Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 35 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and five amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has written several books, including two that are available on Amazon - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles.

Are We on the Verge of the Apocalypse?

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Are we on the verge of the Apocalypse? No one knows for sure. In Greek, apokalupsis simply means a revealing; hence, the last book of the Bible, which reveals Jesus’ glory and authority, is called Revelation (apokalupsis). In fact, Jesus is the focus of the entire Bible, the goal of history, and the absolute Lord of all creation. All of history is being channeled into the time when the Lord will be revealed to all creation.

The Apocalypse will be the final unveiling of Jesus’ identity to the world for all to see.

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 (NLT)

His Second Coming will take place at the conclusion of history, at which time the final judgment of everyone who ever lived will take place, followed by the recreation of heaven and earth, which will inaugurate the final state of things.

But God has been revealing his glorious Son for a long time now. 

Just after the first man and woman fell for the devil’s lie and betrayed their Creator, God told the serpent, the one who led them astray, that one day in the future a descendant of Eve would crush his head.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

We now know that this mysterious person is none other than our Lord Jesus, who defeated Satan at the cross and when he rose again. Jesus’ mission was to restore the human race and all creation to God.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20–21 (NASB95)

Much later God promised the then childless Abraham that through his descendants the entire earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3) Paul, who encountered the risen Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, understood that this promise came to pass through one particular descendant by the name of Jesus.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NASB)

Much later, God revealed something further about his coming One. Not only would he descend from Abraham, more specifically he would be the “seed” of King David and inherit his throne – forever. In other words, he would not only be a blessing: he also would rule over God’s eternal kingdom. (2 Samuel 7:12-13) This was a second major unveiling of God’s plan for the coming Messiah King.

There were others who “saw” by revelation this coming One. King David wrote Psalms about him, Psalm 22 being a prophetic preview of his crucifixion. Job saw by faith his future appearance on the earth to raise the dead. (Job 19:25-27) Isaiah saw his glory (Isaiah 6:1) and predicted his suffering and death (Isaiah 53). Jeremiah revealed that Jesus would be God’s means of bringing righteousness through a new covenant. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) Zechariah saw his glorious appearing to the Jews who would believe in him at the very end. (Zechariah 12:10) All of these people saw something glorious without ever completely knowing what it all meant. That would only be unveiled much later.

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11  They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. 12  They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Peter 1:10-12 (NLT)

Let’s skip forward in time to a huge turning point in human history when the angel Gabriel appeared to an unassuming young unmarried woman in Israel with this unprecedented message.

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32  "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:31-33 (NASB)

God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah King.

Jesus’ conception and birth initiated a series of remarkable unveilings of his identity.

Contrary to all expectations, God became a human being, a baby born to relatively poor parents with no apparent prestige or standing in the world. He came inauspiciously, hidden from the view of everyone except those whose spiritual eyes were opened by the Spirit of God: Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi, as well as Anna and Simeon, who were in the Temple when Jesus was circumcised eight days after his birth. When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, he prophesied:

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30  I have seen your salvation, 31  which you have prepared for all people. 32  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33  Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34  Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Luke 2:29-35 (NLT)

Imagine being able to see past the Messiah’s humble condition as a little baby into his glorious future role!

The ability to see what is true about Jesus, which is hidden to most people, is called revelation, which comes via the Holy Spirit. Only those who had eyes to see and ears to hear the Spirit were able to discern his true identity. The same is true today.

The next key person to whom God revealed the Messiah was John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and Elizabeth’s son. God’s choice of John was even more significant because we usually are unable to accept that someone in our own family is especially called and gifted by God. Nevertheless, God used John to reveal to the world Jesus’ true identity as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29) God also showed to John that Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, the one who empowers the church to fulfill the Great Commission. In addition, John identified Jesus as the Son of God, which was the same as calling him the Messiah and Lord. John the Baptist saw by revelation Jesus’ entire earthly ministry – Savior, Lord, and Baptizer in the Spirit.

John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33  "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' 34  "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." John 1:32-34 (NASB)

When John’s followers heard these pronouncements, some of them elected to follow Jesus as disciples. They saw something in our Lord that pulled them toward him. Eventually, Jesus asked his followers a very important question: “Who do you say that I am?” He wanted to know what had the Spirit shown them. Peter spoke up.

...“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17  Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Matthew 16:16-17 (NLT)

The Bible makes it clear that it is impossible for us to recognize Jesus’ true identity as God’s chosen Messianic King and Lord without our spiritual understanding being opened by the Holy Spirit.

The nature of revelation is that it depends on God. We play a part by responding to the inner working of the Spirit, but we cannot open our own sin-blinded eyes.

Until we receive this divine impartation of revelation from God, we cannot see as we should.

But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15  Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16  But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:14-18 (NLT)

Most of the people in Israel in Jesus’ day did not know Jesus’ real identity. Some said he was a good man, a prophet, a teacher, or even a blasphemer. Only those whose eyes were opened were able to see that he was and is the Messiah.

God revealed Jesus’ identity a little more on the mount of transfiguration, where three disciples saw him glorified beyond anything seen before by men. (Matthew 17:1-8) His face shined like the sun and his clothes were a dazzling white like light itself. This brief encounter with Jesus’ glory awakened those three disciples to a heavenly reality not before experienced, but they still did not understand. In their minds, Jesus was on a par with Moses and Elijah, not in a class by himself. That would all change at the resurrection.

After Jesus suffered and died as God’s Lamb to expiate our sins, he was buried and after three days rose from the dead. Paul wrote the following summation.

The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4  and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:3-5 (NLT)

When God the Father raised Jesus from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus came out of the grave as the glorified Lord of Lords, to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been given. (Matthew 28:18)

The only proper response to the gloriously risen Jesus is to acknowledge his supreme authority and lordship and to follow and obey him. That is what God wants us to do.

This takes us back to the Garden of Eden where Adam refused to recognize, honor, and obey his Creator God, causing humanity to plunge into the abyss of rebellion against our Maker. Mankind in general continues to choose slavery to the devil over submission to the Creator. By so doing, humanity has embraced tyranny, evil, destruction, poverty, sickness, and death. By dying in our place and rising again, Jesus conquered the prince of darkness, paid the penalty for our rebellion, and made it possible for us to return to God’s benevolent rule. We do this by turning from our wicked rebellious ways and the wicked one’s rule and by declaring allegiance to the risen Lord. In other words, we switch kingdoms. Paul said it this way.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Those first disciples were given the glorious privilege of personally seeing, touching, and conversing with the risen Lord. Thomas was famous for saying that he would not believe that Jesus rose again unless he personally put his fingers into the nail holes in his hands. Jesus granted this request, at which point Thomas exclaimed, “My lord and my God!” Jesus replied:

..."You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John 20:29 (NLT)

Even when we cannot see with our natural eyes because Jesus has ascended into heaven, we can see with spiritual eyes and believe.

Paul prayed:

[I] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19  and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might Ephesians 1:16-19 (NASB)

All who are granted the ability to see who Jesus is by revelation and who put their faith and allegiance in him will be saved.

Those who eyes still are blinded by sin will not see, receive, or submit to his benevolent rule. They will suffer the condemnation and punishment that all traitors deserve.

There is soon coming a point in history for the final and most glorious revelation of Christ to the world – the Apocalypse. At this time every eye shall see him for who he really is, the glorious Son of Man, the judge of all the earth.

According to prophecy (Daniel 7:13-14) and Jesus’ own words, already quoted above, he will come in the clouds with great glory. His authority to judge and rule will at that time be apparent to all. The Bible says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.( Philippians 2:9-11) For us who have already acknowledged his lordship, it will be a joyous day! For the rest, it will be the acknowledgement of the condemned that they deserve judgment for rejecting his rightful kingship.

Which camp will we be in, those who rejoice to see his coming or those who are terrified?

Now is the time to join the first party, if you have not already. The Bible says that, if we confess that he is the Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10) God is more than ready to help us in this matter. Fifty-four years ago this Spring, I made the decision to invite this King into my life. I was not yet convinced that he had really risen from the dead, but I knew that, if he had, it was the most important event to date in the history of the world. I asked him to reveal himself to me, if he were truly the risen Son of God. As you have no doubt figured out, the Holy Spirit soon opened my eyes to that glorious reality. Faith filled my heart, and I experienced God’s presence all around me. As God gave me a new birth, spiritually speaking, everything became new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I was filled with an amazing joy and a desire to tell everyone about this God who can be known. I want you to know him, too. We may be on the verge of his appearing. Don’t delay.

Prayer

Jesus, I have heard about you and realize that I have been living as my own little god, calling the shots in my life without regard to you. I have changed my mind and want you to be my Lord from now on. Please come into my life as my Source, my Life, my Peace, and my Lord. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead to make me right with Father God. I profess allegiance to you as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Empower me to be your witness to the world. Amen.

If you prayed this sincerely, God will do his part. Find a good church where you can publicly announce your allegiance and faith in Christ to the world through being water baptized. Start reading your Bible, praying, worshiping, and regularly attending meetings with other disciples who can help you grow in the Lord. Be sure to tell others that they can know him, too.

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The only way to escape God’s coming judgment…

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We live in the last days. Every day that passes is a day closer to Christ’s Second Coming and the Last Judgment. In the meantime, God continues to execute judgment upon the earth, as he has done from the beginning. We reap what we sow both as individuals and collectives.

