Walking 'the Way'

Such Hope

2023-09-24T13:25:00.009-07:00

How are you feeling these days?

No, I mean, how are you really feeling?

Are you more concerned, worried, anxious?

Are you more fearful of the future for you, your kids, your grandkids?

Is all this uncertainty resulting in increased fatigue, sleeplessness, and agitation?

All are symptoms of the massive change we are experiencing at all levels of society. The digital revolution has impacted our lives in personal/intimate ways that no one saw coming. Post-modern activism is challenging even basic truths of human physiology. Society is breaking down as people isolate themselves behind social media walls and lob word grenades at anyone that disagrees. Rioting, looting, and arson are considered healthy forms of protest. The cost of everything is skyrocketing and incomes are lagging. Culture in general is toxic and we are entering an election year when the rhetoric will only get amplified.

Make no mistake, even if you’re a well read, grounded, and otherwise laid-back Christian you’re likely feeling the effects. You don’t have to be an addicted scroller of social media, or an avid watcher of your favorite 24/7 news network, to see that most of the news is bad. And what isn’t bad is raunchy, distasteful, and vulgar. Finding a decent show to watch is akin to finding a needle in a haystack these days. Driving on the roads offers no respite as distracted drivers, juggling 3 conversations and a couple messages, can barely find the time to look at the road while they navigate increasingly congested streets.

So, “are we rollin’ downhill like a snowball headed for hell?” It certainly appears that way. By today’s barometer, Merle Haggard’s complaints seem petty in 1981…and things have only gotten worse. There is no longer even a grudgingly accepted notion of right and wrong. Morality itself is being challenged as a by-gone idea of a near extinct, self-righteous bunch of hypocrites. Standards are another casualty of a new, sophisticated, technologically superior to all other generations who have ever lived modernism in which the individual person is not beholden to anyone but themselves, and anyone who doesn’t like it be damned. We’ve seen this type of “free” thinking and living before, it didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.

Society itself wasn’t built for this. A functioning society needs stability. A well-functioning society needs a Rock. Groups, especially large ones, don’t do well on sand. Beaches are good for holidays, not to build houses on. For that we need bedrock, something that doesn’t move and isn’t subject to changing tides or time. A rock that is immovable. A morality that is beyond question. A standard that never compromises. A heart for the people, as a person and a group.

Into the chaos of today’s Cat 5 storm of change and degradation I propose ‘the Way’ forward.

2nd Corinthians 3.1-3

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (NKJV)

The culture in Corinth was in a downward spiral when Paul arrived and the list of offenses was appalling: Spiritual authoritarianism, ethnic superiority, preferential treatment of the wealthy, sexual deviancy, court overuse, religiosity, spiritual gift shaming, bad teaching, and gospel twisting to name a few
Teachers were arriving with letters of commendation from prominent leaders/teachers of the time- some legit and others not- so the people would listen to them. Did these “teachers” have anything to offer besides their letters?
By the time of Paul’s 2nd letter to Corinth things had changed for the better, while clearly there was room to grow, the lifestyle had improved to the point others noticed, and Paul was claiming their improvement for Jesus Christ. They had become “an epistle of Christ!”
“not on tablets of stone,” the first of many Mosaic references in the chapter as it relates to the Old Covenant coronation at Mt. Sinai
The old covenant focused on outward obedience and was written on stone tablets, the new covenant focused on inward transformation and is written on the heart

2nd Corinthians 3.4-6

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NKJV)

Paul was confident in Christ to perform such things, not of himself or his colleagues
Paul’s trust in Jesus Christ gave him confidence and peace, not in his work or ability, but in the ability of Christ to finish what he had begun. Phil 1.6- being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ
Paul clearly aligns and identifies himself as a minister of the new covenant
The letter (law; 10 Commandments) reveals sin, the Spirit overcomes sin. John 1.5- the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it.
“for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 3,000 were killed at the commencement of the old covenant at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32.28), 3,000 were saved (given life) at the commencement of the new covenant at Pentecost (Acts 2.41)

2 Corinthians 3.7-11

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. (NKJV)

To Paul the Old Covenant = Ministry of Death; Romans 7.5- For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death
the New Covenant = Ministry of Spirit; Romans 7.6- But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter
Old Covenant Signs of Glory- Mt. Sinai surrounded by smoke, earthquakes, thunder, lightning, trumpet blast from heaven, voice of God, Moses countenance
New Covenant Signs of Glory- Angelic announcement, signs in the sky, virgin birth, voice from heaven, “lowly” surroundings
The old covenant shone for a while as the shine on Moses countenance, but just as Moses no longer needed the veil, the new covenant has replaced the glory of the old
Righteousness excels over condemnation- the old law condemned, the new Spirit brings Godly righteousness
F. W. Grant has beautifully stated, “The glory on the face of Moses must give way to the glory in Another Face.”

2 Corinthians 3.12-18

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJV)

Moses wore a veil in his glory, Jesus takes away the veil
Moses hearers were blinded, Jesus returns sight
“The Lord is the Spirit:” a trinitarian reference
The Spirit of the Lord brings liberty out of bondage- think do instead of do not
What exactly is “such hope”- that we are being transformed (metamorphosis- from the inside out), into the image and likeness of Christ- not by our own work- but by His work in us
As we are occupied with the glory of the risen, ascended, exalted Lord Jesus Christ, we are being transformed into the same image. Here, in a word, is the secret of Christian holiness—occupation with Christ. Not by occupation with self; that brings only defeat. Not by occupation with others; that brings disappointment. But by occupation with the glory of the Lord, we become more and more like Him. This marvelous, transforming process takes place from glory to glory, that is, from one degree of glory to another. It is not a matter of instant change. There is no experience in the Christian life that will reproduce His image in a moment. It is a process, not a crisis. It is not like the fading glory of the law, but an ever-increasing glory. The power for this wonderful process is the Holy Spirit of God—just as by the Spirit of the Lord. As we behold the Lord of glory, study Him, contemplate Him, gaze on Him adoringly, the Spirit of the Lord works in our life the marvelous miracle of increasing conformity to Christ. (Believers Bible Commentary)
Therefore…

2nd Corinthians 4.1

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. (NKJV)

Because we have received such a marvelous ministry, such an audacious gift, we hope, we do not give up, we never shrink back, "we do not lose heart"- we persevere!

If you were to continue reading chapter 4 you'd see the refrain, "do not lose heart," three times. Stressful times are not a new problem. False teachers have been with us a long time. Fake news is not a novel idea. When we focus too long on our troubles and spend too much time stressing about our circumstances, we create distance between ourselves and the solution. The alternative is to seek out Jesus Christ, meditate on His word, sing His praise, reflect on His person, follow His teaching, and dwell in His presence.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4.17-18 (ESV)

Jn 14.6

2018-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

John 14.6

Php 1.21

2018-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

The Fruit

2018-09-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Part 2: The Lion Stands

Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37.5

We make our commitments, then our commitments make us. Once they are chosen, many other choices follow as a matter of course.

Douglas Rumford; SoulShaping

Ask most Christians today what kind of fruit God is looking for and you get a long list of don’ts.

Don’t lie.

Don’t steal.

Don’t covet.

Don’t commit adultery.

Etc, Etc...

The problem with this mindset is nothing ever gets sown. Just like can’t never could do anything, don’t never does anything. There is no action in don’t, just paralysis. It doesn’t take a dictionary to see that can’t and don’t are negative. Can and do on the other hand are positive. Can and do actually set out to accomplish something. There is a goal with can and do. There is purpose with can and do. Can and do also require commitment.

Nowhere in the Bible is the struggle between the cant's and can’s more apparent than in the book of Galatians. Paul had visited many cities in the Roman province of Galatia situated in south east Asia, now modern day Turkey. While visiting those cities Paul shared the good news of the gospel as it had been presented to him by God. After Paul had planted the seed others came in and instead of watering sought to pluck up the seed.

Law Keeping
Paul’s message of grace through faith in Christ alone did not sit well with many Jewish converts to Christianity. In addition to accepting Christ they wanted the Gentile (non Jewish) believers to submit themselves to the law of Moses. For ease of identification we’ll call this Jewish faction the Judaizers. These Judaizers taught that Paul was perverting the truth by watering down the true message of the Gospel to the Gentiles and teaching them to disregard the law of Moses. As such not only was Paul a traitor to the Jewish religion but he was public enemy number one!

This conflict grew so intense that it threatened to undo all that Paul had taught and God had done in Galatia. The disagreement grew so fierce and wide ranging that it threatened to topple the little movement of Christianity before it got established. Upon hearing about the battle raging Paul took pen to paper and wrote what many believe to be his most confrontational letter. His tone is uncompromising and direct. He challenges the Judaizers, exhorts the believers, and gives all glory to God.

Paul begins the letter by defending his ministry and calling. He lets them know how shocked he is that they have turned away from his message of love and grace to embrace a false gospel of bondage and a life characterized by don’t. He even goes so far as to pronounce a curse on those who have infiltrated the church and preach a different doctrine than the one he first proclaimed. Having also been accused of currying favor with the Gentiles Paul says unequivocally, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

In the space of just a few verses Paul speaks of being the slave of Christ (1.10) and our freedom in Christ (2.4). In regards to this seeming dichotomy Martin Luther has said, “A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one.” He goes on to quote 1 Corinthians 9.10, “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.”

Unlike the Judaizers who sought favor by aligning themselves with well known teachers and rabbi’s, Paul next tells us that his message comes from Christ alone. Paul’s message is not some cleverly concocted plan deducted from mere human reasoning but a divine proclamation given by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. As such Paul did not rush to consult with any human beings for the first three years of his conversion but instead sought solitude with the Lord in Arabia. Only then did he set out to meet Peter and James and others within the faith.

Leashing the Lion
Paul then records, and Luke agrees, that his ministry was accepted and approved by the leaders of the faith in Jerusalem, not that he needed their approval, but Paul was compelled to meet with them by God and understood that agreement and harmony were important to further their message. Paul took with him Barnabas and Titus and while in Jerusalem some even rose up there and began to insist on Jewish law keeping. It’s important to note that Paul refers to these people as “false brethren.” The text hints at the possibility of a large plot by the Jews to infiltrate this tiny Christian sect and do it harm from the inside. Paul and many others stand firm however, “that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

The leaders in Jerusalem added nothing to what Paul was preaching, this was and is a big statement. Paul shared the totality of his message with Peter, James, and the other leaders of the Church and nothing was found to be wanting. In other words they approved of his message wholeheartedly and commissioned him to do the work given to him by God, namely to preach to the Gentiles.

The scene changes to Antioch sometime later, when Peter arrives he apparently ate and visited with the Gentiles with no problem at all. Sometime later however a group of Judaizers arrives announcing their affiliation with James (we later find out in Acts 15.24 that James didn’t send them at all!). As soon as they arrived Peter backed away from the Gentiles apparently refusing to eat with them any longer. Paul confronts Peter’s hypocrisy and lays out the context for the rest of the book of Galatians:

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Galatians 2.14-21

To live in the Lion is far superior to living by the Law! If you will ever unleash the Lion in your life you will first need to tear down that old system by which you have enslaved yourself needlessly. The don’ts constantly condemn you, they heap requirements upon you that will wear you down and dog you all the days of your life. The Lion has come that you may have life and have it abundantly. The yoke of the Lion is easy and His burden is light. Come to the Lion, allow him to live in and through you. Come to the Lion and forever be made right with God. Come to the Lion and the Lion will transform you.

As Paul confronts Peter you could have heard a pin drop! Paul accused Peter, who some considered the leader of the early church, of hypocrisy. In essence Paul is saying that Peter is saying one thing and doing another. If you read verse 14 closely you will notice that Peter had discarded altogether the Jewish laws and had begun living like a Gentile. So why when these newcomers had come in was Peter now trying to force Jewish traditions upon the Gentiles?

