God's Fulfilled Promise

Types and shadows pointed to the promised Messiah. Because He came, we can trust Him to fulfill His promise to return and take us to be with Him forever!

Hebrews 5:11-6:12 Warnings and Encouragement

Exegesis must not be influenced by one's system of theology, but only by the Scripture, which interprets itself. When we come to a difficult passage in this book we cannot ignore the allusions to the Old Covenant. The description of people and land in this passage have been variously interpreted; I think the proper path is to understand these allusions and what they would mean to the original audience; then determine how they apply to us.

 

A Time of Transition

Sermon Audio Link

During His earthly ministry, Jesus was announcing the kingdom of God, showing it to be something different from the nation of Israel. Before the cross, He declared the kingdom was not discernable with the eye, but was in their midst as He stood with the Pharisees (Luke 17:20-21). A kingdom not of this world but present - in part - upon it. Scripture provides several clear statements about Jesus’ position regarding the Mosaic Covenant:

Matthew 12:6 Jesus is greater than the temple

Matthew 12:41-42 Jesus is greater than Jonah and Solomon

Matthew 12:2, 5, 7, 8 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

Hebrews 3:3 Jesus has greater glory than Moses

Hebrews 2:14.15; 5:5.10 Jesus is the greater High Priest

Our Great High Priest!

Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10 – Our Great High Priest

1. Jesus is our Great High Priest
2. Our Great High Priest has compassion
3. Our Great High Priest gives us confidence
4. Characteristics of an Aaronic High Priest
5. Jesus – the Supreme High Priest

A Joyful Walk in the Spirit

Hebrews 12:2 Let us look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Hebrews 9:11-28 Jesus is Better

This message was a prelude to the saints of Community Baptist taking the Lord's Supper. 

Heb 9:11-14 Christ has appeared.

Heb 9:15-22 Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant.

Heb 9:23-28 Christ is a better sacrifice. 

Hebrews 4:1-13, Promise and Warning

1. The Promise Stands as does the warning (1 – 3)
2. The Promise is Rest in Christ (4 – 11)
3. Nothing is Hidden from God (12 – 13)

 

Holy People - not holy places

Holy People, not holy places

In John 4, Jesus went to Samaria to meet the woman at the well. The following conversation is foundational to the topic at hand.

John 4:19-24 (HCSB) “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, yet you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” ​Jesus told her, “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

A major point of all religions other than the one true one is that they have sacred places they must meet for worship. YHWH had met with the ancient Hebrews in the tabernacle. Their males went to Jerusalem three times a year to meet with God. Pagans built temples and altars at which they had to worship. In Acts 19 we see the pagan temple of Artemis (or Diana, depending on your translation) – the place was important.

In the passage from John 4, Jesus continues to introduce His kingdom by pointing out contrasts between it and what was being made obsolete. “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” This statement would have shocked both Jew and Samaritan, whose religions were based on sacred places. The kingdom of Christ is not of this world (John 18:36) and His people are to worship anywhere and anytime, as long we worship Him in spirit and truth. This is what YHWH desires – not ritual discipline to be at the temple at the right time.

During the ministry of Jesus and His apostles, we read of them engaging Jews in the Jewish synagogue (a system of worship developed outside of the canon of Scripture) but not worshiping with the Jews. When the saints met for worship, there is no record in Scripture of special places they were to meet. There are records of what they did and Who they worshiped.

We read in the Psalms how the people of Israel sang about meeting in the house of God. We read in the New Covenant passages how we are the house of God. Certainly, Christ’s cryptic words “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again,” refer immediately to His bodily resurrection. But the Apostles of the New Testament also understood Christ’s bodily “temple” in a metaphysical sense as a transcendent type of the corporate body of the elect who, as Christ’s spiritual “body” or “temple,” were “raised up together” and “made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:6) Thus James describes the salvation of Jews and Gentiles as the rebuilding of “the tabernacle of David” (Acts 15:16); Peter refers to the regenerated church as “living stones … built up a spiritual house” (1 Pet 2:5); and Paul, as we have seen in Ephesians, depicts the present state of the church as a “building fitly framed together” which constitutes the “holy temple of the Lord.” (Eph 2:21)

The first ten verses of Hebrews 9 details how the tabernacle was a symbol for that present time, when ritual offerings which could not perfect the worshipers’ conscience were made. Verse 10 sums it up: “They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of restoration.” Physical things relate to earth-bound religions. The time of restoration refers to the coming of the kingdom that was inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Verse 11 declares Jesus the high priest of the good things that have come – the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation). The tabernacle in the wilderness was a sacred meeting place for the Hebrew people. Later they would sing about worshiping God in His house – the temple they had built. Another sacred place. Each child of God being a living stone, being built up into a spiritual house has no attachment to any geography. The places God’s redeemed meet to worship Him is not important; having the people He has redeemed worship Him in spirit and truth is.

The spiritual is always greater than the temporal. Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20) and those whose main focus is on temporal things are enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18 & 19). The point is that whether we have large barns that satisfy our soul or put our treasures into grandiose buildings for saints to gather in, having our focus on earthly things is damaging to our souls. If we have been given much, we ought to give much; whether it’s money, time, love, or fellowship. This is how we use temporal wealth – to aid those who are hurting, not build grandiose buildings to impress people.

