Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Having heard all the magnificent stories of the faithful saints down through the ages, the author then turns to us and says, “what about you?” Are you not part of this precious group of faith? And if you are then shall you not lay aside “every weight.” What is this weight? Every burden, every hindrance, everything external that would keep you from your reasonable service to God and your reasonable service to God is everything. Your life is not your own, it was bought with a price. It is no longer you that live but rather it is Christ that lives in you. You are a special person, a called out one, a royal priest. You have a duty that is higher than any other duty, that is to serve the King. This you must pursue no matter the cost.
Internally you have the sin that so easily captures you. It might be your temperament, crucify it. It might be your politics, leave that to the world. It might be the personal bias that you grew up with, kill it by the cross upon your back.You would train night and day if you were an Olympic athlete. While others slept, you would be up before the sun. When others were eating anyway they pleased, you would be following a strict diet. You would not be smoking or drinking and in some cases just prior to your race you would refrain from lying with your spouse.The sacrifices we are willing to make in order to get a gold medal, to get fame and fortune in this world are without limit. Isn’t your calling to God so much higher than any athlete?
Are you not running the race of eternal life for a crown that will not perish? A crown that you will cast down before the Lord’s feet because He deserves all the glory!How can we do all of this brothers and sisters? How can we be sold out to God in our lives? “Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.” His testimony was that for the joy of serving His Father and fulfilling His will, He willingly endured the cross, despising the shame and then sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Are we willing to endure? Are we willing to accept the discipline of the Lord? Jesus shall be our strength, the Holy Spirit shall be our guide. He shall be the lifter of our heads. He shall convict us and He shall give us the strength to follow Him, if it is our heart to follow Him. If it is our heart to run the race. If it is our heart to endure. If it is our heart to overcome. If these are our desires, He shall give them to us.
(Col 1:19-20) For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell; and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the Blood of the Cross.
And it pleased the Father that we should be reconciled to Him by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We who were once enemies of the cross and alienated from God have been reconciled, praise the Living God! We have been presented to the Father, holy and blameless and above reproach by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is where we stand. This is how we stand. This is how the Father sees us. This is indeed, our position and will remains so. Now, I could stop right there and most preachers do. Most teachers do. You will get a thousand amens when you preach this and leave out the word that immediately follows. IF!!!! We all know what the word means. It means “unless,” or “if indeed.” And so we see that Paul tells the sainst’s that this position is conditional.
What are the conditions he states……..1. If indeed you continue in the faith. Meaning? If you continue to trust God and walk with Him. 2. If you continue to be grounded and steadfast. Meaning? Grounded means to consolidate. Consolidate as a verb means to bring together into a single or unified whole and as an adjective it means to solidify, form or coherent. So, to be one in Christ and go in the faith, becoming sons and daughters as opposed to babes in Christ. To continue on to maturity 3. Not moved away from the hope of the Gospel. Meaning? To be heavenly minded, to find joy not only on the mountaintops but also in the depths of the valleys. To be able to rejoice in the midst of your sufferings and trials. To be drawn ever closer to the Lord by your tribulations.
This is pleasing to the Lord. He takes no pleasure in those who draw back. To continue in the faith is oftentimes to endure. To continue in the faith is oftentimes overcoming. To continue in the faith is get down on our knees, with Job, after great loss, and worship the Lord still and cry out “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Will you continue in the faith? Have you continued in the faith? Paul says ” Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Warning and teaching brothers and sisters, they go hand in glove.And Paul has of course done both in this very chapter. For we are handling riches. The pearl of great price. We direct the souls of men towards the heart of God which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is priceless, and we must treat it as such.
(Php 4:6-7) Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
How many times have you read that brothers and sisters? Many years ago, for the better part of many months, the Lord laid this Scripture on my heart. Fear had been such a part of my life since childhood. On the outside it would never seem this way, yet my fears were my secret chains. Fears of death. Fears of life, multiple insecurities about myself and my surroundings. The old Frank drank and did drugs to quiet these noisy perpetually clanging chains. The new Frank who had been born again no longer had the crutches of old to lean upon. And yet, time and time again the words “be anxious nothing,” would rise up to be counted in my soul. This peace of God that surpasses all understanding seemed like some our of reach utopia, yet there it was. Would we be told not to be anxious if it were not possible? My head knew if must be possible if God commanded us not to be anxious, but how to attain such a peace?
After many months of being stuck on this Scripture and bringing it before the Lord, I realized the Lord was showing me that it was sin. To fear was sin. To be anxious was a lack of trust. I realized that I was offending my Lord. It changed everything for me. I didn’t suddenly overnight stop being anxious or walk in a peace that surpassed understanding, but I now had identified the root cause of my problem and so from then on was determined to “work this out,” just as we were told to work out our salvation. It was part of the sanctification process. And a key phrase for me was found in this very same chapter.
