“For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]” (Jn 1:16; AMP). In Greek, the word ‘fullness’ means completeness and overflow. Christ is 100% God and 100% Man. The Christian is a man who has received and continues to receive something from God. He receives willingly and actively. God thru Christ gives the believer the best heaven has. The Christian receives the Holy Spirit by faith and at different levels. This pouring of the Holy Spirit is by God’s Grace. It is an intimate relationship of giving and receiving. Christ’ gift increases gradually. It is grace upon grace. Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God to the believer. It manifests as spiritual gift upon gift, and spiritual blessing upon blessing. This continuous increase in spiritual power and anointing never stops until the believer goes to heaven.
Grace is the generosity, the outpouring of Love. Grace is like a glass full of water. We drink and drink and it is still full. As children of God, we know and feel that we are loved, protected and blessed. Out of this overflow of Love, we love others. The Christians are different in their levels of revelation, authority, and power to testify for Jesus. All believers are citizens of God’s Kingdom, but not all are governors or judges with authority to open and shut doors. It is possible to be born-again and still not be baptized with the Holy Spirit. There is a price to pay to know and function in the realm of power, and love. May we be willing to mature!
LOVE IS STRONG AND COURAGEOUS (Deut 11:22-25; Joshua 1:1-9)
We are ready to crossover into a new year (2025). Let God’s Word guide us. Let the Holy Spirit direct us. We shall experience a higher level of fruitfulness and greater harvest. We re-visit the story of Joshua, taking the lead after God’s servant, Moses has died. This is a story of transition, from dreams to dreams come true. The people of God are ready to crossover. They’ve camped by River Jordan. God commands Joshua to arise and lead the people. God commands him to be strong and very courageous. He must devote Himself to study and apply God’s Word. God’s promises are ready to be fulfilled. Centuries ago, God promised that the Land of Canaan will be theirs. Because of disobedience, they’ve wasted many years. But they are now ready to enter the Promised Land. This is a destiny moment for Isreal.
Three times in this passage God commands Joshua to be ‘strong and very courageous’. This is not a suggestion. Obeying this command is rewarded with godly prosperity and success. Moses was a strong leader. Joshua also needs to be strong and very courageous as a leader because God’s people were not experienced warriors, and the Canaanites were strong enemies. To be ‘strong’ means emotionally firm and stable, but not totally hardened and not soft; he must not be easily moved emotionally, not yielding to manipulation or intimidation. The word ‘courageous’ means to be brave, fearless, having the mental and moral strength to deal with dangerous, unpleasant or difficult things without breaking down. God’s command was ‘to observe to do’ all God’s Law. This is an active, diligent and intentional obedience to God’s commands. According to God’s covenant, obedience to God’s Word brought blessings. Disobedience brought curses. Partial obedience is counted as disobedience. Joshua was not to turn to the right or to the left. It shows the need to go straight on God’s path of righteousness. Any deviation means failure or danger. Lesson: stay focused on the path God has prepared for us, and faithfully, to run the race to the end.
God has promised that obedience to His Word leads to prosperity. In Hebrew, the word ‘sakal’ means prosperity that comes from wisdom and understanding of God. It is not just wealth. It is the testimony of a mature believer who knows God and His Word. He hears from God. He applies God’s Word wisely in his life. This is how he becomes wealthy, spiritually and materially. This promise is not connected only with the Promised Land. Its blessings shall manifest in any place you go in this world. You become a source of prosperity in any place you live.
The Bible is the true and final authority in the life of the believer. We must study, meditate and proclaim God’s Word. This is the lifestyle of the believer. It affects his thinking, his emotions, his choices, his speech and his actions. The diligent study and application of God’s Word leads to prosperity. In Hebrew, it is the word ‘tsalach’. It means to advance, to make progress, or to have breakthrough. Good success means success connected with wisdom taken from the Word of God. This is a reminder that God’s Law is extremely important. It cannot be broken. Man cannot keep God’s Law perfectly. The only Man who ever obeyed God perfectly is Jesus Christ. He did not come to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it through His perfect obedience. In Him, we are justified by Grace and through Faith. His obedience becomes ours. In Christ, all the promises are yes and amen. God’s Word decrees that as believers, we will have a successful and prosperous life.
As we enter this new year, we too stand at the river. We’ve known thirst in the desert. We’ve also tasted the refreshing water of salvation. Now it is time to crossover and enter the Promised Land. The Lion of Judah looks us in the eye and says, “Come here.” The Promised Land is the fullness of the presence of God. Entering there is never casual. It is frightening because in that Land we are to live a whole new life that we have never known before. In the desert, even though we were thirsty, at least we felt some sort of control. But now, we are afraid of heaven because the promises are so, so big and the glory so, so bright! It is hard to have faith that our lives will change so much!
How did Joshua have the power to let go of the past and crossover into the Promised Land? What are the lessons for us? Joshua heard the voice of God. In all transitions we must hear from God. God speaks thru His Word and by His Spirit. Trying to move on without God is dangerous. God’s Word must be heard and obeyed. God promised to be with Joshua always. God’s presence is safety. God promised to fight and defeat all Joshua’s enemies. God’s presence of victory. It is hope! Learn to let go by giving God your desire for comfort, security and control. Let Him replace it with the reality of His presence. Now you are ready to cross over into the Promised Land! Worship the Lord!
LOVE IS THE NEW COMMANDMENT (64)/ MARY’S FIRST LOVE
This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures are taken from the books of John 13:34,35; Lk 10:38-42; Acts 6:1-7; John 11:28-36; 12:1-8;
AT HIS FEET – MARY’S FIRST LOVE (Lk 10:38-42)
This is a wonderful story. It shows the priority of spiritual things. Priority is defined as something that is more important than other things. It is an urgent thing. It must be dealt first before attending to other things. In this story, we see Mary seated at the feet of Jesus. Thru her we see the priority given to spiritual things, loving Jesus above all others. Mary was a special person. There are not many details about her. We do not know if she was married or if she had children. But the few words about Mary have created a precious picture. Her memory is preserved. She is an inspiration to all lovers of Jesus to the end of time.
When Jesus was on earth, He had many enemies but few true friends. There was a family who lived in a village called Bethany, just 2 miles from Jerusalem. This family was made from three siblings: Martha (possibly the senior sister), Mary, and their (possibly younger) brother, Lazarus. The name Martha means Lady, Mistress or Madam. The name Mary means Beloved. Lazarus means God has helped me. Martha talks and behaves as the Landlady. She is a symbol of the ministry of helps and hospitality. In the Jewish culture, it was a sacred duty to welcome strangers, to give them food and shelter. Mary is the spiritual one in the family. She shows the priority of spiritual work like prayer, worship, and the study of God’s Word. Their brother Lazarus is quieter. This wonderful family opened their house to Jesus. They loved Him as their Master, Teacher, Mentor and Friend. In their house, Jesus was allowed to be Himself. They did not ask Him to do miracles for entertainment. They loved Him simply, from their hearts. They were the friends of Jesus. The name of their village, Bethany means ‘house of affliction’ or ‘house of figs’. It is now a small town with a population of about 22,000 people.
“She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word”. On this occasion, Jesus and His disciples came to visit them. Mary decided to sit at the feet of Jesus, to listen to His Word. This is the traditional position of a disciple submitting to his master, mentor or rabbi. It was a position of humility and desire to learn. Her position shows that God’s Word has priority over other activities. In Greek, the word ‘sat’ shows a deliberate choice to be close to Jesus, attentive to His words, even if she was to be discriminated because of that. Mary made a choice to be a mature spiritual Christian, to grow in grace and understanding, and to be a true worshipper of Jesus. ‘Mary heard the word’. The word ‘heard’ means listening. It suggests an active, continuous action. Mary was not just hearing the words of Jesus with her ears, but she opened her heart to receive them. It shows hearing and believing. The words of Jesus were spoken with Love and Authority. No man spoke like Jesus! The words had the power to give Eternal Life, to deeply change and transform people. Mary opened ears and heart shows a deep desire to learn divine truth, to have godly wisdom, to Love like Jesus and to be changed from glory to glory.
“But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.” Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing the dinner for Jesus and the guests. Cooking is never easy. We are told the Martha ‘Was distracted with much serving’. In Greek, the word ‘distracted’ means to drag all around, to be all over the place, to be greatly troubled. To distract it means to draw away your mind, your focus, your attention, from one thing to another. We usually draw away our attention from things we hate to the things we love. We stop thinking about our duty and start thinking about entertainment. Jesus said that Martha was distracted about many things. She was trying to do too many things at the same time. The word ‘serving’ is ‘diakonian’. It means to be a servant, a waiter at the table, a minister or a deacon. The words ‘to care’ means to be concerned, anxious, have an interest. Mary has ‘left’ Martha to serve alone. To leave it means abandon, or to forsake. Alone means solitary, desolate, or single. Martha said: Tell her to help me! The word ‘help’ means to cooperate, to hold the opposite corners together. From these words we see that Martha was serving God by serving men. This is a good work. But she became tired and frustrated. She started grumbling. She was comparing herself with her sister Mary, who sat in the living room, among men, to listen to Jesus. She felt lonely as she was doing ministry. Lesson: This is a common complaint from many pastors and leaders in the church. They know that serving God is a good thing. But they miss the human fellowship, the church ‘gist’. Suddenly, they feel that the Holy Spirit is too ‘spiritual’ and does not understand the frustration of ministry on earth. The Holy Spirit is the Encourager to help us in our loneliness and anxieties of life! Selah!
Jesus replied to busy Martha that one thing is needed. Not many things that bring distraction. Only one thing! And Mary has found that treasure. She has chosen that one good thing. What is that best thing? It is to be one with Jesus! Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His Word. To sit at His feet means that she submitted to Jesus, to be one with Him. She was ready to receive His Word. Please note that both Martha and Mary are ‘Christians’. The difference was that Mary chose to invest in her soul first. She wanted to attend first to spiritual eternal things for the good of her soul. This was her priority. Her priority was right. After attending to the words of Jesus, she could use the remaining time and strength to do the chores in the house. This was divine wisdom. This was agape Love. Selah!
Jesus calls Mary’s choice ‘the good part’. The good part or the good portion is always a choice. Men and devils cannot take it away from us. Ministry is good. God rewards His servants when they serve Him. But ministry can become a source of distraction from the concentrated focus of studying God’s Word and prayer. I am not saying that Martha is a worldly Christian woman. She loved Jesus too. But because she was the hostess of the home, she felt that she must be more practical. She saw it as her duty to entertain Jesus and the disciples. She wanted to cook many dishes, possibly to impress Jesus with her ministry. But she became anxious in the kitchen. Anxiety made her impatient. She rebuked Jesus saying He does not care. She almost blamed Jesus for encouraging Mary to be lazy and selfish. Lesson: being too busy with the physical needs, leads to anxiety, complaining, and drifting away from spiritual things. The loss is greater than the gain! This is foolish. May we examine ourselves! How do we serve Jesus? What is the place of prayer and the study of God’s Word in our lives?
Jesus gently rebuked Marth by saying that Mary has chosen the good part, the best part. Comparing the two ministries, studying God’s Word, prayer and worship on one side, and the ministry of helps, provision to the needy and taking care of God’s house, on the other side, the first one has a greater value. The spiritual things have pre-eminence over the natural things. This is a spiritual law. “Therefore, do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men” (Rom 14:16-18). To live we need to eat and drink. But the Kingdom of God is made of eternal spiritual things, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We should focus on the spiritual things first, and later, we can attend to the needs of the body. We should not allow anyone to speak evil about the good choice we made, to focus our best on spiritual things.
There two reasons why Jesus gently rebuked Martha: 1-She overdid her work until she became distracted from spiritual things. 2-She stopped appreciating the greater value of spiritual investment. For example, we can bake a cake and present it to a prophet. That is good! But to waste hours decorating that cake with flowers, that may be wrong. A simple tasty cake is better. Cooking many dishes on Sunday morning until you become so tired that you fall asleep during the sermon, that is wrong. A simple meal is better. Use the remaining time to study the Bible, pray, praise God and go to church. Let Jesus always be your first Love! Give Him the best of your Strength and Love!
MARY AT THE TOMB OF LAZARUS – FIRST LOVE IN PAIN (Jn 11:28-36)
Let us study Mary during her time of pain and sorrow. Her brother Lazarus was sick and then, he died. Martha and Mary sent message to Jesus to come and heal their brother. But Jesus came ‘too late’. Lazarus has died and was buried four days ago. The whole house was in deep morning. Then Jesus and His disciples finally come. They stay at a place outside the village. Martha goes to see him. Jesus preaches to her and tells her that resurrection is not an event, but a Person. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. At the end of ‘the sermon’ Martha goes home. She tells Mary: “The Teacher is calling for you”. Mary gets up immediately and goes to meet Jesus. Lesson: during all situations, even in grief, First Love goes to Jesus! The Jews who came to visit and to mourn with the sisters, did not understand why Mary went out in a hurry. Lesson: unbelievers will always misunderstand the actions of First Love. Mary loved Jesus but now, she was struggling with some questions about Jesus. Doubt tried to steal her heart. Why did He not heal her brother… Why did He come so late? But when she saw Jesus, she forgot all her questions and doubts. She fell at His feet. That was the place she knew. That was the access to stand in Grace. Faith returned to her broken heart. She worshipped Jesus. That is the only language of love.
Martha “met” Jesus. But Mary “fell down at the feet of Jesus”. Lesson: Even in pains, in doubts, even when she does not understand what is happening, First Love always worships Jesus. Martha received a good teaching. Mary wept kneeling. From that holy place of faith Mary saw how Jesus was weeping. Mary was touched by the tears of Jesus. Mary saw how Jesus was groaning in His Spirit, being troubled. Why did Jesus’ groan like that? Because He was standing in a place of death. God’s perfect plan for man was Life and not death. But man’s sin brough death on earth. Death was man’s final enemy. It was the enemy of Jesus too. Mary saw how Jesus defeated the power of death by His death. She saw how Jesus called her brother back to life again. Martha received a sermon. Mary received the miracle of Resurrection Life. The Jews said that the weeping of Jesus was a sign of Love. “Then the Jews said, “See how He (Jesus) loved him (Lazarus)!” (Jn 11:36). Yes, Jesus loved Lazarus! Jesus loves us! In few days time, Jesus will pay for the miracle of Life for Lazarus with His own life. This is the greater agape Love, first ever Love, no man can give, and no man can take away. Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). “For love is as strong as death” (SS8:6). Mary witnessed the greatest Love of all.
MARY ANOINTS JESUS FOR HIS BURIAL (Jn 12:1-8)
This is the last time we see Mary of Bethany. There is a thanksgiving party celebrating the resurrection of Lazarus. As usual, Martha was serving food. But this time, she did not complain that Mary left her alone. She has learned her lessons. She was happy to serve food to the guests. She was not jealous on Mary. Jesus was in the house and her brother was alive and well. Everyone was in a happy mood. Well, not everyone… Some Jews came to attend the party as spies. They were not happy about the resurrection of Lazarus. Because of the miracle, many people now believed in Jesus. The Jews were planning how to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. They thought that they could wipe away the proof and even the memory of the miracle. Lesson: the unbelievers hate Jesus and His miracles, but they cannot stop them!
As the celebration was going on, Mary did something strange and totally unexpected. She took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil. Mark tells us that “She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head” (Mk 14:3). Mary did not just gently open the jar. She broke it. Why? Possibly, because she wanted it to be a sacrificial offering. When a poor man offered a dove to God, the priest used his hands to cut off the bird’s head. Its blood was offered on the altar. In the same way, Mary broke the jar so that all its content was poured on Jesus. Nothing will be left for her. The price of the ointment was 300 silver coins. This was a very expensive perfume. It was worth a year’s wages. Some said that she kept it for her wedding day. If that is true, then that day, standing before Jesus, she let go of her romantic wedding dreams. Judas, the traitor, complained that Mary’s sacrifice was too much. She called it a waste. He said that the money should have been given to the poor. He did not care for the poor but as the treasurer of the group, he wanted to steal the money. Lesson: religious unbelievers come to church but in their hearts, they worship Mamon. They hinder the true worship of God. They hate the First Love! Jesus defended Mary’s action. He accepted her sacrificial offering. He said that Mary prepared Him for burial. He also said that the poor people will always be around, but He will not always be with them. The door of opportunity to worship Him will not always be opened. Again, Mary chose to do the best thing!
