Paul’s First Amen

Posted on August 12, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Ramiro Pianarosa on Unsplash

Romans 15:14-19 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, 16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

As I stated when we began the Book of Romans, this Book is called the “Constitution of Christianity”. Throughout the Book our Lord explains the Christian way of life.

In the first 11 chapters God establishes that all are born physically into this world in need of the Savior. Because of Adam’s sin, we are born the first time separated from God, spiritually dead. We are absolutely unable to make ourselves physically born. We are also absolutely unable to make ourselves spiritually born. We must be born again.

Romans 3:10-12 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

In order to accomplish new birth for the spiritually dead us, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to this earth to first show us the Way of God. Jesus then went to the Cross. Dying for our sins, He made payment to God for us, a payment we could not make. Jesus offers this salvation to whosoever will receive Him as Lord and Savior.

Romans 3:24-26 (KJV) {We can only be} justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

The first 11 chapters speaks of our need for salvation and what God did to offer it. The last 5 chapters tells us what God saved us for. He didn’t save us just for Heaven (which is what many believe). He saved us to bring Heaven to us. To make us into children of God. To use us as light in this present fallen world.

This section of Scripture is what I call “Paul’s Three Amens”. From Romans 15:14 till the end of the Book Paul uses examples of those who are saved, and how they live their lives. Paul ends each section with an AMEN. Today we look at Paul’s First Amen, which deals with how the Grace of God changed the Apostle’s life.

Grace Brings Heaven’s Purpose To The Believer

Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Illustrate: I remember my Mama, years ago, telling me about the tragedy that happened in her Church. Two young women who sang at Church, and loved the Lord dearly, we coming home from meeting one night and had an accident. On a dark rainy night they missed their turn, and ran into a tree, killing them instantly. Mama said “They sang a special for Jesus that night at Church – and now they’re gone! How could a loving God allow such a waste of life? They loved the Lord, and now they’re dead. How?”

I don’t remember what I told my Mama that night, but I was still a young Christian, and I didn’t know how to respond. I believe Mama’s in Heaven, and knows the answer as to why. She’s looking on the face of the One Who loved her so much, He laid His life down for her, and for us all. If I could go back in time to that moment I’d tell Mama what I’m going to tell you today. I’d say,

“Mama, those two wonderful Christian girls didn’t die. They’re with Jesus. Jesus promised us, ‘whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die’ (John 11:26). God didn’t waste their lives, and THEY didn’t waste their lives. God is the Giver of Life (1 Timothy 6:13), and we belong to Him. He purchased us with His Blood, and He can call us home when He wants. These young women lived all of this life that God gave them to glorify Him, and are now in the Presence of the One they so love (Romans 14:8). THEIR LIVES ARE NOT WASTED, but enhanced, elevated, and eternally with Jesus.”

A wasted life is not one that ends early (and we always think its too early) IF those who are enjoying that life are honoring and serving Jesus. Pastor John Piper, years ago, was preaching. In the midst of the sermon he pulled out a page torn from a travel magazine. He read these words:

“ ‘Bob and Penny took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball, and collect shells.’ Piper then said, “The American Dream: come to the end of your life—your one and only life—and let the last great work before you give an account to your Creator be, ‘I collected shells. See my shells.’ That is a tragedy. People today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Today I’m here to plead with you: don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life.”

God gives us life for a reason. He doesn’t give us life so we can waste it on the mundane, on hours before a cell phone, sitting staring at Facebook, Linked In, X, Tick Tock, or Instagram. The life we have is one that God has allowed us. We can fill that life with useless things, or we can live with eternity in mind. If you are lost, I suspect you’ll hear and disregard this sermon. But if you’re saved, if you’re born again through faith in Christ, then I beg you, DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE. Live for eternity. Live to make a difference to the glory of God.

Paul writes:

Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

What is interesting about the Church in Rome is that Paul has never visited the Church. He is writing the Church because God directed him to do so, but he’s never been there. Paul has been in ministry to the Gentiles over 17 years (we get this information comparing Galatians 1:18 and Galatians 2:1).Once saved on the Damascus Road, Paul preached in Arabia, Damascus, Syria, and Cilicia, all Gentile territories. Paul tells the Church at Rome:

Romans 15:20-22 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: 21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. 22 For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

Paul did not go to Jerusalem and Judea to preach, but went strictly to the Gentile nations, just as God led him to do. He said “I have been much hindered from coming to you”. He’s never been to this Church! And yet Paul said:

I myself also am persuaded {peithō} of {peri} you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to ADMONISH {noutheteō} one another

Here’s the question: How did Paul KNOW that these Roman believers were “full of goodness, filled with knowledge, able to admonish one another”? He’s never met them. How does Paul know this? Notice how Paul states this. He doesn’t say, “I am persuaded BY you”, but “I am persuaded ABOUT you”. What Paul is telling us is,

IF you are saved by faith in Christ Jesus,
IF you are born again of the Spirit,
IF you are a child of the King,
THEN you have the capability to do good,
THEN you have the capacity to grow in knowledge,
THEN you are able to support one another, to be in one accord.

Every Christian has the same blessings, the same abilities, the same worth as every other Christian. If you are born again, you are born again with a purpose. We are members together in His Kingdom.

We all do not have the same Calling, but we all have a Calling, a Gifting, a Direction that God wants us to go. Paul is persuaded that the Roman believers will prosper in Grace, because he has seen what Grace did in HIS life.

Paul is not a super Christian. Paul is a surrendered Christian. Paul is a Christian with purpose.

God Did Not Give Us Grace Just To Take Us To Heaven

Romans 15:15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

Paul is saying “I wrote these things BOLDLY to you (for Paul had never been to Rome) because I saw what Grace did in me”. Grace changes things. Grace changes us. If a person tells me, “I’m saved by the Grace of God”, but there is no fruit of the Spirit of God in their lives, then I need to lovingly ask them, “Are you SURE?” The Apostle wrote the Church at Philippi:

Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; [11] And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Why did Jesus die on the Cross of Calvary? Why are we offered Grace through His Bloody Death? Verses 10 and 11 tell us, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow”. That this world, filled with spiritually dead creatures, would come to life through the operation of God’s Grace. That the Spiritually Dead would become the Spiritually Alive, and that “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. Grace changes darkness to light. Grace changes the lost to saved. Grace changes the son of Adam to the son of God. Grace changes condemnation to glory. Grace changes everything. Paul went on to tell the Church:

Philippians 2:12-13 (KJV) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

WORK OUT – show fruit. For GOD WORKETH IN YOU. Grace changes you. Grace changed Saul to Paul. Grace changed fisherman Peter to preaching Peter. Grace changed the tax collector Matthew to the Gospel writer. God wrote the Law on tablets of stone. But God writes His Law on our hearts by Grace, changing stony hearts into hearts that love Him!

Grace is given to us not to sit stagnant, but to make us the workmanship of God. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Ephesians 2:8-10. The first two verses read:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

You cannot be saved by the works of the Law, by being good, by any action that you can think of. You are saved BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ. You receive Him as He is, both Lord and Savior. But once you are saved, GRACE WORKS IN YOU. We read:

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God’s people WALK in GOOD WORKS. God’s people obey the Lord Who saved them. Paul said:

Romans 15:15-16 … because of the grace that is given to me of God, 16 That I should be the MINISTER {leitourgos} of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, MINISTERING {hierourgeō} the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Word Study: Before he was saved, as Saul he served the Sanhedrin, seeking to please Judaism. As a Pharisee Saul had nothing to do with the Gentiles. But once he was given Grace, Paul became the “MINISTER of Jesus Christ”. This is the Greek leitourgos, which means “a minister or servant of the state”. Before he was saved, Paul was a servant of Judaism. Now he is a servant of Jesus Christ, of the Kingdom of God. As a servant of the kingdom of Christ, Paul was “MINISTERING the Gospel of God”. This is the Greek hierourgeō, which means to “act as a priest, sharing that which God has given”. Paul did not modify the Gospel in any way, shape, or form, but presented the Gospel clearly and as God gave it to him.

Paul did not inject his opinion or his desires into the process, but gave the Gospel as God gave it to him. And God honored Paul’s labors, as the Gentiles who came to Christ were “sanctified by the Holy Ghost”. Their lives showed evidence that God was working in them.

Romans 15:18-19 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Paul didn’t brag on what he did, for Paul was but a tool that God used. The Grace of God “make(s) the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed”. True Grace brings about a change. Paul said, “I have fully preached the gospel of Christ”. He didn’t add his spin to it. Beloved, too many today preach a partial Gospel, a modified Gospel, a Gospel that appeals to the masses. But we are warned in:

Galatians 1:8-9 (KJV) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

What is the Gospel that Paul preached? It is that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 3-4). The Gospel begins with “REPENT”. Your life is not your own. You are broken. Hear Jesus’ call, and receive Him. The Gospel is:

Romans 10:9-13 (ESV) if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The Grace Of God Takes Us Outside
Our Comfort Zone

Paul said of his calling:

Romans 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:

He stepped outside of his comfort zone. As Christians, we must all step outside our comfort zones. We must trust the Lord as we reach out to those around us in the name of Christ. Paul was sold out for Christ. He tells the Church at Rome:

Romans 15:24-28 Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company. 25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. 26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. 27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. 28 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

The Churches in Macedonia and Achaia , fully Gentile, saved by the Grace of God, sought to help “the poor saints in Jerusalem”, the Jews. Grace erases racism! It erases divisions. It does not matter what color your brother or sister in Christ is. It just matters that they are IN CHRIST. That they are saved. The Gentile Churches were, themselves, very poor. The Church in Macedonia was terribly persecuted. Paul said:

2 Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

It is a very pagan area. Paul and those ministers with him were attacked constantly, and once the Church was established there, it was persecuted as well. And yet we are told:

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (KJV) Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; [2] How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. [3] For to [their] power, I bear record, yea, and beyond [their] power [they were] willing of themselves; [4] Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and [take upon us] the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. [5] And [this they did], not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Impoverished themselves, attacked and downtrodden, the Macedonian Christians, because of the Grace of God in them, gave to the poor of Jerusalem. Paul was carrying an offering to Jerusalem from the Gentiles, an offering that shows how Grace changes things. Paul didn’t know it at the time, but his trip into Jerusalem would not be a pleasure trip. Paul wrote:

Romans 15:29-32 I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. 30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; 31 That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; 32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Sadly, this was not to be. When Paul came to Caesarea to the home of Phillip the Evangelist just prior to going to Jerusalem with the Gentile offering, God the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul. We read:

Acts 21:10-14 (NKJV) And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. [11] When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his [own] hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver [him] into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” [12] Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. [13] Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” [14] So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”

Did Paul err? I believe he did. It happened just as God said it would. Beloved, if God had warned me not to go to Jerusalem, I’d listen to God. Paul could have sent the offering to Jerusalem by the hand of Phillip the Evangelist. But he didn’t. However, I salute Paul’s dedication to serve the Lord. It reminds me of what Old Testament scholar Christopher Wright said:

“Too often we ask, ‘Where does God fit into the story of my life?’ The real question should be, ‘Where does my little life fit into the great story of God’s mission’?

Paul would eventually end up in Rome, and would stand before Caesar, sharing the Gospel with him. Paul would, like John the Baptist, be beheaded for the cause of Christ. Was his a wasted life? No! I believe he is in glory now, celebrating the grace of God that gave him a Heavenly Father. The life given to Jesus is never wasted.

Beloved, one day we will all stand before the Lord. Some will stand before God and, never knowing Him, will be cast into a Lake of Fire FOREVER (see Revelation 20:11-15). Others who are saved will stand before Christ to test the stewardship of Grace you were given. The Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (NKJV) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things [done] in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

When judgment day comes, the works you did will be judged. If you did works to BE saved, you will be cast into the Lake of Fire. No work will save you, but the work of receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you did works BECAUSE you were saved, because God is working in you, the works will be judged by fire (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). Those works you did which gave glory to the Lord will be rewarded. I pray you all will receive crowns for honoring the Lord.

Romans 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

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Bewitched Believers

Posted on August 12, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Joshua Newton on Unsplash

Galatians 3:1-5 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

One of the social media sites I sometimes visit is called Linkedin. Recently I was intrigued by an article entitled “What Is The Worst Thing That Can Happen On A Sunday Morning?” from Church Growth Magazine. I rarely read these articles, because much of what people are doing to grow the “Church” is man-made, not Bible inspired. The article started out good:

“In the push to execute Sunday morning services, it is easy to forget the basics: churches grow when people receive Christ, and people receive Christ when they’re invited to receive Christ. Read the story of a church that has mastered the basics.”

So I thought, “Okay! I believe that. Salvation comes by RECEIVING Christ as He is. Let me see what this Church is doing.”

The article went on to say that this Church was growing so fast, they couldn’t keep up with all the new people coming in. The writer said:

“The worship was loud, sometimes unorganized, sometimes spontaneous. The pastor preached a decent message on “becoming a new creation in Christ.” The message was good yet … a little simplistic.”

When a man came forward at the end of the service, “He knelt. The pastor laid hands on him, and they both prayed a “sinner’s prayer.” Then, some folks took the cover off a horse trough filled with water. This young fellow was about to get baptized!”

After the service, a “Worship Planning Meeting” met, debriefing, looking at the numbers, talking about the sound system. No discussion of Scripture. The Pastor did not come to the meeting, nor did he give input. As I read the article, the one thing that kept coming to my heart was …

Is God in this? Is the Bible in this? I admire that the members are excited about “numbers”, but are people being saved? When the Pastor – and not the Holy Spirit – leads someone in a “Sinners Prayer’, where do you find this in the Bible?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for using technology to reach others. I love the slides we can now show on the wall as I describe the Scripture. But neither I nor any pastor are “God”. God must call people to salvation. God must effect a change in a life. Many Church leaders, years ago, read Rick Warren’s book “Purpose Driven Church”. In that book Warren taught marketing tricks to try and entice people into the Church. I’d love to see 200 here on Sunday. I’d love to see a great crowd. But what about Wednesday Bible Study and Prayer Meeting? What about Sunday night services? A crowd on Sunday morning is great, but God calls me, and all Pastors, to …

Ephesians 4:11-15 (ESV) {God the Holy Spirit} gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ …

Pastors oversee the Church as shepherds, EQUIPPING THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY. I am called to teach you God’s Word, to BUILD UP THE BODY in the UNITY OF THE FAITH, to teach you about Jesus. To feed you so that you will go from being children to ADULT CHRISTIANS who will not be deceived by the devil.

