Week of 2 Pentecost - Odd
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Podcast Download: Week of 2 Pentecost - Odd
Sunday 2 Pentecost - Odd
First posted 05/28/05;
Podcast: Sunday 2 Pentecost - Odd
Deuteronomy 4:1-9 - Moses’ Appeal for Obedience;
Revelation 7:1-4, 9-17 - Sealing the Servants of God;
Matthew 12:33-45 - The Sign of Jonah;
Deuteronomy Summary:
Moses warned the people of God to heed (hear, remember and obey) God’s Word. Israel must apply God’s Word daily in their lives to receive the fulfillment of God’s promise of long life in the Promised Land. They were admonished to keep God’s Word faithfully and accurately, neither adding to it nor taking away from it. Obedience to God’s Word is the requirement for life in the Promised Land. God’s people are to remember what happened to those who disobey God’s Word, and the punishment and death of the disobedient at Baal-peor is just one example (Numbers 25:1-9).
Moses had faithfully taught God's people God’s Word. It was the responsibility of Israel to keep God’s Word, to demonstrate to the native people of Canaan (the land of Israel) that God’s Word is wisdom, and that those who obey him are wise. God’s people were to honor and glorify the Lord by living in obedience and demonstrating God’s power, love and faithfulness. The people and the nation were to be examples of righteousness and justice in living according to God’s Word. Moses warned God’s people to be careful not to forget God’s Word, and to diligently teach their children to know and obey God’s Word.
Revelation Summary:
John saw a vision of the coming Day of Judgment. In this portion there was an interlude before the opening of the seventh seal (the opening of the seals representing the revealing of God’s unchangeable, previously unknown purpose for the future), to give assurance to God’s people that they would be safe from God’s judgment and punishment. Angels standing at the four corners of the earth, ready to carry out God’s judgment, were told by a fifth angel, bearing God’s seal, not to harm the earth until all the Lord’s servants were sealed upon their foreheads with God’s seal. The number of the servants of God who are protected by his seal was one hundred forty-four thousand (a symbolic rather than literal number; representing completeness; twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel; Revelation 7:5-8).
John saw the vision of a great multitude, beyond counting, from every nation, people, tribe, and language. They were clothed in white robes (symbolizing righteousness) and waving palm branches (symbolizing victory), praising God, the sovereign King of Creation, and the Lamb (Jesus Christ, who served as the sacrificial Lamb of the Passover, for the forgiveness of sins).
Around the throne of God, with Jesus standing by it, were thrones for the twenty-four elders, and the four living creatures symbolizing all created beings (man and animals). The angels surrounded them, along with the vast multitude of people in white robes, and they knelt down and worshiped God, with a seven-fold praise of eternal blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might (seven is symbolic of perfection; completeness; see also Revelation 4:1-11).
One of the elders asked John who he thought the people in white robes were, and John deferred to the elder. The elder told John that the people robed in white were the people who had come out of the great tribulation; they had been purified by the blood of the Lamb (the blood of Jesus, sacrificed on the cross). They serve the Lord day and night and the Lord shelters them in his presence. This is a vision of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 49:10, and Psalm 121:6 that the Lord will care for and provide eternally for his people and will protect them from any need or trouble. The one who was their sacrificial Lamb has become their shepherd who will eternally provide for and comfort them.
Matthew Summary:
Jesus said that in order to produce good fruit one must start with good trees; bad trees inevitably produce bad fruit. Jesus called the crowds, particularly the Pharisees and scribes, who came to hear him, a brood of vipers (poisonous snakes; compare Matthew 3:7). One who speaks (or does) evil demonstrates an evil heart, because the heart of a person motivates what one says (and does). A good person values what is good and produces good according to what he values; the evil person values evil and that’s all he can produce. Jesus warned that on the Day of Judgment each of us will be justified (found not guilty; saved from punishment) or condemned by what each has done, individually, whether good or evil (compare John 5:28-29).
Some of the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign (a miracle proving Jesus’ claim to be doing the will of God), and Jesus replied that it is an evil and (spiritually) adulterous generation who seeks a sign; but no sign will be given, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, so Jesus would be in the tomb and be raised again on the third day.
Commentary:
The people of Nineveh (to whom Jonah was sent) will condemn this generation because the people of Nineveh heeded the prophetic preaching of Jonah and repented and turned to the Lord; Jesus has a greater message than Jonah (and did many great signs which were well known to the Pharisees and scribes) and yet Israel did not repent and turn to the Lord. The Queen of the South (Queen of Sheba) will also condemn this generation because she came seeking the wisdom of Solomon, and Jesus is the embodiment of divine wisdom, but Israel did not acknowledge or accept Jesus’ wisdom.
Jesus warns that a person can be cleansed of evil, but unless he fills the place in his heart that was occupied by evil with what is good (the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of Jesus; Romans 8:9), he will not be able to avoid reverting to his former state, and his final situation will be worse than before (because there is no way to be cleansed again after one has experienced the goodness of the Lord if he then renounces Jesus; Hebrews 6:4-6).
The requirement for life in the Promised Land of God’s eternal kingdom is obedience to God’s Word. God is God, whether we acknowledge him or not, but God cannot allow sin and disobedience to spoil his eternal paradise, the way we’ve spoiled his temporal Creation on earth. This creation which God created was good (Genesis 1:3, 25, 31), a paradise (the Garden of Eden), but God allowed us to have free will to choose whether to obey him or not, and when humans chose to pursue their will contrary to God’s Word, sin was introduced into paradise, and paradise was lost (Genesis 3:1-24).
The things that are wrong and evil in this world are caused, not by God, but by human disobedience (sin). God wants to create an eternal kingdom and paradise for his people who choose to trust and obey him. This life is an opportunity for us to discover that God is good and his Word is good and that obeying him is in our best interest, individually and collectively (see Acts 17:26-27).
The history of God’s dealing with Israel is also meant to be a parable and metaphor for life in this world; it is temporal truth which illustrates spiritual reality. The people and nation of Israel were to know, trust and obey God’s Word, and teach their children to do so also. In a sense, America and the Church are each the “New Israel” (God’s people) and the “New Promised Land.” The kingdom of God begins now, in the Church, as disciples who trust and obey Jesus are “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and begin to live as his people and his kingdom now.
It is those disciples who trust and obey Jesus who receive the promised gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17) and have eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). Are we, in the Church and in America, living examples of God’s righteousness and justice and the truth and goodness of God’s Word? Are we teaching our children to trust and obey Jesus?
John’s vision was of the Day of Judgment. Those who belong to Jesus were marked with the seal of God’s Holy Spirit. Those who were not in Christ were about to receive God’s final judgment and eternal condemnation. Those in white robes have been redeemed from judgment and condemnation by the blood of Jesus Christ, through obedient trust in Jesus. They will enter the Lord’s eternal kingdom where they will worship and serve the Lord, and he will provide, protect, satisfy and comfort them eternally.
Jesus said that in order for us to produce good “fruit” we must be cleansed and filled with the goodness of the Lord through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit. Salvation from eternal destruction and eternal death is by grace (God’s free gift; unmerited favor) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, not “earned” by “good deeds.” We are God’s “good works,” created by God to do “good works” he has prepared for us, as we live in obedient trust according to his will and guidance (Ephesians 2:8-10).
When we’re baptized into Jesus we’re cleansed of all our sin, but in order to stay cleansed we must grow in discipleship in Jesus to spiritual maturity, through his indwelling Holy Spirit. Without that growth we will not be able to maintain our spiritual cleansing. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the guidance, will and strength to continue and grow spiritually in Christ. It is the Holy Spirit within us who opens our minds to understand God’s Word and his will, and who recalls to our minds scriptures to guide and help us grow (but if we have not read the Bible, there’s no scripture in our minds to be recalled). Without the indwelling Holy Spirit there’s no way to produce “good fruit.”
For those who need “proof” in order to believe in Jesus, there is none, because it is God’s will that salvation should depend on faith (obedient trust). But for those who believe in Jesus there is overwhelming abundance of “proof.” There were signs that Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God all around the Pharisees and scribes, but they were not willing to believe the signs. Jesus did fulfill the “sign of Jonah” as he promised, but they still didn’t repent and believe in Jesus.
