Paul’s Desire and Prayer

Posted on September 2, 2003 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

In the little town of Olney, England stands a large granite tombstone. If you were to kneel down in front of this stately stone you would read the following inscription:

“John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and Libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.” (101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace, page 28, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Michigan.)

The story of John Newton’s conversion is quite remarkable. As a young man he lived a life of utter debauchery and rebellion against God and his fellowman. During these years his mother prayed for him without ceasing and frequently shared the gospel with him. At a very young age he took over his father’s slave trading business, transporting slaves between South Africa and England.

He recounts how on one of the return voyages to England a storm came up at sea in the middle of the night. Apparently, that old ship was nearly torn apart by the raging ocean, causing the vessel to take on water. As the waves violently swept over the bow of the ship it appeared as though there was little hope of surviving the ordeal. In the midst of the storm, Newton retired to his cabin, sure that he would perish at sea that fateful night. God has interesting ways of getting our attention! When we are faced with our own mortality we quickly turn to spiritual things.

As Newton pondered his spiritual condition, he reached into his belongings and took out a little book entitled, “The Imitation of Christ,” by Thomas a Kempis, that his mother had given to him shortly before her death. That evening he read the entire book from cover to cover and as a result he trusted Christ as his personal Savior. Soon thereafter he began to preach the faith he had long sought to destroy. Literally thousands came to hear this old sea captain share how Christ had saved him from the depths of sin. In addition to becoming an advocate for the abolition of slavery, John Newton is probably best known as the author of the beloved hymn Amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

It is truly amazing what the grace of God can do in a life. Like the Apostle Paul, John Newton had a burden for lost souls. They both had a longing desire that their countrymen might be saved.

PAUL’S HEART’S DESIRE

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (Rom. 10:1).

As we know, Romans 9, 10, and 11 are the dispensational chapters of the Book of Romans. In chapter 9 we have Israel’s past—here we see Paul’s passion for the elect nation. The present state of Israel is the subject of chapter 10—here we learn of her unbelief. Finally in chapter 11 we have what is in store for future Israel—here the apostle answers the question “Hath God cast away His people… which He foreknew?”

The foregoing passage is only one of two passages where we are told to pray for the unsaved. All other references to prayer in Paul’s epistles concern the believer. Pastor Win Johnson and I were discussing this passage one evening and I asked him why the lion’s share of passages on prayer had to do with those who are saved. He felt it was because the believer is in a warfare. We are engaged in a great spiritual conflict with an enemy who’s seeking to destroy our Christian homes and marriages. Satan often turns one believer against another, desiring to sow discord among the brethren. Beloved, the person sitting next to you is not the enemy. Even though they may have wounded you deeply, for the sake of the cause of Christ you are to forgive them as Christ forgave you. We should pray for one another without ceasing. After all, we are members of His Body, members one of another.

But we should also pray for the unsaved. Paul’s heart’s desire and prayer for his countrymen was that they might be saved. I would venture to say that before your conversion to Christ someone was praying for the salvation of your soul. In my life, it was a godly Great Aunt who prayed for me for nearly twenty years. The day I told her that I came to Christ she said that she was always confident that the Lord would save me. Then she added: “Now I am going to pray that the Lord will use you in a wonderful way to the praise of His glory.” Brethren, not only should we pray for the unbeliever, we should also share the gospel with him. This was Paul’s practice as the following passages confirm.

Romans 9, 10, and 11 deal primarily with Israel nationally and the Gentile nations in relation to her. However, we must remember that the apostle is dealing with the present state of Israel in chapter 10. Therefore, seeing that the chosen nation has already been set aside in unbelief, Paul addresses individual Israelites.

“I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall [that is, beyond recovery]? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy” (Rom. 11:11).

The stoning of Stephen was Israel’s Waterloo! This event marked the fall of Israel, as far as God was concerned. But why was this particular event so critical historically? It served as the culmination of years of rebellion and rejection within the chosen nation. Humanly speaking, the casting away of Israel was a gradual process that took place over a thirty-year period. By the time Paul penned the words of Romans chapter 10, not only had Israel fallen nationally, the diminishing of the nation was also drawing to a close. So the final curtain call for the wayward nation had already been made.

With the introduction of a new dispensation, God graciously extends the offer of salvation to individual Israelites. Interestingly, Paul begins with the nation in Romans chapter 10 by using plural pronouns “they” and “them,” but he shifts to singular pronouns later in the chapter as he addresses individual Israelites.

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God” (Rom. 10:1,2).

“The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:8,9).

ISRAEL DID IT HER WAY

“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:2,3).

Israel had a burning desire to serve the true and living God. She was on fire for the things of the Lord. The only problem was her zeal was not according to knowledge. There was a sense that Paul could relate to his countrymen, having had the same desire prior to his conversion. After setting forth an impressive list of credentials in Philippians 3, the apostle states: “Concerning zeal, persecuting the Church.” As Paul attempted to make himself acceptable to God through good deeds, he thought within himself that by persecuting the Church, and laying it waste, he was doing God a favor (John 16:2,3).

Israel had the same attitude. As noted, her zeal was not according to knowledge. The term “knowledge” in this passage is the Greek word epignosis. It has the idea of having a fuller knowledge or a more perfect understanding. Paul was the first to use this term, and he uses it often, for this reason: he had received a special revelation from the Lord of glory, therefore, he had a fuller knowledge of God’s will. For example, with the abolition of the sacrificial system, “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Today there is the new and living way—Christ!

Sadly Israel, nationally, was ignorant of God’s righteousness. She failed to understand how righteous God truly is. He’s perfect in all things and those who step into His presence must be perfect. But Pastor, “Nobody’s perfect!” That’s the problem—you must be perfect to live in God’s presence. Simply by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ the sinner is taken out of Adam and placed into Christ. In Him alone is redemption; He is the righteousness of God (I Cor. 1:30).

But Israel went about seeking to establish her own righteousness by trying to keep the law. To illustrate what the apostle means here, we are indebted to our Lord for the following parable.

“And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14).

This high and mighty Pharisee, a conservative religious leader at that time, thought he was right with God since he had meticulously kept the letter of the law. He fasted religiously and gave tithes dutifully as the law demanded. He boasted before God that he was grateful he wasn’t like other men who were ungodly sinners. He was especially thankful he wasn’t like the publican who was also at the temple offering up a prayer to God. Publicans were the offscouring of the earth. They would be akin to our street people today.

Nevertheless, the publican humbled himself before God, praying that the Lord would be merciful to him being a sinner. Interestingly the term “merciful” here looks back to the Old Testament Mercy Seat where the blood was sprinkled for the atonement of sin. You see, the publican had responded to God in faith, praying that God would have mercy on him, as He did upon the nation when He looked upon the blood on the Mercy Seat. Under the old economy faith always obeyed the law, which served as an outward expression of a proper response to God.

The majority within the chosen nation were like the Pharisee who sought to obtain a righteous standing with God through the works of the law. This is what the apostle had in mind when he says that they were going about seeking to establish their own righteousness. They failed to understand that the intent of the law was not to save them; rather, it was to give them a knowledge of sin so they could, like the publican, throw themselves upon the mercy of God and bring a sacrifice by faith.

“But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law” (Rom. 9:31,32).

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

“[They] have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:3,4).

We believe Christ is the end of the law in two senses. First and foremost, the law was merely a schoolmaster, whose goal was to bring those under it to Christ that they might be justified by faith. When Christ carried out His earthly ministry the goal of the law was accomplished, so Israel is no longer under the schoolmaster. Second, Christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. He perfectly fulfilled every stipulation of the law in spirit and act; therefore, He also terminated it (Gal. 3:24,25 cf. Col. 2:14). Christ, then, is the righteousness of God!

“For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them” (Rom. 10:5).

Was the law of God righteous? Indeed! The problem, you see, was not with the law, it was with sinful man who was unable to keep it perfectly. If a man breaks one of the laws of God he is a lawbreaker. This is the very point that James makes: “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). The law was powerless to impart life; it pointed its bony finger in the face of the accused and essentially pronounced a sentence of condemnation. The eminent Greek scholar, Kenneth Wuest, made the following insightful poetic verse regarding the law:

Do this and live the law commands, but gives me neither feet nor hands,
A better word the gospel brings, it bids me fly and gives me wings.

“But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead)” (Rom. 10:6,7).

In verses 5 through 8 Paul contrasts the “way of the law” with “the way of faith.” Since Moses was so revered in Israel, the apostle quotes the great Lawgiver, but recasts his words under the direction of the Holy Spirit. To properly understand Paul’s argument it will first be necessary to consider Moses’ original statement:

“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?” (Deut. 30:11-13).

As Moses neared the end of his life, the children of Israel were painfully aware that he would only be with them a short time. They knew Moses had spoken directly to God on their behalf, but who would minister to them after the Deliverer was gone? Moses instructs them accordingly: Don’t say, who will ascend into heaven and bring us the revelation of God, or who will cross the sea to bring us a teacher? The will of God for you is found in the Books of the Law; you need to look no farther. It is within your reach—in your mouth and in your heart.

Paul refashions the words of Moses to reveal that salvation by grace through faith was now available to individual Israelites through Christ. There is no need for someone to ascend into heaven, for that is to bring Christ down. This would crucify the Son of Man afresh. God forbid! He already came and offered Himself as a once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of the world. Neither was there a need to inquire, “Who shall descend into the deep? (that is to bring up Christ again from the dead).” Christ had already conquered sin and death and risen victoriously over it. The work was finished!

“The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Rom. 10:8). Note Paul says, “The word of faith, which we preach.” What did the apostle preach in order for a lost soul to be saved? Simply this, Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, all three of which are implied in the foregoing passages. Essentially, Paul said to his countrymen that salvation is near, even in their mouth as they read the Word, and in their heart if they believed it. Christ has abolished the performance system; simply place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

CONFESSION AND BELIEF

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9,10).

This passage has been a stumbling block for many dear saints. First, Paul is not speaking about public confession before men as a prerequisite to be saved. If this were the case salvation would be associated with a work. The apostle uses the mouth and heart here in the spiritual sense. We should add that both confession and belief are in harmony with one another. In fact, they are two sides of the same coin. The context substantiates Paul is referring to our innermost being. He says in verse 6: “Say not in thine heart,” that is, say not to yourself who will ascend into heaven, etc. In like manner when we heard the gospel we said to ourselves in our heart of hearts, I believe!

Paul calls upon his countrymen to confess or acknowledge that the Lord Jesus died for their sins and rose again. The apostle lays special emphasis upon the resurrection, because while many of his readers were well aware Christ had been crucified, they may not have been aware that He had conquered death and rose again the third day. Salvation is in a person, and that person is the Lord Jesus Christ. Once the vertical relationship is established with the Savior by faith, it will eventually touch all of our horizontal relationships that we have with one another. Thus “according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (II Cor. 4:13).

“For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:11-13).

Those who trust Christ will never be ashamed or defeated. We are saved from the wrath to come, not only in the coming tribulation period, but also from the judgment to come. Thankfully, in Christ we are beyond the reach of God’s wrath.

We also learn here that there is no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles today who call upon the Lord. This was unheard of under the former dispensation of the law. Once again, this is epignosis or that fuller knowledge of God’s will Paul spoke of earlier. Before the foundation of the world God had foreordained the Church of this age, which is uniquely a Pauline truth. Consequently, in the administration of Grace there is one Body which is made up of Jews and Gentiles without distinction.

Even though the apostle quotes from the Old Testament when he states, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” this passage must be interpreted in light of Paul’s revelation. In time past, whosoever called upon the Lord was saved through Israel. Today, whosoever believes is saved in spite of Israel since she has been temporarily cast aside in unbelief (Isa. 49:6 cf. Rom. 11:11,15,25).

