The Unpardonable Sin (Matt. 12:31-32)

The Unpardonable Sin

(Matt. 12:31-32)

Maybe you have read this verse and wondered what sin is it that God won’t forgive? It seems that should be no sin that God would not graciously forgive. But yet, here it is in scripture from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that there is an unforgivable sin that blasphemes against the Holy Spirit. That God will not forgive in this world and in the world to come. Today, we will see what the unpardonable sin is not, what it is, and how the lost can keep from committing it. Today’s sermon is the unpardonable sin.

I. What the Unpardonable Sin is not.

There are many vile and atrocious sins committed by mankind today. And there are some things I can think of that would be very hard for me to forgive. But in looking at sins I wondered what could be the worst sin that God could not forgive.

A. What about murder? – I think about murder and it is probably the worst possible sin one could commit. To deprive a person of their life and opportunities for someone to repentance towards God and plunge that person into eternity without a chance, could that be the unpardonable sin? Then I read in scripture of when Moses murdered the Egyptian taskmaster and hid the body in the sand to cover it up and I see that although it is a heinous act to commit and a great sin, it is not an unforgivable sin because we see that God forgave Moses of the sin of murder and used him in the deliverance and leading of God’s people. Also, scripture calls Moses in James 2:23, “the Friend of God”. So the unpardonable sin couldn’t be murder.

B. What about adultery? – There is no sin that affects humanity like adultery. Adultery not only affects those involved in a marriage but the children of marriage also. It is a ultimate act of betrayal and it tears out the heart of a family and causes a domino effect of sin that leads to even worse sins even murder. Take for example King David and his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. It went from adultery with her, her becoming pregnant with David’s child, and finally to where David has her husband killed. This grievous and terrible sin that of this man and how far it went to despair and death. Surely maybe this might be the unpardonable sin but in 2 Samuel 12 when confronted by the prophet Nathan David repents unto God and Nathan tells David in verse 13, “The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die”. Even though the sadness and despair involved in this sin it is not unforgivable by God.

C. What about denial of Christ? – Where there is persecution, trials, and fear of martyrdom in the history of the church there have been those who have denied Christ. Surely to deny Jesus would be severe enough to face rejection by God. But looking at Simon Peter who told Jesus in Matthew 12:35 that he would never deny Jesus, in fact he said, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You” but in vv. 69-75 he denied Christ three times. But we see Peter in Acts after seeing the resurrected Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit stand up and proclaim Christ to thousands and 5,000 where saved that day and later on Peter was martyred for proclaiming Christ. So we see also that denial of Jesus is not unpardonable.

D. What about violence against God’s people, the church? – Surely to kill and beat, and imprison, and torture God’s people is the unforgivable act that God does not forgive. But in the book of Acts we see the great persecutor of the early church, a man named Saul, who imprisoned and killed Christians (God’s children). But we also see in Acts 9 that Jesus reveals Himself to this man and Saul is saved and becomes the great apostle Paul. So, we see that even this great violent sin of persecution against the church is forgivable by God. So what is the unpardonable sin?

II. The Unpardonable Sin (Matt. 12:22-32)

The clue to understanding what the unpardonable sin is to read the passage in Matthew 12:22-32. Let’s began by reading vv. 22-28, “Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you”. We need to remember that every sign, wonder, healing, and miracle that Christ did was to bring glory to the Father and revelation that He was God in the flesh. He was revealing Himself as the Messiah the glory of God incarnate. Every time someone was healed or delivered from demons and every time He taught or preached, He revealed that He was the salvation of God. And for the Pharisees to have seen this revelation of God’s power in their midst and still reject Jesus Christ. The unpardonable sin is this, their rejection of Jesus after so many times seeing the evidence and hearing Him tell them who He was and still hardening their heart and ultimately rejecting Jesus as Savior. This is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, to have first hand seen and heard Jesus Christ Himself over and over again at time after time rejecting the Holy Spirit of God revealing Christ to them. Jesus Himself pronounced that it would be better for Sodom and Gomorrah at the judgment than unbelieving Israel, in fact let me quote Jesus from Matt. 11:23, “if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day”. God had mercifully dealt with Israel for many centuries and when the promised Messiah came, He was rejected and killed by them. The Pharisees crossed the line that day; they went from the mercy of God to the side of reprobation of blaspheming the Holy Spirit of God by their final rejection of Christ. Today, here in America there are people who have heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ and the preaching of God’s Word and they still are rejecting Christ. They have hardened their hearts over and over again against the conviction of the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit so lovingly wooing them to come to Christ and again they reject Him. They have become desensitized to the merciful grace of God. One day they will find that God will no longer woo them. When Noah built the ark and preached for 120 years to those people they rejected the grace of God over and over again. But when the day of judgment came and Noah, his family, and animals entered into the ark the Bible says that God closed the door and sealed it shut (Gen.7:16). When the rain began to fall and water started to rise then the people began to beat on the side of the ark to open. But what had been opened to all had been shut that day once for all. It was too late; the day of salvation is today. When God calls it is then salvation is offered, that moment and that time. There is a time and a line that is crossed when the lost who have heard the Gospel, time and time again they have rejected Christ and rejected the calling and conviction of the Holy Spirit, a time when God will say, “It is enough!” (Heb. 10:26-27,31 – “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation; It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”). What is lost man to do to not sin the unpardonable sin?

III. Turn to Christ

There was a story about a tall apartment building that caught on fire and was engulfed in flames. The fire department arrived and got everyone out except one person. That person stood at the window of their apartment yelling, “Help, Save me!” to the fireman below. The fire department didn’t have a ladder tall enough to get to them but had stretched out a net that was able to catch that person and save them. They called up to that trapped person and told them, “Jump from the window we will catch you, we’ll save you” but the person wouldn’t jump but would go inside their smoke filled apartment then reappear to yell for help again and the firefighters would tell to just jump to safety. But the person never jumped but died in the flames of that fire. The only thing they had to do to be saved was to jump, to respond to the word of instruction from the fireman. Mankind is like that today, especially in America, they have heard the Word, warning, and instruction from God’s Word from God’s servants to repent and turn to towards Christ to be saved from the judgment to come but they perish in the fire. When Christ is preached today people want to question, to argue, to get some kind of explanation but all they need to do is respond. Rom. 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”. To have Christ as Lord and Savior you must respond, you must confess Him as Lord. It doesn’t matter where you are or what condition you’re in turn to Christ. When the thief was dying on the cross beside Jesus, he couldn’t move or walk towards Him but he turned his eyes to Christ and said “Lord, remember me.” And Jesus’ said so graciously, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:4243). What must the lost man or woman do not to be forever lost? Do whatever they have to do to turn to Jesus in faith for Him to be their Lord and Savior.

The Unpardonable Sin is rejecting Jesus. What a sad statement today that here in America there are so many who have rejected Him. But there are those who have not heard also. Let us keep proclaiming Christ for those who will hear and believe.

