Covetousness, Conduct, and Contentment

Hebrews 13:5-6 (New King James Version) states,

[Let your] conduct [be] without covetousness;
[be] content with such things as you have.
For He Himself has said,
"I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say:
"The LORD [is] my helper;
I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

During this Christmas season, many are giving and receiving gifts. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that practice. It is good to share what we have with others. However, during these times I think there is also a danger to allow covetousness to creep in.

Covetousness is not a word that is commonly used in modern English. So, many modern Bible translations simply translate the term as "the love of money." It is a good translation of the word. However, if we look more closely at the implications of covetousness, I think it extends beyond simply "loving money" (which few would admit to) to "loving possessions" (which is easier to do).

Jesus said,

“Take heed and beware of covetousness,
for one’s life does not consist
in the abundance of the things he possesses."
(Luke 12:15b NKJV)

The Apostle Paul told a group of believers,

"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace,
which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance
among all those who are sanctified.
I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes.You yourselves know that these hands ministered
to my own needs and to the men who were with me."
(Acts 20:32-34 NASB)

If coveting is limited to money, then how could the Apostle Paul say that he coveted no one's clothes? Why did Jesus refer to the things [one] possesses rather than just money?

It's not much of a stretch to say that people love money not because they like its texture or appearance, but because they like the power and security provided by the things money can buy. Hence, to love one's material possessions, and to desire more of them, is to covet.

The Apostle Paul wrote to believers,

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, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit
the kingdom of God.

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.

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV)

I realize that I myself am guilty of coveting, as well as of other sins on this list. But this passage gives me hope, because I know that I trust Jesus to save me. I (and you, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God) might have been covetous - "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."

And so my aim in life is no longer to seek security and power through the things I possess; it is to please my Lord Jesus Christ, who is my life. I'm not perfect, but that's why I need the blood of Christ to wash me, the Spirit of our God to sanctify me, and God the Father's justification. Instead of getting depressed and thinking that there is no way to escape the bonds of sin, we believers should allow the Word of God to renew our minds.

Firstly, consider these words written by the Apostle John:

Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world—
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life—
is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it;
but he who does the will of God abides forever.

(1 John 2:15-17 NKJV)

Finally, if you will, meditate on this passage from the letter to the Colossians:

If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above,
not on things on the earth.
For you died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, our life, appears,
then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore put to death your members
which are on the earth:
fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire,
and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Because of these things the wrath of God is coming
upon the sons of disobedience,
in which you yourselves once walked
when you lived in them.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these:
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy language out of your mouth.
Do not lie to one another,
since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
and have put on the new [man]
who is renewed in knowledge
according to the image of Him who created him,
where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian,
slave [nor] free, but Christ is all and in all.

Therefore, as elect of God, holy and beloved,
put on tender mercies, kindness,
humility, meekness, longsuffering;
bearing with one another, and forgiving one another,
if anyone has a complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

But above all these things put on love,
which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
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.
And [whatever] you do in word or deed,
all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

(Colossians 3:1-17 NKJV)

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All boldface emphases are mine.
Italicized words in the translated texts have been [bracketed] or simply omitted.
Some punctuation and Capitalization may have been changed.

Sayings Not Found In Scripture

"Cleanliness is next to godliness," "Pride comes before the fall," and "God works in mysterious ways" are three examples of things that people say that aren't actually found verbatim in the Bible.

So where'd these sayings come from?

Have a look at these examples, and more, at the following link:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/sayings.cfm

Jesus gave it all up for us (Discipleship part 1)

Discipleship is a word rarely heard today. It is simply a combination of the word 'disciple', meaning 'follower', and 'ship', which makes it both a noun and buoyant. Or something like that.

Those of us who place our faith in Christ Jesus as Savior recognize Him as our Lord, our Master, and our Owner. Therefore, we follow Him. We are His disciples. The Christian life is largely about learning how to follow Him more closely, becoming more like Christ. That's discipleship.

So for us to be good disciples, or followers, of Christ Jesus, we must continuously learn about Him and apply what we have learned. In theory, it's simple. But in practice, it's a lifelong journey. We can all learn from the following passage:

Philippians 2:1-18 NASB

(verses 1-4)
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

(verses 5-11)
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(verses 12-18)
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for [His] good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, [I urge you,] rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

This passage is from the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers (saints) in Philippi. For our purposes, we can look at these 3 paragraphs like this:

1. Application ("Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ...") - verses 1-4
   
2. Looking at Jesus' example ("Have this attitude in yourselves...") - verses 5-11
   
3. Application ("So then, my beloved...") - verses 12-18
   

For the moment, let's focus on the section describing what Jesus did for us.

Jesus, who was in the form of God and had every right to the authority and power and glory belonging to God, gave it all up. He was made in the likeness of men and found in human form.

The one who deserved to be revered as God's Word became the servant of all. The Almighty became the Christ. The Lion became a meek and humble Lamb.

Christ Jesus made himself of no reputation. Bible scholars tell us that He was homeless, poor, and physically unattractive.

Instead of riches, He chose poverty. He chose to associate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. He broke cultural taboos, speaking with Samaritans, even a Samaritan woman, considered by Jews to be the lowest of the low.