Question: why did Mary worship Jesus with her sacrificial offering? During the party, Jesus was thinking about the Cross. In six days, He will be crucified and die a shameful death. Martha loved Jesus but she did not understand His loneliness and pain. She was happy because of what she saw: Jesus was in the house and her brother Lazarus was alive. To her, nothing else matters. But as the party was on, Mary sensed the loneliness of Jesus, His pain for the soon coming Cross. That is why she offered Him something prepared for His burial. This is amazing. As everyone was laughing, drinking, eating, singing and dancing, Mary understood the pains of Jesus. Where could she have gained such a sensitivity? Surely, at His feet. Each time she stayed at His feet, she not only heard His words, His teachings, but she felt His breath, His heart, His tears. Lesson: Intimacy with Jesus develops deep spiritual sensitivity. First Love imparts genuine Love, religion knows nothing about. By connecting with His heart, by her sacrificial offering, by her worship, Mary encouraged Jesus. God used Mary to tell Jesus that He is not alone. That the terrible price to be paid to redeem sinners is worth it. This is an amazing moment in the life of Jesus! Paul said: “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for His body, the church” (Col 1:24). God bless Mary! May God bless all who desire to participate in the sufferings of Jesus and to encourage Jesus! Worship the Lord!
The effect of standing in the Grace of justification by faith is not only peace and access to stand. It is also pure joyful hope to enter glory. Hope is defined as the joyful expectation of the future. For a Christian, the future is always better and more glorious than the present. In this scripture, the word ‘rejoicing’ is not just an emotion of happiness. In Greek it is translated as ‘boasting’. It means to triumphally and happily brag about the achievements of another. Practically, it means to boast of knowing Jesus as our Savior and Lord! We boast about our hope we have in Christ. A Christian is so confident that he will go to heaven, that he happily boasts about that place. He sees heaven as his eternal home. This is called the assurance of salvation. All believers are saved but not all believers have this assurance of salvation. To get that, you need to press on by faith. Fast and pray so that God will give you this extra gift. This hope is not an ordinary hope of better life on this earth. It is the hope of experiencing and being a part of the eternal Glory of God. The believer has this living hope: he knows that he will go to heaven and will see God face to face. This hope is extremely powerful. It keeps the believer focused and strong through the trials of this world. Hope in the Bible is never mixed with doubt. It always connects with joyful faith. To walk in faith, with full assurance of hope is a walk of strength and courage. Few believers walk like this. Ignorance of doctrine is a major hindrance to the believers’ victorious life!
What glory does the Christian hope to see? It is the glory of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. When Jesus lived on earth, His glory as God was veiled by His human body. Few people had the privilege to see a glimpse of it But now, in heaven, Jesus does not hide His glory. He is God Almighty! He is the King of Glory in heaven. As Man on earth, Jesus suffered rejection, died, was buried, and on the third day, He rose from the dead. He bodily ascended to heaven. The Father exalted Him above all. His glory is now revealed to all. All creatures in heaven bow and openly worship Him, singing with loud voices: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12). He always had glory as God! Now He receives glory as a Man! Amen!
God created man in His image, to reflect His Glory. Adam and Eve were the only human beings who saw the glory of God on earth in their physical bodies They had fellowship with God in the garden. God’s glory covered them as garments of light. When they fell into sin, the glory left. They felt naked. Sin damaged God’s relationship with man.
Among human beings, godly success is described as ‘glory’. Joseph told his brothers: “So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt” (Gen 45:13). King David also experienced God’s glory on earth. “His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him” (Ps 21:5).
These are some examples of men who saw the glory of Jesus. Moses prayed to see God’s glory. God answered his prayer. God passed by revealing His goodness and sovereign mercy. God covered Moses so that he can only see His back. This is because no mortal man can see God’s glory and live (Exo 33:18-23). Prophet Isaiah saw King Jesus seated on the throne. He also saw that God’s glory is over the earth (Isa 6:1-3). Prophet Ezekiel saw God’s glory as fire around the throne of God in heaven (Eze 1:26-28). As he was dying, Stephen did not see the wicked men who were stoning him to death, but he saw Jesus in His glory. “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Ac 7:55). When Saul of Tarsus was going on the road to Damascus to arrest the Christians, he suddenly saw Jesus in His full glory! “Suddenly a light shone around him from heaven” (Ac 9:3). The light of the glory of Christ blinded him. He was never the same again. He became Apostle Paul, the greatest preacher of the Gospel in the history of mankind.
Jesus took Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor. He was transfigured before them. His glory shone thru Him. “His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light” (Matt 17:2; AMP). Peter remembered this event and he wrote: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2Pet 1:16-18). Later, Apostle John saw the resurrected Christ in His glory and fell at His feet like dead (Rev 1:12-18). Remember this: Each believer who has seen even a glimpse of the glory of Jesus, will be forever changed, from inside out. God’s glory changes us! “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Cor 3:18). Amen!
The disciples came back excited from doing ministry. They said that the demons submitted to them. Jesus didn’t stop their joy of successful deliverance ministry. But he raised their eyes to eternal things, to the glory of heaven. “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Lk 10:20). Many preach about sanctification, but few preach about glorification. That is why the Christians focus too much on the present-day trials on earth, how to overcome them and ignore the hope of glory in heaven, which alone gives strength, courage and focus! “By faith he (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). Lesson: Keep your eyes on Jesus and the glory ahead!
GOD’S GLORY DEFINED
The Bible is the story of God’s glory! Glory is defined as the highest level of honor, beauty and power. It is fame won by the greatest achievements. It is the greatest intrinsic value of a Person. Glory refers to Position, Possessions, Power and Length of Life. Of course, Glory belongs to God. The Glory of God is the beauty of His Spirit, of His holiness, of His perfect character. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all!” (1Chr 29:11). Hallelujah!
The Glory of God is defined as the external manifestation of God’s Presence. Glory can be seen, or it is revealed. “Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud” (Exo 16:10). “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isa 40:5). To see God’s glory and to disobey His commands, brings judgement upon the rebellious (Nu 14:20-23).
We are told that God does not share His glory with the idols. “I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images” (Isa 42:8). In Hebrew, the word ‘glory’ is ‘kabod’. It is the weight, the heaviness, or the splendor of God. God is unwilling to share His glory and His Praise with idols or any false gods. All authority belongs to God alone, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Idolatry is desire to steal God’s glory. God punishes it. “Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Rom 1:22-25).
Immediately a believer dies, he goes to heaven to see Jesus in His glory, face to face. Our salvation starts on earth, and it is perfected in heaven. We start as sinners saved by Grace and end as saints in glory. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom 8:29,30). Apostle Paul connects Justification with Glorification, jumping sanctification. The Process of sanctification is taken for granted. Many Christians know much about sanctification and little about the glory of heaven. It is not that sanctification is not important, but we are to look ahead to the glory of heaven. This vision helps us stay focused. When Jesus comes again, we shall have new spiritual glorious bodies, exactly like Him. That means we were not to be just spectators to the glory of Jesus, but we share in it. In our new glorious bodies, there shall be no spots, no wrinkles; no remnant of sin, no damage done by sickness or by old age. Our bodies will be beautiful, perfect and glorious. Halleluiah!
In the New Testament, God’s glory is revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ, who is the Living Eternal Word. “And the Word became 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” (Jn 1:14). The glory of Jesus was manifested thru His Words and His miracles (Jn 2:11). God’s glory was veiled by His human body. Occasionally, the glory was revealed. On the Mount of Transfiguration. The Glory revealed on Jesus is different than the way it was revealed on Moses. Moses’ shining face was reflected faded glory. But Jesus’ Glory emanates from His Person. It’s His own original personal divine glory. The Transfiguration was a glimpse in the eternal glory of Jesus Christ as God! When Jesus will come back again, His glory will be seen in full display. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt 16:27).
CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY!
“God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory” (Col 1:27; AMP).
Our salvation is strictly by God’s Grace. God is sovereign in His choice of the elect. This doctrine is rejected by many Christians, but it is biblical. The truth is that no sinner is worthy of heaven. God alone calls and God alone justifies. God the Father has designed the plan of salvation from eternity. At the fulness of time, God sent His Son, to become a Man, to die for sinners. In the Old Testament, God revealed His will to Isreal. After the Cross, the Holy Spirit reveals that salvation is now extended to all people who believe in Jesus, Gentiles included. God promised Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3). This mystery is glorious. Hidden for ages, it is now revealed to the saints (Eph 3:6). The Jews were offended that Jesus included the Gentiles in the plan of salvation. But they could not stop the rising tide of truth and freedom!
There are two aspects of this mystery: 1-It is very rich. Its wealth is beyond man’s capacity to measure. 2-It is glorious, spiritual, heavenly. The Bible reveals that all the elect, both Jew and Gentile are saved by faith in Christ. This revelation brings men to their knees in worship. That is the only proper response to it. This mystery is revealed to be in one Person. That Person is Jesus Christ who lives not only in heaven, but in the hearts of all believers. Christianity is not just religion, but a new way of life and love. Christ in the center of the personality works from inside out. This secret power, hidden in the soul, makes the Christian invincible to evil forces. The believer’s faith, love and living hope of heaven works powerfully during trials on earth. Lesson: Christ dwelling in your heart gives you the power to change, to become more like Jesus. This is an intimate relationship none can destroy. Christ dwelling in the heart gives the believer assurance of his salvation. He has this confidence that if he dies, he will go to heaven and worship Christ forever. Glory to God!
HOW DO WE GIVE GLORY TO GOD?
We are born to know and glorify God forever. It is man’s purpose in life. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31). To eat and to drink are normal activities in life. But we reject any food or drink offered to idols. In all we do, we must remember God. Faith in God must be the center of every activity. In Greek, the word ‘glory’ is ‘doxa’. It means to honor, praise and worship God. Believers live such lives that people always see Christ in us. Our lives should make no sense outside Christ. The world hates Christ. They will hate us too. But some unbelievers, will come closer to see the secret of our love, calmness, wisdom and power, coming from Christ dwelling in us. In this world, we are the only people Christ can use to reveal His glory, the only Bibles people may read. To represent God is a great responsibility!
We cannot add to God’s glory, but we can testify to our hope of glory! “You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1Pet 3:15; NLT).
Practically, we give glory to God by believing and boasting in Jesus Christ, by taking our Cross to follow Jesus, by dying to self so that the Spirit becomes fruitful in us. We give glory to God by preaching and living God’s Word! We give God the glory by praising God’s Grace in His salvation. He chose us before the foundation of the world to be accepted in His Beloved, Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3-6). We give glory to God by confessing our sins and by repentance. “Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me” (Josh 7:19).
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:23,24). Sin is the enemy of glory. All have sinned means that all humanity is born into sin. The word ‘sin’ means ‘to miss the mark’. It is like an archer whose arrow misses the target. Sin has stained the garments of glory that covered us. Spiritually, it means to fall bellow God’s standard of moral law. ‘To fall short’ shows continuous action. It is a process. We have sinned in the past and we continue to sin in the present. We see the need for ongoing grace in the process of sanctification. The glory of God shows the divine standard of perfection and holiness. We see the eternal gap between sin and glory. The Blood of Jesus on the Cross, has destroyed sin and death and has restored the glory of God back to man. Salvation is by Grace, through faith. The goal of salvation is to share in God’s glory in heaven! Praise God!
I AM GLORIFIED IN THEM!
In His high priestly prayer, Jesus said: “I am glorified in them” (Jn 17:10). “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (Jn 17:24).
The Son of God came to earth to give glory to God the Father. God the Father also glorifies God the Son. “Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” (Jn 17:1). “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (Jn 17:4,5). The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son of God! Jesus said: The Holy Spirit “will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14).
Thru the Holy Spirit the believers give glory to Jesus. God the Son gives His glory to the believers. His Glory unites them perfectly. His Glory proves to them that He loves them. Glory connects with Agape Love. This is one of the greatest revelations in the Bible. Because Christ dwells in our hearts in His glory we now enter the family of the Trinity. Thru Christ, we can give glory to God the Father. The problem with many believers is that they have doubts about their identity, and responsibility as ambassadors of Christ. But this is the truth: Christ sends us into the world to glorify Him among people. May our lights shine brighter for Jesus! May we boast of Jesus! Worship the Lord!
Justification is a once and for all act. From the moment God declares us righteous, He sees us like we have never sinned. As sinners, we were under the Law. God saw us as rebels and enemies. But now, we have changed kingdoms and kings. In the past, we were outside Grace. Now, we are inside Grace. King Grace has given us “access by faith in which we stand” before God. The word ‘access’ is defined as the liberty, the key, permission or ability to enter, and approach someone and the right to see him often. In Greek, the word ‘access’ means admission, an introduction, the right to approach someone. It describes the coming of the believer to the throne of God. This act is done by faith. Try to imagine this holy act: Newly justified by faith, The Lord Jesus Christ takes you by the hand, and brings you before God the Father, who sits on the throne. You remember Him as the Great Judge of the universe, who was angry with you because of your sins. Now, you discover that the same Judge is your Father. Jesus introduces you to God as His younger brother, sister, or as His future Bride. This is a form of official introduction to God. This access is your spiritual personal space of authority, peace, joy and freedom before God. We access that space only by faith in the Blood of Jesus. No unbeliever has access. To be invited to see God is the highest privilege known to man.
DOING GOOD AND PRAYER IN GOD’S PRESENCE (Matt 6:1-13).
Our Lord is teaching His disciples how to live a righteous life. His lessons here apply to doing good deeds, prayer and fasting. But the principle is universal. Prayer, praising God, and doing good deeds are done because you have access to God. But there is a danger! Jesus exposes the power of sin, which can corrupt the heart, even after we become saved. Pride is sin. It manifests as a desire to be seen, honored and worshipped as a Christian. These words are not only to criticize the Pharisees. These are words from the great Sermon of the Mount preached by our Lord. The Christian life is not easy. There are many dangers and warnings that we must heed. The devil attacks the mind with lies, fears, doubts, and especially pride. To successfully live as a Christian is a great achievement highly rewarded by God.
The main scripture is this: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matt 6:1). The first thing we see here is that the Christian lives his life in the presence of God. He is always conscious of that. He truly desires to please God, not himself or others. The purpose of doing good deeds is to obey God’s Word and to be like Jesus. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Ac 10:38). The danger is that you may do good deeds, you are seen as a good person, but in your heart, you want to please people. By receiving praise from men, you reject the praise from God. The Pharisees “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (Jn 12:43). They don’t care about hearing these words from Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matt 25:23). All they want is that men on earth compliment them for their religion, beauty, wealth, or achievements.
What is the sin? It is the desire to take the glory, to be admired by men because we are religious, generous, help people, attend a local church, we fast, pray and praise God. Jesus warns us to be careful about this sinful tendency of pride in our hearts. This desire for fame comes from selfish ambition. Its deep root is pride. To live a life pleasing to God, you need divine wisdom. As a Christian, you are ‘a city on a hill that cannot be hidden’ (Matt 5:14). You can’t avoid becoming visible. But actively seeking visibility, honor and promotion, that is a sin. At the same time, you cannot live like a monk. You can’t totally hide your life to avoid men seeing you. These words reveal the danger or pride and hypocrisy even for us who are Christians and have access into God’s presence. Even when we go into the presence of God to pray, we expect men to worship us because we are prayerful! We allow the devil to follow us in the presence of God! That is a great sin! God will judge it! This is a warning! Watch yourself very carefully! Jesus wants us to search our hearts and not just to do good religious things. Our motives in serving God must be right. We should not seek the approval or the admiration of men. We should desire to be holy as God is holy, pleasing God alone! Accepting praise from men blocks your reward in heaven. This is a reminder that in everything we do, we should never forget God and heaven. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8). “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). Purity, Peace and Holiness in the heart, are the passwords to enjoy access into God’s presence! Hallelujah!
Jesus spoke about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14). Both were Jewish, religious men. Both men went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stood proudly. His prayer focused on himself, on his achievements. He was praising himself in God’s house! The Tax Collector stood “afar off”. He did not see himself worthy of God’s attention. Broken in repentance, he only asked for mercy. Jesus saw into their hearts. Jesus said that the Tax collector had faith in Christ crucified. He went home Justified by faith. He humbled himself at the Cross and God ‘exalted’ him, by justifying him, by granting him salvation and access to God! The proud Pharisee lost a great opportunity to humble himself and to give his life to Christ. This is a great lesson: sin is internal. Sin is more than not doing fornication, for example. Sin is a state of the heart, the attitude we have to God. The most important lesson is that sin dwelling in our hearts can follow us everywhere, even into the presence of God!!! Here we see the dangerous and deceitful power of sin. The second lesson is a reminder that all sinners need to be born again! There is no other way to access God’s presence except thru faith in Christ crucified and resurrected. After becoming born again, we must press on thru the process of sanctification, to die to sin and to the world, taking our cross daily, following Jesus! Hallelujah!
