Blessed are they ... Read more ...

• Blessed are they ... - The Greek word, makarios (G3107), is correctly translated as “blessed” in the King James, or Authorized, Version of our English Bible. It is improperly translated as “happy” in many other translations. Happiness depends upon what happens to us on the outside and is totally dependent upon ones circumstances and welfare – that is what happens at critical points in life. Blessedness depends upon Him – Christ – who is resident within the child of God and depends entirely on what God does for the believer in and through the person and work of His son Jesus Christ. It is vitally important that this be understood because the task of the child of God is not a pursuit of happiness but the art of enjoying the God who blesses. For example, we see in the Sermon on the mount in Matt 5, “blessed are they that mourn”, “blessed are they which are persecuted” – mournful people who are poor in spirit are not happy about their condition, the people who are persecuted are not happy how the world is treating them but they will have blessing of God resting upon them. They are not being stimulated to happiness by the happenings, on the other hand, they form the necessary ingredients of the development of the true blessedness in the life of a believer. Happiness is determined by pleasant circumstances which  may happen to us and which we like. Blessedness is determined by our attitude towards the events of life, pleasant or otherwise, because of our faith in God and in His Word. True blessedness is the state wherein one enjoys the favor and salvation of God. The ground for such blessedness is a proper relationship with God. Since no unbeliever can be blessed as this state of being depends upon a  right relationship with the Lord, it stands to reason that true blessedness begins with new-birth or regeneration. Since it is this Holy Spirit who brings this blessedness of a believer it is imperative that we be born of the Holy Spirit so that he indwell us and bring us blessing. A good definition of this word “blessed” is found in Psa 133:3: “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore”. This is the blessing that the Bible is concerned with, and this is what Jesus is talking about in the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes – “life for evermore” – Eternal Life in Christ. . Quoting from the Old Testament Psalm and referring to the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus, Rom 4:7-8 asserts, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin”. Those that God has graciously redeemed have received the gift of righteousness, as Psa 24:5 indicates, “He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation”. Rom 4:6 repeats this same idea: “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth [bestows] righteousness without works”.

Psa 65:4 “Blessed is the man whom thou [God] choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts [Kingdom of God]: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

Psa 32:1-2 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile”

Psa 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Psa 112:1-2 “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”

Jam 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life [eternal life], which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Eph 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

• Blessed are the Poor in Spirit - We are spiritually broken-hearted by our sin. We are spiritually poor because we need a Savior. Before salvation, God has to “break us down” spiritually, and humble us because by nature we are so proud and arrogant as we disdain God and His Word, the Bible. Mournful people who are poor in spirit are not happy about their condition. But the Word of God assures us poor and contrite heart are not despised by the Lord even though they might be miserable. On the contrary they will be blessed: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psa 34:18). Lord Jesus indeed manifested a “… contrite and humble spirit …”. In turn, those whom God has elected to salvation will be “humbled” and will be “made contrite” as God gives them a new resurrected soul (Eze 36:26) and saves them by His grace and for His glory. The contrast between pride and humility is found throughout the pages of Scripture; and one such example is the historical parable of the Pharisee who do not understand his own sinfulness and the publican who is broken-hearted by his sin, found in Luke 18:9-16. Pride comes from self-righteousness and humility comes from “imputed” God’s righteousness.

Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Luke 6:20 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor [poor in spirit or brokenhearted by sin]: for yours is the kingdom of God.”

Psa 51:16-17 “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Luke 18:9-14 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The 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. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 12And 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. 14I 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 4:18 (quoting Isa 61:1-3) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus], because he hath anointed me [Jesus] to preach the gospel to the poor [poor in spirit or brokenhearted]; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”

• Blessed are they that Mourn - Those who have become saved by God’s grace can mourn along with the psalmist in Psa 38:18 “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin”. Godly sorrow, or Godly mourning over sin produces, or causes, genuine repentance because it is the work of Holy Spirit and the Word of God in the hearts of His chosen people. Repentance (based on “godly sorrow”), which is a gift from God has everything to do with Salvation. Matt 5:4 declares, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted”. Those who mourn for their sin will escape God’s judgement as Job 5:11 assures us: “To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety”. Undoubtedly, Nineveh has to be one of the most dramatic examples of mourning and comfort (salvation) recorded in the Bible! when God commanded Jonah to preach a simple message, “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown”, the people of Nineveh believed and repented and “cried mightily unto God” and the Lord pitied them and spared them. God’s answer to Jonah in Jon 4:9-11 helps us see God’s love as the motivating force behind this wonderful salvation account, even though God had warned of impending judgment previously: “And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. 10Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

Luke 6:21, 25 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now [mourn for their sin]: for ye shall laugh. 25Woe unto you that are full! [with false doctrines] for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep [on judgement day].”