No Pastor can teach dead people.
You must be BORN AGAIN of God.
You must be DRAWN OF THE SPIRIT to Jesus.
God must save the sinner.
Repeating a “Sinners Prayer” smacks of man made religion.
Nowhere in Scripture do you see the Apostles
lead others in a “Sinners Prayer”

Beloved, the devil is always trying to flood the Church of Jesus Christ with anything that will get it off mission. I can’t save you. You can’t save you. Only God can. Salvation is God’s supernatural response to the human heart REPENTING and RECEIVING the Lord Jesus Christ. I can’t do that for you. Anyone who tells you they can, they are bewitching you.

The Galatians Were “Bewitched” Believers

Galatians 3:1-2 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

What is the Apostle talking about? The Church at Galatia was a Gentile Church, filled with believers who have given their lives to Jesus. They were going well. Beloved, any time the Church gets going well, it won’t be long before the devil will infiltrate, and try to cause it to stumble. This is why we need strong, Bible based Christians in the Church. If not, we will find ourselves (as we saw in Ephesians).

Ephesians 4:14 (ESV) tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

What creeps into Churches that the Bible doesn’t support? The Pastor saves you. Baptism saves you. You must count beads or pray to saints. You must belong to this Church to be saved. Jesus was just a good man. God saves everyone by default, since Jesus died for everyone. You can be saved by Jesus and ignore Him in your life. You can do what you want to do and go to Heaven. We are gods who will one day be equal to God. God is not a Trinity, but an Actor. The Bible is a fairytale, not the Word of God.

There’s more, and I’ve heard them all over the past 50 years. What was the lie that Satan pumped into the congregation at Galatia? You must follow the Mosaic Law to be saved. Paul asks:

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath BEWITCHED {baskainō} you

Word Study: The word translated “BEWITCHED” is the Greek baskainō, used only here in the New Testament. The word means “to cast a spell on, so as to bring under control”. Paul uses this word specifically because at this time, the only Scripture fully available was the Old Testament. Years ago there was a cute comedy called “Bewitched”, where Daren Stevens wife Samantha, a witch, could twitch her nose and make things magically happen. In the comedy witches were shown as harmless, fun. But God’s view of witches is far different. God said:

Exodus 22:18 (ESV) You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

And as the Apostles wrote the New Testament, we are told:

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

Witchcraft is considered the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), because like murder and sexual immorality, it’s power is not derived from God but from darkness. Those who are specifically cast outside Heaven are “sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). Pharisees had crept into the Church and taught the believers there, “You must keep this law, and observe this festival, and do this and that, or God will cast you from Him”. Yet the Apostle says:Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Word Study: It was well known among the Gentiles that Jesus was crucified on Calvary, and the Apostle Paul had taught them that Jesus was “SET FORTH” by God the Father. This is the Greek prographō, which means “to write before, to depict or portray previously”. It was very clearly presented in the Old Testament that God was going to send a Messiah, a Savior to save us from our sins. The Apostle told the Church at Rome, “whatsoever things were WRITTEN AFORETIME {prographō} were WRITTEN {prographō} for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”. Our Lord Jesus was foretold all throughout the Old Testament. Jesus told the Pharisees:

John 5:46 (NKJV) For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.

My commentary notes:

“The story of Jesus saturates the meta-narrative of the Bible, and prophecies of His first advent are found throughout the Old Testament. Allusions to Him also come up in micro ways, as many people and events hint at the work He would accomplish. One scholar, J. Barton Payne, has found as many as 574 verses in the Old Testament that somehow point to or describe or reference the coming Messiah. Alfred Edersheim found 456 Old Testament verses referring to the Messiah or His times. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry.”

The Lord Jesus Christ paid for our sins IN FULL. Further, for a person to be saved, the Spirit of God MUST work in their lives.

Galatians 3:2-3 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

When a person RECEIVES Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God the Holy Spirit comes to them and indwells them. The Bible says:

Romans 8:8-11 (KJV) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. [9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. [10] And 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.

Your righteousness did not save you from God’s condemnation. Jesus’ payment for your sins saved you, if you believed. Your righteousness does not bring the Holy Spirit to indwell you. The finished work of Christ on Calvary makes it possible for the Spirit to indwell you. Beloved, if the Spirit of God does not indwell you, you are not Christ’s child. And if the Spirit of God does not indwell you, you are GOING TO HELL!

If you’re saved, you’re saved not because you are “good” or “perfect”, but because you received Jesus as Lord and Savior. You are saved because the Spirit of God indwells you – and you are Heaven bound for it.

Paul says, “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”. How stupid is that? I can’t save myself. I didn’t save myself. God saved me, and God saves you IF you believe in Christ Jesus, surrendering your life to Him.

Galatians 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

The greatest persecutors of the early Christians (and even Christians today) are the Judaizers and Pharisees. They hate Jesus. The Jewish Talmud, which teaches Jews about the Old Testament, repeatedly defiles the Name of Jesus. The Rabbis taught that Jesus was raised from the dead not by God, but by sorcery (Talmud Gittin 57a:3) or witchcraft. The Talmud in the same section claims Jesus is being punished with boiling excrement in the next world. The Rabbis taught that Jesus worshiped idols and performed sorcery (Talmud Sotah.47a.14). They refused to receive Jesus as the Messiah, though God did many miracles through Him. The Rabbis teach that:

“On Passover Eve they hung the corpse of Jesus the Nazarene after they killed him by way of stoning … because he practiced sorcery, incited people to idol worship, and led the Jewish people astray.” (Sanhedrin 43a:20). The Judaizers and Pharisees HATED Jesus, because Jesus stood against their false teachings. Jesus said of these so called teachers:

They are children of hell (Matthew 23:15)
Their father is the devil (John 8:44)
Their faith is the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:9; 3:9)

The Jewish Rabbis teach that Jesus was born not of a virgin, but out of adultery. A footnote in Talmud Sanhedrin 106a:42 states “Balaam is frequently used in the Talmud as a type for Jesus”. There is much more of this nonsense in the Talmud. The early Church suffered greatly, and suffers today from false teachers who attack our Lord.

Galatians 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

The intent of Satan in using his agents to infiltrate the Church is to create a flesh powered, man made institution. The proof of an effective Church is not large numbers at a rock concert on Sunday morning, but a Church that consistently longs for the power of God’s Spirit and the truth of God’s Word.

Was Abraham Saved By The Law?

Galatians 3:6-7 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Paul now brings out a key section in the Bible of that day, our Old Testament. He refers to the life of Abraham. If there was ever a broken man, it was Abraham. Before he met God, he wasn’t even called Abraham. He was called “Abram” (Hebrew ‘aḇrām) which means “exalted father”. This was what his father Terah named him, as every parent hopes that their children will be great. Yet Abram was not an exalted father. When God the Father came to Abram and called him, Abram was 75 years old and childless (Genesis 12:4).

God came to Abram and offered him the Covenant of Grace. We are told in

Galatians 3:17-18 … the covenant {of Grace}, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

The Law was not given to Noah. The Law was not given to Abram. And yet, both Noah and Abram found GRACE in the eyes of God. They were saved by FAITH, not by keeping the Law!

God came to this broken Abram, the Almighty Father came to the exalted but impotent father, and called him to salvation. God told Abram:

Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV) Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

How was Abram saved? By believing God. By following God. By heeding God. God said, in essence, “If you’ll follow Me and trust Me, I’ll bless you. You’ll have kids. And through you, I will bless all the FAMILIES of the earth.” What did Abram do? He followed God.

Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

What Paul quotes here is not from Genesis 12, but about 10 years later, in Genesis 15:6. Abram is still without a child, though he has faithfully followed the Lord for ten years. When Abram went to God in prayer about it, the Lord told Abram:

Genesis 15:4-5 (NKJV) … “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

The Bible says, “{Abram} believed in the Lord, and He {God} accounted it to him for righteousness.”

Saving faith believes God, and follows God. Saving faith trusts God. Saving faith realizes that we are deficit, but that God is good and faithful. Saving faith clings to God like a drowning man clings to a life raft.

Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

The Pharisees were fond of saying that they were “Abraham’s seed”. They said, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man” (John 8:33). They were physically able to trace themselves back to Abraham, but they were not Abraham’s seed. Jesus told them,

John 8:34-37 (KJV) … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. [35] And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever. [36] If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. [37] I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

The Pharisees rejected the Messiah, but relied on the Law and their adherence to it to save them. But the Law cannot save. Only God can save. Only Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, can save us from our sins. Only God could save Abram from his brokenness. Only God can save us from our brokenness.

The true children of Abraham are not those who can genetically trace themselves back to him. The true children of Abraham are those who spiritually imitate Abraham, following and trusting in the Lord our God.

The Pharisees, trusting in the Law and their abilities, damned themselves for all eternity. We do the same when we think we with our tiny strength can save ourselves.

Galatians 3:8-9 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

It was God’s intent to JUSTIFY the Gentiles through faith, just as He JUSTIFIED Abraham. God offered Abram the Covenant of Grace, and Abram, believing God, was made by God into Abraham. God takes the broken and, through His Covenant of Grace, makes whosoever will whole. I end with this quote from Pastor J.D. Hall:

“The Gospel does not merely grant a legal acquittal before the throne of God. It transforms the sinner into a new creation. The blood of Jesus Christ is not a mild detergent that lightens the stains but leaves the fabric frayed. It is a consuming flood that regenerates, sanctifies, and resurrects the spiritually dead. This is not poetic embroidery; it is the core proclamation of the New Testament. It is the very blood of Christ, drawn from Immanuel’s veins. … The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, listing the vices that exclude from the kingdom of God, sexual immorality among them, and then immediately declare, “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.” … That is not careful, hedged language. It is an unqualified declaration that the blood of Christ is entirely sufficient to cleanse even the most sordid sinner and that the ground at the foot of the cross is perfectly level for both harlot and Pharisee.”

Are you saved by Grace? Have you come to God broken, with empty hands? Or are you relying on your ability to save yourselves? Oh, dear ones, reject Satan and his tactics. Trust in the Lord Jesus. Surrender to Him as Savior and Lord. Trust His power, and the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Don’t trust in a “Sinners Prayer” or a Pastor’s assurances. Trust in the Lord. “they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham”. Amen!

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The Best Way, God’s Way

Posted on August 8, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Zach Kessinger on Unsplash

Proverbs 20:1 Wine {yayin} is a mocker, strong drink {šēḵār} is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Be Careful With Alcohol

This is the first time that Solomon addresses alcohol in the Book of Proverbs. Here he personifies alcohol. The “wine” (Hebrew yayin) that is referenced here is naturally fermented juice of crushed grapes. The “strong drink” (Hebrew šēḵār) is fortified or distilled wine made from grapes, figs, dates, or grains. The difference between the two was that

Wine or Yayin is naturally formed. Strong Drink or šēḵār is engineered by man to increase the alcoholic content per volume.

It was naturally formed wine that our Lord Jesus made at the Wedding Feast in Cana. Wine diluted with water was often used in Jewish celebrations. The Bible tells us that:

John 2:3 (ESV) When the wine {oinos} ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine {oinos}.”

Jesus had the servants of the feast take six stone jars there for the rites of Jewish purification, each able to hold around 30 gallons of water. Jesus told the servants, “fill the jars with water”, and the servants filled the jars to the brim. Jesus told them to draw out the beverage, and take it to the “master of the feast”. This man declared:

John 2:10 (ESV) Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.

Jesus made “GOOD WINE”, naturally fermented, something only God can do. That which our Lord Jesus provided was not for drunkenness, but for celebration of Biblical marriage. The Psalmist praised the Lord, saying:

Psalm 104:1, 5, 10, 14-15 15 (LSB) Bless Yahweh, O my soul! O Yahweh my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, 5 He founded the earth upon its place, So that it will not shake forever and ever. 10 He sends forth springs in the valleys; They flow between the mountains; 14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for man’s cultivation, To bring forth food from the earth, 15 And wine {yayin} which makes man’s heart glad, To make his face glisten more than oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.

Naturally fermented wine was given us by God – but God warns against its misuse. By personifying wine and strong drink, the Bible makes wine to be a “mocker” (Hebrew lûṣ) someone who makes fun of you or scorns you. We are told that strong drink is “raging” (Hebrew hāmâ), that is, it fights against your best interest, harming your life. Among the Israelites, Priests on duty were forbidden to drink alcohol:

Leviticus 10:8-11 Yahweh then spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 “Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die—it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations— 10 and so as to separate between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and so as to instruct the sons of Israel in all the statutes which Yahweh has spoken to them through Moses.”

This was because wine and strong drink can dull your senses, and allow the priest to do something that they would not have normally done. God made no allowances for tipsiness in the priesthood. If they were impaired by alcohol, their impairment could lead to their deaths.

When Abraham returned from battle, the Bible says that he was met by …

Genesis 14:18-20 (NKJV) Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine {yayin}; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Again, this was naturally fermented wine, not fortified wine. Though it is possible to get drunk on naturally fermented wine, as Noah did (Genesis 9:21). The Bible forbids the Christian from drunkenness, saying:

Ephesians 5:18-20 (KJV) And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; [19] Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; [20] Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

If we’re going to “get happy”, we should rejoice in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of God, not from wine or strong drink. One final point. Christians are to avoid partaking wine around other Christians if it is offensive to them. The Apostle wrote:

Romans 14:21 (KJV) [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Drunkenness is a sin, and always forbidden. It is also a sin to cause a weaker brother or sister in Christ to stumble. The Apostle warned, “take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9). It is our calling to lead others to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, not to please ourselves.

Consider Carefully Who You Provoke

Proverbs 20:2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

A wise person looks to avoid conflict with others, especially when dealing with people you don’t know. Especially those in power. The Bible tells us:

Romans 13:1 (KJV) Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is NO POWER BUT OF GOD: the powers that be are ORDAINED OF GOD.

It is God Who establishes the nations, according to His purposes. This brings us to the story of King Hanun of Ammon.

When David was still being chased by Saul he went to the King of Moab, and said:

1 Samuel 22:3 Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.

The King of Moab took David’s family in, but ended up killing all of David’s family but one brother Eliab. Eliab escaped to Ammon, and was put under the protection of King Nahash.

When King Nahash died, and his son Hanun took the throne, we read:

2 Samuel 10:2-5 (NKJV) David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. 3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” 4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

This understandably angered King David. The Ammonites compounded the problem by then hiring 33,000 Syrian mercenaries to help them fight Israel. General Joab took the best fighters of Israel to fight the Syrians, and commissioned his brother Abishai to lead troops against the Ammonites. Both the Ammonites as well as the Syrians were destroyed!

