Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Does Having a Right Attitude toward Authority Really Matter?

 

 

 

 

 

Our attitude reveals the condition of our hearts.

A poor attitude reveals a heart that is not fully engaged or in agreement with its circumstances or assignment. People who have a poor attitude usually do poor work and have strained relationships and are a drain on everyone else.

Attitudes are contagious.

People with negative attitudes can rub off on others, pulling down an entire community or team. Wise coaches and leaders must properly handle individual attitude problems before they escalate into something worse. Conversely, people who have a great attitude can lift a group.

How we think will eventually be reflected in the words we speak and the actions we take.

Principle #1: God uses authority to work for good in our lives.

The Bible teaches us that our attitude toward those in authority is crucial. This is because all authority is derived from God. As such, when we resist authority, we resist God.

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Romans 13:1 (NLT)

Such a Biblical stance is based on the foundational doctrine of God’s sovereignty.

The Bible states unequivocally that God rules over all and works all things in accordance with his plans, even the things that we consider to be calamities.

Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? 38  Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? 39  Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? 40  Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the LORD. Lamentations 3:37-40 (NLT)

As followers of Christ, everything always works for our ultimate good.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29  For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:28-29 (NLT)

The good toward which God is always working is to conform us to Christ’s likeness on the inside. Therefore, using this divine logic, even when God allows evil people to be in authority over us, he still is working for our good.

Principle #2: Complaining against authority is dangerous to our well-being.

A second principle, therefore, is that to complain against those God has placed in authority over us is to complain against God and his plan for our lives, which is never a good idea.

The first being who is recorded to have had a bad relationship with authority is Satan. He rebelled and revolted against God directly and was forced out of God’s presence. He ultimately will  be consigned to the lake of fire. As mentioned before, bad attitudes are contagious. He passed his to Adam and Eve, who blamed God for their sin of rebellion. Adam blamed Eve, whom God had provided to be his helper/assistant/completer. In Adam’s mind, it was God’s fault that he disobeyed God, since God had provided him with Eve. Never mind that Adam chose to go along with her misguided revolt instead of using his influence to dissuade her. Such is the logic of the rebel. Bad attitudes toward authority produce bad words, which accuse, blame, or find fault with authority, which result in rebellious actions.

Thankfully, the converse is also true. A great attitude toward authority will produce wholesome words and positive acts of obedience. Jesus is our finest example. It was his delight to do everything he saw his Father doing and speak everything he heard his Father speak. His goal was to bring his Father glory, even when his Father’s will was extremely difficult and personally very costly.

No fear, pride, or resentment had any hold on Jesus; therefore, he did not fall to these three main temptations that can lead us into having a bad attitude toward authority. You and I, however, have to contend with each. The Bible gives us some clear examples of how not to relate to God’s delegated authority, as well as how to do it correctly.

The Fear Factor

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. 23  When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). 24  Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. Exodus 15:22-24 (NLT)

There is nothing like a little adversity to bring out the rebel in all of us! This is especially true when our expectations are out of line with what God is doing in our lives. Many people think that God wants us to be trouble free. Nothing is further from the truth. Adversity is what tests and refines our character and transforms us into Christ’s image, which is one of God’s main goals for us during our short stay here on planet earth.

If self-preservation and a life of ease are our top priorities, we will surely become a complainer; but, if God’s glory and his will are our main objectives, we will be able to pass every test.

When things do not go as we expect, we often slip into fear and the blame game. Whoever is leading us when disappointment shows up will likely be the target of our anger and complaining.

When we actually have a problem with God, we will likely blame those in authority. They are convenient targets.

The Old Testament is full of examples of God’s people turning against delegated authority when things went south. Just read Exodus and Numbers to see first hand how poorly it went for the rebels. The takeaway is that God judges rebels, and it’s never a good thing to be their camp.

When Leaders Fall Short

How do we respond when leaders sin and disappoint us by their behavior?

Unless resentment is handled correctly, it can easily morph into bitterness. Untended offenses can propel us to criticize and judge our leader’s misdeeds in an effort to overthrow their authority under the camouflage of self-righteousness.

Let’s consider Absalom’s rebellion for an example. He was infuriated by his father David’s failure to punish his son by a different mother, Amnon, for raping Absalom’s sister by the same mother, Tamar. This was a major failure on David’s part. His reluctance to judge and punish Amnon may well have had its roots in his own previous moral failure with Bathsheba. It’s hard to be tough in an area where we required mercy. It was understandable that Absalom was upset. His sister had been grievously and criminally violated and the perp got away with it! This test revealed Absalom’s heart. It showed that he was filled with pride. He failed to realize his own need for mercy, which allowed him to become judge, jury, and executioner of someone else. Absalom’s resentment escalated into bitterness, hatred, and outright rebellion. He spoke against his father, hatched a plan to overthrow him, and undertook to oust him from being king and to put him to death.

Proverbs says:

A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Proverbs 17:11 (NASB)

This is exactly what happened to Absalom. General Joab took care of the rebellion by eliminating the source of the infection, driving several spears into David’s embittered son as he hung by his hair in a tree. His pride, as exemplified by his long flowing hair, is what did him in. Ultimately bitterness is fueled by pride, and pride always precedes a fall.

One of Absalom’s chief co-conspirators was Ahithophel, Bathsheba’s grandfather. This man was reputed to be the wisest man in Israel, and his counsel was considered to be almost infallible. Despite his great wisdom, he also fell to the power of resentment and harbored bitterness toward David for having committed adultery with his granddaughter, Bathsheba, and murdering her husband, Uriah, who was one of the most faithful men in Israel. As with Absalom, Ahithophel had grounds for being upset with David, who had selfishly robbed his family of something precious. His inability to forgive David, even after God did, led to his downfall. His bitterness overcame his wisdom, leading him, against all wisdom, to join a plot against God’s appointed authority. As might be expected, things ended very poorly for Ahithophel. He committed suicide when he realized the coup would fail.

David sinned mightily against God, Absalom, Bathsheba, Uriah, and Ahithophel, indeed against the entire nation, for which he deserved to die according the Law of Moses. Nevertheless, after David repented of his sin, God forgave him and promised to spare his life and retain him as king. Absalom and Ahithophel were not able to go along with this act of mercy and demanded that David be punished with death. They were even willing to carry out the sentence themselves! Could anyone have had a more just sounding position than those two? Surely God must have been on their side in this matter. David needed to go! Or did he?

David had been in a similar position as Absalom and Ahithophel many years before when Saul betrayed the trust of the Israelites by putting his own goals ahead of God’s purposes. Saul tried to kill David on multiple occasions for no other reason than that David was favored by God and was suspected of being God’s choice to replace Saul. Surely Saul deserved to die for his transgressions! But David knew better than to show disrespect toward God’s appointed authority. He refused to take matters into his own hands. The Bible records an instance where David showed mercy to his master and refused to harm him when he could have.

Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9  He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10  This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD’s anointed.‘ 1 Samuel 24:4-10 (NIV)

As a result, David’s eventual accession to the throne after Saul was killed in battle with the Philistines was not tainted by his having been an agent of rebellion against the sitting king earlier.

Later, during Absalom’s rebellion, David reaped, positively, what he had sown years before. When Absalom attacked Jerusalem, David cast himself upon the mercies and protection of God. Those who show mercy will receive mercy in return. Humility leads to greatness in God’s kingdom.

The moral of the story is that we must not take it upon ourselves to punish and oust God’s delegated authority over us, even when he or she may fail miserably.

God is perfectly capable of doing that himself.

Conclusion

Complaining against authority derives from a lack of faith in God’s sovereignty and his promise to work things for our good and his glory. It shows that we do not understand that all authority ultimately derives from God himself and must be respected. It reveals that we lack a proper fear of God regarding what happens to those who rebel against God’s delegated authority.

So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. Romans 13:2 (NLT)

Since God’s Word is true, we know for sure that those who are actively resisting our government’s elected officials will suffer God’s judgment, even if they succeed for the short run. But what about us? If we are chronic complainers against authority, it is time to repent. Allow the Holy Spirit to examine your life. He is perfectly capable of making us aware of any shortcoming he wishes to expose. We don’t need to resort to becoming unduly introspective. It is not enough to merely repent, however. We should begin acting and speaking with an opposite spirit, respecting those in authority over us, even when we disagree with their actions and agenda.

