“…for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest…”
Joshua 3:15

This past Thanksgiving, we visited my in-laws who live on the Georgia coast near Jekyll Island.  A salt-water river runs in front of their house giving them easy access to the ocean.  When you look out their front door, you see the tall grass of the marsh, with the river behind it, and then more marshland that seems to go on forever.  Thanksgiving morning, however, I saw a different sight.  The marshes were barely visible!  Instead of a river, it looked like a lake, with the top of a few of the tall grasses poking up through the surface.

As I looked at the overflowing river, I couldn’t help but think of the appearance of the Jordan when Joshua and Israel stood on its banks prior to entering the land of Canaan.  Bro. Gene had recently preached from that very text, so it was fresh on my mind.  I thought about how the Lord so often works in our lives.  Of all the times for the children of Israel to arrive at the Promised Land, it was during the season that the Jordan overflowed!  They had children, livestock, and carts that had to get across, and, humanly speaking, it was the worst time to forge that river.  Why did they show up at that time?  Because it was exactly the time God had determined!  You see, God doesn’t put us in places that are difficult.  God places us in situations that are impossible!

Why does God work that way?  It’s for our own good, children, that no flesh should glory in His presence! (1 Co 1:29) Gideon and his 32,000 were outnumbered by their enemies, but God told him to send some men home.  What?  The odds are already against us!  Why?  God said, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” (Jdg 7:2) See, the situation needed to not simply be hard but impossible!  It’s at those times God does His greatest work, and when He works, there’s no doubt Who is responsible!  He gets all the glory!!!

Is your Jordan overflowing right now?  Does the situation seem to be going from bad to worse?  Take heart, dear Christian!  If God is for you, who can be against you? (Rom 8:31) The overflowing Jordan is nothing to Him!  The children of Israel walked through that riverbed on dry ground!!! (Jos 3:17) Be comforted by the Lord’s promises.  He will always keep His word!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” (Is 43:1-3)

There’s a small bird that lives in the marshes of South Georgia that the locals call a marsh hen.  We enjoyed a pretty good meal of fried marsh hen one of the nights we visited with the in-laws.  These birds stay so deeply embedded in the marsh that it’s impossible to get to them except at one time–when the tide is so high that the river overflows!  For those that trust in the Lord, the overflowing river is nothing more than a tool to bring forth the blessing God has in store!

Jamie

Gen 17:1-8

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
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.
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.

Not long ago, I listened to a series of messages online that turned out to basically be a pastor’s rebuttal of what he called “replacement theology.”  I’d never heard the term, but as he defined it, I realized he was challenging my beliefs.  In short, replacement theology states that the promises made to Israel in the Old Testament apply to the church in the New Testament, i.e. the church has replaced national Israel. His strongest reason for disagreeing with this view and accepting a literal reign of Christ upon the earth in the land of Canaan was the promise made to Abraham.  After all, doesn’t v. 8 of our text say God would give to Abraham and his seed all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession? So, is replacement theology valid in light of the everlasting covenant made with Abraham?

We need to first understand that God made conditional and unconditional covenants. When the flood waters had receded, in Gen 9:8-17, God made a covenant with every living creature.  We’re reminded of the covenant every time we see a rainbow in the sky.  Will God ever destroy the earth with a flood again? We’d all agree, “Absolutely not!” Why?  Because God that cannot lie made an unconditional, everlasting covenant with every living creature that He wouldn’t, right?  Does God keep His word?  His word is the only one we can depend on, isn’t it?!!  “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away.” (Mt 24:35) You see this promise wasn’t dependent on creation abiding by God’s rules.  He didn’t say, “As long as you don’t sin in the manner they did before the flood, I’ll never destroy the earth with water again.” No, He said simply, “I won’t do it ever again.”  Period. Without condition and forever.

I ran across a similar promise in Gen 13:12-17as God spoke to Abram and promised to give him all the land he saw and make his seed as the dust of the earth in number. I couldn’t find an “if” in that promise! There was no condition.  The Lord just said, “Abram, this is what I’m going to do!”  It was so certain that in Gen 17 we read God changed his name to Abraham or “father of a multitude”! Again, in that text, I find no conditions, just a promise that God would make him the father of countless souls, many nations, and would give him and his seed the land wherein he was a stranger as an everlasting possession.  Now, I didn’t have much problem with that everlasting covenant until I came to the part about the land!  What am I to do with the land?

Before dealing with the land, let’s consider the fact that not all of God’s covenants are unconditional.  God’s unconditional covenants depend entirely upon Him.  You can count on them because of the faithfulness of His character.  Heb 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering”, why?  “…for he [is] faithful that promised”!  However, conditional covenants aren’t dependent on only one party.  Both parties must abide by the terms of the covenant.

The covenant established under the law was conditional on man’s obedience.  In Deut 12:1,28, the eternal blessing is conditional on obedience: “Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee….”  In, Deut 28:15, 45-46, disobedience will bring an eternal curse: “if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God…all these curses shall come upon thee….”  Likewise, we find similar language in the conditional, eternal agreement between God and Solomon and Israel in 1 Chr 28:7-8.  “Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.  Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.” Notice the “if” and “may”.  You find this wording in the covenant under the law.  For this reason, the covenant of the law, or the first covenant, was considered to be faulty in Heb 8:7-8, not because the law was faulty, but because it was conditional on man keeping his part of the agreement.  The problem was the weakness of our flesh! (Rom 7:9-13)

This first covenant was conditional on someone other than God, and, therefore, it was breakable.  In fact, that’s exactly the accusation brought against Israel.  They broke that covenant! (Jer 11:1-14) The law was a conditional covenant, given when Israel was delivered from Egypt (v. 4). It was dependent on their obedience (v. 4-5).  This covenant had a curse attached to it! (v. 3) Since they have not obeyed (v. 7-8) and have broken the covenant (v. 10), these curses will come upon them and be inescapable (v. 11).  There’s no point in even praying for them! (v. 14) This outcome is that of a covenant based on man’s obedience!  It ends in a curse upon those that didn’t keep it!