Little Sins (2 Sam. 11:1-5)

Little Sins

(2 Sam. 11:1-5)

In this passage we see the story of David and Bathsheba. It is not a happy story but a tragic series of events. It all starts with David’s “little sin”. The problem with “little sins” is just with one word, “little”. There is no such thing as a little sin, that’s just what we call it to justify ourselves when we do something wrong. When our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered and died on that cross for our sins, there was no mention of big or little sins. It was for our sins he shed His blood. Our sins, whether they’re big or little, are what separated us from God and condemned us to judgment. Sins are destructive and deadly, whether they are in a sinner’s or a saint’s life. Primarily today, we are going to look at the result of sin in a Christian’s life. We must look at and understand in this sermon the danger of “little sins”. Let’s look at this story of David and Bathsheba and see the results of little sins.

I. Little Sin of David (2 Sam. 11:1-5, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child.”)

A. He Was in the Wrong Place (v.1) - As we look at our first victim of a “little sin”, we must understand that sometimes it begins with being in the wrong place. Here in the beginning of this chapter (2 Sam. 11) it says that David was in Jerusalem but his army was out to war against Ammon. Verse 1 tells us that it was the time of the year when the kings go out to do battle. So we get the idea that King David should have been there in battle with the army of Israel down in the trenches with his men but he was home just taking it easy instead of what he was suppose to be doing. Because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time there came along some problems. There are places in our lives that we should never wander into because it leads to dangerous things. And with King David we can see that all started with being in the wrong place and an accidental look.

B. He Just Had a Little Look (vv. 2-5) - David couldn’t sleep one night and went out on the palace roof. While looking around at the sky and the surrounding houses and building he sees something. Just a little distance away he accidently sees into a little house and there is a women bathing. It was just a little look and I’m sure that he could have turned away and went back into the palace but he had to take another little look. That second little look turned into a little longer look that turned into a little gazing but it was just a little sin on David’s part. That little sin grew into full blown lust and we can see from the rest of the verses that it leads on to greater sin. There are some men that say “there’s nothing wrong with looking!” but the Word of God begs to differ. In Mt. 5:28 Jesus said this about just looking, “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. Entertaining a little sin leads on to more and more sin and there are destructive consequences to them (James 1:15, “when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death”). David finds out who she is (the wife of Uriah, one of his soldiers) and he invites her to the palace and seduces her. From this Bathsheba becomes pregnant with David’s child.

C. He Tries to Cover His Sin (vv.6-17) – This little sin of David seems to have grown into a mess. So like any good Christian he tries to hide his sin (that’s sarcasm). David thinks he can cover it up and come out smelling like rose but it seems like sin has a life of its own. In verses 6-13, we see that King David sent for Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband) from out of the battle. David’s reasoning was that if he brought Uriah home that he could cover up getting Bathsheba pregnant by making it look like Uriah was the father. Things are never as simple as they seem. Uriah was a faithful soldier and would not go home because to him it would be a dishonor to do so while every other soldier was putting their lives on the line. Because Uriah would not go to his house and wife, David sent him back to battle with a message to his General Joab. The message was to Uriah in the forefront of a battle and then retreat back from him so he would be killed and Joab did as David commanded him. Uriah is killed and then in vv.26-27 Bathsheba mourns and after the time of mourning was over David brings her to the palace marries her and she gives birth to their son. David thinks that it’s all covered up nice and neat but any sin that given time to root and grow in a heart of a believer will dealt with by God. God has no intention of letting this sin not be dealt with in David’s life and we see this in 11:27b, “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD”. It’s not over by a long shot.

D. God deals with David’s Sin (2 Sam.12:1-15) – God deals with David and his sin. God used the prophet Nathan to confront and rebuke King David. Nathan comes to David and tells him a story of a rich man and a poor man. That the rich man had many flocks and herds and the poor man had one little lamb that he loved like a child. The rich man had a visitor and instead of him killing a lamb from his great many flocks, he stole and killed the poor man’s little lamb that he loved. King David was incensed at the great injustice and evil of the rich man and declared that this man must die. It is then that Nathan tells David this, “You are the man!” and then begins revealing from God the great sin of David. You see there is nothing hidden from God even if your hiding a multitude of sins from everyone else, God sees it! And God will deal with it if you’re his child. How do I know this, one from experience (nothing like King David) and the best reason I know this is true is because God’s word says so, Heb. 12:5-11, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens (disciplines), And scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God will deal with sin in the life of a believer in a way that is best for us. Because of what was told to David, he repented in 12:13, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die”. God was going to deal with David very harshly by taking his life but David truly repented and was graciously shown mercy. David should have went to God and let Him deal with his sin but David foolishly tried to deal with it on his own. If sin is not dealt with it will not just affect you but it affects those around you, especially those who you love the most in your life. David was forgiven by God but paid the price of a believer dabbling in sin.

II. The Solution for Little Sins

It only takes entertaining on “little” sin to open the flood gates of sins destructive abilities (“…for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” – Gal. 6:7b). If you ever talk to an addict you can plainly hear how all it took was that first drink, that first toke, or that first pill. Just one little decision to sin can destroy lives and your witness for Christ. My friends before it gets that far we most go humbly and repentantly to our Lord God. 1 John 2:1 says, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” Confess and repent of your sin to God so it will not gain a foothold in your heart and life. 1 John 1:9 says that if we will “confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

The only way to deal with little sins before they mature and grow into a great destructive power is to nip them in the bud. Let Christ, our sin killer, get them when there young and fresh. Rom 6:12 – “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts” but bring them all under the subjection of Christ. Let Christ deal with your “little sins”.

A Convenient Season

A Convenient Season
(Acts 24:22-27; 26:27-29)

Today, we will see two of the most terrible statements ever made in the Bible. One is from a man named Felix and another is from a man named Agrippa. The one thing that both have in common is a man named Paul who preached to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will read in these passages the most tragic words any man could ever utter. We will see today, two men who refused the Gospel call and the Spirit of God’s convicting power.

