Corinth's Gifts and the Romans 7 Struggle

Romans 7 Struggle: Part 2

Last week we spoke of Corinth and the fact that while they were abounding in gifts, they were failing in fruit. The behavior of many there was carnal at best.
 
I used part of this as an opportunity to point out that we've had Pentecostals and Charismatics in the past that have spoken about the fact that they have a baptism of power or gifts; however, they're lacking fruit: still struggling with sin and still struggling also with producing Christ like behavior.
 
I can tell you that the baptism John spoke of (Matt. 3) where Jesus was the baptizer was a baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. The Holy Spirit is an all consuming fire. When he comes in, chaff gets burnt up! That's what the word says. I don't believe this is just another comparison of goats and sheep or wheat and tares. This is a separation of flesh from Spirit. The Holy Spirit wants to come in and produce His holiness in us.
 
So Corinth was in the midst of physical adultery and we transitioned last week and began discussing the struggle of Romans 7, discussing how within this chapter, we see the concept of spiritual adultery taking place, a struggle that’s incited when the believer moves his faith from Jesus to Law.
 
Romans 7:9
For I was alive without the law once:but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
 
As explained in the Romans notes, this time-frame of Paul's life seems to represent a season after he was first persecuted after his conversion in Acts 9, after he had entered the Arabian wilderness (Galatians 1:17), and before Barnabas went looking for him to do ministry (Acts 11:25).
 
Nevertheless, Paul explains that he was alive once without the Law (as Romans 7:4 explained, we die to Law and come alive to God when we get saved), but the commandment came, sin revived, and I died (the idea is that he added Law to his faith, the power of sin, which was dormant, after death in Christ, revived-- came back to life, and he died).
 
Obviously, Paul is speaking of spiritual death. Have you ever been in a spiritual condition where you had previously placed your faith in Christ, but now sin is reigning in your life and you find yourself dead to the things of God?
 
Essentially, Paul added Law of some sort to his faith and it resulted in spiritual calamity in his life.
 
There is an unquestionable process that takes place in the journey of all believers. We all fail in our walk with Him at some point. When we fail, this results in the conviction of the Holy Spirit, which should bring us to a place where we recognize we must repent: ([1] be remorseful/ broken over our sin, [2] come to the place where we realize we were wrong and God was right [a mind change], [3] and turn through God's grace in the opposite direction). Anything else isn't repentance it's just, "I'm sorry."
 
So we must repent of our sin, and because we don't want to fail again, or be righteous with God, we put trust in a plan, hoping it will result in victory.
 
Remember the context of what Paul is saying in Romans 7:9...the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
 
We would do well to remember that the Law required that Israel constantly perform in a way that was pleasing to God. In other words, they had to eat different, dress different, wear their hair and beards different. They had the covenant and the circumcision, but what allowed God's presence to dwell with them was the blood of the sacrifice applied upon the mercy seat because that alone provided a covering over the broken Law.
 
Unfortunately, Israel began to look upon their performance: eating, dressing, laws, and circumcision as what made them right with God instead of the blood of the innocent lamb, which had to be shed to pay for their guilt; this transitioning of the object of their faith resulted in self righteousness.
 
In a similar fashion, Christians also change the object of their faith for righteousness from His cross, His blood, and His work to their performance. Even beautiful ways to spend time in His presence, seek His face and grow in our understanding of Him such as: reading the Bible, prayer, church attendance, fasting and witnessing, can become hindrances when they are approached from the wrong perspective.
 
When a believer thinks that his performance, faith in what he does, pleases God and makes him righteous instead of continued faith in what Jesus has already done, he changes his faith for victory from Christ to self; he moves from trusting in the Spirit of God for power to trusting in the flesh (in this case, flesh equals, fallen man's attempt to fight evil through his power and performance instead of God's); finally, he has brought himself out from under the environment of grace back under a system of law or legalism.
 
Religion built upon law, rules and legalism is fueled by self-- resulting in defeat; whereas, biblical Christianity is built upon faith, I said FAITH in the righteous one, the victorious one, the resurrected one and His victory over evil, which results in the believer becoming more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37).
 
Paul didn't write Romans until AD 57, but he wrote Galatians much earlier in AD 48. Some sources think he was saved around AD 34, so his Arabian struggle might have occurred from AD 34-35 to maybe 3 years later when he went to see Peter in Jerusalem (Galatians 1:18).
 
He wrote Galatians, once again, after his first missionary journey. While he didn't plant the churches in Galatia, he had ministered and preached Jesus very vividly there for quite some time, but now, after the trip is over, he has received correspondence, whether through the mouth of a person who was coming back, or through a letter that was delivered; the news received is that the Judaizers have made their way to Galatia and are attempting to convince the Galatians that they need to circumcise themselves in addition to faith in Jesus.
 
This is the same mistake that Paul made as an early Christian while in the Arabian wilderness. This is the same reason why he chose to write about it and tell his story of struggle when he wrote Romans. More than likely it continued to plague the church until he died, because in a way legalism for righteousness still plagues the church today.
 
So I wanted to review what happened in Galatia as an exposition to describe what happened to Paul in Romans 7. While the Galatians incident is specifically circumcision and Paul would have already been circumcised, the point I'm trying to make is that law vs. grace is a mindset of where someone keeps their faith. In other words, the believer either focuses their faith on the work of Jesus or their own performance.
 
Paul combats this thought forcefully by repeatedly pointing out they (Galatians) are moving towards a perverted false gospel that will result in bondage instead of freedom:
 
Galatians 1:4
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver [pluck out] us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
 
This is what Paul preached, and the next couple examples show he was combating heresy:
 
Galatians 1:6
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
 
Galatians 1:7-8
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
 
Galatians 2:18
For if I build again the things which I destroyed [previous life trusting in Law], I make myself a transgressor [committing sin].
 
Here, Paul is saying if I go back to the Law, which was destroyed to me when I put faith in Christ, then I'm becoming a transgressor. The idea here is very similar to what is occurring in Romans 7:9; when we change faith from Christ to works or law, we commit sin, which gives power to more sin.
 
How was the Law destroyed in Paul's life to begin with, or all of our lives for that matter?:
 
Colossians 2:14-15
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
 
The Law was contrary to us or against us because we were guilty of breaking it. But Jesus kept the Law and offered His righteousness as payment for our sin, resulting in us now being righteous, but also destroying the Law's power over our lives because He nailed it's demands to the cross. That doesn't mean we can go around being law breakers. It means because He kept the Law and satisfied its demands; our faith in Him makes us righteous in God's eyes, and gives us access to God's grace, which empowers us to live a life of obedience through Him.
 
Galatians 3:1
 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
 
The word foolish being used here is 'anontos'. Previously, I have pointed out that the prefix "a" in the Greek means "without." The word nontos comes from the word nous, meaning mind. Therefore, the meaning is just as Paul said, "foolish ones, ones without exercise of the minds, ones that can't comprehend the truth of the gospel even though it was clearly preached to them."
 
While what I'm about to say will undoubtedly be offensive to many in the modern church, it most certainly MUST be said! Starting in the 40-50's, there was a change that occurred in the theology of Charismatic Christianity. A movement called the Word of Faith came on the scene. Within this movement, there was an extreme change in the emphasis of what "faith" means. While the movement started with an emphasis on healing; I would like to remind the readers that Pharaoh's magicians also produced miraculous signs and that Satan himself will continue to produce lying wonders: 
 
2 Thessalonians 2:9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,...
 
Ultimately, this movement was taken over by a voracious appetite for material blessings, where suddenly material blessings became the validity of a true believer's fruit. What a lie from the pit of hell! What contradiction of the scriptures! What blasphemy against the words of the one who died and shed His blood so we could live:
 
Matthew 6:24
24 No man can serve two masters:for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
 
Mammon is the god behind money it's a spirit like lust, addictions, or any other bondage that demands allegiance. Yes, Jesus spoke elsewhere of making friends of it, in the sense that we were supposed to utilize its resources for kingdom business while we journey as pilgrims on this fallen earth. Many may think, well isn't that what the Word of Faith preachers do—kingdom work? I suppose you could think that if you think they're preaching the truth.
 
Jesus also said:
 
Mark 4:19
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
 
But yet I have seen, with my own eyes, services where some of the most popular "money" preachers have their people throw all the money up on the stage and they walk through it and exalt it. They say things like, "Money cometh." God help us! If we can't see now, what will we do when deception is really unleashed, and even now is beginning? The Holy Spirit moves upon the hearts of men to preach the gospel and moves upon the hearts of the people to compel sinners to come to the cross, so their souls might not perish. The compulsion of God is not sending man to be hungry for money but souls! 
 
There is a harlot, who is riding a parallel course with God. She plans to hijack God's bride. She is full of all that glitters and is of gold:
 
Revelation 17:4
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
 
Furthermore, one of these well known preachers, I should say his name, but then many people would start tearing their clothes, has connected himself, like many of these people to Oprah. If I have to spell out what that means, then you better do your homework Christian because your Pastor is either greatly deceived also, or he's unwilling to tell you the truth in the open for fear over losing your fanny more than fear over your eternal soul. Oprah is part of the occult for God's sake. She's teaching a doctrine of finding the god within and it ain't Jesus!
 
This is new age occultism, the very spirit of antichrist that will soon usher in the ecumenical one world religion of the lying angel of light. He's called that because of what he transforms himself into (light), but in reality is the opposite, which is (dark), hello it's deception! Now, go research the preachers that have aligned themselves with her (Oprah) and run Christian! Run in the other direction back towards faith in the finished work of Christ, or don't! But you've been warned!
 
Back to the previous thought, the shifting point of faith that occurred through the Word of Faith Movement had to do with the object of faith. It doesn't matter to me whether you agree or not I'm telling you what happened, and this can either result in freedom for you or you can go on pretending you have victory in your life when there isn't any, because I can assure you victory won't come through this garbage. But the choice is yours, whoever you are.
 
The object of faith that changed was a transition from faith in what Jesus did on Calvary as the access point to what I receive on earth from God to faith in my positive confession. What happened is that now everything I'm going to receive from God became contingent upon the positive confession that came out of my mouth.
 
There is so much heretical doctrine that came from these people's teachings that I couldn't even scratch the surface-- the main one was that Jesus died spiritually, and there is too much there to get into, but I recommend a book that could at least open your eyes to the occultic connection and roots of the Word of Faith. The book is called A Different Gospel, it's a scholarly work documented so thoroughly that anyone who tries to refute it is simply blind. It was written by a man named Hank Hanegraff.
 
Please understand that I'm in no way saying that we shouldn't have a positive confession because we should. We are children of the living God. We've been bought with a price. Jesus shed His precious blood to purchase me out of this sin riddled world. You better believe I have something to confess!
 
But I have seen this doctrine put people under fear to the point that they can't even say they have a cold without being rebuked by someone. "Man, I have a cold...," and before I can ask the brother or sister to pray for me, they're rebuking the words coming out of my mouth. Somebody has snot running out of their nose, and they can't say they have a cold because that is going to prevent them from getting their healing. Whatever that's ludicrous! The woman with the issue of blood got her healing!
 
The next thought to discuss from this Galatians passage is: "...who hath bewitched you?"
 
The word bewitched here has the idea of slander connected to it, and the Judaizers were definitely slandering Paul's apostolic anointing; nevertheless, the word explicitly speaks of a curse or even a spell being placed upon people, even within the definition is the thought of the occultic "evil eye," which is used to direct dark "energy" through the use of magic.
 
So the false doctrine of the Judaizers has resulted in a spell being cast upon the church of Galatia; more specifically, the "evil eye" has diverted their eyes away from the cross.
 
The bewitching of false doctrine has resulted in the movement of the church in Galatia's faith from the truth: "...bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth,..." The truth that had been set before them was: Jesus and His cross preached so vividly that: ....before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
 
It was as though they had a video of the spiritual victory the cross procured, but now they've been moved away from it.
 
Galatians 3:2-3
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
 
The reason that Paul can't agree or walk in unity here is that these men are perverting the gospel and corrupting people's faith. Once again, verses two and three show us that the same Spirit we received in the beginning when we got saved is the same Spirit we need (through faith) to be with us every day as we grow:
 
Colossians 2:6-7
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
 
Once again, this is a very similar occurrence to Paul adding a commandment to his faith, which allowed sin to revive and allowed him to begin a spiritual death because grace is of faith-- not of works. And the believer who transitions to law or performance for righteousness will frustrate- neutralize or annul the grace of God in his life.
 
God's answer for sinful man is: Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
 
Man's refusal to go God's way results in: Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God:for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
 
 

Corinth’s Gifts and the Romans 7 Struggle

1 Corinthians 1:1-7 "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified (hagazio) in Christ Jesus, called to be saints (hagios), with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
 
The city of Corinth was strategically located in a place connecting Asia Minor to Rome; furthermore, on a larger scale, it was a crossing place between the West (Rome) and the East (Babylon).
 
In addition, it was a very large city with two sea ports, so one can only imagine the debauchery taking place in a city such as Corinth. One can only imagine the carnal appetites of sailors from all over the world seeking their fleshly lusts in Corinth upon arrival.
 
As a matter of fact, it's well known that people who embraced an extravagant life of sin were commonly referred to by the adjective, "He's been Corianthianized."

Even though the general morality of the Graeco Roman world world was low, the condition of Corinth was worse. There were sacred temple prostitutes. Above the isthmus, towered the hill of the Acropolis. On that hill stood the great temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, connected to that temple, were 1,000 temple priestesses who served as prostitutes. Every night, they would descend the hill and apply their works upon the streets of Corinth -paraphrased (Americanize).
 
The reason I bring all this up is to make a comparison between the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit. It seems to me that in the modern church people flock to gatherings where they think the gifts might be manifest, but regarding fruit, people are laissez faire.
 
…Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,…
 
The word for saint and sanctified in this verse are variants of the same Greek word Hagios, meaning separated out ones, or to be made holy through separation.
 
Theoretically, this verse could read: "to them that are separated in Christ Jesus, called to be separated ones."
 
Immediately, it seems that he's appealing to anyone who desires to be considered separated unto God. As we move forward, it will become clear that the reason Paul did this is because there were some in Corinth that had not separated themselves; rather, they were still living the Corinthian lifestyle.
 
Furthermore, as the next verse explains:
 
That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge…
 
Paul explains that the church of Corinth was enriched (make rich with spiritual blessings); they were enriched with the gifts of the Spirit. As most Christians that study Corinthians know, there is not a better place in scripture to learn about the movement of the gifts of the Spirit, but what will also be seen if a person would take the time to study the underlying context, there were a lot of problems also going on in Corinth.
 
Paul goes on to say that you come behind in no gift: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
 
1 Corinthians 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions (split, gap, schism) among you; but that ye be perfectly joined (mended) together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
 
This is the first sign something is wrong in Corinth. Even though they're abounding in the gifts of the Spirit, they're struggling with fruit, and even more disturbing, they’re divided on a proper perception of God’s word. There are divisions amongst them. Furthermore, the divisions are related directly to what they "speak," which is referencing the gospel. When a proper understanding of the gospel is taught, understood and embraced, it changes people's mindsets and perceptions. There are many people today that are preaching about the gospel in a way that applies to their daily lives, surely there is some place for some of that, but that is not the same as when a man preaches the gospel, expounding and teaching the text, enriching believer’s lives with the living word of God. While at the same time, helping the believer to understand the Bible for the way it’s written, helping them to draw life from God’s word for themselves.
 
1 Corinthians 1:11-15 "For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions (debate/ strife) among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?  I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name."
 
So the contentions and divisions are related to the different preachers that have come through: Paul, Appollos, and Cephas (Peter). Possibly, some like the style of one over the other or the emphasis on content of one over the other: "he preaches the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the other one preaches against sin..."
 
Whatever was really going on, Paul is correcting their carnality, which is another word used for worldliness. It's a symptom of spiritual immaturity when people live in contention with one another especially over spiritual matters. While Paul definitely had contention on many occasions, it was because he was trying to correct false doctrine in the church, which I personally believe was going on in Corinth also simply because their lifestyles weren’t lining up with the scriptures.
 
1 Corinthians 1:17-18 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel:not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
 
This is where Paul is saying, "We must all speak the same thing; we must all be like minded." Essentially, it's imperative that we have a proper understanding of the gospel. It's not that we don't preach the whole counsel of God, because we do. God wants the gifts of the Spirit operating in the body of Christ. As Paul pointed out, the gifts were operating in Corinth, and he specifically referenced both: knowledge and utterance gifts.
 
Knowledge gifts include both (a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge); whereas, utterance gifts include (the gift of tongues, the gift of interpreting tongues, and the gift of prophecy). A word of knowledge or wisdom can become a prophetic utterance when the word isn’t just for the individual God gives it to. In other words, when that person utters (speaks) it to another or a crowd in a congregation, then it also becomes an utterance gift.
 