Is there ever a time to resort to revolution and violence? Our founding fathers and many preachers of that day thought so, but others did not. Antifa thinks so. What about us? This is a gnarly question with which each of us must wrestle. If a government violates its own laws and becomes oppressive, does this give us the right to seek its overthrow? Our founding fathers thought so. What does the Bible say? Should our respect for authority always lead to passive acceptance of oppression, or should we defend the government from enemies on the inside, even elected officials who have violated their pledge to govern according to the Constitution?

The Jews fought against the repressive Roman government and suffered a massive judgment in 70 AD. The Christians living during that general time period suffered a great persecution under Emperor Nero, in which thousands were cruelly martyred for their faith in Christ. They did not rise up against Rome; yet, they still suffered. Jesus stood for God’s kingdom, incurring the wrath of the authorities of Israel and Rome, without showing disrespect or resorting to violence. As a result,  great violence was done to him. What is the paradigm for us believers going forward? Are we to be like sheep, as Paul wrote during the great persecution of Nero?

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35-37 (NLT)

There may be coming a day when you and I will have to face these questions.

Now is the time to be seeking the Lord and to make sure our attitude toward God and his delegated authority is that which will bring honor to him and blessings to us.

If the day arrives for us to make momentous decisions regarding our stance toward an increasingly oppressive US government, may we make the wise decision and be on God’s side.

Prayer

Lord, I have been guilty of harboring a bad attitude toward those you have placed in authority over me. (Name them.) Also, help me to model what it means to have a proper attitude toward authority in the future. Let me become an asset to those you have placed over me, rather than a hindrance. Prepare me and those I love for whatever may be coming down the road. Show us what we need to know,  so that when the time arrives we will be secure in our position and know what to do. Amen.

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The Gospel in Relationship to the Covenants

 

 

 

 

One way to look at the Bible is as one long gospel message. God always planned to send his only begotten Son so that we humans might live through him. God’s relationship with man over the centuries was based on a series of covenants that ultimately found expression in what is called the New Covenant, which is the last and most extraordinary. It’s coming was the most wonderful news for mankind.

The New Covenant was inaugurated against the backdrop of Israel’s extensive history with God. It was the last of a series of covenants which began at creation, or even before. Other covenants were added at very significant times in Israel’s spiritual history. Each covenant built upon or stood in contrast to the others. In order to properly understand and appreciate the New Covenant and it is important that we grasp the meaning and purpose of the other covenants, the sacrifices, and the feasts, about which I have written in other articles. You may wish to click on the links in the previous sentence in order to read those articles before going forward in this one..

Understanding the covenants will greatly increase our appreciation of Jesus and his finished work on our behalf and give us new insights into the overall plan of God and the gospel.

God has always chosen to relate to his creation through covenants. This should not be surprising because God, by nature, is a promise keeper. He is always faithful and true to his word, because that is the essence of his character.

Covenants are built upon promises to be faithful to a relationship and an agreement. Covenants are serious business because God is serious about being faithful to keep promises.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? Numbers 23:19 (NET1)

Some of the covenants have great significance for the human race in general and others specifically relate only to God’s covenant people. Covenants can be unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral. In a unilateral covenant, the covenant maker takes sole responsibility for keeping the conditions of the covenant. These are unconditional covenants, meaning that the one to whom the promise is made does not have to perform in order to gain what is promised. Bilateral and multilateral covenants are conditional in nature. In a bilateral covenant, two parties each take responsibility to keep their end of the agreement. A multilateral agreement affects more than two parties.

An example of a unilateral covenant is the one God made with Noah following the flood. God promised that he would never again destroy all life by means of a great flood. He gave Noah the sign of the rainbow as a reminder that He would forever keep his promise. Noah was not required to do anything to keep God bound to his promise. A bilateral covenant is exemplified in marriage. The husband and wife both bind themselves to be exclusively faithful to each other until death. The ring is given as a token of the covenant. An example of a multilateral covenant is the one between God and Israel called the Mosaic covenant. If the Israelites would obey God’s Law and serve him only, God would pour out blessings upon them. Otherwise, they should expect judgments. Circumcision was the sign of this covenant.

Unconditional unilateral covenants are also called covenants of grace. This means that the benefits of the covenants come to us as free gifts from God. Conditional covenants are also called covenants of works. The benefits of these covenants depend upon the involved parties ability to keep the conditions of the covenant. Let’s take a look at some major covenants and then focus on the New Covenant.

Covenant of Creation or Edenic Covenant

But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:16-17 (NLT)

The Edenic Covenant was a multilateral conditional covenant of works. God sovereignly set the terms of this covenant. Obedience to a simple commandment would result in life; whereas, disobedience would end in death. Adam and Eve failed to keep their end of the covenant and brought death and curses upon the entire human race. At a deeper level, this covenant tested humanity’s willingness to draw life from God in humble dependence. Instead our first parents chose to strike out alone in independence from and opposition to God, which cut them off from the life they had with the Creator / Sustainer of the universe. God made the first gospel promise in the garden after their epic failure.

Adamic Covenant

Then the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. 15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 (NLT)

This unilateral promise or covenant was announced to the serpent who authored the deception that led to Adam’s and Eve’s sinful rejection of God’s authority. Although its full meaning was not understood by those who heard it, we now know that here God promised to send the Messiah who would be a descendant of these fallen ones who would defeat the serpent (Satan). No conditions were attached to Adam and Eve to bind God to this promise.

God bound himself to redeem mankind by giving his word, which is inviolable.

Noahic Covenant

Then God told Noah and his sons, 9  “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, 10  and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. 11  Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” 12  Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13  I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. 14  When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, 15  and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. 16  When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” 17  Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” Genesis 9:8-17 (NLT)

As in the case of the Adamic covenant, the Noahic Covenant was a unilateral unconditional covenant of grace that followed on the heels of a horrific judgment against sin called the great flood. Grace is most appreciated against the backdrop of human failure and God’s judgment. When man’s best is not enough, the grace of God comes to the rescue.

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. Romans 5:20 (NLT)

Abrahamic Covenant

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2  And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3  And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB)

God appeared to Abraham several times to give him “installments” of the wonderful covenant he made with him. The good news or gospel contained in this covenant promise is that all the families of the earth would be eventually blessed through this man in the person of one descendant named Jesus.

Abraham is called the “father” of our faith because through him God raised up a nation through which would come the written Word of God and the Messiah.

In another installment in Genesis 15, we see God making a unilateral unconditional covenant of grace with Abraham. Most striking is the theophany (appearance of God in symbolic form). In the Old Testament covenants were literally “cut,” rather than “made.” Animals were sacrificed as part of the covenant cutting ceremony. God told Abraham to divide several animals and put their separate pieces side by side with a path between them. In a bilateral or multilateral covenant, both parties would walk between the pieces showing that they bound themselves to faithfully keep the conditions of the covenant upon pain of death. They were saying, in effect, may it be done to me as has been done to these animals if I violate the covenant.

In the passage above, it is important to see that God alone passed between the animals, taking upon himself full responsibility for keeping the promise he made to Abraham. The Abrahamic covenant guaranteed that God would give to Abraham innumerable descendants and the land of Canaan, and that through him the entire earth would be blessed.

indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18  "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Genesis 22:17-18 (NASB)

This covenant promise is a integral part of the gospel message. It is part of the backdrop against which we understand who Jesus is and what he came to do. This promise was fulfilled when Jesus came as the Messiah.

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)

Mosaic Covenant

And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (ESV)

But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Deuteronomy 28:15 (ESV)

The covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai is also called the Law or the Old Covenant. It was a multilateral conditional covenant of works. Essentially, God promised to be Israel’s God, protector, and provider if they would keep the requirements of the Law. These requirements were broken down into three main categories – ceremonial, moral, and dietary laws. The feasts and sacrifices, which I wrote about in other articles, were part of the ceremonial aspect of the law. If Israel obeyed God, they would be blessed, but, if they disobeyed, they would suffer the “curses” (judgments) attached to violating the covenant.