Actually, Christ Jesus lived such a humble and faultless life that those who critique Christianity rarely critique the character of Christ. They can't find anything bad to say about the way that He lived. It was absolutely honest, pure, transparent, faultless, and complete.

Why is it that so many who call themselves Christians are unwilling to truly forsake all for Him? I think it is because our belief is weak. We are like spoiled children. We have so many material luxuries all the time that we don't even consider the notion that our Lord might be asking us to give them up. Even the poorer among us have a roof over our heads, electricity, running water, a bed to sleep in, several changes of clothing.

Christ enjoyed none of these things. The first century church, composed of some rich and some poor, lived like this:

Acts 4:32-37 ESV

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

In our churches today, some complain of a lack of power and a lack of grace. We pray for more power and we pray for more grace. And we should. But look at the way Luke describes the early church:

• with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus...
• great grace was upon them all.

Both were great. The testimony of the apostles was powerful. People were floored by the sheer spiritual force of the messages preached by these men. It wasn't because they had great educational backgrounds that these messages were persuasive. The chief speaker among them, Peter, was a fisherman -- hardly a PhD. It was their obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord and their surrendering to the Holy Spirit that allowed this to happen. And despite the fact that the church was poor, the Lord blessed them with abundant grace.

But unfortunately, maybe some of us are more like Ananias and Sapphira:

Acts 5:1-11 ESV

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." And she said, "Yes, for so much."

But Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

This was a very extreme example of the result of dishonesty among people in the church.

But it shows us that it does no good to pretend that we're more spiritual than we are. We don't want to beat ourselves up for not being perfect. Of course we're not perfect. Christ Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. But He is calling us to a higher standard than the one we're currently at. We must grow. How? By surrendering ourselves.

What have we given up for Him? What are we willing to give up?

Jesus spoke many times of the requirements of those who would follow Him.

Matthew 6:19-34 NKJV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great [is] that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, [will He] not much more [clothe] you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble."

Jesus' words strike with power and precision at the very things that characterize many of our lives. I am humbled by each word here.

And, if He wills, we will continue this series soon.

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Scripture citations are from the corresponding versions: NKJV: New King James Version; ESV: English Standard Version; NASB: New American Standard Bible.

All boldface emphases are mine. In all Scripture citations, pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ are Capitalized. Italicized (added) words have been omitted or [bracketed].

Search a free online Bible with lots of translations at http://www.biblegateway.com

Jesus died so that God could forgive us

To regular readers of the blog: I'm aiming to post more regularly. So, I might not hold each post to quite as strict standards for quality. They should still be readable, but I might let a few grammatical or formatting errors slip through. Hopefully this is a good decision for all of us. Your feedback is very welcome!

Not long ago, a citizen of Georgia, Mr. Troy Davis, was executed for the alleged murder of a police officer, Mr. Mark MacPhail.

However, questions remain about whether Mr. Davis was truly guilty of murdering Mr. MacPhail or not.

It's not my intention in this post to go into the details of the case or attempt to figure out whether Mr. Davis was innocent or guilty. However, I would like to briefly consider a quote by Reverend Al Sharpton, which he made concerning the execution of Mr. Davis.

According to a news article posted about the time of the execution, Rev. Sharpton said:

"Our hearts go out to them [the family of Mr. MacPhail]. We have nothing but sympathy and prayers for them, but they are not getting justice if the wrong person is paying for what happened to their son, their brother."

Rev. Sharpton asserted that justice is not done if the "wrong person" pays for the sins of another. And in fact, no justice was done if Mr. Davis was innocent.

However, Rev. Sharpton's quote reminded me of something similar and all the more profound: The death of Jesus for us. Was Jesus the "wrong person"? Was His death a mistake? Moreover, what did it accomplish? And how should we respond?

In this post, I'll try to answer those questions with some Scriptures.

A well-known Bible quote, written by Jesus' Apostle, Paul, is this:

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23 ESV)

This Scripture states, or implies, at least three paradoxical truths:

1. God is just; He gives everyone what they deserve. The one who earns death because of his sin receives death.
   
2. Jesus was not guilty of sin, but God gave Him death. In other words, Jesus died, but He didn't sin. He died despite the fact that He didn't earn death.
   
3. We are guilty of sin, but God gives us life. In other words, we sin, but instead of death, we get eternal life.
   

How can this be? How can God be just and still pardon our sins?

Here is the answer. Jesus' Apostle, Paul, wrote this:

He [God] made Him who knew no sin [Christ Jesus]
to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him [Christ Jesus].
(2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB)

Unlike you and I, Jesus did not sin. He never did anything that displeased God. He obeyed God perfectly. Therefore, Christ Jesus "knew no sin".

But "on our behalf", for our sakes, God did something both terrible and glorious. He made the sinless one, Christ Jesus, "to be sin on our behalf"!

But how can this be? Why would God do such a thing to His only Son?

Two reasons are that God is just and that God is love. Because of God's justice, He does not tolerate sin. In fact, there is no one who hates sin more than God. But at the same time, God is love. He hates sin, but He loved us sinners. He never designed us for death; He designed us for life with Him. We were the ones who opted to break God's rules by sinning. And we were the ones who earned death, not life, as our just wages.