“For I have learned, in whatever state, to be content.” (v 11) There was a learning process. If you look back at your lives brothers and sisters, how many times has the Lord been with you and kept you? Hundreds? Thousands? Multiple thousands? Yes, and every-time He has taken us through. All through those times we are learning. Learning what? About His faithfulness. And as we understand and recognize His continual faithfulness, even when so many times we ourselves were not trusting, then we grow in our own faith because of witnessing His. And this produces thanksgiving in our hearts. This thankful heart is a sweet aroma to God and a powerful salve to our many trials.
And the way forward is to take our thoughts captive. This is our work but the tools have been given to us by the Lord. Whatever we focus our minds on, we magnify. Sin is magnified as we continually gaze upon it. Fear is also magnified as we feed it with our thoughts. And so we have been instructed to meditate on these things……..what is true, what is noble, what is just, what is pure, what is lovely. Concentrate on good reports and what is virtuous. Consider all things that are worthy of praise and meditate on them. In this way we are focusing the mind on the goodness of God and rejoicing in that. No matter if we are full or hungry, rich or poor, sick or in health, we rejoice in God whether hungry, poor or sick. And in that rejoicing and coming into His presence, anxiousness flees away like the vacuous shadow that it is.
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
What things were previously gain to Paul? Paul had just laid out his religious qualifications. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. No one among the group he was describing, the Christian ministers from Jerusalem, was more qualified than he was. And yet these qualifications merely led to “the righteousness of the law.” These men who boasted of their qualifications in order to elevate themselves had their mind set on the things of the world. They desired to be elevated in the eyes of men. They boasted. Yet, Paul says that their God was their belly and their glory was actually their shame.
Brothers and sisters, we are either heavenly minded or earthly minded. You cannot be both, its a mind set. Its the seat of your affections. It will determine the words that come out of your mouth and the way that you live your life before the world. Paul is having the same problem in this chapter as he had in 1 Cor 12. There he spoke of the dangers of talking about your spiritual revelations, calling himself a fool, but having been once again compelled to put a certain group of people in their place and call them out. Both in 1 Cor 12 and in this chapter he boasts about first, his infirmities and secondly his losses. For in speaking in this manner, he is humbled and Christ is elevated.
And so what is the key teaching of this chapter three? It is the dichotomy between having a “righteousness,” that comes from the law, and having a righteousness “which is from God by faith.” The first puffs you up. It seeks to elevate you. It causes you to become “enemies of the cross of Christ.” It shall destroy you. It shall cause you to worship worldly things. Your god shall be “your belly, meaning your lifestyle, gains made by merchandising the things of God, thus enriching yourself. You will seek and often attain fame and that fame, in the spiritual realm, is your very shame. The second righteousness , that which is from God by faith enables you “to know Him and the power of His resurrection.”
To know Him intimately it to gain the everlasting life, resurrection life! To have this kind of righteousness causes you to walk in resurrection power, the power of the risen Christ. This righteousness grants you the right, yes that’s right, the right and the privilege to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings. In this way we are conformed to His death, even the death of the cross and to His life, yes even the life of His resurrection. All of this leads to eternal life. Might I suggest you refrain from boasting in anything other than the cross of Christ and your infirmities and loss, that the power of Christ may rest upon you. What kind of righteousness do you have?
Years ago I saw a documentary of a certain part of Africa. For 10 long months it sees no rain. First the mighty river dries up and then it becomes pools.Then the pools slowly shrink until they are nothing more than wet mud-holes. In this particular documentary, it showed a giant crocodile that had taken up residence right in the middle of a mud-hole. Despite its presence, deer and other animals risked their very lives in order to partake in the last of the water. A small number of animals, rather than taking up residence with the crocodile,undertook a long migration in search of water. Yet almost all the animals that were indigenous to this geographic location, refused to go in search of water and died before the rains came. Animals that in normal circumstances would never come within 100 yards of a crocodile, came right up beside him in a desperate attempt to get some satisfaction, from this drying mud-hole.
When God withdraws the rain of His presence from the church we see many strange things. The majority stay where they are and slowly die as they throw their lot in with their former predators.Others, like the deer that panteth for the water-brooks, are driven to make journeys they would otherwise never make. Driven out into the deserts and dry places in their desperate desire to find living waters. The tragedy for many in the “church” today is that they can live a life, devoid of His presence, and not even know that they are dying. Imagine that this ten months without rain is a season or seasons in Christendom. Generation after generation sucking on mud, barely surviving on the moisture that remains in the mud hole. Getting down and dirty in the mud, and being dangerously close to the world as they try to survive in the dry season. To try and operate in this world as a church without the Holy Spirit and the presence of the living God is to be reliant upon a mud-hole. Vestige of some by- gone days where once the river flowed. Talk of past victories but no present life. Living on memories and manna from a bygone age.
