The Offense Of The Cross
Have you been offended?
In these modern times, offenses come easily for many. It seems all of society is offended by something.
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines offense this way: annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one's standards or principles.
Sadly, being offended seems to be in vogue in the culture at large. It has even become popular for some in the church.
Interestingly, the Apostle Paul expected his preaching to be offensive in his day. There was something about the gospel he declared that was offensive to some. It was a key point that caused such offense. Paul speaks of it as something to be proud of.
Galatians 5:11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
Hmmm, the offense of the cross. Why should the cross offend anyone? Many have proposed that it has to do with the cross being an instrument of death. But Paul’s thinking isn’t in line with that being the cause.
Here, Paul is speaking of the cross when it is presented as the means of Christ’s finished work.
To better understand this, we need to put this verse in its context.
Galatians 5:7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.
Some men had come to Galatia and began teaching that in order for justification to really work, the believers had to be circumcised. In other words, they must embrace what it means to be Jewish. To be circumcised was to accept the Jewish ways, which involved coming under the Law of Moses. Basically, they were being told that what Jesus did at the cross was just a jump start to being justified, that it was really just a means to get them in the door to the rest of what is required for real righteousness. How can we know this for certain was the issue?
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
The offense of the cross is not about our call to take up our cross and follow Jesus. It is the scandalous truth of what was accomplished by Jesus upon His cross that is offensive to so many. To fall from grace, one must become offended at the cross of Christ by being deceived into thinking it was not enough and into thinking that the law must now be applied accompanied with one’s own best self-effort in keeping it.
By preaching, Christ did the work of making righteousness and justification our reality at the cross, and it was enough. Paul suffered persecution. That kind of preaching was an offense to many in his day and still is in our day when we truly get it right and preach it right.
Our Sabbath
Do you know how to rest?
Have you ever experienced a long work day or week, and when you reached the end of it, all you wanted to do was to sleep in, and then once you got up, just relax and do nothing for a whole day?
There is a benefit to our physical and mental health in taking a rest such as that. It can be rejuvenating and refueling to do so. There’s a place of importance in the idea of resting as it denotes restoration and is a part of our understanding of what is needed to have good health.
In the United States, once a year, we observe Labor Day. It is a national holiday that is meant to be observed by companies, where they give employees the day off with pay. People get to stay home and relax and enjoy the day however they wish.
Interestingly, though, many end up doing as much or more work on that day as any other day because they feel like they need to catch up on things around their homes. Their day of rest turns into a day of exhaustion.
Spiritually speaking, we are meant to enter into rest. Sabbath in the Hebrew where it originated means to cease, desist, rest, stop.
The idea was for all work to stop for just one day because God created everything in six days, and then He stopped. It was not like He was exhausted from the work of creation. It was that He was finished and well-pleased with what He had done and ceased to admire it. God never gets weary, so we know He did not need rest in the way we think of rest. Rest for God is an on-purpose pause to reflect and enjoy. So, if we are to rest as He does, we would need to pause and reflect for the purpose of enjoying.
However, this, for a believer in Christ, has become a way of life as opposed to a day. The writer of Hebrews brings this out.
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
The idea for a New Covenant believer is the practice of bringing an end to their own works for righteousness and living a life of reflecting on the finished work of Christ at the cross. It can still incorporate a day that is set aside to enjoy rest, relaxation, and reflection, such as our Lord’s Day, when we gather to celebrate Jesus and His finished work. However, it is speaking of a way of life for the believer now.
Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore, a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
The practice of the Sabbath for the believer in Jesus is laying aside the idea that righteousness can be obtained by self-effort and instead is possessed now by faith in the finished work of Christ. The act of ceasing, desisting, stopping, and resting is Sabbath. In Christ, we get to live the Sabbath because He is our Sabbath. Have you ceased from your own works? Are you resting in Christ? You may observe a day referred to as the Sabbath Day and enjoy resting on that day. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you think that keeping that day is somehow making you righteous or keeping you righteous, you’ve missed the whole point. A real observance of the Sabbath is resting in the finished work of Christ Jesus. I sincerely hope you will rest in Him and reflect on His goodness today and always.
Determined Love
Do you know determined love?
Imagine, if you will, that you are in a pile-up on the highway and gravely injured. I came upon you carrying a fully stocked medical kit, possessing the knowledge and the skill to treat you and rescue you from certain death. Still, instead, I simply said to you, poor thing, I’m so sorry. I hope you make it; if you try hard enough, you might be able to survive this.
Would you consider leaving you in that condition an act of loving you?
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
When we read this passage, we think of how sweet and marvelous it is that God loves us enough to send Jesus to die. But if we stop there and do not follow through to what His death is meant to accomplish on our behalf, we will only wax sentimental about God’s love without appropriating it.
Now, let’s go back to my earlier example and add this. When I come to help you with my resources, knowledge, and skill, you tell me I am wrong and start to insist I do it your way, and your way would end up killing you for sure. Would it be loving you to do it your way?
Sadly, many in our modern times are trying to define love in this way.
Jesus’ death is not meant to leave us in the condition of being sinners! Our belief in God’s love on display at the cross where Jesus died is meant to produce a supernatural transformation in us and move us out of darkness and into His kingdom of light and life. It does this when we truly believe as we should.
