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Chapter 72: The Gospel Opens Blind Eyes

When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he were indeed the Messiah, Jesus gave this somewhat cryptic reply.

…“Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 23 And he added, “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.”  Luke 7:22–23 (NLT)

Jesus wanted John to know that he was fulfilling what the prophets said about the Messiah.

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.  Isaiah 35:4–6 (NLT)

The people expected the Messiah to liberate them from Roman tyranny, but when it became apparent that Jesus was not going to do that, some, as did John, doubted. But the purpose of our Lord’s first coming was to set people free from sin, sickness, death, demonization, and the devil’s iron rule.

Opening naturally blind eyes was important to those who were healed, but it was more than anything else a metaphor for the deeper work of God in the human heart.

Sin blinds us to God’s existence and glory and to the Messiah’s identity.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.  2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

Without the inner work of the Holy Spirit, we are not able to discern who Jesus is.

When Jesus healed the blind man in the ninth chapter of John’s gospel, he was able to see spiritually as well us naturally. The Pharisees had never been physically blind, but they could not see spiritually.

When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”  John 9:35–39 (NLT)

When Jesus asked his disciples to tell him who they believed him to be, Peter immediately responded that he was the Messiah King of Israel. Jesus declared:

…“Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 16: 17 (NASB95)

Jesus knew that those who believed in him could only do so with God’s help. This is why he said at another time:

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45 As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.  John 6:44–45 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit must remove our blindness if we are to recognize Jesus, but we have a part to play as well. When the gospel is preached, God’s drawing power is released. It is our responsibility to respond to that message by coming to Jesus by faith.

This means we open our hearts to him in whatever capacity we are able. He said in another place that he stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. (Revelation 3:20) Those who open the door of their hearts will experience his coming into their lives.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  Matthew 11:28–30 (NLT)

In my own case, when I heard the gospel, I did not immediately believe but was open to its being true. If only I knew for sure! I did what I could. I prayed to Jesus, not knowing if he were real. I asked him into my heart, if he were there, and requested that he reveal himself to me so that I could believe. It is amazing that God is so gracious with us that he would answer such a prayer! Imagine God’s being asked by a blind, disobedient creature to reveal whether he is real! There is so much evidence all around us that clearly demonstrates God’s existence and power, but we are blind to it because of sin.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  Romans 1:20 (NLT)

But God is merciful to us and responds when his creatures reach out to him in our pitiful condition. He knows what sin did to us and moves mightily in our lives if we move toward him.

This is clearly seen in the parable of the prodigal son. The father ran to meet him at the first sign of his coming home. That is our God!

When we come to Jesus, the Holy Spirit removes the blindness from our eyes. He opens our deaf ears and heals our hardened hearts, enabling us to see and believe.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.  2 Corinthians 3:16–18 (NLT)

This happened to those two disciples who were walking together after Jesus’ crucifixion making their way to Emmaus. The risen Jesus, in a form which they did not immediately recognize, came alongside them and began to dialogue with them. The things Jesus said about the Messiah’s need to suffer and later be glorified made their hearts burn within them, but they still did not recognize him. It was not until they invited him into their home to break bread with him that their eyes were opened to see him as the risen Lord!

but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!  Luke 24:29–31 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit works inside us to draw us to Christ. When we hear the good news about him, we are able to respond and draw near to Christ in our hearts.

He comes to us, and we must open the door. (Revelation 3:20) If we do this, it is proof that the Spirit is at work in our lives. If we come to him in this way, he will receive us.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “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 6:37–40 (NASB95)

If we pursue Jesus, God will not reject us. He receives everyone who comes to him. If we seek him, we will find him! Once we come to our Lord in this way, he removes the veil of blindness from our spiritual eyes, enabling us to properly behold him.

Seeing Christ by revelation imparts eternal life to us as we come to know him. We are born again when Christ is revealed to us.

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3 (NASB95) —

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”  Matthew 11:27 (NLT)

Right after saying this, is when Jesus issued his invitation for us to come to him. If we come to him, he will open our eyes, ears, and hearts to know God. It is by spending time in his presence that this can deepen. We do this when we pray, worship, and read and meditate in the Word of God. As we learn to “wait on God,” he will show us more and more about himself. If we seek him, we will find him.

Paul pursued knowing God with all his heart.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ  Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

Sadly, many of us are so afraid of God that we deliberately keep our distance from him. We talk about him, but we don’t want to be alone with him. The thought of being face to face with the Creator of the universe can be daunting, unless we understand that Jesus opened the way for us to approach God. Some of us may be afraid of what he may tell us or ask us to do. This all boils down to our having little knowledge of his immense love, which produces this lack of trust. John said that this is because we fear his judging us.

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.  1 John 4:17–18 (NLT)

Because Jesus took our condemnation upon himself, we need not fear that God will judge us for our sins. We can come boldly into his presence.

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:20–22 (NLT)

Jesus came to relieve us of all our fears. He revealed the Father’s heart by laying down his life for us. He told us that he is gentle and humble of heart, making him easily approachable. The Holy Spirit works inside people to deliver us from these fears and help us to believe that we can indeed approach God. The moment we do, he runs to meet us and welcomes us home!

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.  Luke 15:20 (NLT)
Prayer

Heavenly Father, I have run from you long enough. I have been blind to your love. I open my heart to you and your Son Jesus. Jesus, I invite you into my life as Lord and Savior. I give you myself and thank you for revealing yourself to me. Open my spiritual eyes and ears. Make my heart brand new. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Holy Spirit fill me to overflowing. Amen.

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Chapter 71: The Gospel in Relation to the Passover, Exodus, and Crossing Over into the Promised Land

When Paul preached, he focused on the cross of Christ and the resurrection.

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  1 Corinthians 2:1–2 (NASB95)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NASB95)

He taught that our faith must rest on what Christ accomplished for us through his death and resurrection and not on persuasive arguments that appeal to our reason but bypass our hearts. Faith resides in the heart and is the product of revelation from the Spirit, who is called the “spirit of faith” (2 Corinthians 4:13). Mental agreement is not the same thing as faith. If men persuade us to believe in Christ, without there being a corresponding work in the heart by the Spirit of God, then men can persuade us otherwise with a strong argument to the contrary. This sometimes happens when young people go off to college without ever having a faith encounter with the Spirit on their own. When living at home, they may have been towed along by the faith of their parents, but, once that faith is challenged, they discover that it wasn’t real but just mental assent.

True faith withstands every assault because it is based on what the Bible teaches combined with revelation from God instead of on human reasoning.

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:21–24 (NASB95)

Without the resurrection, the cross would be the epitome of misplaced hope. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the expectations of his followers were dashed. Everything in which they believed and for which they had sacrificed came to an abrupt and terrifying end. When Jesus was with them, his disciples managed to put on a brave face and act courageously, but when he was taken from them and crucified, their courage evaporated.

The two disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus expressed their deep disappointment succinctly. One of them said:

But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel...  Luke 24:20–21 (NLT)

There is nothing quite as devastating as having our hopes ripped away, leaving us desolate and confused, but this is exactly what happened at the cross. Jesus laid down his life as the Lamb of God. The cross put to death his hopes, desires, ministry, future, and everything else. It brought everything to a crashing end. But…!

The resurrection cast what happened at Calvary in a whole new light. It turned disaster into triumph and hopelessness into faith.

Passover: The Forgiveness of Sins

It is commonly understood that Jesus died for our sins as the Lamb of God. Using the metaphor of Passover, we understand that his blood had to be shed for God to be able to justly remit our sins. On the night when God brought the tenth plague upon the Egyptians, he required the Israelites to kill a lamb and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes to keep the judgment from coming upon them, too.

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.  Exodus 12:13 (NASB95)

Anyone inside the blood smeared houses was spared. That was the only requirement for safety. When we put our faith in Jesus and what he accomplished for us on the cross as God’s sacrificial lamb, his shed blood is spiritually applied to us, permitting God’s judgment to pass over us without violating God’s holy justice.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace  Ephesians 1:7 (NASB95)
 
Exodus: Deliverance from the Kingdom of Darkness

Just as the Israelites left Egypt in great spirits, having seen God’s hand deliver them from Pharaoh’s oppression, we too are delivered or redeemed from slavery to sin, sickness, death, and demonic oppression. However, when the Israelites set out from Egypt, the crisis was not yet over. Pharaoh had a change of heart and decided it was a mistake to free God’s people. He sent his army to recapture them. The Red Sea blocked their way out of Egypt and seemed to set up a crushing defeat after such a miraculous deliverance. The Israelites panicked, but God told Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea. God parted the waters and allowed the Israelites to cross over in safety. Their exodus or departure from Egypt was carried out by a monumental miracle of deliverance. When the Egyptians tried to follow, the waters crashed upon them and drowned their army.