It has been taught by some that the gift of a word of wisdom is simply godly wisdom or the gift of prophecy is simply preaching. That isn't true. These gifts are given by the Holy Spirit at a specific time for a specific purpose. It is true that when a person gives a prophetic utterance out loud, they will probably be preaching God's word, but when a man is simply preaching the gospel, it doesn't mean he is speaking a word of prophecy.
 
Regarding a word of wisdom- revelation from God to a man or woman of God regarding something that will take place in the future, providing a warning or direction to help people walk with God (Acts 10) Peter's vision was a word of wisdom from God to Peter about God's purpose for the Gentiles. Other examples of this are: (Acts 16) the Macedonian call, (Acts 9) God sends His servant Ananias to minister to Saul of Tarsus—in these three occurrences the word of wisdom came through a vision, but many times it is a word spoken to our spirits by the Spirit of God, (Acts 8). Also, Jesus repeatedly operated in the gifts of the Spirit, and just one example of a word of knowledge would be (Luke 5:21, 22).  God gave me multiple words of knowledge and wisdom for my own walk when He was first changing my life: (1) He told me that people would not understand what He was doing in me (2) He told me that I wouldn’t always be the one to present the things He showed me.

The word of knowledge is similar, but refers to present or past events, more specifically, a word of knowledge gives revelation about the facts. Nevertheless, it's a word from the Holy Spirit, which instructs the believer and directs him towards the works of God. Many times these two gifts work together; whereas, the gift of a word of knowledge gives facts in a situation, the word of wisdom warns and gives instruction on how to navigate through or instruction on how to go God's way. A word of wisdom usually refers to something in the future: whereas, the word of knowledge has to do with the past or now.

 

It should be noted that this isn't the same as the gift of wisdom. When God gives wisdom as a gift to man, that man is given supernatural wisdom regarding the things of God; however, while its a gift, it's information or knowledge that is now resident within that man through his studies or practical walking with God; nevertheless, it's in Him, given by God and ready to be pulled out when God wants it used.
 

The word of wisdom, on the other hand is a specific word given to a man or woman by the Holy Spirit to help them in the work that God has for them. In the above instances, God spoke these words to these men, which altered their direction and ultimately resulted in God's work being done. Sometimes a word of wisdom is given to one person in order for them to share it with someone else for to help the other person's walk.
 

These previous examples are knowledge gifts; whereas, prophecy and a word of tongues with interpretation are "utterance" gifts.
 
"....That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge...So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
 
The point I wanted to make is that these gifts are important to the functioning of the body of Christ. But just because the gifts are operating in a body of believers doesn't mean that they are producing the fruit that God wants them to. As a matter of fact, if we study the book of 1 Corinthians in its proper context, what we will learn is that while Corinth had gifts, they were lacking fruit. Both fruit and gifts are produced by the Holy Spirit. One is a right now situation for God's work: gifts. The other is a process where the believer abides in the vine (John 15) and a healthy branch produces good fruit, because he stays connected to the tree of life, which is Jesus, and connection to Jesus, gives access to grace, allowing the Holy Spirit to "flow" and "grow" the believer's maturity.
 
Paul says we have to speak the same thing; we have to make sure we understand the gospel is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is the New Covenant! This is the place, where, when a man's faith is directed here, his position is changed, he is translated from darkness to light, he is connected and made one with the vine, and if he will live here, abide here, by keeping faith here-- where?
 
The believer must daily exhibit faith in the finished work of Christ, which is the place that the "old" is dead (cross), and the "new" (resurrection) is alive through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11)
 
1 Corinthians 3:1-9 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat:for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal:for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (lusts of the flesh), are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one:and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God:ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
 
Back to the problem
 
Paul explains that things aren't as good as they think over there in Corinth. Sadly, I have seen people in the modern church flock to places where they believe there is going to be a move of the "gifts" but when you start talking about fruit or righteousness, they turn their nose up in the air.
 
Paul's rebuke to Corinth: "You're carnal. I can't feed you meat because you're still sipping milk. You're a baby." Now, it's one thing when we have a baby Christian in the church who just got saved, but when we have pews filled with Christians who've been saved for some length of time, and are still babes in the faith, we have a problem.
 
It gets worse
 
1 Corinthians 5:1-8

 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
 
So as we can see the church which is excelling in gifts, isn't necessarily excelling in righteousness. It would be one thing if it was just the man and his sin, but as the Holy Spirit reveals the whole truth, we see that many in the church of Corinth were "puffed" up about this occurrence, meaning they were inflated or proud. If that is the case then they are very carnally minded.
 
A carnal mindset is one that thinks like the world instead of like Christ, or instead of like the Bible teaches regarding Jesus.
 
I pointed all this out because, I wanted to finish what we were previously covering regarding grace as king, in order to show the source of victory: how it is through Jesus, that grace flows into us through the Holy Spirit, and how the cross (transaction of guilt for righteousness) makes me right in the eyes of God, giving me access to the presence of God, where the Holy Spirit destroys the yoke of bondage in my life.
 
In Romans 4, we discussed righteousness vs. justification. We learned that righteousness is a standing or position known as "In Christ," because when I was born again, I was translated from the world of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son, and now I'm in Him, so when the Father sees me this way because I responded obediently through exhibiting and keeping faith in His plan; the righteous one dying in my place. Now, the Father justifies me: He declares me innocent of all charges.
 
There is a story told of Martin Luther the great reformer who nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Catholic Church in Wittenberg Germany. The story goes that one night in Luther's room, while he was still a Catholic monk, the liar of our souls, Satan himself manifested and began writing all the sins Luther had ever committed on the wall for him to see. Once he was done, it's said that Luther spoke to the liar saying, "Is that all you have?"
 
Satan's response was, "There is no more. I have no more charges to bring."
 
Luther responded with the boldness of a legion of angels, "Then now write across them all, 'cleansed by the blood of Jesus!' I'm no longer guilty."
 
Hallelujah!! Martin Luther had received a revelation directly from God, at a time when only the clergy could read the scriptures, resulting in the dark ages, Luther, a clergyman, had his eyes light upon those glorious words: Romans 1:17 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
 
When his eyes lit upon this truth, his heart was warmed and history has never been the same. If you are wondering why someone may get so excited from such simple words, then maybe you're still locked in your dungeon where Satan has written the writ of condemnation against your life. When a man is born again by faith in the blood of the righteous one, his life will never be the same.
 
In Romans 6, we discussed how this transaction actually played out. We showed how the "old man" born of Adam died in Christ, was buried in Christ, and a "new man" was resurrected again.
 
One of the points we emphasized was that through this process, the relationship between the sinful nature and the believer was broken. Just as a divorce severs a union between married couples, the cross severs a the union between the believer and the sinful nature or the old man.
 
Tonight, I want to close this message and series with the explanation on how the sinful nature can regain power in the life of believers. Many times we've been taught the way to victory is once again through our performance: how much we pray, how much we fast, how much we go to church, how much we witness, how much we pray in the Spirit....
 
But I'm here to tell you that while all these things are very spiritual and can greatly help the believer in his walk, if they are embraced from the standpoint where one believes they being righteousness or victory over sin, then that believer has now entered a system of Law. Instead, of operating under grace through faith in Jesus and what He did at the cross for victory over sin; now, the believer begins to look at his performance, bringing himself under a system of Law and frustrating grace in his life:
 
Galatians 2:20-21
I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God:for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
 
Think about the Old Testament Law, think about how every time the Old Testament believer failed, how he had to go through a process of sacrifice in order to be made right in the eyes of God. Now, think about yourself and when you have failed. What have you always done in order to be made right? Did you try harder? Read more? Go to church more? All this is performance based Christianity-- not faith based!
 
Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying if you desire to go to church because you love the word and fellowship with the saints, then by all means go to church. If you are reading because you desire to learn of God, then by all means read... But if you are doing those things because you're attempting to gain victory over sin through what you aren't doing right instead of believing that what Jesus did was enough, then you've changed the object of your faith from a faith based object (Jesus Christ and Him crucified), which results in grace and victory to a works based object (I'm gonna...), which results in a system of Law, which results in bondage.
 
The kingdom of God operates on spiritual laws and the trigger event causing man to operate under the right spiritual law is the object of his daily faith.
 
Romans 7:1-3
-- Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress:but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
 
The seventh chapter of Romans is probably one of the hardest chapters to teach or understand, and many preachers stay as far away from it as they can.
 
One of the first problems that people get into is the fact that the first three verses sound like he's teaching or talking about marriage and divorce, but on closer inspection, we realize that this chapter isn't about marriage or divorce between a man and a woman; rather, it's about the believer's release from his marriage to sin and Law through the "old man's" death. And it's about the "new man's" marriage to Jesus and grace.
 
And so that's the analogy, the first marriage represents marriage to law, which all men are born under the dominion of and remain under its dominion until death: ...the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
 
Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
 
This scripture explicitly explains that the previous scriptures weren't referring to physical marriage; rather, they're referring to separation from the first birth and connection to the second.
 
In addition, there is a beautiful picture painted where the believer's union to Jesus is referred to as a marriage. Throughout scripture, this picture is painted. He is the bridegroom, we are the bride, and the result of this marriage/ union is fruit. When a person is in a healthy relationship with God, there will be fruit in their lives.
 
First regarding fruit, a believer should be seeing more of the fruit of the Spirit and less of the lusts of the flesh being manifest in their life (Galatians 5:19-22)
 
Also, interesting to me is the concept that a groom is supposed to prepare a place for his bride. We already know that on a grand scale, Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place in eternity (John 14:1-3), but what about today? "In Christ," through this union with Jesus, which was transacted through faith in the sacrifice of the righteous one, the bridegroom (Jesus) has prepared a spiritual place for the believer to live within today-- we have a "house" of grace in which to live, an atmosphere of power, where God's Spirit reigns, so we can do His work upon this earth.
 
In the same John passage that I referenced above, Jesus answers Judas’ question:
 
John 14:22-23
Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
 
When a man or woman is truly born again, the Holy Spirit indwells his being. When the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of a person, He directs them towards obedience, as a person's faith is maintained in the finished work of Jesus, they are given grace for obedience. Jesus says that He and the Father abide, TODAY-- ON THIS EARTH, with that type of believer. This is the place that I speak of where the marriage between the believer and Jesus takes place on this side of eternity and fruit is produced between us and Jesus for the kingdom. What a privilege to be used by God for kingdom business.
 
There may be some people who would say, but I have never prayed anybody through. Are you living your life in such a way that people know you're a believer? Do you present Him in a way that He is desirable? Are you providing hope to the hopeless? If you are, then you're a person who sows seed and part of the process of a harvest.
 
 
Romans 7:5-6
For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
 
The word motions describes movement, sin is having movement or action in the life. The concept explains that when a person is in the flesh, in this case, the flesh is speaking of a person before Christ, the movement and affliction of sin is having its way because the system the person is under is Law, and there is no victory over sin under Law: only provides knowledge of sin.
 
Essentially, once a person is born again, they've been transferred from a place where Law has dominion to a place where grace is king: therefore, ...we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
 
Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law:for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
 
Paul doesn't want his readers to be confused. The Law of God isn't the problem it's the sinfulness of man, which is stimulated by the Law: 1 Corinthians 15:56 -- The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
 
The Law acts like a "poultice" or a drawing salve. When the fallen eyes or even redeemed eyes that attempt to live under a performance based gospel behold its commands, there is a stirring or exciting towards sin.
 
Romans 7:8
But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
 
Previously we spoke of how the motions of sin described sin in action and movement. The word wrought means to be produced through action. When thinking of wrought iron, it has to be hammered and manipulated in order to produce the product. When sin is active, it transforms and produces within a person that which it (sin) (Satan) desires it to be.
 
An extremely important concept regarding sin is explained in this passage. The verse says that sin took an "occasion" through the commandment. The idea is that sin used the commandment or law as a base of operations from which it mounted its attack. Just as Guam was needed for victory in the Pacific, and Kuwait was necessary for a successful campaign against Iraq, sin uses the law as a starting point from which it is able to attack.
 
Now, we must be reminded that the Law isn't the problem. The Law is from God, and it's spiritual; however, the Law doesn't provide power over sin; therefore, when an unbeliever isn't saved, they are under the Law and incapable of having victory over it.
 
I thought I heard someone say, "But American sinners don't really know the Law; therefore, how can it have power like that over a person's life?"
 
First, as much as Satan has attempted to destroy the Word of God upon the earth, he hasn't been successful, and even it's residue from yesteryear will have a resounding effect upon the ages to come should the Lord tarry. While evil man will attempt one think that will never lose its luster, one thing that will never fail, one thing that will never whither is the eternal word of God:
 
Isaiah 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
 
In addition, whether man is aware of the Law of God or not is irrelevant. This earth is His:
 
Psalms 24:1 The earth is the Lord 's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
 
Furthermore, He decides how He will operate in and upon man-- not the other way around. And the first aspect we covered in Romans 7, is that the Law has dominion over a man as long as he lives, so if a man hasn't died in Christ and been resurrected anew (born again), then he is both: (1) dead in his sin and (2) under the dominion of law; interestingly, the words "dominion over" in Romans 7:1 are translated from kyrieuo from the same root as kyrios-- the word translated as Lord when speaking of Jesus.
 
Therefore, the idea is that the man who is un- redeemed (not born again) is under the lordship of sin and Law instead of Jesus and grace.
 
Again, when a man is under the lordship of Law, sin has a base of operations from which to mount its attack. Previously, I spoke of the unredeemed under Law because he hasn't died in Christ and been translated to the new kingdom (Colossians 1:13); therefore, he lives under its dominion resulting in bondage to sin.
 
It's imperative that Christians also understand that, they too, can bring themselves under the dominion of Law. While it may not be specifically the Law of Moses, it will result in the same effect. If a person is not of faith in the finished work (performance of Jesus, the cross, and its resulting resurrection power), then they are of "faith" in their own performance (what they do). This will result in the frustration of grace:
 
Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God:for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
 
It saddens me that preachers don't teach their people these truths. They don't because: (1) they don't understand or (2) they don't believe their people will understand. And for fear that the people won't understand, get frustrated and leave, they hold in the truth. The result is that they preach about the gospel, rather than preaching the gospel. Let me say this clearly, "If a Christian doesn't understand the concept of how the sinful nature works and how it's power was destroyed through the victory of Jesus on the cross, and that his faith must be maintained in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, then he will not have access to the grace he needs for power to stand (Romans 5:1-3).
 
SO DON'T GIVE SIN A BASE OF OPERATIONS. KEEP YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST AND WATCH THE GRACE OF GOD TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE AND BRING POWER TO YOUR WALK!
 
Romans 7:9  For I was alive without the law once:but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
 
I'm going to stop these notes after this verse because I believe that this verse is the key to understanding the rest of the chapter. From this point forward, Paul uses present tense verbs to describe his struggle, but it must be understood that the struggle was something that took place in the past-- before he had the revelation of Romans 6. This time-frame likely describes the struggles and lessons he learned about Law and grace as he walked out his new journey with Jesus in the Arabian wilderness (Galatians 1:17).
 
I mention this because many people teach that this would describe a time-frame before Paul was saved, taking the opinion that sin was dead in Paul's life before the Law came, meaning before an in depth understanding of the Law came, which at a certain point, served as a catalyst, flaming the sinful nature.
 
In other words, as a child, he wouldn't have known the Law well enough for it to produce the knowledge of sin in his life; therefore, the sinful nature would have been dormant until he came of that age (maybe a teenager), and at that point the sinful nature flared.
 
There is much flaw in this thinking: (1) he said, "I was alive without the Law once."
 
This whole chapter started with Paul explaining that the Law has dominion over a man as long as he lives. Furthermore, the way a man does die to the Law, as we learned, is through his association with Jesus' death on the cross i.e. a born again believer
 
(2). The word revive, in the original language explicitly describes something that was alive, died and came back to life.
 
This word is used only twice in the New Testament:
 
Romans 7:9  For I was alive without the law once:but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
 
And...
 
Romans 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
 
αναζαω anazao; to recover life, live again, revive.
AV (5)- be alive again 2, revive 2, live again.
 
In both these verses, what revived was previously alive, then died, and resurrected again, so the idea can't be that it first occurred in Paul's life when he became a certain age. Instead, the idea is that the sinful nature was alive in him from his birth of Adam as it is in all of us, think about it, even a simple logical thought would discount those other rationales. Tell a child no and what does he do? Put two toddlers in a crib with one rubber ducky, back away, and what happens? The sinful nature is already alive and well in the life of a child.
 
So in Paul's life what took place is that he was in the flesh (an unredeemed Pharisee living under Law and sin was ruling in his life). Then he became a born again believer, so he died to the Law as he said in V 4, and he was married to Christ. Then he added a commandment or a Law to his Christianity. I don't know what, but he did. Don't eat pork it'll make you more right with God, even though you're already saved, make sure you circumcise because then you'll really be holy even though you're already saved.
 
We do it too and that's the danger. I sinned; therefore, I must work my performance to be right: I read to please God, I pray to please God and make Him happy with me, so I won't sin again. NO!!! STOP IT!!!
 
