Wisdom is full of mercy

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first truly pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

 

Recently I was considering how the wisdom that is from above is full of mercy. What brought this about was meeting a young man who is hoping to study in our next Bible School term. The problem is that he has had to major instances of instability and backsliding in the past three years. He is however back in a good church now, and will be talking to my father about what he will need to do to be accepted back.

He may have to meet some stringent requirements for admission because of the past, but there are things that give me hope for him. 1. He was noticeably ashamed to talk to me. Many times people are caught red-handed and yet will still deny and be totally unashamed of what they have done. However it is those whose heads are hung in shame for what they have done that can know God as the lifter of their head (Psa. 3:3). 2. He seems to still have a heart for the Lord in spite of everything. 3. His life has potential, if only he will meet with God and obtain the ability to walk straight from Him.

Mercy makes sense. It is an attribute of wisdom. When someone fails perhaps our first attitude is to replace them, but a replacement would require all the effort and training that was placed into the first individual to be placed into the replacement to prepare them for the same work. Having done that then that person would also be tested and could very possibly fail in the same way as the previous person starting a new cycle. If the one who has failed can be restored – really restored – then the effort, time and training spent on that person are not wasted. This makes sense even for us, but imagine how much God has spent on this person. First consider whatever ministry he has received through the local church and how all of that was really God's investment in him. Then going further back think of all the times the person has responded to the drawing of God's Spirit directly, and all the grace received up to this point to get where they were. If the person is lost all that becomes wasted, if there is some sort of restoration then God will receive something for all that He has poured in.

Restoration is thus very desirable, but it requires a wisdom of its own to accomplish properly. Joseph showed remarkable wisdom in how he dealt with his brothers to see – both for his own and their sakes – if they still were jealous of a favored brother as they had been of him. They showed a marked change, especially Judah who was willing to lay down his own freedom for his brother Benjamin. This is the key of real restoration, not only ascertaining that the person has truly repented and changed but showing them so that they can realize that they are not the same person either. Jesus required a three-fold confession publicly of Peter to atone for his three-fold denial, but also included a three-fold commission to show His acceptance of Peter (John 21:15-17). It also appears to me that one reason for the inclusion of 1 Kings 1:1-4 in Scripture is to show to David and to others that David had changed as a result of his fall and restoration.

Truly the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost and to change wasted, purposeless lives into joyful, productive ones that are filled with Him and His love. To Him be glory forever!

Some Thoughts on Col. 2:18-19

Let no one defraud you, delighting in humility and worship of the angels, intruding into things which he has not seen, without a cause being vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from whom all the body, having been supplied through the joints and bands, and having been joined together, will grow with the growth of God.

 

In the book of Colossians, Paul confronts false teaching that had been spreading among the church. There was a false humility that they engendered and a severe asceticism that they practiced. In these two verses Paul goes to the root of the whole problem. Essentially it is the same problem seen in Jeremiah 2:13, where God's people had forsaken the fountain of living water and hewed out their own broken cisterns of water. Paul's way back from this waywardness begins by abandoning the broken cistern and then returning to the fountain.

 

1. The broken cistern
   

The false teachers were having the people effect a humility and a worship of angels. While it is likely that this referred to spiritual beings, the word angel means messenger (see Mark 1:2), and it is possible that the people were also worshipping these supposed messengers. This resulted in their being defrauded of true spiritual benefit which only flows from the living fountain.

 

Ironically, while these men taught humility to others they were puffed up in their own minds with their own ideas. The sort of humility they enjoined among their followers can be seen in 2 Corinthians 11:20-21, "For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that." The Apostle Paul never exalted himself in that way, but apparently these other ministers did and what is worse the church in Corinth, and perhaps Colosse too, endured it.

 

Unfortunately this is by no means a first century problem, and recently there have been notable instances of ministers who exalt angels or themselves to such a degree that they cease to be a conduit for God and are in effect making themselves the source that is to be sought whatever needs people have. This is a sign of false ministry – drawing away disciples after yourself (Acts 20:30). The antidote to this is found in Holding to the Head.

 

1. The True Fountain
   

It is from the Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, that we all receive the nourishment that we need to grow and thrive and produce fruit. We are to abide in Him (John 15). Apart from Him we are and can do nothing. He is and ever remains the source, and we are merely conduits. There are two wrong ways of thinking that Paul also incidentally touches on as he encourages believers to hold to the Head.

 

Firstly, while we hold to the Head we are not isolated from the rest of the body. As we hold to the Head we will be joined with the other joints that are also joined to the Head and will promote mutual growth. Christianity is a religion of personal relationship with God, but from that flows relationship with others. This is seen even in the Lord's prayer which begins by saying "Our Father" expressing both relationship to God and others at the same time.

 

Secondly, there is another tendency to gauge the degree of a person's holding to the Head by their denominational loyalty and connectedness. Yet, we are not to hold to the Head through others, but directly. It is from the Head, both directly and indirectly that the whole body is supplied. As we are joined to the Head, we will have grace to be joined to the body. In all honesty we need a direct source of grace to put up with the humanness of our fellow believers. If we are looking to them as the source rather than the Head, we will never have the grace we need to stay connected to them. However as we all hold to the Head, we are enabled to keep together as well. True Christian unity is always found in uniting under the one and only Head. To Him be glory forever! Amen.

 

A Few Thoughts on Hebrews 13:12-14

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

 

The book of Hebrews is a book that covers a lot of doctrinal subjects and which gives an exposition of the New Covenant and how it is superior to the Old Covenant. That is however not the purpose of the book. Too often as Christians we view Christianity as a series of doctrines to be learned, but in the early church doctrine was taught to promote godly living. The whole purpose of showing the superiority of the New Covenant is to bring the recalcitrant Jewish believers to this conclusion – go outside the camp. What did this mean to them and how does it apply to us?

The Jews could boast in many ways of their society and culture. They were the only nation in antiquity that did not abandon unwanted children or practice abortion. They had a high literacy rate especially among their male population, because of their synagogue schools. They could even boast as no other culture could that much of their cultural framework was from God, because it was based on the law. The superiority, on the whole, of Jewish morality and their just claim to having received their cultural framework from God made it very hard for them to break with their traditions.

Peter told God, "No" three times when he saw the vision of the sheet with unclean animals come down and was commanded to kill and eat one (Acts 10:9-16). Even after that when he preached to Cornelius and the Holy Spirit fell on him and those with him, Peter and the Jews still had reservations, but they knew it was of God. Peter then had to make a defense of his conduct in Acts 11. All of this shows just how difficult it was to break with the Jewish culture and traditions for even the most godly of men, who had already given up so much for Jesus.

Yet in spite of all the good things that could have been truthfully said of the Jewish culture at the time there were serious problems with it. It majored on minor details and neglected what God considered very important. While it forbade polygamy and other flagrant forms of immorality, it was very lax concerning divorce and remarriage. It also tended to place the welfare of the Jewish nation above its proper place and above the glory of God. As can be seen in the prophets, especially Jeremiah, this was something that the Jews had repeatedly done (Jer. 7:4).

For Jewish Christians the danger was that they could avoid much persecution if they outwardly conformed to Jewish tradition while at the same time they remained Christians. They had endured persecution before (Heb. 10:34) and it was understandable that they would want to avoid further persecution. Yet this attitude of desiring to fit in with Jewish culture placed them in danger of backsliding as they were continually warned in Hebrews.

Here is where this message becomes applicable for us. No matter where we are or what culture we are in Christianity will run counter to it in some way. In rural places in Malawi there is great pressure put on mothers to have their children where charms from witchdoctors to prevent disease. Even many Christians do this because if they don't and the child becomes sick the family all converges on the parents and applies pressure on them. In the 1850's and 1860's in America, while there was what could be called a godly culture in some ways, yet it tolerated slavery in the South and sweatshops in the North, and little was said about it in the churches. Victorian England for all its supposed piety fought a war so that they could continue to sell opium in China. The mixture of Christianity with culture and national pride has seriously disrupted the testimony of the Church many times in history. Nietzsche wrote that one could only be a German or a Christian not both, and the rise of Nazism was only possible because many Christians decided that being German came first.