As someone who now lives in Kansas, a place that only gets about 33 inches of rain a year, I know how dry the ground can become and how deep that dryness is. At first when it rains the rain merely flows over the top surface. The ground is so hard it does not penetrate. It needs to consistently rain over several days for the ground to become saturated,to be thoroughly penetrated. Flash floods come and go very quickly and when it is gone, it is like it has never rained because it never penetrated. Yet, when it rains consistently over time, the effects are deep and lasting.There is a deep penetrating rain coming for Gods people. He has taken His people into the wilderness, the valley of death, the valley of decision. Because of the intensity of the battle that lies just ahead of us, it was and is necessary for the Lord to take His people into the desert place of testing. They have left the mud-holes of the world and the crocodiles behind. They refused to stay and die in a place of compromise. They have been driven into the desert and there they will find the Church, in a place where it seems impossible for anything to live, never mind thrive. Survival here does not depend upon traditions or past victories or the dusty heritage of religion. No, rather it depends upon the hand of God alone., A place where we once again cry out to the Living God for Him and Him only. Those who truly desire Him will stay in this place of testing. The Remnant of Gods people will prevail for our God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Yes there is an intensity of persecution for Gods people just appearing on the horizon. There are storm clouds gathering even as you read this. There is coming a time such as has never been seen before for Gods people. Yet with huge storm clouds come great rain falls. God will pour out His Spirit in a such a way that His children will stand in the pouring saturating rain of His presence. And despite the intense persecution and all out war that the old serpent will wage on us, we will rejoice and glorify and lift our hands on high. We will praise God for the rain that falls. The persecution will seem light in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that is to be experienced in His presence. God will inhabit the praises of His people who worship Him with their whole hearts. Gods people will only care that His presence is with them. As long as He goes before them, they will follow. They will follow Him right into the valley of the shadow of death. For they know that He will lead them to the pure waters of life.They will allow nothing to separate them from their God. Stay the course brothers and sisters, the rain is coming, and then comes the King.
Php 2:12b … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Oh the trouble this little portion of Scripture has caused! The word “work,” tends to have caused the most trouble. Of course its not the word work but rather the phrase “work out.” Which simply means to finish. When you were born again by the grace of God through faith, and not of works, lest any man should boast, a work was begun in you. Begun mind you. Something had been initiated, and that something was new life. God gave you something that He had promised, just like when God gave the promised land to the Israelites. And just as they had to possess the land then you too must possess that which was given to you. There remains the battle between the flesh and the spirit, actually its a war.
Will you fight the good fight? Will you resist the devil? Will you humble yourself? Will you forgive? Will you love your enemies? Will you draw near to God? Will you turn the other cheek? Will you refuse to seek revenge? Obedience versus disobedience. That is your work and God will not do it for you. No one can do it for you. And for those who have encountered God, you know that the greatest love story ever told was unleashed into your very being. Imagine disappointing the one who is your grand obsession? Are you not fearful of that? Does that not make you tremble? Fear and trembling not because of any dread or any fear of hell or what will happen to you, bur rather a very real fear that you would disappoint the lover of your soul. It is our lives work to be “imitators of God as dear children.” And we strive towards that place by obedience and yielding. No genuine saint willy nilly disobeys his or her Lord. Therein lies our “working out.” The lazy disobedient scoundrel who says that God has done it all and there is no part for us to play will sink down into the morass of dead orthodoxy and be left with nothing more than a mental assent to an abstract truth.
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
In Paul’s final words to the Ephesians, he addresses all the different groups that he had spoken life into. He had instructed them in ways that they could only carry out by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether that was Husbands to wives, wives to husbands, children to parents and parents to children, bond-servants to masters and masters to bond-servants, if they were to walk in Christ and be obedient to Him they must walk in the Spirit. This was not just good “how to,’ advice from a life coach or a marriage counsellor, this was instructions from God that could only be carried out by His spiritual children. Now the question was “will you walk in obedience to these instructions?” Will you “put off,” and “put on,” the things aforementioned? If you are willing to do these things then finally brothers and sisters, you must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Your obedience to God qualifies you to put on the whole armor of God. Do not be fooled, no disobedient servant shall put on this armor.
For this is a spiritual battle of unseen forces and this is where the victory will lie. As the days of this world wind down then the principalities and powers will rise up. The rulers of the darkness of this age and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places shall come forward will great rage and boldness. They will attack truth from every imaginable angle and to the saints it will seem that we are being swamped and over run by the forces of darkness. It is, in effect, a last stand. Therefore saints, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the coming evil day and having done all-to stand. Truth will be your core, it shall be fastened to you at the very center of who you are. The righteousness of Christ shall be your breastplate. It shall guard your heart against the darkness of unrighteousness. Your feet shall be secure as it stands upon the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ of which we are not ashamed. Our trust in God shall protect us from the lies of Satan and his hordes, his threats shall not penetrate our hearts. And with our minds protected by our salvation and a sword in our hands then we shall hold our ground. We shall not move. We shall be an army of warriors who march upon our knees in prayer and supplication to the glory of God.