Phil 3:13-15, 20-21 (HCSB) Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. …  our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself. 

My Gay Conundrum

My Gay Conundrum

(This was written around 2008)

In many ways, I am a curmudgeon, refusing to cooperate with the culture on a host of issues. The push for euphemistic terms in all aspects of society particularly gripes me – from “sanitation engineers” to “gays”; I see no reason to go along with the subtle, evil scheme to redefine the terms that describe life.

Having said that, here’s my “Gay Conundrum”:

In 1999, I bought a used Ford Escort station wagon; it was purple (very much like the one in the picture). While my car was a deep, rich shade of purple – opposed to a light, soft shade – many in my circle of family and friends had fun telling me my car was “gay”. One brother in Christ gleefully called this car (upon which were several bumper stickers witnessing for Jesus) my “LAMBDA mobile” (look up LAMBDA on the Internet if the significance of this term is lost on you).

In 2000, my employer was laying people off. A VP, with whom I was friends and related to in Christ Jesus, told me how he was pressured to “protect” homosexuals during the layoff as he was to do so with historically protected minorities. He joked that his best protection against being laid-off was to declare himself “gay”. I told him that I embraced the “gay” label – with the explicit acknowledgment that my use of the term hadn’t fallen into the Humpty Dumpty redefinition process. Coupled with my driving a purple car, how could I lose? At any rate, he and I both survived the RIF. I gaily drove on in my purple chariot, not offended by the comments of friends and family who made fun of my car. Dark purple, as any student of ancient history knows, was a sign of royalty and honor. And that little purple Escort wagon was the best car I had owned. And it had a luggage rack on the top!

Until the summer of 2006. A young woman, driving her first car, blissfully ran through a red light and smashed into the driver’s side rear of my beloved car, rendering it “uneconomically repairable” – with increasingly debilitating electrical failures.

As news of this tragedy spread, my dear friend who labeled my car “LAMBDA-mobile” told me I should file a “hate-crime” report with the police and the homosexual activist crowd. Certainly, this blatant attack on the public declaration of my gayness was a hate crime!

Here’s the rub: I do not subscribe to the Orwellian view of “hate crimes”. A.) What are non-hate crimes to be called? “Love crimes”? B.) Motive should not be a constituent of the crime, but a consideration in the punishment. “Hate crimes” is a PC accommodation of Orwell’s infamous “thought crimes”. (If you have not read George Orwell’s 1984, correct this deficiency at once!)

So here I sit: a gay man whose LAMBDA-mobile was taken away too early. What’s a gay man to do? Sadly, my replacement car is a non-descript but tasteful silver – not “gay” at all. Has my identity been stripped from me? Has the “hate-crime” committed against me taken that away? No – a thousand times no! A man is not defined by his car. He is defined by his motorcycle!

Just kidding about that last part (although my dear wife of more than 30 years would agree that I spend too much time with my motorcycle).

I am struck by the insanity of defining crimes by attempting to see into the perpetrator’s mind and make his mental state a crime unto itself. Does one man’s hate for another make the taking of life or property any worse? In our post-modern culture, where the only truth is that perceived to be truth by hearer, it’s nigh impossible to convince any authority that facts matter more than perceptions. This is the fundamental reason so many churches are awash in false teaching and why education is a train wreck. People have lost the ability to think, the schools have not been teaching children to critically examine anything. This environment cannot help but give birth to “zero tolerance” policies that criminalize boys who “shoot” one another with their fingers or a banana.

Co-opting the word “gay” to mean homosexual is another symptom of this mindset. People taking offense at anything they would rather not hear is another. All these things – hate-crimes, “gay” conversations, zero-tolerance, thin-skinned offended folk – are the outworking of a post-modern mindset where meaning is assigned by the receiver of the information and no moral absolutes exist. This brings me to an interesting quote I saw on the Internet recently – with no idea who said it. But it pulls all this gay conundrum of mine into perspective and brings it full circle.

To be offended by what someone else says is your own choice, as you don’t have to care about what other people think, and nothing has actually happened to you.

Information merely passed from their [sic] mind to yours.

In other words, you actually want to stop certain information from being communicated. You must believe that you have some sort of right to dictate not only what people can and can’t communicate, but they can and can’t think.

To be offended is to take the first step in being a totalitarian megalomaniac.

If any of us were honest, we would admit to holding to one or more ideas that fit into that ugly picture painted in the quote above. The recent hub-bub about florists and pizza parlors that refuse to service homosexual weddings shows how many “conservatives” have fallen into this unfortunate world of political correctness. These well-meaning people have drawn their line of support for these businesses based on religious expression and the freedom we have in that arena. They ignore the fundamental rights being trampled on – freedom of association and ownership of private property. 20 or 30 years ago countless businesses had signs displayed notifying patrons of the store owner’s right to refuse service to anyone. The market taught them which policies were beneficial. Now, “conservatives” ignore the Constitutional issues, agreeing that government ought to enforce “antidiscrimination” – meaning businesses cannot refuse service to anyone. The government should not discriminate – they are funded by everyone. Privately owned businesses are free to discriminate (even though we have laws that forbid it); yet the only discrimination allowed in this new version of Wonderland is against those who are accused of having historical advantages – either real or imagined. Facts don’t matter. The inferred or assumed injury is judged by how serious or outrageous it sounds, not by the facts of the matter.