Don't stop praying, reading or going to church! Stop thinking what you do is what pleases God. It's your faith in what Jesus did that pleases God.
 
Once you understand this verse, you will realize that from this point moving forward Paul's struggle is because he embraced Law as a Christian, and he was fighting sin in his own strength through his own will.
 
Please God give whoever is willing to read this revelation of this truth, so that they could be set free from the horrible bondage of both sin and Law.

Lessons from Jonah (Pt. 3): Get Over Yourself!

Jonah part 3: Get over Yourself

Jonah 3:1, 2
And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach (to summon or call with a loud voice) unto it the preaching (the proclamation) that I bid thee.
 
God never changed His mind. We might change our minds, but His plan never changes, "Summon the lost to come and repent! Proclaim the truth of My word!"
 
God told Jonah to arise. There are countless believers seated; they are MIA. We have no way of knowing how long Jonah was lying/ sitting around after he was spit upon the shore before God came unto him a second time. The word just says that God came unto him a second time and said, "Arise!" Arise child of God from your seated position and return to the place of obedience; once again, God's mind hasn't changed. He wants sinners saved.
 
Jonah 3:5-7
So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing:let them not feed, nor drink water:
 
There is a lot to be said regarding this passage of scripture. The first thing that stood out to me is that the people received the word of God first, and their response resulted in a change to the king’s heart. This may be a little off the beaten path, but churches are filled with leaders that aren't living or preaching right; therefore, it makes sense that the pews would be filled with people who don't properly understand the gospel, and therefore, are incapable of walking right with God. Sadly, most people will never rise above the teaching they receive from the teacher they sit under. Furthermore, there is a mindset in the church where we are supposed to teach the Bible at an elementary level-- well you do the math. The truth is that people just hate to be challenged in anything. We like the status quo. I don't know much, but I do know this-- Jesus and His disciples were the antonym of the "status quo," and the point that I’m trying to make is that just as in the Jonah story, it doesn’t matter what the leaders are doing, God wants the people that are called by His name to humble themselves and pray and to turn from their wicked ways.
 
Besides the fact that the regular people responded to God and ultimately affected leadership, I also wanted to point out the way people in the Old Testament repented.
 
It is well known through the scriptures that Israel would repent in sackcloth and ashes when they were sorrowful for their sin. While I can't prove it, I feel certain this was a big part of Jonah's message. We know he was crying in the streets that judgment was coming, and we are told that their response was that they repented in sackcloth and ashes.
 
It should be noticed that sackcloth laid upon the body is extremely uncomfortable. Furthermore, ashes spread upon the head and body in a humid climate would be an absolute irritation. In 2 Samuel 12:20, David repented over his sin with Bathsheba and the illness of their offspring. Once the child died and he felt like it was time for his repentance to be over, he rose, washed, and anointed himself with oil. I point this out because he was making himself more comfortable. The anointing of oil was the opposite of the remorse and discomfort associated with sackcloth and ashes.
 
I fear that churches are filled with unsaved people today because the message has been purposefully softened and diluted to prevent offense. Through this, people are allowed to exist in a lifestyle of sin because they have been told a lie about what grace really means.
 
True repentance will have associated with it discomfort related to one's sin. There will be a discomfort in the fact that God was offended!
 
Jonah 4:4-5
Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
 
Jonah is displeased with God's plan and the way things are going. He's responded superficially to the request of God, but internally, he is in opposition to God's way.
 
Isaiah 29:13
Wherefore the Lord said,
Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth,
and with their lips do honour me,
but have removed their heart far from me,
and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
 
I can tell you that this isn't going to work with God. There are people who walk around with an outward appearance pretending they are serving God, but inwardly, their hearts are far from Him. He loves you Christian! He loves you, and He won't let you stay comfortable in the spot you've prepared for yourself.
 
That's exactly what Jonah has done-- right? He has gone off on his own and prepared his own shelter, for his own comfort hoping to see what he wants to see. With the works and manipulation of his own hands, he prepares a place for himself, but even all his work and attempts leave him open to the elements.
 
This is a perfect picture of the flesh attempting to cover self. While this is a somewhat difficult thing to explain, and a little out of context, Christians love to prepare coverings for themselves in an attempt to prevent themselves from falling. There was a movement sometime back where everyone was going to get themselves an accountability partner and confess all their faults to them as though that was going to set them free or keep them from sinning. While on the surface it seems spiritual and even biblical, to be truthful, when someone places their faith in this instead of the finished work of Christ for victory, it's just another attempt through feeble flesh to gain victory over sin; therefore, it's just another way to say in the heart that what Jesus did wasn't enough.
 
The Lord showed me several years ago that if a person can't be accountable to Him, the one that created and peers into the human heart, then it's preposterous to think that trusting in some earthly relationship will fill that need. Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying, iron sharpens iron. Brothers and sisters in The Lord are an extremely powerful source of strength as we walk together in the faith encouraging and edifying (building up) one another in the things of God.
 
Nevertheless, if a man would learn to walk in Christ through proper faith in His finished work, then that man will learn to be accountable to God as the Holy Spirit empowers towards obedience. Until a man learns to be accountable to God, that man will never, and I repeat, that man will never learn to be accountable to man.
 
While it is true that James said to confess to one another and pray, so that you would be healed, which is referring to healing of the soul, Jesus is the answer and victory for sin. The purpose here is that a stronger brother would lead the other or vice versa back to Jesus and His answer for the problem:
 
1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:by whose stripes ye were healed.
 
So which would you prefer to trust in completely for your healing?
 
Ultimately, Jonah like so many of us has feebly attempted to meet his needs, and even though he's disobedient, God is going to show him mercy and provide a supernatural covering to provide for Jonah what his hands could not.
 
There is so much to be held onto here. If we could only stop in the midst of the chaos and remind ourselves that He alone can provide what we need and every attempt we make in erecting our own plans only leads to failure and more frustration.
 
 

Jonah 4:6-9
And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
 
God prepared a storm for chastisement, a form of discipline to stop his disobedience.
 
God prepared a great fish to rescue him from the turbulent chaos he had brought upon himself and to turn Jonah back to the right direction. God uses chastisement to turn us around.
 
God prepared a gourd as a covering of mercy. Jonah's feeble attempts failed, and his heart was disobedient; nevertheless, God showed mercy and protected Jonah.
 
God prepared a worm to destroy the gourd, which He had provided for Jonah to give him a covering of mercy.
 
The gourd was God's; the worm was God's; the wind, the sun, the fish, the storm, the Ninevites, and Jonah, everything belongs to God and God will do with it what He pleases. How dare you Jonah! How dare you think the Ninevites don't deserve God's mercy!
 
When you feel bitterness in your heart towards someone who has treated you wrong, just remember as fast as God raised up and destroyed Jonah's gourd, He can also remove his mercy from over your life.
 
Needless to say, Jonah is miserable with his life right now. The sun is scorching and a vehement (hot) east wind is blowing; he's miserable with his life to the point that he wants to die.
 
Jonah 4:9
And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
 
It should be noted that all of Jonah's discomfort is because of his refusal to see what God wants Him to see and respond the way God wants him to respond; essentially, God wants Jonah to be about God's business and see life His way, but Jonah wants things done his way.  Let there be no confusion, Jonah wants what he wants and he is angry because he can't get it!
 
When we demand something from God that is contrary to His will, refusing to see things His way and instead demand that it go our way, we will continue to be miserable.
 
Throughout the life of the Christian, God desires to align our hearts, minds, essentially our inner man with His heart: the way He sees things. This concept encompasses every aspect of our lives. In Jonah's scenario, the context specifically surrounds his obedience to God regarding the ministry God has asked from him. Jonah's response is undoubtedly being influenced by the world around him. What I mean by that is Israel, as a whole, is living in disobedience towards God. Idolatry stands in between them and God; therefore, they cannot properly connect to His presence, and they cannot properly perceive His ways.
 
In a similar fashion, the Christian whose mind isn't stayed upon the Lord isn't able to see God's way. We can get into specifics here. We can talk about relationships. We can talk about demanding a relationship out of wedlock or one that enters wedlock outside of God's will and then sit there under our withered gourd while the east wind scorches our head, and we are frustrated and aggravated because nothing is going our way. It's not the way God wants you to go! He wants you to surrender to His will.
 
We can talk about jobs. I've talked about this hundreds of times over the years of this bible study. People change jobs more rapidly sometimes than they do partners in today's society, thinking they're going to find happiness in the new job because somehow the boss at the new job is going to finally "get it." Don't get me wrong there are better bosses and better jobs, but the job oftentimes isn't the problem. The problem is we're looking for fulfillment elsewhere, and so we sit under the withered gourd having a pity party because nothing goes our way. Stop! Stop and be about the Father's business. Seek His will for your life and surrender to Him.
 
Sometimes, we desire to control a situation so bad that the relationships, job, church, ministry...isn't even the problem. Instead, these are just the symptoms; we have a letting go and letting God problem. We want it our way. We want to see the world our way. I don't like to read, so I don't even know what the preacher is talking about when he mentions Abraham. That works ok when you’re a newborn baby Christian, but if you refuse to change your world view through the word of God, you will remain with your miserable control issues demanding God give you what you want, sitting under your withered gourd blaming God.
 
God didn't create you so He could give you glory; He created you for you to give Him glory!
 
God didn't create you so He could spend all His time ministering to your plans; He created you for His glory, His plans, and His purpose. If you ain't on board with that, you ain't on board with Him!
 
Jonah 4:10-11
Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore (120,000) thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

As I said earlier, Jonah’s mindset has been tainted and influenced by the current condition of Israel’s spirituality: Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable will of God.

In this passage, Paul explains that we aren’t to be conformed, which means to be molded by an outward source. In this case, the outward source is the world system, in Jonah’s case he’s being molded by the spiritual condition of Israel. Paul exhorts believers to be transformed, which describes an inward change manifest outwardly. Interestingly, the word in the Greek is metamorphoo, where we get our word metamorphosis. The transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly is a metamorphosis that manifests outwardly what was already inherent in the butterfly’s genes. In addition the word transfigured used of Jesus is also this Greek word. On that day what was really in Jesus, His deity, shown thru. We are exhorted by Paul to have a renewed mind that understands this. All this is connected to verse 1 and all the previous teaching that spoke of the “old man” dying in Christ and the “new man” resurrecting in Him. This is the immediate context of verse 1 to make the point:

I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed

After all the previous teaching that he had offered in Romans 6, Paul is now saying that we are to live our lives as a living sacrifice (the old man dead and the new man alive). The renewed mind understands he is a new creation in Christ and he is about his Father’s business. Ultimately, he has gotten over himself and is moving forward in God.

Jonah has pity for the gourd. In other words, he's sad it withered away because it can no longer serve his (Jonah's) purpose. But here is God's creation about to be destroyed and Jonah wants to see it happen. God is also trying to teach Jonah a lesson on mercy. Mercy is God's to give; it doesn't belong to Jonah. Sadly, many Christians also act like this. How quickly we forget what God has done for us.
 
Be careful Christian, God has been known to pull back His hand of mercy in order to teach His children a lesson. He's doing it right here in this story.

Lessons from Jonah (Pt. 2): When Consumed by Your Affliction, Cry Out to God

Lessons from Jonah: When Consumed by Your Affliction, Cry Out to God Pt. 2

 Jonah 1:17
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
 
"the Lord had prepared a great fish..."

The rule of the day is to discount the Bible as literal by making it out to be sensationalism. Liberal scholars devote the entirety of their lives to obtaining doctorate degrees in what they call theology, but it is a theology, which discounts the inspiration of scripture; furthermore, they employ a technique known as higher textual criticism. In other words, they come to the text believing the book was written by men and not God; therefore, they expect to find mistakes; furthermore, because the Age of Enlightenment employed the thought of the Scientific Method, any miraculous occurrence is discounted.
 
Because the miraculous is discounted, the story of Jonah, in their eyes, isn't literal, it's only allegorical. But the real entity on trial in that scenario isn't the miraculous nature of the story; rather, God's existence is being called into question.
 
The real question isn't whether God can perform a miracle. The real question is whether or not God exists. I can tell you unequivocally that God exists. I know it to be true because He's alive in my heart, whether you choose to believe that or not is up to you, but because I believe He's real, I also believe He still performs miracles.
 
And God performed a miracle for Jonah. He prepared a great fish. Some have argued that there aren't fish in the Mediterranean big enough to swallow a man. As a matter of fact, regarding whales, only a Sperm Whale would be capable of swallowing a man. If God can call the animals two by two into an arc, then He can prepare a great fish. If God can split the Red Sea and deliver His people Israel through on dry ground, then He can prepare a great fish. If God can take a bound up sinner like me and set him free, then God can prepare a great fish.
 
As I was walking with the cross Sunday, I prayed and asked God that He would send someone that needed a divine appointment or encounter, I can't remember the exact words I used. As I was walking on Hwy. 70, a woman stopped me, and we began to talk, with tears in her eyes, she said, "I've been going through some things; I was on the phone with my friend and said, "I need a divine appointment." Suddenly, I looked up and there you were with the cross.
 
If God can lead me to pray a prayer like that, and at the same time cause a person looking for answers to pray a prayer like that and allow their paths to cross at the right time when I didn't even want to carry the cross at that moment because I was tired, then God can prepare a great fish. He can tell a Sperm Whale, if that's what it was to go into the Mediterranean Sea and wait!
 
God ordained this circumstance and situation. This fish, this affliction, provided a vehicle of transport for God to get the prophet where He needed Him to be. In a similar fashion, God uses trials in our lives to get us to the place He wants us to be. Many times pain is the propulsion that moves us to brokenness and brokenness moves us to cry out to God, so don't give up in the midst of your trial because many times God is using it as a vehicle of transport to move you towards His purposes, to move you and I from a direction of disobedience to obedience (Hebrews 12:3-11).
 
While the fish ultimately serves the purposes of God and saved Jonah's life, it certainly can't appear that way to Jonah while he's in the midst of this fish's belly, so for Jonah, it's an intensification of the storm while he's there.

 From a spiritual perspective, there is no doubt that the three days and three nights Jonah spent in the fish’s belly are, while literal in Jonah’s life, are a spiritual type of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. We know this because Jesus told us so: 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

What’s interesting about this passage is that Jesus had just delivered and healed a man possessed by demons, after which, the Pharisees accused Him of operating under the power of demon spirits; now, they want a sign, and Jesus lets them know that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; furthermore, the only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah, the sign of His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. In addition to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection being communicated here, surely, we can see Jonah as the man of God, even the New Testament believer. We have already covered this concept of identification previously where we associate or identify ourselves as also being partakers of His cross. His death is our death; His cross is our cross; His burial is our burial, and certainly His resurrection will be ours also. Nevertheless….

 Jonah 2:2
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Nevertheless, there is that timeframe in the life of the believer, or at least the one who has acquainted himself with this Jesus of Nazareth, a timeframe where the Jonah Journey undoubtedly will be embarked upon. This journey is a tale rife with failures and disobedience. This is a journey where self has been crucified in God’s eyes; the place where upon faith, God sees the sinner plunged beneath the blood which flowed from Immanuel’s veins, but in this leg of the journey-- self, the “old man,” refuses to die. Instead, he clings to his own will and in disobedience he journeys away from the presence of God. Listen close child of God, chaos is coming; the storm is brewing, because God will not leave those that are His alone flailing in that tempestuous sea. And through the storm and affliction, God will bring that believer to a place where the story goes from the Jonah Journey to the Jesus Journey, where the believer will finally reckon himself to be dead, so that he can now see himself the way that God sees him (Romans 6:11).

 
As we can see, it was the affliction that caused Jonah to cry out to God. He cried out from what he called the "belly of hell." For Jonah being in the belly of this fish was hell, Sheol, the place of the departed dead.
 
God has always given progressive revelation regarding the plan for His people that are called by His name. At this point in Israel's history, He had already given a glimpse of the resurrection through the psalmist:
 
Psalms 16:10
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
 
The Psalms were written at least 200 years before Jonah, so he would have been familiar with this passage. For us it's easy to look at this passage and see that it refers to the resurrection of Messiah, and when we review Jesus' words to Mary, we are reminded that because He rose, and we being placed in Him, furthermore, finding our righteousness in that place (our connection with Him), we also will rise again:
 
John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
 
But here, no glimmer of hope is heard. Instead, in the midst of this hell, there is only darkness and despair. There is no way out of this darkness. This depression will not subside. Just as there are no exit doors in hell, for Jonah, there is no hope at this point. How many people, even Christians, live in similar hopelessness, feeling as though there is no way out, knowing they've been living lies of disobedience?
 

I would imagine that at this point of the journey, Jonah believes that he deserves everything he's getting. I would imagine that at this point, he wishes he wouldn't have written a "but" into the script. Nevertheless, for Jonah, there is hope on the horizon. He can’t see it yet, but soon the fish will spit him out and the trial will end. After deliverance takes place, at some point, I don't know when maybe after he's lying in his bed while the burns from the gastric secretions of this fish are healing. But at some point, it seems to me a song of praise and thanksgiving burst forth from Jonah's heart.
 
