Elders Among Us

Posted on September 23, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by cottonbro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-holding-a-bible-10485422/

Last Sunday we ended our evening study with:

1 Peter 4:17-19 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

We are in a battle for the souls of men and women and children. Satan has from the beginning launched an all out offensive against the Church of Christ. His activity has tremendously increased over the last fifty years, beginning with the sexual revolution of the 60’s and 70’s, and today moving into the radical left with the “you be you and I’ll be me” movement. Satan has taken progressiveness into the classrooms where our children are being taught, seeking to drag all of America down a godless pit of humanism. John Stonestreet of Breakpoint wrote:

“A few months ago, a friend told me of something that points to the level of cultural infection. She had asked a friend of hers, a junior high school teacher, how many students in {her} class identified as LGBTQ. The answer, offered immediately in a sort of “don’t you know this” tone, was, “Oh, all of them do”. “All of them?”, my friend replied. “Are they sexually active?” “Not at all”, the teacher replied. “But none of them want to be straight or cis”.

It is more fashionable to be transgender or same sex (or even bi-sex) oriented than it is to be plain old vanilla heterosexual. This is where America has drifted to.

We had a few Presbyterians come to our church when the Cumberland Presbyterians began to normalize sexuality that the Scripture forbids. They stayed with us a few years, then drifted back to their churches. Why? Because Satan keeps hammering through the media that what the Bible says is abnormal is actually normal. It is not fashionable to cling to the Word of God. It is as Jesus said:

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

The narrow gate is traveled by few. It is uncomfortable. It is much easier to become a part of the crowd, to fade into the masses. But Jesus calls us to be the “light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). The Apostle asks this question:

1 Peter 4:18 … if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall
the ungodly and the sinner appear

Word Study: The word “scarcely” is the Greek μόλις mólis, {pronounced mol’-is}, which means “with much difficulty, not easily”. You could translate it “with much work”. It was much work to lead people to Christ in the days of Peter, and it’s getting harder every year. God can break through the hardness of the human heart, but Satan is, sadly, often more active than God’s children are. It is the Holy Spirit that must awaken the sinner to the Grace of God, but the Holy Spirit will not do His work if we do not do ours. The wondrous Gospel tells us that:

Romans 5:5 … hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The world does not want to hear about Jesus – but we must stay strong in Him. We are going to have friction – difficulties – problems as believers sharing Christ with the lost. The Chief Apostle simply tells us:

1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Trust in God. Keep your eyes on Jesus. And grow in your knowledge of God’s Word!

There Are False Elders, And True Elders

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

As the leadership in a Church goes, so goes the Church. Peter now begins to talk to the “elders”. This is the Greek πρεσβύτερος presbýteros, {pronounced pres-boo’-ter-os}, which is found sixty seven times in the New Testament.

Among the Jews, the presbýteros or elders were those who studied the Old Testament Laws and it’s teachings, the authorities.

The presbýteros were often Rabbis or other high ranking leaders in the Jewish Synagogues. The Jewish presbýteros got away from the Word of God, and started adding their own spin to that which God commanded. When these presbýteros saw Jesus and His disciples eating, they complained:

Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

These Jewish elders ignored the parts of God’s Word that they didn’t like, and created laws out of thin air to judge others by. Jesus chastised them, saying:

Matthew 15:3-9 Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

The “elders” were not taking care of their aging parents, but abandoned them in their time of need. When asked “Why don’t you do something about your mother or father?” they would reply, “My free money is CORBAN, dedicated to God’s work and God’s Temple”. Then they wouldn’t donate the money, but would hide it. They did not love, and taught others to be equally loveless.

Tradition is not a bad thing as long as tradition is supported by God’s Word. The Jewish elders perverted God’s Command by their traditions.

Jesus told them, “You hold on to the tradition of men, but lay aside the commandment of God” (Mark 7:8). “You have made the Word of God of no effect through your traditions”(Mark 7:13). These are not the types of Elders that God wants in His Church – nor in His Israel. These people HATED JESUS, and often joined in with other unbelievers to attack our Lord. Who was it that attacked Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Matthew 26:47 … while {Jesus} yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders {presbýteros} of the people.

Who sat in the illegal night time trial of Jesus? The Bible says:

Matthew 26:57 … they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders {presbýteros} were assembled.

When it came time for Jesus to be executed, who was it that suggested to the multitude that Barabbas the murderer be released, and Jesus be crucified?

Matthew 27:20 … the chief priests and elders {presbýteros} persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

As Jesus hung on the Cross, suffering for our sins, who was it who led the multitude in tormenting our Lord?

Matthew 27:41-43 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders {presbýteros}, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

And when Jesus resurrected from the Grave, who was it who bribed the guards at Christ’s Tomb to tell a lie?

Matthew 28:12-13 {the chief priests} were assembled with the elders {presbýteros}, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

An “Elder” is not just a person who has a lot of Biblical knowledge. Several years ago one of my favorite Science Fiction authors Isaac Asimov wrote a comprehensive commentary on the Bible called “Asimov’s Guide to the Bible”. Published in two volumes, it was released in a single 1296 page volume in 1981. Asimov stated,

“I am an atheist, out and out. … Emotionally, I am an atheist. I don’t have the evidence to prove that God doesn’t exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn’t that I don’t want to waste my time” (Free Inquiry,Spring 1982, p. 9).

Bible knowledge itself will not make you an elder. The Rabbis of Jesus’ day knew the Bible, but not Jesus. The Priests of Jesus’ day knew the Bible, but not Jesus. Who is, Biblically, an “Elder”?

True Elders Look Like Peter, James, And John

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

The Apostle defines an “Elder” or presbýteros as someone like himself. Peter says, “I am also an elder”. An elder is someone who spends time with Jesus. Peter often spent time with Jesus.

  • “Elders” makes themselves available to be with Jesus. When Jesus went to the Mount of Transfiguration to have an end times meeting with Moses and Elijah, who did He take with Him?

Matthew 17:1-3 … after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him

Jesus took special care to have three men – Peter, James and John – to be with Him at significant moments in His ministry. Why did Jesus take these three, and not the others? I believe it is because Peter, James and John were available for Jesus to meet with them. The other disciples were equally saved and called by Jesus, but Peter, when Jesus called Him, dropped everything to follow Jesus.

Peter, James and John loved to be with Jesus.

When the Ruler of the Synagogue called for Jesus to heal his little girl, the Bible says:

Mark 5:36-37 {Jesus} saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 37 And {Jesus allowed} no man to follow him, {except} Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

Peter, James and John did not have to be chased. Jesus didn’t have to run from pillar to post trying to find them. They stayed close to our Master not because they HAD to, but because they WANTED TO. Because they made themselves available to Him, Jesus used them. We see the same principle in the Old Testament as well. Moses loved to be with Jesus (John 8:58), and every time Moses turned around, who was there? JOSHUA!

  • Elders want to be Jesus’ shadow, regardless as to what others think. They allow Jesus to mold them. Peter was a rough fisherman, and yet he was willing to be shaped by Jesus. When Jesus met Peter …

John 1:42 (ESV) … Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Jesus renamed Simon as “Cephas” (which means Peter”. Why did our Lord do this? The Bible tells us in Matthew 13:55 that Jesus was known as “the carpenters Son”. The word “carpenter” is the Greek tekton, which means “a craftsman or builder”. An article at Lifeway Leadership notes:

“The majority of homes in Israel, as noted by Hebraic scholar James W. Fleming, are constructed with stone. Fleming explains: “Jesus and Joseph would have formed and made nine out of ten projects from stone either by chiseling or carving the stone or stacking building blocks.”

Jesus was a stone mason before He was known as Messiah. He called Simon “Peter” or literally “Rock” because our Lord was going to mold Simon like a mason would shape a rock. An elder has to be willing to let Jesus shape them, turn them into what He wants them to be. This is often a PAINFUL process. Yet the elder is willing for the Master Carpenter to hack and chip away all that is not God honoring and God glorifying.

  • Elders lead the Church to prayer and to the presence of Christ. The Bible says that, following Christ’s ascension:

Acts 1:13 {the 120 disciples} went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

If you are infrequent in prayer, you will never be an elder in the Church. Elders build a habit of prayer, believing that “where two or three are gathered together in Christ’s Name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). Elders are prayer warriors. One of the Elders that followed Jesus, the Apostle James wrote:

James 5:13-15 (ESV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders {presbýteros} of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Elders Are To Be Faithful In Doing Christ’s Work

1 Peter 5:2-4 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Elders are called to “feed Christ’s sheep”. They are to grow in the knowledge of the Lord by study of God’s Word, and are to share what they know with the Church. The Elders are NOT bosses of the Church. The Apostle says, “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock”. They are called to live their lives as examples for the Church to follow. Right after Jesus rose from the Grave, He spoke to Peter, saying:

John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

The Elders show their love for Jesus by caring for and feeding His sheep. How do we “feed” them? We do what Jesus said. When Jesus prepared to ascend unto Heaven, He told us:

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Elders are to teach the things that Jesus has taught them. We are to “examples to the flock” in how we not only know the Word of God, but live it out every day. This is what the Church desperately needs in these latter days. The Church does not need worldliness, but the Word of Christ. Let us live together for His glory. In Christ Name I pray. Amen and Amen.

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Live Like You Are Beloved

Posted on September 20, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by nappy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-child-reading-holy-bible-935944/

Please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter 4. Here we go!

1 Peter 4:12-16 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

I have always resisted the easy believism preaching of “God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life”.

This type of preaching became popular in the later 20th century church, and often pops up in the current culture as well. I do believe that “God loves you”. But I’m not sure how “wonderful” the plan for your life is, as “wonderful” means “to inspire delight, pleasure or admiration”.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. But we live in a fallen world absolutely opposed to the Biblical Jesus. If you live for Jesus, expect – at best – discomfort!

That’s what 1 Peter chapter 4 focuses on: S-U-F-F-E-R-I-N-G! I have talked with other Pastors who tell me they’d rather focus on the love of God and future Heaven, than they would on the darkness of this world. But Beloved, we live in a dark world. Not too long ago Canadian Authorities chased two brothers Damien and Miles Sanderson who killed at least ten (10) people, and wounded eighteen (18) more with knives. Why did they do this? Because we live in a fallen world.

Every dark and evil thing in our world today can be traced to sin. It is sin that separates us from God. It is sin that drags people down. It is sin that leads a person to alcohol or drug addiction. It is sin that creeps into marriages, and leads spouses away into adulterous liaisons. It was sin that caused self righteous religious people to destroy the twin towers in New York City, killing over 3000 people. It is sin that causes gender dysphoria, sin that leads to the same sex marriage, sin that endorses “free love”, sin that has caused the proliferation of sexually transmitted diseases, Monkeypox, HIV and AIDs. It is sin that has caused the breakdown of the family. It is sin that says a child is not harmed by being raised by one parent, though God has told children “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). The Apostle said:

Ephesians 6:2-3 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Long life is promised to those with father and mother. Break the design, you have harmed the child. Pastor John MacArthur defined the problem of sin this way:

“The root of all sin is autonomy and replacement of God with self. However small a sin may seem, it is an assertion that the person is acting independently of God”.

A Christian Is Beloved, Not A Sinner

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved …

Word Study: God calls the Christian – and His Church – “Beloved”. This is the Greek ἀγαπητός agapētós, [pronounced ag-ap-ay-tos’], which means “Beloved, highly esteemed, cherished, favorite”. Those who are “Beloved” are reconciled to God because they have been redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ. Reconciled and Redeemed, we are considered righteous because we have received Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Because we are “Beloved” (Romans 1:7), we enjoy grace and peace with God.
Because we are “Beloved” (1 Thessalonians 1:4), we are chosen by God.
Because we are “Beloved” (Colossians 3:12), we are holy and Heaven bound.

1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

Let’s start with the first part of this statement. I am saved because “Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh”. Jesus Christ suffered for MY sins. Jesus Christ suffered for YOUR sins. He was nailed to the Cross by a lost world, but His suffering served the purpose of covering our sins in the eyes of God. But it did something else. When Jesus died on the Cross, He made it possible for the Holy Spirit to come into our lives, and the regenerate us (make us born again). The Spirit also indwells us forever because of the work of Christ. The indwelling of the Spirit makes the believer dead to sin. We see this preached throughout the Scriptures. For example:

Romans 6:1-7 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

The old you died the day that you met Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those things that you used to do without regard to God, now when you do them they have the stench of sin on them. We who are saved do not want to be like the old man, but to be like the new man, the person anointed of Christ. No Christian should revel in sin. You have the Holy Spirit inside of you. The Apostle said:

Romans 8:10-14 if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The “Christian” man who lives with his girlfriend, sexually violating her night after night without regard to the will of God, is but a plastic replica of the real. The “Christian” woman who carries a grudge against someone who harmed her years before but never feels a stirring of God within her against such things, is but a pretend Christian. Jesus said, “Every GOOD TREE brings forth GOOD FRUIT; but a CORRUPT TREE brings forth EVIL FRUIT. A GOOD TREE cannot bring forth EVIL FRUIT, neither can a CORRUPT TREE bring forth GOOD FRUIT” (Mathew 7:17-18).

