In my message last week I mentioned that Hosea was one of the prophets who foretold the suffering, death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
“After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight” (Hosea 6:2, NKJV).
The above verse indicates that we are included in the resurrection of Christ. God helping me, I try to answer the following questions:
What is the purpose of being included in the Resurrection of Christ? What are the conditions by which we have the assurance of resurrection? What are the blessings of the Resurrection of Christ?
Assurance of our Resurrection
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4 – 6, emphasis added).
Notice the above verses are in the past-tense indicating what Christ had already done for us! All we need to do is to enter into the promised blessing of sitting “together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” by faith.
The Old Creation and the New Creation
The Resurrection of Christ separates the New and the Old creation.
“And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Cor. 15:45 – 47, emphasis added).
Paul contrasts the first man (Adam) and the second Man (Last Adam). Jesus Christ is the Last Adam or the second Man. He is the Lord from heaven.
As the Last Adam, Christ exhausted the entire evil inheritance that came upon the whole Adamic race, through the sin of rebellion of Adam and Eve. When Jesus Christ rose from the dead 3 days later as the second Man (Last Adam), he became the Head of the new race. This is the purpose of God – through the death and resurrection of Christ to put an end to the Adamic inheritance and sealed it off by His death. By the resurrection of Christ, God opened the way, for those who believed, into a new race which Jesus Christ is the Head.
The Emmanuel Race
The new race which Jesus Christ is the Head is the Emmanuel (Immanuel) Race – or “God with us” race. The way by which every human being enters into the new race in Christ, is by being begotten again (or born again) by the Spirit of God:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Jesus Christ becomes the source of life for everyone who believes because of the resurrection of Christ. No resurrection, no life; only the Emmanuel Race has life! Christ is our life!
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:1 – 4, emphasis added).
Notice the wonderful assurance given to us, being the member of the Emmanuel Race – “Your life is hidden with Christ in God”!
Because the Emmanuel Race bears the image of the heavenly Man (Christ) (1 Cor. 15:49) we are being comforted:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).
Resurrection and Justification
“And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6, emphasis added).
As believers in the New Covenant, if we believe with the same kind of faith that Abraham had, then it would be credited to us for righteousness just as it was to Abraham:
“He (Abraham) did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convince that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:20 – 25, emphasis added).
Therefore through believing in Christ’s resurrection we are made righteous and received full justification.
There are two aspects of transaction of justification and righteousness:
1. By His death Christ paid the full and final penalty for our sins. So, God’s justice was satisfied by the death of Jesus on our behalf. Jesus became our legal representative!
2. By His resurrection Christ provided acquittal or justification for complete righteousness.
Therefore, we were acquitted of all guilt, justified and reckoned righteous by faith.
The Christian faith therefore depends entirely on the resurrection of Christ!
“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17)!
We are vindicated because Christ was vindicated
Two human courts had condemned Christ to death – The secular court of Rome and the religious court of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
By the resurrection of Christ God reversed those unjust verdicts and vindicated the righteousness of Christ. When Christ was vindicated we too are vindicated because we are identified with Him in resurrection.
Paul sums it up concerning our righteousness and vindication:
“For He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Entrance to Salvation
Read Romans 10:6 – 10. Paul is saying that the righteousness of faith does not come to us automatically just because of what Christ had already done on our behalf. We have to accept what Christ has done for us by faith! The acceptance of this truth is our salvation.
There are two simple logical practical requirements for entering into salvation:
1. Concerns our heart. Our heart must believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. In other words, we must believe in the resurrection of Christ. Those who do not believe in the resurrection do not enjoy acquittal and justification of God. They are still in their sins!
2. Concerns our mouth. Our mouth must confess and acknowledge Christ’s Lordship over all aspects of our own life. That is what we have done when we acknowledge “Jesus is Lord”. There is total surrendering of our will to His will. There is the total unreserved act of commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Resurrection overcomes Death
Apostle John saw a vision of the resurrected and ascended Christ (Rev. 1:10 – 18).
Jesus Christ said to him, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev. 1:18, emphasis added).
Notice that Death is not merely a physical condition. It is not merely the separation of life (spirit) from the body of a person when he dies. Both Death and Hades are evil angels, Satan’s representatives ruling over the kingdom of darkness. The true nature of Death and Hades is revealed in John’s vision concerning the forth horseman:
“So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him” (Rev. 6:8).
It is obvious that Death and Hades are persons. Only a person could sit on a horse, and only another person could follow along with the first one. Death claims a person’s body; Hades claims his soul when he dies.
But Jesus descended into the realm of these evil angels between His death and resurrection. He striped them of their authority and took the keys of Hades and Death from them!
We need to know that Death is already defeated but not yet destroyed:
“For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feat. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 25, 26).
Ultimately, Death and Hades would be destroyed:
“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14).
Isaiah foretold Jesus’ victory over death:
“He will swallow up death forever and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:8).
Paul quoted the above:
“Death is swallowed up in victory, O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Cor. 15:54, 55).
Jesus’ victory over death casts light on the words of Jesus Himself:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24, emphasis added).
“Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51, emphasis added).
Once again “death” must be a person - only a person can be seen! Death is a defeated foe to anyone who believes and keeps the Word (Commands) of Jesus Christ. To “keep His Word” means to “To obey His word without compromise”. I believe the converse is also true; a person who does not keep His Word will see death!
Conclusion
“Death” to the believer is merely a gateway to a new life because of Christ’s Resurrection!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Heart Of The Gospel
The heart of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the Person of Christ Himself. You take away Christ you take away the Gospel. You take away the Gospel you take away Christianity. The Gospel message consists of three simple historical facts centered on Christ Himself. These are the death, burial and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
These facts are made known by Paul:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1 - 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following facts:
1. The Gospel is to be believed for salvation. A person's job is to receive the truth of the Gospel and not to question it.