2 Cor 7:8-10 “For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Joel 2:12-13 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

Jonah 3:5-9 “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?”

Isa 61:1-3 [quoted in Luke 4:18] “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Jesus]; because the LORD hath anointed me [Jesus] to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” 

• Blessed are the Meek - The Hebrew word for “meek” (‘anav:H6035) is found some 26 times, and is generally translated as “meek”, “humble”, “poor”, and “lowly”. The meek are those who have been “made beautiful” (or clothed) with salvation: “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation” (Psa 149:4). The Bible gives us some wonderful pictures of the “meek”, or those who are “born-again” and have inherited the quality of “meekness” as “the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit”. As we ponder this word “meekness”, we are reminded of the Lord Jesus, the Ultimate Servant, who uttered these words in Matt 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”. Matt 21:5 also portrays the Lord Jesus in such a fashion: “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass”. Moses, as a great type of Christ, is described in Num 12:3 in these words, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth”. Matt 5:5 declares “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”. God will destroy this present universe by fire and create New Heavens and a New Earth (2 Pet 3:7, 10, 13). This is the earth the meek will inherit. This is where only God and His people will live forever in righteousness.

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Jesus]; because the LORD hath anointed me [Jesus] to preach good tidings unto the meek [to preach the gospel to the poor; in parallel verse in Luke 4:18]; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

Psa 37:9, 11, 22, 29, 34 “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. 29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. 34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”

• Blessed are they which do Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness - We read in Zep 2:3, “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger”. So, who are the “meek”? As we have seen above, they are God’s redeemed children. Who are the “righteous”? Those who have been covered with Christ’s robe of righteousness (Isa 61:10, Php 3:9). In other words, all who have become saved will be “hid” from the Lord’s anger on Judgment Day. Matt 5:6 describes these individuals “blessed”. One of the greatest declarations regarding the purpose and scope of the Bible is found in 2 Tim 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. The Greek word for “instruction” in this phrase gives the connotation of nurturing, or teaching, or correcting on the subject of righteousness. Matt 5:6 declares “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”. Psa 36:8 gives the child of God this assurance: “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures”. In verse Psa 23:2 we read, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”. As the most nourishing physical food for sheep is tender, green grass, so is the most nourishing spiritual food for God’s people is His Word, the Bible. We believers “feed” spiritually upon the Word of God in its written form, upon the Bread of Life and the Living Water – the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 6:21, 25 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 25Woe unto you that are full! [with false doctrines] for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.”

John 6:33-35 “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 7:37-39 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Psa 23:1-3 “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

• Blessed are the Merciful - Now let us meditate on Matt 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy”. An English dictionary says that being “merciful” is a willingness to grant “a reprieve from a fate of considerable severity without further implication”. In short, we can say that “mercy is not receiving the punishment deserved”. Thus, the greatest act of mercy is that of God’s forgiving a person’s sins through the atoning work of Jesus Christ at the cross and, thereby, granting them a reprieve from a fate of ultimate severity – eternal damnation in Hell. God allows sinners to humbly petition Him for mercy through prayer: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12). A casual reading of this Beatitude might lead us to conclude that we must somehow first be “merciful” in order to “obtain mercy”, but we know from many other verses in the Bible that there is nothing we can do to obtain God’s mercy – it is an undeserved gift. It is God who enables those who first obtain His mercy through salvation to reflect His merciful nature towards others. In other words, those who “obtain mercy” (salvation) are called “the people of God” (believers): “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Pet 2:10), and God gives His people the ability to “love mercy”: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic 6:8). Although believers do not have the authority to forgive sins, they do have a duty to share God’s mercy with others by proclaiming the True Gospel of Grace so that God may forgive their sins.