When it’s all said and done, I am not as gay as I was 10 years ago. This world has lost its mind and I’m weary of it. But in the larger scope of eternity, that’s a good thing – for all who are truly in Christ, this world is not our home. The trials and craziness we experience here serve mainly to remind us of the Fall and how serious sin is – that which infects us and that which we do. So the message for my fellow saints is simple – fix your eyes on that which is unseen, remember His words, from John 14:13 (ESV) “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” And that’s really good news for all those who are in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 3 - Jesus is Better

From 1 September. 

Here's a snippet from the message:

As the faithful son over all of God's house, Jesus is superior to Moses – but not contrary to Him. As Moses is a type of Christ, so was the Exodus a type which foretells the redemption we have in Christ. In Luke 9:31 the death of Jesus is called an exodus; He is, according to 1 Cor 5:7, the true Passover; in 1 Pet 1:19 Jesus is the lamb without spot or blemish. Jesus was in Acts 7:38 the One who gave Israel living oracles in the wilderness; their baptism into Christ is the anti-type of Israel's passage through the Red Sea (1 Cor 10:1); our spiritual feeding on Christ in the Lord's Supper is the anti-type of Israel's nourishment by manna and water from the rock (1 Cor 10:3). Christ, the living Rock, was their guide through the wilderness (1 Cor 10:4); the heavenly rest that awaits the saints is the counterpart of the earthly Canaan rest of Israel (Heb 4). This typology was pressed on early Christians, telling them and us that Israel's rebellion and punishment in the wilderness was preserved for our instruction (1 Cor 10:6); Jude applies this to Christians from the fact that “the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” (Jude 5)

 

Teaching and Preaching – According to Paul

 

Teaching and Preaching – According to Paul

1.      1. Teaching. In the Bible, teaching is consistently that equipping activity which happens within the community of faith. Teaching is what is required of elders. In each passage, “teach” is a translation of G1320 διδάσκαλος didaskalos (d̮iy-d̮a'-ska-los) n. 1. a teacher, an instructor. 2. (figuratively, with reverence) mentor (or even “master,” as in a voluntary choice with mutual care and consideration) or G1321 διδάσκω didasko (d̮iy-d̮a'-skō) v. to teach. Exceptions are noted below. Here’s how Paul uses those words:

1Cor 4:17 This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

1Cor 12:28,29 And God has placed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, managing, various kinds of languages. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles?

1Cor 14:6 But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in other languages, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

1Cor 14:19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language. (G2727 κατηχέω katecheo (kat-ee-che'-ō) v.1. to sound down into the ears. 2. (by implication) to indoctrinate (“catechize”) or (genitive case) to apprise of.)

1Cor 14:26 What then is the conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation. All things must be done for edification. (G1322 διδαχή didache (d̮iy-d̮a-chee') n. instruction (the act or the matter). [from G1321]

Rom 6:17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to. ((G1322 διδαχή didache (d̮iy-d̮a-chee') n. instruction (the act or the matter). [from G1321])

Rom 12:7 if service, in service; if teaching (G1322 διδαχή didache (d̮iy-d̮a-chee') n. instruction (the act or the matter). [from G1321]), in teaching;

Gal 6:6 The one who is taught the message must share all his good things with the teacher. (G2727 κατηχέω katecheo (kat-ee-che'-ō) v.1. to sound down into the ears. 2. (by implication) to indoctrinate (“catechize”) or (genitive case) to apprise of.)

Eph 4:11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

Col 1:28 We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

Col 3:16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.

1Tim 2:12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent.

1Tim 3:2 An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher,

1Tim 4:6 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed. (G1319 διδασκαλία didaskalia (diy-d̮a-ska-liy'-a) n. instruction (the function or the information.)

1Tim 4:11 Command and teach these things.

1Tim 4:13 Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. (G1319 διδασκαλία didaskalia (diy-d̮a-ska-liy'-a) n. instruction (the function or the information.)

1Tim 4:16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. (G1319 διδασκαλία didaskalia (diy-d̮a-ska-liy'-a) n. instruction (the function or the information.)

1Tim 5:17 The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. (G1319 διδασκαλία didaskalia (diy-d̮a-ska-liy'-a) n. instruction (the function or the information.)

1Tim 6:1-3 All who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters to be worthy of all respect, so that God’s name and His teaching (G1319) will not be blasphemed. Those who have believing masters should not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but should serve them better, since those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Teach and encourage these things. If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching (G1319) of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness,

2Tim 1:11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher,

2Tim 1:13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (G3056 λόγος logos (lo'-ğos) n.)

2Tim 2:2 And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 

2Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. (G3718 ὀρθοτομέω orthotomeo (or-tho-to-me'-ō) v. 1. to make a straight cut or slice. 2. (figuratively) to rightly dissect (the divine message); (i.e. discern and explain).)