Have you called upon the Lord to be saved? If not, we beg you to do so without delay. You are dangling over the lake of fire by one thin thread of human existence. Soon the fires of God’s wrath will consume you and the weight of your sins will plunge you into eternal darkness forever and ever. Flee from the wrath to come. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore your sins upon the Cross, and thou shalt be saved!

In the Eye of the Storm

Posted on August 2, 2003 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

DAY BY DAY

“Day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here; trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure, gives unto each day what He deems best—lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest.

“Help me then in every tribulation, so to trust Thy promises, O Lord, that I lose not faith’s sweet consolation, offered me within Thy holy Word. Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, e’er to take, as from a father’s hand, one by one, the days, the moments fleeting, till I reach [my heavenly home].”

Most of our great hymns of the faith were borne out of adversity. Like the gentle mourning dove that coos, they convey a message in song that streams forth from a broken heart that has found consolation in our Heavenly Father. The hymn, Day by Day, written by Lina Sandell, is a classic example. When Lina was a little girl she recalled how she rarely spent time with other children her age. Rather, she enjoyed sitting in her father’s study talking about the things of the Lord. Her father was the well-known and beloved pastor of a parish located in Froderyd, Sweden.

As the flames of revival swept across Scandinavia, Lina, now 26, accompanied her father on a speaking engagement at Gothenburg. For some unknown reason, the ship upon which they were traveling lurched to one side, tragically throwing her father overboard. He drowned before her very eyes. You may want to read her words again in light of her loss. The Apostle Paul would have suffered the same fate, but for the providence of God. Such times have a way of showing us our true character.

PAUL THE TRAVELER

“And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.” —Acts 27:1

The Lord had commissioned Paul to go far hence unto the Gentiles, but Paul’s heart’s desire was that Israel might be saved. It seems that he never forgave himself for persecuting the church and laying it waste. He thought within himself if he could simply return again to Jerusalem he could reach his countrymen for Christ. But the Lord had forewarned him that they would not receive his testimony concerning Him. Nevertheless, the apostle disobeyed the will of the Lord believing he could reach them for Christ if given another opportunity (Acts 21:4-14; 22:18-21 cf. Rom. 10:1).

Since God never imposes His will upon ours, He allowed Paul to return to Jerusalem, but it was with catastrophic results. God interrupted the ill-advised plan of James and Paul’s cooperation in it. We believe, had not the Lord intervened, the apostle would have lost his life at the hands of his countrymen (Acts 21:17-36). The lesson here is clear: disobedience has consequences!

Here’s a contemporary example to illustrate our point. The Scriptures are clear that the believer is not to be unequally yoked with the unbeliever, whether in business partnerships or marriage (II Cor. 6:14,15). But it is not uncommon to see an attractive young Christian girl engaged to a young man who looks and smells like he just fell off the turnip truck. In addition to being unsaved, he wouldn’t know what responsibility was if it were staring him in the face, having never worked a day in his life. You begin to wonder what this girl is thinking! But there is rhyme and reason behind her thought process, though misguided.

You see, the woman instinctively wants to nurture, so she firmly believes that she will be able to mold this young fellow into a well-groomed, responsible, church-going man who will eventually trust Christ. But there is one major problem: she will have to disobey God’s will to accomplish her purpose, a decision she is sure to regret. Nine times out of ten this type of marriage relationship ends in heartache and divorce.

While some tend to place Paul on a pedestal, he was not beyond stepping out of the will of God. He was a man of like passions as we—he, too, had feet of clay! Consequently, this one act of disobedience cost him dearly. He was imprisoned for two years as a result. These were lost years for the most part, years he could have more effectively ministered among the Gentiles. But thankfully God uses us in spite of our shortcomings and failures. Shortly after Paul was imprisoned, the Lord appeared to the apostle so he wouldn’t languish in despair.

“And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11).

“Be of good cheer.” Imperative mood: the Lord commands Paul to be courageous and confident, for the hand of God was still upon his ministry. Although the apostle had testified of the Lord under the auspices of the permissive will of God at Jerusalem, it remained the directive will of God for him to continue his ministry among the Gentiles. Hence, “so must thou bear witness also at Rome,” at Rome’s expense mind you. There are times that God uses the unbeliever to accomplish His purpose, as demonstrated here. Interestingly, Paul is never said to be a prisoner of Rome, but rather a prisoner of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:1). The Lord makes Paul His prisoner at this point in time and sends him to Rome, a Gentile city far from Jerusalem.

Having been bound over for trial at Rome, Paul is placed on a ship in the custody of a Roman centurion named Julius. There is good reason to believe that they may have known one another prior to the voyage. One thing we know for sure, Julius did not believe the apostle was a flight risk, since he allowed Paul the liberty to visit with the brethren at various stops along the journey.

As the voyage progressed they first experienced contrary winds, then an unsettling calm as they sailed under Crete. Thankful to have arrived at Fair Havens, the Captain and crew made arrangements to sail to the northwest side of the island to Phenice, which is a haven of Crete, where they planned to winter. But it was already late fall, when sailing on the Mediterranean could be hazardous. Thus, Paul, who was a seasoned traveler, stepped forward to advise against such a plan.

“Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading [cargo] and ship, but also of our lives” (Acts 27:10).

Of course the Captain and the owner probably surmised that Paul was merely a prisoner who was in no rush to get to his own execution. More importantly, there was wine, women and song at the next stop, commodities the world craves. But the apostle was speaking from experience, not selfishness. He had already suffered three shipwrecks and spent a night and a day in the sea; therefore, he was well aware of the grave dangers (II Cor. 11:25).

Here we see something of the character of Paul, which can be very helpful in our Christian experience. What was true of him should be true of us as well. This is what he means when he says to the Corinthians, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (I Cor. 11:1). You see, Paul is more than merely the pattern of the longsuffering of God in salvation, he is also God’s pattern of how to walk well pleasing unto the Lord.

THE CHARACTER OF PAUL

The apostle became the central figure on the voyage from this point forward. Paul was a man of conviction who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Morally, he had no trouble, as some do today, distinguishing between right and wrong in both spiritual and physical matters. When he stood before the Sanhedrin and was falsely accused of sedition and insurrection, he responded: “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). In other words, he did what was right! He knew the charges against him had no merit whatsoever.

A young pastor approached a senior minister of the gospel with a serious concern. He shared with his elder friend how some of the brethren were spreading malicious lies about him. The venerable old pastor asked, “Son is any of it true?” “No sir! Not a word of it.” “Then don’t worry about it! Their sin will find them out soon enough. The important thing is that you have a clear conscience about the matter.”

Looking over the circumstances he now found himself in, Paul perceived it would be wrong to set sail and continue the journey, not merely because of the time of the year; he also sensed they had an ulterior motive. The Captain and crew wanted to continue the voyage to the next Port of Call so they could winter there in sin. In both of the foregoing cases, the apostle stood his ground in the face of opposition. We, too, must always stand up for what is right, whether it is wrongdoing in the local assembly, or in defense of Paul’s apostleship and message. The key word here is conviction.

As you read the record, once Julius agreed with the Captain to resume the journey, Paul didn’t press the matter. This is an indication that the apostle was a man of extraordinary tact. Webster’s defines “tact” accordingly: “a keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense.” Those who demand to be heard and refuse to leave an issue rest only serve to erode their credibility in the eyes of others. Oftentimes it is merely a matter of pride to have their way.

It has been said, “Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” For “a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city” (Prov. 18:19). Thus, Paul was careful never to be offensive for the sake of offense. It was his desire to keep the lines of communication open with those he engaged. This earned the apostle a level of respect and gave him a hearing on weightier issues, even though the response may not have always been favorable. When these principles are violated it only serves to alienate the hearer.

We’ve all encountered those who have had such a bad experience with the gospel that they won’t even give you the time of day when you endeavor to share it with them. The lesson here is this, we should faithfully share the gospel, but we should never attempt to badger someone into believing it, although some have done their level best to do so. Once we have put the unbeliever into a defensive posture he will be less receptive the next time someone has an opportunity to share Christ with him.

Another area in which we must be cautious is not to be overbearing when sharing Paul’s gospel. Don’t be like the car salesman who takes your keys and won’t return them until you agree to purchase a new car. Personally, I never return to these types of dealerships. It is incumbent upon us to speak the truth in love. Simply give the brethren a clear, concise presentation of the Word, rightly divided, without insulting their understanding of the Scriptures.

I usually share two passages that appear to contradict one another in the Scriptures, which they have probably wondered about themselves. If I sense they are sincerely interested, I give them some literature that they can read in the privacy of their own home without feeling threatened or intimidated. The key word here is tact.

As we continue the narrative, just when the crew thought they had accomplished their purpose, a storm loomed on the horizon. Not just any tempest mind you, but one that strikes fear into the heart of any sailor, a northeaster! This type of a storm produces gale force winds that can easily capsize a ship.

“And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive….And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away” (Acts 27:15,20).

If you study the record carefully it is obvious that this was an impressive ship capable of carrying 276 souls, cargo, and tackling. Be that as it may, that old ship was up one side of the waves and down the other as the crew encountered the perfect storm. It was all they could do to pull the skiff to safety when the ship started to take on water. They used “helps” to literally tie the vessel together to keep it seaworthy. With the waves sweeping over the bow and the helps unable to keep the water out, it became necessary to lighten the ship, which was accomplished by throwing the cargo overboard, followed by the tackling. When the sun and stars failed to appear for days, the crew lost their bearings and along with it any hope of surviving the ordeal.

“But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship” (Acts 27:21,22).

As all on board faced what appeared to be the inevitable, Paul stepped forward. The man who walks with God is never affected by circumstances; he rests in the sovereignty of God, that He is working all things out after the counsel of His own will. In this case the Lord intervened to reassure Paul that he would appear before Caesar and all those with him would be spared.

Even though the apostle shared this news with the crew, some on board decided to take things into their own hands and abandon the ship. They attempted to lower the skiff into the sea under the guise that they were lowering the anchors. Here the apostle exercised sound judgment. Rather than alert the other crew members which might well have resulted in a riot, Paul informed the centurion and the soldiers as to the intention of these seamen. He knew soldiers were men of action. Time was of the essence! Once Paul informed Julius that they could not be saved if these men abandoned ship, the soldiers responded immediately and cut the ropes. This shows us that Julius held the word of Paul in high esteem, especially after his warning came true. It would not surprise us to see Julius in glory some day.

Paul also demonstrated good judgment by encouraging the men to eat after fasting fourteen days. Even the hardiest of men would be weak after such an ordeal. He knew they were going to need every ounce of strength they could muster to swim to shore, if need be. Therefore, after he gave thanks to God, he took some bread and broke it and ate in the presence of them all. This scene has been called “The meal in the storm.”

In times of crisis, it is the spiritually-minded man who maintains his composure, as we see here with Paul. The storm may rage around him, some may even abandon him, but his confidence is in the Lord, who is a present help in time of need. Like Paul, we, too, must be objective in the Lord’s service. Unfortunately we’ve all endured those times in the local church when the tension was so intense you could cut it with a knife. But while others may lose their composure, and say things they will probably regret later, let us be of the number who honor and glorify the Lord in our actions and manner of speech. The key words here are sound judgment.

Had those in authority initially heeded the counsel of Paul they would have avoided the perils of the sea, which can be unforgiving. The same is true today, spiritually speaking. Sadly, the reason the faith of some has suffered shipwreck is due to their rejection of Paul’s apostleship and message.

The Believer’s Inner Conflict

Posted on June 2, 2003 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

The Lord has given me a number of opportunities to preach the gospel at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. As you look out over that sea of faces, one cannot help but see the depths of sin. But, thankfully, “where sin abounded grace did much more abound.”

