Yearly Archives: 2015

John 1:3-5 – Christ the Creator

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

 

Summary:

While science believes that “The Big Bang” created our universe, the Bible says “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen.1:1), and in John 1:3, we learn Christ was the specific member of the Trinity that created!

While mainly a New Testament revelation, this fact was hinted at in Isaiah 40, a passage that describes John the Baptist (1-8), followed by a description of the Lord as the Good Shepherd (9-11), who is also then described as the Creator (v.12). Further proof that the Lord was the Creator of all is seen in Psalm 102:24-26, a Creation account that is ascribed to “God” (v.24), but a passage that is quoted in Hebrews 1, where the writer identifies the Creator as Christ (v.10-12). Hebrews 1:2 further affirms that God created all things “by His Son.”

“In Him was life” (John 1:4), speaking of Christ after He came to earth, and referring to eternal life. While we too have eternal life in us, we just have it, while the Lord could give it (ICor.15:45). Don’t forget the context speaks of how the Lord created plants, animals and people, breathing physical life into man (Gen.2:7), and in the same way, the Lord gives eternal life to all men who will believe on Him.

But what does it mean when John says that the life that was in the Lord “was the light of men” (John 1:4)? Well, in John 8:12, the Lord said that “he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” But what kind of light does eternal life give, and what kind of darkness were you in before you got it? Well, in John 12:35 the Lord said, “he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth,” and if you don’t have eternal life, you don’t know where you are going after you die.

What’s the solution? In John 12:46, the Lord said, “whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” If you are not saved, you are in darkness, but you don’t have to abide there! Trust Christ as your Savior right now.

John goes on in our text to say that “the light shineth in

Darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:5). Since some in Israel comprehended Him, we know this is referring to the nation as a whole (cf. v.11). But why didn’t they comprehend His life-giving light? Surely be-cause He was not the kind of Savior they were looking for!

When we think of a Savior, we think of Someone who saved us from our sins, but this is not what Israel thought of. Psalm 106:21 says that God was “their Savior, which had done great things in Egypt.” Verses 7,8 further explain that when God parted the Red Sea for them, “He saved them.” Thus when they thought of God as their Savior, they thought of a physical salvation (cf. Ex.14:13). Even when Israel thought of a man whom God would send to save them, they thought of someone who would save them “out of the hand of their enemies” (Neh.9:26,27).

So when the angels announced the birth of “a Saviour” (Lu. 2:11), they naturally thought of the kind of “salvation” (Luke 1:70) wherein they would be “saved from our enemies” (v.71-74). Now do you see why the darkness of Israel didn’t comprehend or understand His light?

Didn’t the Lord want to save them from their enemies? Yes, but He knew that in order to do so, He would have to first save them from their sins. That’s why He preached “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt.4:17), just as John had (3:2). And so all Israel came to John “confessing their sins” (Mt.3:5,6). How would this help? Leviticus 26:38-42 stated that they could be saved from their enemies by confessing their sins and getting forgiveness (I Kings 8:33,34).

How was Israel to know all this? By knowing all the Scriptures that pertained to their program. They seemed only familiar with the prophecies that said Christ would save them from their “oppressors” (Isa.19:20). If you are think-ing no one could possibly know all this, Zechariah knew that the way God would save Israel physically was “by the remission of their sins” (Luke 1:77). Like Zechariah, may we determine to know all of the Scripture in Paul’s epistles that pertain to our salvation and program!

John 1:1-2 – John’s Genealogy of Jesus

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

 

Summary:

While Luke traces the Lord’s human genealogy back to Adam (Luke 3:38), John traces the Lord’s divine genealogy back to “the beginning” (John 1:1). John is purposely recalling the words of Genesis 1:1 here to let us know that the Lord’s origins go back to eternity past. He is “Alpha and Omega” (Rev.1:8; 1:11; 21:6; 22:13), the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In other words, He was there in the beginning, and He’ll be there in the end!

But why does John call Him “the Word”? Well, the Lord has many names in Scripture, and all are needed to express who He is. But “the Word” reminds us that He is the expression of who the Father is, for just as our words express who we are, so Christ expresses who the Father is.