I. Foolish Felix (Acts 24:25- And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.)
Here in Acts 24, we see Paul is a prisoner in the Praetorium of Caesarea, the Roman capitol of the Judean province, and Paul has been called before the appointed Roman governor Felix. The Apostle Paul is called to the audience of Felix and his wife Drusilla (Bible refers to her as a Jewess). Paul had earlier in this chapter defended himself against false accusations of the Jews earlier but now is given audience to Felix and Drusilla to hear him explain his ‘new‘ religion “concerning the faith in Christ”. They were interested in hearing about the miracle worker Jesus Christ, I’m sure they had heard the stories and what attracted people to this new religion. But Apostle Paul always recognized an open door of opportunity from God and he begins to preach the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. I imagined it was not as they expected, they were expecting a nice little presentation of a new philosophy but what they got was the uncompromised preaching of the Word of God. The Bible says as Paul preached that Felix trembled. Paul is the one on trial and in chains and imprisoned. Paul is the accused and prisoner standing at the bar and Felix is the judge. But Paul is not the one who is trembling, it’s Felix. Felix is the one who is in the position of power and influence whose subjects lives are in his hands but he is the one trembling that day. He is trembling before Paul because of the message about the condition of his soul as seen before the God of heaven and earth. Felix and Drusilla were expecting Paul to recount some kind of new mystical religion. Some kind of new age experience or philosophy that would tickle there ears and stroke their sinful egos. They wanted to be entertained by some fantastic story of this prophet and troublemaker named Jesus that Paul worshipped. But Paul simply and powerfully preached the holy Word of God. It says that as he preached that “he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come”. The Apostle Paul although he was before the one who was an earthly judge over him became the one who brought Felix before the One who stood as Judge over all. Paul revealed through the scriptures just how Felix stood spiritually before God and that was like anyone else, he stood before God as a sinner. A sinner that was in need of a Savior because we all will stand before God when we die and we will be judged (Heb. 9:27 - “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment ”). Paul preached the Gospel to this man and showed him the One that could save him from his sins and the judgment to come and it says that Felix trembled at the preaching of God’s Word. The Spirit of God was convicting Felix of his sins, the Holy Spirit was drawing this man to a place of an eternal decision, and He was telling Felix that this was his day and hour to come to Christ. Felix trembled under the mighty call of the mighty God. It came to the time of decision and what was Felix’s answer? It would have been glorious if he said, “Paul, I give my heart to Jesus!”, but those words never came from his lips. Felix’s answer was one of the most terrible words that can be spoken by anyone, it was his answer, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee, some other time Paul, some other day. When the time is right for me but not right now”. Felix simply refused the hand of God’s mercy and grace that was extended to him through the convicting power of God’s word and God the Holy Spirit. Paul presented Christ the Savior for his soul and Felix refused the Son of God. The opportunity of grace and mercy with God’s arms open wide to receive him through Christ and he refused the his appointment with destiny. There is no record of Felix ever coming to a saving knowledge of Christ but the Bible says that two years later he was replaced by Festus. Other historical sources record that Felix was recalled back to Rome in disgrace by Emperor Nero where he was never again given any title or position and that he ended his life by suicide. Felix’s convenient season never came. God’s call to repentance came that day, God’s day of salvation was offered to this man, and the conviction of that man’s heart was that day and he refused the Spirit of God. What a dangerous thing to do and how easy the words came, “No, some other day God”. He preferred to be lost and without God, willfully and foolishly rejected the call of the Spirit of God, and went into eternity to his judgment in Hell. Hebrews 10:26-27 says this, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.” This was the result of Felix missing God’s convenient season.
II. Almost There Agrippa (Acts 26:28 - Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian.")
Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea right around 3 years and Paul used every opportunity to preach Christ to the lost. When given another opportunity to testify on his own behalf before governor Festus and King Agrippa II, Paul used it to give his personal testimony of how Jesus saved him. Paul boldly preached Christ to these two powerful leaders. Paul told of his training as a Pharisee, how he persecuted the church, about how he met and talked with Jesus on the road to Damascus, and how he was saved through faith in Christ. Festus openly mocked Paul and did not believe Paul’s testimony of Christ. But Agrippa’s remark to Paul was interesting. Paul directly asked Agrippa this question, “do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe”. Paul appealed to Agrippa’s raising in Judaism to bring him to a place of decision spiritually. Paul had preached to him the Gospel of Christ and now directing him to a place to believe in Jesus as Savior. Agrippa’s answer was this, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian”, so close yet so far away from the One who could save his soul. Agrippa is like so many who are in churches today hearing the gospel message of Christ. They know and believe God’s word but never came to the place of decision to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. They’ve been raised in church, still go to church, and probably like the preacher but they are as lost as a goose. They have been so hardened to the gospel that they hardly even hear it anymore, their almost persuaded.
III. God’s Convenient Season (2 Co. 6:2b - Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”. I think he wrote that in remembering all the times those who so foolishly rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When Jesus is preached that He suffered and died on that old rugged cross to shed His blood to cleanse us from our sins and three days later physically arose from the tomb alive forever more to save us from our sins and give us eternal life in Him that’s the Gospel message. Romans 1:16 says that the gospel of Jesus Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”, and in Rom. 10:17 tells us that, “…faith (saving faith) comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. The Holy Spirit moves upon the hearts of men by convicting us through the preaching of God’s word. That’s why when we Christians heard the gospel of Jesus Christ that we were drawn by the Spirit of God to saving faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit brought us to the cross of Christ and produced in us the faith to receive salvation in Christ. When people refuse the word of God and the Spirit of God they are putting themselves into dangerous place. When God calls you and draws you to Christ that just might be the last time. We don’t know our appointment with death. When God calls you that is the day of salvation. Salvation is not on your terms or in your time, it’s when God calls your name because your not promised another call. Today if God is calling you to salvation in His Son Jesus Christ don’t refuse Him, don’t harden your hearts (Heb. 3:15 - Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts). Listen to these words from the hymn “Almost Persuaded”:
“Almost persuaded” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive;
Seems now some soul to say,
“Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On Thee I’ll call.”

“Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!
“Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last!
“Almost” cannot avail;
“Almost” is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail—
“Almost,” but lost!

Friends, today is the day of salvation in Christ. Today is the day that He can change your life. Don’t be a Foolish Felix or an Almost There Agrippa. Come if Christ is calling you today.

Because He Lives (What Happens When We Die)

Because He Lives
(What Happens When We Die)
(Job 19:25-27)

We as Christians sometimes may not fully understand what happens to us when we die. We know that because we are saved by Christ we will go to Heaven and forever be with Jesus. But sometimes we get confused by things like the resurrection, the rapture, and what part of us goes to Heaven when we die. In this sermon, we will get a better understanding of what happens when we die.

