Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Posted on September 30, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

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Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

To many Christians the Grace of God is but one note. To many believers Grace is all about salvation from sin. Grace is indeed about salvation from sin. The Bible tells us that:

Romans 5:6-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The Bible is very clear that humanity is fallen from the glory of God. There are no naturally “good” people. Yes, there are moral people. There are nice people. There are even religious people. But there are none good. The Bible says:

Psalm 14:2-3 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Our Lord Jesus said in Mark 10:18 “there is none good but one, that is, God.” No one is naturally good. We are all crooked in the eyes of God. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ came. He came to:

John 1:29 … Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

The Unsearchable Riches Of Christ Both
Covers And REcovers Our Sins

What was done at the Cross of Christ was that our sin was COVERED. Sin must be paid for. God is holy, just, and ever righteous. And an offense against God is not a light thing. When Jesus died on Calvary His Blood covered our guilt. But salvation does not stop there. Once saved, God moves into our lives. He not only COVERS our sin He RECOVERS us from sin. He changes us. He begins a change in us that will be a very real change in who we are. The Bible tells us that Heaven is a place where NO SIN CAN ENTER IN. We are told that in glory:

Revelation 21:27 … there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Nothing that worketh abomination shall enter into Heaven. We are introduced to the word abomination in the Old Testament. From one commentary called Wikipedia I found this definition:

“Abomination (from Latin abominare, “to deprecate as an ill omen”) is an English term used to translate the Biblical Hebrew terms shiqquts שיקוץ and sheqets שקץ,[1] which are derived from shâqats, or the terms תֹּועֵבָה, tōʻēḇā or to’e’va (noun) or ta’ev (verb). An abomination in English is that which is exceptionally loathsome, hateful, sinful, wicked, or vile.”

When God uses the word abomination He speaks of something that is to Him that is exceptionally loathsome, hateful, wicked, or vile. God does not allow abominations into Heaven. The Bible states:

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

These things are NOT ALLOWED IN HEAVEN, and yet, dear ones, have not we all engaged in many of these things on the earth? When we think of abomination we think of sexual sins that perhaps we don’t do. Of homosexuality:

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

or of adultery or incest:

Ezekiel 22:11 And one hath committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.

or of cross dressing:

Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

or of child sacrifice or abortion:

Jeremiah 32:35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

When you read the Bible you will find – if you read it honestly and apply it to yourself as fairly as possible – that we have all been guilty of doing things that are what God classifies as abomination or unrighteousness. Praise God for His Grace!

His Grace not only covers our sins,
but His Grace changes our nature!

This is why we read in the Scripture …

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Nothing can enter God’s presence that defiles. No sin can enter into Heaven. This is why Christ came. Though we are all sinners His willing sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary paid for our sins. We are “justified” – a word that means “to straighten that which is crooked”. We are “washed” clean of sin because of His shed Blood. But THE RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE GOES FURTHER THAN MERELY COVERING! It changes us. The Apostle tells the Church at Corinth (and us as well):

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: BUT ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

No Christian should ever feel self righteous, for that is a dangerous way to be. But we should indeed feel blessed. God took us a broken things and covered our brokenness. But the riches of God’s Grace says “this is not enough! No, I will not only COVER their sin, but I will RECOVER them into what I want them to be!”

My daddy was an upholsterer. Sadly, you rarely meet or even hear of upholsterers any more. Furniture is made cheaply, of cardboard and plywood and cheap fabrics and man made fibers. Furniture is made to be used and thrown away. But in my daddy’s day furniture was well made from oak, maple, and stuffed with natural cotton. Furniture was made to not only last, but to pass down as a heritage from generation to generation. People would come to daddy with their furniture, torn, dirty, damaged from life, stinky, smelly. They would pick out a fabric from one of the thousands of samples daddy had. Then daddy would take that couch or chair or recliner, remove all the old and torn, and replace the broken with the new. When daddy was done with a piece of furniture it would be like a brand new item, straight off the show room floor.

That is what the unsearchable riches of Christ does to us. God redeems us by His precious Son’s Blood. He buys us as we are, broken and sin filled. The Bible says:

1 Peter 1:18-20 .. ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain {way of life} received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

It was at Calvary that Christ made a way for us to come face to face with God. The Cross made payment for our sins so that we can have access to God. But the Grace of God is not just to save us from sin so that we can one day go to Heaven. God’s Grace is much more than this. It is unsearchable riches. God covers our sins, then He begins to RECOVER us, to remake us.

God brings us into His Family.

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ
Brings Us Into God’s Family

The Apostle Paul said:

Ephesians 3:14-15 … For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

We who have received Christ as Lord and Savior are brought into the Family of God! We are part of a family that is based not just on earth, but in Heaven. The Saints of old are part of that Family. King David – long departed from this earth – is part of that Family. He said:

1 Chronicles 29:10 … David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever.

The Great Prophet Isaiah – gone into glory 700 years before Christ came – is a part of that Family. He said:

Isaiah 63:16 … thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

The ancient Jews did not understand God’s purpose was to make us part of His Family. This was a mystery to ancient Israel. That is what Paul is speaking of in our text when He says:

Ephesians 3:2-6 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

In the Old Testament the Jews knew that when Christ came that He would be “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:32). But God never revealed to Israel His Grand Plan, that He was going to create a Family from the Blood of His dear Son. That in Christ God would bring together Jew and Gentile, Bond and Free. That He would redeem all and put all who would believe in Jesus into One Family, under One Head. Jesus told us:

Matthew 23:9 … one is your Father, which is in heaven …

The riches of Grace not only saves us, but it enters us into the Family of God. When you do the work of God by believing on Jesus Christ (John 6:29) then this rich Grace of God brings us into the Family of God. Jesus said:

Matthew 12:48-50 … Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

God has a family that He is building by faith in Christ. This family is both in Heaven and on the earth. Paul was praying for the Ephesians that they would be:

Ephesians 3:16-17 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith

The word translated dwell means “To be at home in” (Greek κατοικέω katoikéō, pronounced kat-oy-keh’-o). It is the Father’s intent not just to save you, but to make you a temple that Christ can “be at home in”.

If you are are believers then you are entered into the Family of God through the

operation of this same Spirit. God gave His Spirit to us to mark us as His Children. He also gave us His Spirit so that we can be like Christ. The Bible says:

Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We are adopted into the Family of God by the Spirit of God Who lives and works in each one of us. The world will never understand this relationship between God and man, between believer and Heavenly Father. The world

will never understand that Jesus Christ is not just a Prophet, but Jesus Christ is Eternal God Who made something impossible possible.

The unsearchable riches of Christ saves us.
The unsearchable riches of Christ COVERS our sins.
The unsearchable riches of Christ RECOVERS us from sin.
The unsearchable riches of Christ ADOPTS us into God’s Family.
The unsearchable riches of Christ will make us like Christ.
And The unsearchable riches of Christ gives us purpose.

The Unsearchable Riches Of Christ Gives Us Purpose

Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ

for you Gentiles …

No missionary ever suffered quite like the Apostle Paul suffered. When recounting what he went through he said:

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 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; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

You would think that Paul would just give up. What suffering he went through! And yet he did not give up. In fact, the Apostle Paul went into Jerusalem to the Temple to preach the Gospel knowing that he would be imprisoned. Why did he keep going?

Because God the Holy Spirit told him:

Acts 23:11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

The suffering he was going through was not for no purpose. It was so the glorious riches of God’s Grace could go out into the world. Where better than to preach Christ than before the Caesar in Rome?

The Apostle understood the riches of God’s Grace, and knew that God wanted to save whosoever will through it. Therefore his suffering was for a greater purpose.

The unsearchable riches of Christ did not just save us from our sins, but it saved us for a purpose. Trials come on all of us. But if you are in Christ, these trials do not come to destroy you, but to fulfill the purpose of God in Christ. The Apostle told the Church at Ephesus:

Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

The tribulations that came on Paul were not random events, nor cruelties sent his way by satan. No, every tribulation came to aid the Apostle in fulfilling his life purpose. Paul was a man with purpose. God used him to reveal to all that it was God’s intent to save whosoever will believe on Christ. Not just the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. Not just the well to do or best, but whosoever will. And the Apostle saw God at work, moving all things according to His will. He had purpose because of Christ.

Beloved, if you are saved it is not just so you can go to Heaven, but that God can use YOU to reach others for His Kingdom. View everything that happens to you through the riches of God’s Grace – the unsearchable riches of Christ. May God touch your hearts with His Word!

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More Blessed To Give

Posted on September 29, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

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One of the most interesting texts in the Bible is one of the least understood and the least preached.

It is part of a sermon preached by the Apostle Paul to the leaders of the Church at Ephesus – a type of farewell address. God used the Apostle to establish the Church in Ephesus. The Church was planted during Paul’s second missionary journey, circa 52 AD (see Acts 18:19). When the Apostle returned to Ephesus during his third missionary journey (circa AD. 54) he spent three years there (see Acts 19:8-10; Acts 20:31). During this trip the Apostle the Lord used Paul to weed out false teachings that had threatened the Church. The Temple of Diana, the goddess of sexual fertility, was established in Ephesus. In fact, Ephesus was a hotbed of pagan practices. The Apostle spent three years weeding God’s Garden, the Ephesian Church.

About 57 AD. the Apostle – as he was traveling – decided to stop once more in Ephesus. The Apostle knew that this would be the last time he could see his beloved Ephesian Church. He told them:

Acts 20:22-25 … And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

Paul didn’t know how bad it was going to be, but it knew he would be imprisoned. He knew this was the last time he would see this precious Church because God had warned him that bonds and afflictions abide me. But Paul wasn’t concerned about his death. He was ready to die. Paul wanted to finish well, and wanted the Church at Ephesus to prosper and grow.

As we run with patience the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2) let us keep in mind the goal. We are to finish well for Christ. Do we finish well? No one cheers the quitter, the one who stops mid race. The cheers of Heaven are not for the quitters or the lazy or the fearful or the foolish. The cheers of Heaven are for the faithful, for those who with endurance, looking unto Jesus, they ran their race with patience to the end. That is what brings the trophy.