But He does more than express who the Father is. Just as He is the Word of God, He is also “the word of life” (IJohn 1:1), and so expresses what eternal life is. Eternal life is more than living forever, it is holiness, it is serving God, and living for others. The Lord expressed all of those things during His life here on earth, and so was called “the word of life.” Notice that John then follows this statement by saying that he and his fellow witnesses of Christ “shew unto you that eternal life” (1:2), i.e., they too showed what eternal life should be in their holiness, their service for God and how they lived for others. We should too!

The Lord is also called “the Word” in I John 5:7, where we learn He is “one” with the Father and the Spirit. Satan has cast a doubt on the canonicity of this verse, but the truth of the trinity is substantiated in many other verses. After Adam sinned, God said, “the man has become as one of us” (Gen.1:22). At the tower of Babel, God said, “Let us go down, and there confound their language” (Gen.11:6). The seraphim cry “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord” (Isa.6:3). Isaiah then “heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (6:8). Finally, each member of the Trinity is said to have raised Christ from the dead (Acts 4:10; Rom.8:11; John 10:18), and this could only be true if the three are one! The reason Satan challenges I John 5:7 is because he does not want men to believe God is a trinity, for man was made a trinity in His image (Gen.1:26). If he can get men to doubt that God is a trinity, then maybe man is not a trinity. That would mean that when man dies, his soul and spirit do not live on to be judged—and Satan would love for men to believe that!

John declared that they had “seen” and “heard” and “handled” the Word (IJohn1:1); in other words, they knew the Word after the flesh. But our apostle Paul says that “though we have known Christ after the flesh” in the four gospel records of His life, “yet now henceforth know we Him no more” after the flesh (IICor.5:16). If you are thinking it is not as good to know Him this way, think again! Every time the apostles asked the living Word the same question, He gave the same answer, and every time we ask the Word of God the same question, we get the same answer! You could even argue that what we have is better, since they probably wouldn’t dare wake the Lord at 3 a.m. to ask Him a question, but I have learned many things from God’s Word at 3 a.m.!

Next John establishes that the Lord was a separate person from the Father when he declares “the Word was with God” (John 1:1). Some say God created man because He was lonely, but God enjoyed His own fellowship in eternity past, and created man for His own “pleasure” (Rev.4:11).

After establishing that the Lord was “with God” and so separate and distinct from God, John then goes on to insist on His oneness with God when he declares that “the Word was God” (John1:1; cf. 10:30). Once Thomas beheld his resurrected Lord’s wounds, he gasped, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). He was the great Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), which being interpreted means “God with us” (Mt.1:23). How else could Isaiah say that “a child is born” (Isaiah 9:6), and then say that “His name shall be called… The mighty God, the everlasting Father”?

Further proof of the Good Shepherd’s deity is seen in Isaiah 40, where it says of Christ that “the Lord God will come” (v.10) and “feed His flock like a shepherd” (v.11).

Rescued!

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

I am sure we have all stood breathless as we have watched rescue efforts being undertaken by daring men.  One of the more memorable rescues of late has been that of little Jessica McClure from a well shaft in Texas.  Jessica had accidentally fallen into an abandoned well shaft and was trapped for two and one-half days without food or water.  With her fragile life hanging in the balance, rescue workers labored tirelessly around the clock to free that precious little soul from danger.  The heroic efforts of those men and women will be remembered for many years to come.  After all, they saved a life.

Another rescue effort that is above all others and deserves our special attention is when God rescued us from the depths of iniquity.  Ever since the Fall all of us have staggered under the terrible penalty of sin; sin, that would have sunk a world to the blackness of hell forever.  But, while we were under the sentence of condemnation God undertook the greatest rescue effort this world has ever known.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

“In whom we have redemption through His blood…” (Eph. 1:7).

It is important to notice Paul’s emphasis here on the person of Christ as he uses phrases such as “In Whom” and “His blood.”  Why did God send His only begotten Son to redeem us?  Why didn’t He call on someone from the human race?  You see, one from the human race could never save us because sin has condemned the entire race.  The testimony of Scripture is true, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  I could not possibly die for your sins, because I have sins of my own that placed me under the sentence of death.  I could not redeem you nor could you redeem me, because we are all in the same boat and it is sinking from the weight of our iniquity.