Just as the Passover and Exodus effectively removed Israel from slavery in Egypt, the cross of Christ and his subsequent resurrection transferred us believers out of Satan’s kingdom into God’s.

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

Moses and Elijah talked about our Lord’s own exodus from this world just prior to its taking place.

Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.  Luke 9:30–31 (NLT)

Jesus exited this world and returned to his Father through dying and rising again, paving the way for us to follow eventually. In addition, he accomplished a spiritual deliverance which we immediately enjoy when we are born again. Just as Israel no longer had to fear the Eqyptian army after crossing the Red Sea, we are freed from the power of Satan, sin, death, sickness, demons, and fear when we make our exodus from the kingdom of darkness. The cross of Christ and his corresponding resurrection accomplished this for us.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.  John 5:24 (NLT)

The Greek word translated “passed from” is metabaino, which means to pass over, leave, depart, or make an exodus. We enter a new kingdom in which the kingdom of darkness has no true power over us any longer. It is true that we still live in mortal bodies which must die, but spiritually we are now free, if we put our faith and allegiance in Christ. When these bodies are raised from the dead, the victory will be complete. Nevertheless, right now we must come to terms with the freedom our Lord has provided for us.

It is necessary for us to know, believe, receive, and act upon what God says is now true about us because of what Jesus accomplished for us, if we are to experience our freedom to the degree that God intends.

Deliverance from the Power of Sin

When Jesus died and rose again, the Bible teaches that we were included in that event through the mystery of identification. Somehow God incorporated us into Christ, which is something beyond human understanding but is nevertheless true. We do not understand completely how the human body works, much less spiritual things!

We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:6–11 (NET)

Dead people do not sin. Our “old man,” the part of us that was spiritually corrupted through Adam and cannot obey God, was put to death when Jesus died. Even though we still retain, at least for now, our physical bodies inherited from Adam – the “body of sin” – with its built-in propensity to sin called “the flesh,” we are no longer controlled or dominated by these things, thanks to our union with Christ in his death.

We are free at last to serve God from the heart as we learn to “walk in the Spirit.” By the power of the indwelling Spirit, we can live in a way that brings glory and honor to God!

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.  Romans 8:1–2 (NLT)

(If these are new concepts to you, I encourage you to read my article on my website -www.thirdpeter.com – entitled “Defining Some Confusing Terms”.)

Deliverance from the Law’s Power to Condemn

Once we are free from the tyranny of sin, we also must break free from the Law’s power to condemn us. Ironically the Law which exposes our sin also empowers sin to rule us.

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.  1 Corinthians 15:56 (NLT)

This is because the “flesh” is rebellious. We are religious by nature and inwardly believe, or at least hope, that, if we try hard enough, we can straighten out our lives and serve God properly, which entails keeping the Law. When we proceed with this law-based or “legalistic” way of trying to please God, the Law does its work by making it clear to us that we are moral failures and cannot possibly save ourselves.

The purpose of the Law is to act as a guide which leads us to Christ, the only one who can save us.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  Galatians 3:24–25 (NASB95)

Once we come to Christ and receive his gift of righteousness, it is important that we refuse to slide back under the law because that will reactivate sin in our lives.

It is only by believing and accepting that through Christ we are dead to the Law that we can walk in the freedom of the Spirit.

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  Galatians 2:19–21 (NLT)
 
Deliverance from the Pull of the World

Not only do we need to be set free from sin and the Law’s power of condemnation, but we also need to be delivered from the pull of the world in which we live. The apostle John wrote about this.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.  1 John 2:16 (NASB95)

Temptation appeals to our “flesh,” the “unredeemed” part of our souls that is still connected to our mortal bodies.

We experience a battle between the spirit, our born again “new man,” and the “flesh,” which we can win if we learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to enforce what God’s Word says is true.

Part of our victory is understanding that we are already “dead” to the world.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  Galatians 6:14 (NASB95)

Through the Spirit of God, we can turn our backs on what the world offers and rely upon God alone, just as Moses did so long ago.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.  Hebrews 11:24–27 (NASB95)

When we do this, the world will turn its back on us, too. The New Living Translation captures this idea perfectly.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.  Galatians 6:14 (NLT)

Jesus warned us that to be his disciple we must hate the world.

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.  John 12:25 (NLT)

Understanding that we are already dead to the world helps us to walk away from its temptations.

Crossing Over into Victory

Once we know these things, we are challenged to actively believe them or “reckon” them to be true.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,  Romans 6:8–12 (NASB95)

When our faith combines with God’s promises and truth, God’s power is released on our behalf.

Our transformation by the Spirit is a cooperative effort between us and God. We believe the promises and God does the internal work. The truth of the matter is that it is his ability within us that enables us to believe, too. The Lord requires us to participate in the process. We cannot overcome sin, condemnation, and the world by being passive. We can experience Christ’s victory personally when we apply our faith to God’s promises and make the choice to stand for truth and against sin, condemnation, and the world. This means that we say “yes” to God and “no” to what is trying to hold us in bondage.

Our “yes” must be joined to God’s promise to activate God’s power.

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. 21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.  2 Corinthians 1:20–22 (NLT)

God wants us to experience what Christ has won for us. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Now we can learn to walk in step with the one who lives in and through us!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:24–25 (NLT)

Our complete experience of Christ’s victory will occur at the resurrection of the dead, when our mortal bodies linked to Adam’s sin will be instantly transformed into glorious spiritual bodies. At that point, the battle between flesh and spirit will cease and death will be conquered completely. Our salvation will be finished! Until then, let us learn to live by faith in God’s promises with complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit in a way that glorifies God and maximizes our joy and peace.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How would you explain the gospel in terms of the Passover and Exodus in your own words?
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Repentance from Syncretism

In my previous article, I showed how we can repent from believing the “scientific” lie of evolution as opposed to the Bible creation story. This article will address the sin of syncretism whereby we try to blend two or more irreconcilable ideas or faiths.

God warned the Israelites that they must destroy the idols of the people who lived in Canaan to protect themselves from their deluding influence.

Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 “But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. Exodus 34:12–16 (NASB95)

The people of that day recognized what many today do not understand. Demonic “principalities and powers” often gain influence and even mastery over the residents who live in certain areas because of sacrifices made to those evil beings in order to procure favor and blessings. In order to protect themselves, invading conquerors often made an effort to appease the local gods. They would not abandon their own gods but would simply add some new ones. This eclectic religion seemed very practical and revealed that they believed that there was not one supreme God over all, but many gods who vied with one another. This would result in a syncretistic blending of elements from the various religions into something new, a sort of hybrid religion.

Another definition of syncretism is “the attempted union of principles or parties irreconcilably at variance with each other.”

I hope I showed how biblical creationism and Darwinism are hopelessly irreconcilable; nevertheless, many well-meaning theologians over the years felt pressure to try to fuse the two. They did not want to seem “foolish” or “ignorant” of the latest “scientific breakthroughs.” They wanted to have their Christian religion while simultaneously bowing to the gods of science. It created something very different from simple belief in the Bible’s teachings and led people to doubt the truthfulness of God’s Word. This is always Satan’s end game. He uses “science,” otherwise called “knowledge,” to cast doubt on God’s spoken or written words.

When engaging in this sort of syncretism, something has to give, and it always seems to be our adherence and allegiance to the written Word of God.

Instead of God’s creating the known world and everything in and around it in six days, blending evolutionary theory into the mix requires us to drag things out over millions of years using supposedly naturalistic but quite impossible processes to spontaneously generate life. Such syncretism results in a sort of Deism in which God passively steps back and lets things play out on their own.

As is apparent, this compromise results in two things. First, it teaches us to distrust and abandon the literal teachings of the Bible, and, second, it makes God irrelevant and unneeded, which is exactly the goal of every satanic philosophy and “scientific” system of thought.

Followers of Christ should never cave to syncretism. As Joshua said so long ago.

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:14–15 (NASB95)

Now let us consider the creation story in more detail and examine another form of syncretism that involves the Big Bang theory. Have you ever wondered where scientists got the idea of the entire known universe exploding out of nothing? This idea is found the Kabbalah, an occult form of Jewish mysticism.