Salvation brings a radical change in the life of a person. The “Beloved” of God, we are told,

1 Peter 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Those who are Beloved want to honor the God Who save them. Before we were saved, how did we act? We made life about SELF, about our own SELFISHNESS. We were like the other Gentiles:

1 Peter 4:3 … the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Word Study: Now you might think “my sins weren’t that bad”, but in the eyes of God they were that bad. “We walked {past tense} in lasciviousness” (ἀσέλγεια asélgeia, [pronounced as-elg’-i-a]), that is, some of us sought to satisfy our lusts. “We walked in …. lusts” (ἐπιθυμία epithymía, pronounced ep-ee-thoo-mee’-ah), that is, “a longing for the forbidden”. We chased after false gods. We lived in “banquetings” (πότος pótos, [pronounced pot’-os]), “drinking bouts or carousing”. You might say, “But I never did any of these things”, and that may be true. But before you met Jesus, YOU were your own god. You did what pleased you, which is what the world does. Jesus died a horrid death on the Cross of Calvary for you, just as He did for the murderer or the child molester or the rapist. We are the Beloved of God. We support the Will of God, not the want of Adam. We desire the smile of God over the grin of the lost. We are not self righteous, for we know we are born again not of our power, but of the power of God. But we do not revel in sin. The Christian declares:

Galatians 2:20-21 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I follow Christ’s Law and God’s Will not to be saved, but BECAUSE I am saved. “If we be dead with Jesus, we shall live with Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:11). Not just in Heaven, but NOW!

1 Peter 3:18 … Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God

He Who has always been JUST and righteous and pure “suffered for sins”. Why? So that He could “bring us to God”. We walk with God now, not with the world.

Christians, Like Jesus, Are Subject To Fiery Trials

1 Peter 4:12-16 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Word Study: Rather than preach “Jesus loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life”, Peter warns us that there is a “fiery trial”. This is the Greek πύρωσις pýrōsis, [pronounced poo’-ro-sis], which means “a burning by which metals are purified, a refiner’s fire”. When you ran with the world, in agreement with the things the world said, you could blend into the crowd. But when you live to honor God your Father things change. People believe Christians to be STRANGEthat you don’t agree with the things they say is right. They will SPEAK EVIL OF YOU, slander you and liable you. We are told this:

1 Peter 4:4-5 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

These unbelievers will be judged one day at a Great White Throne, a horrid affair mentioned in Revelation 20:11-12. The Gospel is to be preached to these – to all souls. Beloved, there is a hell. There is a Lake of Fire. It is a place where those who have rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior will hear:

Matthew 25:41 (ESV) Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

The Prophet Daniel called hell a place of “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). Jesus said that hell was so horrible that:

Mark 9:45-48 (ESV) if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

It has become fashionable today to believe that everyone by default – except those you don’t like – will go to Heaven. It has also become fashionable to believe that hell is but temporary, and that at worse you will be burned up in its flame. Yet Jesus spoke of hell when He spoke of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Did the Rich Man burn up in Hell’s flame. No. Jesus said:

Luke 16:23-24 … in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Punishment and separation in Hell is just as eternal as is life in Heaven (see Matthew 25:46). Those who reject the love of God and the grace of God in Christ will forever be separated from God in eternity. They are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). Because Hell is real, and because every sinner and every saint will stand before God, we preach the Gospel.

1 Peter 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

The lost are spiritually DEAD. But we preach the Gospel so that they might become like us – condemned of the darkness, but ALIVE ACCORDING TO GOD IN THE SPIRIT. We hope to gain souls for Heaven. We hope to be instruments that God will use to bring the lost inbto the Kingdom of God. Jesus died for us all to bring us to God:

1 Peter 2:24 {Jesus} his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

But we need to be aware that, as Jesus suffered while on the earth fighting the darkness, we, too will suffer when we stand up for Jesus.

As Jesus Suffered To Bring Us Salvation,
We Will Suffer Carrying The Message Of Salvation

1 Peter 4:13-14 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

If you are saved by faith in Christ, REJOICE if you are partners with Christ in suffering. Listen my dear friend. Many local churches today have twisted the Word of God to make it more palatable to the lost world. Many local churches fly rainbow flags, and preach “Love Always Wins”. I can point out numerous Scriptures that plainly declare those in sexual deviancy shall not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:20-21, et al.) The Blood of the Cross is not a free pass to wander away from God.

Those who are saved always pursue the Savior.
Those who are sheep always follow the Shepherd.
Those who are children of the Kingdom always follow the King.
Those who are sanctified always follow the One Who set them apart.

The Gospel we hear today is “God loves you. Just walk the aisle, then leave the Church and do what you will”. This is satanic, devilish, and not of God.

We who are saved “walk in the Light as Christ is in the Light” (1 John 1:7). We are called to pick up our Cross and follow Jesus. Jesus said …

Matthew 16:24-26 If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Expect to be hated of the world. Expect to be despised, belittled, made fun of – and praise God for it. Do not seek to be self righteous nor arrogant in your faith – but keep your eyes on Jesus! We are told:

1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Expect to have enemies if you are living for Jesus. If you are “reproached for the name of Christ”, be happy over this. This is a proof of your faith, that the Spirit of Glory, that is, the Spirit of God is on your life.

1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Beloved, if you live for Jesus you will suffer. Jesus suffered. Jesus suffered from the religious leaders. Jesus suffered from the political rulers. Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:10 (ESV) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

You cannot expect to get to Heaven without a measure of suffering. If you never suffer reproach, never suffer shame, never suffer any loneliness or isolation for Christ’s sake … then perhaps you are TOO MUCH LIKE THE WORLD. Jesus told us all:

John 15:18 (ESV) If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

It is normal – in a battle – to have the enemy shoot at you. It is normal for the enemy to put forth propoganda to slander you. It is normal for the enemy to sneak into your outfit, into your unit, and sabotage you. When the writer of Hebrews spoke of our forefathers who stood up for God, He wrote:

Hebrews 11:32-38 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

In America we have avoided much of the persecution that Christians in other parts of the world go through on a daily basis. This is because America was founded on Christian ethics. But Beloved, I believe the same thing that Peter tells us:

1 Peter 4:7-8 … the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Peter encouraged the Church to prepare herself, and to love one another “fervently”. The darkness has been gathering for years while the Church in America has languished and compromised with the darkness. It is time for us to rise up and, loving one another, let the world glimpse into the Kingdom of God. Peter ends with:

1 Peter 4:17-19 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Let us honor God with our time, our talents, our temple, our treasure, and our ticker! If the Church does not stand firm in the preaching and modeling of the Gospel, then how can the lost be saved? They cannot. The Church is God’s Kingdom on the earth. Let us live for Him Who saved us. In Christ’s name I pray – Amen and Amen.

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Let’s Lose The Wrong Mind!

Posted on September 18, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by SHVETS production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-person-putting-crumpled-paper-in-box-on-woman-7203718/

1 Peter 3:8-12 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Lose The World’s Mind – Pursue The Mind of Christ

As Christians (Christ followers), we are to be “of one mind”. As humans, we are always happy to be “of one mind” as long as it is our mind. But the “one mind” that we are called to have is “the mind of Christ”. This is what the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Preach: We have the Word of God, the Bible (Proverbs 30:5). “Every Word of God is pure: He is a Shield unto them that put their trust in Him”. We have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. “Even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive” (John 14:17). The Christian – born again of the Spirit – is given access to the mind of Christ.

The devil will do all he can to get us to rely on OUR mind or on the mind of THE WORLD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

We as believers are to “with one mind and one mouth glorify God” (Romans 15:6). The Church must share the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ cannot be achieved without this key: “It is written”. We must head toward the Scriptures. This is where Jesus went in His teachings.

Jesus did not come to this earth and develop a new doctrine,
but to establish a New Covenant.

The Old Covenant required that people hear and heed the Law of God in their own power. God promised that – when the New Covenant came – that things would be different. God told His Israel:

Jeremiah 31:31-34 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 neighbor, 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.

The distinctive feature of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant is NOT that God’s Law is abrogated – for Jesus said “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). The key difference in the New Covenant is that God will write His Law in our hearts. The New Covenant believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9). It is the Holy Spirit that guides us into all truth (John 16:13). Every believer under the New Covenant is indwelt with God.

Spirit Indwelt People Are To Pursue The Mind Of Christ

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Word Study: Believers are to “having compassion one of another”, the Greek συμπαθής sympathḗs, {pronounced soom-path-ace’}, which means “to be sympathetic toward, to feel the suffering of another, to be empathetic”. Every human is connected to another human. No one lives in a vacuum! Christians in particular should be empathetic toward the condition of others in the Church. The Bible says that in the Church:

1 Corinthians 12:18-20, 24-26 (ESV) But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 24 God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Compassion asks “What do YOU need?”, not “What do I want?”

Our world suffers from a lack of compassion. The devil says that things matter. God says that people matter. All people matter. Every life matters. The Christian who has experienced the mercy and grace of God should appreciate the value of every human life. God made every person on purpose. Sadly, many in the United States and around the world have lost the sense of the preciousness and value of life. The American Psychological Association in a recent article entitled “Worrying Trends In U.S. Suicide Rates” notes:

“The suicide rate increased 33 percent from 1999 through 2017, from 10.5 to 14 suicides per 100,000 people (NCHS Data Brief No. 330, November 2018). Rates have increased more sharply since 2006. Suicide ranks as the fourth leading cause of death for people ages 35 to 54, and the second for 10- to 34-year-olds. It remains the 10th leading cause of death overall.”

Word Study: Jesus came to heal the sick, to save the lost, to reach humanity with the message of God’s Love. We are to be compassionate toward others – especially our fellow believers. How does one show compassion? We “love as brethren”. This is the Greek compound word φιλάδελφος philadelphos, which means “show familial love toward others”. Treat others – particularly those in your local Church – as family. This concept is echoed throughout the Scripture:

Romans 12:10 (ESV) Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (ESV) Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,

Contextual Study: In this world we use one word for “love” – and it’s “L-O-V-E”. In the Bible, however, there are numerous words for “love”. In the Hebrew (Old Testament) we find:

– HESED, which means “lovingkindness”
– AHAB, which means “love”
– DOD, which refers to “romantic love”

In the New Testament Greek the words for “Love” are:

+ EROS, which refers to “romantic love”
+ PHILEOS, which is love between friends or brothers
+ STORGE, which is love within the family (brother to brother, child to parent)
+ AGAPE, which is to do good toward others, to be beneficial or benevolent

You are not required to “like” anyone in the family of God, but you are to “love them as family”, to treat them with the same respect you expect.

Word Study: Let’s go further. As family members in the Kingdom of God, we are told “be pitiful, be courteous”. The word “pitiful” is the Greek εὔσπλαγχνος eúsplanchnos, {pronounced yoo’-splangkh-nos}, which means “to be tender hearted toward another person, sympathetic”. The Pharisees never had pity on others. When Jesus went into the Synagogue and saw a man with a withered hand, our Lord had pity on him and healed him. How did the Pharisees respond?

Mark 3:2 (ESV) … they watched Jesus, to see whether {Jesus} would heal {the man with the withered hand} on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

How hard hearted this is, and how hypocritical. Jesus asked them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” The Pharisees were without pity, without compassion. When, in another Synagogue Jesus met a woman who had been bent over and disabled to 18 years (Luke 13:10-17), Jesus healed that woman. The Bible says:

Luke 13:14-17 (ESV) the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus ahad healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by {Jesus}.

If you can feed your animals, or get your ox out of the ditch on the Sabbath, surely God would allow the healing of one of His people on that same day. Self righteousness is not only misguided, but it is often discourteous. The “ruler of the synagogue”, if he had a genuine grievance, could have taken Jesus to the side to quietly address the matter.

We are to have pity on others, to be courteous and kind in all that we say and do. Jesus set a high standard of love for His people. The Royal Law our King gave us is:

John 13:34 (ESV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Love, compassion, courtesy, empathy for others are marks that a person is genuinely saved. Christians should love as Christ loved!

A mean spirited, bitter person is not saved. Christ is not in their hearts, and their destination is not glory with God in Heaven. The Scripture says:

1 John 4:11-12, 19-21 (ESV) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. … 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

The Darkness Can Only Be Defeated With The Light Of Christ

If Christ has touched your hearts, He has also certainly touched your tongues, your hands, and your feet! We read:

1 Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

We are called as Christians to not return blow for blow, evil for evil. Under the Old Covenant God had a system called “Lex Talionis”, or the Law of Tooth and Nail. In those days there were no police nor military to recompense evil. When someone committed a capital offense, God gave the nearest living relative the authority to bring justice to the offending party.

Leviticus 24:19-20 (ESV) If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.

Under the New Covenant, Jesus removed this
provision from the Law for the believer.

Matthew 5:38-45 (ESV) “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 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.

The focus of the Church Age is to expand the Kingdom of God through whosoever will, to lead the lost to Christ. When we do God’s will and honor our Jesus, the Lord God blesses our lives. God extends our lives when we honor Jesus by loving others as Jesus did. We read:

1 Peter 3:10-12 (ESV) For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile {δόλος dólos, [pronounced dol’-os], meaning “trickery, deceitfulness, to catch someone with a snare or bait}: 11 Let him eschew (ἐκκλίνω ekklínō, [pronounced ek-klee’-no]) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Those who “love life”, that is, the ones who regard life to be a great gift not to be wasted are the same ones who “see good days” or enjoy life. How do they do this? They do this by controlling their attitude by first controlling their tongues. The Apostle is actually quoting from The Hebrew Hymnbook, from…

Psalm 34:12-16 (ESV) What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Those who have the most blessed lives control their tongue and lips. They refuse to do the evil, but instead pursue Christ in their daily walk. When God’s Children do well, that is, love as Jesus loved, then God the Father will oversee us as He did His Son while He walked this earth. Beloved, you need to

Choose your attitude, and choose your actions. Do not let your environment or your feelings choose your actions. Do good, as Christ did good and does good.