2Tim 2:24 The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, (G1317 διδακτικός didaktikos (diy-d̮ak-tiy-kos') adj. instructive (“didactic”).)

2Tim 3:10 But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, (G1319)

2Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, (G1319).

2Tim 4:2,3 Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. (G1322 διδαχή didache (d̮iy-d̮a-chee') n.instruction (the act or the matter). [from G1321])

Titus 1:9 holding to the faithful message as taught (G1322), so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching (G1319) and to refute those who contradict it.

Titus 2:1 But you must say the things that are consistent with sound teaching. (G1319)

Titus 2:7 in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. (G1319)

Titus 2:10 or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything. (G1319)

Heb 5:12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.

 

2.      2. Preaching. Preaching, in the Pauline letters, consistently portrays that gospel ministry that takes place outside the community of faith. “Preach” is a translation of G2784 κηρύσσω kerusso (kee-rïs'-sō) v. 1. to proclaim or announce; to herald (as a public crier). 2. (especially, of the gospel) to proclaim or announce divine truth or (G2097 εὐαγγελίζω euaggelizo (ev-an-ğe-liy'-zō) v. 1. to bring good news. 2. “evangelize.” 3. (especially) to proclaim the good news of redemption through Jesus (i.e. the gospel). Exceptions are shown below. Here’s how Paul used those words:

Rom 1:15 So I am eager to preach the good news to you also who are in Rome.

Rom 10:14, 15 But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!

1Cor 1:21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. (G2782 κήρυγμα kerugma (kee-rïg'-ma) n. 1. a proclamation (especially of the gospel). 2. (by implication) the gospel itself. [from G2784])

1Cor 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.

1Cor 9:14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. (G2605 καταγγέλλω kataggello (kat-an-ğel'-lō) v. to proclaim, promulgate.)

1Cor 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

1Cor 9:18 What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel.

1Cor 9:27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

2Cor 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us — by me and Silvanus and Timothy — did not become “Yes and no”; on the contrary, a final “Yes” has come in Him.

2Cor 2:12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door for me.

2Cor 11:4 For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly! 

2Cor 11:7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Gal 1:8, 9 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him! As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!

Gal 1:11 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on human thought.

Gal 1:16 to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.

Gal 2:2 I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles — but privately to those recognized as leaders — so that I might not be running, or have run the race, in vain. (G394 ἀνατίθεμαι anatithemai (a-na-tiy'-the-mai) v. to set forth (for oneself), i.e propound, declare)

Gal 4:13 you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a physical illness.

Phil 1:15 To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will.

Col 1:28 We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (G2605 καταγγέλλω kataggello (kat-an-ğel'-lō) v. to proclaim, promulgate.)

1Thess 2:9 For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers. Working night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God’s gospel to you. 

1Tim 3:16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 

1Tim 5:17 The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.  (G3056 λόγος logos (lo'-ğos) n.)

2Tim 1:11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, (G2783 κήρυξ kerux (kee'-rïx) n. 1. a proclaimer, a herald. one who announces or declares. 2. (especially, of the gospel) a proclaimer of divine truth.

 

I am not saying that elders never preach, merely pointing out that the tradition we have learned (teaching is merely to inform, preaching aims to reach the heart), is not biblical. Good teaching is much more than information, it pierces the hearts of the saints, applying properly the Scriptures being taught. This is what is required of elders, this is what builds us up in our faith. What takes place in most congregations at the 11 o’clock hour is teaching – perhaps with some preaching to the unconverted mixed in. Preaching is primarily done in world, to the world. We need to reform to the Scripture.

Hebrews 2:14-18, Jesus our High Priest

Hebrews 2:14 – 18 – Jesus our High Priest

In the last message from Hebrews, we saw how Jesus came as a man, was victorious over sin and death, has been glorified and is honored in Heaven. And He calls us – announces publicly to all – that we are His brothers and sisters. This last paragraph of chapter 2 builds on this, reminding us of three things: a) Jesus' humanity, b) how He came to die, and c) now helps us as our faithful high priest. Each of these three points is meant to comfort and strengthen His people. Now as then – some 2,000 years ago – God's people live in a world that is designed and run to draw us aside, to weigh us down. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world are persecuted and killed. Whether we are threatened with the sword or by countless enticements to compromise, our refuge is the same – flee to Christ! Our flesh is weak, we need a strong tower – but we also need an advocate who will plead our case. We who have faith in Christ Jesus have more than we need. Let's get into the text!  

Hebrews 2:5-13; Jesus and Humanity

 A plea to the saints to see Christ as fully God and fully man. A complete Savior!

Covenantal Dichotomism

Covenantal Dichotomism

From Part 2 of The Fatal Flaw of the Theology Behind Infant Baptism, by Jeffrey D. Johnson:

Without an accurate view of the Abrahamic Covenant, it is nearly impossible to understand the relationship between the various covenants of the Bible. The Abrahamic Covenant included at least four major promises:

·         A seed

·         A land of rest

·         That Abraham would be the father of many nations

·         And, ultimately, that Abraham’s children would be the “People of God”

The key to understanding these promises is distinguishing their two-prong fulfillment. That is, there is a dual nature to the Abrahamic Covenant. By studying the Old and New Testaments, we learn there is a physical and spiritual fulfillment to each of these promises.