I. What happens to our soul when we die? (2 Cor 5:8 - “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
When we read this verse we understand it simply for what it says. Paul says simply he is confident of this fact that to be absent from the body (death for a Christian) is to be present with the Lord. It is a without question according to the scripture that at our death, our soul, our spirit leaves this body and goes into eternity with our Lord. We see Jesus’ words to the thief that was crucified beside Him, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 KJV). When we die, our soul goes to Heaven immediately. There is no waiting period, there is no soul sleep (7th Day Adventist believes this and some cults), the Christian is immediately in the presence of God in his eternal reward of Heaven. You see death for the child of God should not be feared, it will come if we are not raptured. We should a great confidence in knowing that because our Lord has saved us he has also guaranteed that we will live in our eternal home with Him in Heaven. Paul said this about facing death, Phil. 1:21-24, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you”. Paul was about to soon face a martyr’s death and he knew it was soon but he expressed it so wonderfully, to live is Christ and to die is gain. His desire to see his Lord and enjoy the wonders of Heaven was what he would encounter when faced his death but he also knew that he had to stay a little longer to finish God’s work and God’s will to the church at Philippi. For the Christian, death is the doorway we step through to our eternal destiny with our Jesus in Heaven. Our promise of Heaven is secured by death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We understand this and find great joy at knowing that Jesus has not only saved our souls but He has also guaranteed our eternal life and our eternal home. What great love and great gifts of God’s grace that we have received because we have by faith received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
II. What happens to our body after we die? 1 Thess. 4:13-17, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
At death, our bodies go into the grave and remain until it is rejoined with the spirit. As these verses declare, we understand that this will happen at the rapture of the church. This is the redemption of our bodies and it is the finalized work of salvation and the perfection of our bodies. When we trusted Christ for our salvation here on this earth, He gave us a new, redeemed spirit, He cleanses our soul from sin and makes it new; we read 2 Cor. 5:17 - “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” But we still live in this feeble body of flesh and as a Christian we should eagerly await the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:22-23 - “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”) The redemption of our body is also called the glorification of our body and again repeating myself it is the finished and complete work of salvation that was begun when we became recipients of God’s salvation. When we receive our glorification then we will forever be free from sin, sickness, and death. This new redeemed body will not be like our old, sin cursed body. To understand this better we need to read 1 Cor. 15:35-38,42-49 “But someone will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain; perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. …The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”
Paul is comparing us to seed. He is saying that our bodies are only a mere glimpse of what we shall be. We know what the seed of a watermelon looks like and what a watermelon looks like, and yet it no ways resembles each other but we know that the fruit came from the seed. The fruit is absolutely identified with the seed. We will know each other in Heaven but it will not be the old me, it will be the new and glorified me. When we receive our glorified body it will not resemble our old one, there will be no sin, no defect, no sickness, no pain, or discomfort at all in it. We will have a body like our Jesus (1 John 3:2 - “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is”). We know from the verses we read in Thessalonians that we will be raptured, the dead in Christ will rise first and then we which are alive and remain but here in 1 Cor. 15 we read these verses, 51-57 - “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
There is great victory of salvation though our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by His finished work of salvation by His suffering and death on the cross. And by His resurrection from the grave three days later it guarantees that our Lord is the Lord over sin, death, and the grave. 1 John 5:4 - “…this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”. Our faith in Christ is the victory that overcomes the world, our sins, our death and the grave. It is because of Jesus that I can find hope in life eternal with Him. John 11:25-26 - …I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
Twenty-eight years ago, I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Because I believed He was the resurrection and the life and I believed He was the only way to the Father and eternal life. By faith in the person and work of Jesus’ Christ.
III. Review - Today as we have looked at death in view of God’s Word, we now know that death is only the doorway into the next life, eternally at home with our Lord God to praise and serve Him forever. That one day we will face death and immediately our soul will be in the presence of God and our body will be in the grave until the time appointed (the Rapture) where we will receive the glorification of our body (the redemption of our body) where the redeemed, sinless body will reunite with our redeemed soul to live in a redeemed Heaven and Earth (Rev. 21:1-4 - “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
You see it be a glorious place in our new home where we can totally and completely enjoy it in our new glorified body. Death is sometimes fearful to us because it is unknown to us because we have not experienced it yet. But when we do, we know that Jesus will be with us every step of the way (Heb. 13:5 - “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”). He is with us every step of the way in our walk of salvation (Phil. 1:6 - “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”) and He will keep us secure in His salvation until the day of completion in our Heavenly Home.

Today, if you don’t have this assurance of your salvation you can make it sure today. If you think ‘I don’t know where I will go when I die?’, today is the day of salvation. Christ is very present here today and He welcomes all to the cross for forgiveness.

Hell: Warning to the Wicked (Rich Man and Lazarus: Luke 16:19-31)

Hell: Warning to the Wicked

(Rich Man and Lazarus: Luke 16:19-31)

Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. We all have an appointment with our eternal destiny and it’s determined where we will go on this side of the grave. Last week we looked at Heaven and the great wonders and reward of that place for the redeemed of God. Today, we will talk about the eternal punishment for those who have rejected the salvation of our Lord. The place of eternal punishment is Hell and Jesus taught more on Hell than any other teacher or preacher or prophet in the Bible. Jesus taught about Hell more than He did on love. Today we look at this passage with a solemn heart and read this warning to the wicked.

I. Two men (vv. 19-21 - “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores".)

A. The rich man - a nameless rich man clothed in the finest garments and lived in the most luxurious surroundings. He had all that he could desire and lacked nothing.

B. Lazarus, the poor beggar - homeless, hungry, diseased, friendless. He was laid at the rich man’s gate so that he might receive the scraps that were left from the rich man’s table. His only friends were the dogs that came and licked his sores.

C. The differences - The beliefs of that day, particularly of the Pharisees, was that those of earthly blessings were those who had the favor of God and the poor and sick were those who were receiving the punishment of God and were sinful. So Lazarus was seen as a sinful man suffering for his sins and the rich man was being blessed by God. Being rich doesn’t mean your righteous and being poor doesn’t mean your pious. Rich or poor has nothing to do with the condition of your soul. Being rich or being poor has nothing to do really with this passage but how the choices on this side of the grave will affect our eternal destiny. That’s the real principle of this passage.

The rich man passed by Lazarus every time that he left his house and did nothing to relieve this man’s suffering (Deut. 15:7 - "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother"), what he did was a direct violation of scripture and it showed the true condition of his heart; he had no regard for the law of God or the condition of his fellow man.

II. Two Destinations (vv. 22-23 - “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”)

A. Death finds both (v.22) - We all will face death (Heb. 9:27 - …it is appointed unto men once to die…), no one is exempt when it comes to death. However rich or powerful you are on this earth, no matter your social status, we all face an appointment with death. Death doesn’t discriminate or care how much or how little you have. We see that both of these men experience death, but the difference we see is their destination after death.

B. Beggar finds the Bosom of Abraham(Heaven) (v.22) - the beggar finds himself in the comfort and reward of Heaven. He wasn’t rich in the things of this world but was rich in God (James 2:5 - Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?). The poor beggar was rich in the things of God and found his reward in Heaven. We find the treasure of eternal life in the Father through faith in the Son.

C. Rich man finds himself in Hell (v.23) - the rich man received the just reward for a life without God. This is the reward for those who reject the Gospel of Christ and the salvation of God. The rich man had all that he desired on this earth and neglected the condition of his soul. He laid up treasure on earth and was not rich towards God. He was spiritually bankrupt and found himself suffering in Hell.

III. The Reality of Hell (vv.23-26 - “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.”)

A. Why did Jesus teach so much about Hell?- The answer is found in this verse, 2 Peter 3:9b - ‘[God is] not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’; Jesus taught about Hell to warn mankind about the reality of eternal punishment in Hell. Jesus warns men because He loves them. We are all called to tell men about the good news of the Gospel and also called to warn man about the bad news of Hell. This is our responsibility and it should even more motivate us to tell a sinful world about the salvation of our souls through Jesus Christ. We would not even believe in such a place if Jesus had not repeatedly taught and warned about it. He spoke of hell more than anyone else in the Bible, and for a good reason. People probably wouldn't listen if anybody else tried to teach about hell. Christ had to be the one who taught about hell. We cannot conceive of eternal damnation. Christ emphasized hell in His preaching. If you don't think that is true, then you haven't paid attention to His ministry. Let me give you some examples from scripture where He teaches about hell.

1. MATTHEW 5:22, 29-30

Read what Jesus said about hell in Matthew 5: In verse 22, He said, "...whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." He then said in verses 29-30, "...if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

2. MATTHEW 8:12

Here, He said that "the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

3. MATTHEW 11:20-24

"Then began He to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not." Jesus condemned people who did not repent of their sin and said they would go to hell (vv. 21-24). Those were serious words from our Lord.