The Enduring Word Commentary notes:

“Jesus did not command us to like our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we are commanded to love them; and once we start loving them we will start liking them. … Doing good is often difficult because as a general rule, evil is rewarded immediately and the reward of doing good is often delayed. But the rewards of good are better and far more secure than the rewards of doing evil.”

How Do I Respond If The Good I Do Is Repaid With Evil?

1 Peter 3:13-14 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

If you are a Christian, then you need to expect that you will be persecuted, hated, slandered, despised, thought of as weird or abnormal, and shunned. The darkness has never loved the light of God. The darkness did not come into the Garden of Eden as a Teddy Bear, or a cute Deer, but as a venomous Serpent. The Devil hates the Kingdom of God, and will do whatever He can to destroy it. Jesus told us:

Matthew 10:28 … do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell

As long as we are doing Christ’s work in Christ’s way, God will protect us and guide us through the various attacks we no doubt will suffer. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 118:6 (ESV) The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Rather than focus on the attacks or the inevitable “what ifs” that Satan will attempt to put in your minds, we are told to draw closer to our God. We are to:

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Draw near to God, to His light, when you are being persecuted. Our Lord Jesus was persecuted for preaching the truth. We ourselves will be persecuted for speaking the truth. Speak the truth anyway. Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus told us that “ ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours” (John 15:20). It is true that “through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

1 Peter 3:16-17 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

When trials come your way, examine yourselves, to whether you are in the faith or not” (2 Corinthians 13:5). If you are in the faith serving Jesus Christ, then keep on doing that. If you are NOT serving God, but selfishly meeting your own needs and desires, then STOP IT! We are told:

“it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer
for well doing, than for evil doing”

When we do evil, evil has its own punishment. The Bible tells us that “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When we move into darkness, we suffer the death that is unique to darkness. But when we “walk in the light as {God the Father} is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7). The suffering we receive for doing good is but temporal, and finishes with a great blessing in Heaven. The suffering we receive for doing evil may last us a lifetime, and will rob us of eternal rewards.

Unjust Suffering Endured Will Lead To Victory

When you or I live as Jesus did, will there be times when our love and kindness is rebuffed and thrown back in our faces? Yes, that can happen. That happened with Jesus. Our Lord Jesus “once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”. But there are many who reject Him and His Cross.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Jesus died on the Cross “that he might bring us to God”. He did this for “whosoever will”. And yet, many will reject Christ and die in their sins. In the next few verses we will read one of the most difficult texts of Scripture. Every commentary and Bible Scholar I have consulted have a different view of this text. We read:

1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

The Apostle ties the ministry of Jesus Christ to the ministry of the Prophet Noah. After Jesus died on the Cross, He was “quickened {made alive} by the Spirit”. When Jesus died on that Cross, the world thought He was gone for good. In that three day interval our Lord “went and preached unto the spirits in prison”. Who are these “spirits”, and where is this “prison”? We do not know. What is this “prison”? It is a holding place that is not Heaven. We know from the context that these “spirits” were disobedient and stood against the preaching of Noah for 120 years while he built the Ark. God saved the eight souls who obediently got on the Ark, but the others all died under the judgment of the flood. When Jesus died on Calvary, He went and preached to these “spirits”, telling them He was the Messiah that was promised, the reason that the Ark was commissioned. Though we are left with many blanks, what we learn from this is that love transcends anything that evil can do. Love lives on, and preaches long after we leave this earth. Love makes the difference.

If you are saved, you are saved because Jesus loved you anyway. If others will be saved, we must share the glorious message that Jesus loves them still, and Jesus loves them anyway. May others come to the glorious Christ in faith, believing on Him, so that they might be saved. The darkness cannot be fought with darkness. We must walk with Christ in the Light. For God’s glory. Amen and Amen!

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We Desperately Need God In Us

Posted on September 16, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Tara Winstead: https://www.pexels.com/photo/art-writing-morning-business-8383410/

Please turn with me in your Bibles to Nehemiah chapter 13. In Nehemiah chapters 11 & 12, Nehemiah records the number and types of people that are staying in Jerusalem, as well as in other cities surrounding Jerusalem. The priests were recognized and ordained, and the walls of Jerusalem were dedicated to God. On the day the walls were dedicated:

Nehemiah 12:43 … they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

It is important to understand that – at this time in history – God’s people were Israelis, and they all existed under the Old Covenant. Under the Old Covenant animal/blood sacrifices were necessary for the covering of sin. The animal sacrifices and Feasts were given for a temporary covering for sin. The Book of Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 10:1-10 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Had the animal sacrifices been sufficient to cover sin completely then, the Scripture asks, why were “not {the sacrifices} have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins”. In the offering of sacrifices people knew that they were insufficient, so they came, year after year, and kept sacrificing. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of these animal sacrifices. He is the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). We are told:

1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV) … you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

The Temple sacrifices were to be maintained in Israel until Christ came. In order for these things to be maintained, the Temple and the Priests had to be supported by the people. In chapters 11-12

Nehemiah Reestablished Temple Worship & Bible Reading

Then Nehemiah returned to the Palace of Shushan, and to the service of King Artaxerxes King of Babylon. His appointment was to allow him to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, and to guide the people back to the Law of God.

Nehemiah 12:47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.

Things were as they should be, so Nehemiah was obligated to return to King Artaxerxes. The people turned to the Word of God:

Nehemiah 13:1-3 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; 2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

Once Nehemiah departed, the people continued to read God’s Word. In their reading they came across

Deuteronomy 23:3-6 (ESV) “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, 4 because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you. 6 You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.

The Ammonites and the Moabites were cousins of Israel, the children borne of Lot, Abraham’s Nephew, when Lot slept with his own daughters. Though God gave the children of Ammon and the children of Moab lands of their own, the Ammonites and Moabites held grudges against Israel. When God led Israel out of Egypt the Ammonites and the Moabites not only refused to help their cousins, they hired a prophet named Balaam the son of Beor to curse Israel. The King of the Moabites said:

Numbers 22:6 (ESV) Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.

Balaam went to God in prayer, and told God what the Moabites wanted. The Bible says:

Numbers 22:12 (ESV) God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

Though God told Balaam not to curse Israel, and he told the Moabites this, they persisted and Balaam went to do their bidding. But God stopped him by stopping his donkey, and actually spoke through the donkey to Balaam. Balaam went with the Moabites, but only blessed Israel. Though the Moabites could not get Balaam to curse Israel, in time they infiltrated the nation of Israel with their daughters. We read:

Numbers 25:1-3 (ESV) While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Israel Was In Bondage Because She Departed From God’s Word

Whereas they could not have Israel cursed directly, they led Israel into cursing themselves by binding together with their godless daughters. God sent a plague on Israel that killed 24,000 people until Israel repented and returned from the false gods unto the Lord.

It was because of their hard heartedness and godless worship of false entities that the Lord forbade the Ammonites and Moabites to come into the congregation of Israel forever.

Preach: God will save whosoever will, but under either Old Covenant and New God does not want His people to blend their faith with the lost gods and goddesses. Churches flying rainbow flags will one day have to give an account unto God. Pastors that have blended with the spirit of this age, and have endorsed sexual immorality will have to give an account unto God. Pastors who preach there are many ways unto God, or that there is no Hell, or that Hell is a place of annihilation and not of eternal punishment shall have to give an account. God does not believe in blending His faith with other faiths. False faiths give numerous approaches to God. For instance, the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, iv, 11 notes “Howsoever man may approach Me, even so do I accept them; for, on all sides, whatever path they may choose is Mine”. Yet the Scripture says of Jesus:

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes
to the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6)

To those who believe God’s exclusion of the Ammonites and the Moabites from the Congregation of Israel is racist, I can only point out that God gave Ammon and Moab numerous opportunities to repent. Once they hardened their hearts – like the Egyptian hoard hardened their hearts – all that was left was the wrath of God.

Nehemiah 13:4-5 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: 5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.

How was “blended religion” introduced into the Temple? It was introduced by “Eliashib the priest”. He befriended “Tobiah”, the very same Tobiah who was friends with Sanballet the Horonite, who tried to stop the rebuilding of the walls. Tobiah is an Ammonite (see Nehemiah 2:10, 19; 4:3, 7) who did all he could to destroy the restoration of the walls. Eliashib allowed Tobiah to move into a room in the Temple “where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters”. In other words, Eliashib rented out part of the Temple, a part that was supposed to house the treasury that supported the Temple staff.

Nehemiah 13:6-8 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: 7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff to Tobiah out of the chamber.

We Are To Do Good To Our Enemies,
But Never Compromise Our Faith

Eliashib’s compromise with Tobiah is regarded by Nehemiah as “evil” (raʻ, [pronounced rah]). Jesus tells us to “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” (Matthew 5:44). But we always love God more. We do not compromise our worship and beliefs for the sake of pleasing the world. Tobiah did not belong housed in the Temple. According to the Law, only Levites and priests were to stay in the Temple (2 Chronicles 23:6), and only when they were on duty. When Nehemiah realized this was going on, we read “I cast forth all the household stuff to Tobiah out of the chamber”. Tobiah was an unbeliever misusing God’s Temple. Nehemiah wanted no part of it!

Nehemiah 13:9-14 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense. 10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. 11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. 12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. 13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

When compromise enters our faith, the tithe and the worship suffers. Nehemiah set the Levites and the singers back to work, and put men who were known to be faithful over the treasury.

Nehemiah 13:15-21 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.

The people had drifted away from honoring God on the Sabbath Day. Nehemiah reminded the people that their violation of God’s Law is what brought their conquering and exile on themselves in the first place. “What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.” God will not accept send place in our lives. He wants to be first in our hearts – and He DESERVES to be so. Nehemiah ran the merchants off and demanded that the gates of the city be shut on the Sabbath day, lest the people continue down this wrong path. The Enduring Word Commentary notes:

“The New Testament makes it clear we are not under the law of the Sabbath in the same sense Israel was under the Old Covenant (Colossians 2:16-17), but we are certainly under the same obligation to make honoring God more important than making money or spending money.”

Nehemiah 13:22-27 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. 23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: 24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. 25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. 27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?

Some of the Israeli men had drifted from God, and married pagan and unbelieving wives. They did this though God specifically commanded that Israel not intimately bind themselves with the lost. Nehemiah corrected the situation, some of them “plucking off their hair”. The people repented, and turned back to God. As the Book ends we read:

Nehemiah 13:29-31 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; 31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Nehemiah did what he could to fix the problems of Israel. But there is one thing that stands out – besides the blood sacrifices of the animals – between the Old and New Covenants. Though Nehemiah could reference the Law, and at times resort to physical violence to bring the people into one accord with God – it could not last.

In Nehemiah 10:30-39 Israel had promised that they would not bind with unbelievers, they would not buy or sell on the Sabbath, and that they would support the Temple.
Their promise lasted about 10 years.

No human endeavor can last because of the sin nature of man. Christ had not yet come to earth, and had not yet paid for sin. Christ had not yet sent the Holy Spirit of God to indwell the hearts of His people. Thus, sadly, Israel will fall again.

The Temple that was built by Solomon was destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians because God’s people would not honor His Law (2 Kings 25:9). King Cyrus of Persia (Ezra 1:2) allowed the Temple to be rebuilt under the leadership of Zerubbabel. In 39 BC King Herod would take control of the Temple, and would restore and expand Zerubbabel’s Temple with the work finishing in 63 AD. This Temple would be destroyed just 7 years later, in 70 AD as the Roman Army moves to overthrow the First Jewish Revolt. What does all this show us?

You can be religious. You can keep the Law. You can follow God for a time. But if you are not born again of the Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, your false faith will not last. No faith that is primarily of works will save. Salvation is by faith in Christ Jesus. The Temple died after Israel rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah. Today, those who are born again of the Spirit (John 3:1, 3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3) through faith in Jesus Christ are the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-16; Ephesians 2:21).

And this Temple cannot be torn down by anything but faithlessness. Let us bind our hearts to Jesus, for the glory of God forever. Amen and Amen!

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Be Of One Mind (Do You Really Believe?)

Posted on September 12, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Andres Ayrton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-in-park-supporting-each-other-6551313/

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

I believe the Bible to be divinely inspired, that is, it’s writing was directed by God through His Apostles and Prophets. Every one of these 66 Books reflects the mind of God. As God never changes (Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 40:8, et al), I believe each Book supports the other.

These Scriptures are 66 Books that are in one accord,
all to the glory of God.