The history of Israel is the story of repeated covenant violations on the part of the Jewish people. The Old Covenant failed to bring the blessings it promised because the people were unable to keep its provisions because sin had hopelessly corrupted human nature. The Mosaic Covenant underscored the sinfulness of all human beings and pointed to our need for a savior.

This covenant is part of the gospel in the sense that it acts as a guide to lead us to Christ.

So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:24 (NIV)

Davidic Covenant

Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever. 2 Samuel 7:11-16 (NLT)

The covenant God made with David was unilateral, unconditional, and based on grace. This covenant was partially fulfilled through David’s natural offspring, but that dynasty eventually came to an end, as did the political nation of Israel.

This promise is part of the gospel. Through it God announced beforehand the coming of the great Messianic King, a descendant of David, who would redeem Israel and become a blessing to the entire earth. He rose again as Lord of lords and will eventually judge the living and the dead.

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Luke 1:29-33 (NIV)

The New Covenant

“The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD. 33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NLT)

The Old Covenant was not able to provide God’s people with blessings, but only revealed how sinful they are. It had no hope of success because people are fundamentally and tragically flawed by sin.

But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. Hebrews 8:8 (NLT)

The New Covenant had been God’s plan all along. It does not depend upon sinful human beings for its success.

Whereas the blessings of the Law of Moses, under the Old Covenant, were conditioned upon individuals and nations keeping God’s laws in perfect obedience, the New Covenant depends upon the perfect obedience of the only begotten Son of God.

The New Covenant, therefore, is a bilateral covenant between God the Father and his Son, Jesus, our Messiah and Savior, in which we participate by faith.

I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:6-7 (ESV)

We benefit from the New Covenant by “riding the coattails” of our Savior. Through the spiritual mystery of identification and the new birth, we become one with God in the spirit and joined to all the blessings found in God’s perfect Son.

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)

We are baptized into (become one with) the death and resurrection of our Lord. His death was the punishment we deserved for breaking the terms of the Old Covenant. Although he perfectly obeyed his heavenly Father and did not deserve to die, he willingly laid down his life on our behalf as our substitute. When he died, we died; and, when he rose again in victory and life, we rose with him. As a result, the power of sin has been defeated on our behalf. We now participate in the life of God, thanks to the Holy Spirit, who lives inside every born again believer. Truly, we are being saved from the inside out. God’s life begins as a seed and grows inside us in order to permeate every area of our lives.

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 (NET1)

The New Covenant was always in God’s mind from the very beginning. (Ephesians 1:3-6) Some believe it is actually an eternal covenant made between the Father and the Son before the world was created. God the Father knows that his Son is the only source of life and blessings. It has been that way from the beginning. Therefore, the New Covenant had to draw its life from Jesus, and could not depend on sinful man.

Rather than expecting people to conform to external regulations of behavior, it promised to save people from the inside out. God would provide us with a substitute to die for us, reveal himself to us, forgive our sins, and change our hearts. He will actually give us a new heart, compliments of the indwelling Holy Spirit!

The New Covenant depends upon the Holy Spirit opening our spiritual eyes, ears, and hearts to know and believe in Jesus as savior and lord. It is only by “beholding” Jesus as he really is that a person can be changed. Seeing Jesus as the Son of God and Lord of Lords inspires our hearts to believe, and, through trusting in Christ and his finished work, we are saved.

A divine power is released in us that transforms us when the Spirit of God opens our eyes to know Jesus by revelation.

For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. John 6:40 (NASB)

The New Covenant Completes or Fulfills the Other Covenants

The New Covenant is connected with all the other covenants in one way or another. The tree of life mentioned in the Edenic Covenant typifies Christ. He is the source and sustainer of life. Adam and Eve were meant to draw their life from him as the branches of a vine draw their life from the root.

Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NET1)

Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to our first parents after the first sin. He is the seed of the woman who crushed Satan’s head through his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection.

The Noahic Covenant prefigured what is yet to come when God shall once more judge the entire earth at Christ’s Second Coming. Even as God restarted the human race, in a sense, through Noah, he also inaugurated a new generation of believers through the gospel.

The Abrahamic Covenant was also fulfilled in Christ. God’s promise to Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed has come true in Christ. Through the preaching of the gospel, God is gathering persons from every culture group and nation in the earth and providing them with every spiritual blessing in his Son.

The Davidic Covenant’s promise that a descendant of that great king would sit upon the his throne has come true in Christ, the King of Kings.

The Mosaic Covenant has been fulfilled and replaced. Only one person could keep its requirements – the Son of God. After our Lord fulfilled its covenant conditions and obtained the corresponding blessings, which have been passed on to all believers, the New Covenant has superseded it and made it fade away; although, it still condemns those who sin and have not asked Christ to forgive them and be Lord of their lives.

When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NLT)

New Covenant Grace

Under the New Covenant, Christians live by grace (God’s ability and blessings, which come via his indwelling Holy Spirit) and not by the merits of their own performance. We depend on God’s free gift instead of trying to earn a right standing with him through our works. As beneficiaries of the New Covenant, we must now refuse to submit to external regulations and rules as a means of gaining a right standing with God. (Colossians 2:10-17)

Instead, our rule of life now is to love God, love people, and teach others to do the same. The moral aspects of the Old Covenant Law of Moses are still in effect. Christians are not permitted to murder, commit acts of immorality, lie, or steal. This is because these sins violate the law of love. Since we are being changed on the inside, our desires are also being changed. Rather than needing to be constrained by external laws, God is constraining us inwardly to love and serve him in order to bring him glory. The difference is that before, under the Law, we sought to obey him in order to obtain and maintain a right standing with God.

Under the New Covenant, having been given a right standing with God, we obey him as an act of gratitude and surrender to the One who loves us so greatly and who deserves to be glorified and properly feared. Our desire is to bring glory to him in every aspect of our lives. The motivation has been changed from trying to earn favor to wanting to bring him glory. (1 John 5:2-5)

God created us to draw our life from him. We were never supposed to be independent operators. When Adam and Eve abandoned this plan in order to pursue their desire to live without restraint and be “like God,” it brought untold sorrow and destruction to humanity.

Even in that pristine state of having been newly created, Adam and Eve quickly walked away from intimacy with and dependency upon God. Jesus, through the New Covenant, restored us back to God’s original purpose. Through our faith in Christ and the life of the indwelling Spirit, we have been once again united to the One who gave and sustains life.

What Satan used to try to destroy us, the pursuit of “god” status, now has been freely given to us in Christ. Through the new birth and transformation of the Spirit, we are being remade into Christ’s image and are becoming truly “like God” as we draw our life from him, the source of all life and blessings! May all glory and honor be his forever and ever!

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Countering Deception by Answering Life’s Crucial Questions: What Will Happen After We Die?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have now come to the last of our five worldview questions, which is: What will happen to us after we die? What is our eternal destiny, and what difference does it make? What we believe about our eternal destiny derives from what we believe regarding the previous four worldview questions.

Unless we are hypocrites, how we answer this final question will highly influence how we live.

Bad News

God created us in his image so that we can relate to him as worshipers who draw life and wisdom from him and fulfill his purposes for us here on earth, which are to be fruitful and multiply and to take dominion over and care for creation. God provided all we need to live happy, productive, and fruitful lives in fellowship with and dependence upon him. But that did not satisfy the first humans. They were deceived and lured into choosing to be independent from God, which sadly introduced sin, sickness, bondage, death, the corruption of the creation, and the distortion of God’s wonderful plan. Adam’s enduring legacy was sin, death, and destruction. God’s creation had been marred and his children sentenced to death. Satan gained the ascendancy and ruled as a tyrant. The situation seemed hopeless (Ephesians 2:12) because no one is able to live up to God’s holy standards or achieve the righteousness that would bring eternal life and reward. We all fall short. (Romans 3:21-24) Our sin earned (earns) for us the just sentence of death. (Romans 6:23) Therefore, every person should face a bleak and hopeless future, since at the Last Judgment we will all be found guilty of sin and rebellion against God and sentenced to the fires of hell.