What can you do then? Stay humble! “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time” (1Pet 5:6; AMP). Be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Do not advertise your good deeds. Do not attract attention to yourself. If attention comes, stay calm, stay humble! Remember to always acknowledge God for every drop of success you experience. Your life should direct people to Jesus, and never to yourself or to other men. God openly rewards this attitude of humility and faithfulness! Kneeling before God, in worship and prayer, is the highest privilege given to man. Prayer is a holy work. Christ shed His Blood on the Cross to give us this access to God’s presence. We enter being conscious that God sees us and His ears are open to us in a special way. We enter the closet, we shut the door. We respect God’s presence. We forget the world, the people, both friends and enemies. In a way, we forget even ourselves. In God’s presence, the only thing that matters is God. Any remembrance of other things is a distraction and disrespect to the King upon His throne. We do not pray like the pagans, repeating many words. We speak simply, from the heart, to God who already knows all our needs. If you pray well, you will live well. Remain in an attitude of worship. God’s will is better than yours. You are an ambassador of Christ! His Kingdom is where you live now. Pray for its expansion on earth. Lastly, make sure that you give God all the glory! You do not become over-familiar with God, but more familiar with your place of standing before God. Your prayer life and your praise life become established. You are now a mature Christian. God will reward you openly!
SPIRITUAL BLOCKAGE TO ACCESS GOD
The access to God is thru the door of faith in Christ crucified for your sins. Thieves try to access God by false doors. They can never enter. Jesus said: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:9,10).
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” (Matt 23:13). Our Lord cursed the religious hypocrites. These words coming from the mouth of Him who loves us forever, are fearful. One reason why Jesus cursed the Pharisees is that they blocked the door of faith to God’s presence. These proud religious people blocked the access to Jesus by their very bodies. They refused to enter and block other seekers. They are ready to commit spiritual suicide to block other peoples’ access to God. This is wickedness in high places!
This is a reminder that the devil also attends church! What is the devil’s purpose in going to church? He tries to disrupt the service. First, the devil tries to hinder the believers from worshipping God or to listen to God’s Word. He tries to make them proud during the service. Secondly, he blinds the eyes of the unbelievers who are seeking God. He makes them sleepy, tired, distracted, or sick, so that they leave the service. About half of people who attend church go home untouched by God. Ignorance of the devil helps the devil. You must do spiritual warfare! The devil attacks your mind with lies and deception. He succeeded planting doubt in the mind of Adam and Eve when he asked them: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen 3:1). The devil wants to damage your faith. Without faith, you cannot enter the access God has provided. The devil wants you to doubt God’s Word, God’s plans for your life, God’s Wisdom, and God’s Love for you. Once you doubt God’s character, you are already falling. Never forget: The devil is a thief and a liar. But “God cannot lie!” (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18). When in doubt, run to the Cross! See Christ crucified for you! Stand strong in faith! Reject the devil! He will flee from you! Amen!
Lawlessness is rebellion against authority. It is illegal behavior not controlled by any law. It is a behavior that shows indifference or defiance to the law. The purpose of the law is to regulate human behavior. Lawlessness in a country is a state of disorder, usually resulting from a failure of government. Anarchy is a form of society without rulers. The climate of lawlessness is one of violence and confusion. Without faith in God or fear of God, there is chaos. ‘Even the worst form of tyranny was preferable to anarchy’ (John Calvin). The root of lawlessness is lack of discipline and terrible greed. High levels of poverty can lead to desperation. Men commit crimes to survive. When man becomes selfishly ambitious and greedy, wants to be rich at all costs, he places his desires above the law. His life is more important than any law.
The lawless person takes pleasure in breaking the law. With time, he breaks more laws. Lawlessness is a demon; it is sin, and it is addictive. Jesus died to expose and defeat the devil, who is the father of all sins and lies. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1Jn 3:4-8). It is only thru faith in Jesus that lawlessness can be defeated.
According to the Bible, Lawlessness increases in the last days. From what we see in social media, the world is getting worse. There is more wickedness. The number of criminal cases, divorces, and violence is on the rise. Lawlessness damages relationships and families. It destroys every good thing among men. It especially damages Love! Jesus warned us about the future, saying: “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 24:10-14). Agape Love is not just a feeling. It is God’s Law. Loving God and others is a Command! “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12).
“Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Thess 2:5-12). The Holy Spirit restrains the devil so that sin is still limited. The demon of Lawlessness cannot enter where God’s children pray. The agents of the devil use seducing spirits to deceive many. Our protection is total faith in Jesus, in God’s Word. We must love the Truth in the Bible. We must be humble. We submit to God. We are confident that Jesus can never lose any battle. He will finally destroy the lawless one, the devil, with the breath of His mouth and by His glory revealed!
Righteousness is the opposite of lawlessness. It means being right, doing right, being lawful, living a godly and moral life as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Godly, moral and righteous people seek God. They will cry out for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness to come! Redemption and godliness are available NOW through faith in Jesus and obedience to God’s Word. Our society needs people like Jesus now more than ever. The lawlessness we experience is the result of men’s rejection of God and His Word. Are you LAWLESS or are you LAW ABIDING. Is Jesus seen in you thru your words and deeds? We must all give an account to Him for how we live in this world!
THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST – ROMANCE SCAMMERS – FAKE LOVERS (YAHOO BOYS)
“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2Jn 1:9-11).
Deception is one of the sins that is practiced often but rarely tolerated; the lowest of the low, in society, are liars and thieves. Deception is the worst form of lying because the deceiver knowingly misleads the victim to believe that a lie is true. Deception is dangerous and has been the cause of death for many who have been victims of deception. The Bible warns us against deception. Deceivers use sweet words. “This I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words” (Col 2:4). Persuasive words are forceful, convincing, and partially truthful. They are like poison coated with sugar. Jesus said: “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matt 24:4,5). Anxiety, fear of death, weakens the mind to be deceived. Peace of mind protects the mind against deception. “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites and base desires. By smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting [the innocent and the naive]” (Rom 16:17,18; AMP).
A romantic scammer is a fake lover. He is a deceiver who attacks the victim’s bank account through her heart. Most of these relationships happen through the internet but sometimes they happen in person. Scamming in on the rise all over the world. In 2020, there was a loss of $304 million dollars from romance scams. The victims are mostly lonely wealthy women, widowed or divorces. The scammer uses a method called ‘catfishing’. He makes a false profile with false pictures, pretending to be someone else. His profile is made to match the female’s desires. If she loves fashion, he says he loves fashion too. The scammer attacks with sweet words. It is called ‘love bombing’. He writes long passionate love letters saying that he wants to marry her. This process is called ‘grooming’. The scammer and victim exchange love letters, pictures, and dreams of their future. This is to create an emotional connection and trust so that the victim becomes needy for love. Once this stage is set, the scammer starts to ask for money. He brings different excuses like sickness, having an accident etc. Initially the amounts are small but with time, the victim gives more money. The scammer can also ‘blackmail’ the victim. He threatens to be violent to the victim or her family. He also threatens to release her personal information to the media. These threats intimidate the victim to send more money. Be careful! These are signs of romance scam: the scammer flatters you!!! He is in a hurry to declare his love! “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet” (PV 29:5). Be careful with sweet talking but impatient lovers!!!
Who are the victims? They have a romantic idea of marriage. They don’t care about the price they have to pay to hear romantic words. They imagine that they are actors in a movie. The people who know how hard it is to build a genuine relationship are not deceived. These women are lonely or have an inferiority complex. They have tried to marry, and failed, They are now disappointed in relationships. These can easily become victims to those who flatter them romantically. Once the spell is broken, and truth is revealed, the effect on the victim is massive. She has not only lost money, but all self-respect. She feels guilty and deeply ashamed. She totally loses trust in God and men! This is God’s warning to the scammers: “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, But he who gathers gradually by [honest] labor will increase [his riches]” (PV 13:11; AMP). Selah!
Nigeria is reported to have the highest number of online romance fraudsters in Africa and ranks third in the world. I read that Nigeria was responsible for 1129 romance scams in 2021, amounting to the sum of £12.1 million, totaling an average of 22-million-naira loss per victim. These attackers are called ‘yahoo boys.’ They pretend to be wealthy handsome Europeans who want to marry women abroad. These young men even use ‘native doctors’ to make charms for them to succeed. They are ruthless. They don’t care for their victims’ feelings, who enter depression, and even commit suicide once they discovered that they have been deceived. Poverty, lack of genuine jobs, few role models, wealth display, and social acceptance are some reasons who the Yahoo Boys continue to scam. For them, this is their job. They don’t even hide. Many are celebrities and women want to marry them. Some say that taking money from the white people, is vengeance against slavery. But no matter what they say, scamming is a crime, a demon and sin. God hates sin. Their wealth will not benefit them in the end! We pray for revival in Nigeria. May the fear of God cover this land! May these men repent and surrender their lives to Christ! Amen!
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom 5:1,2).
Apostle Paul boldly declares the doctrine of justification by Grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone, thru the Word of God alone to the glory of God alone. Observe that we are already Justified by faith! The verb is in the past tense. Justification is a fact, not a hope and not a prayer. It is the foundation, and not the roof of the house. A sinner who humbles himself and has faith in Christ Crucified, is justified by God the Father. Justification is a forensic term, a legal term. It is the declaration of God the Father, the Judge of all, that your faith in Christ Crucified is enough for Him to call you His ‘son or daughter’. This is the mystery of salvation, the work of God alone, the Gospel we preach. Salvation is real, complete, and perfect. Salvation is not a reward for doing good things. It is God’s gift to man, thru His Son Jesus Christ. That is why salvation humbles all believers. We can’t boast of our good work. We can only bow in worship and thank God for saving us!
Because it is purely God’s eternal plan and finished work, your salvation cannot be lost. A child of God cannot end in hell. Even if he backslides for a season, God will discipline him and bring him back to Him before he dies. A backslider loses the joy of his salvation, opportunities and rewards for doing ministry. These are great losses indeed. But a child of God cannot lose his salvation. When you become born again your very identity is changed. You were ‘a dog’ and now you are a man. Even if you backslide, and play with dogs, you cannot become a dog again. The change is very deep and permanent. This is what we believe! Amen!
Because the believer has been justified by faith, three blessings follow immediately: Peace, Access (standing before God), and (joyful) Hope (PAH). If you say that you are saved, but you are always anxious, depressed, you find it hard to pray and you tend to be pessimistic, then you may not be justified by God. Selah! First, the believer has ‘peace with God’. Secondly, he has access by faith into a new grace that gives him a place to stand without fear before God. Thirdly, the believer has hope, joyfully knowing that when he dies, he will go to heaven to worship God forever. Justification gives peace with God through Christ. This is not just an ordinary peace of mind. It is not even the ‘peace OF God’. It is Peace WITH God. Salvation is not just forgiveness of sins. Salvation is the adoption of the justified sinner into the family of God. Justification is reconciliation with God. Sin has destroyed the relationship between God and man. By the Blood of Jesus, that relationship is restored. Praise the Lord! This is a good way to describe the power of justification by faith that leads to peace, a new standing of grace, and a joyful hope. If you attend a wedding, you see that most of the time the bride looks anxious, and the bridegroom is distracted. Immediately they sign the marriage register and the pastor pronounces them ‘husband and wife’ you see joy and the relief on their faces. The reason is that from now on, their status in life has changed. Weddings are powerful for the following reasons: They celebrate love, and commitment. Vows spoken and the ceremony itself honor God. A Wedding is a holy tradition. All cultures celebrate the union of marriage. Weddings create lifetime memories. They strengthen family bonds. The emotional impact of a wedding on the family and friends is unique. The atmosphere of open declared love, joy and hope is unique. The guests who are already married mediate upon their marriage and decide to improve the relationship. The single guests are inspired to get married too. Overall, a wedding is a time of giving thanks to God, for life, for joy, for hope. Marriage is just a symbol of the power of God’s eternal justification of the sinner. Selah!
The truth is that you cannot have the peace OF God if you do not first have the Peace WITH God. God is holy, He hates sin. Sinners fear God. They also hate God. They can never freely stand before God. Only a miracle can bring a sinner before God having peace in his heart. All believers are justified by Grace and thru faith in Christ crucified and resurrected. There is nothing like an un-justified Christian. If you are not justified, it means that you are not a Christian. You are not saved. Our present peace rests on the past act of justification! Peace with God is described as a state of peace, a time of peace. Pray to see the revelation of this truth! How can God who is Holy be able to forgive sins? The only reason why God can forgive sins it is because He poured His wrath against sin on His Son Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus died on the Cross. He did not die for His own sins. He did not inherit Adam’s sin. Jesus was conceived holy by the Holy Spirit. Jesus obeyed the Law of God perfectly. That is why as a Man, Jesus had a perfect righteousness. He became Sin so that we inherit His Righteousness. He died so we might live. This is the mystery of the Gospel. Selah!
Once a sinner is justified by faith, he immediately receives two gifts: forgiveness of sins and the robe of imputed righteousness of Christ. When God looks at him, He sees Christ, and not his sins. The forgiveness of sins is total. Because of the Cross, God forgives not only his past sins, but also the present and future sins. God can do that because He is Omniscient and Sovereign. He not only knows the future, but He designs the future. If salvation depends on man, it will fail. But salvation in Christ is totally of God. Therefore, it never fails. Halleluiah!
“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). Peace is a component of God’s Kingdom. This is the golden chain of salvation: Justification (or righteousness) leads to peace and to joy. It is only those who are justified by faith in Christ, that experience this peace with God. This peace comes immediately. After that, thru the process of sanctification, the peace WITH God becomes peace IN your heart. This peace is a miracle given only to believers. Anxiety damages your peace! “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6,7). Once you are worried about food or clothes, you become over-sensitive to criticism, a faultfinder and impatient with people. This negative attitude damages your peace and your relationships with others. Prayer leads to restoration of peace, the mighty shield over your heart and mind.
Once you become born again, the Holy Spirit brings life into your human spirit. It is like light shining in the darkness. Salvation is not only a doctrine. It is felt in the heart. It is understood in the mind. The baby Christian feels and knows that he is now saved, and he has eternal life. All believers testify to the reality of conversion. It is not an imagination. As the believer studies God’s Word, believes and applies it to his life, he matures spiritually thru the process of sanctification that lasts until death. The believer has peace with God and peace of God. Agape Love is the spiritual engine of his journey to heaven. He no longer fears death or God’s judgment. He knows that he belongs eternally to Jesus Christ. He gains confidence as a Christian. God gives him the assurance of salvation. This increases his peace and joy.
Peace is defined as a spiritual state of quietness, calmness and security where everything co-exists in perfect order, and freedom. Peace is unity, the perfect harmony between the parts, or between people; it is beauty, balance, calmness, health, and security; it is freedom from war, worries, noise, or quarrels. When there is peace, people live and work together happily and without disagreements. Because the Christians are justified by God, they have peace with God. Peace is the best soil where the seed of agape love grows and becomes fruitful.
The true believer has peace with God and peace of God. He combines joy and seriousness at the same time. His peace is deep, not troubled by life’s trials. He is jealous about his testimony as a child of God. He does not take his relationship with God for granted. He has peace and joy even during the trials of life. He prays for wisdom always. He is careful to be right and to do right, before God and man. One clear sign of true peace is the level of worship the believer displays. A true believer loves to praise God. He does not try to impress people. He serves God to please God alone. Peace and Praise and twins. He who always gives God all the glory has true peace with God!
You can appreciate peace only when you have been in a war. Man is born a sinner. God hates sin. The wrath of God is manifested against sin and sinners. Because of this war between God and man, man lives in permanent fear, anxiety and loneliness. But once you are justified by God, the peace with God will manifest. It is not just a doctrine. It is an experience. Peace with God leads to access before God, by the Holy Spirit. The Jews and the Gentiles hated one another. They never had peace. But thru the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross, they now become one in Christ, having peace with God and with each other. The separation now becomes intimacy (Eph 2:13-18)
Reconciliation is defined as the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement. As citizens of God’s Kingdom, we are Kings, Priests, Peacemakers and Ambassadors of Christ. One of our holy duties is to preach Christ Crucified and tell people to reconcile back to God. “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2Cor 5:18-20). May we please our King by preaching His Gospel!
CHRIST IS OUR PEACE
One of the names of King Jesus is “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). In Hebrew, the name is translated “Shar Shalom”. It describes the ultimate purpose of the Messiah’s mission. “Prince” means ruler, leader, or tyrant. It shows powerful leadership and complete authority. The word Shalom is one of the greatest words. It means peace, health, wealth, friends and favor. In the Bible, Peace is not just the absence of conflict but the active presence of wholeness, unity, prosperity, and harmony. This title promises that the Messiah will bring true peace to the world, by defeating Satan, the ruler of this world. Jesus came to reconcile humanity with God and to establish a kingdom characterized by justice and peace. This powerful peace of victory is the gift of Jesus to all who trust in Him. “My Peace I give to you!” (Jn 14:27). Amen!
In the world, all rulers kill their enemies to conquer a country. The Roman Empire was proud that they brought peace to earth. They called it “Pax Romana”. It was a period of relative peace and stability across the Roman Empire which lasted for over 200 years. But this peace was brought by killing people and oppressing many nations. It was always peace by force. But the Romans could not bring peace in the hearts of men. Look at Jesus! Instead of coming as a blood-thirsty tyrant, Jesus was born with the very purpose to give His own blood to establish peace on earth. How did Jesus bring this peace? By His death on the Cross on behalf of sinners. We were enemies to God. Jesus died to bring us to God, not just as prisoners of war, but changed us into friends to God. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col 1:19, 20). The death of Jesus on behalf of sinners opened the door of true peace between God and man, and between men on earth. God’s Love led to peace! This action is something unprecedented from any ruler! Glory to God!
