3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude. (Luke 22:3-6)
Judas made a choice to betray Jesus. The fact that Satan entered Judas does not at all suggest he lost his freewill in the matter. Satan set the enticement before him, and he gave into the temptation. It is the same with all temptation to sin: An enticement coupled with a person’s own desires (“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed”, James 1:14). The tempter can be resisted: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). No one forces you to sin; the choice is yours. And, so is the accountability before God. The wages of sin is death. God gift is “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Choosing sin brings death. Choose faith in Jesus (Matt. 11:28-30; 7:21-23; Lk. 6:46).
15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:15–17)
Why preach the gospel? Because it is God’s power to save the lost. Why does the gospel possess such power? Because it reveals “the righteousness of God”. That is, the gospel reveals the means by which God counts sinners righteous; it is “by faith” (Rom. 5:1). Plus, the gospel produces personal faith in Jesus (Rom. 10:17). This is the thesis statement of Romans. The gospel teaches us how God saves sinners. The gospel teaches us about the personal faith we must have in Jesus in order to be saved. That is why the gospel must be preached.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:15-19)
The Lord “knows those who are His”; they are approved before Him (verse 19, 15). We must present ourselves “approved to God” by properly handling God word to avoid error and to depart iniquity. Hymenaeus and Philetus failed to do so. They strayed from the truth and overthrew the faith of others with their error. It matters what we believe, teach and practice! If it does not, then why this warning? Clearly, here are Christians who lost their souls – not because God cannot save, but because they “strayed concerning the truth” (cf. Isaiah 59:1-2). Beware, lest you fall (1 Cor. 10:12).
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.” (Joshua 6:1-5)
A clearer picture of salvation “by grace…through faith” could not be given. Israel took Jericho by grace: “God has given you the city” (verse 2, 16). Yet, their faith in God had to be obedient for seven days (verses 3-5). Then, the walls would “fall down flat” (verse 5). Similarly, sinners are saved by God’s grace when, by faith, they obey Him (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38-41; Titus 3:5). Obedience does not earn salvation any more than it earned Jericho. Yet without obedient faith, the gift is not received (the walls would not have fallen until Israel obeyed God). Saving faith is obedient as it relies on God’s grace for salvation.
25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (John 12:25-26)
When you serve Jesus Christ you value His will more than life itself. Are you willing to lose your life for Jesus? Perhaps the more pertinent and pressing question is, Are you willing to live for Jesus? If so, then follow Him. Being His servant is far more than saying you love Jesus; it is following His word first and always. By following Jesus the Father will hold you dear and your life is preserved for eternal life.
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. (Psalm 107:1-3)
In this psalm of thanksgiving for divine deliverance we learn why God is good. His enduring mercy redeems the captives from the clutches of their enemies. God is depicted as gathering from the four corners of the earth those who had been exiled by their enemy. Just as God gathered a remnant of Israel from Assyrian and Babylonian captivity, even now by the gospel of Christ He gathers a “remnant of grace” (Isa. 10:21-24; 11:10-11; Rom. 11:5). Redemption from the hand of our enemy (sin) proclaims the good mercy of God. It is why we continually give Him thanks.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)
The apostle expresses two reasons for being thankful to God for the Christians in Thessalonica. First, he viewed himself under moral obligation to do so; he was duty bound to be thankful. Secondly, it was entirely proper to do so because of their evident faith and brotherly love that endured and grew in the face of “persecutions and tribulations”. Joined with Paul’s thanksgiving to God was his ready endorsement of the brethren to the churches. Our lesson is simply, yet clear. We are to be thankful for our brethren because it is the right thing to do. And especially when their lives exhibit worthy examples for us and others. “In everything give thanks” must constantly govern our attitude toward God and His children (1 Thess. 5:18).
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3)
The cherished hope of the Christian is built upon unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. His redemptive sacrifice and present exaltation in heaven gives us unyielding resolve to trust His every word and reverently obey Him. Jesus Christ will come again and take us to our eternal, heavenly home. Be at peace in your heart.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
Bitterness is like acid eating through one’s heart. Gone is empathy, kindness and merciful forgiveness toward one who sins against the bitter of heart. The companions of bitterness are angry, resentful responses, evil words and ill will. Christians must put away all these things from their hearts. This is done by recalling the kindness of God toward us in Christ. God could have been bitter toward us because of our sins against Him. But His kind love forgives us in Jesus. There is no room in our hearts for bitter resentment. Be kind. Be merciful. Forgive. That’s how God has treated you in His Son.
“And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.’ Therefore their goods shall become booty, and their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.” The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly. (Zephaniah 1:12-14)
The inhabitants of ancient Jerusalem, prior to its Babylonian invasion and destruction, had reached a point of moral depravity and spiritual indifference which led them to conclude the Lord God was complacent toward them. He was not. God is never apathetic toward His purposes and His people. Those who trusted in their wealth would see them brought to desolation in the day of God’s judgment, executed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Our lesson from their history is clear: be diligently faithful to God. His majesty demands it. He will not reward the apathetic neglect of His will.
“And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17)
Sword Tips 