But the Apostle John also wrote:

I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for His name's sake.
(1 John 2:4 ESV)

We know that God is just. His judgments are always perfect. But how could He love us if we were sinners? How could he forgive our debts? Who would pay the price of death?

God found a way to forgive us and yet maintain His justice. That was by killing Jesus instead of us. Jesus wasn't just symbolically sacrificed. He actually tasted the death we should have tasted. The payment was made in full with each drop of blood and each undeserved second of agony He felt.

The Apostle Paul wrote at great length to describe what Jesus did in our place. Here is a section of his writings from the letter to the believers in Rome:

Now we know that whatever the Law says,
it speaks to those who are under the Law,
so that every mouth may be closed
and all the world may become accountable to God;
because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight;
for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

But now, apart from the Law,
righteousness of God has been manifested,
being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
even righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
for all those who believe;
for there is no distinction;

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
being justified as a gift by His grace
through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.

[This was] to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God
He passed over the sins previously committed;
for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time,
so that He would be just
and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Where then is boasting? It is excluded.
By what kind of law? Of works?
No, but by a law of faith.
For we maintain that
a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

(Romans 3:13-28 NASB)

God justifies those who have faith in Jesus. That means that He declares believers righteous. Our works (e.g. going to church, reading the Bible, being nice to people) do not and cannot earn this righteousness. Why? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We already proved our inability to live up to God's perfect standard, and God provided His sinless Son as a propitiation in His blood through faith to suffer His just wrath against our sins. This was and is all done as a free gift by God.

Consequently, God justifies those who have faith in Jesus, but He refuses to justify those who depend on their own works to save themselves. No one who is justified can boast, because only one man's sacrifice for sins was considered effective in God's judgment. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we be seen by God as righteous. Don't depend on your works. Depend on Jesus!

After God raised Jesus from the dead, the risen Lord Jesus sent His Apostles out to preach the Gospel to all men. The Apostle Peter preached a powerful sermon to those who had demanded that Jesus be crucified. In part, he said:

“Men of Israel, listen to these words:

Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—

this [Jesus], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put to death.

But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

(Acts 2:22-24 NASB)

So, to return to Rev. Sharpton's quote:

"Our hearts go out to them [the family of Mr. MacPhail]. We have nothing but sympathy and prayers for them, but they are not getting justice if the wrong person is paying for what happened to their son, their brother."

In the case of Christ Jesus' death for us, He was not the "wrong person." It was always God's will that His own Son pay our debts. Jesus was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. So Jesus did not randomly, arbitrarily, or unwillingly die. He died with the full assurance and understanding that what He was doing was His Father's will. It was God who decided that Jesus should die, when, and how. And at the predetermined time, God raised His Son from the dead.

Before His death, Jesus Himself said this:

No one has ascended into heaven,
but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
(John 3:13-16 NASB)

When Jesus speaks of the Son of Man, He is referring to Himself, and when He speaks of being lifted up, He is referring to being crucified. So Jesus' death, and even the specific form of death, were intended by God, and Jesus understood and agreed with His Father's intention.

The Apostle John, who recorded those statements by Jesus, also wrote this:

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.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
(1 John 4:10-11 ESV)

Here again, just as in the earlier quote from Romans chapter 3, is the term "propitiation". Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Part of what that means is that He paid the cost for them and took the wrath of God that we deserved for them. Although we were guilty and deserved to die, He died instead of us. Justice and mercy met at the cross. The One who died was not the guilty one. And the ones who live were guilty indeed. But instead of paying our own debts, Jesus paid them in full for us.

How can we respond to these things? We've already seen at least one example from the Scripture above, which I'll quote again:

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.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
(1 John 4:10-11 ESV)

But these illustrations and examples taken from Jesus' earthly life may help us to get a fuller understanding. Here is the first example of two:

Luke 7:36-50 ESV

One of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him, and He went into the Pharisee's house and took His place at the table.

And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed His feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself,
"If this man were a prophet, He would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."

And Jesus answering said to him,
"Simon, I have something to say to you."
And he answered, "Say it, Teacher."

"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both.

Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon answered,
"The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt."

And he said to him, "You have judged rightly."

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?
I entered your house; you gave me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with ointment.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven— for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."

And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

Then those who were at table with Him began to say among themselves,
"Who is this, who even forgives sins?"

And He said to the woman,
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

And here is the second example:

Matthew 18:21-35 ESV

Then Peter came up and said to Him,
"Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?
As many as seven times?"

Jesus said to him,
"I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.

When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents [one talent was worth more than fifteen years' wages for a laborer!].

And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii [a denarius was worth one day's wages for a laborer], and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying,
'Pay what you owe.'

So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.

When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.

Then his master summoned him and said to him,
'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant,
as I had mercy on you?'

And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,
until he should pay all his debt.

So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you,
if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

Let's continually forgive our brothers and sisters from our hearts, even though we are all imperfect. Think of the debts we owed God. Think of God's precious gift of His own Son and the greatness of the salvation that we didn't earn and can't boast about. Think of the fact that Christ Jesus did no sin, but God made Him to be sin for us and punished Him instead of us for what we owed. Let us never stop thanking Him for His great love, and let us love Him by keeping His word and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Thanks for reading. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you.

