The Lord Jesus Christ

The Great Banquet

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Great Banquet and Discipleship

Book of Luke Chapter 14

The chief Pharisee of the Jews invited the Lord Jesus to a meal at his home on a Sabbath Day.

The word Sabbath signifies a Day of Rest, a Sabbath of the soul.

The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant between the LORD and His earthly people, the Israelites.

Exo 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Exo_31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

In reality, the Sabbath represents the soul resting in Jesus Christ: Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God, the Church.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The Pharisees had no clue about the truth of the Sabbath, but they intended to somehow get the Lord Jesus to stumble on the day of this feast.

What is the truth of the Sabbath? Jesus said: Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

The priests of the Temple had much work to do on the Sabbath days, yet they were not considered to be breaking the Law of the Sabbath.

Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Every Jew would take care of their animals on the Sabbath, just as they would on any other day, and it was not considered work.

The point being that the Lord Jesus Christ is far greater than any priest, and the Lord Jesus also had work to do.

*Luk 14:15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

To eat bread in the Kingdom of God means to be among those who are present in the joys of the Messianic Kingdom.

Here we see a self-righteous man is smugly sure that he will be among the righteous who will be in Heaven.

The main importance of this passage is to get a clear picture of the invitation of the Lord to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which cannot happen until we have accepted that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah sent from God.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

We know that we cannot get to Heaven without the Lord Jesus Christ.

To these self-righteous Pharisees, they could think only of the Messianic Feast.

This was a supposed feast given to God’s people, the Jews only, when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom.

The Lord Jesus will use another parable to explain to this Pharisee the error in his thought process.

It was customary for guests who were invited to these feasts of the Pharisees to attend.

Israel had actually been invited to the Messianic Feast by God’s messengers, the Prophets, but they had all made excuses about attending in an insulting manner.

If any people thought that God owed them a place in the Messianic Kingdom, it was these Pharisees.

They felt they would have the highest seats in God’s Kingdom.

The Lord Jesus begins to teach a parable that they found easy to understand.

*Luk 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
Luk 14:17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

This parable sends out a strong message to all the people of this earth for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died.

No one can be saved or attend this feast unless they have received an invitation and have responded to it!’

This feast is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Those who make excuses will remain lost!

All things are ready for today is the Day of Salvation.

2Co_6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

The invitation is sent to all who have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, seen the Gospel, or read the Gospel.

What has Israel done with the Lord’s invitation, along with many others?

*Luk 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
Luk 14:20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

We must keep in mind that God wants to share His riches with all people, but God also has determined the process of accepting His invitation.

All these people mentioned had received God’s invitation, and now it was time to decide on attending.

God sent His servant to remind them that they had received an invitation.

We should notice that God’s invitations had first been sent to the super religious men of Israel, the Pharisees.

Joh 7:47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
Joh 7:48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

The modern Pharisees are all those who believe they will get into God’s Heaven because of their good works.

What had the Lord Jesus said? Mat_19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

There is no work we can do to get into God’s Heaven; we reach Heaven only if we have “faith” in the work of Lord Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness to us.

They all agreed to make excuses for rejecting God’s invitation to the Feast of God.

The first excuse came from a businessman.

His excuse was that he had bought a piece of land and he needed to look after it.

If God is the center of our life, then any business, any profession, or any affair would not be allowed to consume our life, and God would be first in our lives.
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Next, we see a man who was wrapped up in a new purchase.

An oxen team would be like buying a new tractor to plow with today, and he wanted to go play on it.

It could be a new house, a new car, a new motorcycle, or even a new television, all material things, but material things should never keep us away from God.

Third, we see a man who was wrapped up in his family.

He had made a new marriage, and even if this marriage was ordained of God, we are never to put our wives before God. This is what Adam did, and sin entered the world, and we are still suffering with sin today.

Salvation is just too important for us to give it up for material things, or family and friends, or any other reason.

When we show contempt for the Word of God, we should not wonder that God gets angry.

We know that some in Israel have accepted God’s invitation, but there is still much room for many more.

*Luk 14:21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
Luk 14:22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
Luk 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Now the Lord sends His invitation to the Gentiles.

We should understand that nothing will make God stop His plan of salvation.

No power on this earth can cause God to cease His invitation to receive the free gift of salvation.

To compel does not mean to coerce people to come to God; it means to assure them that it was God who sent them an invitation.

We must all clearly understand that just getting an invitation to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb does not mean we will be accepted.

There will still be a Marriage Feast in Heaven, whether we have been invited or not!

The Lord Jesus is going to fill His banquet hall, but time is running out to accept His invitation.

The Lord Jesus invites those who need some help to get to the banquet.

All sinners need the Lord’s help to get to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

The self-righteous need no help; they will be rejected.

If you are a sinner, you will need the Lord’s help to be accepted to the Feast.

If you are too poor, the Lord will provide the right clothing.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

If you are lame or crippled, the Lord will provide the means to get to His Feast.

If you are blind, the Lord will guide or direct you to His Feast.

As long as the Lord has room at His table, He will continue to accept us at His Feast through His “Mercy” and “Grace”.

But those who were first invited and had nothing but excuses for not coming, they will not be accepted to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb of God.

God said His House shall be filled! Therefore came “Grace”.

Grace makes a way because the Law has failed!

*Luk 14:24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

These are the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who would be rejected were the ones the Lord Jesus was eating with at that time.

These are the ones the Lord Jesus used this parable on.

Though a few of the Israelites have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, the majority of them have rejected Him.

The Apostle Paul wrote: Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

The Lord Jesus is not through with them, but they will go through the seven years of Tribulation.

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Rom 11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

God had shown His “Grace” to the Israelites many times throughout the Old Testament, but they could not comprehend the power of God’s Grace at that time. Israel will join the Church that is planted by the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Jews, there were two stages: the present age and the age to come, which was the Messiah’s reign on this earth.

The prophets had written much about these things.

Because they reject the New Testament, they have missed New Heaven and New Jerusalem.

The redeemed believers of all ages will live in New Jerusalem.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

The New Jerusalem is also the New Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

This is the place of all God’s banquets.

Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

This is not the place of unbelievers.

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Heaven is a real place!

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

There is still time to get an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but time is running out.

God has made a way for the Israelites after and during the Tribulation period, but He has not made a way for Gentiles.

Amen

Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

Book of Luke Chapter 9 Verses 37-42, 57-62

There is a lot of great material between verse 22 and verse 37, but let’s keep to our lesson plan.

Our lesson begins the next day after the Transfiguration of the Lord.

We could say that on the Day of Transfiguration, the glory of the Lord Jesus broke out in the presence of His disciples.

The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus is hard to describe accurately, so it is best to read the Scriptures in the Gospels.

What is recorded as a record was an absolute historical reality, and not a mere vision.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Peter never forgot this day: 2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Many today worship the Devil, who is Satan, but I wonder if they realize how the devil treats all our children.

*Luk 9:37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
Luk 9:38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
Luk 9:39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
Luk 9:40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

This is an epileptic seizure.

This does not mean that everyone who has seizures is caused by the Devil, but if they do not know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, this should be their first place to start.

I call Him Doctor Jesus.

On the mountain top, there was the glory of the Lord, showing God’s power, but in the valley, Satan was showing the people his power.

This is the difference between Heaven and Earth.

We can see a father who has seen his only son, who was tormented by an evil spirit.

He was begging the Lord Jesus to have pity on him.

We should ask ourselves why more parents do not see this today and beg for the help of our Savior for their own children.

We all should know that the Lord Jesus has great compassion for all people.

This man had lost all control over his son because he was a victim of Satan’s power.

1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

This father had no choice but to stand by helplessly and watch the Devil destroy his son.

We can see this in our lost children today, and we need to go to the Lord Jesus for His help.

This man had already approached the nine disciples of Christ for their help, and they could not help him for some reason.

The Lord had given them the power over demons, and they had used it, but for some reason, their faith was not as it should have been.

We saw this in an earlier lesson, and we saw it again in this lesson.

Their real problem was a lack of faith.

Their faith never matured until the Lord Jesus Christ walked out of that tomb on the third day, just as He said He would.

The Lord Jesus later told them that they had not been praying and fasting as they should have.

The Lord Jesus gives us many gifts today, but if we will not fellowship with Him daily, that gift will have no power.

We must never forget who the Lord is! He is the Almighty God!

Many times, as Christians, we are a disappointment to the people around us who could use our help.

Only the Lord Jesus knows how many times we have been a disappointment to Him.

We may not have the powers of Jesus Christ, but we can be attentive and sympathetic to their needs.

We can certainly begin with prayer at that very moment if we have compassion on them.

Fortunately for us all, the Lord Jesus is always on time.

*Luk 9:41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

After all the disciples of Christ had seen of the miracles of Jesus, we could ask ourselves how they could have a lack of faith?

We can also see that the Lord Jesus spoke to the whole generation of Jews and not just to His chosen disciples.

Where was this father’s faith?
Where was the faith of all those who were present?

The chosen disciples of Christ did not have the power, even though the Lord Jesus had given them that power when He sent them out earlier as evangelists.

Notice all those present just stood around when the disciples of Christ tried to heal this son, having no concern for the life of this boy, when they too could have been praying.

What do we do when the Lord is not physically present as He is today?

Surely, we can all pray!

Surely, we can all show faith!

This father could have shown faith after all these were God’s people. They could go to the priests. They could make sacrifices.

This child continued to suffer because no one had enough compassion to seek God for him.

Jesus said they all were faithless and perverse. Perverse here means morally corrupt.

The Holy Spirit says: Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

When God’s people act this way, there will be no power in the Church.

Guess what, we see very little power in the Church today!

It is not our duty to judge other places of worship; it is our job to make sure our own place of worship is following the Word of God by being obedient in our worship and in our lives.

*Luk 9:42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

The Devil tried to show his power over the boy, but the Lord just spoke the word, and the Devil had to leave.

If the chosen disciples of Christ had been following Christ as closely as they should, they would have been able rid this boy of this demon.

Jesus broke the power of this demon the same way He broke Satan’s power; He just spoke with the Sword of His Mouth.

Rev_2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev_19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Rev_19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The people who were observing what the Lord did were amazed at the mighty power of God!

Once more, all those who were observing could only think about the great power of God.

They marveled at the Majesty of God’s Messiah, but we should also understand there is a cost for every disciple of Jesus Christ.

*Luk 9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Luk 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

When someone tells the Lord Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go”, it sounds good, but it has to be made very clear why anyone makes such a claim.

No one can follow the Lord who has not been called!

A self-commitment is nothing like a Jesus Christ-centered commitment.

If there is a real calling of “Grace,” then that person must let go of all things that might hinder their walk with Christ.

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, “separated” unto the gospel of God,

Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, “called to be saints”: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called “according to his purpose”.

It is only the call of God that enables us to believe.

God’s purposes in Himself sum up all things in Jesus Christ!

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure “which he hath purposed in himself”:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times “he might gather together in one all things in Christ”, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

The Lord Jesus Christ must become our Lord of life!

The Lord Jesus Christ gave up all of Heaven and all of Himself to meet the needs of this dying world we live in.

A profession of faith is not enough.
Saying, “I am willing to follow” is not enough.Mrk_14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
We must deny ourselves completely!
We must accept the Lord Jesus as the Servant of mankind and become such a servant ourselves.

There is nothing in our old life that will help us achieve the call of Christ!

The Lord Jesus led a perfect life, and it must be our goal to do the same, even if we cannot be perfect while we remain in these sinful bodies of flesh.

We must accept the pattern of life that the Lord Jesus had as our own.

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

The Lord Jesus Christ had no home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. As His disciples, we must share His homelessness in this world because our home is now in Heaven, and we have no attachment to this world to bind us.

Jesus Christ is the perfect picture of what God wants to see in each of us.

*Luk 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

In many cases, it is the son who will take care of his father in their old age.

The Lord Jesus had invited this man to become one of His disciples, to even become a preacher to preach the Kingdom of God.

When we decide to follow the Lord Jesus, it means we have decided that this is the most important decision we will ever make, and nothing on this earth is more important.

We must give up everything in this world for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It was not a bad thing for this man to bury his father, but the message of salvation is far more important.