As Paul ended his sermon to the Church – the last time he would see them face to face – he said these words. Let’s read these words responsively:

Acts 20:25 I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. The Apostle quotes the Lord Jesus Christ, and tells the young Church to remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He was quoting a word that Jesus said that many had heard. Yet here’s what’s interesting. If you look through the Gospels you will NOT find this word anywhere. Neither Matthew, Mark, Luke, nor John record these words from our Lord. This causes many of the commentaries and theological doctors a great deal of concern. Some people have even gone so far as to say that the Apostle Paul mis-spoke, that he quoted something that Jesus never said, and there is error in the Bible. I do not believe this. I believe the Apostle quoted Jesus as saying this because Jesus did indeed say it. The Gospel of John ends with these words:

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

The Gospels do not tell us all that Jesus said and did. That great pastor Dr. W.A. Criswell – the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas
called this word from Paul
“The Lost Beatitude”.

When Jesus began His ministry the first major sermon He preached was called The Sermon On The Mount. This is a fantastic sermon that is found in Matthew chapters 5-7. What word is used over and over in the introduction of this sermon? See if you can find it.

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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

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

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

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

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

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

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Did you find it? Yes, the word is Blessed. The word Blessed is the Greek

μακάριος makários, (pronounced mak-ar’-ee-os) which means “to be fortunate or well off”. The word is found some fifty times in the New Testament. The word can also mean “to be happy”, and is translated as such in:

1 Peter 3:14 … But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye …

1 Peter 4:14 … If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you …

That word “blessed” means to find inner happiness, to find contentment, to be prospered in a way that brings spiritual joy.

It Is A Blessing To Receive

Now Jesus never said it is not a blessing to receive things. He said:

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

There is greater happiness in giving than there is in receiving, but that isn’t to say that God doesn’t want us to receive. Our Lord Jesus was blessed when He went to Simon the Leper’s home for supper – at Simon’s invitation, mind you. When Jesus came into that man’s home the Bible says:

Matthew 26:6-7 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

As this unnamed woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, people who saw this sat judging. They sat judging this woman. They sat judging Jesus. “If Jesus knew who this woman was, He would not allow her to even touch Him!” (Luke 7:39). … “Why was this ointment wasted? It could have been sold for over 300 denarii (a year’s wages)!” As Jesus sat receiving this blessing He told them all “Let her alone. She has done a beautiful thing to Me. She has anointed My body for burial!” (Mark 14:6-9). He then rebuked Simon,

Luke 7:44-46 … And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped [them] with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Jesus was blessed by what He received from this woman. It is wonderful to receive blessings.

 As a pastor I have received thank you cards for things that I have done for others. That is a blessing. As a father, I am always blessed when my children remember me on Father’s Day. On the wall of my home office is a card that my youngest son brought to me on my birthday one year. I hung it on the wall, and look at it any time I get to feeling blue. On that same birthday my oldest son forgot my birthday. That hurts! Do you know that feeling? Of course, there were times when the shoe was on the other foot, and I forgot my momma and daddy’s birthdays. I wish I had been more diligent now that they are gone to be with the Lord. I really do.

It is wonderful to receive encouragement when you are down. There is nothing wrong with receiving. When we pray, do we not ask God to give to us? Do we not pray as Jesus taught us:

Matthew 6:11-13 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

God told us not to worry about things, but to ask God as our Father for blessing. We should not worry about tomorrow, nor for our sustenance, but we should seek God in prayer. He wants to bless us, and waits to hear our cry. Jesus told us:

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Our Heavenly Father loves to give good things to us, so receiving is not evil, and asking is not evil. Even God wants to receive from us. Not stuff, but the love and admiration and respect that He deserves.

The Father wants our full and devoted love! Our Lord Jesus said that the greatest commandment in the Law is:

Matthew 22:37-38 … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

What God wants of us is ALL of us. God wants to receive our love, our devotion, our obedience, and our allegiance. We bless God when He receives that from us. So no, it is not wrong to receive.

But It Is MORE BLESSED To Give

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

The great Pastor W.A. Criswell told this story:

“Over there in Africa, there was a little colored boy – one of those little African natives who came to one of our mission Sunday schools – and he did not have any clothes on. … so the Sunday school teacher said to the little fellow, … “Son, you go home and tell your momma to put some clothes on you. You cannot come to Sunday school without any clothes on.” So the little boy went home and told his momma that he could not come to Sunday school unless he had some clothes on. So the little fellow returned pretty soon and he was so proud, he was so proud with the clothes that he was wearing. Do you know what he had on? He had on a pair of suspenders!”

It is a blessing to receive, but a GREATER blessing to give. I want you to think about another little boy now. This little boy heard that Jesus was coming to town. He was so excited. So the little boy asked his mother is he could go and see Jesus. His mother – like all good mothers – said it was all right for him to go see Jesus, but she wanted him to take lunch with him. Mother pulled out of the cupboard what she had ready – two small fish and five little barley biscuits. She put this meal in a little sack, and the little boy set out to see Jesus. It was a fantastic day. The little boy squirmed and wiggled till he got close to where Jesus was. Sick people were coming to Jesus, and Jesus was healing all that came. People were carrying crippled friends to Jesus. With a touch and a word the lame walked. The blind were given their sight. It was so magnificent! And the crowd kept getting bigger and bigger.

Then it looked like the excitement was going to end. The sun was setting, and the people were hungry. The little boy had forgotten to eat his lunch. His tummy rumbled and made him remember. Suddenly the disciples scattered through the crowd. The little boy heard the adults talking. They were looking for food to feed this crowd.

The little boy had a choice. He could feed his own belly. Or he could give the little bit he had to Jesus. He handed his sack to one of the disciples who took it back to Jesus. The disciples told Jesus:

Matthew 14:17-18 … We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. … {Jesus} said, Bring them hither to me.

The little boy watched Jesus take his lunch out of the bag. Jesus looked up to Heaven and blessed the food. He broke the loaves, and passed them to the disciples, who gave more than enough food to the crowd of over 5000 people. Now let me ask:

Who do you think received the greater blessing that day? The over 5000 people who filled their bellies? The disciples who passed out the food Jesus gave them. Or the little boy who saw his tiny meal transformed into a banquet for thousands?

Do riches bless us? Does receiving stuff make us happy? There was a rich young ruler who came to Jesus and said:

Luke 18:18 … Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

When Jesus told him:

Luke 18:22 … sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

The Bible tells us that this young man went away sorrowful – not blessed but sorrowful for he was very rich. Compare this young man to another rich man named Zacchaeus, who was very rich (Luke 19:2). Was Zacchaeus happy? Was he blessed? If he was, why did he climb up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus (Luke 19:4). When Jesus went into his home what did Zacchaeus say?

Luke 19:8 … Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

Jesus said that salvation had come to Zacchaeus. Why was this? Because Zacchaeus gave himself to the Lord. He no longer worshiped his stuff, but worshiped the One Who came to die for us all.

Who was happier? The widow who put in all that she had (Mark 12:41-44) or the rich Pharisees who made a show of giving their money. Jesus said the widow with little was better blessed. “They gave out of their wealth, but she gave out of poverty, and put in all she had”. Some would say this is foolish, but God says that this is wisdom.

When We Give Of Ourselves We Are Most Like Jesus

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

There is nothing wrong with receiving – unless all you do is receive. When all you do is receive then you become like the foolish rich man of Luke 12.

Luke 12:15-17 And {Jesus} said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

To “covet” is to be greedy, to be always taking and never giving. When we always take and never give then we are never blessed. As Jesus said, a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Stuff comes and stuff goes. Bank accounts grow, go to zero, and grow again. There’s no sin in receiving – but to receive and never give leads to misery and sadness and a lost life. This rich man had plenty. He asked himself, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? The answer should have been simple. If God has prospered you, bless someone else. Do not be like the rich man of Luke 16 who clothed himself in fine linen, but never had the time to help poor Lazarus at his doorstep. As Lazarus fought the dogs for every crumb of food, the rich man stuffed his face with the finest food.

There is no happiness nor blessing in all receiving but never giving. As we have been blessed, we need to bless others. The one who is Ebenezer Scrooge is never happy. Let us not be like the rich young ruler, the rich farmer, nor like old Ebenezer. Let us be like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

How did Jesus become poor? He left the splendor of Heaven. He stepped down from His Throne in glory, and lowered Himself to be born a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. Jesus became like us – yet without sin – so that He could give His life for us on Calvary. We who are saved by Grace in Him are to be followers of Christ (Matthew 4:19) and followers of God (Ephesians 5:1). If you belong to Jesus you are to live for Jesus.

Some do not understand this truth. People visit this Church and begin to ask me, “What can YOU do for ME”? That is not the way of Christ. The way of Christ is to give as you have been given to. No, I’m not just talking about money, though money does come into it. But you are to give of yourself. How does the Bible speak to this.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Live your lives as Christ lived His. He was always giving – even unto His death. He gave Himself a ransom for our souls. Shall we take of Heaven’s Best and give nothing in return? God forbid. God forbid.

The Lord has been so good to me. Shall I with hold my life from Him? “Freely ye have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8). If you are not saved by faith in Christ then run to His waiting arms today. Receive the greatest gift you will ever receive: salvation by Grace and the adoption into His Family. Once you have received, give. He gave to you, so give to Him. Not just money – but of yourselves. Give to Jesus. You are His people, His Kingdom, His family forever. The heart closed to Jesus will manifest in a closed and stingy hand. But the heart opened to Jesus will give as it has been given. Blessed be the Name of Jesus!

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Remember!

Posted on September 25, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

WarningSign

 

The last time we came together as God’s Church we talked about when we were “dead in trespasses and in sins” Ephesians 2:18-19 For through {Jesus} we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;(Ephesians 2:1). We learned that we were separated from God because of the sin nature that ruled us. But God reached out. He is rich in mercy and by His great love – though we were dead in sins He called us and quickened us (by Grace we are saved) (Ephesians 2:5). God raised us up, and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). We are saved entirely of grace. We are God’s workmanship. He is the Potter and we are the clay. We have no reason to boast, unless we boast on the love and faithfulness of our Almighty God.

Tonight the Apostle tells us – let’s read this responsively:

Ephesians 2:11-14a Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace …

Remember!