“For He Himself (Christ) is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:14-18).
There are many walls of separation in this world. For example, the Berlin wall was built in 1961 to separate the East from the West Germany. It was 155 Km long, and 4 meters high. It was built to prevent the citizens of the Communist East Germany to escape to the Capitalist West Germany. It divided the city of Berlin and the two Germanies for 28 years. It had 302 watchtowers. It was under the constant surveillance of armed East German border guards who were authorized to shoot anyone attempting to escape into West Berlin. More than 100 people died trying to cross over. It was destroyed in 1989 when Germany became one nation.
The Bible is clear that this world is a terrible ‘evil’ world, where Satan is the ruler. Jesus “Who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Gal 1:4; KJ). There is no hope for the world except thru Jesus Christ. We are all born sinners, children of war, of wrath, in a world filled with conflicts. War is our ‘comfort zone’. Violence is our friend. Peace is a stranger. We struggle with conflicting emotions. There is trouble in our hearts, within and without. These are the facts. “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Gal 6:14,15). Paul rejoices in the Cross. Why? Because the Cross did the greatest miracle. It created the Church of Christ. In this world of division, hatred and discrimination, Jesus died on the Cross and produced an impossible thing: The Jews and the Gentiles came together by faith in Christ in a New Living Body of peace and joy called the Church. Jesus is the King of God’s Kingdom. The Church is the headquarters of that Kingdom. In a world of sin, darkness, violence and war, Love, Peace and Joy came to stay in the Church. This is indeed a miracle. On the Cross, Jesus broke down the middle wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. At the Cross, life enemies became friends and brothers for life. Praise the Lord!
The world is full of hatred and divisions. The world knows nothing of true peace and agape love. The world can stop a war and force people to live quietly. But the world can never make peace because peace is not just stopping quarrels. It is on record that during the First World War, the Germans used mustard gas to attack the Allies. This gas could shock men to death. The Allies did not have the technology to protect themselves against this poisonous gas. But Germany still lost the war. During the Second World War, between the same countries, no one used mustard gas. Why? Because the Allies invented their own gas too. Each side knew that if they attack with gas, the other side will do the same. That is not peace. Peace is an active word. Like Love, Peace is a fruit of the spirit. Peace always comes with love, humility, sympathy, and true unity. Peace means a new understanding of life. Peace means Love!
The Gospel is powerful because The Cross is the Truth. It shows God’s love for man and man’s hatred against God. Once you see that you are a sinner, an enemy of the God who created you and who loves you with everlasting love, you will surrender to Jesus. The Cross shows you that all men are God’s creation, and that God loves the world. So, you learn to let go of your hatred and start loving people. The Cross breaks our pride and all the walls we built inside and around us. Peace in the hearts of men leads to peace in the country. “The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace” (Ps 29:11). May God grant revival, peace and prosperity to Nigeria! Amen! The Cross humbles us. Love never fails! Peace reigns! Worship the Lord!
This event happened at the end of 7 days of the feast of Tabernacles. Jesus has just declared Himself to be the Messiah, the Fountain of Living Water (Jn 7:37,38). The feast for that year was now over. Everyone was tired. The people that came from all over Isreal, went away. “And everyone went to his own house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives”. As all the people in Jerusalem went to their homes to rest, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. The King of kings had no house of His own. He possibly went to the house of Martha and Mary, at Bethany, the village at the foot of Mount of Olives. Or He went to rest in the open air in the cool of the night, on Mount of Olives. This shows the wonderful humility of Jesus. The next morning Jesus was back to Jerusalem. He came quietly without any advertisement. He went back to the temple. People came to listen to Him. Why did He teach these people? He knew that they didn’t understand what He was saying. He knew that soon they would shout: Crucify Him! Why did He teach these sinners for hours? Because He loved them! What Humility! What Grace! What Love! Lesson: Love is the greatest teacher! Ministry has no vacation! Trust God for added Grace!
Suddenly, the open-air classroom is disturbed by loud noises. The Pharisees brought to Him a screaming woman. They accused her of being ‘caught in adultery; in the very act’, they claim. The truth is that these religious rulers are trying to trap Jesus in something He may say. If they can catch Him saying something wrong, His reputation among the people will be ruined. These men are religious hypocrites and faultfinders. The people do not know that. But Jesus always knows what is in man. There were two options: If Jesus agrees with their verdict, that the woman has committed adultery, according to the Law of Moses she must be stoned to death. Then Jesus is not as merciful and loving as He claims to be. If Jesus does not agree to stone her to death, it proves that He is not a true teacher of the Law because He does not obey the Law. Therefore, He is not the Messiah. Their evil minds planned that whatever Jesus says will be against Him. Even in the Old Testament, the death penalty was rare. Adultery, breaking the Sabath, continuous disobedience to the parents, and blasphemy, were crimes punishable by death. But if death was applied in each case, no Jew would be alive, because they were all guilty of breaking the law.
These Pharisees ignored the law too. If the woman is found guilty of adultery, and must be stoned to death, that act cannot be done immediately in the temple courts. There were conditions. The adulteress, her husband, and the man who committed adultery with her, must stand before the Religious tribunal. If her husband shows her mercy, and forgives her, she is free. If her husband does not forgive her, she is guilty. In that case, the unmerciful husband must be the first to throw a stone at her. The witnesses who saw the act of adultery must be at least two or three. They too have the option to show mercy and to forgive the woman. God is a merciful God. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps 103:8). But if the witnesses refused to forgive, they would be the first to stone her. They could not just stand by and watch. Even the people in the crowd must join them in the stoning. No passive spectators were allowed during judgment. If later, the witnesses proved to be liars, they could be stoned to death. In the Old Testament, mercy was almost always applied in the cases of death penalty. In this case, there is no mention of a husband, or the man involved in the act of adultery. They only bought the woman. But the accusation was not fair. These are the three options: the woman has committed adultery, the woman was raped, or the woman was innocent and falsely accused. Whatever the situation, this woman is not receiving a fair trial according to the Law. The Pharisees did not present all the facts. The people around did not know the truth. Only Jesus knew exactly what the truth was.
The response of Jesus teaches us a powerful lesson of Justice, Mercy and Love. As the accusers were shouting, Jesus stooped down and wrote something on the ground. Please observe that Jesus did not answer immediately. His silence was loud!!! Nobody knows what He wrote. But one thing is sure, the same finger that wrote the Ten Commandments was writing on the dust, on the stony courtyard in the Temple. He who wrote the Law is the Best Interpreter of the Law. We read that two times “Jesus stooped down” (Jn 8:6,8). In Greek, the words ‘stoop down’ mean to bend forward and bowing the head. This is a picture of the Cross. “So, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (Jn 19:30). No Jew would bow down in the presence of a woman, especially a sinful woman. But Jesus did that. You see the extraordinary humility of Jesus and the display of His Love on the Cross. As Christ crucified, who died for this woman, He freely justified her. At the same time, the Cross condemns unrepentant sinners. The accusers are now condemned of sin. This is the power of the Cross! What an amazing love!
Please observe: Jesus does not accuse the woman. He does not even ask her questions or tell her to defend herself. The Pharisees pressed Jesus for an answer. They were sure of winning their wicked game of fault finding. Suddenly, Jesus stood and said these powerful words: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first!” Jesus is exposing the wickedness and hypocrisy of the Pharisees. What He meant was this: ‘If you are witnesses of this sinful act, and you are sure that you are totally innocent, then be the first to cast the stone at her.’ Jesus exposed the evil minds of these religious men. They don’t care if the woman lives or dies. All they wanted is to trap Jesus in what He would say. But none was innocent. All were guilty of the sin. Shocked that Jesus knew their hearts, one by one, the men are leaving. No one is willing to cast a stone at the woman. The crowd leaves too. The confusion is over. The place is now quiet.
The woman is still trembling waiting for the judgment. She is alone with her Savior, who alone is without sin. Jesus is the only One who has the right to throw the stone at her because He is innocent of sin. But He does not throw the stone. He exercises mercy. This is Love! When we read the story, we assume that what the Pharisees said is true. We generally call this ‘the story of the woman caught in adultery’. But please observe that Jesus does not accuse the woman of adultery. He alone knows the truth about this woman. What if is she was raped? He only says: “go and sin no more”. This is the moment when the woman was justified by Grace. She became born-again! She had faith that Jesus is her Savior and her Lord! “Go and sin no more!” But this command applies not only to the woman. Jesus could have said these words to any one of us. This is the Light of the World speaking love, shining mercy!
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col 2:13-15). This story reveals clearly how Jesus took away the accusation against the woman and nailed it on His Cross. He disarmed and disgraced her wicked accusers. Praise the Lord!
Let us examine ourselves… Sometime, we are like the Pharisees, too quick to accuse people. Other times we are like the crowd, interested in free entertainment at the expense of another’s pain. Or we can be like the woman, lonely, afraid, unfairly accused and in desperate need of Love. Jesus is our best example. He who alone was without sin and had the right to stone the sinner, choose to show Mercy and Love. We should do the same. Listen to Our Lord: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. 37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven!” (Lk 6:36,37). Instead of gossiping, let us encourage others. Instead of slander, pray for one another. Instead of oppression, help another. These are fruits of Love none can deny! These same Pharisees continue to accuse Jesus. They finally succeeded in crucifying the Savior. The Father in heaven did not show mercy to His Son hanging on the Cross. Christ died on our behalf. Only “Love is as strong as death” (SS 8:6). Love always has the last word.
Why is so important to believe that God Loves you forever? God’s gracious love is the basis of our relationship with Him, in Christ. If you are not sure of God’s love for you, then you will have no peace, no joy, no assurance of going to heaven. You will always try to impress God by your good deeds. You cannot relax in His Love. True Christian life is a life of peace, joy, hope and strength. When you come to God, you will discover that He loves you always. He is not like a judge or like a police man who always looks for your trouble. God smiles on His children. You discover that God loves you, teaches you, disciplines you, embraces you, carries you on His shoulders until you go to heaven!
Finally, you may be rich or poor, educated or illiterate, you may be white, black or brown, a slave or a master, you may be young, old, or at the point of death, all this does not matter. Only one thing matters: you cannot save yourself! You cannot go to heaven by your own wisdom or power. Give your life to Christ! You must be born again! You must be born again! You must be born again! Worship the Lord!
Jesus thought more than 50 parables. A parable is a short and simple story that teaches a religious or moral lesson. In the Parable of the wedding feast Jesus gives us a glimpse of the Kingdom of God (Matt 22:1-14). The Jews have rejected Him as the King of God’s Kingdom. This rejection is the reason why the Kingdom will be given to other nations that will produce its fruits (Matt 21:43). These nations are the Gentiles, people like me and you. Glory!
THE JEWISH MARRIAGE CULTURE
Christ is the heavenly Bridegroom who died to save His Bride. He rose again from the dead to marry His Bride. To better understand this revelation, we must know something about the Jewish culture of marriage as it was practiced during the time of Jesus on earth. The marriage between a man and a woman had three parts:
The first part was a contract, a covenant between the two families. The father of the Bridegroom or the Bridegroom himself, pays an amount of money to the parents of the Bride. It was a marriage dowry, a pledge that they would be soon married. Spiritually, the dowry is called ‘the sealing with the Holy Spirit’ applied to believers in Christ. This sealing guarantees the soon coming marriage of the Lamb. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:13, 14). Jesus paid this dowry with His Blood on the Cross. This period was called ‘the betrothal’. The man and his future bride still leave separately. But from this moment on, the families consider them as belonging to one another. These days this pledge is called ‘engagement’. It is a serious commitment. When Angel Gabriel came to Mary, Joseph and Mary were in this stage. As Mary was waiting for Joseph to come, the Holy Spirit came on her and she got pregnant with Jesus. This is the wonderful story of the Incarnation.
The second part of the marriage occurs much letter. The Bridegroom, accompanied by his friends, carrying fire torches in their hands, come to the house of his bride. This usually happens at night, when it is cooler. The Bride is ready, waiting for her Bridegroom. This is described in the Parable of the wise and foolish virgins. To be ready it means to be born again by the Holy Spirit (having oil in her lamp). The virgin who is not ready is foolish. She cannot get married. She has missed the opportunity (Matt 25:1-13). This is the warning of Love!
The third part is the wedding feast proper as described in the wedding of Cana. Jesus was a guest at that wedding. He did a miracle by changing the water into wine. “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11). Thru this miracle, the disciples had a glimpse of the glory of Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom, and they believed in Him. God’s glory and goodness attracts us to Jesus, “who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2Pet 1:3; NIV). Halleluiah!!
LESSONS TAKEN FROM THIS PARABLE:
*The Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality, revealed only to God’s children by the Holy Spirit. God’s Kingdom is the realm, rule, and reign of God, where Jesus Christ is King, advancing on earth, by the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, bringing righteousness, joy, peace, healing, freedom, prosperity, and deliverance, by driving away the forces of darkness. To enter God’s Kingdom, you must be born again!
*The gates of the Kingdom are open wide. The invitation is given to all sinners, the good and the bad, the religious and the unbelievers. Salvation is not based on ethnicity, education, financial status, popularity, ministry position, personality type, or attractiveness. For this reason, we should be very careful not to assume that the people most fit for the kingdom are those who look most like us. No sinner can enter the Kingdom by his own righteousness. “Each gate was of one pearl… and the gates shall not be shut at all…” (Rev 21:21, 25).
*There are conditions to have ‘the visa’ to enter the Kingdom of God. Though the gates of the kingdom are open wide, the Kingdom still has gates, and we must enter through them. The King imposes conditions on us. Unrepentant sinners cannot enter the Kingdom. “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev 21:27). To abide in the Kingdom, we all need to be dressed in ‘a uniform’, a wedding garment freely offered at the door by the servants of the host. This is the garment of the imputed Righteousness of Christ, given by God to the guest who has faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. In other words, the citizen of the Kingdom is justified by God the Father once the sinner (the guest) has faith in His Son. Justification is by Grace alone and through faith alone, in Christ alone. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8,9). All guests are grateful for the garments provided and humbly submit to the King. None boasts of his own merits to enter the palace. This wedding garment is a compulsory dress code. It shows the unity of the Spirit among all the guests. It is a sign of their humility and honor to King Grace. It is proof that they have entered thru the gate. If a guest goes in through other ways, that guest is not welcomed. He is a thief and a robber (Jn 10:1). He will eventually be exposed, arrested and punished. He will be bound hand and foot and sent to the ‘outer darkness’, an outside prison hell, where there will is weeping and gnashing of teeth, eternal regrets and terrible torments. False teachers go to the ‘blackness of darkness forever’ (2Pet 2:17). Selah!
*Agape Love is the badge of the citizens of the Kingdom. All sins against Love are punished. Judas betrayed His Master, Jesus. He is the best example of such a guest who had no wedding garment. When Jesus was sharing this parable, he was there listening. But he did not repent. We must put on the dress of Love! Malice, envy, sexual lusts and other sins should not be found in us. “Let us conduct ourselves properly and honorably as in the [light of] day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires” (Rom 13:13,14; AMP). “Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]” (Col 3:14; AMP).
*At the end of time, there shall be the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven. God’s Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will marry His Bride, the Church. “Then I heard something like the shout of a vast multitude, and like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and shout for joy! Let us give Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [at last] and His bride (the redeemed) has prepared herself.” 8 She has been permitted to dress in fine linen, dazzling white and clean—for the fine linen signifies the righteous acts of the saints [the ethical conduct, personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character of believers]. 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me [further], “These are the true and exact words of God.” (Rev 19:6-9; AMP). The saints of the Old Testament are also redeemed and invited as guests to the wedding of the Lamb!
Finally, please don’t forget that God’s kingdom is a feast!!! The father of the prodigal son killed the fattened calf to celebrate his son! God wants to be enjoyed by us. He is the God of laughter, filled bellies, and second helpings. In His presence there is fullness of joy (Ps 16:11). “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord. Forever!” (Ps 23:5,6). Do you believe that? Then take your wedding garment and come! There is a seat with your name for you at His table! “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev 22:17). Worship the Lord!
Jesus proves to Nicodemus that he is totally ignorant of the revelation of the way of salvation and eternal life. Doctrine: all natural men are ignorant of God as revealed in Christ (Jn 3:1-21). Jesus gives two major reasons why men like Nicodemus are ignorant of spiritual realities:
1-Men do not have access to heaven.