...and he heard me!!
 
Jonah 2:3-10
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas;
and the floods compassed me about:
all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
 
It's amazing to me that there are Christians who honestly believe that God would never allow anything bad or challenging to touch their lives. Where does this thinking come from? The storm was sent by God. God's word tells us that. Jonah, at some point realized that the storm was from God and that it wasn’t the mariners who had cast him into the deep; instead, it was the hand of God that allowed the deep to overcome him for a period of time.
 
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight;
yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
 
Why? Why would God allow such a thing? He allows it, so that we, His children would learn to look towards His holy temple. When I say that, it's being said allegorically or illustratively because the temple of God is where His presence dwelled with Israel. Jonah sets his face towards the temple, towards the presence of God and directs his prayers there. Listen close child of God, God wants you to learn a new process when you find yourself sinking, head wrapped about with sea weed, waters overcoming you, and feeling there is no hope. God wants you to look to Him, cry out to Him in your affliction and turn to His presence. Jesus paid a high price on the cross, so you could enter into the presence of God and receive rescue from your affliction.
 
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul:
the depth closed me round about,
the weeds were wrapped about my head.
 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains;
the earth with her bars was about me for ever:
yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.
 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord:
and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
 
Jonah’s prayer made it to the holy temple. In other words, God heard Jonah’s prayer. I would imagine that right now some of you would say, “But I’ve been praying, and I wish He would hear my prayers, but how often are our prayers expended on our selfish gain? We want Him to hear us, but we’re ignoring Him! Go Jonah! Get up and go to Ninevah!

Many times this is the way that God gets our attention and helps us remember that He is God and without Him we are hopeless. He puts us in circumstances, where if He doesn't show up, we won't make it, or we put ourselves in circumstances where if He doesn't show up we won't make it. Either way, remember this-- while you may have been caught off guard, He knew all along what was coming down the road in your life. Sister Toot used to sing a song, "If His eye is on the little bit of a sparrow, I know He watches over me."
 
Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
 
Jonah:They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay that that I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.
 
In the last part of the song or writing, whatever you want to call it, Jonah makes a distinction between his response and the response of others. I don't think we should think that Jonah is being prideful here and already forgetting his disobedience, which brought the trial on; rather, I believe he's had time to reflect upon this whole scenario. Usually, when a person is in the midst of a storm, they can't see God in it. They can't see His hand maneuvering and preparing circumstances for their deliverance; however, once the trial is over, once the fish has spit you out on dry ground and you've had time to unwrap the sea weed from around your head, then an appreciation can come forth from the trial you endured because you learned so much and you did, at some point cry out to God.
 
"They," on the other hand won't cry out to God. Instead, "they" represent those that will continue in disobedience by putting their hope in lying vanities. The idea of "lying vanities" is empty un-truth. It’s like the Christian who is living a life of sin and disobedience, finding themselves in the midst of chaos, and looking to false hope through false doctrine, looking at the lies of their storm instead of the answer, looking to psychiatry and Prozac to make their head right. Come on really? Why do we worry about getting our head right when our heart isn’t? Get your heart right with God, and He will do the rest.
 
 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
 
God heard Jonah's cry and delivered him from his trial.
 
I couldn't help but think about how this trial produced what I call a song in Jonah's heart, but it reminded me of another instance, where the trial was trying to steal the song.
 
Psalms 137:1-4
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept,
when we remembered Zion (Jerusalem- means peace  [its as though its saying, "How can I sing of peace when the enemy has stolen my joy]).
 
We hanged our harps
upon the willows in the midst thereof.
 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song;
and they that wasted us required of us mirth (joy),
 
Their enemy taunted them to remember their home of peace and to sing a song of joy, but there was no song of joy they could sing, so they hung their harps in the trees. It saddens my heart when I think of God's people being held captive by their enemy, and being overwhelmed with despair, they hang their harps in the trees.
 
Israel’s enemy: saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
 How shall we sing the Lord 's song
in a strange land?
 
But don't let the devil steal your joy child of God. This is a test, an opportunity to trust God in the trial, an opportunity to do things different than ever before. Take the Journey tape, with song Open Arms on it, throw it in the trash, and run into His open arms. He's waiting for your arrival; He's waiting for you to run to Him. He died so you could.
 
Come on you can do it go put some worship music on, separate yourself with just you and God, and worship Him even though things seem bad right now. Take the harp out of the tree and strum it. He saved you from your sin. And one day you're going to reign with Him! Come on access His presence and be filled with His Spirit.
 
You see something happens in the midst of the trial when you learn to hold onto Him through it.
 
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
 
As we learned a few weeks ago, justification is how God sees you, more specifically what He speaks over your life. Your faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified put you in right standing with God. In right standing with God, you have access to grace, which gives you the needed power to stand in the midst of this sin riddled world.
 
We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God because one day... I said, "Some glad morning when this life is o'er I'll fly away, to a home on God's celestial shores, I'll fly away. I'll fly away O' glory. I'll fly away.
 
One day you and I are going to partake of the glory of God when: ....this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:53-54
 
But what about in the meantime? What am I supposed to do while I’m in the midst of this trial upon this wicked, evil earth?
 
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
 
You glory in your tribulations? What in the world are you talking about Paul? The word tribulation means to be pressed. If Paul could talk to us he would say, "You think I don't know about pressing? ‘Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.'" 2 Corinthians 11:23-27
 
So here is a mighty man of God that is well acquainted with tribulation, and he says glory in it because God uses it as a process through which He produces something beautiful
 
Tribulation- the pressing produces patience.
 
Patience- hupo- monae/ remain under. God is asking you to trust Him as you remain under the trial. Don't buckle Christian! Don't hang your harp in the trees! Remain under the trial trusting God.
 
Patience produces experience, some translations use the word character. The word in the Greek is dokime. The idea is a proving or a test. In other words, something is proven to be what it says it is. Just as a fire proves the metal, so the trial proves the Christian.
 
Experience results in hope-- hope even in the midst of this fallen earth, even in the midst of this horrendous trial because God's going to show up and prove Himself true.
 
So Cry out Jonah... Cry out Christian!  When you're consumed by your affliction, cry out to God and watch His mighty hand deliver you.

Lessons from Jonah (Pt. 1): When Consumed by Your Affliction, Cry Out to God

Consumed by Affliction: Jonah’s Disobedience

The book of Jonah was written in approximately 800 BC by the prophet bearing its name. During this time frame, Israel was under the leadership of King Jeroboam II.

2 Kings 14:23-24 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord:he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

When reading passages of scripture, it's always helpful to have some understanding of the underlying context surrounding the movement of the story or teachings taking place. I specifically used the word story because Jonah is considered narrative literature. We have discussed the concept of literary genre on multiple occasions, describing the differences between narrative, which tells a story, apocalyptic, which foretells future events, and epistles, which are letters in the New Testament containing deeper revelations of biblical instruction.

While Jonah is narrative literature, it's also prophetic literature. Specifically, the book of Jonah is considered one of 12 Minor Prophets. Essentially, in the Old Testament Jewish Bible, the Major and Minor Prophets were used as a method of dividing the books. In addition, the length of these books was the main determining factor on why some were called minor vs. some being called major. The three Major Prophets were: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

God always used His prophets of old as a mouthpiece or vessel from which He would speak forth His word. Specifically, the prophet's ministry was to bring a word of correction to Israel, which was God's own special people He had created from amongst the heathen world. Anytime the modern Christian reads the happenings of ancient Israel, there should be some element of viewing the text from the perspective that these are God's people, from there, the reader should also be able to see the text speaking to himself; for he or she is also "God's people."

Previously, we pointed out that Jeroboam II was king during Jonah's prophetic tenure. The 2 Kings passage connected Jeroboam II to Jeroboam. The reign of the original Jeroboam chronicles significant changes to the nation of Israel. Oftentimes, Christians are unaware of the intricate details surrounding Israel's history.

King Jeroboam represents a very disturbing time in Israel's history. When Solomon, King David's son sinned (1 Kings 11), the result was a split to the kingdom of Israel. God's judgement upon the nation that He had created was that they would be split into a place of disunity, resulting in the upper 10 tribes, known as Israel, and the lower two tribes, which consisted of Judah and Benjamin.

Interestingly, Judah was the tribe of King David and his son Solomon, which housed the prophetic promise of Messiah's descent (II Samuel 7:12,13); and Benjamin was the tribe from which the house of Saul came. If you will remember, there was a covenant between King David and Jonathan, Saul's son, which bound these two "houses"/tribes together.

Israel represented the Northern Kingdom; whereas, Judah, reigning from Jerusalem (South), where we get the word Jew from, was the Southern portion of the nation.

Rehoboam, Solomon's son was the king of Judah; whereas, Jeroboam, who was an officer in the King's court before the nation was split, ruled Northern Israel. Jeroboam followed the latter path of Solomon and worshiped false gods; furthermore, he built a temple for their idol worship in Samaria, which is where all the contention between the Jews and the Samaritans started that we read about in the New Testament.

Jeroboam purposefully did this to prevent the people from going down to Jerusalem to worship God. This false leadership, which produced error in Israel's understanding of God incited God to anger resulting in Him using His prophets as mouthpieces to prophesy against His leaders and His people who were living in opposition to His word. Sadly, the apostasy worsened rather than improving and, with time, Judah went the way of Israel. The explicit narratives of these happenings can be found in 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, and 1-2 Chronicles.

So here we are in the time frame of the prophet Jonah who was from a town in Northern Israel from the tribe of Zebulun. To give you a mental picture, the tribe of Zebulon settled the area West of the Sea of Galilee.

Jonah 1:1, 2 Chapter 1 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, v2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

The Duty

There is so much to consider with these two initial verses. First, we must remember the underlying context regarding the condition of God's people. Israel has been disobedient towards God since the rebellion of Solomon, a succession of wicked leaders: kings, prophets, and priests has taken place, resulting in apathy and failure on the part of God's people.

There is a living principle here to observe: God desires to reach a lost and dying world with His plan of salvation to turn the heathen (those who are unconverted and don't know Him) towards Him. The way God chooses to do that is through the use of His people. But in this time frame, God's people Israel are apathetic towards His ways because Satan has successfully infiltrated their camp and changed the object of their faith. Specifically, they have entered into a form of syncretistic (mixed) worship.

What are you talking about preacher? At this time in Israel's history idol worship was so bad that they had brought them (idols) into the temple and called them YHWH. What does that have to do with me preacher? It saddens me that more often than not preachers behind pulpits cannot recognize the current condition the church is in today.

Between the mixtures of a works based message and a charismatic move void of sound theology, the condition of the modern church is synonymous with ancient Israel. We won't even get into my personal beliefs of an occult agenda influencing the church through the Word of Faith movement, Emergent Church (Jesus Culture), and the current seeker sensitive debacle. There are probably Christians who will read this and think to themselves what is this guy talking about? Google and watch: The Real Roots of the Emergent Church.

And that's my point. I don't believe we can see because for so long we've been moved away from a proper understanding of God's word.  I know that I have attempted, through Facebook, to pound the concept of true righteousness and justification, which will set the captive free, but I fear that when most people read those words, they think in their hearts, where is the "prophet?" I need a service or a church somewhere where the "Spirit" is moving, so I can get in a line, have hands laid upon me, get a word, fall down, and do a shake rattle and roll.

Before you tune me out charismatic Christian, let me ask you a couple questions: (1) how many times have you gone to the front for prayer to receive deliverance from your bondage? (2) how many times have you fallen out in the Spirit when you went up there for that prayer? (3) how many times has that resulted in freedom from your bondage?

That can't work because that's not the way to victory. If a believer doesn't have a revelation of who he is in Christ, how Jesus defeated the forces of evil through the atonement, and how proper faith in Jesus' finished work is the only thing that will give access to grace, which is the only way that people can have deliverance from bondage of any sort, through accessing the power of God, then that believer can't be delivered. Some may say, "Where does this guy get this from? Why does he think the cross is the answer to power over sin?"

 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD SAYS SO!!!

So in the midst of a time when God's people have such a mixture of false doctrine influencing their understanding of God and His ways, how will His people function properly? How will His prophets hearken (listen with obedience)?

The word of the  Lord came to Jonah with clear instructions. Essentially, he let Jonah know Ninevah (the world) is full of sin and wickedness, and I need you Jonah, Christian, man of God, I need you to go tell them to repent.

Now, before we get going good, many may say, "Hold up! Jonah was a prophet; it was his job to go speak to them. I'm not a prophet; you're making me feel uncomfortable, because you're trying to make me do the preacher's job! Isn't that what we pay him for?" I  have to tell you that it was always God's plan that the people called by His name would bring light into darkness:

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The word workmanship has the idea of something that is produced or made, but notice that the creation of this workmanship takes place within a certain locale, sphere, or place. In other words, the factory where this creation is produced is in a place called in Christ.

We have pointed this out many times: that the prepositional phrase in Christ describes a precognition (prior knowledge) where the believer understands the transaction and translation, which occurred at the cross. Once again, when faith is placed in Christ, the sinner is translated and placed in Christ. Within this realm, as faith remains in Christ for right standing with God, grace (the operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life) changes him and creates anew in Christ, making him (the believer) the person he was always intended to be, preparing him for his true purpose upon this earth to engage in the good works of God, witnessing to the truth that Messiah has come, offering eternal life and changed lives to those who will repent.

By the way, it was always God's intent that His people would would be prophets:

Numbers 11:29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord 's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

God desires to use all His people as prophets, not always for foretelling but forth telling. In other words, accomplishing what God is asking Jonah to do, let the wicked world know it's time to repent and turn to God.

It's interesting to note that Jonah's name means dove and his father's name Amittai means my truth.

There is so much symbolism here, and while I would never want to over spiritualize, I can't help but point out that the dove is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit. But also the dove symbolizes peace with God, as when the dove brought an olive branch back to Noah in the Ark; from that point forward, the olive branch has been viewed as an extension of peace.

In this sense, God is sending peace (Jonah) to Ninevah (the world) through his truth (Amittai). This principle holds true today. God is calling sinners to come home, to a place where there is peace. This can only be done when the servant of God is obedient to the call of God, bringing God's truth to a lost and dying world. Once the sinner repents:

Repentance: a state where a person changes their thinking, realizing they were wrong and all along God was right; furthermore, this change of mind is associated with a strong, even emotional distaste for the previous way of thinking,

The presence of the Holy Spirit produces peace between God and the man:

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

So remember Christian whether we like it or not, God has called us to live a separated life in the midst of this fallen world; furthermore, just as he called Jonah to cry against Ninevah and her sin, He is asking His church to take a stand against ungodliness in the world today.

The disobedience

Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish:so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

How much woe and sorry has been produced from this one conjunction- But?

In the English language, the conjunction but is known as an adversative, meaning it denotes conflict or adverse conditions. Jonah is in conflict with God; he's choosing to move in a direction completely opposite of God's request. How many times have we all as God's people written a "but" into the script when God was looking for an "and"? ...and Jonah went to Ninevah... and Matt obeyed...and the Christian said, "Yes, Lord I will...."

But Jonah fled instead to Tarshish. What is Tarshish for you child of God? I've certainly had to ask myself the same. I can tell you that Tarshish is any place of disobedience that pulls you in the opposite direction of God's will for your life.

God's work isn't getting accomplished in Ninevah when His prophet is on a boat headed to Tarshish. If there are any Christians willing to listen, I have to ask some questions: what isn't being done, who isn't being reached when we pay our fare and settle down in the belly of that ship headed to Tarshish?

He paid a fare. He was now invested in this trip of disobedience... I couldn't help but think how this represents a connection point, even a devotion, or maybe a feeling that it's too late to turn back. How many times does our slide towards disobedience start with just a little step at a time?

I can remember when I was a young Christian engaged to be married. I was working for an oilfield company and had gone to Holland for survival training in order to work in the North Sea. On the flight up there, we sat in the business class and all the alcohol you could drink was paid for-- I didn't touch a drop, but the first night in Holland about 40 minutes away from a city called Rotterdam, the men I was with were going into town to go drinking. My personal contention was that, as they drank, I would go sight-seeing and take pictures-- it was a set up from Satan, and it should be pointed out that more often than not this is how the enemy hooks us; we make small decisions that are contrary to God's will, starting us in the direction of Tarshish, and before you know it, we've paid the fare and somehow feel committed to the trip.

When I first got on the bus, the Holy Spirit spoke very vividly saying, "Get off the bus!" But like a scared, defeated puppy, I put my tail between my legs and shuffled to the back of the bus, sitting down, preparing for the unknown journey, I heard His voice again, "Get off the bus!" For some reason, I ignored the warning, choosing rather to venture into the place of the unknown, certainly not unlike Jonah, who will soon find himself in the belly of this ship.