The story doesn’t end here. King David should have honored the King of Kings and Lord of Lords after God gave him this great victory. But instead, the Bible says:

2 Samuel 11:1-2 (NKJV) It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.

This began one of the darkest moments of David’s life. He committed adultery with another man’s wife, murdered her husband, and married the woman called Bathsheba. But as the Scripture says, be sure your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23). God told David:

2 Samuel 12:7-12 (NKJV) ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’

It is bad to anger the King, but horrible to anger the King of Kings. Our sins are an affront to God Himself. When we “provoke Him to anger, we sin against our own soul”.

The Wise Man Is The Peacemaker

Proverbs 20:3 It is an HONOR {kāḇôḏ} for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling {gālaʿ}.

It is better to follow the path of peace, not of war and offense. The word translated “HONOR” is the Hebrew kāḇôḏ, which means “to be exalted, to be lifted up as an example, to be honored”. The “fool” or godless person responds badly to others. They are always “MEDDLING”, Hebrew gālaʿ, meaning “seeking a battle, breaking out in contention”.

The fool is always finding fault, always looking for trouble! They are never satisfied or at peace.

The godless are always stirring the pot, but the one who will be honored is the one who seeks to calm the waters! Our Lord Jesus said:

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

I suspect that those who are brittle, always finding fault are actually lost people. They make trouble because it inflates their ego – and yet – these people, the troublemakers, are rarely sought after or honored. Yes, there are times when you will have to strike in the name of God (as King David did), but that is the exception, not the default. The Bible tells us:

Hebrews 12:14 (ESV) Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Romans 12:18 (ESV) If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Do good to your enemies (Luke 6:35), and walk in love as Christ loved us (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Illustrate: A little old lady came into the bank, and went to the Teller window with her bank book. “I’d like to draw out $10 from my account”. The self important woman behind the window said, “Ma’am, if you need to withdraw anything less than $100, you need to use the ATM outside!” The little old lady said, “But I only need $10. Can’t you get that for me?” The arrogant Teller said, “Absolutely not! The bank policy is to use the ATM, just like I told you”. The little old lady them said, “Well then, I’d like to close my account”. With a trembling hand she surrendered her bank book to the teller, who typed the account number into her computer. The teller turned white. That little old lady’s account held $350,000!She started stuttering, “Ma’am, we don’t have that much money in our vault at this time! Will you please reconsider? If I tell the manager you’re closing your account, I’ll be fired!” The little old lady smiled, and said sweetly, “Then honey, just give me my $10”. She got her money, and the Teller learned a lesson.

Arrogance and belligerence can hurt you. You never know who you are talking with. The way of peace is the way of Christ.

God Is Looking For People Who Are Faithful

Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Illustrate: I heard about a fellow who lived in a house with a leaking roof. When it was raining, he refused to fix it because it was raining. When the rain stopped, he refused to fix the roof because it wasn’t leaking. Lazy people never get anywhere. The Bible says:

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man SOWS, that he will also REAP.

If you SOW nothing, you REAP nothing. The sluggard puts off, procrastinates, and the time of planting passes. When the harvest comes, the sluggard gets nothing, because he would do noting. When his belly was empty, he went begging others so that he might eat.

Proverbs 19:15 (ESV) Slothfulness casts into a DEEP SLEEP, and an idle person will suffer hunger.

These people never contribute to the good of anything, but are quick to point out deficiencies that they themselves have no solution for. Christians are not to be sluggards! The Apostle wrote:

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 (ESV) Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

We are not to be sluggards, nor are we to fellowship with sluggards. The standard of the Kingdom of God is, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat”. Those who do nothing, contribute nothing – though many will be “BUSYBODIES”. What you sow, you reap! The Apostle said that if there are sluggards among us Christians, do not treat them as enemies, but warn them that their way is not Christ’s way. My commentary notes:

“So work hard, even when you don’t feel like it! I can tell you, being self-motivated is a huge asset to your employer, and to your spouse. Many are not willing to work when it’s hard and cold, and then wonder why things are not easy when everyone else seems to be having things go their way. The same is true spiritually. Often we can feel cold in our walk with the Lord, and don’t feel like reading our Bibles, like praying, or like going to church meetings – but that’s exactly when we should! And if we do, we’ll reap the harvest – we’ll see fruit in our lives.”

Keep Good Company With Faithful Believers

Proverbs 20:5-6 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. 6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful {ēmûn} man who can find?

We live in a day when it is difficult to find faithful people. I believe that the demise of Church attendance and fellowship of the saints has contributed to this. I have noticed that …

When professing believers contribute to and focus on social media (Facebook, Tick Tock, X, Instagram, etc) excessively, they will adopt the mannerisms and bad attitude of the lost world.

We are warned in 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV):

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

This is why the Church comes together frequently to read and study the bible TOGETHER. This focuses our hearts toward God and His truth.

The purpose of coming together to seek out and study the Word of God is to focus the heart toward faithfulness to God. God never expected us to be perfect or without sin when He saved us – but He does expect us to be faithful to Him. When God found Israel, the Lord said:

Deuteronomy 32:9-15, 20 (NKJV) … the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. 10 “He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. 11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, 12 So the Lord alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him. 13 “He made him ride in the heights of the earth, That he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock; 14 Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs; And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, With the choicest wheat; And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes. 15 But Jeshurun {a symbolic name for Israel, meaning ‘those whom God made upright’} grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then {Israel} forsook God who made him, … {and God said} 20 I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith.

God expects His people to be faithful, to be fruitful, not to be fallow. He saved us in love, and demands that we love Him in our salvation. We work for Him, and glorify Him.

Proverbs 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity {tōm}: his children are blessed after him.

The faithful person is the JUST person, the saved person. The person who is saved should “walk” or live in his “INTEGRITY”. The word translated integrity is the Hebrew tōm, which means without hypocrisy. This is what God loved about King David. David was not flawless. He stole another man’s wife, and murdered her husband. He was prideful at times. But when God corrected David, David wholeheartedly repented and cast himself on the Grace of God. God came to Solomon after he built the Temple, and told him:

1 Kings 9:3-7 (KJV) – And the LORD said unto {Solomon}, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. [4] And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity {tōm} of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, [and] wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: [5] Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. [6] [But] if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments [and] my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: [7] Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people

Integrity means that, dear Christian, you need to be SOLD OUT to God. God will not tolerate a half-heart in following Him. God gave EVERYTHING for you on the Cross. He expects you to give Him your WHOLE HEART. Period.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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God Never Gives Up

Posted on August 6, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Kevin Mueller on Unsplash

Romans 15:4-7 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

How Do We Define “God”? How Do We Define “Fool”?

Everyone knows that there is a God Who made all things. That’s an absolute truth. Oh, there are people who say “We’re atheists. We’re agnostics. We’re scientists. We believe that all things just evolved out of nothing. We believe in the survival of the fittest. There is no God. There is only “mother nature”, a mother who came about by accident.” If that were true, the name “God” or “Jesus Christ” wouldn’t be in your language whatsoever. “OMG”. Everybody knows there is a God Who is above us.

Defining the word “fool” is easy. The Bible says that the definition of a FOOL is:

Psalm 14:1 (KJV) The FOOL hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The FOOL says there is no God. The reason they say this is that, IF there is a God (and there is), THEN the stupid things they do, they will be held accountable for it. There is a God. Without a God, then mankind is god, and we can do as we please without worry of eternity. But even scientists – though they will not acknowledge it – know there is a God. I came across this statement the other day:

“According to strict logic, mathematical probability, and observational science, the mathematical probability of a sequence of DNA letters (DNA is the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for all living organisms) forming through random to code for even the minimalistic gene that we can see …. the probability of a new functional gene around 1000 nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA) forming via random mutations is about 1 in 10 to the power of 600 … Evolution requiring new functional genetic information has never been directly observed. … It is effectively IMPOSSIBLE IN REAL WORLD CONDITIONS.

When I looked this up – and it’s from Answers in Genesis – I knew it. Scientists know this. But they lie, they hide, and they push the propaganda of Godless Evolution. There is a God, and that God made all things. That God made you, He made me, and He made everything we see and everything we do not see.

God made us in His image because He, as God, can do that. We cannot make God in our image. That “god” is imaginary. That “god” is demonic, from Satan himself.

The Bible warns against making idols (Exodus 20:4-5). Idols are useless. “They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, for they are useless” (1 Samuel 12:20-21). “People make their own gods, but they are not gods!” (Jeremiah 16:20). Those who say there is no God, and those who create false gods to worship apart from the God of the Bible have one thing in common. They are enabling demons.

Psalm 106:36-38 (ESV) They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; 38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

The “God” You Worship Defines How You Live

The God you worship will determine the type of person you are. The reason our Beloved America and the Church in America is in such a state is because we have moved from the TRUE GOD reflected in the Scripture, to NO GOD or a DEMONIC GOD. Jesus said, “IT IS WRITTEN, WORSHIP the Lord your God, and SERVE Him only” (Luke 4:8, CSB). Jesus Christ believed in and preached the God OF THE BIBLE. When Jesus walked the earth, the only Scripture written was the Old Testament. The Apostles wrote the New Testament, as God the Holy Spirit enabled them (2 Peter 1:21), but that which was written of God’s Word as Paul wrote Romans focused on ISRAEL and God’s prophecies to them.

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through PATIENCE and COMFORT of the scriptures might have hope.

There is a strange idea in the Church that there are two Gods in the Bible – the harsher God of the Old Testament, and the Grace filled God of the New Testament. Whatever was written before Paul’s writing was written to teach the Church about God.

The God of the Old Testament and the Old Covenant is the same God of the New Testament and the New Covenant.

God’s grace has never changed.
God’s plans have never changed.

Word Study: The Old Testament was written so that “we through PATIENCE and COMFORT of the scriptures might have hope”. Look at those two words, “PATIENCE and COMFORT”. The word translated “PATIENCE” is the Greek hypomonē, which means “the ability to endure and wait for, to persevere”. The word translated “COMFORT” is the Greek paraklēsis, which means “to call to the side so as to comfort, to embrace”. God is PATIENT. God comes alongside to COMFORT and ASSIST. Do you know how many times Israel messed up in the Old Testament? Do you know how many times the Old Testament Saints messed up? It boggles the mind. And yet, at the end of the day, God stayed with Israel. This is Who God is. He is the …

Romans 15:5 (KJV) Now the God of PATIENCE {hypomonē} and CONSOLATION {paraklēsis}

The Apostle uses the exact same two words to describe the God of the Bible. He is the God Who is hypomonē. He is patient. He endures the silliest of things that we do. The Saints were patient because they knew how patient God had been with them. Yes, there are things in the Old Testament where the wrath of God fell, and many died. And yet, Israel continued to be God’s nation. Yes Israel repeatedly mocked and ignored God, sought other gods, and spat on Him repeatedly. Yet God did not erase Israel. Why? Because God knew what Israel would be before God called Israel to be His own. God had a plan. God is …

Exodus 34:6-7 merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty …

God did not look the other way on Israel’s sins. He did not look the other way on the sins of the key people of the Scripture. And yet, as David was quick to point out:

Psalm 86:15 (KJV) thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

God “endured with much longsuffering humans who were worthy of destruction, that He might bestow His mercy on others” (Romans 9:22-23). God could have destroyed Israel, but He did not. God took the long view. Israel walked away from God numerous times, and God could have easily destroyed that nation, destroyed the whole world in righteous anger. And who would have blamed Him? The arrogance of the created in mocking the Creator gags even the demons of hell. The demons tremble, but we mock and make light. But God had a plan. God is …

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) … longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:15 (KJV) … the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation

Romans 15:5 (KJV) Now the God of PATIENCE {hypomonē} and CONSOLATION {paraklēsis}

God is not just patient and longsuffering, but He comes alongside and encourages. He does not want to pack hell with souls, but wants whosoever will to come to Him in repentance. God wants to save souls from damnation. Now here is the amazing thing:

As God Is Long Suffering And Ever Encouraging,
We Are Called To Let Him Empower Us To The Same

Romans 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

Word Study: God calls us and empowers us to be LIKE HIM. To be “like-minded”, the Greek phroneō, which means to savor or desire the same things that God savors. To have the unity of mind with God toward one another ACCORDING TO Christ Jesus. As God was patient with Israel under the Old Covenant, we are to be patient with one another in the Church under the New Covenant. As God came alongside of Israel even when they did not deserve it, we are to come alongside others in the Body to comfort them. This is to be done …

according to Christ Jesus

Jesus set the pattern. Jesus surrendered Himself, coming from Heaven to earth, to patiently come alongside us. Jesus lived, not satisfying Himself, but satisfying God the Father Who sent Him. Jesus told His Nazarene hometown:

Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord

Jesus did not live to please Himself, but to please the Father. He was the “Beloved Son, in Whom God is well pleased”. Jesus said, “I came down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:38-39)

God invites those whom He has saved to work alongside of Him, just as Jesus did, in comforting and assisting others in the Kingdom. It is the will of God that the Church be a type of Heaven on earth. Here is our target:

Romans 15:6 … with ONE mind and ONE mouth GLORIFY GOD, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We come together not to be entertained, but to worship God, to magnify His goodness. We do not come together to make idols, but to praise and lift up the name of Jesus to the glory of God. It is impossible that – considering the history of man – there will not be offenses and minor problems in the Body.

Like God, like Christ Jesus, we need to take the long view. Praise God no matter what may come, and come alongside others to comfort them and encourage them to live for the glory of God.

Romans 15:7 Wherefore RECEIVE {proslambanō} ye one another, as Christ also RECEIVED {proslambanō} us to the glory of God.

Word Study: The word “RECEIVE” {proslambanō} means to “take to yourself as it is”. Why? Because this brings glory to God. We are not to give up on one another.

God did not give up on Israel. Israel is STILL God’s chosen nation. No matter how many times Israel went after other gods, God punished them, then stayed with Israel. Why?

Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

Jesus has been given many titles in the Scripture.

Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)
Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
Root and Offspring of Jesse (Isaiah 11:10)
Man of Sorrow (Isaiah 53:3)
King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15)
Immanuel (Matthew 1:23)
The Great I AM (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14)
The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

Someone once counted up the names and titles the Bible gives to Jesus, and found about 110 in Scripture. Here is a name that the Apostle gives to our Lord:

Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision

The “circumcision” in Scripture refers to Israel, to the direct descendants of Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:1-14). When God made His covenant with Abraham, He established the nation Israel, as well as promised blessings to the Gentiles:

Genesis 17:5-7 KJV – [5] Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. [6] And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. [7] And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

God told Abraham that “I will make YOU very fruitful”. This spoke to Israel. But them God said “I will make NATIONS of you”. This spoke to the Gentiles. God said that this was “an EVERLASTING COVENANT”. Our God, Who “declares the END from the BEGINNING, and from ANCIENT TIMES the things that are yet to be” (Isaiah 46:10), set apart Abraham to bless the entire world. Not just the Jews, but the Gentiles too.