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All boldface emphases are mine.
Scripture citations are from these translations:
English Standard Version (ESV) and New American Standard Bible (NASB).
Added words in the NASB have been italicized or omitted.
Some capitalization and punctuation have been altered from the translated texts.

Koinonia with God and His Son, Jesus Christ

Word studies: "koinonia" and "homologeo"

(translations from "Englishman's Greek" PDFs)

I John 1:1-4

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—

2 the Life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the Eternal Life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is one of my favorite books in the Bible, the short letter of First (I, or 1) John. However, in studying the passage lately with a really low-level, introductory set of Greek-learning PDFs I got online some months ago, I was blessed with a few wonderful insights. (The New Testament was originally written in Greek.)

koinonia - translated "fellowship"
means "sharing in COMMON"

therefore 1 John 1:3 can be translated:

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have sharing in common with us; and indeed our sharing in common is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Wow! We share in common with the FATHER and with HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!

Jesus SHARES His Father IN COMMON with us!!

And furthermore:

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say we have sharing in common with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have sharing in common with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.

We must walk in the light to share in common with God. And if we do, we have sharing in common with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

This doesn't mean that we are perfect! Quite the contrary. Walking in the light actually EXPOSES sin. Then we CONFESS IT. What would we be confessing if we hadn't been made aware of sin?

So this is the transparent, non-hypocritical, humble, and freedom-filled life of the believer. We are free and joyful because our sins are forgiven, we are cleansed, and we share in common with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

confess: "homologeo" : "homo" (same) + "logeo" (to say)

To confess (our sins) is to say the same thing (about our sins) that the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and possibly our brethren do.

That is, when we sin, we agree, with God and Jesus Christ, that what we have done is sin. We don't try to cover our sins up or deny that they are sins.

9 If we say [the] same [of] our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say we have not sinned (anti-confession; this is the opposite of agreement -- denial), we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.

Therefore confession is the opposite of denial. And it's really important!

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Scriptures from English Standard Version (ESV). Boldface emphases mine. Credit to the authors of the "Englishman's Greek" PDF series. Pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ capitalized, as best I could.

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Jesus Is Strong: Part 2

Introduction

(This post is meant for believers. If you don't believe that Jesus is Lord, you may read this post to learn more about Him. Thanks!)

We saw in the previous part of this series (read it here) that Jesus is much more than He is commonly given credit for: He is powerful. He is strong. But why is this so important?

As believers, I think we must constantly refresh our understanding of the fact that Jesus really deserves our consistent respect, not as a good man, but as the Lord God, the Almighty. And after re-realizing that truth, we should continually apply it in a life of obedience.

Personally, I think that my own commitment to the Lord Jesus has wavered lately, and I think I may have forgotten that He is really the Lord. He is my Owner and Master. He knows all, He is all-powerful, and He has all authority in my life and everyone else's. He directs, I follow.

When you or I doubt the authority of the Lord Jesus, there's a possibility for our flesh to try to assume authority. And then, we can fall into sin. But I don't want to do that, and I know you don't either. So, let's continue, and hear what the Spirit of the Lord Jesus wants to tell us.

In Revelation 2 and 3, the Lord Jesus gives messages to the seven churches that are in Asia. By reading each of them, we see clearly that Jesus is Lord of each and every church.

There are seven different messages in those chapters. Here is one of them for us to look at:

Revelation 2:18-29

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire,
and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:

I know your deeds,
and your love and faith and service and perseverance,
and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.

But I have against you,
that you tolerate the woman Jezebel,
who calls herself a prophetess,
and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray
so that they commit immorality
and eat things sacrificed to idols.

I gave her time to repent,
and she does not want to repent of her immorality.

Behold, I will throw her on a bed [of sickness],
and those who commit adultery with her
into great tribulation,
unless they repent of her deeds.

And I will kill her children with pestilence,
and all the churches will know that
I am He who searches the minds and hearts;
and I will give to each one of you
according to your deeds.

But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira,
who do not hold this teaching,
who have not known the deep things of Satan,
as they call them—
I place no other burden on you.

Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.

He who overcomes,
and he who keeps My deeds until the end,
to him I will give authority over the nations;
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron,
as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces,
as I also have received from My Father;
and I will give him the morning star.

He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus describes Himself differently when addressing each church. I think He does so to emphasize aspects of Himself that are relevant to that particular church. They are instructive for us as well.

In the case of the church in Thyatira, we see that Jesus describes Himself in these terms:

The Son of God,
who has eyes like a flame of fire,
and His feet are like burnished bronze.

I'd like to examine each of these elements in turn (with a point of clarification between points 2 and 3):

1. Jesus is the Son of God
2. Jesus' eyes are like a flame of fire
3. Jesus' feet are like burnished bronze

Jesus is the Son of God

In Revelation 2:26-28, the Lord Jesus states,

He who overcomes,
and he who keeps My deeds until the end,
to him I will give authority over the nations;
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron,
as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces,
as I also have received from My Father;
and I will give him the morning star.