This father died lost, rejecting the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

Those who are spiritually dead because they have rejected the Lord Jesus are not as important as those who have never had that opportunity, at least to our Savior.

This is the truth of being loyal to Jesus Christ.

We must consider that when the Jews rejected the Lord Jesus, it was more important for the Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles.

Even those who have rejected the Lord one time are not as important as those who have never heard of the Kingdom of God.

God has already decided to meet the needs of these in the work of the Sower when one plants, another waters, and another reaps the harvest of the soul for Christ to save.

Every person is of extreme value to the Lord, and we should know that the Holy Spirit was working hard to bring this man to conviction.

Those whom God has called to preach need to respond as quickly as possible.

Mat_9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat_9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

The Lord Jesus knew that this man was hesitating to answer Him, and he just used the burying of his father as an excuse.

What was the message of Christ? Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

It is a hard message, but it is a necessary truth to serve the Lord.

We cannot allow Satan’s children to drag us down, even if they are family members.

The word hate means “to love less”. We must love the Lord with all our heart, all our body, and all our soul!

*Luk 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Following the Lord Jesus Christ is a lifelong commitment!

Here is a man who offered “on his own” to become a follower of Jesus Christ. He was not called.

Looking ahead to the Rapture of the Church is the most important event that we are looking forward to.

To the Jew, the return of Jesus Christ is the most important event they have to look forward to.

These are two separate events!

If we look at those two words “but and first”, we see that this man saw something more important that he should do before committing to the Lord, which he said he had already made such a commitment.

Maybe he needed the advice of his family before he made a final commitment.

Maybe he needed someone else’s approval before a full commitment to the Lord.

As we saw in the Book of Luke, Chapter fourteen, maybe he was putting his love for his family ahead of his love for Jesus Christ.

Either way, the Lord Jesus knew what was going on in this man’s life; he was unwilling to cut the ties of this life and give all of himself to the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the “first” and the “last,” and He must be everything to us!

Looking back can be fatal.

Just ask Lot’s wife.

Gen 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

Gen 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

The word commitment fits in right here.

It is true that in order to plough a straight furrow, the farmer must concentrate on a certain point in front of him.

He must keep his eyes fixed upon the goal.

As we serve the Lord, we must know that our work is not done until the Rapture of the Church on a day of the Lord’s choosing.

It may be close, but it is not here yet!

It is not the time to quit on God!

Amen

The Message of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Message of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism

Book of Luke Chapter 3

In Chapter 2, we can read about the Lord Jesus as a twelve-year-old, but just a few verses later, we find our Savior at thirty years old.

The rule of the nation of Israel and the Head of the priests is in the hands of people who do not care about Yahweh and will reject His Messiah.

Pontius Pilate has been placed in Jerusalem to rule over God’s land.

Herod, a descendant of Esau, has been placed as King of Israel, and we know that the descendants of Esau have always been haters of God’s people.

Oba 1:6  How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

Oba 1:10  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

There are two High Priests, but there is no time when God said there should be two High Priests.

Joh 18:13  And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

At the end of this book, we will see how these political and religious leaders conspired to bring the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross that Jesus came to die on.

The first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah, was and still is the pivotal point in the history of our world!

The earth that rejects our Divine God got a chance to see Him and what He stands for.

The impact that the Lord Jesus made upon this world can never be overstated.

John the Baptist paves the way.

*****Luk 3:1  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luk 3:5  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Luk 3:6  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Luke gives us an accurate picture of history in the early days of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is showing us just how corrupt the government and the religious circles were on that day.

The false High Priest, Annas, had been removed from office by the then Roman procurator, Valerius Gratus, but he continued to hold power over the High Priest office, with Caiaphas being his stepson.

Rome wanted control over the religion of the Jews, and this was their way of doing this.

This is the same thing China, and some other nations, keep control over some churches that teach Christianity.

God had commanded that all High Priests were to be in the line of Aaron.

God’s call to John the Baptist came while he was in the wilderness, which was a sparsely populated area.

God found John in a most obscure place.

God always knows where we are and what we are doing.

The Word of God can reach any place at any time because the Holy Spirit goes where He pleases.

Today, the Holy Spirit is the most powerful Deity on the face of this earth, and we know that He will not always strive with man or mankind.

The call of God is a personal matter, and this is the way God continues to work.

He loves personal relationships with each of us.

This Jordan is not the nation Jordan that we know of today, but the River Jordan where John could find a place to baptize those who repented.

We will notice that John would not baptize those who would not repent of their sins.

The Church has been lax in this regard.

The Lord Jesus Christ said: Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

In other words, the Lord Jesus states that there are no exceptions to this command.

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

The work of John the Baptist was in fulfillment of prophecy.

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God

Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. 

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Notice John does not call them back to the Laws of Moses; John calls them to repent of their sin.

We must repent of our sin and our old life before we can be members of God’s family!

They had to recognize that they were sinners just as we do today.

John was called to serve God rather than to serve religion!

Religion will send you to Hell. Only Christianity can get you to Heaven.

John, as a descendant of his father Zacharias, was to train for five years and then serve

 at the Temple when his time came, but God had other plans for John.

If our ministry does not align with God’s plans, then we are in the wrong ministry.

What is repentance?

Repentance means that if anyone wished to be forgiven of their sins, they would turn from their sins and change their lives; then and only then could they be baptized.

It should be obvious that we cannot do this without the Holy Spirit, but it must be our goal.

Baptism was a sign to their neighbors and the world that they were changing their lives because they wanted God’s forgiveness.

As Christians, we follow in baptism because we follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 17:29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

There would be no animal sacrifice; there would only be a living sacrifice.

Rom_12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

John’s baptism was a sign that a man wanted forgiveness it was not the means of forgiveness.

Baptism does not wash away sins!

It would be that changed life that would determine if these things came from the heart, just as it is today.

Forgiveness of sins is conditional upon that repentance and that changed life.

A person who truly repents will turn away from sin and turn to God!

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit)  will not move into a dirty house!

Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

It was John’s job to prepare the world for the coming of the Lord, and He would come first to the Jews because this was His promise, even though He knew they would reject Him and would then go to the Gentiles.

Amo 4:12  Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Amo 4:13  For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

The Jews will not reject the Lord Jesus a second time!

*****Luk 3:7  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

We had better be aware that the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for entertainment.

That sad fact is that John the Baptist would not be allowed to preach in many churches today because he preached the truth, and neither would the Lord Jesus Christ for the same reason.

John preached the coming “judgment” of God. People do not want to hear about the judgment of God!

So many today concentrate upon the love of God, which is very great, but they reject the judgment of God on the unbeliever, and they are wrong.

No matter what different preachers preach, there will be a day of God’s wrath!

I admitted to God that I was a terrible sinner because I was!

In fact, I am still a sinner only saved by the “Grace” of God, and He is still working on me.

A viper is the great enemy of souls!

Mat 23:33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

A sinner is anyone who has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept, or neglected any known duty.

All sinners are devoted to sin.

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.  

The wrath of God is not coming to those who fall in love with Jesus Christ and believe in Him.

The wrath of God is coming upon those who reject any part of the Word of God!

The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me; 

Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7  Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

To follow the truth of God is noticeable in those who do!

*****Luk 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

The proof of a saved soul is repentance!

Valuable fruits of repentance are speaking truth and doing things that are according to the will of God. Such fruits come from the new life that a person receives when he repents.

The concept of having Abraham as their father made the Jews feel safe because their pride would not allow them to believe that any child of Abraham should ever be lost.

That same pride said that any single Jew was of more value than all the people in all the nations of the world.

The Talmud stated that God made the world for the sake of the Jews, which is not true, and the Bible never says such things as these.

The Lord Jesus put an end to this nonsense: Mat 8:11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What is the truth? Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

It’s called faith! Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been done to save us.

 Rom_4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Rom_4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Gal_3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

To disagree with the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring the judgment of God upon yourself!

*****Luk 3:9  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

God is the Divine Woodsman who cuts down trees, and He has laid His axe at the roots of the trees!

This is God’s warning to us all!

To be honest, we cannot produce good fruit in our lives without faith in the Gospel and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

For these Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was less than a generation away.

*****Luk 3:10  And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

Luk 3:11  He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luk 3:12  Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

Luk 3:13  And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Luk 3:14  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

When “judgment” is preached without prejudice, people begin to understand what God is saying.

To the first group, John answered that we are to share our blessings with others.

To the second group, John answered that we should not rob others to enrich ourselves.

To the entire group, John answered that we share our prosperity with those who have nothing.

The fruit of salvation goes much deeper than these practical things. John gave these people a good idea of where to start.

We can see the reality of removing hate and increasing love.

How can we tell we are in the last days?

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Along with all these things, we see there is no natural affection for our neighbors.

The one thing that drives our politicians today is hatred. They hate each other with passion; it drives them to make laws that each other hate instead of doing the job they went to Washington to do.

They are a pathetic bunch, for certain.

A question has come up about our military following illegal orders.

We should understand that God does not condemn any soldier for doing his duty.

A soldier who goes above his duty and simply becomes a murderer will be condemned by God, but even these can be forgiven.

When John says to do no violence to any man, this is what he is saying.

We follow orders, but indiscriminate killing, especially of the innocent, should not take place.

All terrorists are murderers!

God demands a changed life!

When we are filled with the fruit of the Spirit, it will be noticeable to those we are around.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Messiah would be mighty.

The Messiah would be more worthy than any man.

The Messiah would use the Holy Ghost.

The baptism of John the Baptist was a full-immersion baptism and not a sprinkling.

John’s baptism was with water, but the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

This fire would be unquenchable!

John preached the truth of the Scriptures, but also as a Prophet, he preached the words God told him to preach.

John the Baptist preached the same no matter who was in the audience.

*****Luk 3:19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Luk 3:20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

When God gives His preacher a message to preach, it is to be preached as instructed, not watered down, not distorted, nor twisted.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Herod was as much a sinner as we all are!

A corrupt and sinful life will always bring the wrath of God.

I hope our politicians, those who claim the Lord Jesus Christ, do not forget this, and those who do not know Him will certainly see that wrath aimed at them in the near future.

It has to be hard to be a Christian in Washington, but it is not impossible, and they must know they are there because it is the will of God, and they are there to hold back evil and corruption in our nation.

I do not believe that Herod would have killed John, but Herod had an evil wife.

Mar 6:17  For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.

Mar 6:18  For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

Mar 6:19  Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Mar 6:20  For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

When John preached, he told it like it was.

When sin is relevant in our rulers, it makes it easier for the entire nation to be in sin.

Corruption in our leadership just causes corruption throughout our nation, as we have seen and are still seeing.

Herod the Great was living in sin, the sin of adultery; he was, as we know, also a murderer, and those soldiers who murdered those children were also murderers because that was a command that they should have refused.

When our military stops the drug trade, they are not murderers or killers because those who spread the drugs are the killers, and our politicians need to be with our President and our military.

What is the truth? We will never truly prosper in sin! 2Ch 24:20  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

The judgment of God is coming to this wicked world!

Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jud 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jud 1:16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

*****Luk 3:21  Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

Baptism is an act of obedience to God.

If the Lord Jesus Christ is obedient to His Heavenly Father, who are we to think we can be disobedient?

We know that our Lord Jesus had no sin, so we must know that Baptism is not for the removal of sin; it is being obedient to our Heavenly Father.

We had better know that every time Heaven opens up, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the object of admiration of Heaven.

Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

What did Stephen see? Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

The one thing that sets these people apart from all others is the fact that they heard the message of John the Baptist, and they responded.

God wants this whole world to hear His message so that everyone in the world will get a chance to respond to the truth of God.

What did the Lord Jesus do differently from the others who were baptized?

1) He demonstrated that He, the Son of God, was fulfilling all righteousness.

Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

2) He was demonstrating His humiliation, that He was a man, fully man.

Jesus was required by our Heavenly Father to live obediently, just as all men are to live obediently to the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus had to live a sinless life to accept all our sins on His body.

Jesus became the Som of Man. Mat 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Birds and foxes are cunning and wicked, but God still cares for them; however, His Son does not have a home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. It is the same for every Christian.

It is God’s will for every human to hear the Gospel, and they all respond positively to it!

1Ti_2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

No man is above any other man in the eyes of God. If God expected His Son to be obedient to all the Word of God, then how can we say God will understand if we keep that secret sin or any other sin?