Nicodemus was telling Jesus about the opinion of his religious colleagues. He uses the word ‘we’ when saying: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God” (Jn 3:2). Jesus is also using the word ‘we’ when speaking on behalf of Himself and His family members, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. “Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who IS in heaven” (Jn 3:11-13). Don’t you feel sorry for Nicodemus and his associates, the religious leaders in Jerusalem? Jesus speaks in the name of the Trinity. He said that the major sin of Nicodemus and of all sinners is that they do not receive the Witness of the Trinity. They reject the Gospel. Men can’t claim that they are totally ignorant of God. Nature testifies that there is a Creator God. But what man rejects is the revelation of the way of salvation, by Grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone. Man cannot on his own go to heaven. He needs a ‘password’ coming down directly from heaven. That Living Word is Christ! Trusting Jesus Christ who came from heaven to die for sinners is the only way to salvation! The revelation of life and death, of heaven and hell, is found only in the pages of the Bible. But reading the Bible alone is not enough. Man needs the help of the Holy Spirit to believe God’s Word. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven and who is the Witness to Jesus!
Jesus speaks in Jerusalem, but He says that He is heaven at the same time. “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who IS in heaven” (Jn 3:13). We have a glimpse of Jesus’ life and glory before He came down to earth as a Man. Heaven is His eternal dwelling place. He sits on the throne in heaven. Even on earth, having the body of mortal man, Jesus is still “IN HEAVEN”. Jesus lives in heaven and on earth at the same time. God is Omnipresent! Nicodemus needed to hear that! Jesus was more than a teacher or a miracle worker. He is God! Nicodemus was talking to God, and he did not even know it! “Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places” (Ps 135:6). Jacob had the same revelation. “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” (Gen 28:16). The revelation that Jesus is God humbles any man! Glory to God!
2-The only way to heaven is through the Cross.
The only way for man to receive eternal life and go to heaven is faith in the death of the Son of God on the Cross. For as long as man rejects Jesus, he can’t go to heaven. The only Person who can describe heaven is Jesus Christ who came down from heaven. It is only thru Christ that man can have a glimpse, enter and experience heaven. Jesus is the only Way! There is no other way! “Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn 14:6; AMP). Amen!
Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man will be lifted as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness. He was referring to the story in the Book of Numbers 21. God’s people grumbled against God and Moses. They became discouraged on the way to the Promised Land. They complained saying they are tired of eating only manna, the food God sent from heaven. Manna stands for God’s Word. God became angry. He sent venomous serpents. Many people were bitten and died. They repented of their sins and asked Moses to intercede for them. Moses did. God gave ‘the cure’. He told Moses to make a bronze serpent. He should hang this serpent on a high pole for all to see it. Anyone who was bitten by a serpent should look up to the bronze serpent. He who looks with faith in God’s given solution, will live. He who refuses to look, or has no faith in God’s method of healing, will die. The main lessons from this story are these: God’s solution of looking with faith is the only solution that saves, heals, gives life. There is no other medicine, doctor, prayer or sacrifice that can save a dying man. Secondly, the bronze serpent is a symbol of the devil, not of Jesus. Bronze stands for judgment. Looking at that bronze serpent we see that he is condemned and defeated by the Cross, by Christ Crucified. By faith with see the total victory of Christ over Satan, sin, sickness and death.
Jesus told Nicodemus: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:14,15). This serpent on a pole is a symbol of the Cross. This is the doctrine of salvation: He who believes in Christ crucified shall have eternal life! He who rejects the Gospel, shall die and go to hell. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation]” (Ac 4:12; AMP). Selah!
LIVING FAITH
“Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!” The words of Jesus remind us of our greatest need: It is the need for salvation, for eternal life. “Salvation is of the Lord! (Jonah 2:9). God the Father sent God the Son to earth to provide the solution for our greatest need and to become our greatest blessing. This is the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Eternal life is given only to those who believe in Jesus Christ. Saving Faith is the deciding factor. Our Living Faith is more precious than silver and gold (1Pet 1:7). But not all faith is approved by God. These are the characteristics of Biblical Living Faith that saves the soul:
*Faith is connected to God’s Word, which is Truth. Faith is not just a religious emotion. Faith believes God’s Word. “So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). Religious ‘secondhand faith’ cannot save. You must believe God’s Word by yourself! Here you see that there is a preacher and there is a hearer. Both must do their work. The hearer listens to God’s Word. It’s his responsibility to listen well. God’s Word is activated by the Holy Spirit, and it becomes living faith in his heart. The beginning, progress, and strength of faith is always by hearing. It is true that not all who hear the Gospel believe unto salvation. The Holy Spirit separates the wheat from the tares. God’s Word must be preached before the sinner hears and faith is born. Faith is acceptance and submission to truth. Jesus is Truth!
*Faith means totally trusting God and trusting Jesus Christ to save you. It means trusting God’s Promises. The believer abandons trust in himself and commits himself to Jesus Christ. It’s like marriage. Once a man and his wife get married, they open their hearts to one another, share their most intimate thoughts, trusting each other. They reject every other person coming between them. Agape love trusts truth and it is fruitful. As a child of God, you totally believe that Jesus will take you to heaven. Living Faith is personal, real and extremely strong!
*Faith saves the believer from ‘perishing’. In Greek, the word ‘perish’ means to be totally destroyed, or to die. To perish does not mean to cease to exist. It means to die a second death in the lake of fire, to be tormented day and night, forever and ever. “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever… 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:10,15). Some ask how a God of Love can condemn people to hell, to suffer forever. God is the God of Mercy and Love. But God is also the God of Justice. Because God is holy, He hates and punishes sin. When Adam sinned, sin entered humanity. We are born sinners. We also choose to commit sin. We are all condemned already. We are all going down to death and hell. We cannot save ourselves. God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to die on our behalf. Those who believe and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, shall be saved. This is the doctrine of justification by Grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone. The rest of the people, no matter how moral, good or religious they seem to be, remained condemned and perish. Jesus did not come to condemn men because they were ‘condemned already’ (Jn 3:18). Condemnation is old! Salvation is new!
When Jesus died on the Cross, He removed the sting of death. Like the people who were bitten by the fiery serpents in the wilderness, by looking with faith at the bronze serpent on the pole, the poison in their blood was neutralized. And they lived (Numbers 21). It is the same with looking unto Jesus! You need personal faith in His Person, especially in His death on your behalf. This is the truth revealed in the Bible. Faith saves! Unbelief condemns! Therefore, condemnation is as real as salvation! The people who have faith in Jesus have ‘Eternal Life’. Eternal life is a life that never ends. But it is not just that. Eternal Life is a special type of life; it is the life of God. It has a different quality than the life of a sinner. Salvation, eternal life, going to heaven, worshipping God forever are blessings money cannot buy. You cannot enter heaven trusting in your good works. If you reject Jesus, no tears you shed that day will make any difference once you die. Be born again!
The Book ‘The Pilgrim Progress’ written by John Bunyan, is a classic. Next to the Bible, is the greatest bestseller in the world. It tells of a man called Christian. God told him that his city will be destroyed. He believed the warning. That is true faith. He runs from his city towards the narrow gate. His family and friends try to convince him to come back. But he refuses. He runs shouting: “Life! Life! Eternal Life!” He passes through the narrow gate and arrives at the Cross. Looking at Christ Crucified, his burden of sin drops from his back and disappears. He is now free. He passes through many trials and temptations and eventually he arrives at the Celestial city, which is heaven itself. Later, his wife and children follow him on the same road of salvation. Worship the Lord!
This event happened as our Lord was going on His last pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where He will die on the Cross. The Jews discriminated the Samaritans and do not pass thru Samaria. But Jesus does not care about these petty issues. As He entered a village, Jesus met ten men who were lepers. Nine were Jews and one was a Samaritan. Leprosy was a terrible incurable disease, a symbol of sin. The sick man does not feel pain. His voice is getting faint. There is a white patch growing on his body. Parts of his body like his fingers, toes, lips or the nose fall off, leaving the man disfigured for life. This was God’s Law: “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Lev 13:45, 46). The leprous must live outside the village.
These ten men stood afar off according to the Law. They were supposed to shout ‘Unclean, unclean!’ so that healthy people avoid them. But when Jesus passed by, they had faith for the healing of their bodies. Leprosy affects the vocal cords. We fainted voices, the ten of them shouted “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” They recognized the Lordship of Jesus. They asked Him for mercy. At the root of sickness is sin. They asked for mercy so that they could be healed. Jesus commanded them saying: “Go! Show yourselves to the priests”. The priests could not heal any sick person, but they could confirm the healing. They were like health inspectors. Jesus wanted them to exercise their faith. To walk as they were already healed. They did that! They obeyed instantly. Oh, the grace in this sentence: “so it was that as they went…”
Jesus did not touch them. He did not speak a word of healing to them. The command ‘go!’ meant healing. They needed to pass the test of faith. As they were going together towards the village priest, they found that they were healed. Imagine the joy! First one, then another, then another one, discovered that the sickness disappeared from their bodies. They were healed! Immediately, the nine Jews ran towards the house of the priest to confirm the healing. From now on, they could live a normal life. They never looked back!
Sickness brought these men together. Now, as they were healed, it is possible that the old discrimination manifested. They Jews went on their way together to the priest. But the Samaritan went back to Jesus, the Great High Priest! With the eyes of faith, He saw Jesus as His great High Priest! He did not need any other priest! He fell at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him with a loud voice. Leprosy has quenched his voice. Now that he is healed, he did want to waste his shout on empty things. He came to Jesus to shout His name! He obeyed God’s Word: “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Ps 98:4). Praise is a sacrifice. This Samaritan offered the first fruits of his healthy body and recovered voice to Jesus. After years of silence and sadness, he gave Jesus the first feeling of joy. He did not want only healing of the body. He wanted healing of the soul. Jesus confirms the miracle. He says “Arise, go your way! Your faith has made you well!” He was healed not only in his body, but his soul was saved. Lesson: our response to God after we receive a blessing is extremely important.
These ten men were suffering and dying. For many years, people told them that there was no hope for them. When Jesus commanded them to ‘Go, to the priest..’ they gladly obeyed. This is the first time in many years that someone addressed them as living beings. The very command Go! Meant hope and healing! They passed the test of obedience. They got healed. Sickness and suffering kept these men together. God’s blessing separated them, physically and eternally. Men can join in prayer for needs. The same men can separate during worship. Many pray to God! Few Paise God! What is the reason why the nine did not come back? Possibly, it was fear. It was also pride. They were afraid that Jesus will make demands on them, telling them what to do. They wanted healing but they also wanted freedom from Jesus. They did not want a relationship with Jesus. Ingratitude is worse than leprosy! Selah!
Observe that the Samaritan humbled himself before Jesus. It was not the sickness that humbled him. It was the mercy of God revealed to him. He knew that he did not deserve to be healed, to be given a second chance in life. He knew that he was unworthy of such a gift. That is why he came back. The Samaritan truly appreciated the Mercy and Grace of God! There are four steps in the walk of grace towards salvation: Return to Jesus! Fall at the feet of Jesus! Glorify God! Thank God with a loud voice! Lesson: Gratitude to God is not enough! Passionate Gratitude is necessary! Everything we are and we have, is a gift from God. It belongs to God. We should always return to Jesus! At the feet of King Jesus the sick sinner becomes a saint! The healed sinner becomes holy! Once you have tested that God is good, do not go back to be an ordinary person again! Go to Jesus! Stay with Jesus!
We generally limit the act of thanksgiving to being grateful AFTER you receive a gift. From this story we see that thanksgiving is an act of faith. It is offered forward. It becomes an open door to salvation and other blessings.
There are steps on the way of healing. The first is forgiveness. A stronghold of unforgiveness always blocks prayer of healing. By forgiving others, and even yourself, you open the door to a miracle of healing. You must choose between the desire for revenge and your healing! The second step is thanksgiving. We must thank God always, for everything. Third, is to praise God with a loud voice like this Samarian. He still had problems. He has been leprous for a long time. He had no wife, children or friends. He had no job and no money. He could face rejection from people even as he was healed. But he decided to forget these problems and go to Jesus. He decided that praising Jesus is more important than solving his problems. With a loud voice he declared that God is greater than his problems.
Lessons: It is possible to have an encounter with Jesus, to be healed by Jesus and still not be saved. The nine were dreaming of being healed to go back to a normal life in the community. The tenth one was praying and hoping to be healed and know the Healer. Each received what they wanted. The sin of ingratitude is a terribly ugly dark sin. May God have mercy on us too! Learn to praise God in the midst of your problems. That is the key to find favor with God. That is the path that leads to salvation. Coming to church faithfully, is an act of gratitude. The nine were healed but only this one was made well. He got saved! Forgiveness is necessary for survival. But thanking God and praising God in the middle of unsolved problems releases the power of salvation and eternal life! Worship the Lord!
GRACE ABOUNDS MUCH MORE (Rom 5:1,2; 17-21; 6:1-4).
The doctrine of Justification by faith alone is the heart of the Gospel. If you make mistakes here, the whole foundation of your Christian life is weak. To justify means to be declared righteous, to be right with God. Practically, being righteous means to be good and to do good, for Christ’s sake. Righteousness is one of the attributes of the Kingdom of God where Jesus Christ is The King of kings. What is this doctrine? Based on the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, when a sinner totally trusts in Jesus’ death on his behalf, God the Father declares that sinner justified before Him. This is the work of pure Grace, the unmerited favor of God towards sinners. The justified sinner is now regarded by God as righteous. The Bible calls him a saint. From this moment on, he is saved. He has eternal life. When he dies, his soul goes to heaven. Justification is God’s Declaration!!! This declaration, this holy event cannot be reversed. A true believer cannot lose his salvation. He may backslide for a time, but he will come back to God before he dies. God’s name and reputation is backing his salvation. Many Christians reject this type of assurance of salvation, but it is the truth as revealed in the Bible. Pray to receive the revelation from the Holy Spirit.
Justification is a legal term, a forensic term. God, as the Judge of all, declares in the court of heaven, that any sinner who trusts in Christ alone for his salvation, is justified in His presence. He is free from the guilt and punishment of sin. Justification is a unique event. It happens once and for all. After Justification, the process of sanctification starts. The sinner saved by grace alone, and by faith alone, now starts to grow spiritually. Thru faith in the Word of God, the Christian dies to sin and lives a righteous life. The Holy Spirit empowers and leads him. But he must cooperate with the Holy Spirit and obey God’s Word. The process of sanctification lasts a lifetime. Some make faster progress than others. This is a fact: all true believers love God and His Word. They carry their cross daily, die to sin and walk in righteousness. They manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit; among them Love is the greatest slice. There is nothing like being justified and not sanctified. A Christian cannot be justified and desire to continue in sin! God Forbid! Salvation must be complete to the glory of God!
The doctrine of justification by faith is unique to Biblical Christianity. Every other religion, including some Christian denominations believe that you must obey religious laws to go to heaven. This is called justification ‘by works.’ They reject the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Martin Luther was a Catholic priest. He got saved and re-discovered the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. The Roman Catholic Pope declared him a heretic. He said that Luther invented this new doctrine to justify his sexual lusts to marry a woman. But the Pope was wrong. The doctrine of justification by faith is Biblical. But you need the Holy Spirit’s revelation to understand it. This is never achieved by human wisdom alone. Justification comes only through faith (Rom 5:1; Gal 3:24). It is not earned through our own good works. We are covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8; Tit 3:5). The Christian, being declared righteous, is thus freed from the guilt of sin. He now has peace with God!
As you can see, Justification is the act of God not only forgiving your sins but imputing to you the perfect righteousness of Christ. The word ‘imputation’ is an old Biblical concept. To impute means to pay something in another’s account. God “imputes” His righteousness to us through faith in Christ because of Christ’s obedience unto death. Imputation is different from ‘impartation’. During sanctification, God imparts gifts to us. But first, He must impute His righteousness to us, to be saved. Once justified, God regards us as we have never sinned. For the sake of Christ who died for us, God sees us as His Children. Remember, Christ is your righteousness!!! “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1Cor 1:30). Your righteousness is a Person!!! He is in heaven, the same yesterday, today and forever. You are not more righteous when your faith is strong. You are not less righteous when your faith is weak. Your imputed Righteousness is perfect and eternal! It is Christ Himself! Lesson: Look away from yourself. Rest in Him. Lean on Him. Trust Him to take you to heaven! Faith 100%! Doubt 0%! Praise God!
Understanding the doctrine of justification by faith is extremely important. First, it is the very knowledge of Grace in justification that motivates us to good works and spiritual growth. Therefore, justification always leads to sanctification. Secondly, the fact that justification is God’s finished work means that Christians have the assurance of their salvation. In God’s eyes, we now have the righteousness necessary to gain eternal life. Once a person is justified, there is nothing else he needs to do to enter heaven. Since justification comes by faith in Christ, based on His finished work on the Cross, on our behalf, our own works are disqualified as a means of salvation (Rom 3:28). All who teach that you can be saved by obeying the law, or by doing good works, are teaching “a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all” (Gal 1:6–7). The truth is that none of us can obey the law completely, to enter heaven. Even with the help of grace we cannot be justified by obeying the law or earn our righteousness before God. If heaven can be gained by works, we will claim glory for our own salvation and God shares His glory with no man. This is the truth: Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, thru the Word of God alone, and to the glory of God alone. Selah!