As an American who has spent his life from the age of nine outside of America with the exception of two years I have a different perspective on culture than most people. As I see it now in the American churches there are two main groups, the one group goes along with the current American culture fads and desires to fit in as much as possible, the second group wants to return America to the way it was in the fifties. It is my belief that neither of these groups truly please God in these endeavors. The one group ends up watering down the Gospel in the name of tolerance, the other group though more conservative often also substitutes American culture for the Gospel - it's just the American culture of yesteryear. The problem with that is that if the Church in America in the fifties was doing so well, we wouldn't have gotten into the mess we are in now anyway. True Christians will follow Christ in their generation. There are different battles in each national culture and each generation, but a true Christian will never really be at home in any culture or generation of the world. The Booths were outcasts in the work they began, Spurgeon died outside of the denomination he had been with for years, Wesley was an Anglican that most Anglicans didn't want. Hudson Taylor was considered very odd in his day too.

These people all saw that Christ was outside the camp, and they were willing to forsake all for the Gospel. It is in forgetting our father's house that we win the heart of our heavenly Bridegroom (Psa. 45:10-11). We will only have a shallow and superficial Christianity unless we take this lesson deeply to heart. Let us go outside the camp. We do not go because we are mavericks, but we go because the One we love is already out there, and He is being mocked in this world and we want to be with Him even in His shame and sufferings. To Him be glory forever!

A Few Thoughts on Sonship and Training

In all relationships there are levels. There are some things we readily share with people, and other things that we say little of, and then only to those very close to us. The things we speak little of are important to us, however, that is precisely why we don't share them with everyone, because they are so near to our heart. For someone to learn of these things they must first be near to our heart, it is no coincidence that it was John as he was leaning on Jesus breast that heard who the traitor was at the last supper. Some things are only heard if we are near enough. One thing that is very near to the heart of God is His Children and His plans for them.

Isaiah 45:9-11 shows us something of the nearness to God's heart of God's plans for His children, "Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'? Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' or to a woman, 'With what are you in labor?' Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: 'Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?'" This passage written in a somewhat ironical tone shows that among the things God does not readily share with everyone, especially not with His critics, are His plans for His children and the way that He works and governs the world.

 

Yet, God does share something of the plans that He has for His children with His people. Abraham was told concerning the coming Egyptian captivity and Exodus (Gen. 15:13-14). Jacob was given prophecies concerning each of his twelve sons revealing the council of the Lord for them and their descendants (Gen. 49). God's progressive revelation of His plans for His children continued throughout the Old Testament as prophets received promises concerning the Babylonian captivity and return, and also the final deliverance of Israel and millennial reign of peace following the second coming of Christ. Yet even all these plans are not a full exposition of God's plans concerning His children, because Paul quoting Isaiah writes, "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'" (1 Cor. 2:9).

 

We are the sons of God and it does not now appear what we shall be. We don't usually consider it this way, but long before he developed his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein crawled on the ground. He also likely made a mess trying to feed himself, and wet his diapers. If I were a betting man, I would also wager that long before he learned to articulate his desires and wants in an understandable manner his cries filled his family home.

 

Mankind starts with a rather unpromising beginning both naturally and spiritually, but as a man is born again within him is placed the very nature of Christ. This nature will grow and mature to produce the full stature of Christ in the believer. The whole reason why God ordained the fivefold ministry in His Church is to bring this about (Eph. 4:11-13). Not only that but God intends to reveal in some manner His power and glory in the Church not only now but in the ages to come (Heb. 6:5; Eph. 3:21). With this in mind every triumph that believers experience on earth is the acquisition of skills and attitudes that fit them for their eternal position. Conversely, even a failure is only a momentary setback which if remedied by God will not inhibit the final victory of becoming a mature child of God who walks as Christ walked. This is Christ in us the hope of glory, and when we see Him we shall be like Him! Amen.

 

 

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 8 – If God permit

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

To complete this series on the foundational doctrines I want to look briefly at this last phrase, "If God permit." At first it may seem strange, because if it is God's desire as expressed here in Hebrews that His people go on from these elementary doctrines then why would He not permit them to go on? The same could be asked of a teacher – what teacher desires to fail one of their students, and yet as much as they would love to pass a student if the work does not merit it they will fail the student. It is God that gives light, it is God that continually leads us on in Him. If we are willing to learn we will learn and go on. However if we refuse to go on we can eventually be no longer permitted to do so.

The first generation of the children of Israel were promised the land of Canaan. God's part had already been done, and indeed the whole journey was provided for by God from the foundation of the world (Heb. 4:3). Of that generation, though, only two men actually entered into what was promised, prepared and provided for them. The others who were all equally delivered, called and lead by God died in the wilderness having failed the ten tests that God had lead them through. After the last test God forbade any of that generation other than Caleb and Joshua to go in. Some tried the next day anyway and were utterly defeated in battle. Having failed all the tests God had set for them, they were not permitted to go into the land (Deut. 1:39-46).

The permission of God is very important to understand. We can study the Scripture for years, but unless God opens our minds we will not really grasp it. This is also why we should not look down on others who we might think have less understanding of the Scriptures, because if God gives them light they could excel us, and God could even withhold further light from us or even take away what we have because of a prideful attitude. This is also why it is so important to obey what God speaks to us, because Jesus said in Mark 4:24-25, "Take heed what you hear. With that measure which you measure, it shall be measured to you. And to you who hear, more shall be given. For he who has, more shall be given to him; and he who has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has." What are we willing to hear God say? God told Balaam not to go curse Israel, then because he would not heed that He told him he could go if the messengers came to get him in the morning. When the messengers left without speaking to him in the morning, he went anyway, which angered the Lord who was going to kill him. After the talking donkey incident Balaam offered to go back, but God told him to go ahead and go. In a certain sense Balaam could say that God told him to go. God did, but only because it was what he wanted to hear. Balaam uttered some awesome prophecies and earnestly desired to die the death of the righteous, but yet he actually died in the camp of God's enemies.

 

Paul wrote to Timothy concerning the various vessels that are present in a household, and that purging is necessary so that a vessel can be used for every good work (2 Tim. 2:20-21). God uses His people and calls them higher in Him by His upward call, but if they do not respond to the upward call they may disqualify themselves from some of the works that God has for them. God needs people to expose errors in His church, and sometimes a bitter, and vindictive person is the best one to do that because they have the desire. However, as long as they are bitter and vindictive they cannot be of use in building up the body of Christ in a way which requires gentleness. Martin Luther was mightily used of God to bring in the Reformation, and yet as his life progressed he became a very angry person. By his own confession in his later years he could hardly pray without cursing the pope, and he once expressed the desire to be a ghost when he died so that he could give all the prelates a thousand times more problems dead then he could alive. His later years make for sad reading with much of them being spent attacking other reformers. Let this be a warning to us that we allow God to purge us so that we are fit for the tasks He has for us and we are not relegated to other lower though still good uses. Amen.

 

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 7 – Eternal Judgment

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

The doctrine of eternal judgment is a foundational teaching of the Christian life. The early Church lived in a state of constant consciousness of the Day of Judgment – so much so that they referred to it as "that day." It is the only day on earth of any real importance. Paul prayed that one who had assisted him would find mercy of God on that day (2 Tim. 1:18). It was on "that day" that Paul expected to receive what had given to Christ and Christ was keeping for him (2 Tim. 1:12). The book of Hebrews encourages its readers to meet together and exhort each other continually, especially as the day approaches (Heb. 10:25). James reminded his readers that they should not grumble because the judge stood at the door (James 5:9). From all this we see the emphasis that the early church placed upon eternal judgment. Now let us look at what they taught concerning eternal judgment: what will be judged; when will it be judged and how will it be judged?