Word Study: Since the Bible reflects the mind of God, I cherish and study every word. I hope you do, too. Let’s research our focal text for today. The first word in our focal text is “Finally”. I thought to look up the word “Finally” in the King James, and found the word “Finally” SIX TIMES in the King James. It is in – by order:

2 Corinthians 13:11 FINALLY, brethren, farewell …
Ephesians 6:10 FINALLY, my brethren, be strong in the Lord …
Philippians 3:1 FINALLY, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord …
Philippians 4:8 FINALLY, brethren, whatsoever things are true ….
2 Thessalonians 3:1 FINALLY, brethren, pray for us …

In the first FIVE instances where “FINALLY” is found, this is the Greek λοιπόν loipon, which means “Finally, moreover, furthermore, henceforth”. This is kind of like when a preacher says, “Finally or in conclusion”. By the way, when I do this it means nothing at all :). Listen – the word translated “FINALLY” in our focal text is the conjunction (δέ dé, {pronounced deh}), which can be rendered “AND”, “THEN”, “NOW”, “BUT”. The conjunction ties Biblical truths together. When we read:

1 Peter 3:8 {dé – AND / BUT}, be ye all of one mind…

Does Your “One Mindedness” Extend To God’s Design?

This tells us to look at what came before verse 8. We are called of God to “be ye all of one mind”, for we experienced “one mindedness” through something that happened or was written earlier in the text. What did God through Peter discuss earlier?

Biblical Marriage

When Satan wanted to destroy Paradise, and to entrap humanity in sin, he did so by perverting Biblical Marriage. The Bible says that the serpent tempted Eve to eat that which was forbidden, that

Genesis 3:6 … she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Adam could have stopped the transaction at any time, but did not. The Biblical truth is that Eve – the woman – was not even created when God gave Adam the command NOT to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17-18). As a matter of fact, God never commanded Eve to work, guard, or tend the Garden of Eden. “The Lord God took THE MAN, and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Who caused the fall of mankind into sin? The Bible says:

Romans 5:12 BY ONE MAN sin entered into the world, and death by sin …

Romans 5:17 BY ONE MAN’S OFFENSE DEATH REIGNED …

Adam was the Keeper of the Garden. Eve his wife was called of God to follow Adam. “By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19). The Apostle said that “the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning” (2 Corinthians 11:3, ESV). The Scripture says:

1 Timothy 2:14 (ESV) Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

God designed marriage.

God designed marriage in the Garden of Eden.

Biblical marriage is based on the pattern of the Garden.

When our Lord Jesus was asked about marriage, He replied, “Haven’t you read that He which made them at the beginning made them MALE and FEMALE?”

Obergefell v. Hodges: In our day Biblical marriage and human sexuality is under attack. But this is no different than any other age of humanity. It may seem more widespread, but mankind has, from the fall of Adam, drifted away from God’s standards. In America, in 2015 the Supreme Court heard the case of Obergefell {pronounced OH-bər-gə-fel} v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644. Jim Obergefell sued the state of Ohio because Ohio did not recognize same sex marriages as marriage. Jim – himself a wife by his definition – wanted his partner named John Arthur to be recognized as his “husband”. The Supreme Court …

“… ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 5–4 ruling requires all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the Insular Areas to perform and recognize the marriages of same-sex couples on the same terms and conditions as the marriages of opposite-sex couples, with all the accompanying rights and responsibilities.”

The Baptist Faith and Message that we adhere to states that:

“XVIII. The Family … Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.”

As God calls His people to “be of one mind”, He ties this to the context, which explores Biblical Marriage. The world not only MAY, but HAS defined marriage in ways that depart from what the Scripture says. This should not surprise anyone, nor should it be a great cause of alarm. Those who are unsaved “love darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). The Scripture says:

Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.

The lost soul “does not know nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness” (Psalm 82:5). Our Lord Jesus could not change the hearts of those hardened by sin and self righteousness. Jesus said,

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.

“If anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the Light is not in them” John 11:10). God has a standard – a design – for all things. God has a pattern for marriage. Those who love the Lord are to heed His pattern.

Do You Agree With God’s Pattern For The Godly Wife?

1 Peter 3:1-2 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

At this time in Church history, many women who were married to unbelieving men were hearing the Gospel of Christ and were – by faith – being saved. Many of these women had questions about how their faith should effect their marriage. Now that a woman is saved, should she – out of love for Jesus – leave her husband who was an unbeliever. After all, didn’t Jesus teach? …

Luke 14:26 (ESV) If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Should the wife abandon the unbelieving husband. Peter says:

1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives

Word Study: The word “Likewise” is the Greek ὁμοίως homoiōs, which means “In the same way”. In chapter 2, the Apostle said:

1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

The SERVANT was to SUBMIT their masters. Not to just the good and kind masters, but to ALL masters. Further we read:

1 Peter 2:13-14 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

The CHRISTIAN is to follow the laws of the land that are around us. Certainly we do not disobey the Word of God to do the word of man. As Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). We never rob from God the glory He is due. But insomuch as His command of our lives is not abrogated, we are to obey the laws of the land around us. When the laws of the land commanded that the Apostles not preach the Gospel,

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Christians are to obey the laws of the land as long as we may honor God in doing so. Servants are to obey even cruel masters. And now we have, “Likewise, ye wives”.

When God created the institution of marriage (and God created it – not the Supreme Court), Man was to be the leader and Woman
the follower in that union. Only Satan endorses anarchy!

This concept has come under attack because of certain forms of feminism and social justice militants. People think that submission is to degrade, or to make lesser. The truth is, no unit comprised or two or more persons can ever advance unless there is a leader. Let’s consider

The Trinity of God: Who is the Head or the Leader of the Trinity? It is God the Father. The Bible says:

1 John 4:10 (ESV) {God the Father} loved us and sent his Son to be the {atonement or covering} for our sins.

The Father sent the Son. He told His Son to GO. When Jesus came He said:

John 6:38 (ESV) I have come down from Heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.

Jesus was SENT. Jesus was under SUBMISSION. Jesus submitted to the Father so much that He said,

John 14:9 (ESV) Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.

The Father GAVE the Son for our sins (John 3:16). The Father MADE JESUS AN OFFERING for sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane three times, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). Jesus submitted to the Father.

Does Jesus’ submission to the Father diminish Him as a Person? No! The Father said to the Son …

Hebrews 1:8 (ESV) … “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.”

The Son submits to the Father. The Holy Spirit submits to the Father, on the prayer of the Son. Jesus said:

John 14:16-17 (ESV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Neither Son nor Spirit are diminished by submitting to the Father. Submission does not denigrate you.

Compound units like God, like Governments, like Businesses, like Militaries, like First Responders, like Marriages and families must have leaders and followers, or they will not long exist.

Russell Moore wrote:

“In Scripture, every creature is called to submit, often in different ways and at different times. Children are to submit to their parents, although this is certainly a different sort of submission than that envisioned for marriage. Church members are to submit to faithful pastors (Hebrews 13:17). All of us are to submit to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). Of course, we are all to submit, as creatures, to our God (James 4:7). … And, yes, wives are called to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:1-6). … “to your own husbands” (1 Peter 3:1)”.

What does God tell Godly women who are married to ungodly men to do? Leave them? No!

1 Peter 3:1 … Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the Word, they also may without the Word be won by the conversation (ἀναστροφή anastrophē, the way of life) of the wives

Peter – who himself was married (Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39), lived for Jesus so that his wife could see how his life had changed. He now encourages women who are married to men who “obey not the Word” to live for Jesus, following the leadership of their husbands. A Godly and loving wife can make a great impression on an unsaved fellow. That man’s life is precious – Jesus died for him, too. Wives are to “be in subjection to your own husbands”. This is not to imply a woman should be degraded or humiliated by her husband. But that she should – insofar as it pleases the Lord our Savior – follow her husband’s lead. We are told:

1 Peter 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation (ἀναστροφή anastrophē, the way of life) coupled with fear.

The Godly woman is the one who focuses more on her spiritual state than she does her outward shell. The Apostle does not say that women should not groom themselves, but that the priority in their lives needs to be their walk with God.

1 Peter 3:3-4 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Word Study: No woman has ever nagged her husband to the altar of God. The Apostle tells the wife to not focus on her fancy clothing or jewelry, but to instead pursue a “meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price”. Let’s look at these words. “Meek” is the Greek πραΰς praÿs, {pronounced prah-ooce’}, which means “mild” or “humble”, “Gentle of Spirit”. Our Lord Jesus preached in His Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek {praÿs} for they shall inherit the earth.

It is not the loud, the arrogant, the narcissist, the braggart that will inherit God’s Kingdom. It is the humble spirit that will stand with Christ in glory. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem just prior to His crucifixion, He rode in “meek {praÿs}, and sitting on an ass” (Matthew 21:5).

Word Study: The wife is also to have a “quiet spirit”. This is the Greek ἡσύχιος hēsýchios, {pronounced hay-soo’-khee-os}, which means “one who pursues peace”. This is commanded of all Christians. We are not to go about stirring up trouble, but are to be peacemakers (see 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Timothy 2:2,11,12). The Apostle now refers to Sarah, Abraham’s wife:

1 Peter 3:5-6 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Abraham is recognized in the Scripture as the father of faith. His wife Sarah is the mother of faith. She followed Abraham as he traveled following the Lord into the Promised Land. When Abram (young in his faith) asked Sarai to say “I am Abram’s sister” (Genesis 12:10-20), she did so, even though what he asked was faithless. God honored and protected Sarai, and later Sarah, as she followed Abram’s lead. Sarai never had to worry about being mistreated. Beloved, God will take care of you!

Do You Agree With God’s Pattern For The Godly Husband?

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Word Study: Earlier the Apostle addressed the wives with “Likewise, ye wives”. Now he uses the same form, but toward the men: “Likewise, ye husbands”. The word “Likewise” is again the Greek ὁμοίως homoiōs Likewise, which means “in a similar manner, in the same way”.

The wife submits to the leadership of her husband,
but the husband submits to and honors his wife.

The Apostle Paul explores the man’s submission in the marriage in:

Ephesians 5:25-29 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

As Jesus loves His Church and gives Himself for us, we are to love our wives. We are to be willing to die for our wives as the need arises. We are to love our wives “as our own bodies”. Peter said – as the Spirit led him – that husbands are to “give honor unto the wife”. The phrase “give honor” is the Greek ἀπονέμω τιμή aponemō timē, which means “to bestow or dispense honor as befitting the rank of another, to highly value as a precious creation”. Paul related the marriage between husband and wife as similar to the marriage between Christ and Church. Jesus bestows honor and blessing on His Church. He demands that we excel, and works through the Spirit of God to make us excel. Jesus Christ gave up everything for our benefit as His Church. In like manner, the husband – once married – is to give up everything to His wife.

I find so many young couples today who – after experimentally “living together” (something the Bible calls “fornication” [Ephesians 5:3; Galatians 5:19; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; et al] or “sexual immorality” [1 Corinthians 6:18; Matt. 19:9; 1 Corinthians 6:13; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3]), they want to be married and yet remain single at the same time. The first thing I ask when young couples come to me is, “So whose bank account will be closed?”. I get some awfully silly looks. You cannot come into a marriage with an unmarried mindset. God has specifically designed marriage a certain way. In that marriage the husband leads the unit, the wife follows, and together they – with one mind – raise their children. The husband is to respect and care for his wife, following Christ as she follows him. The husband is to regard “as unto the weaker vessel”. She does not have the body strength that a man has. When husbands regard their wives as “weaker vessels”, this does not mean they are less spiritual or lower class citizens. The Apostle said:

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life…

Your wife is just as valuable to God as you are. She is equally a believer-priest, with access to our High Priest, Jesus Christ. She is an heir of God just as you are. When salvation and the blessings of salvation are ministered by God, the Scripture says:

Galatians 3:8 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

It is in the marriage unit that we learn – through that intimate bond – how to respond to and interact with others. Going back to our focal text:

1 Peter 3:8-9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

I believe that much of the madness that has grasped America and America’s Churches is because we as a nation has wandered away from God’s design for marriage. As goes the marriage, so goes the community and the country. If the marriage is a mess, then the fruit of that marriage, the children, will be a mess.

God calls His people to a better walk. We are not to “render evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing”. People learn to do this in the environment of a Biblical marriage. Children learn to respect authority in a Biblical marriage. May God lead you to the joy of a Biblical marriage! It is in this that you will “inherit a blessing”. And the good Lord knows, we as a nation need a blessing. For Christ’s glory, and through His Spirit. Amen and Amen.

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Christ Suffered & Left An Example

Posted on September 11, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by James Wheeler: https://www.pexels.com/photo/foot-prints-in-gray-sand-1522285/

The last time we met I closed the sermon with:

1 Peter 2:21-24 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

I thought this week to begin preaching through 1 Peter chapter 3. And yet, as I thought to do so, the Lord impressed on my heart that we need to more closely examine this passage – especially since today is Communion Sunday. Focus on these words for just a moment:

1 Peter 2:21 Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps

Christ Suffered For Us

The first part of this text I want to address is “Christ suffered for US”. Let’s define this. First of all, how did CHRIST SUFFER?