So we find again and again that the covenant established under the law was conditional on man’s obedience and thus breakable; in contrast, however, the covenant made with Abraham contained none of this language.  You can’t attach any condition to the initial covenant in Gen 13, but I want to deal briefly with what follows the covenant in Gen 17.  We do have a condition in Gen 17:9-14.  “To not be circumcised means you have broken my covenant,” God says.  We need to examine this portion in light of the New Testament.  We actually have a foreshadowing of both of the two great covenants with man that Gal 4:24 specifies—the covenant under the law and that according to faith—in the covenants made with Abraham.  Circumcision of the flesh points to the law (Rom 2:25), but is that the circumcision we need to be recipients of the promises of God?  Rom 2:28-29 tells us there is a circumcision experienced by all who have part in the everlasting, new covenant!  This circumcision is “of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter….”  What do we find out about this circumcision compared to the one in Genesis?  We can’t do it!  God has to!  That’s the difference between the covenant under the law and the everlasting covenant in Christ.

So, what has God in His infinite mercy done?  In Jer 31:31-37, he planned to set up a new, unbreakable covenant that is entirely dependent on Him!  God says, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”  The old covenant we saw ended in a curse, but what has the Mediator of this new covenant done for those included in it in Gal 3:13?  Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the law! And, just as we’re considering the establishment of this new covenant, guess who God connects to it in v. 14?  Abraham!  In fact, this text reveals that the new covenant was actually declared in the everlasting covenant to Abraham (v. 8, 9) and the law couldn’t undo that! (v. 15-18) So, Abraham’s eternal covenant extends not to a natural seed but a spiritual one! (v. 7) Unlike the law, this new covenant will stand b/c God, Who changes not, made it without condition!

Following shortly on the heels of our Jer 31 passage, in Jer 33:14-22 we see this everlasting covenant again as the Branch of righteousness, our Lord Jesus, is revealed!  Here the generation of spiritual kings and priests are in an unbreakable covenant with God!  This covenant is the same one that can be traced all the way back to Abraham in v. 23-26.  We have now a better covenant that Christ is the minister of (Heb 8:1,6) based on better promises because the first one was faulty (v. 7).  Thus this new covenant takes our flesh out of the picture and is founded on God working and not us. (Heb 8:8-13) This better promise carries us back before Moses to God’s immutable promise made to Abraham! (Heb
6:12-18)

Now, I told you before that my struggle in the promise to Abraham was not the idea of his natural offspring.  There are so many passages pointing out there is no difference between Jew and Gentile in Christ that it seems obvious that Abraham’s seed refers to those that possess the faith of Abraham.  My struggle was with God including the land in his promise in Gen 13 & 17, reiterated again in 2 Ch 20:7.  No condition listed here either; it’s just given to Abraham and his seed forever.  Passages like Rom 4:6-18 are pretty plain concerning who the seed is.  But, what to do with the land?!  Well, this very passage in Romans unlocked it for me!  V. 13 says Abraham was promised to be not just the heir of Canaan but of the whole world!  There are a couple Greek words that are often translated as world—one is literally “soil” (earth, ground, land) and the other is the cosmos (“orderly arrangement”—the entire created order, the universe).  Guess which one is in Rom 4:13?  Universe!  We have limited the promise of God in Gen 13:14-15,17 concerning the land just as we have limited Him concerning the seed in v. 16!  Once I saw this truth, I realized that not only is the seed clearly dealt with in the NT, but so is the land.  We need to quit limiting God!  Yes, Abraham’s seed will inherit all the land Abraham saw on that day along with the rest of it for we shall inherit the whole earth (Rev 5:10)!  In Gen 17:8, he is to inherit the land “wherein thou art a stranger”.  Does Heb 11:13 say Abraham was only a stranger in Canaan?  No, he was a
stranger in the earth!  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit what?  The earth!

In Ps 37, those that wait on the Lord inherit the earth in v. 9!  So shall the meek (v. 11) and the blessed (v. 22).  And the righteous inherit the land FOR EVER! (v. 29) Who are the righteous in v. 30-31?  They have the law in their hearts!  That’s new covenant language!!! (Jer 31:33)  In Ez 37:21-28, the everlasting covenant with God (v.26) will be to those God has cleansed (v. 23), who are the subjects of David, their Shepherd (v. 24).  They will possess the land forever under the reign of the heavenly David! (v. 25) We are joint-heirs with Jesus! (Rom 8:17)

And is natural land really the fullness of this promise?  To whom did God first promise to give the land forever in Gen 13:15?  Abraham!  But, he didn’t get it according to Stephen in Ac 7:5!  In the natural then, God missed his opportunity because when Abraham had a natural body, he didn’t get the land.  Concerning the natural aspect of the promise, Joshua said the Jews got all God had promised in Jos 21:43-45, 23:14-15.  Consider the conditional language in this passage.  Is that new covenant language or old?  Old!  Abraham didn’t see the natural fulfillment, but did he die discouraged?  Did his faith fail because God didn’t keep His promise?  No because he wasn’t looking for an earthly possession!  Heb 11:16 takes our mind off of this literal ball of dirt and says we should be seeking the same land that Abraham really had his heart on—not an earthly but a heavenly one!