Included in the physical fulfillments were:

·         A natural seed (Gen 17:7 & 10)

·         Types and shadows

·         A condition

Included in the spiritual fulfillments were:

·         A spiritual seed (Gal 3:16 & 29)

·         Spiritual realities

·         An unconditional guarantee

The nation of Israel was God’s outward people, analogous to the visible church – distinctly different from the “true Israel of God”, His inward people.

John Bunyan’s The Doctrine of Law and Grace Unfolded makes the case for one covenant with Abraham that has two parts; including law and grace. On the one hand, its condition was fulfilled by the work/righteousness of Christ. This made it a covenant of works. On the other hand, it provides grace without works to those who are in Christ by faith. In this sense, it is a covenant of grace. Like a coin, it is a singular covenant with two sides – including Gen 12 and Gen 17. For Abraham and his spiritual seed, it was an unconditional covenant of grace. For Abraham’s natural seed, including Christ Jesus, it was a covenant of works.

The Mosaic covenant, unlike the Abrahamic covenant, had no dual nature: it was strictly a covenant based upon works – Exodus 19:5 – 8. It contained 1.) an outward and visible seed, 2.) various types and shadows, and 3.) condition based on works. It promised blessings and curses; it was not established with the physical seed of Abraham to make them righteous, but to show them their sins and point them to Christ.

Not only did Christ fulfill the natural and conditional aspects of the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants, He fulfilled the spiritual and unconditional aspects of Abrahamic Covenant. 

Genesis 49:29 - 50:14 In Hope of the Resurrection

 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

The text before us is about the death of Jacob, the last patriarch of Israel. There is another message for us, if we understand the message of death. Sin entered the world and death came by sin. Death spread to all, because all sin. We each enter life with a bad heart and we develop our own bad record. Talk of death, experiencing the death of a loved one should cause anyone to ponder what happens next? Only one answer is true, only One Savior brings peace in death.

Genesis 48: Expectations and Providence.

We tend to judge our circumstances by expectations that have been set - one way or another - in our minds. This is not the way a child of God should live.

All You Want to Know About Hell

All You Want to Know About Hell

by Steve Gregg

a review by Stuart Brogden

From the not-so-fine folks at Westboro Baptist Church to Rob Bell, it seems that nearly everyone has an opinion about Hell and who will end up there. Steve Gregg's book promises to tell us everything we want to know about the subject, claiming to present “three Christian views of God's final solution to the problem of sin”.  This leads the reader to expect a biblical defense and analysis of this topic. These three views are listed as the Traditional, Conditional, and Restorational views. I hope to show you how this works out so you can determine if this book will strengthen your faith in the biblical God.

The forward, ostensibly written by Gregg, reveals his bias early on as he asks the reader to conduct a thought experiment – If the Bible said nothing about hell, which of the three views would you expect God to choose based on what the Bible says about God; and then, “Based upon your character, which would you wish for Him to choose?” We will see this orientation repeated within this book – looking at creator God or some doctrine from a humanistic perspective rather than a biblical one. This is a recipe for trouble. The Introduction is a walk through various man-centered views about innocence and goodness and punishment, accompanied by the assertion that none of these three views about hell “denies any major affirmation of the gospel” (page 4). Prior to providing a summary of the three views, Gregg says, “I have come to believe that none of these positions can justly be called “heretical.” All are held by evangelicals who accept the authority of Scripture.” Gregg includes Roman Catholics, Christian liberals, and neo-orthodox within his overly broad category of “evangelicals” and he has a rather liberal view of “accepting the authority of Scripture.” This causes some of the author's confusion on this topic. After describing these three views, he  tells us his intention is not to promote any one view.  The overviews provided in the Introduction include myriad proof-texts for each – a particularly unsatisfactory method of supporting a doctrinal position, as lack of context allows virtually any Scripture to be claimed by virtually anyone for virtually any argument. And a common thread throughout the book is one of questioning the traditional view.

One thing about our author which is very good – he is not blinded by what he was taught and does seek to prompt the reader to think about what he reads in Scripture. This is a good thing, one that I believe most folks pay little heed to. A case in point – many English Bibles carelessly use the word “hell” for the grave and for hell. The Apostles' Creed doesn't help in this particular case. We must be careful how we read.

Gregg starts off chapter 1 (page 17) saying, “Atheists find the doctrine (of hell) to be a strong deterrent to their belief in the God of Christianity.” Perhaps he meant to say that atheist claim this to be so, they hate God and will do what they can to judge the Judge of all creation. The truth about atheists is that they are dead in sin and unable to believe in Christ – unless the Spirit of God raise them up and give them faith. In his supposedly even-handed review of the Calvinistic view, Gregg actually ridicules it by describing this view of God as “a bipolar entity” who is “about equally divided between extreme love and extreme hatred”, and declare this not to reflect the biblical God (page 23). An honest reading of just about any book in the Bible shows the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of all flesh as One Who saves whom He wishes and destroys whom He wishes. Romans 9 is a prime example of this dynamic picture of the only true God. Throughout this chapter our author portrays hell as the product of human thought, pulls Scripture out of context to make a point, and claims the Roman Catholic Church's political campaigns known as the Crusades demonstrates how hellish Christians can be. Here's that humanistic view – anyone who claims to be a Christian is to be accepted as one. Then, when some professing Christians do hellish things, we can drag the Bible through the mud with them. While any Christian is capable of doing pretty much any wicked thing, every true Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and not be at peace with sin. The decades-long Crusades do not represent Christians who got lazy and lapsed into sin. It was a deliberate series of acts that cannot be reconciled to Christianity, organized by a cult that has done more to kill Christians and keep the Bible locked up than the Muslims ever have.