This is why the Lord Jesus was baptized!

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We must all repent and be baptized!

The Lord Jesus also obeyed God in prayer.

As He was being baptized, His mind and His thoughts were upon His Heavenly Father.

This is another thing that gets our prayers into the throne room of God.

Baptism is the most significant act of discipleship and must be followed by a changed life.

This is where many churches fail today. There is no change in life.

God will not waste His “Grace” on those who will not change their lives!

Prayer is something we must all do!

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

*****Luk 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

God is pleased with us when we are obedient and following the steps that Jesus took to be obedient; we are on the right path to the Glory World.

1) When the Heavens opened up it showed us that God was approving the ministry of Jesus to begin, and it began that day.

2) When the Heavens opened up it showed John that prophecy was fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus is truly the Lamb of God.

Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

The Lord Jesus would soon give His life for us: Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the bodily shape of a dove.

We now get to see the Triune God.

God the Father speaking from Heaven, saying This is My Son.

The Holy Spirit(Ghost) descended from Heaven in the shape of a dove.

The Son of God receives the blessing of God.

Mar 1:9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Mar 1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

When we love the Lord, God will do things that tell us He is much more than just real.

Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

We begin to understand just how wonderful Heaven is going to be.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

*****Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

The Lord Jesus was about thirty years old in His body when He began His public service.

If He had tried to begin at an earlier age, no one would have paid much attention to Him.

Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

He is an heir to King David.

He is an heir to Abraham.

He is an heir to Adam.

He is the Godly Heir. He became the Messianic Prophet of God.

Amen

His name is Wonderful!

An Open Invitation

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Wisdom’s Invitation

Book of Proverbs Chapter 9

Without a doubt, the Bible is the place to find “wisdom” and “understanding” of the things in our lives today and the things going on in this world.

We can see much of God’s wisdom in His creations, especially in the nighttime sky. However, we can also see the great wisdom of God in childbirth and new life and all other of His creations.

He created humanity, we did not come from monkeys.

The theory of evolution is the doctrine of Athiests!

The Bible tells us that “wisdom” is the principal thing, or the most important thing, for understanding the things of this world and of course God’s World to come.

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The Bible says that without wisdom, we cannot even apply our hearts to understanding.

The Bible tells us where to find this wisdom:

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

So, what are these 7 pillars of wisdom so that we can build our house of understanding?

Let’s jump right into our lesson today.

*Pro 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

James, the Half-Brother of Jesus, gives these seven pillars of wisdom to us:

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

1) The wisdom from Heaven and God is first “Pure”:

In other words, these 7 pillars of wisdom must first be built upon Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ is our foundation for wisdom:

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Remember, it is not Peter that is the “Rock,” it is what Peter had just said!

Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

This can happen only one way:

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Without the purity of Jesus Christ, the other pillars will fall.

2) The wisdom from God is next “Peaceable”:

The Bible says:

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2Ti 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
2Ti 2:6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

3.) The man of wisdom must next be “Gentle”:

Every child of God must be a gentleman or gentlewoman.

Again, the Bible says:

Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

4) The man of wisdom must next be “Easy to Be Entreated”:

This is being reasonable when it comes understanding the Word of God.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

5) The man of wisdom must next be “Full of Mercy and Good Fruits”:

This is always helpful and considerate!

The Bible says:

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

6) The man of wisdom must next be “Without Partiality”

The word “race” is not in the Bible. The word “tongues” meaning languages suggests only other cultures, and “race” is irrelevant!

God does not look at the color of our skin; He looks into the heart.

The Bible says:

1Ti 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

7) And the man of wisdom must be without “Hypocrisy”

Again, the Bible says:

1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Being a Christian is not putting on a show, but “It Is” being sincere in speech and our actions.

We must be “doers of the Word,” not hearers only!

There is no “Wisdom without the Lord,” and your house of “Wisdom” will fall without these “Seven Pillars”!

Here again, we see wisdom in the sense of a female, and King Solomon shows us two females, or we could say hostesses serving up a meal to guests in their homes.

As we are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jehovah, we also have the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

With the wisdom of God as described by James, the stepbrother of our Lord Jesus, we begin to see that wisdom is the source of life-giving nourishment.

The woman of wisdom is the builder and the dweller of a beautiful house who has prepared her meal and sends her maids out to invite guests.

The woman of folly is pictured as a lewd woman who sits on a chair at the door of her house and lures passersby to come to her, and she has also prepared her feast.

True wisdom is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ: Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

*Pro 9:2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
Pro 9:3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
Pro 9:4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Pro 9:5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
Pro 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

All those who lack wisdom are searching for something, but they do not understand what it is.

They do not know that they need this wisdom to live, but are easily influenced by foolishness.

To accept the woman of wisdom is to have life and have it more abundantly; pleasure is not mentioned.

To accept the woman of folly means to enter into the realm of the dead. Pleasure is mentioned so she can hide the death that is in the end.

The woman of wisdom addresses all those who are without discernment to all who would attend.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Those who accept the invitation of the woman of wisdom, which results in a major life change.

They choose to forsake their foolish ways of the world and go in a different direction.

It is called to repent.

Wisdom’s house is not on the path to destruction but upon the road of life.

Those who are simple are those who are foolish, who are traveling on the road to destruction and every foolish way.

To accept the woman of wisdom is to make a choice.

To accept the foolish woman to remain on the path they are already traveling on the road of pleasure that leads to death.

*Pro 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Who are those who will now be called foolish? Those who reject the wisdom of God!

They are the scorners.
They are the wicked souls of mankind.

2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

There is no remedy for those who reject the wisdom of God.

Pro 15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

As we have found out, not many will accept the truth of the Messiah.

Not many will accept the truth of God.

Most people will refuse to change their lifestyles just because we tell them they must be saved.

They will get angry, and God’s messengers, and we know that Christian persecution is on the rise.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

They remain lost because they refuse to believe that they are lost!

There is only one path to tru life, and there can only be one path!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Then how are we to continue as the messengers of God?

*Pro 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Pro 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

1) Do not reprove or rebuke a mocker, someone who is unteachable and filled with pride.

The Lord Jesus said: Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

2) Rebuke only those who humbly acknowledge their sinful condition and accept that they need to repent of their sinful ways.

3) Instruct the wise, and they will grow wiser. This is discipleship.

4) Teach the righteous, and they will seek to know more.

5) We must all know the beginning point of wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord. We must trust the Lord as we begin a personal relationship with Him. We begin to know by experience as we see what He has done in our own lives.

Wisdom will reward its messengers.

*Pro 9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
Pro 9:12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

We must be real with ourselves! Every person will bear the consequences of the choices they make in this life!

Wise choices will produce good fruit.

Foolish choices will result in decay and death.

For all those who accept wisdom’s invitation will receive sweet fruit.

One of the rewards for accepting this wisdom is long life, many days, and additional years.

Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Pro 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand, riches and honour.

Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

We do not know how many more days or how many more years are still in the hands of God, but we know they all are.

Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Pro 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

We can be sure that the wisdom from Heaven will enrich every day we have left upon us.

What do we know for sure?

1) The Lord Jesus is building a house for all those who accept Him.
2) Our Father’s house can hold many mansions.
3) The Lord has extended an invitation to anyone who believes in the marriage supper of His Son.
4) The Lord Jesus Christ is the embodiment of wisdom.
5) Every believer is commissioned to deliver the Lord’s message to the world.
6) Every believer can expect to be persecuted in this world.
7) The way of the foolish is death!

*Pro 9:13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
Pro 9:14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
Pro 9:15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
Pro 9:16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Pro 9:17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
Pro 9:18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

The woman of Folly, the foolish, also has her house.

This woman is loud, boisterous, and noisy.

She is naive and gullible, and lacking in judgment.
She is prone to pitfalls. just like those who are taken by her.
She knows nothing.
She is ignorant of the truth.
She does not have good sense.
She is ignorant of the fear of the Lord.

She sits in her doorway to lure in her prey.
Her house sits on a hilltop, so she can be easily seen.
She loves to be seen and heard as passersby go past her.
Her house is neither spacious nor is it safe to enter.
She has prepared nothing for those who enter.
She is lazy and selfish.
She is always on the lookout for her next victim.
She always sits in the best location.
She calls out to all who pass by, even those who are minding their own business.
She invites them all into her house of doom, especially those who are trying to find her.
She lives on the road to destruction.
She especially tries to distract those who ignore her.
She finds many on this road to destruction who do not know where they are.
She targets those who are simple and lost.
She entices them all with her secret sin.

Her folly fulfills all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wisdom is a life built upon the “Fear of the Lord” and the repentance from our sin nature!

Folly is a life built upon the rejection of the Lord.

Jesus gives us a description of the sin that cannot be forgiven: Jhn_16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Jhn_16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Folly is a deceptive harlot and an unworthy wife.

She serves only water and makes it thrilling by the fact that she has stolen it.

There is no substance in her drink, nothing of lasting value.

There is good reason to believe that these things speak of immorality, but we will not go there for now.

She is wicked and immoral, and those she traps are doomed to Hell.

So, we can see this lesson is about the choices we make in this life.

The woman of wisdom and the woman of folly are both trying to capture souls.

If we choose wisdom, we will live wisely by building our lives around the “Fear of the Lord”.

We will turn away from all paths to destruction.

God will reward us!

If we choose folly, we will build our lives around sin, we will reject the Lord Jesus, and we will continue traveling that road to destruction.

We will remain separated from our Creator and our God!

The only choices that we need to make are:

1) Choose wisdom.
2) Choose Christ Jesus.
Choose Life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We should know that Satan is the king of folly.

Satan offers nothing to those caught up in his grasp.

He is a thief and a counterfeiter.

He takes what he steals from God and then corrupts it.

He will tell the same lies that he told Eve.

Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

We need to be aware of the choices we make in this life and just choose our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

A Memorial to Our Savior

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Instructions for Godly Worship

1 Corinthians Chapter 11: Verses 17-34

What is the greatest problem of the modern church today? The modern church gathers together not for the betterment of the church, but for the worse.

We are to come together to hear the message God has for us on that particular day and apply that message to our lives when we step back into the world.

We know that if we love the Lord, then He knows it.

We had better know that the reason we attend church is also known to the Lord!

Do we come to receive the instructions from Jehovah so that we can grow in the Lord?
Do we come out of curiosity?
Do we come to observe worldly interest?
Do we come without any preparation of heart?

Are we soon wearying of the services we attend?

Eze 14:2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

Do we love the Word of God or not?
Are we just partially convinced of the truth of God?
Do we stifle the Holy Spirit?

If we do not come together for the betterment of the Church and our lives, then we will come together for the worse!

This is highly displeasing to Jehovah!

Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

There are only two ordinances assigned to the Church.

One is Baptism.
The other is the Lord’s Supper.

Our lesson today is concentrated on the Lord’s Supper.

Here in the South, when the word supper is mentioned, it used to mean that the last meal of the day, when the whole family would come together to prepare for the end of the day and maybe plan a little for the next day.

For the Jews, that evening supper was the principal meal of the day.

The Lord’s Supper is something that is, for the most part, entirely different.

In our church, we say communion, and communion is fellowship with the Lord.
Communion is between the Lord Jesus Christ and His people.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

The Lord’s Supper is called the cup of blessing because in it there is fellowship with Jesus Christ and His disciples, and among the disciples with one another.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

Every child of God belongs to Jesus Christ, and we can enjoy our relationship with Him!

Only those who belong to Jesus Christ should take part in Communion.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to Philemon, communion means the good things in us that come by Jesus Christ.

Phm 1:4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
Phm 1:5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

*1Co 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

Paul begins his rebuke of the way this Corinthian Church was celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

As Independent Baptists, we only recognize two ordinances, which are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

An ordinance is an outward rite prescribed by Jesus Christ to be performed by His Church.

Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night of His crucifixion.

Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

This was the New Covenant in contrast with the old Mosaic Covenant.

Only through His death could this New Covenant be applied to the Church because it was the death of Christ that provided forgiveness of sins, which is discussed later in this lesson.

The Lord’s Supper is a memorial to the death of our Savior!

As we celebrate the memorial of our Savior, we must emphasize that we have faith that He died so that we could be forgiven.

