In these days of relativism and skepticism, the authority of the Bible has been under severe attack, even among Christians. I have heard a pastor of a major church in California say in front of a congregation, "Why do we rely so heavily on the Bible when we have the Holy Spirit?" The people in attendance displayed their agreement with shouts of "Amen," and "Yes, brother." But one must ask the question in response to such a statement, "Are you sure you have heard the Holy Spirit and not a convincing demon?" How would you know? In fact, without a plumb line, how would you ever know if your theology, doctrine, or even daily living was in accordance with the will of God? The fact is, you can't. Without a defining boundary, or line of demarcation, there would be no certainty of who the Holy Spirit is and how He influences our lives. Paul tells Timothy what the purpose of Scripture is:
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. --2 Tim 3:16-17 (NASB)
Let no person fool you, the Bible is extremely important, and it is imperative that we depend on it. For all those that were in agreement with the fatal words of the pastor I mentioned, it would seem that they have taken for granted the purpose of Scripture, and instead relied on inward inclinations, whims, and emotions, giving way for a blind agreement to an unbiblical statement. Had I not the Bible to rely upon, it would be far to easy to fall into a pit of false teaching. In these last days it is all the more important that we study the word of God for ourselves. Paul rightly says that "All Scripture is inspired by God..." A more literal translation from the Greek is that all Scripture is "God breathed," with the same breath of life He has put into His living creation.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was in the beginning with God.3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. --John 1:1-3 (NASB)
The written word in the Bible is Jesus Himself. This is very difficult for the human mind to comprehend or conceive, but Apostle John tells us in the beginning of his Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This is a bold statement not only about the divinity of Jesus, but also about who He is. Jesus is the living Word, the essence of all that is made, the very source of life both physical and spiritual. Jesus is the Word come to us in the form of a living man, full of grace and truth. The Apostle goes on to affirm this a few verses later:
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. --John 1:14 (NASB)
All Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is the inspired, or God breathed word of life that was in Jesus, who was in the beginning with God and who is God, and by whom all things were made. I have heard some Christians claim that the Scriptures were written by men, as if to insinuate that the written word is fallible, or susceptible to the same weaknesses of men. But this is not true. In the same way as Jesus was not corrupted by sin and He is the living Word, the written Word is not corrupted by sin either. Though sinful man was used in the process, "all Scripture is God breathed." We do see different personalities and writing styles in the various books that make up the Bible, but the consistency and continuity of the Scriptures is not something that man could achieve of his own will.
20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. --2 Peter 1:20-21 (NASB)
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. --1 Cor 2:13 (NASB)
The evidence against the Bible being a work of man is quite extraordinary. We have a collection of 66 books written by about 40 different authors in three different languages on three different continents over a period of 1600 years, and of the things that are addressed there is no contradiction. This is quite remarkable and could hardly be attested to the hands of men alone. A teacher once told me he has studied the Bible for most of his life, searching for error or contradictions. Mind you, he has had to learn a great deal about the original languages, historical accuracy, cultural influence and literary idioms. He has read the Bible countless times in search for just one contradiction to disprove its credibility or divine inspiration. It has been over thirty years and he is still searching.
The Bible is much more than just a book written by men and it shouldn't be treated as such. Just as we are to approach God with reverence and awe, so should we read His Word. The Bible is not merely a textbook on which we will have a final exam at the end of our lives, it is the divinely inspired Word that reveals the heavenly Father to His children. If Jesus is the Word made flesh, then to study and know the Bible is to know Jesus, and it would be impossible to love Him in whom you don't know. We love Him by obeying His commandments, but we would not know His commandments if we did not study the Bible. It is not enough that we should sit under a pastor or teacher and let them expound on the Bible for us. We have a certain responsibility to study it for ourselves to make sure that the Bible is not being misused or taken out of context.
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. --Acts 17:11 (NASB)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. --2 Tim 2:15 (NASB)
The Scripture is the divinely inspired word of God, it is the authority on which we derive our beliefs, and the line of demarcation that defines the boundary of truth. The Bible is good for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness and equips us for every good work. It is by the Word that we know the living Word, who is Jesus. Everything must be examined by the Bible. Every teacher and pastor, every sermon, every thought and emotion must all be viewed under the light of Scripture. How blessed are we to have a candle in the darkness that lights our way, and by its light we are able to see the path leading to salvation. Let this be an encouragement for you to diligently seek after the living Word through the written Word, to know Him so that you may love Him more deeply. May the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth as we approach the Scriptures on our knees in reverence of God's glorious work.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
What is the Gospel, and Why Should We Preach?