Even though love can be directed towards someone undeserving, it has no intention of leaving them in their broken condition, but it also will not force itself upon them. If the willingness of love to transform is rejected by the one needing it, the blessings and benefits of that love are not realized in that person’s life. They may go on to blame the person who tried to love them for being unloving. But their accusations are groundless and false.
If, in the example, we started with, I came upon you and was willing to help you, but you refused it, I would not be able to bless you with what I have to offer and would have to move to the next person in need of what I have to offer. Loving you does not force me to camp out where you are, trying again and again to get you to let me do for you what is most needed. It does not mean I have to hang out until you die. You know my offer of lovingly helping you still stands and that I am still in proximity or within calling distance, but I would be forced to leave your side, knowing others need what I have to offer if you reject my offer to you.
Determined love is not immobilized by the rejection of its offer, and it is not stuck with the person to whom the offer was made in order to prove it was love to start with. Determined love can move on to the next person in need with a readiness to turn and help the person who rejected its offer earlier when they humble themselves and ask for it without putting their own conditions on it.
Determined love has a goal of bringing the right solution to the situation of need. It does not come to the situation as a barterer or negotiator about what is needed. It already understands the need and knows what the solution is. It knows what it has to offer. God, in His love, has set the parameters on how it is to be received. His offer of eternal life is set to a one-way only. Jesus is that one-way. God’s determined love made provision for all to be saved, but in order to receive and benefit from that provision, a person must humbly ask for it on the terms on which it is presented.
The Proof Of Love
Are you convinced God is love?
Often, when someone thinks of love, they think of a strong feeling or emotion. But is that really love?
The Bible tells us that God is love. It does not say that “love” is God.
There are many definitions of love in these last days. If we accept the idea that love is God, then all the many definitions of love describe God, and if that were true, we would be most confused about who God is and what God is truly like. But the Bible makes it clear that God is love, so we need to get our idea of love from looking at God and how He describes it.
Here’s the challenge: God is Spirit and thus invisible, so we do not see Him like we would see someone or something in the material world. But there is a way to see Him.
Jesus was talking about the Father one day, and Philip, one of His disciples, said, “Show us the Father, and it will suffice us.” Jesus responded,
John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus came to show us the Father. He came to reveal God to us. Jesus also said this,
John 6:46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.
But this brings us back to the question of how we describe love according to who God is instead of trying to describe God according to our own worldly idea of what love is. God proved He is love by a single act in history.
The apostle John said it simply this way,
1John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The Scripture goes on to say,
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God went out of His way; the Son laid down His life, and the Holy Spirit was sent to us as a seal of inheritance after we believed. God proved His love not by intense emotions He could not control. But by a deliberate act that was planned because it was rooted in His love for mankind.
The God kind of love sacrificially gives of itself to those who are loved. God’s love is revealed in the way He was willing to be put out and inconvenience Himself for the benefit of those who were the object of His love, even when they did not deserve it and could not do anything to earn it.
God’s love was rejected by many during the time of Christ, and still today is rejected by many. But it still stands clear and powerfully intact, just as it was on that fateful day when Jesus laid down His life. Scripture says we love Him because He first loved us, so until a person is reconciled to God’s love as it is presented in Christ, they will struggle to love God or others appropriately. The proof of love will always point us to Jesus and the sacrifice He made to reconcile us to God.
Spiritual Amnesia
Do you remember?
There’s a show called Monk. It’s about a brilliant detective who is very quirky but very smart. He is germaphobic and likes things to be very clean. In one episode, he hits his head and forgets who he is while on a trip. When he stumbles up to a crazy woman’s house who is very unkempt, she tricks him into believing he is her husband and has him doing all kinds of dirty work around her home. He is the dirtiest he’s ever been and doesn’t seem to mind. He does things and puts up with things he would not have when he was in his right mind.
Eventually, he gets his memory back. When he does, he cleans up and returns to who he truly is.
There is an interesting passage in Scripture that reveals what I call spiritual amnesia. It involves the Corinthians. They were a messed up bunch of believers engaging in things they should avoid because they were not in step with who they truly were in Christ. For that reason, Paul called them carnal. But Paul, as an apostle, wanted those believers to know who they were and establish them in their true identity and purpose. Look at what he says to them,
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
In this case, they had forgotten who they had been made to be in Christ and were returning to who they had been before coming to Christ.
I call this spiritual amnesia. It’s when a believer slides back into their old way of living before coming to know Jesus and being transformed into a new creation in Him.
What were they before they came to know Jesus?
1 Corinthians 6:8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Those believers in Corinth had slipped back into selfish modes of thought and practice. They were taking advantage of each other and then seeking to punish each other by means of secular law as a result. This was a bad example to unbelievers outside the church. They had forgotten who they were made to be in Christ and had slipped back into their old way of thinking—spiritual amnesia.
Paul goes on to point out how wrong self-indulgent, hedonistic thinking is.