All of existence started with an explosion from one point that is continually multiplying, according to Jewish mysticism. Thus, Wolfson sees a distinct relationship between the contemporary Big Bang theory and the Kabbalistic notion that the universe burst forth from a single point, which in mystical terms is the limitless light of the divine, or Infinite, known as the “Ein Sof.” In Hebrew, “Ein Sof” literally means “no end.” So the divine, or god, is just another word for infinity. Kabbalists are people who study the manifestations of infinity. And just as physicists seek a single principle, a so-called “unified theory of everything” that will explain all of life, so do mystics. “For the kabbalists, that one principle is the light of infinity, which materializes into the multiplicity of all beings,” Wolfson says. That light emerging from darkness is both physical and symbolic, the professor explains. As an idea, it shows that things are often much more complex than they appear at first glance, and that the most abstract of notions explain the material world. “Cast in the lingo of quantum physics, we could identify the immaterial light as the particle and the material vessel as the antiparticle, which meet and collide in the zero gravitational energy of empty space, the nothingness that spawns the something that is the stuff of being,” Wolfson says.  (https://qz.com/1375015/jewish-mysticism-offers-a-poetic-explanation-of-the-big-bang-and-black-holes)

This is a perfect example of satanic “science” which weaves its web around the mind, appealing to our desire to have knowledge without getting it from God. It baffles us with the appearance of intellectual brilliance.

In 1927, a prescient [Jesuit] astronomer named Georges Lemaître looked at data showing how galaxies move. He noticed something peculiar – all of them appeared to be speeding away from Earth. Not only that, but the farther away they were, the faster they went. He determined a mathematical way to represent this, and connected his relationship to Einstein’s law of General Relativity to produce a grand idea: That of a universe continually expanding. It was a radical idea then, but today it fits with our conception of a universe spawned by a Big Bang. (https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-jesuit-astronomer-who-conceived-of-the-big-bang/)

Personally I believe that Satan was just as surely behind the Kabbalistic and Jesuit versions of origins as he is behind the Big Bang theory. I think they are one and the same, only the latter is dressed up in the clothes of science rather than religious mysticism.

The Kabbalah was developed during the Middle Ages by a Jewish mystic. Practical Kabbalah is the process of engaging in rituals, summoning angels and demons, uttering incantations and divine names, using amulets and magical seals to actually change the world. (https://www.learnreligions.com/kabbalah-4771368)

The Kaballah is syncretistic, blending biblical Judaism with witchcraft. One might say the same thing about the Big Bang theory. It seeks to weave a magical spell around our minds to keep us from seeing God’s glory in creation.

The attempt to blend the Big Bang theory and its attendant cosmology with what the Bible teaches is quite impossible, even though its seems as it might be done at first. The Bible says that God spoke the our world into existence out of nothingness. So far, so good.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NASB95)

But, besides refusing to credit the Creator with initiating the process, the Big Bang theory holds that the sequence of events after the initial ‘blast” unfolded is completely unlike what God’s Word tells us. Employing supposed naturalistic forces and assumptions, the Big Bang theory posits that an entire “universe” of exploded matter and energy over vast amounts of time formed into stars, planets, etc., eventually producing what we observe, including all forms of life, without any reference or reliance upon the Creator. The Bible is very specific in how God put things together, dividing his work into six twenty-four hour days. The two simply do not mix.

By giving us a naturalistic, supposedly scientific, explanation of our origins, Satan tries to make those who hold to what the Bible says seem backward, “archaic,” and ignorant. If you want to be mocked or patronized, tell your “educated” friends that you believe the Bible 100%.

The Bible does not always satisfy our curiosity by giving us the “how” or “why,” but it does give us what we need to know. Our problems start with wanting to know more than God chooses to tell us.

This insatiable quest for knowledge that goes beyond and stands opposed to what God has revealed is what got us into trouble in the first place and continues to do so now. Some things relating to origins and cosmos are simply past our comprehension and “need to know.”

When Job virtually demanded to know why God allowed him to be afflicted, God eventually appeared to him, but not to answer his questions. Job’s interaction with his Maker resulted in his gaining a new awe and admiration for God that satisfied every fiber of his being. He no longer needed to know why.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” 4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ 5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:3–6 (NASB95)

The creation is meant to impress upon us awe and wonder resulting in worship of the Creator. The Big Bang theory is meant to reduce the universe to mere materialistic mechanisms that rob us of knowing God.

King David wrote these words of worship as he pondered the heavens.

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, Psalm 8:3–6 (NASB95)

God intends for us not only to grow in our knowledge and worship of him. He also wants us to understand that mankind is central to his creation purposes.

The Big Bang theory leaves us thinking that we are inconsequential specks in a vast impersonal universe. Can you not detect Satan’s hand in weaving the witchcraft-like spell of this pervasive lie? Satan hates that we who put our faith in Christ are destined to rule with him forever, seated with Christ at God’s right hand. We are handed what Satan tried to take from God.

In my next article, I will begin to explore in more detail what the Bible says about the world in which we live. It is quite at odds with the lie of the Big Bang theory. We cannot mix the two. We, like Joshua, must decide whom we will serve – modern so-called “science” with its cleverly spun lies or the God of the Bible whose words are always true. He cannot and does not ever lie.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NKJV)
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Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

In my previous article, I showed why it is hazardous for us to try to blend irreconcilable ideas in a vain attempt to harmonize the Bible with godless philosophies and systems of thought.

We can avoid syncretism by allowing God’s Word to shape our thinking in every area, including our cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the heavens and earth.

Doing so will cause us to reexamine commonly held beliefs in both the natural and spiritual domains to see how faithfully they align with biblical revelation and truth. Not surprisingly, this process will likely challenge whether we trust and revere God’s Word more than what is called “science”.

During the Covid crisis, a mantra was echoed – “trust the science,” which, by the way, is very unscientific. Science is a process that requires and encourages questioning. Notwithstanding, those of us who questioned “the science” during Covid, including the efficacy of lockdowns, masks, social distancing, and an unproven mRNA jab, were ridiculed, censored, ostracized, and sometimes persecuted, as in the case of those who were fired for refusing to trust the science. We were expected to bow to the “high priests” of a new religion called scientism, instead of doing our own research and forming our own conclusions. Blindly trusting “science” is more of a religion than scientific, as revealed by how our leaders handled opposition. During Covid, many of us awakened to the fact that Satan, the great deceiver, is hard at work promulgating falsehoods designed to steal, kill, destroy, and to hold humanity captive, hindering our quest to know God and truth.

For lovers of truth, anything that contradicts the Bible must be rejected.

This will test our loyalty to God and our conviction regarding the truth of the Bible. It might require us to be willing to look foolish to “more enlightened” people who esteem the tenets of faith promoted by what is called science higher than any other source of truth.

God wants to convince us that he never lies. He may not immediately reveal everything we want to know, but he will not fudge the truth to accommodate our ignorance either.

For example, today many scientifically minded people no longer believe that evil spirits or demons exist or are behind some common sicknesses and diseases. People with this view think that God simply accommodated our ignorance of medicine in times past and told us that demons caused such things as epilepsy, instead of telling us the truth, which would have made no sense at that time.

Consider, however, that if we are willing to believe that Jesus either did not know what he was talking about or that he gave us false information, we are claiming that God sometimes gives us bad information that must later be corrected by our own discoveries.

This sounds like Eve’s quest in the garden to me. “Did God really say?”.

However, the Bible is clear on this matter.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

God never lies, but Satan and humans do all the time.

Our government has always lied to some extent, but has taken things to an entirely new level in the last several decades. A former CIA director, William Casey, once told President Reagan: “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” This quote was given by Barbara Honegger, who was in the room.

With the advent of computers, video, and artificial intelligence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate between truth and falsehood. This is part of Satan’s plan to demoralize us to the point we give up our quest for truth.

Satan has been quite successful at pulling the wool over our eyes in many areas for a long, long time. As is usual with all tyrants, however, he went too far, which has awakened more and more people to what he has been doing. During the Covid crisis, it became apparent that a supranational agency or group was manipulating things. All over the world the same sort of policies were adopted that stripped citizens of their freedoms in the name of public safety.