By describing Himself as the Son of God, Jesus shows us where His authority came from: God, His Father. Therefore, Jesus' authority over the nations -- including all mankind -- is complete and total. After all, authority could not have come from any higher source than God Himself.

Moreover, Jesus can give authority to whomever He chooses. "He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end" will be given "authority over the nations"! This is an incredible incentive for us to live obedient lives of perseverance in the midst of our trials.

Jesus' eyes are like a flame of fire

Jesus also describes His eyes as being like a flame of fire. This, I think, emphasizes the fact that Jesus can see into our minds and hearts. His eyes, like a flame of fire, illuminating and revealing, look deep into our souls. They burn away all the pretenses and defenses and masks that we construct, seeing clearly what our motivations and intentions are.

He states in the latter part of Revelation 2:23:

...and all the churches will know that
I am He who searches the minds and hearts;
and I will give to each one of you
according to your deeds.

Jesus knows what we have done and who we are. Although we have opaque bodies, He sees through them as though they were transparent. He knows our flaws, and He expects us to be honest and admit our shortcomings. Then, He can heal us, strengthen us, and equip us for ministry. However, if we pretend that we are more than we are, we will not be able to do what He wants us to do with our lives, because we will always be hiding the truth.

Other passages of Scripture echo this command. For instance:

Let no man deceive himself.
If any man among you thinks
that he is wise in this age,
he must become foolish,
so that he may become wise.

(I Corinthians 3:18)

By no means is this easy; it requires courage and humility to be honest before our Lord and before fellow believers. Personally, I'm still working on it! But we have to do it if we want to be obedient to the Lord Jesus and have true, lasting joy.

Just to clarify...

Before moving on to the last part of Jesus' description of Himself for the church in Thyatira, it may be necessary to clarify one point. When the Lord Jesus speaks of deeds and rewards for believers, we must be careful to make a distinction. We don't earn salvation or eternal life. Jesus Himself already purchased and secured salvation and eternal life for us!

However, the degree of abundance that we will enjoy in eternity is another matter. Our deeds do play a part in that. Depending on our labor, we will receive an appropriate reward.

In the following passage, the Apostle Paul describes the difference clearly:

I Corinthians 3:5-17

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul?
Servants through whom you believed,
even as the Lord gave to each one.

I planted, Apollos watered,
but God was causing the growth.

So then neither the one who plants
nor the one who waters is anything,
but God who causes the growth.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one;
but each will receive his own reward
according to his own labor.
For we are God’s fellow workers;
you are God’s field, God’s building.

According to the grace of God which was given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building on it.
But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

For no man can lay a foundation
other than the one which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man builds on the foundation
with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw,
each man’s work will become evident;

for the day will show it
because it is revealed with fire,
and the fire itself
will test the quality
of each man’s work.

If any man’s work
which he has built on it remains,
he will receive a reward.

If any man’s work is burned up,
he will suffer loss;
but he himself will be saved,
yet so as through fire.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God
and the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If any man destroys the temple of God,
God will destroy him,
for the temple of God is holy,
and that is what you are.

In this letter, the Apostle Paul describes believers as "God's field, God's building." He states that he laid a foundation for each believer in the church at Corinth. That foundation is Jesus Christ. In other words, the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel to these believers, and they were saved.

In our cases, whoever preached the Gospel to us also laid that same foundation, and now it is our job to build on it. We can build on the foundation of Jesus Christ with many materials, but only some of them are resistant to being burned up. To build with straw, when fire is certain to come, is a sad waste of time and effort.

How much joy will we have when we see Jesus? Will we be ashamed because we did not do what He told us to do in this life? Or will we be confident, knowing that we used the energy, time, and resources He provided for us as best as we could?

Jesus, the Judge, has eyes like a flame of fire. When He evaluates the work we have done after being saved, He will clearly see our intentions, our abilities, and our accomplishments. He will reward us accordingly, but if our works are not up to par, we will suffer loss instead for those works.

So, it is important to stress that our salvation is secure in Christ:

By grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves.
The gift of God,
not as a result of works,
so that no one may boast.

(Ephesians 2:8-9)

But it is also important for us to do the works that God has appointed for us!

For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
so that we would walk in them.

(Ephesians 2:8-10)

Jesus' feet are like burnished bronze

Finally, Jesus describes His feet as being like burnished bronze. To get a better understanding, we can look at Revelation 1:15, where John first sees the Lord Jesus.

His feet like burnished bronze,
when it has been made to glow in a furnace,
and His voice like the sound of many waters.
(Rev. 1:15 NASB)

The English Standard Version puts it this way:

His feet were like burnished bronze,
refined in a furnace,
and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
(Rev. 1:15 ESV)

But, we ask, when did our Lord Jesus' feet enter a "furnace", and why? Weren't His feet always perfect? When did they need to be "refined"?

I firmly believe that the meaning of that passage is this: When Jesus became sin for us on the cross, entered the deepest and most agonizing depths of hell: separation and torment apart from God His Father.

The Apostle Paul, and Timothy, write:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us;
we beg you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.

He made Him who knew no sin
sin on our behalf,
so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.