Humanism declares that mankind is basically good. That’s not what God’s Word says. Humanism, which is basically idolatry of self, compares us to human standards; God compares us to the standard of Jesus Christ. We are all sinners and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). We are all “bad trees” and if left to pursue our own nature and self-interest, we will inevitably produce “bad fruit.”
The only way to produce “good fruit” is to be cleansed inside and filled with the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth. Only by the indwelling Holy Spirit can we produce “good fruit’ for his eternal kingdom and accomplish the “good works” God created us to do.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Monday 2 Pentecost - Odd
First posted 05/29/05;
Podcast: Monday 2 Pentecost - Odd
Deuteronomy 4:9-14 -
Remember to Reverence the Lord;
2 Corinthians 1:1-11 - Thanksgiving to
God;
Luke 14:25-35 - Conditions of Discipleship;
Luke 14:25-35 - Conditions of Discipleship;
Deuteronomy Summary:
Take heed and guard your soul with diligence, so that you do not forget what the Lord has done for his people; pass them on to your children and their children. Remember how at Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) the Lord told Moses to gather the people to hear God’s Word, so that they would learn to fear (honor and respect) the Lord all the days of their earthly lives, and would teach their children to do so also.
In the day of God’s manifestation at Horeb in fire, darkness, cloud and gloom, Israel heard God’s Word but saw no form, hearing only his voice. (God is spirit; Israel is warned not to worship idols which have forms created by the imagination of humans.) God established a covenant with his people, a covenant based on the obligation to obey the Ten Commandments (the Covenant of Law, written on two tablets of stone). At that time God commanded Moses to teach Israel, the people of God, to obey God’s statutes and ordinances, so that they could possess the land which God had promised them.
2 Corinthians Summary:
Paul was an apostle (one sent with a message; a
missionary) of Jesus Christ by the will of God (Acts 9:10-16).
Paul was writing to the church at Corinth (in Achaia, one of two
Roman territories into which Greece was divided, and where Corinth
was located). Paul greeted them in the grace and peace which are
in God alone through Jesus Christ, praising God the Father of
Jesus Christ and the God of consolation and mercy in Christ. God
has mercy on us and consoles us in every affliction so that we may
share his consolation and mercy with others. Those who share in
the sufferings of Christ will share in his consolation also.
Disciples bear Christ’s suffering so that others, when they patiently endure suffering for the gospel, may experience the same consolation the disciples have received, and that is Paul’s fervent hope for the Corinthian Christians. Paul testified to the power and faithfulness of the Lord to deliver him from almost unbearable persecution in Asia (the Roman province in what is now western Turkey).
God allows his disciples to experience affliction so that they will learn that he is faithful and powerful to deliver and console his disciples, so that they grow in faith to be confident in future afflictions. Paul asked the Corinthians to help by praying for Paul, so that others will give thanks to God for God’s blessings to them in answer to prayer.
Luke Summary:
Jesus told the crowds following him that unless a person loves Jesus so much more than he loves even family that his love for others seems like hate in comparison (a deliberate exaggeration to make the point vivid) he could not be a disciple of Jesus. A disciple of Jesus must be willing to carry his own cross (must be willing to suffer personally for discipleship) or he cannot be Jesus’ disciple.
A person planning on building a tower would be wise to consider the cost and whether he can afford it before he begins to build. Similarly, a king facing a battle would be wise to consider whether his forces can prevail over the enemy’s. If not, the king would be well advised to negotiate peace before becoming engaged in battle.
Jesus said that the same principles apply to Christian discipleship. A disciple must be willing to renounce all that he has in this life in order to follow Jesus. Disciples are to be like salt, influencing and changing the world greatly out of proportion to their number and strength. But if disciples cannot be differentiated from the world, they are like salt which has lost its savor. How could they possibly accomplish their intended purpose? They would be totally worthless! Those who are willing to hear spiritual truth should pay attention!
Commentary:
God commanded Moses, the spiritual leader of God’s people, to teach the people to obey God’s Word so that they could receive what God had promised. Until the coming of Jesus Christ, God’s people were under the Covenant of Law (the Old Covenant). Jesus is the promised Messiah who freed us from the Old Covenant of Law and established the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28) of salvation by grace (unmerited favor; free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
Christians are freed from obligation to the Jewish Laws, provided that they are in Christ through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-11). Only Jesus gives the gift of his Holy Spirit only to his disciples who trust and obey him (Luke 3:16; John 14:15-17) The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Jesus came to make it possible for us to fulfill the requirements of the Law not by fear of punishment but in love and gratitude for God’s love, mercy and grace, by the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit. Teaching God’s people that they are saved by God’s grace without obedient trust in Jesus and without the requirement of discipleship is false doctrine, called “Cheap Grace*” (see False Teachings, sidebar,top right, home).
Christians are the “New Israel,” the new people of God. We are to know and remember what God has done for his people through reading God’s Word, the Bible, and by experience by applying God’s Word in our own lives, and by teaching it to our children. It is only through obedience to God’s Word that we can receive God’s promises of the gift of the Holy Spirit, personal fellowship with the Lord, salvation from eternal death, and eternal life in the Promised Land of God’s kingdom in heaven, as well as many other promises.
Paul is the prototype of a modern, “post-resurrection” (not having known Jesus during Jesus’ ministry in the flesh) “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple of Jesus Christ. Paul suffered many dangers and persecutions in his preaching of the Gospel. He taught the Christians in Corinth that disciples must be willing to bear suffering so that they may also share in the comfort, consolation and peace (and joy) which only Jesus can and does provide.
Disciples endure suffering so that others may share in their joy, peace, comfort and the consolation of salvation. The Lord allows his disciples to suffer so that their faith will grow and be strengthened. If we never had any problems we wouldn’t realize that we need the Lord, and as he shows us his power and faithfulness in delivering us from small problems we learn to trust in him in the big problems.
Jesus told the crowds that gathered to him that any one who wants to follow Jesus must be a disciple, and a disciple must be willing to follow Jesus’ teaching and example. Jesus bore suffering to proclaim the Gospel during his earthly ministry, and he suffered and died on the cross for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal death. His disciples can’t expect their proclamation of the Gospel to be any more popular to the people of this world than was Jesus.’ People should realistically consider the cost and requirements of discipleship before they make the commitment.
We live in a very hedonistic, self-indulgent society. No one seems to be willing to do anything if it isn’t “fun.” Some proponents of the “Church Growth” movement (in the nominal, “institutional” church, as opposed to the true Church of Christ’s body) are promoting worship as entertainment and designing programs that will attract “fun-seekers.” That’s not what Jesus taught his disciples. Discipleship isn’t an optional category of “power-Christians.” “Born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ or new believers who are actively being discipled and seeking the gift of the Holy Spirit are the only authentic Christians there are.
Christian discipleship is costly in terms of self-denial, obedience, and endurance, but the rewards are beyond comparison, as Paul, then in prison and awaiting trial as a result of preaching the Gospel, told the Christians in Philippi (Philippians 3:7-10). Although there are costs of discipleship, there are great immediate and eternal rewards, including the joy, love, peace and assurance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The worst thing the world can do to a disciple is to put him to physical death, but the disciple knows that Jesus is alive, having risen from physical death to eternal life, and by the indwelling Holy Spirit he is comforted and assured that he has eternal life with Jesus. What in this present world would be worth death and destruction eternally in hell to possess, briefly, here (Luke 9:25)?