Good News

The Good News is that God so loved his struggling creatures that he sent his Son, Jesus the Messiah, to save us from this horrible destiny. (John 3:16)

As the Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), he lived the way God intended for the first Adam. Jesus also sacrificed his life as God’s Lamb, taking the guilt and punishment for our sins and rebellion upon himself, so that we could be forgiven and our relationship with God restored. (John 1:29) When he rose again three days later, he emerged from the tomb as the glorious, victorious Lord. Anyone who believes the good news that Jesus died for our sins and is now the risen Lord, will receive forgiveness, eternal life, and restoration to a right relationship with God! (Romans 10:9-13)

Through Jesus’, the Last Adam’s, resurrection, God inaugurated a new edition of humanity. (Isaiah 53:10)

All those who believe are born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3), who lives within every believer as the internal fountain of life, the revealer of truth, and the one who inspires, assists, and empowers us to live for God. (John 7:37-39) This new generation of people are inwardly motivated to serve God, doing those things which bring joy to God’s heart and blessings to other people. (Philippians 2:13)

How Should We Then Live?

Jesus taught his followers that everyone lives and dies, after which there will be a resurrection and judgment, at which we will be rewarded or punished for what we believed and how we lived. (Luke 14:12-14, Matthew 25:31-36) Those who are born only once (physically, naturally) will die twice. They will die a physical death and one day be consigned to the Lake of Fire, which is called the “Second Death.”

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)

Those who are born twice (physically and spiritually, through the new birth), will only die once – physically. Their eternal life and destiny are secure.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (ESV)

Jesus taught us to live in such a way that will maximize our eternal reward. (Matthew 6:19-20)

If we truly believe Jesus’ teachings and the gospel, we will live accordingly. We will put what God values at the top of our own priority lists.

True believers will sacrifice what we cannot keep in order to gain that which we cannot lose.

We will lay aside sin and selfishness in order to pursue the things that bring God glory and honor. We will make the Great Commission our top priority, because others need to find out about this amazing offer from God called the gospel!

John the Apostle summed it up very well.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 (ESV)

How we live reveals what we truly believe. What will your life, your values, your priorities, your choices, and your actions say about you at the Last Judgment?

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Countering Deception by Answering Life’s Crucial Questions: How Can I Know Right from Wrong?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we have a moral or ethical question, where should we turn to find the answer? Universities have entire courses devoted to ethics. Businesses provide seminars on the subject. Ethical and moral dilemmas abound in the religious, political, and business worlds. It is part of life for us to be confronted with difficult questions that demand thoughtful answers. How can we properly navigate a course that requires us to make judgments between good and evil, right and wrong, and true and false?

This article deals with the fourth worldview question in my series. Once we have wrestled with the first three worldview questions,

  1. Origins: From where did we come?
  2. Identity: Who are we?
  3. Purpose: What is our purpose in life?,

we come to the subject of this article.

If we conclude that we originated by chance out of nothing, we may further infer that either we cannot know good from evil or that, more logically, there is no real distinction, since such concepts are human inventions designed to help preserve and promote the human race, without having any basis in reality, whatever that is.

However, if we answer the first question by saying we were created by God, the answer to how do we know right from wrong must also come from God.

Why Do We Even Care?

Through experience, most people believe that there are both good and evil. No one could watch the torture of a loved one and simply shrug his or her shoulders and walk away thinking, “Oh well, what can we expect in an amoral universe?” Injustice rankles even the most atheistic. The Communist Party, a chief proponent of atheism, has overthrown governments and inspired millions by stirring up rage against alleged injustices imposed by the privileged elite upon the oppressed working class. Although they do not seem to worry very much about murdering millions of people to obtain and maintain power, rage over financial, and now racial, injustice fuels the fires of revolution. Even though fomenting hatred against injustice for them is merely a means to an end, for those under their sway who rally to their cause, there is real felt outrage. Why do humans, even godless ones, care so much about justice, if we live in a randomly evolved world in an unsympathetic universe? It makes no sense.

But, if we believe that God created us in his image, we must conclude that he planted a love and desire for justice deep in the human heart.

Unless we are sociopaths or have “seared” it through regularly practicing evil, each of us also has an inner moral guide called the conscience, which tugs at our hearts when we do wrong. From where did the conscience come? Is it a social-psychological construct, as posited by Freud, or did our Creator put it inside us?

Since we were created in God’s image, we have a desire to be like him and an unease when we are not.

Anthropologists recognize that, despite cultural and religious differences, there is a commonality of understanding across the breadth of humanity of right and wrong,

If we believe that God created us, we understand that all humanity came from the same stock and possesses a common understanding, no matter how marred it may be.

Who Told You That?

In the beginning, God did not want Adam and Eve to know good and evil for themselves, because he wanted to protect them from the “Pandora’s Box” of woes associated with such knowledge.

Satan, taking the form of a talking serpent, introduced something new into their pristine lives – doubt. He planted mistrust in Adam’s and Eve’s minds regarding the integrity and goodness of God. He accused the Creator of being less than forthcoming and withholding something good from humanity. Falling for the ruse, our first parents judged God to be a liar and chose to disobey his command in order to gain firsthand knowledge of good and evil and be like God in that respect. They embraced deception and were deceived. They turned away from God and introduced sin, death, and destruction into God’s creation – all to gain the ability to be self-directed agents and make their own decisions about good and evil. They did actually receive a brand new understanding of evil, but it was not at all good. For the first time they felt guilt and fear, which propelled them to hide from God instead of enjoy fellowship with him. God immediately recognized what had happened.

Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10  He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11  “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:9-11 (NLT)

Because Adam and Eve rejected God as the Source of truth and life and opened their hearts to knowledge from an evil source, they became aware of things that God, as a good parent, never intended for his children to know. Originally God intended that they simply do what he said, without needing to go beyond that. That way he could save them from the dark abyss of knowing evil first hand.

Now as a result of Adam’s and Eve’s transgression, knowing right from wrong is a huge challenge for all of us.

How do we properly know things we were never meant to know?

By default we tend to lean to our own resources in the struggle to differentiate good from evil. Satan always is willing to provide his input, too, which invariably leads us away from God and robs us of joy. Is it even possible for us to get back on track?

Plugging into the Right Source Again

The Old Covenant Law clearly defined right and wrong with respect to morals, diet, sanitation, and religious rites, but it did nothing to help us keep the Law. Basically it exposed the depth of our sin problem and our need for a Savior. Jesus came to introduce a brand new way of doing life, called the New Covenant, in which the Life Giver resides inside the believer, motivating and changing him from the inside out. (You can read more about the amazing new covenant by clicking here.)

All truth is God’s truth. It is part of God’s character and does not exist outside of him.

Jesus is the incarnation of truth (John 14:6), and unless we are reconnected to God through faith in him, we will always be confused and misled.

In addition to having living truth reside in us when we believe, Jesus taught us that God’s Word, the written Scriptures, are truth. This not surprising, since Jesus is the living Word of God, the “Word made flesh.” (John 1:14) All Scripture was breathed by God and written down by people. (2 Tim. 3:16) The Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of truth, inspired the authors of the Bible to insure its authenticity. (John 16:13)

Therefore, we must rely upon Jesus, the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit, if we are to grow in a true knowledge of what is true, right, and good.

The church is also called the pillar and support of the truth. (1 Tim. 3:15) The assembly of those who acknowledge that Christ is Lord and Savior and who have the Holy Spirit living inside them functioning as their guide, teacher, and revealer of truth, have been given the responsibility of guarding, preaching, and applying God’s truth to daily life.

Therefore, we also need to be in a living, working, ongoing relationship with others in a local church.

Going it alone is a repeat of Adam’s and Eve’s initial mistake. We cannot do life as “loners,” because we are very liable to veer off course into error.

