Author: Daryl Pint

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot.

–Ecclesiastes 3:22

It happens all the time: parents establish strict rules about the movies their child can’t watch, the clothes they can’t wear, and the places they can’t go with their friends–and as soon as the child moves out, all those standards go out the window. Suddenly that child is doing things they never would have done while living under their parents’ roof. Why does that happen?

The fact is, external rules may or may not change a person’s behavior, but they cannot change the inward desires that fuel that behavior. The only way to achieve lasting change in a person’s external behavior is by changing their inward nature. That’s the theme Paul presented in Colossians 2.

Remember, there were false teachers in the church at Colossae who were saying, “Jesus Christ is important, but He’s not enough. To be a card-carrying member of the Christian faith, you need something else.” One group said you need human philosophy. A second group said you need to adhere to a man-made list of rules. A third group said you need a mystical experience.

A fourth group of false teachers in the Colossian church: the ascetics. Ascetics believe in depriving yourself of pleasures in life such as food and drink, sex, or money. Asceticism was particularly popular among Christians in the Middle Ages–they would wear scratchy shirts, sleep on hard beds, deprive themselves of food, or abstain from bathing.

Why would people engage in these bizarre practices? Asceticism flowed out of a philosophy called dualism, which is the idea that anything material is bad and only the spiritual is good. Now, Paul talked a lot about the flesh being evil. But he was not saying our bodies are evil because they’re flesh; he was saying our flesh has been infected by sin. There’s nothing about flesh that is evil in and of itself. The ascetics didn’t understand this. They believed the flesh was evil, and the only way to cleanse the flesh was to deprive it of certain pleasures.

Asceticism is similar to legalism–both involve trying to make yourself holy before God by following certain practices. But here is the shade of difference: Legalism says you earn God’s approval by keeping certain artificial regulations. Asceticism says you earn God’s approval by cleansing yourself of sin, and you do that by starving your body of pleasure. But God’s Word says depriving yourself of pleasure does not make you righteous before God.

John’s vision of the returning Christ in Revelation 19:11-16 reveals marvelous truths about the Lord’s conquest of sin and his restoration of righteousness. John captures many details that show how Christ’s glorious return sets in motion his final battle with sin, thus paving the way for a restored Eden. We examine a few of these features in this column and the next one.

1. Jesus rides a white horse from heaven.

This is in stark contrast to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, in which the Son of Man rides a borrowed donkey. A horse is used for war; a donkey, for peace. A horse is a symbol of conquest; a donkey, a vehicle of humility.

Jesus comes humbly the first time as the Suffering Servant, but he rides with the clouds of heaven victoriously as the conquering king in his return to earth. This illustrates that Jesus has won complete victory over Satan, sin, and death. The pristine Garden of Eden is about to be restored as the last Adam regains what the first Adam lost – dominion over the earth, and immortality.

2. Jesus is called “Faithful and True.” 

The Lord is not merely a proclaimer of faithfulness and truthfulness, or even an exemplar of these qualities. Rather, he is divine faithfulness and truth incarnate.

Despite the names Jesus’ opponents call him – a demon-possessed Samaritan (John 8:48), a blasphemer (Matt. 26:65), and an illegitimate child (John 8:41), to name a few –  he is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He has promised to return, and now he proves once again that he keeps his word. Eden wilts under the corruption of sin. The new Eden blooms with life-giving truth.

3. With justice, Jesus judges and makes war. 

Since Adam’s fall, mankind has rushed to judgment and war, but rarely with justice in mind. Adam and Eve are quick to pass the buck when God questions them about their disobedience. Their firstborn son, Cain, murders his brother, and human history launches into a descending spiral of violence from that point forward.

But when Christ returns, he wages a perfectly just war. The Son of God is neither weak nor aloof. His holiness demands justice. His sovereignty commands warfare against the ungodly who seek to usurp his throne. At his triumphant return, he wages a solitary war – the angels and saints who accompany him are but observers – destroying all who stand on the wrong side of divine justice.

4. Jesus’ eyes are like a fiery flame, and he wears many crowns. 

The blazing eyes of Jesus describe his piercing holiness, as well as his omniscience. In John’s vision of the risen Lord in Revelation 1:13-14, he sees “one like the Son of Man” with “eyes like a fiery flame.” And in the opening lines of the letter to the church at Thyatira, Jesus describes himself as “the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame” (Rev. 2:18).

Jesus also wears many crowns. These crowns are not stephanoi, or garlands of victory, such as those placed on the heads of athletes, but diadema, or royal crowns fit for the King of kings.