This stand, by the power of the Holy Spirit will fill us with boldness. We shall be bolder than we ever imagined. We shall be ambassadors for Christ even as we are shackled by the fleshly chains of men. Chained, perhaps, in this world, but free Sons and daughters of the world to come. This stand will of course, enrage the enemies of our souls. Think of the three Hebrew children. They may perish in the fire kindled by the hatred of men, but they would never bow down to the gods of this world. As we make out stand, as we refuse to bow down to the gods of this world, then we must expect the fire to come. Yet look again into the depths of the flames that surrounded the Hebrew children …….look…. can you see? The Son of man and the fellowship of the flames. We who worship Christ shall not burn, but rather we shall live forever in the glorious presence of our Lord and God. So brothers and sisters, lay down and put off that which hinders you from this fight and take up your cross. Put on the righteousness of Christ and the full armor of God and let us stand together. Back to back, side to side, lets us surround ourselves with our fellow saints and the Holy Spirit and let the battle of the ages begin, for Christ has already won the war!
Eph 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love.
How astonishing that we have been called to imitate God and walk in love as Christ also loved us. We are to love as we are loved. God never calls His children to do what they cannot. He has empowered us, enabled us and equipped us to imitate Him in being a sweet sacrifice to God, a sweet smelling aroma. The Love of Jesus was measured by His sacrifice. Calvary is the measure of Gods love. If God called His Son to sacrifice for us, then He is calling His children to imitate Jesus. Not that we are saviors of the world but rather we represent and manifest the living Christ in us to a dark and broken world. When you measure yourself, you must measure yourself against the Lord. Not your pastor or your dear Godly grand father, no, you must measure yourself and your faith against that which is perfect. It is a high calling no doubt. He is our High calling. He is our North star, and just because popular culture would say “what would Jesus do,’ does not make that wrong. Only remember this, we do not have to wonder what Jesus would do, for Jesus dwells within us by the power of the Holy Spirit and has given us His word to lead us and guide us.
And so we are called to walk in love with the same love that Christ loves us with. Walking in love empowered with the truth causes us to walk in light, the very light that shatters the darkness. We know that darkness very well, for we once walked in it. The fruit of the Spirit in us is grounded in goodness and righteousness and truth. These are our weapons, this is the armor we are called to put on. No longer can we walk according to the unfruitful works of darkness, they must have no place in us. We are to put away the former things and rather, put on the fruitful works of the new man. He has filled us with the treasures of heaven in these earthen vessels. He has commanded light to shine out of what was formerly darkness. And the very first place we see the fruits of this light is in our relationships with our wives and husbands. Wives shall submit to their own husbands as unto the Lord and husbands shall love their wives as Jesus loved the Church. Both of these positions are almost always an anathema to the flesh. Whether it is submitting to or loving someone to the point o sacrifice and death, only in Christ and by the power of the Spirit can these attitudes be “put on.” And by the same power the old attitudes must be put away. In all things saints, imitate God and walk in the love of Christ and all its many manifestations.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This might be one of the most famous Scriptures there is. How often have you heard it discussed? It has become theological in nature because, well it is, of course, but its certainly not dead letter, rather it’s alive to the glories of God’s plan. And His plan is His gift to man, not of their works but of His workmanship. He desired a people for Himself and would take the marred clay of our humanity and create out of Jew and Gentile, one glorious Body of His own making. He would make known to us the mystery of His will. He would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened. He would take two and make one. He would tear down the middle wall of separation by abolishing in His flesh, on the cross, the enmity that existed between God and men, an uncrossable gulf that only Christ could bridge by His work on the cross. Glory to God! We who were strangers and alienated from God, now, in Christ are brought near by His blood. Near to God, near to the heart of the Father. Deeper into the Father’s heart. Let us be closer still and let it be the “work,” of our life to be found in Him. Nearer my God to thee.
By trusting in the unmerited favor of God, and trusting God for our eternal soul, and falling down before Him in repentance, then He has saved us. The gift of God to a world condemned, to the Jew first and then the Gentile. We are made one in Christ. He has raised up for Himself a Body and He inhabits this Body. God would build His own temple with His own hands and this will be His eternal dwelling place. Nothing man made, lest man would boast. Our very salvation is a gift, where is the boasting? We are now citizens and members of the household of God, having been built upon no other foundation other than that of the Apostles and prophets. And at the heart of it all, Christ Jesus, our Cornerstone. In Him the whole building, being fitted together with living stones, is being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood. Spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord amen. Now stop just for a moment brothers and sisters. Consider what Paul is saying to you and me. Consider the context of it and what has been stated. You are a living stone. You are part of the Body. You belong to the “house-hold,” of God in a way that only you could. God has shaped you, yes you, to fit perfectly into His work. You are His work. It’s nothing less than mind blowing and yet there it is.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
In Galatians we see a real encounter. Paul faces them head on. How often do we see this nowadays? A traveling “apostle,” or “prophet,” will come to your church and tell everyone how good they are and how blessed they are going to be in the coming year. They will not be invited to visit near the end of the year, for that is when the resident senior pastor encourages everyone to give in order to get a tax break. An end of year giving. Yet when that year is over, here comes the wolves. Its bonus time. They invite each other to each others churches to come and “speak a word.” Listen to the word Paul speaks to the churches in Galatia, people that he had brought to the Lord himself. 1. O foolish Galatians who has bewitched you? 2. How is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage. You observe days and months and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. 3. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth. 4. I have doubts about you. 5. You have become estranged from Christ (let that sink in) you who attempt to be justified by the law, you have fallen from grace. 6. You ran well, who has hindered you from obeying the truth.