The inheritance we will receive under the new covenant is eternal life with Christ in that heavenly country Abraham was seeking!  Again, this covenant will last because God will perform the keeping of it in us: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)

Ps 78:9-11 “The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.  They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.”

In Ps 78:9, The Interlinear Bible reads, “The sons of Ephraim were armed, shooters of bows”.  The word “carrying” literally means “to hurl or to shoot”.  The point is that they both had the necessary weapon AND they were skilled in using it!  What is the weapon of the believer?  It is called “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”! (Eph 6:17) In Ez 13:2-5, these prophets through false teaching have not helped the people to be able to stand in the day of battle; but, in contrast, we infer that to sit under sound preaching is to be prepared to stand and not run in the day of battle.  Brethren, we have been armed with the word of God and well-trained in its use, but what will we do in the day of battle?!!  Many have a fair speech, know the right thing to say, can quote a lot of Scripture and repeat like parrots their pastors, but what will happen when the war comes to their doorstep?  Ephraim had what he needed and had been well-prepared for the fight; there was no lack in those areas.  So, where was the problem?  Ephraim made two mistakes that we must guard against!

1)      They were disobedient! (v. 10)

To not go into battle was an act of disobedience on their part!  If for no other reason, they should have pressed on because God said to do so!  In 1 Ti 6:10-12, we are told to fight!  In Eph 6:10-13, we are told to stand!  In 1 Co 16:13 we are told to watch, stand fast, and be strong!  If we stopped right here, we’d have sufficient reason to hold our ground because God said to do so!  The Lord says in Heb 10:38, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”  Didn’t the Lord warn us to consider when we spoke the same words as the man in Lk 9:57-58?  Didn’t the Lord warn us to count the cost of discipleship in Lk 14:26-33?  Did Christ promise a bed of roses, or did he say, “In the world ye shall have tribulation”?  But He didn’t stop there, did He?  Praise God, He said also “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)  Don’t let the strength of the battle surprise you, Christian.  The Lord said it would be this way.  Follow the captain of your salvation into battle.  If you love Him, keep His commandments.  Don’t be fearful.  If you’ll avoid Ephraim’s second mistake, you won’t be!

2)      They forgot Who was on their side! (v. 11)

Do you remember all of those little skirmishes you had before this point?  What happened?  You say, “God got me through it.”  Exactly!  He was preparing you for the battle.  He was confirming that He is faithful!  Don’t forget what God has already done for you!  In Ps 119:52, this memory is the source of the psalmist’s comfort!  In Ps 27:1-3, the psalmist said an entire army couldn’t make him fear because of God’s past deliverance!  See also Ps 44:1-8.  Ephraim knew these things and thus should have trusted in God and not their bows.  If you trust in your skill with handling the word, you will run in the day of battle!  Our hope is not in our ability!  It is in the Lord!!!  In Zech 10:3-9, we find Ephraim again, but this time, notice who’s handling the bow in v. 4.  God is!  These will fight and not turn because God is with them (v. 5)!  We find even Ephraimites standing their ground when they know the Lord is on their side in v. 7!

I only found one New Testament character with a bow in Rev 6:2. Comparing this text with Rev 19:11, we find that the white horse rider is Christ!  He will succeed!  Trust in His bow!  Continuing to compare the bow to His word, we know that He alone can say “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”  Only He can with certainty proclaim, “My word will not return unto me void.”  The bow belongs to Him!  Sheep our defenseless!  All their hope is in the Shepherd!  Our heavenly Shepherd has promised He will never leave nor forsake us, so if He commands us to go, go forward trusting that, though the battle is overwhelming to you, the Shepherd, the captain of your salvation, goes as well.  And, as David said when he faced Goliath, “the battle is the LORD’s”!

Isa 54:17  “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD”

Jamie

Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:4

I could hardly believe the verse above when I read it, so I read it again.  I checked it out in the original language, and the KJV translation stood firm.  The apostle had just said to the Thessalonians, “I know you’re elected!”  What could be such strong evidence of salvation that Paul could make such a statement?  Well, we don’t have to wonder because the chapter spells it out for us.  The following ten items evidence regeneration in the life of an individual:

1)      Working faith (v. 3) – This reveals true faith as Jm 2:17-20 tells us; in contrast, “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”  When we read the list of past possessors of faith in Heb 11, we find that faith to be active.  “Abel offered” (v. 4), “Noah…prepared” (v. 7), and “Abraham…went out” (v. 8).  Notice in the each of these situations, true faith was evidenced by the action!

2)      Loving labor (v. 3) – There are many that will labor, doing so tirelessly, but with what motive do they labor?  Many do so only for their own gain.  They are incapable of serving as instructed in Gal 5:13: “…by love serve one another.”  True love manifests itself in the giving of ourselves unselfishly for the brethren.  This pattern follows the example of Christ (1 Jn 3:16).  1 Jn 3:17-19 says loving in deed and truth evidences that we are really of the Truth!

3)      Hopeful patience (v. 3) – These don’t give up, but patiently press on because of hope in the Lord!  The labor in our last point doesn’t wear out according to Rom 2:7 because there is a hope beyond this life!  These don’t wear out over time because there is a patience in this hope in the Lord.  They have no doubt that the Lord will save.  If things get tough, there is a calm assurance that the Lord will not forsake.  They have hope, so they are patient, not anxious.  As in Is 40:30-31, “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  True hope in the Lord produces patience!