I love Paul’s use of irony in verse 15, he basically says, “see, yes, even we who are Jews and not those sinning Gentiles, understand that a person can NOT be made right with God by following (obeying, adhering) the law but only by faith in Jesus Christ.” And he continues by saying not only are we made right by faith but also through faith in Jesus Christ. We are/were unable to follow the law perfectly but Christ was able, as a result we are made right with God by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ who followed the law perfectly. Then notice how Paul leaves no room to misunderstand, “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

It makes you wonder why so many today are so eager to enslave themselves to a system that Paul declared void of any redemptive power over 2,000 years ago. There is no saving grace in the ceremonial, civil, or moral laws of Moses and adherence to those laws gains you nothing! Their purpose having been fulfilled in Christ now they only serve to enslave the people and leash the Lion. Notice in verse eighteen that Paul calls it a sin if a person tries to rebuild the old system (testament, covenant) that was torn down. The law only brings condemnation which is useful for the sinner, but is suffocating to the Spirit.

So how did Paul die to the law in verse 19?

Paul died to the law the same way you and I die to the law, when we come to Christ we die to sin, the law, and even ourselves, and live in, by, and through Christ (the Lion!). When we come to Christ and die, the law dies for us. Sin dies in us. We die to ourselves and live again only in Christ. This is the picture Romans 6 paints for us:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Romans 6.1-7

Freed from Sin! Yes, you read that right, once you have come to Christ you are free from the power of sin...if you want to be that is? Just as some Jews in the 1st century had a hard time breaking free of their traditions, so some today have a hard time letting go of their sin. Sin is a choice, it is not a guarantee. You do not have to sin, you choose to sin! Yet, thanks to Christ who died on your behalf, suffering the penalty you and I deserved for our sin, fulfilling the law by living a perfect life, you and I are freed from the power of sin, the law, and even death!

It reads like this, because we have been crucified with Christ, we have been raised with Him, because of this we have been reconciled with God, and now can grow in Christ’s likeness, and draw upon His power as we live in hope for the future.

The life we now live we live by faith in Jesus Christ, NOT by faith in sin or the law. Many believe that once one comes to faith in Christ somehow the power of sin still has power over their lives, and they are destined to succumb to it again and again. I’ve even heard it taught that the power of sin is too hard for the Christian to overcome, and there are some addictions that are too strong to be resisted. This sounds defeatist to me and it also appears that person has more faith in the power of sin than the power of Christ! I would agree that a person cannot overcome sin or resist temptation in and of themselves, but with the power of Christ and the in-working of the Holy Spirit, nothing is impossible.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Romans 7.6

Paul continues in his letter to the Galatians reminding them that he had explained the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ clearly to them, and asked them how they had received the Holy Spirit? Did they receive the Spirit of God by obeying the Law of Moses? Or did they receive the Spirit because they believed the message they heard about Christ from Paul? They had of course received the Spirit because of what they believed. This is how faith has worked from the very beginning.

Faith and Hearing
In the Old Testament God told an elderly man and woman they would father a child and that ALL nations would be blessed through them. This man and woman were well past the age of child bearing and rearing. The woman was no longer capable of producing the egg that would be fertilized by the man. They heard this same promise 9 times spread over 25 years. And yet, they still believed! Galatians 3.6 quotes Genesis 15.6, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And what about the woman? Check out Hebrews 11.11 and the first woman mentioned in the “Hall of Faith,” “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.”

So it has always been the faith, which comes from hearing and believing God’s promise, that has saved. The Law was superseded by faith and never had any power to save, it was always faith! The Law can not save any Jew, and certainly can’t save any Gentile (those who aren’t Jews). The law was never meant for the Gentile, therefore those Gentiles who place themselves under the law do so by choice and not by the Word of God, in the same manner as they choose to sin.

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Galatians 3.19-22

Unleash the Lion by breaking free of the bondage of the law, and the enslavement of sin, and believe in the promise of God, that breaks these twin strongholds of condemnation.

Guardian, Bondwoman, and Slave
Continuing in Galatians, now in chapter 4, Paul compares the bondage of legalism to pagan worship! The rudimentary and basic principles Paul is referring to is the law. Some of the Gentiles in Galatia were trying to become Jewish and earn favor with God by observing certain Jewish days or festivals, Paul was shocked and was beginning to believe that his work there had been in vain. Then in verse 12 this “Hebrew of the Hebrews” officially breaks from the Jews:

Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

Galatians 4.12

By declaring his independence from the laws Paul also breaks from the Jewish nation. Jews followed the Law of Moses, and for a Jew not to, was considered blasphemy. Paul’s declaration of independence put his life on the line in more ways than one. Paul could have been stoned by the Jewish leaders for heresy. And even if this method was not chosen, Paul was certainly an outcast, who it would have been impossible to do business with. Thus Paul would have been relegated to a life of poverty and loneliness had he chosen to stay and live in Jerusalem. Luckily for us that was not his fate. He continued evangelizing and taking his message across the globe.

Paul uses three comparisons in Galatians to show us what the law is really like.

a schoolmaster or tutor (3.24, 4.2)
a bondmaid (4.22)
yoke of bondage (5.1)

The law is like a schoolmaster or tutor. In this case Paul is equating the law as our tutor until Christ came, making available the way of faith. It protected us through its rigorous list of don’ts until we could be made right with God. And then note verse 25, “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

Paul then makes a startling statement, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” He goes on to say that all who have been baptized in Christ, have been united in Christ, and are now clothed with Christ. There is now no distinction between Jew or Gentile, slave or free, or even male or female, “for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Christ has united us all under one banner. Now that we are His, no more distinction need exist. We are identified as Christians, followers of Christ, and now the only distinction that exist are those that follow Christ, and those that do not. The Jews no longer have an advantage over Gentiles, the Jews do not have a different route to Heaven than the rest of us, the only way to the Father is through the Son, either you take the Son or you do not (John 14.6). There are not different rules to follow or laws to abide by, we are all now children of Abraham, heirs to God’s promises.

Let’s return again to John 15, a careful reading will confirm what Paul writes. There is one branch. God is the gardener who prunes. What does He prune? He prunes those branches that don’t bear fruit. How does He distinguish which branches to prune? He prunes those branches without regard to race or nationality (Jews or Gentiles), employment (slave or free), or gender (male or female), there is only one consideration: does one bear fruit or not. If one does not bear fruit, they are considered useless and thrown out! If one does bear fruit they are considered true disciples who bring much glory to the Father.

Next, Paul compares the law to a bondmaid, namely Hagar.

You probably remember the story well. God promised Abraham and Sarah a son. After a few years, and a few promises, Sarah gave Abraham her slave, Hagar, to bear Him a son. Hagar did bear a son, Ishmael. But this was not God’s solution, God wanted to do the miraculous and give Abraham and Sarah their own son together. After more years and more promises Sarah got her miracle, a son named Isaac.

Paul takes this inspiring Old Covenant story and states that those who want to remain under the law are actually children of the slave, Hagar. Those that want to live according to the Spirit are children of the free woman, Sarah.

Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Galatians 4.24-26

In Genesis 21.8-9 we read that Ishmael mocked Isaac at his weaning ceremony. Paul uses this to point out that those who follow the law have forever been persecuting those that live by the Spirit. What should be done? Paul answers with Sarah’s emphatic plea, “Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” In essence, throw out the law, for those that live by it and trust in it shall have no inheritance with those who live in, by, and trust the Spirit.

Finally, Paul compares the law to forced slavery. The covenant made with Abraham was a covenant of circumcision, the details of which are found in Genesis 17. This covenant was made with Abraham and all his descendants about a year before Isaac was born. Basically God promised countless descendants and a nation through Abram. To mark the occasion God not only changed Abram’s name to Abraham but also promised the land of Canaan for Abraham’s people to dwell...IF they kept their end of the bargain- each male born into or serving the family, whether from birth or not, must be circumcised (having the foreskin of the flesh cut off) as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham.

Liberty or Legalism
Paul warns those in Galatia that if they still believe this Old Covenant requirement will save them after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ then they believe in vain! And then in verse 4, for no one will be made right with God through this observance or any other adherence to the law, and if they continue in it they shall be cut off from Christ. God the Gardener will prune them away! No longer will the grace of God protect them after they have counted the cost of Christ as nothing.

Just as man cannot serve two masters neither can he live by two natures! The purpose of the law has been fulfilled in the life, commandments, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead of a list of don’ts now we have do’s!

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 10.27

In this are now all the requirements of the law summed up by Him whom we should abide in. Do this and we shall Unleash the Lion. Do this and we shall bear the fruit of the Spirit! A fruit that is thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold as was planted.

So what kind of fruit is God looking for in us?

It is certainly not a strict adherence to an old covenant. There is no life left in those old, dry bones. There is only life found in Jesus Christ bearing the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. If the Holy Spirit guides our lives we will be focused on these things. Paul states that the Spirit gives us desires that are the exact opposite of what our flesh desires. When we are directed by the Spirit we are under no obligation to fulfill the dictates of the flesh, or the law of Moses!

The Judaizers in Paul’s day warned that this new doctrine of grace replaced the law with a license to sin, believe it or not there are many who still believe this today, a closer look reveals something quite different. If one is concerned about sinning, which of the following is more likely to sin, the Christian free in liberty or the one bound in legalism?

The Christian who lives in liberty depends on God’s grace, yields to God’s Spirit, lives for others, and seeks to bring glory to God. The Christian who lives in accordance to the law lives in bondage, depends on the flesh to fulfill the requirements of the law, lives for self since adherence to the law brings self satisfaction and a sense of well being, and though they would deny it profusely, seeks the praise of others as further confirmation of their holiness.

In essence, legalism attempts to change the old nature and force it to obey the laws of God. Unfortunately, sometimes it works for awhile, bringing the unsuspecting adherent a sense of false security- then the flesh rebels! Consider the following and you can predict with 100% accuracy the outcome of each approach.

Liberty

set free in Christ- no longer under bondage to the Law (Gal 5.1-12)
realizes need for the Holy Spirit to guide their life from within (Gal 5.13-26)
through the Spirit’s love desires to live for others and not self (Gal 6.1-10)
lives to the glory of God (Gal 6.11-18)

Legalism

seeks to obey rules to become a more spiritual person
believes they have the strength to obey and improve themselves, does what they are told and measures up to others standards
measures progress by obedience to their standards, compares themselves to others and measures their closeness to God with others based on adherence to law
wishes others were more like them, assures themselves that God is fortunate to have someone so spiritual, wants to share with others so they too can become as spiritual as them

As we mentioned earlier, Paul’s opponents were teaching a return to the law, specifically circumcision. Paul takes the next few verses and speaks directly to circumcision and gives his opponents some advice if they would like to keep teaching it.

Thus far Paul has used two figures to compare the law, a guardian and a bondwoman, now he uses the yoke of slavery! Peter did the same in Acts 15.10:

Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Acts 15.10

Warren Wiersbe put it this way, “the unsaved person wears a yoke of sin, the legalist wears a yoke of bondage, but the grace filled Christian wears the yoke of Christ.”

Next, Paul warns against circumcision and this leads to a sober warning- if you become circumcised- “Christ shall profit you nothing!” If you become circumcised- you become “debtor to do the whole law!” If you seek to become justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace.”

Paul clearly states that you cannot serve the law and Christ, to follow one is not to follow the other. If you want to unleash the lion in your life, throw out the law and embrace Christ.

Paul finishes up this passage with an exhortation and a proclamation. In Jesus Christ, whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised carries no weight whatsoever, what does matter is that “faith which worketh by love.”

In verse 12 of Galatians 5 Paul makes a startling statement that should give even the most ardent of legalists pause. He wishes that those who taught circumcision, the mutilation of the flesh, would just castrate themselves! The imagery is clear and intentional. Those who taught such things were already cut off from Christ, so Paul wished they would remove themselves from the community of believers in like fashion.

Paul now turns from argument to application. It is one thing to know what God is looking for in us and quite another to know how to carry it out. Paul breaks it down in the verses to follow. He now spends the rest of this great book answering the question, “if we don’t keep the law then what will guide our conduct?” Until now the law was the leash that kept God’s people in line, Paul is about to reveal that Jesus cut the leash, and set His people free!