As the bus rolled to its stop in front of an obvious barroom, they look the same in Europe, I noticed everything else seemed closed on that Sunday night, so I asked the driver, "Aren't there any stores open? Aren’t there any scenes to see, or other choices in places to go?" His response was a simple shaking of his head in the motion of a negative.

When I think about how suddenly everything happened, I still get spun around, within minutes, I was in line with the world, had bought a ticket for $5 that would purchase five drinks, and from the purchase of the ticket to the walk through the door, I somehow had changed my mind from drinking Coca Cola to deciding on Jack Daniels and coke. It was almost as though that thought was placed in my head from somewhere else. I didn't even drink Jack Daniels nor did I know whether they even sold it in Holland, but lo and behold, there it was on the menu when we sat down at the table.

Unfortunately, things worsened from that point, because women began to walk up and sit down at our table; in addition, a woman came out on the stage dancing completely naked.

How could have this happened so quickly? How could a person on the plane, who had determined in his heart not to go the way of the world fallen so rapidly? Things could have been worse that night, but they were certainly bad enough-- I drank things I had no business drinking and smoked things I had no business smoking.

When I woke the next day, the conviction of the Holy Spirit overwhelmed me. Everyone began to plan that night's party, and they were including me in their plans. I can remember so vividly the shame I felt. I felt as though I had personally betrayed Jesus. Then, suddenly one of them said, "Dude, I don't get you. You fly all the way over here and don't drink when it's free, but then you come and do all that last night-- that's stupid-- I don't get it."

My response, "I agree it was stupid, and I don't expect you to understand, but I'm supposed to be a Christian. I'm supposed to be living my life different, but I failed God last night. I can tell you this though; I won't be going back tonight."

I wish I could tell you that I never failed God again, but that would be a lie. The truth is that until God gave me a supernatural revelation of the power of the cross, I failed God repeatedly over the next 12 years, but I will tell you this, if you feel as though that is you and sounds something like your walk with God that isn't normal Christianity. I don't care what any preacher tells you or how bad the church looks today. Christians are supposed to walk in victory over sin because Jesus destroyed its power on the cross.

As we will see moving forward, Jonah also cried out in the midst of his misery, but in the meantime, his disobedient choices have sent him in a direction opposite of the presence of God, a storm is brewing on the horizon Christian! I don't say this to make you feel guilty. I say this out of love. You better bow your knee and let God deal with your sin on the front end before disaster strikes.

So Jonah had paid his fare. The point I was really trying to make is that many times there are things in our lives, whether they be certain addictions or personality traits like control issues, we all have trouble letting go and letting God have His way in our lives, and with time these "things," hang around so long, we become connected to them. It's as though we've paid the fare and taken ownership of them: "Oh, I'm just an alcoholic. I'll always be this way. I can't let go of this area of my life because I've never navigated those uncharted waters."

No, Christian you can live life free from those bondages. Tarshish doesn't have to be your destination. Jesus died to set you free. When you placed your faith in Him, you were baptized, immersed, or placed in Him, and in the mind of God, the "old man" that had paid the fare and was headed to Tarshish died, was buried and a "new man" has resurrected to newness of life. This man I speak of "In Christ" isn't bound by a fare to Tarshish, because Jesus redeemed him from the former life. In order to give him a new life, a new destination, and a new purpose.

 But when the journey towards disobedience ensues, the storm begins to brew.

Jonah 1:4-10

But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. So the ship-master came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

I suppose we should take the time to realize that not every trial is related to gross disobedience in our lives; nevertheless, every trial provides an opportunity for God to test our response. In this situation even the world (the mariners) knew this occurrence was from God. They didn't know who God was, but they knew that whoever he was, He was the one who sent the storm.

Also, notice how they all call upon their different gods with the same respect or reverence: Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god.... O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not..

This is interesting to me because today we're seeing a similar occurrence take place called pluralism- more than one substance. In this case, "There is more than one god, and everyone's god deserves the same amount of reverence and respect; furthermore, it's inconsiderate to intrude into other people's lives in an attempt to turn them from their God." Quotes represent what the world would say today, and even many elements of the Emergent Church.

This whole line of thinking is fine if you're not convinced that Jesus is the only way. But once you become convinced by the presence of God that Jesus must be embraced, the gospel is the inspired word of God, and those that reject His message, will suffer the fate of hell with the devil and his angels, then intrusion may be an inconvenience, and it may seem inconsiderate, but there is no alternative; the masses must be warned.

Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them

Ultimately, they will find out that the reason they're in the midst of this storm is because of Jonah's disobedience. Previously, several weeks back, we discussed the story of Jonah. Ultimately, the point made then is that if there is a "Jonah" in your boat, you should throw it out, that "Jonah" being anything or anyone that stands in the way of your relationship with God.

While there is certainly some truth to this thought, a more accurate representation of the context would be to say, "Hey Christian, there is a storm raging, and your disobedience is not only affecting your life, but it's also affecting the lives of those around you who need to see a valid witness, so they can know the truth, throw down their false gods, and embrace the one true God; but as you continue to navigate your storm, they continue to panic and scurry around looking for answers-- the whole while you secretly hold the (answers) in because you have your own agenda.

On Resurrection Sunday, Sean and I walked with the cross at Lake End Park. There was one specific occurrence that I believe illustrates this point well. There were 4 guys drinking beer, and they made a comment to us. So I responded, "Man, were here to remind people about Jesus. I personally think the world is beginning to shake."

One of the four said, with a smirk, as he took a drag on what was left on his finished cigarette, "Yeah, I can't wait until Jesus comes back to take us out. Then we won't have to deal with all this."

Wait! What? Did he say that? I quickly responded, "Dude, do you honestly think if we're not ready now, we'll be ready then. Are any of y'all born again?"

Both him and another one, who was sitting down on the grass, eyes hidden by his shades said, "Yes." Whereas, the first one was full of pride in his retort, the one sitting lowered his head and whispered with a sense of shame. From that moment forward, he was reverent and appreciative. I could tell the other two guys were clueless about what was going on. Nevertheless, this is the breakdown. Mr. Cocky thinks his sin is perfectly fine. He's bound in a lie of sin and self righteousness; however, the other guy knows he's wrong. He knows God isn't pleased with his sin. I believe He's going to be OK because God sent us there that day just for him. I'm praying he will get right, but until he does, he's Jonah. He's living his life in the midst of the world, their all in the storm of life, and he's sitting in the bottom of the ship, heading to Tarshish with the world, the whole while not warning them of the judgement up ahead.

Jonah 1:10-16 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you:for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not:for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood:for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea:and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

While there is a lot that could be said regarding this passage of scripture, some main elements are: (1) there is a storm raging and it's affecting everyone involved; (2) the storm is a trial produced by God in response to Jonah's disobedience; (3) Jonah's disobedience in the presence of sinner's prevents the storm from calming in their lives; (4) once a move towards obedience is made, the storm is calmed, giving the world a sign that Jonah's God is real, and they begin to worship Him.

I. There is a storm raging and it's affecting everyone involved.

By now, we should all be aware that we live upon a fallen earth that is in the midst of chaos and disarray. The chaos affects everyone of us. Our relationships, jobs, everything we hold dear.

This storm affects both believers and unbelievers alike. The difference between the believer and unbeliever is that we (believers) have access to grace, which gives us strength through these storms, our understanding of God is increased as we maintain faith through the storm, and we also learn to cast our cares on Him through it all:

Romans 5:1-3 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

2. The storm is a trial produced by God in response to Jonah's disobedience.

We should always be reminded that God will never leave those that belong to Him to themselves without correction. The storm in this instance is purposefully sent to put Jonah back on track. God will use trials in our lives for correction and to produce the character in us He's looking for, not the character we think we need:

Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

James 1:3-4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Hebrews 12:5-10 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

3. Jonah's disobedience in the presence of sinners prevents the storm from calming in their lives.

A while back we preached on Jonah a little when we did the Weathering the Storms series. One of the main questions we asked was, "Who or what is the Jonah in your boat?" Furthermore, it was pointed out that who or  whatever it was you needed to throw it/them out-- now, don't say the preacher told you to get rid of your spouse. Those situations are a lot more complicated than that.

Afterwards, Robert, and I talked a lot about these concepts, and truthfully, the real context is that disobedient Christians living their lives of sin as they journey to Tarshish are the problem. How will the world ever have a chance to know God or have a relationship with God, even have the storms in their lives calmed when the believer is in rebellion?

4. Once a move towards obedience is made, the storm is calmed, giving the world a sign that Jonah's God is real, and they begin to worship Him.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Outline for the Book of Jonah

Outline of the book of Jonah

A. Chapter 1: Outward, blatant disobedience.
 
 1. God wants to send peace and truth to a lost and dying world verse one. 
 
   (a). Jonah means “dove” (symbolically- peace\Holy Spirit).
 
   (b). Amittai means "my truth" (the peace and presence of God cannot come to man until his truth 
is revealed and received.
 

"But" Jonah went to Tarshish v3 “But” is known as an adversative conjunction: denotes contrariness. 
God had a plan, but Jonah was contrary. 

 2. God wants to send peace, but His people (Israel [context of where they were as a nation] and Jonah are in disobedience). 
Jonah fled from the presence of God: in verse 3 it says that twice. 

 3. “But” v4 when God's people are contrary to Him, his response is contrary to them. But God prepared a great storm.

 4.  The men knew Jonah was the problem at some point: 

   (A). they cast lots: V7 

   (B). Jonah told them V10 

   (C). Jonah told them again verse 12

 5.  The men knew. ...Nevertheless, they rowed harder. How many times does God speak to his people about their loved ones, 
 or issues in their lives they need to get rid of and let go, so he can have His way and deal with them, but we row harder? 
 We hold onto what we want; we refuse to let go of the son or daughter on drugs, enabling them and preventing them from getting 
 to the place God has prepared for them. The same goes for brothers and sisters in the faith. Let them go and let God have his 
 way! Don't row harder!

 6. The Lord had prepared a great fish. First, he prepared a storm; now He prepares a fish. God will prepare and allow circumstances 
to take place in our lives to get us to a place alone with Him where He can speak and we will listen.

B. Chapter 2: Alone with God

 1. As long as the men rowed harder, Jonah was prevented from getting to the place where God wanted him. Both the storm and the fish’s 
belly are causing affliction. Just as in Jonah's case, God allows affliction to have its way in our lives. God uses adversity as 
chastisement (Hebrews 12:11). Jonah says, "I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord… 2:2) Then he says, "when my soul fainted 
within me I remembered the Lord and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. Jonah 2:7

 2. Sadly, many people who say they love God continue along a path, which travels opposite brokenness. Instead of crying out to God in 
their affliction and turning their attention towards His presence (holy temple), they continue their quest towards lying vanities 
(idols). They cling to the idols in their lives looking for these empty things to bring them fulfillment. When we cling to the empty 
idols in our lives to escape what God wants to do, we forsake his mercy (V 8). 

Lying vanities are worthless idols and take many forms:  

   (A) relationships: spouse, boyfriend\girlfriend, children, friends 

   (B) addictions 

   (C) jobs 

   (D) shopping 

   (E) spending money 

   (F) food 

   (G) religious works 

   (H) exercise…

Anything that you find comfort or solace in and use to prevent you from getting to the place God wants you are can be an empty 
vanity, or a false idol in your life!

 3. Once God gets Jonah alone, he recognizes God's mercy and kindness and it moves him toward repentance, at least repentance 
for his blatant disobedience, but what about the deep seeded mindsets of Israel's condition (The worldly mindsets—I say worldly 
to compare how Israel’s societal condition had a influence on Jonah’s mindset just as our societal condition can have an 
influence on us) that have influenced him? Unfortunately, they're still there.

C. Chapter 3: Repentance
  1. An extremely important aspect of repentance is that we must come to the conclusion that God's way or thinking is right and ours 
has been wrong. Jonah hasn't moved. 
 
I don't know how long he's been sitting there, but he hasn't changed his mind about what God wants. …the word of The Lord...second 
time saying...Arise...preach unto the preaching that I bid thee (3:2). God hasn't changed his mind about his plan Christian and 
you're either on board or not.
 
2. Finally, Jonah becomes obedient on a superficial level and decides to do what God wants him to do. He preaches judgment to the 
 Ninevites. How will they know if they don't have a preacher? (Romans 10:14).
 
3. The Ninevites repent. Associated with their repentance are sackcloth and ashes verses five and six. Sackcloth and ashes are uncomfortable. 
 Repentance has associated with it a feeling of sorrow and discomfort with sin. Repentance is not simply "I'm sorry."

4. True repentance, once again, causes a change of mind and a change of direction. …Let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry 
 mightily unto God, let them turn everyone from his evil ways… Verse eight

5. "God saw their works, that they turned…" v 10. You might be able to fool me and your neighbor Christian, but there's no fooling God. 
 God sees. He sees what is in the heart of man and woman. When He sees true repentance, He gives restoration of His Spirit to the 
 wounded soul, resulting in forgiveness and power for change. Anything else is playing games with God!

D. Chapter 4: Get Over Yourself Jonah: let God deal with the inside too

  1. God saw true repentance in Nineveh, resulting in His mercy and Him turning (repenting) from His previous plans. It must be pointed 
 out that God's repentance is different than when men repent, because God’s not wrong. Remember, at the foundation of repentance, 
 is a change of mind. While it is true that God is the only constant unchanging truth this world has ever known, there is one place 
 that God changes: He changes His mind towards the person who exhibits true repentance.

Jonah chapter 4:1 God changed his mind, and Jonah was displeased.

  2. Deep in Jonah’s heart, he hasn't let go of the original feelings he had, causing him to flee from the presence of God to begin with.

(A) countless Christians offer a superficial "I'm sorry" 

(B) once God removes the obvious outward bondage: Fornication, addictions… He's looking to deal with the inner level – motives of the heart. Grace will always hold men and women more accountable than the Law ever could; for in the covenant of grace, the presence of God has made our hearts His home, and long before the sin is ever engaged, the Holy Spirit has spoken right from wrong (1 John 2:20). God showed me a long time ago that He wants His people to learn how to walk with Him, learn how to hear from Him, learn how to be led by Him: the time is done where we have a man tell us what God says:

31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

3. Jonah is displeased with the way things are in his life because he is displeased with what God wants because it's opposite of what he wants.
 
  4. When people refuse to go God's way, they go their own way and construct their own comfort. Jonah built a shelter for himself, a covering 
 through the works of his own hands; he was hoping to cover himself from the elements, but the feeble attempt of man's flesh always leaves 
 him open. You can't fix it Jonah, all your idols… All your plans won't fix it! It's time to surrender.
 
5. God provides mercy and prepares a gourd. Even in our disobedience, God will provide Mercy, but Jonah still won't see what God wants him 
 to see, so…
 
  6. God prepares a worm to destroy the gourd. God is the giver of mercy and it is His to give and His to take away.
 
  7. God had prepared a gourd of Mercy; then he prepared a worm (He removed) Mercy; then He prepared a hot East wind, which was more chastisement. 
 God's question to Jonah, "doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?" In other words do you have a right to be angry over the removal of
 something you had nothing to do with? Why do you think Jonah was angry? Because what he wanted and made him feel good was gone. This is a sad 
 occurrence and reflective of many in the church today: the people of God are consumed with their own idea of what God looks like, consumed 
 with what they want to get out of God, and much of today’s preaching emboldens this thought process.
 
8. Even at the end of all this, Jonah is angry because the gourd was removed and it made him uncomfortable, but he could care less about what God 
 wanted. How can Christians be so blind, demanding what they want from God while refusing to allow Him to do in them and through them what He wants?

Grace is King through Christ: When the Body Lines Up with the Faith

When the Body Lines up with The Faith

Romans 4:1-3 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
 
Last week we visited the Old Testament character Abraham with the view of justification on the forefront of our minds. Once again, justification is that declaration of righteousness spoken over a person's life in response to their belief/ faith. With regards to Abraham, the Bible says that he believed God, resulting in God placing into his "account" righteousness ... Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
 
And based upon his new standing of righteousness with God because of his belief/ faith, God justified or declared him as righteous: Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
 
Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that the object of Abraham's faith was the promised seed that would come and the sacrifice he would offer. This is why Paul says: 1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
 
Because Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the long awaited fulfillment of the promised New Covenant, at least that's what Jesus said: 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat:this is my body, which is broken for you:this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
 
The word testament here is diatheke and means contract, arrangement, or covenant. What we must understand is that God has made an arrangement with man. In this arrangement, God is willing to meet man on these terms. The terms were first laid out in the Old Covenant through the symbolism of Israel's wanderings, tabernacle, sacrifices, and festivals just to name a few, but all those types and shadows have found their fulfillment in Jesus and His sacrifice upon the cross.
 
Ultimately, the arrangement allows man, in his fallen state, to have his sin dealt with at the cross on Jesus. This is God's way, this is God's plan, and He will never, ever meet man any other way. Once the man, woman, or child is willing to humble themselves by recognizing their sin (failure) towards God and repent (willingness to believe God and His way and willingness to turn from our own way), then God will see our circumstance fresh and anew; for a transaction has transpired where our guilt was laid upon the savior, and in return, we were clothed with His righteousness (Galatians 3:27).
 
