Believers suffer (Discipleship part 3)

Dear believers,

Recently I have experienced a measure of suffering in my life, which has caused me to consider how I should respond to that suffering.

Some teach that all suffering is evil and there is no reason for a believer in Jesus to suffer.  If we suffer, they say, we must be doing something wrong.  Probably there is sin in our lives that we are being punished for, or maybe we don't pray enough, they say.  If we just have faith, we should never suffer, they assert.

But, is this a Biblical view of suffering in the life of a believer?  I don't think it is.

A few days ago, the Lord graciously led me to make a discovery with respect to suffering, simply by studying the different ways that one Greek word in the New Testament was translated.

It turns out that the Greek word translated "witness" is the same word translated elsewhere in the New Testament as "martyr."  The King James Version translates this word as "witness" 29 times, as "martyr" 3 times, and as "record" twice.

However, modern translations such as the New King James Version translate those two occurrences of "record" as "witness" (my guess is that "record" is an archaic way of referring to a specific type of witness).  So we end up with 31 occurrences of "witness" and only 3 occurrences of "martyr."

So, there is no difference between the Greek word used to mean "witness," which is generally defined as someone who sees an event take place (for example, Jesus' resurrection), and the word used to mean "martyr," which means someone who is killed for his or her beliefs (for example, that Jesus Christ is Lord and the Son of God).  "Witness" and "martyr" are the same word in Greek.

What is the significance of this discovery?

Let's look at the three occurrences where the word is translated "martyr" and try to find out.

If you like, you can also go here to view the page I was looking at for this study.

Here are the three passages, from the New King James Version:

And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.  (Acts 22:20 NKJV)

I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne [is]. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas [was] My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.  (Rev. 2:13 NKJV)

I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.  (Rev. 17:6 NKJV)

In the first passage, the Apostle Paul is praying to Jesus.  He is acknowledging that he consented to Stephen's death and that he guarded the clothes of those who stoned him to death.
Now, Stephen was a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, described as being "full of the Holy Spirit" even just prior to being murdered (see Acts 7).

Stephen's faithfulness to Jesus was evidenced by the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ opened Stephen's view into heaven and allowed Stephen to see Him just before he was murdered!

Even while being violently stoned, Stephen prayed to Jesus, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Therefore, Stephen was not suffering for anything spiritually amiss in his life.  On the contrary, he was a faithful and honored follower of Jesus, one who was privileged to see His Lord before he departed this earth.  That is an awesome honor indeed.

In the next passage (Rev. 2:13 NKJV), the Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke, after His resurrection, to one of His churches.  Here it is again:

I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne [is]. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas [was] My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.  (Rev. 2:13 NKJV)

Here, Jesus called a man named Antipas "My faithful martyr" and acknowledged that he was killed among them, where Satan dwelt.  In this time of great persecution, the Lord Jesus Christ commended these believers for holding fast to Jesus' name and their refusal to deny His faith.

Antipas was called Jesus' "faithful martyr" and was killed in a place where Satan dwelt.  If believers are not to suffer, how is it that the Lord Jesus would refer to Antipas as being faithful even in his death?

The third passage (Rev. 17:6 NKJV) is from the perspective of John (I believe he is the Apostle John who wrote the other books named after John).  Here it is again:

I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.  (Rev. 17:6 NKJV)

This passage refers to a woman, who is identified in the following passages:

"So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast [which was] full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.  And on her forehead a name [was] written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Rev. 17:3-5 NKJV)

"And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth." (Rev. 17:18 NKJV)

This woman, then, is described as being "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (from Rev. 17:6 NKJV).  It is clear then, that this woman, this city which reigns over the kings of the earth, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth, was in a very strong way connected to the deaths, the murders, of believers in Jesus.

What I get from all of this is primarily one thought.  That is:

Not only do believers suffer, but suffering could be considered the expected, or normal, state for a believer.

Unlike the Apostles and early believers, we did not technically witness the risen Christ.  But we are witnesses in the sense of being able to testify to the name of Jesus.  We can tell and show others what He has done for us.  We can acknowledge His presence in us and seek to do the things that honor His name.

And so, if we want to be witnesses for Jesus, we can expect to suffer with Him.  Given the examples we have seen in Antipas and Stephen, it should not surprise us if we suffer.  The more faithful we are to the name of Jesus, the more we should expect to suffer.  Stephen and Antipas were highly commended by the Lord Jesus, and they were killed.  They proved their faithfulness because they were willing to die for Jesus.

So when we suffer for His name, how do we respond?  Are we angry?  Fearful?  Resentful?  Do we feel that we have done something wrong when we suffer?  Rather than being upset, we should rejoice.  Our suffering, if it is for the name of Jesus, is something to be proud of!