4)      Effectual preaching (v. 5) – One thing we are assured of concerning those hungering and thirsting after righteousness is that they shall be filled (Mt 5:6).  The apostle had assurance of their election because of the preaching done among them.  It was powerful, Spirit-led, and in assurance (or “entire confidence”).  Paul said, “I knew God was feeding you through me!  The time I spent among you was one in which I was clearly led by the Spirit and confident in what God would have me to say.”  Not just once, but repeatedly among them, the preaching was powerful.  True belief among the congregation prompts a mighty work in the pulpit.  The opposite is also true according to Mt 13:58 where the Lord in his own country “did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”  Paul said that wasn’t the case in Thessalonica, but the word was effectual (1 Th 2:13).

5)      Godly imitators (v. 6) – They followed the pattern of godly men and so were in fact following the Lord.  Paul said in 1 Co 11:1: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”  The Thessalonians were looking for others obedient to God and were imitators of them per 1 Th 2:14.  Who do you pattern yourself after?  Who do you want to be like?  Is it the famous, the talented, the wise men of the earth?  Are you driven by a desire to be recognized as they are?  Do you copy their style, their mannerisms, etc., or are you more interested in being like that humble, lowly saint you see serving God with no desire for anyone to notice?  Are you patterning yourself after those that are in Christ’s pattern set forth in Ph 2:7 as He “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant”?  The evidence of being a son is that you are an imitator of the Father (Jn 5:19)!  We can’t say it in the perfection that Christ could, but in one sense, though imperfect, when people see us, they should see the Father!

6)      Joyous affliction (v. 6) – This characteristic doesn’t come from Adam!!  We’re not talking about short-lived and easy affliction.  It’s described as “much,” yet their joy was steadfast.  There were no stony-ground hearers who “when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” (Mt 13:21) Just being afflicted was evidence of spiritual life (2 Ti 3:12), but the fact that they rejoiced in it was especially revealing of their hearts!  There’s something different about a person that will pray and sing praises to God after being beaten and thrown into prison. (Ac 16:23-26) like Paul and Silas.  After being beaten and forbidden to preach Christ, the apostles rejoiced they were deemed worthy to suffer shame for Christ’s name (Ac 5:41).  The believer can rejoice in affliction because of the privilege to suffer for Christ and because of the effect if will have in his life (Jm 1:2-3)!

7)      Living examples (v. 7) – The natural result of point 5 (imitating godly men), is that we become examples for others to follow.  There’s an issue if we don’t progress to this point.  The Hebrews are rebuked in Heb 5:12 for only being students (followers) and not teachers (examples).  Paul told the Corinthians that they were living epistles known and read of all men (2 Co 3:2).  For a true believer, the word not only gets into his head but also his manner of life.  The fact that others were looking to them as a pattern reveals growth and maturity, which is the evidence of healthy spiritual life (Eph 4:12-15).

8)      Outward confession ( v. 8 ) – True salvation isn’t only a heart experience.  It begins inwardly but progresses outwardly (Rom 10:10-11).  Paul didn’t have to tell others of the Thessalonians’ faith.  The word of God was like a geyser rushing out of them!  When your heart is fixed on something, your mouth will declare it (“out of abundance of heart the mouth speaketh” Mt 12:34).  I used to be grieved in my early Christian walk because music was such a fresh part of my past that I’d end up talking to people about it.  I’d leave and think, “Where was Christ in all of that?”  But in the midst of this study, a friend of over a year called me to say he had just found out I used to play in bands.  He knew nothing about me except that I was a Christian!  Wow!  Thank you, Lord.  I can see progress, but I want to be more like Christ.  If your path intersected His, you were going to hear the word!

9)      New creation (v. 9) – Some turn to God but not away from idols.  That’s not regeneration!  Regeneration is a new creature or creation wherein old things have passed away and all has become new (2 Co 5:17)!  The one looking back isn’t fit for the kingdom (Lk 9:62).  Jesus said in Lk 14:33, you must forsake all you have to be His disciple.  The Thessalonians did, and they never looked back!

10)  Waiting pilgrims (v. 10) – The idea conveyed here is one of not simply waiting but a longing for the Lord Jesus.  The Interlinear Bible translates it as, “eagerly to await His Son”.  They were as Paul in Ph 1:23 as he desired to depart and be with Christ.  They were like the faithful in Heb 11:16 who didn’t feel at home here but were seeking a better, heavenly country.  Rev 22:20 expresses the cry of their hearts for when the Lord says, “Surely I come quickly,” they promptly reply, “Amen!  Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

If these things be in us, it leaves little doubt of our election.  So, are they in us?  “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” (2 Cor 13:5) If Christ is in us, we will be stamped out in His pattern.  ”…give diligence to make your calling and election sure…” (2 Pet 1:10)

Jamie

Have you ever considered the defining verses of God in Bible?  I’m not talking about the descriptive verses but verses that define Him.  Some describe Him (“God is able”, “God is faithful”), but others say Who He is (“God is love”).  So, let’s see what these passages reveal about the true God as we consider them in light of one another.

 1) God is one Lord (Mk 12:29)
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:”

There are no other gods like this God!  He is one Lord, different from all the rest.  Deut 10:17 tells us He is “God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible…”  Ps 188:27 says “God is the LORD…”  Did you notice all the capital letters in LORD?  This God is the only self-existent, eternal God.  He is unique from all the rest.  He is far above all the rest.  He rules over all and is therefore worthy of all our praise and worship.  But, man has a problem based on our next text…

2) God is a Spirit (Jn 4:24)
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

It is important that we understand this definition of God; otherwise, we’ll approach Him in the flesh, which He will never accept.  According to our first point, we must worship this one true God, but our text in Jn 4:24 says this worship must be in spirit and in truth!  As 1 Co 15:50 reveals, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”  This fact highlights man’s dilemma.  We’re not born spiritually-adept creatures!  In fact, we’re born spiritually dead (Eph 2:1)!  All we have is flesh and blood, so we have no ability of ourselves of ever worshipping this God acceptably!  “The natural [literally “soulish”] man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God…neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Co 2:14)  We can’t know them because we’re spiritually dead!  So, the bottom line is that in our depraved state, man can’t worship this worthy God but instead will worship the creature rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25).  That’s bad news according to the next defining verse.