The most common attack against the Doctrine of justification by faith alone is that once a sinner is saved, he will see God’s grace as ‘cheap’ and he would like to continue in sin (Rom 6:1,2). The Christian who has this complaint does not understand the Power of the free gift of God’s Grace. This is the truth: Once a sinner becomes truly saved, he changes radically. It is like a dog becoming a man. Salvation is always a miracle. The man cannot become a dog again. The born-again believer is so grateful that God’s grace has revealed the Cross to him that he wants to do everything he can to please God. He does not desire to continue in his sinful habits. In fact, he now hates sin.
In the history of the Church, not all Christians believe this doctrine of justification by faith alone. They say that it is too simple. They go to extremes: legalism (saved by obeying laws) or license (ignore all laws). They say that if only faith in Christ saves us, and grace covers us, we can commit sin and still be saved. They insist that Christians should obey God’s Laws ‘to make heaven.’ They say that salvation by grace alone and by faith alone, leads to careless living and sinful behavior. Technically, this is called ‘antinomianism’, or lawlessness. It comes from two Greek words: anti, meaning ‘against’ and nomos, meaning ‘law’. ‘Christians’ in this group, believe that we should not obey any Law because Grace has made us free from the Law. They say that even if you commit sin, you are not guilty because God has covered you by His grace. They believe that freedom from the Law means freedom for license. That is an error. One of the greatest examples of antinomian behavior is Gregory Rasputin (1869-1916). He was a famous Russian mystic, false prophet and self-declared healer. He became very close to the Russian Royal family, by trying to heal the heir to the throne. He had many followers. He deceived many with his so called ‘powers to heal’. He claimed that anyone having sex with him becomes spiritually pure. He was eventually assassinated.
Theologically, antinomianism is the belief that there are no moral laws God expects Christians to obey. Antinomianism always goes too far. Antinomianism is deceptive because it denies the power of Grace to radically change a sinner into a saint. Antinomianism is wrong also because it ignores the new Law of Christ. It is true that we do not obey the Laws of the Old Testament. But we are not lawless. There is a new Law that has come. It is the Law of Love. Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 22:36-40). Love is the New commandment for all Christians to obey. If you love God and your neighbor, then you will not kill, steal, commit adultery, deceive others or covet their things. In the Old Testament the Law applied to external actions. The Law of Christ, of Love, goes deeper, into the heart, into the motives of actions. It is only a child of God that can love and can obey this Law of Christ. He obeys not because he wants to go to heaven, but because he is saved already. Breaking this Law means breaking the heart of God. It is a sin against Love. Free Grace is not a ticket to a sinful life. Living in sin dishonors God. It is an insult against His Love and His Grace. May God forbid this!
Some Christians ask: why then did God give us His Laws in the Bible? The Law of God “is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Rom 7:12). In the Old Testament the Law had its own functions. God who gave the Law to Moses, to write it and teach it to God’s people. Please note this: from the beginning, the purpose of giving the Law was not to save the people. Because not one could obey God’s law perfectly. The reason why God gave the Ten Commandments and other laws, is so that the people may know who God is, what God likes and what God hates. It was also given so that they know what sin is. The Law “entered that the offense might abound” (Rom 5:20). But the Law was a not a Savior. The Law was a teacher, a tutor who directed God’s people to Christ (Gal 3:19-25). Any sinner who wants to obey God’s Law will be frustrated in the process. With the leading of the Holy Spirit, this frustration will eventually bring the student to the feet of Christ, who is his Savior. Christ alone fulfilled the Law perfectly by obeying God’s Law. First, Jesus obeyed the Law actively. He did everything God the Father told Him to do. Secondly, Jesus obeyed the Law passively. God’s Law says that the sinner must die (Rom 6:23). Christ died for sinners. The sinless One, became sin so that we, who trust in Him may live. “He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]” (2Cor 5:21; AMP). “Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS [crucified] ON A TREE (cross)” (Gal 3:13; AMP). Looking at the Crucified, who died for us, we can never love sin again! We will live to please Him forever!
The Gospel says that we were once united with Adam. We were under the reign of sin and death. We were born into the Kingdom of darkness. Sin was our king. We could not resist its lusts. All who live in that Kingdom, die an eternal death, and go to hell. Once a sinner trusts in Christ who died for him, God translates that one into the Kingdom of light, of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. As we were one with Adam, we are now one with Christ. This is the doctrine of the mystical union with Christ. What Christ did, we do it in Him. Christ suffered and died. In Him, we suffer and die to sin. Christ was buried. We too are buried with Him, separated from the world. Christ rose from the dead. By the same resurrection power, we have risen from the realm of sin and death to life and righteousness. Christ ascended back to heaven. We too are now seated in heavenly places in Christ. These are spiritual events that have happened already once we are justified by God’s Grace and by faith in Christ. Our spirit is saved already. Spiritually, we are in heaven already. Therefore, we cannot lose our salvation. At the second coming of Christ, our bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies. That is when the process of salvation will be complete. And we shall live together, forever, with Christ, on a New Earth. This mighty revelation can only be received and believed through the help of the Holy Spirit. That is why for every sinner who becomes saved, all glory goes to God! Amen!
“But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20). In Greek, the word ‘abound’ means to increase or overflow. Thru Adam, sin has entered humanity as a foreign injection of poison, of rebellion against God. Sin always leads to destruction and death. We see it everywhere around us. There are many prisons, hospitals, mortuaries, and cemeteries. About 150,000 people die daily all over the world. The power of sin and death is easier to imagine and understand than the power of Grace, God’s invisible favor to save and to bless. For example, Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity. It is said that only 12 men were intelligent enough to understand it at the beginning. But when it was used to create the atomic bomb and dropped it on Hiroshima, Japan, 250,000 people died instantly. Instantly, everyone understood its power to destroy. This is another example: Alexander Fleming invented the first antibiotic, the Penicillin. It was a great breakthrough in medical science. Millions were saved because of this invention. You see how one man could bring destruction, and another man can bring healing. It is the same with the power of sin and of Grace. Thru Adam we know death. Thru Christ we live forever!
Jesus came full of Grace and Truth (Jn 1:14). Sin and death have been the king of sinners. There was no escape for anyone. Thru Jesus Christ, Grace was openly manifested to sinners. In Christ, Grace is the greater King. Learn to appreciate Grace! A Christian man dies. People mourn. But the angels rejoice in heaven for every sinner who repents (Lk 15:10). This invisible joy is of Grace. Two thieves are crucified next to Jesus. Both insult him at the beginning. That is the power of sin. But then, one of them repents and asks Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus says: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise!” (Lk 23:43). This is Grace speaking. With their hammers, the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus on the Cross. That is the sound of sin. But on the third day, Jesus came out from the grave, having nail scars on His hands. Jesus told Thomas: “Reach your finger here and look at My hands; and reach your hand here and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving but believing” (Jn 20:27). This is Grace speaking! Out of pain, faith is born! Saul hated the Christians. He supervised the killing of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Then Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. He became born-again. He is now known as Apostle Paul. He wrote three quarters of the New Testament. He said: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1Cor 15:10). This is the power of Grace! John Newton was a slave trader. He was saved by grace. He wrote the hymn: “Amazing Grace, how sweet Thy sound, that saved a wretch like me!” This is Grace speaking! This is Grace singing! Grace is always greater than sin and death! Halleluiah!
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom 8:28-30).
These are some of the most beloved scriptures in the Bible. God’s Word brings great comfort to all believers. It points to the assurance of salvation and to God’s constant presence in our lives. It reminds us that God alone knows the end from the beginning. This is a categorical statement. It is not a prayer. It is a doctrine. It must be believed without any doubt! Amen!
We are told that all things work together for good, not to all people, but to a special group called the lovers of God. There are only two groups of people in this world: those who love God and those who hate God. We are all born sinners; all hated God, needed forgiveness and a Savior. “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another” (Tit 3:3). A sinner is not just indifferent towards the God of the Bible. He hates God! He hates Jesus! These are some manifestations of hatred towards God: Like Peter, we deny that we know God. We ignore God or take Him for granted. We argue with God and His Word. We disobey His commands and feel no shame or regret. We insult God and take His name in vain by using the name of Jesus as a curse. When things do not go the way we want it, we blame God for our troubles. We think that God is unfair. We misuse God. We take His gifts, but we do not praise Him or thank Him. The Bible says that all sinners are under God’s wrath and judgment. There is no escape. The wrath of God is not hidden. It is revealed to man thru His Word. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them… 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Rom 1:18,19, 28-32). We don’t care about God’s feelings. We sympathize with sinners in their evil.
The great promise in Romans 8:28 does not apply to sinners, to those who hate God. It does not apply even to the religious unbelievers, people who attend church, but are not saved. All things do not work together for good to them. The religious unbelievers try to apply this scripture to their lives, but they get disappointed with God. Later, the devil uses them to discourage the true believers saying that God does not care, and God will not answer their prayers. Lesson: we should not be intimate with unbelievers. For example, if a believer marries an unbeliever, all things will work together for good for the believer but not for the spouse. That brings conflict in the marriage. Selah!
The next thing we can say about this scripture is that it applies to all things in life!!! It does not only apply to ‘the good things’, prosperity, peace or health. The promise includes ‘all things’, including trials, sicknesses, seasons of poverty, loneliness, spiritual evil attacks, mistakes and sins. Many believers get confused about this doctrine. They ask themselves: how can God use sickness or sins for our good? The truth is that God is not the author of sin. He does not tempt men. “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (Jam 1:13). But God can use everything, including the devil, for His own glory and for our good. “All power belongs to God” (Ps 62:11). He can over-rule our mistakes or the consequences of our sins, extending His grace and mercy to the worst offender. Note that these things are not good in themselves. They do not work together for our good by their own power. It is God who uses them in such a way that eventually they work for our good. This is the mystery of the sovereign omnipotent God!
How does God use painful things for our good? First, difficult things like sickness, disappointment, or poverty, humble us. When things are good, we tend to become spiritually passive. Suddenly, we got sick. We experience pain and remember our body’s weakness. The sickness is uncomfortable. It is a shock to us! We suddenly ‘wake up’ and feel the need to draw closer to God, fast and pray. We now discover that our good health and prosperity contributes to our drifting away from God. We become humble and grateful for everything, including the pain. We can now say with the Psalmist: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes” (Ps 119:71). But the unbelievers suffer in vain. They waste their pains. They even become angry at God for allowing them to suffer. We now remember that we need forgiveness for sins and strength in our weakness. We reject the spirit of pride that so easily entangles us. Humility leads to wisdom and safety. It is during this strange process of things working together for our good that we re-discover the depths of God’s Love, His mercy, patience and Grace towards us. We may have known these blessings as doctrines, but now, we experience them personally. It is a pity that God needs to use pains to train us in godliness. There is no other way. Because of our sinful past, we tend to get easily distracted and forget spiritual things. We either get infatuated with the pleasures of life, or we get too worried about the cares of this world. Either way, we become too busy with the things of this world. Our focus in life becomes too small. We only care about our bodies and material things. We forget heaven. We forget the glory promised in Christ! Trials wake us to the eternal realities of God’s Kingdom. Our prayers and worship become purer. We start to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pet 3:18). This is the way to have an established testimony before men and that alone is a mighty gain! Praise the Lord!
God says: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isa 45:7; KJ). In Hebrew, the word ‘darkness’ also means ignorance, wickedness, sorrow and death. The word ‘evil’ means calamity (a sudden violent event that brings great loss and sorrow). Here, Jehovah God takes responsibility in creating not only light and peace, but also darkness and evil, terrible disasters. Because we think of God as ‘a good man’, incapable to cause pain to us, this revelation is confusing. But this is the truth. God has created the devil and the demons as angels in heaven. But Satan rebelled against God. Some angels followed him in rebellion. God threw them away from heaven to earth. Working all things together for our good is not an encouragement to commit sin. God hates sin. Evil is always bad. Sin is never good. What God does is that He controls evil. The devil is not free to ‘kill, steal, and destroy’ as he wishes. God limits and redirects the amount of destruction coming from the devil. Jesus said that we pray like this: “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matt 6:13). Why then God allows us sometimes to enter temptation and fall into sin? Why does God allow Christians to backslide sometimes? One reason is that we discover the truth about ourselves. He exposes the pride, deception, the foolishness of our hearts. We can easily become proud and get a false sense of confidence. We feel that we do not need God anymore. The truth is that we always need God, until our last breath. God allows us to fall to become humble and draw closer to Him. God is an excellent Father! He trains His children well. See how the Father of the Prodigal son used pains to achieve the necessary humility and godliness in his son!
God’s will is revealed in the Bible. It is described as sovereign, good and acceptable (or permissive) (Rom 12:2). God permits ‘bad things’ to happen to the believers thru His permissive will. God allows us to experience some things, even though these things do not bring pleasure to Him. God allows certain things to happen, even sinful things, that indirectly accomplish His sovereign will. God created the universe, and the natural world. He also created man. Man was deceived by Satan and chose to disobey God. Sin entered humanity and has negatively affected everything and everyone since then. God could have prevented Adam from falling. But He chose not to. God had a strategy to deal with sin and Satan. God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for the sins of men. As a Man in Heaven, and Lord over all, Jesus Christ has now received all the glory due to God alone. Because God knows everything and God is sovereign, for any evil to happen, God must allow it thru His permissive will. God never makes mistakes. God does not force man to do His perfect will. He allows man to decide between His perfect and permissive will. But once we choose a sinful path, there are consequences. We cannot avoid these consequences. Thru pain, we learn from our past mistakes and try to obey God’s perfect will in the future. We experience God’s permissive will every day. For better or for worse, God allows us to make decisions: what we eat, how we spend our time, where we work, whom we marry, and much more. Some of our choices have lifelong consequences, but some won’t. Other people’s choices may affect us negatively. Sometimes, unpleasant events come our way. But we should remember that whatever is happening to us is part of God’s permissive will. God is still on the throne. God has never given up on His total control over His creation! No matter what we experience in life, God is fully in charge!
In God’s permissive will, evil is allowed to function, but God’s perfect plan triumphs every time. For example, God allowed the kidnapping and enslavement of Joseph. Each time Joseph suffered, God had the power to intervene, but He sovereignly “permitted” the evil. Note that God’s permissive will never counteract His sovereign will or His overall plan for man. God allowed the sins of Joseph’s brothers to bring about a greater good. When Jesus was arrested, He told His enemies, “This is your hour—when darkness reigns” (Luke 22:53). Evil had been granted a window of opportunity, and evil men were taking full advantage of it. That was indeed a dark night, but the final result was the salvation of mankind. God only permits that which will lead to His sovereign will being accomplished for His glory!
God may ignore the evil unbelievers do but He surely disciplines His children. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). “For whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb 12:6). There is a warning about taking the Holy Communion in a wrong manner. “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks [g]in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” (1Cor 11:28-30). We are told that taking the Holy Communion in careless, disrespectful manner, can result in weakness of the body, sickness or even untimely death.
Another way that God makes all things to work together for our good, is by withholding some blessings. All believers have experienced seasons of spiritual dryness. They felt far from God, and their prayers did not rise to heaven. These seasons of spiritual wilderness are unpleasant. During these difficult times we humble ourselves and continue to pray to God. Sometimes, not always, The Holy Spirit reveals why we need to pass thru the valley of the shadow of death. This is necessary so that we cooperate and even appreciate the pain coming from the hand of our loving Father. Eventually, the darkness is over and ‘joy comes in the morning!’. The times of ‘reconciliation’ with God are sweeter than ever. We learn to appreciate God’s presence even more and our love for God increases! Hallelujah!
“And we know that all things work together for good…”. Apostle Paul takes it for granted that as believers we should “know” these things. I may not know the reason for the pain, or how long the trial will last, but I know that God is with me in the pain, and He will bring good to me at the end. I may not understand everything that happens to me in this life on earth, but I am sure that my salvation and place in heaven is guaranteed. We are not promised a life free from trials or pains. But we are promised victory in Christ and to have God’s Presence with us to the end of time. Jesus said: “I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not]!” (Heb 13:5; AMP). The hope of heavenly glory is found in Christ alone. This hope sustains me on earth during seasons of spiritual darkness. Because my soul is anchored in heaven, my hope is strong, and I know that I will make it to the other side. Unbelievers never see any good thing in the trials of life. But we see Christ, who suffered like us and now, He is glorified in heaven. Little by little we see that testing times are growing times and healing times. Look at all the people who suffered, Joseph, Job, David and others. They remained faithful in their suffering. They became better at the end and God was glorified in their lives. By God’s grace, this is our portion too!