Our first two words are Wherefore remember, the Greek μνημονεύω mnēmoneúō, (pronounced mnay-mon-yoo’-o) which means “recall, bring to your mind”. The early Ephesian Christian – a saved Gentile – would have a memory of how he or she first heard of the God of the Jews. You and I have no such memory, but the Ephesian Christian would. When the Gentile entered Jerusalem they saw Herod’s Temple dominating all the other buildings in the city. A Gentile wanting to visit the Temple could enter its gates, and even pass through one of its outer porches. Jesus used to preach to all on Solomon’s Porch. He did this because:

1 Timothy 1:15 …. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

He came to save Israel – His people – but He also came to save whosoever will. Jesus is:

Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

If you were a Gentile seeking God you were allowed into the outer gates of the Temple. But once you reached the outer court – called “The Court of the Gentiles” – you could go no further. If you were a Gentile you saw the Sacred Enclosure of the Temple – located three feet above the Court of the Gentiles. There were signs posted in both Greek and Latin that warned the Gentiles that the penalty of trespassing was death. The Roman Laws even permitted the Jewish authorities to kill those who were Gentiles who dared approach God, regardless as to their status with Rome. The Apostle Paul was nearly killed one of the times he entered the Temple proper.

Acts 21:27-29 … the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw {Paul} in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, tEphesians 2:18-19 For through {Jesus} we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;hat teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. 29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

If you were the Church at Ephesus then more than likely Trophimus an Ephesian was a member of your congregation. When he was with Paul and Paul was nearly killed for even being in proximity to Trophimus, well, I can imagine, word gets around. The Ephesian believers who were largely Gentile would remember how when they were yet unbelievers they were excluded from the worship of Yahweh. It is like when people come to our Church for the first time and many of us shun them. Imagine how that feels! This is what Paul wanted to bring to remembrance.

When Jesus Christ came He often taught on Solomon’s Porch so that all could have access to God. This was refreshing to the Gentiles, and offensive to the Orthodox Jews. Yet Christ came to reach all. He came to reach the lowest person. He came to reach any who needed God – and Beloved, we all need God.

Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world …

God chose Israel to be His messengers to a lost world. When God called Israel to be His own He told them:

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

God Wanted You When No One Else Did

Israel forgot this great truth. Rather than remember that they were nothing but slaves when God saved them, they began to think they were better than anyone else. God chose Israel to be His light bearer because He loved them and because He made a promise to the Fathers of Israel – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is love, and God is faithful. Israel was not chosen because they were the best. The nation was chosen because they were the worst, the most pitiful, the broken. But once God elevates them what happens. They begin to think that they are better than the Gentiles around them.

How foolish.

God wants the Church to avoid this same terrible path. He wants the Church to remember or call to mind when they were shunned. To remember:

without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel

The Jews taught that when Christ came, He would only come for those who were from the commonwealth of Israel, that is, only Jewish citizens circumcised according to the command given Abraham. God told Abraham:

Genesis 17:10-14 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

God never told Abraham or Israel that salvation came by circumcision. Yet the Jews developed this theology, teaching that the Gentiles – who were uncircumcised – were cut off from Christ. Israel believed that only the Jew could be saved and that Christ would only come for the Jew. The Orthodox Jew reasoned that since the Gentile was “cut off” from Israel that:

Ephesians 2:12 … strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world

they were strangers from the covenants of promise, that is, God never made a promise of salvation to the Gentiles. Since God made no covenants with the Gentiles they were in a hopeless and helpless situation. They were without God in the world.

But Now …

Ephesians 2:13-14 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace …

This was what Israel believed at this time in history – but was not what God our Father believed – blessed be the Name of the Lord! We who are Gentiles were never cut off from salvation nor cast away from God. It is true that Christ came for the Jew FIRST. Why? Because He as God Almighty made promises to the Jew first. This is why the Scripture declares:

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Christ came to the Jew first. When He began His ministry of the earth He told His disciples:

Matthew 10:5-7 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: (6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

But God always intended to reach out to the Gentiles. The Prophet said some 700 years before Christ came:

Isaiah 11:10 And 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.

This was a text often quoted in the New Testament. The Apostle Matthew quoted it in his writing at 12:21, as did the Apostle Paul at Romans 15:12-13.

Jesus Christ came not just to Israel, but also came to the Gentile, to the Greek. How is a person saved? Is it by having certain access to the Temple? Is it having performed certain rituals such as circumcision? No. The Scripture declares The just – those who are justified or made right with God – they shall live by faith in God the Son. Salvation comes by faith in His Blood. What does the text tell us?

now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ

We who are Gentiles are made nigh by the blood of Christ. We who are Christ’s Church need to remember when we were excluded. We need to remember that God in love reached out to us when we were unlovable. We also need to remember that we are made nigh by the blood of Christ, brought near to God by the Blood of Jesus.

Christ Jesus Is Our Peace

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

We are called to remember – to bring to our memory – that Jesus is our peace. He broke down the middle wall of partition. The words between us are added by the translators, and are unneeded in this text. Jesus broke down the middle wall of partition. The Gentiles were not allowed to look into the Temple, but had to stay in the outer courtyard. They were not allowed access to God. The website gotquestions notes:

“Solomon’s temple was 30 cubits high{45 feet tall} (1 Kings 6:2), but Herod had increased the height to 40 cubits, according to the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian. There is uncertainty as to the exact measurement of a cubit, but it is safe to assume that this veil was somewhere near 60 feet high. An early Jewish tradition says that the veil was about four inches thick, but the Bible does not confirm that measurement. The book of Exodus teaches that this thick veil was fashioned from blue, purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.”

That colorful veil was a reminder to any Gentile that they were not welcome in the presence of God. On the day that Jesus died on Calvary the Bible tells us:

Matthew 27:50-51 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom …

When Jesus died His blood destroyed the barrier that kept the Gentile from God. Racism and elitism kept the Gentile from experiencing the joy of God’s presence. This veil also kept the everyday Jew from the Holy of Holies, the direct presence of God. Now the Holy of Holies – the direct presence of God – is available to all people, both Jew as well as Gentile. Sin was a barrier that kept us from God. But when Christ died that veil was torn.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

God has never been contained to just the Temple. But sin kept us from God. Now because of the Blood of Christ:

Hebrews 10:10 … we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:16-19 … This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldnesEphesians 2:18-19 For through {Jesus} we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;s to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus …

I have heard it said that some Christians tire of the preaching of the Cross. I say unto you, if you tire of the Cross, if you tire of the Blood, then you need to reexamine your own salvation.

Though I love all the doctrines of Christianity, there is none more dear to me than the Blood of Christ. And Beloved, nothing should be more dear to you than the Blood of Christ.

We praise God for Christ’s first coming, being born of a virgin,
but it is His Blood that brings us near to God.

We love the examples that Jesus gave us as He walked this earth,
but it is His Blood that allows us to call God “Our Father”.

We praise and magnify God for the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, but it is His Blood that brings us into the Family of God.

We look forward to the Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the clouds and the glorious Rapture of the Church,
but it is His Blood that demands He return for us who believe.

The love of God caused Jesus Christ to go to the Cross and die,
but it is His Blood shed on that Cross that brings us near to God.

We are near to God because the Blood of Christ sealed a covenant between us and God, and because that Blood proves that God’s Justice is satisfied. The Christian is pardoned, not through a rite of circumcision nor baptism nor communion, nor good works. The Christian is pardoned because of the Blood of Christ, Blessed Be the Name of God!

Galatians 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In the Church Age there should be no division nor racism amongst its members. Do you not know that it was the Blood of Christ – the Blood of a Jew – that saves whosoever will receive Him. We are told:

Ephesians 2:15-16 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Sin was a barrier between us and God. The Law of God showed us that we were sinners. When Jesus died on Calvary He satisfied the ceremonial and ritual as well as dietary laws that God gave Israel. The Christian is not lawless – no, dear friend. But we are under a higher law.

We Are Under The Glorious Law Of Christ

We who are brought near to God by the Blood of Christ are under the Law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 tells us “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

We are under the Law of the Spirit.

Romans 8:2-4 tells us “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

What is the Law of Christ? What is the Law of the Spirit? It is to love as Christ loved us. This is what fulfills the Law.

Romans 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Galatians 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Christ brought us near to God the Father by laying His life down and shedding His Blood for us. He did this for us when we were His enemies. Jesus has commanded us to love one another as He has loved you (John 13:34; 15:12). He gave Himself to draw us near to God. We who are His are to give ourselves to others, to help them to draw near to God.

The Christian Identity is now that we are sons of the Most High God. What a glorious statement God has made!

It’s all about LOVE!

Ephesians 2:18-19 For through {Jesus} we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

We who are Christ’s are drawn near to God. God is love. His law is love. His Christ showed love. As fellow citizens of Heaven, as members of His household, we are to love. To love as Christ loved. To realize we are a people no longer far off from God, but a people of God. Live as a people near to God should live. Live for His smile!

We do not build walls to keep people out.
We love others as Christ loved us.
We stand together firm on the truths of Scripture.
His Household “is built upon the foundation of the Apostles & Prophets”.
We follow His Word.
And we grow.
We are His Temple!
May God touch your hearts with His Word!

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Crucified With Christ

Posted on September 22, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Galatians 2:20 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.

Hill Of Crosses Diego Delso.png

Photo from Wikipedia Commons

On a remote field in Lithuania there is a hill called Kryžių Kalnas (pronounced cry-zoo kale ness), which literally means The Hill of Crosses. For over two centuries Christians have brought literally thousands of metal or wooden crosses and placed them on this hill. It’s an impressive site. National Geographic© stated that “some think the crosses {were} left by mourning relatives of the victims of revolts against the Russian regime in 1831, and later in 1863.” After World War II the area – governed by the Soviet Union – was under constant state sponsored attacks. The Soviet Government repeatedly tried to destroy the crosses. They even tried leveling the hill itself – but the people kept bringing crosses.

In time the Soviets gave up, and Lithuania gained it’s independence. The Hill of Crosses lives on, and
believers continue to bring crosses to this hill.

The Cross is constantly under assault throughout the world. It has always been under assault.

The devil despises the Cross, for in it he sees his defeat.
The world hates the Cross for it condemns sin.
As jewelry it’s accepted.
But in truth it is rejected.
To the Roman the Cross represented shame and death.

Rome invented the Cross as a means of torturing criminals. God took that method of torture and turned it into something that was not hopeless, but filled with hope. It was no longer a symbol of defeat, but a symbol of victory.

