Except a man be Born Again, he Cannot see the Kingdom of God

 

• Which is Born of the Flesh is flesh - All men are spiritually dead in their natural state because of man’s rebellion and God’s curse upon the whole human race in the Garden of Eden. The Bible differentiates between the “spirit” and the “flesh”. To be “in the flesh” or being “carnal minded” or having a “stony heart” is not merely defining one’s physical existence, but is a statement of one’s spiritual condition – to be unsaved. In Rom 8:13 we find these words, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”. Mat 26:41 adds, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. This is the accurately painful description that Eph 2:3 paints: “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”. The word “conversation” means “lifestyle”. Gal 5:19-21 itemizes the works of the flesh. Even if a person were to refrain from committing these particular sins outwardly, they would still remain guilty for having committed these in their minds. All sin carries with it the punishment of eternal death, as we see from Jam 1:14-15: “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”. Rom 8:7 explains the warfare that exists between the unsaved person and God, and it underscores man’s inherent inability to be under, or obedient to, God’s Word prior to salvation: “Because the carnal mind is enmity [or hatred] against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”. A “stony heart” is also a vivid description of man’s spiritual deadness. The Bible also makes reference to a dead heart as a “hard (or unbelieving) heart”, or a “hardened heart”. And the thrust of these words has to do with rebellion or stubbornness against God and His Word, the Bible. Rom 2:5 teaches, “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”. Gal 6:7-8 enunciates an exceedingly vital principle: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”.

Gal 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Rom 8:5-8 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

• Which is Born of the Spirit is spirit - On the other hand, to be “in the spirit” or “spiritually minded” refers to someone who has become saved by the will and Word of God. This distinction is evident in the following examples: John 3:6 says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. If one has not been born “of the Spirit”, they are, by biblical definition still “of the flesh”, and hence they are not saved. Rom 8:13 declares, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”. Thus, we are introduced to the principle of sowing and reaping. This principle is inherently active in the life of any person. They will either be sowing and reaping “to the flesh”, or they will be doing the same “to the spirit”. The outcome is also spelled out in Gal 6:8, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Now, what did Jesus mean by this statement in John 11:25, “... he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”? He is speaking about the fact that all men are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins before God “quickens” some of them (the elect) by giving them eternal life, as we read in Eph 2:56. We read this in Col 2:13: “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses”. We see that these parallel verses are tied together with the Greek words for being spiritually quickened (that is, made alive) together with Christ and for being spiritually raised from the dead (or resurrected) together with Christ. These terms both refer to God’s work of resurrecting and energizing the souls of the elect with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. John 6:63 states, “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”. He uses the power of His Word to “quicken” His people, which means to “make alive” or “give life”. Also, God must “raise up” His people together with Christ in order to restore them from spiritual deadness unto a right standing with Himself. If we have a dead, or “stony”, heart by nature, how can we obey? The only way is that God has to do it for us as Eze 36:26 affirms, “A 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”. One cannot help but notice the numerous references to God’s use of the personal pronoun “I” in the above verse in describing His initiative in one’s salvation. A “heart of flesh” means a living heart. This is also corroborated by the language found in Deu 30:6, “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live”. Using the analogy of spiritual circumcision, “Spiritual Jews” are thusly defined by Rom 2:28-29: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God”.

John 11:23-26 “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Eph 2:56 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [make alive] us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