Christians are to be “salt” in the world; they’re to be different and distinguishable from worldly people. They’re to possess a vital element, the gift of the Holy Spirit, through the application of the Gospel, that the world needs in order to experience real life, and they’re to use that element to share it with others.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
*See: The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN
0-02-083850-6
First Posted 05/30/05;
Podcast: Tuesday 2 Pentecost - Odd
Deuteronomy 4:15-24 - Against Image Worship;
2 Corinthians 1:12-22 - Seal and
Guarantee of the Spirit;
Luke 15:1-10 - Parables of the Lost;
Deuteronomy Paraphrase:
When God revealed himself to Israel at Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai), the people heard his voice but saw no form (God is Spirit; John 4:24). Israel is not to make any form or figure to worship as god; not human, animal, or celestial. God has allowed the people of earth to worship images but has brought Israel out of Egypt to be his own people. The Lord was angry with Moses (because when he brought water out of the rock in the wilderness Moses took personal credit, instead of glorifying God; Numbers 20:10-12) and forbade Moses to enter the Promised Land, so Moses was to die in the wilderness before Israel (under the leadership of Joshua) could cross the Jordan and enter Canaan. Moses warned the people not to forget the covenant of the Lord or worship any one or thing other than the Lord, because the Lord has the power to punish and destroy, and will not tolerate idolatry among his people.
2 Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul was proud that he had conducted himself in the world and in the church with holiness and godly sincerity, not relying on worldly wisdom but instead on God’s grace. Paul wrote only what was necessary for the church to understand, so that, in the Day of the Lord their understanding would be complete and they would know the same pride for Paul as Paul had for them.
Paul had hoped to be able to visit the church at Corinth on his way to Macedonia and again on his return. Paul didn’t make plans, like worldly people, according to his whim (but by God’s guidance). Paul wasn’t vacillating (in his promise to visit them) nor is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which Paul and his associates preached wavering or uncertain. God is completely faithful. All of God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. “It is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
Luke Paraphrase:
Pharisees (strict legalistic Jews) and scribes (teachers of Jewish Law; Scripture) criticized Jesus for associating with tax collectors (Jewish collaborators with the Roman government) and sinners who were attracted to Jesus’ preaching. So Jesus told them the parable of the lost sheep. A man had one hundred sheep. Who wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness to seek one sheep that had gone astray? When the man found the lost sheep he would carry it back rejoicing. The man would invite his friends and family to rejoice with him over the recovery of the one lost sheep. Likewise, in heaven there will be more rejoicing over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need to repent.
Another example is of a woman having ten silver coins. If she loses one, won’t she light a lamp and sweep the house thoroughly until she finds it? And when she finds it she will share the good news and her rejoicing with her friends and neighbors.
Commentary:
God is Spirit (the Holy Spirit; Romans 8:9). It has been God’s purpose from the beginning of Creation to establish a kingdom of his people who will trust and obey him. This life is an opportunity for us to seek and find personal knowledge of and fellowship with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, by his indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 17:26-27).
God called Abraham to be the patriarch of God’s people, and Abraham responded to that call in obedient trust. God called Moses to lead God’s people out of the “blast furnace” (Deuteronomy 4:20) of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the Promised Land, but Moses lost the opportunity to lead Israel into the Promised Land or enter himself because he took for himself glory which rightly belonged to God alone. God wants us to find him; he wants to reveal himself to us, but he wants us to trust and obey him above any other thing or person.
Paul (formerly known as Saul of Tarsus) had been zealous to be holy and godly, but until the Lord revealed himself to Paul and confronted him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-20), Paul had no personal knowledge of and fellowship with the Lord. When confronted with his sin and spiritual ignorance (although Paul was well-educated in theology), Paul repented and began to trust and obey the Lord, and as he did so he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul became a disciple of Jesus Christ and learned to rely on God’s grace (the free gift of everything necessary to know and obey God’s will) in Jesus Christ, rather than his human, worldly wisdom.
As a result of his encounter on the road to Damascus, Paul recovered what had been lost within him: fellowship and eternal life with the Lord, and was sharing the good news and his rejoicing with others. Now he was teaching the Church at Corinth what they needed to know to grow in Christian discipleship to spiritual maturity at the Day of the Lord (Jesus’ Second Coming).
It is God’s initiative and gift which establishes us as his people in Christ, and commissions us for his service, and it is the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which is his seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal death and destruction in Hell (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).
Jesus is the revelation of the invisible God in human form (John 1:18; Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus came to seek and save the spiritually lost. All of us are sinners who fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
The Pharisees and scribes thought they were righteous and had no need to repent because they met their own standards of righteousness instead of God’s. They demonstrated that they were not among the Lord’s family or his friends because they did not rejoice in the salvation of sinners.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Wednesday 2 Pentecost - Odd Luke 15:1-10 - Parables of the Lost;
Deuteronomy Paraphrase:
When God revealed himself to Israel at Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai), the people heard his voice but saw no form (God is Spirit; John 4:24). Israel is not to make any form or figure to worship as god; not human, animal, or celestial. God has allowed the people of earth to worship images but has brought Israel out of Egypt to be his own people. The Lord was angry with Moses (because when he brought water out of the rock in the wilderness Moses took personal credit, instead of glorifying God; Numbers 20:10-12) and forbade Moses to enter the Promised Land, so Moses was to die in the wilderness before Israel (under the leadership of Joshua) could cross the Jordan and enter Canaan. Moses warned the people not to forget the covenant of the Lord or worship any one or thing other than the Lord, because the Lord has the power to punish and destroy, and will not tolerate idolatry among his people.
2 Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul was proud that he had conducted himself in the world and in the church with holiness and godly sincerity, not relying on worldly wisdom but instead on God’s grace. Paul wrote only what was necessary for the church to understand, so that, in the Day of the Lord their understanding would be complete and they would know the same pride for Paul as Paul had for them.
Paul had hoped to be able to visit the church at Corinth on his way to Macedonia and again on his return. Paul didn’t make plans, like worldly people, according to his whim (but by God’s guidance). Paul wasn’t vacillating (in his promise to visit them) nor is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which Paul and his associates preached wavering or uncertain. God is completely faithful. All of God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. “It is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
Luke Paraphrase:
Pharisees (strict legalistic Jews) and scribes (teachers of Jewish Law; Scripture) criticized Jesus for associating with tax collectors (Jewish collaborators with the Roman government) and sinners who were attracted to Jesus’ preaching. So Jesus told them the parable of the lost sheep. A man had one hundred sheep. Who wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness to seek one sheep that had gone astray? When the man found the lost sheep he would carry it back rejoicing. The man would invite his friends and family to rejoice with him over the recovery of the one lost sheep. Likewise, in heaven there will be more rejoicing over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need to repent.
Another example is of a woman having ten silver coins. If she loses one, won’t she light a lamp and sweep the house thoroughly until she finds it? And when she finds it she will share the good news and her rejoicing with her friends and neighbors.
Commentary:
God is Spirit (the Holy Spirit; Romans 8:9). It has been God’s purpose from the beginning of Creation to establish a kingdom of his people who will trust and obey him. This life is an opportunity for us to seek and find personal knowledge of and fellowship with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, by his indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 17:26-27).
God called Abraham to be the patriarch of God’s people, and Abraham responded to that call in obedient trust. God called Moses to lead God’s people out of the “blast furnace” (Deuteronomy 4:20) of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the Promised Land, but Moses lost the opportunity to lead Israel into the Promised Land or enter himself because he took for himself glory which rightly belonged to God alone. God wants us to find him; he wants to reveal himself to us, but he wants us to trust and obey him above any other thing or person.
Paul (formerly known as Saul of Tarsus) had been zealous to be holy and godly, but until the Lord revealed himself to Paul and confronted him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-20), Paul had no personal knowledge of and fellowship with the Lord. When confronted with his sin and spiritual ignorance (although Paul was well-educated in theology), Paul repented and began to trust and obey the Lord, and as he did so he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul became a disciple of Jesus Christ and learned to rely on God’s grace (the free gift of everything necessary to know and obey God’s will) in Jesus Christ, rather than his human, worldly wisdom.
As a result of his encounter on the road to Damascus, Paul recovered what had been lost within him: fellowship and eternal life with the Lord, and was sharing the good news and his rejoicing with others. Now he was teaching the Church at Corinth what they needed to know to grow in Christian discipleship to spiritual maturity at the Day of the Lord (Jesus’ Second Coming).
