Monthly Archives: September 2024

HARM OR HEAL, WHAT ARE WE SAYING?

Christian Life, ,

Here is something to consider that will help us to know which kingdom we really live in! Jesus gave us a test to show which kingdom rules over us.

We reveal the kingdom in which we live, for example, by what comes out of our mouths…

There is awesome power in the spoken word. God created…

Psalms 33:6 NLT
[6] “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”

And upholds His creation…

Hebrews 1:3 NLT
[3″The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.”…

By His word.

Proverbs 18:21 NIV
[21] “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

The tongue represents the words we speak that proceed from what we believe in our hearts. Hence, what we say will produce the fruit of life or death. This is a principle that illustrates the nature of the kingdom in which we live.

James explains that our mouths are the fountain out of which flows whatever is inside. Unfortunately, what we say exposes the truth that we are constantly at war inside.

James 3:2, 9-12 NLT
[2] “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way….
[9] Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. [10] And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! [11] Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? [12] Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

How can a spring of water produce fresh and salty water at the same time? This does not happen in nature but it does happen in the spiritual realm. You see, the old polluted spring is still inside us. We show by our words which fountain is flowing, the fountain of polluted or living water!

Drinking dirty water is unhealthy. Impure water carries mud and germs which harm those who drink it. In the same way, “dirty” words pollute those who hear them.

Since we are responsible for the way we influence people around us, how important it is for us to keep the fountain inside pure to ensure that what comes out is also pure.

And Jesus declared that what we say will be the measure of our judgment. Our tongues give away the nature of the kingdom that rules over us.

Matthew 12:35-37 NLT
[35] “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. [36] And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. [37] The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

According to the Bible, there will be judgment for all who are in God’s kingdom now. This judgment has nothing to do with our salvation. Scripture declares that…

Romans 8:1 NLT
[1] “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

The Holy Spirit assures us of our salvation by His presence in us, and by His witness that we are God’s children.

Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT
[13] “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. [14] The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

Romans 8:15-16 NLT
[15]”So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

But… there is still judgment coming for the way we live in God’s kingdom. Are we submitting to His authority or still living for ourselves?

So, the question is, “What will God judge when we stand before Him?”

Strangely enough, God will judge our words. Why not our actions?

According to Scripture, our words reveal what us in our hearts.

Matthew 12:35-37 NLT
[35] “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. [36] And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. [37] The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

What we say is really a revelation of what is in our hearts, what we believe that guides our words and eventually our actions. You see, God wants His people to be real, genuine, pure, not mixed with ungodly thoughts, and ways, guided by the truth of what God says.

The only way we can be pure inside  is to replace wrong thinking and beliefs by the truth of what God says. When we fill our minds with God’s Word, we replace lies with truth so that, when we open our mouths, truth will come out.

This leads me to another thought. Not only will we be judged by what we say but we also set up the standard of our own judgment.

God is so just in His dealings with us that He makes us our own judge. We cannot accuse Him of injustice because our own standard will condemn us.

Matthew 7:1-2 NLT
[1]  “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. [2] For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

Whatever words we use to show our contempt or condemnation of another will boomerang back on us.

www.gotquestions.org has an excellent answer to the question, “What are idle words (Matthew 12:36)?”

“In Matthew 12:37, the significance of words is that they will be used to gauge a person’s spiritual condition in the judgment: “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Jesus was speaking to a group of Pharisees who had just accused Jesus of being demon-possessed (verse 24). Jesus calls them a “brood of vipers” and asks them, “How can you who are evil say anything good?” (verse 34). Just as vipers have a mouthful of poison, so the Pharisees had evil words concerning the Savior.

Then Jesus warns the Pharisees of the coming judgment, at which they will be held accountable for their words (Matthew 12:37). There is no better judge of a person’s heart than the words he allows to come forth from his mouth. Just like good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit, so does the mouth reveal the heart’s condition (verse 33).”

So, recognising how harmful his words could be, David prayed…

Psalms 141:3-4 NLT
[3]”Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. [4] Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.”

And so should we if we truly believe what Jesus said.

Isaiah gives us a beautiful alternative to the often mindless chatter that comes from our mouths.

Isaiah 12:3-6 NLT
[3] With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! [4] In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! [5] Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. [6] Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

DON’T EAT FROM THE WRONG TREE – 3

Christian Life, ,

There is a third facet to this subject under discussion, an outcome far bigger than we can imagine.