Rom 8:9-10 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

• Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye Must be Born Again - A term that is similar to “True Gospel” by its redundancy is “born-again Christian”. Actually, the only people who are true Christians are those who have become “born again”, or spiritually regenerated (Tit 3:5), by the power of God. In John 3:3-6 we are confronted with the late night conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus on the subject of the New Birth: “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 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”. John 3:7 says, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. When Jesus referred to being “born again”, the Greek word translated as “again” is anothen (G509), which literally means “from above” – that is, “from heaven” or “from God”. For instance, we find it used in Jam 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above [anothen], and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”. We need to keep in mind that the gift of salvation, which comes “down” from God Himself, is entirely undeserved and is only by God’s grace. It is no accident that Jesus pointed out in Mark 10:26-27: “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible”. The reason it is impossible by human achievement is due to the fact that man is spiritually dead by nature, as Eph 2:1-3 maintains. Remember, the Scriptures state that man cannot save himself. God has to give him salvation (or faith) as a gift, as Eph 2:8-9 declares, “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”. Rom 6:23 further notes, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. John 1:12-13 points out the fact that salvation is not dependent on anything that man does, and specifies Who the author of salvation is in verse 13: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”. When a person is “born of God” he becomes a “new creature” in Christ through the miraculous creative power of God, as 2 Cor 5:17 explains: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. Nothing short of birth “from above” will suffice for someone to “see” the Kingdom of God. As we have seen above, God uses the power of His Word to “quicken” His people as also seen in 1 Pet 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever”. Jesus often called Himself the “Son of Man” because as the “Last Adam” (or the “Second Man”) He represented the human beings He came to save and endured the equivalent of eternal damnation for them in the Atonement at the Cross, as we read in 1 Cor 15:45-47: “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [Christ] was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man [Christ] is the Lord from heaven”.
  

Eze 36:26-28 “A 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. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again [born again] unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Php 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

• Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall Not fulfil the lust of the Flesh - 2 Cor 5:17 describes a born-again believers new nature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. At this point in our discussion, I think it would be helpful to remind ourselves of each believer’s dual nature. Quite possibly the tendency to emphasize one aspect more than the other can shape how we look at ourselves in terms of possessing or lacking assurance of salvation. Let us consider each “side” of a Christian’s whole personality. Even after a person is redeemed he struggles with sin because his body still remains unsaved, even though in his soul he has received eternal life. This is clearly seen in a number of verses like Rom 7:20, “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”. The apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, reveals in Rom 7:25 the Scriptural assessment that a child of God must constantly keep in mind, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. But Gal 5:16-18 and verses 24-25 further add: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]… And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. This internal dualism is the true Christian’s greatest spiritual struggle, bar none, as Rom 7:24 pinpoints, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The deliverance that Paul refers to is found in the words of 2 Cor 5:1-4, which expresses the believer’s yearning to be forever clothed with his glorified spiritual body. 1 John 3:1-3 highlights this as well, adding the dimension of hope with regard to glorification, which is the final stage of salvation.

Rom 7:21-25 “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man [or the soul]: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members [or my body]. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin… ”

Gal 5:16-18, 24-25 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law… And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”

Rom 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Sojourn as Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth

• Promised Land Promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – God first called Abram in Genesis 12 and 13 to leave his country and go to a land that He would show him. God promised in verse Gen 12:3, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” and in Gen 13:15, “all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever”. God repeated that promise to Abraham many times afterwards. Moreover, after Abraham’s death, He reassured Isaac of that promise in Genesis 26 and to Jacob in Genesis 28. Back in Genesis 13, when Abram and Lot separated, and later in Genesis 17, when God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (which means “father of a multitude” ), He said in verse 5, “for a father of many nations have I made thee”. And then in verse Gen 17:8, it’s highly significant that the promised land was to be given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed for an everlasting possession. That’s because they never received the promised land in their lifetime. Since God is faithful in fulfilling all His promises, He will have to raise them up at some point to give them the land. When might that be? Four times in John 6, Christ says that He will raise up those who have become saved on the last day. The last day, of course, is the final day of this earth’s existence, as 2 Peter 3 puts it. The land that God promised to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed thus has to be the new creation, eternal new heavens and new earth. Only then will they have it for an everlasting possession. So “Canaan” is a picture of the Kingdom of God. Dan 4:3 acknowledges, “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation”. And Dan 7:27 insists: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Gen 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee[Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Gen 17:5,8 “5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Gen 13:14-15 “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”

Gen 26:2-4 “And the LORD appeared unto him [Isaac], and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”

Gen 28:13-14 “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou [Jacob] liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Heb 11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise [earthly], as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Heb 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city [new Jerusalem]”

Rev 21:1-2 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”