It is God’s initiative and gift which establishes us as his people in Christ, and commissions us for his service, and it is the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which is his seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal death and destruction in Hell (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).
Jesus is the revelation of the invisible God in human form (John 1:18; Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus came to seek and save the spiritually lost. All of us are sinners who fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
The Pharisees and scribes thought they were righteous and had no need to repent because they met their own standards of righteousness instead of God’s. They demonstrated that they were not among the Lord’s family or his friends because they did not rejoice in the salvation of sinners.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
First Posted 05/31/05;
Podcast: Wednesday 2 Pentecost - Odd
Deuteronomy 4:25-31 - Faithful and Merciful God;
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17 - Peddlers of the Word;
Luke 15:1-2, 11-32 - The Prodigal Son;
Deuteronomy Paraphrase:
Moses warned the people of Israel that after they entered the Promised Land and had dwelt there for several generations they would be tempted to turn to other “gods” and disobey God’s Word. If they pursued idolatry and disobedience Moses warned them that they would not remain in the land but would be destroyed and driven from it, and scattered among the nations of the world. There they would be forced to serve idols created by the imagination of humans. But from there, when they sought God with all their heart and soul, they would find God. “When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice, for the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not fail or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers which he swore to them” (Deuteronomy 4:30-31).
2 Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul told the Corinthian Christians that he had refrained from coming to them earlier to spare them from another “painful” visit. It was not that Paul considered himself so much better spiritually than they; Paul’s efforts were for their joy in standing firm in their faith. Paul didn’t want to cause pain to those who were his reason for joy. It was painful for Paul to write a severe letter, but it was done in love for them.
Those in the Corinthian congregation who had caused pain had hurt the Corinthian congregation, and realizing that should be punishment enough. Paul urged the church to forgive and comfort them and reaffirm their love. Paul had written the congregation hoping that their obedience would be confirmed. Paul declared that he had also forgiven the wayward members, and that forgiveness and reconciliation prevent opportunities for Satan to attack and divide the church.
Paul had an opportunity to preach the Gospel in Troas, but Paul was unable to pursue that opportunity because he was worried about Titus (a co-worker), and so Paul went instead to Macedonia. Paul thanked God that in Jesus Christ we are always triumphant (because he has already won the victory at the Cross). Through his disciples he spreads the “incense” of the knowledge of the Lord everywhere.
We are the offering of incense of Christ to God among the lost and saved of this world. Christ is the fragrance of life to those who are being saved and transformed from physical life to eternal life, but the smell of death to those who are perishing, moving from physical death to eternal death. Paul recognized his human inadequacy for this ministry. “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s Word; but as men (people) of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:17).
Luke Paraphrase:
The Pharisees (strict, legalistic Jews) and scribes (teachers of Jewish law) criticized Jesus for associating with tax collectors (Jewish collaborators with the Roman government) and sinners. Jesus answered with the parable (a story which uses common human experiences to convey spiritual truth) of the prodigal son. A man had two sons, and the younger son asked his father to give him his portion of the inheritance. The father divided his inheritance between the two sons, and within a few days the younger son took his possessions and went to another country, where he spent his inheritance in loose living.
When his inheritance was spent, the country had a great famine, and the young son began to experience hunger and want. He became the servant of a hog farmer (the ultimate degradation and humiliation to a Jew), and would have been happy to eat the pods which he was given to feed the pigs, but he wasn’t allowed to eat them.
The young son began to remember how in his father’s house even the servants had plenty to eat, while here the son was starving with hunger. He decided to return to his father’s house to repent of his sin and become one of his father’s servants, since he felt no longer worthy to be his son. But the father saw him coming and ran and embraced and welcomed his son. He gave the young son the best robe and a signet ring (symbolizing authority) and prepared a feast to celebrate his son’s return.
The older son had been in the field (working) and when he returned home he heard the music and rejoicing, and asked one of the servants the reason for the celebration. The servants told him that his younger brother had returned and his father had made a great feast. But the older son was angry and refused to join the celebration.
His father came out to beg him to come in, but the oldest son criticized his father for rewarding the younger son who had been unfaithful and had squandered his inheritance in debauchery, while never rewarding the older son who had always been faithful and obedient. The father told his older son that he would always be with him and would possess all of his father’s estate, but it is right to celebrate over the return of one who was dead but has been restored to life; the one who was lost and has been found.
Commentary:
The history of God’s dealing with Israel is also a parable, a metaphor, for life in this world. God warned Israel through Moses that if they yielded to the temptation of disobedience and idolatry that they would be driven from their land and scattered throughout the nations of the world. God also promised that from that exile and tribulation, if they repented and returned to obedient trust in the Lord, the Lord would forgive and restore them and fulfill his covenant with them.
Israel did turn to idolatry and disobeyed God’s Word, and they refused to repent and heed God’s prophets. The result was that they were carried into exile in Babylon for seventy years from 587 to 517 B.C. When they repented and returned to worship, trust and obey the Lord, the Lord brought them back to their land as he has promised in his Word.
But Israel forgot the lessons they had learned in exile in Babylon, and at the time of Jesus Christ, they were again serving other “gods” and rebelling against God’s Word. They refused to recognize Jesus as the Son of God who spoke God’s Word and was the embodiment and fulfillment of God’s Word (John 1:1-5, 14), and they refused to trust and obey him. The result was that God’s Word of warning through Moses was again fulfilled. In 70 A.D.. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Romans, and the Jews were scattered throughout the world. Israel ceased to exist as a nation until following World War II. The temple has never been rebuilt. God’s Word is eternal and continues to be fulfilled as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.
Paul didn’t want to hurt his Christian brethren in Corinth, but he loved them enough to faithfully proclaim the full Gospel, including “painful” truth. Paul didn’t consider himself spiritually superior to the Corinthian Christians; he recognized that he was unworthy, as are we all, of the ministry which he had been given, and that it was not any ability of his own but solely the work of God in Christ at the Cross who had procured the victory and salvation which Paul preached.
Paul was living according to the example of God’s forgiveness and reconciliation revealed in Jesus Christ. We are not to be “peddlers” of God’s Word; Church ministry is not just a “career choice” or a way to manipulate people. In Christ, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have been given the ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation which he provides to all who seek him in obedient trust.
In a sense we are all “prodigal” children of our heavenly Father. We have all used the resources he has provided to pursue our own pleasure and self-interest. We are all in exile in the “Babylon” of this world and away from God’s presence and kingdom through disobedience of his Word and the worship of other “gods” like money, power, pleasure, and self. He promises that when we repent and turn to him in obedient trust we will be forgiven, welcomed and restored to his presence as his own children.
Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; John 14:6) and for our restoration to personal fellowship with the Lord through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit which he gives to his disciples who trust and obey him (John 14:15-17; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Thursday 2 Pentecost - Odd
First Posted 06/01/05;
Podcast: Thursday 2 Pentecost - Odd
Deuteronomy 4:32-40 - The Lord is the Only True God;
2 Corinthians 3:1-18 - The New
Covenant;
Luke 16:1-9 - The Dishonest Steward;
Deuteronomy Paraphrase:
Consider the entire history of the world from the day of creation. Never before has any nation and people heard God’s voice or experienced God’s intervention except Israel. Never before has any nation been delivered from the power of another by miraculous powers and signs as the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt. The Lord revealed his powerful intervention so that we might know that the Lord alone is God. The Lord let his voice be heard so that he might discipline us. The Lord loved the patriarchs of Israel and chose to bless their descendants in fulfilling his promise to their ancestors.
He brought them out of Egypt with his own presence and power and gave them the Promised Land as an inheritance, driving out larger nations and more powerful people before Israel. Realize and remember that the Lord alone is God of heaven and earth; there is no other god. Know, remember and obey God’s Word and his commandments so that all will be well with you and with your descendants and that you may live long in the land God promised to give you forever.
2 Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul does not need to commend himself or have others commend him to people. The Church at Corinth is his commendation from Christ, delivered by Paul, written upon their hearts by the Holy Spirit through the new covenant, rather than on the tablets of stone of the old covenant of law. Paul is confident of his commendation and vindication by God through Christ. Paul doesn’t claim any adequacy of his own for his ministry of the new covenant but relies entirely on God.