That’s the diagnosis and it is a devastating one. Now here is the remedy. Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. It seems incredible that this has to be restated. And there is no doubt that Paul is somewhat astonished at how far they have fallen, in fact, they had fallen from grace. The unmerited favor of God had been replaced by their own attempts to create merit and standing before God. This is not only a refutation of the truth, this is a denial of Christ Himself and Him crucified. Had they suffered so many things… in vain? Was it all for nothing? Were they merely dogs that had returned to their vomit? No, but they were in great danger of that. They must now repent and remember that it was the liberty that Christ gained for them on Calvary that had set them free and He whom the Son sets free is free indeed. The flesh wars against the Spirit brothers and sisters. It would rather rule over itself in bondage than to be vanquished and the spirit set free. We must decide these things. Shall we not trust in the finished work of the Lord? Shall we not consider this established fact that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh? That we have been called to be more than conquerors through Him who loved us?
Nothing that we can do can establish our righteousness in Christ. Our call is simply obedience to the Word of God and the Spirit of God and this shall produce love and joy and peace and long-suffering. Goodness and faithfulness and gentleness shall be our mark. Self control shall be our way. For those of us in Christ have crucified the flesh with all of its passions and desires. The world will see something of Christ in us. They will see a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God’s special possession called out specifically to declare the praises of Jesus who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God. Sons and daughters who move and breathe and have our being in His grace and in His mercy. We live by His grace and in this are justified by faith. If we indeed live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit brothers and sisters. Let us not deceive ourselves for God is not mocked. What a man sows he reaps. If we sow to the Spirit we shall reap everlasting life as opposed to the flesh which reaps corruption and death. Let us not boast in anything other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified to us and we to the world. Stand fast brothers and sisters.
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
We are living in a day where the Gospel is under more threat than it ever has been in the last 2000 years. Quite an incredible statement when you consider the history of martyrs and persecution that took place century after century. We seem to believe that we must not condemn anyone who preaches “the gospel,’ and that the motivation must not be questioned, rather as long as the message is preached then we simply leave the motivation of the preacher to God. I agree with this. Let the Word go forth and let the Lord be the judge. Yet in the scripture we see something entirely different in regard to “another gospel.” If “another,” gospel is preached other than that which was delivered, then the one who engages in this is cursed. And unless we did not get it, Paul repeats himself ” I say again, if anyone preaches any gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” We should let that sink in for a moment. Paul pronounces a curse over those who preach a false gospel.
In the immediate context Paul is talking about legalizers or Judiazers. People who professed faith in Jesus but still were under the law and desired to see others under the law. Yet this curse is more than appropriate to ascribe to the “cheap grace” or the “prosperity gospel,” and the myriad of other so called gospels that exists today. We hear so many say “well as long as Jesus is being preached.” Jesus was being preached by those whom Paul was speaking of. In the end brothers and sisters, the Gospel is something that we receive through the Holy Spirit. And those who receive it recognize it in others. Paul did not receive it from anyone. In fact, after his salvation he was gone for three years into Arabia. And when he finally came to Jerusalem he only stayed for fifteen days where he conferred with Peter and James only, and then he was gone again for fourteen years. No one knew him personally in Judea, they had only heard of him. This “training,” that Paul received from God himself would mean that Paul would show no personal favoritism to any man, no matter what that man was perceived to be by others.
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.(Rom 1:16) The Gospel is simply the good news about Christ and His Kingdom. It is personified in the fact that He has set you free from the bondage of sin and death. He came to set the captive free.He came to restore the broken. He has redeemed our fallen souls. He has made a way for us to the Father and it comes only through Him. He loved you while you were yet in your sin. He who the Son sets free is free indeed, he is completely liberated from the curse of the law. And that last point is why he was so hated by many of the legalizers and why he would confront Peter to his face. Brothers and sisters, if we want to be friends with the world then never confront anyone about anything. Stay hiding in your silence. Peep out from behind your twitching curtains and watch as false gospels are taught everywhere and do and say nothing. Doing that will make you the exact opposite of Paul. There is nothing loving about fearful silence wrapped up in virtuous overtones. Its the truth that sets men free, not your love. Your love only makes a difference when it is aligned with truth. Jesus alone and His gospel is the way the truth and the life.
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
This is such a profoundly important Scripture. Paul has battled his way through these two letters to the Corinthians. He has dealt with so many issues and a big part of his commands to the Corinthians is not to be unequally yoked, Darkness and light cannot have fellowship with each other. He is telling the Corinthians not to be deceived, how could saved and unsaved people dwell together in a fellowship? Therefore one must test themselves to see if they are even in the faith. “Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you are disqualified.” Now that word disqualified is from my New King James, other words that could as easily be used is reprobate, castaway, rejected, unapproved. There can be no question as to what is being alluded to here. If you have the Lord Jesus Christ in you, you shall know it. It is not possible to not know that Jesus dwells in you. That is why Paul is asking the question “is He in you?” If not, there is two possibilities. 1. You have never known Him. 2. You knew Him but you are now a castaway, a reprobate, rejected, unapproved, disqualified. In order to be disqualified from anything, one had to have been qualified in the first place. If indeed one is disqualified from anything in life, it means that they are no longer a part of whatever it was they were once a part of.