2. A person who believed in vain is someone who denied the truth and considered the doctrine of the Gospel as false. Such person is not saved.
3. Paul himself received the message of the Gospel and was saved.
4. The three historical facts are: Christ died for our sins; He was buried; He rose again the third day.
5. The Gospel message is based on Scriptures. Paul emphasized it twice!
6. The Scriptures are the Old Testament Scriptures because the New Testament Scriptures have not been written yet in Pual's time. Therefore, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was fortold or predicted by the Old Testament prophets.
According to the Old Testament Scriptures
Peter wrote to the Jewish believers:
"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:10 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following facts:
1. According to the above verses of Scripture, Jesus Christ who brought salvation to mankind had been foretold in the Old Testament by the prophetic utterance of the Old Testament prophets.
2. The most interesting fact revealved by Peter is the fact that the Spirit of Christ was with the Old Testament prophets ever before Christ was revealed.
3. The Spirit of Christ speaking through the Old Testament prophets testified two importnat facts concerning Jesus - The suffering of Christ and His Glory which would follow.
4. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to us.
Christ's Suffering, Death, Burial and Resurrection Foretold by the Prophets
The Psalmist David
David was a king and a prophet. Many of the psalms of David are prophetic utterance in the first person. In other words it was Christ Himself spoken through David:
1. Prophecy concerning Christ's suffering and crucifixion
"For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lot" (Psalm 22:16 - 18).
"Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:20, 21).
The gospel according to Matthew testifies that the above Scriptures were fulfilled:
".... They gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet ...." (Matthew 27:34, 35).
2. Prophecy concerning Christ's resurrection and ascension
"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:8 - 11).
The above prophecy became a historical fact as confirmed by Luke as a witness:
"Therefore, being a prophet (David), and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:30 - 32, emphasis added).
3. Prophecy concerning the resurrection and other experiences of Jesus
"You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side" (Psalm 71:20,21, emphasis added).
Notice the accurate description of the experiences of Jesus. He was physically resurrected from "the depths of the earth". God exalted Him (Phil. 2:9) and seated Him on the right hand of God. Jesus was entroned with God and experienced "comfort on every side".
Prophet Isaiah
Just like the psalmist David, Isaiah gave prophetic utterance in the first person concering Christ's suffering.
"The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:5, 6).
Matthew testifies that the above prophecy was fulfilled:
"Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands" (Matthew 26:67).
Prophet Hosea
Hosea spoke of the experiences of Jesus and our identification with Him:
"Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:1, 2, 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following:
1. All the experiences of Jesus relate to the restoration and revival of mankind. He suffered for our restoration.
2. The phrase "He has torn, but He will heal us" speaks of "by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24).
3. Believers are identified with Jesus in resurrection. This is the only Old Testament prophet who predicted Christ would be resurrected on the third day. Because of Christ's resurrection we would be resurrected - "He will raise us up".
4. Hosea's revelation is given to those who pursue the knowledge of God - those who believe in the resurrection of Christ.
5. Jesus's going forth from the tomb compares the morning sunrise with the resurrection.
6. After resurrection and glorification, Jesus would "come to us like the rain, like the later and former rain on the earth". This speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:23). This was culminated on the day of Pentecost.
The above prophecy of Hosea was filfilled according to the New Testament Scripture:
Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians said that believers will share with Jesus in His resurrection and other subsequent experiences:
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus ...." (Eph. 2:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
The three experiences that we share together with Jesus are:
1. We are made alive.
2. We are raised up or resurrected.
3. We are made to sit together with Jesus and enthroned with Him in heaven.
Notice that the outward act of the believer's identification with Jesus is Water Baptism:
"... buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Col. 2:12).
The witnesses who saw Him alive after His Resurrection
Paul's epistle to the Corinthians reveals that Jesus was seen by many after His resurrection:
".... and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, after that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time" (1 Cor. 15:5 - 8).
Luke recorded that Jesus was seen by many for forty days before He was ascended (taken up):
".... Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:1 - 3, emphasis added).
Conclusion
The single most important event that has ever taken place in human history is the Resurrection of Christ - for the salvation of mankind. This is the heart of the true Gospel Message. The full Gospel Message does not end in crucifixion of Christ as depicted by the film, "The Passion of The Christ". It ends in Resurrection!
These facts are made known by Paul:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1 - 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following facts:
1. The Gospel is to be believed for salvation. A person's job is to receive the truth of the Gospel and not to question it.
2. A person who believed in vain is someone who denied the truth and considered the doctrine of the Gospel as false. Such person is not saved.
3. Paul himself received the message of the Gospel and was saved.
4. The three historical facts are: Christ died for our sins; He was buried; He rose again the third day.
5. The Gospel message is based on Scriptures. Paul emphasized it twice!
6. The Scriptures are the Old Testament Scriptures because the New Testament Scriptures have not been written yet in Pual's time. Therefore, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was fortold or predicted by the Old Testament prophets.
According to the Old Testament Scriptures
Peter wrote to the Jewish believers:
"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:10 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following facts:
1. According to the above verses of Scripture, Jesus Christ who brought salvation to mankind had been foretold in the Old Testament by the prophetic utterance of the Old Testament prophets.
2. The most interesting fact revealved by Peter is the fact that the Spirit of Christ was with the Old Testament prophets ever before Christ was revealed.
3. The Spirit of Christ speaking through the Old Testament prophets testified two importnat facts concerning Jesus - The suffering of Christ and His Glory which would follow.
4. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to us.
Christ's Suffering, Death, Burial and Resurrection Foretold by the Prophets
The Psalmist David
David was a king and a prophet. Many of the psalms of David are prophetic utterance in the first person. In other words it was Christ Himself spoken through David:
1. Prophecy concerning Christ's suffering and crucifixion
"For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lot" (Psalm 22:16 - 18).
"Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:20, 21).
The gospel according to Matthew testifies that the above Scriptures were fulfilled:
".... They gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet ...." (Matthew 27:34, 35).
2. Prophecy concerning Christ's resurrection and ascension
"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:8 - 11).
The above prophecy became a historical fact as confirmed by Luke as a witness:
"Therefore, being a prophet (David), and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:30 - 32, emphasis added).
3. Prophecy concerning the resurrection and other experiences of Jesus
"You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side" (Psalm 71:20,21, emphasis added).
Notice the accurate description of the experiences of Jesus. He was physically resurrected from "the depths of the earth". God exalted Him (Phil. 2:9) and seated Him on the right hand of God. Jesus was entroned with God and experienced "comfort on every side".
Prophet Isaiah
Just like the psalmist David, Isaiah gave prophetic utterance in the first person concering Christ's suffering.
"The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:5, 6).
Matthew testifies that the above prophecy was fulfilled:
"Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands" (Matthew 26:67).
Prophet Hosea
Hosea spoke of the experiences of Jesus and our identification with Him:
"Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:1, 2, 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following:
1. All the experiences of Jesus relate to the restoration and revival of mankind. He suffered for our restoration.
2. The phrase "He has torn, but He will heal us" speaks of "by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24).
3. Believers are identified with Jesus in resurrection. This is the only Old Testament prophet who predicted Christ would be resurrected on the third day. Because of Christ's resurrection we would be resurrected - "He will raise us up".
4. Hosea's revelation is given to those who pursue the knowledge of God - those who believe in the resurrection of Christ.
5. Jesus's going forth from the tomb compares the morning sunrise with the resurrection.
6. After resurrection and glorification, Jesus would "come to us like the rain, like the later and former rain on the earth". This speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:23). This was culminated on the day of Pentecost.
The above prophecy of Hosea was filfilled according to the New Testament Scripture:
Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians said that believers will share with Jesus in His resurrection and other subsequent experiences:
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus ...." (Eph. 2:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
The three experiences that we share together with Jesus are:
1. We are made alive.
2. We are raised up or resurrected.
3. We are made to sit together with Jesus and enthroned with Him in heaven.
Notice that the outward act of the believer's identification with Jesus is Water Baptism:
"... buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Col. 2:12).
The witnesses who saw Him alive after His Resurrection
Paul's epistle to the Corinthians reveals that Jesus was seen by many after His resurrection:
".... and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, after that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time" (1 Cor. 15:5 - 8).
Luke recorded that Jesus was seen by many for forty days before He was ascended (taken up):
".... Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:1 - 3, emphasis added).
Conclusion
The single most important event that has ever taken place in human history is the Resurrection of Christ - for the salvation of mankind. This is the heart of the true Gospel Message. The full Gospel Message does not end in crucifixion of Christ as depicted by the film, "The Passion of The Christ". It ends in Resurrection!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Whatever You Fear Becomes Your God
Hanani the seer came to Asa, king of Judah, to rebuke him because he relied on the king of Syria and not on the Lord his God. He was defeated because He relied on a man and the strength of his army (2 Chronicles 16:7).
Hanani said, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chron. 16:9, NKJV, emphasis added).
The phrase, "those whose heart is loyal to Him" means "those who fear Him and show reverence toward Him". The Lord is looking for those who fear Him and His strength will be made known to those who are loyal to Him. He will deliver them from their enemies.
Asa's failure to rely on God shows that he was a person who did not fear God. The fact that he relied on Syria instead of relying on God also indicates that he feared man and exalted man above his God. In the Lord's eyes man became Asa's god!
God rebuked Laban after Jacob had served him for twenty years. Jacob said:
"Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hand, and rebuked you last night" (Genesis 31:42, NKJV, emphasis added).
Isaac was the promised seed that was to bring forth the Messiah. Isaac had the fear of the Lord in him. In the above verse, the phrase "the Fear of Isaac" means "the God of Isaac". As far as God-fearing Jacob was concerned, God was Isaac's Fear and also his Fear. Isaac's Fear and his Fear was their God!
Religious fear and the fear of man
Religious fear is closely related to the fear of man. There is a man-made god in every religious practice. During the time of Isaiah, the people of Judah were religious. They feared and worshipped the gods made by their own hands.
The Lord rebuked them, "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have moved their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of man" (Isaiah 29:13, NKJV, emphasis added).
They kept up the forms of religion taught by man and from the doctrine of man; but they withheld their devotion to God.
Here is one of the wise sayings of Solomon:
"The fear of man brings a snare. But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25, emphasis added).
The word "safe" means "secure". A person who is governed by the fear of man will want to please man and will not fear God.
Abraham, for the fear of man, denied his wife twice! If he had feared God he would have trusted the Lord to keep his wife safe in all circumstances. Similarly, Peter for the fear of man denied his Lord three times!
A person who puts his trust in the Lord for mercy and protection shall be set on high, above the power of man and above the fear of that power. A person who fears man has made man bigger than God. Man suddenly has greater influence and greater impact against him than God. And so, he lacks the fear of God.
The Sin of Fearing Man
Judah's sin was religious fear and the fear of man.
Thus said the Lord, "Cursed is the man who trust in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:5).
A person who fears man is a man who makes flesh his strength. His heart departs from the Lord because he does not trust the Lord.
Notice a man cannot trust man and God at the same time. He either makes flesh (man) his strength or God his stregth; he either fear man or fear God.
The curse upon his life is:
"For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited" (Jeremiah 17:6).
In other words, he is in the wilderness situation and his Christian walk is barren.