Steps to Getting In Sync with God

Sin began with deception, produces deception, and ends in deception and death. Jesus called Satan the father of lies, in whom there is no truth. (John 8:44) The entire world is under the spell of deception woven by the evil one. (1 John 5:19)

Jesus came into this world as the incarnate Truth to reveal God’s true nature and undo the lie about God introduced in the garden.

  1. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) The first step to knowing what is good, true, and right is to recognize who Jesus is and to surrender ourselves completely to him. On a personal level, this effectively undoes the rebellion against God that began in the garden.
  2. The second step is to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and God’s revealed truth, the Bible. We can trust the Spirit of God to teach us what the Bible means. (John 14:26) Unless we put God’s revealed truth at the top of our list as the one most reliable source of truth, we cannot grow in the knowledge of what is true, right, and good. We also must commit ourselves to obeying God’s truth; otherwise, we will likely become religious hypocrites. (James 1:22)
  3. The third step in the pathway to truth is to connect with a local church, which teaches and puts into practice what the Bible teaches. No church or person is perfect, but there must be the desire and commitment to live in truth. Other believers in such a local church will serve as checks and balances to what we are receiving from the Lord directly from our study of the Bible.

If we do the above, we will move forward in our quest for truth. However, no person or church or group is the sole possessor of truth. We must hang tightly to humility, realizing that we only have a portion of truth, not the whole, and that we need one another. Truth is found in a person named Jesus. Everything else points to him.

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Countering Deception by Answering Life’s Crucial Questions: Why Am I Here?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This series examines how the Bible answers life’s greatest questions. In so doing, it give us purpose and clarity for life. It also protects us from being swept away by dangerous ideas that lead to death and destruction. I write from the perspective of a long time Christian pastor and teacher; so, I will apply these principles to the church. They apply just as perfectly to government, family, business, and our personal life.

The first article gave an overview of the series. The second one dealt with origins. The third asked and answered the question, “Who Are We?” This one delves into our purpose for living, which is provided by God in the following verses.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 (ESV)

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15 (NASB)

The basic purpose of humankind can be summarized in three points: multiply, take dominion, and tend the garden.

These commands were specific to Adam’s and Eve’s situation, but a case can be made that they are still in effect, since there is no record anywhere that God rescinded them. The “garden” should now be understood as the entire earth in which we live, tainted as it is by sin and the long term effect of our living here. These purposes apply to every human being in a practical and natural way. They also apply directly to the mission of the church.

Jesus summarized our purpose a little differently by giving us two commandments, which I summarize: love God and love our neighbor (Luke 10:27). These commandments provide the environment in which we fulfill the Genesis mandates.

Fruitfulness and Multiplication

The very first command God delivered to man was to be fruitful and multiply, which makes it our enduring top priority.

This command was restated after the flood. (Genesis 9:1) The earth then and now needs to be populated. The Great Commission restated this foundational command after Jesus’ resurrection. “Go and make disciples” is another way of saying, “Be fruitful and multiply.” The earth now desperately needs to be populated with born again believers who seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.

The ungodly world system argues that we should not obey God’s command to be fruitful and multiply. Here are a few of its reasons.

  • There are already too many people. If we don’t cut back on births, the earth will be over populated, which will usher in many calamities, such as starvation. (This one is fostered by the “scientific” community and the media to scare people into compliance.)
  • Children are too expensive. We cannot afford to have kids. (This one is used by young couples who value money more than family.)
  • The world is too evil to bring children into it. Compassion for the not yet born prohibits our having children. (This is especially used to justify abortion: it is better to kill a child in the womb than let it be born into an unhealthy environment.)
  • Children are too much trouble. They keep us from pursuing our priorities in life. (This is another justification for abortion: I cannot let a child ruin my plans.)

Since this series is somewhat philosophical, this is a good time to ask ourselves, what false presuppositions are contained in the above arguments against God’s command to be fruitful and multiply.

  • The earth cannot sustain a very large population. Those areas that experience starvation usually have corrupt governments and/or false religious beliefs that prevent the population from enjoying the produce of the land. For example, Haiti dedicated the island to Satan following the overthrow of the French government there. The “jewel of the Caribbean” has been reduced to a poverty stricken island by decades of governmental tyranny and corruption. On the positive side, the USA curtails production and throws away large amounts of food. Our nation could supply food to many other countries. Other areas of the world also produce prolific harvests and could supply a much greater population. If God said we should fill the earth, then the earth is able to support a huge number of people.
  • God is unable to supply the needs of large families. The Bible does not adhere to a “zero sum” version of economics, which believes there is a limited amount of supply. God will create supply out of thin air if needed. Faith must guide our decisions, not fear of lack.
  • Keeping children out of the world because it’s an evil place has to come from the devil himself. The world has always been evil. We bring children into it so they can effect change as followers of Christ.
  • The self-centeredness behind not having children because they are too much trouble is appalling; yet, this excuse has led to countless abortions. Children have always required a lot of work and definitely limit our freedoms, but that is part of growing to maturity.

Because of our inherent rebellion against God, Western nations have embraced abortion, birth control, fear, unbelief, and a self-centered lifestyle in direct defiance of God’s command to be fruitful and multiply.

Many nations in the West now teeter on the brink of cultural viability because of low birth rates. The world will eventually go to those groups which are still having large numbers of children.

All of us are influenced by this anti-God mentality. Even churches have adopted variations of these arguments.

Church policies and mindsets are dictated by the following guiding principles.

  • When we have a “large enough” church which can provide an ideal level of fellowship, financial viability, social status, and programs, we sometimes lose the desire to sacrifice in order to “go” and make disciples. We would rather stay and enjoy the fellowship.
  • We invest most of our finances in maintaining the building, programs, staff, and operational costs of maintaining the church plant, instead of spending time, energy, and money on pursuing the Great Commission.
  • Rather than put our people at risk by asking them to immerse themselves in lifestyle evangelism and connecting with broken, unsaved people, we prefer the safety of the Christian fortress called the church. We devise so many programs for our members that they are worn out and have little or no time for pursuing the Great Commission, even if they were willing to take the risks of associating with unsafe people.
  • Missional living is too much trouble. It is far easier to contribute money or volunteer to serve in crisis intervention programs than to get heavily involved in the lives of people who have untold needs and will make unanticipated demands on my time and finances.

Only by prioritizing the Great Commission will the church become the missional force God intends.

Taking Dominion and Tending the Garden

Taking dominion and tending the garden are also important commands. If the multiplied people on the earth and in our churches are to enjoy a good quality of life, we will have to control and tend the environment.

Through the process of being fruitful, taking dominion, and working, people grow to maturity. If we leave even one of these parts out, it can short circuit the process.

Young men and women usually enter marriage with little maturity. Usually it is only after marriage and having children that we truly “grow up” because of added pressures and responsibilities. Why would we think it would be any different in the church?

Taking dominion always needs to be balanced by the command to tend the garden.

In the spiritual context, taking dominion involves learning to identify with Christ’s victory and the internal work of the Holy Spirit in a way that allows us to be victorious over our sin nature, sin, Satan, sickness, legalism, death, and the demonic. Basically anything that seeks to enslave or destroy God’s people must be brought into subjection to Christ through our faith in God’s promises. (1 John 5:4)

The church can also “take dominion” and “tend the garden” by working in our communities to effect positive change.

Unless we learn to take dominion, we will not be able to properly tend and protect (keep) the garden called the church. Tending the garden means caring for the sheep. This includes protecting, feeding, guiding, equipping, and launching them into ministry – discipleship.

Conclusion

When we make multiplication,  for church members – the Great Commission, our top priority, everything else falls into place.

When young married couples have children, they learn to give their lives away for others. Having children, natural or spiritual disciples, changes our lives in a most fundamental and rewarding way. In old age, there is no greater joy than being with our offspring, especially if they are in unity and serving the Lord, and seeing what they are doing in life and ministry. Late in Paul’s life, he rejoiced in his own spiritual children, when he wrote:

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! Philippians 4:1 (NIV)

We should not rejoice if our children never leave the home: rather, our job as parents is to prepare them to leave the “nest” in order to start their own families. This is how we fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply at the family level. The church likewise must think in terms of launching people to start their own church families, which will also reproduce in time. This can be done at a small group level or at a larger church level.