3) God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29)
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

God expects His creation to worship Him alone.  “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Mt 4:10)  Worship is reserved only for this God.  Our verse from Heb 12:29 is a quote from Deut 4:24 which tells us what it means for God to be a consuming fire: “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”  He is jealous, and He will have the preeminence in all things!  V. 25-26 explains those who worship any other “shall utterly be destroyed!” This God commands our full adoration (“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…”).  And if we don’t give it to Him, we will not be able to plead our case before anyone else because…

4) God is the judge (Ps 50:6)
“But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

And, how does He judge according to Ps 96:13? “…for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”  God judges righteously!  There will be no appeal to any higher court.  He won’t make any mistakes.  He will judge according to the truth, and His verdict will be final!  He will reveal the hidden things because our next point is true!

5) God is light (1 Jn 1:5)
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

There is no darkness in Him at all!  He is pure light, dispelling the darkness.  He reveals the truth that the darkness seeks to obscure.  He sees everything.  Nothing is hidden for “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Heb 4:13)  “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts…” (1 Co 4:5)  All will be revealed!

Now, just consider everything we’ve looked at up to this point.  We’re dead in the water if God stops defining Himself here!  But, praise God, He didn’t!  We also read…

6) God is love (1 Jn 4:8)
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

We don’t know love except God is its source.  There is no love apart from Him!  All true love (not what the world calls love) is from Him, “for love is of God.” (1 Jn 4:7) And, as the verse continues on, it is the outward expression of this love, which is God dwelling in us and manifesting Himself through us, whereby we are able to identify the children of God, for “every one that loveth is born of God.”  It is this great love that prompts God to make Himself known as He does in our final point.

7) God is the Savior (Is 45:15)
“Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.”

Thank God that He defines Himself in this way!  Because He is the one true God (our first point), He is able to save!  No one can stay His hand or prevent Him.  And He welcomes us, yea, commands us to look to Him as Savior! “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Is 45:21-22)  There is salvation in no other!  God’s love prompted Him to be known in this manner and this is the only hope we have as God declares, “there is none else.”

So, have we fully answered our question: Who is God?  There’s one final thought that was of great blessing to me as I studied these passages.  Every defining verse points to the Lord Jesus!  Our definition “God is one Lord” declared God to be “Lord of lords,” and isn’t that exactly how Christ is described in 1 Tim 6:15?!!  He is “the King of kings, and Lord of lords!” We read that “God is a Spirit,” and as Paul contrasts the first Adam, who was made a living soul, with the last Adam, the Lord Jesus, we find that He was made “a quickening [or life-giving] spirit!”  We see Christ as “a consuming fire” in 2 Th as He returns in “flaming fire” (1:8) to “consume…[and] destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2:8).  Jesus is also “the judge” by His own testimony in Jn 5:22: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son”.  Even as we saw that “God is light,” do we not also know Christ as the “light of the world?”  Jn 1:9 tells us that John the Baptist was sent as a witness unto “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”  Finally, where does the Father direct our attention if we would see that “God is love”?  Love made visible is the One that is called “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).  The Father says to look at the Son to see love: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)  Do we even need to explain that Jesus is “the Savior”?  Mt 1:21 says, “…thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  So, who is God?  The Lord Jesus is!

Jamie

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
Jude 24-25

I’ve been guilty in the past of reading quickly over the final verses of New Testament letters. They often are so similar in their language—a brother expressing his goodbye and well wishes for the church while praising the Lord. Not that these things are without worth. We say “amen” to them, but don’t think much about them after that. But, I sure am glad the Lord parked me on this passage and made me stop and think. Just listen…

“Now unto Him who is able”
Jd 22-23 speaks of the pursuit of saving of souls. That’s the language used in v. 23: “others save with fear”. It is important that we read v. 24 after v. 23 because the ability for the saving of souls is right here. God is able! Some of us have been praying for lost loved ones for a long time seemingly without effect. Maybe we’ve seen at times a glimmer of hope—an apparent concern for eternal things or an awareness of the brevity of life. Maybe some have even attended church for a period. But just as quickly as we got our hopes up, our dreams were dashed as they faded right back into the lifestyle they had before. We pray for them still, trembling as we think about the verse concerning the dog returning to his vomit and the sow to her mire. (2 Pe 2:22) The words of 2 Pe 2:20 ring in our ears: “the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.” How far is too far? When will God’s mercy on that soul run out? Brothers and sisters, that’s between them and the Lord. That’s not for us to decide! Consider the sins of men in the Bible like Manasseh, Lot, David, Saul of Tarsus…to name a few. We might have written them off after what they did! But, we’re talking about “Him who is able!” Listen, it is a miracle any of us get saved! We stand dumbfounded with the disciples asking, “Who then can be saved?” (Mt 19:25) But, we hear the gracious response from our Lord: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26) As Is 59:1 says, “the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save”! God asks in Jer 32:27, “I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?” Let the church shout a resounding, “NO!! There is nothing too hard for You!” Be encouraged, dear soul! Live godly before those loved ones and pray for them to Him who is able! With God all things are possible!