1 Corinthians 6:13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
Paul does not threaten them that they are going to be damned forever. He reminds them of how they had become joined to Christ and their bodies had become His temple, His dwelling place. He is reminding them of who they are in Christ and thereby calling them to return to the kind of living that is in step with such an identity. He is reminding them that they were sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus! To say in the name is to say for the glory and purpose of the Lord Jesus. Those suffering from spiritual amnesia in the church need to be reminded of who they are in Christ and what He has done for them.
Was The Apsotle Paul A Legalist?
Are all warnings about behavior legalistic?
When we examine the body of teaching the Apostle Paul delivered to the different churches, we discover some very interesting truths that are worthy of our consideration. Of course, all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable.
It’s universally acknowledged that the Apostle Paul was deeply rooted in the truths of the New Covenant, a belief I share. So let’s consider something he spoke to the Corinthians, who were a very carnal bunch.
1Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
These passages are a stark reminder that it is not legalistic or improper to warn believers about the dangers of out-of-step behavior in relation to the new life we receive in Christ. It is our responsibility to address such issues in the body of Christ when appropriate, and it is not an unloving act but a sign of our engagement and care.
Notice the things Paul warns about. First, he makes it clear that the rock they drank from was Christ and then speaks of how God was not well pleased with most of them. He says these are our examples and indicates in what way and for what reason, and it is to encourage us not to lust after things. He encourages the avoidance of idolatry, not to commit sexual idolatry, not to tempt Christ, nor to complain.
Then he warns that no one should be so arrogant as to say they cannot be tempted in such ways and to think they are in some way to look down on others, or else they will discover just how easy it is to fall themselves.
I love what he reveals about God and the temptations that come our way. God always provides us with a way of escaping temptations. God equips us to rise above such things as we look to Him and learn to listen to Him. God is not going to allow us to be tempted beyond what we can resist. There is no temptation so great that we cannot resist it in Christ! No believer is so compelled that they must be enslaved or overtaken by any temptation.
No minister of the gospel should be incapable of addressing such things when necessary for the benefit of believers who are struggling. This is another expression of loving others in the body. To think otherwise would be to accuse Paul, who was a chief promoter of New Covenant grace and truth, of being a legalist. Now, I would not recommend that a minister dwell on these things as though they are the only truth worthwhile. Paul did not dwell on such things in all of his letters to churches. The greater focus should always be who Christ is, what Christ accomplished, and how that is to be applied to believers.
Whole, Not Part
Do you know the whole truth?
What if you went to a place to eat, ordered a four-course meal, and paid for it in advance, but all they brought out to you was the appetizer and then expected you to give them a good tip on top of that?
What would you think if your employer said, “I know you worked 40 hours, and I promised to pay you a specific rate for each hour, but I only pay a portion of what that amounts to each payday?”
Would you be okay with such actions? Would you feel misled and lied to?
Why, then, should any follower of Christ be okay with partial truths delivered to them? Half-truths can lead us astray and can hinder our spiritual growth. We should seek the whole truth for our own sake and the sake of our spiritual journey. If what is being preached has to omit better than half of what is revealed in the New Testament to be spoken, is that really the whole truth?
If a minister avoids large portions of the truth delivered to us by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament letters of Scripture because it will cast a shadow over some new idea that seems popular to many, is delivering the whole truth?
If all a fellowship of people receives is one specific idea about God and the work of Christ, even though there are many things revealed concerning them in the New Testament, is that delivering the whole truth?
Here in the United States of America, right now, in 2024, people cannot be assured they truly know all that is needed to be known about any political candidate. They are expected to vote based on bits and pieces of information, and much of that comes from statements taken out of context to steer opinions in a preselected direction. The reason for this is that the media only uses sound bites selected to lead people to think a certain way. It seems impossible to truly know accurately what to think. So, a person simply has to choose a side based on how a candidate makes them feel rather than having a solid sense of what they truly stand for.
I share this not to be political but to demonstrate how sound bites, or mere small portions of the truth purposefully selected versus the whole, can affect things. Especially portions of truth designed to put the spotlight on just one particular topic until it becomes embellished in an unhealthy way. Spiritual leaders with integrity understand the importance of delivering the whole counsel of God in Scripture just as Paul and others in Scripture did.
Acts 20:25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Paul, as an apostle who loved and cared about the truth, was speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus. He could say with all integrity that he had declared to them the whole counsel of God. We also know by the Scriptures that Paul was a great defender of the true gospel concerning Christ. He took the handling of the word of God delivered to the churches seriously. That is why he was committed to the whole counsel of God and not just to select the more popular parts that would make him popular with more people. He was willing to be misunderstood, persecuted, and even cast aside for his integrity in the handling of the truth. The preservation of the gospel and the whole counsel of God was worth the suffering and sacrifice he had to endure to make sure it was delivered to the churches. Paul was about the whole, not just a part.
One Way
Going the right way?
We’ve all seen this phrase on street signs and know that when they are set alongside a street, we can only go in the direction designated by it. Violating it, at worst, could cause an accident, at the very least, get you a ticket, or it might result in clogging up the flow of things and halting any progress for a time. This analogy is a familiar one, and it’s a powerful one when it comes to understanding our spiritual journey.
In other words, it just isn’t wise to try to violate such a clear communication. Doing so could lead to serious consequences, just as it would on the road.