It also became apparent that the truth was the biggest casualty during that crisis as governments censored anyone who did not go along with the party line. This happened even in the USA, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Mattias Desmet coined the phrase “mass formation psychosis” to describe the wholesale brainwashing that took place around the world. Those of us who spoke against unscientific and totalitarian practices were ridiculed, censored, and sometimes ostracized, but, as Desmet points out, the only thing that can prevent such a brainwashed society from descending into totalitarianism is for the unyielding minority to continue to speak up.

The reason that so many people could not accept that the “jab” might be dangerous was because trusted individuals and institutions said it was safe. Surely there could never be a conspiracy so encompassing that it would include our government, Big Medicine, Big Pharma, Big Media, Big Tech, our education establishment, and supranational organizations such as WHO and the European Union! But that is exactly what happened. In this case, however, the devil pushed too far, causing many people to awaken to the level of evil and deception at work in the world.

Jesus told us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). We should not regard this as hyperbole. It is literally true.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 1 John 5:19 (NKJV)

Satanic deception is not limited to religious or moral matters. It extends to every area of life. His goal is to subvert God’s truth regarding creation, the nature of reality, life itself, and God.

Most of us naively think that we are above being brainwashed. Knowing how easily we fall for ideas that appeal to our pride, the devil introduces philosophies and systems of thought that make us think we are smarter than anyone else and do not need to lean on that “crutch” called God or believe in “archaic ideas” contained in the Bible. At the same time, our archenemy tells us that we are insignificant, meaningless, and harmful beings that evolved by chance and need to be removed from the planet or at least significantly reduced in number. Consider the first goal written on the now destroyed Georgia Guidestones: maintain humanity under 500 million in perpetual balance with nature. Who wrote that? Who is trying to accomplish this 94% reduction in the world’s population? Whoever it is, they are in league with Satan.

It’s ironic that in our pride we believe the satanic lie that we are smarter than God but totally insignificant.

Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

What does the Bible teach us about the world in which we live? When I took a course in astronomy in college, I was a new Christian. I remember being struck by how the textbook and teacher promulgated mere theories as fact. Our educational system, media, and government does this regularly, knowing that if a lie is repeated often people begin to accept it as true.

From earliest times, men and women have observed the sun, moon, and stars and tried to comprehend or explain their movements. Due to the cosmos being outside our reach, everything was theoretical and philosophical. Philosophy always carries a bias, such the modernist presupposition that any explanation that requires a Creator must be rejected. Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us some us some extremely valuable information, which we should not dismiss as archaic or primitive. Perhaps ancient man, being closer to Adam, had greater insight that we do.

 

If we believe that God’s words are always true and faithful, then we will take them at face value, unless it is clear from the context that we should not.

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)

Genesis and other scriptures tell us several important truths upon which we can and should base our cosmology. It is not surprising that godless “science” tries to negate these words by offering us a contradictory explanation of the nature of heaven and earth how they came into being.

Day 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. Genesis 1:1–5 (NASB95)

God created the “heavens” (plural) and the earth out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3) simply by speaking it into existence. Our cosmos did not spontaneously explode into existence, as Big Bang adherents insist. Explosions produce chaos and destruction and are never creative. We learn from John that everything we can observe was brought into existence and is sustained by God’s living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:3)

The “earth” (Hebrew “erets”) was formless and void but consisted of waters and “the deep” over which “face” the Spirit of God hovered or moved. At this point all was darkness. God then created light. It is important that we understand and believe that this light existed without sun, moon, or stars to emit it. Interestingly, Revelation states that in the new creation that will come at the very end of time, there will be no need for a sun because God himself is its light. (Revelation 21:23) Jesus also said that he is the Light of the world. (John 9:5)

The Bible’s declaration that light existed before there being any known source is a “scientific” hurdle we must clear if we are going to honor God’s Word above all contenders.

God excludes certain information or explanations from us in order to see if we will  stick to our guns by trusting him even when we do not understand the “how”. We do not want to be like those followers of our Lord who turned away because he said some things they did not comprehend . (John 6:66) God declared that the light was good and separated it from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night. Then the Bible declares that this separation resulted in the first day. As yet there is no sun and no solar day. Are you still there?

Day 2
Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Genesis 1:6–8 (NKJV)

The second day of creation challenges our scientific world view again. The English word “firmament” is only used in the KJV and NKJV. The other translations opt for such words as expanse, space, or sky, which is unfortunate. The Hebrew word is raqia, which means something hard such as beaten out metal. The Bible says it is strong enough to support the waters above it and forms a vault over the earth. Here are a couple other verses that use the word raqia.

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Ezekiel 1:26–27 (NKJV) 

“Can you, with Him, spread (literally - beat out as with a hammer) out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror? Job 37:18 (NASB95)

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

God placed waters above the firmament, which are still there, according to the psalmist.

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Psalm 148:4 (NKJV)

God called the firmament heaven, which is another Hebrew word, shamayim. We know from Paul that there are (at least) three heavens. (2 Corinthians 12:2) We also know that when Jesus ascended after his resurrection he rose through the heavens. (Ephesians 4:10 and Hebrews 4:14)

Day 3
Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:9–13 (NKJV)

On Day 3, God separated the waters under the firmament from the land and brought forth plants. This confronts evolutionary theory that all life began in the primordial soup of the oceans. We must decide which will we believe, “science” or God?

Day 4
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:14–19 (NKJV)

On the fourth day, God place “lights” or luminaries in the firmament of the heavens. Here once again God’s Word collides with the Big Bang theory head on. The Bible says the Creator placed luminaries in his vaulted heavens, which include the stars, the sun, the moon, and the wandering luminaries science calls planets after he made the earth. If our scientific cosmology has not been challenged before now, this certainly brings us to a crisis of faith. Will we believe what God says or write it off to God’s speaking within the context of an archaic and primitive worldview? If we choose the latter, we have now begun to slide down the slippery slope of deciding what parts of the Bible can be trusted and which need to be revised to accommodate the “insights” of modern so-called “knowledge.”

The Bible presents a geocentric cosmos, in which man is the center of God’s plan and purpose.

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 are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, Psalm 8:3–6 (NKJV)

The Big Bang theory and its adjunct, heliocentrism, informs us that the earth is an inconsequential speck in a chaotic, exploding, godless, and impersonal universe. It teaches us that earth and mankind have no special significance or purpose. Once again, we are faced with an important decision. Who will we believe? To me, it is clear that one voice comes from God, and the others sounds very much like someone who hates us.

In the Bible’s geocentric view of the earth, the sun and moon are “luminaries” that God placed in the firmament and run a “circuit” over the earth.

Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:4–6 (NKJV)

Was God here merely conforming his words to a primitive understanding of the cosmos before people “discovered” the heliocentric view? Did God think that earlier people were so ignorant and stupid that he had to fudge the truth? Did he communicate something that we later would find out was not true, thus causing us to wonder if other things in the Bible are false as well? Did God really say?

When our children were very small, Martha and I had to decide if we would go along with the fantasy of Santa Claus and lie to our children about that. We decided that we never wanted to give them a cause for doubting our words or God’s; so we told them the truth. We did not take a “hard line” approach, but we did tell them the truth, without trying to strip all the fun out of the annual holiday gift giving. Being mere humans, we are not very righteous or truthful compared to God.

If we did not not want to give our children cause for doubting the truthfulness about God by telling them a lie about Santa Claus, shouldn’t we think that the God of truth would never do such a thing by lying to us about how the word was created?

Day 5
Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Genesis 1:20–23 (NKJV)

On the fifth day, God created sea creatures and birds and gave the command to be fruitful and multiply. This order of things is anti-evolution, which says that life evolved out of the sea. If we believe God’s Word is true and unalterable, we quickly recognize the lie behind evolutionary thinking.

Day 6
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 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. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:24–31 (NKJV)

On the last day of creation, God made land-based animals and man. Man was created in God’s image and is most important to God, not a being that evolved by chance. The command to multiply runs contrary to globalist thinking that there are too many people. God wants us to fill this magnificent earth.

The desire to curtail multiplication through abortion and other means comes from Satan himself.

If we take God’s Word at face value, even when it confronts the “established truths” of modern science, we are well on our way to liberating our minds and hearts from the schemes and lies of the devil. I hope you will take this process seriously and allow yourself to insist on adhering to God’s Word.  As the apostle Paul wrote long ago.

...let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Romans 3:4 (NASB95)
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The Mechanics of Deception

In my previous article, I concluded that God has given us two antidotes for the poison of deception: a map (the Bible) and a guide (the Holy Spirit). Satan uses his cleverness to pry us away from reliance upon those two gifts from God. Paul recognized this satanic strategy at work in Corinth.