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
We touched on this two classes ago, when we discussed the root of this word for reckon in the Greek logizomai, which is a mathematical term ultimately meaning to think upon; furthermore, it's factual in nature. For instance, when you do the math of your checkbook, you arrive at a factual conclusion. From there, a person is supposed to live their lives, financially, according to that truth.
 
In reference to this passage, the math says that Jesus' work was accomplished, our faith in Him caused a spiritual miracle to transform the inside of our hearts, and if we'll live our lives in this faith, we will not only go to heaven, but we will also have victory over the power of sin because Jesus has power over all principalities and powers, and our faith in Him and His finished work, empowers us with grace.
 
Before moving forward, an extremely important biblical concept called identification must be dealt with here. Typically, when we consider Jesus' sacrifice, we think of the substitutionary work of our Lord. In other words, we contemplate how He died in our stead; however, identification is the contemplation where one sees, more importantly, believes the gospel by identifying his "old man" on the cross and in the tomb, and his "new man" resurrected in Christ.
 
The believer void of this truth cannot perpetually walk in the forgiveness of God, because he sees his identity connected to his past instead of the cross of the Christ.
 
Last week we took the time to review the scriptures regarding Abraham's faith; we proved from the text that even though Abraham existed 2,000 years before Jesus was ever born, his faith was in the seed (Jesus) and the sacrifice (cross); therefore, his faith was in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The result of Abraham's and David's (we weren't able to cover his) proper faith was: v3 counted, v4 reckoned, v5 counted, v6 imputeth, v7 impute, all these words being translated from the Greek word Logizomai, which as pointed out is the word used in: Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
The points to be made are: (1) the word is based upon facts not feelings; (2) the word means to think upon; (3) in Romans four, the words translated for Logizomai all refer to God thinking upon a man as righteous because of his faith in Christ and His sacrifice; (4) in verse 11, the believer is being instructed to think about himself what God thinks about him.
 
What does God think about the believer who has placed and keeps his faith in the eternal plan of God, which was foreordained before the foundations of the earth (1 Peter 1:18)? He thinks upon that man, woman, or child as righteous-- period!
 
Therefore, proper faith will result in the believer "faithing" (a walk of persistent believing) the same thing, "I'm righteous because I'm clothed with the righteous one. This is my identity. The past is gone. The new has come, and the 'new man,'in Christ isn't guilty !"
 
Romans 6:11-14
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you:for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
 
Through the previous teachings we have learned that God has only had one plan-- the giving of His Son for the forgiveness of sin. Man's response to God's plan through faith results in righteousness, or a position of right standing before God. In this new position of righteousness, God sees the believer this way, in God's eyes, the guilty has been made righteous through the sacrificial payment of the righteous one (Jesus). Through this transaction, Jesus bore man's sin, and the "faithing" man received His (Jesus') righteousness, resulting in God's justice being satisfied "In the day you eat thereof surely you will die."
 
Because the "faithing" man woman or child is now seen as righteous because God's justice has been satisfied in that individuals life because they have responded through faith obedience to God's plan, God sees them, thinks upon them, and declares them as JUSTIFIED/ RIGHTEOUS!!
 
Now, in verse 11 of this Romans passage, we see this word we previously discussed again. Covering Romans four, we pointed out all the various English words, which had as their root Logizomai, meaning to think upon based upon the facts. The context of all those occurrences, once again, was that God was thinking upon the sinner as righteous because of their faith obedience in the obedient work (cross) of the righteous one. God says your RIGHTEOUS!!-- if you're in Christ!
 
Now, in verse 11, the word is telling all those righteous believers to start believing the same thing about themselves. In chapter four God says, "Righteous;" now, in verse 11, God says start believing what I believe about you based upon My Word instead of believing what your enemy says about you based upon your behavior or performance.
 
It must be understood that proper faith will produce proper Christian performance. When a believer understands that they're righteousness is a gift given by God in response to faith in the finished work of Jesus, there is now unfettered access into the presence of God, producing the desire for holy living, producing the power for holy living, producing the desire for Christian duty (if you don't like that one you better check yourself at the Christian door), producing a flow of grace, an "infusion" of the Holy Spirit for persistent and consistent Christian service.
 
That's the next part of the last verse we were reviewing: ... Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God...
 
When the word "therefore" is used in the text, it's drawing the reader back to what was previously spoken. In this case the context, reaches back to:
 
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
The context here reaches back to the personification of sin vs. grace, which one is reigning as king on the hearts of individuals?
 
Now, that we've been told we were born again from the dead, and that sin's power was broken through the cross, we are charged to not let sin reign as a king in our members or body parts. In other words, we've been told that God sees the believer as righteous. We've been told that God expects us to see ourselves hidden in the righteous of Christ; and now we're being told to quit letting sin reign in our lives to the point where it affects our "members" or body parts.
 
In other words, quit letting your eyes cause you to sin; quit letting your feet carry you places you shouldn't go; quit letting your hands put things in your mouth, and we'll just stop there. Sin's power was broken, so start living like it. Quit being used as an instrument of unrighteousness; and instead, allow God to use your body parts as instruments of righteousness.
 
The word instruments in the Greek literally means: instruments of warfare. In essence, when we allow sin to reign as a king upon our hearts and manifest itself through our body parts, we are acting as weapons for the kingdom of darkness instead of being used as weapons for the kingdom of light.
 
Paul reiterates the reason why: For sin shall not have dominion over you:for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
 
The words "dominion over" here are translated from Kyreiuo which is from the same root as kyrios; the word used of Jesus when He is referred to as Lord, so in this passage, we are told that we know longer having to allow sin to reign as a king in our lives, because sin is not our Lord! Hallelujah! Jesus is our Lord! He translated us from the kingdom of darkness, where the Law had us bound because we were guilty, to the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13), where grace is king in our lives.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Grace is King through Christ: The Object of Abraham's Faith

The Object of Abraham’s Faith

Genesis 15  After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
 
God spoke to Abraham, and gave Him a word in a vision. It must be remembered that when God first spoke to Abraham, there was no nation of people that served Him. Abraham was born and raised in a home of pagans who worshiped false gods, just like many of us who thought we had been told the truth but we were actually brought in under deception. The context of the word has the thought of answers. In other words, it’s as though God is giving Abraham answers to questions. Undoubtedly, Abraham had questions. God had called him to be a mighty nation and to this point nothing had happened as he would have expected.
 
God tells Abraham to fear not. In this sense, the word doesn't appear to be speaking of reverence; rather, it speaks of unhealthy fear, probably related to what God has asked of Abraham. The emotion of fear often accompanies the words God gives His people. There is a natural tendency to internalize and take upon self the burden of accomplishment. Instead of looking to the God who gave the word of instruction as the source of accomplishment also, we often attempt to take the reins and accomplish it ourselves. This type of approach will always lead to fears and anxiety because we will realize, that in our own abilities, we are faced with an insurmountable task, wondering, how I will ever accomplish what God wants from me.
 
The reason that Abraham doesn't need to be fearful is that God is his shield. The shield in this case is known as a buckler. In other words, God is Abraham’s protection in the battle. You and I are in a war also Christian. We have already discussed this concept in detail, but true Christianity understands that there is an enemy of God, and God’s plan, he (Satan) is the accuser, the opposer, and his desire is to exalt himself above all that is God. This is what we are in war against.

But just as in Abraham’s case, God is our shield and our reward. Typically, this type of shield was a small one, in some cases, made out of crocodile hide. These shields were small because they were utilized in the midst of hand to hand combat.
 
God wants Abraham to know that there's no need for fear because God is his protection in the midst of battle. Furthermore, God is also his reward. This is descriptive of payment. With this said, God is the protection, sustenance (provision), and ultimately the reward, when we endeavor to accomplish, in God’s strength, what He has asked us to do.
 
What an honor! Abraham your reward is me (God), your payment for your work is me (God). The idea is a wage or payment. You want me in your life; concern yourself with what I'm concerned with. You want me in your life be about my business.
 
And Abraham's business was directly related to the birthing of Messiah, directly related to the plan of salvation. Stay faithful child of God. Stay faithful to God and His plan, and concern yourself with His business-- the adding of souls to the eternal family. If you do this, there will be a reward. The reward will be Him.
 
Genesis 15:2
And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
 
It's as though Abraham is saying, "I know you showed up in my life out of nowhere. When I was lost like everyone else, walking in darkness, and worshiping false gods, you-- a God that was alive, a God that wasn't made of clay or wood, formed or fashioned by the hands of men, but a God who's alive; You, revealed yourself to me. I heard your voice, and I know what you've asked of me, and now you're coming to me you're my protection and my reward, but the very thing I need from you, I haven't received. Your promise to me requires offspring, and I have none.
 
Genesis 15:3
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed:and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
 
And so Abraham, like so many believers, attempts to strategize or accomplish in his own strength the plan of God for his life.
 
His plan is to use his servant Eliezer as his heir. To be truthful, nearly all Christians face these types of trials in their everyday walks with God. We are so prone to get ahead of and out of God's will. Many times, in our personal lives, we make decisions about relationships without regards for God's will. We act like we are in God’s will. We say things like, "God wants me happy. He wants me to have a relationship that will make me happy."
 
No! God wants you to focus on Him. He wants you to want Him to be your fulfillment. Get that right Christian. Get that right and maybe you'll see your desires come to pass, but stop living a lie and acting like you’re in God's will when everything you're running after is moving you further away from God.
 
Abraham was trying to help God with his plan, but Abraham's job wasn't to bring the plan to pass through manipulation, logic, and maneuvering. No! Abraham's job was supposed to be believing God's word for the promise to come to pass.
 
Many times, this is where we go wrong. We are so consumed with what we call the promises of God that are directed towards our "felt needs," we put what God wants on the back burner. You go on and live your life that way. You go on and live a self- seeking life on this side, in this physical world, but don't be surprised when you get to eternity and your eternal reward is based on what you went after here don't be surprised, because that's what you wanted.
 
God said, "I'm your reward Abraham." Is that the reward you're looking for Christian-- that in the end you've gained God, you've gained His eternal presence?
 
Genesis 15:4
And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
 
God's promise was that the seed would come forth from Abraham. Already, in this process, Abraham is trying to compromise God’s word and figure out a way to make things happen another way. Ultimately, Abraham will go his own way, and in his flesh, produce offspring in his own strength. Abraham's choices produced a child of the flesh named Ishmael. The Ishmaelites were a wandering people who ultimately fell prey to the lying religion of Islam. We are still dealing with Abraham's decisions today. With this in mind, the current Christian should be made aware that fleshly attempts to produce God’s will, result in repercussions. You can try to cover them up all you want to, but God and you know the strife and chaos produced by those decisions. There is only one way to stop the fruit of those decisions: repent (turn) and seek God moving forward.
 
Genesis 15:5-6
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them:and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
 
You see the Lord's promises to Abraham were greater than his flesh could ever produce that's why God needed Abraham to believe Him at His word.
 
The stars of the skies speak of a multitude much greater than just the nation of Israel. Instead, God's promise to Abraham was that through him a nation would be brought forth, and that through that nation, Messiah would be brought forth, and through the followers of God, both offspring through Abraham's Israel and Messiah's church, the seed would be more numerous than the stars in the sky, the eternal family of God would be more numerous than the natural mind could perceive.
 
Even though Abraham would struggle moving forward, he believed God regarding the plan of salvation to the extent that he understood it. The result of Abraham's faith was that God called him righteous.
 
God wants to call you righteous. He wants to call me righteous. The question that must be asked is will we believe God regarding His plan for salvation? Or will we attempt, in our own strength and logic, to make it through?
 
Moving forward from this point I would like to show you how much of God's plan Abraham understood.
 
Galatians 3:8-9
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee (seed) shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
 
The word scripture is graphe, where we get our word graphic, meaning writings. This passage is speaking of the writings of God, so what is being said is that the writings of God are preaching the gospel. To be truthful, before the words of God were written, they were spoken, with God's intent that they would be written, even engraved, within this physical world for man to behold with his eyes.
 
The scripture of God is His communication to a lost and dying world. As we move closer to the end, there will be more movement away from believing the word of God as inspired, and more movement towards trusting science and the logic of man to fix the ills of humanity, but God says His writings preach the gospel.
 
The word gospel means "good news." We have already established the bad news in recent, prior classes. We discussed the fall of man and his separation from the presence of God.
 
 But the scriptures contain within them the word of hope from God, the hope that God has a plan, a plan which contains good news. The good news is that while man is separated because of his sin, God's plan will bring restoration again. God spoke the scriptures in advance, showing that the way to salvation would come through Abraham; the specific thought being justification, that legal declaration given by God, which speaks a verdict of righteousness over a man’s life because of faith exhibited in the promised one.
 
The justification spoken of specifically in this passage is for the heathen. Who is Paul talking about when he says heathen? The word is ethnos. Ethnos is where we get our word ethnicity, which categorizes people according to cultural groups. Interestingly, the two people groups being juxtaposed are the Jews, God’s people created in Abraham, a nation whose borders were delineated by God’s promises and their circumcision, long before those borders were ever delineated by geographical boundaries such as rivers, ridges, or ravines. With this in mind, God is delineating the heathen as that ethnos or people group who are not His, essentially, speaking of those pagan nations who neither believed in Him nor worshiped Him.

Abraham was called out of the world, and through him a nation called Israel was created. From that nation, the world was given Jesus, and through the name of Jesus, men are saved, made righteous-- justified: Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
 
God's promise to Abraham and the essence of the gospel is that through what God would bring forth from Abraham, the world would be blessed. When God spoke this word to Abraham, regarding His eternal plan, Abraham believed God (the action required for faith), his faith resulted in righteousness being placed into his (Abraham’s) account. Now, thousands of years later, when heathen or Jews for that matter, place their faith in the eternal plan of God, they are blessed along with faithful Abraham, because they also, receive the pronouncement of justified over their lives.
 
Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
 
So the promise given to Abraham regarding the blessing of the nations through his (Abraham's seed) was not the nation of Israel itself; rather, it was the seed brought forth from that nation, and that seed was Christ.
 
But how do we propose that 2000 years before Jesus was ever born Abraham would have been able to know about Jesus, in order to place his faith in Him for righteousness, resulting in justification?
 
Undoubtedly, we will have to look, but be assured, this is what God preached in advance to Abraham-- Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
 
John 8:56-59
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day:and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him:but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
 
There is so much in these verses to unpack, but we need to stay focused, so I will only briefly mention a sideline thought. Jesus tells the Pharisees two incredible concepts (1) Abraham saw the day of Jesus, and his vision resulted in jumping joy (2) Jesus says that He was before Abraham. More specifically, He says before Abraham was "I Am." Now, where have you heard that wording before? Jesus was referring to Himself as God here, specifically, as the voice from the burning bush. For anyone, specifically, a Jehovah's Witness who wouldn't believe that's what's being said, look at how the people He was talking to responded, they picked up stones to kill Him.
 
But our focus must remain centered upon Abraham's visualization of the day of Jesus, which is undoubtedly connected to God's promises to him and his son Isaac, which produced Israel and gave Messiah to a lost and dying world.
 
Genesis 22:2
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
 
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 
How beautiful is the plan of God? We see in God's command to Abraham thousands of years before Jesus the same terminology God would say about His own Son, "Take your son, your only son."
 
Genesis 22:6
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
 
And here we see a picture of the cross because the wood was laid upon the back of the son, just as the cross was laid upon the back of God’s only Son. 
 
Genesis 22:7-14
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father:and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood:but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham:and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him:for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram (a substitute sacrifice offered instead of Isaac) caught in a thicket by his horns:and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh:(the Lord our provider) as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
 

Grace is King through Christ: Crucified with Christ

Grace is King through Christ

Romans 5:1,2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
 
Last week we discussed the comparison and contrast between the words justified and righteousness.
 
δικαιοω = Justified
δικαιοσυνη = Righteousness
 
I discussed the corresponding Greek words to compare the closeness of the meanings of the words.
 
The difference between them lies in the fact that one represents a position or standing before God while the other represents God's declaration or proclamation of that position or standing. Therefore, righteousness represents a person's right standing in God's presence, we will discuss this more thoroughly in a moment, and justification represents God's declaration of that person's righteousness.
 
As we further investigated the concept of righteousness, we discovered that the word gift was used 5 times in Romans 5:15-17; ultimately, the gift that was spoken of was righteousness given by God unto man:...
 
Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
 
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;...
 
Another crucial point was also made through this passage. God's righteousness is Jesus, and man's righteousness…

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing,and all our righteousness is as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
 
Notice the Isaiah passage for righteousness; it is actually plural representing acts of righteousness. It's absolutely imperative that Christian's understand that God's declaration of righteousness over the believer's life is based upon the transaction that took place at the cross, where Jesus took our guilt, and we were clothed with His righteousness (Galatians 3:27).
 
Ultimately, true righteousness will produce true acts of righteousness, but the man or woman attempting right standing with God through their righteousness is actually seen as filthy in God's eyes.
 