Consider for a moment a river that is overflowing its banks due to a torrential downpour. Its destructive force sweeps away everything in its path. This is a picture of sin in the world; it destroys lives. However, when a dam is scheduled to release enough water to flood a valley and form a man-made lake, these waters consume the river and the valley leaving a peaceful, serene setting. This is a picture of the grace of God super-abounding over sin!

The foregoing passage prompted Paul to pose the following question to the saints at Rome, some of whom were apparently living in sin: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:1,2). The apostle adds in verse 6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Although Reformed Theology and Dispensationalism have been ardent defenders of the “dual natures” within the believer, there are a growing number in both of these camps that teach the old man is eradicated upon our conversion to Christ. Therefore, they believe the child of God only possesses the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. This position has come to be known as one-naturism. The following statement of John MacArthur, the voice of the Grace to Youradio ministry, is representative of those who hold this viewpoint: “I believe it is a serious misunderstanding to think of the believer as having both an old and new nature. Believers do not have dual personalities…there is no such thing as an old nature in the believer.” (John MacArthur, Freedom from Sin—Romans 6-7, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, Pages 31,32.)

On this premise, the Holiness Movement teaches sinless perfection, but advocates of one-naturism concede that the believer can and still does sin, although in a diminishing capacity as he yields to the Spirit. Even though the old man is eradicated, they claim the remnants of original sin are still present in the believer. We might liken it to a man who fires a shotgun at a rotten apple—all that’s left are pieces embedded in the wall. They call this embedded behavior, the flesh.

While it is not our desire to enter into a dialogue over one-naturism, we do want our readers to understand that this position stands in opposition to one of the fundamentals of the faith. Our declaration of faith in the Grace Movement states: “By reason of Christ’s victory over sin and His indwelling Spirit, all of the saved may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin by obedience to Romans 6:11; but we deny that man’s nature of sin is ever eradicated during this life” (Rom. 6:6-14; Gal. 5:16-25; Rom. 8:37; II Cor. 2:14; 10:2-5).

The Scriptures clearly teach that the believer has two natures. Our primary concern with the teaching of one-naturism is that some will be led to believe they could come to the place in their Christian life where they no longer sin. This, of course, is beyond the realm of possibility in this corruptible body.

SANCTIFICATION

In our study of the Scriptures, it is very important to distinguish between positional and practical truth, which sometimes is referred to as standing and state. A failure to do so will lead to erroneous conclusions. Positional truth is a truth that’s viewed from God’s vantage point. On the other hand, practical truth has to do with the believer’s conduct in relation to that truth.

For example, we learn in Ephesians that God has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). Positionally, as far as God is concerned, you are presently seated with Christ in heavenly places. Practically speaking, you are probably sitting at home in your easy chair reading these lines. You see, you are to appropriate this truth by faith, which will facilitate setting your affections on things above and not on things on the earth.

With this in mind, there are three tenses to our salvation in Christ:

Justification: Past tense—saved from the penalty of sin.

Sanctification: Present tense—saved from the power of sin.

Glorification: Future tense—saved from the presence of sin.

The present tense of salvation, sanctification, has the idea to be set apart unto God. The family of words associated with this Greek word is: saints, holy, holiness, sanctify, sanctuary, etc. Here we must be careful to distinguish between positional and practical sanctification. These are two distinct lines of teaching in Paul’s epistles.

“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (I Cor. 1:30).

Notice it is “in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us…sanctification.” This is a once-for-all act of God that takes place at the moment of our conversion. Therefore, we are the saints of God, holy, perfect, and complete in Christ (Eph. 1:4; I Thes. 5:23; Col. 2:10). Nothing in this life or the next can ever change our standing before God. The moment death sweeps us into the eternal presence of God we will appear before Him perfect because we are in Christ.

The present state of things, however, is a much different story. Our behavior as the saints of God is not always becoming of Christ. We are imperfect and incomplete on this side of glory. This is why the apostle admonishes the Corinthians and those at Thessalonica accordingly:

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor” (I Thes. 4:3,4).

In the Old Testament, God never made a provision for presumptuous sins in the daily sacrificial system. There was only a provision made for sins of ignorance (Num. 15:27-31). The reason for this was clear: as far as God was concerned His chosen people, a holy nation, would never willingly sin against Him. But the fact of the matter is, they sinned again and again presumptuously against the Holy One of Israel, which thankfully was covered by the annual Day of Atonement.

We might say it this way today: surely a saint of God, who is set apart unto Him, would never willingly sin against the Lord. Sadly, he can and often does as the above passage demonstrates. You see, the believer is to appropriate by faith what he already possesses in Christ that he might not sin against God. This is how we have power over sin in our lives.

THE INNER CONFLICT

The mechanics of our identification with Christ are more fully developed for us in Romans Chapter 6:

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom. 6:6).

The “old man” is that which we have inherited from Adam at conception. Although some object to the usage of “old nature,” since it is not specifically used in Paul’s revelation, these two designations are one in the same. For example, a dog has a nature, which is the inherent character of the animal. The two are inseparable. Thus, we often hear it said that it’s the nature of a dog to bark. In similar fashion, the old nature is corrupt according to deceitful lust (Eph. 4:22). It naturally rebels against God and the things of God. The old nature is like the dog that returns to its vomit, it cannot be altered, and any attempt to reform it will always be futile.

Other names for the old nature are: the natural man, the (old) heart, the carnal mind, and the flesh. These designations merely describe additional characteristics of the old man, with which we are all too familiar. But Paul says, “Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed.” We are dead to sin. Do you believe this wonderful truth? We do—lock, stock, and barrel, as they say!

In the eyes of God, our old man was crucified with Christ; it’s dead and buried forevermore, positionally. Practically speaking, however, he’s alive and well within our members. This is why the apostle instructs us that since Christ died unto sin once, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin” (Rom. 6:11). Beloved, we would not have to reckon the old man dead if he has been eradicated, as some teach. We must count him dead because he is still present within us.

But some will say that this is merely the old patterns that we fall back into that cause us to sin when we fail to yield to the Spirit—the leftover fruits of the old man, if you please. But this is where we believe the teaching of one-naturism collapses. Those who defend this position not only fail to differentiate between positional and practical truth, but also between the root and the fruit. If the root of a tree is dead, the tree will not bear fruit. The old man is the root, oftentimes called sin in the Scriptures, and sins are the fruit (Rom. 5:12 cf. Eph. 2:1; Gal. 5:19-21). So, for there to be fruits, the root of sin must be alive to produce them.

In order to have power over sin in our lives we must reckon the old man dead by faith. But now for “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would say. Upon our conversion we are given a new man, which is identified with Christ’s resurrection. This is what enables us to walk in newness of life to the glory of God (Rom. 6:4,5). The new nature is said to be created in righteousness and true holiness; therefore, we are a new creation.

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).

Other designations assigned to the new man are: the inner man, the (new) heart, the mind, and the spirit. The believer then has both an old and a new nature. We take exception with the argument that if the believer has two natures, he then has dual personalities. But there is evidence to the contrary; did not our Lord Himself have a human nature and a divine nature, and who will dispute, in one person. Why then is it so hard to believe the same could be true of us, and indeed it is, albeit our human nature has been tainted with sin. Soon after we are saved we realize that there is an inner conflict within our members, as the flesh (old man) lusts against the spirit (new man), “and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:17).

Advocates of one-naturism deny that this warfare is present within us, stating that those who believe there is a conflict between the old and new natures are admitting defeat. This, they say, is why these believers struggle in the Christian life and tend to be carnally minded. We disagree, of course, on two fronts: first, this is contrary to the Scriptures, and second, it denies experience.

“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” (Rom. 6:12,13).

In essence, the apostle is instructing us not to allow the sin nature to have dominion over us. You are dead to sin, positionally, therefore you should not obey the lust of the flesh. Neither yield your members as instruments (Greek hoplon, weapons) of sin against God. Rather, yield yourself to God, put yourself at His disposal, bearing in mind that you are alive from the dead by the resurrection of Christ. Yield your members as weapons of righteousness to the praise of His glory. Surely this portion demonstrates that there is a warfare within our members (See also Romans 7:14-25). This inner struggle may be illustrated accordingly:

The conflict between the two natures may be compared to a ship, on which a new Captain has been put on board by the owners. The old Captain has so long held command, and his enmity to the owners is so great, that he has practically treated the vessel as his own; and kept the crew in perfect bondage. The crew has submitted to it, never having known any other authority, or understood what real liberty of service was. From time to time they have heard of it; they have passed other vessels which they saw at once were very different from their own.

But, now that the new Captain is in authority they begin to find out what the difference is. The new Captain henceforth always has control of the helm and the charge of the ship. The ship is the same, the crew is the same. Even the old Captain remains on board. The book of instructions which the new Captain has brought on board tells that the old Captain has been judged and condemned: but the sentence cannot be executed except by the proper judicial authorities, when they reach port.

They cannot put him ashore, or throw him overboard. But, he no longer “holds the helm or guides the ship.” He tries from time to time to get hold of the wheel, but in vain. He succeeds sometimes in putting forth his old influence by creating disaffection in some of the members of the crew; for he knows them and their weaknesses well from his former complete control of them. He occasionally bribes or deceives some of them into acts of insubordination which they afterwards deeply regret. But the old Captain cannot get at the “ship’s papers.” They are now put quite out of his reach, where he cannot touch them. He cannot succeed in altering the ship’s course, or change the port for which she is now bound. He does not read the book of instructions; and if he looks at it, he does not understand it (I Cor. 2:14).

The ship’s crew was once his executive, and carried out only his will; but there is now no obligation for any of them to obey his orders, or to recognize his authority. They are released from it; and henceforth they are under the orders of the new Commander. They are to “reckon” the old Captain as already condemned; and the sentence as only waiting to be carried out. As to his power over them, they are to reckon themselves “as good as dead” so far as he is concerned. (The Two Natures in the Child of God, E.W. Bullinger, D.D., published by Bible Doctrines to Live By, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Pages 26,27.)

“Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him” (Col. 3:9,10).

It is essential to note that the verbs in this passage “put off” and “put on” are past tense in the original language, as well as in the English. The Colossians were to understand that God has addressed the matter once-for-all in the life of the believer. Now the apostle says, you need to put into practice what you already know to be true. Believe it and apply it!

Hence Paul commands them, “Mortify [i.e. put to death at once, immediately] therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection…” (Col. 3:5). In regard to the new man he commands, “Put on [a command to be obeyed at once] therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another…” (Col. 3:12,13).

Experientially, triumph over sin is only possible as we reckon the old man to be dead by faith, for we walk by faith and not by sight. Having reckoned him dead, our new nature is renewed day by day in the knowledge of Christ, as we study the Word of God. Oh, that we might know Him, that is, more fully, and the power of His resurrection (Phil. 3:10 cf. Col. 3:11). This alone will bring joy and fulfillment in the life of the believer in Christ.

Part 3: The Judgment Seat of Christ

Posted on February 5, 2003 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (I Cor. 3:13-15).

As we have seen, one of the symbols of the Word of God is fire. At the Judgment Seat of Christ it will be applied to our works and purge away the dross. Only those things done for Christ of a permanent nature will endure this Divine review. For those who consistently built upon the foundation with gold, silver and precious stones, their works will abide and they will be rewarded accordingly. While we are not told the nature of these rewards, we should always desire the fullness of what God has provided for us. It is a solemn thought that our present conduct will have a bearing upon us throughout eternity.