 

1. What will be judged
   

All of our works done in our body will be judged and will be either rewarded or punished according to their merit (2 Cor. 5:10). We will be judged for every word we speak, even the idle chit-chat we engage in (Matt. 12:36-37). When those who fear the Lord speak together that is noted and written down by God (Mal. 3:16). Even our consciences will bear witness either for us or against us in what we have done, and then every secret of our hearts will be revealed (Rom. 2:15-16). Since both our attitudes and actions toward God and man will be judged, Paul strove to always have a conscience that was without offense towards either (Acts 24:26). As we see that absolutely everything will be judged, we should also remember that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Without forgiveness from God through the merits of Christ no one could stand in this judgment.

1. When will it be judged
   

These things will all be judged on the day that God has appointed (Acts 17:31). This is the day of the Lord – a great and terrible day. It is the day for which we all must prepare. This life is the stage rehearsal for that day. It does not matter how much we may look like a failure now, nor how successful we appear now, what matters is how do we appear when the curtain opens on the final day and we are seen as we really are. The date of this day is not known to man. God has reserved it for Himself. In the same way we do not usually know the day of our approaching death, but we know that after that day will come the judgment.

1. How will it be judged
   

When a person dies they are immediately taken to one of two intermediary states to await the final judgment. The first place is for the souls of those who have died in the Lord - that is in a saving relationship with Christ Jesus. This place is known as heaven. Heaven is not the final destination of the saints, because they still await the redemption of their bodies as well as their souls (Rom. 8:23). The final destination is the new heaven and the new earth which the saints will enter after the second coming of Christ, the millennium and the White throne judgment. For now however we know that for a saint to be absent in body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-8).

The second state is the state of the lost, who go to an intermediary place called hell. Here they experience all sorts of mental and physical anguish (though not corporeal because their bodies are not yet present with them). Descriptions of this suffering are found in many places in the scripture some of the most vivid being Ezekiel 32:17-32 which shows how people are grouped in hell with those they were associated in life, and remain as they were in life to their eternal shame – the warriors still have their weapons with them, but it only shows their powerlessness; and Luke 16:19-31 which gives the story of Lazarus and the rich man and shows the difference in the state of the righteous and the wicked as it was before the time of Christ's resurrection when He led captivity captive and took the Old Testament saints from Abraham's bosom into heaven. On the final day, all the wicked dead will be reunited with their bodies and cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15). This is the final doom of all the wicked.

 

As we are closing this brief look at eternal judgment I would like to notice a few things. In the story told by Jesus, the rich man is not named, but Lazarus is. The righteous have an everlasting name and everlasting remembrance, but in the new heaven and new earth the former things will not be remembered (Isa. 65:17). In the same way the number of years of life are given for all of the godly line of Seth (Gen. 5), but not the number of years for the line of Cain (Gen. 4:17-24). The righteous may have had falls, and may have wasted some of their earthly years, but in the end even those wasted years were used by God to form some character in them which remains for all eternity. However Cain's descendants who were ungodly had wasted lives, we are not given the length of them, but ultimately the length does not matter because their lives were spent apart from God and ended apart from God. Let us have lives that count for eternity!

Before closing this series I would like to do one more post looking at the Phrase "if God permit."

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 6 – The Resurrection of the Dead

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

The doctrine we will be examining in this post is the resurrection of the dead. This doctrine was understood though dimly in the Old Testament. Indeed many pagans had some understanding of this doctrine though polluted through their rejection of the true God. This is why in Mesopotamia and Egypt and elsewhere even in the Americas dead rulers were interred with food, tools, and sometimes servants to serve them in the next life. In the inner most part of man is a knowledge of the eternal and a recognition of good and evil, and even the most hardened atheist has knowledge of this at sometime though they fight against it and sear their own consciences to remove its effects.

 

1. The Resurrection as seen in the Old Testament
   

Job in the time of the patriarchs stated as clearly as possible a belief in a resurrection. "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!" (Job 19:25-27). Job knew that one day his physical eyes would look upon God, even if his body had long since decomposed.

 

In Psalm 22:19 another hint at the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is given with the promise that all that go down to the dust (ie. die) will bow before Christ. This is mentioned again in Isaiah where it is confirmed by God's own oath (Isaiah 45:23). All will one day bow before Christ whether as willing servants or powerless prisoners.

 

By the time of the exile in Babylon, the doctrine of the resurrection of the just and unjust to stand before God and be judged is fully seen. Daniel teaches this in Daniel 12:2-3. He was also promised that he would have a specific place appointed to him after his death (Dan. 12:13).

 

Ezekiel saw a vision of a resurrection of the valley of dry bones which typified the return of Israel to their land (Eze. 37). Indeed Israel's history as a nation is a continuing proof of God's power and a sign that the resurrection of individuals will take place. Ezekiel's vision seems to go beyond the return from Babylon and point to the return of Israel as well as Judah. This event still to come is also foretold by Zechariah (Zech. 10:6-10), and Jeremiah (Jer. 23:6-8) which mentions how this deliverance will surpass even the deliverance from Egypt in the Jewish national consciousness. That hasn't happened yet, but it is amazing how Jews, even secular and atheistic Jews will remember the deliverance from Egypt, even if it is in a mocking or irreverent way. They still await the final conversion which will be as life from the dead (Rom. 11:15).

 

1. The Resurrection as seen in the New Testament
   

Jesus confirmed the fact of the resurrection against the Sadducees who opposed it by quoting from the Pentateuch (Luke 20:34-38). He also stated that those who are in this resurrection will have bodies that surpass the ones we lose with death. His own resurrection and subsequent appearances to His disciples showed something of the body that we can expect. He was touchable and ate with them, yet He apparently was able to pass through locked doors (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:26)!

 

Our resurrection follows as a consequence of the resurrection of Christ. He is the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-23). His resurrection showed in its preeminence the power of God. He overcame death and hell because they had no power to hold Him back (Acts 2:24). This is the power of His resurrection - The power that gave Him the keys of death and hell, and overturned the hold that the fear of death had always had upon man. If the same Spirit dwells in us He shall also enliven our bodies – on the last day, but also even now as required.

 

The resurrection is a critical Christian doctrine. Paul wrote that if the resurrection is not true than all of what we do is worthless (1 Cor. 15:12-17). It was the resurrection from the dead that shows that Christ's Sonship and thus that His sacrifice was accepted by God (Rom. 1:4). We now await the day when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and will awaken to His tribunal (John 5:26-29).

 

In both the Old and New Testaments it is shown that there will be a resurrection of both the good and evil for judgment. As we study Scripture it appears that there will be two separate resurrections – the first consisting of those who will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years, the second one following after the thousand years (Rev. 20). It seems to me that not all Christians will necessarily be part of the first resurrection, since Paul was striving very hard so that he could obtain it near the end of his life (Phil. 3:11). He also taught that there will be different levels of glory in the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:38-43). In the faith chapter of Hebrews we see that some chose to be martyred rather than escape torture so that they could obtain a better resurrection (Heb. 11:35). There is a promise with a condition that IF we suffer with Him we will reign with Him. Christians who follow Christ from a far and do not share in His sufferings may very possibly miss the privilege of reigning with Him in the millennium, though they will still be saved and go into the New heavens and New earth.

 

We now begin to touch on eternal judgment which we will cover in the next post.

 

 

 

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 5 – The Laying on of Hands

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

The doctrine I would like to examine in this post is the laying on of hands. This doctrine is important and foundational, yet is not widely understood by the church. The laying on of hands is a means of impartation, which dates back to the Old Testament times, and continued in the New Testament. What was imparted depended on the circumstances. A brief survey of both Testaments will show us the uses of the laying on of hands.