When a predominant number of people in a nation embrace God’s truth and believe the gospel, that nation will reap significant blessings. However, when a nation turns its back on God and the truth of his Word, it will encounter God’s judgment in a number of ways.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB95)
Abortion: The Shedding of Innocent Blood

Perhaps one of the easiest examples of how a nation can embrace a sinful lie is how the United States relates to abortion.

Since the Supreme Court Decision of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973, we have regarded ourselves as a paragon of freedom and equality for women without batting an eye regarding the mass murder of over 60 million unborn defenseless babies. This has happened in the last 52 years, under the watch of the Baby Boomer generation! Consider that this number equals some estimates of the total number of lives lost in WWII! Let that sink in!

Will God ignore the treachery? Not if the Bible is true. According to it, God innocent blood cries out to God for justice. We see this in Genesis after Cain killed his brother Abel.

He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:10 (NASB95)

We see it again in the history of the kings of Israel. Manasseh brought down God’s judgment by killing innocent people.

Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. 2 Kings 24:3–4 (NASB95)

God has not changed. He still judges sin. We should be appalled, ashamed, aghast, disgusted, and fearful of what God will do to such a people. The United States allows us to freely kill an unborn baby without legal consequences, but that does not mean we will escape the Judge of the whole earth, who is not fooled by our unjust laws!

It does not matter what man’s laws say. God’s law trumps human law and is the standard God will use at the Last Judgment.

Women’s reproductive rights is a euphemism for the mother’s right to terminate the life of the defenseless baby in her womb. That is murder, no matter how we slice and dice it. Whether or not we ever consented personally to an abortion, we all bear guilt as a nation since we are part of the collective.

We claim that the baby in the womb is not yet a human to make it easier to erase its existence. We used a similar argument to justify slavery and the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans.

Dehumanizing those we enslave, oppress, and murder is an age old ruse.

We now look back with sorrow and shame as we contemplate our forefathers’ reasoning and actions. How will future generations judge us? More importantly, how will God judge us? God is the defender of the helpless and innocent. Should it not terrify us to think how deserving of judgment our nation is? And this is only one sin!

But most of us would rather not think about it. We prefer to live in denial and evade the truth. We may successfully refuse to take responsibility for this sin for a while, but we cannot evade the consequence. We will reap what we sow.

Evolution – Hiding God’s Glory by Suppressing the Truth of Creation

The hypothesis of evolution is a prime example of the suppression of truth, which is being done worldwide. The Bible teaches that God’s existence is clearly evident through observing of his creation. In other words, we have to be willingly blind to miss it.

…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20 (NASB)

By denying the existence of the Creator and his work, we attempt to free ourselves from any moral obligation to worship and serve God or keep his commandments.

If man evolved, we are accountable to no one for how we live our lives. We are our own god. No wonder this lie is so popular. It appears to give solid scientific footing to the desire to throw off God’s rule.

Transgenderism – Rebelling against God’s Sovereignty

Another lie that is sweeping our culture is that gender is psychologically determined rather than divinely ordained.

In other words, we are not limited to how God made us. We can choose whatever gender we want. The Bible teaches that God created us as he saw fit, which is male and female, which is determined at conception and permeates our being all the way down to the chromosomal level.

All of us come into this world with most of the really important factors already determined for us by God.

God sovereignly chooses for us our sex, intelligence level, physical strength, race, family, nation, looks, general health, etc. None of us chose to be born and none of us can stop the aging or death process. We cannot undo gravity or much of anything else God has built into his creation, much less our gender.

Nevertheless, many rebel against the idea of anything being predetermined by God and try to undo it.

Rather than accept how God made us, we want to change it. We can change our dress. We can surgically alter our bodies. We can inject unnatural levels of hormones, but we cannot change ourselves at the most fundamental level. Our  chromosomes tell the true story.

We cannot change what God has created. We can only accept it or rail against it.

Is It Too Late?

America seems to have reached, and perhaps passed, a critical point in her history. As a nation, we have turned our backs repeatedly on God and his truth. We are locked in a battle for the soul of the nation.

Many of our nation’s leaders and influencers  -the educational establishment, the main stream media, and Hollywood – are actively suppressing truth, and the American people seem to like it that way.

It is increasingly coming into question whether we are capable any longer of responsible self-government. We are being set up for tyranny. Many of our citizens now believe that there is no God, no absolute truth, no ultimate authority, no coming judgment, and no everlasting consequences for rejecting God and disobeying him. They (we) could not be more wrong! Those who believe there is no God are more than willing to surrender to a human or institution, such as government, which claims to provide what God alone can do. The suppression of the truth about God leads to idolatry.

Will judgment come to America or is it already here? I believe it’s here now. The only question is will it destroy us, or do we still have space for repentance?

Making the Decision to Pursue Truth

Truth seekers are fairly rare it seems. Sadly, the more comfortable we are, the more likely we will be unconcerned about eternal things. My own personal journey to God was a search for truth. I wanted to know if what the Bible says about Jesus and his resurrection is real or not. At one point, I called myself an agnostic, thinking that God cannot be known, simply because I had not yet come to know him. How ludicrous to make a judgment about God based solely on our own experience; yet, how common it is for people to suppose that what we think and have experienced determines reality.

Paul wrote that people grope about in their search for God. (Acts 17:27) Spiritually blind people fall all over themselves and unseen obstacles in their pursuit of reality and truth.

We cannot find God on our own, but, if we seek him, he promises that we will find him. He will make sure of that!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8  “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 (NASB)
What the Pursuit of Truth Is Not
  • Seeking truth is not limiting ourselves to some predetermined position.
  • It is not going to be found by going to ungodly sources, especially non-truth seeking groups.
  • It not not necessarily something that will make us feel good or confident in ourselves or that will help us to fit in with the crowd.
  • It’s almost surely not something that is politically correct.
What truth Is
  • Even though Jesus is full of love, truth is always “cold,” in the sense that it is doesn’t care if it pleases us or not.
  • Truth is often “hard” – something that won’t change no matter how much we wish it would, or how hard we try to make it change.
  • Truth causes conflict. It will make our lives less comfortable, less convenient, and less agreeable to non-truth seekers. It cost Jesus his life.
  • Truth will force us to abandon any of our current beliefs and understandings that are wrong.
  • Truth sometimes will embarrass us by exposing our sinfulness, ignorance, or blindness.
Humility

The pride of man resists God and his truth. It comes up with all sorts of alternate versions of reality that will allow us to dodge truth and continue in our rebellion.

It takes humility to believe in God and in the truth of his words in the Bible.

Humility teaches us that we are created beings, not independent operators. Humility teaches us that unless we admit our need for God, we will be lost in the downward spiral of death and deception. It takes humility to admit we need help, and that help is found in Jesus!

The Terrible Day of the Lord

Imagine how the Nazi leaders felt as they faced charges at the post-war trials in Nuremberg, Germany! Some were unrepentant, but I imagine most were afraid and ashamed as their evil deeds were exposed and their sentences imposed. I imagine that many of them felt horribly guilty. Saying, “I am sorry” did not fix things. Justice was meted out. The Last Judgment will be even more terrifying and severe.

“For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time of doom for the nations. Ezekiel 30:3 (NASB95)

At the last judgment our pretenses and shams will be stripped away and everything will be exposed in the clear blinding light of God’s truth.

What will we do on that day? Will there be any place to hide? Will there be any safe place?

The Only Safe Place

Jesus identified himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only way to the Father in heaven. (John 14:6) To him God the Father has committed all judgment. (John 5:27) He sees through all pretext and lies. No one can hide from his gaze. No one can escape his scrutiny. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as everything we have ever said or done. He knows what we did not do, but should have. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Absolute truth is also absolute holiness.

His standards do not bend. His righteousness is inflexible. His justice is firm and fierce. His wrath will be released upon all those who reject the truth and refuse his mercy offered through the Gospel in Christ.

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11  For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12  in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NASB)
How Will We Know Him?

But that is in the future, and this is now. We still have the opportunity of coming into the light of God’s truth about our sin and finding mercy. We also can know the judge as the one who said:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NASB)

Or we can reject his generous offer of forgiveness and one day meet him as the glorious Son of Man coming in the clouds to judge all people, who will say to us:

…Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; Matthew 25:41 (NASB)

This is the same Jesus speaking to different groups of people. It’s our choice of what we will hear and how we will know him. Regardless, we will all bow before him. (Romans 14:11) Why not do it now willingly? Don’t wait until you are forced to cower before him awaiting his judgment and justice!

The Truth Will Set Us Free

Jesus wants to liberate us from death, destruction, deception, and sin. He said:

…“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV)

Those who humbly and courageously pursue truth, no matter what, will indeed be set free, experience true joy, and know God and his mercy. They will see the God of all truth extend his merciful hand toward them with a smile of favor.

Jesus faced the truth about sin when he went to the cross.

Sin nailed the Truth of God to the cross and put him to death.

Sin resulted in God’s pouring out his wrath on the innocent Lamb of God who willingly took upon himself the just penalty for our sins. The Truth died that day to provide us with eternal life.

The only way for anyone to escape the same God’s righteous judgment against sin is to put his or her faith in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf and to pledge our loyalty and faithfulness to Jesus.

This is the only way to find safety. It takes courage and humility and faith. The path to truth is narrow and difficult, but definitely worth it!