“to keep you from stumbling”
So, what is God able to do? What about the struggling Christian? The previous verses in Jude reveal an influx of deceivers that have crept into the church without anyone noticing (v. 4). Jude’s warning every one that’s naming the name of Christ to examine their hearts. Make sure you’re not one of these ungodly dreamers (v. 8) upon whom the judgment of God is sure to come (v. 14, 15). Yes, examine yourself Christian, but he isn’t giving this word to undermine your faith, for you to cast off your assurance. What an encouragement in this thought: yes, if left to yourself you would have no hope, but God is able to keep you from falling! It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says, God is able to make you stand! (Rom 14:4) You say, “You don’t know what I’ve done!” You don’t know what I’ve thought!” When does a man cross that line in Heb 6:4-6 so that it is impossible for him to be renewed again to repentance? V. 6 says these “fall away,” but sinner, this God is able to keep you from reaching that point! He is able to keep you from falling! We might have written David off after what he did in light of all He knew and had experienced of God, but listen to 2 Sam 12:13: “So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.’” What hope do we have with these liars infiltrating the church in Jd 4? Jesus said they will come, and they’ll be dazzling! In Mt 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders…” But does He stop there? What’s the rest of it? “…to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” If it were possible, i.e. it’s not! Can you lose your salvation? Not if God has anything to do with it, and He has everything to do with it!

“and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory”
That word “faultless” is also translated “without blame, without blemish, without spot, without fault.” That would be good news if you were in an auto accident and standing before the judge. It would be good to hear you were not to blame, and you were in no way at fault. But, we’re not standing in a county courtroom in this verse, are we? Where are we? “Before the presence of his glory.” What?!!! When Isaiah was there, he exclaimed, “Woe is me!” (Is 6:5)When John saw Christ in his glory, he fell at His feet as dead! (Rev 1:17) But, consider the effectiveness of the blood of Christ upon aliens and enemies in Col 1:21,22! To paraphrase, God says of these, “You look perfect in every way to me. You’re not just good. You’re holy! I find no spot or stain at all. There’s not a single sin for me to bring up. There’s not even a mild word of correction for you. I have only eternal love and acceptance for you. You are in no way offensive to Me!”

Have you ever considered the sins of the Old Testament saints in the light of the New Testament? If there was ever an apostate prophet, we’d assume Jonah was one. He explicitly disobeyed God’s command, running the other way when God said go to Nineveh. Only after severe correction did he obey, but only in deed. His heart wasn’t in the message to Nineveh! He preached the bare minimum, and then ran to the hills to see what God would do. When God showed mercy, he got mad and pouted like a little child! In fact, the last thing we have in the book is God rebuking him for his lack of mercy. The only good thing we can say about the whole account is that he was a picture of Christ as he was three days in the belly of the whale! And guess what? That’s the only thing we have mentioned about him in the New Testament! So much more could have been preached and taught using Jonah as an example, but there’s not one mention of his sin! The same holds true for David, Moses, and Abraham. David’s murder and adultery—never mentioned! Moses’ excuses at the beginning of his calling and his sin in striking the rock—not even hinted at. Abraham and Sarah’s unbelief concerning God’s promise of a son resulting in Ishmael—never even alluded to! What about someone like Samson? His entire life is characterized by worldliness—the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh. Surely there’s nothing good to say about him. The only mention you have of him is in Heb 11:32,33 as he’s listed along side men like Gideon and Samuel “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.” What?!! Did the Holy Spirit have temporary amnesia when He wrote about these characters? Nope, it wasn’t temporary. It was permanent! What is the new covenant (or testament) characterized by in Heb 10:14-17? “There sins…I will remember no more!!!

“with exceeding joy”
With that last thought, it’s no wonder we can stand before God in this state of joy! Listen, if you’re depressed right now, this will raise you up! How can we complain or be downcast if we’re conscious of this fact? How can this thought not prompt us to praise! Are you in a hard place like the psalmist in Ps 43:1? Look at how his countenance changes as his heart considers his God and that which God will do for him! Now, if you haven’t been washed in the blood of the Lamb, you have no reason to rejoice, ever! This experience is foreign and completely contrary to what those outside of Christ will experience. There’s not even a hint of joy in Rev 6:15-17, only terror! They call on rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb! Will anyone be able to stand in that day? Yes! Those spoken of in Jude because Christ’s blood cleanses them from all unrighteousness! (1 Jn 1:7) If you’re outside of Christ, you won’t meet a loving God that’s welcoming you with open arms but instead a God of wrath speaking the worst words you’ll ever hear, that will ring in your ears through out eternity. In fact, according to Mt 7:21-23, a lot of church-folk are going to hear these awful words—men and women that called “Lord, Lord,” that prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works in Christ’s name. What will they hear? “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Meanwhile, the redeemed will bow with exceeding joy before a God that welcomes them to enter eternally into His joy! (Mt 25:21). With hearts overflowing with love, they will cast their crowns at their Lord’s feet and say “amen” to Jude’s final verse: “To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”

Jamie

…for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds…
2 Pet 2:8

I’ve always thought the phrase “hell on earth” had little truth behind it. After all, how can we compare the temporary sufferings of this present world to eternal suffering in hell? I was surprised, however, to find that the word “tormented” in the verse above comes from a Greek word often associated with the sufferings of hell. In Rev 20:10 it is used to describe the eternal suffering of Satan and his demons. It is also clear in Mt 8:29 that the demons within the two men of the Gergesenes connected this word with their place of final judgment as they questioned Christ, “Have You come here to torment us before the time?” Finally, the root of this word is translated “torments” in Lk 16:23 where we find the rich man in hell experiencing this eternal pain. But, in our text in 2 Peter, Lot is still on earth as his soul, not his body, is “tormented”! The wicked have to go to hell to experience it, but for the righteous, this experience can be very real right now.