“Replacement Theology” also known as supersessionism is a misinterpretation of the Scripture. Those who believe this think that the Christian Church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people, because the New Covenant replaced the Old Covenant. This is false, and the text shows us this.

Jesus is a “minister of the circumcision”. Paul previously told us in:

Romans 11:1-5 (NKJV) I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, [of] the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, [3] “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? [4] But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [5] Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Jesus was a minister OF THE CIRCUMCISION. He came “for the Jews first, but also for the Gentiles” (Romans 1:16). Jesus came to Israel first

verse 8 to confirm the promises made unto the fathers

But God did not come for just the Jews. In Abraham, He came to fulfill His promises to Israel, as well as to the Gentiles. Paul now calls on four Old Testament witnesses to this truth:

Romans 15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

This is a quotation of King David, a part of the song he sang to God “when the Lord delivered him from Saul and his enemies” (2 Samuel 22:1-51)

Psalm 18:49 (ESV) … I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name.

God saved Israel under David’s leadership, though he and the nation was attacked both from without and within. God did this so that “the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy”. The second Scriptural witness is in

Romans 15:10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, WITH his people.

There are numerous verses in the Old Testament that speak of the Gentiles praising God with Israel. One of the clearest is:

Psalm 67:3-4 (ESV) Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

God loves all. God chose Israel to be His servant to bring the Messiah to all the people. The third witness says:

Romans 15:11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

A quotation of Psalm 117:1 (ESV) Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

The Lord did not give up on Israel. The Lord does not give up on the Gentiles. The fourth witness the Apostle calls “to the dock” is:

Romans 15:12 And again, {Isaiah} saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust.

This is a quotation from Isaiah 11:10-11, in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left

God is not done with Israel, nor is He done with the Gentiles. God established the Church as His New Covenant people, and in the Church

Colossians 3:11 … there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Though God has raised up the Church, and through Christ calls whosoever will unto salvation:

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

God has not cast away Israel. At this time, they may be far from God, but He has not washed His hands of His chosen people.

What Can We Take Away From This?

Romans 12:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy {Spirit}.

God does not give up on His people. He is the God Who is long suffering. He is the “Comforter”, the Paraclete, the One Who comes alongside us to lift us up. Have you failed God? “Faithful is He that called you, Who will also do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Our God is the “GOD OF HOPE”, not of hopelessness. He wants us to “ABOUND IN HOPE”. You may have failed. You may have fallen. But God is not done with you, if you are His. God gives you the “power of the Holy Spirit” to grow.

Don’t give up on yourself.
Don’t give up on others.

Trust in God, with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Give your life to Him today. Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and live your life in Him. May God, through His Spirit and the Blood of Christ, draw you close to His side. Amen.

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Frustration Or Fulfillment

Posted on August 6, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Michiel Annaert on Unsplash

Galatians 2:15-19 (KJV) We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

The absolute number one worse sin in the Bible is the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is when a person worships or seeks to please any God but the God of the Bible. It was idolatry that got mankind thrown out of Paradise. The devil told Adam:

Genesis 3:4-5(AP) {if you eat the forbidden} you will not die {implying God is a liar}. God knows when you eat of it you will be like Him, gods who determine good and evil …

Idolatry starts in the heart, when the created tries to take the place of the Creator.

Idolatry led to the first murder. Cain killed his brother, rather than worship God and kill a lamb (Genesis 4:4-8). Idolatry led to the Noahic Flood. “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Idolatry led to the Tower of Babel. The people refused the command of God to multiply and fill the earth, saying …

Genesis 11:4 (NKJV) Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.

We don’t want to glorify God. “Let us make a name for OURSELVES. Let’s glorify US. Let’s build a building that will get us closer to God, maybe we can be gods.”

While Moses was receiving the Law of God from the finger of God, Israel in the valley was busy creating golden calves, gods to follow. Idolatry is in our DNA.

Even among God’s people. There are people today who take the Law of God (which is good, for the Bible says “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12)) and have turned it into an idol. The concept of Pharisaism has crept into many Churches today, the idea that “since I keep the Law, then I’m going to go to Heaven when I die”. Beloved, that’s a lie. Keeping the Law doesn’t save you.

Salvation Is Not Based On How Good You Are

Let’s examine idolatry and the purpose of the Law based on our text today. We start out with:

Galatians 2:15 (KJV) We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles …

God gave the Jews His Law. He did not give the Law (including the Ten Commandments) to the Gentiles, but to Israel. God gave the Law AFTER He saved Israel from Egypt. Before giving even the first commandment, God said to Moses:

Exodus 19:3-6 Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

The Law was not given to Israel to save Israel. God had already saved Israel. The Law was a covenant of love. The Bible tells us:

Romans 13:8 (NKJV) Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Galatians 5:14 (NKJV) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

God loved Israel, and saved Israel, so Israel was supposed to love God. He is their Father. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). “We love Him, because HE FIRST LOVED US” (1 John 4:19).

This is what God told Israel BEFORE He gave them the Law. God said “if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me” (Exodus 19:5). Beloved, this has NOTHING TO DO with going to Heaven! In the first part of the Law, God told Israel to have nothing to do with idolatry – but to love God. The Lord said:

Exodus 20:5-6 (NKJV) For I, the Lord your God, am a JEALOUS God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

The Law was not given to save. It was given to Israel because GOD LOVED ISRAEL. It was not given to Israel to purge sin. God told Israel, in effect:

“Instead of doing what Adam did in the Garden and listen to a snake, listen to ME because YOU LOVE ME. I am JEALOUS for you. I made you. I called you. I saved you. Obey Me, because I KNOW BEST.”

But Israel made an idol of the Law. The first thing they did was say “We Jews are SAVED and SPECIAL because we keep the Law, and the Law was given to us. It was not given to the Gentiles, so they are SINNERS”. That’s why Paul wrote:

Galatians 2:15 (KJV) We who are Jews by nature, and not SINNERS of the Gentiles …

Those GENTILES, God hates them. And yet, when God had Israel build the Temple, He made them make a Court for the Gentiles, or the Outer Court (Revelation 11:2). It was from the Court of the Gentiles that Jesus twice drove out the money changers (John 2:13-17; Matthew 2:12-13).

God built a Court of the Gentiles to show His love for all peoples. But God did not allow the Gentiles to go further than the Outer Court, because the Law was given to Israel ONLY.

God is nothing but consistent. The Jews were given God’s Law because God loved them, not to save them. God only saves. “God is My Salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). “To the only God, our Savior” (Jude 25). Israel could not save herself. Israel was not sinless. Only God can save. The Gentiles are sinners, yes, but so are the Jews. That’s the point that Paul makes here.

Galatians 2:16 (KJV) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Word Study: The word translated “justified” is the Greek dikaioō, which means “to be rendered righteous in the eyes of God, to be made acceptable in God’s sight, to be pronounced pure by a holy God”. The Law cannot make Israel right with God. The Law cannot make any of us right with God. What does the Law do? The Law is like the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Bible says:

Romans 3:20 (KJV) Therefore by the DEEDS OF THE LAW there shall NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED {dikaioō} in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Could the “deeds or works of the Law” save the Jew? No. Could the “deeds or works of the Law” save the Gentile? No. “NO FLESH {Jew or Gentile, black, white, Latino, Asian, or any other flesh tone} CAN BE JUSTIFIED IN GOD’S SIGHT. Why? Because we are all prone to sin. The Bible says:

Isaiah 53:3-6 (LSB) He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. [4] Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace [fell] upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed. [6] All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

God did not give the Law to Israel to save them. He gave the Law to Israel because He loved them. And if they love Him, they would obey His Word. Not to go to Heaven, not to be saved, but because they loved the God Who saved them. But God was going to save more than Israel. He planned to save the Gentiles as well. He would do this through His Son, Jesus Christ. “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried”. “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities”. “The chastening for our peace [fell] upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed.” Who has gone astray from God? “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way”. Whether Jew or Gentile, God has reached out to us in love, but we have gone our own way. But “Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him, on Jesus our Messiah”.

If You Are Saved, You Will Obey God’s Word
Because God Loves You And You Love God

Galatians 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves ALSO are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister {diakonos} of sin? God forbid.

The number one thing I hear from people today is “I was saved so I could go to Heaven, and not Hell”. Then they walk and aisle, get baptized, join a Church, and then proceed to walk absolutely contrary to the Law and Commandment of God. The person who “SEEKS to BE JUSTIFIED BY CHRIST”, but who “CHASES SIN”, that person is not in a saving state. Listen to me.

Word Study: Jesus did not die on the Cross as a Minister of Sin. The word translated “MINISTER” is the Greek diakonos, which means “a Deacon, a Helper”. God did not save Israel and take them to Sinai just so they could go back to Egypt. They were supposed to go into the Promised Land, and glorify God in that land while chasing evil out of the land. Jesus did not die on the Cross to ENABLE US TO BE GUILT FREE SINNERS. That’s what I hear when people say, “I’m a Christian homosexual”, or “I’m a Christian drunkard”, or “I’m a Christian playboy”.

God saves us not IN our sins, but FROM our sins. Not by the Law, but by the Blood of Jesus Christ.

AFTER God saved Israel, then and only then did He give them the Law. If Israel loved God, they would follow His Law without adding to it or taking away from it. AFTER God saves the Gentile, then and only then He gives us standards, His Holy Word. We follow His Word because we love Him, without adding to it or taking away from it. When Jesus Christ was to enter this world, God told Joseph:

Matthew 1:21 (ESV) {Mary} … will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.

Those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior love God, and hate sin. We believe that:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake {the Father} made {Jesus, His Son} to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus Christ gave His life for our sins so that, believing in Him, receiving Him as Lord and Savior, we could be made righteous by God. The Bible says:

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

It is insanity to live in sin. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Sin kills. It always kills. If you are saved, you are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But now, being saved, you obey the Word and will of God. Anyone who says, “I was saved so I can do my own thing, so I can ignore God’s Word and make myself god” is not saved. The Bible says:

Romans 6:1-2 (ESV) Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Jesus Saved Us, Not The Law

Galatians 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Here Paul is not talking about sin, nor salvation, but idolatry. It is God Who wrote the Law and gave it to Israel. It is God Who establishes what is right and wrong. But here Paul is not talking about what God did, but whatI build, andI destroy. This was what the Pharisees – and Paul was a Pharisee before He was a Christian – did to the Law.

Pharisaism takes the Law of God, modifies it to suit the user, then demands that others follow this idolatrous thing to be saved.

There were 613 commandments that God gave Israel in the Law. Rather than love God and obey Him out of love, the Pharisees modified the Law. One commentary notes:

“the Mosaic Law commands Jews to keep the Sabbath holy, refraining from work on Saturdays. To clarify this, the Pharisees created 39 separate categories of what constituted “work”, with many sub-categories. This resulted in thousands of sub-rules, including restrictions on the number of steps one could take and the number of letters one could write on the Sabbath. … The Pharisees also created other laws, such as not spitting on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10), as it would disturb the dirt and one would be guilty of ploughing, and not swatting a fly, as one would be guilty of hunting. They also believed that a woman could not look at her reflection, as she might see a gray hair and pluck it out, which would be considered work. They even created loopholes to get around certain laws, such as allowing one to put on several layers of clothing instead of carrying them when leaving a burning house.”

The Pharisees created 1500 Fence Laws, rules and guidelines put into place to protect the core laws. Our Lord Jesus condemned the Pharisees and Scribes for making the Law what it was never intended to be. Jesus quoted what God said in the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 29:13) some 700 years before:

Matthew 15:7-9 (ESV) You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

The Pharisees do like many “Christians” do today. Rather than loving God, and obeying His Word because we love Him, they seek to impress God by adding to or taking away from what He has directed. God is not pleased when we manipulate Scripture. We are to love Him, and honor Him by obeying His Word.

Galatians 2:19 (KJV) For I through the law am DEAD to the law, that I might live unto God.

Word Study: The word translated “DEAD” is the Greek apothnēskō which means “to be slain by”. The Law of God was given to Israel to teach Israel that they were sinners in need of the Savior. The Law was given to Israel to show them they needed the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Word of God teaches the Gentile today that we are all sinners in need of the Savior.

The Law kills the lost person, so we can seek the Savior. The Law kills our idols so that we might “live unto God”. We do not keep the commandments of God to “go to Heaven”. This is selfishness. Those saved obey God because we love Him.

The Saved Love And Glorify God

Galatians 2:20 (KJV) 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.

Israel was given the Law AFTER she was saved.
God gives us Gentiles His Word AFTER we are saved.

What saves us all? The death of Christ on the Cross. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live”. When Jesus died, like Moses He went up on Sinai where the Father dwelt. He was nailed to a terrible tree, the Tree of Life. He died on that Tree for my sins, in my place. He died for me. Once I received Him as Lord and Savior, believing He died in my place, then “Christ liveth in me”. Here’s a test for you all.

Why did you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior? Just to go to Heaven? Then you’d better carefully look at your salvation! It’s okay to want to go to Heaven – I want to go there myself. But does Christ live in you NOW?

And what keeps you saved? Is it that you keep the Law meticulously? It shouldn’t be. The right answer is, “Because I love the Lord, and live my life for Him”.

The Christian pursues righteousness because he is born again, and Christ lives in us. We live by the Grace of God, glorifying our Savior. When we get to Heaven, it will be because Jesus saved us, and we love the One Who saved us. There is not one good thing you can do to keep yourself on the right side of God BUT to love Him with all you are able.

Galatians 2:21 (KJV) I do not FRUSTRATE {atheteō} the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Word Study: To believe you are able to save yourself is to atheteō, to cast off or do away with the Grace of God. That is the action of a fool. May God lead you to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ this very day. Amen.

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How To Be Blessed

Posted on July 30, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Anastasiya Badun on Unsplash

Proverbs 19:19-20 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. 20 HEAR counsel, and RECEIVE instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

You Must HEAR And RECEIVE To Be Blessed

How can you be blessed of God? You must first of all submit your flesh to God. This is hard for many people. I had a lady who once came to this Church tell me, “I have so many questions. How can I learn to be a strong Christian?” I told her that …

You must consistently submit yourself to God. Come to Church regularly. HEAR the preaching of the Word. Not just HEAR it, but RECEIVE it, believe it, take it to heart. Make it your own.

Sadly, she never did this. Her visits to the Church were sporadic at best, here a little, gone a lot. In time she became one of the faceless shadows on the fringe of Christianity.