What if we rarely, or never, suffer for Jesus' name?  It might be because we are afraid to speak up for the name of Jesus.  If that is so, we should repent.  We should pray and ask for the strength and grace and wisdom to be bolder witnesses to the glory of our Savior.

Look at the words of Jesus Himself.

Then He said to [them] all,

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His [own] glory, and [in His] Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

(Luke 9:23-27 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul wrote:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Not only [that], but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for [it] with perseverance.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit [is], because He makes intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to be] conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? [It is] God who justifies.

Who [is] he who condemns? [It is] Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [Shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:16-39 NKJV)

And finally, it is written:

And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten [them], they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

(Acts 5:40-42 NKJV)

 

Lord Jesus, help we who believe in You and trust in Your Name to be bold witnesses and even, if You will, martyrs for Your Name.  Amen.

Abide in Jesus (Discipleship part 2)

2012 began not long ago, and many of us are thinking of and committing to resolutions for the next year. Generally, these are things we would like to improve on, things that we would like to accomplish. Or, to put them in Biblical terms, we could call them 'good works.'

However, I would like to suggest that for we who believe in Jesus, the most important thing is not to do works for our Lord, but that we maintain fellowship with Him. Our fellowship -- our sharing in common -- is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (See a previous post on this topic here.)

I'm not saying that we should not be busy and actively engaging in ministry and other works. Jesus Himself was very active, especially during His years of major ministry. However, there's a distinction between frantic workaholism and calm, trusting, peaceful, properly balanced work, done in obedience to the Lord.

I think the following short passage gives a good illustration of the difference.

Luke 10:38-42

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

While Martha was indeed doing a good thing by serving Jesus, she neglected the more important thing, which was to simply sit at Jesus' feet and hear His word. Martha became so 'distracted', 'worried', and 'troubled' that she actually questioned Jesus' intentions and tried to tell Him what to do. Her desire to serve was not necessarily wrong, but she, in these moments, allowed her work to become more important than her Lord.

Jesus reminded her, though, that "one thing is needed," not the many things that Martha was occupied with. Mary, having "chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" chose the wisest option.

Likewise, we today should remember that 'doing things for the Lord' is not as important as 'sitting at Jesus' feet and hearing His Word.'

On another occasion, Jesus spoke these chilling words:

Mattthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ "

Notice that these people's works were not as important as their relationship with Jesus. These people used the name of Jesus to do many great things, but Jesus never knew them. Despite their ostensibly 'wonderful' works done in His name, Jesus called their works 'lawlessness'!

Our works, no matter how great, can't qualify us for the kingdom of God and Christ. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away our sins. God's righteousness is freely given to those who have faith in Jesus. Jesus alone earned our righteousness, and it would be an insult to Jesus and His Father to reject the Son of God's completed work.

As the Apostle Paul wrote so clearly,

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

(Romans 3:21-26)

God justifies those who have faith in Jesus. The blood of Christ Jesus is sufficient in God's sight for God to justify us, as long as we simply believe.

Now, shortly before He was arrested and led away to be crucified for our sins, Jesus fellowshipped with His disciples and had a personal, intimate conversation with them. The Apostle John recorded many of His words. Many of the things He said here apply to us.

John 14:19-28

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I [am] in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

He who has My Commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the Word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming [back] to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I."

This has been a calming and encouraging Scripture to me. Jesus gives us His peace. He has given us His Spirit. He tells us, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." He tells us that He loves us, and not only He, but His Father loves us as well. He tells us that we must keep His commandment, His Word. If we keep Jesus' Word, we are keeping the Father's Word as well.

And later, He continues on to describe our relationship with Him:

John 15:1-17

"I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every [branch] that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw [them] into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and [that] your joy may be full.

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another."

God wants us to do good things in Jesus' name. That is what it means to 'bear fruit'. But the truth is that we cannot do this apart from Jesus. Branches alone are good for nothing but firewood. To bear fruit, they must be connected to the vine that they are a part of. Without Him, we can do nothing.

Only by sharing in the nourishment that flows forth from being in Jesus' presence and humbly listening to His word that we can bear fruit that He is pleased with. Otherwise, our works will be considered as 'lawlessness' by the Lord.

It is interesting that Jesus uses the symbolism of a vine to represent Himself, and we as the branches. Well, I have heard many believers use the term 'seasons of life' to describe the different phases of life we go through. I'm no farmer, but I do know that there are times of the year when fruit is planted, times when it grows, and times when it becomes ripe and is ready to be plucked and enjoyed.