In the last few pages of this chapter, titled, “Why Hell?”, Gregg (pg 47) claims “a punishment that never reaches an end can only guarantee that justice will never finally prevail. Unless the sinner's sin actually deserves infinite punishment, such punishment must be inherently unjust.” In the next paragraph, Gregg notes that these points he just made “are the reasonings of mere men – but what other reasoning is at our disposal?”  Yet on page 40, we were told the “approach that evaluates a teaching merely from the standpoint of human reactions to it is inferior, in that it is man-centered. To be authentic, Christian theology must be God-centered.” To this, all God's children say a hearty AMEN! But, as I noted at the beginning, a humanist view pervades this book. He brings this chapter to a close observing that eternal punishment to satisfy God's wrath is a “harder sell” than a hell that serves a redemptive purpose, then he quotes the liberal, Clark Pinnock: “The traditional view of the nature of hell does not cohere well with the character of God disclosed in the gospel.” If the character was only disclosed to us in “the gospel” (one cannot help but wonder if Mr. Pinnock knows the biblical gospel), then one might listen. But that's not the case. The Christian accepts the Word of God as His wisdom revealed to us and we submit our minds to that, crying out to the Holy Spirit for understanding. We do not lean on our own understanding! Elsewhere Gregg acknowledges the notion that a creature sinning against an infinite Creator is viewed, by some, as justifying infinite punishment. He also mentions in his argument for the traditional view the reality that unredeemed sinners in hell do not stop sinning; therefore, their punishment doesn't stop. Both of these aspects are worthy of consideration before one embraces a position promoted by a “Christian liberal.”

Gregg spills a lot of ink telling us that hell is not mentioned very much in Scripture and that hell was not a “front-burner” issue for the Savior or His apostles. “They must have found something other than terror to motivate them to obedience and service.” Our author laments gospel preaching that is basically a warning to escape the coming judgment of God – rightfully so, as that is not faithful preaching. The gospel is fundamentally about the redemption of sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone – to be with Him forever on the new earth. Gregg is right (pg 61) to point out that repentance accompanies faith and should not be ignored in gospel preaching. Two pages later, he tells us of devout Christian man who testified that “he could not become a Christian (that is, he could not love God) until he actually came to disbelieve in the traditional doctrine of hell.” This is not the way a person is saved – this is the story of a man seeking a god made in his image because he does not like the God Who is. He quotes Pinnock again, propping up the notion that people must be convinced to save themselves, and then says “We must not allow pragmatism to drive our message. Our message must be the truth. Any deviation from what the Bible really teaches may produce undesirable and unforeseen consequences.” And yet he keeps on bringing up ideas and suggestions that God will not punish unrepentant sinners for eternity – sounding to me more like the serpent in the garden than a Christian theologian. And then he ends the chapter reminding us, “God alone is enough for those who seek and find Him.” AMEN!

Gregg's personal bias shows forth in the chapter discussing Lazarus and the rich man, as he asserts (page 70) that the scene of demons emerging from the pit in Rev 9, 11, and 20 “is not properly identified with what we commonly think of as hell.” Two pages later we read, “Hades itself is destined to be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14), so it obviously is not the same thing as the lake of fire.” Each of these scenes presents the abyss where demons come from and go back to – what I commonly think of as hell. I also see Revelation as a picture book of progressive parallel series of re-tellings of the church age, culminating with the return of Christ, the judgment of the people of earth, and the establishment of the new earth where He will reign with all the redeemed for eternity. Since John's Apocalypse is apocalyptic literature, we need to see the word pictures as such and not take them literally.  This helps one not fall into the problems that hound Gregg.

Chapter 5 is a word study on Gehenna and Aionios, and our author seems to be stuck in his literal interpretative mode, seeing this word refer to various places where people and trash were burnt, etc. and having trouble seeing that as a metaphor for the place where unrepentant sinners will be punished for eternity. Having previously told us, rightly, that a doctrine does not need to be repeated multiple times to be valid, Gregg now turns the other cheek and notes that Jesus spoke about hell very little. He sums up this teaching thusly (page 89): “We are told almost nothing about it (hell) in these places (the gospel accounts), except that bodies (footnote Matt 5:29,30; 18:9; Mark 9:43,45,47) can be thrown into “everlasting” and “unquenchable” fire there (footnote Matt 18:8; Mark 9:43,45,48), resulting in a fate worse than mere mutilation or martyrdom, involving the destruction of soul and body (footnote Matt 10:28).” He then laments that this does not seem to be enough detail or discussion about something as important as eternal punishment. If one has a biblical understanding of redemptive history, sees the curses in Deut 29 for anyone who fails to keep the law, grasps the picture of atonement, partially comprehends the holiness of God and His righteous hatred of sin, see how Christians are redeemed and rescued from the wrath of God by the Lamb of God – those few passages Gregg cited are more than adequate to show what will happen to all whose name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The temporal references to punishment and fire are shadows of the eternal things they represent just as sure as the Levitical sacrifices were (Heb 8:5). It does the child of God no good at all to discount the seriousness of sin, making hell little more than a rehabilitation camp, and denigrating the perfection of Christ in the flesh and His atoning sacrifice for the elect.

