It is no secret that churches have split over some of the silliest things. I heard one story where a church divided into two after a debate over whether or not installing a lightening rod displayed a lack of faith in the providential protection of God.

I’m sure volumes could written on stories similar to that one.

It is apparent when such trivial matters become so-called justified points of division among disciples of Christ that the church has failed to keep the most repeated and reiterated commandment of the Bible which is to love one another as ourselves.

We’re all sinners

But there is nothing more important than truth, right? We must defend the truth, no matter what the cost, right?

There in lies the problem. If we feel authorized to make such judgments of others, we must first assume without hesitation or question that we what we believe in all points is the truth. There is a fine line between boldness and pride.

When controversy struck the Galatian churches after false doctrine was taught among them, Paul said, “If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).

Even with such a weighty matter as a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Bible instructs us to gently restore those deceived by it. Yet, some are guilty of casting out their brethren over the installation of lightening rods on their houses.

Paul also wrote, “In nothing shall I be ashamed, but that with all boldness, Christ shall be magnified in my body” (Phil. 1:20). Our boldness in Christ is commendable. But if we have no love or compassion, we cannot say that Christ is magnified in us.

I am quite confident in the things I believe and I will often speak them with boldness. But I must also readily confess that I am a sinner with less than perfect understanding. After all, what reason do I have to believe in Christ the Savior if that was not the case?

Finding the balance

The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). She is the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14). At the same time, there is none that is righteous (Rom. 3:10). We all see through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12).

In matters of judgment, we must lightly tread. First, we have no place at all to judge the world (1 Cor. 5:13). Second, we are commanded to put on the bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering (Col. 3:12-13).

We are commanded to forbear one another and forgive as Christ forgave us (Col. 3:14). Above all, we need charity (or love) which is the very bond of perfectness (Col. 3:15).

That is not to say we can or should overlook every transgression and disagreement among us in the church. When writing to the Corinthians, Paul was upset with the church for not removing the moral decay from among them by removing the guilty (1 Cor. 5).

Perhaps we have not always made the helpful distinction between someone doing the wrong thing, someone doing the right thing in the wrong way, and someone simply failing to do the right thing.

Circumstances are different

With those formerly faithful disciples who stray into immorality and sin, we have a responsibility to deal with them. We begin by lovingly guiding them. Paul said, “Warn the unruly” (1 Thess. 5:14). Despite the negative connotation, he meant gently caution them.

If they are committing blatant sin and do so unrepentantly over time, there does comes a point when they must be removed (1 Cor. 5:4-8). But even then, we should still perceive that person to be a brother and not our enemy (2 Thess. 3:14-15).

However, other matters are not so clear. Some will violate scripture without committing such an obvious moral offense. Think of Peter who refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet (John 13:8). His heart was in the right place, but he was denying the will of the Lord.

When some of the members of the Roman church insisted on keeping parts of the old law by abstaining from certain meats and observing certain holy days, Paul told the others, “Let us follow after the things which make for peace” (Rom. 14:19).

Sometimes people strive to do the right thing in the wrong ways or they do the wrong things for the right reasons. Maybe they’ve simply missed a detail in biblical instruction. Maybe they’ve not carefully examined the biblical examples.

Regardless, there is little more we should do with these brethren than encourage them and help guide their understanding. There is no reason to destroy the church’s harmony over these things.

Lastly, we have those who are not guilty of following the works of the flesh, but they are not doing what the Bible would have us to do. Some are tempted to label their actions–or inactions–sinful.

For instance, Jesus instructed the church to wash one another’s feet (John 13:14). However, I’ve known a few that refused to participate in foot-washing for a variety of reasons. Is that truly sinful?

It would be a great mistake to categorize these individuals the same way we would unrepentant sinners. If we choose to judge rather than love in this case, we essentially make ourselves lords over God’s heritage (1 Pet. 5:3).

As Peter instructed pastors to do, it would be better to leave it be and lead them by example. In other words, let them miss out on the blessings of good works while they sit back and watch you receive those blessings. Eventually, they may come around.

Slow to judge

There are times when passing judgment is in order. More times than not, it would seem we are called to compassion, from one sinner to another. In any case, we should not be quick to judge.

In an era of gospel liberty, there is no excuse for the behavior of so many of us in the church today. The way we have divided and condemned one another over so many trivial matters is shameful.

I pray we can learn to show the kindness and forgiveness that Christ has certainly shown us (Eph. 4:32).

As the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ drew to a close, the threat by those wanting to take his life became greater and greater. The Lord’s disciples were well aware of that fact.

John 11 contains the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In the midst of an event which revealed the glory of God and the ability of Christ to give life, a minor subplot is easily missed.

The disciples’ vain fear

Once Jesus learned of Lazarus’ sickly condition, he and his disciples stayed where they were for two days before traveling again to Bethany and the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.

Before they left, the disciples were understandably worried. Just a short time before, they had been near Bethany in Jerusalem when some of the Jews’ attempted to stone Jesus for blasphemy (John 10:31-33). It stands to reason that the Jews might try again.

The disciples questioned Jesus and asked, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” (John 11:8)

It is in the response of Jesus that we see the lesson contained within the more obvious lesson of John 11.

The Lord’s reassuring parable

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not, because he sees the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him” (John 11:9-10).

This is a brief parable which teaches something greater. With parables, the story itself is easy to understand. It is the meaning or application of the story which can be difficult.

In this parable, the story is simple. It merely describes the relative ease of walking in the daytime as opposed to walking in the dark of night when there is no light to see where you’re going.

As for the parable’s application, we can safely assume it has something to do with the context of the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In other words, it’s a parable about life and death.

I’ve heard these words of Christ used in relation to spiritual life and death. I suppose that’s possible as the Bible contains many parallel teachings between the natural and the spiritual. However, I’m prone to believe this relates specifically to natural life and death.

The disciples feared that the life of Jesus would be cut short by the Jews as though wicked men had such power over Christ. But as he reminded his disciples before, his time had not yet come (John 7:6-8). He knew he would be led as a lamb to the slaughter, but it would not happen until his foreknown and predetermined time.