First of all, Jesus suffered DEMOTION for us

Jesus is the eternal Son of God, Heaven’s glorious King. When Jesus prayed before going to the Cross, He said:

John 17:5, 24 (ESV) … Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. … 24 … because you loved me before the foundation of the world…

God the Father loved the Son “before the foundation of the world”. Jesus Christ was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit before creation was ever made. The Bible tells us that Jesus had a part in Creation. We are told in …

John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

When the Father said “Let there be light”, His command ran through Jesus Christ. When the Spirit moved on the face of the water, the Spirit’s power ran through Christ. The Scripture says:

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV) … For by {Jesus} all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Christ Jesus, God the Son, is Creator God. All of Creation was formed “through him and for him”. The Father decreed Creation because He gave it as a Gift to his Son. Creation itself is HELD TOGETHER because of Christ. It is the love of Christ that keeps an asteroid from space from hitting earth, wiping us out. It is the power of Christ that holds all things together. Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The Christian believes that:

1 Corinthians 8:6 … there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

When John the Revelator looked into Heaven, He saw Jesus sitting on a throne. All around Jesus there was worship, and casting of crowns, as the people praised God, saying:

Revelation 4:11 (ESV) “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

The Scripture tells us that …

Hebrews 1:2-3 (ESV) in these last days {The Father} has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the Heir of all things, through Whom also he created the world. 3 {Jesus Christ} is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…

Our Lord Jesus took a demotion, allowing Himself to be incarnate through a virgin called Mary. When the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she was to bear a Child, he said:

Luke 1:35 … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Holy God the Son, ever Eternal, was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9-14). Jesus allowed Himself to be made a HOLY THING, Someone never before seen in all of creation. God became Man so that He could pay for the sins of Man. The Bible says:

Hebrews 2:9 (ESV) … that by the grace of God {Jesus} might taste death for everyone.

Man is fallen. We have wandered from God, and are lost in the wilderness of Sin. So God sent us a Healer, a Hero Who would stand up for us. Jesus was demoted from God to Man for us.

Second, Jesus suffered DISGRACE for us

When Jesus came to this earth, it was not to a ticker tape parade, nor to a celebration in the streets. Jesus Christ was born in a little town called Bethlehem. The Bible says:

Luke 2:7 (ESV) {Mary} gave birth to her firstborn son {Jesus} and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Heaven rejoiced in amazement when Jesus was born in the manger than night, but earth barely knew it. A few shepherds came to see the “HOLY THING” called Jesus, but when they went out to tell others what they saw …. no one came. Jesus grew up in a small town named Nazareth. After John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the “Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), the Bible tells us that Jesus went out and began preaching. We read:

Mark 3:13, 20-21 (ESV) … {Jesus} went up on the mountain and called to Him those whom He desired, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve {Apostles}… 20 {Jesus} went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

His family thought Jesus had lost His mind. How could a Man be the Messiah? Yet Jesus declared He was the Messiah, that He was Eternal God in human form. Jesus told the Pharisees who constantly attacked Him:

John 8:58 … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.

Taking the most Holy Name of God to Himself. The Pharisees knew that Jesus was claiming to be God Incarnate, for “they took up stones to cast at Him” (John 8:59). This was not the first time, nor the last, that the Pharisees would try and kill Jesus. Several times they tried to kill Jesus. When Jesus asked, “For what good deed are you going to stone Me?” (John 10:32). They replied,

John 10:33 (ESV) … “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. I have before proved it. But think, how hard it would be, knowing Who you are, to be stoned to death for declaring the truth. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Oh, how He was humiliated in this life! When Jesus healed people, the Pharisees said:

Matthew 9:34 & 12:24 … He casts out demons by the prince of demons …

When you do good, but it is slandered as bad, isn’t this a great hurt? Yes, Jesus suffered this. At any time He could have walked away, but He did not. The Prophet Isaiah said that when the Messiah came, His trademark would be suffering:

Isaiah 53:2-3 (ESV) … He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Oh, how Jesus suffered. With a wave of His hand
He could make it all go away.
His suffering shows us how evil sin is!

His suffering reveals to us the horror and ugliness of sin. It is sin that caused religion to slander Jesus. It is sin that hated Him Who did no evil. It is sin manifested outside the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is taken. And yet it is the love of God that requires Jesus to walk that terrible green mile. The Bible says that – following a mock trial where false witnesses were hired to speak against Him – Jesus was turned over to the soldiers.

Luke 22:63-64 (NKJV) … the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. 64 And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”

Though Pilate found “no fault in this Man” (Luke 23:4), the crowd – drunk with sin – demanded His death. “Release the murderer Barabbas, and crucify Jesus!” (Matthew 27:21). The soldiers took Jesus …

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

Then Jesus was crucified between two thieves. The Lord of Glory is nailed, naked, to a Cross, shamed and denied. Oh, how Jesus suffered! But the greatest suffering occurred when our sins were put on Jesus Christ and judged.

Did Christ Suffer For US Just To Take Us To Heaven?

The Bible says in Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

In English, a Rhetorical Question is one in which the questioner does not expect an answer. Jesus knew why He was forsaken. He was forsaken for our sins.

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Jesus bore our sins on His Body. The Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 5:21 For {God the Father} hath made {Jesus} to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

God put my sins, your sins, on Christ.
Jesus suffered DEMOTION for us.
Jesus suffered DISGRACE for us.
And finally,

Jesus suffered DEATH for us

Paying the penalty for our sins, Jesus died on that Cross of Calvary. Jesus could heal the lepers, the cripples, the demon possessed, the blind, the deaf, the dumb. Jesus could cure the physical hurts that we as fallen creatures often find in these pitiful human frames. Yet

of all that Jesus healed, He could not fix the penalty of sin
for us without willingly giving up His life.

No one took Jesus’ life. Jesus willingly laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:15-17). Peter said, “Jesus, I will lay down my life for Your sake” (John 13:37). But Peter did not. He, like us, is broken. But Jesus said, “I lay down My life. NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN OF MYSELF” (John 10:18). Jesus laid His life down. Why? The Scripture says:

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Jesus suffered for our sins, not just to take us to Heaven, but to “bring us to God”. How does Jesus bring us to God? He paid for our sins. He sends the Holy Spirit to call us. He is calling you to believe and receive Him, if you have not done so already. The Bible says “Christ suffered FOR US”. Who is the US? It is those who have RECEIVED HIM as Lord and Savior. The Bible says:

John 3:15-16 That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM 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.

Christ suffered for us to HEAL US OF OUR SINS. It is sin that is destroying America today. Sin is a fire that burns down all that is good. Sin brings disease, and death.

Jesus Christ came to KILL OUR SIN DEBT, to make us right with God, to bring us into the FAMILY OF GOD, to take us from darkness and into the wonderful light of God!

Jesus said, John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Jesus did not suffer for us to give us an eventual home in Heaven with God. Jesus suffered and died to make payment for our sins so that He might bring us into the Family of God. The Bible says:

Acts 10:43 … whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins …

Romans 9:33; 10:11 … whosoever believeth on Him shall NOT be ashamed …

Those who believe in Jesus are saved from sin and darkness. God did not save us just to take us to Heaven, but to bring Heaven to us.

We who are saved are CALLED to be sons of God,
imitating THE Son of God.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Jesus’ death paid for our sins so that we could be made right with God. But listen:

Preach This!

Couldn’t Jesus have just became human, and go to Calvary to pay for our sins?
Why did He have to be born of Mary?
Why did He have to grow up in Nazareth?
Why did Jesus have to suffer so much prior to and at the Cross?
Why was Jesus DEMOTED, DISGRACED, and brought to DEATH?

Word Study: Because Jesus is our Example. As Children of God, Jesus established a pattern we are to copy. The word translated “EXAMPLE” is the Greek word hupogrammos {hoop-og-ram-mos’}, a very interesting word. The best way I know how to explain this word is to go back to grade school. I remember when I was very young and in school, we had these pads of paper with lines and dots on them. The lines and dots were there so that us children could properly form our letters. The teacher would tell us to form the letter “A”, then we would watch her as she formed the letter. We would try to copy her letter just as she formed it. In the very front of our writing pads we had a set of examples showing us how the letters should be properly formed. These examples were writing copies, the Greek hupogrammos {hoop-og-ram-mos’}. Jesus Christ is the hupogrammos, the writing copy. As our Writing Copy we are commanded to “follow his steps”. This is the Greek epakoloutheo {pronounced ep-ak-ol-oo-theh’-o} + ichnos {pronounced ikh’-nos} = which means to follow closely in the tracks or impressions of . What is intended for us is that we stay close to Jesus, following so close to Him that our tracks perfectly fit in His. Jesus gave us a pattern to follow.

Saved by Grace, we are to live in Grace. God has given us the Example as to how He wants us to live.

1 Peter 2:23Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:

When Jesus was attacked, He did not attack back.
He left vengeance in the hands of the Father.

Illustrate: I have recently watched with horror as, in our political system and on social media, people are attacking one another. One side pours acid on the other, and then the other side pours lighter fluid. What is this doing for our country? It is burning it down. The Bible says:

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Word Study: The lost world uses terrible tactics to attack each other. Beloved, the sons of God are to be like THE Son of God. What did Jesus do? “When He was reviled, reviled not again”. Jesus glorified God in His life, though He was hated without a cause. Jesus never fought fire with fire. The word “reviled” is the Greek λοιδορέω loidoréō, {pronounced loy-dor-eh’-o}, which means “to heap abuse upon someone, to reproach and tear down another”. Jesus refused to play Satan’s game. “When He suffered, He threatened not”. Jesus trusted in the Father. He did not seek to avenge Himself though He could, with but a whisper, have destroyed all of creation. Jesus will not – would not – do that. He came to save, not to destroy.

Do you know my Jesus?

If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are called to follow in His steps. You are not to be a part of the evil that darkens our world today. You are called to “walk in the light, as Jesus is in the light” (1 John 1:7). We are children of Light, of Love, of God. We obey our Jesus. We end with this:

1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Jesus is our Shepherd and our Bishop. We follow Him if we are saved. And Beloved, if you are not saved …. would you hear His call? Would you believe He died for your sins, to bring you to God? If you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, today is a GREAT DAY to be saved. May God lead you to the Great Shepherd Who laid His life down – and continues to lay His life down – for His sheep. Amen and amen!

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Repent and Rise To Serve The Lord

Posted on September 10, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Mark Neal: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hand-in-sky-8977593/

Please turn with me in your Bibles to Nehemiah chapter 10.

Nehemiah Chapter 10 is one of those chapters of Scripture you would most likely skip when you come across it. The first part of the chapter looks like a Phone Book – with very hard names to pronounce. For instance:

Nehemiah 10:1-4 Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch …

I think I’ll stop there. Most people would stop here, and then skim over to the next chapter to continue reading. But if you do so, you will miss some great truths that apply to our lives, and to our country today. Israel has begun to return to the Promised Land, has rebuilt the walls around Jerusalem, and has rebuilt the Temple. The reason Israel has been conquered and exiled from their land for 70 years is because that nation ceased to follow the Great Shepherd of the Sheep.

Godly Leadership Is Calling Israel To Repentance

When we left chapter 9 we read that:

Nehemiah 9:37-38 … because of our sins: {our enemies} have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. 38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

The reason Israel collapsed is because Israel walked away from God. It is – as the leaders of Israel said – “because of our sins”. When Jesus Christ – Incarnate God – came to this earth to preach, the very first message He ever preached was:

Matthew 4:17 Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

“Repent”. Turn from your godless ways, and begin to follow God. Not too long ago I preached from 1 Peter 1:13, where believers are told to “Gird up the loins of your mind”. Israel allowed godlessness to dominate their minds, and therefore dominate their actions. Now God is calling His people to “repent”. Repentance means to RENOUNCE what God declares is evil, to RENEW our minds by reading and feeding on His Word, and to RESIST the evil (James 4:7). Out of repentance the people now approach God and do two things. They

  • “make a sure covenant”. These are the Hebrew words אֲמָנָה ʼămânâh, {pronounced am-aw-naw’} כָּרַת kârath, {pronounced kaw-rath’} which mean “cut a covenant”. In the ancient world covenants were NOT MADE, but were CUT. Animals without spot or blemish were sacrificed to God. Why? When God made a Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:9-10) He had Abraham “cut” the sacrificed animals into pieces (except for the birds), and then God walked between the cut pieces. To “cut a covenant” is a sacred thing. Nehemiah and the leaders of the nation were committing themselves and those who would follow to honor and obedience to God.
  • “and write it”. 84 people sign this document. God didn’t need to see the written document. God sees what we do, and remembers what we say and do. This written “contract” or perhaps a better word would be “Constitution”, give a physical record for the people to keep and refer to in future generations. It has been fashionable of late to poo poo the idea that America was founded on Christian principles. Gregory Elder, a professor of history and humanities at Moreno Valley College writes:

    “Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration, the great majority, perhaps all, identified themselves as Christians, and all but one were Protestants. Four were either present or former ministers, and a number of the signers were the sons of clergy. At least half of them had studied “divinity” at their various universities. The denominations breakdown runs as follows: 32 of the signers, well over half, were Episcopalians, or Anglicans, the old state Church of England. There were 13 Congregationalists, 12 were Presbyterians. There were two Quakers, two Unitarians, and one Roman Catholic.”

The breakdown of the Leaders who signed the Covenant were:

Nehemiah 10:1-8 Nehemiah the Governor and the Priests signed the Covenant
Nehemiah 10:9-13 The Levites signed the Covenant
Nehemiah 10:14-27 The Civic Leaders signed the Covenant

The repentance of the nation meant nothing unless
the leadership of that nation repented.