In my opinion, this is the description of a man who fears man and compromises the truth of God's Word in order to please man and to gain acceptance from man. His praise is from man but not from God. But the Lord is watching him and He says:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:9, emphasis added).
The Blessings of the God-fearing Man
The man who fears the Lord trusts in the Lord and honors the Lord.
Thus said the Lord:
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out the roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7,8, emphasis added).
Notice that a person who fears and trusts in the Lord will not fear any circumstances. Instead, he enjoys abundant life!
A God-fearing Lifestyle
The Lord desires fear, reverence and honor from His people. One way of preventing the snare of fearing man is to cultivate a God-fearing lifestye.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence" (Malachi 1:6)?
There is a Scriptural way to cultivate a God-fearing lifestyle:
1. Serve the Lord with fear
The psalmist said, "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling" (Psalm 2:11).
In the spiritual realm there is a close relationship between fear of the Lord and rejoicing. Rejoicing is sandwiched in between fear and trembling. It is the fear of the Lord that releases the rejoicing. Without the fear of the Lord our rejoicing will be very shallow and incomplete.
2. Submitting to one another
Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus regarding maintaining Spirit filled lifestyle:
"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God" (Ephesians 5:18 - 21, emphasis added).
The phrase "be filled with the Spirit" means "continuously filled with the Holy Spirit". A congregation of believers continuously filled with the Holy Spirit will be be guided to submit one to another in the fear of God.
Notice that Paul said to submit one to another. But, many Church-goers only submit themselves to the Pastors and Elders of the Church.
3. Holy in conduct
Peter worte to the Jewish believers, "He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.' And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, ...." (1 Peter 1:15 - 17, emphasis added).
How to Understand the Fear of the Lord
Solomon gave a Scriptural way to understand the fear of the Lord:
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; you, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:1 - 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
The conditions for understanding the fear of the Lord are:
1. Receive the words of wisdom.
2. Treasure and obey His Commands.
3. Seek discernment and understanding.
A person who fulfills the above conditions given by Solomon will understand the fear of the Lord. Furthermore, he will find the knowledge of God!
On the other hand, a person who does not seek wisdom, discernment and understanding and fail to obey God, does not know God. If he does not know God there is no way he understands the fear of the Lord.
A person who fears man does not know God. He lacks wisdom, discernment and understanding. He disobeys God by making man his god!
Hanani said, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (2 Chron. 16:9, NKJV, emphasis added).
The phrase, "those whose heart is loyal to Him" means "those who fear Him and show reverence toward Him". The Lord is looking for those who fear Him and His strength will be made known to those who are loyal to Him. He will deliver them from their enemies.
Asa's failure to rely on God shows that he was a person who did not fear God. The fact that he relied on Syria instead of relying on God also indicates that he feared man and exalted man above his God. In the Lord's eyes man became Asa's god!
God rebuked Laban after Jacob had served him for twenty years. Jacob said:
"Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hand, and rebuked you last night" (Genesis 31:42, NKJV, emphasis added).
Isaac was the promised seed that was to bring forth the Messiah. Isaac had the fear of the Lord in him. In the above verse, the phrase "the Fear of Isaac" means "the God of Isaac". As far as God-fearing Jacob was concerned, God was Isaac's Fear and also his Fear. Isaac's Fear and his Fear was their God!
Religious fear and the fear of man
Religious fear is closely related to the fear of man. There is a man-made god in every religious practice. During the time of Isaiah, the people of Judah were religious. They feared and worshipped the gods made by their own hands.
The Lord rebuked them, "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have moved their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of man" (Isaiah 29:13, NKJV, emphasis added).
They kept up the forms of religion taught by man and from the doctrine of man; but they withheld their devotion to God.
Here is one of the wise sayings of Solomon:
"The fear of man brings a snare. But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25, emphasis added).
The word "safe" means "secure". A person who is governed by the fear of man will want to please man and will not fear God.
Abraham, for the fear of man, denied his wife twice! If he had feared God he would have trusted the Lord to keep his wife safe in all circumstances. Similarly, Peter for the fear of man denied his Lord three times!
A person who puts his trust in the Lord for mercy and protection shall be set on high, above the power of man and above the fear of that power. A person who fears man has made man bigger than God. Man suddenly has greater influence and greater impact against him than God. And so, he lacks the fear of God.
The Sin of Fearing Man
Judah's sin was religious fear and the fear of man.
Thus said the Lord, "Cursed is the man who trust in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:5).
A person who fears man is a man who makes flesh his strength. His heart departs from the Lord because he does not trust the Lord.
Notice a man cannot trust man and God at the same time. He either makes flesh (man) his strength or God his stregth; he either fear man or fear God.
The curse upon his life is:
"For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited" (Jeremiah 17:6).
In other words, he is in the wilderness situation and his Christian walk is barren.
In my opinion, this is the description of a man who fears man and compromises the truth of God's Word in order to please man and to gain acceptance from man. His praise is from man but not from God. But the Lord is watching him and He says:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:9, emphasis added).
The Blessings of the God-fearing Man
The man who fears the Lord trusts in the Lord and honors the Lord.
Thus said the Lord:
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out the roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7,8, emphasis added).
Notice that a person who fears and trusts in the Lord will not fear any circumstances. Instead, he enjoys abundant life!
A God-fearing Lifestyle
The Lord desires fear, reverence and honor from His people. One way of preventing the snare of fearing man is to cultivate a God-fearing lifestye.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence" (Malachi 1:6)?
There is a Scriptural way to cultivate a God-fearing lifestyle:
1. Serve the Lord with fear
The psalmist said, "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling" (Psalm 2:11).
In the spiritual realm there is a close relationship between fear of the Lord and rejoicing. Rejoicing is sandwiched in between fear and trembling. It is the fear of the Lord that releases the rejoicing. Without the fear of the Lord our rejoicing will be very shallow and incomplete.