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:14 (NASB)

The society in which we live may be hell bent on going down the wide road to destruction, but we don’t have to join them!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I  believe that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the only way to the Father. I ask you to forgive me for my sins. I deserve judgment, but I joyfully receive mercy from you, who took my punishment upon yourself. I deserve death, but I gladly receive eternal life from you. I deserve to be eternally cut off from God, but I happily accept my reconciliation to Father God through you. I confess that you are the risen Lord of Lords who is coming back again to judge all people.  I thank you that I now can confidently look forward to that day because you have put me in right standing with God the Father. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit to live inside me forever and transform me on the inside. Thank you for setting me free! Help me to serve you the rest of my days on earth and forever in heaven.  Help me to be a faithful witness to Jesus, a proclaimer of the Gospel, and a discipler of men. Amen.

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The right and wrong way to make judgments.

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The Bible reveals to us the right way to make judgments. No one likes to be judged; yet, it is a necessary part of life, if done the correct way. We have all been judged in a wrong way, being accused of something we did not do or rejected for no good reason. But many of us have profited by being judged in a good way. Everyone who has competed for a prize and won did so because judges deemed him or her worthy. When we are appraised for our work and receive a raise in pay, this is another example of a good kind of judgment. So what is the right way to make judgments, and what is the wrong way?

The kind of judgment that is good and proper and a necessary part of life could be called assessing, discriminating, or discerning.

The definition of discrimination that applies here is the ability to properly discern by seeing and making fine distinctions. We all should make these kinds of judgments every day, unless we naively assume every person has our best interests at heart. When we go shopping we assess products based on quality and price. When meet someone, we try to use good discernment regarding the character, values, and intentions of that person.

Some of us have a finely tuned sense of discernment and are able to quickly assess others, being able to detect things beneath the surface. It may even be a God-given ability. This does not mean that we are always right in our assessments or judgments, but often we are. Others of us may not have such a refined ability to assess others and only really get to know what is in a person until quite a while after we are in a relationship with them. Regardless, we should not be too quick to completely trust someone. Jesus was not.

But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. John 2:24–25 (NASB95)

The bad kind of judgment is condemnatory.

If we see faults in someone and immediately reject or condemn them, we may be operating in a wrong kind of judgment. There is an evil kind of discrimination that evaluates people based on skin color, gender, nationality, or other things outside the control of the one being discriminated against. As Martin Luther King, Jr. hoped, we want to be the kind of people who judge people according to their character, not for superficialities.

Only God has the right to condemn people for their behavior, which will happen at the last judgment for all those who reject the gospel. Nevertheless, this does not release us from the responsibility to properly identify sin.

We properly judge when we tell people what is sinful behavior, without being condemnatory.

When we see people aborting their unborn babies, we must properly call it out as being sinful. To be silent in the face of such gross injustice would be sinful. (Proverbs 24:11-12) The “catch” is that while we are supposed to identity and all out sin, we are not to condemn the sinner.

When we condemn people for their sins, we end up condemning ourselves in the process, because we are all sinners.

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. Romans 2:1 (NASB95)

We hate to be judged, but may be comfortable dishing it out. We hate the hypocrisy of people who judge others for doing what they are guilty of themselves, but are we guilty of the same? What makes us prone to see faults in others without realizing we are guilty, too? Isn’t it because we are spiritually blind and full of pride?

Every time we improperly judge or condemn others, it always boomerangs.

As Jesus put it:

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT)

If we want to be able to properly judge, we must learn to operate as Jesus did. He said:

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:30 (NASB)

Jesus listened to what his Father told him; therefore, he always judged people and situations correctly. He had no selfish personal agenda that clouded his judgment, but he did judge sin, people, and situations. He had to, and so must we. If we operate as he did, listening to God in every matter, we can judge properly, too. Not judging people and situations correctly is naive and can destroy us.

Everyone has to properly evaluate people and things every day. The key is to do it in a way that is constructive, without condemning anyone, even though we may have to reject their behavior as sinful.

Jesus gave us a great example in John Chapter 8, when he showed mercy to an adulterous woman, while commanding her to “sin no more.” Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13), without minimizing the seriousness of sin.

Unfortunately, some of us so identify with our sin that we find it impossible to accept someone’s pointing it out to us without feeling condemned by them. This is extremely unfortunate and sabotages our ability to acknowledge our sin, repent, and find mercy, forgiveness, and freedom.

Anytime we express a judgment against a sinful behavior, we must be extremely careful to acknowledge that we are just as much a sinner as anyone else.

We should seek to come across as sinners who need mercy who want other sinners to receive the same mercy.

Otherwise, we may repel the very people we hope to reach because of the stench of our hypocrisy.

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:4–5 (NASB95)

Church leaders have a special responsibility to evaluate people’s actions and words and render proper judgments. They do this to protect individuals and the church from harm. If they fail to do this, they will answer to our Lord, the Chief Shepherd. In the church setting, every member has a responsibility to confront egregious unrepentant sin, without becoming self-righteous or condemning. It is part of what it means to be a disciple.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2  Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3  If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT)

To conclude, we are to refrain from condemnatory judgments against one another, especially regarding motives; while, at the same time, we all, and especially church leaders, are commanded to make discriminating functional judgments of those whose unrepentant sinful ways threaten to harm God’s people or lead them astray. In every case, however, the long-term good of the person or persons being so judged must always remain in view. Our hope is always that such judgments will provoke the offender to repent and be reinstated fully to the church and live according to God’s truth. (To read more on the purpose of church discipline, click there.)

We are not called to judge those outside the church (1 Corinthians 5:12), but we must judge their sinful behavior in order to call them to repentance. If they choose to identify with their sin and become offended at us, we cannot help that.

Love should infuse every proper judgment and motivate us to refuse to judge incorrectly.

If we fail to properly judge, people will get hurt. If we judge in a condemning way, people also will get hurt, and it will come back to bite us, because none of us are without fault. The important thing is for each of us to operate in wisdom, courage, faith, and love as led by the Holy Spirit in conformity to the teachings of the Bible. Beyond that, we must trust the Lord for the results. May He have mercy on us all!

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (ESV)
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Abortion: An Evil Sacrament that Empowers Satan

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Is abortion merely a political hot potato or is it something far more substantial? Could it be that abortion is actually an evil sacrament for those who worship and serve the prince of darkness? Could it be that Satan deceives people into offering children to him as a sacrifice that empowers his evil kingdom?

Satan has always derived his authority and power from the consent of those he deceives into following him.

This began in the Garden of Eden but must be renewed in every generation. Therefore, he must continually convince people to chose him over God, lies over truth, and death over life.

We also know from Scripture that idols represent demonic beings that empower those otherwise lifeless objects. Paul wrote this enlightening passage.

What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20  No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 (NLT)

The devil adapts himself to changing circumstances. The Enlightenment has changed our perception of the spiritual world. Today most modern people would not bow down to a physical object as if it were a god. Nevertheless, we have our idols, too. Anything we serve or honor in place of God effectually becomes an idol. There is a reason some movie stars and other famous people are called idols. A popular television singing competition is called American Idol. If we put more value in money than we do in God, then we serve the idol called Mammon.

All false gods require us to offer sacrifices.

Many have sacrificed their families and souls in the pursuit of Mammon. Likewise, countless people have traded their souls for fame. Satan even offered our Lord the opportunity to gain it all without having to die on a cross simply by bowing to him.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8–9 (NASB95)

In many religions, offerings are required to obtain the favor and protection of local deities. It could be compared to how gangs and the mafia extort protection money from businesses located in areas in which they operate. These sacrifices could be a great as offering children to these demonic spirits. Child sacrifice was integral to the worship of Chemosh and Molech in the Old Testament and has existed in other pagan religions. Sadly, people have willingly sacrificed their children in order to gain some sort of occult spiritual advantage from Satan and these local deities.

The Bible provides us with an intriguing example.

When the king of Moab saw that he was losing the battle, he led 700 of his swordsmen in a desperate attempt to break through the enemy lines near the king of Edom, but they failed. 27  Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land. 2 Kings 3:26-27 (NLT)

In this instance, evil power apparently was released against Israel when the king of Moab sacrificed his son to the devil. This man willingly killed his heir to enlist Satan’s power to defeat God’s people, which was granted.

We may consider child sacrifice to be barbaric, but is it any less gruesome and horrific than modern day abortion of over 60 million of their own unborn babies with complete government approval and support in the United States alone since 1973?

The king of Moab wanted victory over his enemies. What do modern Americans who abort their babies seek? Who can plumb the depths of the human heart? It seems that most of the time mothers kill their unborn babies to out of a desire to avoid the fear of embarrassment, economic hardship, or an uncertain future for the child and mother. Sometimes it is merely an escape from inconvenience or a , career interruption. Some may have more humanitarian reasons, such as protecting their own health in the case of an extremely hazardous pregnancy. Some conceptions are the result of rape, and the mother does not want anything or anyone reminding her of that travesty. Whatever the reason, there is almost always another option – giving birth and placing the child up for adoption.

Most of these women probably have been deceived into thinking that these babies are not really human beings at all, just undeveloped blobs of tissue. They do not understand that God has known all of us before the creation of the world. He knows us when we are being formed them in the womb.

13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb...16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. Psalm 139:16 (NASB95)

Unborn infants may be just tissue to these mothers, but to God they are beloved children.

Some deceived women have declared they rejoice in their abortions, but many others rue having taken the lives of their unborn child or children. Thankfully, God offers forgiveness, if we turn to him with a repentant heart.