2 Pet 3:10,13 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

• Strangers from the Covenants of Promise but made nigh by the Blood of Christ – In Gal 3:8, the Bible is giving us a tremendous statement saying that it has always been God’s plan to save the heathen, the non-Jewish people, through faith in Jesus Christ. Foreseeing that, or anticipating that, the word of God announced in advance the Good News or “The gospel of Christ” to Abraham by telling him, “in thee shall all nations be blessed” (Gal 3:8). Abraham, of course, is the progenitor of national Israel. The Jewish people have, therefore always assumed that they are the seed of promise. 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 miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program. For eg; in Gal 4:22-28, Hagar and her children and Sarah and her children are two covenants, “Which things are an allegory”, typifying the two Gospels, the gospel of works where people trying to get right by keeping the law of God and the Gospel of grace where people are saved by God’s grace and mercy. In Genesis 17 God further told Abraham that he is making “everlasting covenant”. The word “everlasting” immediately tells us that “thy seed” there refers to those who are in Christ, because they are the only ones who will inherit the new heaven and the new earth. Everything on this earth will be destroyed by fire on the last day (2 Pet 3:10). The seed in Christ are who are saved by grace through faith, which is the gift of God. God specified in His will that the beneficiaries were to be Abraham and his seed. In Gal 3:16, the apostle calls particular attention to the word “seed”, as distinguished from “seeds”. And that singular seed that God had in Christ, NOT all the blood descendants of Abraham. The promises, as we learned earlier in this lesson, is the free gift of eternal life. As the testator of the will, Christ had to die to activate the bequest. But because Lord Jesus Christ is testator of the Will and also a Beneficiary of that will and because the Lord Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham, all those who are in Christ are joint heirs according to the promise. Inheriting the New Holy city - “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”, of course, is the ultimate outcome of the salvation of all believers (Heb 11:8-16). The Bible is thus saying that there is no difference between Old Testament and New Testament believers, they are all saved by the same gospel of grace; they all have “obtained a good report through faith”, and their salvation will be all consummated on the last day, when they will all receive the promise.

Gal 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

Heb 11:17-18 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him [Isaac] in a figure [figure of Christ].”

Gal 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Eph 2:11-17 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 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; 15Having 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; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Rom 9:27,30-31 “27Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel [as a nation], which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.”

Rom 4:16-17 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law [remnant of Israel], but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham [remnant of Gentiles]; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

Rom 9:6-8 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

• Ye are NO more Strangers and Foreigners, but Fellowcitizens with the Saints – God has been saving a people for Himself out of this whole miserable mass of humanity and has laid the strong foundation of His Spiritual House of believers upon that Spiritual Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is also called a “Chief and Precious Corner Stone” and “a sure foundation” (Isa 28:16 and quoted in 1 Pet 2:6). Eph 2:19-22 declares: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit”. The “house” that God is “building” is the eternal “church”. It is the “household of God”, which is also called “an holy temple”. Thus, the Spiritual Body of Christ is the “habitation” (or “dwelling place”) where the Holy Spirit dwells.

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Gal 6:15-16 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

Gal 4:26-28 “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

Gal 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Eph 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

• Why have I found grace in thine eyes, seeing I am a stranger? – The account of Ruth and Naomi and their family is more than just a “love story” as it appears on the surface. Indeed, it is a beautiful picture of salvation, and the Lord Jesus Christ as the “Kinsman Redeemer”. Let me try to briefly summarize some of the historical highlights: Naomi was married to Elimelech, and they had two sons. They were from Bethlehemjudah, or the “House of Bread” in Judah, which was to be the birthplace of the Savior. There was a severe famine in Bethlehemjudah, and they decided to relocate to the heathen country of Moab upon hearing that there was “bread” there. Tragically, Naomi’s husband and her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, all died. The sons had married Moabitish women, Ruth and Orpah. Devastated, Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to re-marry, and to return to their parents’ homes. Orpah kisses her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stays with Naomi and utters these remarkably poignant words with great tenderness in Ruth 1:16-17: “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me”. So, Naomi returned to Bethlehem with Ruth, to start a new life. