby, and put him in a little ark, floating him down the Nile River to where the Princess of Egypt was. She adopted little Moshe or Moses, and he grew up to be the Redeemer of imprisoned Israel. Parents who had little boys often named them “Jesus”, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name “Joshua”. Joshua was a hero to Israel because he trusted the Word of God, and did as God said, leading Israel to conquer nearly all the Promised Land. I also quoted the noted Pastor G. Campbell Morgan who wrote:

“The angel came to Joseph and announced the name, “You shall call His name Jesus.” It was just an ordinary Jewish name, about as common in Judea as John is common to us. .. Jesus is a Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, meaning Savior. … the angel said: Give that name to this Boy; “It is He that shall save His people from their sins. … They are “His people.”… He is coming to identification with them.”

Why bring all this out? Because knowledge of what I’m telling you is necessary to understanding our passage today. We read in verse 8:

For if JESUS had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

The King James translates the name correctly, for here is the Greek iēsous. But nearly every other translation of the Scripture translates this word as Yehoshua or Joshua. Verse 8 is not talking about Jesus Christ our Lord, but the context of the Scripture tells us that it is talking about General Joshua who led Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua was one of the twelve spies who came back from Canaan and told Israel to enter in. Joshua told the people:

Numbers 14:7-9 (AP) “The land that God has given us is very good. If the Lord delights in us as His people, He will give us the land. Please, don’t rebel against God. Hear His Word. Do not fear the people, for the Lord is with us.”

God SAVED Israel by His Word. God SENT Israel by His Word. God blesses us if we hear and do His Word.

Did Israel listen? No, they rejected the Word of God. That’s the whole point of Hebrews 3 & 4:

Hebrews 3:7-11 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, TODAY IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, Harden not your hearts, AS IN THE PROVOCATION, in THE DAY OF TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS, When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. WHEREFORE I WAS GRIEVED WITH THAT GENERATION, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known My ways. SO I SWARE IN MY WRATH THEY SHALL NOT ENTER INTO MY REST.

Israel was to rest on the Word of God. The Word of God that they applied in Egypt saved them. The Word of God would lead them, and give them the land. Listen Beloved: God SAVES a people that He might be glorified through them. He SAVES us so that He might SANCTIFY us, set us apart for His glory. Jesus said:

Luke 17:20-21 … The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: … behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The Church needs to understand what Israel failed to understand: THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR WHAT YOU DO OR DO NOT DO. Have you ever thought about that word, “CONSEQUENCE”? The word “CON” means “with”, and a “SEQUENCE” is when one thing happens after another – like a sequence of events. Depart from the Word of God, fail to apply what God said, and you will not rest but will suffer. Adam departed from the Word of God and brought death and sin into the world. King David departed from the Word of God and, because of Bathsheba, brought death into His family. Judas Iscariot departed from the Word of God and brought death to himself.

If you hear the Word of God, but refuse to act on the Word of God, or decide to act against the Word of God, there is always a negative sequence of events.

To REST Is To Be BLESSED

In Chapters Three and Four the Bible speaks of the “REST” of God. Let’s count how many times God uses the word “REST” in these two chapters:

Hebrews 3:11 … they shall NOT ENTER INTO MY REST (1)

Hebrews 3:18 … to whom swore {God} that they should NOT ENTER INTO HIS REST (2), but to them that believed not

Hebrews 4:1 Let us fear, lest, a PROMISE BEING LEFT OF US OF ENTERING INTO HIS REST (3)

Hebrews 4:3 … We which HAVE BELIEVED DO ENTER INTO REST (4)

Hebrews 4:4 … and God DID REST (5) THE SEVENTH DAY from all His works

Hebrews 4:5 … If they shall ENTER INTO MY REST (6)

Hebrews 4:8 … If JOSHUA HAD GIVEN THEM REST (7)

Hebrews 4:9 .. There REMAINETH THEREFORE A REST (8) TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD

Hebrews 4:10 For HE THAT HAS ENTERED INTO HIS REST (9) has also ceased from his own works, as God did His.

Hebrews 4:11 … Let us LABOR THEREFORE TO ENTER INTO THAT REST (10) …

The word “REST” is repeated TEN TIMES
in these two chapters.

I don’t believe this is a coincidence. Do you remember how many plagues God brought on Egypt before Egypt would heed the Word of God and release Israel from bondage? TEN. TEN! The Tenth Plague brought the death of the firstborn children in every household where God’s Word was not honored. Now listen,

How many times did the first generation of Israel hear and reject the Word of God?

The Bible tells us that God was going to destroy Israel, but Moses prayed for them and God gave greater Grace. But God said:

Numbers 14:20-23 (ESV) … the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.

Ten times Egypt rejected God’s Word, and then relented. Ten times Israel rejected God’s Word, and lost the blessings that would have come of their obedience. My commentary notes:

“What were the ten times the Israelites tested the LORD?