If we consider this in terms of our relationship with Jesus, we should realize that every part of life is not meant to be the same. Some parts are for 'planting'... others are for 'growing'... and during others, we may be rapidly producing large quantities of fruit. But there is no such thing as us producing fruit apart from Jesus. There is no 'season' in which the branch needs not abide in the vine.

If we don't abide in Jesus, 'we can do nothing'. Therefore, let us obey Him. Let us sit at His feet. Let us hear and obey His Word. Let us trust Him for our salvation and our daily needs. And let us praise Him when we are able to bear fruit that glorifies His Name.


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All boldface emphases are mine.
Scripture references are from the New King James Version (NKJV).
Italicized words in the NKJV have been [bracketed] or omitted.
Some punctuation and Capitalization may have been altered from the NKJV text.
The NKJV, and many other translations, are freely available at http://www.biblegateway.com/

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 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.

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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.

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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 Is Our Peace with God: Conclusion

JESUS Is Our Peace with God

Conclusion

We have finally come to the place from which we started. We have examined our natural state before God, who His Son is and what He did for us, and the importance of believing in the name of Jesus. If we believe in Him, we know that we will be raised with Him (2 Corinthians 4:14).

However, before concluding this series, I'd like to discuss one last point. One thing that continually amazes me is the relationship of Gentile (non-Jewish) believers to God through Jesus Christ. As a Gentile believer myself, I find this topic to be quite staggering.

In the letter to the Ephesians, after explaining that we who believe in Jesus are saved by the grace of God and that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, the Apostle Paul addresses Gentile believers specifically:

Ephesians 2:11-12

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,
called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision,
which is made in the flesh by hands —

remember that you were at that time separated from Christ,
alienated from the commonwealth of Israel
and strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.

Jews, God’s chosen people, were given the Jewish Law by God. Circumcision showed that they belonged to Him and were entitled to the benefits under His covenant with them.

However, Gentiles like myself had no such connections to God. We had no Law and no hope. We were “separated from Christ ... strangers to the covenants of promise [found in the Jewish Law], having no hope and without God in the world”.

But something happened to allow us Gentiles, who didn't know God, to have access to Him.

Ephesians 2:13-18

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For He himself is our peace,
Who has made us both one
and has broken down in His flesh
the dividing wall of hostility
by abolishing the Law
of commandments and ordinances,
that He might create in Himself one new man
in place of the two,
so making peace,
and might reconcile us both to God
in one body through the cross,
thereby killing the hostility.

And He came and preached
peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near.

For through Him we both have access
in one Spirit to the Father.

Now that Christ Jesus has accomplished the work of "abolishing the Law of commandments and ordinances," only those who trust Jesus will have peace with God. Jesus is the only one who perfectly obeyed and fulfilled the Law to God's satisfaction. Again, a Jew's obedience to the Law cannot save him or her; otherwise, God would not have sent Christ to save us all.

Even before He obeyed His Father by going to the cross to die, Jesus spoke to the Jews who wanted to kill Him after He had healed a man on the Sabbath:

The Jews therefore marveled, saying,
"How is it that this man has learning,
when He has never studied?"

So Jesus answered them,
"My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

If anyone’s will is to do God’s will,
he will know whether the teaching is from God
or whether I am speaking on My own authority.

The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory;
but the One who seeks the glory of Him who sent Him is true,
and in Him there is no falsehood.

Has not Moses given you the Law?
Yet none of you keeps the Law.
Why do you seek to kill Me?"

The crowd answered,
"You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill You?"

Jesus answered them,
"I did one work, and you all marvel at it.
Moses gave you circumcision
(not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers),
and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.

If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision,
so that the Law of Moses may not be broken,
are you angry with me because on the Sabbath
I made a man’s whole body well?

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

(John 7:15-24)

While these Jews were angry that Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath, ostensibly breaking God's Law, Jesus argued that He was perfectly in line with God's will and that the Jews themselves did not keep the Law. I think these Jews had lost sight of the fact that obedience to God has more to do with the heart than it does with outward appearances.

We cannot be saved by observing the Sabbath, or by offering animal sacrifices, but only by trusting the One who became our ultimate sacrifice and who is also Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8).

The writer to the Hebrews argues powerfully for the superiority of Jesus over obedience to the Law as a means of earning or receiving peace with God.

Hebrews 10:1-14

For since the Law has but a shadow of the good things to come
instead of the true form of these realities,
it can never, by the same sacrifices
that are continually offered every year,
make perfect those who draw near.

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered,
since the worshipers, having once been cleansed,
would no longer have any consciousness of sin?