Word Study: You cannot allow your flesh to control your spirit. Look at the phrase, “A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment”. The words “A MAN OF GREAT WRATH” in the English is but two words in the Hebrew: gāḏôl ḥēmâ. The word “GREAT” doesn’t apply to the anger, but to the man. Someone who, as Clint Eastwood once said “is a legend In their own mind”, the one who thinks he or she is infallible, always right. That self important person cannot hear anything from others, nor even focus on another person’s point of view, because they believe they are impervious. The word gāḏôl is used in Scripture to describe the sun and the moon (Genesis 1:16), the whales (Genesis 1:21), and God used the phrase with Abraham when He promised him “I will make of thee a GREAT (gāḏôl) nation”. Those who are proud and arrogant are especially dangerous when angered. The word “WRATH” is the Hebrew ḥēmâ, which refers to “rage, hot displeasure, deep indignation, venomous anger”. That sort of person will not hear counsel, will not hear the Word of God. The Bible warns us:

Proverbs 25:28 (ESV) A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.

Illustrate: That type of person gets into trouble, and seeks to draw others into trouble as well. You can step in and save them, you can do your best to help them out, but “thou must do it again”. I knew a minister one time I’ll simply call “Larry” who, through anger and arrogance, burned every bridge at every Church he served at. In time he came to me, dejected and despondent, and I stepped in to help him. I asked my Church to take him on as a Worship Leader. Bad mistake. I spent most of my ministry until he left our Church getting him out of binds. He spoke without thought. Mark Twain once said,

“It is better to keep your mouth shut and be assumed a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.”

Proverbs 19:19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment …

Such a person brings punishment on themselves. “Larry” eventually quit our Church and went on to nothing. He brought that on himself.

Proverbs 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

The self important and arrogant will not “HEAR COUNCIL” AND “RECEIVE INSTRUCTION”. The wise man or woman will do BOTH. My commentary notes:

“One of the first marks of wisdom is the readiness to receive more wisdom. A teachable person, one who will listen to counsel and receive instruction, has already made much progress on the path of wisdom.”

There is a difference between hearing and receiving. A lot of people hear. The Pharisees heard what Jesus said, but refused to receive His Words because they prioritized their humanistic interpretation of Scripture over what Jesus said. Though Jesus proved He was Messiah by the miraculous things He did, the Pharisees believed that when the Messiah came He would overthrow their enemies, and make Judaism a world wide religion. When Jesus began to teach not a conquering the Roman message, but

Matthew 5:44-48 I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

They HEARD, but did not RECEIVE God’s instruction. They despised Jesus and His teaching because it did not fit THEIR IDEA of what God planned for Israel.

Jesus implied they were imperfect, because they neglected the “Weightier matters of the Law”. God told them:

Matthew 23:23 (LSB) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

The Pharisees were giving – as God had commanded – but only materially. They were also required to give “justice and mercy and faithfulness”. They HEARD Jesus, but couldn’t RECEIVE His Word.

One of the best Old Testament examples that comes to my mind is the reign of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the son of Solomon, the successor to the Throne of David. In 1 Kings 12 Rehoboam becomes King of Israel, and shortly thereafter a delegation comes from the Ten Northern Tribes led by Jeroboam. The delegation came with a simple request:

1 Kings 12:4 (LSB) Your father made our yoke harsh; but you, now, lighten the harsh service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.

Rehoboam HEARD what they requested. He went to the advisors that King Solomon had serving him, wise men who helped Solomon maintain the peace for the 40 years he ruled. The wise men told Rehoboam:

1 Kings 12:7 (LSB) If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.

Lighten their tax load. HEAR and RECEIVE what they ask, and you will maintain the integrity of the Kingdom to the glory of God. Did Rehoboam do this? No.

1 Kings 12:8 (LSB) … he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had counseled him, and took counsel with the young men who grew up with him and stood before him.

His young friends, puffed up with pride, encouraged Rehoboam to double down on the Northern Tribes because he was, after all, King. It was a bad idea. Rehoboam had to run with his tail between his legs back to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:18). When Rehoboam called out the army, 180,000 chosen men to fight the House of Israel, The Bible says:

1 Kings 12:22-24 (LSB) … the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, 24 ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You shall not go up and fight against your brothers, the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” So they listened to the word of Yahweh, and returned to go their way according to the word of Yahweh.

God allowed this to happen to teach us, His people, the foolishness of HEARING but not RECEIVING, and the dangerousness of arrogance and uncontrolled anger.

Proverbs 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

If you want to end well, HEAR and RECEIVE Godly instruction.

Live According To The Word of God

Proverbs 19:21 There are many DEVICES {maḥăšāḇâ} in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

Word Study: The word translated “DEVICES” {Hebrew maḥăšāḇâ}, which means “cunning plans, thoughts, purposes”. As humans we often have good intentions, and make great plans. But in the end it is “the counsel of the LORD shall stand”. Sometimes man plots against God. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 2:1-3 (LSB) Why do the nations rage And the peoples meditate on a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against Yahweh and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”

But how does God respond?

Psalm 2:4-6 (LSB) He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord mocks them. 5 Then He speaks to them in His anger, And terrifies them in His fury, saying, 6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

God is in control at all times. We make many plans, but when we plan we need to ask God and plan according to His will. It is the certainty of God’s call in our lives that gives us courage. Before Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, God told that dear Saintly Warrior:

Joshua 1:2-9 (LSB) Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous to be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be prosperous wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful, and then you will be prosperous. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be in dread or be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”

God said “Follow Me. Follow My Word. Move as I direct you, and you will be undefeated”. Always follow the Word and Will of God. Always include God in your plans. The Bible says:

James 4:13-15 (NKJV) Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

What Is A Man?

Proverbs 19:22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.

We live in a day when people, because of wokeness, cannot answer the question “What is a man?”. Biologically a “man” has an X chromosome from his mother, and a Y chromosome from his father. Mark Twain said years ago,

“Clothes make the man, because naked people have little
or no influence on society”.

He lived in simpler times. Men today have become effeminized and socially castrated, and are celebrated when they are weak and malleable. The Bible says of this behavior:

1 Corinthians 6:9 (KJV) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, {malakos} nor abusers of themselves with mankind

The EFFEMINATE {malakos} is a reference to the catamite, or young boys kept for homosexual relationship, males that submit to unnatural lewdness. This is the idea on “man” that is being pushed by the liberal or LEFT. Then there is the BRUTAL concept of the man that is pushed on the extreme RIGHT.

A real man – Biblically – is defined by his kindness:

Word Study: The word “KINDNESS” is the Hebrew ḥeseḏ, which means “lovingkindness, goodness, mercifulness”. It is the desire to bestow graciousness and goodness, even on those who are undeserving of it. The word is used to describe God Himself:

Numbers 14:18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great MERCY, {ḥeseḏ} forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty …

The Biblical man does not look the other way on sin, and yet shows mercy and kindness to others. Real men act from controlled strength. There are many who are rich, who have lied and cheated others in order to gain great status. But God says,

a poor man is better than a liar

I was watching a video the other day where various “women on the street” were asked what they wanted in a man. Shallow women will say they want a man who “makes over $100,000 a year”. But smart women, Godly women want honest men who are merciful and good. The Apostle Paul tells men:

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (LSB) Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.

A godly man strives to live in a way that glorifies God and honors the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

A “real Man” has “fear of the Lord”. Fear of the Lord means to put God first, to love God more than you love others. For the unbeliever, they do not fear God, but they fear judgment and eternal damnation. Jesus said:

Luke 12:5 (ESV) I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!

God has the power to both kill and cast. The Bible says “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Hebrews 10:31). To fear God, Who is the Author of Life, is to have a good life. But if you depart from fearing, respecting God, you “may be visited with evil”. Bad things happen when we forsake God.

Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

Illustrate: I heard U.S. Senator John Kennedy talking about the Park Avenue Skyscraper shooting that happened recently. Shane Tamura went into New York City’s Blackstone Building with a rifle, and killed three people and a police officer before killing himself. News media initially identified the shooter as “white”, which was wrong. Asked about the shooting Senator Kennedy said,

“On Capitol Hill, probably beginning in the morning, there’ll be the inevitable call by some of my colleagues for more gun control laws,” Kennedy (R-La.) said … “We’ve got hundreds of gun control laws, Sean. Maybe thousands. We don’t need more gun control, we need more idiot control, and I don’t know exactly how to do that. … I don’t want to hear anyone feeling sorry for this guy who did this,” Kennedy said of the shooter. “I believe there’s objective evil in this world, and we saw it today. I’m just sorry”.

Why did this happen? Because “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life”. This young man was raised without fear of the Lord, in a permissive and sin saturated environment. Rather than acknowledge this, we tend to justify criminal and godless acts while blaming the weapon used. That is insanity. When someone runs over people with their car, we don’t demand there be more “car control”. We need to be sorry and pray for the families of the victims. But we need to lay the blame on the perpetrator – the criminal – and stop making excuses for them or feeling sorry for them.

As a nation, we need to get back to “fear of the Lord”!

Those who have fear of the Lord “shall abide satisfied”. That young 27 year old man was obviously unsatisfied with his life, and the lives of those around him. “The FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). The idiocy that is Darwinian Evolutionary Theory has taught us that humans are animals, and that life is accidental. This is the reason that evil continues to manifest itself among humans. My commentary notes:

“A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the life of a believer. Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline of the believer. While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. When we were children, our fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions on our part. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in a way that pleases Him.”

Proverbs 19:24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his BOSOM, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Word Study: God has no respect for the “good intentions” of those who do nothing for Him. Those who are slothful in serving God harm themselves. The word translated “BOSOM” is the Hebrew ṣallaḥaṯ, which means “something deep, like a bowl”. The NKJV translates this text as:

Proverbs 19:24 (NKJV) A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

The lazy person will seek for pleasure, but will forever be dissatisfied. No blessing comes of those who refuse to serve themselves and God. This same proverb is repeated again in,

Proverbs 26:15 (NKJV) The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

The lazy man is always looking for something for someone else to do, but will never do it himself. They are not content, but always blaming others rather than themselves for their lack.

Scorners And Stripes

Proverbs 19:25-29 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. 26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. 27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. 28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.

The “SCORNER” (Hebrew lûṣ) is the person who “mocks or boasts against the truths of God’s Word”. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 1:1-6 (KJV) Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. [3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. [4] The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away. [5] Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. [6] For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The “SCORNER” of God’s Word is not to be tolerated. Those who are God’s people who are corrected will respond to correction judiciously. But the scorner hates truth. We are not to tolerate them, but back away from them. “Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools”. We do not heed them, but walk away from them. When I hear someone on television speaking of “evolution” and “millions of years” of natural selection, I turn it off. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. I won’t listen to it – and neither should you.

We are not called to be “open minded”, but God minded. “An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity”. The only way you can compromise with the darkness is by dimming the light.

Stay in the Light of God’s Word. Amen.

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Even Christ Pleased Not Himself

Posted on July 29, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Devon Beard on Unsplash

Romans 15:1-3 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me.

Last week we heard about the battle that was going on in the Church at Rome. Both Gentiles and Jews – each with distinctive different cultures – were coming into the Church. And their cultures were clashing. Paul told the Church:

Romans 14:19-21 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Word Study: Paul ordered the Church to follow the Spirit of God, to stop letting cultural differences dismantle the Body of Christ. God calls us together to “EDIFY” other members in the Church. The word “EDIFY” is the Greek oikodomē (pro. oy-kod-om-ay’) which means “to build up, to promote another’s growth in Christian wisdom, to add to spiritually”. The same word is used again in our focal text:

Romans 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to EDIFICATION. {oikodomē}

We Are No More To Justify Sin In Our Members,
Than We Do Cancer In Our Bodies

What is the Lord telling us here? Should we look the other way on sin and iniquity? No, absolutely not. We who are saved belong to God.

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

Preach! Christians that are Christians are “born again of the Spirit of God”. Receiving Jesus Christ as lord and Savior, God does a miraculous work in us. Our souls are awakened to the Light of God. We “walk in the Light as He is in the Light” (1 John 1:7). We are “born again, not of perishable seed, but imperishable, THROUGH THE LIVING AND ABIDING WORD OF GOD”. We do not turn a blind eye to sin, nor justify sin in our midst. The Apostle chastised the Church at Corinth for doing that very thing (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). The Apostle went on to say,

1 Corinthians 5:6 (LSB) a little leaven {yeast} leavens the whole lump

A little sin in the Body, like yeast, will “puff up” the whole dough. The corruption will spread. Sin has no place in the life of a Christian, nor of the Church. We are not to justify sin, but to speak the Word of God, to affirm what God has said is truth. Our language should affirm what God affirms, and cast out what God abhors. Again,

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of EDIFYING, oikodomē that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

This is Christ’s Kingdom. This is Christ’s Church. BUT we are not to brand something as “sinful” if God has not said so. In Rome, Gentile believers ate all meats, but Jewish Christians were raised that certain meats were “unclean”. Both cultures must give a little to maintain unity in the Body of Christ.

Romans 14:21 It is good neither to EAT FLESH, nor to DRINK WINE nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Again, the Bible is not talking about sin, but about cultural differences. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (vs 23). What you are doing may not be sinful – but you need to be careful to not let your freedom become that which enslaves another. For instance, the Apostle speaks of “DRINKING WINE”.

About Wine: We can argue this point all day long (and Baptists often do), but our Lord Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:3-10). Jesus turned water into GOOD WINE, for the Bible says:

John 2:10 … Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

Wine mingled with water was often used as a beverage in Jewish wedding feasts. No one drank to drunkenness, but we lie to ourselves if we do not recognize Jesus made wine. Jesus also used wine in His illustrations of Grace:

Luke 5:36-39 (KJV) {Jesus} spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was [taken] out of the new agreeth not with the old. [37] And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. [38] But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. [39] No man also having drunk old [wine] straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

The “NEW WINE” is unfermented wine, a type of pressed grape juice with very little alcoholic content. The “OLD WINE” is fermented, with a higher alcoholic content.

The Apostle told his student Timothy, who was suffering gastric upset:

1 Timothy 5:23 (KJV) Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.

Paul spoke of a “LITTLE WINE”. Why for the stomach? I looked it up, and found out “Red wine may have benefits for gut health due to its content of polyphenols, which can promote healthy gut bacteria. However, it’s important to consume it in moderation, as excessive alcohol can lead to health risks”. God knew about the benefits of a “LITTLE WINE” long before modern medical doctors did. Surprise!

But here’s the thing. The same Paul wrote:

Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

The Gentiles were encouraged to back off eating “unclean” meats in front of the Jewish Christians. The Jewish Christians were to back off requiring circumcision of Gentile believers. Paul said, “The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God” (Romans 14:22). Do not hinder the spiritual growth of other believers in your Christian liberty.