Matt 18:23-38 “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses”

• Blessed are the Pure in Heart - Matt 5:8 declares, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”. But a “stony heart” is a vivid description of unsaved man’s sinful condition: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). Rom 2:5 goes on to pinpoint man’s innate rebelliousness: “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God …”. Psa 51:10 is a prayer for God to have mercy because only God can create eternal life in a person’s dead soul (or “heart”) by giving him the Holy Spirit and making a “new creature” of that person: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”. Those who have received the gift of salvation have actually been given a new heart, or soul, and only God is capable of performing such a Divine operation for which He uses the two-edge sword “His Word”. Eze 36:25-26 portrays the reality of the new birth and describes what has to take place: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ...”. The “water” in “I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean” typifies the Holy Spirit and the Gospel: “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3). Heb 12:14 declares, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. Only a heart that has been made alive spiritually and infused with the Spirit of God can see or fellowship with God.

Matt 15:19 “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”

Eze 36:25-26 “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh”

Eph 5:26-27 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it [his elect] with the washing of water by the word,  27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

• Blessed are the Peacemakers - Matt 5:9 declares, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God”. Lord Jesus is called “the Prince of Peace” because he came to bring peace between God and His people. Rom 5:10 records, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”. In other words, if we have truly become saved, we are no longer God’s “enemies”, and our war with God has ended. The peace that results from salvation is called “peace with God” in Rom 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”. True believers have peace with God because of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross that has “reconciled” them to God, as explained in 2 Cor 5:19 and Col 1:20: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven”. It is the mission of every true child of God as 2 Cor 5:18 affirms, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” God commands all of His saints to “go ye into all the world” and to “shew mercy” to the lost by being “ambassadors for Christ” and proclaiming the “Gospel of Christ”. Rom 10:15 announces “beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” which is found in the Gospel of the Bible. The “glad tidings of good things” in this verse is referring to: “... warfare is accomplished… iniquity is pardoned.”(Isa 40:2).

Eph 2:3, 13-17 “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

2 Cor 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

• Blessed are they which are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake - Indeed, Christians are called upon to suffer for righteousness’ sake, and never for evil-doing, as we read in 1 Pet 4:12-16. The People who are persecuted are not happy how the world is treating them but they will have blessing of God resting upon them. The degree of blessedness enjoyed is determined by our response to the creator through faith in His Word and acting upon that Faith. When a born-again believer who is in Christ Jesus lays hold on Rom 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” – by faith, acknowledging that “all” in this verse is “all things” is to be taken literally, he begins to enjoy the blessedness that already is his through faith in God. The more he exercises the faith in the Word of God, the greater the degree of his blessedness he enjoys. This means he will face the tragedies and persecutions in a spirit of thanksgiving and praise. Why and how can he do this? He does so because he is confident in the word of God, that his God is sovereign and that indeed that “all things” of this life are under His absolute control, to the end that only that which is for the good of the believer can come out of it. Even evil deed perpetuated against him by wicked men will be looked upon as tools or agencies of good, permitted by a dear father for the blessedness of the elect. Biblical example of a such a blessed person is Joseph of the OT. Although hated, and plotted against, and persecuted by his brothers, wrongfully accused by Potiphar’s wife, punished unjustly in prison, still Joseph trusted in the sovereign love and rule of God knowing that all things of life are indeed a part of the creator’s plan designed for the good of his elect one. Bible reiterates that only if we suffer for Christ’s sake it is a blessing, not if we suffer for our own wrong doings. After all, we are to pattern our lives after the Master whom we follow. Jesus said in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you …”. But He also proclaimed these words of comfort in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. God used Paul as an outstanding example of “suffering” as he typifies His Master in this respect. When Paul penned Php 1:29 under divine inspiration he was speaking from personal experience: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” and in 2 Tim 3:11-12: “what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Matt 5:10-12 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

1 Pet 2:19-20 “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

1 Pet 4:12-16 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

Gaining the Whole World, But Losing your Soul? Read more...