We are engaged in a spiritual battle between the kingdom of God and the realm of darkness and evil ruled by Satan. We understand that even though Christ dealt a decisive blow to Satan and his kingdom when he rose from the dead, God in his wisdom has permitted us, his people, to be part of the “clean up operation” here on the earth. It is our Lord’s intention that his people have the privilege of crushing Satan under our feet.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20 (NASB95)

This verse references the promise made to the serpent in the garden back in Genesis that one of Eve’s descendants would crush the serpent’s head. (Genesis 3:15) Many consider this to be the very first messianic promise in the Bible. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, but we his people will be part of the final act in this great drama unfolding over the centuries.

All will be concluded when Jesus appears in the clouds with great glory, just as he promised. Until then, we are living through an intense contest between two opposing kingdoms for the hearts of people. Each kingdom is enlisting the consent of people to be governed by their respective kings. Each kingdom has a different leader, goals, sources of power, and ways of doing business.

God’s kingdom employs the gospel to awaken people to his offer of redemption. Jesus will set free everyone who declares allegiance to him and his kingdom.

The only way for Satan’s plan to work is for masses of compliant people to willingly surrender to it. This requires a massive amount of deception, since no one in his or her right mind would choose to follow the lord of death. 

Just as some cultures repeatedly offer animal sacrifices to demonstrate their allegiance to the devil, we also have such a blood sacrifice in our country.

I am convinced that a power source used by the satanic realm is child sacrifice through legalized abortion.

The horror and tragedy of mothers choosing to destroy their own unborn children has to be one of Satan’s greatest deceptions and triumphs and our nation’s saddest legacy.

Since Roe v. Wade was passed, which used the courts to bypass the legislative process and opened the door to legalized murder in this country, some sixty million unborn babies have been put to death legally.

Abortion is sanctioned in the eyes of the law, but it is murder in God’s eyes, the only eyes that count.

Most of this slaughter has been hidden from public view within the confines of abortion clinics and hospitals, but God has seen every last drop of innocent blood that has been shed. This blood cries out to God for vengeance. Thank God that Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy!

The Bible teaches that life is in the blood (Genesis 9:5). God holds people, cities, and nations accountable for the shedding of innocent blood (Numbers 35:33). The guilt for all the innocent blood shed by the abortion industry is shared by those who promote it to gain money and spiritual power. This includes politicians who champion it to gain and maintain political power, providers – doctors, clinics, hospitals, and other medical personnel, who have tapped into the wealth this industry supplies, and those who procure their services for whatever selfish reasons. Our entire nation will be held accountable for what we allowed to happen under our watch. When judgment falls, even those who were not directly involved usually are affected. Sometimes the Lord’s judgment falls immediately, but often God delays judgment, allowing it to accumulate (Matthew 23:35-36). But we can be sure that God will not be mocked: we will ultimately reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). I am understandably troubled, as I hope you are, when I contemplate how much wrath has been accumulating due to the travesty of abortion which has piled up such an enormous death count over almost fifty years.

Thankfully there is hope for those who come to realize the horrendous nature of abortion and ask God for forgiveness.

The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). This is why Jesus had to shed his blood on the cross on our behalf. It was the only way to atone for our sins.  He offers to forgive anyone who comes to him in humility and faith, but unless a person or nation turns to God in repentance and finds forgiveness in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, he, she, or they eventually will encounter God’s judgment.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade is has not stopped abortions in this country or around the world. Those who serve Satan must continue to prop up this sacrament of evil because it is a source of evil power. It is also a satanic plot to bring down God’s righteous judgment upon us for the shedding of innocent blood.

May God lift this horrendous weight of judgment from us by enabling us to repent and mend our ways at an individual and the national level. We cannot afford to be passive onlookers in this battle between light and darkness. The least we can do is pray and declare the truth to others.

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It’s Time to Switch Allegiances

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Our founding fathers believed it was time for them to switch allegiances because they understood that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Great Britain disregarded its own laws in its attempt to force the colonies to pay harsh taxes in order to rebuild its treasury following what is known as the French and Indian War, whereby Great Britain expanded its power in North America and worldwide. The colonies believed they were being denied the rights of ordinary Englishmen because they had no representation in Parliament and no voice in what taxes they had to pay. Great Britain resorted to what had always worked before, demanding obedience to the authority of the Crown. When the colonies refused, things gradually escalated into war, one that launched a nation and a great experiment in representative government.

The US Constitution set up a republic in which people could vote into office those who would represent them in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government.

From a biblical perspective, did God intend for government to derive its just powers from the consent of the governed, or is that a purely humanistic concept?

We can start with a well-known passage from Romans.

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3  For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4  The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5  So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Romans 13:1-5 (NLT)

At one level, government is not derived from the consent of the governed but from God. All authority originates and emanates from God. The reason is simple. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who by virtue of his identity has all authority. Even we humans own what we create.

Therefore, any governmental authority that exists among created beings is derived from the Creator, since none existed before he created us nor does any exist outside of what he created.

The Creator delegated great responsibility and commensurate authority over his creation to his first humans, Adam and Eve.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) 

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. Genesis 2:15 (NLT)

Adam was made the governor of the earth to care for it and guard it. This is the purpose of government from the beginning.

The passage quoted from Romans above shows that when government properly represents God, it will care for and protect its people against those who would bring harm. Anything that deviates from this purpose improperly represents God’s purpose for government. Any government that becomes oppressive is operating according to the principles of the kingdom of darkness and should be considered illegitimate. Certainly any government that violates its own laws must be considered as such.

Surely God never intended for us to willingly submit to oppression.

Our founding fathers certainly believed this about the government of Great Britain, when it failed to uphold its own laws or protect the rights of its people.

Satan, who is a created being, has no inherent authority, only that which has been given by God or usurped sinfully. Anyone who aligns himself with Satan in the governmental realm is operating under usurped authority.

Satan uses authority in a completely different way from God. Whereas the Creator imparts life and blessings, the devil only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)

Satan told Jesus that he had the ability to place anyone he wished in authority, if only they would bow down to him. (Matthew 4:8-9) History is replete with examples of men and women who took him up on the offer. Thankfully, our Lord did not!

Jesus was determined to obtain governmental authority legitimately by doing things God’s way. As a result, our Lord how holds all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)

The Bible gives us a clear example of operating with usurped authority when Queen Jezebel used King Ahab’s authority to orchestrate the murder of Naboth and the theft of his vineyard. (1 Kings 21) We also see this in Genesis when Satan conspired to steal Adam’s authority by inciting him to rebel against the Creator. By deceiving him and Eve into disobedience against God, the first couple chose allegiance to Satan over God, ceding their authority to the devil.

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

Satan has used his usurped authority malevolently. Jesus refused to submit to it and made a way forus to escape, too.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Colossians 1:13 (NASB95)

We understand that we come under whatever authority we consent to rule over us.

Adam and Eve chose to serve Satan and relinquish authority to him which resulted in their becoming his slave. God operates through truth, but the devil must always resort to lies, since no one would ever choose to serve him otherwise.

Jesus made a way for us to switch sides. The gospel offers us the choice to once again come under God’s authority by surrendering our lives to the Lord Jesus.

“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (NASB95)

Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:21 (NASB95)

And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Acts 2:40–41 (NASB95)

Those who consent to be governed by Jesus escape the dominion of darkness. Those who refuse the gospel give consent for Satan to rule over and destroy them.

Satan lies to manipulate people to gain their consent to be governed malevolently by him. No one would agree to be robbed, murdered, and generally destroyed; yet, through skillful deception, Satan actually gets people to choose those things. Likewise, corrupt governments skillfully manipulate propaganda to fool people into trading their freedom for slavery. The devil promises to be our benefactor and friend, while actually destroying his subjects. He must laugh at us continually.

Lying or, to use the modern term, propaganda, is the key to Satan’s ongoing usurpation of God’s authority. Jesus taught that the truth will set us free. (John 8:31-32)

Isn’t it time to join the Jesus revolution and switch to the winning side, God’s side?

Prayer

Lord, I repent for serving the kingdom of darkness. I am ready to switch allegiances. Jesus, I declare my faith in you. You are my Lord and King. Help me to serve you faithfully for the rest of my life. Holy Spirit, come into my life and transform me from within. Help me to live for Jesus. Father God, thank you for receiving me into your family. Help me to know and love you more fully. Amen.

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“and the books were opened” – a preview of the last judgment

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Everything as we know it now will come to an end one day. Whether it is our youth, our health, our looks, our wealth, our dreams and ambitions, our jobs, our families, our physical lives – every one of these things upon which people pin their hopes will eventually cease to be. According to the Bible, even the earth and heavens will “wear out like a garment” and pass away. (Psalm 102:25-26, Isaiah 51:6, Hebrews 1:10-12) In their place will be something new and amazing. But until that day arrives, the only thing most people think that they can count on is that eventually we will die, and, after that, what? The Bible has some very specific answers. These answers will determine whether or not we can look forward to that day with hope.

What Is in the Books?

Daniel the prophet was given a vision of the coming Day of the Lord, when God will judge all people who ever lived. He describes a heavenly courtroom scene, which is both majestic and terrible. The Judge is called the Ancient of Days, whose presence creates awe and dread. Nothing here on earth can prepare us for what that day will be like.