(1) Lacking faith before the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11–12)

(2) Complaining over the bitter water at Marah (Exodus 15:24)

(3) Complaining in the Desert of Sin (Exodus 16:3)

(4) Collecting more manna than they were supposed to (Exodus 16:20)

(5) Attempting to collect manna on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:27–29)

(6) Complaining over the lack of water at Rephidim (Exodus 17:2–3)

(7) Engaging in idolatry in the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:7–10)

(8) Complaining at Taberah (Numbers 11:1–2)

(9) Complaining over the lack of food (Numbers 11:4)

(10) Failing to trust God and enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1–4)”

Though “The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Numbers 14:18), and though “The LORD is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9), God expects us to love Him and rely on His Word.

To REST Is To RELY ON GOD’S WORD

Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

God in His Word has given us precious Promises, guarantees that He will bless us if we follow Him. When Israel got to the border of the Promised Land they feared the giants in the land more than they feared the God Who saved them.

Numbers 13:33 … we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

The “sons of Anak” were related to Goliath of Gath (2 Samuel 21:15-22; Joshua 11:22). Goliath himself was 9 feet 9 inches tall, a huge man! Yet God in His Word had told Israel that He was giving them the land. God is bigger than Goliath!

Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

The Word of God, the GOSPEL – the Good News of God’s salvation – was preached to Israel, just as it was preached to us. The GOSPEL is to believe what God has said, and to trust in what God has said. Jesus said of the Gospel:

Mark 9:37 … whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me.

God the Father sent the Son to present and represent His Gospel. Jesus said “My meat is to do the will of HIM THAT SENT ME, and to FINISH HIS WORK” (John 4:34). He said “I came down from Heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me” (John 6:38). Those who hear God’s Word and “MIX IT WITH FAITH” are those who are saved, and those who are blessed. The first generation of Israel was saved when they heard the Word of God and, in faith, responded to the Word of God. They sacrificed the lamb without spot and blemish, and put it’s blood on the doorposts of their homes.

To HEAR the Word, but not OBEY the Word in faith, does you no good.

Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

When the first generation of Israel BELIEVED God and REPONDED OBEDIENTLY to His Word, they “ENTERED INTO HIS REST”. When they did not move in faith, but balked at entering the Promised Land, God said “you will NOT enter into My Rest”. God said,

the works were finished from the foundation of the world

God has a Kingdom prepared for His people that was “prepared from the foundation of the world”. God wants us to live victoriously in Him. He wants us to live above the evil of this world, trusting His Word, loving one another as Christ loves us.

We must do His Word. We must love one another. Jesus illustrated this in

Matthew 25:34-40 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Israel rejected the Fatherhood of God, and refused to enter the Promised Land. Israel did not love God first, and love their brethren in the Kingdom.

They played fast and loose with the Word of God. And because of this, they lost the blessings that should have been theirs.

Hebrews 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

Why did God rest on the seventh day? Was it because God was tired? No. It was because HIS WORD IS RELIABLE. God spoke all things into existence in six days. He breathed into Adam the breath of life. God’s Word established all of creation. Then God stepped back a day so that we can see GOD’S WORD IS RELIABLE. The Word that created all, is the Word that sustains all.

Hebrews 4:6-8 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8 For if Jesus {Joshua, actually} had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

Had Israel listened to Joshua and Caleb, they would have entered into the Promised Land, and took the land, just as God promised. But Joshua did not give them rest, for they would not hear God’s Word. So God promised “ANOTHER DAY”, that there would still be the promise of rest for Israel, but not for the unbelieving and undoing generation.

Hebrews 4:9-10 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into His rest {God’s Rest}, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

When we enter into God’s Rest, hearing and doing what God says, we “cease from OUR own works”. We stop trying to do it our way, and seek to do it God’s Way.

We are saved by faith in His Word, that Jesus Christ made payment for our sins. We do not try to “be good” to be children of God. We receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. We trust in the Word of God, which says:

John 3:15-21 whosoever believeth in {Jesus} should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

We are to DO TRUTH, to DO HIS WORD, to believe that His Word is truth (John 17:17). His Word saves us, and His Word blesses us. We do not pick and choose the parts of His Word that we do. We do it all, just as He said.

Labor To Enter Into His Rest

Hebrews 4:11-12 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

That is a very interesting phrase, “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest”. What does that mean? There is a constant temptation – because of our old sin natures – to modify or negate the Word of God. We constantly are tempted to do so. So we LABOR to enter into His Rest. We strive against our own fallen natures, and surrender to His Word. Only by faithfully doing His Word do we not receive the Grace of God in vain. The Apostle Paul talked about this in:

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (ESV) … I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Paul was saved by Grace, by believing in Jesus on the Damascus Road. Paul went on to serve God by doing not his will, but the Will of the Father. He heard the Word of God, and did it. Paul went on to encourage us:

2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

God did not save you just to take you to Heaven. He saved you to bring you into His Kingdom. He saved you so you can walk with Him, in victory, through this present life and into the next. You will not be blessed if you reject His Word. Remember the Admonition:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (AP) You are not your own … YOU ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE. Glorify God in your body and in your Spirit, for you belong to God.