The old covenant of written law kills (because it cannot free us from sin; it condemns us), but the new covenant gives life by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The old covenant brought a measure of splendor illustrated by the fading splendor of Moses’ face, but the new covenant brings a greater and eternal splendor, so that by comparison, the splendor of the old covenant seems like no splendor at all. Because of that great hope, we can be very bold, not like Moses who hid the fading splendor in his face with a veil, so that Israel would not see it fading.
“But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant (the Old Testament of the Bible) that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds; but when a man [person] turns to the Lord the veil is removed” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). The Lord is the Spirit and the Spirit frees us (from condemnation under the Law, from eternal death, and from spiritual blindness) so we, with unveiled faces, can behold the glory of the Lord and be changed from the fading glory (of the old covenant) to the greater, unfading glory (of the new covenant); “for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18b RSV).
Luke Paraphrase:
Jesus told his disciples a parable of a dishonest steward. His master heard that his steward was wasting his resources, and ordered the steward to give an accounting. The steward realized that he would lose his job, and that he was too weak to do physical labor and too proud to beg. So he decided to call each of his Master’s debtors and reduce their debts, so that when he was fired they would be willing to give him room and board.
The Master commended his steward for his prudence in providing for the steward’s future. Worldly people are wiser in their worldly lives than are those who are spiritually enlightened. Believers should use their worldly resources to gain God’s approval and thus secure eternal habitation when this earthly life fails.
Commentary:
This creation was designed and intended by God from the very beginning to be a selection process for the creation of an eternal kingdom of God’s people who will trust and obey him. God gave us free will knowing it would lead to sin, and from the beginning he provided for our salvation from eternal death, which is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23), through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5; 14; and see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Eternal salvation as a free gift through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9) has been built into creation.
God’s dealing with Israel is intended to be a metaphor for life in this world, as well as history. God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness by his presence (in the pillar of fire and cloud; Exodus 13:21) and into the Promised Land. In the same way God wants to free us from slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world and lead us through the wilderness of this life, through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (our “Moses”), leading us through the darkness of this sinful world by the “pillar of fire” of the Holy Spirit within us, and into the Promised Land of his eternal heavenly kingdom. It is those who trust and obey Jesus who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham (Romans 4:9-16 RSV), and the “New Israel,” the people of God.
It is through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit that the Lord reveals himself to those who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17, 21); Jesus is the embodiment and fulfillment of God’s Word (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:20). It is through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit that we hear his voice so that he can guide and discipline us. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who is the seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
The old covenant was intended to be our guardian to restrain us until the coming of the new covenant in Jesus Christ. The old covenant condemns us to eternal death because we’re all guilty of sin (Romans 3:23), and, since the coming of Jesus Christ (the Messiah), Jesus is the only acceptable sacrifice to God for the forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Through obedient trust in Jesus we are spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the risen Jesus (Romans 8:9). It is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who removes the “veil” and opens our minds to understand the scriptures (compare Luke 24:45). Those who are in Christ, who are born-again by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, are freed from the demands of the law, provided that they are obedient to the Holy Spirit.(Romans 8:1-9).
We should learn a lesson from worldly people who know how to look out for and promote their own worldly interests, but we should apply that lesson to our spiritual interests. We should be using our time, effort and material resources in this life to grow spiritually, learning to know and do God’s will, to recognize his voice, learning to trust and obey Jesus, and seeking to be filled with and guided by his Holy Spirit. When the dishonest steward learned that his future wellbeing was in jeopardy he immediately took action to remedy his situation; he didn’t put off action while he continued his daily routine and lifestyle.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday 2 Pentecost - Odd Luke 16:1-9 - The Dishonest Steward;
Deuteronomy Paraphrase:
Consider the entire history of the world from the day of creation. Never before has any nation and people heard God’s voice or experienced God’s intervention except Israel. Never before has any nation been delivered from the power of another by miraculous powers and signs as the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt. The Lord revealed his powerful intervention so that we might know that the Lord alone is God. The Lord let his voice be heard so that he might discipline us. The Lord loved the patriarchs of Israel and chose to bless their descendants in fulfilling his promise to their ancestors.
He brought them out of Egypt with his own presence and power and gave them the Promised Land as an inheritance, driving out larger nations and more powerful people before Israel. Realize and remember that the Lord alone is God of heaven and earth; there is no other god. Know, remember and obey God’s Word and his commandments so that all will be well with you and with your descendants and that you may live long in the land God promised to give you forever.
2 Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul does not need to commend himself or have others commend him to people. The Church at Corinth is his commendation from Christ, delivered by Paul, written upon their hearts by the Holy Spirit through the new covenant, rather than on the tablets of stone of the old covenant of law. Paul is confident of his commendation and vindication by God through Christ. Paul doesn’t claim any adequacy of his own for his ministry of the new covenant but relies entirely on God.
The old covenant of written law kills (because it cannot free us from sin; it condemns us), but the new covenant gives life by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The old covenant brought a measure of splendor illustrated by the fading splendor of Moses’ face, but the new covenant brings a greater and eternal splendor, so that by comparison, the splendor of the old covenant seems like no splendor at all. Because of that great hope, we can be very bold, not like Moses who hid the fading splendor in his face with a veil, so that Israel would not see it fading.
“But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant (the Old Testament of the Bible) that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds; but when a man [person] turns to the Lord the veil is removed” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). The Lord is the Spirit and the Spirit frees us (from condemnation under the Law, from eternal death, and from spiritual blindness) so we, with unveiled faces, can behold the glory of the Lord and be changed from the fading glory (of the old covenant) to the greater, unfading glory (of the new covenant); “for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18b RSV).
Luke Paraphrase:
Jesus told his disciples a parable of a dishonest steward. His master heard that his steward was wasting his resources, and ordered the steward to give an accounting. The steward realized that he would lose his job, and that he was too weak to do physical labor and too proud to beg. So he decided to call each of his Master’s debtors and reduce their debts, so that when he was fired they would be willing to give him room and board.
The Master commended his steward for his prudence in providing for the steward’s future. Worldly people are wiser in their worldly lives than are those who are spiritually enlightened. Believers should use their worldly resources to gain God’s approval and thus secure eternal habitation when this earthly life fails.
Commentary:
This creation was designed and intended by God from the very beginning to be a selection process for the creation of an eternal kingdom of God’s people who will trust and obey him. God gave us free will knowing it would lead to sin, and from the beginning he provided for our salvation from eternal death, which is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23), through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5; 14; and see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Eternal salvation as a free gift through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9) has been built into creation.
God’s dealing with Israel is intended to be a metaphor for life in this world, as well as history. God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness by his presence (in the pillar of fire and cloud; Exodus 13:21) and into the Promised Land. In the same way God wants to free us from slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world and lead us through the wilderness of this life, through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (our “Moses”), leading us through the darkness of this sinful world by the “pillar of fire” of the Holy Spirit within us, and into the Promised Land of his eternal heavenly kingdom. It is those who trust and obey Jesus who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham (Romans 4:9-16 RSV), and the “New Israel,” the people of God.
It is through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit that the Lord reveals himself to those who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17, 21); Jesus is the embodiment and fulfillment of God’s Word (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:20). It is through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit that we hear his voice so that he can guide and discipline us. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who is the seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
The old covenant was intended to be our guardian to restrain us until the coming of the new covenant in Jesus Christ. The old covenant condemns us to eternal death because we’re all guilty of sin (Romans 3:23), and, since the coming of Jesus Christ (the Messiah), Jesus is the only acceptable sacrifice to God for the forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Through obedient trust in Jesus we are spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the risen Jesus (Romans 8:9). It is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who removes the “veil” and opens our minds to understand the scriptures (compare Luke 24:45). Those who are in Christ, who are born-again by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, are freed from the demands of the law, provided that they are obedient to the Holy Spirit.(Romans 8:1-9).