Ultimately, through our faith, in His blood,…

Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him, we are declared righteous, which gives us access to grace, which empowers us to stand against evil through God's power (Romans 5:1,2).
 
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
 
Another concept we discussed regarding grace is the fact that there wasn't enough sin to exhaust God's grace. I qualify that in a moment, but first, I want to point out what I believe to be important.
 
The above scripture speaks about the fact that God's Law caused sin to increase. It should be understood that God's Law's represent boundaries that aren't to be transgressed, and when they are, sin is increased. In actuality, it could be said that sin's existence and the entirety of Satan's kingdom was built upon the transgression of God's Law:
 
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
 
This act of disobedience resulted in an atmospheric shift, where Satan became the prince of this world and man became enslaved to the bondage of sin; sin is a power "in the air," and Satan has power over his kingdom of death. There was quite some time; we aren't sure how long, where there was no Law of God (speaking of the 10 commandments and overall instruction to Israel).
 
However, as the passage says, "...the law entered, that the offence might abound..." In actuality, the Law gives power to sin, 1 Corinthians 15:56-- The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."
 
How does the Law give strength to sin?
 
The Law identifies the boundaries of God; however, man, especially in his fallen state, is incapable of keeping God's Law; therefore, boundaries are crossed, and sin is increased/ strengthened. But, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"
 
Ultimately, this process is meant to bring humanity to the place where they realize their righteousness is incapable of making them right, and only God's righteousness will work.
 
Depending upon how a Christian chooses to live his life, will determine which power will reign over him,…

Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
We ended by discussing the concept of personification- the ascribing of human like characteristics to inanimate objects. In this passage sin and grace are seen as monarchs or kings ruling (reigning) over the citizens of their kingdoms.

The Problem

Whenever we discuss God's Word, we typically refer to it as the Gospel. The word Gospel literally means good news however it is important for us to remember that while things started right between man and God in the garden that quickly changed.

Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

So with these 3 passages of scripture is revealed all the heartache that man has ever experienced. All the addiction...all the abuse sexual, physical and verbal...all the broken homes...all the anger and hate are the result of the fall of Adam. All this heartache and pain is the result of this choice, and a choice remains today...whom will you serve? From whose tree will you take and eat your fruit?

There are people who legitimately want to do right in life, but they cannot find the strength to overcome the sinful lives that they have always been connected to. There are people in this institution...maybe even in this class today who have tried to live for Jesus on the outside. You went to church, you prayed, you wanted to do right, but sin was more powerful than your will. And now you look back and ask, “Why? Why did I do that...whatever that is. Why could I not have just said no?"

It is important that we uncover the reason behind this mystery. For thousands of years, the Devil has been destroying human lives. For thousands of years, the Devil has been destroying Christian lives. If we do not unlock the truth from the scriptures on why this happens, then we could very well become one of his statistics.

We have to understand how sin works, but more importantly we have to understand how God deals with the sin problem. So let's take a look at the Romans 5:12 verse again. This time we will review it through the Young's Literal Translation:

Romans 5:12 because of this, even as through one man the sin did enter into the world, and through the sin the death; and thus to all men the death did pass through, for that all did sin;

There is a crucial point that must be made early on in the study of the book of Romans...especially Romans Ch. 6. The point I speak of is the concept of sin as a noun rather than a verb. In the previous verse, I highlighted two portions of the scripture because I wanted to make a couple of points:

  (1). "the sin" The use of "the" means something specific. In the Greek language, there is something called the definite article. In English, the definite article would be translated as "The". The Definite article is used with nouns and to describe specificity. In other words, in the Greek language the word sin right here and 16 more times starting in Romans 5:20 through all of chapter 6 is a noun in the Greek language, and it is speaking of the entity or power of sin, which came into the human race through the one man Adam. However, the source was ultimately  from "The Evil One".

  (2) for that all did sin(YLT); for that all have sinned:(KJV). I used both the YLT and the KJV here. But the point I wanted to make is that in this part of the passage, the word sin is being used as a verb rather than a noun.

For quite some time, we have been caught up in sin as a verb. In other words, we have focused on what people do in their lives wrong. Now, listen to me carefully our behavior as Christians is of great significance. Truthfully, the way we act is the fruit of our lives or what we are producing in our Christianity. However, I don't know about you, but there have been times that I have wanted to make the right decisions...even as a Christian, but have found what I wanted to do was not what I ended up doing. Instead, what I did not want to do is what I ended up doing (Romans 7:19). If you are thinking to yourself…man you are talking about me. Don’t be disheartened because the great Apostle Paul experienced the same thing that most Christians are struggling with today. The plan today is to dig into what God revealed to him through the Spirit about victory.

Once again, I do not want to be misunderstood here. The fruit we produce is a direct reflection on the God we serve. But if we want to produce the right fruit, we have to have the right root. Therefore, when we consider the idea of sin as a noun versus a verb, the idea could be that sin as a noun is the root...and sin as a verb is the fruit.

With that concept established let's re-consider the 3 verses we read in the beginning.

  (1) In the first verse, we are told that man was originally created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  And John tells us: 1 John 1:5...that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. So when man was originally created, he was without sin.

  (2) But then, through the fall, he took sin into himself (Genesis 3:6).

  (3) But it's even worse because all of humanity has come forth from the loins of Adam (Romans 5:12). In other words, besides Jesus, every human being that has walked upon the face of this earth was born of Adam. Furthermore, through this natural birth, we received an infected DNA...if you will. We were born the first time into sin. And through that birth and our association with Adam, we are born with a sinful nature...the noun of sin...the root of sin...the power of sin, which drives humanity to commit acts of sin.

Sin reigns as king

Romans 5:20-21 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The first part that I highlighted in this passage did is not the focus of the point I am trying to get across, but as I was writing the notes, I felt as though the Lord wanted me to explain this part of the passage. It says where sin abounded grace did much more abound. At first glance the idea could just simply be said that there is more grace than there is sin, but I studied behind a Greek scholar who explained that the idea was somewhat analogous to the sun and the earth.

The analogy flows this way. The sun generates its energy, which is cast towards the earth. However, the swath or area of energy produced by the sun is much greater than what the earth utilizes. As a matter of fact, the majority of the sun's energy moves past the earth and is lost in outer space. There is not enough earth to exhaust the energy of the sun. And God wants me to tell you today that there is not enough sin to exhaust the grace that Jesus purchased through the shedding of His precious blood. The Devil has spent all his time trying to convince you that you sinned too bad to be forgiven, but God says there is not enough sin, nor is there any particular sin bad enough to exhaust my grace. God wants you to know that if you are in Christ, you are forgiven!

Back to the study…what I wanted us to focus on from this passage is the comparison and contrast of sin and grace reigning in the life of people. We have already spent a large amount of time discussing sin as a noun vs. a verb. Now, we need to understand that sin as a noun is actually being personified in this verse.

Personification- A literary technique that ascribes human qualities or characteristics to inanimate things.

So sin is given life in this passage and is described as "reigning" through death.

Reign- in the Greek means: king: to exercise kingly authority: to reign.

So sin, in the life of the unbeliever, is ruling and reigning as a king upon the throne of the individual's heart. But "in Christ" there is a transformation that takes place, which frees the person from the power of the sinful nature. In reality, one could say that through faith in the covenant that God provided, there is a change of citizenship. Actually, Colossians says:

Colossians 1:13-14 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

In Christ, we have been translated into a new sphere, environment, or kingdom... a new neighborhood...if you will permit to explain it that way. In this new environment that we are to live, grace...not sin reigns as king. Instead, of the power of sin having dominion over a person's life and causing them to partake in an ungodly lifestyle, the power of God, through the dispensing of grace gives supernatural strength to the believer to walk in victory over the forces of evil. If you attempt, when you leave this place to live for God and combat evil through your will, you will fail. However, if you learn who the Bible says you are in Christ, and you learn how the power of God operates in the lives of Christians, you will live victorious over the forces of evil. You will be light in the midst of darkness. You will be a soldier for the Kingdom of God. Whereas, before you were used as a pawn of Satan to wreak havoc and destruction in the lives of others, you will now be used by the creator of the universe to proclaim the Gospel message.

Before we move forward to the next section, there is one more definition that we must familiarize ourselves with.

Grace- a divine influence on the heart and it's reflection in the life.

This definition has had an enormous impact on my walk with God. One morning, as I was studying the scriptures, I looked up the definition to grace in the Strong's Greek Concordance and this is what my eyes beheld. Previous to this morning, my only understanding of the word grace was that it was God's unmerited favor. Let me be clear: grace is also God's unmerited favor. In other words, a person cannot earn grace through any meritorious work on his own part rather grace has been purchased for humanity through the shedding of the precious blood of Jesus.

However, the definition of grace in the Greek carries with it the connotation of power. To be exact, it carries with it the connotation of supernatural power that performs an inside miracle. Grace changes the inside of man. An internal transformation takes place in the person that is “In Christ”. Look at the definition again...the influence is divine- that means it is from God. Secondly, the divine influence works on the heart of man...the supernatural work of God is changing the spirit and soul of the believer- the inner man. The heart, in this case, does not describe the muscle in our chest that pumps our blood. Instead, it is speaking of our spiritual person who is now connected to God through salvation. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of this very thing 500 years before Jesus ever came:

Ezekiel 36:25-27 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

The solution

So we have discussed the problem of sin rather extensively. We have established the fact that sin must be viewed as more than just a verb. In other words, there is a principle of sin or power behind sin that is the driving force from evil that compels humanity to sin against God. Sin has power behind it. And in the life of the believer, we must ask ourselves, “Why is this person, if he is a Christian, still in the grip of sin?" Now, I need to make sure we are on the same page here…I am not teaching sinless perfection. Jesus alone lived and died without spot or blemish. But what I am saying…and will not shrink back from is that living our Christian lives in chronic failure is not normal Christianity. Now, when we ask the question again, “Why are some believers still living in the grip of sin…living under chronic sin…unable to get out of the grip of its claws?”  To be truthful in some cases people are not truly saved. In other cases, the people love God; however, they ignore God's conviction about their lifestyles and their conscience becomes seared. However, most of the time believers simply do not understand how sin or victory works in God’s Kingdom- I say this from experience. But the plan today is to dig deep and reveal God's solution to the problem of sin.

Romans 6:1-2 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in [the] sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

The first part of the passage is referring back to what we previously spoke of regarding the fact that there is an over abundant supply of grace to deal with the amount of sin that exists.

Paul was often accused by his opposition [the circumcision/ Judaizers] of teaching that it was alright to sin because there was an overabundance of grace available to sinners. They were misinterpreting what Paul was saying. Therefore, Paul had a habit of addressing their confusion by asking and answering questions like this in the letter before the problem ever arose.

So the idea is not...shall we continue to commit acts of sin so that God's grace will be there to forgive us. Instead, the idea is...should we continue on in this relationship with the sinful nature...where we allow sin to rule, reign, and dominate our lives? It is almost as if you could imagine yourself on the couch hanging out with sin. You’re in a relationship with "him". Your surfing through the channels, and "he" tells you where to go...what to put your eyes upon...what to allow into your mind...what you should  allow to influence your actions, and you obey "him" because you are still residing in "his" kingdom. Now, you have to remember that Paul is asking this question to believers. And the answer he offers to the question is this: 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

I want you to understand that for the majority of the rest of this teaching, we will be discussing the process on how it is that a person is dead to sin. This is absolutely crucial to the believer's victory. Paul says that we are dead to [the] sin...so why would we continue to live in relationship with [the] sin? One answer to this mystery is that many times people (Christians) simply do not understand what it is that Paul is speaking of here.

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

The first aspect of this passage that I want to discuss has to do with what I just stated...many people just do not know. The word Know used by Paul here agnoeo in the Greek. This word, in the Greek language has a 2 part meaning:

  (1) Ignorant

  (2) Disinclination

From the ignorant perspective, Paul would be addressing the church at Rome in this way, “Did you not know...hasn't anyone taken the time to explain these truths to you...are you ignorant of how your relationship with the power of sin was severed? Or are you disinclined ? The idea of the word disinclined- describes a person who is lacking interest or unwilling to travel in a certain direction.

So the question that begs to be asked is, which one are you? If you are a Christian who has struggled in the past with an inability to walk in victory over the power of sin, is it because you did not understand how to walk in victory, or is it because you refuse to go God's way?

Usually, with the disinclined part, there is more information that must be added to the story before a person can determine whether or not they are disinclined to go the way Paul is explaining. In a moment, we will break down exactly what he is saying the path way to victory is.

 However, let me use myself as an example of a Christian who struggled for quite some time with the power of sin. At this time of my life, I was ignorant of how to walk properly with God even though I had been a Christian for 12 years. I had been taught for several years that the process of victory over sin had to do with my performance...or my doing of things. In other words, if I was struggling with lust in my mind or a desire to drink, then the answer to my problem was that I was not spending enough time in prayer or I was not going to enough church services per week. Let me be clear, I believe very strongly in the importance of prayer, church attendance, and the study of the Word. And all those disciplines should lead me to the right path. They should lead me to putting my faith in the right object for victory over the power of sin. But I must ask...is it how much Bible I read that makes me right in the eyes of God? Is it how much church I attend that makes me right in the eyes of God? Is it how much I pray that makes me right in the eyes of God? The answer is unequivocally- No!

My right standing in the presence of God has been given to me based upon faith. Now, the next question that must be answered is...faith in what? The book of Romans also teaches us a concept called Justification by faith. In Romans 4:1-5, Paul asks the question about how Abraham found himself in right standing with God. The result of that part of the letter and the example of David, which follows explains that in both cases righteousness or justification or a lack of guilt...however you prefer to view it was spoken over these men's lives in relation to their faith.

Unfortunately, we do not have time to teach this here today, but I will send you on a treasure hunt...look up the following passages in regards to Abraham>>Galatians 3:8, John 8:56>>Genesis 22. Consider the progression...God knew that He would justify [declare righteous] the Gentiles by faith. Therefore, He preached the Gospel in advance to Abraham. Not only did He preach it...but He gave Abraham an illustration. According to John 8:58, Jesus said that Abraham could see Jesus’ day. The result of his ability to spiritually see was that he "rejoiced" this word in the Greek describes a person that is full of excitement and emotion. When do you propose that Abraham would have seen this day...what do you suppose he would have seen?

Both answers, I believe, can be found in Genesis 22. Now, before you read this chapter, I want you to focus on two facts: (1) the lad carried wood on his back (2) he climbed Mt. Moriah as a willing sacrifice in obedience to his Father. With all that said you figure out what Jehovah Jireh provided for Abraham that day. Furthermore, you figure out what God was showing Abraham what He would provide for humanity in the future.

I said all that to explain my previous answer...when I said unequivocally-No! It is not what I do, no matter how holy it looks, that makes me right in the eyes of God. The Bible just taught us that in Romans 4. Instead, what makes me right in the eyes of God is the fact that I have placed my faith in what God provided as the answer for humanities' sin, and the result is that I have been justified [declared innocent by God]. The result is that I have been given access to grace, which enables us to live right before God:

Romans 5:1-2 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Ultimately, the answer to the question we will find in Romans 6 will also answer what the object of our faith was in this passage, which allowed us to be seen as justified or righteous in the eyes of God. And also gives us access to this power source of grace for victorious Christian living.

Romans 6:2-3 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3-- Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

So we are still working with verses 2 and 3 of Romans chapter 6. Paul has told us that it would not be normal Christianity to continue on in a relationship with the sinful nature. Up to this point maybe I have not referred to [the sin] as the sinful nature, but going forward this is how we should view it. The sinful nature is what we received from our father Adam in our association with him in his fallen state as human beings. So in our first birth, we received a sinful nature from Adam. And Paul wants to know why we would continue that relationship. Unless...we did not know better or we were disinclined.

What he wanted to know from the Church of Rome and what the Holy Spirit would ask us in this room today is this...do you know what happened to you when you were born again?

 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

First we have to start with the idea of the word baptism here. This word is not native to the English language. In other words, we created our word Baptism from the Greek word (Bapto) Baptw  or  (Baptizo)Baptizw. When we hear the word Baptism we automatically think of water. We think of water baptism because that is what our minds associate with this word. This is the only understanding we have of the word.

But in the Greek language where the word is derived, it does not always associate with water. As a matter of fact, the word water is nowhere to be found in the Greek text in this passage. Actually the Bible speaks of at least 3 different baptisms. Most Christians do not realize this, but here is the list:

   (1) Baptism into Christ. In this baptism, when the believer places his faith in Jesus' death on the cross as the payment for his guilt, he is baptized by the person of the Holy Spirit into the person of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:13) We are all baptized into Christ where we become part of His body.

   (2) Baptism into water. In this baptism, the pastor or John the Baptist baptized the believer into water, which beautifully represents this new birth we have received in Jesus, which took place through the first baptism into Christ. (Matt 3:11)

  (3) Baptism into the Spirit. John explained that in this baptism, Jesus is the baptizer (Matt 3:11). And He baptizes the believer...not into water...not into Himself, but He baptizes the believer into the person of the Holy Spirit. This is what The Pentecostals call the Baptism of the Holy Spirit...spoken of in Acts 1&2. It is a baptism of power for service.