Let’s make the Great Commission our top priority so that we, like Paul, can rejoice in our spiritual children and grandchildren (disciples of disciples)! Let’s make God’s first priority from creation onward our first priority and watch how everything else falls into place.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
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Countering Deception by Answering Life’s Crucial Questions: Who Are We?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Who am I?” is one of life’s most important questions. Where will we find the answer? From our parents, our peers, teachers, books, nature, God, the devil, or ourselves?

If we know who we are, we will be more likely to act in agreement with our true identity. If we believe a lie about who we are, we will probably fulfill the false image.

The devil has made it his mission to defile the human race in order to mar what God created and loves. He does this through deception, murder, theft, fear, and destruction. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they began to receive information about their identity from the wrong source, which added to their problems by propelling them away from God.

During the cool part of the day, the LORD God was walking in the garden. The man and the woman heard him, and they hid among the trees in the garden. 9 The LORD God called to the man and said, "Where are you?" 10 The man said, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid." 11 God said to the man, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!" Genesis 3:8-11 (ETRV)

It seems obvious that, if a person believes in God, he or she should seek the answer to the identity question from the one who created us. God surely knows exactly who we are. Not only that, for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, our identity has been recreated through the new birth, making us spiritual children of our heavenly Father.

Once again, we turn to Genesis for insight.

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)

Questions from the Text

There are several things in the above passage that should make us ponder.

  • Who are the “us” mentioned in verse 26? We already noticed that in the opening two verses of Genesis, God and his Spirit are both mentioned. We also saw that the eternal logos or Word, who is later revealed to be Jesus (John 1:14), was also present and doing the creating. Therefore, right here in the opening chapter of Genesis, we have the beginning of the biblical doctrine of the Trinity, the mysterious revelation that, even though God is one, he is an “us,” three persons comprising one God.
  • What does it mean to be created or made in God’s image and likeness? We will find out later in Exodus that God prohibits making an idol or image to represent him. The only genuine image of God for us humans is the one presented by the eternal Logos, who became a man, Jesus the Messiah. (Hebrews 1:3) Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. We learn what the Father is like by observing and listening to his Son. But, beyond that, what does it mean that people are created in God’s image? Certainly God shares with us some of his qualities or communicable attributes. Human beings are intelligent, creative, responsible, emotional, and capable of love, truthfulness, and faithfulness, to name a few.
  • What does it mean to have dominion over the rest of creation? The Hebrew word means to have dominion, rule, subdue, or prevail. We know from later verses in the Bible that God gave us the animals for food after the great flood. (Genesis 9:3) We also see that a godly person cares for his animals. (Proverbs 12:10) Putting all of this together, we conclude that mankind has been given dominion over the rest of creation, and he should use that dominion to provide for himself food and shelter, while also being a good steward of and kind toward the rest of creation.
  • How does our sexuality reflect God’s image? In his wisdom, God divided mankind into male and female. We understand from the totality of the Bible that God is a spirit and not a sexual being; however, masculinity is ascribed to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Femininity is ascribed to the church. Males and females have physiological and emotional differences, even though there is a wide variation among individuals. Marriage, the joining of male to female both physically and emotionally, and, perhaps, spiritually, provides a means for God’s image to be more fully revealed.

Some Things We Learn about God

From our opening passage, we also learn some things about God. We must ask ourselves why God chose to create the universe and people.

  • Was it because he was lonely? The One God has existed eternally as a loving unified “trinity” of persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Loneliness could not possibly be part of that equation. Ascribing loneliness to God insinuates that he is less than complete in himself, which is not true. Why then did he create us?
  • In order to glorify himself by sharing his life and glory with others. Everything God does brings glory to himself because everything he does is glorious.
    • By creating the universe, both the visible and invisible parts of it, he demonstrated his amazing genius, goodness, and power for others to see. The natural response of the creature should be to recognize God’s hand in the creation and worship the Creator.
    • By creating people, God glorified himself through amazing beings who can think, choose, love, obey, worship, or the opposite of these things.
    • By creating us and placing his image in us, God set the stage for sharing his very life and glory with his creation.
    • We will learn later that it was his intent to show kindness to his people for all eternity. (Ephesians 2:7)

So What?

What then does it mean to us that God chose to create us in his image and likeness? Our first response should be one of humble wonder. King David illustrated this attitude when he penned Psalm 8.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4  What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5  Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6  You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7  All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8  The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9  O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:3-9 (NASB)

David responded by worshiping and praising God. By doing this we can bring even more glory to God by making the choice to freely worship our Creator. This should be the default attitude in people. When we find something else, such as complaining, bitterness, the refusal to acknowledge God, etc., we know that sin is at work in a vain effort to deprive God of his glory and us of life and joy.

Humans Reflect the Triune Image of God

then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature (literally: soul). Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

God created Adam with a spirit, soul, and body. (If this seems like a strange concept to you, Paul confirmed man’s three-part composition in 1 Thessalonians 5:23.) God breathed his Spirit (ruach – wind, breath, spirit) into the body he formed out of the dust. This combination of spirit and body produced a living soul, consisting of mind, will, and emotions – our personality.

The spirit is the deepest part of a person, where we are able to connect to God after we are born again by the Spirit. When Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God in the garden, their sin introduced death into our lives, which affected every part of us. Spiritually it broke the life giving communion Adam and Eve enjoyed at the beginning. Sin produced guilt, fear, and a desire to  hide from God in their souls. Their bodies began to die, too. Every person who is born into this world since then arrives in the condition being “dead” in our sins, even though for a while we enjoy physical life. (Ephesians 2:1-2) In this condition we are by nature God’s enemies, with hardened hearts that are spiritually blind and deaf. Only God’s gracious intervention through the gospel and the inner working of the Holy Spirit can rescue us. That is why Jesus came. We learn about God’s incredible mercy and kindness through him.

Yes, the Word was full of grace and truth, and from him we all received one blessing after another. 17 That is, the law was given to us through Moses,♦ but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son is the one who has shown us what God is like. He is himself God and is very close to the Father. John 1:16-18 (ETRV)

When a person comes to believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit causes the spirit to be “born again” or made anew in Christ’s image. (John 3:3-8) The Bible says that God’s Spirit and our spirit become one. (1 Cor. 6:17) God’s life and image is planted as a seed in the new believer’s being. (James 1:21) Like leaven in a lump of dough, that seed gradually transforms the person from the inside out. (Matthew 13:33)

For a more detailed explanation of spirit, soul, and body, you can click on the links in this sentence.

The newly recreated spirit is the seat of intuition, communion with God, and conscience. Because we have a spirit, humans are uniquely able to interface with both the spiritual and material worlds. Think about how amazing this is! What a gift God has given to us!

It should not surprise us that God would fashion us with three parts to our makeup. After all, he exists as three persons in one.

Just as it is often impossible to distinguish completely between the operation of three persons in the Trinity, it is also extremely difficult to say where the spirit stops and the soul begins, or where the soul stops and body begins. Sicknesses are often labeled psycho-somatic because a link has been observed between the soul (Greek: psyche) and body (Greek: soma). Similarly, it is often difficult to distinguish between physical ailments and those brought on by an evil spirit. When Jesus ministered to sick people, he recognized both sources of illness and dealt with each in a different way. Only the Spirit of God and the Word of God have the ability to completely discern what is what. (Hebrews 4:12)

Having a spirit created in God’s image gives us a definite advantage over the animals.  By being able to commune with God, we can gain his wisdom and insight into life situations. In addition, we have the promise of eternal life and sharing God’s glorious rule over all things.

Sin and the Image of God

Because of sin, people in general no longer reflect God in the same way as did Adam and Eve. All people still carry God’s image as a result of being created, but in many cases it has been so marred that human beings reflect the opposite of what God is like. Some people make the mistake of thinking that all people are God’s children, confusing the created image of God with the implanted life and person of God, which is given at the new birth.

Although all humans bear the image of God in some form, only those people who have been born again by God are truly God’s children.