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB95)

The devil uses philosophies and doctrines that appeal to our vanity and desire to figure things out for ourselves instead of relying upon God.

Again, Paul warned about this.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB95)

Any system of thought that denies the truthfulness of the Bible is not from God.

The first thing Satan did to bring about the fall of mankind was to sow doubt into Eve’s mind regarding the truthfulness or God’s words.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1–5 (NASB95)

In hindsight, it is easy for us to see how Satan manipulated Eve, but, when it happens to us, it can be very confusing. The serpent began by asking an seemingly innocent question that subtly accused God. This put Eve on the defensive. Her recounting of God’s prohibition was incorrect in that she added touching the fruit in addition to eating it as a cause of death. At this point Satan flatly contradicted God’s words and accused God of being untrustworthy in the process. Eve, for some reason, bought the lie instead of defending God. Adam was present and remained quiet, which makes him responsible, too. Once Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s accusation against God, it was not much of a leap to reject God’s warning and evaluate the fruit using their own reasoning, which led them to take a bite. The rest is history. That one act of treachery cost our Lord Jesus his life.

Satan will always cast doubt on the veracity of God’s Word. He encourages us to evaluate things according to our own judgment instead of relying on God’s. He introduces arguments that appeal to our pride and sound convincing, but always lead to death.

It is amazing to me that many people easily put their faith in the Big Bang theory rather than in the Bible’s account of creation. No one was there when everything we see came into being; so, whatever position one takes regarding origins is either a matter of faith or mere conjecture. If a person wants to believe that everything we see came out of nothing all by itself, that takes more faith than believing in a Creator God. Nevertheless, spontaneous creation appeals to our pride and gives us permission to do whatever we like, since we have no one to whom we are accountable. This sin is very much like that of our first parents, the desire to be our own gods.

Similarly, many accept the unproven hypothesis of Darwinian evolution rather than the creation account of human origins. Once again, neither can be scientifically duplicated and “proven,” so, whichever one a person chooses to believe is a matter of faith – faith in God or in mere conjecture. The appeal of such a vain philosophy is apparent. It places us on the top rung of creatures who are accountable to no one. We are gods of a sort, the best “nature” has come up with so far.

This kind of thinking produces unwelcome consequences. Evolution leads to thinking that some “races” are superior or “more evolved,” leading to racism and genocide. Evolution produces the existentialist conclusion that there is no absolute truth. All we can know for sure is what we experience. That being the case, what really matters in life is pleasure, power, and being “fulfilled.”

When God’s truth is rejected, it leaves us without an anchor, drifting on seas of uncertainty and confusion.

That is where our nation is today.

Can you think of other areas in which we have allowed the wisdom and so-called knowledge or “science” propagated in the world to make us despise and forsake God’s Word?

Once we understand the mechanics of deception, it should make us even more determined to live within the framework God has given to us, using the map of the Bible and the guide – the Holy Spirit. We can decide to never again accept any philosophy or doctrine that denies what the Bible teaches. If we do this, it can lead us to some very important and exciting truths that can revolutionize our thinking and lives.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95)
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The Entrance and Extent of Deception

Deception is all around us, and we must ask ourselves where did it come from, what is its nature, how extensive is it, and how can we escape its influence? No person is adequate to completely answer these questions, but, using the Bible as our map and depending on the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can make progress. Otherwise, we will all be like Pontius Pilate, who heard Jesus say:

...I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” John 18:37 (NLT)

When the Roman governor stood face to face with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, he could only reply, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) This is the question facing all of us.

Since the God of truth created the world and said it was “good,” how did deception and evil make their entrance? The Bible tells us that it happened when the serpent deceived Eve into choosing knowledge, falsely so called, over God’s truth.

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Genesis 3:4–7 (NASB95)

The truth was that disobeying God’s command would bring death. Satan convinced Eve that he knew better, which she acted upon. In violating God’s clear command, she and Adam chose so-called knowledge over God’s revealed truth. This continues to this day in many different ways, about which Paul warned us.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NASB95)

Once Adam and Eve poked a hole in the wall of truth that guarded their lives, it opened a flood of deception upon the earth. All of us to some degree or another have become co-conspirators in a giant assault on the truth.

Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church in Rome.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. Romans 1:18–19 (NLT)

The so-called Covid pandemic helped to open our eyes to the extent of the suppression of truth. It was incomprehensible to most people that our government, mainstream media, Big Tech, Big Medicine, and Big Pharma would join forces to suppress truth and push a lie, but that is exactly what happened and continues today. A thinking person must ask him or herself, just how far does this deception go? What other lies have we been told? Whom can be trusted?

The devil is “hell bent” on deceiving and destroying humanity in order to somehow “hurt” God. This is what Jesus said about him.

...He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! John 8:44–45 (NLT)

Because our hearts have been corrupted by sin, we have a natural affinity for lies, which should put us on guard against the entrance of deception, even for those of us who have come to love the truth.

The devil…

...will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11 (NLT)

As a result of centuries of Satan’s work and the cooperation of those who gladly serve the serpent, much of what most people believe is based on deception.

 

We cannot fully trust what the government, the education system, the mainstream media (MSM), Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Medicine tell us. If anyone dares go against the accepted “narrative,” he or she will meet with mockery, rejection, and sometimes other forms of persecution, such as de-funding or maybe even jail time. Worse push back probably lies ahead unless things change significantly.

Is there any way for us to escape pervasive lies and propaganda and learn to discern and stand for what is true? As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, God has given us a map, the Bible, and a guide, the Holy Spirit.

The Bible self-authenticates, since there is no higher authority. Jesus, the One who called himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was vindicated or authenticated by God the Father when he raised him from the dead. Jesus, who is truth personified, told us that the Word of God is truth.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASB95)

God wants us to settle in our hearts that his Word is faithful and true. Only by so doing, can we reverse the suppression of truth initiated by Adam and Eve.

Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Psalm 119:89–90 (NLT)

God gave us the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of Truth, to guide us into all truth as we are able to hear and bear it.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13 (NASB95)

In addition, the truth by its very nature, is irrepressible. It will triumph in the end. Those who are open will be able to discern the truth.

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37 (NKJV)

Those who close their hearts to truth will miss out and demonstrate that they are not “of God.”

Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” John 8:47 (NLT)

We can trust the Lord to guide us into truth one step at a time. The important thing is to keep moving toward it. People will resist, mock, and try to intimidate you, but it is worth the cost to discover truth. It will set us free. (John 8:32)

Prayer

Jesus, I long to be a person of truth. I want to know truth, believe it, live by it, and stand for it. I recognize that your are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I ask you to come into my life and open my eyes and heart to your truth. I give my life to you. Use me as you see fit. Amen.

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Chapter 70: The Gospel and the Covenants

The Bible is one long gospel message which points to Christ.

Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.  Luke 24:27 (NLT)

God’s relationship with Israel and mankind over the centuries has been based on covenants that were fulfilled or replaced by what is called the New Covenant, which is the last and most extraordinary one.

Each covenant built upon or stood in contrast to the others. To properly understand and appreciate the New Covenant, it is important that we grasp the meaning and purpose of the other covenants.

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

Covenants are built upon promises to be faithful to a relationship and an agreement between individuals or groups.

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 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 humanity in general and others specifically relate only to God’s chosen people, the offspring of Abraham either by natural birth or the new birth. 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 meet any conditions 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. Marriage is an example of a bilateral covenant. The husband and wife both bind themselves to share life and 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 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.

The 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, which ceded authority to Satan 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 abandon God’s commands and strike out alone in independence from and opposition to God, which cut them off from the life they had with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. This is why professing that Jesus is Lord is so essential to the gospel message. Reestablishing God’s place as Lord in our lives undoes the treachery of Adam’s sin.

The Adamic Covenant

God made the first gospel promise in the garden after their epic failure.

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 most likely 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 and 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.

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  Hebrews 6:18 (NLT)
The 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 God’s horrific judgment against sin called the great flood.

Grace often is most appreciated against the backdrop of human failure and God’s judgment.

When man’s best is not enough, and it never is, 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)

God promised, despite what climate alarmists tell us, that the earth will continue to enjoy its seasons as long as it exists. God also established capital punishment under this covenant and gave permission for us to eat meat.

The 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 Abraham in the person of a descendant named Jesus.

Abraham is called the “father” of our faith because through him God raised up a nation by 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. God appeared in what is called a theophany (an appearance of God in symbolic form).