1. Laying on hands for blessing
   

This is what Jacob did to Joseph's two sons (Gen. 48:13-22). In doing this he was receiving them as his own children and placing the blessing and promise he had received from God upon them so that they would also be included in it. He laid the right hand of stronger blessing upon Ephraim, the second-born, which initially displeased Joseph, but was done under the influence of prophecy. In the history of these tribes we see the fulfillment of this prophecy which also attests to the reality of impartation in the laying on of hands.

1. Laying on of hands to impart sin
   

In the sin offerings of the Old Testament the offerer laid his hands upon the victim so that it would bear away his sin with it. This was also done with the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:21). Interestingly enough in the case of blasphemy all the witnesses who heard the blasphemy were to lay their hands on the head of the offender before he was stoned, as if they were putting away the utterance which had polluted their ears back upon the one who uttered it (Lev. 24:10-16). The transfer of sin by laying on of hands is not done in the church today, because our Sacrifice has been offered once and for all, but it still should be remembered that sin can be imparted through the laying on of hands and we should know the character of the one laying hands on us, and if we are going to lay hands on others we want to be in the right frame of mind to do that. Paul warned Timothy against laying hands on people suddenly (1 Tim. 5:22). While perhaps someone sick or in need may ask for prayer and we should lay hands on them, we should never do it in a flippant manner as though it is just the thing to be done. If we have reason to believe we will be praying for people and laying hands on them, we should do most of our praying, and perhaps even fasting, beforehand.

1. Laying on of hands for healing
   

This ministry of laying hands on the sick for their healing belongs to all believers. It is specifically given by Christ as a sign for those who believe (Mark 16:18). This differs from the anointing with oil by the elders which is linked to their office and includes a promise of forgiveness as well as healing (James 5:14-15). Ananias, who is designated as merely a disciple, was sent by God to the blind Saul of Tarsus to impart sight to him (Acts 9:10-18). In addition to receiving healing Saul also received the infilling of the Holy Ghost at this time, which brings us to the next point.

1. Laying on of hands for imparting spiritual gifts
   

Usually, the baptism of the Holy Ghost is received by the laying on of hands. In general it is Church leadership that lays hands on the one desiring to receive. Philip the evangelist preached and baptized converts, but did not lay hands on them so that they could receive the Holy Spirit. Peter and John specifically came out to do that (Acts 8:5-23). Whether Philip could have laid hands and imparted the Holy Ghost to the people is not known. He apparently did not try. The importance placed upon the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is shown by the fact that early church specifically sent out Peter and John to make sure the converts received the Holy Spirit. People sometimes criticize Pentecostals for focusing too much on getting people to receive the Baptism of the Spirit. To this we can only reply that this was the feeling of the earliest of the early church – they did not leave their converts saved, baptized and yet without the Baptism of the Spirit. Dare we do less?

Some would say that the impartation of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is apostolic, but Ananias is an exception to that. Thus I would say that God is able to use any Spirit-filled believer to impart the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to others, but usually God uses those in the five-fold ministry.

Other spiritual gifts can also be imparted through the laying on of hands. Timothy had received a spiritual gift through the laying on of Paul's hands (1 Tim. 4:14, 2 Tim. 1:6). Often as in the case of Timothy, prophecy can tell what gift is being imparted and therefore gives guidance to the recipient as to what they should focus on. Spiritual gifts establish believers by giving them an outlet for ministry and a place of service in Christ's body (Rom. 1:11-12). When we have received a spiritual gift we should focus on using it for God's glory and the edification of the Church. This prevents us from being a mere pew-warmer. Often gifts are imparted at the same time as the person is set apart to God's service, which is the last attribute of laying on of hands we will look at.

1. Laying on of hands for service
   

In this case hands are laid upon an individual to set them apart for the ministry to which God has called them. This is sometimes called ordination. It was done to Joshua so that he would be able to assume the leadership of Israel after Moses' passing (Num. 27:15-23; Deut. 34:9). It should be noticed here that Moses did not choose Joshua, he called to God to choose and God told him to lay hands on Joshua. The five-fold ministry is set in the church by Christ (Eph. 4:11-12). When man lays hands in ordination they are not making that person into a member of the five-fold ministry, they are merely recognizing what God has already done and releasing the person into what God has already called. Often as this is done gifts to aid in the work to be done will be imparted as it was with Timothy and with Joshua. Paul and Barnabas are prime examples of sending people into the work that God had for them (Acts 13:1-3). They were called already by God, but the leadership acknowledged the call and set them apart so they could fulfill it. They were sent off in fasting with prayer and the laying on of hands.

This concludes our study of the doctrine of the laying on of hands next we will look at the resurrection of the dead.

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 4 – Baptisms

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

In this post I would like to look at the doctrine of baptisms. This passage has caused some people to wonder because in Ephesians 4:5, Paul stresses unity in the body of Christ by writing "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Thus some are inclined to place all of these foundational doctrines in a Jewish context and translate baptisms as washings (which is one meaning of the word). Fatal to this theory though is the fact that the first two foundational doctrines are Christian and clearly not Jewish – repentance and faith. Actually the following doctrines, especially the resurrection and eternal judgment, can hardly be construed as specifically Jewish either. Thus these must be Christian doctrines.

How do we reconcile this with Ephesians 4:5 then? In that passage there is pronounced to be only one baptism. There is also said to be only one faith, because we all have the same object of faith – Christ, yet we see that there is both a fruit and a gift of faith (1 Cor. 12:9, Gal. 5:22). The gift is not common to all as is clear from the context of 1 Corinthians, one receives the word of wisdom by the Spirit, another receives faith. This faith cannot be the same faith mentioned in Ephesians because that is common to all believers. Thus in Ephesians, Paul is highlighting unity in what we all receive from Christ – we have one Lord to obey, we have faith in Him, and we identify ourselves with Him in Baptism. We are one in His body, not by virtue of what we are but what He is. God is our Father, not my Father exclusively, but all His children are my siblings if He is my Father. The one baptism is thus not to be exclusively understood, because John the Baptist specifically noted two baptisms – the second one having perhaps a subset (Mark 1:8). The Apostles received both of these baptisms – at least as far as we know, since some of them were John's disciples prior to becoming Christ's disciples, also they baptized others, which would be odd if they were not baptized themselves, especially after the example set by Christ in being baptized Himself. It would be hard to argue that they were not water baptized. Therefore I believe that the passage in Hebrews is referring to two distinct baptisms which the apostles experienced and which we also as Christians should understand and experience, since they are foundational.

1. Water Baptism
   

The first baptism is baptism in water. According to Philip the evangelist belief in Christ with all the heart was the prerequisite requirement for this baptism (Acts 8:37). This is implied also in those who responded to Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-41), since they were baptized in the Name of Jesus which implies belief in the Name. The jailer in Philippi and all his house first heard the word and believed and then were baptized (Acts 16:30-34). It should be noted that while some argue immersion would have been impossible in these circumstances, the jailer bathed (as opposed to merely washed) their wounds, so immersion was clearly possible here. Lydia was baptized with her family and some would claim this for infant baptism since believing is not mentioned in this passage (Acts 16:14-15). However, how far do they want to take this? If Lydia was married, was her husband baptized on the basis of her faith apart from her own? I don't know of anyone who argues for that. If she was widowed and thus the head of the family, then quite likely any children present there were old enough to have faith themselves.