This same idea applies to our spirituality and peace with God. There is not just one of many ways, but only one way to obtain them. This singular path is the one we must follow.
Think about this: when was the last time you were allowed to go into your town or city and put up a street sign that affected the flow of traffic? Would you not get yourself into trouble if you went out and attempted to set up your signs for speed or direction along the roads where you live?
Why, then, do some think they can insert their own idea of what makes for peace and right standing with God and then seek to teach them to the church? Only God, who has given us His word, is allowed to set the parameters for being right with Him and remaining right with Him. His authority is absolute, and we must submit to His will. He has declared how we are to obtain peace and unity.
Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
The early church had to rise above the idea that Gentile believers had to come under the law and, of sorts, become Jewish in order to hold on to their salvation. Many were mistaken in thinking that Christ died to make it possible to keep the law and finally maintain righteousness before God by being empowered to adhere to it. This is a mistaken idea regardless of how sincere and seemingly devoted it might seem.
Christ came to annul, take away, and remove the enmity - meaning reason for opposition, hostility, and hatred that the law created. The law was separating the Jews from the rest of the world, not because it was evil, but because it was designed to reveal the fallenness of man, and, at that time, Only the Jews possessed it as their mantle of belonging to God as a special people. When Jesus died on the cross, it put an end to the law for righteousness and made it possible for anyone, regardless of race, to draw near to God through faith in Jesus alone. It became the One Way sign of God for all humanity without exception. We are brought near now through the blood of Christ and by no other means. Now, only being born again counts with Him. All other attempts at approaching are refused. There is only One Way, and it is by grace through faith in Jesus.
Continual Need For Grace
Do you know your need for grace?
Simplification, a blessing, and a friend can be a demonstration of great wisdom. A wise person knows how to simplify things. The Proverbs of wisdom, for instance, are not spoken as run-on sentences but rather as short, profound reflections.
Jesus also had a way of simplifying things. In one instance, He summarized the Law with just two Commandments when a lawyer came to Him asking which commandment was the greatest.
Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Unfortunately, this was not a simplification to make something doable. Yet, I have encountered many people who thought this was a recipe for success in keeping the law, that somehow Jesus was making keeping the Law a doable thing by focusing on loving God this way and loving others.
Some are so caught up in making the grade and impressing God with their efforts of perfection that they actually think Jesus is offering a shortcut. But such is not the case.
This is a demonstration of how even when a thing is simplified and reduced to the bare minimum, it still cannot be perfectly kept.
In other words, even if eight of the ten commandments and every prophecy were reduced to just these two things, only one person in human history has kept them perfectly, thus putting all others in the same boat of needing God’s grace that is supplied through that one man.
I am not saying that we should abandon our efforts to be disciplined or cease our efforts to pursue God’s will for our lives. I am simply saying I’ve never met anyone other than Jesus who could even meet this simplified reduction of the Law that Jesus put forth.
Only Jesus perfectly loved the Lord His God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength and loved His neighbor as Himself. All others, including myself, have come up short in this matter. Even after coming to know Jesus and being born again, I still have not perfectly done these two things. Even when trying to make my best effort to do so, I still have not met the mark of perfection in it.
This understanding and respect for the Law helps me realize my continual need for grace. There is not a moment in my life that I do not need to trust and rely on the obedience of Jesus on my behalf. At my peak levels of effort, I still require that the righteousness I boast of is the righteousness gifted to me by faith in Him. Jesus gifted me with God’s righteousness! Any righteousness I could produce on my own cannot compare with it. The truth is that the obedience I seek to bring to Him needs to be born out of thanksgiving for who He is and the byproduct of His life in me, not some effort on my part to get His attention and affection. That has been settled already in Christ. In other words, I need to live my life out of the righteousness I have in Him.
On the flip side of this thought, a thankful, joyful heart does not produce spiritual laziness and a reluctance to do His will. This is why grace is so empowering. I continually need His grace.
Practical Discernment
Do you know how to easily discern the truth?
I spoke in a previous devotional about text proofing. To demonstrate its importance and how it is a tool for discernment, I want to give an example and build more on this.
There are those today who argue that we must keep the feast of Tabernacles and the sabbath day as commanded by Moses. They contend that if we fail to do so, God will withhold the rain from our land, and Jesus will not return.
Sadly, some are taken in by this error. They fail to ask, “If this is true and important, then why is it not taught to the churches in the New Testament Scriptures?” In other words, why can it not be text-proofed in both the Old and New Testaments? Even more practical would be to respond with the question, “Why does it rain on my land even though I have never observed it the way you say I should, and all I have done is trust in Christ?”
When we check the practices of the early church, we do not find instruction being given to the Gentile churches regarding feast days and sabbaths being kept. Instead, we find the opposite.
Colossians 2:16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.
As we immerse ourselves in Scripture with a New Covenant understanding, we gain immunity against erroneous fads and movements. This understanding empowers us, ensuring that we are not misled into bondage.
There are still pharisaical and doubt-driven merely religious ideologies at work on this earth. If we fail to learn how to use practical discernment rooted in a knowledge of the word of God according to true New Covenant truth, we can come under condemnation.