We understand that there is a sense in which this earthly torment cannot be helped. When Paul instructed the Corinthian church to not keep company with fornicators in 1 Cor 5:10, he had to qualify that statement in the following way: “Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.” As long as we live in this world, it is simply not possible to keep ourselves from being exposed to sinful practices. Besides, if the church were to separate herself from the ungodly world, how would any of them here the gospel and be saved? Isn’t it the church’s responsibility to go “into all the world and preach” (Mk 16:15) this gospel which is “the power of God unto salvation”? (Rom 1:16) At the same time, however, we should not let the filthiness of the surrounding society dull our senses to sin. We must maintain that abhorrence of sin that causes the righteous in Eze 9:4 to weep. The one’s that are marked for preservation by the Lord, who will not be destroyed in the coming judgment, are those “who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done.” Yes, we’re concerned for men’s souls, but as we seek their eternal good, we “save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jd 23)

What strikes me about Lot in our text above is that it seems to some degree his torment was self-inflicted. The verb used is in the active voice. In other words, it doesn’t read “he was tormented” but rather states “that man…tormented his [own] righteous soul!” He was an active participant in this affliction by “seeing and hearing their lawless deeds.” How often are we guilty of the same offense? Sure, we will be subjected to sinful sights and sounds just because we live in this ungodly age, but is not true that sometimes we place ourselves in situations where it’s likely we will encounter the wicked’s lawlessness? If you’re deathly allergic to peanuts, you don’t go to a restaurant that specializes in dishes made with that legume for fear that one might accidentally make it’s way onto your plate! Likewise, if sinful lust is torturous to our souls and tempting to our old nature, we shouldn’t purposely involve ourselves in activities that will likely lead us into sin!

Abram told Lot to choose a dwelling place. “Is not the whole land before you?” (Gen 13:9) But with all the places he could have chosen, we find in v. 12 that he “dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.” Lot chose to dwell here even though we read in v. 13 that “the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.” We have similar choices today. Do we need to elaborate? Don’t we know the things we can see or hear that tempt us to sinful thoughts and actions? If you settle near Sodom, sooner or later, just like Lot, you’ll end up right in the middle of it! We must guard our outward members, our eyes and ears, for they are paths used by the enemy to assault our inward man. For example, the first time the root word of our word “seeing” is used in NT is an example of using our eyes for sin (Mt 5:28 “looketh”). Job understood his eyes to be an inlet for sin, an avenue into his heart and mind. In Job 31:1, he says “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I think upon a maid?” We would do well to follow brother Job’s example and direct our gaze away from that which might cause us to stumble. Similarly, we find our ears can be given to wicked practices as the group we find in 2 Tim 4:3,4. The word “ears” in these verses is our word “hearing”. We have been granted blessed eyes and ears that see and hear what many prophets and righteous men have not! (Mt 13:16,17) Will we then use our faculties to pursue that which is of far less value?!! Turn your eyes to the One that cries out, “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” (Is 45:22) Lend your ears to He of which the Father says, “This is my beloved Son: hear Him!” Be diligent in your walk, children, for the days are evil. (Eph 5:15-16) Don’t torture your righteous soul!

Jamie

Acts 2:42-47

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

What is the purpose of the church? How should she spend her time? There are a lot of answers floating around to those questions, but what does Scripture teach? Our text reveals what the early church was like in its purity just after God gave His Spirit on Pentecost. These Christians are an example to us, and we should measure our assemblies today by their standard. We find there are four things here in which the early church “continued steadfastly.”

First of all, there was a steadfast continuance in the “apostles’ doctrine,” i.e. the word of God. Many churches today have diminished their focus on faithfully teaching and preaching the word in favor of more entertaining forms of “worship”. Why? Because the people that gather have no heart for the truth! Paul warns of this day in 2 Tim 2:3 stating, “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” Brothers and sisters, the time is here! We would do well to encourage our pastors and teachers to faithfully do what Paul tells Timothy in v. 2: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

Secondly, the early church was characterized by unity. They continued steadfastly in “fellowship.” They loved the brethren! Isn’t that how Jesus said everyone would know that we were His disciples? (Jn 13:35) Their unity is evident all throughout our portion of Scripture. V. 44 says “all who believed were together, and had all things in common.” V. 46 reveals they were in “one accord” and broke bread “from house to house.” In other words, the early Christians spent much time with each other, and enjoyed rich fellowship in the Lord. As Ac 4:32 further describes them, they “were of one heart and one soul”.

Next, we see they continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread. I think a couple of things are referred to by this statement. First, it reveals the practical way in which they lived. Their lives were characterized by simplicity, contentment, and care for one another. They didn’t seek lives of extravagance, desiring the delicacies of this present world, but were satisfied with merely the breaking of bread. Even as we are instructed to be in 1 Tim 6:8, they were content with simply having food and clothing. They “ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart”. (v. 46) And their care for each other is revealed in this breaking of bread for no one did without according to Ac 4:34-35. There was not “anyone among them who lacked,” and “they distributed to each as anyone had need.”