I heard a beautiful story the other day I thought I’d share with you. It was Easter season, and the Sunday School teacher brought in a bunch of empty plastic eggs. She let the kids go outside to find things that God made – flowers, tiny leaves, sand or rocks. She asked the kids to find something God made and put it inside the hollow egg, and bring it back to the classroom. One by one the teacher opened the eggs and commended the children for what they found. She talked about how God created everything, and loves us all very much. Then she opened one egg – and it was empty. She asked the children “whose egg is this”? and one little fellow named Bobby raised his hand. The other kids started to make fun of Bobby, but the teacher stopped them. Then she asked:

“Bobby, why is your egg empty?”

Little Bobby said “Teacher you told us that Jesus died on the Cross – but He came alive again. He’s not in the grave anymore – that’s why my egg is empty!” Doesn’t the Scripture tell us “A little Child shall lead us?” Praise God for all who understand this great truth.

The Cross is empty, and the Tomb is empty.
Jesus paid for our sins.
Jesus rose from the Grave.
If we receive Him, we live with Him!

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 … For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

That which was meant to bring condemnation instead brought salvation to all who believe. The Bible does not describe the shape of the Cross, and the nails that held Jesus to the Cross are not even mentioned until after His resurrection. The Apostle Thomas said:

John 20:25 … Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Interestingly enough this is the only place in the Bible that mentions the nails that were driven into our Savior. When Jesus appears later He tells Thomas in John 20:27 …” Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” Jesus alludes to the scars, but not the nails. Later when the Apostle writes about the effect of the Cross he says:

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Even here the nails that held our Savior to that terrible Cross are not mentioned. Instead the Apostle speaks that the Law that we could not keep was nailed to that Cross. When Jesus died on Calvary He died taking our punishment on Himself. To violate God’s decree is to find death. The wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). Adam sinned, and we as Adam’s children sin. But praise be unto God:

Galatians 4:4-5 … But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Our redemption from sin and death were secured because our Jesus stood in our place. The Father looked at the Son and said “Guilty as charged for the sins of humanity”. The Law was nailed to that old rugged Cross that day. Jesus is the Leader of His people, a revolutionary standing against satan, sin, and sickness. Many revolutions have come to an end because their Founder was killed. The revolution that Christ brought did not die with Him, but changed death into life. He died on that Cross, but rose again on the third day. When we who are His look at the Cross we see it empty – for “He is risen, just as He said! Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead. He goes before you!” (Matthew 28:6-7).

Did Christ Die For You?

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ…

Are You A BYSTANDER Or A BELIEVER?

On the day that Jesus died there were many who saw the event. They were bystanders, people watching a show. The Christian is not a bystander at the Cross. The Christ is very much crucified with Christ. As one author put it:

“Christ died for us – but we also died with Him”.

The old me – the law breaker, the people hater, the racist, the vandal, the drug abuser, the drinker, the skirt chaser – whatever your brand of sin was that brand died when the Cross branded you. You died – dear Christian – on that Cross with Jesus. That old pre-Jesus you is now gone. Jesus stood in your place on Calvary. He died for YOU.

Did Christ die for you? Not for your neighbor, your spouse, your mother or father, aunt or uncle. Did Christ die for YOU? The distinguishing mark of the Christian faith is that it is intensely personal. The word “I” is found five times in this text. The Apostle knew he was saved because he had a personal relationship with Christ in that Cross. Did Jesus die for YOU? Was the Law of God nailed to that Cross for YOU?

One of the most dangerous things – the most terrible of sins – is the sin of “Do It Yourself” Righteousness.

Jesus preached the Gospel over and over again in the presence of the Pharisees but reached very few. Why was this? Because the Pharisees kept looking at small errors and sins in others rather than examining their own lives in the light of God. This is why Jesus warned us against judging others. He said:

Matthew 7:1-3 Judge not, that ye be not judged. {2} For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. {3} And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Suggestion: Bring a 2×4 to Church with you.
Hold it up to your eye as you judge others in the crowd!

In a humorous way Jesus addressed the problem with judging. When we begin to judge others we often become blind to our own sins and insufficiencies. We spend time picking at those around us, finding fault as the Pharisees did, and we miss the Cross for ourselves. No one is baptized for you. No one can take the Lord’s Table for you. No one can be saved for you.

I remember one story I was told of an old lady who loved to judge others. She was looking out of her window one day as a neighbor hung up her laundry on the clothes line in her back yard. She told her husband, “Why in the world don’t she wash those sheets before she hangs them up? I don’t understand how her husband can stand sleeping on those nasty linens. Doesn’t she have any pride?” The woman’s husband listen to her for a minute, then left the room. While she looked out the window he came to the outside of the window she was standing at – and began to wash it. Magically the neighbor’s sheets suddenly became clean! You see, the old woman was looking at the dirt on her window – not on her neighbor’s linen!

The Bible warns us to …

Philippians 2:12 … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

The devil loves it when we hear the Gospel and, instead of asking ourselves “what do I think of Christ” we begin judging others. This was Paul’s story when he was called “Saul”.

Philippians 3:5-6 … Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

When Paul – at that time in history Saul – was commissioned to go out and destroy Christianity he thought he was doing the work of God. He thought that with every Christian he brought to justice and judged that he was in a better place in Heaven. This is what the devil teaches all of his children. The devil teaches some that if they judge and kill the enemy, then they will receive 70 virgins on entering Heaven. The devil leads others to believe if they follow certain rituals that others are not following – if they count rosary beads or kneel at a statue or are baptized in a certain way – then they will be received into everlasting glory. There is confusion in every religion, even among those who call themselves “Christian”.

But then Christ knocked Saul down on the Damascus Road.
Christ blinded his physical eyes, but opened his spiritual eyes.
“Who art Thou, Lord?” Saul cried out.
“I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5).

Saul died that day, but rose up from the Damascus Road Paul. Whereas Saul the persecutor judged and killed Christians, Paul the crucified went about lifting up others to the Cross of Calvary. When Jesus gets hold of you, dear friend, then you change.

Crucified with Christ, you die with Him.
Buried with Christ, the old man is dead.
Raised with Christ, you are as new creature!

You died with Jesus if you are a child of God.

I am reminded of the Gospel account where our Lord was beaten, flogged, bruised. A crown of thorns crushed down over His blessed head. The blood ran down into His eyes. The executioner and the crowd were unsympathetic. This was great sport. One Roman suggested that the Savior carry His own Cross. Putting that Cross on His back, the raw and splintered wood and pitch must have caused even more pain to those bloody shoulders. But Christ carried it. His death was unjust. He did nothing to warrant it. Even Pilate said:

Matthew 27:24 … I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Here is the Lamb of God, carrying His own altar. Blood drips from His brow. Blood soaks His robe. Midway to the Hill of death Jesus falls and cannot continue. His body – though perfect – is nonetheless human. The Romans look in the jeering crowd and see one Simon a Cyrenian:

Luke 23:26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

Why did this happen? I believe it happened according to the will of God. He wanted to show us something. You see, Jesus told us:

Luke 9:23-25 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

You Cannot Be Compelled And Be Saved!

Simon was COMPELLED to carry Christ’s Cross and to follow Him as He walked to Calvary. Yet God compels no one to salvation. No one is forced to be saved – to take up His Cross and follow Him. This is a choice that we are given. Simon was compelled – and outside of the mention of Simon being made to carry Christ’s Cross, there is no more mention of this man in Scripture. You cannot be forced to follow Christ, to be crucified with Him. God calls you to the Cross. He promises you forgiveness from sin by that Old Rugged Cross. But you must decide.

If You Choose To Die With Christ You Will Live

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;

Jesus Christ died on that Cross for you so that you can live. The Bible says:

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

The Bible says that God is the Source of Life and Light. God is light, and in Him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). All life is in God. But our sins separated us from God. When Christ died on that Cross He died for us. If I am crucified with Christ then this effects me physically as well as spiritually. The crucified person has his hands nailed to the tree. His feet are nailed to the tree. The one crucified suffers – but I am crucified with Christ. Not by myself, but I die with Him. The old me is dead. The me that comes away from that Cross is now changed.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:

If I am saved then Christ liveth in me. I am not the same old me, but Jesus is in me, changing me slowly to be like Him. The Christian trusts in the death of Christ to save him. The Christian trusts in His life to live. Christ liveth in me. I am not as I was. Sin is not my master. Death is not my master. Satan is not my master. My Master is Jesus Christ – and He lives in me. The Christian is a different creature now. This is why the Scripture says:

Colossians 3:1-10 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The Christian who is indeed a Christian died the day that he received Christ as Lord and Savior. That old man is gone. Now we seek to live and love in Christ. Christ is in us. We are His hands and feet.

Galatians 2:20 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,

The life which I now live I live by faith.
Not by feelings, but faith.
I live looking unto Jesus, not unto anything else.

The Psalmist said:

Psalms 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

What gives us an overcoming faith is that we who are saved keep our eyes on Jesus. We do not worry about tomorrow – but we follow Him day by day.

Some people are chronic worriers and complainers. I was reading something about complaining – what the Bible calls murmuring – the other day. It was written by Dr. Travis Bradberry (who wrote Emotional Intelligence 2.0) – and is a counselor to many of the Fortune 500 companies. He wrote:

“Complaining is tempting because it feels good—like smoking or eating a pound of bacon—but complaining is not good for you. Repeated complaining rewires your brain to make future complaining more likely. Over time, you find it’s easier to be negative than to be positive, regardless of what’s happening around you. Complaining becomes your default behavior, which changes how people perceive you and damages other areas of your brain as well. Research from Stanford University has shown that complaining shrinks the hippocampus—an area of the brain that’s critical to problem solving and intelligent thought. Damage to the hippocampus is scary, especially when you consider it’s one of the primary brain areas destroyed by Alzheimer’s. When you complain, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol shifts you into fight-or-flight mode, directing oxygen, blood, and energy away from everything but the systems that are essential to immediate survival. All the extra cortisol released by frequent complaining impairs your immune system and makes you more susceptible to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It even makes the brain more vulnerable to strokes.”

The devil loves to get people’s eyes off of the Cross. He loves to remove the Cross from the public eye. He loves to make little of the Cross. But God wants us all to look to the Cross.
The Bible tells us to look to Jesus!

Hebrews 12:1-3 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. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Jesus died on that Cross with joy in His heart because He knew that – through that Cross – you would receive His life.