Jesus did not sacrifice himself for us to be condemned. Romans 8 unequivocally states who is liberated from condemnation. It is those who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who are born again and have been liberated from the idea of earning righteousness from God because they truly believe in Jesus and are righteous with His own righteousness. They cannot be deceived into observing the things that had been required under the law because they know all that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which is now attributed to them by faith in Him.
New Covenant believers know that sabbath rest is now a way of life in Christ where we have ceased from our own works to gain righteousness and receive the righteousness of God by faith in Christ. It is no longer about a day that was given for man to rest, and it is not a day made for man to serve it. Jesus himself made that very clear. So when it comes to demands for observances of feast days, new moons, and sabbaths, we can know that such demands are no longer supported in the New Covenant because the substance, which is Jesus Christ, has come, and we are in Him and He in us. When we strengthen ourselves in this area of practical discernment based on text proofing and other practices, we are not taken in by the crafty arguments of those who are deceived and just need more to join their deception to affirm themselves. Everyone can benefit from practical discernment.
Text Proofing
Do you know how to interpret Scripture accurately?
In the practice of text proofing, I look for a thread of the idea I think I am seeing in other places of Scripture. Scripture will always support itself.
For Instance, the idea of grace and righteousness by faith has a thread throughout Scripture. When Paul brings this idea forward in his letters to the churches and speaks of hidden mysteries, he is not saying it was absent from the pages of Scripture to start with. He is saying it was there all the time, but many were blinded to its existence.
The concept of grace and righteousness by faith is not a recent revelation. Its presence can be traced all the way back to Abram, and some might argue, even to Noah. Noah found favor with God, took God at His word about the coming judgment, and made preparations. Abram was counted righteous because he simply took God at His word about his descendants and future heir. Even King David, despite his mishaps, was favored by God because He believed God and took Him at His word. This evidence of grace and righteousness by faith is not confined to the New Testament but is present throughout Scripture, both Old and New Testaments.
Paul, as an apostle, used this principle of text proofing when all he had to call Scripture was the Old Testament Scriptures.
Here’s something to consider: Abram was made righteous by believing God about something that had nothing to do with Jesus and His sacrifice. It simply involved believing in the promise God made to him.
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
This interpretation of the truth of grace and righteousness by faith has a thread of appearance in the New Testament Scriptures.
Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Galatians 3:6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
God has spoken clearly throughout human history. He has even moved men to write down what He spoke. There is a clear record of His consistency in communication, revealing His intentions and promises. What the apostles preached was not a brand-new concept from God’s point of view. Jesus, Peter, Paul, and others used text proofing when they preached the good news and demonstrated how it was God’s plan from the beginning. If it cannot be text-proofed by the Scriptures, it shouldn’t be preached. The true gospel is text-proven!
Context
Is it rightly placed and applied?
This is a very important word that is sometimes disregarded. The dictionary defines it this way: the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning:
Context really matters if we really desire to divide the word of truth in Scripture rightly.
Motor oil is a wonderful product when it is used for what it was intended to be used for. When I get the oil changed in my truck, they drain out the old oil and put fresh oil in the crankcase of the motor. If they were to put the oil into the gas tank, thinking it would lubricate the engine, it would not do any good, and the engine wouldn’t run. You see, the gas tank would be the wrong context for oil.
Oil in the right context is wonderful and extremely helpful. Oil in the wrong context is no good.
So it is with the truth of Scripture. Scripture can be misused by being taken out of context and made to apply in some way it was never intended to. It is the responsibility of those who handle the word of God, particularly spiritual leaders who minister and teach the word, to guide correct interpretation and application. They must ensure they are studying to show themselves approved of God by rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Saying or teaching things to others to wow them, make them feel a certain way, or control them in some way is not a responsible handling of the truth.
Any Scripture can be taken out of context and made to appear to say many things it was never intended to say. It can be turned into what Scripture calls profane and idle babblings.
2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
Hymanaeus and Philetus likely felt they were leaders and taught the truth to others, but they were deceived and taught things out of context in a way that disrupted the faith of others regarding the hope of the resurrection. They did not deny the resurrection; they simply said it had already happened. This was serious enough for Paul to point out their error and use it as an example of how some fail to divide the word of truth correctly.
If anyone desires to be a mouthpiece for God in teaching others, they should be willing to put in the time before the Lord and, with Scripture in hand and a teachable heart, do the work involved in making sure they see the truth in its right context so they can share it without misleading others.
This is what the Scripture cautions,
James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
Those who have taken on the role of instructing others have also accepted the stricter judgment spoken of here. This is why it merits taking context seriously. In order to give proper glory and respect to God in this practice getting context right and making sure what is shared is rightly divided is an essential part of the process.
Upside Down Love
What do you know about love?
The concept of love is a prevalent and often discussed topic in today’s society. It is commonly viewed from a self-centric perspective, focusing on what love can do for the individual rather than the transformative power it can have when working through us for the benefit of others.
Expectations of expressions of love are often applied out of context and can become more of a selfish ideology that has nothing to do with love, even though it claims to be about love.
Even when we try our best to look at love as it is defined by Scripture itself, we can struggle to understand how it applies to the diverse situations we experience in daily life.