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. Romans 9:8 (ESV)

The image of God is restored through the new birth and will be fully revealed at the resurrection of the just, at which time believers will be completely transformed into God’s image.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 (ESV) 

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (ESV)

Conclusion

Our identity as beings created in God’s image was marred by sin. Because of the broken condition in which we are born into the world, most people have a false idea of who they are and who God is. We sin when we act in agreement with our sin marred identity. Jesus came to restore us back to the image of God through the new birth. As we learn to live out of our new identity, our motivation and goal should be to glorify God and worship, obey, and serve him from the heart.

Those of us who have been privileged to be born again, can share our blessings by engaging in conversations with those outside God’s family about from where our concept of identity comes.  Perhaps such discussions will open a door to sharing about God’s marvelous offer through Jesus Christ to be restored as children of God who bear the full image of God, our true identity.

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Countering Deception by Answering Life’s Crucial Questions: Origins

 

 

 

 

 

If you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be sure that it did not get there by itself. We should have the same clarity regarding how we find ourselves here on planet earth. The first worldview question the Bible answers is the origin question. How did we get here?

Origin determines identity, purpose, morality, and destiny; so, getting the answer to the origin question right is extremely important.

That is why the devil, works so hard to get us off course on the beginning of our worldview journey. He knows that if he can deceive us regarding from where we came, he can more easily dupe us in the other areas.

Genesis opens with the following two verses.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV)

We learn from these verses that:

  • There was a beginning of time, and God was there. We have a hint that God is eternal.
  • God acted to create everything in the visible and invisible universe – the heavens and the earth. We learn that he is extremely powerful.
  • Initially the earth was not the place we know today. It was “void” and had a lack of order.
  • The Spirit of God “hovered” over the face of the waters. This introduces the mystery called the Trinity.

Creation Reveals Something about the Creator

Whenever we ponder anything that has been made, we learn something about the maker. A beautiful watch is a doorway into the mind of the watchmaker. If we did not have the Bible as a guide or reference, could we still know things about God by looking at the world around us? The answer is a resounding Yes!

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 1:20 (NASB)

Some of God’s attributes are unique to him and divine. Others are communicable, meaning that he shares them with his creatures. Theologians call God’s attribute of power omnipotence, which means he is all powerful. It is interesting that Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God’s power is eternal, which is an inference we can make from seeing that God was present in the beginning. He predates the beginning. Later in the Bible we find out that God has no beginning or end. He is eternal. God has placed something in the heart of mankind that is drawn toward eternity. The author of Ecclesiastes wrote that God has “…set eternity in the hearts of men…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV) 

What can we discern about God’s divine nature? One of the children in our small group responded to this question by saying that God is “amazing, fantastic, and surprising.” (Not bad for an 8-year old!) We can also tell that he is creative and good. We gather that God appreciates beauty, complexity, and diversity by observing the world he created. Perhaps a very good exercise would be for us to ask ourselves, what else can we discover about God by thoughtfully observing creation?

Is the Bible Narrative a Satisfying Explanation of Our Origins?

In order to be open and honest, we should ask ourselves if we have ever encountered another satisfying explanation of how things came to be.

Does it satisfy our intellectual curiosity and resonate as being true in our hearts? There are certainly a variety of theories out there, one of which is materialistic evolution. This theory of origins usually starts with the “big bang,” which posits an extraordinary explosion which originated the known universe. One problem with this explanation is that it is merely an hypothesis regarding the mechanics of how the universe came to be, without answering the question of origins. It does not tell us where the big bang’s matter and energy originated. In other words, what was before the big bang? This fails to pass the intellectual test and the heart test.

Evolutionary theory assumes the presence of the material world, without trying to explain its origin, and tries to explain life’s origin in terms of chemical and physical processes taking place over untold eons, without God being in the picture. Since this is not a scientific paper, I will not attempt to show all the problems related to this unprovable hypothesis. If you are interested, you can do your own research at the Creation.com website. A very informative video is available, entitled Evolution’s Achilles Heels, which I highly recommend. Let me summarize my objections by saying science has already proved that it is impossible for matter to move from chaos to complexity without the application and maintenance of external energy. Things fall apart naturally, not self-create. Our complex and ordered world demands a Creator.

It is obvious that I accept the Bible’s explanation that we and the universe were created God, whose genius we have been studying for centuries, and, in many cases, the intricacies and amazing complexities of his creatures are still being discovered.

The biblical account, on the other hand, is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying.

The Deliberate Suppression of Truth

Those who choose to refuse to acknowledge God’s existence usually work hard to try to refute the Bible’s creation claims. Evolution, when it was first introduced, was readily embraced by communist leaders, because it was thought it gave validity to their atheistic dogma. If people are determined to believe that there is no God, it is easy to understand why Darwinism is so attractive. It appears to lend some scientific credibility to an unsupportable doctrine. Those who wield power in academia suppress the teaching of creationism, insisting that evolution must be accepted as scientific fact, when it is actually an unprovable hypothesis.

Those who accept the existence of the biblical God also believe that there is an archenemy, Satan, whose plan is to destroy faith in God as the Creator in young children in order to subvert God’s plan and purpose for their lives. It is revealing to see how creationism is suppressed in public schools. It is ridiculed, mocked, and often ignored. Creationist teachers often face the wrath of other teachers and the administration. This is no accident. Truth can stand on its on merits.

If evolution is true, then why must creationism be squelched? It is because evolutionists fear the power of the truth they have chosen to suppress.

Research shows that children are naturally disposed to believe that there is a Creator, even when they have been raised in an anti-God environment. From where did this proclivity to believe come? If we accept the Bible account, we must conclude that it was built in at creation. What a travesty it is when childlike faith is undermined by a deliberate suppression of truth!

Conclusion

No matter to which side of the argument we are drawn, we bring to the table certain unprovable presuppositions. The evolutionist presupposes without proof that there is no God; whereas, the creationist presupposes the very opposite. Every worldview depends on such beliefs. After I became a follower of Christ and accepted the truth of the Bible, I have found great joy in acknowledging the kindness, wisdom, and power of the God I serve! For me, the creationist approach to origins passes the heart test and the intellectual test.

If you are still searching in this area, I recommend the study of the writings of dedicated creationist scientists, such as are found at Creation Ministries International and the Institute for Creation Research. You will find that belief in God and the Bible account is not intellectual suicide. Far from it. You will see that in order to hold to evolutionary theory, one must suppress truth.

When we admit that the universe could not possibly have self-originated and recognize that we owe our existence to the Creator God, it automatically sets us up to be able to answer the other worldview questions correctly.

  • We will see that knowing where we come from helps us to know our identity.
  • We will show how knowing our identity helps us to understand our purpose.
  • We will see how understanding our origin, identity and purpose gives us insight into how to determine what is right and wrong.
  • Finally, we will also understand what is our destiny.

A proper understanding of origins is the fountainhead of truth. It opens up a path of revelation into the heart of God that, if followed to the end, provides us with the ability to live with purpose and joy.

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Countering Deception by Answering Life’s Crucial Questions: Introduction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one really believes in materialistic evolution. If they did, why would anyone care about truth, justice, or anything else, for that matter, since nothing has any significance for me or anyone else beyond our brief personal experience of what we call existence? If we are a random production of a chaotic universe that has no guiding moral principle behind it, why all the fuss about racism, child abuse, sex trafficking, etc? Why not simply shrug our shoulders and plod onward toward our next experience and our certain demise? Obviously people believe that such things as justice and truth actually matter. Why?

Why do such a relatively few people ponder life’s greatest questions?

Instead we have become an easily manipulated sound bite generation, which depends on the media to fashion our view of truth and reality. Sadly many, if not most, people do not even know how to think for themselves and are easy pickings for  propagandists.

What Is a Worldview?

We all have a worldview of some sort; even if it is a patchwork of mutually contradictory beliefs. The technological world in which we live might be thought of as a satanic strategy to keep people’s minds occupied with trivial things – games, social media, etc., rather than ponder questions that might lead us to God.