Word Study: The Word of God is “quick, and powerful, and sharper”. The word “QUICK” (Greek zaō, means LIFE GIVING) means that it is the Word of God that saves us from spiritual death. But this same word that saves us is also “powerful” (Greek energēs, means EFFECTUALLY POWERFUL). The Word of God not only gives us life, but gives us a GREAT LIFE, a BLESSED LIFE. The Word of God is also “sharper” than any man-made thing, any philosophy or science. Every time you both HEAR and DO it, the Word of God changes your life for the better.

Beloved, it’s time to get off the fence and follow the Word of the Lord. If not, you can expect the same judgment that God placed on Israel, and on Egypt, to be on you. May God lead you to cherish and do His Word.

Amen.

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Knowing God Should Be Our Primary Desire

Posted on April 5, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by John-Mark Smith: https://www.pexels.com/photo/pink-pencil-on-open-bible-page-and-pink-272337/

Proverbs 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

What Value Do We Place On God’s Word?

Why are there so many who profess to be saved who seem to have no more knowledge of God than the lost or the damned atheist? Our text today explains this.

When you are saved, you are saved because you “received” the Gospel of salvation as true. The Gospel is a SEED that is sown on various ground. Jesus said:

Some SEED is RECEIVED by the way side (Matthew 13:19)
Other SEED is RECEIVED in stoney places (Matthew 13:20)
Yet other SEED is RECEIVED among thorns (Matthew 13:22)
But the SEED RECEIVED on GOOD GROUND (Matthew 13:23),

this is the SEED that brings forth the fruit of salvation. Some people harden their hearts to the Gospel of salvation. When Jesus came, the Bible says:

John 1:11-12 … He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

To RECEIVE Christ is to RECEIVE Him as He is – both Lord and Savior. When this occurs, the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives and causes us to be BORN AGAIN. You must FIRST be BORN AGAIN before you can understand the things of God. Jesus said:

John 3:3 … Except a man be born again, he cannot SEE {Greek horaō, perceive with the mind, to know} the kingdom of God.

Illustrate: I was watching a woman the other day who was mocking Christianity, declaring that “Unless you follow the whole thing, shut the ___ up”. Her rant was against those who stand for conventional human sexuality, not progressivism (the LGBTQ+ platform so fashionable today). She quoted passages from the Old Testament that said you cannot eat bacon or shellfish, that cutting the sides of your hair is a sin, that trimming your beard is a sin, that wearing clothes made out of mixed fabrics is a sin, that planting two different types of seed in a field is sin, and so on. She declared that unless Christians did everything in both testaments, they needed to shut up about Gay and Trans behavior.

The reality is that the Bible is divided into OLD COVENANT (Old Testament) and NEW COVENANT (New Testament). Under the Old Covenant, God gave Israel a series of Laws. In Israel there were:

Ceremonial Laws, and
Civil Laws, as well as
Moral Laws

When you approach the Laws in the Old Covenant you need to realize that the Ceremonial Laws and Civil Laws only applied to Israel as a nation. However, the Moral Laws applied to everyone. These things are true today. As a retired Air Force Airman I travelled the world. As I moved from country to country I found out that each nation has Ceremonial and Civil Laws unique to that nation. For instance, in America we have Civil Laws like…

The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The Second Amendment: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The are Civil Laws that protect my rights of free speech. But if you go to Muslim controlled countries like Egypt you will find you do NOT have free speech. If you speak against the Muslim Prophet Mohammad you will find yourself imprisoned 5 years. In India you can get 3 years imprisonment. In Afganistan, Iran, Nigera, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia you can be executed for blasphemy. Civil Laws differ from nation to nation.

What about Ceremonial Law? Israel had unique Ceremonial Laws – and so does every nation in the world. In America many people get upset to see a flag burned, but in England they care little about the flag. In England to speak mocking the Crown will get you ostracized or beat up. America has no monarchy, so we revere the flag. In the Phillipines if you sit so as to expose the bottom of your feet, then you insult your host. In Japan and Korea you are expected to remove your shoes at the door before entering a home. In Muslim countries you are not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages.These are Ceremonial Laws and Traditions.

Moral Laws are the same from Country to Country!

In most countries murder, rape, incest, kidnapping, adultery are considered morally unacceptable.

Until recently, in America LGBTQ+ behavior was considered immoral and unacceptable. In much of Africa, the various Muslim countries (like Sudan and Egypt), Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, aberrant human sexuality is a criminal offense. Under the Obama and Biden administration LGBTQ+ behavior has become popularized in America, so much so that we celebrate the behavior in June, called “Pride Month”. This past Easter the White House announced that March 31st was International Transgender Day of Visibility.

The day that Christ’s resurrection was to be celebrated was supplanted by “A Proclamation On Transgender Day Of Visibility”. I am not surprised. The lost and the atheist (and I am certain the White House at this time is atheist) care nothing for God.

You must be born again!