Perhaps the same could be said for any person. God knows when we will die and it will not happen a second before or after that time. Some would not agree with that because it seems dangerously close to what is called fatalism. That’s a debate for another day, but the point remains that God knows when we’ll die and we don’t.

Regardless, Christ knew when he would die and that was made obvious by his words just before his capture (Matt. 26:45-46). It stands to reason that Christ knew when he would die.

In John 11, Jesus knew it was not his time to be crucified. He did not fear the Jews in Judea in the way his disciples did. According to his parable, there was still light in the day. 

The disciples’ growing faith

Jesus gave his disciples time to reflect on his words before telling them that Lazarus had died though he would not stay that way for long. He then said, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent you may believe” (John 11:15).

What did Jesus mean by that? Wasn’t the belief of his disciples already apparent? Weren’t they already following him?

The faith of the apostles may have been stronger than most in Israel, but it was not without room to grow. Perhaps this concept can be seen most vividly in the life of Peter.

The night before the Lord’s crucifixion, Peter vowed to follow Christ even to death (John 13:37). But only few hours later, Peter found himself denying his relationship with Jesus (Matt. 26:69-75). 

Jesus had told Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). In other words, Peter still had some growing to do before he could fully accomplish what the Lord had called him to do.

In John 11, Jesus waited for Lazarus to die so that his disciples could see his glory and his power when he raised Lazarus from the dead. He wanted their belief to be strengthened.

The love of Thomas

It was then that Thomas said to the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). In other words, “Let’s go with Jesus to Bethany so that he won’t die alone at the hands of the Jews.” This is the verse you’ve asked me about.

We should immediately recognize how Thomas had missed the point of the Lord’s parable which is not surprising at all. A parable is nothing but a mystery unless its meaning is either explained or revealed to the person who hears it.

Ultimately, we see a lack of faith on the part of Thomas. He failed to believe that Christ had power both to protect them and himself. It further indicates why Jesus wanted them to witness the raising of Lazarus from the grave. They needed to see his power over death.

However, we should not be too quick to judge Thomas for his unbelief. While his lack of faith is apparent, his tremendous love for Christ is also expressed in what he said.

He loved Jesus so much that, even though it seemed foolish to the disciples, he was willing to follow Jesus to their deaths. He even encouraged the others to go with them and die.

Before we knock his faith, perhaps we should consider ourselves and whether we can match his love. Like Peter, his words proved to be somewhat vain in that he scattered with the rest when Jesus was captured, but his intentions were good.

Would we be willing to die for Christ? I’m afraid that too many of us aren’t even willing to live for Christ.

If you have your own Bible question, I’d love to try and answer it. Visit JeremySarber.com/BibleHelp

For the last couple of years, I’ve been subscribed to more than thirty audio sermon feeds or podcasts. At times, I’ve been subscribed to more than fifty. Needless to say, I listen to a lot of sermons from a wide variety of pastors.

Being a pastor myself, I have a tendency to do more than listen to sermons. I usually find myself dissecting them. I try to determine the method of teaching as well as the style used by the pastor.

It’s not always obvious and most of you have probably never given much thought to it. 

4 sermon methods

By the method, I’m talking about the type of teaching employed by the pastor. I have found there are four basic teaching methods.

1) Expository teaching

This is my preferred method. This is where the pastor digs into scripture, line by line, chapter by chapter, through an entire book of the Bible. It’s not accomplished all in one sermon, by the way.

I prefer this method for two reasons. First, it allows the Word of God to dictate the next sermon as opposed to the pastor. Second, it allows the church to see each verse in context of the entire book.

2) Textual teaching

This is my second favorite method. It falls somewhere between expository teaching and the next method which is topical teaching. This is where the pastor builds his sermon on a single verse or passage without studying through the entire book.

This method gives the pastor the freedom to move from place to place in the Bible while still grounding him in that anchor text.

3) Topical teaching

This is probably the most common method. This is where the pastor begins with a thought or subject and builds his case using assorted passages from several places in the Bible.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this method but it should come with warnings. It is often impossible to provide the needed context for each passage read so it has the potential to mislead. 

4) Narrative teaching

This method can just barely be called teaching. This is where the pastor merely tells a story from the Bible as opposed to reading it.

This method may be helpful at times but I would personally discourage it. Like I often tell young people, if you watch a movie about a Bible story, be sure to read it in the Word of God itself to verify the details. Storytellers may have it wrong.

Pastors are to teach

Regardless of the method used by a pastor, it is absolutely imperative that he is teaching and teaching the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). As a matter of fact, a man is not qualified to be a pastor if he is not able to teach the Word of God (1 Tim. 3:2).

Christ told Peter, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Paul told the Ephesian elders, “Feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).

Many people have many ideas about what a pastor’s role is but there is none more important than his responsibility to teach the Bible. I’ve told my own church, if you’re not learning anything from me, there’s a significant problem here.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that I haven’t used the word, preach, at all. It’s a harmless word but it also has the wrong connotations.

Biblically speaking, the word, preach, is used in reference to the gospel being declared primarily to the unconverted. Think of Paul Revere riding through the streets and shouting, “The British are coming.” He was making a declaration to the masses.

John the Baptist preached the coming kingdom of God as did Christ. The apostles, the evangelists, and many other disciples of the early church also preached the gospel as they travelled–often in places where the gospel had never been heard before.

Paul listed four gifts of the ministry in the early church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11-12). You might notice that pastors and teachers are lumped together as their role is one and the same.

Apostles and prophets were made able to speak the unfiltered Word of God. There are no more apostles and prophets because we have the Word of God in its entirety, that is, the Bible.

Evangelists play an increasingly minor role as the so-called great commission given to the early church has been accomplished in large part. The gospel has been carried to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). There is still a place for evangelists or preachers, but most evangelism today happens on a personal level.

That just leaves pastors who are obligated to teach or expound on and explain the Word of God to God’s people. This is slightly different than preaching though there may be some overlap.

Keep in mind, Paul was the only one in the New Testament to refer to himself as a preacher (1 Tim. 2:7).