As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 10  A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:9-10 (ESV)

Would you like to know exactly what is in those books? Is there something in them about you and me? Will the last judgment be that personal? God gave John the Revelator a similar vision, when he was exiled for his faith in the Lord Jesus on the Isle of Patmos. Here is his written record of that experience.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15 (ESV)

According to this passage and other Bible verses (Matthew 16:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Ephesians 6:8), the books that will be opened before the Ancient of Days contain a written record of how we lived here on earth during the time allotted to us. This will include, according to Jesus, not only what we did, but also what we said. (Matthew 12:36) Our utterances are what we might consider to be verbal deeds. And according to the Bible, even our thoughts and intentions will be made known, which makes this an even more terrifying spectacle. (Hebrews 4:12, Ecclesiastes 12:14)

None of us desires our worst thoughts to be made public, but that is what is going to happen. Imagine a book that contains all our thoughts, words, and deeds!

By What Standard Will We Be Judged?

Another question we might ask ourselves is by what standard our thoughts, words, and deeds will be measured? Will we be compared to other people from our socio-economic group who lived about the same time as we, or will we be graded against all people who ever lived? Will we only be scored against others from our own religious grouping, or against all other world religions? Will we be graded “on a curve,” which would allow most of us to pass, despite our poor showing? But what if some, as is often the case, did so well that the normal curve no longer applies? What if someone made a perfect score and that is the standard by which the rest of us will be judged? And what if we did not even believe that there was such a person as the Ancient of Days? Will we get a do over?

The Bible makes it clear that God’s perfect righteousness will be the standard for judgment.

It is call the Law, which revealed what God is like and what he expects of us. The Ten Commandments are the bare essentials of this standard. When we consider our lives in light of these commands, some of us might think we will come away pretty well at the Last Judgment. Most of us have never murdered anyone, right? That is, unless abortion is murder, or, as Jesus taught, being angry with someone is tantamount to committing murder. (Matthew 5:22) What if hatred, which wishes ill on another, is in the same category as murder?

What about adultery? Adultery, like murder, under the Law was punishable by death. It is an extremely serious offense in God’s eyes, the only eyes that will matter at the Last Judgment. Jesus raised the bar even higher when he told his followers that lusting after another person in our hearts makes us guilty of adultery. (Matthew 5:28) Does this mean that lustful thoughts are worthy of death? According to Romans, every form of sin earns the death penalty. (Romans 6:23)

What Is This Thing Called “Sin?”

God created human beings to live in a joyful and liberating partnership / dependence upon him, drawing our life, wisdom, and everything good from our Creator / Sustainer.

Sin derives from our determination to live without reference to God.

It’s not just when we do “bad things” like murder. It is when we do the most evil thing of all – forsake God and try to live without him. Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie and decided God could not be trusted; so, they made the break away from the Source of Life into sinful independence, which, not surprisingly, brought death because we are not able to sustain ourselves. This rebellion has been passed down genetically and spiritually to each of their descendants, including us. Sadly, we have all taken up the torch and run with it. Every single human being has fallen short of God’s glorious standard of right living. We may not like God’s standard for judgment. We may not think that our way of doing things is all that bad, but what we think doesn’t really matter. What matters is what the one called the Ancient of Days thinks. He is the judge.

Who Is This Judge Called the Ancient of Days?

Your first guess would probably be “God,” which is true, but not the complete answer. The Bible teaches that he is none other than the risen and glorified Messiah of Israel, the risen Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who is also identified as the Son of Man. This should not surprise us, since before his ascension Jesus told us that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to him. (Matthew 28:18) He also spoke these clear words:

For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, John 5:22 (NKJV)

Jesus is the only person who ever lived a completely surrendered life to God in the way God always intended. As a result, he has been given the authority to judge everyone who has fallen short of that mark.

So, ultimately, he is the standard by which every person will be judged. He is the one who scored 100% on this test called life. Jesus, the Perfect Man, the Son of God, the Lamb who was slain to take away our sins, the Risen Lord of glory, is the only person worthy to judge the rest of us. He lived, breathed, walked, talked, and thought as a man, but without sin. He, the perfect man, blew the curve right out of the water. He ruined our chances for being compared to other miserable sinners at that last tribunal. We will be judged against Christ’s perfection and obedience. We have absolutely no chance of being found righteous. Amazingly, however, his perfect score made a way for us to skip the test!

Our Way of Escape
The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23  that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25  “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:22-29 (ESV)

Jesus made a way for those who put their faith and allegiance in him to be exempted from the final exam! Jesus, the Righteous Judge, died in our place so that we can be spared from having the hammer of God’s judgment crash upon us. Jesus, the Perfect One, took our sin and punishment upon himself, so that we might walk free from the condemnation and fear of judgment which we so richly deserve. We know this because he said so, and he is the Judge! Those who place their faith in this Savior King will stand before the Judgment Seat, too, but our names will be found written in another book called the Lamb’s Book of Life.

If our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we will be “home free” because all the benefits and rewards of Jesus’ perfect life will be put next to our names and the record of our sinful rebellion against God will have been erased.

“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17  Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” Hebrews 10:16-17 (NLT)
How Can We Get our Names Written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25  and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:22-27 (ESV)

How can we get our names written in this most intriguing book? Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5  he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6  to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6 (ESV)

Our God is so loving and great that he set in motion his plan to redeem for himself a people even before he even created the world!

Jesus did not come as the result of a makeshift plan or a mid-course correction. God’s amazing mind saw and planned it all beforehand! In the course of time, you and I were born and received our chance to play our parts on the grand stage called life. Having already sent his Son to die for our sins, during our lifetimes God the Father makes sure that we hear the gospel message and that his Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, drawing our hearts toward God. Jesus said:

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:37-40 (ESV)

If the Spirit draws us to Christ, it is because the Father has already known, loved, and chosen us to be the objects of his love. If we come, Jesus will receive us. Our part is to respond to the drawing power of God’s gracious love by choosing to put our faith and allegiance in Christ. The Holy Spirit guides the process from start to finish, but we have a part to play. We must cooperate with God’s grace. No matter where we are in this process of being drawn, we can turn to God right now and tell him we want to keep going. God wants us to be active participants, not passive onlookers. It is a beautiful dance with an invisible partner. It’s our chance to get right what Adam and Eve got all wrong.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, I can feel your drawing me to Christ. Please keep working in me. I surrender my life into your hands. Jesus, I want to know you and believe it you. I give you my life. Forgive my sins. I receive the eternal life you promised. Open my eyes, ears, and heart to you and your truth. Amen.

Our Eternal Destiny Hangs in the Balance

The final outcome for those who trust in Christ is completely the opposite of what it will be like for those who refuse his generous offer.

Those who do not accept God’s offer of reconciliation will not have their names written in the Book of Life and will suffer what the Bible calls the “second death.”

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14-15 (ESV)

But those who choose to trust in the Lord Jesus will be ushered into a glorious eternity in God’s loving presence.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV)
Embracing Hope

Jesus is the Hope for all people. The Bible says that the hope of those who trust in him is his Second Coming when he returns in glory to raise the dead and judge the nations.

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13  while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. Titus 2:11-13 (NLT)

Hopeless people do desperate things, but people who have hope live in the light of that hope. Those who have put their trust and hope in Jesus, will live as people of hope.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)

Today you have the opportunity to make sure you have a glorious experience on the Last Day. Make the most of it! If you have never asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, what are you waiting for? If you are already a follower of Christ, I encourage you to rededicate yourself to his service. See you on that day, if not sooner!

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Can a Christian Be a Patriot?

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One of the most important questions facing followers of Christ is whether they can be patriots, too. The Bible teaches us that when we are born again by the Holy Spirit we gain a new Father, a new family, and become citizens of a new kingdom.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Colossians 1:13 (NLT) 

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:20 (NLT)

Being born again requires us to declare allegiance to the king of heaven.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)

Christians are subject to the Lord Jesus and seek to live by his Word.

One of God’s incommunicable attributes is his immutability. He never changes. (James 1:17) The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Covenant. Even though the temporary Old Covenant of Law was abolished with the resurrection of Christ, the entirety of scripture points to the Lord Jesus. Jesus explained and expanded upon what is written in other portions of the Bible. Proper exegesis takes into account the whole of the Bible and works to understand and harmonize seemingly contradictory passages.

Love is the overarching theme of the Bible. (Matthew 22:36-40)

As important as is the law of love, however, it does not abrogate God’s justice. Mercy and truth meet together in our Lord Jesus. (Psalm 85:10)

The God who loves us past comprehension will cast into hell those who refuse his generous offer of reconciliation through the gospel. Jesus said:

“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4-5 (NLT)

Anyone who dismisses the God of justice in favor of one who only loves everyone, regardless of their response to the gospel, morality, or conduct, is serving a false god of their own making.

God’s love does not prevent conflict, either. The term “tough love” was coined to describe taking a stance that creates conflict in the best interest of someone who needs confrontation and correction.

Love works with justice to set people free, even if it creates tension and conflict initially.

Sometimes a husband’s or father’s love compels him to do violence to an attacker in order to protect his family. Self-defense is justified in the Bible. (Exodus 22:2) Likewise, nations need defending, too. It is altogether proper for a nation to take up arms in defense of the homeland. Otherwise tyranny would easily dominate. The Bible clearly teaches this. The kingdom of Israel under it’s judges and kings fought often to remove oppression, defend its borders, and destroy enemies. Ecclesiastes teaches that there is a time for peace and a time for war. (Eccl. 3:8)

Christ’s teachings on turning the other cheek do not prohibit our using self-defense when appropriate.

In like manner, our citizenship in God’s kingdom does not eliminate the claims of citizenship made by the country in which we live and being a patriot.