Those Who Are Received The Gospel Have
Received The Spirit of God.
They In Turn Should Receive The Word of God.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

Word Study: The phrase “My son” shows us that God is addressing His Children. As His Children by faith and adoption (Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:5-7; 1 Corinthians 2:12) we are called on to “receive” (Hebrew Qal Imperfect lāqaḥ, to lay hold on, to capture, to seize as valuable) God’s Word. God’s Word is valuable. It is to be cherished. What God has said in His Moral Laws stand forever, not just temporarily. We are to seize His Word as His gift to us. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 119:47-48 (NIV) I delight in your commands because I love them. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees ….

Psalm 119:119 (NIV) All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore, I love your statutes…

Psalm 119:127 (NIV) … I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold

When God tells us what is right, when He gives us a directive, it is for our benefit. God is much like the Parent who tells the child to don’t touch the hot stove, or stay out of the medicine cabinet. The Bible tells us that:

1 John 5:2-4 (ESV) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

God’s commandments – His moral imperatives – are “not burdensome”. They are given to us His people to protect us from evil and destruction. God will one day sort the wheat from the tares, the righteous by faith from the evil by faith. The TARES are weeds that look like wheat, but have no nutritional value and in fact are a bit poison. Jesus said:

Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Those who love the Lord will one day be in “Christ’s Barn”, that wonderful place called Heaven. But those who rejected His Word, who mock His moral imperatives, these shall find themselves in a place of burning:

Mark 9:47-48 … cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

A terrible place, a veritable “furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth”. (Matthew 13:42, 50).

The Word of God is not only to be RECEIVED, but we read:

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive My Words, and hide my commandments with thee;

Word Study: The word translated “hide” is the Hebrew ṣāp̄an {pronounced tsaw-fan’} which means “to lay up as treasure, to store as valuable”. The Prophet Job in the midst of his torment said:

Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

In a certain Church I was at, our services started at 11 am. A fellow who was a member of the Church and a professing Christian would make it a point to get up from his seat promptly at noon – and walk out of the service. I asked him about this, especially when one Sunday he did this a soul came down the aisle to be save. His excuse? “I eat at 12:30 sharp. Period. So I leave at noon. Period.” The Bible has a word for someone like this.

Philippians 3:17-20 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our {citizenship} is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Anyone who loves anything more than God’s Word may not be a Child of God. Christians are to:

1 Peter 2:2-3 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

We Are To Both HEAR And APPLY

Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

In order to be blessed we are to “INCLINE OUR EAR”. We must be attentive to what God is saying. We must put away our preconceptions, and get away from the noise of the world, and focus Spiritually on God’s Word. There are many passages of Scripture where the writer asks God to “incline Thine ear”:

Psalm 17:6 I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

Psalm 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

Psalm 102:2 Hide not Thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

Isaiah 37:17 Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see:

As we want God to pay attention to us when we are in hurt, God wants us to pay attention to what He is saying in His Word. He does not want our argument, nor our disrespect. What God has to say is for our own good. It is best that we “INCLINE OUR EAR” to His Word – then apply what He has told us to do.

Do You Understand “Fear Of The Lord”?

Proverbs 2:3-5 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

The reason why so many know so little of God – even professing Christians – is because we do not seek knowledge of Him. We are saved by faith in Christ. But once saved, we need to pursue the Word of God and the will of God for our lives.

God here uses two phrases:

criest after knowledge
liftest up thy voice

To “criest after” (Hebrew qārā’, pronounced kaw-raw’) means “to call out to”. It was used of Isaac when God revealed Himself to him, saying:

Genesis 26:24-25 … I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake. 25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon (qārā’) the name of the LORD…

In all the times we have had Prayer Meeting at the Church, I’ve never heard anyone pray that God would give us a greater knowledge of His truths. But that’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to pursue His Word as valuable, as silver or gold, and prayerfully seek a deeper understanding of it. We are to “LIFT UP OUR VOICE”, to pray that God would open our eyes to His truths (Isaiah 40:9). Pastor David Platt – past President of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention – wrote:

“I think it makes a lot of sense based on this word from God to pray. God, right now we call out for insight. We raise our voice for understanding. Please give us understanding. Please give us insight, please give us your wisdom. Help us to live wisely today. God, we seek your wisdom like it’s silver. We search for it like it’s a hidden treasure. And yet we know, we know you’re a gracious God who dispenses wisdom, so we don’t ultimately have to try to find it here or there, because you give it to us.

So we seek what you give, we receive what you give, and as we receive it, we pray that you’d help us to grow in our understanding of the fear of you, and that we would find the knowledge of you. God, we pray that at the end of today, we would know you more than we do right now. And we pray that the end of tomorrow, we would know you more than we did at the start of tomorrow.

God, may our lives continually grow in the knowledge of you. And as we grow in the knowledge of you, fear of you, we pray that you would grant wisdom to us in every facet of our lives. And as we seek and receive your wisdom, we pray that it would increase our knowledge and fear of you. In Jesus’ name, we pray these things. Amen.”

Those who do not treasure God’s Word will know little of it. Let us pray that, as Christ’s Church, we would all treasure His Word. May God lead us to desire and know more of His Word, and to put it into practice daily. For the glory of Christ our Savior. Amen and Amen.