We can read about how love is patient and struggle to understand what love’s patience looks and acts like in every situation. When we review what the Scripture says about love, the starting point made apparent is that people can do good for others without a motivation for love. In other words, good can be practiced, and what may appear to be unselfish may, in fact, be very selfish because it is motivated by something other than love.
1Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
It is clear that good things can be practiced without love as their core motivation. So, how can we know love is truly at work?
Scripture tells us this about love.
1Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
The attribute of love described in these passages demands that we understand and apply its definition and context correctly.
Who’s the idea of what kind looks like will be the rule of thumb in this description of what love is?
Too often, in an honest and sincere effort to promote the call to love, the idea of who is responsible for it and how it is to be measured gets misapplied due to being misunderstood or received in a self-centered notion of it. That is when love is turned upside down. When I hear about love, and my first thought is about how others should treat me, did I correctly understand the truth being communicated?
Another thought is figuring out how all the other attributes of love coincide with and cooperate with the controversial attribute about how love doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. There’s a lot to love that is misunderstood. This is where failing to take into consideration the whole counsel of the New Testament Scripture when seeking to understand what love is and what it looks like can lead a person to an upside-down view of it. We need to pursue love, especially the motivation of it flowing from the heart. There can be no debate about that. However, let’s not neglect to realize that we can also benefit from a fuller understanding of its multifaceted manifestation.
The Act Of Love
What do you know about how love acts?
Consider the gospel story if it had portrayed Jesus as coming to this earth solely to profess his love without taking any action to save us. This paradox lies at the heart of the Christian faith.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God’s love was demonstrated by an act—an act that will forever speak of His love for us. But why did Jesus die?
His death is not just a demonstration of God’s love; it is a transformative act. It refuses to leave us in our former unrenewed state of existence and the confusion of the kingdom of darkness, and He translated us into His kingdom of light and life.
Love will not leave someone in a bad state if it can rescue them from it. At the same time, love respects individual freedom. It does not force a person to accept a rescue offer, such as the offer of abundant life in Christ. Love makes a grand and glorious offer in the gospel of Jesus, but it does not force anyone to accept it.
However, love also does not act or speak in a way that communicates deadly and dangerous living as harmless and safe. Love guides us to discern what is truly safe and beneficial and empowers us to live in a way that does not cause others to stumble.
Romans 14:5-18
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then, each of us shall give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself, but to him who considers anything to be unclean to him, it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore, do not let your good be spoken of as evil, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
If we are not supposed to let our good be spoken of as evil, what would that say regarding the things that are already declared evil to start with? Love does not condone evil; it rather exposes it for the deceptive, deadly force that it is. Love has no desire to leave someone in the mire of sin and destruction; it refuses to give the kind of examples that would communicate that sin is of no danger or consequence. Love chooses to live at a higher place not only for its own sake but for the sake of others. We can talk about love and seek to define it in new ways, but in the end, authentic love will still be and act as its source has determined. God is love. Love is to be defined by Him, not us. He has shown us what it is in His word and has demonstrated His love through Jesus at the cross when He paid for sin and conquered sin and death on our behalf. Jesus never sinned, He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. His love acted in certain ways for the sake of others. He put no stumbling blocks in the path of those He claimed to love.
Inspired And Authorized
What do you rely on?
Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what might be fake and what might be authentic.
The struggle to know what is actually true has become more real than ever before.
Wanting someone to feel good about themselves seems to be the crowning value for some, while others seem to desire the opposite and do all they can to make others feel miserable about themselves. It seems as if each side of this pendulum claims to be the one who is about the truth.
Both extremes will claim to be free of the fear of man, and thus, they claim to be speaking the truth.
So, how can any believer know who to listen to or what to believe?
This is where the word of God comes in, and rightly dividing it becomes important.
2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
There is a good deal of extra-Biblical teaching floating around nowadays, and it is ministering confusion. The two extremes seem to be one of a gnostic foundation where the only thing that is said to matter is that which is spirit, so what someone does in their bodies is of no real significance. The gnostic-rooted view leads to universalism, which says everyone will be saved no matter what. All will be okay anyway. With that type of view, I am not sure why they even feel a need to preach anything because if all will be saved no matter what, why would there be any need to preach at all? The other extreme is that all that matters is what is done in the body, and thus, one will be accepted by God and loved by God based on their works and make it into heaven based on their works or not make it for that same reason.
Which is true? Neither one! Both are rooted in fundamental error and devoid of rightly dividing the word of truth.
Some act as though the New Covenant Scriptures are cult-like coded messages that can only be tapped by the superspiritual. While others treat the Bible like they would any other book on the shelf and think it can be understood by merely following the basic rules of interpretation with no help at all from the Holy Spirit.