In the Old Testament covenants were literally “cut,” making them blood covenants.

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.

And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” 8 He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” 17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:  Genesis 15:3–18 (NASB95)

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, both natural and spiritual through the new birth, and the land of Canaan, and that through him the entire earth would be blessed.

Later God reiterated this covenant promise in Genesis Chapter 22.

…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)

Verse 18 is an 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)
The 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 were part of the ceremonial aspect of the law, which our Lord Jesus later fulfilled. 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 illustrates our utter helplessness to save ourselves and acts as a guide to lead us to Christ.

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:22–26 (NASB95)
The 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.

Jesus rose again as that promised king, the Lord of lords, and will eventually judge the living and the dead. He now reigns in heaven. His reign is recognized by those who profess that he is Lord. One day all people will acknowledge his rule.

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 guarantee blessings to God’s people but only revealed how sinful we are. It had no hope of success because we 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 and benefit 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)

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)

Through the miracle of the new birth we become children of God. There have always been two lines of people – the children of promise and miraculous birth and those born the natural way.

Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children.  Romans 9:7–8 (NLT)

Is this not why God has always used miracle births to propel his line of promise forward? Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah, etc. Was not Jesus’ conception the prototype for our new birth? He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, just as we must be through the new birth. Therefore, the most important question that will be asked of those at heaven’s gates is “Who’s your Daddy?”

If a person was never born again, they are Satan’s seed.

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!  John 8:44–45 (NLT)

But those born of the Spirit are children of the Father, sons of God, children of promise.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.  John 1:12–13 (NLT)

Through our identification with Christ, 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, grows inside us, and will 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)

Jesus is the living Word of God, the eternal logos. When we are born again, he comes inside of us, via the Holy Spirit, as a seed which will continue to grow. Jesus also compared this process to leaven being put into a lump of dough. Over time the leaven spreads throughout the entire lump. So, the kingdom of God grows unseen in individuals and the body of Christ at large until God’s kingdom will fill the earth.

The New Covenant was always in God’s mind from the very beginning. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.  Revelation 13:8 (NLT)

Since God lives outside of the constraints or limitations of time, he sees the end from the beginning. It is nothing for him to consider something that will be accomplished at a future date as already accomplished, for to him all time is the same.

Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.  Isaiah 46:10 (NLT)

The new covenant is actually an eternal covenant made between the Father and the Son before the world was created. This is revealed in those verses that describe God’s choices being made before he ever created the world.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.  Ephesians 1:4–5 (NLT)

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 draws its life from Jesus because it could never 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 provided us with a substitute to die for us, reveal himself to us, forgive our sins, and change our hearts. He gives 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. God’s 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 depends on God from start to finish. The Holy Spirit must draw us to Christ and open our blind eyes to see and understand the gospel and believe in Jesus. Then the Spirit works inside each believer to transform us into Christ’s image on a daily basis. Finally, one day in the future, Jesus will personally raise each of his followers from the grave. We could not come to Jesus initially by ourselves. We cannot change ourselves, and we certainly are not able to raise ourselves from the dead. Our great salvation is a work of grace from start to finish!

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:8–10 (NLT)
The New Covenant Completes or Fulfills the Other Covenants

The New Covenant relates to all the other covenants in one way or another. The tree of life mentioned in the Edenic Covenant typifies Christ, the author and sustainer of all life.

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.  John 1:3–4 (NLT)

Adam and Eve were meant to draw their life from him as the branches of a vine draw their life from the root.

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5 (NLT)

Jesus fulfilled God’s messianic promise given after Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience. 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.

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” 5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. 8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.  2 Peter 3:3–8 (NLT)

Even as God restarted humanity, in a sense, through Noah, he inaugurated a brand-new generation of believers through the gospel.

Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. 1 Corinthians 15:47–49 (NLT)

Only this generation will survive eternally and enjoy the new heaven and earth.

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.

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 (NASB95)

Through the preaching of the gospel, God is gathering persons from every culture, ethnic 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 his throne has come true in Christ, the King of Kings.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”  Luke 1:30–33 (NASB95)

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.  

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)

The Law now pertains to those who have not pledged allegiance to the Lord Jesus.

For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.  1 Timothy 1:9–11 (NLT)

Those who have faith are released from its power to condemn.

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  Galatians 2:19–21 (NLT)

We live in the power of the indwelling Spirit who motivates and empowers us to live in a way that pleases God.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
Our Response to 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 through self-effort and the merits of their own performance.

As beneficiaries of the New Covenant and God’s gift of righteousness, we must now refuse to submit to external regulations and rules as a means of gaining or maintaining a right standing with him. (Colossians 2:10-17) Instead, our rule of life now is to love God, love people, and teach others to do the same. This is called the Royal Law.

Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  James 2:8 (NLT)

Jesus imposed this law upon his disciples, which encompasses the entire moral law.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  John 13:34–35 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:22–25 (NLT)

The moral aspects of the Old Covenant Law of Moses are still in effect because they reflect the law of love. Christians are not permitted to murder, commit acts of immorality, lie, or steal because these sins violate the royal 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 constrains us inwardly through love and serve him to bring him glory.

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.  2 Corinthians 5:14–15 (NASB95)

The Greek word translated “controls” is suneko, which means to hold fast, constrain, urge, or impel.

The death and resurrection freed us from the law’s power to condemn us, but it did not remove from us the responsibility to live in such a way that honors God through loving him and people.

When we were under the Law, we sought to obey him to obtain and maintain a right standing with God. Under the New Covenant, having already 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. 

We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  1 John 5:2–5 (NLT)

God created us to draw our life from him. We were never intended to be independent operators.

When Adam and Eve pursued their desire to live without restraint and be self-governing and authenticating “like God,” it brought untold sorrow and destruction to humanity. Even in their pristine state of having been newly created, Adam and Eve quickly walked away from intimacy with and dependence upon God.

Jesus, through the New Covenant, restored us 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.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  Galatians 2:20 (NASB95)

Satan tried to destroy us by enlisting us in his revolt against God. His desire to achieve “god” status was doomed from the start. Amazingly God conferred a semblance of that upon those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ. Through the new birth, the inner transformation of the Spirit, and eventually through the resurrection of the body, we were, are, and will be remade into Christ’s image, becoming truly “like God” as we draw our life from him, the source of all life and blessings! May all glory and honor be to him forever and ever! Truly, he is the kindest person we will ever know!

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.  Ephesians 1:5–8 (NLT)
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Chapter 73: Relational Evangelism

Evangelism is related to fishing. Jesus said he would make his disciples into “fishers of men.” Good fishermen usually have well-stocked tackle boxes full of their favorite lures that have given them success in the past. If we only have one bait and one-size hook in our tackle boxes, we are going to be limited in what we can catch. As someone once said, if all we have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.

If we look at how Jesus fished for people, we quickly realize that he tailored his words and approach to the individuals he encountered.

If we are going to fish for people the Jesus way, we will need to do the same. Below I have listed some key things we will want to have in our spiritual tackle boxes.

A Commitment to God’s Mission

Fishing takes commitment. Commitment comes when we are convinced that something is so important that it deserves our heart, time, finances, and effort – for as long as it takes. Unless we are truly committed, we may agree that being on mission is worthwhile, but other things will preempt it.

Committed people are different. Nothing stops a committed person from putting his or her convictions into action.

Many Christians are committed to God, to church, to family, to their jobs, and to pursuing a happy life. Relatively few are committed to the Great Commission, which is a huge priority on God’s heart.

I have a friend who is an avid fisherman. This man has a high-profile time-consuming job. Despite this, he still finds time to fish almost daily. Living on a lake doesn’t hurt. This begs the question, why does he prioritize fishing? Is it because somewhere back in the past he made a commitment which he now honors or is it that he is committed because he loves to fish? We usually grow to love a pursuit because we become proficient enough to experience a level of success that we find rewarding.

Probably the only way to develop and maintain a lifestyle of fishing for people is by growing to love it.

We generally do not begin with a high level of proficiency at anything we do, but, if we are going to learn, we must start somewhere. Most of us will probably begin sharing our faith with others because we are excited to know Jesus and want others to have the same experience. But after we encounter enough “push back,” we may think better of it. Some of us may have never shared the gospel out of that kind of excitement, for whatever reason. If we backed off or never even started to fish for people, we likely will need to overcome a natural resistance to start fishing again or for the first time.