(book excerpt from "Unleashing the Lion")

doulos ek Christos

The Parable

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And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. (Mark 4.1-20)

The Meaning

The Lion teaches, and His preferred method is storytelling.

And while stories have been holding listener’s attention since the dawn of time parables have another purpose as well. Parables always seek to communicate a deeper spiritual truth, hence parables will usually compare or examine two concepts at one time. Sometimes the concepts are opposites, other times they are alike, either way there is a spiritual truth or moral lesson that is being conveyed. Typically one concept or line of thought that is well understood is being used to shed light on another that is not as easily comprehended.

You’ve probably already figured out that it takes an adept spinster to tell a compelling story and share a greater truth within the thread of the story line. In the parable we just read Jesus quotes the book of Isaiah as the reason He teaches in parables:

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Isaiah 6.9-10

By using parables Jesus will be able to share the same great truth with everyone but each will receive their hearts desire. Some will listen, but won’t understand. Others will watch but never learn. Still others will listen and watch, but their hearts will be far from Him, hence they will not turn to Him for healing. God has revealed to Isaiah what the result of his ministry will be and in quoting Isaiah Jesus is telling His disciples to expect the same.

Those that want the truth will hear it, and in hearing it they will identify it, listen and heed it, and hold those truths close to their heart. Those that don’t want the truth will never hear it, no matter how plainly it is taught, it will only serve to drive them deeper into their rejection, not only of the plain truth, but also of the truth Himself.

Now that we understand why Jesus taught in parables, how can we learn to unlock the truth hidden within the story? Remember, typically we are comparing one element within the story to another element in real life. Let’s get our feet wet with the concept by looking at a well known Old Testament parable and see if we can grasp the deeper spiritual truth.

Rich Man, Poor Man

In 2 Samuel 11 the context is unfolded. The great King David walks upon the roof top of his residence and is taken with the beauty of Bathsheba. David inquired regarding her and finds out she is the wife of one of his fighting men. Not to be dissuaded he sends for her, they lie together, and she becomes pregnant! David seeks to cover up “Bathshebagate” by sending for Uriah, her husband and his soldier, so that he may lie with her too, and cover up this sordid ordeal.

The problem is that Uriah isn’t complicit with the plan. He feels badly that he is being wined and dined at the King’s table while his buddies are still out there fighting and dying for king and country. Uriah can not bring himself to go and lie with his wife. Having tried everything else David sends a directive to Uriah’s commander by Uriah’s own hand, put Uriah at the front lines where the fighting is fiercest so Uriah will get struck down and die. And so Uriah was struck down, and after mourning Bathsheba went to live at the King’s residence with David and bore him a son.

But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

2 Samuel 11.27

Some time later the Lord sent David’s friend, trusted advisor, and prophet of God, Nathan, to share a tale of heartache and intrigue.

And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

2 Samuel 12.1-4

The comparison is obvious right? The rich man is David, the poor man is Uriah, the rich man owned many things and David had an entire kingdom at his disposal, the poor man owned one lamb, Uriah’s wife is all he had. The rich man could have chosen any one of his lambs to prepare one meal for his guest, hence David could have chosen any woman in his palace but he chose the one that was not his to take. The rich man lost nothing, the poor man lost everything, and so it was with David and Uriah. Uriah had lost everything including his life!

The story has its desired effect, David flies into a rage and pronounces judgment on the rich man, however he still does not recognize the object of the story, Nathan has to identify David as the rich man. The revelation cuts David to the bone. David fears death but Nathan assures him that he will not die, but the son of the adulterous affair will not be so lucky. David had sinned against the Lord and dragged the name of Jehovah through the mud with his actions, David would be forgiven the sin but suffer the consequence.

Sower, Seed, and Soil

Now that we know how to listen and apply the parable let us go back to our story of the Sower and see if we can decipher the meaning and peel back the layers of application.

Before Jesus began to unpack His tale of the seed He asked those present two very important questions that we shouldn’t gloss over.

Don’t you understand this parable?
How then will you understand any parable?

This parable was either so simple that His disciples should have grasped its meaning immediately or this parable was the key to understanding the rest of the parables of Jesus. Either way it was imperative that His disciples understood it clearly. This parable not only has a direct correlation with the other parables shared after it but this parable also sets the foundation for the ones that follow as well. If you grasp the meaning and significance of this one, the rest will fall into place, miss it and you will in all likelihood miss the others that follow it as well.

A farmer throws seed.

At this point four different soils make their appearance in our story.

trodden down
rocky
thorny
good

The soils are described and their appearance distinguished by the plight of the seed each soil received. The seed that fell on the path had no chance at all, the birds quickly came and ate up the seed. That soil was fruitless! The seed that feel on the rocky soil quickly sprouted from the thin layer of soil resting on top of the rock, but then the sun came out and burned up the plant since the thin layer of soil did not contain enough moisture to nurture the plant. That soil was also fruitless. The seed that fell on the thorny soil likewise sprang up but was quickly choked out by the other plants. That soil was again fruitless. The seed that fell on the good soil grew, nurtured and protected as it was by the better surroundings. That soil produced fruit many times itself.

After Jesus’ interlude regarding the purpose of parables and reiteration regarding the importance of this one, He breaks it down.

The farmer (or sower) is not specifically identified however two options readily avail themselves;

the sower is Jesus, or
the sower is anyone who throws the seed.

I believe identifying the seed makes identifying the sower easier by elimination. The seed according to Jesus is the Word. We happen to know who the Word is:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1.1

Since the seed is the Word, which is Christ, then the sower would be anyone who spreads the Word of Christ. So we have the farmer and the seed identified, now come the soil types. The soils are representative of the heart of man. They are identified by the penetration of the seed in the soil.

The soil along the path is hard, trampled down by the feet of man going to and fro upon its surface. The seed that falls along this hard path is subject to be scooped up by birds since there is no penetration and the seed lies along the surface. The birds are identified as Satan, who soars in and scoops up the Word that was sown there. There is no repentance of the heart, no prick of the conscience, no hope for the soul, and no spring of life, and there likely never will be because there never was to begin with. The Word was never able to gain a foothold, it was removed before it could perform its work.

The soil along the rock hears but does not listen, perceives but never understands, and considers but never decides. The seed that falls on this ground makes quick progress and as long as the going is easy will continue its growth. The first sign of resistance signals the beginning of the end for this quick sprouter, it knows not how to overcome obstacles, solve problems, or weather persecution. When the plant has sucked out the last remaining bit of sustenance in the soil the growth spurt will sputter. The plant will turn back, wither, and die.

The soil among the thorns is perhaps the most tragic. The seed sown here is by all outward appearances healthy and robust, ready to burst forth with fruit at any moment. But along the way gets sidetracked by worries, wealth, and want. Worry is like a virus that left unchecked will spread voraciously into every thought, wealth has within its means the capacity to drown out the sorrows of many with the contentment that one has all they need, and the want of more has driven many to the brink of madness and delusion. The Word sown here has been believed but not committed to, the fruit promised, but never fulfilled.

The good soil holds, protects, and nourishes the seed. The seed sown here has heard, believed, accepted, and practiced the gift of the Word. It does not take the Word for granted, refuse to decide, or commit to the Word, it does all those things and more. It produces because it has an abundance of all that is needed in order to go forth and multiply. There is no argument that it heeds, no obstacle that it can’t overcome, and no distraction that changes its focus. The seed here is sold out and committed.

Lion of the Harvest

The harvest is quoted as being thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times more than was planted. This can be interpreted one of two ways. Many have looked at the yield and decided the closer one walked with God the more fruitful one would naturally be, however if we put to use another principle for studying the Bible, another alternative emerges that may better fit the passage.

In the city of Corinth division had fractured the church. Paul had swung through on one missionary journey and planted the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of people. Apollos came after and watered the seed that Paul had planted through accurate and eloquent Bible teaching. This caused many in Corinth to call themselves followers of Paul or Apollos!

In writing back to the Corinthian church Paul reminds the believers that Paul and Apollos are just servants of God who do what the Lord has given them to do. In their case Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered, but it was the Lord who made it grow.(1 Corinthians 3.6) Paul goes on to say that neither the one who plants or the one who waters are near as important as God who makes the seed grow. Both the one who plants and the one who waters work together for the same purpose and for the same Master. Both will be rewarded by God.

In John 15.4 Jesus teaches His disciples about the vine and the branches. (I told you we would be getting dirty in this book!) Here Jesus reveals that He is the true grapevine and God the Father is the gardener. God prunes those branches that don’t produce fruit and He prunes those branches that do so they will produce even more. Jesus then exhorts His disciples to remain (reside, abide) in Him (Jesus) so that they will produce fruit. He then warns His disciples saying that those who do remain (reside, abide) in Him will produce fruit but apart from Him they can do nothing!

It is apparent from this passage that Jesus is responsible for the production of the fruit. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us and produce the Harvest. We simply need to do as He leads and directs. Note verse six where the warning is repeated but amplified, “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

There are three types of soil that produce no fruit and are in danger of being burned up, the uninterested, undecided, and uncommitted. There is one type of soil that nourishes the seed planted, that abides in the true vine, and produces loads of fruit. Which soil are you?

So we see from this passage that our focus is on the work we are doing where God is working! God will provide the increase. We also see that there are no more important people in the work of God. Whether you lead a church, teach Sunday school, prepare meals, mop floors, take out trash, or plan preschool you are engaged in the work of God and you are important. While the speaker may lead people to Christ by his words, you may lead people to Christ by your example. He plants by his sermon, you water by your work, but it is God who makes it all worthwhile.

Gifts and Talents

In the book of Matthew Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. Jesus tells the story of three men who are entrusted with varying sums of money, gold, or talents (a talent is a form of currency used during the time of Jesus) by their Master before going on a long journey. One man is entrusted with five talents or bags of gold, another is entrusted with two, and the last man is given one.

When the master returned he called the slaves together so each could give an accounting of the money he had left with them. The slave to whom five were left had gained five more. The slave to whom two were left had gained two more. The slave to whom one was left had gained none, instead of investing, working, or earning interest he had simply dug a hole and buried the money.

Thus, it would appear that just as the Master had given his slaves differing amounts of gold or talents to begin with so it makes sense that our Lord has given each of us differing gifts and responsibilities. Some of these gifts (or talents) may have the potential to yield more than others, however the focus should not be on the amount produced. The person entrusted with more gifts (or talents) should make the most of what the Lord has given them without looking down on the one who has been given less. The point is that each slave (that’s you and me!) should do the very best with what we have been given and not be concerned with the amount of the yield. If we see yield then we are doing the work! The Lord (our Lion) will be responsible for the amount of the yield. He is after all the Lord of the Harvest!

Let’s also consider why the two slaves were able to multiply their initial investment. The answer is commitment. Who were they committed to? The master of course. What were they committed to? The master’s work. How did they go about the master’s work? One invested and the other worked, each did as they were gifted to do and produced fruit. This is how kingdom work is done!

The warning comes from the slave who buried his treasure. Not only was there no reward, but there was punishment. He operated under wrong assumptions about his master and reaped the consequences. I believe the incorrect thinking and the actions that resulted are very indicative of the way Christians think today. The Jesus of the 21st century seems to be a rather weak and unassuming figure, hardly someone who musters any confidence at all in those that follow him. But as we’ll see in the chapters that follow Jesus was not some enlightened pacifist running around trying to marshal a following. Jesus was much, much more!

Contemplate

So to wrap up our parable of the sower, the good seed sown in good soil will produce. They have heard the word, accepted it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times what was sown. Our job is to remain committed to the seed that was entrusted to us, keep it, protect it, and watch it bear fruit when and where the Lord allows. Then rejoice when we see the Lord at work.

How often has something peeked your interest, i.e. losing weight, learning a different language, or continuing your education, but you never thought much about it again until a situation cropped up that made you think about it?

How many times have you actually had the wherewithal to actually sit down and make a plan to start something but after getting into it you realized there was far more to making your plan a reality that you had envisioned? So, after a couple of starts and stops you decided this just wasn’t the right time in your life for this particular endeavor.