(II Corinthians 5:20-21 NASB)

According to God's perfect will, Jesus' sinless feet were marred by nails, marred by sin, and marred by the flames of hell, all for us. But He emerged from that hell victorious, and now He has "the keys of death and of Hades" (Revelation 1:18)!

Jesus' feet were tested in the fire and proven to be pure bronze. They were purified and refined, not because He had sinned, but because He took our sins upon Himself. Having paid the entire debt, His feet now glow gloriously. He who suffered the agony of those flames in our place today commands us to repent and obey Him as our sovereign, glorious Lord.

If He wills, we will continue this series in the near future.

------

Browse this series: PART 1

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Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)
unless otherwise noted.
All boldface emphases are mine.
Added (italicized) words in the original NASB text have been omitted, or [bracketed].
Some punctuation and capitalization has been altered from the original NASB/ESV text.

Jesus Is Strong: Part 1

Jesus is coming quickly. He will return soon.

What reaction do you have to those statements?

I ask because today, especially in Western culture, many think that Jesus is a perpetually peaceful, gentle, meek, smiling man. We fancy that He never frowns, always speaks softly, and is a dedicated pacifist. Although God raised Him from the dead, we think Jesus is still gentle and meek and mild today, and that He always will be.

We who think of Jesus merely in these terms are wrong.

The Apostle Paul rebuked the church at Corinth for failing to respect Jesus' authority demonstrated through the Apostle Paul:

I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare, since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.

For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God.

For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God toward you.

(2 Corinthians 13:2-4)

It is definitely important to realize that Jesus died for us, and that at one time He refused to show His strength so that He could save us.

But it is also important, I think even more important, to realize and believe that He did not remain dead, and that today He is revealed to us as incomparably strong.

We believers should know that our Savior is not just the Lamb who gave His life for us; He is also the Lion. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

His coming again should strike deathly fear into the hearts of unbelievers and motivate those of us who believe in Him to live pure lives in submission before Him.

If we look in the book of Revelation, we can see Jesus as He is today, and as He will be in the near future. This book was written by a man named John, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1).

Look with me at how John describes Jesus:

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, The Faithful Witness, The Firstborn of the Dead, and The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth.

To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood — and He has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him, the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.

So it is to be. Amen.

“I am The Alpha and The Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who Is and Who Was and Who Is to Come, The Almighty.”

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like of a trumpet, saying,

“Write in a book what you see, and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me.

And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.

His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

His feet, like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice, like the sound of many waters.

In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.

And He placed His right hand on me, saying,

“Do not be afraid; I am The First and The Last, and The Living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

"Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

"As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."

(Revelation 1:4-20)

This is hardly the meek and humble Jesus we are accustomed to hearing about.

No, this Jesus has eyes, "like a flame of fire" and "feet, like burnished bronze." His voice is "like the sound of many waters," and "out of His mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword." His face is "like the sun shining in its strength."

And His authority is immense. He holds authority over the angels of His churches, and over the churches themselves. He is "The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth." Not only that, but He has "the keys of death and of Hades."

Jesus is "The Living One." Jesus is "The Alpha and The Omega." Jesus is "The Almighty."

"To Him, the glory and the dominion forever and ever!"

Yes, it is this mighty Jesus who is "coming with the clouds." Even the ones who pierced Him will see Him, and "all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him." When Jesus returns, all will see Him, not in weakness and humility, but in glorious power and authority.

John saw Jesus, and he "fell at His feet like a dead man."

But this passage also shows us Jesus' love and mercy. Although He is The Almighty, He also knows how to keep His power under control. Here, He comforted John, placing His right hand on him. Then He let John know that he had a job to do: To write the Revelation of Jesus Christ so that we, His bond-servants, would receive and heed the testimony (Rev. 1:1-3).

As we close, notice again John's words at the beginning of this passage: "Grace to you and peace" — to whom? Not to unbelievers, but to believers — "to the seven churches that are in Asia." For those who are not in Christ, who have not been "released from" their "sins by His blood," there is no grace, nor peace, but only judgment and wrath.

Again, the fact that Jesus will return should strike deathly fear into the hearts of unbelievers and motivate those of us who believe in Him to live pure lives in submission before Him.

If the Lord Jesus wills, we will continue this series in the near future.

------

Browse this series: PART 2

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Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
All boldface emphases are mine.
Added (italicized) words in the original NASB text have been omitted.
Some punctuation and capitalization has been altered from the original NASB text.

Jesus suffered

Sometimes I wish I could skip over the parts of life that are difficult, painful, or dull. Perhaps you've felt, or feel, the same way. If so, I pray that the following Scriptures will encourage you.

(If you don't believe that Jesus is the Lord, the Christ, and the Son of God, please read this post instead to learn about Him.)

Hebrews 5:7-10

In the days of His flesh,
Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,
with loud cries and tears,
to Him who was able to save Him from death,
and He was heard because of His reverence.

Although He was a Son,
He learned obedience through what He suffered.

And being made perfect,
He became the source of eternal salvation
to all who obey Him,
being designated by God a High Priest
after the order of Melchizedek.