Those who carelessly built upon the foundation with wood, hay, and stubble are going to suffer irreparable loss, but Paul adds an interesting statement: “but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” God is always faithful to His Word. Even though a believer may suffer the devastating loss of eternal reward, according to the Word of God he will still be saved, for God has promised eternal life to all who believe (Rom. 6:23). You see salvation isn’t based upon our good works, but rather the finished work of Christ. It is after our conversion that we learn believers “are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Notice we “should walk in them,” which strongly implies not all will see the importance of living for the Lord.

JUDGE NOT

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (I Cor. 4:5).

Judgment may take the form of discernment or passing final sentence upon someone. For example, we are at liberty to judge or discern the things that differ in God’s Word; however, we have no right to judge others. Those who hastily condemn their fellow man are treading upon Divine ground.

As the apostle says, we are to “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come.” We simply are not in a position to judge anyone. Who among us can know the motive behind someone’s actions, much less the intent of their heart? Certainly no one can ever say they have all the details needed to make an impartial ruling. Even general observations in life are usually an inaccurate assessment of the actual circumstances. Allow me to illustrate:

Charles Swindoll one time related an experience he had in his own life. He was speaking at a week-long conference in California where, every time he spoke, a certain man would fall asleep after twenty minutes. By the end of the week, Chuck said that he was irritated by it, yet he said nothing about it.

After the last meeting, the wife of the man came up to Chuck and told him that her husband was too embarrassed to come. She went on to share with him that her husband was dying and the medication he took made him sleepy. But she said that he wanted her to tell Chuck how much he loves him, and that his final request was that he be able to attend a conference where Chuck were speaking.

Things are not always as they appear; therefore, we are wise never to judge anything before the time. You may just generate more wood, hay, and stubble than you bargained for when the trump sounds.

Notice in the above passage that it is when the Lord comes, “who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” We are to understand that this is the Lord’s Secret Coming for the Body of Christ, which of course, includes the Judgment Seat of Christ. So Paul is speaking here of the judgment of believers at that day. This raises the question as to whether or not our sins will be taken into consideration at this review, especially in light of the fact the apostle states the Lord will reveal the hidden things of darkness.

Clearly the believer is forgiven in Christ of all sins: past, present, and future. As the apostle says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). We are beyond the reach of God’s judgment as far as condemnation is concerned. With this in mind, if there is to be a fair and impartial hearing it will be necessary for our indiscretions to be brought to light. In other words, the Lord is going to set the record straight, without forgetting we are His children.

Take for example the pastor who embezzles the savings of a godly widow under the pretext that she’s helping the work of the ministry. He may think he’s gotten away with it, but at that day his evil deed will be exposed. Although the widow was deceived, she will be richly rewarded since she gave the gift out of concern for lost souls. Her intentions were as pure as the wind-driven snow! The pastor, on the other hand, will suffer shame and great loss for his actions. Paul warns all those who minister in the things of the Lord in this manner, “some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after” (I Tim. 5:24).

Unsound doctrine is closely associated with ungodly behavior. Usually the premise is that the end justifies the means. Sadly, the motive of some who preach the gospel is not always what it should be. Paul could surely relate to this, for he says regarding his ministry: “The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds” (Phil. 1:16). These types of sinful motives will be brought to light at the Bema Seat, not to mention the harm they caused the Lord’s work.

Those who are guilty of spreading lies and slandering others will have much to answer for when they stand before the Lord. Remember these words and remember them well: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). Those who have had their reputation ruined at the hands of carnal believers have this promise: God will right all wrongs.

The story is told of the American missionary organization that raised money for property, including buildings, in a country in Europe. When the Chairman of the European Board resigned, a local board member was able to usurp authority, rewrite the constitution of the organization, and declare himself owner. The Christian leader, in effect, stole the property from the Christian organization, expelled its leadership, and put the church and newly built apartments in his name. (Your Eternal Reward by Erwin W. Lutzer, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, pg. 66.) It is hard for us to believe that the Lord would simply overlook such an injustice. Rest assured, those who engage in such behavior will have their corrupt ways laid bare and suffer unbelievable loss in the process.

In this connection the question is often asked, will there be tears in heaven? As sure as the sun rises in the morning, you can count on it! These will be tears of regret and remorse over what could have been if we had only remained faithful to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. The emotion at times is going to be overwhelming. But the greatest regret of all will be when we see the sorrow on our Savior’s face for how we mistreated one another as members of the Body of Christ. Thankfully these tears will be wiped away at the close of this judgment—there will be no more sorrow or crying. “Then shall every man have praise of God” (I Cor. 4:5). The same will be true of the prophetic saints as they prepare to enter the eternal state (Rev. 21:3-5).

DID YOU KNOW?

Sadly, most believers have little interest or concern regarding the Judgment Seat of Christ. They live as though they will never stand before the Lord and give an account of their life. By the time they take the matter seriously it will be too late. But did you know there are at least three areas that will profoundly affect our walk throughout eternity?

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (I Thes. 2:19,20).

In Paul’s epistles there are three crowns promised to those who faithfully serve the Lord. This particular passage seems to indicate that these are not literal crowns that will be handed out; rather they will be honors bestowed upon those who have earned them. The crown of rejoicing has been called the soul-winners crown. Paul had personally led many at Thessalonica to a saving knowledge of Christ. He rejoiced that they had been delivered from the power of idols, which can neither speak nor reason, to worship the true and living God.

Think of it, if the angels rejoice when one sinner is saved, surely heaven will resound with a shout upon the completion of our redemption. In that day, the Lord is going to publicly acknowledge Paul and all those who had a burden for lost souls. This will be a reward in itself to hear the Savior say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” The rejection and ridicule we experienced at the hands of unscrupulous men will be but a passing memory.

“If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself” (II Tim. 2:12,13).

Every member of the Body of Christ is said to be seated with Christ in the heavenlies; therefore, we will rule and reign with Christ over the earth. But not all will hold the same position or degree of authority. This will be determined by our willingness to suffer for His name’s sake, here and now. We are going to assume the positions of authority left vacant when Satan and His fallen host are cast out of heaven. Each of these positions represent degrees of authority which have been patterned after God’s orig-inal heavenly order; they are: principalities, powers, mights, dominions, thrones, etc. (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16 cf. Eph. 6:12).

If you had a choice, which earthly position of authority would you wish to hold—a Cabinet post in Washington or a Clerk at a small town County Seat who files court records? You see, “if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him,” but if we are ashamed of Christ due to the fear of men, “He also will deny us,” that is, a higher position and greater degree of authority. Bear in mind, there will be no room for advancement in eternity since our position will be fixed by what transpires at the Bema Seat. Perhaps we need to follow the motto of the Army, “To be all that you can be,” but in this case for the Lord. You will not regret the decision!

If we “believe not” that this is true and that He is able to keep us, He abides faithful, even though we are unfaithful, because He cannot deny Himself. In short, He has promised to save us and will honor His Word. The honor of His name is at stake.

Apparently, the degree we are going to be glorified in the resurrection is also determined by our current conduct and service. As Paul develops the theme of the resurrection in I Corinthians 15, he states:

“All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory” (I Cor. 15:39-41).

I have always believed that this passage is clear proof that evolution is the Devil’s lie. “All flesh is not the same flesh.” How true! If we evolved from the lower life forms as the evolutionists claim, then the flesh of fish should be compatible with human flesh; yet one is warm-blooded and the other cold. Nor is it possible to give a transfusion of blood from animals to humans, which you would think could certainly be done since this is farther along on the evolutionary timetable. Of course the point Paul is making is this, terrestrial bodies differ from one another and each has its own glory.

He now contrasts earthly and heavenly bodies. As we look heavenward, the sun has a greater glory than the moon. It sustains life upon the earth. Interestingly, God created the sun on the fourth day of creation to demonstrate that He could sustain life upon the earth apart from the sun. He is sovereign! The very essence of His being is greater in power and glory than the sun.

The light of the moon which graces the night sky has a greater glory than the stars. Its phases during the course of a month are a heavenly demonstration of God’s handiwork. Amazingly the moon’s gravitational pull upon the earth causes both high and low tides that show not only order, but design.

Although the moon has a greater glory than the stars, the apostle adds, “One star differeth from another star in glory.” Man continues to build more and more powerful telescopes to peer into the universe, but with each one he discovers more of these heavenly bodies called stars. He is increasingly frustrated because he’s unable to number them. But consider this: God “telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names” (Psa. 147:4). We agree with King David, “such knowledge is…high,” it’s infinite!

Astronomers tell us that stars vary in size—some are much larger than others. In fact some, like the North Star, are brighter while others form constellations such as the Big Dipper. Paul would have us understand that in both the earthly and heavenly realm there is diversity and differing degrees of glory. Then he adds, “So also is the resurrection of the dead.” (See I Cor. 15:42).

Thus, there is a major difference between these natural bodies we possess and the resurrected body. One is sown in corruption and eventually will perish, but the other is raised in incorruption never to perish again. One is sown in dishonor due to the Adamic nature while the other is raised in glory. With creation as a backdrop, there will also be differing degrees of glorification in the resurrection, based on whether or not we faithfully served the Lord. This could well mean that the faithful will have greater adaptation to their eternal surroundings and perhaps greater responsibility.

The Judgment Seat of Christ ends the administration of Grace. As we witness the dawn of eternity, wonder of wonders, God is going to “show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). May the love of Christ motivate us to live for Him rather than ourselves. After all, the things around us which we call prized possessions are merely temporal, but the unseen things that we’ve laid up in heaven will impact us for eternity.

The Lord’s Prayer Dispensationally Considered

Posted on February 3, 2003 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.”
— Matthew 6:7-8

Religious leaders love to have their people recite the Lord’s Prayer. It’s been the religious thing to do for centuries. The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most beautiful, meaningful, and touching prayers in the Prophetic Scriptures, but those who recite it today are committing two major blunders. First, the Lord warned the disciples that they were not to pray this prayer, or any prayer for that matter, repetitiously (Matt. 6:5-7). Prayer is not a religious exercise, but rather communication with God; therefore, it should always be spoken from the heart. Second, the Disciples Prayer, which is the correct connotation for this prayer, was given as a model for those who would be called upon to endure the Tribulation. Since the Body of Christ is delivered from the wrath to come, this prayer does not apply to us in this dispensation (1 Thes. 5:9).

The Disciples’ Prayer

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. The reference here to “our Father” is to the God and Father of Israel — the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In prophecy, heaven was His throne and earth His footstool. His name was so holy that the Jews feared they might inadvertently speak it in vain, consequently they changed it from Yahweh to Adonai — Master, Ruler (Deut. 5:11; Isa. 66:1; Matt. 15:31; Luke 1:68).

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. The hope of every Israelite was the establishment of the Davidic Kingdom. God’s will for the earth is to overthrow the kingdoms of this world and establish the millennial kingdom of His dear Son (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Luke 1:68-72; Rev. 11:15; 20:6).

Give us this day our daily bread. In the future Tribulation, God will set a table in the wilderness for His people, as He did in time past. The saints in that day will find it necessary to pray for their daily provision of food, since they will be unable to buy or sell without the Mark of the Beast. Subsequently, God will supernaturally nourish the chosen nation (Rev. 12:14 cf. Rev. 13:13-18).

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Today we are to forgive others, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us, but under the kingdom gospel, forgiveness was based upon a like-spirit (Matt. 18:21-35 cf. Eph. 4:32).

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil [Gr. noun: evil one]. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. The sense here is, “Lord lead us not into the Great Tribulation, but deliver us from Satan, who brings death and destruction in his wake” (Rev. 6:7-11; 12:12; 13:1-10).

Part 2: The Judgment Seat of Christ

Posted on January 5, 2003 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (I Cor. 3:12,13).