We typically use preaching and teaching as synonyms. But there is a difference and that difference is more than just a style. 

Maybe we think of preaching as loud, passionate, and emotional while teaching is calm, methodical, and articulate. But these could be styles of either teaching or preaching.

Style does matter

Every pastor has his own style. He may have developed it on his own, adopted it from his father figures in the ministry, or simply began emulating others. A pastor’s teaching style is quite often the cultural standard in his church or his geographical area.

On one hand, style doesn’t matter. If the Word of God is being taught to the church, it hardly makes a difference how it is presented. We may even have our favorite styles, but that should never get in the way of learning. Perhaps the Corinthian church was divided because they deemed style too important (1 Cor. 1:12).

On the other hand, style does matter. I would go as far as to say that pastors should examine their own styles of teaching and tweak it for the sake of the church.

I suspect objections would be raised to that notion. I’ve known of pastors to claim that the presentation doesn’t matter at all because it is the Spirit of God that moves them when they speak. To them I would say, be very careful. You are dangerously close to claiming a gift reserved for only prophets and apostles.

In fact, I’ve known pastors to disregard any study of the Bible for the same reason. In their minds, God will deliver their sermon. No preparation on their part is required. But Paul told the minister, Timothy, to devote himself completely to study (1 Tim. 4:13-16).

Style matters because some styles do not accommodate learning. Some styles make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the church to learn from the teacher.

For instance, I’ve heard pastors who teach with aggression and anger. They scream, pound the lectern, and practically foam at the mouth. You’d think they were warning of hellfire and brimstone, but they could be talking about the compassion of Christ.

It’s a style I don’t understand at all. When we are afforded the opportunity to teach the good news of Jesus Christ, I don’t know how it could generate such harsh tones. I have a really hard time believing they are being led by the Spirit to sound that way.

Some pastors go the other way with their style. Some try to sound overly sensitive and emotional. Some try variations of volume and tone. Some even attempt to emulate Spurgeon by waxing poetic.

All too often, the pastor’s style can actually get in the way for the people who are listening and hoping to learn from him.

I once heard a child ask, “Why don’t preachers talk like normal people?” That’s an astute observation. Why don’t pastors talk like normal people? I think sometimes we try too hard to sound like what we think a pastor should sound like rather than focus on our primary objective which is to teach the Word.

Paul apparently adjusted his style depending on his audience (1 Cor. 9:20-23). He never taught anything but truth. However, he always delivered that truth is a way that could be consumed and digested. He did that, as he said, for the gospel’s sake.

If pastors are to feed the flock, then it is imperative that we do as Paul and give it to them in an easily consumable way.

Historically, the church has always considered divorce to be a very serious matter. It is a serious matter in that it breaks the oldest and the most sacred covenant God has given us.

Unfortunately, there has also been a segment of the church that has taken divorce to its legalistic extreme. They leave little to no room for grace and forgiveness. Some have even twisted scripture to develop their own set of oppressive rules concerning divorce and remarriage–much like the Pharisees once did with the law of Moses.

For instance, I have known some who would never allow a divorced person to be a member of the church. I have known even more who would cut off someone who had been divorced and remarried.

There are three prominent places we can turn to in the Bible in order to understand what our position should be on this subject. I can assure you, there is room for forgiveness in divorce and remarriage.

Matthew 5:31-32

In what we call the sermon on the mount, Jesus laid the groundwork for the gospel. Point by point, he taught us how far short we come of following God’s law. Unless we recognize our own sinfulness, we will not desire the good news that our sins have been removed.

For instance, Jesus said that we may have never committed murder, but we have been angry without cause (Matt. 5:21-22). We may have never committed adultery, but we have looked on others with lust (Matt. 5:27-28). In other words, we’re not as good as we think.

Matthew 5:31-32 follows this pattern. In the minds of most of the Jews living during that time, they felt as though they were keeping the law, despite the high divorce rate, because they did it legally. They were divorcing their wives, but they always gave a reason for it and they always gave an official bill of divorcement.

As Jesus said, that’s not good enough. The Jews’ understanding of marriage was perverse and wrong. In fact, they had been so apathetic about marriage that the Old Testament essentially ended with warnings to Israel that they had better stop divorcing their wives to pursue Gentile women (Neh. 13:23-29).

Jesus said that unless your spouse has committed adultery–and sometimes not even then as reconciliation is the better option–you should not divorce. After all, God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16).

From the beginning, it was designed so that one man and one woman would come together in marriage and stay together until death do them part (Gen. 2:24). But there is the ideal and there is reality. In reality, wicked sinners do not live up to the ideal. In reality, men and women get divorced. As a result, God established rules for divorce.

In Deuteronomy 24:1-4, God acknowledged the apathetic view Israel had taken on marriage and divorce. Since the people were getting divorced left and right, God gave them reason to think twice about it as they could never be married to their first wives ever again. Furthermore, they’d be defiling themselves and their wives.

When Jesus brought this up in Matthew 5, he was directing his comments to the self-righteous people like the Pharisees who truly believed they were doing the right thing because they were following the law of Moses and giving bills of divorcement.

Jesus was reminding them that they were actually committing adultery all over the place. The law of Moses never commanded or even permitted divorce. Rather, it stressed how those seeking divorce are defiling themselves, their wives, and anyone else they marry.

There is only one proper way out of marriage and that is death. Any other way will inevitably be the result of adultery or lead to some form of adultery.

As James wrote, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). If you express anger without a cause, you’re a murderer. If you lust, you’re an adulterer. If you are divorced and remarried, you’re an adulterer.

The point of this is not to lay the groundwork for an overbearing, legalist system where we deny forgiveness to those who have been divorced or even remarried. It is to show us the depth of our spiritual depravity and our need for Christ who fulfilled the law for us.

Matthew 19:3-9

The Pharisees wanted to both discredit Jesus with the people and coax him to his death by the secular rulers. In order to do this, they asked him a question concerning divorce, knowing his anti-divorce position would upset both the Jews and Herod Antipas.

The majority of Jews believed there was nothing wrong with divorce for any cause and Herod, ruler of the region, had previously killed John the Baptist when John spoke out against his marriage to his brother’s wife (Matt. 14:2-10).