But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year.

For it is impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said,
"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have You prepared for Me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
You have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.' "

When he said above,
"You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in
sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings"
(these are offered according to the Law),
then He added, "Behold, I have come to do Your will."

He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.

And by that will we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands daily at his service,
offering repeatedly the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins.

But when Christ had offered for all time
a single sacrifice for sins,

He sat down at the right hand of God,
waiting from that time
until His enemies should be made
a footstool for His feet.

For by a single offering
He has perfected for all time
those who are being sanctified.

Jesus was not born to offer animal sacrifices. He was born to offer Himself, in a life of perfect obedience to God and a sacrificial death to atone for the transgressions of both Jewish sinners and Gentile sinners. And Jesus' offering for sins was completely sufficient. It was superior to all animal sacrifices, since, unlike those offerings, Jesus' offering actually took away our sins, and only needed to be done once. His offering truly pleased God.

After His offering of His own body and blood was complete, "Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet." Jesus Christ reigns today as Lord of all, Jew and Gentile alike.

The Apostle Peter, having been convinced by the Lord Jesus that God's grace had indeed extended to those outside of Israel, preached the following message to a group of Gentiles.

So Peter opened his mouth and said:

"Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
but in every nation anyone who fears Him
and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

As for the word that He sent to Israel,
preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ
(He is Lord of all),

you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea,
beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power.

He went about doing good and healing all
who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with Him.

And we are witnesses of all that He did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
but God raised Him on the third day
and made Him to appear,

not to all the people
but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses,
who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

And He commanded us to preach to the people
and to testify that He is the One appointed by God
to be Judge of the living and the dead.

To Him all the prophets bear witness
that everyone who believes in Him
receives forgiveness of sins through His name."

While Peter was still saying these things,
the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

And the believers from among the circumcised
who had come with Peter were amazed,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit
was poured out even on the Gentiles.

For they were hearing them
speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter declared,
"Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

And he commanded them to be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked him to remain for some days.

(Acts 10:34-48)

The Lord Jesus Christ validated His sovereign decision that the Gentiles should be added to His body in a visible, audible manner. He poured out His Spirit on these new Gentile believers, and they began "speaking in tongues and extolling God."

This "amazed" the "believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter" - that is, the Jewish believers who had come with the Apostle Peter. They witnessed firsthand the amazing grace of the Lord Jesus in saving Gentiles through the simplicity of the Gospel.

The Apostle Peter did not preach about the Jewish Law to these Gentiles; he merely told them the good news about Jesus Christ. These believers, having been baptized with the Holy Spirit, were subsequently baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ.

Let's return to Ephesians to conclude this series.

Here, the Apostle Paul continues to address Gentile believers.

Ephesians 2:17-22

And He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near.

For through Him we both have access
in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,
but you are fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,
in Whom the whole structure,
being joined together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

In Him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

We who trust Jesus for our salvation, whether we are Jew or Gentile, are truly blessed!

• We have His Holy Spirit indwelling us.
• We have access to the Father in that one Spirit.
• We are continually being “built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
• We are a part of God’s glorious redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ.
• We have peace with God.

But none of this is because of something we did that impressed God.

Notice that Christ Jesus Himself is "the cornerstone" - that is, the most important stone in the entire building, the one without which the building could not and would not exist.

That building is the church, composed of God's adopted children. Not a physical brick-and-mortar building, nor a church organization or denomination, nor a political party, but "those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours" (1 Corinthians 1:2 b).

• Only in Jesus are we “joined together” and grow “into a holy temple in the Lord.”
• Only in Jesus are we “being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
• Only in Jesus do we have peace with God.

Jesus is our peace.

Glory to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, our Peace with God.

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All emphases are mine.
All Bible quotes are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
All pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ are Capitalized.

For the previous part of this series, go here.
This is the last part of this series!
To go to the beginning of this series, go here.

JESUS Is Our Peace with God: Part VII

Life in Christ Jesus, our Peace

So what are believers in Jesus supposed to do, anyway?

Well, trusting Jesus is more than a one-time decision. It is a change in lifestyle. Some believers call it a "walk," while others call it "living right" or "living holy" or "living saved."

Although I am no expert on this new lifestyle, I would like to offer some Scriptures and some of my thoughts here to help fellow believers, and perhaps clear up some misconceptions about our life in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

We're not saved just to gloat about being saved, nor so that we can be free to sin without guilt. We are to “become the righteousness of God.”

This is not to be confused with earning our own salvation through good works; instead, because we are legally declared righteous before God, we are called to act righteous in our daily lives. One preacher said that we are to "become what we are" in Christ; that is, we should live in a righteous way because God considers us righteous in Christ.