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed ."12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;13 for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!"16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord , who has believed our report?"17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:11-17 (NASB)
Paul's words here are much greater than any expounding that I could do, but I feel it necessary to dig further into our need for preaching and witnessing the Gospel of the Christ. We are aliens in a foreign land. We do not belong in this world. Once, we were convinced that the world was our home, but now, seeing the truth, we know that our home is not here, we are merely sojourners in this land of iniquity. There are many enslaved still, whose lives have not yet been freed from the bondage of the flesh. We cannot save them, only the grace of our Father can accomplish this. What we can do, as being faithful to our Lord, is tell them about that sacrifice that God himself made upon the cross over two thousand years ago. Our hope is that by God's message, the sleeping saints will come to know the truth, believing in faith the gospel that saves their souls. We do not know who is or isn't going to join the Father in heaven. Likewise, we cannot arbitrarily hand out this Gospel message to those whom we think will receive it. It must be given to all in the world of men, for this is what we were commissioned to do by the One who saved us.
What is the Gospel?
To answer this, we must first understand the condition of the unregenerate soul. In the Garden of Eden, when Eve was tempted by the snake and she and her husband ate from the forbidden tree, sin and death entered in through their flesh, causing a great separation between the Creator and those whom he created. Our true nature was revealed, and that nature is at war with God. Although He made them perfect and they were without sin, their nature was to serve themselves. Adam had the opportunity to submit to God's will, but instead, he chose his own, and thus sin entered into the world. This nature of rebellion we have inherited from our human father. We are a rebellious people, unable to do the will of our Creator, and the penalty for this is death. (read Genesis 1-3)
We were given the Law through Moses (Exodus 20:1-18). But this Law was never intended to save our souls. It's purpose was to reveal to us our sinfulness (I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet ." Romans 7:7). In the Mosaic law, found in the first five books of the Old Testament, the Jews were given instructions on the sacrifices to atone for sins. This was not intended to save our souls either, but was merely a foreshadow of what God would do for us through His Son, Jesus Christ (read Jesus the Sin Offering and the Scapegoat in the January 2011 archives of this blog). The sacrifices of the Old Testament show that the only way to atone for sin is by the shedding of blood, and if it is not the blood of the guilty, then it must be a perfectly innocent substitution.
In summation, we are unworthy to commune with the Holy Creator of the universe. Our flesh is condemned to death (at some point everybody will lose their physical life), and our spirit along with our flesh will be eternally separated from God lest there should be an appropriate substitution to take our place. This substitutionary sacrifice was effected through Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus is God incarnate (that is in the flesh). He was fully man, and fully God. He was born of the virgin Mary and God the Father is His sire, meaning He did not inherit the Adamic nature, but was in spirit and in flesh perfect. Upon the cross, He that was without sin, became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), and bore the penalty so that we would not have to. On the third day after the burial of His body, He was raised from the dead by the Father. He conquered death, never again to go down into decay (that is into death) but live eternally at the right hand of the Father. By this raising into new life, Jesus is the Second Adam, in which we now have forgiveness of our former rebellion. We now have the ability to commune with God the Father, and we have the eternal life that He was raised into.
That is the Gospel. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are saved who believe, in faith, by the grace of our loving, eternal Father. So now the next step is to preach it to the world. There are many who don't know about the gospel for they have never heard it. Some have heard it in their ears, but they have not seen it as evidenced through the followers of the Way. This leads into the next subject of this article.
What is the importance of preaching?
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
Mark 16:15-16
First off, preaching is important because Jesus told us to do so, and if we love Him, we will obey his commandments. At the time, Jesus was talking to the eleven disciples that were with Him just before his ascension. I've looked at this several ways and I came to the conclusion that this commandment could not have been just for them, but for all of His disciples. The eleven could not possibly go into all the world for a few reasons, one being the span of their natural lives and the lack of sufficient technology. Second, the Americas would not be discovered for almost 1500 years and the aboriginal peoples of these lands were definitely included in the "all" in "all the world." Lastly, there are babies still being introduced to this world that will need to hear the Gospel. So, as you can see, Jesus was commissioning all of His disciples, of all time, to go throughout the world, preaching the gospel to all creation.