They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” That is a somewhat brilliant question. After all, the law did make provision for divorce whenever a man found something he didn’t like about his wife.

Far more brilliant than the question was the Lord’s response. Yes, God did allow divorce in that he permitted people to do it without smiting the guilty. Yes, he even established some rules for divorce. But the ideal never changed. The original principle of marriage remains despite God knowing the reality of this sinful world.

Jesus explained why the law was amended and said it was a response to the hardened hearts of the people. Again, divorce and remarriage was not the Lord’s design nor did he ever condone it except in the case of one partner having an affair.

But as you read what Jesus said, you might get the impression that anyone who gets divorced and remarried will forever live in a state of adultery. According to the perfect law of God, that’s true. Unless death or infidelity ends a marriage, the law of God does not consider it ended (Rom. 7:2-3).

However, the same might be said for a murderer. If a man takes another man’s life, is he not forever a murderer according to the law? If an alcoholic stops drinking, is he not still an alcoholic?

It is for this reason some churches will not permit a divorced or remarried person to join their flock. They perceive that person to be an adulterer.

This raises a good question. How can the divorce or remarried person repent?

Some would say the divorced person cannot repent. Since most know how ridiculous that sounds, others would simply say they are not permitted to remarry.

As for the divorced and remarried person, some would tell them to get divorced. Their logic states that the second marriage is not a marriage at all. Rather, it’s more like an affair. So, divorce in that case would not be a divorce, therefore, God would not hate it.

This is where I believe they’re wrong. Repentance does not require that we undo the sins we’ve done. Instead, we avoid those sins in the future. When an adulterous woman was brought before Christ, he said, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Right or wrong, a marriage is a marriage. To end any marriage with the exception of infidelity is to commit divorce and God does hate it. To better prove this point, let’s examine the teachings on marriage in 1 Corinthians 7.

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

The entire lesson on marriage and divorce in this chapter is summed up rather nicely when Paul wrote, “Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.”

The disciples at Corinth had a lot of questions for Paul about marriage. For many of them, like many of us today, their particular situations were a little messy. Some of them were married, some married to unbelievers, some never married, some widowed, some divorced, and some with spouses seeking divorce.

Paul tells them, regardless of their particular situations, if you are married, you should stay married. If you are divorced or widowed, you should stay unmarried if possible.

This is where someone might interject and remind me that widows are free to marry again. You’d be right. Paul said, “If thou marry, thou hast not sinned.” However, having the liberty or right to do something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s best.

Marriage is a blessing, but it also a distraction. The married person not only has a duty to please the Lord but also his/her spouse. Their attention becomes divided and they can’t serve the Lord as they could if they were still single.

Again we see a glimpse of the Lord’s ideal with provision made for the reality of this world. It is ideal if we get married only once and stay married or simply remain a virgin–someone who has never married. But we do have liberty to get married, remarried, and even divorced if the conditions are right for us to do so.

Paul reiterates the teaching of Jesus by saying those with an adulterous spouse are free to get divorced. He also said those with an unbelieving spouse who wants a divorce are free to get divorced. In neither case is divorce ideal, but it is still permitted.

What about remarriage? The ideal presented in this chapter is that no one get remarried, including the widows. Paul said, “To the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.” In other words, it would be good for them to remain single.

Even so, Paul then said, “But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” It is not ideal that we might have such a consuming desire and lust for the natural satisfaction that a spouse brings, but it is a reality recognized by God.

This statement by Paul prompts an interesting question: Who are the unmarried? They are not the widows and later in the chapter we learn they are not the virgins. That only leaves the divorced persons.

The word, unmarried, is translated from the Greek word, agamos. This chapter is the only place in scripture we find this word used so we must rely on this chapter for context and its definition.

While it could be used in vague reference to anyone not currently married, I believe Paul used it to refer to the divorced. At one point he wrote, “Unto the married…let not the wife depart…but if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband.”

In other words, Paul gave permission to the widows, the virgins, and the divorced to get married or remarried. Again, that is not ideal but he said it would be better if they got married than to allow any burning passions within to lead them to commit some other sin.

But how could the Bible allow the divorced–some who are adulterers by the declaration of Christ–to remarry? The answer is quite simple if we factor in the role of grace and forgiveness in this sinful world.

Keep in mind, Paul was writing to a group of Gentiles who had not very long before come to a state of belief in the gospel and repentance. Some of them were obviously divorced. But the past is not relevant. The present and the future is what matters.

The divorced are forgiven just as any other repentant person. It would be best if they could remain unmarried, but they are allowed to marry again. If they do, they had better stay married.

The remarried are forgiven just as any other repentant person. Divorce is not a means of repentance. It is more sin. The remarried had better stay married and take that sacred covenant more seriously than they had during their first marriage.

In conclusion

Let me wrap this up in a very concise way.

If you get married, stay married.

If you get divorced, stay unmarried if at all possible.

If you get remarried, stay married.

If you are divorced and remarried, you may have committed adultery, but God can forgive you and so should the church.

If you are divorced, repentance means you will not jump quickly into another marriage or, if you do, you will stay married.

If you are remarried, repentance means you will stay married.

As for those on the legalist side of things when it comes to divorce and remarriage, I appreciate your desire to protect the church and to stand up for the sanctity of the marriage covenant. However, you have placed upon some a burden which no one can bear.

You have made it easier for people to find forgiveness after committing murder than after making the mistakes of divorce and remarriage. According to your position, it would have been better for them to have murdered their spouse than to get divorced.

I pray your hearts will soften in the matter and you will begin forgiving and accepting divorced and remarried sinners into your current flock of sinners. I pray you will not disregard this as some liberal doctrine, but rather one of the Lord’s compassion and grace.

If you have your own Bible question, I’d love to try and answer it. Visit JeremySarber.com/BibleHelp

The church of Jesus Christ is a unique organization of people in that no one can qualify for membership until they have proven themselves to be unqualified for membership.

Discipleship can only begin when we recognize our depravity (Matt. 5:3-4). Church membership requires that we accept that reality and strive to repent. Furthermore, we must acknowledge our need for the Savior through the act of baptism (Rom. 6:3-4).