Writing to believers, the Apostle John reminds us of what God has already done and what we are waiting for:

1 John 3:1-3

See what kind of love the Father has given to us,
that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Beloved, we are God’s children now,
and what we will be has not yet appeared;
but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him as He is.

And everyone who thus hopes in Him
purifies himself as He is pure.

This is a wonderful Scripture about why we should live in a new way. We didn't earn our peace with God or eternal life; Jesus purchased them for us. And in what His Son did for us, God showed His love for us.

Notice that God has loved us in this wonderful way: He made us His children through what Jesus did for us. And we are waiting for Jesus to return. We are waiting to "see Him as He is."

On that day, we will be changed. Writing to believers, the Apostle Paul writes below about the resurrection of the dead:

1 Corinthians 15:42-49

So is it with the resurrection of the dead.
What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

Thus it is written,
"The first man Adam became a living being;
the last Adam became a life-giving spirit."
But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural,
and then the spiritual.

The first man was from the earth, a man of dust;
the second man is from heaven.
As was the man of dust,
so also are those who are of the dust,
and as is the man of heaven,
so also are those who are of heaven.
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Here, the Apostle Paul lets us know that, someday, we who believe will "bear the image" of Jesus! We'll have resurrection bodies that will be imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. Then, the Apostle Paul gets more specific about when this will happen:

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

I tell you this, brothers:
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Behold! I tell you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed,
in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we shall be changed.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal body must put on immortality.

When the perishable puts on the imperishable,
and the mortal puts on immortality,
then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory."

"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers,
be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

When Jesus returns, believers will inherit our spiritual resurrection bodies. These bodies will be imperishable, like the body of Jesus. If we have died, we will be resurrected. If we are alive, we will be changed. God decided that those who believe in Jesus will be with Him, have immortal, imperishable bodies, and claim victory over death forever. Jesus purchased these gifts for us through His perfect life of obedience, His death on the cross, and His resurrection.

All of this was done by God's grace; we did not earn it. But, since God did this for us, we also have a responsibility to uphold: that is, an obedient lifestyle to our Owner and Master, Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing;
it is the gift of God,
not a result of works,
so that no one may boast.

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

Again, we've done nothing to earn salvation. We've already seen throughout this series that religion, self-effort, moral goodness, or any such things cannot earn us peace with God. Jesus is our only hope to have eternal life and the assurance of an eternity of peace with God and His Son.

While this is all true, the passage above from Ephesians makes clear that we are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

As far as I understand, the term "good works" refers to things that believers do to benefit others, primarily others who are also saved. It refers to a lifestyle, not just a few scattered acts. Depending on who we are and what situations we find ourselves in, the specific good works will differ from believer to believer, but they share several things in common:

• We can't be saved by doing good works, but since we are saved, we are actually equipped by God to do them as we live this new life.
  
• The passage states that we are the workmanship of God. Therefore, God, working through Jesus, is really doing the work. The credit for our good works does not go to us; all glory goes to God through Jesus Christ.
• God is the One who prepared our good works for us, so we don't need to worry about whether we're capable of living up to God's standards for good works. If He moves us to do them, He also equips us to handle them.
  

Through our good-working, we should remember why we are able to do these good works, and Who we are doing them for. The Apostle Peter writes the following:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action,
and being sober-minded,

set your hope fully on the grace
that will be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children,
do not be conformed to the passions
of your former ignorance,

but as He who called you is holy,
you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

And if you call on Him as Father
Who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds,
conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
knowing that you were ransomed
from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers,
not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

but with the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world
but was made manifest in the last times for your sake,
who through Him are believers in God,
Who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.

(1 Peter 1:13-21)

We believe in Jesus; therefore, we believe in God. Let us not lose sight of our Savior as we live to please Him.

One last Scripture before we part for now:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ
has been born of God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves whoever has been born of Him.

By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God and obey His commandments.

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Who is it that overcomes the world
except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1 John 5:1-5)

"The world" refers to the evil environment we live in, which constantly attempts to persuade us to sin. But this Scripture, written by the Apostle John, gives us hope. Through "our faith" in Jesus, you and I are guaranteed to overcome the evil temptations and sinful patterns of the world system. We will prevail, not because we are mighty, but because Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, and the Lord of all, has already overcome the world.

If He wills, we'll conclude this series soon. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you.

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All emphases are mine.
All Bible quotes are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
All pronouns for God and the Lord Jesus Christ are Capitalized.

For the previous part of this series, go here.
For the final part of this series, go here.
To go to the beginning of this series, go here.