The poet, Friedrich Von Logau, said, “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small.” William Wadsworth Longfellow elaborated and said, “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small. Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness He grinds all.” (The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, by Charles R. Swindoll, W Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 323.) The judgments of God are like a fire sweeping across the floor of a pine forest—all consuming. Nothing will escape His eternal presence in the Day of Judgment. Although there have been many injustices in the household of God through the centuries, God has not forgotten. “He stands waiting, with exactness He grinds all.”

Paul begins, “Now if any man,” that is, any pastor, teacher, or evangelist, “build upon this foundation.” While these words are primarily meant for those who hold positions of leadership within the Church, they also apply to every member of the Body of Christ. Consequently, all should take heed to the apostle’s admonition.

BUILDING ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN

Gold and Wood

Gold, silver, and precious stones represent our good works and faithful service. On the other hand, the wood, hay, and stubble represent those things that are done in the flesh, which are temporary in nature. Since Paul uses the metaphor of the temple in this context, we are given a hint as to the significance of these particular building materials. Paul assumes, of course, that we already understand what these materials symbolized in the Old Testament. Surely we can never do justice to this subject due to the endless line of thought that each of these images convey. So with God’s help, we offer the following for your consideration.

In the Old Testament gold symbolized deity. The furniture in both the tabernacle and the temple was overlaid with pure gold. When the priest entered the Holy Place, directly before him stood the golden altar of incense, where incense was burned, which portrayed the prayers of the saints ascending to God. This was an act of worship. On his right hand was the golden table of showbread, and on his left stood the golden candlestick with six branches (Ex. 25:23,24,31,32; 30:1,3).

Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people; but not without blood. When he stepped behind the veil he stood in the very presence of God. As he sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat—located on top of the Ark of the Covenant—it should be noted that both were overlaid with gold. So then, gold is closely associated with the presence and worship of God (Ex. 25:10,11,17-19).

Today, our worship of God rests upon the revelation given to us by the Apostle Paul. Herein are the commands of Christ that we are responsible to obey. In so doing we are using gold in our construction. But what does God expect of us in regard to worship? Worship is simply service—it means to serve, pay homage. However you cannot serve God, or acceptably pay homage to Him, unless you have a knowledge of His will.

The primary focus of our worship must be the proclamation of the Word of God, with special emphasis laid upon rightly dividing the Word of truth (II Tim. 2:15 cf. II Tim. 4:2). Of course, singing, prayer, giving, and testimonials should complement the preaching of the Word, but never infringe upon it in any way. In the administration of Grace, it is Paul who shows us how to worship. Hence, we must acknowledge his apostleship and message to build that which is lasting upon the foundation, which is Christ Jesus. This impacts every area of our worship.

For example, unlike Israel, we worship the God of all grace who’s doing something new and different among the Gentiles. Unlike Israel, who had limited access to the throne of God, we have full access. Unlike Israel, who sought the forgiveness of her sins through atonement, we are forgiven on the basis of Christ’s precious blood.

An outward expression of worshipping God is our giving. Under the law, God required His people to give ten percent of their earnings. This was known as the law of the tithe. Furthermore, the law was clear that their offerings and special donations were to be given in addition to the tithe. Today, we are to give from our heart as God has prospered us, which differs from person to person (I Cor. 16:1,2).

Everything connected to the tabernacle/temple spoke in some way of the person and work of Christ. As we know, the acacia wood used in the construction of the furniture in the temple was all overlaid with fine gold. The combination of wood, which symbolized humanity, and gold was significant because both typified Christ—He was wholly God and wholly human in one person (Ex. 25:10,11 cf. Isa. 53:2).

Wood, then, is closely associated with the flesh. As one of the building materials, it represents those things pleasing to self, and that which is done for appearance sake. Once again, worship is in view since wood and gold correspond to one another. But here we have a refusal on the part of the worshipper to fully acknowledge Paul’s gospel, for one reason or another. Many count the cost, and the cost is simply too high to stand in the defense and confirmation of Paul’s message. They prefer to merely blend in with the mainstream of Christendom, where the music is plentiful and the experience gratifying. These “feel good ministries” thrive on emotionalism, but offer little in the way of substance from the Word of God.

The motto of the Church today is, “Let me entertain you!” Shame on us! Surely we’ve lost our way, and sadly, the uniqueness of our message in the process. When a new family asks a pastor, “What does this church have to offer us?” it is obvious the Church has drifted far from its original purpose. The proper request should be, “Pastor, what can my family do to help further the cause of Christ?”

We have a life-changing message that’s being smothered by compromise. The world is drunk with entertainment. It’s quietly searching for answers to the eternal questions: Where did I come from? What is my purpose in life? Where will I spend my eternal destiny? Think of it, we have the answers to these questions, and more! But the new philosophy of ministry has loftier goals. It says the Church must be more progressive to meet the needs of the community. So while Christian leaders are busy planning the next church extravaganza to outdo the assembly down the street, lost souls are going to a Christless eternity.

Why do we insist upon grieving the heart of God!? We need to rededicate our pulpits and services to the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery. If we follow Paul’s pattern, the Word of God will stir the hearts of the saints to do the work of the ministry. This is true worship in action! Remember and remember well, we must all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Silver and Hay

Silver was another precious metal that was prominent throughout the tabernacle. All the sockets that supported this structure were made of silver. Inasmuch as these sockets were made from the redemption money given by the children of Israel to ransom their souls unto the Lord, it is clear silver speaks of redemption (Ex. 25:1-3; 30:11-16; 36:24; 38:27). It points to the redemptive work of Christ and the need to be saved.

With redemption now a reality, we are to tell a lost and dying world that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their sins unto them. So it is important that we are following the correct commission. Although many sincere believers are operating under the Great Commission, they are sincerely wrong. This commission, with its baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and signs, miracles and wonders, was given to Israel under the old economy. Today, we are to proclaim the commission of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:18-21).

So then, as we make known the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, we must again turn to Paul’s epistles in order to present the correct terms of salvation, which are: Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose again (I Cor. 15:1-4). The Bema Seat will declare if we had a burden for lost souls and faithfully shared the gospel of salvation with those around us. It will also be made manifest if we cared enough to follow-up with those we had the privilege of leading to Christ. In short, were we faithful to see that they became rooted and grounded in the truth of the unsearchable riches of Christ?

Hay is a temporal commodity. Since it stands opposite of silver, it represents those who have no interest whatsoever in the salvation of others. Here’s a Christian who doesn’t have a burden for lost souls. He’s too busy for such things, or the fear of men has silenced him. He knows he should be witnessing for Christ and plans to get around to it someday, but the years pass like the flower of the field and his life ends misspent.

All too often the excuse is, “I’m not an evangelist, I leave such things to those who are more qualified!” This may be true, but every believer is responsible to do the work of the evangelist (II Tim. 4:5). You see, we have access to people and places the evangelist can only long for. Stop and think, when was the last time you prayed for the Lord to give you boldness to witness to someone? When was the last time you were concerned about a loved one near to you that is in danger of eternal damnation? When was the last time you shared with someone the truth that God loves them and Christ died for their sins? Remember, the clock’s ticking, not only for them, but for you as well!

Precious Stones and Stubble

Precious stones also bear a connection to the Old Testament temple. The High Priest was required to wear a breastplate when he ministered in the things of the Lord, which contained twelve precious stones (Ex. 28:15-29). Each stone represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel. They symbolized the glory of God. The breastplate was a constant reminder that the Lord’s people were to be close to the heart of the High Priest as he faithfully ministered on their behalf, and also executed judgment. As a result, God was glorified among them.

When we come to Christ, we are saved by grace through faith alone apart from works. However, after we are saved by the grace of God, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. According to Paul’s gospel, we are the ministers of God today, and we are to glorify Him through good works. These include raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, volunteering our time at the Rescue Mission, given to hospitality, small acts of kindness, etc. It has been said, “Nobody is going to care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. “To give my life for Christ appears glorious,” he said. “To pour myself out for others…to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom—I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table—`Here’s my life, Lord, I’m giving it all.’ But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there in little acts of love in service for others. Usually, giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.”

Our motives and the intent of the heart also have a great bearing on our service for Christ. Allow me to illustrate: Pick one thing you really enjoy doing in life—fishing, traveling, skiing, attending craft shows, etc. Once the date is set, you’re probably like a sweet ant in a sugar bowl. The anticipation is more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and when the day finally arrives, you savor every moment. Now, do we approach the things of the Lord with the same enthusiasm, or do we serve Him out of necessity? If the members of the Body of Christ put half the effort into the Lord’s work that a diehard Green Bay Packer football fan puts into a game at Lambeau Field, we’d make a lasting imprint on the world.

Stubble has little redeeming value. It’s like the chaff that the wind sweeps away from the threshing floor. This is the believer who sows to the flesh. The pleasures and possessions of this world have crowded out any interest in serving the Lord. Like Demas, he has turned his back on the Lord’s work, having loved this world. The loss this believer is going to suffer is immeasurable.

THAT DAY

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (I Cor. 3:13-15).

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest.” God is going to bring forth every man’s work for a complete and thorough review. The apostle here is speaking of the body of a man’s work that he produced over the course of his Christian life. We often say concerning someone who devoted his entire life to a particular cause, “this was his life’s work.” In other words, it was the sum total of all he accomplished. The same will be true of the believer, for “the day shall declare it.” What day? The day of Christ when we must all appear before the Bema Seat.

“And the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” Fire is a symbol of the Word of God. Prior to the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah became very discouraged with the things of the Lord. So he packed his bags one day and essentially said to himself, “That’s it, I’ve had it with this stiff necked people, I quit!” “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jer. 20:9).

With our marching orders for the Body of Christ found in Paul’s epistles, we are going to be judged by the Word of God in light of his revelation. As our works are brought under the scrutiny of God’s Word, there are going to be two searching questions at that day: First, did we acknowledge Paul’s apostleship and message to the Gentiles? Second, were we obedient to the commands of Christ taught in his writings? Of course, the Lord will judge the members of His Body on the basis of their faithfulness to the light they had in regard to the revelation of the Mystery. The Word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, will distinguish what s-o-r-t of work it is. It is not a matter of the volume of work done, but what type—the issue is quality, not quantity.

Only those things that were done for Christ in relation to His heavenly ministry will be able to endure the intense scrutiny of the Word of God.

Part 1: The Judgment Seat of Christ

Posted on December 5, 2002 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

In the glory days of American sports, when athletes competed for the love of the game or event, Jim Thorpe stands out as perhaps the greatest all-around athlete our country has ever produced. Born near Prague, Oklahoma in 1888, Thorpe began his athletic career at a small school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania where he established himself as an outstanding football player, both at the college and professional level. But he was probably best known for his remarkable achievements at the 1912 Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden.

At the Stockholm games, Jim Thorpe, a Native American Indian, became the first athlete to win both the Pentathlon and the Decathlon. The Pentathlon is a one-day event which includes the long jump, javelin throw, 200-meter race, discus throw, and 1,500-meter race. The two-day Decathlon is a rigorous 10-event competition. On the first day, the participants compete in the 100-meter race, long jump, shot-put, high jump, and 400-meter race. On the second day, they compete in the high hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500-meter race. Having participated in some of these track and field events years ago, I can say that this was an amazing accomplishment.

Sadly, Jim Thorpe, was disqualified when it was learned that he had played baseball for a small salary some years earlier. The Amateur Athletic Union ruled that he was, therefore, “a professional athlete and ineligible to compete in the Olympic Games.” He was subsequently stripped of his Gold Medals for failing to observe the rules. (Source: World Book Electronic Reference Library—Millennium 2000.)

The Apostle Paul says that those who participate in these games “do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” What we do for Christ now, which is likened to a race, will echo throughout eternity. The apostle’s great fear was that when he preached to others he would fail to bring himself into subjection to the things of the Lord, and consequently be disqualified at that day. In a nutshell, he didn’t want to be a hypocrite.