Understanding that the “wages of sin is death,” we conclude that death had absolutely no claims on Christ.  But who is this hanging on the Cross writhing in the agony of pain?  Why, it is the form of one dying, whose visage is marred beyond recognition—dying for us!  To our amazement, it is God’s only begotten Son!  But this cannot be.  He knew no sin; death cannot claim this Holy One of God!  True, except for the fact that He was not dying for His own sins, but rather, for our transgressions.  Our sins were transferred to Christ and the wrath of God fell upon His Son who voluntarily died our death.

So then, we have redemption through Christ’s shed blood.  Spiritually speaking, His precious blood cleanses us from the disease of sin that plagues us.  Christ was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

HOW TO BE SAVED

Have you submitted yourself to God’s wonderful rescue operation?  Dear sinner friend, won’t you come to Calvary?  It was there that God reconciled the world to Himself.  In His infinite love He provided a plan of salvation based on the precious shed blood of His Son.  Please bear in mind that, “you must come to Christ in God’s way!”  He will not accept your good works, church membership, baptism or confirmation.  If these things could save us, then Christ died in vain.  It was because these things were not acceptable in themselves that God sent His Son to earth to die for the sins of the world.

Lay hold of the Savior, for only He can rescue you from eternal condemnation and bring you safely to the shores of eternal life.  Simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for your sins, was buried and rose again the third day (I Cor. 15:1-4).

Do you have questions about your salvation?  Contact us using our Ask A Question page and we would love to share with you more about what God’s Word has to say.

This article is also available as a tract from our bookstore.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Berean Searchlight – September 2015

Posted on by kevin
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Berean Searchlight – August 2015

Posted on by kevin
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For a free subscription to the Berean Searchlight by mail, visit the Berean Searchlight Subscription page.

Subscribe to the Berean Searchlight Monthly Email to receive an email announcement when each issue of the Searchlight is posted online.

Will We Judge Angels?

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“Will we judge fallen or unfallen angels (I Cor. 6:3), and how will we judge them? I understand that Christ is the judge.”

The reason Paul reminded the Corinthians that we will judge angels was to suggest that they should be able to settle disputes among believers (vv. 1-8). This implies that the angels we will judge are likewise unfallen. It is doubtful we’d be involved in judging fallen angels, or any beings, to eternal damnation.

The word judge has different meanings. Courtroom judges decide guilt or innocence and determine levels of punishment, while Olympic judges judge the performance of athletes and award them different degrees of reward. The Bible uses the word judge these ways, but in another way as well. The entire Book of Judges is all about the men who ruled over Israel. This is what the Lord meant when He told the twelve they would “sit upon twelve thrones, judging the tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28). We know that judge here also means to rule over since the Jews they will rule over will in turn rule “over” the cities of the world in the kingdom (Luke 19:17,19).

Psalm 82:1 said of God that “He judgeth among the gods,” i.e., the angels. While God will eventually condemn fallen angels to hell (Matt. 25:41), I Kings 22 shows how He judged among the angels in time past (vv. 19-22), and suggests how we will judge them in the ages to come.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

You Can’t Judge a Woman by Her Cover

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head…” (I Cor. 11:5).

If you haven’t seen this in person, you’ve seen it in books or magazines or on television. Based on our text, women of certain religious persuasions wear a distinctive head covering whenever they are out in public, and not just when praying in church. Since the words of our text were penned by our apostle Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; 15:16), we are often asked if our grace churches should insist that women cover their heads in like manner. Since we believe the answer is no, we need to give a careful look at what the Word of God has to say about this sensitive subject, especially since Paul begins this passage by saying, “Be ye followers of me” (v. 1).

To begin with, when Paul says that a woman with an uncovered head “dishonoureth her head,” this is a reference to her husband. You see, Paul had just finished reminding the women in the Corinthian church that “the head of the woman is the man” (v. 3). When a woman in Corinth went to church without a head covering, she dishonored her head, i.e., her husband. But why would that be?