Or perhaps you were actually on your way to accomplishing something in your life that would make a difference. You had planned accordingly, stuck to your plan, but inevitably those realities of life kept popping up. In all likelihood they weren’t little things either, perhaps it was a change in your work situation, a family crisis, or a friend going through a difficult time that stole your time and zapped your energy.

There a ton of good reasons why we fail to do the things we ought to do. I’m sure you can come up with many more than I have, but in the end it all boils down to a lack of commitment. If you are sold out to accomplish something I assure you that you will. You will overcome any obstacle to make it a reality. I’ve seen people overcome enormous difficulty to make something happen. And guess what, they aren’t any better than you are! You can do the same, it just takes commitment.

Now that we have examined the soils let’s take a closer look at the seed. Most farmers I know have a pretty good idea what kind of fruit they expect from a certain seed. You wouldn’t plant a seed for watermelon if you wanted to grow cantaloupe for instance, so you would make sure you had the right kind of seed to produce the fruit you were looking to grow.

Can we know what kind of fruit God is seeking to grow in us? Of course we can, follow me to a little church in Galatia and a letter written long ago.

(excerpt from Unleashing the Lion)

doulos ek Christos

The Prayer of St. Francis

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Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Philippians 2:3

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Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Philippians 2:3

Servant Defined

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So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves.They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor.

They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became.

So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands...

Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live...”

God heard their groaning...

Exodus 1:11-14, 22-24 (1)

When most of us think of a slave I would venture this is what comes to the forefront of our imaginations. Endless work in desert like conditions under the observance of brutal taskmasters.

We think back to our school days and our study of history to the harsh and inhumane treatment of Irish, Asian, and African American slaves. We remember
how they were bought and sold with impunity, no care given to separating a mother from her child, or a father from his family. We remember the absolute disregard for integrity and honor afforded slaves, and can’t fathom that God, of all beings fair and just, could ever want to chain us back up!

Perhaps this is why, until recently, all the recorded translations of the bible, from Geneva Bible in 1599 to the New International Version in 1984 (last revision) have rendered the Greek word “doulos” as servant, instead of the harsher rendering slave. Indeed, not until the New Living Translation in 1996 and the Holman Christian Standard Version in 1999 was the word rendered as slave by mainstream bible translators. And what a BIG difference a subtle change can make.

I was preparing for a bible study I was going to be participating in on the book of Philippians. I was getting ready for bed and found myself with 2 bibles by the bedside. I picked up one and began to read the first few verses of Philippians 1 and was blown away afresh by Paul’s humility and earnestness. I laid that one down, picked up the other bible I had there, and couldn’t get out of the first verse. For this is how it read...

This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus... Phil 1:1 (2)

The implication of that rendering was not lost to me. My curiosity piqued, I resolved myself to study this issue some more in the morning. Morning came quicker than usual. Two seemingly unrelated occurrences diverged and woke me from my slumber. First, I could not get that verse out of my mind, ...Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus...you couldn’t have chosen a more descriptive word than “slave” to describe absolute service. As a result, my sleep was hurting for the undue hardship of trying to get my mind around that one. The second as many a sleeping father and mother can attest was a crying baby! So it was after all had settled down, and sleep continued to evade, that I headed down to the basement for some heavy research on the word “doulos.”

The first place to start of course is the dictionary. I wanted to see if there was an academic difference between the words servant and slave, or if the difference was all emotional. Did the word slave have such a negative connotation because of how and what I was taught about slaves, or was there a clear and distinct difference between the two words?

Sure enough we see that a servant is “a person employed by another...a person in the service of another.” If we look up slave we find something else entirely, “a person who is the property of, and wholly subject to another...a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person...and is absolutely subject to the will of another.” (3)

In her book Surrender, Nancy DeMoss interviews Josef Tson, a Romanian pastor and Christian leader who has suffered prolonged persecution and exile at the hands of a repressive Communist regime. When asked about the subtle difference in meaning of the two words, Josef answered like this, “who wants to be somebody else’s slave...in the Greek slave is doulos, servant is diakonos. In the Greek Bible one never, never diakoneō to God—-one never serves God; one only douleo to God—-that is, one slaves to God. (4)

Earlier we touched on 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (5)

As you read that passage afresh, does your mind hearken back to the story of Joseph, as he was sold into slavery for 20 shekels, or perhaps the poor widow who cried out to Elisha the prophet, “your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” (2 Kings 4:1) (6)

This idea was in mind as Paul wrote his letter to the church at Corinth. Many things were bought at the marketplace during the time Paul was writing, food, clothing, and yes, even slaves were sold. In this passage we are being sold at the marketplace as slaves to sin, but thanks be to God, He has ransomed us. He has paid full price, buying us back, and setting us free, forever free, to slave unto Him.

Were there others who announced themselves as “slaves of Christ?” I’m glad you asked, and the answer is Yes, and who may surprise you a little.

First, let us start with the apostle Peter. In addition to being the “rock” upon which Christ will build His church (Mat 16:18), a lover of Christ (John 21:15-17), and a contributor to the New Testament (1 & 2 Peter), Peter was also a slave!

This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and

apostle of Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1 (7)

The order is not lost to me, he identified himself as a slave first, and an apostle second!

Second, is James, the half-brother of Jesus. We know from scripture His brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5; Mark 3:21), that James continued to be a skeptic until the risen Christ appeared to him (1 Cor 15:7), and that James held a prominent position in the early Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 15). But did you also know he announced himself a slave of Jesus Christ?

This letter is from James, a slave of God and of

the Lord Jesus Christ. James 1:1 (8)

Now you would think that James would use his position as brother of Christ to bolster his authority. He certainly could have done so and no one would have challenged him on it, for he absolutely was the brother of Christ. But notice the deafening silence of that very fact! James willingly submitted himself to the roll of slave.

Lastly, we see Jude, brother of James (Jude 1:1), half-brother of Christ (Mat 13:55), and contributor to the New Testament (Jude). We note the same humility in Jude as we did in James referring to himself as a slave of Christ.

This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ

and a brother ofJames. Jude 1:1 (9)

We should also note here that these men knew slaves. There were slaves all around them. They may have even worked with slaves. These men knew what it meant to be a slave, and yet they took the title willingly, almost boasting that they are slaves of the risen Christ!

If we were speaking of the cruel system of slavery we are so familiar with then this may seem abhorrent. But it is perfectly natural that we would want to be slaves of Jesus Christ, who only has our best interests in mind (Psalm 50:14-15 & 145:19-20).

In the book of Exodus 21: 1-6, we read an interesting story of a slave’s choice to become a slave indefinitely.

“These are the regulations you must present to Israel.” If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him. “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free. ’If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life.” (10)

In the narrative we see that the slavery practiced by the Jews was far removed than that practiced by other nations, including ours. A Hebrew slave was limited to service for 6 years, for in the seventh year he was released, and owed nothing for his newfound freedom. If he was single, he left single, if married when interned, then he left with his wife and kids (if applicable). If however, he married and fathered children while a slave, then he would be set free, but his wife and children would remain. Given this instance the slave could decide to serve his master for life!

DeMoss comments again, “there could be no secret about the nature of the servant’s new relationship to his master. The transaction was made in a public ceremony where the surrender was recognized in a visible- and painful- way. A sharp instrument was used to pierce a hole in the servant’s ear, signifying obedience to the voice of his master. The decision was irreversible. From that point on, he would always be branded as a bond slave. (11)

If the bond slave ever had second thoughts- if a week or a month, or a year, or 10 years later he decided, “I think I want out of this deal”- he would always have a hole in his ear to remind him that he was not his own, and never would be again. To acquire this mark of ownership involved a degree of suffering, but the servant was willing to endure the physical pain, in order to formally establish and demonstrate his relationship with his master. The hole spoke of lifetime ownership! (12)

The lamented cry of David in Psalm 40 verses 6-8 takes on new meaning in light of the willing choice of indefinite slavery.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but my ears you have pierced;

burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.

I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (13)

C.S. Lewis once said, “those divine demands which sound to our natural ears most like those of a despot and least like those of a lover, in fact marshal us where we should want to go if we knew what we wanted.”

A wise man once said, “To believe in Him is to do His will.” (14)

We remember our Lord who said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46) He compares the man who “acts” and “does” those things to one who builds on a strong foundation, and thus the house could not be thrown to and fro. However, the one who just hears but does not do must belong to another, for he is tossed to and fro, and is ruined altogether.

Therefore, we most certainly testify in deed to those we trust! God may be calling you to do something that seems absolutely foreign to our Western thought processes. Our Lord and Savior is calling us to serve Him wholeheartedly, not just with our mouths, our ears, or even our minds, for what good is our mind without our heart!

‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ (Mat 22:37) (15)

It is in this vein that we must learn to serve with humility, as our Lord served with gentleness and humility- “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. (Mt 11:29) (16)

To drive this point home, Jesus used an occasion upon which two of His disciples came to Him seeking glory and honor (Mark 10:37). “Grant that we may sit in places of honor,” they requested, “one on your right and the other at your left.”

Like many of us today, James and John did not know what they asked. By asking for this very thing, God’s providence was opened anew to them, and they were told the road that leads to salvation is paved with suffering. They wished for places of honor, however along with Paul (Acts 9:16), they found God’s chosen instruments often suffer for the sake of His name.

But Jesus did not stop there; he went on to show them what a servant truly looks like:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.” It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Mat 20:25-28 (17)

After answering their question about places of honor, Christ immediately gets to the heart of the matter. The problem with seeking position is that it places the emphasis on you, rather than the Lord. It is ultimately a pride issue. You are seeking after the best that life has to offer, presumably because youbelieve you deserve it. The problem is, we all deserve hell. Anything we get outside of that gruesome place of suffering is nothing more than the goodness of our Father in Heaven raining down upon us. For this we should be grateful, and the natural outflow of a grateful heart, is gracious serving (or slaving)!

Furthermore, we see from these verses that it’s our very act of serving that will determine the place of honor in the kingdom to come. Jesus stated that whoever wished to be first (in the kingdom to come) shall be a slave (in this present age). Thus it would seem that position in one, is dictated by the service
rendered in another.

In addition, we would be remiss not to mention the fact that here, Christ calls himself a slave. Most bibles have translated the last word in verse 27 as serve, however the Greek renders it doulos, or slave.

Following, Christ says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (18)

Lastly, we see that the word Jesus used to describe His contribution was ransom or lutron (loo’- tron), which literally means a redemption price. In this instance, ransom is referred to as a price paid to secure the freedom of a slave!

And again, in John 13, we see the absolute surrender and humility in which the Lord slaved. Jesus knew His time had come. The mission for which He had been sent into this world to complete was almost done. The Bible says that He loved his own to the very end!

The Last Supper was completed, but our Lord and Savior was not done serving His disciples, who would soon desert him. Again the Bible says that Jesus knew God had put all things into His capable hands, and He was soon returning to His Father. He rose from the table, took a towel, poured water into a basin, and began washing their feet! Can you imagine the scene? The very Son of God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, eternal, holy, and righteous, is washing the feet of a bunch of sinful men. Let me remind you as well that the disciples weren’t wearing Nike’s or Reebok’s on the road to Jerusalem, they were either barefoot or had sandals. To put it mildly, these men’s feet were dirty and odorous. This was no laughing matter as often happens when today’s churches try to reenact the scene. This was the ultimate show of humility! Peter, recognizing that the positions should have been switched quickly says, “No Lord,” only to be rebuked by the ultimate Slave. Watch with me as we render the Greek word for servant as the more appropriate slave:

“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

John 13:15-17 (19)

There are more than two, but I want to focus on two absolute gems found in these verses. First, these disciples have been with Jesus for over 3 years, they have seen Him do nothing but serve. All along the way He has hinted to them that His time is coming, He must depart from them, so that He might send another to help them (the Holy Spirit). He reminds them again here, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” His whole life has been an example to them that they should follow. There is absolutely nothing that He has done, that they shouldn’t feel obliged to do themselves.

Secondly, He reminds them of His position, and what their position to Him is, then adds, “Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.” They are not better than Him that they should fail to do these things now that they know them. Far from it, blessings flow from those things done, not from what you know!