The Bible repeatedly shows us that – when the leadership is corrupt – the nation will follow that corruption. The Bible says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls. But in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Throughout the Old Testament we see instances where the leadership moved toward idolatry – and it wasn’t long before the people followed suit. The Bible tells us to pray for our leaders:

1 Timothy 2:1-4 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Where the head goes, the body goes. When the leadership of a nation, a state, a community, a church, a company, or a family drift away from God, it isn’t long before the crowd follows. Before God established a human king in Israel, we read:

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

“Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”. When there is no leadership, people will do what is right in their own eyes. And guess what? Without Godly leadership, the nation will falter and fall. This is what happened to Israel. This is what led to Israel’s conquering, exile, the destruction of the Temple, and the destruction of the Holy City Jerusalem. Where people are not directed by Godly leadership, the nation falters. We must pray for our leaders, pray for our Presidents, Governors, and Pastors. We need to pray for our political parties and their leadership. This is imperative for the stability of the nation.

Notice that Nehemiah and the priests were the first to sign the Covenant with God. Nehemiah was the acting ruler of Jerusalem, the Governor appointed by King Xerxes. He took the lead – and God’s priests followed. Next the Levites, those who assisted in the operation of the Temple, signed the Covenant. Finally the Civic Leaders – the Commissioners, the Aldermen, the Mayors, the various political entities that led the people signed the Covenant.

This was a written Covenant with God Himself!

Once the various leaders of Israel “cut a covenant” with God, the remainder of the people made an affirmation to follow God. We read:

The People Choose To Follow Their Leaders

Nehemiah 10:28-29 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; 29 They cleave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes

An interesting phrase says the people “entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law”. The people were recognizing that – when they followed God – they would be blessed. BUT if they rejected following God, they would be cursed. God expects His people to follow Him. Throughout the New Testament we find that blessing only comes by following the Spirit of God. Before we were saved, we walked following the spirit of this world:

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath {God made alive}, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the {ways} of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our {way of life} in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

This is where we WERE, before we met the Lord Jesus and were born again of the Spirit. Once saved, we are called – not to walk in darkness – but to walk in the light of God with Jesus. Hear the Scripture:

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

When you walk through this life arm in arm with God our Savior, you will have a blessed life. This does not mean you won’t be tried. Jesus was tried. But it does mean that you will victoriously overcome every trial that comes your way, for God is greater than anything that might come against us. The Scripture says:

Proverbs 14:34 (ESV) Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

Israel now gets very specific on how they will follow God. We read:

Nehemiah 10:30 And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons:

  1. Israel would not allow an unequal yoke within the families of the nation. This does not refer to racial exclusion, but to religious exclusion. When God called His people from Egypt, He warned them:

Exodus 34:12-16 (ESV) Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. 13 You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

One of the major reasons Israel kept wandering away from God is because they made intimate covenants – in marriage and in business – with unbelievers who worshiped false gods and goddesses. Nehemiah discovered this when he came back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah was quite vocal – and physical! We read:

Nehemiah 13:23-28 (ESV) In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. 25 And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?” 28 And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.

When you enter into an intimate relationship with an unbeliever, it will not be long before that unbeliever drags you down to his or her level. We are told in the New Testament:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Children of God should be very careful as to whom the “hook up” with. This also applies to secular activities, like television, movies, and plays. The devil uses the visual media to effect our thought patterns, leading us away from what God has said is “righteous” and into something dark.

Marriage is a contract with God as the Witness. Your wife “is your companion, and your wife by covenant” (Malachi 2:14)

When I do a wedding, before I go through the ceremony I ask both parties to come and speak with me in “premarital counseling”. If one of the parties is an apparent believer, but the other an apparent unbeliever, I refuse to do the ceremony, and encourage them to go to the courthouse and have a judge do it. Believer and unbeliever should never be yoked together in marriage, nor in business. Israel suffered from evil kings because many of these men married evil and godless women. And yes, this goes both ways! How many times have I heard good Christian women tell me they wanted to marry a godless man because they believed “I can change him”. Beloved, only God can change a person. Be not unequally yoked!

Nehemiah 10:31 And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

Under the Old Testament law, Israel was not to buy or sell anything on the Sabbath. God wanted Israel to have one day a week focus on worshiping God and not money.

  1. Israel would honor God first in their business practices. God calls on His people to love Him first. When Jesus was asked:

Matthew 22:36-37 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

God was to be first. God is always to be first. God wants our ALL. Prior to the coming of Christ, Israel had a seventh day Sabbath – a day of rest – where they celebrated and cherished God. The Jewish Synagogues met on the Sabbath (see Mark 6:2; Luke 4:31; Luke 13:10–16; Acts 13:14, 27, 42–44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). When Jesus Christ came of God, He was crucified and rose again on the first day of the week or Sunday. Christian studied the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11), but

In honor of Jesus (Who rose from the grave on the first day of the week) we Christians meet on Sunday to worship the Lord.
(see Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Matthew 28:1)

God demanded that Israel further celebrate a seventh year Sabbath, as well as special Sabbaths that occurred prior to certain Feasts or Festivals. God incorporated these days into the life of Israel so that they would take a break from business, rest, and meditate on Him. Because Israel refused to keep the Sabbatical Year for 490 years, God had them exiled from the land for 70 years. Nehemiah also adds the words “and the exaction of every debt.”.

Though we are New Testament believers, it is still important for us to take one day in seven to rest and rely on the Lord. The Manufacturer of the human body has highly recommended we not overwork ourselves – but to take one day in seven to rest and rely on Him.

Nehemiah 10:32-33 Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God; 33 For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

  1. Israel would also support the Temple by giving a special offering once a year. God specified that this third of a shekel would be for certain priestly services and supplies. Then the people cast lots:

Nehemiah 10:34 And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law:

to see who would be responsible for bringing wood into the Temple for burn offerings as the Law required. The Temple was not to be neglected by the people. Also, the people agreed to bring in the first fruits of the harvest unto God.

Nehemiah 10:35-37 And to bring the first fruits of our ground, and the first fruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the Lord: 36 Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: 37 And that we should bring the first fruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.

The Israelis showed their love for God by not giving Him the leftover, but giving Him the first fruits or the first harvest. This was not a new requirement. God told His people:

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.

Our Lord Jesus tells us today to:

Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

When we make God first in our lives, He will make us blessed in our lives. My Commentary notes:

“Simply said, the Bible says we need to be givers. Not so much for the sake of those we give to, but because giving sets our heart right about material things. God Himself is the greatest giver. … The New Testament speaks with great clarity on the principle of giving; that giving should be regular, planned, proportional, and private (1 Corinthians 16:1-4); that it must be generous, freely and cheerfully given (2 Corinthians 9).”

I have said before that you cannot out give God. Put God first in your life and in your hearts, and see if this isn’t true.

Nehemiah 10:38-39 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. 39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.

We are told that “the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes”. We learn from Deuteronomy 14:22-29 that:

  • People took a tithe to the sanctuary for 2 years
  • The third year the tithe was paid locally to help the poor Israeli
  • Every seven years the field were unworked, so no tithe was gathered.

Those who have been saved by the Grace of God should also be gracious and loving to others. 1st John 3:14 states:

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

The Scripture tells us:

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Like recovering Israel, we are to live our lives so as to please our God. God calls His people to have a different type of love from what the secular world has. We have a different Source (our Savior, not our selves), a different sustaining power (God the Holy Spirit) and a different goal (not self satisfaction, but God’s satisfaction). May God bless us as we put Him first in our daily lives. Amen and Amen.

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The Beloved Walk With God

Posted on September 5, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by egil sjøholt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-photography-of-person-under-starry-sky-1906658/

Please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2:11. We read:

1 Peter 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

God Calls His Children “Dearly Beloved”

Word Study: God uses three words to describe the believer in Christ and, by extension, the Church. The first word is “dearly beloved” or the Greek ἀγαπητός agapētos, which means “Those who are cherished, those worthy of love”. This is not the only place where “dearly beloved” is used. We see it used twice in:

Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved (agapētos) and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved (agapētos).

And in 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved (agapētos), let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Why would God call us who are Christians “dearly beloved (agapētos)”? It all stems back to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the second Member of the Godhead, the Incarnate Son of God. Jesus Himself is God in the flesh, “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). While Jesus was on this earth the Father often spoke from Heaven, saying “This is my beloved (agapētos) Son in whom I am well pleased” (see Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).Jesus Christ is the “dearly beloved (agapētos)” Son of God. When we repent of our sins and “call upon the name of the Lord” for salvation, God applies the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Christ to our own lives. Righteousness is “imputed” or placed on our lives by our act of faith. The Scripture declares,

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Jesus is, according to the Father, (Matthew 12:18) “My Beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.”Because we have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, as He is Beloved of God, we are Beloved of God. At the Mount of Transfiguration God the Father told those there:

Luke 9:35 … This is my beloved (agapētos) Son: hear Him.

We are Beloved for Jesus’ sake, with a love that will never diminish nor die. We are Beloved because we are “in Christ” by faith. We are told in Ephesians 1:6, “{God} hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” As my commentary noted:

“All those adopted into God’s family through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ are beloved by the Father (John 1:12; Romans 8:15). It is an amazing, lavish love: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). Because God has shed His love on us, we are free to apply the words of Song of Solomon 6:3 to our relationship with Christ: “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”

Oh, how God loves us! See His love on that Cross! The nails that tore through His skin, pressing through nerve and bone. The crown of thorns upon His head. Hear Him on that Cross as He hung bleeding, suffering. “No one takes My life – I lay it down for you. Not My will, but My Father’s will be done”. Jesus bled and died on that lonely tree for you and I, to bring us peace with God. He died for our sins, to free us from sin’s mastery. He rose again to lead us into life everlasting. We are Beloved because we are in Christ, and Christ is in us.

Beloved Of God, We Are Not Beloved Of The World

Word Study: We are not just “Beloved”, but we are “Strangers” (πάροικος paroikos, foreigners, without citizenship) on this earth.Though we may have temporary homes on this earth, and temporarily be citizens of earthly kingdoms (like the United States), our actual citizenship is in Heaven. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Jesus preached the Kingdom of God. He said:

Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

The Kingdom of God is AT HAND. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, came to this earth proclaiming God’s Kingdom. We who are saved are citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our actual inheritance is not on this earth, but with our God.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

We who are Christians have a home waiting for us in Heaven. God left us on this earth after we were “born again of the Spirit of God” (John 3:3-6) so that we could represent Him and lead others into His kingdom. Though we show Biblical Love toward those around us, we never become “friends” of darkness. The Bible tells us that:

James 4:4 … know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

We are called of God to love all, to do good toward even our enemies (Galatians 6:10; Hebrews 13:16). Yet we are never to compromise with the darkness of sin. Sin is destructive. Sin is against God. Sin leads to death. The Bible tells us:

Ephesians 5:8, 11 ye were {once] darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: … 11 … have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Word Study: We are “strangers”, the Greek πάροικος pároikos, {pronounced par’-oy-kos}, meaning “foreigners, people from another country”. The Bible also calls us “pilgrims” to remind us that our life is TRANSITIONAL on this earth. The word “pilgrims” is is the Greek παρεπίδημος parepídēmos, {pronounced par-ep-id’-ay-mos}, which means “someone from another land passing through”. The Christian is to be distinctly different in both BEHAVIOR as well as CITIZENSHIP. We are not like the lost world.

The Beloved Reject Fleshly Lusts That Destroy The Soul

Illustrate: I can never remember what poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac look like, though I remember that old poem,

Leaves of three, let them be ..

Poison Ivy has three broad, tear shaped leaves growing from a vine. Poison Oak, however, has three or more oak shaped leaves growing from a vine or shrub. And Poison Sumac has seven to thirteen leaves per stem. So the little rhyme doesn’t always hold true. But what the Bible says next always holds true. We read:

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul

The Bible says in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. Fleshly lusts war against the soul. They take us captive, and draw us away from God. Fleshly lusts destroy the body. We are told in:

Romans 8:13 (NKJV) … if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live

When God tells us not to be involved in something, it is not because He wants to rob us of joy. When God says “don’t do it”, it is because He loves us with an infinite love, and does not want us to hurt ourselves. The darkened world follows after fleshly lusts. We are not of this world, but are of Christ. The Scripture says:

Romans 13:11-14 (ESV) the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

What are “fleshly lusts”? The Apostle called these things “the works of the flesh”, and gave us a clear description of these things in:

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

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 18 (ESV) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. … 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Fleshly lusts “WAR” against the soul. This is the Greek strateuo which means “act as a soldier, to attack or sneak up on so as to destroy another”.

One way that “fleshly lusts” attack the soul is by direct conflict. Perhaps you have noticed how network television has been pushing heterosexual sin (adultery, fornication) and homosexual sin for years. It is because Satan knows that these fleshly lusts war against the soul.

They scar the psyche of the one exposed to them.
Children are presenting with gender dysphoria.
People are confused as to their Divine Design.
A disregard for the value of life is prevalent in America.