4. MATTHEW 12:36-37

Jesus said, "But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

The Lord constantly taught about hell. He talked about it in Matthew 23:14-15, 33; 25:29-30, 41, 46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 6:24- 26; and 12:5. Also, here in Luke 16, where he gives us a little description from the condemned’s point of view. Preachers and teachers today must not ever forget to teach about Hell. It cannot be ignored or forgotten or denied. But people don't do that today. It is convicting that we say so little about hell. The truth about hell is so terrifying and awesome that if the Lord had not taught about hell, we would not believe it existed.

B. Description of Hell

1. Place of unending torment and misery - in verse 23a it says that he was conscious and in torment. He was alive and aware of his misery for what he had done to be there. We suffer here on this earth but we know that suffering and pain will cease either by healing or death. But in hell the torment and misery will never cease. If we knew we had a million years to suffer for sins we would have a comfort of knowing that one day it would end, but in hell it is an eternal punishment without hope of ever ending.

A. It is a place of darkness (Matt. 8:12 - But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; Matt. 22:13- Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.) Darkness that is utterly total and complete. It emphasizes the eternal separation of the unsaved from God’s presence of mercy and grace. It gives the understanding of their torment of their hopelessness and helplessness. The closest example I could give is when I went on a tour of a cave and at the end of the trail there was a place where we sat down and the lights were turned off. There was a total absence of light and I could see absolutely nothing. But this is only a small degree of the darkness of Hell.

B. It is a place of fire and flames (v.24) - Not only was he tormented in the misery and torment of eternal punishment for his sins, he was also tormented in flames of fire. I always wondered how hell could be so utterly dark and yet have flames. There is such a thing as invisible flames and they are invisible due to pure gases igniting it and there are special fire detection equipment made to warn and find it. God uses both darkness and fire to describe the torment of the damned.

The Bible gives us two insights into how people will respond in hell. One is in this passage in Luke 16, where the rich man who went to hell cried, "...Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame" (v. 24). The other is a statement Jesus frequently made, saying that in hell "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Mt. 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk. 13:28). Hell is not going to be a place of fun; it is going to be a place of weeping, screaming, grinding of teeth, and unrelieved torment.

2. There are no second chances after death (vv.24 -26) - we see the rich man asking for any minor comfort or relief but we see Abraham answering him telling him that he was receiving his just punishment for his sins and even if it were allowed they could not come to him and he could not go to them because of a great gulf fixed between the two. We see in scripture that God is a merciful and loving God who wants to save sinful and condemned mankind, but God is also holy and just so he must punish sin. God gives mankind all the opportunities to receive Christ as Lord and savior through the hearing of the Gospel and putting their faith in Christ on this side of the grave and after death there are no second chances (it is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment), when we die we all go to an eternity--will it be eternal life or eternal death.

3. Degrees of punishment - there are different degrees of punishment for the evil that unsaved man does in his life. The unrelieved torment in hell will be experienced by different people in varying degrees. Hell will be horrible for everyone there, but some people will suffer more than others. Hebrews 10:29 says, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant...an unholy thing...." In other words, those who received full knowledge of what Christ did for them but still rejected Him will receive more severe punishment in hell. In Matthew 11, when Jesus condemned the people in the cities that rejected Him, He said, "...it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee" (v. 24). Hell won't be tolerable for anyone, but Jesus was saying that it will appear to be more tolerable for the people of Sodom (who hadn't seen Christ's miracles and heard His words) than for those who had witnessed His miracles and heard His words.

IV. Place to Warn Others About (vv. 27-31 - “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”)

A. Warn Them (vv.27-28)- The rich man asked that Lazarus be sent back to warn his five brothers. The horror of that place was of such enormity that he wanted to warn his brothers so that they would never know this place personally. We as Christians should desire to tell others about Jesus so none of our loved ones or friends would ever go there. The unimaginable horror of that place should sway our hearts to tell everyone about Jesus Christ and his salvation. Never should we ever think or say that anyone should “go to hell!”. We see the urgency and desperation of the rich man that no one should go to hell. We need to be that compelled to tell.

B. Abraham’s reply (vv. 29-31 - “Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”) This reply seems to be harsh but we must see the reality of his statement. God sent his Son to die for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead so we might have eternal life. When we tell others about this Gospel it is enough given for this world. Romans 1:16-For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. God has given us salvation through the Son and given the world the message of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. God works His powerful conviction by the proclamation of the Gospel. He deals with the heart of unsaved man through it. ‘Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God’. No other way but through hearing the Gospel and putting your faith in Christ.

We must be motivated and compelled to tell someone about Jesus just by understanding there is an eternal punishment in Hell for the lost. We have the answer and the remedy for their sin and their condemnation that is found only in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

How We Become Children Of God.

How To Become A Child Of God
(Gal. 4:4-7)