In the present state of affairs, God’s kingdom transcends but does not eliminate earthly kingdoms. It appears that when Jesus returns every competing kingdom and loyalty will bow the knee to the Lord Jesus.

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14  He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 (NLT)

Until then we must learn to live in the tension created by the competing priorities and loyalties created by our having dual citizenship in God’s kingdom and the nation in which we live here on earth.

Christ’s authority is extended through those who represent him. The more people in a given area who make the decision to submit their lives to him, the greater will be the impact of God’s kingdom there. As citizens of God’s kingdom become more involved in earthly forms of government, those governments will begin to have traits of the kingdom of God – justice, love, truth, righteousness, mercy, generosity, etc.

Freedom is a defining characteristic of God’s kingdom and of all governments that operate as he intends. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Since the Magna Carta, English common law has demanded that the role of government is to protect the rights of its citizens. When Great Britain began to oppress its colonial citizens in America, the colonists resisted, insisting that they were being treated unjustly. In other words, Great Britain had become a tyrant which failed to abide by its own laws. Those who felt strongly about this injustice eventually chose to formally rebel against the King and declare independence, thus launching the American Revolution.

The War of Independence inaugurated a nation built on the belief that a government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. This is how authority also works in the church. No church leader can force someone to obey his or her directives. People choose to come under such authority, which is expected to behave in a godly way.

The principle of liberty is a distinguishing mark of the kingdom of God. (John 8:36)

The preservation of liberty also is built into our Constitution.

The purpose of government under God is to protect its people and punish those who do evil.

The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. Romans 13:4 (NLT)

All legitimate government operates within God’s “Magna Carta” found in Romans 13.

Any government that goes outside of God’s purpose and uses its power to tyrannize its people has wandered away from any sense of divine legitimacy.

It now represents Satan, whose purpose is to enslave, kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10) All freedom-loving people, including those who serve Christ, should refuse to submit to such satanic oppression, whether it is found in a person or a government or sin.

Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” John 18:36 (NLT)

Jesus understood, as we should, that it altogether proper for us to take up arms on behalf of an earthly kingdom. Unlike the kingdom of God, such kingdoms rely on force and weaponry. The majority of believers generally accept this civic responsibility.

Even though the United States has never perfectly fulfilled its noble aspiration of “liberty and justice for all,” the goal has served as a guiding light for over two centuries. If our founding fathers, many of whom were Christians, believed that such a government was worth risking life, fortune, and reputation to obtain, what should be our attitude as Christians toward preserving it?

David CaldwellDavid Caldwell was one of the most famous preachers from the Revolutionary era from our area. He was a pastor of two Presbyterian Churches, an educator, farmer, and physician. His sermons were so influential that the British agreed to pay a bounty of two hundred pounds for his capture. One of his sermons escaped being burned when General Cornwallis seized his farm in the lead up to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The title was “The Character and Doom of the Sluggard,” which I have published in its entirety. Here is an excerpt.

We have therefore come to that trying period in our history in which it is manifest that the Americans must either stoop under a load of the vilest slavery, or resist their imperious and haughty oppressors; but what will follow must be of the utmost importance to every individual of these United Colonies; and should be the hearty concern of every honest American.

Caldwell makes a convincing case that being a patriot in defense of our God-given liberties, even to the point of armed conflict, is a natural result of being a good citizen of the kingdom of God.

In other words, to submit to tyranny without a fight because of laziness or fear is a sin which will impoverish and enslave the one who refuses to take a stand, as well as generations to come.

All tyranny must be fought either before or after it gains control. It is much easier to do it before.

Sadly, anti-god propaganda has managed to convince large numbers of people who call themselves Christians that it is unchristian to be patriotic. The mantra that I have heard over and over is that we must distinguish between the gospel and Americanism. I agree with that in general, but I do not agree that being a Christian prohibits us from being a patriotic American. We have a dual citizenship with dual demands.

It is possible to be good citizens of both realms, if we can properly navigate competing priorities and loyalties.

Satan is trying to establish his one-world government before King Jesus sets up his. Until the coming of the Lord, we will have nation states to which we owe allegiance. Patriotism toward these nation states, particularly America, gets in the way of the devil’s plan. Satan is working to topple all such allegiances to bring us under his one-world despotic rule. Christians, who understands that Christ will usher in a benevolent world order and unity, should beware being duped by Satan’s counterfeit. The devil is clever at making his plan seem good, when actually his intent is always to enslave and kill us. We cannot surrender to him, even for a moment. We must stand against all forms of tyranny until the coming of the Lord. Only Jesus will be able to properly govern the world. All others are imposters with evil designs.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)

As Christians I believe we can and should resist all tyranny because it is antithetical to the gospel. It is inconceivable that Christians would roll over and submit to despotism without a fight, especially American believers who understand the value of freedom. If we fail to make a stand, history may judge that we were unworthy recipients of the heritage passed down to us by the sacrifices and courage of our forefathers.

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Authority and Church Discipline

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Authority and church discipline are related topics that need to be discussed and understood. Although many present the “gospel” primarily as an offer of forgiveness, with little or no emphasis on the lordship of Christ, the true gospel reestablishes the authority of God’s Son, who is the risen Lord of Lords.

“Coming to Jesus” (Matthew 11:28-30) means turning from pursuing independent, self-reliant lives and placing ourselves under Jesus’ rule (yoke). Our goal is to surrender every aspect of life to the Holy Spirit. As we do this, we find rest for our souls. Living as a rebel is a hard life with no future.

Churches today are filled with people who have never understood what it means to be submitted to Jesus the Lord, perhaps because they were never told they must do so. They expect Jesus to forgive them (I have heard people say that it is his job.), provide for them, and welcome them to heaven, but they do not recognize him as their Lord of their everyday lives. They live the way they want to live, regardless of what the Bible says. Because of this unpleasant reality, I like to ask people if they are followers of Christ, rather than if they are Christians. I have had people respond that they are Christians but not followers of Christ. They understood that they were not living as they should.

Many so-called Christians today reject the Bible’s teachings, especially when it comes to morality. Jesus taught that those who call him Lord, but do not live according to his teachings, do not truly belong to him. (Matthew 7:21-23) It’s a matter of the heart, and it is all comes down to authority. Either we choose to submit to Christ’s authority or we do not. If there is nothing in us that motivates us to do so, it is doubtful we have his Spirit abiding in us.

Salvation comes is for those who confess that Jesus is Lord, not for those who merely believe he is our “personal savior.” If we believe that Jesus rose from the dead and confess his lordship over our lives, mean it, and seek to live accordingly (Romans 10:9-10), we will be forgiven and become part of God’s forever family.

Salvation does not exist outside of acknowledging Jesus’ lordship.

Church Discipline

Our churches are a proving ground for the genuineness of our choice to live under Christ’s authority.

We can say that we are under authority, but we never know until our wills are challenged by that authority. When God’s authority or will crosses ours is when the true condition of our hearts is exposed.

God has placed leaders in his local churches in whom he has invested a measure of his authority. (God’s delegated authority also resides in the home, work, school, government, etc., but we will limit this article to church government.)  The biblical pattern is for the church to be governed by proven men of godly character and commitment to Christ, who are called elders. (1 Tim. 5:17, etc.) Elders have a responsibility from God to watch over the people under their care.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

We all have something called the “old man” or the “flesh,” which inwardly tempts us to be rebellious and unruly. Even though Christ “disarmed” the flesh on the cross for those who believe in him (Romans 6:6), it is still there and ready to spring into action, if we make room for it. Unfortunately for us, as Jesus taught us, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” That being the case, we all sin and need to be corrected from time to time, some of us more than others.

In every organization, there are standards of behavior. If the organization’s leaders do not uphold and enforce those standards, human nature being what it is, people begin to slide or push the boundaries. Unless we are corrected, we often will get less and less fearful of the negative consequences of sin. A great example of this is how people disobey the speed limits on the Interstate. If the Highway Patrol does not aggressively enforce the speed limit, people go faster and faster. It’s human nature, and it works this way in the church, too.

In the local church, elders have the responsibility to uphold Christ’s authority, which is clearly demarcated in the teachings of the New Testament. Certainly elders have no business micromanaging people’s affairs, but, I hope we can all agree that when church members clearly violate Christ’s teachings in an egregious fashion and refuse to repent, something must be done. If not, sin spreads its deadly contagion as others will be tempted to sin because it appears there are no consequences. Bringing correction when needed is called church discipline.

Jesus told us how to carry out church discipline in Matthew 18:15-18. The normal order is for the aggrieved party to first confront an “offender” privately. Hopefully that will be sufficient to solve the problem. Unfortunately, some of us are little slower on the uptake or a little more stubborn and need to go to stage two. This is when another person is brought into the mix as a “reinforcement.” The hope here is that the “offender” will listen to their combined testimony and repent. The third stage is to bring church leaders into the mix in order to press upon the “offender” the gravity of their sinful behavior. If this does not work either, the only thing left, according to Paul, is expulsion from the church. (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)

In my experience, it is rare that anyone has to be expelled. Usually offenders see “the handwriting on the wall” and remove themselves from the fray before it gets to that stage. There are plenty of other churches around where people can hide their sinful behavior from other church members. Many churches only want people to show up on Sunday and give. They do not really get to know their people and are consequently blind to what may be going on beneath the surface. To be fair, the flip side of the issue is that sometimes church leaders are reluctant to bring correction to recalcitrant members for fear of losing them; so, the fault lies on both sides.

The proper exercise of church discipline is needed to help people live under Christ’s benevolent rule.