Is it any wonder that we have so many heinous school shootings and killing of innocents in our country? When you watch blood and gore on television and in the movies, and see women undergo abortions while celebrating that on social media, life is marred and lessened. Beloved, the problem is not the guns. Cain killed his brother Abel, and to this day we don’t know how he did it! The problem is not a thing or a tool. The problem is that several generations of people – as children and now adults – have been exposed to fleshly lusts. Televisions reek with blood letting. The movies produce things like the Final Destination franchise where people are brutally and horrendously slaughtered. Children who are now adults have played games like Call of Duty™ , Soldier of Fortune™ , Mortal Kombat™ , Manhunt 2™ , Splatterhouse™ , Dead Space™ , God of War™ , Bulletstorm™ , Grand Theft Auto™ …. I could go on and on. Children have grown up watching women raped on Game of Thrones© . When I was a child we had to steal my friend Benny’s dad’s Playboy©. Today young people go online and type what they’re looking for in a search engine. You can see anything you want – no one need tell you about the birds and the bees. And if all else fails, go to a local Library where a table will be set up to “celebrate diversity”.

As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we must monitor ourselves and abstain from fleshly lusts. We put away sin, put away those things which are dishonoring to our God.

Many have wondered why there is such widespread debauchery throughout American Society today as opposed to yesteryear. It is because Satan has masterfully introduced concepts that are destructive to the human soul. Like poison ivy, we have played amongst its leaves, and its infection has spread like wildfire. As believers we need to be careful to limit ourselves to that which God says is evil. We should not only not do it – we should not watch it done.

The Beloved Must Watch Out For Sneak Attacks

But there is another way that fleshly lusts war against the soul. Just as the soldier uses direct, frontal attack, the warrior also uses subterfuge and sneakiness. Some men are killed on the battlefield by the machine gunner, but others are killed by snipers hidden in the bushes. We read a little further …

1 Peter 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles …

Here is where the enemy sneaks up. Though we as Christians are to avoid fleshly lusts, we must ALSO avoid Phariseeism and self righteousness.

Word Study: We are told to have our “conversation honest among the Gentiles”. The word translated “CONVERSATION” is the Greek ἀναστροφή anastrophḗ, (pronounced an-as-trof-ay’) which literally means “your manner of life. your walk, behavior, or conduct.” Your manner of living is to be “HONEST” (καλός kalós, {pronounced kal-os’}) which means “genuine, good, approved, comforting and confirming”. What does this mean? It means simply what it says. BE HONEST in your life.

The Pharisees were Jesus’ greatest attackers. They constantly hounded our Lord. Why? Because they thought that they themselves were sinless, and that Jesus – if He were the Messiah – wouldn’t be hanging out with sinners! The Bible says:

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus Christ did not come to save us because we have it all together. He came to save us because NONE of us have it all together. We do not pursue things that our God tells us not to pursue. But on the other hand, we do not act all “holier than thou”, as if we ourselves are perfect. I read this the other day, and really liked it:

“Some people are REAL. Some people are GOOD. Some people are FAKE. And some people are REAL GOOD at being FAKE!”

As followers of Christ Jesus, we sometimes (and may I say, oftentimes) get off course. Let us not be like the Pharisees. How did the Pharisees act?

  • They gave people laws to follow that they themselves would not do. (Matthew 23:4)
  • When they obeyed a law, they did it so they could brag about it. (Matthew 23:5-7)
  • They made salvation inhumanely impossible. (Matthew 23:13)
  • They created a “holier than thou” club few could join (Matthew 23:14)
  • They twisted the law when it suited them. (Matthew 23:23-24)
  • They looked good outwardly, but inwardly had no relationship with God (Matthew 23:25-26)

What is interesting is that Peter himself had often failed God – even after the resurrection of Christ. The Apostle Paul at one time had to correct Peter because when the Jewish Christians were around, he would not associate with the Gentile Christians (see Galatians 2:9-14). Peter dipped into Phariseeism.

As believers in Christ, our way of life is to be “honest among the Gentiles”. We are not to put on airs, or pretend that we are better than the lost. We are followers of Christ. We are not perfect. We fail God at times. But we live our lives honestly and sincerely, relying upon Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit for our salvation. The Bible tells us that salvation is a free gift from God:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by Grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any one should boast.

But once we are saved, we become the workmanship of God.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

A Christ is saved by faith in Christ. Because we have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God has imputed His righteousness to our lives. What does the Scripture say?

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Because Jesus bore your sins on the Cross of Calvary, God has sent His Holy Spirit to indwell you (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Titus 3:5; 2 Peter 1:4). You become “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23), adopted into the Family of God (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). You are moved from the kingdom of darkness “into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). You are a “new creature in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). But Beloved,

you are NOT PERFECT.

The Beloved Apostle John wrote:

1 John 1:5-10 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I know of no better way to say this. As Christians, we are saved FROM SIN. We do not wallow in sin. We hate sin. We know that God does not dwell in sin, so we PURSUE THE LIGHT, striving to do what our Father through the Spirit tells us to do. We know and believe that “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”. And yet, there are times we sin. There are times we fall short. There are times that we – like Peter who was chastised of Paul – get off course. When we do, we remember that it is “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”. What do we do? We “confess our sins”, we do not hide our sins. We believe that upon confession of our sins to God “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

When we sin, we confess our sins. Then we get back to the light, and start doing good for our God.

The Beloved Do Good, Imitating The Beloved Son

1 Peter 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The lost world will “speak against you as evildoers”. The world is going to call us names. It’s going to attack us for believing in God’s Bible. And yet, we are told to do “good works”. We see this throughout the Scripture. God tells us in …

Titus 3:1-7 … to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We are not to be part of the noise and the anarchy, but we are to – as much as is possible – do good to others. There is a lot of evil in the world. The Scripture says:

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Jesus told us very plainly:

Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 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; 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. …

Those who are saved by faith in Christ are not only to be good citizens of the Kingdom of God, but good citizens of the kingdoms that we are passing through as strangers and foreigners.

Our Lord Jesus gave us an example as to how we should live in this present world. As Jesus did, let us do. Let us close with these words:

1 Peter 2:21-24 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile {deceit} found in his mouth: 23 Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed.

Jesus surrendered Himself to the Father. We are to do the same. As Jesus did, so must we so. For His glory, and the glory of God forever. Let us approach the Lord’s Table with clear hearts, confessing our sins, and committing ourselves to live for the glory of Christ’s Kingdom. Amen and Amen!

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Repenting To And Celebrating Our God

Posted on September 2, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Rakicevic Nenad: https://www.pexels.com/photo/creative-photo-of-person-holding-glass-mason-jar-under-a-starry-sky-1274260/

The last time we were in Nehemiah, the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem were repaired and the gates hung. Israel listened to the Word of God as it was read by Ezra the Priest. We stopped here, in Nehemiah 8, where we will continue:

Nehemiah 8:14-15 And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: 15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

In Our Smallness We Celebrate The Greatness Of Our Lord!

The “Feast of Booths” (also known as the Festival of Tabernacles or Sukkot) was a time for Israel to be joyful, as God commanded

“Be JOYFUL at your Feast” (Deuteronomy 16:14)

Booths always occurs four days after Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Ezra was reading from

Leviticus 23:34, 39-43 The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. … 39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

God blessed Israel richly in bringing them out of Egyptian slavery. God also blessed His people in bringing them out of Babylonian and Medo-Persian captivity. God had Israel dwell in “Booths” or “Tabernacles” made from the boughs of palm and willow trees. Every Israelite was to dwell in “Booths” for seven days. The Booths were temporary but a reminder how God had reached out and saved His people. It was a time to practice the Presence of God – to unplug from the Temple and Jerusalem itself, and to just rest in the arms of God.

A Tent Revival: As a Church we will be having a revival the last week of this month, a tent revival, with a homecoming that Sunday following it. I do not know how well attended it will be. I am praying that many souls will be saved, and people will unplug from the insanity that has recently become America.

I am praying that we as a Church will embrace this time,
and draw near to our God in worship.

I have talked, over the years, with older members who had “brush arbor meetings”. In those meetings they gathered brush and branches and made areas where believers could gather and worship.

I pray that this is what our tent revival will be like. We have been so richly blessed as a Church – not just through the pandemic – but even now. As I sat and talked with our Director of Missions just yesterday,

I had no idea so many local Churches have suffered instability
and decreases in membership.

Yet we chug along. Perhaps we ourselves will drop in membership as we go forward. I don’t know what tomorrow holds. But I know Who holds tomorrow!

We must celebrate our Lord!

Just as Booths focused on God and not the people, our Tent Revival will focus on Jesus Christ and not Riverview Baptist. It will be a time of celebration, a time of joy, a time to recognize all the good that God has done for us. Churches in our area have closed their doors, but Christ kept us open. Why? Because we celebrate Him. We love His Word, and want to hear from it. There has been some concern that it might rain during the revival., If it does, that is God’s will. We will celebrate Him. The ground where the tent is will be – as ground is – somewhat uneven. If it is, that is God’s will. He gave us the land not just to mow, but to worship Him on. I don’t know about you, but I want to worship my Lord! Notice how the Israelis made their “Booths”:

Nehemiah 8:16-17 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

Some made booths on their housetops. Others made booths in their “courts” or back yards. Some went to the Temple, and made booths in the courts around the Temple. Some made booths in the streets that were closed off, like the Water Gate and Ephraim. If you’ll notice, NO ONE made booths in the Temple itself. The point of making temporary booths is to remind the people that God is with us no matter where we are. In the popular Psalm, David wrote:

Psalm 23:1-4 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

God is with His people. When we go through the darkest valley, God is with us. He promises:

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

When Israel dwelt in booths, they had NO land, promised or otherwise. Israel had NO standing army. Israel was a nation of released slaves, led by Moses. Israel had NO Temple nor Church building. They worshiped God in a tent called the “Tabernacle” that they had to set up each time they stopped traveling. Israel had NO written Scripture to guide them, as God wrote the beginning of the Scripture through Moses their leader. Israel had NO blessedness in the Incarnate Jesus Christ, but had to sacrifice animals to cover their sins. Israel had NO doctors, NO fast food restaurants, NO radio or television, NO internet, and NO refrigeration or way to store food. And yet, God took care of them.

Israel had one thing in their favor. They were small. As long as they stayed small, trusting in and looking up to God, they would be blessed. It was only when Israel got BIG and thought they were GREATER THAN GOD did they actually become small. God told Israel:

Isaiah 43:1-2 (ESV) But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

God says in His Word that when we:

James 4:10 (ESV) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

1 Peter 5:6 (ESV) Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

When God’s people make themselves small and rest in the arms of Jesus, there is “very great gladness”.

Now we come to Nehemiah Chapter 9. This is two days after the Feast of Booths/ Tabernacles/ Sukkot (Nehemiah 8:13-18). The people confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers, and magnified God and His faithfulness.

God Is Worshiped When We Confess Our Sins
And Magnify His Faithfulness

Nehemiah 9:2-3 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshiped the Lord their God.

Sin hinders our walk with God. God said in:

Isaiah 59:2 (ESV) but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Sin is an offense to God, and that which should be unnatural to those whom He has saved. Sin keeps us from receiving God’s best for our lives. Solomon said, “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29). God spoke to Israel through the Prophet Jeremiah, saying:

Jeremiah 5:22-25 (ESV) Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. 23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. 24 They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’ 25 Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you.

Sin robs us of what good our Lord would give to us. Yet the Bible promises that “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Confession is when we agree with God that HE is right, and WE are not. Following confession of sin the Levites told the people:

Nehemiah 9:5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

As the priests led Israel in blessing God, they recounted all the ways that God had been faithful to Israel – though Israel had been at times unfaithful to God. So often when we do the wrong thing, and suffer because of it, we want to blame God for what occurs. This is unfair to God, and foolish of us. God is good. The Scripture says:

1 John 1:5 … God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

When we “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5), God blesses us. The priests now relate the goodness of God. Let’s read of His goodness:

Nehemiah 9:6, 7-15 Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

7 Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: 9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; 10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. 11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. 12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. 13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: 14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: 15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

In this short section we see the faithfulness of God to Israel, from the call of Abram to their journey to Mount Sinai, around 645 years. God made a promise to Abram – who would become Abraham – and swore upon Himself that He would keep it (see Hebrews 6:13). God keeps His Word regardless as to the amount of time that passes. We who are saved have a KNOW SO salvation:

1 John 5:11-15 (ESV) And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

When God promises, you can take that to the bank!

God Stays With His People, Even When We Mess Up!

Nehemiah 9:16-24 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, 17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. 18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; 19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. 20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. 21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. 22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. 24 So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

Though Israel continued to fail God, our Lord was faithful to His people. The Israelis entered the Promised Land to conquer it around 1400 BC. It is now around 444 BC, some 956 years after the second generation of Israel entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. Though much time has passed, God has continued to look after Israel. God never breaks His promises, though we often fail. The Levites lead the people of Israel in not blaming God, but THEMSELVES for the mess they are in. We will finish reading here:

Nehemiah 9:32-37 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: 34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. 35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. 36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: 37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

God has always been, and always will be good! Let us celebrate our God’s faithfulness to those who have trusted in Him! Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

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A Couple Of “F” Words You Need To Know

Posted on August 29, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

Please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2:5-10. We studied verse 5 this morning, but our text tonight demands we read it again.

1 Peter 2:5-10 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

The Devil Loves To Twist God’s Word

The devil loves to twist words. He started out in the Garden of Eden and, twisting God’s Word, questioned God’s Word. “Has God really said you shall not eat of every fruit of the Garden?” (Genesis 3:1). When Eve replied, Satan said “You will not surely die! God knows the day you eat of this fruit, you will be like Him, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5).