The seven diadems on the seven heads of the dragon (Rev. 12:3), and the ten diadems on the ten horns of the beast from the sea (Rev. 13:1), are usurpers’ crowns. The wearers of these crowns claim authority to which only Christ is entitled. Here, Jesus wears the “many crowns” as radiant proof that he alone possesses all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).

5. Jesus has a name written that no one knows except himself. 

When Adam falls, his banishment from Eden severs mankind’s face-to-face fellowship with God. As such, much of what could be known of God is hidden from Adam – and from us.

In a letter to the church at Pergamum, Jesus promises the victor a white stone inscribed with a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it (Rev. 2:17). In the fulfillment of this pledge, disciples are made like our Lord. His own name is to become ours.

One day, we will know what Adam could have known about God – not just intellectually, but experientially. As John writes, “Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is” (1 John 3:2-3).

6. He wears a robe dipped in blood. There is considerable disagreement among Bible commentators as to whose blood stains the robe of Jesus. Is it Jesus’ own blood? The blood of the martyrs? Or is it the blood of the wicked who oppose Christ at his return? Could it be all of these?

Perhaps it’s best to see the blood-stained robe as both prophetically fulfilled and anticipatory. In Isaiah 63, the blood is not Messiah’s own, but the blood of his foes – a foretelling of what occurs in Revelation 19:15-21. In other words, Isaiah predicts what is about to happen to Jesus’ enemies at his return.

At the same time, the blood on Jesus’ robe could be his own – a reminder of his shed blood at Calvary, even for the sake of the ungodly who trample on it. That blood symbolizes Christ’s victory over Satan, sin, and death, and his authority to rule with a rod of iron. The blood of Jesus is redemptive; the blood of his enemies is retributive.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5

In Jewish worship services, the Shema is the most important prayer. Shema is the transliteration of the first Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 6:4, translated as “hear”: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” The entire prayer—Deuteronomy 6:4-9—was given as an instruction by Moses to remind the Israelites of the importance of ordering their lives according to God’s laws.

When a teacher of the law asked Jesus which was the most important of the commandments, He quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Hear, O Israel…you shall love the Lord your God” with all your heart, soul, and strength. This commandment, Jesus said, is the first of all the commandments, no doubt because it is so all-encompassing. Heart, soul, and strength is another way of saying one’s whole self; love God with all your being. Paul’s exhortation to be a “living sacrifice” to God is the same idea (Romans 12:1).

Is there any part of your life today that doesn’t reflect love for God? Ask Him to make you sensitive to ways to love Him more.

A man’s spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God.

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Can we fully understand “Love for God” apart from knowing His Word? Can we grow in this love and its outward reflection on the world apart from growing in His Word? Is our dependence on and love for God growing more and more?

Love for God will result in continued growth in obedience, reliance, faith, hope, love, joy, praise, worship, kindness, gentleness, patience, and repentance. The Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to what Scripture says and how it is applied in our daily lives. This growth in understanding and knowledge and hopefully application is sanctification. As the Holy Spirit opens up our minds to Scripture there is tangible fruit to be harvested. They are called the fruits of the Spirit.

It all starts with our love for God. What kind of love is it when no time is given to His Word? How can we experience growth in our understanding and knowledge if we neglect the food for its growth?

We intentionally choose to seek Him, to know Him more and more, to want to be more obedient, more useful, and more able to truly honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do. This is love for God, not only for what He has done through Jesus Christ but for who He is.

Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

–Jude 3

Two thousand years ago, mystics who had infiltrated the church at Colossae were worshiping angels and relying on visions that were not from God. But mysticism still entices Christians today. What mystical experiences do some Christians today insist we need?

Some Christians say you need to speak in tongues. The Bible refers to speaking in tongues as a spiritual gift. It’s the supernatural ability to speak in a real language you’ve never studied before. Whether or not you believe the gift of speaking in tongues is operational today, it’s important to understand what the Bible says about it. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul said speaking in tongues is the least of all the spiritual gifts. He wrote, “God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. . . . All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts” (vv. 28, 30–31). Speaking in tongues is not a requirement to be a Spirit-filled Christian.

Other Christians say you need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Now, I believe in the baptism with the Holy Spirit. But the Bible teaches that this experience is simultaneous with our salvation, not subsequent to our salvation. Some Christians are waiting for the Holy Spirit to come into their lives, not realizing that they received the Holy Spirit when they were saved. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, Paul wrote, “By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (emphasis mine). Being baptized with the Holy Spirit isn’t an add-on feature for superspiritual Christians; it’s part of the basic package for every Christian.