While paedobaptists can argue that infant baptism dates back along time in the Church, yet believer's baptism was certainly numerically superior in the first three centuries as converts from heathenism all renounced idolatry and other evils and stated their faith in Christ prior to their baptism (as seen in Tertullian and Cyril of Jerusalem). To guard against laying too much stress on testimony of the early Church fathers, it should also be noted that since Justin Martyr (d. c. 165 a.d.) notes that even in his day there were some amillenialists in the Church as well as millenialists, so clearly some in the Church quickly departed from apostolic teaching, whichever eschatological system you want to argue for, and if they departed so quickly in eschatology, can we be certain they were not somewhat aberrant in baptism as well? The Didache (c. 120 a.d.) also allowed for pouring instead of immersion, but only in the case of lack of any other way (Didache 7:3-4). Whether the writer had the authority to alter the Sacrament of Christ is another matter altogether. If it was given by Christ then only Christ could alter it.

Some might think that differences in method and custom are allowable, or merely minor, and it might seem so. Yet Moses when he disobeyed God by striking the rock to procure water a second time rather than speaking to it was kept out of the promised land (Num. 20:8-12). Interestingly, even though Moses moved in disobedience water still came out of the rock, showing that God can still use, if He desires, a wrong method. That does not negate the fact that there will be consequences, perhaps serious ones. Moses being stopped short of the end of his journey seems a little severe for the offense, but he destroyed the type that God was setting forth, Christ the Rock was struck only once, and after that as we speak to Him the water of life flows forth.

Water Baptism is among other things a symbolic act. It shows our union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-11). This is why immersion is important. While baptism is symbolic, it is not merely a symbol. When we realize that by joining with Christ in His death we also join in His life and resurrection, we see that we have power over sin. There is a power in water baptism to overcome our old sin nature and its sins, and to walk as new creatures. Baptism is not the means of regeneration, because in at least one instance – Cornelius – it followed the receiving of the Holy Spirit, which was taken as evidence of conversion so that baptism could not be forbidden him even though he was a Gentile (Acts 10:44-48). Since Jesus said that the world cannot receive the Comforter, Cornelius must have been born again prior to his baptism (John 14:17). This is not negate the importance of baptism which Christ included in the great commission and to which He Himself submitted though He had no sin to confess. Baptism should not be delayed and be undertaken at the very beginning of our spiritual walk, even as the Israelites crossed the Red Sea almost immediately on partaking the Passover and having the blood applied to their homes (1 Cor. 10:1-2). The New Testament pattern is clearly for believer's baptism following as soon as possible after faith in Christ is ascertained.

 

1. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
   

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a mere side doctrine of the Christian life. It is foundational. John the Baptist's ministry was to prepare the way and testify to the coming Christ. His testimony to Christ was twofold – that he was the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and also that He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). Often our focus in churches is on the first and very important ministry of Christ as the Lamb of God, which of the evangelists only John mentions, and we totally neglect the second aspect of Christ's ministry which was noted by all four evangelists. Might I suggest that this baptism is somewhat important if it was mentioned by all four evangelists.

That Christ considered it important is equally clear from the fact that He commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem, until they had received it (Acts 1:4-8). It was this baptism that gave them power to bear witness to Him. Christianity is a life that began as a plan in the mind of God, is begun in us by the power of the Spirit working in our hearts and is completed in the power of the Spirit enabling us to do the works which God foreordained for us to do (John 1:12-13, Gal. 3:3, Phil. 1:6, Eph. 2:10, Rom. 11:36). The great problem in the Church today is man – man's ideas, methods, and leadership instead of God's. Human bodies function best when all parts receive their needed instruction from the head, Christ is and always will be Head of His body and it will prosper to the degree it is willing to listen to Him. When God's power was on Peter in such a way that men were healed when his shadow fell on them, he didn't sell tickets to where he was going to be walking, and he didn't write a book on shadow healing technique. In this way he was very different to us today, we focus more on technique than relationship with Christ and character. Technique has its place, but separated from relationship and character it is mere showmanship. Paul certainly didn't have pulpit personality (2 Cor. 10:10), yet he did far more to change his and succeeding generations than a million flamboyant preachers with feel good messages and platitudes ever could. Technique is dangerous because it can give apparent results with little cost. It costs to get a hold of God in prayer. It costs to really see yourself and see others as they are before God and then declare it, but the results will be everlasting. The Church today barely holds its own against the tide of sin, the early Church changed their world. Even as the glow of the apostolic Church was beginning to fade Justin Martyr could still write of the numberless deliverances from evil spirits worked by the Christians. As the power continued to fade, sacramental ceremonies began to replace the inward life of the Spirit. There is good reason to believe that confirmation originated in the laying on of hands to impart the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, after the actual impartation of the baptism became rare. In the same way extreme unction was originally given in line with James 5:14-15, but as the power of healing began to leave only the hollow form remained.

For more information on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and its evidence – speaking in tongues please see my series here.

Before moving on to the next foundational doctrine I should mention something about the baptism of fire. Fire accompanied the first Pentecost of the church and there is no reason to think it is gone now. Personally I had an experience where I felt the power of God come upon me and I felt hot as though I was burning up, it was at an evening church service. Later that night as I still felt warm I continued to pray as I was lying in bed and in the dark I saw a tongue of fire, it was about 8 inches high, and looked like a wavering blue gas burner flash in front of me twice. Not only do we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, but we also need God's fire to continually burn in our hearts. Amen.

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 3 – Faith

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

The second foundational element of Christianity is faith towards God. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). The path of sin was begun when Eve first began to listen when the serpent said, "Did God really say…?" It is our faith that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). If we doubt that God really commanded something or if we doubt that He will be faithful to reward us for our obedience we will be far more likely to disobey than if we trust these two things. The world lives for this life because they have no hope in the next, but Christians through faith can live an eternal life now - a life which looks beyond temporary happiness, prosperity, and enjoyment and is willing to forgo it for greater eternal rewards. Even now by faith we build our relationship with the living God that we will continue to develop through all eternity, this is eternal life to know the Father and the Son.

For faith to be valid the object of faith must be right. Weak faith in a strong tree limb might keep you from falling, but strong faith in a weak tree limb is downright hazardous. Throughout their history Israel had faith in many wrong places. Sometimes it was in false gods. Sometimes it was in their own power, wealth and abilities. Sometimes it was in foreign nations. Worst of all sometimes they had a faith in the presence of God's temple in Jerusalem rather than in God Himself (Jer. 7:3-4). Even today people can have a faith in many things other than God, even in things of God rather than God Himself. Church attendance, ministry, good deeds are all good things, but bad things to rely on. In the Church today, people sometimes have more faith in the minister than in God. If a miracle is needed they run to a certain well known minister to be prayed for, or buy some special anointing oil. Their faith is more in the method than in the God who can use whatever method He wants to bring about His purposes. Often the problem is that God has requirements that must be met for His working, but all that the snakeoil-peddlars, by whatever name they go by, want is money. God meets with people in spite of this, but some of what goes on in the Church now is bordering on relic worship, and invocation of the saints. There is only one Mediator between God and man and that is Jesus Christ.

It is also not enough for the faith to be in God, but the faith must be in God through Christ. It is not necessary to understand or have a doctrinal grasp of the Trinity to be born again. It is however essential to have some realization that Jesus is God, who came and died in our place, bore our sins and rose again. This realization is not only a head-knowledge, but it is a knowledge made real by the Spirit of God. This is saving faith. It is believing into the Son, where somehow our faith joins us with Christ in His death and resurrection as we realize that He bore not just sins, but our sins, died not just for the world, but for us. It is the Spirit that imparts this knowledge and as we believe it we are saved. Salvation and all blessings are in Christ and when we are dwelling in Christ by faith these become ours.

From our identification with Christ's crucifixion for our sins also comes the next doctrine we will study, which is baptisms, because as we accept His death for our sins, we also desire to follow Him in the likeness of that death and into the new resurrection life.