We should learn a lesson from worldly people who know how to look out for and promote their own worldly interests, but we should apply that lesson to our spiritual interests. We should be using our time, effort and material resources in this life to grow spiritually, learning to know and do God’s will, to recognize his voice, learning to trust and obey Jesus, and seeking to be filled with and guided by his Holy Spirit. When the dishonest steward learned that his future wellbeing was in jeopardy he immediately took action to remedy his situation; he didn’t put off action while he continued his daily routine and lifestyle.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
First Posted 06/02/05;
Podcast: Friday 2 Pentecost - Odd
Deuteronomy 5:1-22 - The Giving of the Law;
2 Corinthians 4:1-12 - Paul’s
Ministry;
Luke 16:10-17 (18) - The Coming of the Kingdom of God;
Deuteronomy Paraphrase:
Moses proclaimed to Israel the Ten Commandments given to him by God at Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai). The covenant between God and his people was based on these commandments and the people were commanded to learn them and be careful to do them. Each generation was to renew the covenant. Moses was the mediator between God and the people; the people couldn’t approach God directly.
The Lord who brought Israel out of Egypt is God; we are to have no other god. We must not make any image or “likeness” to worship and serve. The Lord will not share his glory with any other thing or person. He will bless those who love and obey him and punish those who hate and disobey him. We must not use God’s name any other way than reverently, to give him worship and praise.
We are to keep the sabbath as a day of rest for ourselves and those who serve us, remembering what the Lord has done to free us from bondage to sin and death (John 3:16). We must honor our fathers and mothers so that we may receive God’s blessings and live long in the Promised Land. We must not kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet what belongs to others. These are the commandments of God which he wrote on tablets of stone and delivered to Moses on Mt. Horeb.
2 Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul was thankful for the ministry he had been given by God’s mercy, rather than being discouraged by the suffering he endured for it. He refused to use the Gospel for personal advantage or dishonorable purposes and he refused to alter God’s Word to make it or himself more popular and attractive. Instead he was committed to declare God’s truth openly and fully and leave its reception to the consciences of his hearers.
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world (Satan) had blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Paul was not using his ministry to glorify himself but to glorify Jesus as Lord, with Paul as the servant of others for Jesus’ sake. God, who by his Word created light to shine in the darkness (Genesis 1:3), has created spiritual light in the darkness of the hearts of believers who have come to know the glory of God in Jesus. But that spiritual treasure is in “earthen vessels,” (bodies of flesh; human weakness) to show that our salvation is not our own accomplishment but is by the power of God.
Believers experience all kinds of suffering for the gospel but are not overcome by them. We share in Christ’s suffering so that Christ’s life-giving power may be seen working in us. Paul was sharing in the suffering and death of Christ so that others could experience the power of Christ’s life in them.
One who demonstrates faithfulness in small matters will be entrusted with greater responsibility, and one who has demonstrated his ability to manage another’s goods can be entrusted with his own. If we have not been faithful to God’s Word in managing the temporal resources God has given us, why would we expect him to entrust us with spiritual treasures which are truly and eternally precious. No one can serve two masters; we cannot serve worldly values and God.
Luke Paraphrase:
The Pharisees loved material wealth and they scoffed at Jesus’ statement that one cannot serve God and pursue worldly success and acclaim. Jesus replied that the Pharisees considered themselves righteous according to worldly standards, but God knows their true condition. What the world approves is contrary to God’s judgment.
Jesus declared that the old covenant of law was in effect until John (John the baptizer; who was the herald of the coming of the Messiah). Since then, the gospel of the kingdom of God, the new covenant of grace through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus is in effect, and entering it takes effort and commitment. Heaven and earth will pass away but God’s Word will never change.
Commentary:
God is God, Creator and Lord of Creation, whether we acknowledge him or not, but if we want his blessings and long (eternal) life in his kingdom, we must acknowledge and obey him. The Lord will not share his glory with anyone or anything, including ourselves.
God is not obligated to be all that being the powerful, righteous, just, merciful, loving God implies, unless we are willing to be his obedient, trusting people. God promises that he will eternally bless those who love and obey him, and will eternally punish those who hate and disobey him (John 5:28-29). God’s people are responsible to learn, remember and obey God’s Word, and to pass that knowledge and obedience on to their children.
Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant of grace through faith in Jesus. Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and restoration to fellowship with God (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Jesus is the likeness of God whom we are to worship and glorify. Jesus is the name of the Lord (John 14:7; Philippians 2:9-11). Jesus is God’s revelation of himself to the world, and the gift of God's Holy Spirit is the fullest personal revelation of the Lord to his disciples who trust and obey him (Romans 8:9; John 14:21, 23). Jesus is the embodiment and fulfillment of God’s Word (John 1:14), and through Jesus only, all of God’s promises are fulfilled (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Paul was committed to passing on the scriptural (recorded in the Bible) apostolic (as taught by the apostles, including Paul) gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully, fully, and accurately. He refused to use the Gospel to glorify and exalt himself, or to alter the Gospel to make it more acceptable to people. Paul was willing to be the servant of others for the sake of the Gospel, and to endure suffering and hardship so that others could come to know and experience the glory of God and his life-giving power in Jesus Christ through his indwelling Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the glory of God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Glorifying Jesus is glorifying God. It is impossible to serve ourselves and worldly values and also serve the Lord; we must choose whom we will serve, and the choice has eternal consequences.
The Pharisees did not believe Jesus. They did not see and recognize the glory of God in Jesus because Satan had blinded their minds. They were using God’s Word to glorify themselves. They wanted the promises of God without the obligation of obedient trust.
Salvation from eternal death and punishment is the free gift of God to be received through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We don’t deserve it, can’t do anything to earn it, or take it by force or deception, but it requires our effort and commitment in order to receive it; it requires discipleship and obedient trust in Jesus Christ.
Christian discipleship is not going to be popular or always pleasant, in this world. Jesus didn’t come to abolish God’s laws but to make it possible for us to fulfill them. The Lord does not give the gift of his Holy Spirit to those who have not committed to trust and obey him (Isaiah 42:5e, John 14:15-17).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Saturday 2 Pentecost - Odd Luke 16:10-17 (18) - The Coming of the Kingdom of God;
Deuteronomy Paraphrase:
Moses proclaimed to Israel the Ten Commandments given to him by God at Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai). The covenant between God and his people was based on these commandments and the people were commanded to learn them and be careful to do them. Each generation was to renew the covenant. Moses was the mediator between God and the people; the people couldn’t approach God directly.
The Lord who brought Israel out of Egypt is God; we are to have no other god. We must not make any image or “likeness” to worship and serve. The Lord will not share his glory with any other thing or person. He will bless those who love and obey him and punish those who hate and disobey him. We must not use God’s name any other way than reverently, to give him worship and praise.
We are to keep the sabbath as a day of rest for ourselves and those who serve us, remembering what the Lord has done to free us from bondage to sin and death (John 3:16). We must honor our fathers and mothers so that we may receive God’s blessings and live long in the Promised Land. We must not kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet what belongs to others. These are the commandments of God which he wrote on tablets of stone and delivered to Moses on Mt. Horeb.
2 Corinthians Paraphrase:
Paul was thankful for the ministry he had been given by God’s mercy, rather than being discouraged by the suffering he endured for it. He refused to use the Gospel for personal advantage or dishonorable purposes and he refused to alter God’s Word to make it or himself more popular and attractive. Instead he was committed to declare God’s truth openly and fully and leave its reception to the consciences of his hearers.
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world (Satan) had blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Paul was not using his ministry to glorify himself but to glorify Jesus as Lord, with Paul as the servant of others for Jesus’ sake. God, who by his Word created light to shine in the darkness (Genesis 1:3), has created spiritual light in the darkness of the hearts of believers who have come to know the glory of God in Jesus. But that spiritual treasure is in “earthen vessels,” (bodies of flesh; human weakness) to show that our salvation is not our own accomplishment but is by the power of God.
Believers experience all kinds of suffering for the gospel but are not overcome by them. We share in Christ’s suffering so that Christ’s life-giving power may be seen working in us. Paul was sharing in the suffering and death of Christ so that others could experience the power of Christ’s life in them.