If there was anyone who deserved to skip over the difficult parts of living on this earth, it was the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ. He, as the Scripture above points out, "was a Son" (verse 8) - in fact, He was God's Son (verse 5). But, He had to learn "obedience through what He suffered" - and so must we. Jesus suffered for us, not just on the cross, but in each aspect of His earthly life leading up to that ultimate act of sacrifice and humiliation.

Here is one example:

Luke 22:39-46

And He came out and went, as was His custom,
to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him.

And when He came to the place,
He said to them,
"Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

And He withdrew from them
about a stone's throw,
and knelt down and prayed, saying,

"Father, if You are willing,
remove this cup from Me.
Nevertheless, not My will,
but Yours, be done."

And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven,
strengthening Him.

And being in an agony
He prayed more earnestly;
and His sweat became
like great drops of blood
falling down to the ground.

And when He rose from prayer,
He came to the disciples
and found them sleeping for sorrow,
and He said to them,
"Why are you sleeping?
Rise and pray
that you may not enter into temptation."

Living in this highly scientific and skeptical age, one is tempted to discount the idea that Jesus' "sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (verse 44). However, I do not take these words lightly, since the author of this book, Luke, was a well-educated physician and would not have included this detail in his account of Jesus' life if he had not considered it plausible. (An article more fully describing this phenomenon can be found here.)

But to get back to the main point, this passage demonstrates Jesus' intense suffering even before the cross. He knew what was going to happen to Him: On the cross, He would bear the sins of the world. My sins and yours would be put upon His back, and He would drink the last drop from the "cup" of God's wrath against sinners.

When considering what Jesus endured for me, I cannot help but ask two questions:

• Why did He do it?
• What should I do in response, or return?

The answer to the first question is difficult for me to understand, since I know that I did not deserve it. I believe that the answer has to do with Jesus' love for us and His obedience to His Father. At this point, I don't know how to explain that.

But, my response to that is to thank Him. Not only with words, but with a changed lifestyle. I cannot continue to live in the sins that Jesus died for. Instead, I choose to honor Him as best I can.

The Apostle Paul writes to believers:

But whatever gain I had,
I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Indeed, I count everything as loss
because of the surpassing worth
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things
and count them as rubbish,
in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him,

not having a righteousness of my own
that comes from the law,
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God
that depends on faith—

that I may know Him
and the power of His resurrection,
and may share His sufferings,
becoming like Him in his death,
that by any means possible
I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me His own.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
But one thing I do:

forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let those of us who are mature think this way,
and if in anything you think otherwise,
God will reveal that also to you.
Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Brothers, join in imitating me,
and keep your eyes on those
who walk according to the example you have in us.

For many, of whom I have often told you
and now tell you even with tears,
walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly,
and they glory in their shame,
with minds set on earthly things.

But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body
to be like His glorious body,
by the power that enables Him
even to subject all things to Himself.

Therefore, my brothers,
whom I love and long for,
my joy and crown,
stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women,
who have labored side by side with me in the gospel
together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers,
whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say, Rejoice.
Let your reasonableness
be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand;
do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.

What you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me—
practice these things,
and the God of peace will be with you.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length
you have revived your concern for me.
You were indeed concerned for me,
but you had no opportunity.

Not that I am speaking of being in need,
for I have learned in whatever situation I am
to be content.

I know how to be brought low,
and I know how to abound.
In any and every circumstance,
I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need.
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

(Philippians 3:7-4:13)

There are a number of applications here for us. Consider which portions of the Apostle's exhortation apply to you.

I personally resonate with the command, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." As we struggle through life's difficulties, we must keep our minds "on things above" (Colossians 3).

The Apostle Paul writes, "Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us."

And as we strive to be more like Jesus Christ by imitating those, like the Apostle Paul, who are more spiritually mature than we are, we must remember where we are going: We will be with Jesus, with glorified bodies like His, one day!

"But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body
to be like His glorious body,
by the power that enables Him
even to subject all things to Himself.

Therefore, my brothers,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved."

With these things in mind, we can return to Hebrews:

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
for whoever has entered God's rest
has also rested from his works as God did from His.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest,
so that no one may fall
by the same sort of disobedience.

For the Word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow,
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And no creature is hidden from His sight,
but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him
to Whom we must give account.

Since then we have a great High Priest
who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses,
but One who in every respect
has been tempted as we are,
yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence
draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4:9-16)

When we fail to live up to a lifestyle that perfectly honors God and His Son, we must remember that Jesus, our High Priest, endured the wrath of God against our sins for us. Let's endure our daily struggles by relying on Him and looking to Him.

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Scripture references from English Standard Version
Pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ capitalized

The Son of Man

I recently received an excellent question from a friend, which went something like this:

How do you feel about the Transcendentalist interpretation of Jesus? That he was just a man. An exceptional, one-of-a-kind man who illustrated the "internal infinitude" of us all, and the potential thereby to actualize great deeds on behalf of the community and humanity.

My short answer is that this interpretation falls short of grasping the true uniqueness and glory of Jesus. It gives Him far less credit than He deserves and is a very dangerous position to hold, because it fails to grasp Jesus' authority over every single person (including you and me!), which God gave only to Him.

A few Scriptures giving a more accurate view of Jesus, and my notes on those passages, follow.

Mark 14:60-65

And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus,
"Have You no answer to make?
What is it that these men testify against You?"