This church in Corinth was even divided in this celebration, that is to remind us of what the Lord Jesus has already done for us.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

* 1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

These Corinthians were tragically abusing the Lord’s Supper!

When divisions are in any church, the Spirit of the Church is in disorder!

Minds and hearts are not upon the Lord but on the causes of this division.

Paul knew how these matters would grow and become rumors and exaggerations.

Paul understood there was great truth in the letter he had received from this church.

This church needed to work on its problems before it could be a true House of God.

None of these things could catch the Lord off guard or by surprise.

In fact, the Lord will allow these things to persist so the true believers can stand out in the turmoil.

These people who cause this division in any church will cause the love and truth of genuine believers to shine brightly, which is what verse 19 tells us.

No Spiritual unity can exist where there is no supreme affection for Jesus Christ.

We are all to unite with Jesus Christ because He is the Head of the Church.

It seems so many places of worship have forgotten this today.

The Lord’s Supper is our way of showing our faith in the Lord but here in Corinth it was perverted into a means of gluttony and drunkenness.

Today, we see churches that are perverted, Bibles that are perverted, and Christian ministries that are perverted.

The one good thing for the pastor of any church was that he could tell who were genuine Christians and those who were not.

*1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

This gathering of this church was meaningless to the Lord, and He would never be a part of such a gathering!

It is impossible to have a divided church and honor the Lord Jesus!

Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

When the early church observed the Lord’s Supper, they would incorporate it with what was called a “love feast”.

Everyone brought all the food they could in order that there would be plenty for everyone, including the poor and the slaves who could not bring very much.

The idea was to have a common meal where everyone shared, and everyone would have enough to eat.

This church at Corinth began to abuse the Supper. Instead of sharing, everyone sat off in their little group of friends and shared the food they brought only with that group.

Some were neglected and had very little to eat, if anything.
Some were indulging as gluttons, trying to make sure that group had nothing to eat.
Some treated the whole thing as a social gathering, bringing alcohol to drink off to the side and becoming drunk.

This was no longer a Christian fellowship, and there was no love shown to the brethren.

This was no celebration of the Lord’s Supper!

This celebration was meaningless and useless in furthering the Gospel and strengthening the Church.

This celebration ruined the testimony of this church.

Some outside the church who believed would talk about how Satan had accomplished so much in the church in such a short period of time.

Satan is working hard in many churches today!

Paul said you must despise the House of God to do such things.

Paul said Do you not have homes to do such things and not bring this inside the church.

They abused the sanctity of the Church.
They shamed the poor and the slaves who had little food.
They corrupted the Lord’s Supper.
They slapped the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They were proud of themselves.

A divided church is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul said, “How can I praise such a gathering in the House, the Lord Jesus has built”?

1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Paul tells this church the truth of the Lord’s Supper.

*1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come

What is the real meaning of the Lord’s Supper?

The Lord’s Supper involves our looking back to the historical event of the cross and anticipating His return, which could happen any day now.

The Lord’s Supper is a communion of believers with each other.

1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

At the Lord’s Supper, we will all eat and drink the same symbolic elements of the body of our Lord as we become the Body of Christ in common faith!

**What is the meaning of the bread? Jesus said: “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me”.

We must remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Glory of God!

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The Lord Jesus took part in His final meal Himself. He was standing there with His disciples, who would become the Apostles.

That bread symbolized the Lord’s body.

**In passing the cup, Jesus said: “This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me”.

Jesus did not say this was His blood, but it symbolized His blood, just as it was a symbol of the New Covenant God has made with mankind.

His body had to be broken for this New Covenant to take place, and it was broken for all mankind, but especially for those who love Him.

The Lord Jesus substituted His body for my body on that cross and the body of every sinner who has ever lived and will live in the future, though that future may now be short.

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

**The Lord did these things for us, and of the bread He said: “This do in remembrance of me”

Of the cup He said: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me”.

This means we are to stir up our minds to meditate upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God.

The Old Covenant, the Old Testament, is set aside, and this New Covenant is the blood of Jesus Christ and not the blood of bulls and goats.

Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Every church is to set time aside to observe the Lord’s Supper, which is to concentrate our minds upon our Savior.

His death.
His return.

Jesus Christ died for us that we might live for Him!

We must understand that there can be severe consequences for taking part in the Lord’s Supper unworthily!

*1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

We know that Paul has sent this letter by Timothy to preach to the Corinthian church, but this letter would be preached to every Christian church of that day, and we have a copy of it today.

We know that if we have sin in our hearts, God will not answer our prayers.

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

In partaking of the Lord’s Supper, we must understand its purpose.

Psa_116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Psa 116:14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

The same night of the Lord’s Supper, we know that He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

If we partake of the Lord’s Supper with sin in our lives, then we are not saved by the “grace” of God, we have not accepted the New Covenant of God, and we have partaken of the Lord’s Supper unworthily.

The Lord Jesus died for our sins; He had no sin.

The Lord’s Supper shows forth His death until He returns!

This event commemorates the death of our Savior.

1) Not His life, for He lived in holiness without sin.
2) Not His teaching, though He spoke in Divine Truth.
3) Not His miracles, though He walks in mercy.
4) But His death, not glorious, but broken. His blood, not flowing through His veins, but shed for all mankind.

The Lord’s Supper is when we see our own sins laid upon Him
The Lord’s Supper is when we see our souls washed by Him.
The Lord’s Supper is when we see our doom reversed by Him.
The Lord’s Supper is when we see our lives secured by Him.

So, we must show forth His death till He comes.

The eleven disciples who remained became more faithful witnesses after the Lord’s Supper, and we should also, if we can see how great our salvation is.

Those who partake of the Lord’s Supper unworthily put the Lord in open shame.

Heb 6:4 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,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 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.

Those who have no concept of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His death in payment for our sin, and partake of the Lord’s Supper show irreverence of the body and the blood of the Son of God, will stir the judgment of God the Father.

It sounds serious because it is serious!

1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

*1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

If we know we have unconfessed sin, we should not take part in the two ordinances of the Church, and certainly not the Lord’s Supper.

If we take that word “judgment” to mean “discern,” we need to examine ourselves to make sure we are not living in sin or carrying some unconfessed sin in our hearts; we must certainly not take part in the Lord’s Supper.

We must confess our sin and repent of that sin, knowing that God will chasten us, but He chastens us out of His love for us. If we continue in sin, we may be running the risk of being judged with the unbelievers.

We must share and demonstrate our love by putting others first, serving one another.

We must not bring condemnation upon ourselves. We must repent of our old life. We must change what we have been doing.
We can eat our meals at home, but the Lord’s Supper is for those who truly trust in the salvation plan of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jonah realized His sin, he cried unto the Lord with these words: Jon 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Amen

Living By Love

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Claiming Rights and Living by Love

Book of 1 Corinthians, Chapters 8 and 9

In this lesson, we will see the contrast between knowledge and love.

We know the Word of God provides us with the knowledge of how to live our lives according to the Word of God.

God has a response to every question we have in this life, no matter what it is!

The City of Corinth was a pagan city, full of idolatry.

Most of the meat sold in the marketplaces had been offered in sacrifice to idols, pagan gods.

A portion of a sacrifice was offered as a burnt offering to a false god; the person who offered the meat would get a portion, and the rest of the meat would be sold in the marketplaces.

Practically every social event in Corinth served meat that had been offered as a sacrifice to false gods.

What was a Christian to do when they went shopping for meat for their own families?

They had no idea where that meat came from, just as we have no idea when we go shopping for meat for our own families today.

There were also great social functions in the city, and many of them were held in the temples built for the worship of these false gods.

Could a Christian attend these events and eat the meals that were served, knowing that the meat might have been offered to false gods?

Many felt that it was wrong to buy meat that had been offered to false gods, but they could not tell if the meat they bought had been used as a sacrifice or if the meat came from some other source.

For this reason, many Christian believers became vegetarians.

Just as these Corinthians, Christians of today live amid a sinful and pleasure-mad world, and we will have questions.

These Corinthians wrote a letter to the Apostle Paul seeking answers to these questions, and the Church of today has those answers.

The greatest questions of today are about Christian freedoms.

Are we free to do as we please?

What restraints are put on Christian Liberty?

What controls our behavior in this wicked world?

What is Christian love?

Today, we have the complete Word of God, and it gives us all the answers we need to live in this life.

*1Co 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
1Co 8:2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
1Co 8:3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

We must understand the three Christian graces which are Faith, Hope and Charity!

Faith is the vision of the unseen: Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This is our trust in God.

Hope is our desire to be with our Creator: Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Charity (love) is the necessary condition of our dwelling with God and God in us: 1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

We know that God is love: 1Jn_4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn_4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

God loved us when we were worthless to Him, and we must strive to love like God loves and show that love not only to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to those we witness to.

It will be our love that will define us as Christians in the end!

Then, we need to first judge all things by love and not by knowledge.

We all have knowledge if we study the Bible and attend a Bible believing Church, but we all may not have the love of God within us as we go through this world.

The knowledge we have learned may come forth as pride, and our pride may interfere with our love.

It is our love that must define our bodies as a Temple of God!

We certainly have much more knowledge about God’s creations, but it is by no means perfect knowledge.

We have much knowledge about the true Church, but it is love that builds the Church.

It is good to have clear views of Christian liberty, but if we exercise that knowledge without love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, then that knowledge is not fruitful for the Body of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is not given to us to do as we please!

We have the Holy Spirit living within us to give us freedom to serve the Lord Jesus, which is perfect freedom.

We are free to obey all the Word of God.

We are free from the law of sin and death: Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

We have complete freedom to do the things that are in God’s will for us.

When God created this world, we live in, He said that it was all good.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

No actions of any Saint of God are unlawful if they are in accordance with God’s design in creation.

We should understand that desires are a function of our bodies that God made. So, in this sense, we have complete freedom.

1) We must understand that many things in this world are neither worthwhile nor are they profitable.
2) We must understand that many things in this world are not wise. Some things will enslave us and not bring self-respect.

We are never to become slaves to anything on this earth, which would include such things as drugs or alcohol, or substance abuse.

We are to preserve our self-control to control the things upon this earth and not be controlled by any of them.

Our good health and our emotions depend upon us being in control of our bodies and our spirits.

Indulgence in any of the appetites of the body is one of the greatest sins of any believer.

Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Our knowledge is useless if it is not bound by love for each other!

It is love that unites us with Jehovah.

If we love Jehovah, then He knows it and accepts it.

We are not accepted by God because of our knowledge!

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

*1Co 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
1Co 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

As Christians, we know that there is no God but Jehovah.

We know that no idol is God and is nothing in this world, no matter what their worshippers may think.

There is no God but One, and He is Jehovah.

False gods are gods of the mind and imagination, ideas and notions.

They are gods made of wood and stone.

They are gods and lords of their own creation.

We could all sit down and think about what a perfect God should be, but we do not even know what perfect really means; we just know that our Savior is perfect and He is a perfect God.

We know that an idol is created because the Devil has influenced the mind of that person.
We know that an idol could represent the demons and evil spirits in our world.

1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

There is indeed demonic influence in our world.

Even the powers of nature are worshipped as gods.

Even the Roman emperors claimed to be gods.

As Christians, we know that all these so-called gods do not exist except in the minds of some foolish people.

We know that there is, but one God and He is our Creator.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

There are just far too many in our world who have not met the Lord Jesus Christ.

*1Co 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
1Co 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

We already know that this church in Corinth was full of baby Christians and was full of division.

They had not understood the truth of Jehovah.

They had many times eaten of this sacrificial meat and had visited the temples of false gods and taken part in the big banquets.

To them, to continue to do these things had to be a sin against Jehovah and apostasy.

It was their conscience that was weak. They just could not accept that this meat could be clean.

They could not tell what meat came from which source, so to them all the meat was unclean.

Too many, they just did not ask the source of the meat, and they just took it home and ate their conscience free and clear of any wrong.

We can see a lack of faith by those who became vegetarians.

They were not strong enough spiritually to control their minds and beliefs.

Act 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Act 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

Food is immaterial to God. Food does not make us more spiritual or less spiritual.

The eating of food does not make us acceptable to God nor does it better or worse.

We lose nothing by not eating and we gain nothing by eating.