2. Submitting to one another
Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus regarding maintaining Spirit filled lifestyle:
"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God" (Ephesians 5:18 - 21, emphasis added).
The phrase "be filled with the Spirit" means "continuously filled with the Holy Spirit". A congregation of believers continuously filled with the Holy Spirit will be be guided to submit one to another in the fear of God.
Notice that Paul said to submit one to another. But, many Church-goers only submit themselves to the Pastors and Elders of the Church.
3. Holy in conduct
Peter worte to the Jewish believers, "He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.' And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, ...." (1 Peter 1:15 - 17, emphasis added).
How to Understand the Fear of the Lord
Solomon gave a Scriptural way to understand the fear of the Lord:
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; you, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:1 - 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
The conditions for understanding the fear of the Lord are:
1. Receive the words of wisdom.
2. Treasure and obey His Commands.
3. Seek discernment and understanding.
A person who fulfills the above conditions given by Solomon will understand the fear of the Lord. Furthermore, he will find the knowledge of God!
On the other hand, a person who does not seek wisdom, discernment and understanding and fail to obey God, does not know God. If he does not know God there is no way he understands the fear of the Lord.
A person who fears man does not know God. He lacks wisdom, discernment and understanding. He disobeys God by making man his god!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Fear God And Keep His Commandments
Solomon looked at life from the human perspective and declared that "under the sun" everything is empty. Power, prestige, popularity, wealth and pleasure - nothing can fill the void in man's life but God Himself!
Solomon came to the conclusion that the real foundation of human life is:
"Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden things, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, NIV, emphasis added).
In the context, the phrase "His commandments" does not mean only the Ten Commandments. God's commandments include the whole laws (not the whole of Moses Law) and commands of God pertaining to the New Testament, commands of Christ, full counsel and truth of God's Word. To keep His commandments means to obey Him wholeheartedly and be doers of His Word in our Christian walk.
The prase "whole duty of man" speaks of the "whole man, his whole being in heart attitude, conduct, thoughts and deeds in life". Man's heart attitude is as important as his deeds in God's sight.
In other words, the whole purpose of the existence of man is to fear God (to show reverence, great respect and honor toward Him) and to keep His commandments. Man's life is in Him and He will judge every man's work and his secret thoughts.
He who fears God keeps His Commandments
The fear of the Lord expresses the keeping of God's Commandments. It is not possible to fear God without keeping His commandments. Similarly, it is not possible to keep His commandments without fearing God at the same time.
Let us look at the First of the Ten Commandments:
"You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3, NKJV).
We are commanded to give God our pre-eminence. That is to give God His rightful place in every area of our life. Nothing should come before God. We shall let nothing else be in the same level with God in our Christian walk.
Notice that another god is not necessarily a false god. It can be any other object of our worship that takes the place of our worship toward God. It can be a man, a pet, a career, a home, a car, money and wealth.
Jesus said to the Pharisees concerning the First Commandment, "You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37).
The man who wholeheartedly obeys the First Commandment is a man who fears the Lord.
Jesus and the Fear of the Lord
Isaiah gave a prophetic preview of Jesus:
"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jess, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, ...." (Isaiah 11:1 - 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Notice that Jesus was filled with the seven-fold Spirit of God. The anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus that set Him apart as the Messiah culminated in the fear of the Lord. Notice that the fear of the Lord pairs with the Spirit of knowledge:
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, ...." (Proverbs 1:7).
The writer of Hebrews described Jesus as the High Priest:
"Who, in the days of His flesh, when He Had offered up prayers and supplication, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear" (Hebrews 5:7, emphasis added).
The fear of Lord gave Jesus unhindered access to the Father. It delivered Jesus from the hour of temptation. If Jesus needed the fear of the Lord before his prayer was heard, how much more we need to fear God in order to have our prayers heard and answered!
The Early New Testament Church and the Fear of the Lord
"Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied" (Acts 9:31, emphasis added).
The above verse describes the condition of the Churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria in the beginning of Paul's ministry immediately after his conversion.
As a result of the believers' "walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit" two things happened in the early Church:
1. They experienced peace and were edified. They enjoyed the presence of the Holy Spirit who gave them rest.
2. The number of believers multiplied. In other words, the Church grew.
It is interesting to compare the early Church to our present day Local Churches. The early Church experienced peace and was edified because in the Spirit realm they walked in the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Can we say the same with our Local Churches today?
Without exception, all Elders and Pastors desire revival and growth in the local congregation. Christians pray for revival in their prayer meeting. But, the Scripture says that unless we choose to fear the Lord He would not answer our prayer. To fear God is an act of will; we need to choose to fear Him or not to fear Him.
"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, ..." (Proverbs 1:28, 29, NKJV, emphasis added).
"He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them" (Psalm 145:19, emphasis added).
Church growth is directly linked to the fear of the Lord.
Prayer and the Fear of the Lord
The above verses of Scripture show that the key to effective praying is to fear God.
Furthermore, Daniel discovered that when a God-fearing person prays, the Lord confides with him and He reveals His secret to him.
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and kight dwells with Him" (Daniel 2:20 - 22, emphasis added).
Daniel said the above because he realized that the key to tapping spiritual secret and to answered prayers is by fearing God!
The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdow (Proverbs 9:10) and the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). These are given to those who have understanding.
The Psalmist relates the fear of the Lord and obeying His commandments with understanding:
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10).
Therefore, anyone who fears the Lord will have wisdom, knowledg and good understanding. This makes his prayer effective.
The Promise of God for those who fear Him
The promises and benefits for those who fear the Lord are many. Most of these promises can be found in the Books of Proverbs and psalm. It is beyond the scope of this message to mention all of them. But, here are some very interesting ones:
1. The Lord promises to prosper those who fear Him
"Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant" (Psalm 25:12 - 14).