Preaching is also important because a very curious trait that all Christians possess, or at least should possess, and that is compassion. Though we don't know who will or will not believe the Gospel, remember Paul's words, "How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?" Preaching is a proclamation of the good news of our salvation. This is not a thing that we should hold only for ourselves, but it is essential to try to share this with as many as possible before we leave these earthen vessels. It is also important to learn more about this salvation through studying God's word for the sake of those that are still lost, so that we will be able to provide sound biblical answers to questions they will surely have. We should not wish that any should perish but that all would come to know the truth. If you saw a man on fire in the middle of the street, would you not want to save him from that fire that has the power to take his life? If you had a fire extinguisher, or a bucket of water to suffocate the flames, wouldn't you use it? Likewise, if you knew that someone was going to die an eternal death and you knew the truth that could save them, would you not try to put out the fire that consumes them?
Lastly, the proclamation of the saving grace of God our Father is vastly important; however, it does not end with the words you preach. Your actions should preach the truth in harmony with the vocal heralding of the Gospel message. It is not enough that we preach only, but that we live the salvation that has set us free from the condemnation we so rightly deserved. By the way we live our lives and preach the truth, we plant seeds of truth. This is all we can do. We cannot make a person believe, so do not worry and despair if it seems your witness is ineffectual. God is sovereign and in control, and by His grace alone can one believe in that saving power of the cross. All we can do is remain faithful to Him and obey his commandments. And whether they should believe or not, the world will at least have seen the evidence and heard the truth of the God we serve.
Romans 10:11-17 (NASB)
Paul's words here are much greater than any expounding that I could do, but I feel it necessary to dig further into our need for preaching and witnessing the Gospel of the Christ. We are aliens in a foreign land. We do not belong in this world. Once, we were convinced that the world was our home, but now, seeing the truth, we know that our home is not here, we are merely sojourners in this land of iniquity. There are many enslaved still, whose lives have not yet been freed from the bondage of the flesh. We cannot save them, only the grace of our Father can accomplish this. What we can do, as being faithful to our Lord, is tell them about that sacrifice that God himself made upon the cross over two thousand years ago. Our hope is that by God's message, the sleeping saints will come to know the truth, believing in faith the gospel that saves their souls. We do not know who is or isn't going to join the Father in heaven. Likewise, we cannot arbitrarily hand out this Gospel message to those whom we think will receive it. It must be given to all in the world of men, for this is what we were commissioned to do by the One who saved us.
What is the Gospel?
To answer this, we must first understand the condition of the unregenerate soul. In the Garden of Eden, when Eve was tempted by the snake and she and her husband ate from the forbidden tree, sin and death entered in through their flesh, causing a great separation between the Creator and those whom he created. Our true nature was revealed, and that nature is at war with God. Although He made them perfect and they were without sin, their nature was to serve themselves. Adam had the opportunity to submit to God's will, but instead, he chose his own, and thus sin entered into the world. This nature of rebellion we have inherited from our human father. We are a rebellious people, unable to do the will of our Creator, and the penalty for this is death. (read Genesis 1-3)
We were given the Law through Moses (Exodus 20:1-18). But this Law was never intended to save our souls. It's purpose was to reveal to us our sinfulness (I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet ." Romans 7:7). In the Mosaic law, found in the first five books of the Old Testament, the Jews were given instructions on the sacrifices to atone for sins. This was not intended to save our souls either, but was merely a foreshadow of what God would do for us through His Son, Jesus Christ (read Jesus the Sin Offering and the Scapegoat in the January 2011 archives of this blog). The sacrifices of the Old Testament show that the only way to atone for sin is by the shedding of blood, and if it is not the blood of the guilty, then it must be a perfectly innocent substitution.
In summation, we are unworthy to commune with the Holy Creator of the universe. Our flesh is condemned to death (at some point everybody will lose their physical life), and our spirit along with our flesh will be eternally separated from God lest there should be an appropriate substitution to take our place. This substitutionary sacrifice was effected through Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus is God incarnate (that is in the flesh). He was fully man, and fully God. He was born of the virgin Mary and God the Father is His sire, meaning He did not inherit the Adamic nature, but was in spirit and in flesh perfect. Upon the cross, He that was without sin, became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), and bore the penalty so that we would not have to. On the third day after the burial of His body, He was raised from the dead by the Father. He conquered death, never again to go down into decay (that is into death) but live eternally at the right hand of the Father. By this raising into new life, Jesus is the Second Adam, in which we now have forgiveness of our former rebellion. We now have the ability to commune with God the Father, and we have the eternal life that He was raised into.