• The Value of the Soul and Misdirected Priorities - Our modern society places little or no value upon the soul. Man has been created by God with an invisible, eternal soul and with a visible, temporal body. Since unsaved man is spiritually dead, he has a dead soul (Psa 51:5, Psa 58:3), and he is naturally concerned with things that he can experience with his five senses, or his physical body. This fits in very neatly with the Bible’s definition of this world system, as summed up in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. The things of this temporal world are what unsaved man craves with all his being. These things of the world can offer pleasure for a season, but they only lead to eternal death as Jam 1:15 points: “But every man is tempted: when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived: it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished: bringeth forth death”. Ultimately, God alone gives or takes away physical life; but what is infinitely more important is the state of our soul. Mat 10:28 adds this fearful warning: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. Man is not only on the wide road that leads to Hell, but he is oblivious to it, as we see in Matt 7:13-14: “... wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat”. He is a deceived child of Satan as John 8:44 declares: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do”. The illustration in Luke 12:15-21 from Scripture can help us understand what God says is truly valuable and most important in life. This rich man paid no attention to the condition of his soul. Although he was materially wealthy, sadly he was “not rich toward God”. Having wealth can be a great curse, as we have just seen, or a wonderful blessing – it all depends on a person’s motives and priorities.

Mat 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Luke 12:15-21 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said; This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ’Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

• What is Truly Profitable and gives Ultimate Satisfaction? - Even if one were to give up their possessions to feed the poor, or give their body to be burned, it would not truly profit them in any spiritual sense: “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [agape love] it profiteth me nothing” (1 Cor 13:3), or bring salvation. So what brings ultimate satisfaction? Ultimate satisfaction can only be achieved by one whose soul has been granted eternal life by the “Author and Finisher of Faith” – the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible we learn that God Himself is our ultimate satisfaction. In Gen 15:1 God announced to Abram (God later changed his name to Abraham), “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward”. And the only profitable one is the Word of God : “It is the spirit that quickeneth [or makes alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life [gives eternal life]” (John 6:63). However, even God’s Word can be “unprofitable” to those who do not hear it with “ears of faith” – “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [Israelites, the Church in the wilderness]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Heb 4:2). Psa 36:8 gives the child of God this assurance: “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures”. Psa 42:1-2 pictures those who hunger and thirst for God Himself: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”. The Christian longs for the day when he can “inherit all things” according to Rev 21:6-7 and 1 The 5:23-24 assures that God is the one who will preserve them until the day of His coming.

Psa 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Josh 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Rev 21:6-7 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh [be victorious] shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

1 The 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

• What shall a Man Give in Exchange for his Soul? - We know that these passages Matt 16:25-26 and Luke 9:24-25 can help us understand what God says is truly valuable and most important in life, is a person’s soul. Are these verses talking about physical life or about spiritual life? The contrast between “gaining the whole world” and “losing one’s own soul” indicates that this passage is talking about “saving one’s life” materially, yet “losing one’s soul” spiritually in the process. Every human being will spend eternity in Heaven or eternally damned in Hell. Thus, this subject is of paramount significance for each individual. The only way that a person can “save his life” is to become “born from above”. Furthermore, the Bible insists that this salvation is altogether an undeserved gift from God and is predicated solely upon the work of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – the only Savior for sinners. We read in Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. What exactly did Christ offer to redeem our soul? The Lord Jesus Christ was made sin and became a curse as He gave up His life – His very soul : “... he [Lord Jesus Christ] hath poured out his soul unto death: ...” (Isa 53:12) – for those He came to save. We read in Mat 20:28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”. The same Greek word for “life” is also translated as “soul” in Acts 2:31, “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption”. Throughout the New Testament both “soul” and “life” are used interchangeably. CHRIST’S SOUL – THE OFFERING FOR SIN – IS OUR ONLY HOPE.

Luke 9:24-25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”

Matt 16:25-26 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he [Lord Jesus Christ] hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

• Living to the Glory of God and Losing Life for Christ’s Sake - Anyone who has become saved by God’s wonderful grace becomes a “new creature” in Christ and desires to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”, as we read in Matt 6:33. This is a matter of priority. When all of a person’s time, money, and talent is devoted to a higher calling, he is seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. While unsaved man is after “... the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life”, for the believer in Jesus Christ, God establishes a new set of directives that are exactly opposite of those found in the world, out of which the Christian has been redeemed, 1) contentment – “And having food and raiment let us be there with content” (1 Tim 6:8),  2) obedience – “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) and 3) humility – “… and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Pet 5:5b). Of course, only God can produce these traits in the lives of His children as He works in them “to will and to do of His good pleasure”. This passage we read in Luke 12:15-21 teaches, to live life solely for material gain without true spiritual life, will only lead one to lose his soul in Hell. On the other hand, if one has received salvation in his soul, his physical life will be gladly spent in diligent service and loving obedience to his dear Savior as he anticipates spending eternity with Him. A wonderful example of this very thing is found in the inspired words of Acts 20:24 which the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul: “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God”. Paul, under divine inspiration, describes that losing is winning – Losing self-righteousness which is by law and Gaining God’s Righteousness which is by Faith.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness [righteousness of God by Faith], and peace [peace between us and God through Christ], and joy in the Holy Ghost [Joy of Salvation].”