We all need help from others because following Christ is not easy. Over the years, I have observed that people who are unwilling to recognize and follow the counsel of the local church’s elder team are the ones who cause trouble, leave, or, rarely, are asked to leave. If they are not confronted, it can negatively impact the entire church by bringing down morale or teaching by example that sin is no big deal.

Because the local church is an assembly of people who choose to come under Christ’s authority and recognize his delegated authority in elders, unrepentant rebels have no place there. Our inability to relate properly to the authority of local church leaders is evidence that we have not yet properly surrendered to Christ.

Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica:

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NASB)

 

Concluding Thoughts

I have not covered many important aspects of the proper use of authority, which is a topic I have written about elsewhere. I take it for granted that you understand that the Bible does not endorse a heavy-handed use of authority to domineer others. The proper use of authority is always life-giving.

My final takeaway is this. Let us…

  1. Renew our commitment to live each day in submission to Christ and his Word, as best we can, in dependence upon God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. No one expects perfection, just an honest effort on a continuing basis.
  2. Voluntarily submit to the delegated authority God has placed in our lives – at home, work, school, government, and in the church. Learning to listen to and receive needed correction is a big part of life. Those who take heed are wise. (Proverbs 6:23)
  3. Elders in the local church should take seriously their responsibility to oversee Christ’s people and properly use their God-given servant authority for good, to help others learn to live under Christ’s benevolent rule, all the while realizing that they are “sheep” under a Shepherd, too.

One last thought…. If we do not trust our leaders enough to give them permission to speak correction into our lives when needed, we may have a personal problem or we may need to find another church where we can trust the pastoral team. Whichever is the case, I encourage each of us not to allow such a situation to persist. We should find help for ourselves or a new church.

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Authority Is Not a Four Letter Word

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It is important for us to know that authority from God’s perspective is not a four-letter word.

In the post-modern world in which we live, it seems that all authority is suspect because it is so often used for something other than God intended.

Authority in general is likely to be viewed skeptically as being a means to exercise power over others to advance a selfish agenda. Authority is often equated with authoritarianism, which is an unbridled and oppressive exercise of power. Most people naturally recoil from abusive authoritarianism, but we should be careful not to lump every exercise of authority into that one category. There are benevolent uses of authority, too. Jesus is the benevolent and just lord of all creation. The Kingdom of God is overseen by servants of God who hopefully exercise Christ’s authority in humility and love. At least, that is the ideal. This article will focus primarily on proper use of authority in the home and the church.

Authority in the Kingdom of God

When Jesus overthrew Satan’s domination of darkness and birthed the Kingdom of God, it was not something simply laid over what already existed or a rearrangement of what was already there. Christ’s kingdom is radically different in all respects. Jesus taught his disciples.

And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26  “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. Luke 22:25-26 (NASB)

Most problems with the abuse of authority begin with individuals thinking more highly of themselves than they should.

Authoritarian people imagine that they are great ones who deserve to be able to have their own way. The more power and wealth a government accumulates, the more corrupt it generally will become. People, without God’s intervention, have an insatiable lust for wanting to be considered great and powerful. Going all the way back to the garden of Eden, people want to be God, or at least a god. Glory hungry people use their authority for their own ends for self-aggrandizement, wealth, and pleasure. When power goes over to the dark side, it is used to hurt one’s enemies and those we despise.

Jesus taught that in his kingdom authority gives one a responsibility to serve others.

Corrupted power hurts others in order to protect and enrich the leader; whereas, in the kingdom of God authority is used to bless, protect, lead, and provide for the ones under its care. Worldly authority pushes others down, but godly authority pushes others up and forward.

Authority in the Home

A great example of the proper use of benevolent authority is the role of a father in the home.

If a family is following God’s principles, the father has the most authority and responsibility in the home and is called the “head.” (Ephesians 5:23) For this reason, he also is the chief servant. His responsibility is to provide for his family, love them, give guidance and instruction, model godly living, bring correction and discipline as needed, and protect those under his care from all threats.

Authority always is connected to responsibility. The more responsible a person is, the greater the authority.

Problems arise when irresponsible people use authority selfishly.

Since fathers are fallible humans, they sometimes misrepresent God through the misuse or abuse their authority. Dads may use their “headship” for selfish ends or to dominate the wife and kids, alienating them in the process, breeding resentment, and giving them a very poor model for the future. Failures at fatherhood do not nullify God’s principles. Instead they reinforce God’s ways by contrast. God’s ways produce life. The world’s ways, just the opposite.

Authority in the Church

The church is another realm in which authority is given to protect, provide, lead, guide, and correct. Disciples of Christ know that Jesus alone is the Lord of the church and of their lives in particular.

In addition, Jesus delegates authority to those whose God-given responsibility is to shepherd the flock.

Proper pastoring is a great example of how authority is meant to be used. Shepherds exist for the welfare of the sheep. They have authority over the sheep to determine where they go, when and where they feed, and when and where they drink. Shepherds lead their sheep in and out of the sheepfold, guard them from predators, and discipline wandering sheep to keep them from getting picked off by wolves and other predators, who prefer to attack stragglers and wanderers. They give special attention to those who are weak and sickly.

When followers of Christ choose to distance themselves from the flock and shepherds, they are in danger of being attacked by the enemy.

God has established pastoral authority in the church in the form of elders and five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers).

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16  from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB) 

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3  Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. 1 Peter 5:2-3 (NLT)

Other people also can have delegated authority under the oversight of these shepherds. Pastoral authority serves the church through teaching the Bible, modeling the Christian life, training and equipping disciples, correcting those who stray from the path, and guarding against threats from both within and without. The chief threats come in the form of sin and false prophets and teachers.

The Benevolent Use of Authority

Below are some important verses relating to this benevolent use of authority. The apostle Paul wrote the following to the church in Corinth.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm. 2 Corinthians 1:24 (NASB)

Godly authority teaches people how to submit to Christ’s authority. Correction by those in authority should not need to be exercised often in the lives of mature disciples. It is primarily for the immature and wayward, in a similar way to how parents are required to discipline young children far more than older ones. If parents are still trying to have domineering sway over older children, something is very wrong. A parent’s goal is to produce self-governing adult children. It is the same in the kingdom of God.

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5 (NASB)

Anytime those in leadership try to focus people’s attention on themselves for the purpose of preserving their preeminence, it is an improper use of authority.

Proper Submission to Authority

Authority in the church is very real and should be honored and obeyed as if it were being done to the Lord himself. In other words, our submission to delegated kingdom authority is based on our understanding that all legitimate authority comes from God. He stands behind it. Therefore, to honor legitimate authority is to honor God. (Romans 13:1)

We need to see that God is behind authority, or we will have a tough time submitting to another human being who has faults and weaknesses.

I am referring here primarily to the proper use of authority. When those in government use their authority and power to oppress and abuse those under them, we may be required to resist their illegitimate abuse of authority.

Any time authority demands we violate our faith, our conscience, or God’s Word, it must be resisted, while remaining as respectful as possible.

When we obey and honor those who properly use delegated authority, we do so as a way to honor our Lord. It is important for us to understand that God “has our back” and will correct his delegated authorities, if they are missing the mark somehow.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

Leaders will answer to God, which is why it is important for us to answer to them.

In answering to them, we answer to God. In caring for us, they are serving Christ.

The apostle Paul gave us a great example of the proper use of authority.

As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. 8  We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (NLT)

It is easy to see Paul’s love and care for God’s people and his determination to use his authority as a shepherd to teach, correct, care for, and protect them. Truly, authority properly used is not a four letter word, nor is it something to be taken lightly. It is part of God’s loving provision for us. It is in our best interest for us to honor and submit to those who have been given God’s delegated authority over our lives. Who knows? We may be wishing that one day people will take our authority seriously and listen to what we have to say. Since we always reap what we sow, let’s show honor and submission to God’s delegated authority as a way of honoring God himself.

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Chapter 106: The Trinity

foundations 
(lessons 104-107 are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

The doctrine of the Trinity can be summarized as follows: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. (Grudem, p. 104)

Trinity means “triunity” or “three-in-oneness.” The actual word is not found in Scripture, but the Bible does reveal this truth.

Old Testament Revelation of the Trinity

This doctrine is somewhat hidden in the Old Testament but can be derived from various scriptures when we use New Testament revelation to explain them. One of the basic rules of hermeneutics is that the New Testament explains and expands our understanding of the Old. Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus and the New Covenant.

Our first example is from Genesis.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image...”  Genesis 1:26a (NASB95)

Some try to explain the use of the plural here as what is called “plurals of majesty,” but there are no instances of this elsewhere in the Hebrew Old Testament. Others have suggested that the angels were included, but nowhere does the Bible say that angels contributed in any way to creation. The best solution is one held by early church fathers that this was a reference to God’s plurality of persons. The same usage is found later.

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—  Genesis 3:22 (NASB95)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  Isaiah 6:8 (NASB95)

There are also Old Testament verses that differentiate between God the Father and another divine being.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.  Psalm 45:6–7 (NASB95)

“God” is this passage is the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which is itself plural. Elohim refers to two separate persons here. The one whose throne is eternal and the one who anointed him. The author of the letter to the Hebrews informs us that this verse refers to our Lord Jesus.

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”  Hebrews 1:8–9 (NASB95)

In Psalm 110:1, David wrote:

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”  Psalm 110:1 (NASB95)

Jesus used this passage to silence his critics by showing that David’s descendant, the Messiah, was more than merely human.