Notice the five promises:
a. The Lord will teach him the way He chooses. This also speaks of the wisdom of God.
b. He shall dwell in prosperity. This also speaks of the peace of God.
c. His descendants shall inherit the earth. This also speaks of the blessings of God for future generations.
d. The Lord reveals His secret to Him. Notice that, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, ...." (Deut. 29:29).
e. The Lord shows him His covenant. He will impart to him who fears Him the true knowledge and understanding of His covenant.
In my opinion, the first three promises - The widsom of God, the peace of God and the blessings of God for future generations are what we are praying for most of the time! The wonderful thing is, by just fearing God we have the answers to most of our prayers without actually praying specifically for them!
2. The Lord is merciful to those who fear Him
"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy" (Psalm 33:18).
"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:11).
"The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy" (Psalm 147:11).
The above Scripture verses need no further explanation.
3. The Lord promises abundant blessings to those who fear Him
"Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments" (Psalm 112:1).
Once again the fear of the Lord is closely associated with obeying in His commandments.
In fact the entire Psalm 112 is a list of promises and blessings for the man who fears the Lord:
Solomon came to the conclusion that the real foundation of human life is:
"Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden things, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, NIV, emphasis added).
In the context, the phrase "His commandments" does not mean only the Ten Commandments. God's commandments include the whole laws (not the whole of Moses Law) and commands of God pertaining to the New Testament, commands of Christ, full counsel and truth of God's Word. To keep His commandments means to obey Him wholeheartedly and be doers of His Word in our Christian walk.
The prase "whole duty of man" speaks of the "whole man, his whole being in heart attitude, conduct, thoughts and deeds in life". Man's heart attitude is as important as his deeds in God's sight.
In other words, the whole purpose of the existence of man is to fear God (to show reverence, great respect and honor toward Him) and to keep His commandments. Man's life is in Him and He will judge every man's work and his secret thoughts.
He who fears God keeps His Commandments
The fear of the Lord expresses the keeping of God's Commandments. It is not possible to fear God without keeping His commandments. Similarly, it is not possible to keep His commandments without fearing God at the same time.
Let us look at the First of the Ten Commandments:
"You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3, NKJV).
We are commanded to give God our pre-eminence. That is to give God His rightful place in every area of our life. Nothing should come before God. We shall let nothing else be in the same level with God in our Christian walk.
Notice that another god is not necessarily a false god. It can be any other object of our worship that takes the place of our worship toward God. It can be a man, a pet, a career, a home, a car, money and wealth.
Jesus said to the Pharisees concerning the First Commandment, "You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37).
The man who wholeheartedly obeys the First Commandment is a man who fears the Lord.
Jesus and the Fear of the Lord
Isaiah gave a prophetic preview of Jesus:
"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jess, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, ...." (Isaiah 11:1 - 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Notice that Jesus was filled with the seven-fold Spirit of God. The anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus that set Him apart as the Messiah culminated in the fear of the Lord. Notice that the fear of the Lord pairs with the Spirit of knowledge:
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, ...." (Proverbs 1:7).
The writer of Hebrews described Jesus as the High Priest:
"Who, in the days of His flesh, when He Had offered up prayers and supplication, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear" (Hebrews 5:7, emphasis added).
The fear of Lord gave Jesus unhindered access to the Father. It delivered Jesus from the hour of temptation. If Jesus needed the fear of the Lord before his prayer was heard, how much more we need to fear God in order to have our prayers heard and answered!
The Early New Testament Church and the Fear of the Lord
"Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied" (Acts 9:31, emphasis added).
The above verse describes the condition of the Churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria in the beginning of Paul's ministry immediately after his conversion.
As a result of the believers' "walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit" two things happened in the early Church:
1. They experienced peace and were edified. They enjoyed the presence of the Holy Spirit who gave them rest.
2. The number of believers multiplied. In other words, the Church grew.
It is interesting to compare the early Church to our present day Local Churches. The early Church experienced peace and was edified because in the Spirit realm they walked in the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Can we say the same with our Local Churches today?
Without exception, all Elders and Pastors desire revival and growth in the local congregation. Christians pray for revival in their prayer meeting. But, the Scripture says that unless we choose to fear the Lord He would not answer our prayer. To fear God is an act of will; we need to choose to fear Him or not to fear Him.
"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, ..." (Proverbs 1:28, 29, NKJV, emphasis added).
"He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them" (Psalm 145:19, emphasis added).
Church growth is directly linked to the fear of the Lord.
Prayer and the Fear of the Lord
The above verses of Scripture show that the key to effective praying is to fear God.
Furthermore, Daniel discovered that when a God-fearing person prays, the Lord confides with him and He reveals His secret to him.
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and kight dwells with Him" (Daniel 2:20 - 22, emphasis added).
Daniel said the above because he realized that the key to tapping spiritual secret and to answered prayers is by fearing God!
The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdow (Proverbs 9:10) and the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). These are given to those who have understanding.
The Psalmist relates the fear of the Lord and obeying His commandments with understanding:
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10).
Therefore, anyone who fears the Lord will have wisdom, knowledg and good understanding. This makes his prayer effective.
The Promise of God for those who fear Him
The promises and benefits for those who fear the Lord are many. Most of these promises can be found in the Books of Proverbs and psalm. It is beyond the scope of this message to mention all of them. But, here are some very interesting ones:
1. The Lord promises to prosper those who fear Him
"Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant" (Psalm 25:12 - 14).
Notice the five promises:
a. The Lord will teach him the way He chooses. This also speaks of the wisdom of God.
b. He shall dwell in prosperity. This also speaks of the peace of God.
c. His descendants shall inherit the earth. This also speaks of the blessings of God for future generations.
d. The Lord reveals His secret to Him. Notice that, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, ...." (Deut. 29:29).
e. The Lord shows him His covenant. He will impart to him who fears Him the true knowledge and understanding of His covenant.