___________________________________________________________

In 1935 B.B. McKinney traveled to Clanton, Alabama to participate in the Alabama Sunday School Convention to lead the music. The featured speaker at the meetings was his good friend, R.S. Jones, a missionary to Brazil.

Late one afternoon as the two men had supper; Jones told McKinney that the doctors were forbidding him from returning to Brazil because his health wouldn’t allow it.

McKinney’s heart went out to his friend, and he asked if Jones had any idea what he’d do. “I don’t know,” said Jones, “but wherever He leads I’ll go.”

Returning to his hotel, McKinney sat down and wrote the words and music of this hymn before leaving for the convention session that night!

“Take up thy cross and follow me,”

I heard my Master say,

“I gave my life to ransom thee,

Surrender your all today,”

My heart, my life, my all

I bring to Christ who loves me so,

He is my Master, Lord, and King,

Wherever He leads I’ll go,

Wherever He Leads, I’ll go,

I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so,

Wherever He Leads, I’ll go. (20)

(book excerpt, Reasonable Duty, S.L.A.V.E. of Christ)

doulos ek Christos

Footnotes
1. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
2. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
3. (Dictionary.com)
4. (Surrender The Heart God Controls; Copyright 2003 by Nancy Leigh DeMoss; Moody Publishers. All Rights Reserved)
5. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
6. (Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved)
7. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
8. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
9. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
10. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
11. (Surrender The Heart God Controls; Copyright 2003 by Nancy Leigh DeMoss; Moody Publishers. All Rights Reserved)
12. (Surrender The Heart God Controls; Copyright 2003 by Nancy Leigh DeMoss; Moody Publishers. All Rights Reserved)
13. (Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved)
14. (A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs; © 1998 David Bercot; Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
15. (Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved)
16. (Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission)
17. (Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission)
18. (Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved)
19. (Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission)
20. (Then Sings My Soul; Copyright © 2003 by Robert J. Morgan)

Jesus Christ- The Sinless Slave

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Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Matthew 26:36-45 (NKJV)

No reasonable discourse on the sinless son of man could begin anywhere else than in the Garden. The suffering that was predicted hundreds of years before by the prophet Isaiah and the Psalmist begin in this very place. The Garden is at once beautiful with the obedience of Christ, and at once ghastly with the betrayal of a confidant, while the majority of His disciples abandon Him to His fate. Gethsēmanē (gheth-say-man-ay’), the very name of which means “oil press,” was situated at the foot of the mount of olives. (1) Olives, after being harvested on the mount were brought here for pressing. The wine press itself was the device used to crush fruits in order to make oil or juice. To extract the oil from the fruit, olives were placed in large shallow presses hewn out of rock and crushed with a large stone roller operated by two people. The oil was collected in a container, and then strained to remove impurities before being bottled in clay pottery jars. (2)

If you will, before continuing, place this book down, re-read Matthew 26:36-45 and place yourself in the garden with the King of Kings. Perhaps take a seat next to Peter, James, and John in prayer, peeking up from time to time, and strain through the darkness to see if you can catch a glimpse of the Christ on his knees. Tilt your head to see if you can hear the earnest prayers of the Son of God. What do you see? What do you hear? Bow your head in absolute submission, ask the Holy Spirit to give you as much insight into this picture as possible. Are you there? Can you feel the holiness cling to your soul and began to envelope you? Don’t run. Don’t hide. Let the perfect submis- sion and obedience of the Prince of Peace wash over you and at once grant you a clear understanding of the kind of sacrifice and suffering to which we are called (Philippians 1:29).

Do you begin to see the perfect Fruit, ripened, ready for the crushing? Do you begin to see the unfathomable weight of sin begin to spin, eager to press, to pulverize the Harvest? Do you begin to see the holy juices flow from this sinless Man as the weight of the sin He was born to carry is placed on His shoulders? Do you hear His cry as agony and sorrow rip and tear at His soul? Can you see great drops of blood fall to the ground as He lay prostrate on the ground even as an angel strengthens Him? In these very moments the tag team of sin and death assail Jesus from all sides. It is a death match in the most literal sense, for either He will overcome or sin and death will continue to buffet mankind. Do you see the Son of Man take the cup of sin and wrath and all things wicked and evil, drink fully the acts and consequences of your lies and thievery, adultery, homosexuality, rape, murder, war, genocide, and every conceivable and inconceivable sin known and committed by men, and willingly swallow?

I find it interesting that when talking about Jesus many Christians will harbor a belief that He somehow had an edge or advantage in not sinning due to His Godly nature which co-exists with His human nature. I submit to you that in the Garden, where the suffering was acute and intense, there were no advantages. As a matter of fact, the combined attribute of His omni- science and foreknowledge clearly meant that Christ knew what was coming. He understood this to be the beginning. He knew the beating, flogging, torture, and death that awaited Him. Thus, when we read, “my soul is exceedingly sorrowful,” and, “let this cup pass from me,” we dare not pass by flippantly and think in our finite minds that we should not want to go either. It was not, could not, nor ever will be an option for us. He had lived for 33 years preparing for this moment, living a sinless life that he might be a perfect offering for us. It was His life to lie down! (John 10:18)

The Hebrews writer touches on these very mysteries when he writes, “during the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedi- ence from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him...Hebrews 5:7-9 (NIV)

We see from the inspired writer of the Hebrew epistle what was intimated in the gospel accounts, namely, “he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears...” Isaiah prophesies, “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (NKJV) The burden of guilt of the multi- plied millions for which He came to save brought the Son of Man to his knees, sweating great drops of blood, bringing forth from the deepest depths of His heart vehement cries and costly tears. The antici- pation of the separation from His Father so near, so real, was so ghastly, that He nearly died right there in the Garden (Matthew 26:38).

The Bible goes on to record that His prayer was heard. The Father still with the Son, answered the prayer with an angel sent to strengthen him (Luke 22:43), yet not with the alternative that Jesus had inquired about. The final fulfillment of this prayer would come 3 days hence. After the third prayer in the Garden, the Christ seems at peace even knowing the suffering and separation that is to follow. The silence from the Heavens roaring there was no other sacrifice by which man might be saved, lest the sacri- fice of the one Man in all of history who sinned not.

It is also important to note here that Christ was not merely praying that He might be delivered from the very thing He was sent to accomplish. For His fear was more culpable than that. His prayer was that He not be left lifeless in Hell separated from the Father. Christ’s prayer was not that He might be saved from dying; after all, to die for sinners was His very purpose in coming to the world (Joh_12:27). His prayer was that He might be delivered out of death (JND), that His soul might not be left in Hades. This prayer was answered when God raised Him from the dead. He was heard because of His godly fear. (3)

Equally incredible is the idea that the Son learned obedience. The application here is stunning. In His humanity Christ learned the exact same way we learn. We must remember that He was fully man and fully God, the exact nature of which we will likely spend eternity trying to fathom. It was a continuous process of making the will of God the Father His own. Jesus chose to obey, even though obedience led to suffering and death (4). And further, this life of learned obedience not only offsets the disobedi- ence of Adam, but also qualifies Christ to serve as the eternal High Priest (5).

He had opportunity and motive to save His life. He tells Peter this when He says in verse 53 of the 26th chapter of Matthew, “...do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”(NASB) “But if I did,” He immediately follows, “how would the scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (NLT) How could you and I be redeemed?

Again, in Chapter 12 of John Jesus is seen reclining with Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. From there He enters Jerusalem, apparently victorious in His earthly kingdom. However far from basking in his triumph, Jesus foretells again of His impending passion. Some Grecians had come to worship at the temple and inquired of Phillip about the prospects of meeting with Jesus. His answer surely stunned all of those within earshot as they probably still heard the shouts of joy in the background as Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into His glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be My disciple must follow Me, because My servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me.” (John 12:23-26) (NLT) Look at John 12:26 alongside Hebrews 5:9. I will list both here for your convenience.

“...having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” Hebrews 5:9 (NASB)

“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

John 12:26 (NASB)

In these passages salvation is conditional on obeying Him. In many other passages salvation is conditional on faith. How do we reconcile this seeming contradiction? First of all, it is the obedi- ence of faith (Rom_1:5; Rom_16:25-27): “the obedi- ence which God requires is faith in His word.” But it is also true that saving faith is the kind that results in obedience. It is impossible to believe, in the true New Testament sense, without obeying. (6) As James, the half-brother of Jesus well says, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:17-18) (ESV)

We see from these passages that Christ modeled for us the aspect of serving. Having touched on this earlier, in order to truly understand the Garden and the Cross, we must look back ever sooner in the life of Christ. We might even hasten to look back to the very beginning of time to see what Christ laid down from the very beginning.

When most people, Christians included, give Jesus some thought, they tend to think of the vicious way in which He died. Or perhaps they think back to the major miracles He performed. Once annually we’ll take a month to study the miraculous events surrounding His birth. For the next few minutes I’d like to hearken back ever further to the events that played out before His birth. I’d like to remind you that the selfless purging of the King of kings began even prior to that little stable in Bethlehem.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Phillipians 2:5-8 (NLT)

There are several passages in the Bible that describe the majesty of Jesus Christ and the royal position in which He reigns. He is often seen as “high and lifted up” His feet often resting on blue sapphire. Cherubim are often seen circling His throne crying, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” The manifest glory of God almighty is often seen as fire, and the glory envelopes Him. Take a minute and as you read the following verses meditate on the triune glory of God.

...and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.

Exodus 24:10 (NKJV)

...I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

Isaiah 6:1-5 (NASB)

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and down- ward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appear- ance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 (NKJV)

We learn in John 1 that Christ has always been, that He existed in the beginning with God, and that all things were made through Him. Furthermore we learn that in Him all light and life have its being, and this light will never be overcome. Additionally, we learn that only those who receive Him will He give eternal life. And finally we see in verse 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (ESV)

The Lord, sitting on His throne, could have easily seen man’s predicament and chosen to stay right there. His position of importance would never have dimin- ished. The cherubim would have continued to worship Him. He would have remained in communion with His Father and the Holy Spirit. He would have continued to reign over all creation. The question begs as to why God stooped so low to lift man so high?

He not only humbled Himself in resigning His positional equality with God, but in the process He subjected Himself to slave status, and further humbled Himself being obedient to the very point of death, yes, even a death reserved for those cursed! In the span of a few short years Jesus Christ voluntarily emptied Himself of all glory and position, and went from “high and lifted up,” to a Man “of no reputation,” to “cursed” and “forsaken” by God, to “laid in a tomb.”

As Paul so eloquently reminds us, if this were the end of the story, we are the most miserable of men (1 Corinthians 5:19). Philippians 2:9 reminds us that God has lifted Him up, and placed His name above all names. His life is to be an example for us (Matthew 5:48 & Ephesians 5:1-2). Following verse 12 chapter 2 of Philippians Paul says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (NKJV)

It is those thoughts we will spend the remainder of this book discussing. As we look back at this point I cannot help but marvel at all that has been done for us. Contrary to most modern day success books we need not spend precious time planning our future or mapping out what the next 5 years will look like. We need not even consider what tomorrow may look like or what we should eat and drink. All we need do is come to Jesus. Leave our worries, our pride, our insecurities, and our positions in the pew, and come to Jesus. He has already done all the planning and preparing, submission is our calling.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “I know this, that when ... I come to Christ today, for I feel it is as much a necessity of my life to come to the cross of Christ today as it was to come ten years ago...I have to come still as a sinner with nothing in my hands...Faith is getting out of yourself and getting into Christ...The only thing you can bring to Christ is your sin and your wickedness. All He asks is that you will come empty handed, except for your sin. If you have anything of your own, you must leave it all before you come. If there is anything good in you, you cannot trust Christ. You must come with nothing in your hand. Take Him as your All in All. That is the only ground upon which a poor soul can be saved- as a sinner, and nothing but a sinner.”

________________________________________________________________

By the 1870’s D.L. Moody had become a world famed evangelist but he badly needed a musician to lead singing at his meetings. On a Saturday night in 1870, he preached at a convention in Indianapolis. At the last minute, a tax collector named Ira Sankey was asked to lead singing.