Let’s go back before time. There are many references in Scripture to a class of angelic beings called “sons of God”, “princes”, “gods” and God’s “heavenly counsel”. These are created spiritual beings to whom God gave the responsibility of ruling the nations under His authority and oversight.

Deuteronomy 32:8 NLT
[8] “When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.”

This amazing Scripture tells us that God divided the nations so that each one had a member of His “heavenly court” in charge. However, because these heavenly beings rebelled against His authority, He judged them and sentenced them to death.

Psalms 82:1-2, 6-7 NLT
[1] “God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings: [2] “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked?…”

Instead of ruling the nations justly, they sided with ungodly earthly rulers, oppressing the poor and ruling unjustly.

Psalms 82:3-5 NLT
[3] “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. [4] Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. [5] But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core.”

So God sentenced them to death just like the humans who rebelled.

Psamn 82:6-7 NLT
[6]”I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High. [7] But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’”

In the New Testament, these fallen rulers are called “principalities and powers” headed by a senior angel, Satan, “the god of this world”. They oppose God and control and influence the ungodly world systems characterised by greed and wickedness.

Since Satan operates on earth, he falsely claims ownership of the world. He applies this lie by deceiving people through his minions, the rebellious principalities and powers whom God originally appointed to govern the nations.

However,

Psalms 24:1 NLT
[1] “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

God appointed His humans to rule over the earth.

Psalms 115:16 NLT
[16] “The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all humanity.”

God created and appointed a new race of beings to replace the “gods” who were condemned to death. This race of humans lives on the earth. Satan deceived the first man, Adam, bringing the whole race under judgment and condemned to death… but God intervened.

God rescued mankind through the death of His Son and set some of them apart to be His new “heavenly council”, preparing them during their life on earth for their role as rulers with Jesus in His eternal kingdom.

Daniel saw this future event in a vision…

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 NLT
[9] “I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, [10] and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened….
[13] As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. [14] He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.”

This “Son of Man”, a Messianic title, refers to Jesus in His earthly ministry as God’s Messiah. God rewarded Him for His role on earth by giving Him the title and role of ruler over the nations.

Psalms 2:2, 4-6 NLT
[2] “The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one…
[4] But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. [5] Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. [6] For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.”

Then something amazing happens.

Daniel 7:15-18, 26-27 NLT
[15] I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me. [16] So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this: [17] “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. [18] But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”…

Daniel questions one of God’s close attendants regarding the power and fate of the fourth kingdom in his vision.

[26] “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. [27] Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.”

God’s plan is to prepare His people, redeemed from sin and its consequences, to reign with Jesus when He returns to set up His eternal kingdom.

Revelation 1:5-6 NLT
[5]”Jesus Christ… He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. [6] He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

Revelation 5:9-10 NLT
[9]”And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. [10] And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”

2 Timothy 2:11-12 NLT
[11]”This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. [12] If we endure hardship, we will reign with him….”

So, Paul reminds his Corinthian readers that they were serving an apprenticeship on earth. He rebuked them for taking one another to secular court to solve their squabbles.

1 Corinthians 6:1-3 NLT
[1]” When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! [2] Don’t you realize that some day we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? [3] Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.”

The issue is…in this life, believers are to learn

  1. To rule over their old sinful nature by submitting to God’s rule over them through the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:17 NLT
[17]” For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”

  1. To love one another because love is the law of the kingdom of God.

James 2:8 NLT
[8]” Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 13:8, 10 NLT
[8]”Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law….
[10] Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.”

  1. To live in harmony with one another, settling issues within the church family.

Romans 12:16-18 NLT
[16]”Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! [17] Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. [18] Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”

Believers can only learn to live according to God’s requirements when they live in the kingdom of the “tree of life”. We have died to self through our union with Jesus. Now we must learn to live by the power of His Spirit in us through the choices we make.

Galatians 5:16 NLT
[16] “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”

Romans 8:12-14 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

In conclusion, let’s look at the bigger picture. God has replaced the spirit beings, called “the sons of God”, who were to rule over the nations but rebelled, with another race of human “sons”, made in His image, redeemed from sin, to rule over the nations forever with Jesus, on His return.