Some would tell you that this same line of thought would apply to wine or alcohol, but the Scripture never said wine was clean.

Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Pro 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Isa 5:22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Isa 5:23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Isa 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

There are many more places in the Scriptures concerning wine and alcohol.

We understand that there is such a thing as Christian Freedom, so the question of real importance is, “What effect will our conduct have on others”?

*1Co 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1Co 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
1Co 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

Some people use verse 8 to say “fasting” is not needed for a Christian, because of the words “but meat commendeth us not to God”, but this would be a wrong interpretation.

We do have liberties as true Christians, but we are in sin if we lead anyone to do that which he thinks is wrong.

We make things worse for the “babe in Christ” by our example if we teach them to act in contradiction of their conscience.

God has revealed Himself through conscience; Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Conscience may be regarded as an inward monitor or the voice of God in the soul, that passes judgment on men’s response to the moral law.

We can study the Bible and learn every prophecy and think we know all that we can about Jehovah, but if we do not use these things to benefit others, such as babes in Christ, then these things will not bring the blessings of the Lord but rather reproach for the cause of Christ.

No matter how great a Christian we think we are, we must not become a stumbling block to a new Christian and especially to that one who left the Church before they experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Note that phrase in verse nine: “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumblingblock to them that are weak”.

To the world, the Church is already a place full of hypocrites, so why would we ever make matters worse?

When Christians are seen out in public doing questionable things, others are sometimes influenced by the things they see us do, but in the wrong way.

We must never forget that none of us are so Spiritual that we cannot fall.

*1Co 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

There is no greater sin for the Christian than to damage the conscience of another believer!

A wounded conscience will make any person feel useless and helpless and may destroy their drive and initiative, and ambition.

Jesus Christ died for us in our weakness. If we lead some poor soul astray, we have committed a terrible sin against the truth of Jesus Christ.

What had the Lord Jesus told the Apostle Paul on his day of salvation?

Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Any persecution of any believer is the same as persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ!

*1Co 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

We must understand that we have no value in ourselves, but because of the work of Jesus Christ, we are valuable in Heaven!

If we are striving to be more like Jesus Christ, then we must remember what He has said: Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Our love for our brothers and sisters should mean that we will self-sacrifice for their welfare.

In the Church, we will influence more people by example than we will influence by our knowledge!

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

*1Co 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
1Co 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
1Co 9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1Co 9:23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

We can see that the Apostle enslaved himself to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As did the Lord Jesus: Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

We talk about Christian freedom, and we have certain freedoms, but we are free to walk with the Lord.

When we walk with the Lord, we are not as likely to return to the bondage of this world, which is bondage to the Devil.

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.

This passage may apply more to preachers or pastors, but it also applies to every Christian.

The one purpose of following the Lord Jesus is to reach out to the lost and be a witness for Christ.

Paul said he was free from all men, but he had enslaved himself by love to serve one another.

As we are free because of Jesus Christ, we are not obligated to conform to the world’s opinions.

We are never to compromise our convictions, but we must show the love of God to those we are trying to witness to.

We must remember our humble Shepherd and how He treated everyone He met, no matter their walk in life.

Paul obeyed the laws of Moses when he witnessed to Jews, as did the Lord, as long as nothing violated his walk with Christ.

This is a great example for the Church today.

We are free to do all things that do not violate the Law of God.

Though Paul would be obedient to the Law of Moses as best he could, he did not compel any Gentile to do the same.

Paul would go along with the customs of the Gentiles that were not in violation of the Laws of God.

Paul would go along with babes in Christ and refrain from doing some things that he had the Christian freedom to do.

Paul would not become a stumbling block to anyone seeking Jesus Christ!

The most important “grace” we have in our possession is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Mar 10:43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Mar 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

No true Pastor or preacher, or even a Christian believer, can approach the Christian life with a bad attitude.

*1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but onereceiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1Co 9:27 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.

One of the great festivals of the Greeks took place in Corinth during the Isthmian Games in honor of Poseidon, which took place every three years.

When Paul mentioned the word race, these people knew what he was talking about.

No racer entered those games determined to lose, knowing that only one would be crowned the victor.

To be honest, it is the race itself that brings excitement and not always the winner.

As Christians, we all enter the Christian race to be winners, and we can know that our journey to Heaven will be exciting if we put our hearts into it.

God expects us to run and run hard!

Php 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

A racer will spend much time preparing his body for that one day of the race.

He will prepare his body.
He will prepare his mind.
He will prepare his spirit.

As Christians, we must be just as disciplined as these athletes.

A true athlete will not put anything into his body that is corrupt or polluted.

Remember, our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

We must control our minds and our thoughts, and we must give in to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

That crown we receive from Heaven is far greater than any crown we could receive on this earth.

We must make every time we witness count toward salvation, even if we water where someone else has planted the seed.

We cannot allow our bodies to dictate our actions.

As we age, our bodies will tell us it is just too tired to do anything and has too much pain.

God will not accept this as an excuse!

We are not to be slaves to our bodies; our bodies must be a slave to our work for the Lord!

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

That cross is a sign of pain and death, but we must overcome it because we can never die, and that cross will drive us to success.

To give in to our bodies is to be disqualified from the race!

We will struggle with sin all our days, but we cannot allow sin to dictate our actions.

There is nothing that we do that can separate us from the love of God.

Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Amen

Lawsuits and Loose Living

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Lawsuits and Loose Living

1 Corinthians Chapter 6

As we learned last week, there must be discipline in the Church that belongs to Jesus Christ. If we are not willing to discipline sinful members, we are not being obedient to the Word of God, and we are lacking in faith.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Today, we get into another subject about church members and the saints of God.

A “lawsuit” is described as a suit in law for the recovery of a supposed right, a process in law instituted by a party to compel another to do him justice.

We simply say legal disputes.

We should understand that this passage deals only with disputes between Christian brothers and sisters.

It has nothing to do with unbelievers or disputes between unbelievers!

In the end, we will see that a true believer might ought to suffer wrong rather than risk doing wrong.

The Apostle Paul will lead us through this thought, one question at a time.

The first question.

*1Co 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

What Paul is saying is: “How dare you saints of God go to unbelievers to settle any issue you have with another saint of God”?

A Christian can expect no justice from unbelievers, and two Christians might easily decide small matters in a private and friendly manner.

There is no real reason why two believers should not be able to settle a dispute themselves!

Believers should not be disputing and arguing over rights and authority, nor the things and possessions of this world.

Christians are to use the things they have possession of to further the cause of Christ.

Paul called those secular laws unjust, and most of those judges were ruled by Rome or appointed by Rome and were certainly unjust.

Christians were hated in most places, and it would be hard for Christians to get a fair trial.

In reality, when believers try to settle disputes with other believers before the world, it damages the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught: Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

If we truly love one another, we will not cause each other harm in any way.

Christians have the Holy Spirit living within them, and the fruit of the Spirit is:

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Those Christians who do not possess the “Fruit” of the Spirit may not be saved.

The word “fruit” is singular, so each Christian should possess all the traits that are mentioned here.

The world is a terrible place because it does not have the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

When Christians take their disputes with other Christians to the world, we make the Lord Jesus look foolish.

He has already given us the means of solving issues with each other.

Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The problems in any church can be resolved if we live and learn as the Word of God instructs us.

Our lifestyle must not resemble the lifestyle of the world!

*1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

What Paul is saying is that all this information is in the Bible; if you would just read and study it, you would know what God said about all these things.

This verse tells us that believers are to judge “all disputes” between themselves.

We should be able to judge the smallest matters, which are the things that pertain to this life.

We must never take these things to the world!

We will one day judge the world!

We will one day judge and govern angels in the next world, which we may not understand as of yet.

We lower ourselves and lose our dignity as the saints of God when we take our church problems to the world!

The word judge as it is used here means to govern and administer the affairs of the Church, which the world is to have no part of.

Jesus Christ told the Apostles that they would oversee Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Paul tells the Church that we will govern and oversee the Gentiles during the Millennial Kingdom.

Dan 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

There may be judging, which is governing, supervision, and oversight throughout eternity.

Verse 2 says the world will be judged by the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of.

Those who reject the Lord Jesus will never live the life of a Christian, so how could they ever judge the life of a Christian?

Judgment can only come when the Word of God is the “Standard” for all laws.

This “Standard” is rejected by the world of today!

We should be able to judge the things of this life!

*1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

If we care for the Lord Jesus Christ, we would suffer ourselves rather than bring reproach to the Christian name!

Unbelievers are as nothing to the Church.
Unbelievers are of no account in judging matters in the Church.
Unbelievers are not held in high esteem within the Church.
Unbelievers have no standing in the Church.

Why would we ever take matters of the Church to an unbeliever?

They do not live the life of Christ, nor do they intend to.

They do not have the Holy Spirit to rely on!

This Church at Corinth had fallen from Grace and needed to return to the truth of God.

When problems arise between believers about everyday things, other believers ought to be able to give solutions.

These things did not require any Spiritual insight to come to the proper conclusion.

*1Co 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
1Co 6:6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

Salvation is our great deliverance from the guilt and pollution of sin and can only be accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Once we are saved, we find that the things of this world have little, or no value as compared to the things of Heaven.

Knowing this, why in the world would we take our issues with other brothers and sisters to a court of non-believers?

Surely there are plenty of people in the Church who are competent to settle such disputes.

If we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask God!

Jas_1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

There should be nothing that comes between two children of God that needs to be settled in a court of unbelievers!

If we feel that outside courts would be better able to handle simple disputes between two Christians, it only proves that their worldliness is stronger than their Christianity.

We are also saying that there are no wise men in the Church who understand our problem.

Then we do not accept that the wisdom of God is far superior to the wisdom of this world!

*1Co 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
1Co 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

Rather than cause friction in the Church, why not just give in?

Why not suffer being wronged and cheated rather than wronging or cheating another brother in Christ?

Just going to an outside court is defeating the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Just going outside the Church ruins our testimony for Jesus Christ.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

1Pe 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
1Pe 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

Obviously, these things concern disputes between two members of the same church and not the broken laws of the world.

No doubt that some of these Corinthians were guilty.
They wanted some of the things their brothers had.
They did not steal them outright but sought them by outside legal means.
The world may have called it legal, but they were cheating and stealing from God and God would deal with them.

The Lord Jesus said: Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man:

Can church members who do such things really be saved?

We can surely say they are unrighteous, and we could question their character.

*1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

We should be able to see that some of these things are things that God will condemn and reject.

We can expect that nothing can save a person who practices these sins.

We cannot defy God and get into His House!

As Christians, we should know these things!

Since God is righteous, His Church must be righteous to be accepted by Him!

Many people profess religion.
Many people practice religion.
Many people talk about religion.
Many people defend their beliefs about religion.

So, they live their lives according to religion.

However, Christianity is not about religion but is about a “relationship” with God!

God’s “Grace” is not given to us as a free ticket to sin.

There are very few people in the many churches who think that God will reject them!

Most church members think God will accept them, and many of them are wrong.

The Lord Jesus taught by parables, and there is one we should pay attention to.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

If this oil represents the Holy Spirit, then Jesus is saying that only about half of the Church is truly saved.

Remember, God will judge the Church before He judges this world!

Many believe that deception sins are not fatal, but they seem to forget what being a Christian is about.

2Jn_1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

God simply says that none of these persons shall inherit the Kingdom of God.

We should know these things!

*1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

If we truly give ourselves to the Lord Jesus, then those sins of our old life have been forgiven, and God will never bring them up in our relationship!

Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

We cannot be saved by anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

We can then be “Born Again” into the family of God!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We were once dead in trespasses and sins: Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

We cannot approach God without faith: Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

That faith must be in the work that the Lord Jesus Christ did to save us: Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The Lord will save everyone who calls upon Him with a pure heart!

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We know what we were before we met Jesus Christ, and when we see others doing those same things or similar things, then we know they are not saved.

This is not judging, this is knowing them by their fruit!

We cannot say we are saved unless we have a salvation experience!

It is a once-for-all event because the Scriptures tell us this.

We are not to return to the world, and its sin pollution. The worst of all pollution.

God the Father takes our “faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ and counts our faith as righteousness.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We do not have any righteousness of our own.
We are still imperfect.
We know we are short of God’s glory.