But the baptism we are dealing with in this passage is the first baptism we mentioned…the baptism into Christ. The word itself describes immersion. In ancient Greek writings (this is relevant because this is how the word was used in the language the New Testament was written in) the word for baptism was used to describe: (1) an object being moved from one environment to another environment and through the process it's nature was changed. (2) dipping or immersion.

An example of the first occurrence was described like this: "he took the hot metal and Bapto  the metal into the water the result was that the hot metal was tempered." So we were baptized into Jesus Christ [we] were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:4-7 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness [we were associated w/Adam in our first birth we are associated with Jesus when we are born again] of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of [the]sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

So it is crucial that we understand what Paul is saying here. Paul is letting us know that in the mind of God, when we placed our faith in Christ, the "Old Man" we used to be...the alcoholic, drug dealer/ user, the adulterer,...died in Christ, was buried in Christ, and has been resurrected to a new life as a new man (Ephesians 4:22-24) in Christ.

...the body of [the]sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The meaning of the word serve here is to be a slave. Whether we knew it or not...whether we like it or not...before Jesus we were hopeless slaves to the sin nature. But hallelujah, through our association with Jesus on the cross, the old man we were has died and a new man has resurrected: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

So through this transformation that has taken place, we have been translated from darkness into light (Colossians 1:13), our relationship with the sinful nature is dead (Romans 6:1-6), and we have become partakers [to share or be an associate] of His divine nature (2Peter 1:4).

In this new environment that we live in, grace is king...not sin. Therefore, we are no longer under its control. However, whenever a Christian attempts to live for God through his will power, instead of God's grace, he is unsuccessful. Or when a Christian thinks that his right standing before God is built upon what he does rather than what Jesus did, he is living under law (Galatians 3:11) rather than grace, the result will be frustration rather than peace and liberty.

We are still under the subheading the solution. So far we have focused intently on what Jesus' part in all this. But it is important for us to understand that we do have a part. And our part is a very crucial cog in the "machinery" of victory. First, we must know the answer to victory. Remember what Paul asked the church in Rome...Romans 6:3 Know ye not,. If we do not know, we cannot properly believe. But once we know, we must not only believe, but we must reckon.

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reckon- (logizomai) probably where we get the word logarithm from. It is a mathematical term in the Greek. The idea is to do the math, take inventory, but ultimately, it means to think upon.

Your new life in Christ has to be ordered every day with this information of reckoning in your mind especially in the environments that we have to live within in modern society today. Everywhere we turn evil is present. The world, under the influence of Satan, is constantly bombarding humanity with lies. And there is power behind the forces of evil to sway people to go in the wrong direction. But the born again believer who knows who he is "In Christ" reckons himself dead to the power of sin every day and in every circumstance.

When pornography is presented to me my "hard drive" says, "Dead to sin and alive to God." When drugs or alcohol present themselves to me, my "hard drive" says, "Dead to sin and alive to God." When improper sexual encounters present themselves to me, my "hard drive" says, "Dead to sin and alive to God." What do you mean by your hard drive? I really do not know much about computers, but I do know that they have a default position to which they resort. The default position is built into the hard drive. As sinners, our default position only knew sin. Therefore, when circumstances arose that were uncomfortable, we responded according to our default, which is typically behavior we learned from our father. And he learned it from his father before him, but ultimately this sinful default I am describing can be traced back to Adam...and from there to Satan. But that was our "old man" we are not him anymore. And we have to re- order our lives around the truth of God's Word and reckon ourselves dead to the power of sin and alive unto God. This is our new default.

Now, I must tell you that it is a process...it is a journey towards this way of thinking because Satan is constantly trying to do CPR on our "old man" that has died in Christ.

 I am about to close with the last sub- point, but before I move forward, I have to make sure that you understand that this is to be the object of your faith [Jesus Christ and Him Crucified (1Cor.1:23)]. Why? Because the innocent [Jesus] died in place of the guilty [me & you]. When we keep our faith in the answer for our sin, we remain in right standing with God...not self- righteousness through our performance, but God's righteousness (Romans 3:21) through the performance of Jesus. When I am in right standing with God, I have access to grace (Romans 5:1-3) and as we have already learned, grace is a supernatural- inner power given by God that gives me the ability to accomplish His will in His strength rather than my own.

The Result

Romans 6:12-13 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

So we are back where we started. But now we have the answer how we can live life free from the tyranny of the king known as the sin. And the result is that we are living within the realm of a new Kingdom under the power of a new king...with a new purpose. ...13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Members= body parts

Instruments= weapons of warfare

When sin is king in a person's life they ultimately yield or give into sin. In this verse Paul says don't yield your members. Before we were born again, we yielded our members to the power of sin. In other words, we allowed our body parts to be used as weapons of warfare for the forces of evil. We allowed our feet to bring us places we should not have gone. We allowed our hands to take hold of things they should not have touched. We allowed our eyes to look upon things they should not have seen... Furthermore, the whole time, our actions were also causing negative and sometimes disastrous effects in the lives of other people around us. So whether we like it or not, we were being used as soldiers for sin.

But we are new creations now. We are no longer under the power and dominion of sin. And the Apostle Paul has exhorted the Christians in Rome and we also...present your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. God wants to use us as soldiers in His kingdom. He wants us to be light to a darkened world. He wants us to be witnesses to the truth. He wants us to leave a wake of righteousness behind us as we travel this journey of life bringing Jesus with us everywhere we go.

Holy Spirit Part 5: The Great Harvest of God

Acts 2:16-21 “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
 
We studied this passage out of Acts last week. As the disciples were being obedient to Jesus by tarrying (waiting) in Jerusalem, they received the promise of the Father, which was the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and they began speaking in other tongues.
 
One very important point that was emphasized last time was that the purpose of the power received from the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49) was to be witnesses for God's kingdom.
 
I find it extremely interesting that in the first Holy Spirit filled message Peter not only preaches Jesus, His sacrifice, and His resurrection, but he also refers to Joel’s prophecy about the end days when God's wrath will be poured out upon unrepentant man. In between the time frame of this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, taking place, during the festival of Pentecost (50 days after Passover) and the outpouring of judgment Peter referred to from Joel's prophecy, is the time frame in which we are currently living known as the "Church Age."
 
As we move forward, we will see that there is rich symbolism contained within the Old Testament and specifically the feast of Pentecost surrounding the great harvest of God.
 
In order to properly understand the points I will attempt to make, the reader should be aware that the church age, for the purposes of this teaching, represents the great harvest of God, which is broken down into two parts: the day of Pentecost would represent the beginning of the harvest time (first fruits); whereas, the end of the harvest (the ingathering), or the end of the ages is where God will reap His harvest from the earth, separating the wheat from the chaff (Matt 3:12), is rapidly approaching.

In addition, there is the concept of Israel’s seasons, which were paramount for their harvest. I will mention this again, but Israel’s former rain occurred in the beginning of the harvest season, preparing the soil for the reception of seed, and the latter rain occurred towards the end of the season, allowing the harvest to become more full and plentiful. Whereas, the feasts I spoke of previously specifically represent the harvest itself from the beginning to the end-- the church age, the rains represent the descending of God’s Spirit: both the former rain (Pentecost) and possibly the latter rain (Azusa Street). I believe these events are God pouring out His Spirit upon the earth for the purpose of preparing and producing His harvest.
 
Exodus 34:18 “The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.”
 
The feast of unleavened bread coincided with the feast of Passover. In essence, they were one and the same. The Passover feast was a specific meal celebrated upon a specific day, which began the week long feast of unleavened bread.
 
Regarding the Passover, as we have discussed multiple times, it was a sacrifice that God required of Israel as a memorial every year (Exodus 12:14). The purpose of the remembrance was to keep on the forefront of Israel's mind the salvation and deliverance God provided for them when He brought them out of Egyptian slavery.
 
The killing of the Passover and remembrance of the painting of its blood served as an annual reminder that God's wrath was assuaged and moved away from the obedient Israelite and placed upon the slain lamb. It was their faith obedience in the slain lamb that made them different than the Egyptians around them who incurred the judgment and wrath of God upon their firstborn the night of the first Passover.
 
Amazingly, this festival was kept every year as God demanded and then one Passover night, 1500 years later, outside a city called Jerusalem, a man named Jesus, who John the Baptist had previously said was, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," was betrayed, arrested and crucified. And approximately 30 years after that Paul would say, "Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:" 1 Corinthians 5:7
 
The reference to the "leaven" in the Corinthian passage brings me to my next point. The Feast of unleavened bread was all about inspection of the house and removal of sin. As noted in the verse above, Paul says that we are to remove all leaven from our lives. Leaven is the same as yeast, and it’s repeatedly used to represent sin in the Bible.
 
Yearly, during the feast of unleavened bread, the Israelites were commanded by God to inspect and remove leaven (sin) from their environment and only allowed to eat unleavened bread during the week of this feast.
 
Within these first two required feasts, some main ideas are emphasized: (1) God has brought deliverance for His people, and this was accomplished through the shedding of innocent blood (2) Sin is something that God takes seriously. He demands its removal from our lives and "diets."
 
Ultimately, Jesus is the fulfillment of these truths. As already pointed out Paul explained that Jesus was our Passover; therefore, we should purge out the old leaven. Instead, of eating the bread of sin-- what the world offers, we are to eat the bread of life-- what God offered.
 
Exodus 34:22 “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks {Pentecost}, of the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.”
 
These are the other two feasts that God required the men of Israel to observe in their worship of Him.
 
The Feast of Weeks was another name for Pentecost. It began 50 (Pente) days after Passover. This feast celebrated the beginning of the harvest season.
 
It was on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, approximately a week after He ascended to the Father that the Spirit of God descended upon the disciples and the church was born.
 
It's imperative that we realize all the typology occurring here. The reader can think all this is accidental if he chooses, or he/ she can believe that the God they serve is powerful enough to establish these feasts thousands of years beforehand, demanding His people observe them yearly to keep them ever before the mind, so that when the time of their true fulfillment arrived, the people of God, established through faith in His plan, would be able to see the intricacy and detail He planned salvation with, so that the more they were willing to search the treasures of His Word, the more they would realize how real all this is.
 
So the Feast of Weeks/ Pentecost was the first fruits of the harvest. And the Feast of Ingathering was a feast to celebrate the conclusion of the harvest season. I want to make myself clear, "I’m seeing within these passages: Passover is the cross, Pentecost is the birth of the church and beginning of the church age, and the Feast of Ingathering is the end of the age, the end of the great "harvest" of God.
 
As should be obvious by now, "harvest" is the pervasive theme of this teaching. Another concept extremely important to Israel's harvest was the former and the latter rains. There is no reason to wait for a big reveal; the point tonight is to help the disciple see the importance of the Holy Spirit's work in the great harvest of God.
 
Just as the rain descended from the heavens preparing the soil for the reception of seed (former rain), and at the end of the season, the rains would descend from heaven in order to "fatten" or enrich the harvest, the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost, preparing the soul of the church age to receive the seed of God's Word.
 
Furthermore, it's this writer's contention and many others before him that the Azusa Street Revival, taking place in Los Angeles, California, at the turn of the 20th century, was the latter rain of God "fattening" the harvest, preparing it for its reaping.
 
In some of the following passages, the emphasis is upon the former and latter rains of Israel in the Old Testament. Israel was completely dependent upon these rains in order for their crops to be successful. Unlike the world (Egypt), who could readily plan their seed and harvest times based upon the regularity of the Nile's inundation, Israel was dependent upon God to send the rain.
 
As we will see in many of the following passages, the context surrounds harvest, the rains, and judgment because God's people weren't concerning themselves with God's desires. Therefore, because, God's people, called by His name, didn't concern themselves about the spiritual, He withheld what they needed in the physical.
 
In a similar fashion, many Christians cry out to God to move in their physical circumstances; yet, they, and their preachers alike refuse to concern themselves with the pressing issue at hand-- GOD's HARVEST!!
 
Hosea 6:1-3 (790-739 BC) “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.  Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
 
At this point in Israel's history, there is still hope. In other words, captivity can still be averted. God is pleading with His people through the prophets to come to their senses, repent, and serve Him. If they do, the promise is that His presence will descend upon them just as the former and latter rains descend upon their physical land.
 
Jeremiah 5:20-24(582 BC) “Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it:and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
 
During this time-frame, Israel the, Northern Kingdom had remained disobedient and were brought under the captivity of Assyria and Judah is about to be brought under the bondage of Babylon.
 
God speaking through the prophet Jeremiah is reminding the people of His power, and His awareness of their disobedience. Just as He has the power to tell the waves where they must stop, He also has the power to with hold the former and latter rains, which were of absolute necessity for a successful harvest.
 
Joel 2:23-26
Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God:
for he hath given you the former rain moderately,
and he will cause to come down for you the rain,
the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
 And the floors shall be full of wheat,
and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,
the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm,
my great army which I sent among you.
 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
that hath dealt wondrously with you:
and my people shall never be ashamed.... Joel 2:28-32
And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
your young men shall see visions:
 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids
in those days will I pour out my spirit.
 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth,
blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance,
as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
 
God promises in the first part of this passage to supply Israel with what they need in order for them to physically prosper. He would send the former and latter rains in order to bless them abundantly; furthermore, He promises to restore unto them what has been devoured because of their disobedience. The reference of this passage speaks of His promise to restore the aftermath of Israel's disobedience when they return to His ways.
 
The truth is that the kingdom of God has always worked this way. When His people rebel against Him, their physical lives are oftentimes directly affected. While many may say, "I've known people that rebelled and made more money during those times than ever before." Ok, but what about their emotional and mental state? I can assure you that when people move in a direction opposite of God's will for their lives there will be repercussions whether it be financial, mental, social, emotional...
 
Sadly, in these modern days, where man promises to have the answers fixing problems originating from the fall,  "Christians" scurry to and fro looking to man to fix the ordeal they have brought upon themselves as though the Psychiatrist, the friend with a bottle of pain pills or Xanax, or the loan officer is going to be able to stop the spiritual landslide that's occurring.
 
Actually, it’s an inaccurate statement on my part to draw the reader's attention only to modern times; instead, we should be made aware that since the fall, man has corporately pulled together in opposition against God, building a society without Him, which focuses on the niceties of a better physical life while ignoring the spiritual reality of death and decay around them.
 
As life gets "easier," it becomes more difficult for some to recognize that something is wrong and that the answer is, "God must be embraced." On the other hand, some are beginning to see through the façade, that while technology abounds, the stability of the human race continues its spiraling descent towards moral depravity-- man's intellect and ingenuity cannot resolve the spiritual issue at hand. More specifically, with regards to this thought, from Cain's descendants, through Nimrod at Babel, man is seen both defying God and attempting to make his life better for himself through ingenuity.
 
Jubal, a descendant of Cain is one of many pre-flood examples of what I'm talking about. According to the Bible's testimony, he was the first to produce musical instruments, so from the people of the world, Cain's descendants, rather than Seth's, music was given to the world. By now, Christians should know Lucifer was created with music in him (Isaiah 14:11). Therefore, we should expect he would have his claws within the music of the world. Most people would say, "But I don't listen to bad stuff. I only listen to stuff that reminds me of happier times, stuff that makes me feel better." And here is a perfect example: music, which affects the soul (mind, will, and emotions) offers an alternative to ease discomfort.
 
Some would say, "Come on man give me a break. I'm not smoking dope or taking pain pills, and you have a problem with my harmless music?" You do what you want with your own life, but I will tell you this, "If you're subconsciously turning on the music of the world for a "pick me up," (it has been proven by the way that music changes the levels of serotonins and dopamine in the brain, which are the neurotransmitters that regulate mood [low levels-- depression, high levels-- elevated mood]) then you aren't turning on worship music, spending time in God's presence and learning how to cast your cares on Him:
 
1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
 
John 4:34-38 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour:other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”
 
This whole chapter is an awesome lesson, but the point I want to make here is a little more obscure within the text. In this story of the Samaritan woman, the whole reason that Jesus was left alone with her was because His disciples had gone looking for food because they had been on a day’s journey and was hungry.
 
After their long search and Jesus' long conversation with the woman, they are completely focused on the here and now; they're focused on eating physical food; whereas, Jesus' focus is on accomplishing His Father's will.
 
Furthermore, when He speaks about the few months until the harvest and mentions the fact that the harvest is white and ready, the disciples undoubtedly are looking at the flowing grain as it moves back and forth from the blowing wind; however, the eyes of the Lord are focused on the return of the Samaritan woman and the town's people following her because they represent lost souls.
 
The point to the whole teaching tonight was to emphasize the Holy Spirit's role to make the believer aware of the urgency regarding God's harvest. Furthermore, if we will focus on God's desires, He promises to take care of our needs.
 
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”