There are some today who speak as though what they say is just as inspired as the Scriptures and equal in authority to the Scriptures, and they avoid the use of Scripture while claiming to support it. Likewise, some use Scripture, but they twist it to support their positions and to control others. But a misuse of Scripture or the lack of using it should never be allowed to diminish the importance of it.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
Scripture is meant to be a solid, sure, and reliable means for us to be able to test what is true. It will assure us, challenge us, correct us, and even rebuke us based on where we are at in our journey with the Lord. It is never meant only to tell us how amazingly wonderful we are, nor is it going always to tell us we are awful and horrible. But it will reveal and expose the truth concerning us as to who we are now in Christ and what that is meant to look like in the expression of our lives. More importantly, when rightly divided, it reveals the authenticity of who Christ Jesus is to us. Never forget,
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
I rely on Scripture and meditate on it, asking the Holy Spirit for the right interpretation of it. I never wish to diminish the importance of it in my own life or the lives of others.
God Will Judge
Do you believe in judgment day?
In these modern times, it has become popular for some to avoid the idea that God will judge righteously at Christ’s appearance. They mistakenly teach that Christ paid for the sin of the world, and that means the wrath of God was satisfied against all mankind, and thus, God will not judge. By teaching such things, they reveal that they are not paying attention to portions of Scripture that teach us the truth in this matter.
The New Covenant does not teach that God no longer has wrath and will not judge. Nor does it teach that there will not be a final judgment.
Here’s just one of many examples of what I am talking about in Scripture.
2Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus indeed took the sin of the whole world to Himself at the cross. He indeed atoned for the sin of the whole world at the cross. But it must be appropriated by faith on the part of each person. If the forgiveness provided and life offered is not received by faith, then it is not applied.
John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Indeed, Jesus did not come to condemn the world. But that does not mean condemnation is totally out of the way and that judgment will not take place. John the Baptist said it this way,
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
The evidence of how God hates sin is throughout Scripture, and ironically, God went out of His way to make sure sin could be dealt with once and for all through Jesus the Son. It is because of the love of God that He hates sin so much. Sin brings death and destruction into people’s lives. It is why humanity is so messed up. But what is not true is the idea that Jesus’ work on the cross means that no one will ever experience the wrath of God or His judgment. Those who do not believe in Jesus and accept by faith His finished work at the cross will experience the judgment and wrath of God and will be punished in the Lake of Fire. It is a dreadful reality that no believer should ever want anyone to experience.
This is why it is so important for us as believers to love and care enough to share the good news of Jesus Christ with as many as we have the opportunity to do so. If it doesn’t matter one way or the other, the responsibility to be a witness dissolves. That’s what makes the error so dangerous. The reason for a continued witness is that this matter of where a person will spend eternity and experience separation and punishment for their rejection of such a gracious and loving offer hangs in the balance.
Everyone, regardless of what their current life appears to be, needs Jesus. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Those who do not believe will perish and will be judged on that day. Let’s help others become aware of our amazingly wonderful God and our incredible Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Many still need to hear of His love and mercy revealed at the cross.
The Gospel Preached
Do you care about what is preached?
It seems popular of late among some to preach and teach in such a way that ignores certain injunctions or admonishments given in Scripture to the church. It is also alarming how popular it seems to be to denounce the idea of leadership or someone being in a position of authority. There’s a growing desire to avoid any and all accountability which can be dangerous and unhealthy.
If the gospel I preach cannot withstand the full counsel of Scripture as a whole in the New Testament, is it really the gospel? My understanding of the gospel should ground me so strongly in security in Christ that I can withstand a critique of my behavior when appropriate, and it not rock my world but rather enhance it. Getting the gospel right does not do away with my need for correction at times, but it will take away the sting that comes from any insecurity and will allow me to examine all of Scripture, not just the parts of it that I favor.
Sometimes, what is passed over as insignificant in the word of God may be highly significant.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
So, in view of such a passage, we should ask ourselves:
Do I recognize the person or persons who labor on my behalf, and do I see them as being over me in the Lord?
Am I esteeming them very highly in love for their work’s sake?
Am I at peace with myself and with others I am in fellowship with?
Do I warn those who are unruly, or do I take part in their complaints and efforts at sowing division?
Do I comfort the fainthearted?
Do I uphold the weak?
Am I patient with all?
Do I live by a motto of getting even with someone who hurts or uses me?
Do I pursue what is good for myself and others?
Am I one who rejoices always?
Do I live in an attitude of prayer?
Am I one who gives thanks for everything, or do I feel permission to complain most of the time?
Do I quench the Spirit, or am I surrendered to Him?
Am I a person who desires prophecies, or do I despise them and avoid them?
Do I diligently test all things and hold fast to what is good?
Do I abstain from every form of evil, or do I find some of it acceptable?
Failure in any of these areas will not undo my salvation, nor will it overpower the righteousness of God that I have become. But it can affect my witness for Christ to others and bring a disruption to the peace I am promised in my soul. It can also bear an impact on the fellowship I am a part of and adversely affect my relationships, and it is why such instruction exists in Scripture.
An authentic gospel is not devoid of practical, wise counsel for the purpose of unified and healthy fellowship with others. If my gospel does not take others into account in the way I choose to live as a witness for Christ and my call to be in fellowship with other believers, it might be another gospel other than the one found on the pages of the New Testament.
Grace Authority
Does grace have authority?
I cannot help but be somewhat concerned when I hear grace teachers speak as if there should never be any measurable behavioral accountability expected within the churches and among believers.
It is as if they think that grace means a believer can do nothing wrong or displeasing to God.