Well, the word cover in Scripture often has the idea of protection. Moses once said of Benjamin:

“The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long” (Deut. 33:12). (The word cover also has the idea of protection in Psalm 91:4 and Psalm 105:39.)

The word cover is still used to indicate protection in our own day. When a soldier says, “Cover me,” to his fellow, he is asking him to protect him while he attempts to advance on the enemy. In the case of a woman in Paul’s day, a woman’s head covering was a symbol of the protection provided for her by a husband. In essence, her head covering was a sign that she was married. (Today this significance has been lost, and single women wear such coverings as well.) For a married woman to go to church without this symbol dishonored her husband, for it meant that she refused to acknowledge the headship of her husband. It would be like a woman today refusing to wear a wedding ring.

So why do our grace churches not insist that our grace women cover their heads? We believe this is a cultural issue, and cultural things like this often change over time. In our day, women use different symbols to indicate that they are married. They still take their husband’s name, a tradition that dates back to when God blessed Adam and Eve, “and called their name Adam” (Gen. 5:2). But now, instead of covering their heads, women wear wedding rings to signify that they are married, a symbol that is recognized and understood in most, if not all, cultures around the world.

But what right do we have to ignore the plain words of our text and adopt this cultural change? Shouldn’t God’s people resist worldly trends and insist upon the plain teachings of His Word? Generally speaking, yes. But let’s consider yet another area where time has introduced yet another cultural change that is almost universally accepted by God’s people. Five times in the Bible we are told to “greet one another with an holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16; I Cor. 16:20; II Cor. 13:12; I Thes. 5:26; I Pet. 5:14), yet this is seldom if ever practiced in our grace churches. While believers in France or Italy or some of those other kissin’ countries might still observe this custom, this cultural symbol of love for one another has long since been replaced here in the United States by the warm handshake, and in more recent years, by the hug.

But what right did God’s people have to make this change, especially since it was our apostle Paul who issued four of the five commands to greet one another with a kiss? Well, we believe we can point to yet another area where God allows for cultural differences and changes among His people. It lies in the area of church government.

If you have ever studied the Scriptures looking for instructions as to how to set up the government of a local church, you know that God is very nonspecific in this area, and we believe that this was a purposeful omission on His part. You see, when God’s people were found only in the nation of Israel, He was very specific about how they were to be governed (Deut. 1:13-17). This was because they were one people, with one culture, located in one geographic area of the world. On the other hand, God knew that the Body of Christ would eventually be located throughout the world, encompassing many peoples and cultures. (The word Gentile is a translation of the Greek word ethnos, from which we get our word ethnic. God knew that the Body of Christ would eventually encompass ethnic groups all around the world.) For this reason, He left the description of local church government purposely open-ended, to allow for cultural differences within the Body of Christ.

For instance, here in corporate America, all of our corporations are governed by a board of directors, in accord with our government’s requirements for incorporation. Because most of our churches are incorporated with the state as non-profit organizations, most of our grace churches are governed by a board of directors. This arrangement has been criticized by some, but we see it as yet another example of how God allows culture to factor into how we live our lives as His children.

To return to the matter at hand, when cultural symbols change, we must change along with them, or else fail to convey the message we wish to convey. In the 1940’s, to extend two fingers in the air was a symbol that was commonly recognized as a “V” for victory sign. Ever since the 1960’s, however, this symbol has come to stand for peace. If we refuse to recognize this cultural change, we will not be conveying the message we think we are conveying when we extend our two fingers hoping to convey the idea of victory. In the same way, if a woman today were to cover her head but refuse to wear a wedding ring, she would not be effectively conveying the message that God wants her to convey, i.e., that she is married and under the headship of her husband.

Having said all this, if you live in an area where the women wear head coverings in church, you might want to cover your head when visiting their churches, out of respect for their custom. While Paul made it clear that in such matters “we have no such custom” as believers, “neither the churches of God” (I Cor. 11:16), he advised the women in Corinth to show respect for the local culture in which they found themselves (I Cor. 11:6-13), and we should be quick to do the same. Don’t forget, our text here in I Corinthians 11 comes close on the heels of Paul’s exhortation to be deferential to the personal convictions of others (I Cor. 8:13; 9:20-23; 10:33).