 

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 2 – Repentance

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

The first foundational doctrine listed in Hebrews 6 is repentance from dead works. This is the beginning of our Christian experience. In our sinful nature we are only too happy to do all sorts of evil things that produce death, alienate our mind from God, and what we won't personally do we often will laugh at in others (Rom. 6:23; Col. 1:21; Rom. 1:32). Many even glory in their ability in sin. Some also attempt to gain favor with God by all sorts of man devised practices, but these too are dead works. Prior to his conversion the Apostle Paul excelled all his peers in all sorts of outward exercises, Bible knowledge and zeal for God, even to the point of persecuting those who opposed what he thought was right. When he met Christ he cast it all aside as refuse so that he could win Christ (Phi. 3:4-15).

Repentance is a change of mind. It is reconsidering of our former ways a dislike even to hatred of them and a turning to God. In order for repentance to take place we must first have reference point. We are born with a conscience, but we have the ability to silence it, and things that initially trouble us, no longer do so as we continue to practice them. Society places some constraints of culture, social norm and law upon us, but compared with God's Word it becomes apparent that no culture or society measures up to what God requires of mankind. The Word of God and the life of God as lived in the God-Man Christ Jesus shows what God truly requires of us. This reference point is given us when we are brought into contact with true Christianity. It can be given us as we see godly character manifested in the life of a believer, we see true righteousness, that is above all social and cultural norms and contrary to some of them or more commonly we hear the Gospel of Christ's life and death for us presented.

In any case conviction begins. This conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit which He works in the world (John 16:8). Repentance is only possible under the gracious ability given by the Spirit, He is the one that brings home the law of God in a personal way showing us it's righteousness, fitness and good and then personalizing its application so we see our personal failures to live up to God's standard. He also brings personal assurance of God's just anger with us for our sin and the judgment that will follow if we continue down this path.

Conviction is a work of God's grace and under the influence of this grace we are given something we did not have before, an opportunity to change. We receive the enabling ability of the Spirit to turn from our path of sin and to walk in another path that pleases God. We then have a choice. The path of righteousness will always involve some sacrifice and loss every sinner under conviction sees this. People either respond to the drawing of God or resist for reasons that are as unique and common as each man is to another.

A man with a reputation for piety may decide that his reputation is worth more to him than a real right standing with God and resist exposure (religious spirits especially work in and through people who value the praise of man as is seen throughout Christ's conflict with the religious of His day – John 5:41-44, Mark 12:14).

Haeckel renounced his earlier religious beliefs to gain notoriety as a scientist and was willing to falsify evidence having cast off the truth to support evolution and his own theory of recapitulation which earned him short scientific fame (which has been lost due to discovery of his fraud), but eternal reproach in the only history that really matters.

Judas sold Christ for a paltry sum, and then in regret never even used it but cast it away. The Spirit's drawing was no longer upon him however and repentance he never found, only the bitter remorse of the damned for the short time he remained.

Abe Lincoln was said to have replied at a revival meeting on being asked if he wanted to go to heaven, "I would rather go to the White House."

Henry of Navarre renounced his own religious convictions saying, "Paris is worth a mass." In so doing he began the reign of the Bourbon line of French kings which through their supreme selfishness, vanity and egotism brought odium not only on themselves but on the monarchy itself when their sins had reached their climax which resulted in the revolution. The notable exception in this degenerate line was the grandson of Louis XIV, who under the tutelage of Fenelon showed much promise and whose death before he could reign was perhaps God's keeping to Himself one of whom the world was not worthy.

The soldiery having crucified Christ turned their back to the cross and looked down on the ground as they cast dice for the clothes of the Saviour.

Some allow the hypocrisy of others to silence the voice of their own conscience as the Cherokee chieftain who on being read the sermon on the mount by a missionary who had recently rendered Matthew into Cherokee and being asked if he thought it was a good book replied, "it is a good book, I wonder that the whites lives are not better since they have such a good book." Condemning others for their failure to live up to God's standards never will justify our own failings however.

Others, praise God, do not silence the voice of the Spirit when it calls to them and through His enabling the renounce their sin, turn from it and turn to God. They repent. They save themselves from their own perverse generation. Rather than judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life, they see that since they are so unworthy they had better accept the offer of mercy the see, and forsake all that they can obtain it. This is true repentance. It is more than mere sorrow for sin, especially a sorrow that we will be punished, but a deep sorrow and turning from sin. It is accompanied not only by a sorrow for our state, but a just acknowledgment that we deserve judgment from God, and would have no cause for complaint should He send us to hell for our sins. From this comes a cry for mercy and a petition for help to change. All of this is entailed in repentance. Repentance does not end with being born again but it should flow in various degrees every time our failings are brought to our mind by the Spirit of God. Many times we sin in ignorance and can only repent when our sin is revealed to us. Sometimes only years later do we realize just how bad some of our behavior was and in shame we confess to the one who is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we had the full depth of our perversity revealed to us – every seed of sin that will germinate or could given the right conditions – we would fall into despair.

Molinos in his Spiritual Guide mentions the false humility of some who confess more to justify themselves than to actually repent, and one sign that we are not truly repentant is our anger when others tell us our faults. It is amazing, but we can tell God that we are nothing but miserable sinners, and appear as contrite as we will, but let another treat us like a miserable sinner or tell us what we would freely say to God and we instantly take umbrage. David's true repentance even accepted the cursing of Shimei so long as it would result in his restoration to God. True repentance walks hand in hand with faith, it being very hard to see which precedes the other, because faith accepts all that God says and thus agrees and repentance forsakes all so that we may be filled with faith. We will look at faith in the next post.

A Look at the Foundational Doctrines of Hebrews 6 – Part 1 – Introduction

Heb 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.

 

In the next few posts I would like to look at Hebrews 6:1-3 and study the foundational doctrines of Christ. It is important that we know these doctrines and move on from them. Some commentators see these doctrines as Jewish ceremonies that were to be moved away from and some versions of Scripture influenced by this translate baptisms as washings (ie. ceremonial ablutions), but this cannot be the case for two very good reasons.

1. The elemental doctrines are not said to be of the Jews but of Christ. Christ did not come to put new wine into the old wineskins of Jewish tradition, but rather to raise up new wineskins for His new wine. Christ never gave any doctrine of ceremonial ablutions, He did however preach a Baptism of Repentance and also promised a later Baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire to His disciples who had already received water baptism from John (some of them were John's disciples previous to their calling by Christ, and since they baptized others I conclude that they must have all been baptized themselves – see John 4:1-2). More will be written on this in later posts.
   
2. The first two foundational or elementary doctrines listed are repentance and faith towards God which are not elementary to the Old Covenant, but are of essential and basic import to the New Covenant as can be seen in Acts 2:38, 1 Thess. 1:9, and Acts 20:21. These two doctrines of repentance and faith were and are the first doctrines proclaimed to unbelievers and result in their conversion. They are only dimly seen in the Old Testament and were virtually unknown in Israel before John the Baptist and Christ began their ministries.
   

Thus these doctrines are doctrines we should know as believers, but they are not doctrines of maturity but of infancy and we should advance from them. This is done in the same way a child learns to move around. Usually they begin by crawling, but as they get stronger they learn to stand and walk, they still crawl, but as their skill improves they begin to prefer the better mode of locomotion. The ability to crawl is not lost, even adults can do that if need arises, but we do not find it comfortable anymore. In the same way we need to progress in our Christian maturity beyond these elementary doctrines. The doctrines are not bad, they are essential for the first stage of Christian development and without them we will lack the skills needed to advance. To remain in them and make no progress is, however, a great tragedy. 2 Peter 1:5-11 gives believers things which should spring from and add onto their faith and warns of the consequences of their lack, but also shows the stability and reward which will accompany their acquisition. God desires us to grow up to the full stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13). This is only possible if our diet includes the meat of God's Word as well as the milk of these elementary truths. Hebrews contains many warnings of apostasy because the Jewish believers in not progressing in their walk were in great danger of it. In the Christian walk the saying non progredi est regredi is very true if we do not advance we will go back.