The promise that “all things work together for good” applies only to a group of people: these are the ones who Love God and are the called according to His Purpose. Loving God and being called by God are other ways to describe the true believers in Christ. Why did Paul describe the Christians as those ‘who love God’ and not as those who have faith in God. Because to love God is more powerful in describing the believer than to say he trusts God. Love is greater than Faith and is a more sensitive test of being a child of God. Loving God is more than an emotion. To have faith, you need only your mind. But to love, you need your whole body, soul and spirit. This is the first Commandment: “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk 12:30). The act of love involves 100% of your emotions, will, mind and the physical strength of the body. Demons believe in God, but they hate God. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (Jam 2:19). Unbelievers can’t love because their minds and hearts are darkened and blind to spiritual realities (Eph 7:17,18). They are God haters. They cannot love God!
What are some tests that you are saved, and that you love God? “We love Him because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:19). Loving God is our response to His own first Love. If you discover that you can love God, then you know that you are a believer in Christ, and all things will work together for good for you. The first test of love is your attitude during trials. He who loves God will endure the trial and pass the test successfully. The one who does not love God, during trials, he will be angry, blaming God. Watch the way Job and his wife react to the same trial, and to the same pains. After they lost their children, and their property, and Job got sick, his wife challenged him to curse and deny God. She said: “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:9,10). One of the signs that you don’t love God is that during trials you want to curse God and die. That is the foolishness of unbelief and a sign of hating God. But Job loved God. In all things, he continued to worship God. For such a person, God will bring an expected end and bless him at last. “Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…” (Job 42:12). Amen!
Believers are also described as “the called” of God. There is a general call and an effectual call of God. We tell all people everywhere about the Gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected. People all over the world are commanded to repent of sins and turn to God (Ac17:30,31). But not all people who hear the Gospel will eventually believe. Those who truly believe, they will love God. Faith leads to Love! They respond to God’s call of grace. They become born-again by the Holy Spirit. These are “The Elect or the Called”. The rest continue living in sin until they die. Only God knows who are the called. How do you know that you are among “the called”? You testify that the Holy Spirit has convicted you of sin. You repented of sins. You are hungry and thirsty to know God more. You study God’s Word. You pray. You love God and you love the brethren. You love to go to church. These spiritual emotions are real. Because you know that you are a child of God, you also know that all things work together for your good because God is totally in charge of your life. That gives you the confidence to endure during trials. You know that you are called, therefore, you are justified and surely glorified! These are all in past tense! Heaven is sure!
Nagging means to always find fault, to criticize, or to complain. It is to irritate another by constant urging him to do something. Nagging is persistent persuasion, more repetitive than aggressive. It is emotional harassment! It is a very common sin manifested in families. Nagging is an effective weapon the devil uses to tempt the Christians to backslide. Beware of its existence and power. How can you tell you might be nagging? If you’ve said the same thing 100 times, 100 different ways, and yet it doesn’t seem to be enough, that is nagging. Often those who nag are stubborn. They fight hard and strong, quick to voice their opinions. They have a strong need to be heard. They sincerely believe that their words are somehow benefiting the other person. Most people who nag don’t even realize they’re doing it. They think they are just trying to help others.
Nagging is a negative and controlling behavior and is a common sin in many marriages. For example, a nagging wife feels helpless; she wants her husband to stop smoking. She has a strong desire to control him. She behaves as if she is his mother. She is over-concerned with her husband’s behavior. She forgets that only God can change a man. Constant nagging can make the husband withdraw emotionally from her. The truth is that most women don’t like to nag unless they feel overwhelmed, unheard, overworked or being taken for granted. Nagging is not only a weakness of the women. Research has found that an equal number of men and women nag. For example, the nagging wife falsely assumes that she can change her husband’s behavior. She can say to him: ‘you don’t give me enough attention, or money. You don’t care about the children…’ The husband may say: ‘the house is always dirty. You always look unkept …’ They both forget that only God can truly change another’s heart. Most of the time, the wives nag because they feel ignored and not appreciated. Men nag because they are frustrated with their finances and businesses. They come home tired, become impatient with their wives and nag them.
“Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife” (PV 21:19; NIV). How does a wife become a nagging woman? During the period of dating, the wife seems nice and helpful. But something happened to her. Little by little, she becomes angry and starts losing her temper. She may apologize later but the episode repeats itself. She is trying to get his attention to solve a problem. If she is ignored, it becomes worse. The best thing a husband can do is to talk to her and give her his attention. Help her solve her problem. The earlier the better. Never disrespect her! Try to solve her problem with patience, love, and wisdom. “A quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof” (PV 19:13; NIV). The wife says: ‘you don’t love me’. This nagging plus tears is an effective weapon with men. Men do not like to see crying women around them. (For example, Samson’s wife and his lover, Delilah, both conquered him with nagging and tears!) “A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike; 16 Whoever restrains her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand” (PV 27:15,16). The weapon of nagging is a worldly weapon. Don’t use it! A mature marriage is free from nagging. Selah!
Nagging may also be a product of ungratefulness. A wife may never be satisfied with what the husband provides for her. Even if he helps with the house chores, washes her car, takes the family on vacations, she is never happy with him. She continues to nag him. A husband is never satisfied with his wife. No matter how much she takes care of the children, cleans the house, tries to keep herself fashionable, helps with the finances, he is never happy. He continues to nag her. This nagging may work in some offices. The boss nags his employees so that they work better. But nagging never helps families. Often, these homes are wrecked by the shameful sin of nagging! Nagging is unpleasant for both the wife and the husband! It tends to wear them down instead of building them up. It is spiritual poison to marriages and families. It’s a sin against love and indicates trouble in the relationship. It is more common than adultery as a reason for divorce. Selah!
Many parents struggle greatly with nagging their kids. Nagging can develop an inferiority complex in the child, and they may carry that into their adult lives. Nagging focuses on what a person is NOT DOING! It has a negative focus. It overlooks the positive. Nagging points out all the things that are wrong with the child and implies that he (or she) is not worthy because he has not done certain tasks. The child may feel angry towards the parent for nagging, which may result in drawing back emotionally. After some time, the child simply stops listening. The more you nag, the less he will hear you. Also, children are naturally born naggers. They too nag their parents to have their way!
The primary effect of nagging is resentment on both sides of the relationship. Resentment is a buildup of negative emotions such as anger, frustration, and disappointment. Resentment is a chronic, strong and painful feeling of bitterness when one has offended you. Resentment lasts for years. It is like the strong roots of a tree, very hard to uproot. It doesn’t have actual physical weight, but it feels very heavy on your soul. The nagger feels resentment for “always having to” nag the other person to “get everything done.” The person being nagged feels resentment for never being left alone to do as he sees fit. The person who nags never feels that the other person takes responsibility, but he never gives him responsibility. Meanwhile the person being nagged never feels truly independent, because he is never being given the chance to act independently and responsibly. It is a vicious circle. Forgiveness for Christ’ sake is the only way to be free from resentment.
Nagging is twin to grumbling. It affects prayers. Jesus said: “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matt 6:7). A religious unbeliever thinks that God needs persuasion to answer. He tells himself: ‘if I pray 5 prayers, God may ignore me. But if I pray 100 prayers, God will answer me’. For them, prayer is manipulation. They think that God does not understand. Therefore, they need to mechanically repeat the prayer, nagging God! They clearly do not know God!
How to stop nagging? Nagging is sin. It destroys the peace, love and romance in a marriage. Repent! Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Learn to listen to yourself. Control your emotions and your tongue. Pray before you talk. Choose the right words, the right tone, the right time, and the right attitude. Do not repeat a complaint more than 2 times. This is wisdom: accept things that you cannot change. Be an encourager!
“Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb 2:1-4).
This is a reminder that we have an enemy who hates us. The devil wants you to be ignorant of God’s love for you! The real danger is that if we neglect so great a salvation, we will drift away from our first love. To Give heed it means to pay closer attention, to be cautious about, to be on guard, to beware of danger ahead, careful not to take unnecessary risks. It also means to listen and to follow!!! The command applies to the ears and to the feet. If we do not listen to God’s Word and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit, we become spiritually lazy, or passive. From that position of weakness, the strong currents of the powers of darkness will carry us away from Christ’s love. It is like falling asleep in a boat that is not tied down to the shore. The river will eventually carry the boat away by its gentle currents. By the time we wake up, we see that we are in a different area we never planned to go before. The gentle river has now become fast and rough, and we wake up in a strange place of danger. To neglect it means to be careless, to fail to give attention or to respect the things that are your responsibility to keep and protect. Neglect is worse than ignoring. You can ignore to clean your house. That is not sinful. But child neglect is sinful. For a doctor to neglect his patients, that is criminal. To neglect God’s Word is like holding a treasure in your hand, but your fingers are not tight on it. The gold falls from your hand, and you are not aware that you have lost it. It means that you failed to value the revelation of God’s Word that you have received in the past! Because of your negligence, you are now becoming poorer. Neglecting the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit is a sign of drifting from your first love! Selah!
These are some of the common situations that can lead to the sin of neglect of God’s Word. These are like strong currents of a river:
*The anxiety of life, the cares of this world. They prevent God’s Word from taking roots and producing fruits in your spirit. “The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mk 4:19). These produce weakness of the mind and of the body. You become spiritually weak and discouraged. As our Lord was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, drops of blood falling from His brow. But the disciples became so grieved that they fell asleep. “Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:40,41). Medical science has proven that the brain shuts down during times of great stress. To watch and to pray takes a lot of energy. This spiritual warfare is done only by the power of the Holy Spirit. But if you ignore watching and praying, you will fall asleep spiritually and you will drift away from the safety of truth. Selah!
*Pleasures of life. It’s easy to forget God and His Love when you seek only for pleasures. To always look for fun is the world’s mentality. “The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure” (Ecc 7:4; AMP). Seeking the pleasures of life can become an idol. “Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play” (1Cor 10:7). Seek God and His Kingdom! Let God chose what pleasures and the level of pleasures you may have in this life. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33).
*Overfamiliarity with God and the Bible. To be overfamiliar with someone means to be extremely close, or intimate. You feel that you know that person too well. You have seen him and heard him so many times that the person now becomes boring to you. Other similar words with overfamiliarity are ‘being bold, forward, presumptuous, or disrespectful’. To be overfamiliar with God is always a sin. Its root is pride and Presumption. Presumption means to take someone for granted, to jump to conclusions without knowing the whole truth. It means to disrespect. God punishes it. “The prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die” (Deut 18:20). It is true that we are one with Christ. But we must still fear God! No one knows God totally. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable” (Ps 145:3). Whatever we know about God is what God has revealed to us, in Christ, by the Holy Spirit. That is all! Love always honors the Lover!
*Getting older. As we grow older, we change. The body gets weaker. The mind starts forgetting things. People close to us die. We become lonely. The strength we had as young people is replaced by a gradual weakness of body and mind. The zeal to study God’s Word, to pray or to serve God is less. We feel we know everything, and we don’t need to learn new things. To love others requires too much sacrifice. We give up on ourselves. Reading the Bible, praying, attending church services becomes routine and boring. “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore” (Ecc 12:1;NLT). Old men may experience apathy, a lack of mental energy, emotion, passion, or excitement. To some old people, Love becomes burdensome. This apathy may lead to depression and to drifting away from the truth. The cure is to come back to your First Love!!!
“From Jesus Christ, the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who [always] loves us and who [has once for all] freed us [or washed us] from our sins by His own blood (His sacrificial death); and formed us into a kingdom [as His subjects], priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:5, 6; AMP).
This is an amazing praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. John recognizes the greatness of our Lord. He “always loves us”. That verb is in the present tense, not past tense. It is true that 2000 years ago, because Jesus loved us, He died for us. But here we are told that Jesus loves us right now! He loves us now, and forever! His love is relentless. This Agape Love is relentless (strong, persistent, and without interruptions). It is pouring continually like rain from heaven. It never stops. It is the engine of our strength to love Jesus and other people. Everything in the life of believers ought to be based upon the Faith in the Love of Jesus. It is the most wonderful thing, to know in our hearts that though we were born sinners, and we still sin even today, yet He loves us! What a difference it makes when you experience the eternal love of God in your very soul right now! Do you feel His amazing Love right now?
John dedicates the book of Revelation to Him who loves us and, in addition, has freed us from our sins with His blood. In Greek, the word ‘freed’ means to loosen, to release and wash a prisoner. By His Blood, King Jesus breaks the chains of evil habits in our lives. He sets us free from sinful addictions that we have allowed to bind us. Those who have struggled with alcoholism know its terrible grip. We are all sinfully dependent people, shackled by sin one way or another: greed, selfishness, anger, quarrelling, lustful passions, cowardice and pride. Fear of man is an addictive strong bondage. “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe” (PV29:25). Cowardice is more than weakness of character. It is a sin! Cowards are in the same company with unbelievers, adulterers, liars, idol worshippers and the witches. If it is not confessed and repented of, cowardice blocks the way to heaven (Rev 21:8). God’s Word commands us to stand and always confess the truth. “If anyone sins after he hears a public adjuration (solemn command to testify) when he is a witness, whether he has seen or [otherwise] known [something]—if he fails to report it, then he will bear his guilt and be held responsible” (Lev 5:1; AMP). Because you fear offending a criminal, even after you heard the Judge placing a curse upon his sin, and you keep quiet in the court, that is sinful cowardice. Perjury means willfully lying under oath in the court. Perjury is an attack against truth and justice. (In Nigeria, it is punished with up to 14 years imprisonment). Spiritually, giving false witness or keeping quiet about another’s sin, grieves the Holy Spirit and wounds your conscience. These are bondages only the Blood of Jesus can break. Repent! Be free!
Here we see that Jesus is the One who has freed us from these bad habits by the sacrifice of His own life. But more than that, Jesus has made us a Kingdom of priests to serve our God. We are free to worship! A priest stands before God on behalf of men. Sinners feel separated from God. By their evil thoughts, they cut themselves off from a holy God. They need to repent. They are to be brought near God by the priests. That is the work of believers today. We are to exercise the ministry of reconciliation in the name of Jesus. We are to help lost people realize that God is longing to draw them to Himself. For this work Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests. Do you ever think of yourself as a priest? Or as a king? Or as a citizen of God’s Kingdom? This is your destiny and ministry, to serve God forever!
NO QUARRELS IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN “Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. 2 I implore Euodia, and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life” (Phil 4:1-3).
Apostle Paul addresses the Christians in Philippi as ‘beloved and longed-for’. He truly loves them. He tells them to stand fast in the Lord. The word means to stand firm, to persevere against opposition. He is calling the brethren to behave as citizens of heaven. There is no quarrel in heaven! They must settle their differences. Euodia and Syntyche, two Christian women in the church, were quarreling. Euodia means ‘Sweet Fragrance’ and Syntyche means ‘Fortunate’. They were possibly part of the first group of women that started the church (Acts 16:13). Each woman worked hard in the church. There were once sisters in Christ and ‘fellow workers’ with Paul. But now, they separated themselves and each tried to gather followers, dividing the Church. Paul reminds everyone that the Church belongs to Christ who died so that our names are in the Book of Life. Study the way Paul is talking. He has a pastor’s heart, a father’s loving heart. He loves the Lord, and he loves the brethren. Note that he does not command the two women to settle for his sake, to protect his reputation as a pastor. He does not tell the women to settle even for their own sakes. No! He ‘implores’ them, he begs them, to stop the quarrel for Christ’ sake!!! Apostle Paul is truly a humble man who honors God! To settle people who quarrel in the Church is difficult to do, as delicate as doing brain surgery. Paul applies Love, divine wisdom, humility, and great discernment. The unity of the Spirit is essential for the growth of God’s Kingdom thru the Church.
We see the ideal relationship between a pastor who displays agape love and his congregation. This is a reminder that the Body of Christ is One! If one member suffers, all suffer. We all must be peacemakers. The unity in the Church is not based on social status, age, level of education, race or tribe affiliation. The Spirit is one! The Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, is One! We are together as co-laborers with God and with one another. We labor in the Gospel. The power of the Church depends on two major factors: The preaching of the Gospel and the agape Love between the brethren. The pastor preaches the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Preaching false doctrines weakens the Church. Quarreling grieves the Holy Spirit. It is not only the pastor who preaches. All believers must do their part to preach the Gospel to others. The Church expands as each believer tells others about Jesus, shares his testimony and lives a successful Christian life. Preaching the Gospel is done not only by mouth, but by actions. Our attending church services encourages the pastor and encourages others. Praying, helping your pastor in any way you can, is also a way to preach the Gospel. May we stand strong and honor God always!
Jesus said that division destroys relationships and families. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is coming to an end” (Mk 3:24-26). Love is a glue. It binds people together (Col 3:12-15). The Body of Christ is made of many, but it is one. The Holy Spirit is one! The evil spirits are many. One of the works of the flesh is contention, a hot argument that divides people (Gal 5:20). Apostle Paul says that we should avoid people who quarrel and divide the Body of Christ: “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” (Rom 16:17). They invent and ‘manufacture’ stumbling blocks to make others fall. We should avoid them! It means that these are religious unbelievers, false brethren who crept into the church to divide the Body. Selah!