In discussing the Greek word, aionios, Gregg again gets bogged down in literal, temporal uses and the definition that fits those circumstances – and then imposes that definition on the eternal, spiritual circumstances. This is done with the apparent aim of trying to show that eternal destruction means something less, something more bearable, something redemptive; something unbiblical. He rightly warns about the improper use of concordances, but (page 101) uses a footnote to tell us why we should not think of this Greek word as meaning eternal – because in 20 out of more than 320 uses it points to something in the past, but “rarely if ever to a limitless past.” More than 300 times the word indicates indefinite continuance, 20 times it points to the past. When it points to the past, it normally doesn't mean limitless. So when this word points to the future and, in more than 300 instances, indicates indefinite continuance, we should think it doesn't mean endless. It's just not as explicit as Gregg would like it, not clear enough for those without spiritual eyes to see and believe.

Lastly, we'll take a look at his defense of the traditional view – that hell is the eternal punishment of fallen angels and unrepentant sinners. He appears to have no problem with the idea that the soul of man is eternal. That's his first point in defending this view. Next up is the nature of hell – fire can be figurative or literal, some think hell is simply being ignored by God (page 139). As noted above, we see both in what we are saved from and what demons and unredeemed are destined to suffer, those in hell are not separated from God, they are separated from everything except His wrath. And His wrath they will suffer under for an indefinite continuance – eternity. His 3^rd point is that repentance will be unavailable in hell. How could there be, considering the judgment that determines destiny happens when man dies? Repentance is a gift from God to His redeemed – not something extended to those in hell. This is one reason unlimited atonement is wrong thinking – the blood of Jesus would not have been shed for anyone not predestined by God the Father and sealed by God the Spirit. The three holy persons of the Trinity are unified – why would they be at odds with one another in this greatest exchange? The 4^th point is the right perspective that the saints' joy in heaven (or the new earth) will not be affected or mitigated by knowledge of the damnation of the lost. Our joy will based on being with God, not on being forgetful of His justice on the wicked. There but by the grace of God go you and I.

In his cross-examination of this position, Gregg argues for temporal interpretations of passages such as Matt 3:10 & 12, insisting they are not eschatalogical. But the student of God's Word will know that many prophecies in the Old and New Testaments have a “near” and a “far” application – such as the famous citation in Matt 2:15, claiming Hosea's prophecy for Jesus, that most certainly was written as a remembrance of the faithfulness of God in redeeming Israel from Egypt. And the same story of John the Baptist cited in Mark 3:10 is found in Luke 3, where verse 15 makes it clear that the winnowing John speaks of is eschatalogical. When Gregg discussed “the wages of sin”, he sides with liberals who think God would have spoken clearly to the ancient people if He intended them to know they might face eternal punishment (page 143). But the Bible tells us that, when Adam ate from the forbidden tree, his eyes were opened and he knew good and evil. From that point on, all human flesh knew right from wrong (Roman 2:12 – 15), just as Cain knew murder was wrong without ever being told. Do we believe the Word of God or a liberal that questions it? When the author ponders “the worm that does not die”, he argues that this is used to describe corpses – and corpses are not what traditionalists say are in hell. So Is 66:24 can't be talking about hell. He skips right over Psalm 22:6 and Job 25:6 where man is called a worm – so we take our meaning from context and know that when the Bible refers to worms, it can mean men who are not corpses.

Once again, in his argument starting on page 178, Gregg acknowledges Revelation to be apocalyptic literature (page 179) and applies that to the “torment” described in Rev 14:10-11, but not so the “fire and brimstone”. He asserts (page 179) “However, “fire and brimstone” were previously seen in Revelation in connection with temporal judgment that are not associated with the lake of fire (Rev 9:17-18). He then quotes William Fudge, who was educated by the Church of Christ (at Abilene Christian College) and denies that man's soul is immortal; because such a thing would require the traditional view of hell. The quote from Fudge: “It is not at all clear that Revelation 14:9-11 is even speaking about final punishment.” Let's look at this passage and see. Here's the cited text: Revelation 14:9-11  And a third angel followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,  he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name.  Many people who see John's Apocalypse in the idealist view see seven parallel and progressive retellings of the age between Christ's two advents, with the end of this age being told several times – including the end of chapter 14. Read the balance of this chapter and it becomes clear we're reading the end of the age and doom that awaits all who worship not the God of heaven and earth.