We must surrender our new life to God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and worship Him.

It is these things that honor God the Father, and He will gift us with God the Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our past.
The Lord Jesus takes care of our present.
The Lord Jesus takes care of our future.

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Are all things now lawful to us as the Saints of God?

*1Co 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

The Holy Spirit is not given to us to do as we please!

We have the Holy Spirit living within us to give us freedom to serve the Lord Jesus, which is perfect freedom.

We are free from the law of sin and death: Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

We have complete freedom to do the things that are in God’s will for us.

When God created this world, we live in He said that it was all good.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

No actions of any Saint of God are unlawful if they are in accordance with God’s design in creation.

We should understand that desires are a function of our bodies that God made. So, in this sense, we have complete freedom.

1) We must understand that many things in this world are neither worthwhile nor are they profitable.
2) We must understand that many things in this world are not wise. Some things will enslave us and not bring self-respect.

We are never to become slaves to anything on this earth, which would include such things as drugs or alcohol, or substance abuse.

We are to preserve our self-control to control the things upon this earth and not be controlled by any of them.

Our good health and our emotions depend upon us being in control of our bodies and our spirits.

Indulgence in any of the appetites of the body is one of the greatest sins of any believer.

Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they (sinners, the unsaved) do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Paul adds: 1Co 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

**1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Amen

The Family of God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Schoolmaster Is No Longer Needed

Book of Galatians Chapter 3 Verse 19 through 29

As we read these Epistles to the Galatians, we can ask why the Laws of Moses were then given.

We know there were teachers in the Galatians church who taught that a person must be justified, and we must.

1) They taught that if that person did the very best he could and honestly tried to obey the Law of God and do much good then he could be justified.

2) if that person practiced religion, by keeping all the rituals, keeping all the ceremonies, keeping all the rules of the church, then he could be justified.

3) If he submitted to the basic ritual of the church, circumcision, church membership, baptism, and whatever else they thought of, they could be justified.

None of these things are bad things, but keeping these things will not justify anyone in the eyes of God!

Only the Lord Jesus Christ can justify any individual!

The Lord Jesus said you could wrap up all the 613 laws of the Jews into two laws:

Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Then Jesus said:

Jhn_14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Jhn_15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

It is only by love that we can show our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is only by love that we can show we truly believe in the Son of God!

When we truly love someone, we would never do anything to harm them in any way, and we would listen to what they say.

It is in our believing, truly believing, in the work God’s Son has done for our salvation, that we can be justified!

When everything in this world goes sour, our faith must remain in the Lord Jesus Christ who died, so that we can live.

If we cannot believe that God has everything under His control, we will never trust Him.

This is where our faith kicks in.

The fundamental act that saves anyone is “faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the will of God for every individual on this earth? It is the will of God that all mankind be saved.

1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

This is why the Devil tries to keep us at odds with one another.

God the Father accepts our faith for righteousness just as He did Abraham.

1) The law was given to make us aware of sin.
2) The law was only temporary.
3) The law was not given by God, but through a mediator, therefore it is inferior.
4) The Law has no power to give life.
5) The law declares that the whole world is a prisoner to sin.

The law is usually a designation of the law God gave to Moses.

1) There is civil law which is given for the responsibility of neighbors.
2) There is the ceremonial law which legislated Israel’s worship life.
3) There is the moral law which we call the Ten Commandments.

It is the Ten Commandments which God identified as God’s timeless standards of right and wrong.

In all the Jews had 619 laws covering everything in their life.

We must understand that it is by “Sound Doctrine” that we will see life-changing behavior that is based upon love.

1Jn 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1Jn 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

We know that love has just about left our world, and this world has become a place where lust dominates people’s behavior.

Eph_2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

This is easy to see, and abortion is the result of lust.
Lust is the power behind all immorality!

We need to take these things seriously for without love we see nothing, but compromise and we just cannot compromise the truth of God with the ways of this world as we see going on today.

Just how do we know that by the Law no one can be seen as righteous?

*Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

1) The law condemns so it cannot give life.
2) The law was temporary commencing with national life of the Jewish people.
3) The law was not given immediately, like the promises to Abraham, but by mediator, Moses, in the presence of angels.
4) The law was a contract between God and man, with life depending on the total fulfillment of its terms and not like a promise.

The law was added but not to interfere with God’s Promise to Abraham.

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The law was only the knowledge of sin!

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

That sin could appear as sin! Most people know what sin looks like even if they will not admit it.

Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

The strength of sin is the law!

1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

The law was not given to restrain or to punish sin, nor to show us how evil this world has become.

The laws are given to show us that evil is already in this world and is very active in this world.

If our politicians would only understand this, they would go back to the Ten Commandments to make us aware of just how wicked and evil our world is today.

We already know that “seed” which was to come, is in fact, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Promised Messiah.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The seed of Abraham is the same seed of the woman! It was no accident that both of these passages use the same singular form of the word seed.

We can also say that the seed of the snake, who was taken over by Satan, will show up one day as the Antichrist which may not be far off.

In fact, he may already be on the scene. We should also understand that Satan has had a wicked individual ready from day one because he does not know what day the Lord will return.

We could name off all sorts of wicked and evil men, but we all know this is true.

1Jn_2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1Jn_2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn_4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2Jn_1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The law was ordained by angels:

Deu 33:1 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
Deu 33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
Deu 33:3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
Deu 33:4 Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

This was the teaching given to all the Jews:

Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Act 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Act 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

Of course, we know that this was Stephen, and these Jews picked up stones and murdered a great man of the early church.

The Apostle Paul was aware of what happened to Stephen because he was an eyewitness though he never threw one stone.

Paul did not know for sure if this same thing might happen to him.

Gal 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

The leaders of the Church in Jerusalem were solid in their convictions, as was the Apostle Paul and we must be the same.

The law was added because of transgressions, till the “seed”, the Messiah, should come.

Once the Messiah came the law was to be set aside!

Now the perfect life that Jesus led is our model on how we are to live because only the Lord Jesus had the willpower to keep all those laws in what was referred to as “The Law”.

We know that the Law is still in place for all the unbelieving world!

*Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

The fact that the “giving of the law” a mediator was needed marks the nature of that transaction as a compact entered into between two parties.

The law came from God, but it was given by angels and then from angels to mankind.

Deu 33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.

Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

A Mediator implies that there were two parties God and man.

Then Moses became that mediator between God and man.

The law was given secondhanded, but not the promise of God.

When mankind broke the covenant of the law, then the law had no meaning other than good words to live by!

The God of promises is One and only One. Grace came as a gift to whosoever has the faith to reach out and receive it.

The Giver is everything and the receiver is nothing.

God the Father is the Bestower of the free gift to this entire world, and because He worked His Grace through His Son, is all we need to know.

Is the Law then against the promises of God?

*Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

If God was the author of both the law and the promises, how can they be an opposition.

The Apostle answers: If the law had given life, then there would be no need for the promises.

Life was forfeited by sin, by breaking the law came death!

The law was only words and rules!

The law only injected the idea of behavior into the mind of man!

As the descendants of Adam and Eve all we know is to rebel against the laws of God.

The law demands obedience, but it leaves us on our own to comply or not to comply.

The Lord Jesus Christ was the only person who fulfilled the covenant of the law between God and mankind.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

God had to poor Himself into the flesh of a man and then die to accomplish this for us.

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

It is the life of Jesus, that is now our standard for living, and not any law!

*Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

If we have a Bible written according to “Received Text” then that Bible will teach us that we are all sinners.

That word concluded means: “leaves no means to escape”.

God says if we search all the Scriptures, we will find no other way to please God beyond ‘Grace”.

This verse shows us all, that there is no other way to get to Heaven except by the “Grace of God”!

Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

From the time we are born till the time we die, we are all lawbreakers and all under the penalty of sin!

In fact, we are all as prisoners under solitary confinement as in a dungeon with no hope for life outside that cell.

The one purpose the law had was, to encourage all mankind to seek Jesus Christ, that is, righteousness by “Faith”.

When we believe the work that Jesus did for our salvation, then Jesus will judge us righteous and each believer becomes a “partaker of the Divine nature of God!

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Before the Lord Jesus paid the price required for our sin, His blood, we had no means to become righteous in the eyes of God.

We can see it took the Apostle Paul some time to straighten this church out after they had received some False teachings in their midst.

Faith in Christ frees us from the penalties of the law.
Faith in Christ makes us the children of God.
Faith in Christ makes us one with God.
Faith in Christ makes us heirs to the promises of God.

*Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

In a real sense, the law is a prison for all mankind!

We can all understand the full “Gospel” revelation of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

The law is nothing more than a prison that binds us.

1) The law shows us exactly where we fail.
The law shows us exactly where we come short in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

The laws tell us to do this and we in rebellion do that.

It is like a speed limit sign. When we pass that set speed we are breaking the law. It is really very simple to understand, and we only have to do it one time.

2) The law accuses and condemns us.

Just as soon as we break the law, we are charged for it.

The law is in black and white and there are no gray areas.

We cannot say we did not break the law because that just drives us deeper into sin.

Breaking the law leads to a life of conviction.

There is no way we can know how many are running from the law today because they know they are guilty.

3) The law has no life and no power to deliver anyone from the punishment due him.

The law cannot deliver anyone from their sin.

The bond to the law is perpetual. That person is guilty until the day they die, and the punishment is established.

The only hope for man is for someone to appear with the power to release him before he faces that judgment.

That someone has appeared, and His name is Jesus.

We who need to be set free must accept His deliverance.

The choice is ours! We can accept Him, or we can reject Him.

if we do not believe that Jesus has the power to free us from our bondage then He will not!

It is only “faith” that can give us the answer!

The law was nothing more than a Schoolmaster, or a Guardian, to lead us to know that we need Christ.

In the day of Paul, the Guardian was a trusted slave who had one job and that was to deliver the child they cared for to the Schoolmaster, then at the end of the day he would bring that child back to safety.

This is what the law was supposed to do but the law had no power to do this.

The law shows us that we cannot obtain righteousness by ourselves.

We need to look to Jesus Christ, and we can be justified by our faith.

Only, ONLY Jesus Christ can bring us face to face with God on good terms, the terms of Grace.

The law can only take us to bondage!

The law only points to us as the children of the Devil.

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

*Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

How do we know that we are justified by faith, and not by the law, and not by doing the best we can?

Because faith makes us the children of God!

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

God is stirred to adopt us because of the work of His Son.

Faith causes us to focus on the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ.

God will accept everyone who focuses on His Son Jesus.

God will not accept those who reject His Son Jesus.

This is exactly what the Scriptures say, so why are so many in this world confused? False Teaching and False Preaching.

When we honor the Son of God, God is well pleased!

When we say the word righteousness then, we are talking about the Lord Jesus Christ.

By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, we become the children of God, and our Baptism was the sign of this relationship, though Baptism is not a requirement for our salvation.

Baptism would be one of the first works we would do after our salvation.

Once the Schoolmaster is no longer needed it is the life of Jesus Christ that becomes our Schoolmaster.

Jesus is the pattern of what every person should be!

When we give our faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, God clothes us in the righteousness of His Son until the day we receive our glorified bodies.

When God looks down on us from Heaven, He only sees the righteousness of His Son, and He accepts us as His own children.

If we belong to Jesus Christ, if we are a part of Him, who is the promised Seed, then we are the seed of Abraham. We are heirs according to the promise given to Abraham.

We can call this adoption because we are placed as sons and daughters. After all, Jesus is the Son of God.

We should understand that our Heavenly Father has complete power over His children as long as He lives, and He can never die.

Adoption is a serious thing!

Adoption is a permanent thing!

Those who are adopted have all the rights of Jesus Christ the only Son of God.

Those who are adopted have lost all rights in their old family and therefore a “new person”, so new that old debts and obligations connected with their former family are canceled out and abolished as if they never existed.

This is the meaning of being adopted into the family of God.

We have a new relationship with God.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We have a new Father!

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

We have a special relationship with all our other brothers and sisters.

Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

We just become a new person.

Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

We are ready to meet the One who gave us all these things when He died on Mount Calvary and then arose from that death.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

*Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Our faith in Jesus Christ makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one in Christ.

We are all together the Bride of Christ.

We all stand on equal footing at the feet of Christ!