That is the Gospel. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are saved who believe, in faith, by the grace of our loving, eternal Father. So now the next step is to preach it to the world. There are many who don't know about the gospel for they have never heard it. Some have heard it in their ears, but they have not seen it as evidenced through the followers of the Way. This leads into the next subject of this article.
What is the importance of preaching?
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
Mark 16:15-16
First off, preaching is important because Jesus told us to do so, and if we love Him, we will obey his commandments. At the time, Jesus was talking to the eleven disciples that were with Him just before his ascension. I've looked at this several ways and I came to the conclusion that this commandment could not have been just for them, but for all of His disciples. The eleven could not possibly go into all the world for a few reasons, one being the span of their natural lives and the lack of sufficient technology. Second, the Americas would not be discovered for almost 1500 years and the aboriginal peoples of these lands were definitely included in the "all" in "all the world." Lastly, there are babies still being introduced to this world that will need to hear the Gospel. So, as you can see, Jesus was commissioning all of His disciples, of all time, to go throughout the world, preaching the gospel to all creation.
Preaching is also important because a very curious trait that all Christians possess, or at least should possess, and that is compassion. Though we don't know who will or will not believe the Gospel, remember Paul's words, "How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?" Preaching is a proclamation of the good news of our salvation. This is not a thing that we should hold only for ourselves, but it is essential to try to share this with as many as possible before we leave these earthen vessels. It is also important to learn more about this salvation through studying God's word for the sake of those that are still lost, so that we will be able to provide sound biblical answers to questions they will surely have. We should not wish that any should perish but that all would come to know the truth. If you saw a man on fire in the middle of the street, would you not want to save him from that fire that has the power to take his life? If you had a fire extinguisher, or a bucket of water to suffocate the flames, wouldn't you use it? Likewise, if you knew that someone was going to die an eternal death and you knew the truth that could save them, would you not try to put out the fire that consumes them?
Lastly, the proclamation of the saving grace of God our Father is vastly important; however, it does not end with the words you preach. Your actions should preach the truth in harmony with the vocal heralding of the Gospel message. It is not enough that we preach only, but that we live the salvation that has set us free from the condemnation we so rightly deserved. By the way we live our lives and preach the truth, we plant seeds of truth. This is all we can do. We cannot make a person believe, so do not worry and despair if it seems your witness is ineffectual. God is sovereign and in control, and by His grace alone can one believe in that saving power of the cross. All we can do is remain faithful to Him and obey his commandments. And whether they should believe or not, the world will at least have seen the evidence and heard the truth of the God we serve.
The Fruit of the Spirit
1 John 4:1 - Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Matthew 24:24 - "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect."
Jude 1:3-4 - Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
There is much talk, even from Jesus Himself, concerning the false prophets and false teachers. Even in the early church, the apostles warned against them and saw the influence that was already creeping into the midst of the body in several different circumstances. In fact, many of the epistles, in one way or another, address either the coming of or the current influence of false teachers. It is imperative that a Christian test the spirits as John forewarns, because not all who claim Christ are of Christ. Many wolves are in the church today in an alarming number and it would be to our peril if we did not test their words against the Word. One very important detail is the fruit of a person. A bad tree cannot produce good fruit, nor a good tree produce bad fruit. So, let's take a look at the fruit we are looking for so that we are not deceived.
In the epistle to the Galatians, Paul was addressing issues of legalism brought in by agitators seeking to supplant the true gospel with one that combined the grace of God and the Law. The Galatians, being uncircumcised Gentiles, were told that they needed to receive circumcision along with believing in Christ in order to be saved. Paul starts out with a greeting and quickly goes into the point of this epistle.
Galatians 1:6-10 - I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Though these words were directed to the Galatians, they have such weight that they should carry through the ages Paul's sentiment. Because of the great many deceivers in the world, especially today, we are not to forsake the gospel of Christ for a substitute gospel that leads to our death. Any gospel that says we must have the belief of Christ plus anything else is FALSE! Our salvation comes through Christ alone, by grace through faith. Period. There are not many ways to the Father, but one, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We did not deserve this, nor did we do anything for it, but it was by the grace of God who has given us faith to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the heart of Paul's epistle to the Galatians.