The resistance to witnessing and making disciples is real. Part of it derives from our own desire to live comfortably and not “rock the boat.” Another element is spiritual warfare from Satan because the last thing he wants is for us to become evangelists and disciple makers. Initially, we may have to commit ourselves to obeying God in this area out of a sense of obedience; however, as happened to my friend, fishing tends to grow on people, especially if we experience success. We may find that fishing for people becomes something we want to do because it brings us joy, which will give birth to an ongoing practice.

If we are the best fisherman in the world but are never available to go fishing, even the least talented fisherman will catch more than we.

What we do with our time reveals what is important to us. Unless we make ourselves available for God’s missionary work, we will be frustrated in this area continually.

An Interest in People

I have known people, and most likely so have you, who were committed to telling others about Christ, but who apparently did not like people. Their words about God’s love were offset by their less than caring attitude, sending a confusing mixed message. Jesus, on the other hand, combined an unswerving commitment to truth with a deep love for people. This made him intriguing and magnetic for those whose heart longed for God and repulsive to those who were playing religious games. If we do not have God’s love for people, we will likely attract religious hypocrites and repel the ones to whom we are sent.

People may not open their hearts if we approach them only to present a gospel “sales pitch,” instead of showing an interest and desire to know them as a person.

Unless we are genuinely interested in people, we probably will never be good at “catching” them. We should not regard people as evangelism “targets.” They are valuable individuals who are worth knowing, loving, and relating to, whether they ever choose to follow Jesus. People instinctively know whether we are interested in them. May God increase our love for and interest in the people with whom we relate.

Our interest in people can be demonstrated by our willingness to engage them in conversation.

The quickest way to get a conversation going is to ask questions about the other person. If we are genuinely interested in them and what they do, we will have no trouble.

Think of people as buried treasure. You will only discover what is there by digging.

Their answers often give birth to further questions and may open a door to sharing something about your own life or the Lord. If they never show an interest in anything related to you, that is usually a “red flag.” Over the long haul, one-way relationships usually go nowhere.

It is important that we do not come across as “know it all’s.” It is easy for us Christians to unwittingly present ourselves that way when it comes to talking about what we believe the Bible teaches in any given area.

Cultivating an ability to listen to the other person is important.

If they voice opinions or beliefs that are contrary to Scripture, we can ask the Lord to help us form questions that might make them rethink their position. Such as some version of, “How is that working out for you?”

A Servant’s Heart

Jesus came to serve and ultimately give his life away. Service is an earmark of a true disciple. In today’s consumer culture, people think more in terms of what’s in it for us. Many assume those who share the gospel have the same mindset, which makes them suspicious of our motives. They probably think we are trying to get them to join our church, for example.

If we have Christ’s servant heart, we will look for ways to demonstrate God’s love in practical ways, not as a project, but because we care.

This can include spending time in conversation to get to know someone, setting aside time to visit in people’s homes, having people over to our residences, praying for them privately and one-on-one in person, helping with a project, or just being there for them during a crisis. Loving and serving people is worthwhile as a standalone effort, but it also may open the door for us to be able to share why Jesus is so important to us.

Jesus wants his followers to serve our way into the hearts and lives of those around us.

Loving service gives credibility to the gospel message. I remember after we began spending time with one of our neighbors, one day the wife approached me when I was in my front yard. She asked me to come with her to visit the home next to hers where the husband had recently suffered a heart attack. I had never visited those people, but she opened the door for a ministry opportunity. It made me realize that she viewed me as a kind of neighborhood pastor.

Hospitality is another very important aspect of service. When we have people into our homes, especially for a meal, it tends to remove relational stiffness. Conversation over a meal may become more personal than what we might have during casual encounters. We often can reach another level if those we reach out to reciprocate by having us over. When we visit someone else’s home, it indicates that they see us as a friend. As honored guests we should humbly receive their hospitality and have an attitude to listen and observe.

Knowledge of the Bible and the Gospel

Bible literacy is very low, even among average churchgoers. As a culture, we have grown lazy and unmotivated to learn more about the Scriptures and Bible truth. The Word of God is our life. It is our bread. We should habitually “eat” it by reading, meditating, and applying its truth to our lives. We should expect the Holy Spirit to reveal wonderful things about God to us, but many of us do not even crack open our Bibles. Many churchgoers show up on Sundays with their mouths open, expecting the pastor to give them enough pre-digested food to last them for a week. True disciples make a commitment to grow in their knowledge, understanding, and application of the Bible through personal study and application. (John 8:31-32)

We will never be effective fishers of men unless we understand the gospel well enough to share it easily and naturally.

A Dependence on the Holy Spirit

When Jesus launched his three-year itinerant preaching ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61:1 to help us understand his identity and mission.

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:17-21 (ESV)

Jesus depended upon the Holy Spirit to equip and empower him for the ministry he carried out over the rest of his earthly life. If we carefully read how he ministered to people, we will see that he allowed the gifts of the Spirit to operate in and through him continually. Although he was and is God in the flesh, he emptied himself of many of his divine prerogatives and depended on the Spirit, just as we must. Jesus was filled with the Spirit at the River Jordan and operated in the power and gifts of the Spirit throughout his ministry as an example to us. We need God’s power as well as the truth of the gospel.

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.  1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)

One of Jesus’ titles is Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). Jesus commanded his followers to receive this empowering from on high so we too can be as effective as the Spirit can make us.

We simply cannot rely on human intelligence and ability if we want to be good at relational or any other kind of evangelism.

Boldness

The Holy Spirit gives Jesus’ followers boldness to share the Gospel. This is a main function of the baptism in the Spirit. (See Acts 1:8.)

We may know what the Gospel says, be committed to the Great Commission, and love people, but eventually we will face those crucial times when courage is required.

When we tell others about Jesus, we run the risk of being misunderstood, rejected, ignored, or even persecuted. Jesus said that if we confess him before men, he will confess us before his Father in heaven and the angels; but if we are ashamed of him and the Gospel before men, he will not give us his heavenly approbation. (Matthew 10:32-33) These are sobering words. The Apostle Peter denied Jesus during a time of great fear and pressure; so, we should not be surprised when we are tempted to keep our mouths shut when we should be standing up boldly for truth. I am not suggesting that we be obnoxious representatives of Christ. There are appropriate times and ways to share God’s truth and other times to be silent. Knowing which is which requires us to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leadership. However, when it is clearly the right time to be bold, that is what needs to be in our “tackle box.”

Patience and Determination

Fisherman must be patient and determined. Sometimes the fish bite and other times they do not. God promises that his Word will not come back void but will accomplish his intention. (Isaiah 55:11) Paul encouraged us to resist becoming weary in well doing because “in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) Working with people requires patience and determination. It is unpredictable, and often what is happening with the people to whom we minister is well hidden. God may be working on them on the inside. He or she may appear to be uninterested while they may be wrestling with God. The Apostle Paul is a great example of God’s ability to get through to even the most hostile foes of the Gospel.

Ask the Lord to encourage your heart to keep sowing into the lives of those around you. It will not go unrewarded.

As we look at our own tackle boxes, perhaps you, like I, are missing some gear. Don’t worry. God’s grace will make up for what we lack. The important thing is to start fishing. Add as much gear as you can as you go. The Lord may miraculously impart something to you while you are fishing.

If we wait to begin until after we think we are completely ready, we may never catch a fish.

Every person we can lead to faith in Jesus is a person added to God’s family and rescued from Satanic oppression. Every person we help to become a fisherman will multiply our efforts.

We Can Be a Lure God Uses to Catch Fish

Jesus offered himself as a sweet-smelling sacrifice upon God’s altar.

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.  Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)

Think of how good a steak smells as it cooks upon a grill. To God that is what Jesus’ offering of himself was like, and, when we offer ourselves in Christ’s service, we become an aroma of Christ to those around us.

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?  2 Corinthians 2:14–16 (NLT)

If we think of God as the fisherman, he uses us sometimes as a lure to draw people toward Christ.