It has often been said that “you can’t judge a book by its cover,” but people often do, and so we regularly update the covers of our books here at Berean Bible Society in an ongoing effort to “adorn the doctrine of God” found within the pages of our literature (cf. Titus 2:10). In this article, we have attempted to show that you can’t judge a woman by her cover either, or lack thereof, and that’s why we gave that title to this article. But if you live in an area where people do judge you as a woman by your cover, you might want to adopt the attitude that the Apostle Paul expressed when he said:

“…I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (I Cor. 9:22).

Your respect for the convictions of others just might be the thing that helps you lead a soul to Christ, or welcome a believer into “the fellowship of the Mystery” (Eph. 3:9).

You can receive More Minutes With the Bible every week in your email inbox. This list features longer articles, including both original content and articles that have appeared in the Berean Searchlight.

Should Believers Be Called “Christians”?

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

“‘And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch’ (Acts 11:26). The Apostle Paul addresses believers as saints, brethren, and the faithful in Christ Jesus, but never Christians. Should not believers today be more properly called ‘grace believers’ instead of Christians as so many denominations do?”

The term “Christian” is a title that was originally given to us by the world. Notice, the believers were “called Christians first in Antioch.” These believers spoke so frequently and affectionately of Christ that the world coined the term Christians. Of course, they meant it in a derogatory sense. The citizens of Antioch were famous for their witty quips; they were the punsters of their day. Since this expression has a Latin origin, it was probably the Romans among them who first assigned this name to believers.

Be that as it may, we have no major objection to believers being called Christians, based on Acts 11:26; 26:28, and I Peter 4:16. Today, however, the word is so sweeping that it includes both believers and religious unbelievers. While a true believer is a Christian, one who calls himself a Christian may not necessarily be saved. With that said, we prefer the terminology “believer,” “saved,” “brethren,” “saints,” or “faithful in Christ Jesus.” We would also include the designation “grace believers,” the sense of which is drawn from Paul’s letters, but it should be remembered that not all believers are “grace” as we understand the usage.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

A Guilty Conscience

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

Four of our grandchildren have a large high-spirited dog named Molly. Molly is like most dogs; she loves to eat and romp with the kids. But she also likes to roam the neighborhood, crashing through the neighbor’s flowerbeds and vegetable gardens. Needless to say, a dog her size could do a lot of damage in short order. To correct the problem, Kevin and Jessica purchased an electronic collar. They merely set the transmitter in the house to all the boundaries of the yard. When Molly approaches one of the borders, her collar begins to beep, and then the unit gives her a mild shock when she gets too close to the perimeter. It didn’t take Molly long to realize that, when she hears a beeping sound, she knows to stop before she gets zapped.

Along these same lines, God has put an invisible beeper, a conscience, inside every human being, which warns us when we’re about to do something wrong. At his second appearance before the Diet of Worms, Martin Luther stated about his stand, “To go against conscience is neither right nor safe.”

“For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses” (Rom. 5:13,14).

The term impute in this passage is an accounting term; it simply means “to put to one’s account.” While men sinned during the period between Adam and Moses, they were not held accountable for those sins because God had not yet given the commandments that prohibited them. This does not mean that they were any less guilty of sin or any less deserving of eternal judgment. It is important to remember that, during this period, men were living under the dispensation of conscience; therefore, they were without excuse. This is what Paul means in Romans 2:

“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom. 2:14,15).

Conscience means “to know” or “with knowledge.” Under that dispensation, conscience was to govern mankind. It required men to do all known good, and abstain from all known evil.

After Adam and Eve had sinned, “they knew that they were naked” and consequently, they sewed figs leaves together to cover themselves (Gen. 3:7). In other words, their consciences were activated to know the difference between good and evil, and right and wrong. They knew they had sinned against God and felt guilty as a result of it.