Jumping forward to chapter five, after Paul has defended his ministry and reinforced what he had already preached about faith, the Law and its intended purpose, and the promise of sonship, he now gives an exhortation to the Galatians to walk by the Spirit. He speaks against the false teachings that were being spread, warning that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough," (Gal. 5:9), imploring that they walk by the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
Galatians 5:16-26 - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
The description we have of the fruit of the Spirit is very important concerning how we are to identify the good fruit in a teacher, or the bad. I once heard a sermon given on the fruit of the Spirit and the preacher placed some importance on the singularity of the word fruit. It is all encompassing. There are not several different fruits, but one fruit that contains within all the things described in Galatians 5:22-23. Considering this, a false teacher may show joy, peace, and kindness, but has no resemblance of self-control, gentleness, or goodness. The fruit of the Spirit lacks not one of these attributes. If this is how we are to conduct ourselves, then it is all the more important that a teacher of the Word exemplifies these characteristics. If just one is missing, there is cause for suspicion. The fruit of the Spirit is a good indicator of where the teacher's heart may be and any discrepancy between the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of the teacher would lead to further examining by the Word. I'm not saying that a teacher needs to be perfect in all regards. We are all flawed and cannot live up to perfection while we remain in the flesh. However, because of this, we cannot forfeit our discernment in light of our fleshly limitations. Not living up to the fruit of the Spirit does not necessarily make a person a false teacher, but remember the words of Jesus:
Matthew 7:15-17 - "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit."
As faithful followers of Christ, we must not suspect all teachers of being false, but we must be able to discern a truth from a lie so as not to be deceived. The most obvious starting point, for the Bible scholar and the new convert alike, is to ask questions, "What is the fruit of this teacher's message? Does it contain all the elements of the fruit of the Spirit? If it is lacking, which characteristic is lacking? Does their message line up with Scripture? Is there anything taught by the teacher that contradicts the gospel message?" Questions are a great ally to the believer. We must learn to ask questions for the purpose of revealing things that casual hearing would not uncover. Do not question only things that you disagree with, but question the things that you believe are correct. Your emotional attatchment to a teacher or a message may prove fatal if you do not examine everything against the Word of God. The lies of the enemy are subtle and are not always evident on the surface. Any great deceiver knows that the best way to subvert the truth in a person's beliefs is to wrap a lie with the truth. Then, it will go past the radar unnoticed, dropping bombs over the unprotected cities of your heart, mind, and beliefs.
Matthew 24:24 - "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect."
Jude 1:3-4 - Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
There is much talk, even from Jesus Himself, concerning the false prophets and false teachers. Even in the early church, the apostles warned against them and saw the influence that was already creeping into the midst of the body in several different circumstances. In fact, many of the epistles, in one way or another, address either the coming of or the current influence of false teachers. It is imperative that a Christian test the spirits as John forewarns, because not all who claim Christ are of Christ. Many wolves are in the church today in an alarming number and it would be to our peril if we did not test their words against the Word. One very important detail is the fruit of a person. A bad tree cannot produce good fruit, nor a good tree produce bad fruit. So, let's take a look at the fruit we are looking for so that we are not deceived.
In the epistle to the Galatians, Paul was addressing issues of legalism brought in by agitators seeking to supplant the true gospel with one that combined the grace of God and the Law. The Galatians, being uncircumcised Gentiles, were told that they needed to receive circumcision along with believing in Christ in order to be saved. Paul starts out with a greeting and quickly goes into the point of this epistle.
Galatians 1:6-10 - I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Though these words were directed to the Galatians, they have such weight that they should carry through the ages Paul's sentiment. Because of the great many deceivers in the world, especially today, we are not to forsake the gospel of Christ for a substitute gospel that leads to our death. Any gospel that says we must have the belief of Christ plus anything else is FALSE! Our salvation comes through Christ alone, by grace through faith. Period. There are not many ways to the Father, but one, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We did not deserve this, nor did we do anything for it, but it was by the grace of God who has given us faith to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the heart of Paul's epistle to the Galatians.
Jumping forward to chapter five, after Paul has defended his ministry and reinforced what he had already preached about faith, the Law and its intended purpose, and the promise of sonship, he now gives an exhortation to the Galatians to walk by the Spirit. He speaks against the false teachings that were being spread, warning that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough," (Gal. 5:9), imploring that they walk by the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
Galatians 5:16-26 - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
The description we have of the fruit of the Spirit is very important concerning how we are to identify the good fruit in a teacher, or the bad. I once heard a sermon given on the fruit of the Spirit and the preacher placed some importance on the singularity of the word fruit. It is all encompassing. There are not several different fruits, but one fruit that contains within all the things described in Galatians 5:22-23. Considering this, a false teacher may show joy, peace, and kindness, but has no resemblance of self-control, gentleness, or goodness. The fruit of the Spirit lacks not one of these attributes. If this is how we are to conduct ourselves, then it is all the more important that a teacher of the Word exemplifies these characteristics. If just one is missing, there is cause for suspicion. The fruit of the Spirit is a good indicator of where the teacher's heart may be and any discrepancy between the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of the teacher would lead to further examining by the Word. I'm not saying that a teacher needs to be perfect in all regards. We are all flawed and cannot live up to perfection while we remain in the flesh. However, because of this, we cannot forfeit our discernment in light of our fleshly limitations. Not living up to the fruit of the Spirit does not necessarily make a person a false teacher, but remember the words of Jesus:
Matthew 7:15-17 - "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit."
