Month: March 2021

20.h. “Desire without knowledge is not good”

Romans 10:1  Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  

Acts 26:9-10    “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.

 Galatians 1:14   And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

 Proverbs 19:2   Desire without knowledge is not good

 2 Corinthians 4:4    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

 Philippians 1:9     And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

This is where so many religious people – even sincere Christians – go astray. They have plenty of zeal but little knowledge. This is a perfect description of Paul himself before his conversion. Saul of Tarsus was a notorious persecutor of Christians before Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus.  Knowing the bible inside out, reading it endlessly, attending church services faithfully, etc…, are all good things to be zealous about.  But, what is missing?  There is a key element missing or not placed first ahead of all this zealous action. What is the purpose of these zealous actions?  What reason can you give to be zealous in these matters?  You can do everything right (in your own eyes and understanding and knowledge) and still be so very wrong.  

Jesus Christ is to be honored in all we do, say, and think.  Being zealous for this alone we bring all other godly living in-line.  When our zealous actions omit honor and glory to Jesus Christ first, then they are wrong.  When we want to take or receive honor and glory for our zealous actions, or if we want to share honor and glory with Jesus Christ, we lack knowledge and understanding.  ALL honor and glory are His.  Any zealous acts, thoughts, words, should only be zealous for bringing honor and glory to Him.  Being zealous will have a purpose, otherwise, why would you be zealous.  Herein lies the issue. Purpose!  If our hearts,  minds, and soul have a deep zealous desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ, then our zealous purpose has meaning.  If our hearts, minds, and souls have a deep zealous desire to know and understand Him more and more, then our zealous purpose has meaning. Being zealous apart from bringing all honor and glory to Jesus Christ is fruitless. Desire and being zealous without knowledge is not good.

20.g. “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 

Romans 9:30  What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.  They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

 1 Corinthians 1:23   but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,

 John 6:27-29     Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”  Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

 Acts 16:30-34     Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

 1 John 5:12   Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

By all appearances, the Gentiles found righteousness even though it did not seem that they really looked for it. By all appearances, Israel seemed to work for the righteousness of God with everything it had, but did not find it. What was the difference? Why did the unlikely Gentiles find righteousness, when the likely Jews did not? Because the Gentiles pursued the righteousness of faith, and the Jews pursued the law of righteousness. The Gentiles who were saved came to God through faith, receiving His righteousness. The Jews who seem to be cast off from God tried to justify themselves before God by performing works according to the law of righteousness. (Guzik)

There appears to be this huge stone that trips many multitudes of people up. Rather than trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus Christ alone they choose to either flat out deny one true God exists and this is His plan and purpose for mankind, neglect, and complacency toward things of God and thereby can not recognize the difference between the worldly and things of God, or they, like many try to be right before God by performance (doing things that seem right in their own eyes as a means to be acceptable before God).  All of these will lead people straight to hell for eternity.  Don’t get me wrong about good works.  We are to do good works, but not so that we are right before God, but rather to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ.  

Surrender of self-reliance, self-worth, and self-independence to belief, faith, trust, reliance, and obedience in, too, and on Jesus Christ alone is God’s plan and purpose for all of mankind.  His Word says we should know Him by the mere fact of creation, but what has man done? They say creation was from a big bang that happened before time and from the existence of nothing.  His Word says we should believe and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, but many have deemed this to be nothing more than a fairy tale.  His Word says the only way to be right in God’s eyes is to believe in, cling to, trust in, and rely on Jesus Christ alone, but many have turned this into works of themselves so that by doing them God is, by some means, required or obligated to give us eternal life.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift from God.  Other than believing faith, trust,  and reliance in Jesus Christ will anyone receive this gift from God.

20.f. “They will be called sons of the living God.’”

Romans 9:25  “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called sons of the living God.’”

 1 Peter 2:10     Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

It is no small act of love and mercy that God has called us sons of the living God.  We were not, in the flesh, born into this relationship with God.  We were not, at any point of our life, good enough or doing good enough things to warrant being adopted by God.  All of us were living apart from God without any hope of eternal life.  Oh, we may think we deserve it or that a loving God will never condemn us to hell, but the truth is there are a heaven and a hell.  Both are reserved for the final destiny of every person ever born. God’s Word makes this very clear.  Unless a person is born again (having recognized their sin and God’s offer of redemption and salvation, repenting, and choosing to trust in, cling to, rely on, and believe in Jesus Christ, surrendering all self-reliance and self-worth, living to honor, glorify, and obey God) by default they have joined all others who have by neglect, complacency, rejection, or denial in their destiny in eternal hell.  There are two destinies in eternity.  Heaven will be with God the Father and all who have believed, repented, and by faith have trusted Jesus Christ.  Hell will be with all who have rejected or denied the need of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

It is no small act of grace and love by God that we may be called the sons of the living God.

20.e. “Come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil”

2 Corinthians 7:10 The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret.

2 Timothy 2:25   God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Jonah 3:8  but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way

Acts 3:19  Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

Acts 11:18  When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

What is revival? It is when the Spirit of God using the Word of God motivates the people of God to do what? To obey the will of God. That is the third ingredient for revival: there must be a response to the Spirit of God. We see that in Nehemiah 8. When the Israelites heard the Word of God, they were moved by genuine emotion. Verse 9 says, “All the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.” What is it that caused them to weep? If you have drifted away from God and you start hearing the Word of God, do not be surprised if there is genuine grief when you suddenly realize how far you have fallen short of God’s plan for your life. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul said, “The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret . . . but the sorrow of the world produces death.” There is a kind of grief that is not good. It causes you to live with regrets about your past, thinking, “How could God ever use me?” If grief causes you to be paralyzed, that is not from God. That is from Satan. God wants us to be awakened to our sin so that we can be delivered from our sin. A true, godly sorrow leads to repentance. So what did Nehemiah and Ezra say to the people? “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). They were saying, “Do not be sorrowful forever about your sin. Today is a day for great rejoicing, because the fact that you are aware of your sin means that the Holy Spirit of God is working in your life.”  (Jerehiah)

20.d. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy”

Romans 9:14   What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Exodus 33:19  Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

God’s mercy is not something we earn or deserve.  We have done nothing or can do nothing that would obligate God to give and show mercy toward us.  It is out of His love that He looks on His creation and offers mercy through Jesus Christ to all who would believe in Him.  It is out of His love that mercy is given to us so that through Jesus Christ those who humbly surrender, repent, trust, and obey are promised eternal life. 