This “heavenly council” will replace the fallen spirit beings who have been sentenced to death along with fallen humans. They serve an apprenticeship during their earthly life by living under God’s authority in preparation for their role in eternity.

This is God’s plan which He is carrying out now but…it involves a partnership between believers and God. Unless we participate by obedience to His will, believers will be disqualified from participation in our kingdom role.

Galatians 5:17, 21 NLT
[17] “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions…
[21]…envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

So, the Bible urges us,” Choose life!” since this is the only way to live now and to secure our position and role with Jesus in His eternal kingdom.

Concluded

DON’T EAT FROM THE WRONG TREE – 2

Christian Life, ,

We have explored the meaning of the two trees in the Garden of Eden. Now we must try to discover their purpose. For what purpose do these two kingdoms exist?

I realise that this is a philosophical question too big to explore here. However, there is one issue, relating to this subject, of great importance to us.

Since God created humans in His image, He gave us the gift of choice. He did not create robots programmed to love Him. He created people with the freedom to love Him or not to love Him.

The overriding rule in His kingdom is love, which determines every word and action of every being under His authority. However, this love must be a choice. Love is only authentic when, by freely choosing to love, all other choices are excluded. Loving God means choosing to submit to and expresses itself by freely accepting God’s authority, and living in obedience to His will.

John 14:21 NLT
[21] “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.

One of God’s high-ranking angels chose not to love Him, setting up a rival “kingdom”, making self-will the nature of this rule. He chose to rebel and overthrow the rule of love. His government includes whatever is not God or God’s way.

For God to test His first son’s love for Him, He gave him the option of choosing between His rule or self-rule by permitting the intrusion of His arch-enemy. This was not a happenstance. This was carefully planned. God knew the outcome before it happened and He also planned His solution before He set the whole process in motion.

So, for God to create and develop His forever family of sons and daughters like His own Son, each one, individually, had to come under His rule by freely choosing to eat from the tree of life. He selected every believer-to-be before time, called them out of the dominion of darkness in time, and set them on the path to live and love in His kingdom of light on this earth within this world system controlled by Satan for eternity.

Ephesians 1:4-8 NLT
[4] “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. [6] So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. [7] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. [8] He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”

All this for one purpose…to show those in the rival kingdom who is God and how great He is!

Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT
[10]”God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You see, it’s all about Him.

So, there are only two kingdoms that exist in the world. They function in the unseen realm but influence the way people live and behave in the earthly kingdoms in which He placed them. Each individual must make the choice to come under one of two authorities, God’s approved and appointed ruler, Jesus…

Philippians 2:9-11 NLT
[9] “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

or Satan, the god of this world.

Matthew 4:8-9 NLT
[8]”Next the devil took him (Jesus) to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

God sets in motion the direction, the processes, and the destiny that our choice determines. For those who choose life, He give grace to live under His rule. To those who choose self-will, He gives them over to what they want.

Our eternal outcome depends on the choices we make now.

To be concluded…

DON’T EAT FROM THE WRONG TREE – 1

Christian Life, ,

Genesis 2:8-9, 16-17 NIV
[8] “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. [9] The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…
[16] And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; [17] but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

What was this “tree” from which God forbade His first son to eat? For what purpose was this tree “created”? Was it a literal tree or is it the symbol of a principle that reappears in Scripture?

I lean towards the idea that this “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” represents a kingdom, headed by God’s sworn enemy, the devil, in which God’s authority is replaced by self-rule. Adam rejected God’s instructions for life, the “eating” of which guaranteed the good fruit of lives of peace and harmony, in favour of Satan’s challenge that self-determination and self-rule would make them like God.

The man and the woman bought the lie, stepped over the line, and found themselves trapped on the wrong side. Satan had excluded the “small print”. They were in enemy territory in which they now lived under the “forced labour” of their chosen master.

This new life of slavery to the god of this world was not what they thought it would be. They had freedom, so they thought, but it was the “freedom” to live in the kingdom of “the knowledge of good and evil”, to make their own rules which enslaved them to selfishness and would inevitably lead to death.

Ezekiel 31 is a graphic description of the “tree” of Egypt which was destined to fall, like the tree of Assyria, because of its wickedness.
Egypt would also lie fallen among the “trees” of the nations. God would hand Egypt over to His arch rival to be destroyed as He did the great “cedar” of Assyria.