A SOLEMN OCCASION

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (II Cor. 5:10).

The themes of redemption and judgment are woven throughout the Scriptures. So it is important to rightly divide the Word of truth to ascertain which judgment pertains to us. Since Paul uses the personal pronoun “we” in the above passage and foregoing context, we can safely conclude that he is addressing the members of the Body of Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ is a dispensational phrase solely found in Paul’s epistles. It is referred to in his revelation as “the day,” “that day,” and “the day of Christ.” This particular judgment will be a review of the believer’s conduct and service which takes place at the Rapture of the Church. According to I Thessalonians this is a planned meeting that was kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25 cf. I Thes. 4:17).

“For we must all appear.” Every believer in Christ has an appointment with the Lord—pastors and members of their congregation, Bible teachers and students, evangelists and converts, faithful and unfaithful, etc. Little wonder the Scriptures warn both leaders and those who sit under their ministries accordingly:

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth there-on. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (I Cor. 3:10).

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17).

While Paul makes frequent references to the Judgment Seat of Christ in both his early and latter epistles, he deals extensively with the subject in the Corinthian letters. This isn’t without rhyme or reason; the apostle wanted the Corinthians to understand the gravity of their ungodly conduct. They seemed to be oblivious to the fact that someday they were going to stand before the Lord and give an account of their actions. Some may have even denied this based on the assumption that we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Although this is true positionally, the practical outworking of the matter is determined by our present conduct. The Corinthians would one day have to answer for the turmoil they caused in the local assembly, due to their envy, strife, divisions, carnality and immoral lifestyles.

This raises the question as to why God doesn’t simply judge believers when they die. Why wait until the Rapture of the Church? Here we must keep in mind that our lives touch the lives of others even in death. For example, Pastor J. C. O’Hair died in 1958, yet his writings and tape messages continue to bring others into a knowledge of the Mystery. Even though he is dead, he yet speaketh! Conversely, the Christian father who carelessly lives a worldly life influences his children to follow in his footsteps. The long-term effects of such a lifestyle will not be overlooked at that day.

But God has another reason to withhold judgment until the Judgment Seat—a solemn one indeed! Paul says, “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). The terms “every one” and “himself” clearly indicate that each of us will stand individually before the Lord to give an answer for our behavior. But this doesn’t imply that others will not be present at times during the course of this examination. In fact, this will be a necessity to set the record straight. More will be said about this later.

THE JUDGE

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” As the phrase implies, Christ will be our Judge. According to John 5:27 the Father has placed all judgment into the hands of His dear Son. He is the perfect Judge. Even though the Mystery was still a secret when the events of John chapter five occurred, the principle of Christ’s judgeship certainly applies during the administration of Grace.

The apostle says in Colossians 2, “In Him [i.e. Christ] dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” As God, He knows our innermost thoughts and motives and the intent of the heart. On the other hand, He took upon Himself the form of a human servant and dwelt among us. No one will be able to stand before Him at that day and say, “Lord you just don’t understand!” Oh, but He does, my dear friend. Christ suffered in all points as we, yet without sin. As the prophet said, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3).

The Greek word for Judgment Seat here is Bema. In biblical times it was a raised platform, with ascending steps, where rulers handed down decisions (Acts 18:12-16). It was also the place where the judges presided over the Greek games. From this vantage point they could see the entire field of events. To be summoned to the Bema meant one of two things; either the participant was disqualified for disobeying the rules or rewarded with a garland for winning a particular event.

When we appear with Him in glory, Christ will hold a position of exaltation. As the righteous Judge, He will be clothed in glory, honor and majesty as we stand before Him. Unlike the Great White Throne, condemnation is not the issue at this judgment. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Since the sin question was answered for the believer at Calvary, this examination has to do with whether or not we have devoted our life to Christ and faithfully served Him. But will our sins be taken into consideration at the Bema? We will have more to say on this later.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

There has been an ongoing debate if the phrase “the things done in his body” is speaking of the believer’s body or the Body of Christ. It seems clear that Paul has the individual believer in mind. The original dia tou somatos has the idea of the things done “through our body.” In other words, there is a moral accountability insofar as our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are, therefore, accountable for its deeds, whether they are good or of no value. For example, we believe Paul’s instructions to the Colossians capture the moral responsibilities of slaves and masters or employees and employers.

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Col. 3:22-25).

In the final assessment, the Lord is going to compensate both labor and management for the good they have done and whatever wrongs they may have committed. Every believer in Christ can expect to receive a reward for good conduct and loss for misconduct. Little wonder Paul adds:

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences” (II Cor. 5:11).

While the Corinthians lived as if there was no tomorrow, Paul cautions them regarding the “terror of the Lord.” Some have concluded that the apostle is now turning his attention to the unsaved, but this interpretation does a great injustice to the context in which the passage is set. The terror or fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. But in what sense should the believer fear the Lord? Consider for a moment standing before the Lord with perfect recall of every idle word, thought and deed. We should fear the possible devastating consequences of a misspent life, not to mention the inspection itself.

With this in mind, Paul sought to persuade men as to the gravity of the occasion. Of what did the apostle seek to convince believers? Since the behavior of the Corinthians left much to be desired, Paul is passionately trying to persuade them to walk worthy of their calling. This beckons the question, are we living up to God’s expectations? Paul could confidently say, “But we are made manifest unto God.” You see Paul had a clear conscience concerning his actions among them. Thus, he desired that his manner of life before the Lord would be manifested in his hearers’ consciences that they, too, would be to the praise of His glory at that day. (See II Tim. 3:10,14).

THE PREMISE OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT

“Ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:10,11).

As we turn to I Corinthians Paul addresses our service in relation to the Judgment Seat of Christ. Interestingly, as he develops this theme he uses the metaphor of the “temple” in verse 16. While we lay great emphasis upon rightly dividing the Word of truth, we must also recognize that there are connections between the two programs of God. As members of the Body of Christ we are numbered with the household of God and therefore joined to the living temple, which God foreordained before the foundation of the world. This explains why Paul uses the metaphor of a temple when he speaks of us collectively. Hence, Ephesians Chapter 2:

“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:21,22).

God has raised up a new masterbuilder to add an addition to the household of God that was not included in the original plans of the Prophetic Program. It was hidden in the mind of God until the raising up of the Apostle Paul. He is the divinely ordained architect who laid a new section of foundation, which is Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:1-10). The apostle was very, very careful not to build upon another man’s foundation, nor should we (Rom. 15:20). Of course, he was referring to building upon Peter’s foundation who preached Jesus Christ according to the Kingdom promised by the prophets of old.

Like a father, Paul warns us, “I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (I Cor. 3:10). The foundation upon which the Judgment Seat of Christ is based will be Jesus Christ according to His heavenly ministry, as revealed by Paul. So then, as we serve the Lord we must take care to use Pauline materials when building upon our foundation, otherwise we will suffer the consequences at that day.

Four Keys to Commitment

Posted on November 5, 2002 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (II Tim. 2:1,2).

If we were to ask the average Christian to write down the requirements to be a spiritual leader, the list would probably read something like this: A man of God who must have completed four years of college and three additional years of seminary. He should be eloquent and able to articulate his thoughts well, enthusiastic, insightful, creative, and have a good sense of humor. In addition, he should not have too many shortcomings and be well dressed.

Interestingly, just the opposite was true of the spiritual leaders in the Scriptures. Most of the giants of the faith in biblical times were unlearned and ignorant men by the world’s standard. The Bible is a who’s who of shortcomings: Noah’s drunkenness, Moses’ speech impediment, David’s adulterous ways, Peter’s denials, Paul’s repulsive appearance, etc. Nevertheless, God used these souls mightily to the pulling down of strongholds, despite their failures. As it has been said, “God took a handful of nobodies and made them somebodies in His sight.”

While we are an advocate of higher education, intellectualism is not a prerequisite to be used of the Lord. God has accomplished great things through those who merely had a willing heart. Timothy, for example, wasn’t educated at the ivy league schools of Jerusalem; nonetheless, God chose him to carry the torch of grace after Paul’s martyrdom.

GRACE `TIS A CHARMING SOUND

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

As Paul prepared to leave this life, he longed to leave Timothy with a few parting instructions to encourage him in the faith. The apostle knew that his young friend was easily discouraged. Of course, some of the circumstances Timothy faced as he defended the faith would be enough to dishearten the most seasoned veteran of the Cross today (Acts 19:23-41 cf. I Tim. 1:2,3).

Paul affectionately refers to Timothy as “my son.” Although Timothy was not Paul’s son in the flesh, the aged apostle had led him to the Lord; therefore, he was his son in the faith. As a result, there was a very special relationship between them. Timothy might have had ten thousand instructors in Christ, but he only had one spiritual father who loved him like a son. Thus, Paul challenges him to be strong in grace. Grace is God’s unmerited favor toward those who are undeserving.

Before the turn of the last century, Great Britain ruled the world. The throne was synonymous with superiority, royalty, power, and glory. So when the beloved Queen Victoria instructed her driver to stop the royal carriage, and she stepped down to embrace a commoner by the side of the road, that’s grace! The commoner did not deserve the Queen’s kindness, nor do we deserve the grace of God so freely bestowed upon us. Thankfully, God has stooped down to undeserving sinners in the person of Jesus Christ. As a result, the grace of God does three things for us: it has brought us salvation, it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and it gives us hope (Titus 2:11-13).

Timothy, “be strong,” don’t let others rob you of the grace that you’ve freely received. And legalism will do just this if we allow it. It’s the enemy of grace. Like the Pharisees, the legalist wants to set the standard, which he decrees to be the measure of spirituality. Legalists love to develop an unspoken list of do’s and don’ts for others to follow. You must conform to what they have established as acceptable behavior in regard to how you should dress or act, or what reference Bible you must carry, or how many church services you should attend throughout the week. Failure to conform is a sure indication that you are not very spirituality minded.

Beloved, God has given us the standard we are to follow in His Word; it’s called GRACE! Today, we are not under the Law, nor are we to submit ourselves to those who believe they are the final authority as to how the Christian life should be lived. Grace teaches us how to live; it is patient, understanding, and tolerant. Grace always leaves room for differences. It’s never judgmental (I Cor. 4:5). So then, Timothy was not to allow anyone to rob him of the liberty he enjoyed in Christ, nor should we. “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

What “things” had Timothy heard Paul proclaim? Surely it was the teachings of grace that the apostle had received from the Lord of glory—the truth of the one Body, the one baptism, and the one hope of our calling, etc. Since this special revelation was kept hidden from ages and generations past, Paul was unable to appeal to the Law and the prophets to validate his message. Again and again, he calls upon God and other witnesses to verify his gospel to be true.

“The same commit thou to faithful men.” Notice, the responsibility to proclaim this wonderful message wasn’t to be passed along to just anyone. Paul’s instruction to Timothy is clear; it was to be handed down to faithful men who had the God-given ability to teach others. This precious deposit was only to be entrusted with those who were trustworthy so as to insure its continuance. Mark these words and mark them well, Paul is not teaching apostolic succession here, as Catholicism teaches. Rather, the apostle is making a case that it is the responsibility of one generation to pass the truth of Paul’s gospel on to the next generation. If we fail to do so, it will not be long before the message is lost to the ages, humanly speaking. This is why Paul places such emphasis upon “faithful men.”

PAUL’S METAPHORS

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (II Tim 2:3,4).