Christians Are Selflessly To Work Together
To Grow One Another Upward For Christ

Romans 15:1-2We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.

We please our neighbor – our fellow Christian – for his good. The Church is to be the light of the world. Beloved, humanity is sick, and the disease that has possessed it is sin. The true Christian says:

Psalm 38:18 (ESV) I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

The lost person condones sin, justifies sin, modifies sin, denies sin. Those who are not born again hate the light of God. Jesus said:

John 3:16-21 {LSB} … For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. [20] For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. [21] But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God.”

The world is sin sick – and loves the disease that possesses it. We who are the Body of Christ, the Church of the Living God, we are His Ambassadors on this planet. As His ambassadors we work together toward the goal of ministering to the sin sick and the lost. We cannot fix the world, but we can share the Gospel, that Jesus gave Himself for everyone who will believe. Yet, many will not come to Jesus to be healed. They love the disease that holds them. “Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. [21] “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light”

Saved people do not live to please themselves.
They please themselves by blessing others.

The world, under the grip of satanic forces and the flesh, is a greedy, selfish, unsatisfied place. I am mildly amused at the finger pointing that goes on between Democrats and Republicans today. Each side points at the other, as if their party is headed by Jesus Christ. It is not. There are few politicians that are self sacrificing.

Go to their homes.
Look in their bank accounts.
What Church do they attend?
Are they active in the Body?
What do their spouses do?
Do they affirm the Word of God both publicly and privately?
Do they love Jesus?

I am not surprised by the things I see going on in the world, and neither should you be if you are a Christian. What does surprise me is when Church bodies get side-wise of the Word of God in loving one another. Christians are “not to please ourselves”. That cannot be our chief focus. We are to be imitators of Christ. Our focus is to “please {our} neighbor for his good to edification”. Not to please our neighbor in godless things, but to assist our neighbor in being more like Christ.

As you grow in Christ, help someone else grow in Christ. Seek for the Christ like unity of the Body.

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NASB20) Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NASB20) Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, mend your ways, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

The Church is to be unified on that which matters, on the teachings of God’s Holy Bible. But in the gray areas, the areas not clearly listed as sinful or forbidden in Scripture – these are not to be areas of contention. Our Lord Jesus set the standard:

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

We Are Imitators Of Christ In Our Walk

Romans 15:3 For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me.

Our Lord Jesus did not “please Himself”.
Jesus first of all lowered Himself.

Though God, the Son of God (John 1:14; 8:58; 10:30; Colossians 2:9) set aside His Heavenly Throne to come to this earth to save us. Jesus told us:

John 4:34 (ESV) My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish his work.

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 did not please Himself. He set aside His infinite power, and came to earth to walk among us and be with us. The Bible says “Though Jesus was RICH, yet for our sakes HE BECAME POOR, so that BY HIS POVERTY WE COULD BE MADE RICH”. Jesus Christ came into this world representing the Kingdom of God. He left the glory and splendor of Heaven, to enter a broken world. He left the praises of the angels to come and be accused by the religious lost. Jesus did not please Himself.

He pleased the Father. John 8:29 (ESV) He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.

Jesus was mocked by the Pharisees as “Beelzebub”, the prince of demons (Matthew 10:25). On the night that Jesus went to Gethsemane three times He prayed:

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

It did not “please” Jesus, that is, it was not pleasurable for Him to come to this earth, nor the go to the Cross. He did this so that He might bring us to God:

1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God

Jesus was strong for us, for we were weak. Once more:

Romans 15:1 We then that are STRONG ought to bear the infirmities of the weak

Jesus the Stronger supported us the weaker. Now we who are stronger are to support the weaker members of the Body. Who is the STRONG? How does one “grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

The Christian who spends a minimum amount of time in sin and a maximum amount of time in the Word grows in grace. He or she becomes more gracious, more like Christ, more like God Himself. The Bible says:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

What Should The Strong Do?

Young believers in Christ will be unaware that the Christian faith is a discipline. Those who are maturer, stronger believers are to guide those weaker in the faith. Those who are stronger are to …

1. Encourage all believers to attend the assembly of the Church. The Church is Jesus’ idea, not mine or yours. We are exhorted “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day {of the Lord} drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25). We want to promote love and good works, to the glory of God and the possible salvation of all who we come into contact with.

2. Encourage all believers to attend to the Word of God, both publicly and privately. I have often had people in the Church come to me, saying, “Pastor, I want you to talk to so and so, for they offended me”. I then ask, “Have you already taken the first step that our Lord Jesus commanded?” You see, He told us:

Matthew 18:15 (ESV) If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Young Christians do not know this because they do not study their Bibles. The mature Christian is to refer – not to opinion – but to the Scripture. Jesus went on to say:

Matthew 18:16-17 (ESV) But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. {a lost person}

The mature believer approaches all things through the lens of the Scripture, not of self opinion. We ask ourselves, “What does the Bible say?”, or as our Lord Jesus stated, “It is WRITTEN”.

3. Encourage all believers to attend to both private and public prayer. Jesus never taught His disciples how to teach or preach, but Jesus taught us how to pray. He gave us very specific directives on prayer (Matthew 6:5-11; Luke 11:2-4; Matthew 6:9-15). What is interesting about prayer is that Jesus said to pray:

Matthew 6:12 … forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors …

and went on to say,

Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV) For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, [15] but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Prayer is so integral to the Christian way of life, that we are commanded

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As We Come To Our Deacon Ordination

I want to thank God for the Deacons that this Church has called. Brother Jim was called with a 100% vote of the Church. If Brother Jim and his dear wife Sandra will come forward and be seated, I’m going to ask our Deacons to come by and “lay hands” on Jim, and to pray for both as we recognize God’s calling in Jim’s life. Though Sandra is not a Deacon, she will be very much involved in supporting Jim as he helps minister in this blessed Body.

May God bless us all to maintain unity, to the glory of God in Christ. Amen.

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Battle For The Gospel

Posted on July 29, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Townsend Walton on Unsplash

Galatians 2:1-2 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Opening: A young preacher asked an older preacher “What can I expect in serving the Lord?”. The older preacher said, “Well, it’s a walk in the park.” The younger preacher said, “GREAT! I thought it would be difficult”. The older gentleman said, “You didn’t let me finish. It’s a walk in the JURASSIC Park!”

It is a joy to serve the Lord, and I am so honored that the Lord called me to this life of ministry. But if you stand uncompromising for the Lord, you will quickly find out that we are at war. The Apostle reminded us that:

Ephesians 6:10-13 (ESV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the RULERS, against the AUTHORITIES, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Those who live for Jesus are battling against impossible odds. If we were merely wrestling against flesh and blood we could go to the gym, bulk up, buy weapons, and defeat the foe. But our battle is not against flesh and blood. We are warring against a spiritual foe who has been tempting and deceiving humans for thousands of years. He has seen all the tricks, tried various methods, and he and his fallen friends (the demons) are given names like:

Rulers (archē), those with vast power, Kings and Presidents
Authorities (exousia), those with judicial power, Judges
Cosmic Power (kosmokratōr), world leaders, Ambassadors
Spiritual Forces (pneumatikos ponēria), fallen demons

The deck is stacked against us. Satan and his forces are in the background. Satanic forces created “Planned Parenthood”, telling us that abortion of an innocent is no more that “health care”. Satanic forces created the “Alphabet Mafia”, who demand that we normalize that which God has scripturally forbidden. Demons inhabit “Mainstream Media”, pushing propaganda and half truths, fear mongering and deception. Evil inhabits our institutions of Higher Learning, teaching that men can have babies, and confusing as well as brainwashing students to where they cannot even answer a simple question like “What is a woman?”. We cannot battle these forces in our own power. We cannot use logic, nor apologetics.

Beloved, you cannot argue with a corpse, and those without Christ are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). Humans are born into this world disconnected from the Light of God and the Life of Christ. You must be “quickened”. You must be born again of the Holy Spirit.

Illustrate: The Christ follower is like David standing before Goliath. We cannot use a sword, nor even a King’s armor in this battle. What must we rely on? The Rock that is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). As David did, we gather “five smooth stones out of the brook”. Five is the number of GRACE, and GRACE comes from the Living Water that is Christ (John 4:10; 7:38). We put on the Armor of – not Saul, not human achievement nor human philosophies – but the Armor of GOD. We cling to His Word, storing it in our hearts. The Prophet, attacked from all sides, was reminded by the Lord:

Jeremiah 23:29 Is not My Word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Jesus Christ and His Gospel is a burning fire. It burns up sin, burns up worldliness, it burns up the Goliath of Satanic forces against us.

We Are To Keep Our Eyes On God’s Word

Last week we saw how Paul – called by Grace to be an Apostle – immediately went about serving the Lord. We read:

Galatians 1:16-19 (KJV) immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

Paul as an Apostle to the Gentiles immediately attended to his calling. He went to Arabia and Damascus, preaching the Gospel of salvation. After three years of ministry (three being the number of God), Paul went and spent a scant fifteen days with the Chief Apostle, Peter. Then he left again to do God’s Work. Fourteen years pass. If you’re keeping track, Paul was:

3 years in Arabia and Damascus
about a month with Peter and James
14 years again with the Gentiles

Galatians 2:1-2 (KJV) Then fourteen years AFTER I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Paul was seventeen years among the Gentiles preaching the Gospel. So now, Paul takes with him a young convert called TITUS, and he heads back to Jerusalem. Why did he go to Jerusalem? We are told:

vs 2 I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles

God told Paul to go to Jerusalem, and share the Gospel with them. Now wait a minute! SHARE THE GOSPEL IN JERUSALEM? The APOSTLES were in Jerusalem. JAMES, the Pastor of the Church in Jerusalem, was in Jerusalem. God took Paul by the arm and told him,

You need to get to Jerusalem.
They are messing up my Gospel.

When Paul got to Jerusalem, it was not his intent to cause trouble. He tells us that he shared the Gospel that he had been preaching “among the Gentiles, privately to them which were of reputation”. He got together with the big name Evangelists in Jerusalem. He talked to the Pastors there, and shared the Gospel that Jesus had told him to preach. Why did Paul take Titus with him? Titus was a Gentile, not a Jew. He was converted to Christ, saved by the Grace of God’s Gospel. When Paul headed to Jerusalem, he headed toward a prominently JEWISH Church. So he brought Titus with him to show that God saves Gentiles, just as He saves Jews.

Interesting Parallel: When the “New World” of America was “discovered” by the Pilgrims, when a ship returned to England they carried a Native American named “Raleigh”. Converted to Christ by the Gospel, he went to England as a witness to the power of God in salvation. The same was true of Titus. Titus was raised a Gentile, and had no exposure to Judaism.

Galatians 2:3-4 (KJV) But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

At this point Paul speaks of CIRCUMCISION. God established circumcision – the cutting off of the male foreskin – as a part of the Abrahamic Covenant to Israel. Circumcision was required of all of Abraham’s MALE descendants as a sign of the Covenant of Israel.

Genesis 17:9-14 (ESV) .. God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

Circumcision is NOT a part of the Gospel. How do we know this? Because it is only on the MALE, not the female. Further, those who are NOT circumcised are “cut off from his people”, not from God, but from the nation of Israel. When Paul took TIMOTHY with him to preach the Gospel among the Jews:

Acts 6:1-3 (NKJV) {Paul} came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

The Jews would not have listened to the Gospel if Timothy, who was half Jew, shared that Gospel with them. Being uncircumcised Timothy would have been “cut off” from Israel, a non-person to many Jews. To facilitate his ministry, Paul had Timothy circumcised.

But Titus was a Gentile. He was not under the Covenant that God made with Abraham for Israel. Titus was not “COMPELLED” (Greek anagkazō, under threat or forced) to be circumcised. Circumcision was only for the Jews, for Israel. It is not an issue of salvation. Paul says he was confronted by those who were those who would sabotage the Gospel.

Galatians 2:4-5 And that because of false brethren {pseudadelphos} unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

The Devil Puts False Converts In The Church

Word Study: “because of false brethren unawares brought in”. The devil’s number one target, that which he works tirelessly to pervert, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If he can pervert the Gospel, then people cannot be brought into a right relationship with God. Paul describes these people as pseudadelphos pareisaktos, which means pretend Christians, those who PROFESS to be Christian, but have not the Spirit of God nor His new birth. Paul uses the same word to the Corinthian Church, when he describes all the trials he went through:

2 Corinthians 11:26 (KJV) … [In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; {pseudadelphos}

Preach! In my time in ministry, those who have been the most troublesome are pseudadelphos, or pretend Christians. They are still spiritually dead, walking Godless corpses, and are always looking to make trouble. They are in Church to try and take it over, because power, raw power excites them. They study Scripture and twist it, just as Satan the Serpent did in the Garden of Eden. Their intent is not edification of the upbuilding of the Body of Christ, nor are they interested in spreading the Gospel nor Glorifying God. They just want power over God’s people. They are not in the Church because God put them there, but are imports from the devil. Paul says that they are:

unawares brought in {pareisaktos}

They didn’t come of their own volition. They were secretly, surreptitiously planted by the evil one. It amuses me somewhat when people tell me about a “great preacher or orator” who fell from Grace, and destroyed the faith of many. Beloved, if King David could murder a man and take his wife, and when confronted REPENT anyone can do anything. Do you know how David got right with God?

He REPENTED, and RECEIVED the Lord God Christ!

He responded to the Gospel call. The devil wants to pervert and destroy the Gospel. So he plants people in every Church – yes, even ours – who will pervert the Gospel. They will add human requirements like circumcision, a Biblical command for Israel only, and make that necessary for salvation. What is the intent of the Gospel twisters?

who came in privily to SPY OUT {kataskopeō} our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage

They are SPIES. They plot against, watch the effects of the Gospel, then seek to overthrow it. They come out with outrageous things, like:

“If you’re not a member of the Catholic Church or the Church of Christ, you’re not saved.”

“If you’re not baptized by an approved authority of our Church, you’re not saved.”

“If you don’t wear certain color clothing, or fail to marry within your od given color, you’re not saved.”

“You must count beads, or confess sins to a “priest” or a “Father”, or you’re not saved”

“You’ve got to sing certain hymns, and can’t have any of that other music in the service, or you’re lost!”

I can go on and on, because I’ve seen it all over the years. Pharisaical teachings that blend Old Covenant Theology with New Covenant Truth. What did these people do with Titus? I can almost hear it. Paul comes to Jerusalem with Titus to show how God has saved even the Gentiles by the Gospel. These people look Titus up and down, and say,

“Well, has he been circumcised?”
“Does he keep this Festival, or that Feast?”
“Does he eat only ‘clean’ meats?”
“Unless he does these things, he’s not saved because we say so”

It is a god complex, a narcissistic web of evil that strokes the ego of the lost who somehow sneaked into the Church and into the Gospel. The person who points it out is not concerned about advancing the Kingdom of God, but their own agenda.