As faithful followers of Christ, we must not suspect all teachers of being false, but we must be able to discern a truth from a lie so as not to be deceived. The most obvious starting point, for the Bible scholar and the new convert alike, is to ask questions, "What is the fruit of this teacher's message? Does it contain all the elements of the fruit of the Spirit? If it is lacking, which characteristic is lacking? Does their message line up with Scripture? Is there anything taught by the teacher that contradicts the gospel message?" Questions are a great ally to the believer. We must learn to ask questions for the purpose of revealing things that casual hearing would not uncover. Do not question only things that you disagree with, but question the things that you believe are correct. Your emotional attatchment to a teacher or a message may prove fatal if you do not examine everything against the Word of God. The lies of the enemy are subtle and are not always evident on the surface. Any great deceiver knows that the best way to subvert the truth in a person's beliefs is to wrap a lie with the truth. Then, it will go past the radar unnoticed, dropping bombs over the unprotected cities of your heart, mind, and beliefs.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jesus Christ, the Sin Offering and the Scapegoat
The Day of Atonement was observed annually as outlined in Leviticus 16. But the Mosaic Law was just a shadow of the things to come. This day was very important for the Jewish people as this would cleanse them of their sins for the year. But the work that Jesus did on the cross doesn't last for only a year of our lives, it lasts for eternity! The great Day of Atonement, when the Law was fulfilled, was that terrible, awesome day where the Son of God was poured out for the transgressions of many, so that what we could not achieve for ourselves through the faithful observance of the Law, Jesus did. We could not satisfy the requirements of the Law, but Jesus did. We could not save ourselves in our vain attempts at righteousness, but Jesus did. Thanks be to God our Father, for sending His only Son to take our place, to bear our griefs and our sorrows, to remove from us our filthiness so that we will be allowed the most wonderful gift of adoption as sons into the kingdom of God, that we are to be raised to new life in the resurrection of the Christ, freed from the body of death that is our flesh. All praise and glory goes to the one true God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.
It is important to understand that the high priest was instructed to take two goats for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:5-10). The reason this is important is because of how this will eventually play out with Jesus, being that He assumes the role of both goats for the sin offering and scapegoat. One is killed as the sin offering to cleanse the holy place, and the other is led into the uninhabitable land or wilderness to carry away the sin of the congregation so that it will be remembered no more. The one to be killed is to make an atonement for the holy place:
"15 Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
"16 He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities." - Leviticus 16:15-16
The body of Jesus must be killed to atone for the holy place, the temple of the body "which abides with them in the midst of their impurities." After Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem of the money changers and merchants, the Jews asked Him for a sign of His authority. They wanted to know what made Him think he could do this.
"18 The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?'
"19 Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'
"20 The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?'
"21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body." - John 2:18-21
So we see here that the temple is the body, or the flesh, and must be atoned properly before sin can be removed completely. The crucifixion was the shedding of the blood of Christ to atone for the body, or the true temple of God. Second, after the body is atoned, the scapegoat is lead into the wilderness, away from the inhabited lands, a solitary place, so that the sins of the people would be carried with it and remembered no more.
"20 When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.
"21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of the house of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.
"22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
The live goat, or scapegoat, is significant of Jesus going into the depths of Sheol, which is the place of death, the wilderness, the uninhabitable land, a solitary place. Jesus took with him all the sins of man to the wilderness and they will be remembered no more, it is finished.
There are a few things that are quite interesting about the accounts of the mocking of Jesus when he was being scourged. Specifically the color of the robe that was placed on Him and the parallel of the scapegoat being lead out by a "man who stands in readiness." In Jewish history we find that it was common place to tie one scarlet piece of cloth on the scapegoat representing the sins of the congregation, and one scarlet piece of cloth on the gates of the city. When the scapegoat was led into the wilderness carrying with it the sins of the people, the scarlet cloth tied to the gates would turn white after three days.