Other Christians say you need divine healing. They say if you’re physically ill, there must be something wrong in your life, such as a lack of faith. Yet Paul suffered from a physical malady, and he wasn’t healed (2 Corinthians 12:7–9). Sometimes God’s will is to heal, but not all the time. And remember this: whatever miraculous healing you experience is only temporary. One day, you’re going to die. The Bible says we won’t experience real healing until we receive the heavenly bodies God has prepared for us.

Finally, some Christians say you need new divine revelation. There are preachers who claim to have received new revelation from God. But Jude 3 says our faith “was once for all handed down to the saints.” Everything you need to know about God is in His Book. There is no additional information you need about God. Don’t let anybody rob you of your joy in Christ by saying you need a mystical experience.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6

Jesus “marveled” twice when it came to faith. The first was when a Roman soldier said that a simple word from Jesus could heal the soldier’s servant. Jesus “marveled” at this, saying, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Luke 7:9) The second was when Jesus found little faith in Nazareth: “And He marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:6).

Hebrews 11:6 says that faith is required to please God—faith in His existence and His rewarding of faith. Seeking God diligently is not easy—Solomon compared it to digging for hidden treasure (Proverbs 2:1-5). And Jesus said it begins with our will: “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know…whether [My teaching] is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (John 7:17). Building faith begins with our desire to know God, which leads to seeking Him and results in trusting Him.

God rewards the faith of those who seek Him; Jesus’ ministry of healing and compassion is evidence of that. Seek Him today, knowing your faith pleases Him.

Nothing but faith can comprehend the truth.

There are two sides to faith. One is completely opposite of the other. One is faithful and one is faithless.  Walking by faith, waiting by faith, understanding by faith, looking forward by faith, relying by faith, trusting by faith, following by faith, obeying by faith, praying by faith, forgiven by faith, soft hearts and minds to things of God by faith, Kind by faith, humble by faith, patient by faith, joyful by faith, rejoicing by faith, hopeful by faith, generous by faith, etc….. are all on one side.

On the other side: self-reliance, self-worth, denying God, unbelief, disobedience, following cultural norms, deaf and blind to things of God, trust in self or anything other than God, unforgiven, prideful, boastful, greed, seeking worldly pleasures, no concern for eternal life, denying God’s coming judgment, …….etc

Our faith will continue to grow as we continue in His Word and seek His presence and leading.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Psalm 66:18-19

Why are witnesses in a courtroom required to swear to tell “the whole truth” when they testify? So that what they say is true matches up with what they know to be true. If they are found to be lying—saying one thing but knowing another—they can be convicted of perjury and suffer serious penalties.

A judge and jury cannot see into a witness’ heart or mind to tell whether or not the truth is being presented. But God can. In the Old Testament, there were clear warnings about coming before God in prayer while hiding sin in one’s heart. That is, attempting to act holy in prayer while being unholy in practice. In such cases, God turns a deaf ear to the prayers (Proverbs 15:29; 28:9; Isaiah 1:15; 59:1-2). And the same is said in the New Testament (1 Peter 3:12). The first step in prayer is confession leading to cleansing.

When you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that would hinder your prayers.

Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.

There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

–1 Timothy 2:5

According to the false teaching of mysticism, faith in Jesus Christ is not enough to be a spiritual Christian–you also need some kind of supernatural experience. Paul battled mystical teachings in the church at Colossae. In Colossians 2:18, he wrote, “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind.”

One component of mysticism in Colossae was “self-abasement and the worship of angels.” In the New International Version, the phrase “self-abasement” is translated as “false humility.” My predecessor at First Dallas, Dr. W. A. Criswell, kept a beautiful, leather-bound book in his office titled My Humility and How I Achieved It. When you opened the book, all the pages were blank. That book could have easily been written by the Colossian mystics. They prided themselves on their humility.

How does that relate to the worship of angels? These mystics were saying, “God is so great that we could never come to Him. So instead of worshiping God, we will worship the angels.” That tendency continues even today. There are people who say, “We can’t approach God on our own; we need a go-between.” So they try to come to God through angels, saints, or spiritual leaders.

The fact is, God is too holy for us to approach Him. We do need a go-between. But that go-between is not a priest, a saint, or an angel; it is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

The Bible talks about the reality of angels, but they are no substitute for Jesus. Hebrews 1:5 says, “To which of the angels did [God] ever say, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’?” God never said that to an angel–only to Jesus. The writer continued, “Are [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (v. 14). Angels are like God’s AAA service: He dispatches them to render service for those of us who belong to Jesus Christ. But as wonderful as angels are, God never meant for us to worship them. We are to worship only God.