Matt 6:25, 31-33 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

John 12:25 “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

Mark 8:35-37 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his: soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Php 3:4-14 “... touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ .Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: ...”

• The Priority of Proclaiming the Gospel - The major thrust of seeking “first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” is to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ – as Christ Himself did. He also commanded His followers in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”. This is the supreme task that never stops until we see the Lord coming in the clouds of glory. What exactly is the Gospel, you ask? The whole Bible is the Gospel, and the Gospel is all about God’s salvation plan. Its message concerns the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is that work? Matt 1:21 declares, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. Why did he have to save His people? Eph 2:1-3 gives us the answer: because they “... were dead in trespasses and sins ...”. The believer's task to live for Christ and for the proclamation of the Gospel will not be without problems, challenges, and trials. During those times we do well to remember the words of Heb 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin”. Paul suffered greatly throughout his lifetime, and yet it was through these very sufferings that he came to understand more fully that his strength came – when he was weakest – from his faithful God. 2 Cor 12:9-10 affirms that God’s Grace is sufficient for every need.

Eph 2:1-3 “And you hath he quickened, [or made alive spiritually] who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)”

2 Cor 12:9-10 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Kingdom of God is Righteousness and NOT of this World

 

• Is the World Righteous? - The answer is a resounding, NO! Why is this? Once mankind fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, the whole human race became infected with sin. Man's heart is desperately wicked and deceitful. Isa 1:3-6 paints a despicable, but very accurate, portrayal of the “inner picture” of those who were “identified outwardly” as the “people of God”. The big problem that man faces in his inability to see his own sinfulness. He is blinded to it. In fact, he actually thinks he is “righteous”, or “good”. Worst of all man perceives that God is well-pleased with him. How utterly foolish man is! One common aspect of all the pagan religions and false gospels of the world is the notion that man must do something to gain favor with whomever or whatever they worship. However, the Bible says clearly and repeatedly that there is nothing we can do to get ourselves Right with God. God describes the spiritual covering of unbelievers as “unclean” and man’s attempts at being “righteous” are like “filthy rags” in His sight. The fact remains that man cannot be righteous by anything he does on his own. By God’s standard of righteousness even the most moral person is looked upon by God as desperate sinner on his way to Hell. The Bible teaches that no one is good enough in himself to go to Heaven. On the contrary, we are all sinners, and we are all guilty before God.

Rom 3:10-11 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth , there is none that seeketh after God.”
 
Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Isa 1:3-6 “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”

Job 15:14 “What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight? How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”

Rom 1:28-31 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”

Isa 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Rom 1:17-18 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” 

• God and His Kingdom are Righteous and NOT of This World -  Righteousness is a magnificent attribute of God. It is an aspect of His basic nature, the very character of God and encompasses everything He says and does.. The Bible is replete with references to God’s Righteousness. In fact, the Bible indicates that one of His names is Righteous, or Righteousness, as we find mentioned in the New Testament in 1 John 2:1. The Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and His everlasting Covenant of providing His Salvation is announced in Isa 61. God the Father continues to highlight the work of God the Son even further in Heb 1:8-10.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

 

 Psa 11:7 “For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”
Psa 145:17 “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.”
Psa 119:144 “The righteousness of thy testimonies [God’s Word – the Bible] is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.”
1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [salvation] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation [Christ's Kingdom], and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
Psa 119:142 “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.”
Jer 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch [Lord Jesus], and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Heb 1:8-10 “But unto the Son he [God the Father] saith, Thy throne, O God [the Son], is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee [Christ] with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord [Christ], in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.”