He continues to claim the temporal judgments, such as what God poured out on Sodom and Gomorrah, mean that references to them and the use of similar terms (like fire and brimstone) must not be eternal. But we do see how temporal things are signs and types of eternal things (such as in Hebrews 9:1-10). And since we know that the soul of man lives forever (Gregg has pointed us to some of these, such as Dan 12:2-3), and since unrepentant sinners have sinned against the perfect, absolutely holy God, and they will not stop sinning once in hell, their torment will be eternal. And one last comment on this book, because it is as the preacher said in Ecclesiastes 12:12, there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.  Gregg quotes another liberal, as John Stott ended up, in observing that Rev 14:11 says “it is the smoke (evidence that the fire has done its work) which 'rises forever and ever'” - in making the assertion that people are not punished “forever and ever”. It's only the smoke of their “light and momentary” torment that produces smoke which “rises forever and ever”. Every camper knows that the only way smoke will continue to rise is if the fire continues to have fuel. Without fuel, the smoke will dissipate and slowly stop – it will not continue forever and ever. And since the Lord Jesus described hell (Mark 9:44, 46, & 48) as the unquenchable fire, where Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. How much more clear can it be? Living man is described as a worm; in hell, the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. And the smoke of that fire which is not quenched as it burns those who dieing do not die, rise forever and ever – as they never repent but keep on cursing God throughout eternity. This is the biblical truth of hell that soft-headed liberals cannot face.

Holy God redeems some and saves us “from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10). Those for whom He did not shed His blood He will reject, telling them  ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’  On Judgment Day, those whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life (which were written before the foundation of the world – see Rev 13:8) will look for a place to hide from the Lamb of God – but there will be no place to hide, no deed done in darkness that will not be revealed. Just as Satan and his demons are thrown into the lake of fire, where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev 14:10), so will all those who were not predestined to eternal life be cast into the lake of fire. The Bible calls this “the second death” (Rev 14:14). Revelation 20:15 tells us  And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Contrary to the question Gregg would to plant in our minds, in this one passage of God's holy Word we see that those whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life are thrown into the lake of fire, the same place Satan and his demon are thrown, where they all will be tormented forever – and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. This is the second death that all men deserve. This is the wrath of God from which we who are in Christ Jesus are shielded (Romans 8:1). This is the doom that awaits all who do not believe and will not repent.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about Him. It is a reminder that all men have rebelled against Holy God and all deserve His wrath. But the Lord Jesus has gone before us – the Law-giver became the Law-keeper on the account of the Law-breakers. He has surrendered His perfect life as an atonement for people of every nation, tribe, and tongue – all those whose names were written in the Lamb's Books of Life before He founded the world. We have a surety that cannot be taken from us – there is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And since there is no other name on earth or in heaven by which man must be saved, all those who do not place their faith and trust in Him, who do not repent daily and seek to honor Him will suffer the just reward for the sin they carry in their flesh as children of Adam and the sin they commit in their bodies because they are slaves to it. There is a penalty to pay and if Christ has not paid your debt, you will suffer for eternity racking up a bill that will never be marked, “PAID IN FULL!” Therefore, believe on Jesus, repent and seek Him while is it yet today!

Hell is not part of the gospel. The Bible does not give us a lot of details on hell, just as does not give a lot of details on heaven or the new earth, which will the eternal home for Christians. That doesn't mean these issued are unimportant, but it means they are not of first priority. “What I must do to be saved?” That is the question which must be answered. That is why the gospel is of first importance. We should not argue secondary issued with those who are “outside the camp”. They need to believe in Jesus, not figure out hell. We who are in Christ are to never stop growing in faith and knowledge of Him. All else is secondary. Think on heavenly things – that is where we are seated with Christ at this moment! 

Genesis 45-46:7 - No More Deception

From Sunday morning, Genesis 45-46:7

No More Deception.

When we see things properly, we will put a stop to the lies, distrust, and deception that marked us as people of the world.

 

Genesis 43 - Tension in Life

Everyone has tension in their life - what should the Christian do about it? The problem and the application, from Scripture.

 

What's Weather Been Teaching You?

The Noahic Covenant was between God and Noah, who stood as a type of Adam (the federal head of all men) and all the creatures of the earth; it is a covenant between Creator God and earth. This covenant was the promise by God to never destroy the earth again by a flood and provide food and seasons for all the beasts of the earth until the end of the age (Gen. 8:20 - 22; 9:8 - 17).  The sign of the covenant is the rainbow (Gen. 9:13).

Genesis 8:20 – 22 & 9:8 – 17. Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” …  Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Here's what the weather's been teaching me. Since my wife and I moved to south-east Oklahoma from Houston, Texas not too long ago ()this was written in early 2015), having real seasons (rather than summer with a dash of cool weather) has reminded me of the personal providential aspect of YHWH’s covenant with Noah and all of us. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. That’s a personal, gracious, kind God; even for those who hate Him (as we all did until He rescued us). Do not lose sight of this promise – the Creator of all things (Colossians 1:15 & 16) Who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17) – He declares that until Christ returns (as long as the earth remains – 2 Peter 3:8 – 13) seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will be sustained by the will of almighty, sovereign YHWH!

That is unearned kindness from One Who owes nothing to anyone.