Before we can go on from these doctrines we must first learn them so in the next post we will look at the first doctrine which is repentance from dead works.

 

 

Some Thoughts on Moses’ Flight from Egypt

Last Sunday night I was considering some aspects of the life of Moses and especially concerning his flight from Egypt. Since we had one of our frequent power outages then, I had some time to consider it. What I find interesting is that in this story is a key to seeing how God judges our own actions at times. There are three basic accounts of this period of Moses' life found in Exodus 2, Hebrews 11, and in Acts 7. I would like to compare them now and see what we can learn from them.

 

One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?" He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known." When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well (Exo. 2:11-15).

 

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible (Heb. 11:24-27).

 

At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house, and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. "When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?' But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons (Acts 7:20-29).

 

Looking at these two passages together we see some apparent differences. At first glance it appears that Moses fled Egypt out of fear and yet Hebrews says he did it out of faith not fearing. How could it be said to be by faith? I think the key lies in the fact that the path was begun in faith. Clearly it was only faith that would enable Moses to abandon all his privileges and go down to his own people, and identify with them even in slavery. This is more than mere patriotism, because his people were not just any nation, but were heirs of Abraham's promise. It took something extraordinary for him to be willing to do this. We call that something faith.

It was faith that caused him to go down to his brethren. However, it was a mistaken belief that caused him to kill the Egyptian. He was zealous for his people and angry at the wrong he saw done. In the back of his mind was the knowledge that he would deliver Israel and he thought this was the best mode of bringing it about. In this he was bitterly disappointed. He did not receive a medal of commendation from his people, perhaps not even a thank you from the one he rescued, but what he did receive was rejection, "Who made you a ruler…" At this rejection he was afraid and he fled. In a certain sense he was afraid of Pharaoh, and certainly that was his initial reaction, but Hebrews tells us that he left by faith, not fearing the king's wrath. The way I see it is that God is showing the deepest motive in Moses in Hebrews. He had abandoned a life of ease and comfort and came to the aid of his brethren because of faith. There was a mistaken zeal and misunderstanding of God's way mixed in with it, but it was still faith. Thus his flight was brought about by faith even though the immediate cause might have seemed to have been fear. God looks at things differently than we do. Later it became apparent that forty more years were required to complete the time God had promised to Abraham that the children of Israel would be in Egypt (Gen. 15:13; Exo. 12:41).

This has bearing on our lives today. There are times when we must make a major decision, sometimes a decision which will affect the rest of our lives. We pray about it, and we act according to what we believe God is requiring of us. The consequences can be hard sometimes. I am certain Moses was very discouraged when he sat down at the well. His bid to become deliverer of his people had been cast down, trampled on, and torn to shreds. Yet God saw faith. The very fact that he had tried to deliver Israel showed a hold on the promises of God, even if it was premature.

Another example of this sort of faith is seen in the life of the Apostle Paul. There is much debate as to whether Paul actually should have gone to Jerusalem. He felt bound in heart to go, his friends opposed it, and a prophet told him what would happen if he did. True prophecy will at times say what will happen in a given course, but that does not mean of itself that the course is wrong. Paul was determined to go. Scripture seems somewhat ambiguous as to whether he actually should have. This is actually comforting in a way, because there are times when we may make a choice to do what we believe is pleasing to God. Unfortunately, we may miss it. Sometimes we can look it over and wonder if we made the right choice, and others may wonder the same as they did with Paul. Paul's choice was not made for wrong motives though, he sincerely was going to Jerusalem to proclaim Christ. It was not out of selfish-ambition or other wrong motive that he went. So when he was in prison Christ appeared to him and encouraged him (Acts 23:11). In the end whether it was best for him to go to Jerusalem or not is a moot point since God used this imprisonment to fulfill the purpose He had for Paul when He called him, and Paul could write at the end of his life that he had finished his course. May God grant that the same may be said of us! Amen.

 

Make me Yours, O Christ

Make me Yours, O Christ! Wholly completely
O draw me, Christ! Tenderly sweetly

Lead through dark valley of shadowy night
Yet lead forth from darkness and into the light

Break, Christ, break for I broken must be
Then make O remake what I should be

O to hear Your voice if only in rebuke
Blessed be whatever whip that drives me on toward you

My sweet Sin Offering to you I’m betrothed
To bear your name and character my Beloved

O in that day in You let me be found
Not with my own, but your righteousness girt round

Then may the capstone of this work be laid down
As cries of , “grace, grace” forever resound

How Christ and the Apostles Used Scripture

Almost as important as our love for Scripture as Christians is the way we use it. It is my belief that every problem we face and many struggles we have in our own lives are because we do not let the Word of God go down deep enough, either because we do not know what it says with reference to our situation, or because we know it, but do not actually apply it in a practical way. Most of us will confess, myself included, that we wish we had a more thorough knowledge of Scripture, but if we are really honest we will also admit that there is a great disconnect between what we know and what we actually apply to our lives. The more clearly we see what is required of us, the better we will be able to enter into it, and where it is difficult as often it is, seeing it clearly spelled out in Scripture drives us to prayer so that we can be enabled to do what is beyond us.

In order to clearly see our duties we must first rightly divide the Word of truth. This is only possible as God gives us light on the Word, so it is imperative for us to pray for understanding in His Word. Also required is a correct application of God's Word. Sometimes people do not apply God's Word because it is viewed as something God spoke to a specific person at a specific time. While it is true that some scriptures are specifically for a specific situation (for example both Hos. 1:2 and Jer. 16:2 were clearly for those individuals in particular, and are not applicable to all believers), yet there are many that are applicable to everyday situations. I am writing this post not to give an exhaustive study of them, but simply to promote thought and I would appreciate other examples if anyone has them. I intend to give a few examples of how Christ and His apostles used Scripture and drew applications from it so that we can emulate them through God's grace and be ourselves strengthened by His Word.

Some might object that Christ as the Son of God, and the apostles as inspired men who wrote Scripture, could use Scripture in a way that would be wrong for us. I would answer that if they are not out pattern who is? If our pattern is not found in the Scriptures themselves than where are they found? Also if you look closely you will notice that even Christ Himself gave very little that was not previously in the Old Testament, far more of His ministry was involved in opening concealed truths from the Old Testament than in adding new doctrine. The few exceptions had to do with His distinct avowal of His Divinity (such as John 3:13) and even these He elsewhere proved from the Psalms, especially ones that were acknowledged as Messianic even by His opponents. Now I would like to take a look at the way Christ used Scripture.

1. In the Temptation
   

One interesting to note about the temptation of Christ is that He not only met each snare of the devil with Scripture, but that strictly speaking they were not Scriptures used in context. They were however well applied. Thus while the context of Scripture is very important in its correct use for understanding doctrine, yet in application context is not entirely necessary. This fact has application to the objection of cessationists that when Pentecostals give prophecies which are quotations of scripture passages that they are not good, because they are not given in context. Let's take a closer look at the temptation in Matthew 4:1-10.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

 

The first temptation is answered by a partial quote of Deut. 8:2-3, "And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." In quoting it the way that He does Christ takes the following into consideration: 1. This was to be remembered by the children of Israel 2. This remembrance was not for Moses' generation only 3. The wilderness experience was not only to teach and humble them but to teach the same lessons to those who follow 4. The lesson taught was that man needed more reliance on the Word of God than on daily bread 5. I do not need bread as much as I need God's Word, and I will not put the temporal above the spiritual.

 

The second temptation actually began by the devil quoting a messianic Psalm himself. Christ replied by quoting Deut. 6:16, ""You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah." He thus compared the demanding and complaining for water by Israel to force God to move on their behalf with any attempted coercion of God, even to do something He has specifically promised. The Apostle Paul also later condemned the attitude of let us do evil that good may come (Rom. 3:8).