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Resurrection Necessary For Faith: 1 Corinthians 15

Posted on March 31, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Biola Visuals : https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-an-orange-sweatshirt-with-cropped-sleeves-looking-in-the-mirror-19916040/

1 Corinthians 15:12-17 Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

The Sadducees – the liberal crowd of Christ’s day – came into the Church teaching that “the dead rise not”. They did not believe in a life after this life. There are a lot of people like this in our world today. They live in the now, for they believe there is no afterlife. Some of these people will even say that Jesus was a great teacher and a wonderful leader of a moral revolution. But Jesus died, like all founders die. The Apostle tells us:

1 Corinthians 15:16-17 … if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

If Christ is not raised from the grave, then “your faith is vain”. The word “vain” is the Greek (mataia), which means “unreal, unproductive, ineffectual – without any standing in reality”. The fact that Jesus rose from the Grave is imperative to the Christian faith.

If Jesus Did Not Die And Rise Again,
He Is A Liar And a False Prophet

Throughout His ministry, Jesus was very clear that He was going to lay down His life for His people. We read in:

Mark 9:31 {Jesus} was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”

And again:

Matthew 16:21 (ESV) … Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

Matthew 20:18-19 (ESV) “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Jesus had to die on the Cross of Calvary to make payment for the sins of man. We are told in our text today:

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

When Adam sinned against God by taking of the forbidden – putting himself in the place of God – he brought spiritual death on the entire world. That spiritual death was immediate. Though Adam would physically die at 930 years old (Genesis 5:5). But spiritual death – separation from God – came immediately in Adam, and on all his children. Adam’s act of hiding from God demonstrated his separation from the Lord (Genesis 3:8), as does his deflection of his sin by blaming it on his wife (Genesis 3:12). The Bible tells us that:

Romans 5:12 (ESV) … sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned …

The Bible says that all are “dead in trespasses and sin” (Ephesians 2:1) because of Adam. So God sent His Son to die on the Cross of Calvary for us. Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29-32). Jesus willingly laid down His life for us. Jesus said:

John 10:11, 14-15, 17-18 (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. … 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

No one took Jesus’ life, but Jesus laid His life down for us. He stood in our place of punishment. He paid for Adam’s sin, for your sin, and for my sin. Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary. He did not swoon – He died. Jesus told us:

Matthew 12:40 (ESV) … just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus died on that Cross, just as He said He would. And Jesus rose from the grave three days and nights later, just as He said He would. If He did not, He was a liar. Liars cannot pay for sins. Liars cannot be the Lamb of God. Jesus is not a Liar, He is the Lord of Life!

The Resurrection Of Christ Proved That
What Christ Did Was Acceptable To God

The day that Christ came into this world – God becoming perfect Man – the Angel told the Shepherds:

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is CHRIST the LORD …

The word “CHRIST” or Christos means “The Messiah”. The Messiah is the “LORD”. He came into the world to “save HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS” (Matthew 1:21). How did Jesus save us? We are told in our context:

1 Corinthians 15:3 … Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

It was prophesied in the Scriptures that Christ – the Messiah – would die for our sins. The Prophet Isaiah (53:1-12) foretold that when the Messiah came He would be “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief … He would be PIERCED for OUR TRANSGRESSIONS … He would be CRUSHED for OUR INIQUITIES … upon Him was the PUNISHMENT that should have been ours … His WOUNDS would heal us”. The Prophet Daniel (9:24-26) foretold that “One will come to put and END TO SIN, and to COVER INIQUITY, to bring in RIGHTEOUSNESS … an ANOINTED ONE would come Who would be CUT OFF”. The Prophet Zechariah (13:7) said that “The Shepherd WOULD BE STRUCK and the sheep scattered”. And the Apostle Paul – quoting the teaching of Deuteronomy 21:23 said:

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Jesus proclaimed that He died for our sins. But how do we know that He was not just a deluded, misunderstood man? How do we know that He is the One and only Messiah?

Because of the Resurrection.

The Bible says in:

Romans 1:1-4 (ESV) Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

The Gospel is not just that Jesus died on the Cross – but that Jesus resurrected from the dead. There were many named “Jesus” who walked the earth when our Lord did. Pastor G. Campbell Morgan wrote:

“The angel came to Joseph and announced the name, “You shall call His name Jesus.” It was just an ordinary Jewish name, about as common in Judea as John is common to us. The name had not the significance that we understand today. It was a beautiful, Jewish boy’s name, a common name of the common people. … Jesus is a Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, meaning Savior. Other men have had that name. Many a mother called her boy Joshua in the hope that he would be a Savior and break oppression and set the people free. Now the angel said: Give that name to this Boy; “It is He that shall save His people from their sins. … They are “His people.” Give Him the name as one of His people; calling Him by the ordinary name of His people; He is coming to identification with them.”