" 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.' " - Isaiah 1:18
"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross." - Matthew 27:27-32 (emphasis added)
The accounts we have of this event in Mark and John show that a purple robe was placed on Jesus. However, at this time in history, there were many different shades and tints of scarlet and purple and the names of the colors were sometimes used interchangeably being that the colors sometimes looked very similar. It is more likely that the robe placed on Jesus was in fact scarlet, though it may have been heavily faded due to the age and use of the garment, giving it a lighter tint. It is not likely that a new, brightly colored piece of clothing was put on Jesus, but rather a faded, dingy scarlet robe that some would have called purple. Also, the book of Matthew was written mainly for a Jewish audience and is filled with Jewish references. Matthew understood the significance of Jesus's sacrifice in coerelation to the Day of Atonement, and the color of the scarlet robe placed on Jesus is something a Jew would not have easily overlooked. Also worthy of note is Simon bearing the cross with Jesus as He was being lead out of the city to Golgotha. Simon seems to be a great parallel for the "man who stands in readiness." It seems that there are so many things throughout the Scriptures that are a picture of a picture of a picture. It is truly an amazing work, and there is no other on earth that can compare to it.
First, we will look at the verses describing Jesus as the sin offering and the scapegoat in Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening of our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
- We see here that Jesus took upon Himself our griefs and sorrows, He was pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and the penalty we deserve in our flesh fell upon Him so that by His scourging we are healed. This is the sin offering to atone for the temple of the body.
Isaiah 53:10
But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
-note "...if He would render Himself as a guilt offering..."
Isaiah 53:8
By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
-This is evidence that He was also the scapegoat, "By oppression and judgment He was taken away..." and, "He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people..."
Isaiah 53:11
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
-It is in the "anguish of His soul" that will satisfy the Father and the Righteous One will "justify the many." God is satisfied and now the children of God who were once condemned in their flesh to die in their spirit will be justified by Jesus bearing their iniquities. This was the purpose of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, so the sins of the congregation would be removed from them and they would be justified, free from the penalty and guilt of their transgressions against the Law.
Second, we will break down the events of the death, burial, and resurrection and how they impact the believer in regards to the Day of Atonement.
Matthew 26:57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
-The Lamb was brought before the high priest.
Matthew 26:59-60 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward.
-The Lamb is a worthy sacrifice, without blemish, able to take on the transgressions of men.
Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
-They layed their hands on Him, transferring the guilt of their sin to the Perfect Lamb
Matthew 27:22-23 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" And he said, "Why what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!"
-The Perfect Lamb is ready to be sacrificed
Matthew 27:28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him
-The scarlet cloth that represents the sin of the people is tied to the Scapegoat
Matthew 27:32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.
-The Scapegoat is lead out of the city by the man standing in readiness
Matthew 27:50-51 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
-The Lamb has been sacrificed, the body of the temple of God is atoned. This is final. The Day of Atonement is no longer needed because of the perfect sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb. We now have access through the blood of Christ to enter into the Holy Place where our Lord dwells.
Matthew 27:59-60 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
-The Scapegoat carries the sins of the Congregation into the wilderness, where they will be remembered no more.
Matthew 28:5-7 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."
-The perfect sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb, and the removal of sin from the Church is complete. The scarlet cloth is now white as wool. The Christ has conquered sin and death! The children of God are now free to worship their Father, no longer enslaved to their sinfulness, no longer bound to the yearly sacrifice to cleanse them. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! He is the firstfruit among the brethren who share in His life! Praise be to God our Father who is good and worthy of praise!
It is important to understand that the high priest was instructed to take two goats for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:5-10). The reason this is important is because of how this will eventually play out with Jesus, being that He assumes the role of both goats for the sin offering and scapegoat. One is killed as the sin offering to cleanse the holy place, and the other is led into the uninhabitable land or wilderness to carry away the sin of the congregation so that it will be remembered no more. The one to be killed is to make an atonement for the holy place:
"15 Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
"16 He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities." - Leviticus 16:15-16
The body of Jesus must be killed to atone for the holy place, the temple of the body "which abides with them in the midst of their impurities." After Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem of the money changers and merchants, the Jews asked Him for a sign of His authority. They wanted to know what made Him think he could do this.
"18 The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?'
"19 Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'
"20 The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?'
"21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body." - John 2:18-21
So we see here that the temple is the body, or the flesh, and must be atoned properly before sin can be removed completely. The crucifixion was the shedding of the blood of Christ to atone for the body, or the true temple of God. Second, after the body is atoned, the scapegoat is lead into the wilderness, away from the inhabited lands, a solitary place, so that the sins of the people would be carried with it and remembered no more.