One who demonstrates faithfulness in small matters will be entrusted with greater responsibility, and one who has demonstrated his ability to manage another’s goods can be entrusted with his own. If we have not been faithful to God’s Word in managing the temporal resources God has given us, why would we expect him to entrust us with spiritual treasures which are truly and eternally precious. No one can serve two masters; we cannot serve worldly values and God.
Luke Paraphrase:
The Pharisees loved material wealth and they scoffed at Jesus’ statement that one cannot serve God and pursue worldly success and acclaim. Jesus replied that the Pharisees considered themselves righteous according to worldly standards, but God knows their true condition. What the world approves is contrary to God’s judgment.
Jesus declared that the old covenant of law was in effect until John (John the baptizer; who was the herald of the coming of the Messiah). Since then, the gospel of the kingdom of God, the new covenant of grace through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus is in effect, and entering it takes effort and commitment. Heaven and earth will pass away but God’s Word will never change.
Commentary:
God is God, Creator and Lord of Creation, whether we acknowledge him or not, but if we want his blessings and long (eternal) life in his kingdom, we must acknowledge and obey him. The Lord will not share his glory with anyone or anything, including ourselves.
God is not obligated to be all that being the powerful, righteous, just, merciful, loving God implies, unless we are willing to be his obedient, trusting people. God promises that he will eternally bless those who love and obey him, and will eternally punish those who hate and disobey him (John 5:28-29). God’s people are responsible to learn, remember and obey God’s Word, and to pass that knowledge and obedience on to their children.
Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant of grace through faith in Jesus. Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and restoration to fellowship with God (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Jesus is the likeness of God whom we are to worship and glorify. Jesus is the name of the Lord (John 14:7; Philippians 2:9-11). Jesus is God’s revelation of himself to the world, and the gift of God's Holy Spirit is the fullest personal revelation of the Lord to his disciples who trust and obey him (Romans 8:9; John 14:21, 23). Jesus is the embodiment and fulfillment of God’s Word (John 1:14), and through Jesus only, all of God’s promises are fulfilled (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Paul was committed to passing on the scriptural (recorded in the Bible) apostolic (as taught by the apostles, including Paul) gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully, fully, and accurately. He refused to use the Gospel to glorify and exalt himself, or to alter the Gospel to make it more acceptable to people. Paul was willing to be the servant of others for the sake of the Gospel, and to endure suffering and hardship so that others could come to know and experience the glory of God and his life-giving power in Jesus Christ through his indwelling Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the glory of God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Glorifying Jesus is glorifying God. It is impossible to serve ourselves and worldly values and also serve the Lord; we must choose whom we will serve, and the choice has eternal consequences.
The Pharisees did not believe Jesus. They did not see and recognize the glory of God in Jesus because Satan had blinded their minds. They were using God’s Word to glorify themselves. They wanted the promises of God without the obligation of obedient trust.
Salvation from eternal death and punishment is the free gift of God to be received through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We don’t deserve it, can’t do anything to earn it, or take it by force or deception, but it requires our effort and commitment in order to receive it; it requires discipleship and obedient trust in Jesus Christ.
Christian discipleship is not going to be popular or always pleasant, in this world. Jesus didn’t come to abolish God’s laws but to make it possible for us to fulfill them. The Lord does not give the gift of his Holy Spirit to those who have not committed to trust and obey him (Isaiah 42:5e, John 14:15-17).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
First posted 06/03/05;
Podcast: Saturday 2 Pentecost - Odd
Deuteronomy 5:22-33 - Moses the Mediator;
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10 - Paul’s
Faithfulness;
Luke 16:19-31 - The Rich Man and Lazarus;
Deuteronomy Summary:
God manifested himself in thick cloud and fire when he came down from heaven to the top of Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) to give the Ten Commandments to Moses, written on stone tablets (Exodus 19:9-20:19). The people of Israel witnessed the manifestation from a distance, and heard the voice of the Lord, and were afraid of God’s greatness and power. The people delegated leaders from each of the twelve tribes to ask Moses to be their mediator between God and themselves so that God would not speak directly to the people for fear that they would be destroyed by his great power. They promised to hear and do what the Lord said to Moses.
The Lord heard what the people said to Moses and he declared that it was reasonable and commendable for them to fear the Lord and obey his commandments so that they and their children would be blessed and prospered by the Lord forever. The Lord told Moses to release the people to return to their tents while the Lord gave the rest of his statutes and ordinances to Moses. Moses was to teach God’s law to the people so that they would live in obedience to all of God’s laws in the Promised Land. God’s blessings and long life in the Promised Land are conditional upon obedience to God’s Word.
2 Corinthians Summary:
Paul followed the example of faithfulness of the psalmist (Psalms 116:10), who acted upon what he believed in the midst of adversity. Paul was confident that God would raise him and all believers from physical death to eternal life as he has raised Jesus. Paul's suffering is all worthwhile to bring God’s grace to more and more people, increasing their thankful rejoicing so that God will be glorified. So Christians should not become discouraged, even though their physical nature is wasting away, because their spiritual nature is being renewed every day. Present afflictions are slight and brief from the perspective of eternity as we focus not on the visible physical life which is transient but on the invisible spiritual realm which is eternal.
Believers can know with certainty that if the earthly “tent,” the temporary physical body which houses our eternal soul, is destroyed we have a “building,” a solid and reliable eternal body, in heaven. While still in this physical life we long to be in our eternal dwelling; we long to be more fully spiritually clothed than we are in our present physical state, so that what is dying might be “swallowed up” by what is truly and eternally life.
God has prepared us for this very purpose, “and has given us the (Holy) Spirit as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 5:5). So we can be fully confident, knowing that as long as we’re in this physical life we are not able to experience complete fellowship with the Lord which we would prefer. Here we must live by faith in what we are not yet able to receive and experience. So whether we live or die, our goal is to please the Lord, for we will all be individually accountable to him for what each of us has done in this earthly life.
Luke Summary:
Jesus told a parable of a rich man and a beggar. The rich man dressed in fine clothes, lived in a mansion, and ate sumptuously every day. A poor beggar, hungry and covered with sores, sat by the rich man’s gate. The poor beggar longed to eat the crumbs fell from the rich man’s table. The rich man’s dogs not only got the crumbs, but they tormented the beggar by licking his sores.
The poor man died and was carried by angels to heaven to be in the presence and fellowship of Abraham, but the rich man died, was buried and found himself in hell. The rich man saw the poor beggar far off with Abraham, and asked Abraham to send the poor man to dip his finger in water and cool the tongue of the rich man who was in the eternal fire of hell. But Abraham told the rich man that he had received good things in his earthly life while the poor man had received evil; now each was being repaid according to their deeds in earthly life. Furthermore, heaven and hell are separated so that it is impossible to go from one to the other.
Then the rich man asked Abraham to send the poor man to his father’s house on earth to warn his five brothers, so that they might not wind up in eternal torment. Abraham told the rich man that his brothers had all the warning they needed from Moses and the prophets (the Old Testament scriptures). The rich man replied that that wouldn’t be enough, but they would repent if someone came to them from the dead. “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:31).
Commentary:
God manifested himself to Israel and gave them his Word so that they would fear (have respect for the power and authority of) God and obey his Word. It is in our own best interest to trust and obey God’s Word. It is the only way to receive eternal life and blessings in the Promised Land of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven.
Jesus is the manifestation of God to his people in a loving non-threatening way. Jesus is our mediator, our “Moses,” who declares God’s Word while saving us from God’s judgment and wrath. Jesus is the embodiment and fulfillment of God’s Word in human form (John 1:1-5, 14).
“Born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples of Jesus Christ, like Paul, have the confidence of certain knowledge, through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that we are in Christ and have eternal life because we experience personal fellowship with the risen Lord Jesus Christ. We are freed from fear of physical death (Hebrews 2:14-15), and can endure adversity without becoming discouraged. The personal love and fellowship we experience in this present life through his indwelling Holy Spirit are only a small sample of the full experience of eternal life in his presence.