In other words, the church is not only made up of imperfect people, but should only include those who readily confess their imperfection and their need to be saved by Christ.

What are you looking for?

Why then do so many struggle to settle down in a local church body? Instead, they jump from church to church, never finding whatever it is they’re looking for in a church.

Granted, some will settle for anything, never giving much thought to doctrine or practice. Even so, some find themselves in the ditch on the other side of the road which is hardly better.

Why does this happen? What exactly are these folks looking for?

I’ve known quite a few people to reject or even leave a church over the most superficial things. For instance, I’ve known people to leave the church because they didn’t have a youth program. Well, did the early church of the New Testament have a youth program? If not, it’s superficial and doesn’t matter.

In the words of Forrest Gump, that’s all I have to say about that.

But there are others who are only considering the things that really matter and, yet, they still can’t settle on a church. While I commend their desire to pursue truth, they are looking for a perfect church among self-professing imperfect people.

The “true church” misconception

Maybe the problem stems from the idea which I’ve commonly heard said which is that there is a “true church” on this Earth. Perhaps we’ve heard that phrase used and misunderstood its meaning to be a perfect church as opposed to a true church.

Let me explain what I mean in case the concept of the “true church” is completely foreign to you.

I grew up in an environment where this phrase was thrown around a lot. In my youth, I understood it to mean a church which upholds sound doctrine according to the Bible to a reasonable degree. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed in my adult life that some use the phrase and imply a bit more than that.

For instance, I have seen lists where pastors have declared that the true church believes in doctrines A, B, and C. Of course, the implication is that any church that doesn’t believe in those doctrines–at least in the same way–is not a true church. If they’re not a true church, what does that make them but a false church?

As a side note, it’s interesting to me how these lists are created. Let’s say the Bible teaches doctrines A through Z. Inevitably, the articles of faith or doctrinal creed of a church will only cover a small handful of those biblical teachings. Yet, those are the doctrines to qualify a true church versus a false one.

But why those in particular?

I’m in favor of a church establishing what she believes, but I’m hesitant to call a body of genuine, professing believers in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ a false church. 

There are practical reasons for the denominational divisions among us. Even so, I don’t have the audacity to label others as false churches while proudly declaring my own to be true.

Rather, I consider other churches to be true churches as well, despite our disagreements in Bible doctrine. However, like the churches of the first century, there are true churches with varying degrees of understanding, maturity, and truth.

There would be nothing wrong with declaring your own church to be a true church except that it gives people the wrong idea. First, it can be offensive to potential converts. Second, it gives people the idea there is such a thing as a perfect church.

Ordinarily, that is not what is meant by the phrase, but that is what is implied by it. It gives the impression that there is little to no room for error. Hence, people come away with the idea that there is a perfect church–or at least one close to it.

To add another side note, I can’t help but notice that there is never a doctrinal creed which includes some of the most fundamental attributes of the Christian church. For instance, love and compassion is the glue that holds the church together (Col. 3:12-15). Yet, never is this mentioned in an articles of faith.

Sound doctrine, not perfection

With that said, I cannot overemphasize the importance of sound doctrine. It should be a vital consideration of anyone looking for a church. The goal, of course, being that you find a church which believes and practices that which is closest to Bible truth.

But to think you will find a perfect church, apart from the assembly of God’s people in heaven, is nothing but a vain notion. It is not only a vain endeavor, it’s an arrogant one.

Some people get so critical of the churches they visit that they overlook the origin of their standard. To think you could find a perfect church is to say you believe yourself to have perfect understanding and insight. If you could identify perfection in a church, you are essentially claiming to be perfect yourself.

This goes back to the point I made before. There is no such thing as a perfect church. We all see through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12). We all have limited understanding.

I don’t mean to offend anyone. I’m just afraid that some of God’s people are missing out on the many blessings that come with being a part of the Lord’s church–as imperfect as it may be.

This has been a popular question to ask. It’s one that continues to confuse many in the church today. Some think we should observe the Sabbath as they did in the Old Testament. Even more think that Sunday has become the new Sabbath to be observed.

In order to answer this question, we have to consider the origin of the Sabbath, the purpose of the Sabbath, and the place of the Sabbath under the new covenant of grace in Jesus Christ.

The origin of the Sabbath

The origin of the Sabbath can be found in Genesis when God, after having spent six days creating the Earth and all that is in it, rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2).

Of course, God did not need the rest as though he was tired. It was a day he sanctified as a time to look back over his perfect creation (Gen. 2:3). It was a sort of memorial to his creation.

In those days, the world was perfect and without sin. As a matter of fact, we do not read of God leaving his rest until after Adam sinned and God made for them clothes of skin (Gen. 3:21).

The purpose of the Sabbath

The purpose of the Sabbath, like the purpose of man, was lost after sin entered the world. As a result, when God issued his law to Israel, observance of the Sabbath was restored and defined.

God said, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work…For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth…and rested the seventh day” (Ex. 20:8-11).

When the world was still perfect, this commandment was not necessary. After sin was in the world, man needed the law to observe this day of rest to remember the God of creation.

However, this commandment found within what we call the “ten commandments” is not like the others. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a part of the moral law like the other nine.

The Sabbath was a sign

God later said, “My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you” (Ex. 31:13).

In the Old Testament, God instituted certain ceremonial practices which were to be signs of the covenant between him and the people of Israel. Circumcision is one example. Circumcision was a physical sign demanded of the men of Israel in order to sanctify or separate them from all other men in the world.

Observance of the Sabbath required violators to be cut off from among the people (Ex. 31:14). The Sabbath was still a day set aside to remember the God of creation but it also served as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel. Failing to keep the Sabbath excluded a person from that covenant relationship.

Like the sign of circumcision, keeping the Sabbath was a ceremonial practice which pointed to greater things to come.

The Sabbath fulfilled

Mankind was able to rest when the world was without sin. After sin, God instructed man to take a day of rest as a sign. 