Today we will look at an aspect of salvation maybe we don’t give much thought to at all and that is adoption. There are many different aspects to our salvation in Christ but let us consider our “adoption as sons”. This word adoption gives us a wonderful understanding of our position we now have in Christ. It should make us aware of our relationship we now have with Father God. Let’s explore our relationship with God by understanding what “adoption” means and how it applies to us.
I. Adoption in Paul’s time (Eph. 1:5 – “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will”).
First thing we want to do is have a good understanding of what adoption was in Paul’s day and age. Adoption in the time of Paul was known by the standards of Roman law and as we look at adoption in the natural we will see some analogies in the supernatural. Adoption was the legal action by which a person takes into his family a child not his own with the purpose of treating him as and giving him all the privileges of his own natural child. An adopted child was legally entitled to all rights and privileges of a natural-born child. An adopted child could not be disinherited by the adopting parents. According to the Roman legal system the person who was adopted into a family gained all the legal rights of a legitimate son in the new family, but he lost all the rights, privileges and responsibilities in his old family. By becoming a member of the new family he gained all the rights of his new father’s estate. He was now an equal with the other sons and daughters in his new family. He was a co-heir with them according to the law. He was regarded as a new person who had a new life in a new family. Another wonderful thing about the Roman law was that the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out. All of his debts were cancelled. His past now had nothing to do with him. He was in a new relationship with a new family. I don’t know about you but reading about the adopted child gave me some fresh insight onto the truth of our relationship with God and it blessed my soul. Adoption is a beautiful analogy of God’s amazing sacrifice to save a lost and dying, sinful people and save them and by the process of salvation make them His own children with the rights and privileges that belong to those who are His children. We need to see what great lengths He did to make us, who have been saved through faith in Christ, into children of God.
II. Christ is our means of adoption (Gal.4:4-5 – “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”)
The Bible is very blunt about the relationship of mankind to God. According to Scripture we are mere creations of God and because of our sinful depravity of our souls we are seen as enemies of God. It says in Rom. 8:7, “…the carnal (sinful) mind is enmity (hostile enemy) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” and Col. 1:21, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works…”, our sinful nature was at war against the holiness of God. So then we can see we were the sinful, hostile enemies of God not desiring to seek the things of God but our minds set on sinful living and pleasures of the flesh (Rom. 3:10-12, “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”). But in spite of our First Parents fall and the sinful condition of our souls, God provided a way of salvation through Jesus Christ. Verses 4 and 5 tells us that in God’s perfect timing and perfect will sent His Son to redeem us from the curse of sin and bring us into right relationship through Christ. God foreordained the plan of salvation in Jesus knowing full well that mankind would become sinful and fallen even before the world was created but Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, willingly purposed to become our one and only sacrifice for sin by His suffering and death on the cross. We can even see that in Rev. 13:8 where it calls Jesus the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. We have now in Christ have become the sons and daughters of God. We are now in a special relationship as the family of God through adoption. But we are only recognized as being His children through Christ and by nothing else (Gal. 3:26 – “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”).
III. Privileges and responsibilities of adoption (Gal. 4:6-7, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”)
Our new relationship of being a child of God allows us to cry out to God as Father, the particular term Paul uses here is Abba, and this is a term of endearment. I never called my father, ‘father’, I called him dad. Abba is like saying daddy, it shows a close personal relationship with your Father. What a privilege it is to call out to God and call Him “Daddy”. Because of our position in Christ, we are accepted, we are heard and we are recognized as His children. We have become heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus (Rom. 8:17). The rights and privileges in being a son and daughter of God are awesome. As I mentioned before, an adopted child did not have to worry about being disinherited they would always be that persons son or daughter. For the Christian once we are saved, adopted into the family of God, we are always saved, forever a child of God. If we are adopted, we are adopted for ever. If we are saved, we are saved for ever. If you are really saved, you are saved eternally. Our salvation and our adoption as the children of God is eternal and no one can break the bonds of adoption. So we belong to the family of God, and we are raised to the status of an heir of a son. No longer fearful of being lost in sin ever again and forever assured of our eternal salvation in Christ because we are forever accepted as a son or daughter of God. Another blessing of adoption was that upon being accepted into the new family that the adoptee was considered a new person with a new life and all that was in the old family was forgotten and gone. Any debt was forgiven and any part of their old life erased because of their acceptance into the new adoptive family, the adoptee’s identity was now with their new family and the old family ties were completely cut off. We when receive Jesus by faith as Lord and Savior, we become a new creation in Christ Jesus and our old life is forgiven and forgotten by the power of God (2 Co. 5:17 -Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.) I am also glad that all my sin debt was forgiven, the penalty that I had incurred was what I deserved, but Jesus Christ took the penalty for me and by His sacrifice paid the price (Col. 2:13-14 - And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross .). The great love and grace God has shown us through our Lord Jesus, our adoption made possible only through the Son. Because we are accepted as children by that heavenly adoption in Christ we have these great privileges and rights because they are ours by our Father’s will. But we must be led by the Spirit of God because we are the sons of God. We have a responsibility to show the world around us we are his children. Being led by the Spirit means we are obedient and willing children. We are to be obedient to His Word and living out the Word and His Will in our lives.
If we are thankful for our salvation and grateful for the acceptance as sons and daughters of God then we will represent our Father and show that we are truly His Children.

Sermons from Galatians: God's Purpose for the Law (Galatians 3:15-29

God’s Purpose of the Law

(Galatians 3:15-29)

6/28/09

The study of Galatians has brought us to the understanding that salvation is God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That no works of man (religious or morally good actions) can save us, it is only by the Person and work of Christ. With all of this truth given to us here in Galatians we come to the question, “What was and is the purpose of the Law (commandments of God) given to Moses, if the Law does not save then what is it’s intent?” Today we will see the purpose of the Law in view of the grace of God.

I. The Law is Inferior (vv. 15-18)

A. It is inferior to the Covenant made to Abraham (v.15)- The Law is inferior to the Promise of Abraham because even though the law was given it did not change or do away with the promise of salvation in Christ made to Abraham (“in your Seed shall all nations be blessed”, see v. 16). This promise to Abraham was unconditionally initiated and established by God alone. That means it was done not on the basis of what Abraham could do or was, it was solely based on the unconditional grace of God. God’s basis for this covenant with Abraham was that God wanted to do it. There were no conditions to the promise made to Abraham. God called out Abraham and made the covenant promise to him and Abraham responded to God’s Promise by faith. In Genesis 15, we see that in verses 1-7 that Abraham asked God in light of the promise made to him “who shall be my seed come through since I am childless, my only heir is Eliezer, who was born in my household but he is not my offspring [my paraphrase]?” and God told Abraham to look at the stars in the night sky and told him “just as innumerable as the stars, so will be your descendants”. And Abraham believed God (put his faith in God). But Abraham then asked God, “And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8) and God sealed the covenant with Abraham by performing a ceremony that was common at that time in that Far East culture. Abraham received instructions from God to take a heifer, a she goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a pigeon, to cut them in half and lay the halves opposite of each other having a path in between the halves. Gen. 15:12-17 then tells us that God caused a great sleep to fall upon Abraham and then it describes that God symbolically walked between the pieces as a “smoking furnace and a flaming torch”. The practice ordinarily required both parties to walk between the pieces to signify a covenant between them but only God sealed this covenant. Only God walked through there which meant although Abram and his descendants would receive the promise made by God, that the obligation to fulfill the promise was upon God Himself. The blessing of the Promise would be unconditional upon the recipients. So the eternal promise of that promised Seed is Christ and the salvation of Christ (the New Covenant) is an unconditional, free gift of God’s grace that is in no way dependent upon us (Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”). God initiated and instituted that promised New Covenant of Christ and it is unchangeable and permanent. The Law in no way set aside or amended that promise (Abrahamic), and the obligation to fulfilling that covenant was on God alone so that means it could not fail and would be fulfilled. The Fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant was the New Covenant in Christ.

B. It is inferior because the Abrahamic Covenant was based on the fulfillment of that promise, Jesus Christ (vv.16-17)- because it is based on the supreme New Covenant of Jesus Christ, the law cannot modify it or change that fact that all are forgiven only through the offering of Jesus Christ on the cross. The covenant with Abraham looked to it’s fulfillment in the New Covenant in Christ. Salvation comes from the finished work of Christ on the cross and not of any religious rituals or good works. The eternal work of Christ for salvation is a timeless act and it saves regardless of those before Christ or after Christ

C. It is inferior because the Abrahamic Covenant depends on the power of God and not man’s performance (v. 18) - if we compare the Law with the Promise we see that it is all dependent on God. The inheritance of the Promise is not based on our performance or keeping the Law but it is based on the powerful grace of God. We are saved and eternally secure in our salvation because it is based on God’s power and not our inability to keep the moral law of God. Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf (Matt. 5:17-18, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."). It was all fulfilled in the sinless life of Christ.