Galatians 2:5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

Paul said, “WE – Paul and Titus – did not back down one little bit”. He refused the compromise with the forces of evil. The Church at Jerusalem had already compromised the Gospel. Many of its leading citizens had compromised the Gospel. Compromising the Gospel, Pharisees had crept into the Church body, infecting the whole. Their intent was to blend the Old Covenant with the New Covenant, to make salvation a human work.

Galatians 2:6-10 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

Paul would not give place to the fake Christians, no matter how important they thought they were. Paul said,

verse 6 whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person

I’ve often been told, But Brother David, DR So and So SAID but YOU SAID, so YOU MUST BE WRONG. Well, dear friend, I am often wrong. But I look directly at the Scripture. I have listened to sermons from:

John Piper
Billy Graham
Charles Stanley
Adrian Rogers
J. Vernon McGee
John MacArthur

and there have been times when we have disagreed on certain points of doctrine. Why? Because I point directly to the Scripture, not to what some “authority” has said. Are these men greater than I? Absolutely. I remember the words of the Lord:

Galatians 6:3 if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

I am nothing, an unworthy servant. I follow the plain sense of Scripture, something I was taught years ago by those who mentored me:

“When the PLAIN SENSE of the Scripture MAKES SENSE, seek NO OTHER SENSE”

Paul, I’m sure, was held up to the others who had preached the Gospel longer than he had. He had been in ministry seventeen years, but Peter walked with Christ. But “God shows not partiality” (Romans 2:11). God assigned Paul to a mission, and assigned Peter to a mission.

Verse 7 the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter

Meeting with the Apostles fourteen years before, Paul was examined, and they realized that Paul’s calling was to go to the Gentiles while they went to the Jews. “we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision”. The only requirement that they gave Paul was that they should remember the poor. Those who are poor have a special place in Christ’s heart. He said:

Matthew 11:5 … the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor

Paul Stands Face To Face Against Peter

Galatians 2:11-13 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. {hypokrisis, hypocrisy}

The Jews under the Old Covenant had so perverted the Grace of God, that they made circumcision a point of worthiness. The Jews considered those who were uncircumcised, not of Israel, to be dogs. Our Lord Jesus Christ tested the faith of a Canaanite woman who asked Jesus to heal her demon possessed daughter. Jesus told the woman:

Matthew 15:24, 26 … I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. … It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.

When the woman humbly replied, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table”, Jesus commended the woman on her understanding of the Gospel, and healed her daughter. Our Lord Jesus came to give the Gospel to “the Jew FIRST, but also to the GENTILE” (Romans 1:16; 2:9). But the Old Covenant perversion that God never came to save Gentiles, that Gentiles because they were uncircumcised, were to be shunned. In fact,

The Jews used the word “uncircumcised” (Hebrew ʿārēl) as a curse – much as we use the much hated “N” word today (Judges 15:18; 1 Samuel 14:6; 17:26, 36; 2 Samuel 1:20; 1 Chronicles 10:4; Isaiah 52:1)

Israel forgot that it was Grace that led them from Egypt, and Grace that kept them in the wilderness. As a matter of fact, most of Israel was UNCIRCUMCISED WHEN THEY ENTERED THE PROMISED LAND UNDER JOSHUA:

Joshua 5:2-7 (LSB) At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 Now this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way when they came out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the sons of Israel had walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, were completely destroyed because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh, to whom Yahweh had sworn that He would not let them see the land which Yahweh had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 And their sons whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them along the way.

God did not “cut off” Israel because they were uncircumcised while wandering forty years. Israel did not become “dogs” because they were uncircumcised. They were still God’s chosen People, under His Grace. God’s intent was to use Israel to spread the Gospel. He prophesied this in the Old Testament:

Isaiah 60:3 (ESV) nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Luke 24:47 (ESV) repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Rather than sharing the Gospel with the Gentiles, Peter and the other Apostles and prominent names in the Church at Jerusalem shunned the Gentiles when the Pharisaical Jews were around.

Peter was not being motivated by fear of the Lord, but “fearing them which were of the circumcision”

He was afraid of being shunned for not shunning the Gentiles. I have experienced the same madness along racial lines. I refused to bow to it, and was fired from my first Church.

And I’d do it again.

When leaders of the Church condone that which is Biblically unsound, others follow. Paul wasn’t going to let that happen. He was very plain with Peter:

Galatians 2:14-16 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

When Paul went to Jerusalem – as God sent him – he initially spoke privately with the leaders of the Church there. But when Peter persisted in being a hypocrite, shunning the Gentiles when the Pharisees were around, but eating with them when they were not – Paul called him out publicly.

There are times when the good leader, the God led leader, has to call out bad behavior publicly. He does not do so to achieve power, but to honor the Gospel of Christ.

Let us all adhere to the Gospel of Christ. For His glory. Amen!

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Living For Jesus

Posted on July 25, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Spencer Plouzek on Unsplash

Proverbs 19:11-12 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 12 The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

The Power Of Patience And Self Control

The difference between the television shows I saw when I was a child, and the shows you see today, is that my childhood shows all taught some form of morality. Shows on television today teach and justify immorality. That’s part of the reason our country is in the mess it’s in.

One of those old shows was called “I Love Lucy”. Lucy was the wife of a Cuban Band leader, Ricky Ricardo. In one episode Lucy bought a new hat. Ricky flared up! “You’ve only got one head. Why do you buy so many hats!” Lucy said that Ricky lost his temper too much. Ricky shouted, “What do you mean, I lose my temper? I never lose my temper! Lucy replied, “You’re the first person I ever saw whose veins bulge just because he has a good disposition!”.

They made a bet that if Ricky could keep his temper for a week, then Lucy would buy no more hats. But if Ricky lost his temper, Lucy could buy all the hats she wanted. This is where it gets funny. Lucy did everything she could to get Ricky to lose his temper. She spilled crackers in his bed, and cracked walnuts while he was trying to sleep. When he woke up, got out of bed, and tried to put on his slippers, he nearly fell down. Lucy said, “I was only trying to help dear. You never can find your slippers in the morning, so I nailed them to the floor”.

For breakfast, Lucy gave Ricky tomato juice in a “dribble glass”, which ruined his only white suit. Through every temptation Ricky counted to ten, and held his temper in check. Even his friend Fred got in on the act. He returned Ricky’s golf club, twisted into a “u” shape. Fred said, “I was golfing in Central Park, and a tree jumped out in front of me.”

Toward the end of the show Ricky was looking for an act to add to his show, and the talent scout had dealt with Ricky and his temper before. He knew if he could get Ricky to lose his temper, he could get more money for his clients (and his pocket, too). The agent called. “Ricky, we’ve thought it over carefully and he can’t do it for less than $500”. Ricky calmly replied, “I see. Well, if that’s the man’s price, that’s the man’s price. Unfortunately, I can’t afford it.” The agent told his client, “He didn’t even raise his voice.

He must have somebody else.” The client said, “I want you to get me that job at any price”. Keeping his temper, Ricky got the act for half of what was quoted, $250. This ties into our text today.

Proverbs 19:11 The DISCRETION {śēḵel} of a man deferreth his anger;

Word Study: The word translated “DISCRETION” is the Hebrew śēḵel, which means “good sense, prudence, cunning”. When angered, you are given a choice. Act on the anger, and return retribution in kind, or let it go and control your temper. People make bad decisions when they act in anger. A wise man “DEFERS his anger”, refusing to act on it at that moment. Being angry is like drinking too much alcohol! The Apostle wrote:

Ephesians 4:26-27 (LSB) BE ANGRY, AND [yet] DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27] and do not give the devil an opportunity.

Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

We are most like Christ when we “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39; Luke 6:29). It glorifies God when we imitate Christ in forgiveness. Hanging from the Cross of Calvary, mocked and spat on, naked and bleeding, Jesus said:

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

Even as they “parted his clothing” at the foot of the Cross. I like the phrase, “to pass over a transgression”. It evokes the image of the “Passover”, when God saved Israel from Egypt. God told His people:

Exodus 12:13, 23 (KJV) And the blood {of the slain lamb} shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt. … [23] For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you].

God forgave us by the Blood of the Lamb. He “passes over” out sin, not discounting it, but forgiving it because we have repented and believed in Him. I heard a Pastor say this, and I quote it because I can say it no better:

“The best weapon I’ve ever used for my soul is forgiveness. We as a culture don’t really know what forgiveness is. The best definition I can give is forgiveness is giving up your right to hurt someone back for hurting you. We’re not minimizing the offense. We’re not giving people a pass. We’re not saying, ‘Oh, you know, that’s okay’. That person is guilty, dead to rights. We’re not navigating around justice. There I some people whom I’ve forgiven even for abuse of someone else. But there is a justice, consequences for your actions. There are people I can forgive, but they wouldn’t be allowed on my property because there’s zero trust. Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation. Forgiveness is giving up our right to hurt someone back for hurting us.”

Rather than let anger control you, control your anger. Defer it. Give it to Jesus. The Bible says that our God is longsuffering:

2 Peter 3:9-10 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

God defers His anger – and His anger is righteous – each day so that more might come to Christ. But His anger will one day be released. When it is, God’s anger will destroy the enemy, but also rebuilt the Heaven and the earth (Revelation 21:1).

Proverbs 19:12 The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

Some believe that, since they are in a place of power, that their wrath will accomplish much. It doesn’t. Anger rarely accomplishes anything of value. Some of the worst leaders in history were those who could not control their temper. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 37:8 (ESV) Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

Anger unrestrained leads to wrath, and nothing good comes from wrath. The stepbrother of Christ wrote:

James 1:20 (ESV) For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Several years ago my dear wife lost her inheritance because of the evil that and older brother and sister did. While on vacation, we came across the brother-in-law who was also instrumental in robbing my dear wife. It was the hardest thing I ever did, but I walked up to him and civilly greeted him, along with my sweet wife. I despise what was done, but told Sherry that we would never miss what we were robbed of.

And we haven’t!

We turned it over to the Lord. We are children of the King of Kings, of royalty. “The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion”. A roaring lion often goes hungry. The young and foolish lions often roar, boastful and proud. But at the end of the day it is the quiet lion that feasts, while the roaring lion starves. Do not let anger take you. Give it to God. God told His Old Covenant Saint:

Deuteronomy 32:35-36 (NKJV) Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in [due] time; For the day of their calamity [is] at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’ [36] “For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants…

and tells us who are His New Covenant Saints:

Romans 12:19-21 (NKJV) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but [rather] give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance [is] Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. [20] Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Do good. If you are in a position of authority, do not shout and roar like a foolish young lion, but do good.

Proverbs 19:12 His favor is as dew upon the grass.

Dew on the grass makes things grow. Let your light shine so that the Kingdom of God will grow.

Good Family Relationships Rely On The Parents

Proverbs 19:13-14 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.

18 CHASTEN {yaw-sar’} thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Dr Benjamin Spock (1903–1998) was a medical doctor whose wrote the book, “Baby and Child Care” (first published in 1946). The book encouraged parents to be less strict and unconcerned about ‘spoiling’ their children. Several generations of children have grown up, challenged by broken families, single parents, and permissive rearing. The renowned Roman Poet Virgil stated,

“As the twig is bent the tree inclines”

The Bible tells us to “Chasten thy son while there is hope”. Children are far easier to correct when they are very young. The Bible does not direct us to brutalize our children, but to lovingly discipline them in the “fear of the Lord”. The Scripture says:

Ephesians 6:4 (NAS) Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Children raised in one environment in the Church, but in a totally different environment at home will spot hypocrisy, and leave the Church when they come of age. Parents themselves must have “fear of the Lord”, and raise the child in that type of atmosphere. My commentary notes:

“To leave a child to himself is to display a cruel indifference to the fate of one committed to our care. To be heartless and unnecessarily severe in correcting him is the opposite extreme. The Word of God teaches the happy medium that produces the desired results. The child should come to realize that it is his good which is sought. Many irate fathers who merely vented their frustrations have lost the respect of their children”

To “CHASTEN” (Hebrew yaw-sar’) the child is to use corporal means such as the paddle, the switch or the hand on the buttocks of the child. The Bible gives frequent directions on this. For example:

Proverbs 29:15 (ESV) The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Proverbs 23:13-14 (ESV) Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Proverbs 13:24 (ESV) Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the CONTENTIONS {miḏyān} of a wife are a continual dropping.

The wise child is the one who is taught by his father. The wife assists the father in training the child by showing respect for his leadership. The word translated “CONTENTIONS” is the Hebrew miḏyān, which means “strife, contention”. I remember watching the “Cosby Show” several years ago, where Bill Cosby played “Cliff Huxtable”. His wife, “Clare” was always cutting him down in front of the children, minimizing him in their eyes. The wife who disputes with or denigrates her husband in front of the children is counterproductive to the raising of the child. What fathers do matter in the raising of the child. When men and fathers are minimized, children grow up lacking proper discipline.

Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a PRUDENT {śāḵal} wife is from the Lord.

Fathers are important. Men are important. Godly men are important. And Godly women are gifts from God. When families work together as God has intended, then “HOUSE AND RICHES” – a stable home and a family that loves the Lord are what come of it. The word “PRUDENT” is the Hebrew śāḵal, which means “insightful, attentive, one who can give valuable insight or teach”. What a blessing a Godly wife is!

What if a child was raised in the fear and the admonition of the Lord, but has now departed? The parents are to do their best to raise their children to fear the Lord. But children are not machines – they have free will.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached in his sermon “Nurture and Admonition” (Ephesians 6:4):

“I went to stay with some friends while I was preaching in a certain place; and I found the wife, the mother of the family, in a state of acute distress. In conversation, I discovered the cause of her distress. A certain lady had been there lecturing that very week, her theme being “How to bring up all the children in your family as good Christians.” … She had five or six children, and she had so organized her home and her life that she finished all her domestic work by nine o’clock in the morning, and then gave herself to various Christian activities. All her children were ‘fine Christians’; and it was all so easy, so wonderful. The mother talking to me, who had two children, was in a state of real distress feeling that she was a complete and utter failure. What had I to say to her? … I said, “Wait a moment; how old are the children of this lady?” … Not one of them at that time was above the age of sixteen … I went on: “Wait and see. This lady tells you that they are all Christians, and that all you need is a scheme that you carry out regularly. Wait a while; the story may be different in a few years.” And, alas, it turned out to be very different. It is doubtful whether more than one of those children is a Christian. Several of them are openly anti-Christian and have turned their backs upon it all. You cannot bring up children to be Christians in that way. It is not a mechanical process, and in any case, it was all so cold and clinical…A child is not a machine, and so you cannot do this work mechanically.”