Jer 9:24 “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
2 Pet 3:13 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

 

Isa 45:19-23 “... I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside me; a just [Righteous] God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” 

 

 

 

 

• Can Men be “Made” Righteous? If so, How? - Man is in desperate need of a righteousness which can qualify him for Heaven. Only the righteousness that God gives as a gift can accomplish that. Those who are declared “righteous” in the Bible is not because they have done something good. They have been made righteous by God Himself. This righteousness has been given to them when they were given eternal life, and eternal life is likewise a gift from God. In Rev 19:8  the righteousness that is being mentioned is speaking about salvation, and it is compared to clean, white linen – a symbol of purity – a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. 1 Pet 3:18 serves to identify Christ’s redemption for His people, who are referred to as the “unjust”, from sin, spiritual death, and Hell. Here we see the greatest exchange that has ever taken place in this universe. Here we see Righteous God, Who is holy, pure, and sinless become unholy, impure, and sinful. Simultaneously, we see unrighteous unsaved man, who by nature is unholy, impure, and sinful become holy, pure, and sinless by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that is given, or imputed, to him. God Makes His People Righteous by becoming sin for them. One day God will destroy this present universe by fire and create New Heavens and a New Earth where only God and His people will live forever in righteousness. Isa 54 has much to say about the eternal church, and sums up that fact in verse 17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

 

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
Rev 19:8 “And to her [the Bride of Christ] was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
1 Pet 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit”
2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
 

Isa 61:10-11 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of [Christ's] righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”
Php 3:8-9 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith…”
Rom 1:17-18 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”
 

Isa 46:13 “I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel [Elect of God] my glory.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kingdom of God is NOT the Church(es) but “The Church”

• The “Old Testament Church” as Kingdom of God – The fact that the word “church” does not occur in the Old Testament does not mean that God’s church did not exist during the OT period. We can find the equivalent Hebrew word for “church” by comparing Heb 2:12 with Psa 22:22 as follows: “Saying, I [talking about Jesus Christ] will declare thy name [God] unto my brethren [or the believers], in the midst of the church [ekklesia] will I sing praise unto thee”. Psa 22:22 says, “I will declare thy name [Jehovah] unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation [qahal] will I praise thee”. The Hebrew word qahal (H6951) is frequently translated as “assembly” or “congregation”. The ancient nation of Israel was God’s “congregation” in the OT, and God also calls the whole national Israel the “church in the wilderness”, which God “called out”, or “separated from”, the other nations of the world as a “congregation” or an “assembly” for purposes related to God’s salvation program. Although most of the Israelites did not become saved, God used people in His OT church to write and preserve the Scriptures, to bring forth the Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ), to bring about Christ’s crucifixion, and to begin the NT church. National Israel was the first corporate representation of the kingdom of God on earth until Christ fulfilled God’s law on cross. By quoting Psa 118:22-24, Mat 21:42-43 discloses how God’s salvation program was to shift from the Jewish synagogues to the New Testament congregations after Christ hung on the cross because they rejected the corner stone Jesus Christ: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof”. Anyone who was identified with Jehovah God of the Bible and salvation was a part of the “congregation” of Israel, which was the forerunner of the many denominations and congregations that made up the NT church. Since the Old Testament Scriptures make up over 70 percent of the Bible, those who fail to recognize the typology between the OT and NT churches miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program – especially about end-time events. The Israelites were physically “saved”, or “delivered”, out of slavery in Egypt; and, of course, symbolically this is a marvelous illustration of the nature of salvation. However, those over the age of twenty died in unbelief and ultimately had to pay for their sins in Hell. God had simply allowed them to escape from their oppressors. So we can say that even though the Israelites (except those remnant chosen by Grace) did obtain political freedom, they did not obtain spiritual freedom. Spiritually speaking, to “not enter into His rest” (Heb 3:18-19) is to be banned from entering the Kingdom of God, or salvation, which is pictured by the “promised land” – the land of Canaan.

Acts 7:36-47 “He [God] brought them [Israelites] out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively [or living] oracles [the Word of God] to give unto us: 39To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”

1 Cor 10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them [Israel] for ensamples [examples, or types]: and they are written for our [NT believers] admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

Heb 3:18-19 “And to whom sware he that they [Israelites] should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Matt 21:33-44 “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone [Lord Jesus] which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner [of the Church]: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [Nation of Israel], and given to a nation [New Testament Church] bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Psa 118:22-24 “The stone [Jesus Christ] which the builders [Nation of Israel] refused is become the head stone of the corner [New Testament Church]. 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day [Ressurection day, on the basis which New Testament Church formed , when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, Sunday] which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