One of the extraordinary rewards offered by Christ throughout his ministry was rest (Matt. 11:28). He offered rest because he came to restore rest to God’s people. We had rest before sin and we have rest again after Christ purged our sins.

Hebrews, a letter written to Jews, touched on this issue when the writer said, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it…For unto us was the gospel preached…For we which have believed do enter into rest” (Heb. 4:1-3).

In other words, true rest can only be found where sin does not exist. That was once this Earth. Now, it is heaven which Christ opened up to those saved by his sacrifice on the cross. That is why the New Testament shifts from an observance of the Sabbath day to a focus on the salvation secured by Jesus Christ.

The Sabbath in the New Testament

As you might expect, many Jews struggled with the end of their ceremonial practices–keeping the Sabbath being one of them.

Paul wrote, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body of Christ” (Col. 2:16-17).

Paul wrote the same things to the Roman church. He told them, “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike” (Rom. 14:5). In that chapter, Paul addressed both holy days and the dietary laws of the Old Testament. In both cases, he confirmed the observance of those laws is no longer required.

In short, there is no more Sabbath just as there are no more sacrifices, no more circumcision, no more temple, and no more Passover and various other feasts and festivals.

Of the ten commandments mentioned before, nine of them are repeated–often multiple times–in the New Testament. Keeping the Sabbath is not mentioned once nor any other day that is to be treated like the Sabbath. Rather, it is implied that every day is a day to be devoted to the Lord (Rom. 14:8).

The significance of Sunday

As for Sunday, it is not the new Sabbath. It is a special day but not a day of ceremonial observance like the Sabbath before.

Sunday is significant in the New Testament because it is the day that Christ rose from the dead. It is the day he first appeared alive after his death (Luke 24:1-6). He not only appeared to many on that day, he also preached and shared the Lord’s supper with a couple of men as they traveled to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-31).

On the day of Pentecost, the fulfillment of prophecies continued as the disciples experienced the baptism of Christ by the Spirit of God (Acts 2:1-4). That was essentially the birth of the church as we know it and it happened on Sunday.

In roughly 54 AD, Paul preached and broke bread with the Christian disciples in Troas on Sunday (Acts 20:7). A few years later, Paul wrote to the Corinthians and implied that they met together on Sundays (1 Cor. 16:2).

Another forty years later, John had his great revelation on what he called the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:10). He gave it that title because believers no longer thought of Sunday as Sunday. They saw too much significance in it and began calling it the Lord’s day.

It is a special day but not one to be confused with the Sabbath of the Old Testament. The Sabbath day has been fulfilled. 

Even so, the New Testament gives us the Lord’s day–by example, not commandment–as a day to worship and to fellowship. The writer of Hebrews implored us to assemble ourselves together and so much more as we see the day approaching–that is, the day of the Lord’s return (Heb. 10:25).

I cannot say it is against the commandment of God to work or even play on Sunday. Remember, we live in a time of grace and liberty. But I can say there is no better use of our time on the Lord’s day than to meet together with the church to praise the God of creation and salvation.

If you have your own Bible question, I’d love to try and answer it. Visit JeremySarber.com/BibleHelp

Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. (Eccl. 4:6)

This passage is not difficult to understand. There are two lives we can live. We can live one of simplicity and quietness with greater spiritual rewards or we can live one of complexity and noise with perhaps more natural rewards. Though Solomon also pointed out that the latter choice brings us trouble as well.

I once heard a comedian remark on the invention of safety helmets. He noticed that mankind had a strange way of responding to the potentially head-cracking activities we found ourselves doing. Rather than quit participating in those head-cracking activities, we developed safety helmets.

In my opinion, his comments were quite insightful and make an apt comparison to what we see all around us.

Natural versus spiritual

We live in a time when our lives should be relatively easy. We have created such marvelous inventions of technology and convenience that make us able to get places faster, do our jobs with greater ease, and should leave us with far more time on our hands.

However, we find ourselves busier than ever. So much so, in fact, we are consumed with stress and we struggle to find time for the things we deem most important like family or church.

One major theme of the Bible is the contrast between the natural and the spiritual. There are earthly kingdoms and there is a heavenly kingdom. There is the flesh and there is the Spirit.

If we are to learn anything from this contrast, it is that we should strive to be spiritually minded (Rom. 8:6). In other words, we need to look past what the eye can see. We need to become far less focused on our jobs, our chores, our appointments, our material possessions, and every other thing that distracts us.

But how can this be accomplished?

Pursuing quietness

I believe we can begin by pursuing, as Solomon said, quietness. Unfortunately, we hardly know what that means anymore. Even when we make for ourselves what we call “quiet time,” often there is a smartphone or iPad to accompany us. 

Jesus often sought seclusion. His public ministry did not begin until he had spent time alone in the wilderness for an entire forty days (Matt. 4:1-11). He once told his apostles, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31). Before his crucifixion, he isolated himself to pray (Matt. 26:36).

The type of quietness we need has two components. First, we need to stop what we’re doing. Job was told to stand still (Job 37:14). Second, we need rest. Solomon said, “For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity” (Eccl. 2:23).

It would ideal if we simply had less things in life to distract us. But at the very least we need to set aside those things long enough to experience quietness. God designed the week to have one day of rest. Perhaps we should make time for quietness, at least that often, if not for a little of it each day.

Keep in mind, your time is not going to free itself. Paul commanded that we redeem the time or take it back (Eph. 5:16). If it’s helpful to add quiet time to your schedule, then by all means.

What quietness looks like

But what should do we do during this period of quietness? Well, we could do nothing at all. We could pray as Christ did. We could simply meditate on the things we’ve learned from God’s Word.

Frankly, we just need breaks from the grueling carnality of life. Just as the body needs rest, so does the mind and soul. But some of the same technologies designed to bring us ease and convenience have robbed us of the tranquility we should be experiencing from day to day.

Playing games or browsing Facebook on the computer is not the quietness we need. Watching television or listening to music doesn’t get us there either. We need genuine silence.

Recently, I’ve made more of an effort to take a twenty-minute nap every afternoon. My mind doesn’t always welcome the rest, but my body sure does. On the other hand, I spend as much time or more every evening taking a walk in the dark of night.