You can do everything right – and still have a child that shames you. The writer of Proverbs, Solomon, is himself proof of this. Solomon, who wrote “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10), raised his son Rehoboam to be his replacement. And yet, the first thing Rehoboam did when he ascended to the throne was divide Israel by his pride and foolishness. You can train a child, yet the child has a free will, as does the adult.

And consider Solomon as the son of David. Though Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived, “Our Daily Bread” notes:

“Solomon’s wisdom did not keep him from playing the fool. In spite of all the insight God gave Solomon, he ended up doing precisely what the kings of Israel were forbidden to do (worshiping false gods – Deuteronomy 17:14-20). In outrageously self-indulgent ways, he multiplied personal wealth, wives, and sexual partners. … Solomon built altars to the pagan gods of his wives on the hills surrounding Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:1-8). Solomon’s life shows us something very important. Wisdom helps us only if we use it.”

God Blesses Those Who DO, Not Intend

Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger

It is so easy to become a procrastinator, to put off till tomorrow what you need to do NOW. God saves a Christian into His Kingdom to “Go” and “Make”. Our Lord Jesus commanded:

Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) …All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. [19] 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 alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Christian way of life is to be lived. Churches die when its members become slothful. The “IDLE SOUL SHALL SUFFER HUNGER”. You cannot be blessed in bed. God expects us, and has called us to serve Him as long as we live. There’s an old song that has never been out of style:

O land of rest, for thee I sigh!
When will the moment come?
When I shall lay my armor by,
And dwell in peace at home?

We’ll work till Jesus comes, We’ll work till Jesus comes,
We’ll work till Jesus comes, And we’ll be gathered home.

No tranquil joys on earth I know,
No peaceful, shelt’ring dome;
This world’s a wilderness of woe,
This world is not my home.

To Jesus Christ I fled for rest;
He bade me cease to roam,
And lean for comfort on His breast
Till He conduct me home.

We are called to live for Jesus while we walk this earth. It is dangerous to become a sluggard in the Christian way of life. We are told:

Proverbs 19:16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth His ways shall die

It is God Who gives us life and light. If we become sluggards in obedience, then the Lord can call us home. The Church at Corinth is a good example of this. They had taken the Lord’s Table, and turned it into a party of gluttony. The Apostle told them:

1 Corinthians 11:26-32 (KJV) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. [27] Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. [28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup. [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. [30] For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. [31] For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. [32] But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

If you love your soul, love the Lord. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Live for Him while you have life. Lift up those in need. Honor God in how you live for Him. Let His light shine through your lives.

May God touch your hearts. Amen!

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No Participation Trophies

Posted on July 21, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Romans 14:16-23 (KJV) Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Opening: I remember several years ago Sherry and I were in Georgia watching our oldest grandson play soccer. When we got to the soccer field I noticed a large, long table, with about 50 little trophies on it. I wondered why there were so many trophies. After watching the children play – and being young, none were very good – one team finally made a goal after about two hours. I remember one team made a goal before that, but the little boy kicked the ball into his own team’s goal, so it didn’t count. After what seemed like an eternity the two teams lined up and everyone got a trophy. Everyone.

Welcome to American confusion.

The child who never touched the ball got a trophy, along with the one child who scored the goal. The child who kicked the ball in his own team’s goal got a trophy. The child who got hot, and walked off the field got a trophy. The child who got distracted and chased a butterfly rather than the ball got a trophy. Everyone got a “Participation Trophy”.

Life is not like that.

People complain that the male players in the NBA get paid more than female players in the WNBA. The NBA generates $10 billion in revenue each year. The WNBA generates around $200 million in revenue each year, about fifty times LESS revenue than the NBA. Women are paid less because, dear friends, there’s no “Participation Trophies” in sports. Where more money is generated, more money is paid.

Life does not give out “Participation Trophies”. Those who work harder are rewarded with better pay and better status. Children who grow up believing in “Participation Trophies” become adults who believe that they should be rewarded just for showing up.

God Does Not Give Out “Participation Trophies”

Sadly, the concept of “Participation Trophies” has crept into the Church of Christ.

Poor preaching has led people to believe not only that salvation is a “Free Gift”, but it is also a “Cheap Gift”.

People have been told that they can come to Jesus, say a “Sinner’s Prayer”, join a Church, and then act just like the lost world in their daily lives. You will not find that taught in the Bible. The Bible teaches that in order to be saved, you must first REPENT:

Matthew 4:17 (KJV) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT {metanoeō}: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 6:12 (KJV) And {the disciples} went out, and preached that men should REPENT {metanoeō}.

Luke 13:3, 5 (KJV) {Jesus said} I tell you, Nay: but, except ye REPENT {metanoeō}, ye shall all likewise perish. … [5] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye REPENT {metanoeō}, ye shall all likewise perish.

Acts 2:38 (KJV) Then Peter said unto them, REPENT {metanoeō}, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Word Study: To “REPENT”, the Greek metanoeō, means to “go through a change of mind, to set your mind in another direction”. Before salvation we live in the Kingdom of ME. “I” do what “I” want to do. Those in the Kingdom of ME suit themselves. They live their lives saying “It’s my life” and “It’s my body, I’ll do what I want”, or “I have a right to ___”. The Kingdom of ME has a god of one, that’s ME. But to be saved, you must REPENT. ME is no longer your god. We preach:

Acts 2:38 … REPENT {metanoeō}, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

REPENT. Change the direction of your mind. BE BAPTIZED. Why? Because it is the first command of Jesus Christ our Lord (Matthew 28:19). If you are saved, you will obey Jesus. The outward FRUIT that shows you are saved is that you obey Him. Jesus said,

John 14:15, 23 (KJV) If ye love Me, keep My commandments. … [23] If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.

Once you repent, and show the fruit of obedience, God causes you to be BORN AGAIN. He writes His Law in your heart as He has promised:

Jeremiah 31:33 (KJV) … 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.

Salvation moves a person from the Kingdom of ME to the Kingdom of HE, the Kingdom of Christ, the Kingdom of God.

Romans 14:17 (KJV) For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy SPIRIT {Pneuma}.

The Holy Spirit Who causes you to be BORN AGAIN, Who causes you to enter the Kingdom of God, produces certain visible fruit. There is a Kingdom of ME, and a Kingdom of GOD. Let’s look at the negative first:

the Kingdom of God is not MEAT and DRINK

In many religions there is an emphasis on what you eat, when you eat, and how you eat. Before Christ came Judaism taught that certain foods were “clean” and others were “unclean”. The reason God established stringent rules on eating and drinking under the Old Covenant is because

Galatians 3:24 (LSB) … the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

God has ALWAYS saved people by Grace. He saved Adam by Grace. He saved Noah by Grace. He saved Abraham by Grace. He saved Jacob by Grace. He saved Israel by Grace. God gave the Law at Sinai as a schoolteacher to show us that, by our strongest efforts, we cannot save ourselves. The Law came to teach us and draw us to Christ. We do not come to God by the Law, but by Christ. As the Apostle wrote:

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV) 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:

It is not what you EAT or DRINK that matters to God, but how you manifest the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT to those around you.

In the Kingdom of ME, I was concerned about satisfying myself regardless as to what the God Who made me thought. But in the Kingdom of HE, I am concerned about pleasing my God. “We are bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20). We are not about glorifying ourselves, but about glorifying the Lord Who loves us.

We are no longer in the Kingdom of ME.

What IS the Kingdom of God? It is not meat or drink, but something much greater. We are told:

Romans 14:17 (KJV) For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy SPIRIT {Pneuma}.

Now pay attention. “RIGHTEOUSNESS” is an attribute that we are not born with. We are born into this life with a faux righteousness. Ever since we ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we have thought that we set the standards of righteousness. But Beloved, “RIGHTEOUSNESS” is what God says, not what we think. The Bible says:

Isaiah 33:22 (NKJV) For the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV) we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

It is GOD Who sets the standard of right and wrong, and He has revealed this standard in the Scripture. No Christian lives in the Kingdom of ME, but in HIS Kingdom. We do what God says. We have righteousness because God imputed righteousness to us when we received Jesus as Lord and Savior. We now follow after HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS because He is our Lord. Jesus said that once we are saved, quit worrying about meat and drink. The world chases after that. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:31-33 (NKJV) do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

We live to please our Heavenly Father. We live to please our Lord Jesus. And remember, “there are no Participation Trophies”. God has expectations for His children, just as all good parents do. Our fruit should not look like the lost. Our fruit should be RIGHTEOUS.

Romans 14:17 (KJV) For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy SPIRIT {Pneuma}.

The Kingdom of God is not just RIGHTEOUSNESS (which is as God has defined it), but PEACE. If you are saved, then you are NOT at war with God. The Scripture says:

Romans 5:1-3 (LSB) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we boast in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance;

If you are born again, saved by the Grace of God, you “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Now Jesus told us,

John 16:33 (LSB) These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

If you are in the Kingdom of HE, then you will be at odds with those in the Kingdom of ME.

The Christian is at peace with God. Not because we are perfect, but because we are hidden in Christ. We walk through this life following Jesus – even when its tough. The Pharisees hated Jesus, because He was not as religiously rigid as they liked. The Sadducees hated Jesus because He was not liberal enough to suit their tastes. The Herodians hated Jesus, because He would not endorse their political party. The Romans hated Jesus because He would not worship their gods and goddesses. Everyone in the Kingdom of ME hated Jesus, and nailed Him to a Cross for not toeing the “Party Line”.

Jesus rose again on the third day, and His Kingdom endures forever!

Never was there a man hated more than Jesus. His name is a curse word, even today, often more popular than that horrid GODDA__ that people say! If you follow Jesus, then you will find yourself at odds with the world.

I’ve had people come up and say to me, “I invited so and so to Church”. That’s fine, insofar as that goes. I have also been told by “Christians” that they like to attend large Churches where they are not known, and are not expected to do anything. They hide in the crowds. Beloved, a Church doesn’t save a person, but Jesus does. My preaching will not save you, but if you HEAR the Word and RECEIVE the Word, God will make a change in you. Let’s try something that the early Church did. Before you invite someone to Church, invite them to Jesus. Tell them what Jesus did for you in YOUR life. Tell them how you changed, how God changed you.

Romans 14:17 (KJV) For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy SPIRIT {Pneuma}.

When God’s people come together, and God is in our midst, there should be “JOY in the Holy SPIRIT”. Christian, if you are not walking in daily JOY, there is something wrong in your spiritual walk. If you are being persecuted for your faith, for following Jesus in righteousness, Jesus said:

Luke 6:23 (NKJV) Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward [is] great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

If the world is mad at you, if your Facebook or YouTube feed is being blocked, if the harpies on “The View” are mocking you, “REJOICE and LEAP FOR JOY!” Your fruit is about right! But if the darkness endorses what you are doing and how you are living, if you think that God is going to give you a “Participation Trophy”, then odds are you are not saved. The saved walk with Jesus IN THE LIGHT.

1 John 1:7 (NKJV) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Those who are saved by Grace “WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT”. We love one another. We major on the major things.

Every Christian Is Running A Race

Why do we come and gather as a Church once we are saved? Does going to Church matter? Read with me:

Romans 14:19-21 (KJV) Let US therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

In the early Church, some who were saved by Grace were Gentiles who were accustomed to eating all manner of things. Others were Jews, saved by Grace, who were raised to believe certain foods and drinks were clean and others unclean. The Church is a mix of people from various backgrounds.

But every Christian is running a race for God.

We come from culturally different backgrounds. I grew up poor. We ate pork neck bones and rice, cornbread, bread bought from the “day old bakery” store, pig feet, hog brain, pork skins. I wore hand me down socks, white, daddy’s socks, because they were the cheapest we could get. I never owned a new bicycle, but had a used one that I learned to repair. I never played in High School sports nor in the Band because we couldn’t afford to rent instruments, and my parents had no spare time to take me to the games.

Everybody has different backgrounds, different things they were raised with. In the Church we obey the clear teachings of Scripture – but we are not to be sidetracked by things not clearly defined in the Bible.

The Bible defines the Christian life as a RACE:

Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Every believer is to be “RUNNING THE RACE SET BEFORE THEM”. Every believer is to be “LOOKING UNTO JESUS” as we run. If you are saved by Grace, sealed by the Spirit, then you are to RUN, not WALK for Jesus. Someone told me,

“I don’t see why you reach out to the homeless, you have so much else to do”.

My answer is simple. God put it on my heart, and I strive to run the race looking unto Jesus. You should, too. Beloved, if you are running the race for Jesus, there are no “Participation Trophies”. To whom does Jesus give the reward? To the victor. To the one who runs until they cross the finish line. God saved us, and left us on this earth to overcome.

1 John 5:4-5 (LSB) For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the overcoming that has overcome the world–our faith. [5] Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Christians are OVERCOMERS in the race of life because we look unto Jesus. As we run our race, there are cultural differences in each one of us. But listen:

I am supposed to run MY race without causing you to stumble in YOUR race. I am not supposed to TRIP YOU UP over foolish things that are not part of the Kingdom of God.

Romans 14:20-21 (KJV) For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

In my past 30 years of ministry, I have seen Churches explode – not over BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION – but over STUPID STUFF that has no business destroying us.

WHO CARES what color that wall is?
WHO CARES is a tree is cut down in a cemetery?
WHO CARES whose birthday was forgotten?
WHO CARES about the minor stuff?

It is my responsibility as a Christian to help my brother and sister run the race set before them. I am to emphasize the KINGDOM OF GOD, which is “RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE and JOY in the Holy Spirit”. I am to stay focused on what the Bible has clearly said is truth. But cultural differences that are not addressed in Scripture – I may not agree, but frankly, its none of my business.

And it’s none of yours, either.

I was asked several years ago about “speaking in tongues”. Being saved in a Pentecostal Church, I know all about that. I referred to the Scripture, and told them:

1 Corinthians 14:28 (KJV) But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

If there’s no INTERPRETER present, keep it to yourself. That goes for anything that the Bible does not clearly present. We as Christians together are to emphasize what God has clearly said, and encourage our fellow believers to keep running their race, by faith. In the early Church this meant that the Gentile was not to eat something the Jewish Christian considered “unclean” in front of them. And if they did, the Jewish Christian should readily forgive them for their offense.

Romans 14:23 he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Lift up your fellow believers. Run TOGETHER the race set before you for the glory of God. Amen!

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