 

The third temptation is more straightforward then the others, being directly against a clear precept of God, so I won't cover it here.

 

1. Christ's appeal to the Historical Books
   

 

When those in His hometown were expecting Him to work great works there He went to the historical books of the Bible and said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian" (Luke 4:24-27). This was a masterful use of Scripture. He showed that in the Old Testament the prophets did not have inherent power to do as they wanted but were reliant on the will of God. Not only did God not heal all those in Israel, but to add insult to injury, instead He sent His prophets to heathens! The logic was inescapable and made the Jews who prided themselves more on natural descent than spiritual relationship hopping mad.

 

Another example of Christ's use of the historical books is seen when He was challenged because of His disciples plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-8).

 

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

 

Jesus shows them a precedent in what David did, and how his was even far greater a breach. Yet he was not called a sinner for doing so, because it was done in a time of need and God desired mercy more than a ritualistic observance of the Law. He then further points out that if anyone works on the Sabbath, the priests do, because the Law required double sacrifices on that day. From these examples I think we can see that there are many practical things we can learn concerning the ways of God from the historical books.

 

1. Jesus' Proof of Life After Death and a Resurrection
   

After the Sadducees had tried to test Jesus with a sophistical question concerning the resurrection, which they rejected, Jesus used a few short words from the Pentateuch (the Sadducees doubted the prophets) to show that there is a hereafter (Mark 12:24-27).

Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong."

 

When God said, "I am" rather than "I was" He showed a continued relationship with the patriarchs who had passed on. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still alive to God though their bodies were buried. He is their God today as they even now adore Him in heaven awaiting their return with Christ. Christ shows us the importance of event the smallest phrases in Scripture by this example.

 

1. Paul's use of the Scripture
   

Paul's use of Scripture is a study in itself (Christ's even more so), but I would like to look at a few examples. He uses the law of firstfruits to show that if the elect of the remnant of Israel are saved though Christ, then the believers in the Gentile nations will also be so (Rom. 11:16). He also uses the same law to show how Christ's resurrection implies our resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20). This also proves our acceptance by God, since the firstfruits was accepted God has accepted the entire harvest to follow. This is the basis for Paul's often repeated phrase of "in Him" comes from. If Christ is the firstfruits than what happens to Him is credited to us.

 

Another interesting example, the way he uses a law concerning animal husbandry, to show that ministers can justly expect pecuniary benefits (1 Cor. 9:7-11).

 

Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

 

He points out that if God was concerned that oxen were rewarded for their work, how much more should ministers of the Gospel be rewarded for theirs.

 

On a side note I might mention that I have used this verse often when reprimanded for sampling cookie dough I have been stirring. However, once when I quoted it in defense of someone else, it got ugly. I was the only male present and the female consensus was that I had insulted the person. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth and I had to beat a hasty retreat. I was only a little more fortunate then the sons of Sceva.

 

In all seriousness though, as we see how Christ and the apostles used Scripture we can see a glimpse of how rich a treasure Scripture is and how little we actually know even of what we are familiar with. With that I commend my readers to God and to the Word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified. Amen.

 

A Few Thoughts on Original Sin

We live in an age that prides itself on being “tolerant.” It is an age that will abide almost anything, except a man of convictions. It is an age that promotes license in the name of liberty. In this age Christians are often unwilling to state even plain gospel truths. I can think of a few evangelical preachers who when interviewed by unbelievers and asked if a non-Christian can go to heaven replied with words to the effect, that they didn’t think so, or that the person had no guarantee. I should also state that of those ministers at least one apologized to his evangelical brothers afterwards, but we can only hope that he sought forgiveness from the One whose doctrine he was ashamed of.
In bygone eras it was spoken against the doctrine of justification by faith that it pardons wicked people. In this age, we would rather God not be allowed to damn the wicked, but should pardon everyone freely and at no cost. This in spite of the contrast of their own behavior who are only too willing to at least professedly curse their fellow men for the most paltry of reasons, such as minor traffic violations, and any little thing that causes them inconvenience. Any inconvenience or even unintentional thwarting of our desires earns our avowed anger, but we will not allow the One who sits in heaven and who by right of creation has right of ownership any anger at our repeated and willful attempts to thwart Him. The funny thing about the world is that while in every age its objection might be different, its opposition will remain the same. The truth of God’s Word will prevail eventually. In eternity we will learn exactly how God’s ways were higher than our ways and His thoughts than ours. Until then we can always rest in knowing He will do right.
One of the reasons for the difficulty we can have in understanding why God would condemn an unbeliever, especially one who has not heard the gospel is because we lack an understanding of original sin. This results in our looking only at sinful actions and not dealing with the source of all those actions. Even as Christians we become angry with people because of their sins, but don’t realize that they sin because they are sinners and can do no better without a Saviour.
Unless we understand the depth of our sinfulness, we can never understand the depth of our salvation. Jesus said that unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, and then shows Himself to be referring to a spiritual birth (John 3:3-6). Paul wrote that if any man is in Christ he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Why is it necessary for us to be born again and by that birth to become a new creation? It is necessary because we are born with Adam’s sinful nature.
About a year ago I was doing some studying in Romans 5 and was wondering how God could in justice condemn men before the men had actually sinned. Yet we know that they were under the penalty because they all died, even those who did not sin against a specific divine precept as Adam did. I was somewhat unsettled by this thought, because I know God is just and yet I failed to see how one who has not actually committed a sin could be judged guilty, and yet clearly since death had power over them they were. How could God in justice hold us guilty for Adam’s fall? Then after some prayer it dawned on me, it had to do with natures.
Take a male Siamese fighting fish for example, let’s say that this particular one was a young one that had never shown any previous aggressive behavior, now let’s take another innocent male Siamese fighting fish and put him in the tank so they can become friends. What will happen, they will kill each other. Why? That is their nature. The fact that neither one has killed in the past does not change the fact that as Siamese fighting fish they will fight given the opportunity to do so. So in fact, many people who own Siamese fighting fish and own more than one keep them in separate tanks, even if the fish have never been in a fish fight before, because they know that if they were placed in the same tank they would fight. It would not be wrong to say that the behavior of the original Siamese fighting fish is imputed to his descendants. It is justly imputed, because as anyone who has one knows, the innocence would end the moment opportunity came. Likewise people do not place a young kitten in a canary cage with a canary inside, because even if the kitten has never before killed a canary it still has the canary-killing nature.
In the same way God justly imputes Adam’s sin to us, not because we have actually eaten forbidden fruit, but because being given that command we would also act the same way. Thus because Adam was worthy of death and we would do the same given the opportunity we are treated as worthy of death even before we have actually added our own transgression to the original one. It is this sin nature that keeps us out of heaven, because were we to go there as we are born, we would import discord, disunity and war there. God’s will would be done no better in heaven by unconverted men than it is done on earth by them. Some people think they can attain heaven by doing various good works and outward ceremonies, but that never deals with the root issue which is the sin nature. That is why Paul wrote, “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal. 6:15). Only a new man can go to heaven, one with the nature of the second Adam. However when we are born we are born with the old Adam’s nature so how can we go to heaven?

The good news is that when we believe on Christ and in his death and resurrection the righteousness of Christ is imputed unto us, even as Adam’s sin was. Since Christ is a new creature we are viewed as having potential for the boundless goodness found in the Original. Adam’s sin ruined himself and resulted in countless sins of others following him, Christ’s righteousness not only overcame the guilt of Adam’s and all following multitudinous transgressions, but also opened up a way for multitudes of other righteous acts. Since we all have born the image of the earthly man, we also in Christ will bear the image of the heavenly. This is also why Peter tells us that we can be partakers of the divine nature in 2 Peter 1:4, because we are joined to Christ and from Him flows His good nature into us causing us to do through Him what we could never do in ourselves. Truly the free gift is far greater than the offense! Amen.