II. The Purpose and Accomplishment of the Law (vv.19-25)

If we have over and over again been told here in Galatians that salvation has always been about faith and not of works and the covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in Christ, then why do we have the Law, just what purpose does it serve? Paul says here in verse 19 that the Law was added because of “transgressions”. The Law was given to show mankind their sinfulness. It was given to show us our inability to keep the moral demands of God. It was given to show that we are in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace. It was given to show us we are unable to please God by our own works and in desperate need of a Savior. In v.24, which we will discuss more here in a minute, it tells us that the law was our “…schoolmaster (tutor) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith”. The Law helped to us to realize that it is impossible for us to meet the moral demands of God. The standards that God demands to be in His presence or to enter His Heaven cannot be possible for us because we are utterly sinful. The impossibility of keeping the Law shows us that we are under God’s divine judgment because He holds us accountable for our sinful acts. The law convicts us of our sinfulness and drives us toward the mercy and forgiveness of God. The Law was not wrong but it is inferior (Rom. 7:12- “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good”), it cannot save but it leads us to God’s grace. It was not possible for the Law to save, v.21 says, “if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law”. The Bible says that we are unrighteous (Rom. 3:10- “there is none righteous”) and “dead in our trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) and the only thing the law does is to condemn our actions. How can we not know our need for salvation in we don’t know we’re sinful. The law was not to do away with the promise but to only reinforce just how desperately we need Jesus. If the Law could save us then the death of Jesus Christ would have been needless (Gal. 2:21- “…if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”). The ultimate purpose of the law is summed up perfectly in v.22, “the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” And in verse 23, it says that we “we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.” These terms ‘confined’ and ‘guard’ are used for those who are in prison. The Law revealed that our sins condemned us in the eyes of God and basically that we are on death row awaiting our day of execution. The high, unattainable moral standards of God condemned me and showed me I needed Christ as my Savior and that word of God’s law convicted me with guilt of my sin. It caused me great discomfort and sorrow and pain but it brought me to a place of surrendering my life to Christ. God has made our bodies to let us know when something is wrong with us, a pain, a fever, or other discomfort let’s us know when something is wrong and in need of medical attention. If we ignore the symptoms, then we will pay the consequences such as permanent damage or even death. The pain is to warn and protect, so is the moral law of the Word of God, it shows us our spiritual infirmities and warns us of danger, but if ignored it will result in serious eternal consequences. The consequence of ignoring the warning of our spiritual condition is spiritual death (Ezek. 18:20- “The soul that sins, it shall die"; Rom. 6:23- “For the wages of sin is death”). But to let the Law be our schoolmaster or tutor to teach us our condition without Christ and guide us to Christ. In the ceremonial laws (specifically the sacrifices), was the picture and symbol of that perfect sacrifice and sinless offering of Christ. The Law always showed us our sins but graciously pointed to our only Savior, Jesus Christ. We cannot know the depths of the mercy and love of God if we are not shown the depth of our sinful depravity.

III. Freedom and Salvation in Christ (vv. 25-29)

Romans 6:14- “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” The ceremonial system of the law only symbolized what Christ has done for us on the cross. When we by faith received Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were no longer under the bondage and judgment of the law because of sin. We are free from sin and the judgment of sin because of the finished work of Christ. Because Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the Law on our behalf, we can by Christ now become the sons and daughters of God, baptized into His Body, and then we are the true, spiritual seed of Abraham.

Sermons from Galatians - Justified by Faith: The Faith of Abraham (Galatians. 3:6-9)

Justified by Faith: The Faith of Abraham

(Galatians. 3:6-9)

6/7/09

The theme of Galatians might be summed up this way: we are justified by faith in Christ. Because Paul over and over again tells us in Galatians it is by faith we are saved and not by works. We are saved, justified, reconciled and redeemed by faith in Christ alone. There is no religious works, good deeds, or any human effort that can save us. In this passage today we will see from the scriptures how that we are saved through faith in Christ and not through any external works of the flesh. We will see that the Old Testament saints were saved and justified through faith just as the New Testament saints were. Today we will see that we are only justified by faith.

I. Spiritual Children of Abraham (Gal. 3:6-7 – “just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”) – Paul uses Abraham as an example of a relationship with God through faith. The Judaizers were trying to use Abraham as an example that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised, to take this outward sign, to share in the blessings of Abraham. They were in effect saying that unless they were participating in the religious rituals of the Jews then they were not of the “sons of Abraham”, that they did not have a relationship with God and not truly saved. Just what was the promised blessing God made to Abraham? Genesis 12:2-3 – “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” and Gen. 22:18 – “"In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed”, through the promised seed, Christ, will all peoples, all tribes, all tongues, and nationalities can be blessed. The Bible says in Gen. 15:6 that Abraham “believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness”, this verse is what Paul is quoting to the Galatians 3:6 to refute the false teaching of the Judaizers. Paul was saying that Abraham wasn’t seen as right standing with God because he was circumcised, but that Abraham was justified by his faith in God. It was 14 years after Gen. 15:6 that Abraham was circumcised and that just shows that the external sign of circumcision was not what justified Abraham in the sight of God. Paul in Romans 4:3, 7-10 says this about Abraham being found righteous, 3- “What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness."; 7-10- "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!” From the O.T. scriptures Paul shows us that Abraham was found righteous before God because of his faith in God. The Judaizers, like many of the Jews, confused the outward mark of circumcision as a means of salvation. Circumcision was only a sign established by God to identify His chosen people with Him and show their separation from the pagan and idolatrous world around them. Circumcision was only an outward sign and had nothing to do with the spiritual work of salvation and justification. It is almost the same with water baptism is only an outward sign of identification of believers with Christ and not a means of salvation. It only has meaning if you have a salvation relationship with God. The Jews were very proud of that they were the racial offspring of Abraham and because of their physical descent it made them acceptable to God. When the Pharisees made claim that they were the offspring of Abraham to Christ in John 8, He told them that they were of their father the Devil. They had put their trust in the racial heritage and the religious works of Judaism and did not put their faith in God. Jesus put it into perspective just like Paul did, it’s not the result of your physical lineage (family or race or nationality you’re born to) or your religious works, if your faith is not in God then you’re not in the spiritual family of Abraham. Abraham is the spiritual father to anyone who by faith receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior that’s what Paul is saying here in Galatians 3:7. Just as Abraham was the example for justification by faith (Rom. 4:3 – "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness”), so we must be like Abraham and believe God by faith to be justified (Rom. 4:5 - But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness).

II. Gospel to Abraham (Galatian 3:8-9, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”) Let’s look at verse 8, it says that the Gospel was preached by God unto Abraham. That’s an unusual statement that Abraham heard the gospel. You see when God revealed Himself to Abraham, He revealed to Abraham the complete fulfillment of that promised blessing, Jesus Christ. For we see that in Gal. 3:16 it says, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.” God revealed Christ, the crucified Savior, to Abraham and he believed God. If that is hard to believe then let’s look at the very words of Christ in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad”. You see the O.T. saints and the N.T. saints all had to put their faith in Christ. The promise God made in His covenant to Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and one can only be a partaker of those promised blessings by putting their faith in the One who fulfilled the covenant. If you look at Heb. 11 you will see that all the O.T. saints put their faith in Christ, 11:4- By faith Abel, 11: 5- By faith Enoch, 11: 7- By faith Noah, 11: 8- By faith Abraham, 11: 20- By faith Isaac, 11: 21- By faith Jacob, 11:22- By faith Joseph, 11: 23- By faith Moses, etc., we see all these O.T. saints were justified by faith, Heb. 11: 6 sums it up nicely- “But without faith it is impossible to please him (God)”. It doesn’t matter which side of the cross we are on even if it’s before or after Christ came to earth, salvation is found only in the Cross of Calvary. Even though the O.T. saints might not have known the specifics about Jesus, there was enough revealed to them to put their faith in the future sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The O.T. covenant looked forward to the cross while the N.T. covenant proceeds from the cross. Their faith pointed to the cross while ours points back to the cross. It was said of the O.T. saints in Heb. 11:13, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises (fulfillment in their lifetime), but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them (believed what God revealed and promised in Christ), and embraced them(faith in Christ produced salvation)”, this verse speaks of their faith in the promise of Christ’s work of salvation and because of this they were justified. We who are under the New Covenant it is said of us in Eph. 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast”. We are saved, justified, reconciled, and redeemed only through faith in Christ alone. Whether it is from the perspective of looking forward to the cross or whether looking back to the cross, the only thing that matters is that there is the finished work of Christ on the cross. The shed blood of Jesus Christ covers both sides of the Cross. That is what saves us and nothing else.