Galatians 2:20 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.

Jesus loved me, and gave himself for me not so I could waste my life, but so I could finally live my life in Him. He is in every believer. We are His hands and feet. We are a loved people – let us live as a loved people. Let us let Him live through us. The Apostle said:

Philippians 4:11-13 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Joseph Bentz wrote that in the Cross “We become one with Christ. For Christians, the response to Christ’s death on the Cross is not only gratitude. It is also participation. We let who we used to be die so that Christ may fill up the new life that replaces it.”

When you have Jesus, you have all that you need. Dwell on that Cross. Dwell on His dying for you. Dwell on the reality that you died with Him. Dwell on the certainty that He is in you, working through you. Your life has purpose. Let Jesus live through you. May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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My Little Children

Posted on September 19, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

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1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 2:1-4 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

In my morning devotional today I read a dialogue between an Atheist and Freddy Davis of MarketFaith Ministries. It was going as I expected. As he tried to share Christ with the Atheist that lost fellow couldn’t see it at all. Darkness cannot understand light. I knew that as the debate began, and expected nothing would come of it but wasted time.

The unbelievers – and especially the Atheists – do not believe in God. If you do not believe in God, then you do not believe that righteousness has a standard. This is not to say that Atheists and unbelievers are intrinsically immoral. There are many who follow a certain standard of morality. But they do not believe in sin.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Atheism and Evolutionary Theory does not believe in God, or in a Creator. If you do not believe in God, then you do not believe that God created things according to a standard. If you have little belief in God, or are a so called “Nominal” or carnal Christian, then you believe that sin is little or nothing at all. The secular mind does not believe in God, and therefore does not believe in what the Bible calls “sin”.

We Say That We Have No Sin

Secular thought and evolutionary theory tells us that man was not created, but evolved from lower life forms. According to secular thought man (and woman, of course) is no more than a higher evolved form of animal. If there is no Creator, then morality is whatever we as humans make it. There was a time when what the Bible defined as sexual sins – heterosexual or homosexual – were shunned in polite society. Today these concepts are no longer “sins”. Why? Because secular thought has rejected the concept of a Creator. We are not created, but evolved.

To the world there is no such thing as “sin”.
But even the world doesn’t believe this.

If evolutionary theory is true and “survival of the fittest” is true, then why was there a World War II? Why did we as a nation stand against Adolf Hitler? Why do we have laws that protect minors from sexual predators? If we are but animals – howbeit higher evolved animals – then why are there any laws whatsoever?

The truth is there is a Creator God, and there is such a thing called sin. The Apostle said:

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

To say that there is no such thing as “sin” then we deceive ourselves. I was watching a show on HULU the other day called “Designing Women”. In that show a young man asked the ladies to help arrange his funeral. As he was a young man they were all shocked. Why was he – just 21 or 22 years old – arranging his own funeral? Then came the bombshell. The young man had AIDS. He was a sexually active homosexual, and had contracted the disease. Throughout the rest of the show the cast berated drug manufacturers and researchers for not finding a cure for AIDS.

There is a cure for AIDS. The cure is in realizing that there is such a One as a Creator, and that this Creator has labeled certain acts or emotions as “sin”.

Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe God was punishing this fictitious young man for his acts in life. I don’t believe that AIDS or HIV or Syphilis or any one of the many terrible diseases that are in the world today are a punishment from God. And I do pray that medical science would find a cure for these terrible diseases. But as I say this (and I know there are many, many people who will vehemently disagree with me) let me direct you to what our Creator has said. He said:

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

I tried explaining this scripture to a Christian a few weeks ago, but even he wouldn’t hear me. The Bible says that Every sin that a man doeth is without the body. When you commit murder then that sin is against someone else. It is without or outside of your body. When you lie then that sin is against someone else. It is without or outside of your body. When you dishonor your parents, or refuse to honor God, or steal or covet what another has these are sins against other person, both divine and human. But when you commit sexual sin this type of sin hurts your body directly. This is why the Creator tells us not to do it. He made our bodies, and He knows what our bodies can take. Again, he that committeth fornication literally is sexually immoral sinneth against his own body.

When we say there is no such thing as sin because we do not truly believe in the Creator we do not hurt the Creator.
We hurt ourselves.

The very first truth presented in Scripture is not that God is Love but that God is Light. God knows what is best for us. There are things that God considers bad for us, so He defines these things as “sin”. He does not define something as “sin” because He wants to ruin our fun. He defines sin as sin and establishes morality because God knows what is best for the creatures He designed. When God told Adam:

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

Notice what the Tree that was forbidden was named. It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was a tree who’s fruit could help the eater determine what was right and what was wrong. God did not want Adam – nor us – making decisions based on our feelings or on what we think. God alone – the Creator of all – knows what is and is not sin. He is the Maker. He knows what is best.

I took my car down to get the oil changed in it the other day. Now the oil cap on my car specifies that all oil is to be 5w20 oil. The technician put 10w30 in the engine, and I made him drain it and put the right oil in. Now you might say, “Well, what difference does it make?” The truth is the manufacturer had a reason for this. I didn’t understand this until I had to replace a solenoid on my wife’s car engine. Why did I have to replace that solenoid? Because oil flows through it, and the wrong weight oil will cause it to malfunction.

The manufacturer makes the rules because the manufacturer made the vehicle.

God made us. He knows what we can and cannot stand. That which will damage us spiritually and physically He has named as “sin”. If we don’t listen to Him then we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

What Is Sin’s Solution?

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

Sin’s solution is to quit trying to be God and become one of His children. Our text addresses My little children. A little child does not understand what the parent understands. When I was growing up I used to ask my parents “Why?” every time I was given a standard to follow. I thought that I set the standards.

I remember one time when we were on vacation at the beach, Morehead City North Carolina. Mom and Dad had told us that we were never to go off with strangers. Both I and my brother Mark knew this rule. But when the elder man came up to us at the Arcade and offered to buy us ice cream, both I and my brother accompanied him back to his motel room. Luckily daddy found us both before anything happened. I don’t remember what happened after that, but I do remember being grounded for some time. I remember thinking how unjust momma and daddy were for restricting who we could be friends with. Today as an adult I thank God that I had a momma and daddy who cared enough to punish us.

My little children. The Bible tells us that:

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

God tells us that the solution for sin is first to come to Christ Jesus by faith. Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world. The word propitiation is the Greek ἱλασμός hilasmos which means “the covering for, atonement, or satisfactory payment for”. Jesus Christ made payment for our sins by His life and His death. The word is used again in:

1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Romans 3:25-26 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; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Jesus Christ came to this earth and walked among us as perfect Man. When the time was right God sent forth His Son to bear our sins for us on that Cross of Calvary. The Bible tells us:

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

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

He gave Himself for us so that we could by faith enter into the Family of God. He died for us that He might bring us to God. He died for us so that we should live unto righteousness.

Christ did not die just to bring us to Heaven.
He died to bring Heaven to us.
He died and rose again so that we would act right.
That’s what righteousness is.
Acting right.
Thinking right.
Doing what God our Creator tells us to do.

Sin’s solution is Christ. If you belong to God by faith in Christ then God does not want you to sin. Sin is destructive. But always remember that:

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

God the Father has given us an advocate in Christ. When you receive Him as Lord and Savior the advocate Jesus represents you before the Father. You are part of the family of God because of Him.

Give The Fruit Back To God

1 John 2:3-4 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Very very often in this life things just don’t make sense. Things happen that I don’t understand. I don’t understand why a man like Adolph Hitler can control a whole nation, and nearly destroy the world. I don’t understand how an abortionist can not only kill but sell baby parts, and be fully supported by the Law of this land. I don’t understand why people hurt one another the way they do. I don’t understand why children are born with Downs Syndrome. I don’t understand why good people get bad diseases. I don’t understand.

But when I go to God and ask Him “Why?” He tells me:

David, give the fruit back to Me.

We were never supposed to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Only God knows best. Give the fruit back to God. Be a little Child. Let God set the standard.

As Christians we are told simply to receive Christ by faith. Then we are to imitate Christ, and obey God’s Commandments. The Bible doesn’t ask us to understand why. The Bible just tells us “do it”. Do what God said. Obey Jesus. Avoid sin. If you do sin – and you will eventually and inevitably – admit the sin and trust the Lord to forgive it.

1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

If you are saved you do as He says. Period. And if you sin confess that sin, for He is faithful and just to forgive us all sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I am thankful for that.

This little child is thankful for our Father.

Are you?

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But God …

Posted on September 16, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

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Ephesians 2:1-5 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

We are continuing our study through the Book of Ephesians. Last week we saw that the Lord wrote to those who were “saints”, and learned that every Christian is a “saint”. The word “saint” actually means “to be set apart for God’s use”. We saw how every saint is called to be faithful to God, and how every saint has a purpose of serving God on this earth. Every saint also has an ultimate destiny – that is – to be with God in Heaven.

How does one become a “saint”?
God must make you a saint.
God must make you one of His children.

God does this when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are … rescued or delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into Christ’s Kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13 – myEphesians 2:8-10 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. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. paraphrase)

So now we come to an obvious question. IF we who are saved by faith in Christ are members of God’s Family, walking in light and love – are we better than the world around us? There are many in Christianity who believe they are better than the person bound in sexual sin (heterosexual or homosexual), that they are better than the murderer or thief, that they are better than the homeless or the alcoholic or drug addict. Are we “better”? Let me put it this way.

We are better off.

We are not inherently better than anyone else on the face of this earth. But we are better off because God has begun a change in us. We are not as we were when we were lost. We are now in a different position in God’s eyes. And we – upon our demise from this earth – will go to a better place. Beloved, everything we have, we who are Christians, have this because of the Grace and Mercy of God. We are never to be lifted up with pride, or to be self righteous. All that we have, and all that we are and hope to be, we have because God has worked, will work, and will keep on working in us.

The Christian Is Not As He Was

Ephesians 2:1-2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

The words “hath He quickened” is not in the original text of the Scripture. The King James translators wrote this addition in italics to show us that they added the text. These three words are not needed here. As the Lord begins chapter two His intent is to show both the Ephesians as well as the Church Universal that:

(1) Every believer was absolutely unable to save themselves.
(2) Every believer was at heart a sinner.
(3) Every believer once followed after the devil.