How do we know that our Jesus is the right Jesus, the saving Jesus? Because He rose from the grave. Peter preached confidently on the Day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:24 (AP) … God raised Jesus up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it

This is why we are told:

1 Corinthians 15:17 … if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

We know that our Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, the One Who covered our sins because God the Father raised Him from the dead. The Apostle explains the death and resurrection of Christ this way:

Romans 4:25 (NKJV) {the righteousness of God} shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Jesus was “DELIVERED UP BECAUSE OF OUR OFFENSES”, that is, He was lifted up on the Cross at Calvary to pay for our sins. But Jesus was “RAISED BECAUSE OF OUR JUSTIFICATION”. When God raise Christ from the dead, this was His clear declaration that GOD WAS SATISFIED with what Christ did. God accepted His payment for us. Because of Christ’s death, we are JUSTIFIED, made RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Our sins were nailed to the Cross of Christ (Colossians 2:14) – and the resurrection proves that the Father received what Christ did for us.

The Resurrection Of Christ Assures Us That We Serve A Living Savior, And That He Watches Over Us

The Apostle tells us that:

1 Corinthians 15:4-8 {Jesus} was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

The day that Jesus died “HE WAS SEEN” as dead. The Centurion in charge of His execution saw Jesus die, and said:

Luke 23:47 … Certainly this WAS a righteous man ..

He had seen many executions, and he knew that Jesus was dead. The other soldiers in charge of His execution inspected Jesus. We read:

John 19:32-37 (NKJV) … the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

Experts in execution saw Jesus was dead. He was removed from the Cross, wrapped for burial, and laid in a tomb. The tomb was sealed, and guards were placed on it’s seal. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Jesus was dead.

Then He was SEEN ALIVE three days and nights later.

Jesus was seen first by “Cephas”, which was Jesus’ name for Simon, the leader of the Apostles (John 1:42; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 9:5; Galatians 2:9). Then Jesus was see by “The Twelve”. It was after this that Judas Iscariot killed himself, realizing his part in crucifying the Lord of Glory (James 2:1). Then Jesus was seen of “five hundred brethren at once”, which proves that Jesus was not a figment of the imagination. Jesus then went to His stepbrother “James”, and after this went back to visit with the eleven remaining Apostles. Then Paul says “I SAW HIM”. Paul saw Jesus on the Damascus Road when the Lord knocked him down and got his attention.

We do not follow a dead Savior, but the Living God.

The Bible says:

Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV) {Jesus} because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

The day that you received Jesus as lord and Savior, He promised “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5) and “I will be with you till the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus could not be a Good Shepherd to His Sheep (that’s us) if He ceased being with us. He died, but He rose again so that He can always be with us. The Bible says:

Romans 8:34 (NKJV) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Because Jesus Defeated Death,
We Need Not Fear Life Nor Death

1 Corinthians 15:20-26 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Jesus defeated spiritual death by making payment for our sins on Calvary. Jesus defeated physical death by rising from the Grave. We are told that Jesus is “the firstfruits of them that slept”. The “FIRSTFRUITS” is a technical term for the first crop harvested from the field. We who are Christians are told:

Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming

As Christ was resurrected from the grave and occupies a glorified body, every Christian shall one day receive a glorified body. We are promised in the Scripture:

Romans 8:11 (ESV) If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Death has no hold on the Christian. Jesus has defeated death and damnation. The body you have is NOT the body you will have in glory. In the latter part of this chapter, the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15:36-44 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

The body you now have MUST DIE. The body you now have is flawed with the effects of Adam’s sin. You cannot enter Heaven with this mess you have right now. We are told:

1 Corinthians 15:50 … flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

There must be a change. There will be a change. Each and every person in this room will one day physically die. But if you are SPIRITUALLY alive in Christ, your soul will continue on to be with Jesus. And Jesus has promised that He will give you a glorified body wherein is no sickness or death, no disease nor sinfulness. Oh how I look forward to that day.

Do you know Jesus? Is He your Lord and Savior? If He is, then you are encouraged to keep on living your life for the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

That blessed day will come when you meet Jesus face to face. If you are not saved by faith in Him, your next stop – if you will reject Him – will be eternal damnation. Oh, how I pray you will give your lives to Him. May the Holy Spirit make this a reality today. Amen and Amen.

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Wisdom Our Helpmeet

Posted on March 31, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Alex Green: https://www.pexels.com/photo/smiling-asian-grandmother-teaching-little-granddaughter-to-cook-5693389/

Proverbs 1:20-23 Wisdom crieth without; SHE uttereth her voice in the streets: 21 SHE crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city SHE uttereth HER words, saying, 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

What Is The Difference Between
WISDOM And KNOWLEDGE?

As we are studying our way through Proverbs, at this point God personifies WISDOM. Now let me explain this statement. First of all,

What is WISDOM?

Wisdom is the ability to put KNOWLEDGE into effective action. My Dictionary states:

“Wisdom and knowledge have quite a bit in common. Both words are primarily used as nouns that are related to learning. … The word knowledge is defined first as the “acquaintance with facts, truths or principles, as from study or investigation … Wisdom is defined as “the state of being wise,” which means “having the power of discernment and judging properly as to what is true or right: possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.” … The primary difference between the two words is that wisdom involves a healthy dose of perspective and the ability to make sound judgments about a subject while knowledge is simply knowing. Anyone can become knowledgeable about a subject by reading, researching, and memorizing facts. It’s wisdom, however, that requires more understanding and the ability to determine which facts are relevant in certain situations. Wisdom takes knowledge and applies it with discernment based on experience, evaluation, and lessons learned.”