By looking at the accomplished work of Christ on the cross we that no matter if it was Abraham by faith looking forward in anticipation of Christ or all of us looking back in faith to the Cross, it doesn’t matter where we are at but that we by faith believed in the only One who can save us. Because of Christ being the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham and Abraham believing and putting his faith in God for the future fulfillment by his obedience to the command and word of God we can share in the same spiritual blessing with Abraham. That blessing is a personal relationship with God through Christ. And just like Abraham, we are justified by faith.

Sermons from Galatians - Truth Positive (Galatians 3:1-5)

Truth Positive

(Gal. 3:1-5)

May 31, 2009

Paul continues the defensive argument of the gospel message to the Galatians.  Here in Chapter 3, Paul’s reaction is still of bewilderment why they would leave the truth of the Gospel for the Judaizers’ false teachings of religious works.  Today we’ll look at how Paul deals with their abandonment of the truth by him asking key rhetorical questions to make them remember the truths he had taught them.   

I.  Crystal Clear Picture of Christ (Gal 3:1 - “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?")

A. “O foolish Galatians”- Paul begins speaking to the Galatians with a strong statement, “ You foolish Galatians”, it sounds as if he is claiming these believers have a mental deficit of some sort, but that is not the case.  The problem was not a mental deficiency but a mental laziness, they had been careless with the truth of the Word of God.  They failed to test these teachers with God’s Word.  Paul wasn’t calling them stupid, he was letting them know that they were not applying the true Gospel teaching they had received from him, that they had stopped even believing it, that’s why they had fallen for the Judaizers’ lies.  So, the problem was not just mental, it was spiritual.  It created in them a lack of faith and severely hindered their judgment in regards to God’s truth.  A good example of this is the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, when the resurrected Christ walked with them, they did not know who He was, and because of their lack of faith and knowledge about Him in the scriptures and He began to explain the scriptures about him- Lk. 24:25-27- “Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”  Although they had spent three years with Him, they failed to understand that Christ had to die for their sins and rise from the dead.  Jesus used the same word for foolish in Greek that Paul used for mental carelessness and laziness.  If they had sufficiently studied and believed the prophecies in scripture they would known that Christ’s death was not the end, that He would rise again from the dead.  They believed the modern and popular teachings of some rabbis and not the truths of the word of God.  It seems that the popular false teachings of the Judaizers were also taken for face value instead of believing God’s word.  They had so foolishly fallen for the false teachings of the Judaizers’ legalism that they quit believing and utilizing the Gospel truths that Paul had faithfully taught them.  These were Christians that had failed in staying faithful to and applying in their lives God’s Word of Truth. They  willfully and sinfully neglected these God-given resources found in God’s Word and were foolishly caught into their web of lies.  

B. “Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?”-  Paul continues with the questioning by asking, “who has lured you away from the foundational truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?”.  Bewitch here gives the idea of being lead away by flattery or emotional persuasion.  What it means is that they were enticed by the feeling of fleshly pleasing religious works righteousness.  They ‘felt’ there was something else besides faith alone in Christ. They ‘felt’ that something was missing and they had to add to their salvation to make it complete, that faith alone was not enough.  False religious works always appeal directly to the flesh and want you to forsake using your mind to accurately handle the Word of Truth, “2 Tim. 2:15 - “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.  What was the truth they were “bewitched” from?  The truth was of the Person and work of Jesus Christ, which means that faith alone in the fact that only Jesus Christ can save us and that He saved us through the death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. That’s the truth of the gospel and Paul is saying to them, “remember, Christ was clearly and truthfully preached and taught to you and salvation was clearly seen as being accomplished for us by Christ alone”.  This tells us they were faithfully taught the word of God by Paul and the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ was believed, received, and by faith salvation was wrought out in their hearts by the Holy Spirit of God.  Instead of residing and abiding and staying in that glorious truth they chose to believe a lie.  One thing I learned from my instructor in the study of Cults is that it is always easier to believe a lie than the truth.  This lie caused them to deny the absolute saving power of Jesus Christ and it dishonored His atoning death on the cross.  It is always the truth of the Cross that “sets us free”.

II. Faith Alone (Gal. 3:2-4 - “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain; if indeed it was in vain?") -  Here Paul asks some more rhetorical questions.  These were questions they should have asked of themselves from the beginning these false teachers began to assert themselves into this body of believers.  To answer the first question, to receive the Spirit of God you must be saved by faith in Christ (Acts 2:38 - “Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”).  We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ by faith.  There are many so-called Christian groups who claim that salvation is earned by religious works and faith like those who believe in baptismal regeneration.  That means they falsely believe that one is saved or “regenerated” only when one is baptized (hard-line Churches of Christ, Catholics, Oneness cults [UPC, Apostolic] etc.).  But the false teachers ignore more than 60 times in the New Testament where it explicitly states that our eternal salvation in Christ is through faith and/or repentance alone with no mention of water baptism or any other religious works associated.  Well, Paul goes on to say, you have begun by the truth of Gospel, you were saved because of the truth of the Gospel, are you now believing that it is by your legalistic works, by your own effort, you are now trying to keep yourselves saved?  They had begun in the truth and the joy of grace but now are grudgingly trying to maintain their salvation.  They went from freedom to bondage.  If we cannot save ourselves then we cannot keep ourselves saved.

   

III. Power Encounter (Gal. 3:5- “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”) - Paul was appealing not only from a standpoint of the scriptural revelation of Gospel truth but he was also appealing to the genuine experience of the gospel of grace.  The greatest miracle, the greatest demonstration of the power of God ever seen is salvation of a sinful man.  Paul was saying to them, if you remember the day your were saved by putting your faith in Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you’ll remember it was not done by you being baptized, or you joining a church, or receiving communion, or any kind of good deeds or religious works.  It was done by the power of God alone, through the Person and work of Jesus Christ alone, and through faith alone in Christ alone.  It was because you heard the powerful Gospel message, the Spirit of God convicted your heart, and your were given the saving faith needed to receive Christ as Lord (Rom. 10:17- So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God) and not the human works righteousness that was powerless to save you from sin (2 Tim. 3:5 - “…having a form of godliness but denying its power").  

The power of the Gospel is found in the powerful work of salvation in our powerful Lord Jesus Christ.  The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” and it is found only through faith in Christ alone.