Where do we see this? Look at the very first line:

Ephesians 2:1 And you … who were dead

God says that everyone starts out at the same point in His eyes. What point is that? You were dead – nekros – dead in the eyes of God. Oh, we were animate. We moved about. We did things. But we were dead. We proved our deadness by what we did.

Ephesians 2:1 And you … , who were dead in trespasses and sins

We rejected the God that made us. King David – a man of whom God said “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22), David said:

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

I was visiting a Church family the other day with my wife Sherry – enjoying the company of a little baby and its mother. The mother said to the child, “Come over here and see Brother David – they have come to see you”. The baby said “no”. Oh, it was so cute. I started playing with that precious child, asking it different questions. Each time the baby replied “no”. We all laughed at that, but it proves a point. Children do not come forth into this world with a mind to follow authority. We all come into this world saying “no” to parents, “no” to uncles and aunts, “no” to God. When our first parent Adam fell the Bible tells us that his sin causes repercussions throughout human history.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

We are born into this world physically alive but spiritually dead. We are born separated from God in our hearts. What did Jesus say of the human heart?

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Mark 7:21-22 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

There was a nature within us that we were born with – an old sin nature – that followed after the evil one. We read:

Ephesians 2:2 … in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Every Christian at one time followed the ways of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air. Pastor John MacArthur put it this way:

“Satan is the archon, the prince and ruler over this world system. Not all unsaved people are necessarily indwelt at all times by Satan or are demon–possessed. But knowingly or unknowingly they are subject to Satan’s influence. Because they share his nature of sinfulness and exist in the same sphere of rebellion against God, they respond naturally to his leading and to the influence of his demons. They are on the same spiritual wavelength.”

We were children of disobedience. To what God said “Yes” we said “No”. To what God said “No” we said “Yes”. The Lord tells us:

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our {way of life} in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

We were by nature not the Children of God, but the children of wrath. We were no different than the rest of the lost world. We were separated from God because of our nature, our sinful nature. If we had died in that state we would not be heading Heavenward. No, not at all. We – just as Israel did after God’s miraculous provision – followed after and manufactured our own golden calves. When we see the sinner on the street or on the television or in the movies exalting in that which God has forbidden we should not feel superiority.

The UNSAVED Pharisee said:

Luke 18:11-12 … God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

This fellow may not have been an extortioners, unjust, or even an adulterer or a publican. He may have tithed. But he was dead in trespasses and in sin, separated from the life of God for he knew not Christ. Beloved, we all were dead in trespasses and in sins in God’s eyes. We were in an unsaved state. Had we died in our sins we would stand before an Angry and Wrath filled God. We would have hidden ourselves from Him, saying …

Revelation 6:16-17 … to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The Christian Is In A New Place With God

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

We were by nature the children of wrath. We were dead in trespasses and in sins. But Beloved of Christ, we are not in that state now. Look at the first two words of this text:

But God

I love the “But God” passages of Scripture. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

We were far from God. He is alive forevermore and we were spiritually dead.

Romans 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

But God raised us up. He did not raise us up because we were better than others. No Beloved, the Bible says of the Christian:

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Our God is rich in mercy, and His love is like the ocean. It cannot be measured. His love for all cannot be measured. Though we rejected Him He persisted in calling us. Though we cursed Him by our actions and words our God pursued us. He reached out time and time again, tugging at our hearts. We are told:

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

When we were unable, God came to our rescue. Jesus said:

John 5:24-25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

We who are Christians are Christians not because we are better than any other, but because we responded to Christ’s call to salvation. Hear that blessed song:

I was sinking deep in sin,

Far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within,

Sinking to rise no more;

But the Master of the sea

Heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me,

Now safe am I.

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me.

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me.

It is by Grace – the free gift of Christ – that we are saved. We were sinking in the sea of sin with all of the world. But – praise His Name – we are

quickened … together with Christ

God gave us life through His Son. We are no longer dead and mastered by sin and satan. No Beloved, No! We believed in the Light that is Christ, and are now no more children of wrath but are CHILDREN OF LIGHT (John 12:36). Our walk is to be different. What does the Scripture say?

Ephesians 5:1-8 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whore monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

God Who is rich in mercy has quickened us – making us alive to righteousness. We are no longer to follow the prince of the power of the air. We are no longer to follow the ways of this world. But Beloved, we are to follow Jesus in love and light. What did Jesus say?

John 8:12 I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

We who are quickened or made alive by Jesus are in a different position. What does the Scripture say?

Ephesians 2:6-7 {God} hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

God made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. As we learn of Christ and heed His Word God changes us. Finally,

The Christian Is A Work In Progress

Ephesians 2:8-10 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. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

You are not a Christian because of what you did. You are a Christian because of what God did for you. Your salvation is entirely a work of God. But Beloved, though you are not what you were, you are also not what you will someday be. You are a work in progress. God created you with a purpose.

God is not China.

God does not make cheap stuff to quickly sell.

You can hardly buy anything today that doesn’t say “Made in China”.

Beloved, you are not “made in China”.

You are not a trinket.

You are made of God to be used of God.

You are a precious and valuable vessel.
God will continue making you a masterpiece.
Until the day you see the Potter face to face,

In yonder glory!

Souls in danger, look above,

Jesus completely saves;

He will lift you by His love

Out of the angry waves.

He’s the Master of the sea,

Billows His will obey;

He your Savior wants to be—

Be saved today.

Dear Christian, you are not what you WERE. You are changed into what you are NOW. But one day because of God’s great love you will not be what you are right now. You will be like Jesus. You will be sinless. You will be in glory. You will forever be a testament to God’s magnificent love. Bless the name of the Lord forever! Amen!

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A Sermon For Suicide Prevention Sunday

Posted on September 15, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by Claudia on Unsplash

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Recently Jarrid Wilson, the Associate Pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California took his own life. He was 30 years old. Ironically he and his wife founded an outreach called Anthem of Hope to help people dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts. On the day of his death Jarrid officiated the funeral of a Christian woman who had committed suicide, and wrote:

“Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety. But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort.”

I am seeing a rash of obituaries of younger people that are taking their own lives. Too often I see in the obituary the phrase “died unexpectedly at home”, which I suspect speaks to suicide. In my 25 years of ministry I have had to bury several who committed suicide. In the worst case I remember the mother during visitation screaming over and over again, “My child has gone to hell. Joe is in hell”. It’s true that she said this, but it’s absolutely not true that her child is in hell.

Contrary to unBiblical religious belief suicide does not earn a direct ride to hell. This is not to say that suicide is not a sin. God came to bring us life, not death. God does not want you to waste your life. Jesus came to give LIFE, abundant LIFE, eternal LIFE. God wants us to walk with Christ enjoying LIFE, not death.

What IS And Is NOT Suicide

Suicide is not just the laying down or taking of your own life. It is the laying down of your life for yourself.

Thoughts and regrets of bad decisions that you have made – with their consequences – can lead to suicide. The Bible tells us of Judas Iscariot who, upon realizing the depth of his betrayal of Christ, the Bible says:

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

Overwhelmed with guilt with what he had done Judas committed suicide. His act was an act of punishing himself for what seemed to be an overwhelming crime. What pushed him over the edge was the equally guilty religious leaders who plotted and planned Christ’s execution. When these religious figures refused to take back the 30 pieces of silver – shrugging their shoulders at the sin – Judas saw only one way out. In desperation he punished himself by hanging.

There are other similar instances found in the Scripture. The first King of Israel – King Saul – was mortally wounded in battle. The Bible says:

1 Samuel 31:3-5 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. 4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

King Saul killed himself to avoid capture and torture, and his armor bearer did the same. And then there is the case of Ahithophel who plotted against King David. The Bible says that when his plot was discovered that Ahithophel …

2 Samuel 17:23 …. {went} home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.

Ahithophel didn’t want to face the consequences of what he had done. To flee prosecution and perhaps imprisonment he hung himself. In the case of Abimelech we read:

Judges 9:53-54 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

He chose to end his life rather than let it be known that a woman killed him. That’s what the Bible says – take it up with God if this offends you! (said with a smile). In every case of suicide mentioned the people who committed the act felt that they had no other choice. They wanted to avoid life and its consequences – and took what they thought was the best way out.

Though the Prophet Job did not commit suicide in his misery and suffering he cried out to God, saying:

Job 6:8-9 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

Trials and darkness can effect the best of us. Job was righteous but nevertheless prayed that God would take his life. The Prophet Jeremiah cried out in depression, saying:

Jeremiah 20:14-18 Cursed [be] the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. 15 Cursed [be] the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. 16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; 17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb [to be] always great [with me]. 18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah was overwhelmed with feelings of despair and hopelessness. He thought that his life was a total waste – that it would have been better that he had never been born. His ministry was unsuccessful, he felt, and his life’s work was a failure. Even the Apostle Paul said:

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Paul said “we despaired of life”. Life itself had become tedious, unsatisfying, heartbreaking. And who can forget that great man Moses who, on being overwhelmed by the selfishness of the Israelites, cried out to God:

Numbers 11:14-15 … I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Depression and suicidal thoughts can come to the best of believers. No one is immune to it. No one is above it.

The Author Of Depression And Hopelessness Is The Devil

What did Jesus say?

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy ….

The thief comes to us all. The devil attacked Jesus Christ in the wilderness. The devil attacks us all. He comes in whispering things that are not true. He comes in and tells you you are worthless – you are unable – there is no help for you so you are better of dead. This is what the thief does.

Pastor Greg Laurie said:

“The thief mentioned here speaks of the enemy of our soul, Satan. He comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But Christ has come that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly. And there we have a choice. … Campus Crusade for Christ’s tract, The Four Spiritual Laws, opens with the statement, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” And that is true. On the other hand, Satan hates you and has a horrible plan for your life. Now, he doesn’t really broadcast this, because he doesn’t want you to know. But what he ultimately wants to do is steal, kill, and destroy.”

I like that statement. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. And that is true. On the other hand, Satan hates you and has a horrible plan for your life.” The thief, that old devil, he comes whispering when bad times inevitably come. He tells us that God doesn’t love us. He tells us our lives do not matter to God. He tells us that we cannot make a difference, and tells us that it would have been better that we were never born. He is a liar. As Jesus said, “The devil is a liar and the father of the lie” (John 8:44).