In my opinion, the first three promises - The widsom of God, the peace of God and the blessings of God for future generations are what we are praying for most of the time! The wonderful thing is, by just fearing God we have the answers to most of our prayers without actually praying specifically for them!
2. The Lord is merciful to those who fear Him
"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy" (Psalm 33:18).
"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:11).
"The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy" (Psalm 147:11).
The above Scripture verses need no further explanation.
3. The Lord promises abundant blessings to those who fear Him
"Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments" (Psalm 112:1).
Once again the fear of the Lord is closely associated with obeying in His commandments.
In fact the entire Psalm 112 is a list of promises and blessings for the man who fears the Lord:
- Wealth and riches will be in his house (V. 3).
- He will never be shaken (V. 6).
- He will not be afraid of evil tidings (V. 7).
- His horn will be exalted with honor (V. 9).
4. The Lord promises strong confidence to those who fear Him
"In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death" (Proverbs 14:26, 27).
God's children who fear the Lord will have strong confidence that they have a place of refuge and the Lord will turn them away from the snares of death.
5. The Lord promises life to those who fear Him
"The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil" (Proverbs 19:23).
"By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life" (Proverbs 22:4).
Conclusion
We can sum up all these promises and benefits of God for those who walk in the fear of the Lord with one word - LIFE!
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The Purpose of Parables
A parable is a simple story, drawn from everyday experience, to communicate a spiritual truth. Jesus used parables to illustrate the Truth about the Kingdom of Heaven.
The purpose of the parables of Jesus is both to reveal and to conceal the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven. To the disciples truth is revealed, but to the underserving and unbelieving Jews like the Scribes, Pharisees and Sudducees, truth is concealed.
The purpose of Jesus' Parables fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the people of Judah:
God said to Isaiah, "Go, and tell this people: keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9, 10, NKJV).
Jesus explained to his disciples why He spoke to them in parables:
"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matt. 13:11 - 13, 16, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following:
1. The phrase "to them it has been given" refers to the undeserving and unbelieving Jews.
2. To these people whatever light given to them in the beginning, because they failed to learn the truth, whatever light they had would be taken away from them.
3. On the other hand, those who are teachable (the disciples) after light has been given to them, more light will be given to them.
4. Jesus used the understanding of His parables to separate His disciples from the undeserving Jews - those who "do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand".
5. His disciples recieved more and more light. Jesus said, "Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear"!
Therefore, according to Jesus, only His disciples are given understanding of the Parables.
Christians, Disciples and the Parables
I believe Jesus is speaking the same thing to Christians. Genuine Christians are true disciples of Jesus Christ, and therefore they are expected to understand the Parables.
Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32).
Christians who abide in the Word of God are genuine disciples and they shall understand the parables because parables speak of the truth of God's Word. If they fail to understand some of the parables they need to abide in His Word in a greater degree.
It is interesting to note that Jesus' disciples failed to understand even the simplest of all the parables:
Jesus said to His disciples, "Do you not understand this parable? how then will you understand of all the parables" (Mark 4:13, emphasis added).
In the context "this parable" means the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:4 - 9). Jesus put forth this parable to the multitude and the 12 disciples. Jesus then explained this parable to His disciples (Matt. 13:18 - 23) when they were alone with Him (Mark 4:10).
Matthew also recorded that Jesus also explained the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares to them. Other than these two parables it is not known what other parables the disciples asked for explanation.
Two Examples of the Parables of Jesus
It is beyond the scope of this message tointerpret all the Parables of Jesus. here are two Parables which could be confusing to many Christians and Bible teachers.
1. The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11 - 32)
Some Bible teachers call this parable as "the Parable of two sons" or "the Parable of the prodigal son" or the Parable of the loving father". The correct interpretation of this parable will enable us to answer these questions - Were both sons lost? Or, only one of the sons was lost? If so, which of the sons was lost?
This parable is related to a parable mentioned earlier - The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:4 - 7).
The younger of the two sons took his share of possessions and "journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living". But after he had spent all, he came to his senses. Then he repented of his sins and returned to his father. He was a type of lost sheep and then later was found. The father was a type of Christ. This prodigal son was received back by his father. He was a type of text collector or a prostitute who repented of his sins.
One the other hand, the older son did not waste his father's possessions, but he was self-righteous. He remained living with his father, but was a stranger to his father's heart. He was a type of scribe or Pharisee who needed no repentance in his own eyes.
Hear what Jesus said, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance"
Therefore, there was more joy in heaven when the repentant younger son was received back by the loving father!
Therefore, the lost son was the elder son and not the younger!
The lesson learned is , a self-righteous person who needs no repentance is lost!
2. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1 - 16)
Jesus Himself said this is a parable to illustrate the truth about the Kingdom of Heaven (Verse 1). The story given by Jesus is in "spiritual terms" to describe the salvation process by which a lost person enters the Kingdom of Heaven (or God) and the gifts he receives to fulfill his calling by God.
Seen in this light a Christian is someone who is called by God to be a worker in His Vineyard.
Please take note of the following:
1. Our salvation is a calling (1 Cor. 1:24 -31). According to Paul it is God "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ..." (2 Tim. 1:9, emphasis added).
Salvation and calling cannot be separated. If we are saved, we are also called. Furthermore, we are called and saved by grance "before time began". Our calling is holy.
The best example to illustrate this truth is the salvation and calling of the apostle Paul.
2. In the Parable, the Landowner is a type of Jesus Christ. The laborers speak of unsaved souls. The hiring of the laborers speaks of their calling to salvation. The denarius speeks of the gift of God.