The Lord Jesus Christ reaches out and embraces every believer, and it does not matter that we are so different from Him.

He treats us as His equal though we can never be His equal!

When we look at other believers, we know to treat them as our equals, and we all are equal.

When we look at other believers, we should be able to see the righteousness of Christ in them as God the Father sees in us.

We pay no attention to the color of their skin, their nationality, their sex, their social status, or any other difference.

Psa 119:63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

*Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

To be justified by faith we become heirs of the promises to Abraham!

Abraham was to receive God’s blessings which include God’s acceptance, God’s righteousness, and eternal life in the New Heaven and the New Earth as a child of God.

Amen

The Curse of the Law

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Curse of the Law and Redemption in Christ

Book of Galatians Chapter 3 verses 10 through 18

We must understand that to be righteous, we must live by faith!

As we continue in this Chapter, we will see that Paul continues with the example of faith by Abraham.

We cannot live in this world without faith and certainly will not have eternal life without faith in the Word of God.

Today, it takes a lot of faith just to step outside the safety of our homes and go to work or anywhere.

We must first have faith that the automobile will take us where we need to go.

When we lose faith in that car then most of us will trade it or at least get another one.

Most of us who have a weapon have one because of the lawlessness we see in this world.

Our own nation is not as safe as it used to be, and we have more laws than we ever had.

As a child, we could walk to meet our friends or walk to town and not worry about harm.

We would walk to school without worry.

Our children and grandchildren do not have this same safety, and protection becomes necessary even in the safety of our homes.

Laws are useless to those who will not obey them.

The Liberals in our nation do not understand this, yet they shield themselves from this lawlessness with walls, guards, and all sorts of weaponry that they want to deny us, the average taxpayer.

Lawlessness is increasing in our nation, and we see no end to it!

We left last week’s lesson seeing that God’s blessing comes to those who have “faith” in the Word of God.

Abraham’s righteousness came from his faith in what God had told him!

If God’s blessings come by obedience, then we can see that God’s curse will come by disobedience!

Therefore, the Laws of man put mankind under a curse just as the Laws of Moses did to the Jews.

We cannot say that these laws are all bad, it is the lawbreakers who are bad!

The word curse means; to be condemned and doomed to punishment by the righteous judgment of God.

Let’s put God’s curse into His words.

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
2Pe 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

When does this judgment take place? At our death and it is immediate even though the final judgment will come till the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

All those who deny the Lord Jesus as our Savior will wait in Hell until the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, then they will face Him in judgment.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The thing about death is we never know when our death will come.

We live in fragile bodies of flesh, and we had better know that God the Father has both life and death in His hands.

So, why does the Law put a curse on mankind? Disobedience.

*Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Why does the Law have such a curse?

It is really simple! No one wants to keep the Law!

Many people believe they are to live as they see fit and some do.

As we have seen recently, there is a hierarchy in our Nation and our government who believe that the laws are made for the little people and not for them, they are so special.

The curse is the “mark of death”, the “mark of condemnation”, or guilt: alienation from God both in this life and throughout all eternity.

There is a righteousness that comes by the Law! This righteousness promises life to any person who can obey the Law perfectly.

If there is someone who can meet every requirement of the Law during his or her lifetime and never once falls below God’s standard, then that person can escape the penalty of sin, which is death.

Rom 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

If you choose to live by the Law rather than faith, then there is no place for error!

The only person we know for certain who has done this is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, our perfect Savior!

Jesus secured righteousness for each of us because He lived in righteousness!

The Gospel message is that instead of claiming this right for Himself, He offered to give His perfection and His righteousness to the people of earth because He took our sins upon Himself.

Jesus Christ accomplishes the same purpose that God the Father had for the Law!

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

This verse in Ephesians 1 verse 7 is where we get that phrase, “God’s Riches At Christ Expense”.

The law is filled with cold letters with no power to give life!

We should know that the Law was only a temporary arrangement between God and man.

The law was to extend only from Moses to Jesus Christ.

Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

God never intended the Law to be the way to salvation!

The Law was given to show us our guilt, our sin, and our awfulness.

We realize this once we walk in the Grace of God!

We can look back and see how awful we really were.

The law was given to show us our guilt.

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The Law has never had the power to give life!

The Law is in fact, much inferior to God’s “Grace”.

*Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, “The just shall live by faith”.

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit said the same thing.

Hab 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but “the just shall live by his faith”.

There is only one answer, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ!

1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

None of this is confusing so, those who hate Jesus have chosen to defy God!

No one is justified by doing the best they can because God will not excuse sin.

God does not excuse sin, but God will forgive sin under the right condition and that condition is recognizing the work that Jesus has done for us for our salvation.

Once we have truly trusted God, we can be justified because the just shall live by “faith”.

We can only have life by the principle of faith, not the principle of works!

Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

When we believe in God and believe the promises God has made to us, and we do what God says, then the power of faith energizes us to live a justified life.

*Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

The Law is all about performance.

Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The Apostle Paul explains this to all the Christian Church.

The life element of the Law is not of faith, it is of work, and we simply cannot work our way to Heaven.

By “faith” we will receive the gift of God, which is salvation and eternal life in God’s House and it is a free gift.

By our work means we are trying to pay for salvation which dishonors God who has offered us His free gift to us.

The Lord Jesus Christ has “redeemed” us from the work of the Law!

*Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The word “redeemed” means ransomed; delivered from bondage, delivered from distress, delivered from liability, delivered from penalty, or from the possession of another, by payment of an equivalent.

In the Scriptures the Greek word used for ransomed (exagorazo) meant, to buy up that is ransom, to rescue from loss, redeem.

In reality, the work that the Lord Jesus did on that cross freed every believer from the dominion of the Mosaic Law and that price was His death!
We must also realize that the Lord Jesus died for all the sins of this world by all people!

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Our Lord Jesus Christ substituted Himself, His perfect life, for our sinful life.

What did God tell Abraham?

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide “himself” a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

When we stand before God, we will stand in the righteousness of our Savior, perfect because Jesus was perfect!

When we see that word cursed, it does not mean that a man is cursed because he is executed upon a tree.

It means that man was cursed because he was judged as a lawbreaker.

This is the curse that Jesus Christ took in our place.

We were lawbreakers but Jesus led a perfect life according to all those 613 Jewish laws.

Rom_10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

It is because He did this that He opened the door to the blessings of God to all mankind, but we must believe.

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

This is how God the Father kept His promise to Abraham for God will never break a promise.

This is where the Muslim break rank with the Jews, but still try to cling to Abraham and it does not work that way.

All those who believe in Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, will receive the promise of God’s Holy Spirit which is the answer to the promise of a “divine nature”.

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

This is the answer to God’s Promise of a “new birth”!

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

This is the promise of being made a new creature. (a new creation of God).

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This is the answer to the promise of being made into a new man.

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Without being a home to the Holy Spirit none of these things can take place!

So, when we hear people say, just be the best you can be and God will accept you, we know that this could never be true.
So, when we hear people say, there is more than one way to get to Heaven, we know that this could never be true.
So, when we hear people say that God will never break His promises, we can know that this is the greatest truth of the Bible.

*Gal 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

Promises, Promises, Promises.

God has given us a permanent covenant, that is lasting.

A covenant is an agreement between two parties, a special relationship.

We should understand that once a covenant has been made and executed, it stands, it stands forever.

It cannot be annulled or added to!

God seals His covenant with us with promises, so He cannot ever break His promises!

God and Abraham’s seed are bound to keep their word to one another.

We can now see the meat of this covenant.

*Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

God made this covenant with Himself!

What the Apostle Paul was teaching these Galatians was that trying to get saved according to the Law would only end in death and eternal separation from God.

That seed of Abraham to which the promises were made is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Gen 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

We see the word “seed” is singular and not plural and that seed is Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the descendant who was to inherit the land promised to Abraham.

We see the land of Canaan belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. And he will settle with israel for one thousand years.

Canaan of course is a type of the New Heavens and New Earth. Which will be the home where the Bride of Christ will be located.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Jesus Christ and His descendants will receive the Promised Land which are the New Heaven and New Jerusalem.

Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Those who do not think Abraham was looking for the same things that all believers are looking for today are wrong and there are many others who also believed the Gospel before Christ came.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

*Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

How do we know that we are justified by faith alone?

God gave His covenant of “faith” four hundred and thirty years before He gave Moses the law for the Jews.

1) When the Law was given the Promise of Faith to Abraham had not yet been fulfilled so the Law could not make the promise to Abraham void.

The promise to Abraham and his descendant Jesus Christ still stood.

Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

2) The covenant made with Abraham told mankind how he was to follow God to receive the promises of God, “that is by faith”.

The Law was given for a different purpose entirely!

The command to follow God had already been given and established by the covenant of faith to Abraham.

By the Law no man can be justified, but only “by faith” in the Promises of God!

God’s Covenant of Faith by the Grace of God is sure!

It cannot be revoked or changed!

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He has done for our salvation, we shall inherit the promises made to Abraham and the Lord Jesus Christ.

These things are not that complicated if you accept the Bible for what it says and the promises God has made, still knowing that God can never break a promise and still be God.

Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

*Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

How do we know that a person is justified by faith alone?

Because God gave His covenant and His inheritance by Promise and not by the Law!

All through the writings of the Apostle Paul he came back to make this same point in every church and every group of believers because it is the truth.

The inheritance given to Abraham by Promise is that of “righteousness” which is being accepted by God and given the privilege of living with Him forever.

God does not accept righteousness in any other fashion than the Word he has given to us.

Who would not want that?

Who would not give all they have for such a promise, but God offers it for free just for “Faith”?

God would not break a promise because it would go against His nature and His character.

It is a great privilege to be offered a chance to live with the Almighty God forever throughout eternity.

Jesus said:

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; “that where I am, there ye may be also”.

Jesus would not have said this if it were not true!

Amen

Oh, Foolish Church of Today

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

Book of Galatians 3:1-9

If we are not firm in our beliefs right now, then we need to learn as the Apostle reintroduces the Doctrine of Salvation to these Galatians.

We must understand that we can have the most solid church in the world, but if we allow one false preacher or teacher to come into our church with his false message, it will cause confusion to one or more of our brothers and sisters, and it may take months to straighten out the mess they leave behind.

Salvation comes to us only through God’s ” Grace” and only through our “Faith” in Him!

Faith is accepting that the Word of God is true! Not just a few words but all His Word. Not just certain Words but all His Word! Not just the red letters, but all the letters.

If we get confused by the red letters, which are the very words of Jesus, then get a Bible written all in black ink.

We can remember “grace” as “God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense”.

The Spirit of Jesus, God’s Holy Ghost caused all the Scriptures to be written according to what God wanted to say.

All the writers were like typewriters with the Holy Spirit leading their fingers to the right keys or as the printer with God inserting all the letters of type.

From last week’s lesson, we read:

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, “but by the faith of Jesus Christ”, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”.

Paul has already taught these Galatians that no one can keep those 613 Jewish Laws to God’s satisfaction, nor can any man-made law save anyone.

Our own government writes biased laws that will never accomplish anything.

Every Jew sought “righteousness” through those old laws, and this is the reason that they had to bring a sacrifice to the High Priest which brought forgiveness for one year only.

The next day after that sacrifice they were already guilty of sin again.

There is only one way to meet God’s demands, and it is by “faith” in the work of His Son, the Messiah, who has completed to save us.

It is easy to say God’s demands or God’s commands when everything God does is for our salvation and eternal life.

Jehovah God has never been unrighteous!

Any doctrine that makes the death of Jesus Christ unnecessary for our salvation is irreverent toward our Heavenly Father and revolting to Christians who know better!

These Galatians had taken their eyes off of Jesus and looked to the world for the truth, and many a church has done this today.

Just look at how many places of worship closed their doors and refused to celebrate the birth of our Savior. The Church is the Body of Christ.

It is a shame that we cannot celebrate our Savior which began with His miracle birth!

In order to die for our sins, God had to pour Himself into a body of flesh that could die and then resurrect from that death because God simply cannot die, but He raised Himself to show us the power of His resurrection.

To bewitch is the work of a Sorcerer!

it is believed that these Judaizers were influential Jews who were gladly accepted into the Church in Antioch and were immediately given positions of authority and their full intention was to destroy the Church and grow Judaism.