But He remained silent and made no answer.

Again the high priest asked Him,
"Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

And Jesus said,
"I am, and you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of Power,
and coming with the clouds of heaven."

And the high priest tore his garments and said,
"What further witnesses do we need?
You have heard His blasphemy.
What is your decision?"

And they all condemned Him as deserving death.

And some began to spit on Him
and to cover His face and to strike Him,
saying to Him, "Prophesy!"
And the guards received Him with blows.

Here is Jesus, being questioned by the high priest of the Jews.

When questioned about His identity, Jesus acknowledges in no uncertain terms that He "is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed." To acknowledge that He is God's Son is enough for those standing by to condemn Him "as deserving death."

However, Jesus goes further than that. Jesus proclaims that the high priest "will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

Jesus does not just confirm His identity as the Son of God, He also states that the high priest will see Him again. At that time, "the Son of Man" will be "seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

How can Jesus say this, knowing that He is about to die? Is He confused or thinking wishfully? Is He talking in parables or spiritual terms that are not to be understood naturally? Is He referring to someone else when He talks about "the Son of Man?"

No, Jesus knows exactly what He is saying. Not only is He the Son of God, He is also the Son of Man. That puts Him in a unique category, which can be understood more clearly through the following passage.

John 5:19-29

So Jesus said to them,

"Truly, truly, I say to you,
the Son can do nothing of His own accord,
but only what He sees the Father doing.

For whatever the Father does,
that the Son does likewise.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows Him all that He Himself is doing.
And greater works than these will He show Him,
so that you may marvel.
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
so also the Son gives life to whom He will.

The Father judges no one,
but has given all judgment to the Son,
that all may honor the Son,
just as they honor the Father.

Whoever does not honor the Son
does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Truly, truly, I say to you,
whoever hears My word
and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life.
He does not come into judgment,
but has passed from death to life.

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming,
and is now here,
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.

For as the Father has life in Himself,
so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.

And He has given him authority to execute judgment,
because He is the Son of Man.

Do not marvel at this,
for an hour is coming
when all who are in the tombs
will hear His voice and come out,
those who have done good
to the resurrection of life,
and those who have done evil
to the resurrection of judgment."

Here is Jesus speaking to a group of Jews who in fact want to kill Him for healing a man on the Sabbath, and also for calling God His Father. Jesus reveals more about His unique position as the Son of God and as the Son of Man.

As the Son of God, Jesus has life in Himself and gives life to the dead. That alone is unique. Nobody else can claim to give life to the dead, nor can they. Jesus says that "an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out." This would be quite an intense claim for Jesus to make if he were merely human, but quite natural if He is in fact the Son of God, as Jesus continually claims in this passage.

But Jesus' authority extends far beyond that. Not only can He, the Son of God, give life to whom He will, but God "has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man." In other words, God gave Jesus the authority to judge all human beings because Jesus is Himself a man. God the Father is not a man. Although it is God's right to judge us, He delegated that right to His Son because He is the Son of Man.

Why? Jesus answers: "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."

This is a question of honor, respect, and recognition! Most people recognize that God ought to receive honor, but what of His Son? Out of His great love, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to save us from the wrath we deserved and create a way for us to be called children of God! Are we just going to ignore God and His Son after all that?

Jesus says: "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father."

Jesus is the only One with the authority to execute judgment upon me, you, and everyone we know. Not even God Himself will execute judgment - He's delegated that right to Jesus!

Perhaps, after considering these things, we may think we still have nothing to be concerned about. After all, Jesus said this: "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." If we're among those "who have done good," we have nothing to fear.

But how are we counted as having done good? Is it based on moral self-improvement, treating people decently, religious rites, or anything we can muster up of our own strength?

No, it is not. The only ones who have done good in God's eyes are those who believe God's testimony about His Son. Remember, Jesus is the judge. It is not a comparison game; it comes down to one sovereign decision.

Actually, the Lord Jesus sent a man named Paul to testify to these facts:

Romans 3:23-26

For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God,

and are justified by His grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood,
to be received by faith.

This was to show God's righteousness,
because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.

It was to show His righteousness at the present time,
so that he might be just
and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God purposefully created one way for sinners like us to be justified. He put Jesus "forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith."

What does this mean? By becoming a propitiation for our sins, Jesus turned away God's wrath from those who deserve it - us - by absorbing it into Himself. Although, in our pride, we may tend to think pretty highly of ourselves, this passage is clear: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

We are justified before God not based on our goodness - since we have none to speak of before God - but by God's "grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." We must receive Christ Jesus by faith. It is the only way.

To return to Jesus' own words:

"Truly, truly, I say to you,
whoever hears My word
and believes Him who sent Me
has eternal life.
He does not come into judgment,
but has passed from death to life."

If we don't place our faith in Christ Jesus, the Lord Jesus will judge us, and we will be found guilty. But if we hear Jesus' words and believe God, who sent Him, Jesus will rescue us from judgment, and God will justify us.

Only in that way can we be saved from the coming wrath of the Lord Jesus! Remember, once resurrected, we, like that high priest, "will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

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Scripture references from English Standard Version
Pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ capitalized