LEAH – THE UNLOVED WIFE (Genesis 29) Leah was the first wife of Jacob, later called Israel. She lived almost 4000 years ago. Her name means ‘weak eyes’, possibly means poor vision. She stands for weakness of flesh and strength of the Spirit. Leah was the mother of six of Jacob’s sons and the ancestor of these tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Judah was the ancestor of King David and, in the lineage of Jesus (Matt 1:1-16).
This is the story: After Jacob had deceived his father, Isaac, and deprived his brother, Esau, of his birthright and blessing, he fled from the wrath of Esau and took refuge in the household of his uncle Laban. There he immediately fell in love with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel and worked for Laban seven years to win her hand in marriage. On the night of the wedding feast, Laban deceived him by sending Leah to his tent. According to the Eastern’s tradition, the bride was veiled, and Jacob was surely drunk. In the morning, Jacob discovered that he slept with Leah and not with Rachel. Laban compelled Jacob to work another seven years for Rachel. Here you see that Love is not cheap. For many years, Jacob did not love Leah. But God consoled her by giving her the gift of motherhood. God gave her six sons and a daughter, Dinah, before allowing Rachel to become pregnant. Rachel had two sons, Jospeh and Benjamin. She died young. She was buried along the road. Leah lived until her old age. She died before the family went to Egypt. She was buried in the cave of family grave at Machpelah in Hebron. This was great honor. Before his death in Egypt, Jacob told Joseph to carry his corpse to the Promised Land and bury him alongside Leah, in Hebron. Jacob said: “There I buried Leah” (Gen 49:31). He was buried next to Leah, alongside Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebeccah. Leah was a godly woman, much more suitable for him as a wife than the worldly-minded Rachel. Though not loved, she was faithful to her husband until the end!
It took many years before finally Jacob learned to love and respect Leah, who remained faithful and loving to him. This speaks of true endurance as a woman of God. For example, when coming back to the Promised Land, Jacob was told that his older brother Esau was coming towards him with 400 men. Jacob was afraid. He divided his children and his people. He put the two maidservants and their children in front. That was the most dangerous place in case of an attack. Then he put Leah and her children next to the maidservants. Finally, he placed his beloved wife Rachel and her son Joseph, at the rear, which was the safest place (Gen 33:1,2). These arrangements prove that even at this time, Leah was treated just a little better than the servants.
God always protects the weak, the victims of human’s oppression. In the Old Testament, God’s word commands that in case of polygamy, men should not discriminate the children of the unloved wife. “If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and they have borne him children, both the loved and the unloved, and if the firstborn son is of her who is unloved, 16 then it shall be, on the day he bequeaths his possessions to his sons, that he must not bestow firstborn status on the son of the loved wife in preference to the son of the unloved, the true firstborn. 17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his” (Deut 21:15-17). All children should be treated well!
Jacob obeyed God’s command. Just before his death, Jacob blessed his sons. In particular, his son Judah, meaning “Praise”, which is the fourth son of Leah, receives the highest blessing. He becomes the leader of his brothers. This is prophetic. Judah is the direct ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ. Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This is according to what Jacob prophesied: “Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. 9 “Judah, a lion’s cub; With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain]. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, And like a lion—who dares rouse him? 10 “The scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes, And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen 49:8-10; AMP). Hallelujah!
LESSONS FROM LEAH: *This is a story of Grace! God truly cares for those unloved and rejected by men. God comforts and compensate the lowly, in His way, His own time. Through their troubles and afflictions, they learn to look to Him for happiness, help and success. Leah was emotionally rejected by her father, her sister and her husband. Like David, Leah could have said: “Although my father and my mother have abandoned me, Yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child]” (Ps 27:10; AMP). When Jesus came to the earth, He was rejected by men! He died on the Cross! But God raised Him from the dead and gave Him a name above every other name! Jesus knows how it feels to be rejected! Trust Him to vindicate you! God often chooses to work thru those who are rejected, unloved and marginalized. Rachel captured Jacob’s heart. But Leah captured God’s heart! Leah’s life is a story of endurance, strength, perseverance and faith!
*God is sovereign in every matter. He demotes and He promotes as He wishes. Nobody stops God from doing His own will. “The Lord puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol (the grave) and raises up [from the grave]. 7 “The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low, and He lifts up. 8 “He raises up the poor from the dust, He lifts up the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles and inherit a seat of honor and glory; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the land on them” (1Sam 2:6-8; AMP). Amen!
*To be a parent is a blessing from God. God rewards obedience, faithfulness and labor of love. Children are God’s reward. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed but shall speak with their enemies in the gate” (Ps 127:3-5). Leah suffered in her marriage. For many years, she was lonely and unloved by her husband. But God blessed Leah with the gift of motherhood. Her son Levi is the ancestor of Aaron, the head of priests to serve God in the temple and of Moses, the greatest leader of Isreal. “When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren” (Gen 29:31). At last, Leah’s descendants became greater than the descendants of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin). Her son Judah is the ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Lord!
*Leah learned contentment. That makes her a mature woman of God. To be content it means to be satisfied with God and with yourself. It is the knowledge that things are OK exactly as they are, right now. It is a spiritual secret that few people learn about. Some call it ‘the deep knowledge of enough’. It is one of the highest achievements of human well-being. Contentment is more powerful than happiness. Seeking happiness in this life leads to anxiety and depression. Contentment is peace, joy, and the courage to live well. Apostle Paul credited the secret of contentment as one of his greatest achievements. “Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. 13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” (Phil 4:11-13; AMP). May God grant us the grace to experience contentment in life! Amen!
*Only God changes a man. An unloved wife is so grieved that only God can help her. Leah was ignorant about how men think. She thought that just by sleeping with him, her husband will love her. She was wrong. A man can be sexually attracted to a woman even if he does not love her. Later, Leah tried to win her husband’s love by having children. But even after having many sons, Jacob still did not love her. Marriage certificate, sex, or having children does not make a man love his wife. “Under three things the earth is disquieted and quakes, And under four it cannot bear up: 22 Under a servant when he reigns, Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food, 23 Under an unloved woman when she gets married, And under a maidservant when she supplants her mistress” (PV30:21-23; AMP).
*Praising God changes lives! Leah’s hopes to find love thru her children are dashed at the beginning. But once she has Judah (Praise), she changed her focus, from hoping in her husband, to looking unto God. She now decided to praise God! From this moment on, she is free. She is a different woman. She can now thank God for what she already has and not for what she misses. Her words change from a piteous “woe is me” tone to “what good fortune!” and “how happy and blessed I am!” (Gen 30:11-12; NIV). While Jacob may have “settled for” Leah, Leah herself doesn’t settle. She grows spiritually. She let go of her idols of marriage, children, and family, and set her sights on higher things than her circumstances. She chooses to praise God! It is then that God demonstrates how He faithfully loves her and blesses her! Stop looking for validation from men. Go to God. He will be enough for you. Jacob’s infatuation with Rachel was “love at first sight”. It is more of liking than loving. But Jacob’s willingness to labor seven years for her demonstrates feelings deeper than flattery or casual interest. Deep down, most women long to captivate a lover this way, to be pursued and cherished by a committed heart. We’re made to yearn for belonging and completion. The best place is standing before God. You are safe there! God has a special place for the rejected. God has big plans for little people. Leah is a symbol of what God can do with the rejected, who chose to praise Him, no matter the circumstances!
*We don’t know Leah’s feelings when her father told her to go into the tent deceiving Jacob that she is Rachel. Jacob deceived his father Isaac and now he will have a taste of his own medicine. At that time, women had little to say about any matter. The men were the total rulers of their homes. We can imagine that it was not easy for Leah to surrender her body as a young virgin woman, to a man who was possibly drunk, and calling her Rachel. In her mind she may have thought: Will this marriage work? Can a marriage with a foundation of sin, of deceit ever be happy? What will her sister say about this? Will Jacob ever love her? Will God give her children? Will people ever respect her? Will God bless her? She did not know at that time that God allowed this deception so that He will take the glory at last.
*Ignorantly, because of her broken heart, she loads the children with her emotional burden. The first three sons knew that their mother was looking for love thru them. It is not good to use children to find love in marriage. Only God can do that!
*God does not look at the outward appearance but at the heart (1Sam 16:7). God does not appreciate physical beauty. He rewards faith, humility and submission to His will. Leah tried to compare herself with her sister beautiful Rachel. Comparison leads to disappointment, jealousy, anger, bitterness, and depression. Be grateful for who God made you to be! We all hunger for significance in this world. Significance means to be seen as important, worthy of attention and respect, to be loved and appreciated by others. Sometimes, there is a delay in significance. That delay is painful. God gives you dreams of greatness. For a long time, the dreams seem dead. Initially, the beautiful Rachel was the star. Her husband loved her openly. Leah became jealous of her sister. But later, after Leah became a mother, and Rachel was still barren, the tables turned. It was Rachel that became jealous on Leah. The tables have been turned! “Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!” 2 And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Gen 30:1, 2). It was then that Leah discovered that her significance is in God. This is what God wanted Leah to discover. That God is enough for her! Jesus said: “My grace is enough!” (2Cor 12:9). For now, you may be sad. God’s dreams for you are not yet fulfilled. You may even have to wait until you go to heaven before you can see the majesty of God’s Love for you. Remember this. God’s promises are worth waiting for!!!
*Leah tried to please her husband, to win his heart. But no man will accept and love you unconditionally. Only God can do that. Apostle Paul was a servant of God and not a man pleaser. “You can see that I am not trying to please you by sweet talk and flattery; no, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please men, I could not be Christ’s servant” (Gal 1:10; AMP).
*Jesus understands women. Even if the husband or the father does not understand you, Jesus understands you. This Jesus redeems sinners like Mary Magdalene, who was once possessed by demons. Jesus saved and honored the sinful woman who washed His feet with her tears. Jesus saved and honored the woman with the issue of Blood and the woman accused of adultery. Jesus loves women! Jesus loves sinners. He died for them. He saved them. He loved them. Like Leah, after having Judah, she declared: From now on, this time, I will praise the Lord! Say it: This time, and forever, I will praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
*Leah was a woman of God. She left behind a great legacy. People did not forget her. Her memory was not forgotten by future generation. When Boaz married Ruth, the witnesses prayed for his bride: “The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel… ” (Ru 4:11). Leah had Levi: Aaron and the priesthood came from Levi. The greatest leader in the Old Testament, Moses, came from Levi. The Law, the Ten commandments, the worship at the temple, all came from Leah. Also, from her son Judah, King David was born and later, Jesus Christ! God cares for the lonely, the rejected. Leah did not know how great a legacy she leaves behind. It is only in heaven that she discovered how special she was to God, and even to her husband, to the nation of Isreal and to the Church of Christ. She finally saw that God has honored her. Try to imagine how Leah felt in heaven when she heard the name of her son, Judah, connected with Jesus, the King of kings, seated on His throne. “But one of the twenty-four Elders said to me, “Stop crying, for look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, and proved himself worthy to open the scroll and to break its seven seals” (Rev 5:5; AMP). To God be all the glory! FROM NOW ON I WILL PRAISE THE LORD!!! Worship the Lord!!!
Jesus commands the believers to love even the enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:43-48).
These are the eternal words of our King. Jesus makes a clear difference between the way the Pharisees understood the law and the way the Law of God must be interpreted. The religious leaders said: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy”. First, we must say that there is no place in the Old Testament where you find these exact words. The Pharisees invented that law. Possibly, they were inspired to say this because in the Old Testament, God commanded His people to kill the Canaanites and take over the Promised Land (Deut 20:16-18). Why did God say that? God is the owner of the whole world. He gave the Canaanites 400 years to repent of their sins. He told Abraham that the sins of the Amorites are not yet complete; their cup of wickedness is not yet full (Gen 15:13-16). God could have killed them with a plague. But God chose Isreal to kill the Canaanites and to take over their land.
Some of the Psalms have strong words to curse Isreal’s enemies. These are called ‘imprecatory’ Psalms. For example, read what David prayed to God about his enemies: “Let their table become a snare before them, and their well-being a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their dwelling place be desolate; Let no one live in their tents” (Ps 69:22-25). Reading these words, you can imagine why the Pharisees said that they should hate their enemies. But if you read these psalms, David prayed to God not because he was wicked, or because of selfish ambition, but he asked God to vindicate him when his enemies wanted to kill him. David refused to kill King Saul even when Saul was in his power. This psalm is not an invitation to personal hatred against human enemies. It is the appeal of an oppressed person that God should help him. David trusts God for justice and vindication. He wants the glory of God to be revealed in his life! Amen!
In the Book of Matthew, chapter 23, our Lord speaks curses upon the religious leaders, the hypocrites. Reading those lines is painful. The word ‘woe’ is a curse word, mixed with grief and sadness. The religious leaders did not know God. They mispresented God. They were proud and wicked. They led the people astray. Here we clearly see that God (Jesus) cares for the people, that they should know God. There is a greater condemnation upon the religious leaders and teachers of God’s Word who are considered shepherds to God’s flock! These are the very people who plotted the arrest and the death of the Son of God! Selah!
The Pharisees said that a Jew should love and help only another Jew. Every other person should be considered an enemy to be hated and even killed. The Jews hated all the Gentiles and called them ‘dogs’. The problem with their interpretation is that they did not understand the purpose of God’s Law. God commanded that the Canaanites should be killed as an act of divine justice. It was not because of personal hatred against them as individuals. But the Pharisees used God’s divine justice to apply it to their personal relationships with people. Any man they did not like, even if that man was a neighbor, they hated him. They justified their hatred, lack of love and wickedness by saying that it is God’s Law. Hatred of people is always wrong. You can hate the devil, sin and evil in evil men. But you should not hate people!!!
How can a Christian replace the sinful selfish hatred in his heart with the Love of God? Jesus commanded us to do three things: Bless, do good and pray for others! He commanded us to “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”. You replace hatred with loving words. Love has a language. You bless people with your words. Saying to someone: “God bless you!” even when you don’t feel like it, is a powerful manifestation of Agape Love. Love is never rude. Love never curses a human being. Another way to show Love to others is by doing good to them. Righteousness means ‘be good and do good’ for Christ’ sake. You do good by greeting, shaking hands, hugging, helping others, and by giving gifts without waiting for appreciation from men. Doing good is a great form of evangelism. Many sinners came to Christ because Christians chose to help them especially in their time of need. Doing good never fails. Please examine your motives: You don’t do good because you want to convert the person. You don’t do good because you are religious, but because love is your nature as a child of God and a citizen of God’s Kingdom. You trust God to bless your ministry and life. No matter what people say to you, God blesses righteous deeds. Finally, choose to pray for people, even for those you dislike and persecute you. Prayer is a responsibility and a mighty blessing. The greatest example of prayer for the wicked was heard on the Cross. Jesus said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Lk 23:34). When Steven was dying as a martyr, he prayed for the men who were stoning him. “Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Ac 7:60). This is Agape Love praying! May prayer and worship never cease from our lips! Amen!
There is a great difference between loving and liking a person. To like someone is more natural. There are attitudes you observe in a person that connects with you. Love is different. Love is spiritual. You love because God loves you. You extend Love to others, even to the unlovely, because God loves you and He has saved your soul. Like is instant. It is effortless. Love is deep. It takes time and effort to develop. You may have to go to battle to win and protect love. When you like someone, you must agree with that one. His negative ideas may provoke you. But you can love someone unconditionally, even when you don’t totally agree with him. To like someone, you must stay close to that one. Love endures even if the person is far away. The closer you get to someone, the less you may like the person. But love, increases as you get closer to that person. You like only friends. You love both friends and enemies!
Please note: Only Agape love can love even the enemies. Why? This is because if you love someone, you see him thru the eyes of Christ. You see him the way God sees him. You know that he is a victim of the devil, and he is blind to God’s way of salvation. If Agape Love is in your heart, you can help another even if you dislike him. How do you do that? Treat another person like you like him, even if you don’t. Don’t complain again about your enemies. If you don’t have enemies, how can you love your enemies? The Law of Love is stronger than the law of sin, hatred and death. There is always grace available to treat others with kindness and love. They may not deserve kindness, but kindness is your attitude to all. You don’t pay evil with evil. You don’t react with evil when you are provoked. That is the way of the world. You don’t react. You chose to act. With wisdom, peace, love and respect.
Why do we need to behave well, to show love and kindness to all? It’s a visible proof that God is your father, and that you are a citizen of His Kingdom. God sends rain and sunshine to all men. It is not only the Christian farmer that enjoys rain on his field. That rain goes to the wicked too. We must treat others with respect, kindness and love because we are God’s children, Christ’ ambassadors and citizens of His Kingdom. Love is the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God. As God never fails, as love never fails, so the Christians who walk in love will never fail to fulfill God’s purposes for their lives. This love is the engine of revival in the church and outside the church! May God help us!
Green Pastures 