This puts how we live in front of people in a whole new light. When we give into frustration, for example, and vent our anger in front of others, we might be putting an obstacle in front of their accepting Jesus. The Native Americans were treated abominably by our government and the individuals representing it, most of whom probably professed to be Christians. Is it any wonder that today those who are their descendants refer to Christianity as the “white man’s religion,” of which they want no part? The gospel is a big enough hurdle to get over without our adding to the difficulty by behaving in a poor manner. Conversely, when we show love to people it can draw them to the Lord and make them more receptive to the gospel. As Paul asked, who indeed is adequate for this? We need grace everyday to be Christ’s representatives.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Is there any piece of gear that you would like to add to your tackle box?
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Gospel in a Minute: Jesus Is Alive and Communicates with Us

Gospel in a Minute

Because Jesus actually rose from the dead, he is alive and communicates with us. The Star Wars series of movies presents its version of god in a Buddhist way as an impersonal force that includes both good and evil. That is not the God of the Bible.

The Bible reveals that God is a Person who is good and loving and who communicates with people.

The Bible records the history of God’s interactions with men and women in which he clearly communicated with them through direct words, visions, angelic visitations, prophets, the scriptures, and last, but certainly not least, by his indwelling Holy Spirit.

The eternal Logos became a human named Jesus who lived for some thirty-three years, interacting with his family, friends, neighbors, disciples, and even his enemies. He spoke as no one else had. (John 7:46) His personality and spirit magnetically drew those whose hearts were open to God, but repelled those who were hardened. When he met people, he often called them by name, as with his disciples and Zacheus. When Mary Magdalene searched for his body after the crucifixion, he appeared to her in a risen bodily form she did not immediately recognize until he spoke her name, “Mary.” Instantly she knew him and was overjoyed, running to tell the other disciples that he was indeed risen from the dead. Because Jesus is alive, he is still able to communicate with his disciples. Later, after his ascension into heaven, he appeared and spoke personally to the apostle Paul, bringing about his dramatic conversion.

He also visited me some fifty-three years ago. I was a seeker, who was not at all convinced in the truth of the resurrection, but I wanted to know. After I observed someone I loved and respected, now my wife, transform from being a standard Roman Catholic to becoming a “born again” follower of Christ, I asked the Lord, if he were real, to come into my life and reveal himself to me, too. That is just what he did.

Paul said that if we turn to the Lord, he will remove the veil that hides Christ’s identity from our eyes. (2 Corinthians 3:16)

Because I opened myself to him, the risen and living Jesus communicated with me via his Holy Spirit that he is indeed who the Bible says he is. I am not sure how he did it, but I sensed his presence so strongly that I was instantly transformed inside and filled with joy. My life was changed, moving me from doubt to faith in an instant. I now know that he is truly alive, and knowing and believing that gave me eternal life, too.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

You, too, can know the risen Lord. He is no respecter of persons. Anyone who comes to him will be received by him. He will not turn you away. (John 6:37) Will this be your day? Will you open your heart to the risen Lord and ask him into your life as I did some 53 years ago? Will you ask him to reveal himself to you so that you too can believe and be saved?

Prayer

Jesus, I want to know you. I ask you to come into my life and reveal yourself to me so that I can believe and be saved. I want to be forgiven for my many sins and experience what it is like to be in right standing with my Creator. I want to experience your love and life and be with you forever. I give myself to you. Amen.

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Don’t pin your hopes on the rapture.

Many think we may be on the brink of a long awaited event, the Second Coming of Christ preceded by a time of great suffering and persecution called the Great Tribulation. The futurist and often Dispensational view of the end times also teaches that sometime before this time of suffering those who believe in Christ will be “raptured.” Even though this is not actually a biblical term, it is means a “catching up” of the Body of Christ which is definitely scriptural.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

The Greek word is harpazo, which means to seize, catch up, or snatch away. The idea is that God’s people will be removed before it gets really bad here on earth, leaving unsaved humanity to endure the atrocities of the Antichrist’s rule. But does this teaching conform to the Bible’s clear instructions on the end times? Might it be a false hope which could leave the church unprepared to endure suffering?

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who miraculously survived the Nazi death camps after being betrayed by a neighbor for harboring and protecting Jews, toured the world in her old age warning Christians that suffering is part of God’s plan to transform us and prepare us for glory. I quote her below.

 

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, ” Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated- raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later, I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

“We have failed..
We should have made the people strong for persecution,
rather than telling them Jesus would come first.
Tell the people to be strong in times of persecution,
how to stand when the tribulation comes,
to stand and not faint.” (Women of Christianity)

We do well to seriously consider Corrie’s warning, but what the Bible says is even more important. What, if anything, did Jesus and Paul say about the rapture? Not surprisingly, they said quite a lot about the end times, and some of it directly relates to the rapture theory. I begin by quoting our Lord’s words regarding the very end of things.

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” 37  Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38  The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39  The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. 40  “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42  And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:36-43 (NLT)

Here Jesus explained that the first group that will will be taken is composed of the wicked, not the righteous. This is the very opposite scenario posited by rapture enthusiasts. In another passage, Jesus reaffirms that this is how things will end.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39  People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40  “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41  Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43  Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT)

Once again Jesus words work against having an expectation of the rapture of the church. Instead, those who will be taken or swept away are the wicked, just as during the flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s family was left behind to inherit the earth, not the wicked.

Where did the doctrine of the rapture come from then? John Nelson Darby was probably the first person to fully articulate this relatively modern doctrine sometime between 1832 and 1845. (John Darby: Pretribulation Rapture Theory) It can be argued that such a theory could only find traction in a land and time that was free from intense persecution. I doubt if it could have been developed during the persecutions that attended the early church or the one going on in Communist China right now. Many areas of the world have already experienced or are currently experiencing great tribulation.

By the way, the Greek word translated tribulation is thlipsis, which essentially means “pressure.” Pressure explodes weak containers and refines coal into diamonds. How we will be affected by pressure will depend on what is inside us.

The Bible clearly warns us to expect suffering, which God’s grace will help us endure.

"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10  "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11  "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12  "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13  "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 (NASB)

Jesus encouraged us to endure suffering for the gospel, not pin our hopes on a “great escape” called the rapture.

When people believe they will be pulled out of the coming troubles, it can demotivate us from actively preaching the gospel and working to expand the kingdom of God. Instead, we may end up “forting up” in our churches, waiting for the rapture.

Removing believers when intense suffering is about to arrive does not conform to God’s shepherd heart. Jesus told us that the Good Shepherd will not flee when he sees the wolf coming. Watchman Nee lived and ministered in China before it fell to communism. He had the opportunity to escape but chose to remain with the people under his care. His church was among those who did not capitulate to the demands of the Communist Party. He endured great suffering as a result of his choice and languished for years in prison, but he was faithful to God and those under his care.

Is it not more in line with Christ’s love that he would raise up his church to be his fearless witness during such a time? Is that not what actually happened during previous persecutions? The church grew exponentially during Roman tribulation and has expanded victoriously during the modern persecution in China. Would we expect Christ to rejoice in a weak and fearful bride hiding in hopes of being rescued or in one who is gloriously confronting the enemies of the gospel? What if the period we hope to escape will end up being the most glorious and victorious era for the church?

I have a growing suspicion that most of our end time theology will be seriously rearranged in the coming days as we approach the Second Coming of Christ.

The prophet Habakkuk promised that the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NASB)

Could a Spirit-filled victorious church participating in a massive outpouring of the Spirit as prophesied in Joel be part of that process before the Second Coming? Many, including myself, think so.

Jesus taught that his Second Coming will precipitate the resurrection from the dead, the last judgment, and the final state of things. Not only will the wicked be removed and burned with unquenchable fire; all the dead will be raised, judged and assigned to their eternal destinies.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:25-29 (ESV)

Those who have already died as believers will be the first ones caught up to meet the Lord when he comes to judge the world. After that those believers who are still alive physically will join them.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NASB)

Putting all this together, it appears that the Lord’s Second Coming will be immediately preceded by a removal of the wicked, followed by a resurrection of the dead and a catching up of the righteous to join the descending Lord. This agrees with what Paul wrote about the resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of his First Letter to the Church in Corinth.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will 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 will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NASB95)

Jesus will come again at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised, and those who are still alive will be instantly transformed by receiving their glorified bodies. This is what is called the rapture.Then a glorious and fearful final reckoning will take place which will be administered by the Divine Son of Man, the risen Lord Jesus.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)

God has not given us all the details of how it will be at the end, only what we need to know. Hardly anyone figured out how Jesus would arrive on planet earth the first time. Why should we expect that we will succeed the second time?

As we await his sure return, let us hold on to our ideas of what will be with an open mind and heart, realizing that we may need to adjust our thinking as we watch events unfold.

In the meantime, let us take seriously the apostle Peter’s words of encouragement.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11  All power to him forever! Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (NLT)
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