God made you on purpose. Your life is not a waste. You matter, because God doesn’t make junk! The thief comes and tells you lies. What does he want to do?

to steal, and to kill, and to destroy

The devil wants to steal your joy. He wants to take your life. He wants to destroy the lives of those around you, to leave sobbing children and grieving spouses. The thief exaggerates hopelessness and minimizes hope.

The devil wants you to kill yourself, to lay your life down for yourself, and not lay it down for others. You see, to lay your life down for others is not a sin, but an act of great sacrifice.

Todd Beamer was onboard United Airlines Flight 93 when it was hijacked by terrorists September 11, 2001. Beamer recited the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm with those on board, and then led the passengers to try and take the aircraft back. The last words recorded that he said were “Are you ready? Okay. Let’s roll.” His actions led to his death, but the plane was heroically crashed into an empty field rather than the White House, it’s intended destination.

At the end of his life a repentant Samson asked God to give him strength to (Judges 16:23-31) destroy the Philistines.

Judges 16:28 … Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines …

Samson died defeating the enemies of God. He laid down his life for another. Jesus calls us to lay down our lives for others. He said:

John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

There is a nobility in laying down your life for another. The thief wants you to lay down your life for yourself. But Jesus wants us to lay down our lives for others. This is what Jesus did for us. He said:

John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

God wants us to love life, to love the lives we have. He gave His life on Calvary for us because He loves us. God does not want us laying down our lives for ourselves. Does His Word not say:

You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13)

God wants us all to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). If you are a believer in Christ then …

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Lay your lives down in loving others.
Lay your lives down in loving God.
Lay your lives down in doing good.

When the thief comes remember that he is not God. He is a fallen angel and a bad leader. He wants to rob you – but God wants to bless you.

What If I Have Suicidal Thoughts?

If you have suicidal thoughts you need to share them with loved ones, with professional counselors, and with your Church leaders. Listen to me, dear Church. I have buried too many people of whom after they committed suicide someone came to me and said:

“They threatened to do it – but I didn’t think they were serious.”

When the thoughts come it is a great thing to share them with the Lord. But you also need to share your hurt and depression with others. There are no easy answers to the suicide epidemic, but I guarantee you one thing:

You can’t fix it by yourself!

Often when suicidal thoughts come, we condemn ourselves. A good example of this was in the life of a great man of God named Elijah. Elijah was such a powerful Prophet that the orthodox Israelites today still set a place at the table for him during Yom Kippur or the Passover. God raised up Elijah and blessed him during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. At one point of his ministry Elijah stood alone against the false prophets that Jezebel sponsored, and, calling fire down from Heaven defeated them all (1 Kings 18). When Jezebel threatened his life Elijah ran away. But after he traveled a day into the wilderness depression struck him. The Bible says …

1 Kings 19:4 … {Elijah} requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

We are all human, and are all liable to failure. When the thief comes go to a friend. Call me. I’ll say it again, CALL ME! I like what Evangelist Billy Graham said:

“Whenever someone writes to say they’re thinking about taking their own life, I wish I could sit down with them and do everything I possibly could to encourage them and persuade them not to take that final, drastic step. No matter how hard life has gotten, I know that with God there is hope.”

God does not expect you to be superhuman. God calls us to His side to be loved, and to love Him. Billy said:

“Suicide is extremely serious and tragic in God’s eyes, and if someone who is reading this is contemplating suicide, I beg of you to reconsider and seek help for whatever your problem may be. God loves you—whether you believe it or not—and He does not want you to end your life. Satan does, however—and you must not listen to him.”

Let us not listen to the thief, but to Jesus Christ. He loves you so very much. He laid down His life for you so that you would not feel your life is worthless. Put your faith and hope in Jesus and in His love for you. Say NO to the thief, and yes to Him. Seek professional help. Contact a friend. If that friend does not take you seriously, contact another. Contact me. I will help. But do not take that tragic step of ending your life.

God loved you all so much that He gave His only Begotten Son for you. That doesn’t make your life worthless. Your life is precious. Remember that, regardless as to what you are feeling now, feelings and situations change (James 4:14). Go to the Lord with your feelings in prayer. Ask Him for peace. And remember – depression may be a result of a medical need. Reject the thief. Tell others.

And know you are loved!

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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Preach Don’t Overreach — Biblical Preaching

Posted on September 12, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

It is so easy to overreach when preaching. In fact, I wonder how many thousands of sermons are preached every week that are barely even Christian? We should point people, via the Word of God, toward God/Christ. We should clarify not only what the text is saying historically, but also what it means for us […]

via Preach Don’t Overreach — Biblical Preaching

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Exhort One Another Daily: A Message For Business Meeting Night

Posted on September 12, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

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Hebrews 3:13 … But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

I was listening to a broadcast from John Piper, the Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church. It was a Monday morning. Mondays are usually down days for pastors. We all look back at our Sunday and count the numbers that came. We ask ourselves “What should I have said”? We worry about those who missed the services. Some of us – I do this every week – send bulletins or call missing members. What particularly made me hurt on Mondays was going to my office and having people come in to visit me asking:

“I wonder where so and so was?”

Piper was talking about the missing from the flock when he brought this scripture verse up. It touched a nerve. But it also blessed me. Hebrews chapter 3 addresses the subject of Christian faithfulness. Christians are called to be faithful. To fail to be faithful to God is to invite disaster.

Now let me quickly say that I believe in the eternal security of the Saints. I hate the phrase “Once Saved, Always Saved”. I think this phrase is flippant. Instead I prefer to believe in the Sovereignty of God over the will of man. My God is sovereign. My God is …

Ephesians 3:20-21 … able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I believe that what God has saved, God can keep. But hear what I say. This does not mean that we who are saved are on autopilot as we fly our way towards Heaven.

We Are Accountable – God Holds Us Accountable

God rewards those who are accountable and act accountable. God punishes those who fail to be accountable. You are accountable to God in how you live for Him. You are accountable to God for what you do with the salvation you have been given. You are. And you are accountable to encourage and, if necessary, to rebuke your fellow believers as you together follow the Lord.

We are in this thing together.

As we come into Hebrews 3 we read:

Hebrews 3:1-2 … Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

What does that verse say? First it addresses the audience by calling them holy brethren. If you are saved by faith in Christ you are holy brethren. You are holy, hagios, made separate from the world and adopted into the family of God by faith in Christ. You are brethren – brothers and sisters together – because of the Blood of Christ. As holy brethren we are to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. He is the One we set our clocks by. He is the pattern that we follow. Christ Jesus, the only Begotten Son of God (John 3:16) and the first born from the dead (Colossians 1:18). He is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession. We do not have a pope. We have a Savior and a Lord. What did Christ Jesus do?

{Jesus} was faithful to Him {the Father} that appointed Him,
as also Moses was faithful in all his house

Jesus was faithful. Jesus didn’t have to be pursued to do the things that God the Father called Him to do. At the age of twelve Jesus was “about His Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). What does it mean to be faithful? It means to DO what God says WHEN God says it. Jesus was faithful. Moses was faithful. Moses was faithful in leading Israel, and Christ is faithful in leading the Church. Our text goes on and says:

Hebrews 3:3-4 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

The word MAN is italicized in the King James to show us that this word is not actually in the original text. Jesus was a man – a perfect Man – both God and Man in human form. He was not “man” as you and I are “man” or “woman”. He was virgin born.

Jesus Christ is GOD the Son!

And yet, Jesus was faithful to do all that the Father and the Spirit set before Him to do. Moses was faithful, too, but Jesus was more faithful. Moses built the House of Israel. Jesus Christ built the House of God. Moses presided over a people governed by Law written on stones. Jesus presides over a people governed by law written in our hearts. God ordained both Moses and Jesus to built two houses – two kingdoms – two governments. Both are built of and protected by God. Both will endure because God wills it. The Church will endure, and Israel will endure. Both heads of these two great Houses were faithful, but Jesus was MORE faithful.

As Moses was faithful, as Jesus is faithful – we who believe are called to be faithful.

Hebrews 3:5-6 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

What is the difference between Jesus and Moses, and between Israel and the Church? They are two separate houses or governments overseen and ordained by God. Moses was a servant of God, but not a son of God. Why? Because Christ had not yet come to die for our sins. Moses would be saved after Christ went to the Cross. How do I know this? Because Jesus revealed Himself to the Old Testament faithful. He told the Pharisees:

John 8:56-58 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Abraham would enter into glory, and become a son of God after Christ rose from the grave. Until then he was a servant. But Abraham saw Jesus’ day – rejoiced in it – and I know that Moses would have known about the lord as well.  It is Jesus Who saves us, and tells us:

John 15:14-17 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Jesus calls us “friends”. And what does the Father call us? The Apostle said:

Galatians 4:4-7 … But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Moses and all Israel were servants of God. The Law of God can only make servants. But we of the House of God, the Church of Christ are no more servants but sons; and if sons, then heirs of God through Christ.

God is our Father, Christ our High Priest and elder Brother, the Holy Spirit our Enabler, with
Heaven and glory our destiny.

Hebrews 3:7-12 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I swear in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

God calls His people – Israel or the Church – to be faithful. The Bible says Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith. God applied a standard to Israel, and He will apply the same standard to His Church. God saved all of Israel. God saves all of His Church. God has a plan for His Israel. God has a plan for His Church. What happened with Israel? They Hardened their hearts toward God. They thought that because God saved them that He would bless them.

Beloved, salvation is entirely of Grace, but blessing is entirely of faithfulness.

I love you enough to tell you this. We are to – going back to our focal text:

Hebrews 3:13 … But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

We are to exhort one another daily. The word translated exhort is the Greek compound παρακαλέω parakaléō, (pronounced par-ak-al-eh’-o) which literally means “to call alongside or near to yourself so that you can encourage, pray for, or invite another”. Those of you who are faithful are called by God to parakaléō those who profess Christ that they be faithful. You are called to remind them that what God did to Israel, He can and will do to us. As Christ is faithful, we are to be faithful.