The next day Sankey received a card from Moody, suggesting they meet on a certain corner that evening at six. Sankey arrived first. When Moody showed up, he said nothing but entered a nearby store for a large box. He asked Sankey to stand on the box and sing. Sankey dutifully hoisted himself up and sang Isaac Watt’s Am I a Soldier of the Cross.

Workers, going home from mills and factories, were arrested by Sankey’s beautiful voice, and the crowd grew. Moody ascended the box and preached for twenty-five minutes before announcing that the meeting would continue in the Opera House. The Opera House was soon packed, and Moody preached the gospel with great power. Finally he closed the meeting saying, “Now we must close, as the brethren of the convention wish to come in to discuss the question, ‘How to reach the masses?’”(7)

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A follower of the Lamb,

And shall I fear to own His cause,

Or blush to speak His name.

Must I be carried to the skies,

On flowery beds of ease,

While other fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas.

Are there no foes for me to face,

Must I not stem the flood,

Is this vile world a friend to grace,

To help me on to God.

Sure I must fight, if I would reign,

Increase my courage Lord,

I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,

Supported by Thy Word.

(book excerpt, Reasonable Duty, S.L.A.V.E. of Christ)

doulos ek Christos

Footnotes
1. Easton's Bible Dictionary
2. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary; Copyright 1995, 1986 by Thomas Nelson Publishers
3. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary; Copyright 1995, 1986 by Thomas Nelson Publishers
4. Life Application Study Bible, New American Standard Bible- Updated Edition; Copyright 2000 by The Zondervan Corporation. All Rights Reserved
5. The Reformation Study Bible; Copyright 2005 by Ligonier Ministries; All Rights Reserved
6. Believers Bible Commentary; © 1995, 1992, 1990, 1989 by William MacDonald. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America
7. Then Sings My Soul; Copyright © 2003 by Robert J. Morgan

A Christian's Reasonable Duty

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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12.1-2 (NKJV)

I look at this word “reasonable” in this context and I wonder how reasonable it is to request such a thing. If you read this passage carefully it cannot be lost to you what is being requested here. Actually the word being translated as urge, appeal, or beseech is parakaleō” (par-ak-al-eh’-o), or to implore. We are being called upon to lay the whole of our lives, our bodies, our interests, our desires, our motives, our loves, not only as a dead sacrifice, as one who might be martyred for Christ, no not only that, but as one who becomes a “living” sacrifice.

We are being asked to trade our interests for His interests, our desires for His desires, our motives for His motives, our loves for His loves, our plans for His plans, indeed the very rights we hold sold dearly, the right to pursue life, love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we are being asked to lay down our rights for our cross (Matt 16:24)

It’s also interesting to note that the Greek word being translated as reasonable or spiritual is logikos (log-ik-os’), you guessed it, logical! Now you may be like me in saying, what is logical, or even reason- able, about becoming a “live victim,” (living sacri- fice) for Christ? What is in view here is the idea of animal sacrifice as was done in the prior covenant. This is commonly known as the “sin offering” and is important enough to repeat here:

He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the LORD. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD,in front of the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. He shall take from it all the fat of the bull as the sin offering. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat which is on the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove, as it was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering. But the bull’s hide and all its flesh, with its head and legs, its entrails and offal— the whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

Leviticus 4:4-12 (NKJV)

What I first noticed about this passage the first time I read it was how completely the bull was disposed of. Every piece of that bull was accounted for, from his hide to his entrails. This is how complete our sacrifice is to be. We are not to keep one ounce of ourselves when we sacrifice our old self. For as Rom 6:6 proclaims, “we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (ESV) We are not to become shells of our former selves, we are called upon to lie that former self on the altar, burn it, and never pick it up again!

As John Calvin points out in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, “Ever since he who is our head ascended to heaven, it is befitting in us to withdraw our affections from the earth, and with our whole soul aspire to heaven. Ever since the Holy Spirit dedicated us as temples to the Lord, we should make it our endeavour to show forth the glory of God, and guard against being profaned by the defilement of sin. Ever since our soul and body were destined to heavenly incorruptibility and an unfading crown, we should earnestly strive to keep them pure and uncor- rupted against the day of the Lord. These, I say, are the surest foundations of a well-regulated life, and you will search in vain for any thing resembling them among philosophers, who, in their commendation of virtue, never rise higher than the natural dignity of man.”

Numbers 15:30 paints the final picture of this bloody offering and brings us full circle back to Romans 12: 1&2. We see that the total annihilation of the animal was not enough, we see that it must have been accompanied by something else, namely repen- tance or contrition. The idea being that the person who offered the sacrifice flippantly, with no regard, presumptuously has wasted the penitent sacrifice. His guilt shall remain, and he shall be cut off from the people. This not only protected the sanctity of life for the bull, as God is not one to waste a life He so carefully created, but also kept the people humble, reverent, and fearful. It is safe to say that anyone who participated in this bloody spectacle could not possibly have underestimated the seriousness of sin.

Sin is serious business, and is deserving of nothing less than death (Romans 6:23).

We see the same type of imagery used in 1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (NKJV)

Our body is the temple (where the sacrificing is done), and the Holy Spirit is within (which only comes from God), we were bought with a price (the precious blood of Christ), and therefore we are not our own!

Thus we now see that Paul is imploring us by the very mercies of God to be a living sacrifice, sacred and blamelessly well pleasing to God, which is our reasonable, logical, and spiritual duty! If this sounds like a tall order to you, then I’ve accomplished my goal with this opening chapter, however I would be doing a disservice to the text by stopping here. This is just the beginning, go back and read verse 2 again of Romans Chapter 12 now that you understand the context of verse 1.

When I read verse 2 I cannot help but think of Paul himself, who not only wrote this verse, but also lived it. Can you think of anyone else who even comes close to the 180 degree turn that we see in Paul’s life.

A city of Tarsus, no obscure city (Acts 21:39), and a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28), and tutored by Gamaliel, a most respected teacher of the law (Acts 5:34), Paul was decidedly Roman. Yet being given the Jewish name Saul, circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and in law a Pharisee (Phil 3:4-5), schooled by the great Gamaliel at one of the two great schools of Jewish legal interpretation, Paul could also claim Jewish descent. This dual citizenship as it were worked in Paul’s favor and awarded him great influence.

This influence found an outlet on the tiny sect of an infant church that called themselves Christians. It was inconceivable to Paul that anyone could hold up a mere man as Lord and Messiah, especially one who had suffered a death cursed by Jewish Law.

“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.

Deu 21:22-23 (ESV)

It is well chronicled how Paul publicly associated with those who stoned Stephen (Acts 8:3, Acts 9:1,2), and even watched their coats as they hurled stones at the first martyr (Acts 7:58). By Paul’s own words his intent was to suffer the church and lay it to waste (Gal 1:13)! Is it even conceivable that God could use such a man? This man was utterly bent on the destruction of God’s church.

Most of us have heard the story of God’s super- natural imposition on the life of Paul. His letters, along with the four gospels, awakened the masses and formed the foundation of the Christian move- ment. More than anyone else Paul preached of the supremacy of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. For this revelation Paul humbled himself as a bondslave of Christ (Gal 1:10, Phil 1:1) and uttered these immortal words...

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteous- ness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrec- tion and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Php 3:7-11 (NASB)

Paul laid down his own interests, his own life, his body, his interests, his desires, his motives, his loves, his earthly possessions, indeed everything he held dear and picked up his cross and followed Christ no matter where that led him. Paul did so to the point that he became a slave to Christ, and brought up others, including Timothy, to become the same (Phil 1:1).

As we become less and less conformed to this world we will find that fewer things hold us to this world. For I fear that many of us are still like the young man mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Beginning in Mark 10:17 we see one running with zeal towards the Lord, intensely seeking that which is right and good. He had come to the right Man, at the right place, and at the appointed time. Everything was weighted in his favor. He was a Jew, he had kept the commandments, he had obviously heard the message of Jesus, wholeheartedly agreed, and now humbled himself by kneeling before the Christ. This was an easy convert; surely the Lord would bring this man with him.

As we read in Mark 10:21 however, the man was conformed to this world, and therefore could not be transformed by the renewing of his mind. For his mind was fixed on earthly things, not because he treasured them, or thought about them constantly, or because his walk was not disciplined enough, for this man was righteous and by all accounts perfect, for he had kept the law from his youth. No, this man had possessions, therefore he was conformed to this world. It has been said that one’s actions speak louder than one’s words, and Jesus was quick to put this man to the test.

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

Mark 10:21 (NKJV)

Note, that Jesus says he loved him, and in love asked him to do the one thing he could not do. We do not know why, perhaps he had a family at home and could not bear the thought of them being homeless. Perhaps he had many good reasons for his actions, but God doesn’t require that which is good, he required that which is best. It was in the best interest of this man to sell whatever he had, and follow God incar- nate. Before God could transform his mind, He first had to strip him of earthly possessions. He had to take away all that the man held dear, so that with a clean slate God could begin the work of transformation.

Do you have earthly possessions? Do you find yourself with way more than your needs dictate? Do you find yourself being pulled away from the Lord’s work to tend your possessions? Are you reluctant to serve God in any capacity because your work, your home, your vehicles, your toys require your constant attention? So often we will make excuses and say, “well God has called me to be a good steward hasn’t he?” But some of us need to really look to Christ, lay all before Him, ask Him to inspect all that is in our lives, and peel away that which is not pleasing to Him. We say that we don’t treasure this or that, we say that we would willingly give up everything to follow him, but the very fact that we still possess them seems to indicate something else. Our actions of buying that new car, new house, boat, or electronic device speak louder than our pitiful groaning of self-depreciation. We have become conformed to this world and your neighbors cannot tell a difference in your life on the outside from theirs. Do we really believe that wearing that Christian t-shirt or tie, going to church on Sunday mornings, and reading 5 minute devotions are enough? It seems that God has called us to more.

To illustrate this point, let me share with you a story. ‘A wealthy man was moving into a new house, and his next-door neighbor happened to be a Quaker. The Quakers, as you know, believe in simplicity and plainness of life. The Quaker neighbor watched as the movers carted in numerous pieces of furniture, a great deal of clothing, and many decorative pieces. Then he walked over to his wealthy new neighbor and said in his quaint Quaker way, “Neighbor, if thee hath need of anything, please come to me and I will tell thee how to get along without it.”(1) Jesus would have agreed with that advice, for He said one day, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things that he possesses.”’

As Oswald Chambers writes, “Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships...This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing...This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates...From Jesus Christ’s perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing...I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus.”(2)

Jesus annihilates all that holds us back, and then transforms our minds to His will. It is not our will or calling that would draw us from the comfortable confines of our homes to the mission fields. It is not our will that we would spend more time and money planning for our next mission trip than we do on our next vacation. It is not our will that would have us sell our timeshare in Orlando for a tent in Mexico or Belize. It is simply the calling and transforming of our Lord and Savior that brings about such radical change.

It is this transformation that the world is drawn to. It is this transformation that will bring much needed attention to the gospel of Christ. It is this transformation that will bring about another “Great Awakening!” For as the hymn writer as aptly said, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand…”(3)

The Greek word metamorphoō (met-am-or-fo’- o) from which we get our word metamorphose means to change into a different physical form by supernat- ural means or to change strikingly the appearance or character, or circumstances, to become transformed. (4)

For as the psalmist writes, Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)

We see from Romans 12:2 that the transformation is necessary so that we may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. To prove is to test, approve, and discern. Oh! What a privilege it is to be able to test, approve, and discern God’s will for our life. Let us not take it lightly.

The New Living Translation puts it this way, Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

Will you surrender your life, your desires, your possessions, your motives and ambitions on the sacred altar, take up your cross, and follow the risen Christ? You cannot do it yourself, you will need the grace of God to complete it, but God is there with all the finishing power you will need. All He needs is your will. He needs your will so he can place His will inside of you. It is painful. It will hurt. It requires sacrifice. It requires commitment. It will require your all. He wishes to bring you from the slavery of this world, into perfect submission and freedom that comes only by Him and through Him.