Young men who desire to enter the Lord’s work initially look at the calling of pastor as being glamorous, honorable, glory—a position of respect! First of all, respect must be earned, it is not something that’s handed to you on a silver platter. It takes years to acquire and only one foolish act to destroy it. While the ministry is indeed a high and holy calling it involves a great deal of responsibility, long hours and hard work. Little wonder the apostle chose to use the metaphors of the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer to describe the rigors of the ministry.

A metaphor is a figure of speech containing an implied comparison. It’s a short phrase or word that’s used to throw light on the truth. Usually the nature of the metaphor allows for a rapid transition from one topic to another, such as we have before us. Of course, the purpose is to drive home a point. Ten thousand sermons could be preached on each of Paul’s metaphors. Each one contains spiritual riches untold. In the Old Testament, which includes the four Gospels, illustrations are drawn primarily from the natural world. Paul’s, however, are taken from human life and experience, which is another subtle distinction between the two programs of God.

Paul begins with the metaphor of the good soldier. The soldier must leave his family and turn his life over to someone else. As Paul says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” The soldier must be obedient simply because his life and the lives of those around him depend upon it. He is trained in battle to fight. Courage is his badge of honor!

My father had the honor during World War II to return with General MacArthur to liberate the Philippines after the Bataan Death March. Although he was reluctant to talk about his war experiences, he did share with me about the time his Commanding Officer sent him to camp to secure the company’s orders. Dad related how he was just about back to the unit when it was ambushed by two Japanese machine gun nests. As he approached cautiously, he could see a number had already been killed and the others were pinned down and dared not move. He knew if he didn’t do something quickly the whole platoon would be massacred.

Dad made a snap decision that fateful day. The only way out was to provide a diversion. He could see the snipers would only be able to swing their machine guns so far before hitting the trees in which they were hunkered down. Furthermore he knew how hard it is to hit a moving target, having hunted small game as a young boy. He took a deep breath, jumped up, and ran as fast as he could to their flank which drew a hail of bullets. As he dove headlong into a shallow ravine, he said he could feel the air being displaced as the bullets whizzed by him. It worked! The maneuver gave the soldiers in the unit the opportunity they needed to take out the enemy.

Boy, that’s enough to make you break out into a sweat just telling the story! I can’t imagine actually being there and going through such a thing. But this is the lot of a soldier. It’s a life and death struggle to defend freedom’s light. In the spiritual sense we, too, are soldiers who are to obey the commands of Christ found in the Pauline epistles. These are our marching orders, handed down by the Commander in Chief Himself! Consequently, we’re called upon to fight the good fight of the faith—this means we must stand in the defense and confirmation of Paul’s gospel (Phil. 1:7). While we’re not to be hard, we are called upon to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Here Paul serves as our example. In the face of death, he stood before Felix, the Governor of Caesarea, and courageously preached Christ. With the eternal destiny of this corrupt ruler hanging in the balance, the apostle reasoned with him of righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come. Is it possible to reason with the unregenerate concerning spiritual things? Paul did, he knew the Spirit of God could pierce straight through Felix’s stony heart of flesh to allow the light of the glorious gospel to shine into his heart that he might be saved (Acts 24:24-26 cf. II Cor. 4:3-6).

“And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” (II Tim. 2:5).

The next metaphor the apostle uses is the athlete. Seeing that Tarsus was one of the cities where the Greek games were held, Paul was familiar with all the events. To participate in these games the partaker had to be a Greek citizen. The key to being a good athlete is discipline. It is said that the Greeks trained for ten hours a day for a period of ten months. They also spent a great deal of time acquainting themselves with the rules to avoid being disqualified in their particular event.

The high school I attended had a fantastic athletic program. Of course, with a class of over one thousand this is understandable. In addition to the high jump, I ran the four-forty relay. This specific event required precision timing. If you jumped the gun or failed to hand the baton off to the other runner before he crossed the hash mark, the entire team was disqualified. In other words, you had to play by the rules.

Paul draws a parallel between the runner and the Christian life. He says, “if a man also strive for masteries,” that is, if he competes in a competition, he is not crowned unless he abides by the rules. This is also true of the believer. A man must first trust Christ as his Savior and be a citizen of heaven before he can participate in the things of the Lord. The Christian runner must then discipline himself to bring his body and mind into conformity with the image of Christ. But to receive the crown he has to obey the rules set forth in Paul’s epistles. The pastor who has rejected Paul’s gospel because of the fear of men, and teaches his people to follow the great commission will surely suffer great loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ. I’m sure the look on the Savior’s face alone will leave him in tears.

In regard to his own life in Christ, Paul says:

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14).

The apostle’s heart’s desire was to lay hold of what Christ had called him to achieve. Although he had not apprehended, like the runner who can see the finish line, he was striving for the goal that was set before him. Paul’s greatest fear was that he would be disqualified. However, if he finished the course set before him, he was confident the Lord would richly reward him. Beloved, are you running to please men or the Lord?

Finally, Paul uses the farmer, who plows the field, to illustrate another aspect of the Christian experience. “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits” (II Tim. 2:6). If there is one thing the farmer is known for, it’s hard work and long hours. The day begins before dawn and doesn’t end until dusk. The farmer must till the soil, sow the seed, fertilize, and water. But farming requires something else—patience, a lot of patience. The crops cannot be harvested until the fruit is mature.

Like farming, the ministry is hard work and long hours. It is not uncommon for a pastor to put in ten or twelve hour days. Then there are those times he’s called out on an emergency hospital visit at two o’clock in the morning. As we know, there’s a law of nature in farming—whatever you sow is what you reap. The same is true of the Lord’s work. If a pastor sows the kingdom gospel, he’s going to reap sorrow at the Bema seat. On the other hand if a man of God sows Paul’s gospel, he will reap the praise of God.

Those who “preach the gospel should live of the gospel,” as the Lord has ordained (I Cor. 9:14). In short, the workman is worthy of his hire. If God has blessed us with a knowledge of the Mystery, then do we not have a responsibility to support those who faithfully proclaim this truth? Sadly, many of our dedicated grace pastors and missionaries struggle to make ends meet, while some in our congregations support well-known denominational preachers and missionaries who openly reject Paul’s gospel. Shall God be well pleased with us at that day if we aid and abet confusion in the Church?

While I do not fully agree with Baptist doctrine, I know firsthand they are very dedicated and generous believers in Christ. Baptists only support Baptist causes. This is why there’s a Baptist church on every corner. I am a firm believer that grace people should only support grace works! I can assure you that the Southern Baptist Convention is not going to come to our aid in a time of financial crisis, nor should we expect them to.

“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” (I Cor. 3:5,6).

Patience is the watchword when we are doing the Lord’s work. People want to see results, so the world measures success in numbers. Sadly, the Church has fallen victim to the same philosophy. God, however, is more interested in faithfulness. Historically, He has passed by the multitudes and has accomplished His greatest work through what some would call insignificant ministries. As we see from the above, Paul left the end result with the Lord. He’s the one who gives the increase. It’s far better to gather with a small group of saints standing for the truth, than a large assembly that’s all too willing to sacrifice the truth on the altar of compromise.

Farmers need plenty of help on the farm. It’s simply too big of a job for one man. Once again the same is true in the Lord’s service. Christian leaders must learn to follow Paul’s example here as well and delegate authority to others. Paul planted, Apollos watered, some weeded, God gave the increase, and others harvested the fruits of their labor. We are all co-laborers together with God.

These are the things that should characterize faithful men who minister the gospel. So then, we are to be committed to the cause, committed to the battle, committed to the rules, and, last but not least, committed to the task at hand! May we, too, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus to the praise of His glory.

The Gospel Of Salvation

Posted on October 14, 2002 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

With the souls of men hanging in the eternal balance, it is extremely important to give a clear presentation of the gospel. We have always marveled at how the Holy Spirit sorts through the maze of confusion regarding the various plans of salvation that have been developed over the years. Although all these plans contain an element of truth, they leave the door open to mislead the sinner.

Plan One:

Admit you are a sinner (Rom. 3:23).
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent) (Matt. 3:2).
Believe Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross (1 Cor. 15:3).
Through prayer invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life.

Plan Two:

Confess your sins (Mark 1:5).
Open the door of your heart so Christ can come in (Rev. 3:20).
Believe on Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).
Come forward publicly to receive Jesus as your personal Savior.

Plan Three:

Acknowledge you are a sinner (Rom. 3:23).
You must make Jesus Christ Lord of your life (Rom. 12:1).
Believe Christ died for you (1 Cor. 15:3).
Accept Christ as your personal Savior by praying to God.

There are two serious flaws with the above plans. First, they confuse the terms of salvation under the kingdom gospel with the gospel of the grace of God. Second, the sinner could easily place his trust in what he has done, instead of the Savior. Therefore we suggest the following:

The Scriptural Terms of Salvation:

Acknowledge you are sinner, “for all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for your sins,
was buried and rose again (Rom. 4:5; 1 Cor. 15:3,4).

If you have trusted Christ as your personal Savior, why not pray and thank God for your salvation.

Beloved, the unsaved are dangling over the lake of fire by one thin thread of human existence. The only thing that is standing between them and eternal judgment is the good news of Christ and Him crucified. May the Lord give us a burden for lost souls, for “now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Does The Word Of God Contradict Itself?

Posted on April 13, 2002 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

Satan has sought to undermine the authority of the Word of God since the beginning. He whispered to Eve, “Yea, hath God said,” suggesting God was withholding something from our first parents. But more often than not his attacks are far more subtle. The liberal, for example, would have us believe the Scriptures contradict themselves; therefore they cannot be trusted. This is nothing more than an attempt to cast a shadow of doubt upon the veracity of God’s Word.

Despite the claims of the liberal, God never contradicts Himself. He’s omniscient! He knows the end from the beginning; how could He possibly contradict Himself? When we’re confronted with an alleged contradiction, the problem isn’t with the Word of God; rather, it’s with our understanding of the Scriptures. Most times there is a simple solution to the problem.

The account of Judas’ death is often appealed to as a glaring contradiction:

“And he [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matt. 27:5).

“Now this man [Judas] purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:18).

We believe the Acts record is merely an augmentation of Matthew’s account of Judas’ dishonorable end. After Judas hanged himself, either the limb or rope broke, and since the top part of the body is heavier than the lower extremity, he fell headlong to the bottom of the ravine where his body burst open upon striking the jagged rocks.

Another supposed contradiction is found in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians:

“Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand” (I Cor. 10:8).

“And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand” (Num. 25:9).

Once again, Paul’s account of the plague is simply a fuller description of what actually transpired during the wilderness wanderings. The key is found in the apostle’s words, “and fell in one day.” Paul reveals 23,000 died in this judgment on the same day, but according to Numbers, the total number of Israelites that perished, which included the days that followed, was 24,000. The apostle was merely emphasizing the seriousness of committing fornication, by showing how many fell in one day.

While these two purported contradictions are easily resolved, this is not always necessarily the case. In those areas where we are unable to adequately address a discrepancy, we must patiently wait upon the Lord for additional light, which may not be given until eternity.

Creation

Posted on March 1, 2002 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen. 1:3-5).

I am a creationist. I personally believe that God created all things in heaven and earth in six literal 24-hour days. A proper understanding of creation is essential, since it is the foundation upon which all the doctrines of God rest. Sadly, some in Christendom have sought to erect an elaborate system known as the day-age theory to accommodate the geologic timetable of billions of years. But does this position pass the Berean test?

Those who subscribe to the day-age theory believe that the Hebrew word “day” (yom) can refer to a 24-hour day or a long period of time. This is true! For example, the day of the Lord is an extended period of time which covers well over one thousand years. Consequently, the context must always be consulted to ascertain the duration of time under consideration. Of course, those who defend this position teach that the days of the Genesis record quite literally cover millions and millions of years, which conveniently accommodates evolution.