Before I go to bed, I like to take a stroll under the stars. There’s no one around and very little noise. It feels like there’s no one in the world but me and God. I think about the day. I think about the things I’ve studied in the Bible. Often, I spend the time praying.

You might want to make time for quietness in the morning or some other time of day. You might spend it inside or out. It really doesn’t matter so long as we do experience the quietness.

What is heaven but an absence of the vanity of this world? If we have any desire to touch heaven in this life or to know Christ better, we have to find a way to free ourselves from the noise and the distractions around us. We have to find quietness.

God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16). Nowhere is God’s position on divorce stated more clearly than by the prophet Malachi.

After Israel’s captivity in Babylon, the men of Israel as well as the Levitical priests had begun marrying Gentile women (Neh. 13:23-29). But that was only a small part of the problem. The greater tragedy was that they were divorcing their Jewish wives to do it.

Though Israel had finally learned through the judgment of God to abstain from idolatry, they were still breaking one of the most sacred covenants to ever exist–the covenant of marriage.

The design of marriage

Before there was organized religion or even a civil government, God gave the world marriage to be the very foundation of society. When Adam was created, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18).

From the rib of Adam, God created a woman. It was said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).

The design of marriage is quite simply in nature. One man and one woman come together for their mutual benefit, create a new family, and vow to indefinitely love and support one another.

Marriage is a marvelous gift from God to humanity. I’ve only been married a short time so I’m often asked, “Has the transition to married life been difficult?” My answer is, absolutely not. Life has gotten tremendously easier.

Marriage is only difficult when one or both partners involved become carnally minded and self-centered.

A bill of divorcement

When Christ walked this earth, the Jews had been accepting of divorce for more than 400 years. That is what led the Pharisees to ask Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” (Matt. 19:3)

Jesus was quick to express the original design of marriage. In fact, he included a bold statement by saying, “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6). That confirms that marriage is not some man-ordained institution. When a husband and wife are married, it is a covenant sealed by God.

The Pharisees then asked, “Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?” (Matt. 19:7)

In their minds, Moses requiring an official, legal divorce meant divorce was acceptable. But that wasn’t in the law. The law stated that if a man was to divorce his wife–never was anyone commanded to get a divorce–then he must give reason for it and make it legal (Deut. 24:1-4).

That law was given, not to permit divorce, but to prevent it. It was given to protect women. It was given to encourage men with their hardened hearts to think twice about divorce as they could never be married to their first wives ever again.

Breaking a sacred covenant

The beauty and significance of the marriage covenant is a picture painted all throughout scripture. From the institution of marriage in Genesis to the return of Christ when Jesus takes his bride home in Revelation, we see the importance of marriage.

When the people of Israel committed idolatry, God accused them of committing adultery (Eze. 23:37). In the New Testament, husbands are told to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it (Eph. 5:25).

Marriage between a man and a woman has been designed to mirror the relationship between God and his covenant people. In the Old Testament, divorce meant severe judgment against Israel. A divorce between Christ and his bride would be even worse–not that a divorce in that case is even possible.

It is beyond me how a professing believer in the church today would even consider divorce. Imagine the implications if Christ said to us, “I want a divorce.”

Yet, divorce is a practice not foreign to the church. According to the Barna Group, believers match the statistics of unbelievers at a 33 percent divorce rate among adults who have been married.

Divorce and forgiveness

What does the Bible say about our social acceptance of divorce? The answer is simple: God hates divorce. I believe that’s true even in cases where God has permitted divorce such as cases of adultery (Matt. 19:9). When God “divorced” Israel in the Old Testament, it was justified but far from pleasing to God.

Of course, that’s not to say the divorced person can never find forgiveness. First, when Jesus died for our sins, he died for all of our sins which included divorce (Col. 2:13). Second, admitting we have sinned and repenting from those sins will surely bring us practical forgiveness in this life (1 John 1:9).

Some have suggested it’s not possible to repent in the case of divorce unless the person reconciles with his/her spouse. I disagree with that. Reconciliation is ideal but not always possible. Many sins cannot be undone. In those cases, repentance requires we renew our minds and never commit that sin again (John 8:11).

I don’t expect the world to embrace the sanctity of marriage. But there is no excuse for Christians who accept the same ungodly views promoted by today’s culture. Divorce is an insult to the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for our sakes.

If you have been divorced but feel the same way about it, I pray you have also felt the forgiveness God has surely provided you.

If you have your own Bible question, I’d love to try and answer it. Visit JeremySarber.com/BibleHelp

I doubt that I’ve ever met a Christian person who has never been worried or concerned about their own salvation. We’ve likely all had moments when we’ve questioned, “Am I truly saved?”

But the gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to be liberating and not a burden. Uncertainty is normal, but the greater understanding we have of scripture, the greater assurance we will have concerning our salvation. In fact, God wants us to have assurance.

Depriving us of assurance

It has always been the tactic of heretics and false teachers to make great efforts to limit people’s knowledge of the Word of God. That was once the role the Pharisees and scribes played when Jesus said to them, “Woe unto you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge” (Luke 11:52).

In the 1500s, many Christian disciples defected from the Roman Catholic church after the Bible was made available in a language they could actually read. Only after reading God’s Word did they have reason to escape the Catholic church and be equipped to refute its unbiblical doctrines and practices.

Throughout history, each group to deny people access to the Bible and the knowledge it contains have had their own reasons. It would seem self-preservation of an ungodly and manmade system tops the list. Often, they sought to destroy assurance of salvation.

In retaliation of the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Council of Trent declared, “It is not to be said, that sins are forgiven, or have been forgiven, to any one who boasts of his confidence and certainty of the remission of his sins…seeing that no one can know with a certainty of faith that he has obtained the grace of God.”

But what advantage is there in keeping people in fear that they might not be saved? Well, it discourages them from leaving the church along with their wallets. If people know the Word of God, they learn of assurance. If they learn of assurance, the corrupt, religious institutions of these wicked men collapse.