3. The denarius mentioned in this Parable is not a reward for the work done. It is neither a wage nor salary. It is given by "grace" of the landowner who gives according to his will whether the laborer's work is one hour or one day!
4. This Parable shows that our calling (salvation) and gifts are entirely dependent on the grace and sovereign will of God.
Someone might say that our salvation also depends on our freewill. The truth is we cannot excercise our freewill unless God calls us first. Similarly, the landowner calls the laborers to work in his vineyard; but they are given a choice to work in his vineyard or reject the calling.
5. Jesus said, "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen".
This means - It does not matter we are saved early or later. The important thing is our attitude toward God and toward our calling. With the wrong attitude we might be saved (called) but it does not necessarily mean that we are fit to be worker in His Vinyard!
The laborers with the wrong attitude are obviously the first batch of laborers!
The purpose of the parables of Jesus is both to reveal and to conceal the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven. To the disciples truth is revealed, but to the underserving and unbelieving Jews like the Scribes, Pharisees and Sudducees, truth is concealed.
The purpose of Jesus' Parables fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the people of Judah:
God said to Isaiah, "Go, and tell this people: keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9, 10, NKJV).
Jesus explained to his disciples why He spoke to them in parables:
"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matt. 13:11 - 13, 16, NKJV, emphasis added).
Take note of the following:
1. The phrase "to them it has been given" refers to the undeserving and unbelieving Jews.
2. To these people whatever light given to them in the beginning, because they failed to learn the truth, whatever light they had would be taken away from them.
3. On the other hand, those who are teachable (the disciples) after light has been given to them, more light will be given to them.
4. Jesus used the understanding of His parables to separate His disciples from the undeserving Jews - those who "do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand".
5. His disciples recieved more and more light. Jesus said, "Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear"!
Therefore, according to Jesus, only His disciples are given understanding of the Parables.
Christians, Disciples and the Parables
I believe Jesus is speaking the same thing to Christians. Genuine Christians are true disciples of Jesus Christ, and therefore they are expected to understand the Parables.
Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32).
Christians who abide in the Word of God are genuine disciples and they shall understand the parables because parables speak of the truth of God's Word. If they fail to understand some of the parables they need to abide in His Word in a greater degree.
It is interesting to note that Jesus' disciples failed to understand even the simplest of all the parables:
Jesus said to His disciples, "Do you not understand this parable? how then will you understand of all the parables" (Mark 4:13, emphasis added).
In the context "this parable" means the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:4 - 9). Jesus put forth this parable to the multitude and the 12 disciples. Jesus then explained this parable to His disciples (Matt. 13:18 - 23) when they were alone with Him (Mark 4:10).
Matthew also recorded that Jesus also explained the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares to them. Other than these two parables it is not known what other parables the disciples asked for explanation.
Two Examples of the Parables of Jesus
It is beyond the scope of this message tointerpret all the Parables of Jesus. here are two Parables which could be confusing to many Christians and Bible teachers.
1. The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11 - 32)
Some Bible teachers call this parable as "the Parable of two sons" or "the Parable of the prodigal son" or the Parable of the loving father". The correct interpretation of this parable will enable us to answer these questions - Were both sons lost? Or, only one of the sons was lost? If so, which of the sons was lost?
This parable is related to a parable mentioned earlier - The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:4 - 7).
The younger of the two sons took his share of possessions and "journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living". But after he had spent all, he came to his senses. Then he repented of his sins and returned to his father. He was a type of lost sheep and then later was found. The father was a type of Christ. This prodigal son was received back by his father. He was a type of text collector or a prostitute who repented of his sins.
One the other hand, the older son did not waste his father's possessions, but he was self-righteous. He remained living with his father, but was a stranger to his father's heart. He was a type of scribe or Pharisee who needed no repentance in his own eyes.
Hear what Jesus said, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance"
Therefore, there was more joy in heaven when the repentant younger son was received back by the loving father!
Therefore, the lost son was the elder son and not the younger!
The lesson learned is , a self-righteous person who needs no repentance is lost!
2. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1 - 16)
Jesus Himself said this is a parable to illustrate the truth about the Kingdom of Heaven (Verse 1). The story given by Jesus is in "spiritual terms" to describe the salvation process by which a lost person enters the Kingdom of Heaven (or God) and the gifts he receives to fulfill his calling by God.
Seen in this light a Christian is someone who is called by God to be a worker in His Vineyard.
Please take note of the following:
1. Our salvation is a calling (1 Cor. 1:24 -31). According to Paul it is God "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ..." (2 Tim. 1:9, emphasis added).
Salvation and calling cannot be separated. If we are saved, we are also called. Furthermore, we are called and saved by grance "before time began". Our calling is holy.
The best example to illustrate this truth is the salvation and calling of the apostle Paul.
2. In the Parable, the Landowner is a type of Jesus Christ. The laborers speak of unsaved souls. The hiring of the laborers speaks of their calling to salvation. The denarius speeks of the gift of God.
3. The denarius mentioned in this Parable is not a reward for the work done. It is neither a wage nor salary. It is given by "grace" of the landowner who gives according to his will whether the laborer's work is one hour or one day!
4. This Parable shows that our calling (salvation) and gifts are entirely dependent on the grace and sovereign will of God.
Someone might say that our salvation also depends on our freewill. The truth is we cannot excercise our freewill unless God calls us first. Similarly, the landowner calls the laborers to work in his vineyard; but they are given a choice to work in his vineyard or reject the calling.
5. Jesus said, "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen".
This means - It does not matter we are saved early or later. The important thing is our attitude toward God and toward our calling. With the wrong attitude we might be saved (called) but it does not necessarily mean that we are fit to be worker in His Vinyard!
The laborers with the wrong attitude are obviously the first batch of laborers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)