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

Mark 8:34-36 (NKJV)

It is indeed hard for a discerning world to see a sacrifice, albeit a denial, when they see Christians leave their comfortable churches (where they have been served), for their comfortable restaurants (where they have been served), and then with a bellyful head home to their mansion (where they are served) here on earth. When they head over to the Christian side of town they should see an apparent difference in lifestyle. They should see a servant, a slave to their Masters work. They should see Christ in everything we say, do, and how we live. We cannot say we truly follow Him unless our lives, our homes, our possessions, our desires, our ambitions, our loves, and our deepest longings are distinguishable from the world. To do otherwise is to do more than leave a bad example; it is to trample afoot the gospel that our Lord and Savior died to give!

____________________________________________________

As a young man Judson W. Van De Venter was at a crossroads that would determine the rest of his life. Born on a farm in Monroe County Michigan in 1855, Judson grew up interested in art and music.

He converted to Christ at age 17. He graduated from college and became an art teacher and later supervisor for the high school in Sharon, Pennsylvania. While singing in the choir in his local Methodist Episcopal Church he found himself especially fulfilled when participating in evangelistic rallies and revivals where people received Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Friends encouraged him to leave the school system and enter full time music evangelism. For five years he wrestled and struggled with the decision. Finally relenting, Judson fell to his knees and said, “Lord, if you want me to give my full time to Thy work, I’ll do it, I surrender all to Thee.”

While engaged in meetings in East Palestine, Ohio, Judson stayed at the home of George Sebring. It was there he penned his famous work, “I Surrender All.” In the 1930’s, a student at Florida Bible Institute sat wide eyed, listening to Judson. That student, Billy Graham, later wrote, “One of the evangelists who influenced my early preaching was also a hymnist who wrote ‘I Surrender All,” the Rev. J.W. Van De Venter!”(5)

All to Jesus I surrender,

All to him I freely give,
I will ever love and trust Him,

In his presence daily live,

All to Jesus I surrender,

Humbly at His feet I bow,

Worldly pleasures all forsaken,

Take me Jesus, take me NOW!

I Surrender All
I Surrender All
All to Thee my Blessed Saviour,

I Surrender All.

excerpt from Reasonable Duty, S.L.A.V.E. of Christ

doulos ek Christos

Footnotes:
1. 2,000+ Bible Illustrations
2. My Utmost For His Highest; 1992 by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. Original edition © 1935 by Dodd, Mead, & Company, Inc. Copyright renewed 1963 by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. All Rights Reserved) September 28
3. My Hope is Built; The Solid Rock by Edward Mote
4. Copyright © Merriam- Webster, Incorporated
5. Then Sings My Soul; Copyright © 2003 by Robert J. Morgan

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

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O Soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.

(Chorus)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion,
For more than conquerors we are!

(Chorus)

His Word shall not fail you, He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell.

(Chorus)

Written by Helen Lemmel

Eph 5.14

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“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

Slaves to Something

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Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 6:16-23 (NLT)

As I read the above verses I couldn't help but think about my life and the deeds done before Christ rescued me. Though I wouldn't have characterized it as being "slavery" per se, I can look back and see where it most definitely was.

My life was all about me. Whatever I wanted to do, I did. Whatever I wanted to buy, I bought. Wherever I wanted to go, I went. Whomever I wanted to go with, I went with. Most of the time I was looking for a cheap thrill, some quick fun to make life more interesting. In the end, no matter what it was, when it was over, I was left searching for something else to take its place.

Sure, it was fun, as long as it lasted. I may have even thought at the time how satisfying life was, just one big playground. You go round and round, up and down, and then you run back up to the top and do it again. And as long as you're running, there's no problem, but if you ever have to stop and catch your breath, the doubts begin creeping in.

"What am I doing," you think, "this is nuts. How long have I been doing this? Where has it gotten me? Why can't I ever stop and be fulfilled?" The reason is simple, you've been living life in "junk drive."

Much like your diet, as long as you continue living your life in "junk drive," you'll likely feel full. Hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, chicken sandwiches and burritos do a good job of filling your stomach, for a time. But once your body has digested the junk, it hasn't gotten near what it needs and requires to maintain itself at a top level. The hunger pangs returns, your body isn't really hungry; it's starving for something decent to eat! Your body has needs, so does your spirit and soul.

You've been living a double life. Attending church on Sunday morning, well most of the time at least, and then gorging on the world's delicacies the other six days of the week can leave one's spirit gasping for something more. The smoke from the cigarettes and blur from the alcohol masking the effects of a life lived on the edge of oblivion. You thought getting married would wake you straight, but that was before the first affair. Then you thought kids would love you straight, but that was before your weekends were spent with old pals at the park or hanging at the lake, and little or no attention paid to those blessings. You had a friend try to warn you about the cliff up ahead, but you blew them off, "I deserve this," you said, "I deserve to be happy!"

Now you've hit the wall, the cliff looms ahead, a little more pressure on the pedal and your life careens out of control. Something is wrong though, you can't figure it out because in your reality, you have it all under control. There's no cliff ahead, just miles and miles of road waiting to be taken, waiting to be experienced. Still you can't shake it. It begins to worry you, "what's wrong with me?" Shrugging it off, you grab the wheel with both hands, push the pedal to the metal, and off you go, never to darken those church doors again, leaving a swath of broken hearts, dreams, and vows in your wake.

This devastating storm has a name too, however it's name is much more sinister than any name we could have given it. It's name is Satanas, the adversary, commonly known as Satan. He knoweth no mercy, only fury. He knoweth no truth, only lies. His appetite is ferocious, never filled until he has taken everything worthy, everything honorable, everything holy and good from your life. Then, he moves to another.

Oh, it all started innocently enough. No longer content with that which fills the belly, you moved on to that which tasted good. No longer content with that which kept you warm, you needed that which was pleasing to the eye. No longer content with the friends you had, you moved on to those which were popular.

This continued into young adulthood. Never content with what you had, you were always reaching for more. This was the American way you were told. Our roads and infrastructure weren't built by those who were content, you must always be reaching higher and higher, obtaining more and more, leaving those by the wayside who no longer benefit you.

Realizing that something was missing you reach for that which was never meant to be yours in the first place. That apple which was placed ever so tantalizingly out of reach suddenly seemed within your grasp. If you could only have this or that, your world would be complete. The knowledge you never realized you needed suddenly becomes all encompassing. Your every thought is bent on it. Your desire for it grows and swells until you are fat with the fruit of it. Never realizing you have become enslaved, you continue to lust for it. Your bondage almost complete, you leap, your hand brushes it, and your eyes grow wide in anticipation of it.

You leap again, this time your hand grasps it, and with one final tug you pluck it from the grasp of the vine. Now sick with perverted craze you sink your teeth into the crisp outer skin. As your teeth dig deeper, you smell and taste the ever so distinct taste of honey. It is good to the lips. It's juices flow down both sides of your mouth and into your throat. A smile creases your lips. With each consuming bite your knowledge grows, and so does your desire for more. Before you are done you begin looking for more, you must have more. You dig in for one more last bite in anxious anticipation of what you now know waits. Only this time the taste is not honey at all, but bile. The fragrance not pleasing, but repulsive. You pull the fruit from your mouth and stare in disbelief. The core is rotten, and the apple has disintegrated in your very hands. It is only now you realize, too late, the fruit of sin is death.

The fall was absolutely and totally devastating in its impact upon mankind. Protected and nurtured in the environment of the Garden, Adam and Eve had everything they needed and more (Gen 1:28-30). God had created them Himself, an absolute image of the Creators (Gen 1:26). Adam didn't have to suffer in planting and harvesting their food. Neither did Eve suffer in pregnancy and childbearing. All was provided for them, including a close, communal relationship with God the Father. One deceitful, selfish suggestion and the consequences changed everything forever!

"You will be like God," was the deceivers very words, and today they hold just as much temptation as they did then. His methods have not changed much over the years, sadly neither have our responses. All too eager to be accountable only to ourselves we jump at every opportunity to exert our independence. Vanity, pride, and desire are the weapons at the "accusers" disposal, and he wields them with deadly accuracy.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

1 Jn 2:16 (NKJV)

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

Eph 2:1-3 (NLT)

A wise man once said, "Sin will take you where you don't want to go, cost you more then you wanted it to cost you, and keep you longer that you ever intended to stay." Sin, in all of its deceit will promise you the world, only leave to leave you an empty, pathetic shell of yourself.

Sin is the worst taskmaster man has ever known. Because of sin man set his hand to the plow. Because of sin a woman suffers through childbirth. As a result of sin man became separated from God, unwilling and unable to be righteous, or right with God (Rom 3:10). Results of sin can be seen all around us; in the lonely eyes of a bastard child, in the forlorn gaze of a neglected spouse, in the cuts and bruises from an abusive father, in the casket of a victim of drunk driving, in the homeless shelter where a little girl weeps because the bread winner bet the house on a game, and in the eyes of a mother who has lost her child to a roadside bomb.

Often times the effects of sin are not realized, and the full evil of their deeds not understood, until after the sin is committed. I am reminded of the story of David in 2 Samuel 12. When confronted with the exact representation of his sin, David became enraged, and pronounced his own penalty...death! David's son dies as a direct result of David's sin, bringing much grief to Bathsheba, and the rest of the house of David.

All men sin (1 Kings 8:46, Rom 3:9, 23, 1 John 1:10), sin opposes God (1 John 1:6, 1 John 3:4), and whoever sins becomes a slave to sin (John 8:34). Man cannot serve two masters.

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Mat 6:24 (NKJV)

This is the condition in which we find the church today, one foot in the world, and the other foot clinging ever so precariously to the altar. Lulled to sleep by the empty promises of the deceiver they act and behave as those in Noah's day. Genesis 6:5 says "the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great...so that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." In verse 11 the earth was corrupt and filled with violence.

Jesus warns, "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. (Mat 24:37-39)

To echo the thoughts of the Hebrew writer, "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb 10:31)

Jesus warns fence minders everywhere of His intentions when He thunders, "because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Rev 3:16)

Laodicean's were very well acquainted with luke-warmness, there would be no misunderstanding of Jesus' words. Laodicea's water supply came through aqueducts and pipes from a distant water source. As a result the water was lukewarm and barely drinkable. Neighboring cities were a study in extremes. Hierapolis, for example, had hot springs that served medicinal purposes, while Colossae's water supply was provided by by a cold mountain stream. Thus, we see Christ imploring the church at Laodicea to be either medicinally hot or refreshingly cold! (1)

We see in Paul's letter to young Timothy a strong warning and a keen insight into this very mystery. He says in his 2nd letter to Timothy Chapter 3 in verses 5&7, "to beware of those who have a form of godliness but deny its power." He goes on to say "they are always learning yet never coming to the truth!" Paul encourages Timothy to "turn away" from such people. He always draws a line in the sand with his words.

Fence minding is really not an option, and doesn't really exist as one. Those who sit on the fence are really imposters, deceiving and being deceived. (2nd Tim 3:13) The fence minders will be among those shouting, "Lord, Lord," (Mat 7:22) however having only a form of godliness but always denying its power, they will be trampled on the threshing floor. (Luke 3:17) It becomes obvious then that we are slaves to something; we will declare with our actions exactly whose we are. We can say we are not of Satan, but if you are not of God, then you must be on the opposing side. (Mat 12:30)

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Cor 4:6 (NLT)

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven He left us a Helper. This Helped leads us, and leads us out of the spirit of slavery to fear, and back into the loving arms of our creator.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

Rom 8:14-15 (NLT)

As has been aptly noted by others we take sin way too casually, and I believe Paul was battling this apathy in this passage of scripture. Beginning in verse 12 we see that we are not to live according to fleshly desires. (Rom 8:12) Then quickly in verse 13 Paul warns that to do so is to invite death, and that life comes by the Spirit whom will put to death the deeds of the body. (Rom 8:13)

You see friend, the church is sick with sin. This is no longer a subtle cold making its way through our congregations. This is a full blown virus that has spread like wildfire and is threatening to topple the church were it not for the strong foundation laid as its Cornerstone. (Eph 2:20)

An unbelieving world looks in and sees drunkenness, malice, greed, anger, adultery, envy, strife, double mindedness, and hatred. They see people proclaiming they've been set free under the same bondage that torments them. An unbelieving world finds it difficult to see some difference in our lives.