Interestingly, when the Hebrew word yom is used with a number, it always refers to a 24-hour day, without exception. In regard to the Passover God instructed Moses, “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel” (Ex. 12:15). Would we conclude otherwise that the “first day” here is anything other than a normal day? Furthermore, when perimeters are set on the term yom, such as “the evening and the morning,” as found in Genesis 1:4, this limits the day to 24 hours.

But perhaps the most conclusive evidence of all that each day was 24 hours is found in Exodus 20:11: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Here Moses uses the term yamin, the Hebrew plural for “days,” which exclusively speaks of 24-hour cycles.

If the Holy Spirit had intended to convey that the days of creation were “eras,” He would have used the used the Hebrew olam, which is defined as “indefinite time.” We accept by faith that God is sovereign and all-powerful; therefore, it was a small matter for Him to speak all things into existence in six days (Psa. 33:6-9).

Part 3: The Preaching of the Cross

Posted on January 3, 2002 by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

With Peter’s ship, The Teaching about the Cross, beginning to take on water, it became necessary for us to abandon ship. As we walk across the causeway of the Book of Acts, we are now going to be sailing with the Apostle Paul. Paul will bring us to our final destination. We are about to sail across the deep waters of the finished work of Christ, which is uncharted territory prior to the Pauline revelation. As we plumb the depths of these waters, we are going to find that the Apostle Paul was the first to show us the significance of the death of Christ. He proclaimed the Cross as good news! There is always one of two responses to this message; either it’s received with thanksgiving or it’s rejected as mere foolishness!

THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).

The term “preaching” is not one of the typical words the apostle uses when referring to the proclamation of the Cross. For example, in II Timothy 4:2, Paul instructs us to “Preach the Word.” Here the apostle uses the Greek, kerusso, which signifies a herald. It refers to the one who announces clearly and loudly the entrance of the King. In like manner, we are to give a clear presentation of the gospel of salvation. Interestingly in I Corinthians 1:18, Paul employs the term Logos—the Word. So then, it is the Word of the Cross, which is the power of God unto salvation. It is the apostle’s objective to contrast the Word of the Cross with the word of man.

The Cross to the natural man is mere foolishness—why, it’s absurd to think that God would take on a human form, be crucified, and rise again in order to redeem mankind! To the natural man this is beyond the realm of reason. Therefore, Paul challenges the world to step forward and match its wisdom and knowledge with the wisdom and knowledge of God.

“Where is the wise [intelligentsia]? Where is the scribe [doctor of the law]? Where is the disputer [debater] of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (I Cor. 1:20).

Paul summons the world to answer these age-old questions, if they will. Where did man come from? How can he be made right with God? What is his purpose in life? What is his final destination? The natural man’s attempt to answer these questions apart from God is like the man who’s blind, searching in a dark room for a black cat that doesn’t exist. The world’s philosophy to the above is as follows:

1. Origins: In the dateless past, out of nothing came something, out of which life eventually emerged from the bogs of primeval seas. Over a 5-billion year period, this one cell entity called an amoeba evolved into a complex multi-billion celled being called modern man.

2. Justification: If my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds on the scales of life, God will accept me into heaven when I die.

3. Purpose: On one side of the coin, the epicurean philosophy is, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” After all, you owe it to yourself to indulge in everything the world has to offer. On the other side of the coin, the stoic says you must devote yourself to fleshly inhibitions to find fulfillment in life.

4. Eternal Destiny: Most unregenerate men deny that there is life beyond the grave. In the words of Carl Sagan, the famous astronomer, “Death is the end!”

According to the Word of God, in the beginning God created man in His image (Gen. 1:26 cf. 2:7). John Milton said: “The greatness and sacredness of man’s soul is attested by two facts: First, the creation of his soul in the image of the eternal God; and second, the price that had to be paid for the redemption of his soul.” Today, man is justified by the grace of God through faith in the finished work of Christ, apart from works (Rom. 3:24 cf. I Cor. 15:1-4). Upon conversion, man’s chief end in life is to glorify God, with whom he will spend eternity in the heavenlies (Rev. 4:11 cf. Col. 1:5).

The world by human wisdom will never know God! Thus, “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (I Cor. 1:21). The phrase “foolishness of preaching” is the rationale of the skeptic—it’s nothing but foolishness to them. But the preaching of the Cross is to those who are saved a demonstration of the power of God. It convicted us of our sins and brought us to salvation. The power of God transformed our lives!

UNLIMITED REDEMPTION

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (I Tim. 2:3-6).

The preaching of the Cross clearly teaches us that Christ died for all. The term “will” in this passage has the sense that God “desires” all men to be saved. If He willed it, then every man would be saved. Here again we have the sovereignty of God and human responsibility intersecting one another. God, in His sovereignty, convicts man through His Word, yet He never violates man’s will. Man is responsible to believe the good news that Christ died for his sins.

Paul adds, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” A mediator is one who stands between two parties, he technically represents both sides. What better representative could the Godhead and man have than the person of Christ? He is perfectly suited for the task at hand, simply because He is God manifested in the flesh. Christ is the perfect Redeemer!

When Christ came into the world He gave Himself a ransom for all. In biblical times, the “ransom” was the price paid to purchase a slave out of slavery. In similar fashion, Christ stepped into the slave market of sin to redeem us back to God. While our salvation is free, it did not come without a cost. The ransom the Father required was blood, the precious blood of His dear Son. According to Paul’s gospel, the scope of redemption is unlimited. Christ gave Himself a ransom “for” Gr. huper “on behalf of” all. A provision has been made for all, which is confirmed in II Corinthians 5:14: “If one died for all, then were all dead.”

May I inquire, is there anyone reading these lines who does not believe that all men are dead in trespasses and sins when they enter this world? (Eph. 2:1-3). If you agree, then you must also agree that Christ died for all because this is the argument of this passage.

According to I Timothy 2:6,7 these things were “to be testified in due time” through Paul’s apostleship. As he says, “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle.” You see it was given to Paul to explain the significance of Calvary. He was the first to reveal that Christ is the mediator between God and man, the first to teach that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, the first to show that we have redemption through Christ’s shed blood, even the forgiveness of sins, the first to make known that Christ died for all, the first to reveal that Christ was the propitiation for the remission of sins that are past (prophetic saints), through the forbearance of God. A failure to acknowledge this truth is to anticipate revelation, which does a great injustice to the Word of God.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13,14).

As the Apostle Paul brings us within view of heaven’s glory, we are going to learn that our passage has been bought and paid for by the shed blood of Christ. The Word of God is unmistakably clear that “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). Dear ones, we must never underestimate its value in our redemption. There are those who would rob us of this wonderful truth. The liberals deny it, the new evangelicals avoid it, but we who seek to defend the faith thank God for the precious blood of Christ. We plead guilty to preaching a gospel of blood! The Bible is a book of blood; it’s woven throughout the pages of the sacred record.

On June 6, 1944, commonly known as D-Day, the tide of World War II turned in favor of the Allies. General Eisenhower had assembled one of the largest invasion fleets in history. While political and military strategies played a role in the victory at Normandy Beach, our young men who courageously fought and bled and died for the cause were essentially the ones who conquered the enemy. We owe these men a great debt of gratitude for their heroism. The Second World War was won because many of our troops paid the ultimate price.

Likewise, in God’s war against sin, He has conquered the enemy by the shed blood of Christ. When we consider Christ’s coming into the world to redeem mankind, we are immediately faced with what appears to be an insurmountable problem. How can God’s only begotten Son enter the human race without sin? After all, human parents who are sinners can only reproduce sinful offspring. The answer is found in Hebrews 2:14:

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Here is a classic example as to why it is so important to consult the original languages at times, to arrive at the proper sense that the Spirit of God initially intended. Thankfully, we don’t need to be Hebrew or Greek scholars, simply because the work has already been done for us by those who are gifted in these languages. God has not left us without assistance!

When it states that the “children are partakers of flesh and blood,” the term “partakers” is the Greek word koinoneo, which denotes “to share in common or to share fully.” Thus, the human race shares something in common—flesh and blood—through which has passed the sin nature. But the Spirit of God is careful to draw a distinction between the human race and Christ’s identification with humanity.

“He also Himself likewise took part of the same.”

Notice Christ is said to have “took part” of the same. The Greek word here is metecho, denoting “to share or participate in, but not fully.” Through the miraculous conception and virgin birth, Christ laid hold of human flesh without inheriting the sin nature. Since “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” we can safely assume that His blood was not tainted with sin. This certainly cannot be said of us. The life of the flesh is in our blood only in the sense that the blood coursing through our veins keeps us alive to sin another day. Little wonder Peter calls it “the precious blood of Christ” (I Pet. 1:19). It is the antidote for the disease of our sins.

While this is denied by some, we believe Christ literally shed His blood at the Cross. When the priest in Israel poured out the blood at the foot of the brazen altar, it symbolized the foot of the Cross, where the blood of the Lamb would one day drip (Lev. 4:32-34). Blood is an interesting paradox: murderers attempt to get rid of it, God cleanses our sins with it. This crimson thread is woven throughout Paul’s epistles leaving us with a tapestry of redemption.

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:8,9).

Today God is justifying ungodly sinners on the basis of the shed blood of Christ. In this context, justification means to be declared eternally righteous by God. Justification is a legal term. For example, if a prisoner is brought before the bar of justice there is only one way he can be justified. He must be found NOT GUILTY. If it is proven he is not guilty then he is a just man.

But let us consider another case. A man commits a federal crime and is found guilty and sentenced to death. The President of the United States can pardon him, but he can never justify him. Even though the man is pardoned, he is still a criminal guilty of the crime. There is no way to justify him or remove his guilt.

But wonder of wonders, we are found guilty before the bar of God’s justice, yet we are justified by God’s grace. The law points its bony finger into our face and says, “You are a sinner, guilty as charged, and therefore condemned to die” (Rom. 3:19,20). As the sentence is about to be read, Christ says to the Father, “I will bear their guilt and punishment.” Christ gave Himself a ransom for all. He took our place!

God did not overlook the penalty of our sins—the death of Christ paid for it. Our sins and guilt were placed upon Him, and His righteousness was imputed to us. In Christ, we are guiltless before God, accepted in the Beloved One, and delivered from the wrath to come. This is the wrath of God we would have experienced at the Great White Throne Judgment and subsequent sentence to the Lake of Fire. By God’s grace, we are beyond the reach of God’s righteous judgment. As the apostle declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). As the apostle pondered the character of Christ through the prism of the once-for-all sacrifice, he was moved to write, “Let this mind be in you.” In other words, be compassionate, humble, generous, forgiving, etc. Christ loved the unlovely. Allow me to illustrate:

George Whitefield, in one of his travels, found himself at an inn one evening. To his surprise, in the next room there was a company of gamblers. Their language was terrible. Whitefield and his friend spent a little time in prayer and reading the Word, and then he said, “Before I retire, I must go in there and testify to those men,” and he did. He went into the other room and told them about the Lord. They listened, but by the time he got back to his room, they were as bad as ever. His friend said to him, “Brother Whitefield, what did you gain by that?” And he said, “I gained a soft pillow. I can now go to sleep.” (Edward Drew, Studies in the Pauline Epistles.)

George Whitefield had a burden for lost souls. He loved the unlovely. Even though his words appeared to fall on deaf ears, he could rest easy that evening having shared the gospel and warned these ungodly men of the judgment to come. I fear sometimes that believers are so busy majoring on minors that they fail to realize that lost souls are slipping away to a Christless eternity, while they are trying to prove a point.

May the lesson that we learn from Calvary be this: a humble heart is one that can be greatly used of God. As it has been said, “The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all! Humility is that grace that, when you know you have it, you have lost it!” THE END!