I must say here that such a notion is not true at all. There are too many passages that address behavior and consequences for such in the New Testament letters to the churches for us to conclude that grace means never addressing such things or expressing expectations for behavior.
Here’s a great example of what I am talking about. Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica.
1Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
Notice how Paul is speaking of how they should walk to please God. The walk involves what one does. He goes on to speak of how they commanded them. This is an uncomfortable language for some grace teachers who think leadership can never provide direction or firm and clear directives. No, I am not saying leaders have permission to control the lives of others, but they do have a command to care for the souls of those they have been called to lead.
Paul goes on to make sure they understand he is speaking in terms of the will of God for them. The will of God is their sanctification. He then goes on to speak about things they should avoid. He talks about possessing one’s vessel in sanctification and honor.
Then, Paul goes on to speak of how the Lord is an avenger of certain behaviors. He says he had forwarned them of such and testified to its validity. The idea of the Lord being an avenger of such behavior is an especially uncomfortable language for some grace teachers. But here it is in the Bible for all to read.
How did God call us? Not into uncleanness, but in holiness as is revealed here for us. But here’s the real kicker in all of this. Paul uses some very strong language in verse 8 when he says that whoever rejects what he is saying here is not rejecting a man but rather is rejecting God because it was God who gave Paul His Holy Spirit. In other words, Paul is speaking expressly by the Holy Spirit in saying this.
There are times when leaders who minister with integrity must speak regarding behavior and the consequences that can follow wrong behavior. It should not be the lion’s share of what they speak about, as the gospel should always be a main focus. But there will be times when it is justified that believers be reminded that pleasing God involves how we walk, and sanctification that involves letting go of dishonoring and destructive behaviors is right before God. This is grace authority.
Free Or Not Free
Are you free?
Imagine coming upon an animal in a trap, in pain and anguish, and very afraid. Then, imagine you set that animal free and move it to a safer place where there is more than enough good food for it. Then imagine that you come back and find that animal in the same trap because it went after the same food as before.
Was it your desire that the animal do such a thing? There is a spiritual lesson in this example.
Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
We were in darkness and slaves to sin and death. But Jesus came and set us free from the snare of sin and death and translated us into His kingdom of light and life. He gave us life, made heavenly things accessible to us, and set a table for us with good things to eat. He did away with that old nature that was drawn to destructive things and the sin that brings death and destruction. We are no longer slaves to sin and death. We are no longer prisoners to the dictates of the fleshly appetites that once did us such harm and brought destruction and misery into our lives. We get to choose how we will show up and what we will be adorned with when we do. That is why the Scripture goes on to say,
Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
The way to show up rightly clothed with a proper attitude and readiness for the occasion is described here in these passages. If I were once dressed in jeans that had become filthy and tattered due to what I had put them through, and I removed them and put on new ones that were clean and fresh, I would not want to do to the new ones the same things that made the others filthy and tattered. That’s kind of the idea conveyed here. I’ve received something very precious and valuable. It’s worth looking after.
We were at one time okay with living in ways that were not good for us or others. We stripped that way of living off when we accepted the new life Christ offered us. It makes no sense to go right back to that old way of living now. I was set free from it, and I do not want to go back to it. The reality of free or not free is really this simple. Sin and death no longer have power over us. We have to choose to go back to the things we’ve been set free from. So, we choose whether to live “Free Or Not Free.”
Complete
Is it truly done?
Surely, we all remember doing homework assignments in school and being told whether or not they were complete. In the verb sense, this idea of complete means the work is done, and all involved with it is finished.
As a kid, I enjoyed building model cars and model planes. One of my favorites was an F15 Eagle. Man, did that model have many parts to it?!
I remember the satisfaction I felt when I was done building it, and there were no leftover parts in the box.
You know Jesus completed a work as it pertains to us. It says as much in the Bible. But some people desire to tell us this is not true.
They speak to believers as if Jesus left some of the pieces needed for completion in the box, and now it is up to us to find those pieces and complete the build.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
Have you ever taken time to think about what is being said here?
Should a beware like this be taken seriously?
I wonder how many believers have ever felt cheated in this way? Constantly being told they do not measure up and need to step it up and then given self-improvement ideas rooted in the Law in order to bring to completion what Jesus began.
Pointing to things that draw on the strength of the flesh and turn our attention to ourselves distracts our attention and trust toward Christ and leads us to forget what He accomplished on our behalf. That is what it means to say, and not according to Christ.
Should we take the next verse seriously?
Colossians 2:9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
The fullness of the Godhead bodily is not spoken of as a reality rooted in what we do to attain something. It is not spoken about our merited condition rooted in having made ourselves attain righteousness on some level. The fullness, the completeness we seek, is only found in Jesus, and when we rest in Him, we get to enjoy the fullness of God.
The finished work of who we truly are is only found in Him. The place where the devil cannot get to us is where we’ve been hidden in God with Christ, who is the Head of all principality and power!
Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
There’s no greater authority and power than Jesus! The false accusations of an enemy should hold no sway over us anymore. We are complete in Jesus! Don’t let the devil trick you into arguing on the basis of what you’ve accomplished. Make the focus on the One who made you complete in Himself.