There is an old story about a Christian who had tried to witness repeatedly to his next door neighbor. When the neighbor was stricken ill and confined to his home, the Christian went to visit him, trying to persuade him, one last time, to accept Christ. As the Christian entered the neighbor's bedroom he was surprised to see a Bible, misshapen and lumpy on the nightstand next to the neighbor. Idly, he picked it up, finding it falling apart, with large sections cut out and only a small amount of the Scriptures intact. In surprise, he asked the neighbor what had happened to the Bible. The neighbor told him that as the Christian had tried to witness to him, he had purchased the Bible, cutting out the portions of Scripture when he saw his neighbor living as though it were untruth. He cut out the portions about love as he heard the Christian neighbor yelling and cursing in his home. He cut out the portions about worship and church as he saw the neighbor heading to the golf course or lake on Sunday's. He cut out the portions about marriage when he saw his neighbor flirting at the neighborhood block parties, and on and on, until there was only a shell of the Word left. (2)

The sad truth is that there was no need to succumb to the enticements and temptations of the flesh. For this is the very thing that Christ came to deliver us from.

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Heb 2:14-15 (NKJV)

It is amazing to think that he who had the power of death has been destroyed, rendered harmless. For the sin that so enslaved us, that very sin which led to death, our Redeemer suffered so that we might be delivered. It is simply the greatest story ever told! There is no doubt that it is good news.

Death indeed has been swallowed up in victory, Death has lost its sting! (1 Cor 15:55-57) We must come out O Church, not only to make believers of a skeptical world, but also to be united with our Groom, holy and blameless. (Col 1.21-22)

We will most assuredly be slaves to something, the question is to whom? Will we be slaves to those things which we are naturally ashamed and whose end is death? Or will we be slaves of God, whose fruit is holiness, and the end, everlasting life!

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The Wesley brothers sent word of their conversion to their sainted mother, Susanna, who didn't know what to make of it. "I heartily rejoice that you have attained to a strong and lively hope in God's mercy through Christ. Not that I can think that you were totally without saving faith before, but it is one thing to have faith, and another thing to be sensible we have it."

Charles Wesley was now very sensible of having it. His life changed, and gained victory over both his temper and his drinking habit. He also began to spread the news of what had happened to him. New vitality came into his public preaching. He discontinued his practice of reading his sermons and began preaching extemporaneously.

He found a fruitful arena for ministry at the infamous Newgate Prison, and allowed himself to be locked up with condemned men on nights before their executions, that he might comfort and witness to them during their final hours. (3)

This hymn was written by Charles as the first anniversary of his conversion approached:

O for a thousand tongues to sing,

My great Redeemer's praise,

The glories of my God and King,

The triumphs of His grace!

Jesus! The name that charms our fears,

That bids our sorrows cease,

'Tis music in the sinner's ears,

'Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of cancelled sin,

He sets the prisoner free,

His blood can make the foulest clean,

His blood availed for me.

(excerpt from Reasonable Duty, S.L.A.V.E. of Christ)

doulos ek Christos

Footnotes
1. Reformation Study Bible, Editor R.C. Sproul, Ligonier Ministries
2. 2,000+ Bible Illustrations
3. Then Sings My Soul, by Robert J Morgan

The Encounter

2016-11-13T14:28:00.002-08:00

Unleashing the Lion

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Matthew 16:13-15

Part 1: The Lion Stirs

Commit thy works until the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Proverbs 16.3

Commitment is what transforms the thought into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words.

Urban Dictionary

A young man stands before the Lord Jesus Christ in judgment.

Jesus: Why are you here?

Young Man: I know why I’m here, I just don’t understand why you are doing this to me?

Jesus: What am I doing to you?

Young Man: You are sending me to Hell where I will suffer for eternity. Where I will be separated from the ones I love forever. I loved you on earth and believed you were who you said you were. Like I said before, I know why I’m here, I just don’t understand why I’m here.

Jesus: I see. You are correct, that is your destination and there is no turning back. But let me ask you again, why do you know you are here? (Prov 16.5; Gal 6.7; Matt 25.46)

Young Man: I know because somehow I’ve always known. Deep down, no matter what I’ve told others, I knew I was wrong. But I kept telling myself otherwise.

Jesus: I see. You are correct. But that is only one reason why you’re here. There are others. We’ll get to those in a second. Did I not send others to warn you?

Young Man: Yes. There are those that said it was wrong. That it was a sin.

Jesus: And how did you answer them?

Young Man: I told them you were bigger than that.

Jesus: I see. I’m bigger than that. What does that mean?

Young Man: It means that you were bigger than my sin. That no matter what I did you were so big, so loving, so much more than I could ever hope to be, that it just didn't matterl Your grace would be sufficient for my shortcomings.

Jesus: I see. So you acknowledge that it is a sin? A “shortcoming” as you call it. (1 Jn 3.4; 1 Jn 5.17; Rom 7.7-13)

Young Man: Yes, I acknowledge that. But what about grace?

Jesus: Yes, what about grace? Let’s look at that for a moment. Did you have access to a Bible?

Young Man: Yes.

Jesus: Did you read it?

Young Man: Yes.

Jesus: I see. If you had access to a Bible, and you read it, then you must also accept it as My standard of judgment in your case. Do you understand.

Young Man: Yes.

Jesus: My grace is sufficient for thee. Remember? You almost quoted it earlier. (2 Cor 12.9)

Young Man: Yes.

Jesus: And do you remember the rest?

Young Man: ...for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor 12.9)

Jesus: Correct. And you cite this verse as a reason for why you continued to do something that you knew was a sin?

Young Man: Yes. I thought that once I was saved it didn’t matter what I did, I would always go to heaven. You know once saved, always saved.

Jesus: I see. When I asked you earlier if you had access to a Bible, I meant did you have access to the whole counsel of My Words, not just one verse. Many wicked men throughout the ages, have taken a verse out of context and twisted it to say something it never said. Understand?

Young Man: Yes.

Jesus: So, did you have access to more than one verse?

Young Man: Yes.

Jesus: How much more?

Young Man: You know Lord. I had access to the whole Bible. All 66 books and 1,189 Chapters.

Jesus: I did know that. The reason We provided so many books, chapters, verses, and words was so that you might believe that I am the Christ, the son of God: that believing you might have eternal life in My Name. It was also so that no man would deceive you with vain words and you wouldn’t be carried about by various and strange doctrines. We knew false teachers would arise and seek to decieve and beguile you with enticing and persuasive words. (1 Jn 5.13; Jn 20.31; Eph 5.6; Heb 13.9; Eph 4.14; Mt 24.11)

That is also why We said all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Our goal was that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished and equipped for every good work. Someone’s opinions are not capable of such things, would you agree? (2 Tim 3.16-17)

Young Man: Yes. And I understand what you are saying, but this is Old Testament type stuff. I thought the New Testament was different, you know, all love, grace, and mercy.

Jesus: Professing yourselves to be wise, you became as fools. You changed the incorruptible God into an image resembling man. You changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped a God as you wanted us to be, not as We are. Our expectations did not change with the New Testament, and neither did our standard. Our expectation and standard has always been holiness. (Rom 1.22-23; 1 Pe 1.14-16)

Young Man: But we were just human, you made us that way. We were going to sin no matter what we did.

Jesus: Understand young man, We made no one to sin. It was man who sinned, We provided a remedy. The remedy which cost Us dearly. I never once thought of myself when I came in human form, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, but beaten to death, and hung on a cross, not for my sin, but for others. My blood was shed to cover the sin of man. (Ps 51.5; Jer 17.9; Rom 3.23; 1 John 1.8-10; Isa 53.4-6; 2 Cor 5.21; Rom 8.3; Eph 5.2; Isa 7.14; Mt 1.18-23)

Young Man: Yes, Yes! Thank You, Thank You! That is what I read. Your blood was enough to cover all my sin. I understand. None of us were perfect. We couldn’t live the way you did. Your blood is enough for even my sin, is it not? Your grace is sufficient for me in my weakness?

Jesus: My blood gives no license to sin. Did you continue to sin that grace may abound? I forbid it! How can one say that he who has died to sin shall continue in it? Did you not read that when you were baptized in Me, you also died with Me? That through baptism you were buried and just as I was raised from the dead, even so were you? Were you born again to live the old sinful ways you did before? Of course not! You were raised to walk in a new life. Your old life was crucified so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so you wouldn’t have to be a slave to sin no more. For he that is dead is freed from sin. (Rom 6.1-7)

Young Man: But surely you understand, your people were not the best witnesses. They favored some sins while seemingly disregarding others. They would shout some sins from the rooftop, others you could attend church for years and never hear anything about.

Jesus: They shall be held accountable, but not in the way you want.

Young Man: How then?

Jesus: The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Not fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusers, or swindlers. The works of the flesh are evident and they are: adultery, fornication, impurity, unrestrained lust, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, contentions and jealousies, wrath, selfish ambition, rebellion, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, abusers, and the like. They shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Outside the gates of heaven will be dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and liars. We commanded you to put to death the desires of your flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, uncontrolled passions, evil desires, and greediness. For all these reasons Our wrath has come on the children of disobedience. You cannot say you were not warned. Yes, they will be held accountable. They will be held accountable for not exposing all sin as sin. They will not be held accountable for exposing your sin. I commanded them to expose all sin. (1 Cor 6.9-10; Rev 22.15; Gal 5.19-21; Col 3.5-10)

Young Man: So you mean to tell me that no one who will be in heaven has ever done any of those things? Not even once? And if you did, that’s it, no mercy? No grace?

Jesus: Those who continued to practice such things were never mine. My sheep heard my voice, and I knew them, and they followed me. I gave them eternal life, they shall never perish, and no one was able to snatch them away from Me. Blessed are they who heard the Word of God, and kept it. We did not call people to live impure lives, but holy lives. If you loved me, you would have kept my commands. That is how I knew they loved Me, they kept my Word. And I abided in them. (John 10.25-28, Luke 11.28; 1 Thess 4.7-8; John 14.15, 21; 1 Jn 2.3-5;

For just as the works of the flesh were evident, so also were the works of the Spirit. For the desires of the flesh were always set against the desires of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Those who belonged to me crucified the flesh with all of its passions and desires. (Gal 5.19-24)

Young Man: But that’s not what we were taught. Many, most of the teachers I heard said it was all about what you believed. If you believed that Jesus died for your sins you were good to go.

Jesus: I warned you not to let any man deceive you. You had a Bible. Only the ones that practiced righteous living were righteous, even as I was righteous. Whoever made a practice of sinning was not mine, but the devils. The devil sinned from the beginning. The reason I came into the world was to destroy the work of the devil. No one, and I mean no one, born of God continued in the practice of sin. My Seed abides in Him. He could not continue in sin because he was born of Me! (1 Jn 3.7-9)

Young Man: But I loved you Jesus. I love you now. I just knew I was saved. I thought I knew it.(sobbing)

Jesus: If you had loved me, you would have kept my commands. For whatever was born of Us overcame the world along with its temptations. Your salvation assurance was based on the witness of others, but the witness of God is greater. Assurance in one’s salvation was based on ones love for me. And those who loved me kept my commands. Those who did not love me did not keep my commands. (1 Jn 5.1-13)

I warned you. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. I warned that many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have castout many devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Mt 7.21-23)

I warned you, and now I profess, I never knew you, depart from me, you worker of iniquity. And the young man went away weeping and gnashing his teeth into a future filled only with despair and suffering for all of eternity. (Mt 7.23; Lk 13.24-30; Ps 112.10; Mt 13.39-42; Mt 25.41; Mt 25.46; Rev 20.10-15)

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It didn’t have to end that way...

(excerpt from Unleashing the Lion)

doulos ek Christos