"20 When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.
"21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of the house of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.
"22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
The live goat, or scapegoat, is significant of Jesus going into the depths of Sheol, which is the place of death, the wilderness, the uninhabitable land, a solitary place. Jesus took with him all the sins of man to the wilderness and they will be remembered no more, it is finished.
There are a few things that are quite interesting about the accounts of the mocking of Jesus when he was being scourged. Specifically the color of the robe that was placed on Him and the parallel of the scapegoat being lead out by a "man who stands in readiness." In Jewish history we find that it was common place to tie one scarlet piece of cloth on the scapegoat representing the sins of the congregation, and one scarlet piece of cloth on the gates of the city. When the scapegoat was led into the wilderness carrying with it the sins of the people, the scarlet cloth tied to the gates would turn white after three days.
" 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.' " - Isaiah 1:18
"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross." - Matthew 27:27-32 (emphasis added)
The accounts we have of this event in Mark and John show that a purple robe was placed on Jesus. However, at this time in history, there were many different shades and tints of scarlet and purple and the names of the colors were sometimes used interchangeably being that the colors sometimes looked very similar. It is more likely that the robe placed on Jesus was in fact scarlet, though it may have been heavily faded due to the age and use of the garment, giving it a lighter tint. It is not likely that a new, brightly colored piece of clothing was put on Jesus, but rather a faded, dingy scarlet robe that some would have called purple. Also, the book of Matthew was written mainly for a Jewish audience and is filled with Jewish references. Matthew understood the significance of Jesus's sacrifice in coerelation to the Day of Atonement, and the color of the scarlet robe placed on Jesus is something a Jew would not have easily overlooked. Also worthy of note is Simon bearing the cross with Jesus as He was being lead out of the city to Golgotha. Simon seems to be a great parallel for the "man who stands in readiness." It seems that there are so many things throughout the Scriptures that are a picture of a picture of a picture. It is truly an amazing work, and there is no other on earth that can compare to it.
First, we will look at the verses describing Jesus as the sin offering and the scapegoat in Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening of our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
- We see here that Jesus took upon Himself our griefs and sorrows, He was pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and the penalty we deserve in our flesh fell upon Him so that by His scourging we are healed. This is the sin offering to atone for the temple of the body.
Isaiah 53:10
But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
-note "...if He would render Himself as a guilt offering..."
Isaiah 53:8
By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
-This is evidence that He was also the scapegoat, "By oppression and judgment He was taken away..." and, "He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people..."
Isaiah 53:11
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
-It is in the "anguish of His soul" that will satisfy the Father and the Righteous One will "justify the many." God is satisfied and now the children of God who were once condemned in their flesh to die in their spirit will be justified by Jesus bearing their iniquities. This was the purpose of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, so the sins of the congregation would be removed from them and they would be justified, free from the penalty and guilt of their transgressions against the Law.
Second, we will break down the events of the death, burial, and resurrection and how they impact the believer in regards to the Day of Atonement.
Matthew 26:57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
-The Lamb was brought before the high priest.
Matthew 26:59-60 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward.
-The Lamb is a worthy sacrifice, without blemish, able to take on the transgressions of men.
Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
-They layed their hands on Him, transferring the guilt of their sin to the Perfect Lamb
Matthew 27:22-23 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" And he said, "Why what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!"
-The Perfect Lamb is ready to be sacrificed
Matthew 27:28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him
-The scarlet cloth that represents the sin of the people is tied to the Scapegoat
Matthew 27:32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.
-The Scapegoat is lead out of the city by the man standing in readiness
Matthew 27:50-51 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
-The Lamb has been sacrificed, the body of the temple of God is atoned. This is final. The Day of Atonement is no longer needed because of the perfect sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb. We now have access through the blood of Christ to enter into the Holy Place where our Lord dwells.
Matthew 27:59-60 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
-The Scapegoat carries the sins of the Congregation into the wilderness, where they will be remembered no more.
Matthew 28:5-7 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."
-The perfect sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb, and the removal of sin from the Church is complete. The scarlet cloth is now white as wool. The Christ has conquered sin and death! The children of God are now free to worship their Father, no longer enslaved to their sinfulness, no longer bound to the yearly sacrifice to cleanse them. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! He is the firstfruit among the brethren who share in His life! Praise be to God our Father who is good and worthy of praise!
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