It was intentional.
It was revolting.
It was wicked.
It was Devilish.

It is clearly seen that our teachers and preachers need to be vetted or well-known for the truth before they are allowed to teach in any church or any place of worship.

We had better realize that religious rituals have saved nobody.

We had better know that a false doctrine only opens the gates of Hell and there is no escape.

There is no such place as purgatory and those who believe only put some so-called priest in a new luxury car as I saw in Mexico as they wear holes in the collection boxes trying to pay God to move that soul from a so-called purgatory to Heaven.

*Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

That word “foolish” means; void of understanding sound judgment.

In Scripture it means wicked, sinful, acting without regard to Divine Law or the Glory of God.

It can also mean proceeding from depravity.

One of the most stupid things we can do is to leave the Church after we have heard and understood the truth!

The Greek word that was used also meant to be foolish or unwise.

The Apostle Paul was just saying, why have you Galatians allowed these people to come in and rob you of your happiness?

The “Good News” of Jesus Christ brings happiness when any news of this world will rob us of our happiness!

It is the errors of this world that totally ruins our lives and our future lives!

The simple way that Jesus has made for us to get to our real home just seems too hard for many people and they falsely believe they must have to do something to earn it when there is nothing we can do but be obedient to the Word of God, all the Word of God.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

So many people believe that we need to hear from some great mighty man of God such as the way that the Catholics see the Pope, to be able to understand the simplicity of salvation that they just cannot imagine a God so humble that He would die for them.

In truth, we do not have to understand it, for who can explain “Grace”?

Grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God!

Without God’s “Grace,” there is no saving power.

One of the greatest Scriptures in the entire Bible says:

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

False teaching can stop all salvations in every place of worship!

It was the Law that placed Jesus Christ upon that cross!
It was love that kept Him there.
It was “Grace” that made Him do all these things.

God would have sinned Himself had He not died for His creations!

When those fancy-mouthed religionists came to the Church in Antioch it was to put a stop to Christianity, and they could have succeeded if not for the power of Grace.

Grace still means: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

Errors deceive people and when those errors are intentional, they will destroy you!

The word bewitched means to fascinate, or cast a spell, to mislead or deceive.

The Judaizers were very capable, persuasive speakers with dynamic personalities.

They had charisma as some would say.

These are qualities I sometimes wish I had, but in reality, if you get any knowledge from these things I say every week then you got them from the Holy Spirit because I do not possess those qualities.

I just try to go where the Lord leads me.

When those Judaizers spoke, the things they said just made sense to these baby Christians.

When they said, you need to keep such and such ritual, it just made sense.
When they said, surely there must be some work that needed to be done, it just made sense.
When they said God had certain laws for us to obey, it just made sense.

It all sounded reasonable and logical, but it was all false teaching!

God said we might never understand His “Grace”, and we may never understand the amazing love of God!

We do not have to completely understand “Grace”, we just have to have “faith” that what the Lord Jesus did for us was what is needed for us to be saved.

Be sure to understand that if not for Jesus, we would have certainly seen the wrath of God on our person.

We will never understand the wrath of God without a complete understanding of God’s holiness.

Since God is a Holy God then those around and near Him must also be holy!

God cannot be near sinners for very long because in our flesh we can never be holy unless we are a home for the Holy Spirit.

All those who do not have the presence of the Holy Spirit in them will feel the wrath of God!

The Word of God tells us that showing His wrath is the proper thing for Him to do at sinners.

Isa 5:24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 5:25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

The truth is error will lead us away from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will only lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The elements of love and compassion are always connected to God’s anger and He would rather show these than His anger but His anger is promised if there is no repentance.

When Paul preached, he preached the straight truth that Jesus Christ took our place on that cross and by this action, He took away all our sins and put them upon Himself.

Jesus Christ bore the punishment for everyone who has ever lived and forever who will come in the future until He returns to take us home.

Why is it so hard to understand that God sent His Son into this world to die for us?
Why is it so hard to believe that God expects all His creation to understand this?
Why is it so hard to believe that God took their faith and love in His Son and accepted them for their righteousness?

Over eighty percent of this world believes in some god, I just believe that my God is the most powerful of them all and that He would never lie to me about anything.

If this makes me to be a fool, then so be it but my God says they are the ones who are fools!

Just how do we receive the Holy Spirit?

*Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Just how do we receive the Holy Spirit?
Just how do we begin our Christian Walk?

There is one thing all believers know and the believers in the churches of Galatia knew it too: no person earns, wins, or merits the Holy Spirit of God!

We are too polluted and with all the news about “climate change,” we all know something about pollution and what it means to us today.

We all fall far too short of the glory of God to get anywhere near the Holy Spirit!

Even when sinners are doing nothing at all, their minds are usually in the gutter or they are planning their next sinful act.

If we go back to the very day that we got saved, we know that it was by faith that we received the Holy Spirit because there is no law in the Bible that allows for this to take place!

We know by what happened in our own heart that God took our faith and counted it for righteousness and the Holy Spirit moved right on in.

Since the Holy Spirit has moved in there no evil spirit can ever move back in because the Holy Spirit is far too powerful to allow that to happen.

We may not be what we could be by complete obedience to the Holy Spirit and for certain we can grieve the Holy Spirit, but He will never leave us neither will He forsake us.

Jhn_14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Jhn_14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Jhn_15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Jhn_16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

These are all things that the Holy Spirit will do when He enters into us!

He will not enter into us without our faith in the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done to save us.

Those who question if there is such a God will know the answer to that question once they accept the truth of Jesus.

Every person must hear the glorious message of “Faith”!

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Each believer can only grow and be perfected after that person has preached the Word of God to them.

The hearing of “faith” is the only way a person can ever become acceptable to God!

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to each believer!

This gift cannot be earned.
This gift cannot be won.
The Holy Spirit can only be given and can only be given by Jehovah God!

The Holy Spirit is given at the moment of our salvation, and the Bible refers to this giving as what we would call a down payment.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

In the days of the depression people would put back what they called “earnest” money to be used in an emergency or maybe a downpayment on an item they sorely needed but could not afford.

The word earnest in the Greek meant a pledge or token given as assurance of the fulfillment of a promise.

As a believer, we need to focus our love, our attention, and our life upon the Lord Jesus Christ!

Without this, we cannot be accepted by God the Father.

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

These Galatians had already suffered greatly because they had first accepted Christ.

*Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

If we do not know now, we will suffer because we have placed our faith in the God of the Bible, Jesus the Messiah.

This happened immediately to the Jews for forsaking Judaism.

They suffered ridicule, abuse, isolation, and persecution from any Jew who knew them beforehand.

Since this suffering had already taken place for believing the truth, they would surely look foolish if they turned away from the Lord Jesus so, they suffered in vain.

If they repented and came back to Christ, then this suffering would have not been in vain.

In fact, every Christian who turns away from this world and turns toward Jesus the Messiah will still suffer today.

Such things as “denying self” would at first bring some suffering.

“Taking up our own cross” and following the Lord Jesus would have suffering.

Just “separating” ourselves from this world will bring suffering, even today, especially in certain countries.

The Lord Jesus said many of our rewards and blessings would come from this action against us.

Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Then Paul asked these Galatians again just how did you obtain the Holy Spirit?

*Gal 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

We can be sure that we will receive nothing from God unless we have this “saving faith”!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

I know we see this Scripture a lot, but we need to realize just how important our faith is.

No one would climb aboard an airplane if they did not have the faith that it was safe to do so.

In fact, no one could even sit down in a chair if they did not have enough faith that chair would hold them up.

Faith is important to us in our everyday life, but it is most important when we put that faith in the hands of the Supreme God!

Our faith is not what it is, our faith is what it does!

Our “Faith” does the necessary work so that we do not have to do any work for our salvation.

A wise man once said; “The only thing I can give to Jesus toward my salvation is a dirty rotten sinner”.

We know that the Apostles of Christ had some power to heal along with some other powers shared with them by the Holy Spirit, but it always was built around faith.

So, these Galatians had seen some miracle healing and some other miracles.

Act 14:8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:
Act 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
Act 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

Now we must not be confused about these powers the Holy Spirit shared with the Apostles.
Today we have the complete Canon of Scripture, and these powers are not given to men.

We should be able to understand that miracles did not happen at random throughout Scripture but occurred in three major periods.

1) In the days of Moses and Joshua.
2) In the days of Elijah and Elisha.
3) In the days of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.

There were select miracles outside the scope of time, but not many.

During this time of Jesus and the Apostles, miracles were given to authenticate a message!

God gave enough of His power to these men and in these periods only, along with a New Message, the “Good News”.

Miracles came in the time of the New Testament to validate the New Message given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles.

With the completion of the canon of Scripture the need for miracles as validating a sign disappeared.

Any miracle associated with the Word of God today is done by God Himself!

The gift of miracles is much broader than the gift of healing.

The gift of miracles would also mean “power” or “a work of power”.

There is also a distinction between miracles and the gift of miracles.

Still, the ability of any individual to perform miraculous acts ceased with the Apostolic Age.

God does times still answer the prayer of a believer but this is His choice and for His reasons, but He does not do this through a medium of another person.

Those who claim such power today are false preachers and liars!

Again, God may heal in response to prayers, and He does I am living proof!

Even when God allowed this power to a few men, we should remember that God did not heal every person including the Apostle Paul.

2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul admitted that he was stronger under God’s power than he would have been if God had healed him, and it is the same for most all of us. I know it is for me!

There is no longer a need for any of the powers given to men because we have the full Canon of Scripture given to us by the Holy Spirit and it is the Holy Spirit who provides the things we need working through the truth of the Gospel and our “Faith”.

Remember there was a city where even Jesus could not perform any major miracle because they had no faith.

Mar 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Mar 6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Next Paul gives us the example of Abraham.

*Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

All Abraham needed was the “Word of God” and “his faith” in it!

Abraham was justified by his faith alone!

What is the truth?

It was the Word of God that promised Abraham the “Good News” of the Messiah even though it could not happen during his lifetime.
It was the Word of God that told Abraham that the Law puts man under a curse.
It was the Word of God that promised that only the Messiah could redeem Abraham from that curse.

Abraham was the founder of the Jewish nation, but Abraham was a Gentile!

It was Abraham who was the first Ambassador of God. He left the only home he knew and was searching for a new home, a Promised Home.

Abraham left a place where many gods were worshipped and Abraham began to worship the One True God, Jehovah.

Abraham’s one work was for him to follow the Word of God and have faith in the Truth of God. Abraham had to believe, and he did.

Not many of us would have been like Abraham yet we frown on the few times that Abraham failed God.

Abraham left his family, his friends, his job, and his nation to go to a place he had never seen nor ever heard of.

Abraham believed God and he was judged righteous for that one reason!

Abraham had no law to follow the laws of Moses had not been given!

Abraham simply believed what God told him!

We should know that God did not give these same promises to anyone else.

Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Rom 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Abraham’s faith preceded his obedience to God, and it is the same for us today.

*Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

God promised the Gospel to Abraham many years ago and Abraham knew he would never see its completion, but Abraham was looking out for his children at a time when Abraham did not have any children.

Abraham trusted God to give him children from a barren woman!

To Paul, the Scripture was the Word of God just as we believe today, and it is true.

There was no Bible for Abraham to place his faith.

Abraham had a voice in his head or some vision to place his faith.

The Scriptures declared the Gospel truth from the time of creation!

It was by Abraham’s faith that he was justified because Abraham was not a perfect man and none of us can be until we believe and God accounts that faith it for our righteousness.

Abraham did finally have one son who was Issac, a miracle birth.

When we study the Word of God, we will see that the events in the life of Isaac were a parallel to the life of Jesus Christ.

1) Isaac had a miraculous birth:

Gen 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

2 Isaac (was delivered) Isaac was to be offered up as a sacrifice.

Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

3) Isaac was delivered from death by a miracle of God.

Gen 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Gen 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Gen 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Gen 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

So today, as we witness for Jesus Christ, it is the truth of the Gospel that will win every lost soul.

We do not need to change it but teach it as it is the truth of God.

Salvation still comes by Grace through Faith in the promises of God found only one place in the Scriptures given to us by the Holy Spirit who lives in every Christian.

In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ still walks this earth in the body of every Christian.

Amen