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet” ’? 45 “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.  Matthew 22:41–46 (NASB95)

It seems that David was also aware of God’s plurality of persons.

Psalm 63:10 suggests that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person, too, who has emotions and can be “grieved.” In other passages, the “angel of the Lord” is equated with God and is a divine person. Compare…

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.  Judges 6:11 (NASB95)

With…

The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”  Judges 6:14 (NASB95)

In conclusion, we cannot derive a complete doctrine of the Trinity from the Old Testament, but it certainly contains significant hints.

New Testament Revelation of the Trinity

There are passages in which all three persons of the Godhead are present at once. In the following, we have the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit together in one place at the same time.

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”  Matthew 3:16–17 (NASB95)

This passage nullifies the heresy of modalism, which states that there is only one person of God, who merely appears in different forms.

This clearly cannot be the case, since all three persons are present at the same time. In addition, modalism makes Jesus’ prayer in the garden non-sensical. Was he talking to himself? Was he pledging to do his own will, when he said, “Not my will…?”

When Jesus gave us his baptismal formula, he differentiated between the three persons of the Trinity.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  Matthew 28:19 (NASB95)

Jesus lets us know that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons.

Some modalists teach that it is only proper to baptize in the name of Jesus. They propose that Jesus only is God, there is no Trinity, and Jesus’ name is the only name of God that we are now allowed to use. However, this disagrees with Jesus’ own command to his disciples. Although Acts records that the early apostles baptized in the name of Jesus, we are not to infer from this that Jesus’ formula is wrong or not used by the early church. However, if we understand that water baptism is primarily a declaration of allegiance to Jesus the Lord, it makes sense that people were baptized in the name of Jesus.

Other passages also mention all three members of the Godhead.

God the Father is usually referred to as “God” or theos in Greek. The Son is called Lord or kurios. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit or pneuma.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit [pneuma]. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord [kurios]. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God [theos] who works all things in all persons.  1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (NASB95)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.  2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB95)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:4–6 (NASB95) 

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.  1 Peter 1:2 (NLT)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.  Jude 20–21 (NASB95)
God Is Three Persons in One Essence

The doctrine of the Trinity says that even though God is one essence, he is three distinct persons. Perhaps no passage illustrates this mystery better than John 1:1-2.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.  John 1:1–2 (NASB95)

The Word (logos) was both “with” God (theos) and “was” God. We would never say such a thing about a human being. We cannot be someone while at the same time being with ourselves. Other verses in John clearly show that Jesus and the Father are distinct persons while being one.

Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  John 17:24 (NASB95)
 “I and the Father are one.”  John 10:30 (NASB95)

The following verse distinguishes between the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  John 14:26 (NASB95)

The Holy Spirit is called “he” in this passage. Even though the Greek word for spirit (pneuma) is neuter, the pronoun “he” (Greek – ekeinos) is masculine. Other characteristics of a person are applied to the Holy Spirit. He teaches (John 14:26), searches (1 Cor. 2:10), knows God’s thoughts (1 Cor. 2:11), is willing (1 Cor. 12:11), speaks (Acts 8:29), forbids (Acts 16:6-7), evaluates and approves (Acts 15:28), and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). (Grudem, p.107)

Each Person Is Fully God

God the Father is obviously fully God. Jesus is also God according to various scriptures.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1 (NASB95)

After his resurrection, our Lord appeared to unbelieving Thomas, telling him to put his fingers in his wounds. Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Jesus did not correct his disciple for calling him God. Hebrews 1:8 calls Jesus God, too.

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.  Hebrews 1:8 (NASB95)

The Holy Spirit is also revealed to be God in such verses as follows.

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”  Acts 5:3–4 (NASB95)

The Spirit lives inside every believer, making the church a temple of God.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  1 Corinthians 3:16 (NASB95)

 Being born again by the Spirit is also called being born of God.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  John 3:5 (NASB95)

No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  1 John 3:9 (NASB95)
There Is One God

While consisting of three distinct persons, the Trinity is one God.

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (NASB95)

When God speaks, he does so as a singular voice.

I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; 6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other,  Isaiah 45:5–6 (NASB95)

The New Testament affirms God’s oneness, too.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB95)

In the above verse, Jesus’ manhood is preeminent, highlighting his role as mediator between God and mankind.

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  James 2:19 (NASB95)
Analogies Fall Short

Sometimes we use analogies to try to convey the mystery of the Trinity, but they almost always come short of relating the complete truth. For example, the three-leaf clover that St. Patrick was said to have used to teach the Trinity in Ireland, is an imperfect analogy. Each leaf contributes to the makeup of the entire clover, but each leaf is not the clover.

Others use the three forms of water – ice, liquid, and vapor – to represent the Trinity. This one conveys part of the truth, but it is not possible to speak of one “water.” In addition, water cannot be all three at the same time. This analogy more closely corresponds to the modalistic heresy than to the truth. Perhaps the best analogy is the tripartite makeup of human beings. We are spirit, soul, and body. The three together make up the person, but each part is distinct; nevertheless, we are one person.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NASB95)
Heresies Usually Deny One Strand of Trinitarian Truth

Modalism

This heresy teaches that God is one person who appears in three different forms or modes – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This heresy is attractive in that it stresses God’s oneness and seems to overcome the claim that Christianity is a polytheistic religion. This heresy runs into big problems trying to explain the atonement (Isaiah 53:11). Into whose hands did Jesus commit his spirit when ready to expire on the cross? To whom was Jesus praying when he addressed the Father? Why did Jesus say that the Spirit of God was upon him (Luke 4:18), if he and the Spirit are one? Modalism forces us to believe that God deliberately deceives us in these instances and dismisses the clear relationships between Father, Son, and Spirit.

 Arianism

This heresy denies the full deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Arius, bishop of Alexandria in the fourth century, is credited with developing this false doctrine, which was condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Modern exponents of this heresy include the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This error teaches that Jesus is a created being, not the eternal Son of God. They believe the Greek term “monogenes” (only begotten) means that Jesus was created. We can properly interpret this word in three ways. First, Jesus’ body was created when the Spirit impregnated Mary at the Incarnation. Secondly, Jesus is the first-born from the dead (Colossians 1:18), meaning he was the first to rise again from the dead permanently, making him the first-born of (the new) creation (Colossians 1:15). Additionally, the first-born of creation can mean the one having the privileges of the first-born, which includes being in charge. Thirdly, the word can also mean “one of a kind,” in a class all by itself. It is clear from other scriptures, which we covered earlier, that Jesus is indeed God and truly man.

Subordinationism

This heresy holds that, even though Jesus is divine, he is not equal to the Father. This false teaching was also rejected at the Council of Nicea. This one is interesting in that it relates to the relationship between a natural father and son and a man and his wife. The Father in heaven is not superior to the Son, but he is called “greater” by the Son out of respect. Natural children are to honor their parents, but no one would ever say that they are not equal to their parents. Equality of being is not the same as having equal roles. The same is true regarding man and wife. The man is given headship and is respected and obeyed by the wife, but he is not superior to her. These are God-given roles we play. Subordination in role is not equal to subordination in being.

The Jewish leaders understood that Jesus claimed to be equal with God and condemned him for it.

For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.  John 5:18 (NASB95)

Tritheism

No group today holds this view, but other religions, such as Islam, accuse Christians of worshiping three Gods.

Roles within the Godhead

Creation

  • God the Father spoke creative words to bring the world into being. (Genesis 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:6)
  • The Son is the eternal Word or logos through whom the Father’s decree was carried out. (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16)
  • The Holy Spirit’s role was more mysterious. He is said to have “hovered” or “moved” over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2 – rachaph – grow soft, relax, tremble)

Redemption

  • God the Father planned redemption. (Ephesians 1:3-5, John 3:16)
  • Jesus carried out the Father’s plan by dying for our sins and rising again. (John 6:38-40, Hebrews 10:5-7)
  • The Holy Spirit is a sort of executor who applies the merits of Christ’s sacrifice to those whom the Father elected and draws them to Christ. (John 3:5-8, 1 Peter 1:2)

Equality of deity does not prohibit the persons of the Trinity from serving in subordinate roles. For us to operate with proper humility toward one another, it is important for us both to recognize and embrace this distinction.

The Eternal Existence of the Three Persons of the Trinity in Their Roles

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians informs us that the Father chose us in the Son before he created the world. This indicates that their respective roles preexisted creation.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,  Ephesians 1:3–5 (NASB95)

The different functions of the persons of the Trinity reveal the nature of their eternal relationships. Their respective roles are essential to who they are in the Godhead. In being they are the same, but in roles subordination comes into play.

Subordination does not imply inferiority.

In marriage God brings male and female into a unity in which the two become one flesh. This unity is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and his church, which is also a unity. It also reflects the unity of the three Persons of the Trinity.

“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 7 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, 8 and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”  Mark 10:6–9 (NASB95)

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.  Ephesians 5:31–32 (NASB95)

This unity in diversity is also reflected in the church which is one body but has many members.

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Romans 12:4–5 (NASB95)

The doctrine of the Trinity is an important lesson in humility. If the Persons of the Trinity are able to subordinate themselves to one another, surely we can do the same.

Jesus was the perfect example. Paul wrote:

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:6–11 (NLT)

The ability to humbly function in subordinate roles when appropriate is perhaps the greatest takeaway for us in the doctrine of the Trinity. God is humble while being unfathomably great and powerful.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95)

 

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