Let’s put this into a Biblical perspective. You can KNOW what is true, but not put it into action. Wisdom is the act of putting God’s Truth into ACTION. Jesus preached His “Sermon on the Mount”, and it was recorded in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. In this Sermon Jesus told us what God expects us to DO if we are His followers. As Jesus closed the Sermon we read:

Matthew 7:28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

The SCRIBES had knowledge. They knew all about the Bible, and were astounding in how much Scripture they memorized. But Jesus was different. He told His audience just before closing the Sermon:

Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Who is the “wise man”? The person who HEARS what Jesus said, but DOES what He said. The Scribe will HEAR the Word, but not DO it. He is not wise. The wise person both heeds and does what God said, regardless as to temptation to do otherwise.

Wisom is to HEAR and DO, to APPLY.
What do we mean by “Wisdom Is Personified”?

As God describes Wisdom, in our text He describes Wisdom as SHE and HER.

Proverbs 1:20-21 Wisdom crieth without; SHE uttereth her voice in the streets: 21 SHE crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city SHE uttereth HER words, saying,

Word Study: Why does God describe WISDOM (Hebrew ḥāḵmôṯ, (pronounced khok-moth’) as a woman? It goes back to Solomon’s request as well as Creation itself. When Solomon first became King of Israel, he prayed and asked God to give him WISDOM to perform his duties. God answered that prayer, and the Bible says:

1 Kings 4:29-31 (NKJV) God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men …

When Solomon was made King, he realized that though he possessed the power, he didn’t know what to do. So Solomon cried out to God. The Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5, NKJV). God is the Source of Wisdom. When Solomon realized he lacked, he cried out to God and God gave him a helper.

In the Creation story, the Bible says that God made Adam first. The Bible says “Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed” (Genesis 2:8, NKJV). God put Adam (like Solomon) in control of His Kingdom. Then God said:

Genesis 2:18 … It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

The woman was made to help the man. God personifies wisdom as a woman, because wisdom was given to Solomon to help him do his duty. Wisdom is personified THREE TIMES in Proverbs as a woman:

Today’s text
Proverbs 8:1-36
Proverbs 9:1-12

Just as Adam could not do what God wanted him to do in the Garden, we cannot do what God wants us to do without that “helper” called WISDOM.

The merely KNOW something doesn’t do us any good. We need to put what we know into practice. We need to DO what God says. Wisdom will not mislead us, but will stay true to God’s Word.

Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom crieth WITHOUT… (ḥûṣ; pronounced khoots; OUTSIDE)

God’s Wisdom is not like the false wisdom of this world. I was watching a sitcom the other day when an actor said, “We’re all just random atome, an accident in the universe”. That’s stupid. If we’re all accidents, then there is no such thing as morality. It’s survival of the fittest, and to kill or be killed is right. That’s stupid. It’s like the idiocy that says “We no longer need to have MEN’S sports and WOMEN’S sports – let’s just let them all play together. It doesn’t matter, because GENDER IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT”. That is the idiocy of human wisdom. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 1:19-21 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Man’s wisdom is not wise, but foolish, and leads to damage and damnation. God’s wisdom leads to salvation and peace. “We {Christians} speak WISDOM among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought” (1 Corinthians 2:6). “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” (1 Corinthians 3:19).

God’s Wisdom cries WITHOUT the world. It does not blend with the foolishness, but is light in the midst of darkness. Like Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, it requires that we turn from the flesh and toward the Spirit of God.

Proverbs 1:20-21 … she UTTERETH {nāṯan, pronounced naw-than’} her voice in the streets: 21 She CRIETH {qārā’, pronounced kaw-raw’} in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

Wisdom {nāṯan, pronounced naw-than’} is not hidden, but CLEARLY REPRESENTS herself. God has not hidden the truth from us, but just as He SET (nāṯan) the stars in the sky (Genesis 1:17) and GAVE US (nāṯan) plants that nutricious (Genesis 1:29), God has freely given the world His truths through Christ and His Bible. Wisdom “CRIETH {qārā’, pronounced kaw-raw’}” or CALLS OUT to whosoever will hear. God has not hidden truth from us. Whether in the fields, or in the city. God has proclaimed His truth through faithful messengers over the years.

Wisdom Is Specific In Her Direction.
Will You Hear, Or Deflect?

Proverbs 1:21-22 …. she uttereth {Qal Imperfect of ‘āmar, pronounced aw-mar’, meaning “to speak from the heart”} her words, saying, 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

Wisdom addresses and rebukes three types of people now.