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway 1 Cor 9:27. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Rom 11:22. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Rev 22:19. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; Heb3:14. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life Rev 2:10. These an many other Scriptures allude to the fact that we can fall away or be deceived. This is why we have to “prove to your own selves,” and “examine yourself as to whether you be in the faith.” We human beings have an enormous capacity to deceive ourselves. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord…………….and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Matt 7:22-23. Jesus never knew them.
This who know Jesus have been enlightened. They have tasted of the heavenly gift and are profoundly changed by it. They were given the Holy Spirit lest they be orphans, and He is in them. They have tasted of the good word of God, it has been manna to their soul and a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path. They have been touched by the supernatural power of God. Now, having experienced all of that and then they go back to the world, the word of God says it is impossible for them to renew themselves again, they have been disqualified. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (Heb 6:4-6) In light of all of this brothers, I say, along with our brother Paul……… examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
I very rarely give the premise of a poem. Poems should speak for themselves. Poems can say a thousand different things to a thousand different people. A poet reaches into his heart and speaks of what he knows and presents a piece of his heart to others. What is common to him is common to humanity. When he expresses this, it touches others for they recognize that joy and pain and even agony that is common to all of us to one degree or another. Yet I would like to say a few words about this poem that I have written. It is my testimony of being saved. It is where I was. I had come out of my childhood a thoroughly broken human being. And long before my 21st birthday I had buried a son, been homeless, held my second son in my arms who had just been burned over 60% of his body with third degree burns, and suddenly I was gone. I had slipped away beneath the darkness. Into the depths of wrecked humanity. I “knew,” I would not leave this place.
And it was this “knowing,” that was the atmosphere of my own personal hell. It is impossible to convey this place of lost souls. I had walked out of the fire of my childhood and onto broken glass. And suddenly the mind is overwhelmed and you slip away. And so the poem describes a shaft of light that doggedly pursued me. I knew it was there, I ran from it. It was, of course, my Jesus. And he pursued me to the gates of hell. I cannot really describe my encounter with Him. It was an agony, for I could see myself. I, who would have destroyed every mirror in the world had to face what I had become in the incredible light of Christ. And right there I wanted Jesus to look away from me, I did not want this magnificent majestic perfect beauty of Holiness to look on something so deformed by sin. And yet He looked, despite my sin. “I love you.” And in a single moment, I was free. And so, the poem is about my journey to the light. If you know someone who is lost in the depths of darkness, maybe you could share this with them. There is but a single hope in Christ.
If my heart cries out, Lord will you hear me?
If I come to you, Lord will you see me?
What could be worse than the darkness where I stand?
To reach out through the darkness and discover there's no hand
The greater terror than the darkness of the night
Is to consider the possibility that there really is no light
To be so consumed by darkness that there is no way ahead
Is to walk in lockstep with the lost, to walk with the walking dead
Yet all along there was but a single shaft of light
That followed through the fire and was with me in the night
I ran and ran and ran from this but yet it followed me
Even to the ends of the earth and to the depths of the bottomless sea.
I had taken the wings of the morning and fled into the night
I had plunged to the very gates of hell, yet it kept me in its sight
Even in this darkness it still was light to me
I could sense that somewhere in this light I could yet be free
And so with trembling agony I stumbled to the light
I had ran with the forces of chaos and now I had no fight
So my heart cried out to Jesus "Is it true can I be free."
And in a single moment He was standing there with me.
And oh what an agony to to be this near to Him
I could see my lost humanity, that I was drowning in my sin.
And with my very last breath, He had indeed heard me
The light had come to take me home, the light had set me free.
You have been my shelter Lord..............
When the rain fell from the sky
When the rivers they ran dry
When peace had fled from me
You have been my shelter Lord, in the midst of the raging sea.
You have been my shelter Lord.............
When I just could not go on
When the night had lost its song
When I was down upon my knees
You have been my shelter Lord when you heard my anguished pleas.
You have been my shelter Lord............
When the wilderness sapped my soul
When I had lost control
When there was no way ahead
You were indeed my shelter Lord when you suffered died and bled
You are my Rock my strong high tower
My song of praise in the midnight hour
My holy place my tabernacle
You broke every chain and smashed every shackle.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Moses ministry is here described in this chapter as the “ministry of condemnation,” and it is compared to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of righteousness. If the first glory was the ministry of death, written and engraved on tablets of stone, then what is the glory of the Spirit, etched into the hearts of men? If the glow from Moses face was so glorious that it had to be veiled, what say you about the ministry of life? One is death and the other is life. One is the sureness of our sin and the power of it, the other is the deliverance from it and life anew by the power of the Holy Spirit! Therefore since we have such hope we are called to speak boldly. To proclaim His marvelous truth. To testify of the life that is in us. His life, His glory, His holiness, His righteousness. . The world will know that He loves them and that He sent His only begotten Son to save them when they hear and see Christ in us, And all of this unveiled, nothing hidden.