Our sinful nature leads us to believe that this is how we were created, imperfect.  However, we were created perfectly.  In this perfection, we were created with free will.  We were created with free will to continually be in the presence of God in obedience.  We were created with free will to love and trust God.  However, Adam, in this free will chose to disobey God.  He willingly chose to disobey and our sinful nature was born into man forevermore.  His disobedience gave birth to sin and separation from God.  In our sinful nature, there is nothing that deserves mercy from God.  Adam was made perfect but chose to be imperfect through disobedience.  Since Adam, disobedience has continued to mature and manifest its self through self-worth, self-desire, self-reliance, self-gain, self-first, self-centered, self-honor, etc……….  We may ask “why have you made me like this?” When in fact mankind, through Adam, we willingly chose to be like this.  God is not to fault and we are without excuse. We are without any hope were it not for God’s mercy.  

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”  God’s mercy and love demonstrated.  This offer of restoration to God is because of His love and mercy toward His creation.  It can never be earned by any act we attempt to do to deserve it.  Jesus Christ was God’s mercy gift of Love.  Adam was given free will and chose to disobey, and now God has sent His Son to redeem man by giving us the means to be made right with Him.  Each person is given free will to choose to believe in this mercy gift through Jesus Christ, humbly surrendering, repenting, obeying, trusting, and believing in Him alone, not anything of self.  Just as Adam had free will and chose to disobey, we have free will to either believe, trust, honor, surrender, repent, and obey, or disobey.  God’s gift of mercy is nothing to take passing notice of, give lip service towards, become complacent towards, or neglect.  Eternity in heaven or eternity in hell awaits us all and we have been given free will to choose.

20.c. “The Lord knows those who are his”

Romans 8:29   For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

 Psalms 1:6   for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

 Jeremiah 1:5   “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;

 2 Timothy 2:19   But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

 Revelation 13:8    and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

 Ephesians 1:5   he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

 Ephesians 1:11   In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Predestination can be easy or hard to understand.  I think it is easier when you become saved, born again, and made new.  It is hard as concrete to understand apart from believing in God, Jesus Christ, and the work that was done on the cross for our redemption, salvation, and forgiveness.  It is hard to fully understand God’s omnipresence, omnipotent, and omniscience.  All-knowing, all-powerful, all presence, Creator, alpha and omega, beginning and end, all truth, righteous, Holy, is our God.  If possible to say, eternal past and eternal future.  Before the foundation of creation, He predestines to call us and for us to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.  Satan will put doubts into our hearts and minds.  He will lead us to believe God can’t or won’t or just plain doesn’t have any idea what He is doing, or that if He does, He certainly won’t do it for the likes of us.  But, He did and certainly does.  He already knows who will, or won’t, surrender to His calling of repentance and belief, trust, and hope in Jesus Christ.  He knows who will harden their hearts and those who will humbly surrender to His plan and purpose of redemption.  He has prepared a place for both.  To those who harden their hearts, He has prepared eternal Hell and forever separated from Him.  To those who humbly surrendered He has prepared eternal heaven and forever present with Him.  

If you find predestination hard to understand, yield to Him first, then allow His word to begin to give you a glimpse of His will, purposes, and plans.  Certainly, we will only see glimpses of this but what we see will over-shadow all doubts and fill our hearts, minds, and souls with peace and assurance.

20.b. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. “

Romans 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

 Genesis 50:20    As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

 Jeremiah 24:6-7   I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

 2 Corinthians 4:15-17    For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

 Psalms 46:1-2  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

 Ephesians 3:11    This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

 2 Timothy 2:19   But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

God’s sovereignty and ability to manage every aspect of our lives is demonstrated in the fact that all things work together for good to those who love God, though we must face the sufferings of this present time. God is able to make even those sufferings work together for our good and His good. God is able to work all things, not some things. He works them for good together, not in isolation. This promise is for those who love God in the Biblical understanding of love, and God manages the affairs of our life because we are called according to His purpose.

It is not hard to state, “All things work together for good” when things are going well.  It is when we get side-swiped by something totally unexpected.  It comes in many forms, health, relationships, finances, accident, family, employment, etc…  One day everything is going well and then BAM something hits us from out of the blue to seemingly mess up our lives.  It is hard to say “all things work together for good” but even harder to believe it when we say it.  These trials or troubles will certainly test our faith, but should never take us to a place where we question God’s love or purpose or will for our lives.  When trials/troubles explode into our lives is when doubts, worry, anger, frustration, fear, and a host of other thoughts can overwhelm us. Faith is not, and should not be based solely on how “Good” things are.  This side of eternity will always have moments of trials/troubles that will attack our faith and trust in the purposes and will of God.  It is in these moments that we fall on our knees and lay our burden at His feet.  It is in these hurts and uncertainties that we, by faith, trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus Christ more deeply. It is ok to tell God about our fears, hurts, worries, frustrations that have overwhelmed us.  He already knows and will work all things together for good.