Cain knew that God required a blood sacrifice, but he did evil in the sight of the Lord and brought an offering from the fruit of the ground. He sinned and had to deal with the guilt of his decision (Gen. 4:5). God would not receive Cain’s offering because it came from the earth, which had been cursed. Abel, on the other hand, responded to God in faith and brought what God required of him.

God is teaching us that, even though there was no Law between Adam and Moses, we are to understand that conscience was their guide, for they were “a law unto themselves.” As a result, they were without excuse. You see, God is demonstrating that, no matter what dispensation He has placed man under—Conscience, Law, Grace—all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

With this in mind, Paul adds, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses.” Even though the Law of Moses hadn’t been implemented at that time, death still reigned supreme in that, eventually the people died. But that raises this question: if the sins of men were not charged to their account, why did death still have mastery over them? Simple: they had sinned in Adam, which is true of the entire human race. Since we are Adam’s posterity, we are all born in him. He is our federal head. What was true of him is true of us as well.

God, in His infinite knowledge, sees what we are unable to see. When Adam reached for that forbidden fruit, we were in him; consequently, we are identified with his sin. Another example of this principle is found in Hebrews 7:9,10. So then, the trio of death— physical, spiritual and the possibility of eternal death—reigned because we have all sinned in Adam. This also explains how a newborn, who has never committed one sinful act, sometimes dies due to complications. They sinned in Adam! Personally, I believe God has made a very special provision for these little ones (II Sam. 12:22,23).

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound” (Rom. 5:20). The Law magnified sin! It shined a spotlight on it to show man how exceedingly sinful he really is. When the Law says, “Thou shalt not steal,” man’s natural response is to question the law rebelliously and disobey it. When you tell a toddler that he is not allowed to open the basement door and then move out of their range of sight, he will put his hand on the door knob and look to see if you’re watching. You see, it shows us that there is a natural tendency to do wrong. God magnified that a hundredfold when He gave the Law. Once again, it was to demonstrate that all are sinners in word, thought, and deed.

From the beginning, conscience has been woven through all the ages and dispensations. It is what’s known as a trans-dispensational truth. But we find it interesting that there is very little emphasis placed on conscience under the Mosaic system, which shouldn’t surprise us (Heb. 9:9). The commandments served as the conscience of the people of God in time past: “Thou shalt not…,” “This do and thou shalt live…,” “If you hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes….” There was a law or statute to govern every step of their lives.

When we turn to the Gentile epistles, Paul makes frequent references to the conscience under grace. Today we have liberty in Christ, but we are never to use that liberty for an occasion to the flesh, whether it’s to entertain impure thoughts or commit an immoral act. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust. The Law demands; grace beseeches! As God implores us to walk worthy of our calling, He uses His Word, the Spirit, and our consciences as an early warning system, to assist us in living a life that is well pleasing to Him. Remember and remember well: it’s a dangerous thing to disobey your conscience.

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Did the Lord Declare All Foods Clean in Mark 7:19?

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“Did the Lord declare all foods to be clean in Mark 7:19, as it says in the NIV? I thought He came to obey and fulfill the Law, not change or negate it?”

“…whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats” (Mark 7:18,19).

At the end of Verse 19, the NIV adds in parenthesis, “(In saying this, Jesus declared all foods ‘clean.’)” These words, which in NIV format appear to be part of the Bible text and not an editorial note, are not in any Greek text. The Lord was not setting aside the Law; He was speaking of the body’s natural ability to purge food of impurities.

As we compare Scripture with Scripture, we know that if the Lord had spoken these added words, then Peter would not have spoken these words years later:

“I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean” (Acts 10:14).

If the Lord had pronounced unclean foods clean in Mark 7, Peter would have started eating them at that time, but his words here clearly indicate that such was not the case. The dietary laws of Leviticus 11 were not set aside until the ministry of the Apostle Paul (Rom. 6:14; I Tim. 4:4,5). God used Peter’s sheet vision to introduce this change, and teach Peter and his fellow Hebrews that Gentiles were no longer to be considered unclean (Acts 10:28) by teaching them that unclean foods were no longer unclean.

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