Guide to obtaining assurance

In his second epistle, Peter wrote to them that have obtained like precious faith with us (2 Pet. 1:1). Faith–not faithfulness–is something given to us only by the grace of God (Rom. 12:3). It is only after we’ve been given that faith can we become faithful and do the good works we’ve been called to do (Eph. 2:8-10).

In other words, Peter was writing to those who were already saved. They already had faith by the Spirit of God. They were already purged from their old sins (2 Pet. 1:9).

In that chapter, Peter gave us a 7-step guide to obtaining, not salvation, but an assurance of salvation as well as a more abundant entrance into God’s kingdom (2 Pet. 1:10-11).

He wrote, “Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity” (2 Pet. 1:5-8).

If these things be in us, we’ll be able to confirm within ourselves that we have been called and elected by God (2 Pet. 1:10).

Seven steps to assurance

These seven steps are to be done with diligence (2 Pet. 1:8). Diligence has two separate but equally important components: Persistence and carefulness. For instance, Paul applauded the diligence of the Corinthians in removing the sin that was among them (2 Cor. 7:9-11). It was handled quickly but carefully.

Step #1: Virtue

Virtue is holding our thoughts, words, and actions to a high moral standard. We are to identify who we want to become by recognizing Christ and the Word as our standard to live by.

Step #2: Knowledge

Knowledge is our understanding or comprehension. The only way to grow in knowledge is by spending as much time in and attention on the Word of God as possible.

Step #3: Temperance

Temperance is where we apply our knowledge. It means self-control or discipline. We know what we want to become, so now we identify our natural tendencies and avoid those things.

Step #4: Patience

It’s hard enough to maintain self-control in general, but patience requires we have self-control even when our emotions are raging or we’re faced with opposition or trials in life.

Step #5: Godliness

After we have learned what we should become through virtue and knowledge and have learned what to avoid through temperance and patience, we have to put it all into practice through godliness.

Step #6: Brotherly kindness

We can’t do it alone. The first recipients of our love beyond the Lord himself should be our brethren in Christ. Brotherly kindness is love directed toward those with that common bond.

Step #7: Charity

The final step is to foster an even greater, sacrificial love toward our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as everyone else. 

Again, if we add these things to our faith and do them with diligence, we will find assurance of our salvation. It may seem unconventional, but what about the wisdom of God is conventional?

We are living in an era when the news media is consumed by stories of war, terrorism, and bloodshed. If not violence abroad, it’s violence at home. If it’s not violence, it’s stories of scandal, immorality, deception, lewdness, and a variety of evil.

Perhaps some would lead us to believe the world is moving toward a utopian society of peace and harmony. But we can plainly see that’s not true. In fact, the Bible predicted something different.

Living in the last days

Since the time Christ left this earth, the world has gotten worse and worse. While every student of the Bible understands how doom and gloom has been prophesied, most continue to believe these fateful events are coming someday rather than recognizing the reality of these things in present day.

For instant, when do you suppose antichrists will occupy the earth and wreak havoc on the minds of many? If you believe they will not come until later, you have missed what scripture tells us.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, John wrote, “Little children, it is the last time: and ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that is the last time” (1 John 2:18). 

We’re not living in some strange period of history where we wait for the next big thing to happen before the prophesies of the New Testament become relevant to us. They are relevant to us in that they speak of the time between the ascension and the second coming of Jesus Christ. We’re living in the last days.

It gets worse and worse

When Jesus preached his first full discourse during his earthly ministry, he warned of false teachers and prophets. He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15).

Paul told Timothy, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). 

In what is believed to be Paul’s first letter written–at least of those canonized–Paul dealt with the issue of false teachers corrupting the gospel among the churches of Galatia. He said to them, “There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:7). He went on to say, “Let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:9).

If antichrists, false teachers, and deceivers were a problem during the first century, imagine how much greater the problem is today knowing that seducers shall wax worse and worse.

False Christs and deceivers

During one visit to the temple, Jesus told his disciples, “See ye not all these [buildings]? There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:11). 

That prediction of the temple’s destruction prompted the disciples to ask, “Tell us, when shall these things be? What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt. 24:3).

Keep in mind, the destruction of the temple took place in 70 AD. What the Lord described in Matthew 24 was the near future and not some obscure time period that we’re still waiting to come.

Jesus told his disciples, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5). He then described wars, famine, disease, and natural catastrophes. He told his disciples of the coming persecution against them.

Once again, he warned, “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:11). Later he said, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24). 

By the way, the very elect in that passage does not refer to an elite class of God’s people. Rather, it means even the elect.

At the heart of this worldwide deception, we find the devil (Rev. 12:9). That’s not surprising since the devil is the father of lies and has been a liar from the beginning (John 8:44).

Prone to believe deceptions 

Our very nature disposes us to believe the lies of the devil. We are shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin (Ps. 51:5). There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God (Rom. 3:9-10).

Even after we are born of the Spirit and made able to believe the truth, the vast majority of people will not stay grounded in that truth. In the parable of the sower, Jesus said only one out of the four groups described will stay rooted (Matt. 13:3-9). Another time, he said few would walk the path of life (Matt. 7:14).

Jesus told his disciples, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matt. 24:4). Paul told Timothy, “Continue thou in the things which thou has learned and has been assured of” (2 Tim. 3:14).

These instructions were given to very faithful men, grounded in the truth, because every one of us is susceptible to deception. 

Even the great apostle Paul said, “I keep my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Cor. 9:27).

In short, we’re naturally inclined to believe the deceptions. That’s the first part of how the devil will deceive us.

Our defense against deception

The second part comes through the teachings of men. As you’ve seen in the passages I’ve already given–and there are many more like them–there are wicked people who oppose Christ and strive to subvert our faith by teaching things contrary to God’s Word.

Some false teachings are religious in nature while others come to us in the form of philosophy, ethics, psychology, or science. Some false teachings are taught by heretics and others by ignorant men and women who simply do not see the fallacies they teach.

There is one clear defense against deception and that is the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We have to study it, understand it, and keep it locked away in our hearts. We have to use it to renew our minds daily (Rom. 12:2).

If you have your own Bible question, I’d love to try and answer it. Visit JeremySarber.com/BibleHelp