The second conclusion we must draw from the declaration of their steadfastness in the breaking of bread is a spiritual one. We can’t consider the phrase “breaking of bread” without numerous passages coming to mind concerning the Lord Jesus being the spiritual bread that sustains every believer. As Jesus declared in Jn 6:51: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever…” Christ was the bread that was broken and sustained the early church, even as every true believer is sustained today. He was their focus and desire. They hungered and thirsted after righteousness, and they were filled! (Mt 5:6)

Last of all, they were a praying people. This truth was the evidence that the Spirit of God had indeed fallen upon them because both Rom 8:15 and Gal 4:6 remind us that the one thing God’s Spirit within us will continually do is cry out “Abba, Father!” You don’t have to teach a child to cry out to his mother or father. It’s completely natural. It would be strange if he didn’t! Likewise, every true child of God cries out to his or her heavenly Father, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” (Eph 6:18)

I want us to notice one more important point at the end of our text. This church grew, but how did it grow? They didn’t form an outreach committee to determine the best way to reach the surrounding population. They didn’t take a poll to determine what would attract the most people. They were focused on God. They simply lived in obedience to Him, “continuing daily…praising God.” And what was the result? God gave them “favor with all the people,” and “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Such is the only way the true church can grow. Men can come up with creative ways to build assemblies, but only God can build His church. We can water and plant, but God gives the increase! (1 Co 3:6)

Jamie

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Rom 10:13-15

We’ve been looking at evangelism the last several weeks, and the passage above fits right in with that topic. What a wonderful promise we have in v. 13. “Whoever calls…” What a message of comfort and hope we have for the lost! Can any soul be denied that calls upon the name of the Lord? No! God said so! Call upon Him, and He will answer. You will be saved!

But, we often remember v. 13 of the above passage and forget what follows. The apostle takes us on a journey backwards from the time an individual calls on the name of the Lord. Before that person can cry out to God, he must first believe in Him according to v. 14. What’s the point in crying out if nobody’s there to hear? As Heb 11:6 says, “…he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” There’s no reason to call out for the reward of salvation unless you first believe God exists and will respond to that call.

So does the journey start with belief? Nope, let’s go back further. How can a person believe in a God of whom they’ve never heard? They’ve got to have this Lord and Savior declared to them first, and that requires an individual who will declare or publish the Gospel message–a preacher! The Greek word meaning “to preach” literally means to “publish or proclaim openly.” It doesn’t have to be tied to an office but can describe the calling of every believer, for we all have been given “the ministry of reconciliation.” We are “ambassadors for Christ” who cry to the world, “Be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor 5:18-20)

But we’ve got one more step to take to find the origin of this salvation. Before the sinner calls to the Lord, before He believes in his heart unto righteousness, and before the preacher publishes the glad tidings of the gospel of peace, we read in v. 15, “And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Someone does the sending, and it is none other that the gracious and merciful God that originated this plan of salvation. It all starts with Him! Before the prophet says “Here am I! Send me,” the God of the prophet asks, “Whom shall I send?” (Is 6:8) The Lord Jesus sends those who believe in like manner in Mk 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Aren’t you glad that long before you believed in Him, while you were still lost in unbelief, the Lord came looking for you! Do you remember how He rescued you from darkness? It’s no mistake His message entered our ears and then our hearts at the time in our life that it did. God prepared the soil of our hearts to receive the seed of His gospel and sent His messengers to disperse that seed at just the right time in our lives! You ought to feel pretty special, oh beloved of the Lord! Truly, the Author and Finisher of our faith is worthy of all our praise!

Jamie

“You cannot serve God and mammon.” Lk 16:13

I’ve recently been meditating on the parable of the unjust steward in Lk 16:1-13. If you remember, when the master found out his steward was wasting his goods, he told him to get things in order because he was losing his job. The steward was immediately thrown into a panic about what to do. He decided he would cheat his master further by cutting the debts owed him by some of his master’s debtors. The purpose of this act was so that the debtors would then welcome the unjust steward into their homes when his master kicked him out.

A point of confusion for some is that the master commended the unjust steward in Lk 16:8 because the steward had acted shrewdly. Are we then to assume the steward had done a good thing? Absolutely not! He had been dishonest for his own gain. Is that good in God’s eyes? Of course not, but Jesus points out at the end of v. 8 that the master of the steward revealed that “the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.” In other words, the steward was pretty smart in the world’s eyes. Sure, he had to lie and cheat a little, but the world doesn’t have a problem with that as long as they make a dollar or two in the process. Sadly, I’ve met a few who claim the name of Christ that believe the same way!

Next, Jesus said in v. 9, “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.” As believers, with our hearts set on an eternity with Christ, it’s easy to assume that “an everlasting home” is heaven, but don’t forget–hell can just as easily be described in that fashion! The unjust steward had done exactly what v. 9 says. He made friends of his master’s debtors by unrighteous riches (not the true riches that God gives), and when that steward and his money failed, these debtors welcomed him into their homes. They had sold their souls together, agreeing with one another in the sin of cheating the master. Rom 1:32 says the wicked know their ungodly deeds are worthy of God’s judgment, but they not “only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” They will enter their eternal home together.

Regardless of your view of the parable, Christ is very clear as to its point. He explains the lesson His was teaching immediately after telling the story in v. 10-13:

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The steward had not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon–namely the lesser riches of the world–and so was not worthy of the true, eternal riches of God. The children of the kingdom set their affections on things above, not on the things of this earth, because they want Christ above all else (Col 3:1-2). The children of the world think godliness is a useful tool only to get gain while the righteous understand that godliness itself with contentment–that is truly knowing God–is great gain! (1 Ti 6:5-6) Here’s the bottom line. You can’t have a heart for earthly riches AND for God. That’s one too many masters. If you serve mammon, you, like the unjust steward, will make relationships that only benefit you. You’re at the center of it all. Those that serve God make relationships because they want to honor Him. That means they put others, not themselves, first because that is the pattern of Christ who “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant…” (Ph 2:7)

Jamie