Ezekiel 31:2-3, 8-11, 16-18 NIV
[2] “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: “ ‘Who can be compared with you in majesty? [3] Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage…
[8] The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the junipers equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches— no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. [9] I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God… [10] “ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, [11] I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside…
[16] I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. [17] They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword, along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations. [18] “ ‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. “ ‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

God’s plan of redemption begins with a transfer out of this kingdom of darkness ruled by “the god of this world”. This god holds people in his iron grip through deception and enslaves them to sin through their own fallen nature.

John 8:34 NIV
[34] “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV
[4] “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

By grace, through faith in Jesus, God transfers us out of the kingdom of darkness, “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” influenced by Satan but ruled by self. He reinstates us into the kingdom of light, the “tree of life”, ruled by Jesus and governed by love.

Colossians 1:13-14 NIV
[13] “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Back in the kingdom of “the tree of life”, God’s children are once again under God’s authority and live by His standards through His grace. Jesus said that this life is the only way of real freedom.

John 8:31-36 NLT
[31] “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [33] “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” [34] Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. [35] A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

In debate with His opponents, Jesus made it clear that those who are in God’s kingdom are not citizens by natural birth but only by the new birth.

John 3:5-7 NLT
[5]”Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7] So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ “

This transfer from the kingdom of “the knowledge of good and evil” to the kingdom of “life” involves and incudes a spiritual transformation. The old nature controlled by self remains but it is overridden by God’s nature of love.

The old nature still demands attention but the new nature reciprocates by choosing submission to God’s authority in the kingdom of “life”. Although this competition continues throughout our lives, the new nature gradually grows stronger and overrides the old when we confirm our citizenship by living within its constitution.

This spiritual growth, though initiated and sustained by grace, still demands choices. We cannot live with one foot in each kingdom.

Although we might still trespass into the rival kingdom, our new life is essentially firmly planted in God’s kingdom of light. It is up to us to choose life through our obedience to Jesus, our chosen king.

Love is the principle by which God governs in His territory. We find our cue in the way Jesus does things. Jesus showed us both the Father and His ways, during His earthly life. He gave us the blueprint and the power to live by the kingdom’s constitution…

… but the choice us still ours. Choose life and the Holy Spirit empowers us to follow through with our choice. Choose self and we’re on our own.

Galatians 5:16, 22-23 NLT
[16] “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves….
[22] But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

To be continued…

SECURE!

Christian Life, ,

There’s a channel on my Openview decoder called People’s Planet which is essentially dedicated to conservation and animal programmes. “Monkey Helpline” airs the work of a rescue centre near Durban that cares for injured and orphaned vervet monkeys who fall victim to dogs and vehicles in the urban area.

This facility cares for and raises many orphaned baby monkeys because they are left abandoned through the loss of their mothers in the dangerous urban areas. One gets to see just how well equipped they are for life in the trees from birth by their life in the care of a surrogate mother.

Baby monkeys are born with strong fingers with which they cling to the underside of their mother’s fur. She puts a protective arm around him now and again as she moves on the ground or leaps in the trees. Very seldom does a baby monkey fall except when mother is injured or killed.

I am constantly amazed at God’s intimate provision for every creature He has made so that they fit perfectly into the life and habitat He has made for them.

So carefully has God also planned and created us for now on this earth and for eternity with Him.

However…

Eternal security is often debated among theologians and the rest of us. Once saved, always saved? Can we lose our salvation? Can we be lost if we have been saved?

Like the never-ending debate on election and free will, there are two seemingly irreconcilable sides to the story. The Bible is full of reassurances that He will keep us safe on this earth until we enter our eternal home. Yet, there are also stern warnings against falling away. So, how is it possible that anyone can fall away who is being protected by God’s power in this life?

Once again, there is no easy answer since both sides are true although unexplained. Like the issue of election and free will, we are to believe the truth and leave God to be God in His sovereignty and wisdom.

Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT
[29] “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”

So, let’s look at what God’s Word has to say so that we can obey rather than question His wisdom.

Firstly, we have every reason to believe that those who trust God and obey His word to the end of their days will be received with joy into His eternal kingdom. The assurance we have is that God holds onto us.

John 10:27-30 NLT
[27]” My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, [29] for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. [30] The Father and I are one.”

What can be more secure than that! God holds us with such a firm grip that no outside force can separate us from Him.