When we turn to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. In the beginning we were made in the image of God, yet we never had the indwelling glory of God. Half a man at best, like the men raised in the valley of dry bones yet without the breath of the Spirit flowing from the depths of our heart. Now, we who are born again by the Spirit of God, with veil removed, walk in the glory of His righteousness, raised from the dead just as surely as Lazarus. So when we now look in the mirror we see the glory of God! You are the glory of God, God dwells in you. We are a manifestation of Christ on the earth. We are not little gods, we are in and of ourselves nothing, but Christ in us is everything! Are you living in the glory saints? We are being transformed into the very image of Christ from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. Never forget who you are. Never forget the life that is in you. Never for a moment deny your son-ship. Never forget that He that has begun this good work in you is faithful to complete it. The devil will whisper otherwise, he is a liar.
In 1544 there occurred what became know as “The great debasement.” Ushered in by an impoverished Henry V111 in order to increase his revenue, he simply put less gold in a coin but maintained its face value. Gold was reduced from 23 karat to 20 karat and the amount of silver in a coin was reduced from 92.5% to just 25%. There was somewhat of an out cry but for six years this policy prevailed, thus debasing the value of the whole currency, it was ye old inflation.
Part of Solomon’s treasure was three hundred shields of gold. (2 Chron 9:16) It was only a small part of his treasure but it was worth a vast fortune in today’s money. When that treasure was foolishly handled and displayed in pride and arrogance under Rehoboam, Shishak, King of Egypt came and took them all. The divided Kingdom could not stand against the might of Egypt. Rehoboam’s solution was to make 300 shields of brass. As the rising sun glistened on the brass shields, from a distance no one could tell that it was not gold, but it was not gold, it was a poor substitute.
Today’s brass is dimmed lights, smoke machines, stadium seating, concert style worship, flashing lights and laser shows. Add to that salesmen pitches and the power of positive thinking and “sermons,” by men who could easily be self help gurus or motivational speakers and the brass is complete. When the real treasure is gone, the presence of the Lord, then the replacement is brass and if that replacement is brass then the heavens above them is brass.
The riches of our dwelling place is in the Lord. The beauty of dwelling with Him produces the finest gold of unconditional love. The walls of our dwelling place are encrusted with the jewels of forgiveness and mercy. The windows of our dwelling places are draped with meekness and humility. Trophies of grace hang on every wall. They are framed with the finest materials of patience and kindness.He is our exceeding great reward and His presence is pure gold that can never be devalued by men. It is the riches that will last throughout eternity. We have no brass heavens above us, rather we have an open heaven. And from that open heaven it rains and the skies are rent and down flows the treasure of Heaven, God Himself!
1Co 10:4 ……. for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Jesus is the Rock that is with us. Even in the wilderness, especially in the wilderness, He is the Rock that never leaves us nor forsakes us. He causes the cloud to cover us from the searing heat of our trials and tribulations, and He causes the fire to light up the night so that we may see our way through and not be overcome by the cold. He leads us and He guides us in the ways that we should go. He waters our thirsty souls and feeds our spirits where there seems to be no water and there seems to be no food. Not only do we survive in these conditions, we begin to thrive. Our circumstances may be unstable in all their ways, but the Rock beneath our feet immovable. Our lot in this life may be poor in comparison to the earthly riches of this world, but we are rich in the treasures of heaven and of the Kingdom to come. We store up our spiritual riches here in this world that we may be rich in the things that are important to God in the next.
You would think that all who were offered such gifts from heaven would thrive. Yet, even in the most difficult of circumstances, where it would seem natural to reach out and take the hand of God, so many turn this hand away. They complain and they grumble and are disobedient to the God that they know. They desire in their heart to return to where they came from, like the dog returning to its vomit. Imagine desiring to be enslaved just so you knew where you next crumbs were coming from? Rather than continuing to trust the God who has helped you over and over again and in whom you have witnessed His delivering power. We who stand should always take heed lest we fall. A heart full of thanksgiving, one that is obedient to follow His lead is a heart that thrives even in the harshest desert. And if we can do this in the wilderness, just imagine what we shall do in the land to come that shall be overflowing with milk and honey.
1Co 9:25 And every one who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown; but we an imperishable.
We have to run this race in such a way that we are trying to win. An athlete is totally committed to his or her sport. They will not do anything that would undermine their ability to be in the best shape that they could be. This is a fairly simple truth which has been preached on a lot and few would disagree with the truth of it. Yet, the context of chapter nine is money. It seems like Paul is complaining about not being supported financially. He then lays out the reasoned argument as to why he should be just like some of the the other Apostles. He says things like “who plants a vineyard and does not eat of the fruit?” And again “you shall not muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain.” And then he uses the always interesting word “nevertheless.” This adverb is used in a sentence after a concession. He concedes that the rule is that he should be supported “but.” And it is the but that is interesting.