A worldview is a framework or perspective through which we view and try to understand the world in which we live.

A person’s worldview will not only affect how he or she understands life and reality; it will also heavily influence decision making. It will determine what is valuable to us.

In this series of articles, I will show how the Bible answers five of life’s most crucial worldview questions.

  1. Origins: From where did I come?
  2. Identity: Who am I?
  3. Purpose: Why am I here?
  4. Morality: What is right and wrong?
  5. Destiny: Where am I going after death?

If you think about these questions for very long, it will become obvious that each is related to the others. How we answer the first question will determine how we answer the remainder. If we get the first question right, it will make it easier to get the others right, too. Conversely, if we miss the mark on number one, we will automatically err on the others.

Identifying Our Presuppositions

In order for us to answer these worldview questions, we must agree that everyone has assumed certain things, which cannot be proved true or false.

Presuppositions are what we each consider to be self-evident truths, which simply must be believed, since they cannot be scientifically proved.

Our Declaration of Independence held that certain truths were self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The writers agreed upon the following presuppositions:

  1. People are created by God.
  2. All people are equal.
  3. All people have God-given rights, specifically, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is impossible to “prove” that these presuppositions are true; however, it was considered to be obvious by the founders of our nation. Where did they get these “truths?” The first one comes from Genesis in the Bible. The second one is found in the New Testament. The third one most likely came from contemporary philosophers. The use of the term “right” is not a biblical term, however, and reflects the mood of the times, especially in the eyes of Englishmen who believed that their rights as citizens were being violated by the Crown. Regardless of their origin, by the time the Declaration was penned, these ideas were considered to be self-evident and beyond question. Sadly, some things were not so self-evident, such as slavery being a contradiction of points two and three. All of us, even our worldviews, have blind spots.

Perhaps some of my readers may not agree with our nation’s founders’ “self-evident truths,” but, whether we like to admit it or not, we all have made such presuppositions. It is unavoidable. Even people who claim to be rational materialistic scientists have presumed in the validity of the scientific method, which presumes that there are scientific truths to be discovered, which presumes there is order and logic to the universe, which necessitates some unprovable reason for this to be so.

Using the Bible to Build Our Worldview

God created the world and people so that many things must be accepted by “faith.”

In other words, we all have to believe something, even if that belief is the self-contradictory notion that there is no such thing as unconditional truth. People jump to unscientific conclusions all the time because of our built in need to believe. That is why people fall for the false narratives of the media over and over again. That is why we so easily believe negative gossip. We are believers by design.

God made us to depend on him to be our interpreter of reality and source of truth.

When Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s lie and rejected that way of “doing life,” humanity descended into the confusing darkness of trying to fathom the meaning of life by ourselves. We lost our way. That is why Jesus came, as he put it, to “seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

In an effort to reorient ourselves, it is a good idea to ask ourselves, “Where did I get my ideas about life and reality?”

If we are followers of Christ, who accept the Bible as a source book of God’s revealed truth, we start there to build our worldview. If we do not accept what the Bible teaches, we must find some other way to construct a view of life and our world that is both satisfying and consistent.

My hope is that you will stay with me as we consider each crucial life question from a biblical point of view. Even if you hold different presuppositions from mine, I believe considering what the Bible has to say will be beneficial and thought provoking. The very first verse of Genesis answers our first worldview question. That is where the second article will begin.

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Watching Our National Descent into Deception

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am appalled that some people I once regarded as having good judgment are falling in step with the horde that is marching off the cliff into the abyss of tyranny. What led up to our national descent into deception? Are we hopelessly past the point of no return? How do we survive and thrive in a world gone mad?

The Source of all truth is God. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the incarnation of Truth (John 14:6) and is  absolutely truthful and faithful. We learn about and experience truth from him. The world’s problem is that, almost from the very beginning, humanity chose to reject God and truth, which plunged us all into deception, destruction, and death.

It is impossible to escape the downward spiral of deception without renouncing our sinful denial and rejection of God.

Until we come under God’s guidance and learn to draw our life from him, we will continue to be deceived by default. It cannot be otherwise.

Truth does not exist outside of God.

Increasingly the United States is turning away from God and biblical truth, causing us to descend headlong into destructive and enslaving deception. Paul’s description of this madness is playing out before our eyes.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30  They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31  They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32  They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:28-32 (NLT)

What is most startling to me, however, is not that people in the world are plunging off the cliff into the darkness. To me it incomprehensible that those who name the name of Christ also are imbibing from the intoxicating well of deception. Entire denominations have embraced anti-biblical positions regarding sex, gender, marriage, and abortion. They do this because they want to be loved by the world more than they desire to be faithful to God. (John 12:43) Only godless individuals will trade their eternal reward to gain such approval, leaving me with the conclusion that they never knew God in the first place.

Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19  These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. 1 John 2:18-19 (NLT)

Our Lord Jesus is separating the wheat from the chaff. (Luke 3:17) He is removing the weeds from the good grain. (Matthew 13:30)

Our loyalty to biblical truth reveals our loyalty to Christ.

Embracing lies is a form of idolatry, since Jesus is the Truth. We dare not trade biblical truth for the fashionable positions of the world, even if it means being persecuted for it. Satan is determined to peel people away from God and biblical truth. Satan will make sure that those who faithfully cling to God and the Bible will pay a price.

God, however, will make sure that those who endure suffering for truth’s sake will gain a reward.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NLT)

Do not be deceived. It is impossible to be a follower of Christ without being faithful to his teachings.

Our nation may have already gone beyond the point of no return. It increasingly looks that way. However, for you as an individual there is still hope. If you have strayed away from Christ and what the Bible teaches, repent and come back into the truth. Don’t participate in the great end time apostasy.

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 (NLT) 

I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 2 Peter 3:17 (NLT) 

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. Jude 1:24 (NLT)
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A Secret for Thriving under Persecution

 

 

 

 

 

Even though Jesus laid aside his heavenly glory and power to become a human being, he understood that he still retained his authority over all things.

As our Lord approached his crucifixion, John tells us how Jesus was thinking.

Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything... John 13:3 (NLT)

This agrees with what Jesus told his disciples when he charged them with fulfilling what is now called the Great Commission.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18 (NASB)

Even though Jesus had willingly become a human being who was subject to death and weakness, despite all appearances to the contrary, he tenaciously held to the knowledge that ultimately he was still in authority; even though, he had relinquished the power to enforce it. For that he depended upon the sovereign rule of his heavenly Father as implemented through the Holy Spirit.

As a result, he knew that nothing would happen to him that was outside of his Father’s perfect will and timing.

Various people wanted to put Jesus to death from the time of his birth. Many times during his public ministry the crowds turned on him, but they were not able to do anything until God’s perfect timing. (John 7:20, 8:30) Jesus knew the time chosen by the Father was approaching.

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33  I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33 (NLT)

Jesus told his disciples the he willingly chose to die as God’s Lamb. No one took his life from him. It was his decision.

"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18  "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." John 10:17-18 (NASB)

The night of his betrayal, it seemed that evil had gained control, but Jesus informed his attackers and followers that even this was part of the plan.

Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” Luke 22:53 (NLT)

Jesus was in authority even at his weakest moment. His Father orchestrated everything.

But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24  But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. Acts 2:23-24 (NLT)

Father God carefully watched over every aspect of Jesus’ life and death. Nothing was permitted to interfere was God’s plan. Why is this important for us?

As we enter what will probably be a time of ever increasing pressure and persecution for the church, we must know that our lives and destinies are firmly protected and ordered by God.

Even when seemingly bad things happen to us, we must choose to believe the truth that God is working everything together for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28) Jesus said that nothing – no persecutor, no demon, no apparently random occurrence – can snatch us out of our heavenly Father’s firm grip.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28  and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29  "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30  "I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30 (NASB)

Paul knew this amazing truth. It is one of the reasons he was able to so fearlessly preach the gospel over his lifetime, despite fierce resistance and persecution. He penned these amazing words.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 (NLT)

Paul lived these words, as have many other faithful followers of Christ down through the years. Our turn is fast approaching. No, it is here.

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