Colossians 3:3 NLT
[3] “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Romans 8:35, 37 NLT
[35] “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”…
[37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

No earthly circumstance, however dangerous or threatening, can ever drive a wedge between us and God’s love.

How much more reassurance do we need than this?

Now, let’s look at what Scripture says about the possibility of being lost.

2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT
[10] “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never FALL AWAY. [11] Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Does this mean that we can fall away?

Hebrews 6:4-6 NLT
[4] “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— [6] and who THEN TURN AWAY from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.”

It seems that people can fall away by deliberately turning away.

There is a bridge between being secure and not falling away.

“DO THESE THINGS , and you will never fall away.”

What “things” is Peter referring to?

2 Peter 1:3-9 NLT
[3] “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. [4] And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. [5] IN VIEW OF ALL THIS , MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO RESPOND TO GOD’S PROMISES. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, [6] and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, [7] and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. [8] The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”

Although God’s promises are powerful and true, they are only effective when we believe and apply them to our own lives. Baby monkey is only safe when she clings onto mommy’s fur. Faith is only faith when we activate that faith by clinging to the One who promised.

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
[19] “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, [21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.”

Can you see the picture now? We declare the sincerity of our faith in Jesus by our attitude to His Word. He will hold on tightly to those who love Him enough to do what He says.

John 14:21 NLT
[21]”Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Forget theology and theological debates!

Our security, then, depends on faithfulness, God’s faithfulness to us and our faithfulness to Him. In partnership, we are assured of a “grand entrance” into His eternal kingdom.

So, again…

2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT
[10] “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. [11] Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Election and free will are not contradictory but work in partnership… God chooses us and we choose Him. So also, our salvation is secure because God holds on to us and we cling by faith to Him.

There is a another aspect we need to consider. Salvation is also a two-way street. Although God chose us before time, when we turn from sin to the Lord in faith, He responds by restoring us to sonship. He makes us alive, forgives our sin, cleanses us from unrighteousness, gives us His own nature, and adopts us into His family as true sons and daughters.

Is it possible, in this new standing with God, that a son or daughter of God, once born again, can never be unborn? That child may become estranged from the Father through his rebellious behaviour but he will always be a son.

Scripture seems to make a distinction between “sons” who live sinful lives, obeying the dictates of the flesh, and children of God who live in obedience to the Holy Spirit. The former will not inherit the kingdom while the latter will receive a grand welcome into the kingdom.

Life in the kingdom includes the promise of rewards for faithfulness, i.e., positions of authority and responsibility in God’s kingdom. Does this mean that God’s children, though saved, will receive no reward in eternity if they persist in sin? We can only ponder these things.

However, John gives us yet another angle to our assurance of eternal security. He makes a case for those who do not sin as a way of life. First, he says that those who walk away were never part of us.

1 John 2:18, 19 NIV
[18] “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.”
[19″These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.”

Apparently, “these people”. refers to those who were “antichrist” because they denied the true humanity of Jesus.

1 John 4:2-3 NLT
[2] “This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. [3] But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”

John’s test is simple…

1 John 3:7-9 NLT
[7] “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. [8] But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. [9] Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”

…and his test is…

1 John 3:10, 14 NLT
[10]”So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God….
[14] If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.”

Since the “law” of the New Covenant consists of two commandments in place of the 613 laws of the Old Covenant,

1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”

we can easily recognise those who are God’s true children. These are those who cannot live habitually in sin because…

  1. They have been born again through the Word of God.

1 Peter 1:23 NIV
[23]” For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

  1. They cannot continue in sin because God’s Word (seed) is in them.

1 John 3:9 NIV
[9] “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

As a young man, David learned this truth.

Psalms 119:9-11 NIV
[9]”How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. [10] I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. [11] I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

So, for John, the case is closed.

Those who believe and receive God’s Word are born again into God’s family. They have God’s Word in them which keeps them from habitual sin. They will not fall away.

Those who do fall away show that they were never born again. They left because they were never part of God’s family.

So, we have the assurance, if we have truly been born from above by the power of God’s Spirit,

1 John 3:1 NIV
[1] “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!…”

How do we have this assurance?

Romans 8:14-16 NIV
[14] “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. [15] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

The lives we live either corroborate the witness of God’s Spirit in us or deny that we are truly God’s children.