Word Study: The SIMPLE Ones – First, there are the “simple ones”, the Hebrew pᵊṯî (pronounced peth-ee’) which means “the foolish, the naive or silly”. These are those who have rejected the Word of God. We read in:

Psalm 19:7 (NKJV) The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

God’s Word “MAKES WISE THE SIMPLE, the pᵊṯî (pronounced peth-ee’)”. Those who are foolish or naive or silly can very well shorten their lives. The Bible says:

Psalm 116:6 (NKJV) The Lord preserves the SIMPLE ; I was brought low, and He saved me.

In order to go from SIMPLE to WISE, the heart must be willing to receive the Word of God. The Scripture says:

Psalm 119:130 (NKJV) The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

Proverbs 1:22 …. the scorners delight in their scorning

Word Study: The ARROGANT or BOASTFUL –: The second type of rejector of wisdom is the “SCORNERS” (the Hebrew lûṣ {pronounced loots}), which means “those who are arrogant and boastful. Those who KNOW they’re RIGHT, and reject the Word of God.” The Bible says:

Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Those who despise the Law of God will openly mock what He has said – and those who follow Him. The evil want us to compromise the faith of Christ. The Psalmist was often tempted, saying:

Psalm 119:51 (NKJV) The PROUD have me in great derision, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.

The PROUD, the ARROGANT, the “SCORNERS” (the Hebrew lûṣ {pronounced loots}) often find a nesting place in the Church of God. The Apostle Paul was attacked by such people who compared him to other teachers (see 1 Corinthians 1:12-13). They often found fault with Paul rather than hearing the truth he preached and applying it to their lives. The Apostle confronted this by his resolve to focus on not himself and his flesh, but on Christ. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 2:1-4 (NKJV) And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Paul could have lowered himself to where the Corinthians were and attacked back, but instead he was determined to focus not on the flesh but on Jesus.

Word Study: The FOOLISH or SILLY – The third type of rejector of Wisdom is those determined not to know. This is the Hebrew kᵊsîl {pronounced kes-eel’}, which means “those who are silly, dullards, senseless ones”. This word is used in these Scriptures:

Psalm 92:5-6 (NKJV) O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. 6 A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this.

The Book of Proverbs talks more about the SENSELESS SILLY PERSON than they do others. By count, in Proverbs:

The SILLY or SENSELESS kᵊsîl {pronounced kes-eel’} is 49x
The SCORNERS or ARROGANT lûṣ {pronounced loots} is 18x
The SIMPLE or NAIVE pᵊṯî (pronounced peth-ee’) is 15x

Pastor Cole Newton wrote:

“… fools are destroyed by their complacency. This is a terrifying image. While the simple were killed because they turned toward sin, fools are destroyed by doing nothing. … This is a great warning against “Christians” who refuse to take sin and the things of God seriously. Twice Jeremiah warns the people of Judah against prophets and priests who heal “the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (6:14, 8:11). These religious leaders refused to take the sin of Judah seriously. They spoke of peace while God was crying out for His people to repent. We must take care that we do not allow a similar complacency to sweep us away. The path to damnation is open wide for those who refuse to let God’s word call them to action.”

God cannot bless those who reject His Word and His Wisdom. God says to all that the solution to life is to REPENT and TURN to the Word of God.

Proverbs 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

It is only through repentance and turning to the Word of God that the Lord will “pour out my Spirit unto you”. This is a reference to the filling of the Holy Spirit. God gave us the Holy Spirit to “guide the believer into all truth” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit that we receive as a part of our salvation is given by Jesus to “teach us all things, and bring all things to our remembrance that Jesus said to us” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit of God “searches everything, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-13).

We must abide in the truth of God’s Word if we expect an anointing from God (1 John 2:20, 27). We cannot pick and choose what we will heed. We must heed the whole council of God, the whole Word of God. We must rely entirely on the Word of God.

If we reject God’s Word, will God bless us? No. God will tell us in His Word and through His Spirit what He wants us to do. But if we reject Him and His Word, God says:

Proverbs 1:24-27 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

When you reject the counsel of God, reject His Word, then God takes the attitude of “you made your bed – now lie in it”. Rather than build on the Rock that is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4) you decided to go the way of the world. The Bible says:

Galatians 6:7-9 (NKJV) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Had those Wisdom addressed heeded the Word that was spoken, they would have been blessed. But they would not hear. So God said, “If that’s what you want – then here you go”. When calamity comes, God will laugh. “He that sits in the Heavens shall LAUGH: the LORD shall have them in derision” (Psalm 2:4).

Proverbs 1:28-31 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

People ask the question, “How can a ‘Loving God’ allow the evil we see active in this world?” It is because “they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord”. God told them what to do, but they pooh poohed God. They “would {have} none of my counsel. When God rebuked them, like calcitrant children they rejected Him. “they despised all my reproof”. Jesus spoke of this in His preaching. He came to save the Jewish people, but they rejected Him. The Chief Priests and Scribes hated Him, and the Pharisees and Sadducees plotted against Him. In time, God turned away.

Luke 14:21-26 (NKJV) Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ” 25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

God calls us to an all or nothing proposition. If we want His blessing then, like Solomon, we need to turn to Him for wisdom. We end with these words:

Proverbs 1:32-33 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

May God open your eyes, and touch your hearts with His Word. Amen and Amen.

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