This lifetime is our opportunity to come to personal fellowship with the Lord, to learn God’s will and to learn to trust and obey him. Each of us will be accountable individually to the Lord for what we have done with the life and opportunity he has given each of us. Are we learning to please the Lord or are we only interested in pleasing ourselves?
The rich man used his earthly life to pursue his own pleasure and satisfaction. He had daily opportunities to please God and love his “neighbor,” the poor beggar at his gate, but didn’t allow the beggar to even share the scraps from his table with the rich man’s dogs; he wasn’t even considerate enough to restrain his dogs from bothering the beggar. When he died and found himself in hell, he still related to the beggar only in terms of what the beggar could do for the rich man.
God wants us to know his will so that we can learn to do it and receive the blessings he’s promised. He’s given us not only Moses and the prophets but Jesus’ word and example, and his demonstration of his Resurrection, attested to by over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), and the testimony of the Apostles in the New Testament scriptures. Jesus has returned from the dead to warn us of the finality of God’s judgment. What will it take to convince us to repent and turn to the Lord in obedient trust?
There is no such thing as reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27). This life is our only opportunity to seek and come to personal reconciliation and fellowship with God (Acts 17:26-27). Jesus is the only mediator who can save us from God’s eternal wrath and condemnation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Once we die physically, our eternal destiny is fixed and unalterable for all eternity.
None of us knows with certainty whether we’ll live until tomorrow, but we can know with certainty where we will spend eternity. If we trust and obey Jesus we will come to personal knowledge of and fellowship with him through the gift of his Holy Spirit which he has promised to his disciples who trust and obey him. The Holy Spirit is God’s ultimate manifestation of himself to us personally and individually (John 14:21, 23). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and that we have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible for us to know with certainty whether we have personally received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Luke 16:19-31 - The Rich Man and Lazarus;
Deuteronomy Summary:
God manifested himself in thick cloud and fire when he came down from heaven to the top of Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) to give the Ten Commandments to Moses, written on stone tablets (Exodus 19:9-20:19). The people of Israel witnessed the manifestation from a distance, and heard the voice of the Lord, and were afraid of God’s greatness and power. The people delegated leaders from each of the twelve tribes to ask Moses to be their mediator between God and themselves so that God would not speak directly to the people for fear that they would be destroyed by his great power. They promised to hear and do what the Lord said to Moses.
The Lord heard what the people said to Moses and he declared that it was reasonable and commendable for them to fear the Lord and obey his commandments so that they and their children would be blessed and prospered by the Lord forever. The Lord told Moses to release the people to return to their tents while the Lord gave the rest of his statutes and ordinances to Moses. Moses was to teach God’s law to the people so that they would live in obedience to all of God’s laws in the Promised Land. God’s blessings and long life in the Promised Land are conditional upon obedience to God’s Word.
2 Corinthians Summary:
Paul followed the example of faithfulness of the psalmist (Psalms 116:10), who acted upon what he believed in the midst of adversity. Paul was confident that God would raise him and all believers from physical death to eternal life as he has raised Jesus. Paul's suffering is all worthwhile to bring God’s grace to more and more people, increasing their thankful rejoicing so that God will be glorified. So Christians should not become discouraged, even though their physical nature is wasting away, because their spiritual nature is being renewed every day. Present afflictions are slight and brief from the perspective of eternity as we focus not on the visible physical life which is transient but on the invisible spiritual realm which is eternal.
Believers can know with certainty that if the earthly “tent,” the temporary physical body which houses our eternal soul, is destroyed we have a “building,” a solid and reliable eternal body, in heaven. While still in this physical life we long to be in our eternal dwelling; we long to be more fully spiritually clothed than we are in our present physical state, so that what is dying might be “swallowed up” by what is truly and eternally life.
God has prepared us for this very purpose, “and has given us the (Holy) Spirit as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 5:5). So we can be fully confident, knowing that as long as we’re in this physical life we are not able to experience complete fellowship with the Lord which we would prefer. Here we must live by faith in what we are not yet able to receive and experience. So whether we live or die, our goal is to please the Lord, for we will all be individually accountable to him for what each of us has done in this earthly life.
Luke Summary:
Jesus told a parable of a rich man and a beggar. The rich man dressed in fine clothes, lived in a mansion, and ate sumptuously every day. A poor beggar, hungry and covered with sores, sat by the rich man’s gate. The poor beggar longed to eat the crumbs fell from the rich man’s table. The rich man’s dogs not only got the crumbs, but they tormented the beggar by licking his sores.
The poor man died and was carried by angels to heaven to be in the presence and fellowship of Abraham, but the rich man died, was buried and found himself in hell. The rich man saw the poor beggar far off with Abraham, and asked Abraham to send the poor man to dip his finger in water and cool the tongue of the rich man who was in the eternal fire of hell. But Abraham told the rich man that he had received good things in his earthly life while the poor man had received evil; now each was being repaid according to their deeds in earthly life. Furthermore, heaven and hell are separated so that it is impossible to go from one to the other.
Then the rich man asked Abraham to send the poor man to his father’s house on earth to warn his five brothers, so that they might not wind up in eternal torment. Abraham told the rich man that his brothers had all the warning they needed from Moses and the prophets (the Old Testament scriptures). The rich man replied that that wouldn’t be enough, but they would repent if someone came to them from the dead. “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:31).
Commentary:
God manifested himself to Israel and gave them his Word so that they would fear (have respect for the power and authority of) God and obey his Word. It is in our own best interest to trust and obey God’s Word. It is the only way to receive eternal life and blessings in the Promised Land of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven.
Jesus is the manifestation of God to his people in a loving non-threatening way. Jesus is our mediator, our “Moses,” who declares God’s Word while saving us from God’s judgment and wrath. Jesus is the embodiment and fulfillment of God’s Word in human form (John 1:1-5, 14).
“Born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples of Jesus Christ, like Paul, have the confidence of certain knowledge, through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that we are in Christ and have eternal life because we experience personal fellowship with the risen Lord Jesus Christ. We are freed from fear of physical death (Hebrews 2:14-15), and can endure adversity without becoming discouraged. The personal love and fellowship we experience in this present life through his indwelling Holy Spirit are only a small sample of the full experience of eternal life in his presence.
This lifetime is our opportunity to come to personal fellowship with the Lord, to learn God’s will and to learn to trust and obey him. Each of us will be accountable individually to the Lord for what we have done with the life and opportunity he has given each of us. Are we learning to please the Lord or are we only interested in pleasing ourselves?
The rich man used his earthly life to pursue his own pleasure and satisfaction. He had daily opportunities to please God and love his “neighbor,” the poor beggar at his gate, but didn’t allow the beggar to even share the scraps from his table with the rich man’s dogs; he wasn’t even considerate enough to restrain his dogs from bothering the beggar. When he died and found himself in hell, he still related to the beggar only in terms of what the beggar could do for the rich man.
God wants us to know his will so that we can learn to do it and receive the blessings he’s promised. He’s given us not only Moses and the prophets but Jesus’ word and example, and his demonstration of his Resurrection, attested to by over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), and the testimony of the Apostles in the New Testament scriptures. Jesus has returned from the dead to warn us of the finality of God’s judgment. What will it take to convince us to repent and turn to the Lord in obedient trust?
There is no such thing as reincarnation (Hebrews 9:27). This life is our only opportunity to seek and come to personal reconciliation and fellowship with God (Acts 17:26-27). Jesus is the only mediator who can save us from God’s eternal wrath and condemnation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Once we die physically, our eternal destiny is fixed and unalterable for all eternity.
None of us knows with certainty whether we’ll live until tomorrow, but we can know with certainty where we will spend eternity. If we trust and obey Jesus we will come to personal knowledge of and fellowship with him through the gift of his Holy Spirit which he has promised to his disciples who trust and obey him. The Holy Spirit is God’s ultimate manifestation of himself to us personally and individually (John 14:21, 23). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and that we have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible for us to know with certainty whether we have personally received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