• The “New Testament Church” as Kingdom of God – God emphatically ended the OT “church age” at the cross when He tore the veil of the temple from top to bottom. Heb 10:20 clarifies for us that the tearing of the veil symbolized the breaking of Christ’s fleshly body to atone for the sins of His people, which opened a “new and living way” into the Kingdom of God. In John 14:6 we read that Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life”. And that everything connected with the former temple and its contents were now rendered useless, though they had served as symbols of the Messiah who would appear one day. Solomon was certainly one of the more prominent pictures of the Lord Jesus in the Bible as he was used of God to build that temple, which was a picture of God building His New Testament church. During its construction, no work involving tools of any sort was permitted inside the Temple, as God informs us in 1 Kin 6:7 “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building”. This decree points to the fact that salvation is not the work of man – but rather the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ. During the history of the world, there has always been a mixture of saved and unsaved people in God’s earthly churches. New Testament Church built as Jesus Christ as the corner stone, started gloriously on the day of Pentecost but soon sown with tares by the enemy Satan : “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man [Jesus] which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy [Satan] came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way” (Matt 13:25). In 1 Cor 3:12, wheat, gold, silver, precious stones represent true born-again believers and tares, wood, hay, stubble represent name sake Christians. God has warned Solomon (1 Kin 9:6-9) typifying the New Testament churches and congregations of the real possibility that they might suffer the same fate as Old Testament national Israel and be cut off. Solomon's 1000 wives (typifying the many false doctrines) have turned his heart away: “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with JEHOVAH his God, as was the heart of David his father” (1 Kings 11:4). New Testament Church is guilty of putting themselves above the Word of God by adding to the Word of God or subtracting from it. The World and its culture has seeped in. The churches have now become like ancient Babylon, a picture of Satan’s kingdom, as Rev 18:2 reveals: “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird”. As sad as it is, God's warning to Solomon came to fruition in 2 Kin 25:9-10: “And he [Nebuzaradan, the captain of Nebuchadnezzar] burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about”. As far as error and unfaithfulness and rebellion against the Word of God are concerned, they have come to believe that they are above and beyond the judgment of God. But 1 Pet 4:17 declares: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God ...”

Mat 27:50-51 “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

Heb 10:19-20 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”

John 4:20-23 “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

1 Kin 9:6-9 “But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.”

1 Cor 3:10-17 “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. 11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day [judgement 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. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned [wood, hay, stubble], he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are+.”

Matt 13:24-30 “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy [Satan] came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

• Spiritual and “Eternal Church” as the True Kingdom of God – King David diligently gathered much of the raw materials for the construction of the Temple, at the site of Ornan’s threshing floor, where he built the initial altar to sacrifice to the Lord. His heir, King Solomon, finished the project in seven years. Both of them typify a much greater King – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – Who in “three days and three nights” would build the Eternal Church, which He came to redeem for Himself. God’s building of His eternal church is the focus and controlling factor for all of human history from the beginning to the end. Down through the ages, the OT and NT visible, physical and temporal “churches” have contained the invisible, spiritual and eternal “Church”. The eternal church is the invisible, eternal body of true believers, starting with “righteous” Abel, who are the elect of God and who have been given eternal life in Christ through God’s salvation program. “Church” is translated from the Greek word ekklesia (G1577), which comes from ek, “out of”, and kaleo, “to call”. Thus, the eternal body of elect believers are those whom God has “called out” of the world (or Satan’s kingdom) and placed in His eternal kingdom – the Kingdom of Christ, as confirmed by Col 1:12-13. It is the true Church, which is an integral part of the heavenly kingdom of God. This is the “church” that God has refers to in Mat 16:18 : “... upon this rock [the rock is Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. In 1 Cor 10:4, the water that flowed from the rock in the wilderness typified the Spiritual Drink of God’s Word – the Gospel of salvation by grace – which flows from the Spiritual Rock, Jesus Christ, upon Whom the Eternal Church is built : “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ”. The individuals, who have become born-again (John 3:3) and who have entered into this eternal Church, as God has drawn them to salvation, are the very ones in view in 2 The 2:13. To what “beginning” is this referring? It is from before the beginning of time – before the foundation of the world, The harsh truth is that if one is not in this eternal Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, then he is in the kingdom of Satan.

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

John 3:3-6 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [typifies Word] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

2 The 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”

Eph 4:1-6 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”