“We have not used this but endure all things lest we hinder the Gospel.” “That when I preach the Gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.” It follows that just because you can do a thing, does not mean you should. An athlete does not have to train every day. He or she does not have to rigidly watch their diets. They have the freedom to do such things, but would it be wise? Would it hinder their ability to run the race properly? And of course, it would. This is what Paul is saying in chapter nine, which is so often used in defense of countless ministries being supported. Paul disciplines himself and refrains from what could be lawfully his “lest when I have preached to others I myself should not be disqualified.” The gospel is central to everything that Paul does. He lives and breathes the Gospel. He even goes as far as to say that “it would be better for me to die than anyone should make his boasting void.” Death would be more appealing to Paul than anyone accuse him of preaching the Gospel for money’s sake.
This passion that causes us to run the race is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! The genuine saint is horrified if he or she would do anything that would bring their Lord and His gospel into disrepute. They would rather suffer the loss. Saints, how then do we run this race? In some kind of half heart-ed measure? Shall we not run this race of life like the top athletes who disciplines their body in order to win the price? And that price is but for a perishable crown, something that can never last. Yet we for an imperishable crown! For holiness sake! For glories sake! For righteousness sake? For Christ’s sake! These are all eternal. With our eyes firmly set upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel, we run, not like those of the world who run for money and for fame and for fortune. Our treasure lies in heaven above. We store up our treasure by running the race with everything that we have, holding nothing back. Laying down every single thing that would hinder us and the Gospel of Jesus and the Kingdom. This is our calling brothers and sisters, to lay it all down, starting with our rights. Paul was laying down his right.The only right we really have is the right to suffer and die for the cause of Christ! And we know that those who suffer with Christ shall reign with Him. That is our reward, that is our “imperishable crown.”
To be known by you sets my troubled heart at ease
It lifts me high above the waves, above the stormy seas
To be known by you fills me with such great desire
It overflows my flooded heart and puts out every fire
To be known by you means that I have been redeemed
Delivered from the guilt and shame and every voice that screamed
To be known by you puts a sword into my hand
To be lifted up from the battle-field that I once more might stand
To be known by you sets all my enemies to flight
And with the Word of God helps me navigate the night
To be known by you it is manna to my soul
For that which once was broken, you have now made whole
To be known by you will hold me in that hour
When all the world is crumbling, I'll be standing in your power
This I know in the depths of my heart to be true
That I am overwhelmed that I am known by you.
1Co 8:3 But if any man loves God, the same is known of him.
What does it mean to love God? Ask the majority of people if they love God and they will quickly say yes. It is, of course, the correct answer. Yet as we know, words do not equate to love. If you are married to a man who beats you but tells you that he loves you, you can be certain that man knows nothing of love. You may be his possession, but he certainly does not love you. In short we shall know if someone loves someone, not by what they say but but what they do. That is not to detract from words, words are important. When true love and words combine, then a majestic noise is heard in the heavenly’s We will talk about what we are passionate about. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak. Yet actions certainly do speak louder than words, it is a cliche for a reason. Love is sacrificial. We see the highest example of this on the cross where Jesus died for us. Love is obedient, we see that in Gethsemane where Jesus struggles yet in the end He is obedient to His Father because of His great love and desire to do His Fathers will.
Jesus taught us that there is no greater love in this world than when a man lays down his life for a friend. This is not an issue of the head, but it is an issue of the heart. Knowledge promotes pride in us and makes us arrogant. Yet love promotes self sacrifice and it edifies the soul. Knowledge in the wrong hands can cause our weak brothers and sisters to perish, but love would rather deny itself than see another fall. We know that we love because we were first loved. God loves us and when we love Him there is a vital connection. When we enter into the love of God then we have the capacity to love as God loves. We are one in Him as Jesus and the Father are one, we enter into that unity. We can never love that which we have never encountered. It is vital to encounter God. The crowd in Acts chapter two encountered God through the power of the Holy Spirit spoken through Peter. This encounter led many to cry out to God and embrace the God they encountered. Many more rejected that very same encounter. Further on in Acts chapter seven we see the Holy Spirit again encounter men through Stephen, these men violently reject God.
If love were to be numbered, one being the most basic human love, and ten being God, we could never engage people in the love of God lest we ourselves had encountered a ten, God. If you were raised in a household where you experienced a three, then that is the capacity that you have. You cannot love beyond that which you have encountered. Yet, when a human being encounters the love of God and loves God back, then that one is “known,” of God. That one carries the favor of God. That one walks in His love and His grace and His mercy. The number ten which reflects the perfect love of God is revealed to us through Jesus our Lord and Him crucified. It is only how we react to this revelation that can determine if we shall walk in the love of God. No matter how much you think you love and no matter what capacity you think you have for love, outside of Calvary and your encounter with it, you have but a fleshly love. You might think that your love is special and that you would lay your life down for a loved one. Much of the world would do this. Who would lay down their life or the life of their own son for someone who hates them and hates there son? Only God. To encounter God and receive His love is to be swallowed whole by glory.
A Call To The Remnant 