“But” you say, “if I’m faithful, what business is it of mine that my fellow Christian be faithful? As long as I’m serving God as a son of God what does it matter to me?” That’s a good question. Why don’t we ask MOSES why we need to encourage one another to faithfulness? Why don’t we ask Joshua and Caleb why we need to encourage one another to faithfulness? If you’ll remember your Bible stories, Moses, Joshua and Caleb was forced to wander aimlessly in the wilderness for forty years until that first generation of Israel died off. God the Father said:

I swear in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest

I remember as a young boy wanting to go to the movies one Saturday and Mama saying “You can go if you and your brother clean up your room”. I cleaned up my side of the room while my brother did little to nothing. Inside myself I was grinning. I had done my part, and I would get to go to the movies by myself, without having to look after my little brother. What happened? I called mama and when she came in I said, “I cleaned my side of the room. Can I go now?” Mama looked at me and my brother and said, “Neither one of you are going. You were both supposed to clean the room. You’re the elder brother. You should have encouraged him to do what I asked”. Though we went on and cleaned the room later there were no movies for either of us that Saturday. I didn’t understand it when I was younger. I thought it was terribly unfair. But as I’m older now I understand completely. As Evangelist Bob Pitman told us recently, “God is always RIGHT but He isn’t always FAIR.” Those of us who are older in the faith and supposedly more mature need to encourage the younger believers to be faithful. We are to:

exhort one another daily, while it is called To day

We should talk to our friends and family who are faithless. If we are wondering where a believer has gotten off to, then we should call them alongside of us and encourage them to faithfulness.

Believe it or not, we are all in this TOGETHER. Let’s work TOGETHER for the glory of God our Father. Let us do it because this is the only way we will ever inherit the blessings God wants us to have.

Let us not anger our Father. That never works out right.

May God grow His Church through this His message. For Christ’s glory. Amen!

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God Impresses Us

Posted on September 9, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

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Ephesians 1:15-23 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Live Your Faith Out Loud

The world knows what the growing and active Church is doing. In the first part of this letter the Apostle remarks:

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith …

The Apostle said he had heard of the faith of the Church. The Apostle is in prison and unable to get to Ephesus. There are no telephones, telegraphs, nor mail service. And yet from Rome he has heard of the faith of the Church at Ephesus. It is having an impact on the world around it.

When a Church is doing as the Lord wants it to do,
then others will hear of it.

When a Church is doing as the devil wants it to do,
then others will hear of it.

When a Church is doing nothing then no one will hear of it.

Jesus Christ called for His Church to serve Him so as to make a difference in the world. The devil does not care about the obscure Church, and he rejoices in the sinning Church. But the devil is threatened by the active doing Church. Jesus calls us to be active and doing. He said:

Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the housEphesians 1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.e. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The Church which walks in the light of Christ will reflect His light on the community around it. People need to see our good works. They need to see good things done. Just as they saw Jesus, they need to see us in action. When a Church is doing as Christ commands people will see its light, and will talk about it. Paul said “I heard of your faith”. A faith unheard is a faith not lived. Our Lord Jesus said:

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

Wars have been fought over salt, even during the American Civil War. The salt mines in the small town of Saltville, Virginia were crucial to the Confederate war effort. In Roman times soldiers were paid with salt. Salt is most noticed when it is absent. It adds flavor to food. It preserves food. The Church is Christ’s salt andEphesians 1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Christ’s light. We shine so others can see Jesus. We change the world around us by being like Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus …

Faith is obedience to God. The Apostle said that “I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus”. The Bible tells us that genuine salvation comes when a person unconditionally surrenders to Jesus. Too many people miss this distinctive of salvation. The Scripture says:

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The Christian is the person who has believed in the name of Jesus. The phrase “in the name” means to accept or surrender to the authority of. In America police used to say:

“Stop IN THE NAME OF the Law”

One of the most horrible teachings that has ever hit the Church of Christ in America is the teaching that – once saved – we as Christians need not obey Christ. The Scripture never divorces salvation by Grace from obedience after Grace. Jesus said:

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And asked: Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

The man who served as Billy Graham’s pastor, Don Wilton states:

Ephesians 1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.“The issue of the lordship of Christ is never presented as an optional addendum to believing faith. It is an essential and functional necessity of it. Billy Graham believed in salvation by faith in Christ alone and walked in obedience to the lordship of Christ simply because Christ alone is Lord and King. Mr. Graham’s deep humility before man was the hallmark of his spiritual humility and obedience to God. As a result, he was endowed with an abundance of the grace of God (see James 4:6). … In short, if we believe in Him, then we obey Him. He alone is God.”

Jesus warned us that “without Me you can do NOTHING” (John 15:5). The faith that saves is the faith invested in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church at Ephesus loved Jesus so it served Jesus. It was salt and light – and the world saw it and spoke of it.

Saving Faith Is Proved By Love

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

The Church at Ephesus had a loud faith,
And also had a loud love!

As we have been loved, so we are to love. Jesus tells His Church:

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

The love that Jesus showed to us was sacrificial, a love we never deserved nor earned. As He loved us, we are to love others. Jesus even said that our love should extend to our enemies:

Luke 6:27 … I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Matthew 5:44-45 … I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The reason that the Ephesians were being talked about was that they loved everyone just as Jesus had loved them. This is a radical thing – something little understood in this fallen world. We are to love others whether we are loved back or not. We are to do good to all whether we feel like it or not. Feelings does not come into it. We love as He loved. This, Beloved, is His command. Love cannot be overemphasized in the Christian walk. The Apostle John said:

1 John 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

If you are born again then you have eternal life abiding in you. The Holy Spirit lives inside the Christian. God is love, not hate (1 John 4:8, 16). God is love demonstrating. God is love doing. God shows us love by giving us life. God shows us love by sending His Son to die for us (John 3:16). God shows us love by paying the penalty for our sins. God shows us love by predestinating us to be His own dear children. God shows us love by preparing a place for us in Heaven. God shows us love by forgiving our sins for Christ’s sake.

Love gives.
If Love indwells us,
Then we give.
Period!

Now we come to a difficult part of the letter – it’s difficult because it’s so easy to read. The Apostle has been commending the Church. Everything is positive. Everything is blessed. He has been – through the Spirit – been patting the Church on the back.

Have you ever noticed in every sermon the preacher never says “You did fine this week. Let’s just go home!” There is no sermon like that – ever! Nothing Billy Graham ever preached went that way – and I loved Billy’s preaching. Why? Why are there no sermons that say:

You’ve done fine. Let’s go home. End of sermon!

Because we are all human – we are all imperfect – and we are all to be like Jesus. So we study Jesus. That’s what the Apostle is saying now to Ephesus. Read it with me.

Ephesians 1:16-18 … {I} Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

I was listening to comedian Mark Lowry the other day (he really makes me laugh) when he said something very profound. He said:

“I look at everything as if it’s a journey. … I want to enjoy the moment. … We’re supposed to be salt and light and live and kick up our heels and enjoy the moment of everyday if we can, and the {days} that are horrible pay attention {to them} because God’s teaching us stuff. This is boot camp. This is where we get to learn to walk by faith.”

That really struck a chord with me. As a retired Airman I went through “boot camp”. Boot camp was where we as airmen, soldiers, sailors, marines, guardsmen were trained. Sadly too many in America today have not enjoyed Boot camp, and so take our liberties and freedoms in America for granted. There are many so called politicians that are advocating socialism and communism who never saw the horrible effects that these pitiful systems bring into life. That’s another message.

This is boot camp for the Christian.
God saved you and left you on this earth to GROW.
Not to mold, to decay, or to become one with darkness.
To GROW.

This is why the Apostle the Apostle PRAYED for this wonderful congregation that God would “give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him“. Everything that happens to the Christian happens on purpose to make us MORE LIKE JESUS. Thomas Constable put it this way:

“Paul wanted his readers to get to know God more intimately as their own personal heavenly Father, to become closer friends with Him.”

The gold standard is to be like Jesus. The gold standard is to be a son of God like Jesus was the Son of God. The gold standard – the target we shoot for – is to be friends with God. Abraham – our forefather in the faith – understood this. The Apostle says:

James 2:21-23 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Abraham had no Bible – but he had God. He trusted God, and did as God told him to do. He even was willing to give up his most prized possession, his only child Isaac, if God so decreed it. This is the faith that God wants us to have. The faith that Abraham exhibited is the faith that Christ exhibited. Doing what God said, when God said it.

Never Stop Growing!

The Apostle prayed that God would open the eyes of the Ephesians – and our eyes – and help us to understand how blessed we truly are. We have a calling – a hope filled calling – and will one day be resurrected and glorified creatures. When we reach Heaven we ourselves will be God’s inheritance – His trophies of Grace. The Christian is not what he was before he was saved. The Christian is a child of God in transition to glory. We are saints of God – set apart for God’s use. We belong to the eternal.

Ephesians 1:19-20 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

The Apostle does not pray that the Ephesians receive something they DO NOT have. He prays that they will understand what they ALREADY have.
To be saved by faith in Christ takes
but a few seconds.
To live as God requires takes a lifetime.

II remember a story I heard about William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate. With the millions he made selling newspapers he invested in real estate and artwork. One day Hearst heard of a valuable piece of art, and decided that he just had to have it. He sent a man out to search for that artwork and purchase it at any cost. After months of research the man came back to Mr Hearst and told him he found the valuable item. It was already in one of Hearst’s vaults, purchased years before and forgotten. William Randolph Hearst was trying to buy something he already owned!

That may sound silly, but the truth is most Christians do not understand the glorious salvation that God the Father has invested in us. Paul wanted the Ephesians – as well as us – to understand what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe. The Christian in America is like a 3 year old playing with a priceless diamond! What has God given us in Christ?

We are forgiven all sins.
We are predestined to be adopted as sons of God.
We are now in the Family of God.
We are born again, new creations.
God considers us His righteous possession.
We no longer belong to satan.
We are each priests before God,
With a moment by moment access to God.
We are promised a Heavenly home,
And are even now under the superior care of God.
Christ is our Partner in life,
And God oversees every work we do.
Our lives shall never end, but God indwells us,
Both now, and forever more!

We are born again creatures – dear believers – who are headed toward eternal life. We are the apex of God’s creation. Adam was the greatest creature God made, placed in dominion over this earth and all that is in it.

Ephesians 1:20-23 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

We are His Church. Jesus Christ is our Head. And we are headed toward glory. Let us continue to seek to be like Him – not to be saved, but because we are saved. Let us be like the Ephesians were – for the glory of Christ our King!

In His name I pray.

Amen!

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