Though Satan did not say the word, he implied his favorite four letter word, tempting Adam to forsake the Kingdom of God. Lucifer loves this four letter word. He uses it frequently when tempting us to sin. The four letter word I’m referring to begins with the letter “F”, and in a short while I’m going to have to say this word – forgive me!

Illustrate: I saw the word used on a commercial just last night. A company called Experian® said they were giving away something, and they used that dreaded “F” word. Are you ready? They said that if you went to their website, they would give you a … here it comes … FREE credit report! That’s what you all thought I was going to say, wasn’t it? That’s the devil’s favorite word. F-R-E-E. Anytime I see the word F-R-E-E I ask myself to mind the fine print, or the other shoe dropping. What Experian® is actually doing is trying to get you to sign up for one of their credit cards. Having been hurt by the credit card business myself, I highly recommend that you DO NOT get a credit card for ANYTHING except an emergency. Credit cards will put you – if you’re not very careful – in a financial hole that will enslave you and your paycheck and your family for a long, long time.

That old serpent was telling Adam, “Go ahead, eat! It’s FREE. There’s no strings attached.” Yet God had told Adam the truth, and there were strings attached. With one bite, our forefather Adam sold all his children – that’s us – into the slavery of sin and death.

Praise God that Jesus came along! Praise God that the Father sent the Son to give Himself for our sins. Praise God that the Holy Spirit comes to the seeking sinner, and causes that person to be born again. Praise God for this!

Salvation is a FREE GIFT from God. I agree with this statement. It is supported by the Scripture. The words “FREE GIFT” are only found together in these texts:

Romans 5:14-18 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Salvation is a FREE GIFT from God. It is purchased by Jesus, delivered by the Holy Spirit, and planned by God the Father. However, we need to be careful that we are defining the word “FREE” as GOD DEFINES “FREE”, and NOT as SATAN DEFINES “FREE”.

When Satan says something is “FREE”, he means,
“absolutely without consequence”

Illustrate: Yet Satan’s “FREE” is often a lie. The other day, I was leaving a discount market and heard that there was a large box of FREE items at the front door. I, like everyone else, loves FREE stuff. So I went out front and, accompanied by a mother and her daughter, went through that box. I found what I expected – junk! But I picked up a few things. I picked up a set of coasters with my “preferred pronouns” on it. My “preferred pronouns” are “He/ Him”. Now, I didn’t need this set of coasters to tell me what my pronouns are. I know what I am. I am what I was born to be, a man. But there are many in our world today who are confused over who they are. We have men who identify as women, women who identify as man, and people of either physical gender that identify as bi-sexual or both. The devil has told them “It’s your choice. You are FREE to choose what you will be sexually. Your body is a canvas – you’re the artist – there is no god – just do it!” So people make decisions because it is “FREE” or “without consequence”.

The young person goes to a party, and someone offers them a “FREE” pill. They are told, “Just try it, it will make you feel so good!”. So they try the “FREE” thing, and then they are enslaved by what they try.

A person feels broken, or out of place as they are. They do not go to God through Jesus Christ to seek healing, but go to a college class, or talk to an elite. “Have you ever tried same sex love? Try it. It’s FREE.” So they try it. And after trying it, the excitement of doing something different gives them a euphoria, and they try it again. Satan gets national advertisements and support from large corporations to endorse this “FREE” love movement. In time the broken still feel broken, more confused than ever. It did not bring perfect happiness, but enslavement to their bodies, enslavement to an unScriptural movement.

The devil’s definition of “FREE” has crept into the Church, and into the Gospel message. For years many preachers have stood up and preached Romans 5:14-18 and said,

“See, salvation is a FREE GIFT. We are told this THREE TIMES in this text. It’s a FREE GIFT, something you cannot earn nor deserve.”

Is this true? Yes. It is a “FREE GIFT”. But what is the GIFT that the Bible talks about in this particular text? Read with me:

Romans 5:17 if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ

In the context where we are exposed to the words “FREE GIFT” we see that this “Free Gift” is two things:

“abundance of grace”
“the gift of righteousness”

This is NOT a “FREE GIFT” to go to Heaven, but a “FREE GIFT” of GRACE and RIGHTEOUSNESS. This text has NOTHING to do with Heaven, and everything to do with HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE. You shall “reign in life by one, Jesus Christ”

Salvation is not a “FREE GIFT” without consequence, but it is a “FREE GIFT” with consequences. It is “FREE” in the sense that you can neither earn it nor deserve it. It is free in the sense of

Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves also were {at one time} foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Christian is someone who was “{once} foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another”. That’s how you WERE. You were unloving. You were hateful, and hate filled. But then you received the “FREE GIFT” of salvation. This gift was received “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us”. Were there consequences? Absolutely! We read on, “by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior”. You are WASHED. You are REGENERATED, that is, “born again”. You are changed from what you WERE, to what you are NOW, a Child of God. And your activities are changed. As Children of God we have an inheritance. We belong to God. We are not as we were, but are changing day by day.

Yes, Salvation Is “Free”, But There Are
Consequences To Being Saved

Though salvation is a “FREE GIFT”, it is free in the sense that you cannot purchase it. But once saved, there are consequences of salvation. Saved, you become a priest unto God.

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Every Christian – male or female – is a part of a “holy priesthood”. When I looked up the word “Priest” in the dictionary, it says

“an ordained minister of the Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican Church having the authority to perform certain rites and administer certain sacraments”.

That is man’s definition of “Priest”. But God’s definition is different. If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are a priest unto God. A priest is someone who represents God to man, and man to God. In the Old Testament the “Priests” were supposed to be ALL of the nation of Israel. In Exodus 14 God saved Israel from Egyptian bondage by carrying them through the Red Sea as if on dry land. Israel was saved, and Egypt destroyed.

Salvation Is A Free Gift WITH Consequences

God told Israel in Exodus 19:4-6, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”

God called Israel as a nation to be a “kingdom of priests, and an holy nation”. They were saved with a consequence. Israel told God:

Exodus 19:8 … All that the Lord hath spoken we will do

And yet, Israel did not. While Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from God, Israel commissioned Aaron to make a golden calf (see Exodus 32:8-10). God told Moses, “Let Me alone, and I will destroy Israel, and make of you, Moses, a mighty nation” (Exodus 32:10). But Moses – acting like a Priest should act – interceded for Israel and God. Moses asked the Lord not to destroy Israel for the Lord’s sake, lest His glory be diminished (see Exodus 32:11-13). God answered Moses’ prayer, and did not destroy Israel. When Moses came down the mountain he cried out:

Exodus 32:26 … “Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.”

Who, then, is the Priest. It is the One Who “is on the Lord’s side”. The Priest is not the person with the funny collar, or the fancy title of “Doctor” or “Father”. The Priest is the one “on the Lord’s side”. We who are Christ’s children by faith are:

1 Peter 2:5 … an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Word Study: The word rendered “holy” is the Greek ἅγιος hágios, {pronounced hag’-ee-os}, which means “to be consecrated, set apart”. If you are saved, you are saved because you called upon the Name of Jesus, and the Holy Ghost came upon you to make you born again. What did Jesus say?

John 3:3, 5 … Except a {person} be born again, {they} cannot see the kingdom of God. … 5 … Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins and turning solely to Him, He sends the Holy Spirit to your life. You are born again, born into the Family of God. You are made priests unto God. Unlike the Levitical Priests of the Old Covenant (and of the Tribe of Levi), you offer up “spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”.

The Priests Always Offer Up Sacrifices To God

Under the Old Covenant the Levitical Priests offered up animal sacrifices to temporarily cover the sins of the people of Israel (Leviticus 17:11). In Leviticus chapters 1-7 there were five types of offerings:

  1. Sin offerings, where blood from the male animal covered unintentional sins against God
  3. Burnt offerings, where blood from the male animal was sprinkled on intentional sinners to cover their sins
  5. Peace offerings, where a male or female animal was offered in thanksgiving to God
  7. Trespass offerings, where a male ram was sacrificed for unintentional sins in fraudulent transactions. Money was also repaid to the victim.
  9. Grain offerings, which symbolized gratitude for God’s bounty and blessing

If animals were sacrificed, they were animals that had neither spot nor blemish, the finest of the flock or herd. Impoverished Israelis could offer turtledoves if that was all they could afford. The Priests under the Old Covenant were only males from the Tribe of Levi. The High Priests came from the lineage of Aaron, Moses’ brother. The Old Covenant sacrifices are a shadow of a better Covenant, one in which Jesus Christ is the Centerpiece. You are

1 Peter 2:5 … an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

First, our High Priest is not some earthly person, but it is Jesus Christ Himself. When Abraham returned from battle a mysterious man met him:

Genesis 14:18 … Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God

We are never told who this Melchizedek is in the Old Testament. Yet in the New Testament we are told that Jesus Christ is …

Hebrews 5:10 … Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

As our High Priest, Jesus did not offer turtledoves, rams, sheep, bulls, or grain to cover our sins. Jesus Christ offered HIMSELF. The Scripture says:

Hebrews 7:24-28 this man {Jesus}, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

The Old Covenant High Priest made animal sacrifices, first for himself, then for the people. But Jesus Christ offered Himself, eternal God and sinless Man, for our sins. He is “consecrated for evermore”. As our High Priest Jesus is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens”. The Old Covenant gave us a Law that gave us a High Priest who could fail. But under the New Covenant Jesus Christ is our High Priest. As our High Priest He offered Himself “once, when he offered up himself”. It was ONE AND DONE for Jesus! What does the Bible say?

Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

As Priests, We Live By A Divine “F” Word

1 Peter 2:7-8Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

If you are saved, your lifestyle will show it. You will live so as to honor the Lord Jesus Christ as your High Priest, and to obediently FOLLOW our God. This is clearly taught throughout the Scripture. The consequence of salvation is:

You become a Child of God
You gain the mind of Christ
You seek to follow God

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 … if One died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Jesus died for all so we would not live for ourselves, but for Him. Because we are God’s Children (this is the consequence of salvation) we are Priests, representatives of God to this world. We are under the command:

Romans 6:13 (ESV) Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

Romans 6:16 (ESV) Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Romans 6:18 (ESV) {and you} having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:19 (ESV) I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

If you are a Child of God by faith in Christ, you are a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are not what you were. Beloved, your salvation – though free – has consequences that cannot be escaped.

You now belong to God. You do not belong to Satan, nor do you belong to Sin or this world. You belong to God. “You are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your Spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Following Him, We PRAY To God For Ourselves And Others

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

What are the “spiritual sacrifices” we offer up to God as His Priests?

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV) Pray without ceasing.

Prayer is one of the things a Priest must do. Though we cannot pray all the time (for that is mentally impossible), we should be in a stage of life where we CAN pray at a moment’s notice. In the Old Testament Temple, incense was burned on an altar (Exodus 30:2) each morning and at twilight (Exodus 30:7-8) as a REGULAR OFFERING to the Lord. This symbolized the prayers of God’s people going up to Him. King David prayed:

Psalm 141:2 (ESV) Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

When John the Revelator looked into Heaven he saw:

Revelation 5:8 … golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

We are to be a PRAYING people, constantly seeking God’s will both for ourselves and others. Jesus told us in Luke 18:1 (ESV) that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart.”

Following Him, We Offer Up PRAISE Unto Our God

We are told in:

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice evermore.

Not just in the good times, but we rejoice in the bad. We who are saved belong to God, not to sickness, nor sin, nor Satan, nor anything or anyone else. We praise Him!

Hebrews 13:15 … Through {Jesus} then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

We praise God for the good times, but we also praise God for the seemingly bad times. Why? Because we know that “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:58). All things may not be good, but they “work together for good”.

Though Daniel did not understand why he and his friends were in captivity, he loved and praised God anyway – and was blessed beyond measure.

Though Joseph did not understand why his brothers sold him into slavery, he held on to the great truth that:

Genesis 50:20 As for you {dear brothers}, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive …

Though Job was told by his wife to “curse God and die”(Job 2:9), Job kept his eyes on the Lord. “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive the bad?” God loves us. We are to trust that His love endures no matter what might come our way.

1 Peter 2:9-10 … ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light

Praise Him, Praise Him! Jesus our Blessed Redeemer!

We Who Are Saved Love The “F” Word

We love to follow Jesus!

1 Peter 2:7-10 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Here is where the rubber meets the road. If you believe – that is, have a faith in Christ that saves your soul – then “he is precious”. You value Jesus. You want to hear of Jesus. You desire His Word, and seek to please Him with your life. But look what the Bible says next:

“unto them which be disobedient”

If Jesus means nothing to your life – if you will not follow Him, and do as He says (for Jesus has said “If you love Me, you WILL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS” (John 14:15; 15:10). The Priest follows the High Priest. The Priest follows God. This “Free Gift” of salvation was given so that “ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”. If you will not follow God, if you will not heed this Scripture we call “The Bible”, if you will not honor Him Who saved you, then dear friend

… you are NOT saved!

Salvation has its consequence. You are called to follow the Lord Jesus. Not this world, not social media, not a group, a denomination, a politician, nor any other thing. You are a believer Priest, and YOU belong to God. May God the Holy Spirit touch your hearts with this His Word! Amen and Amen.

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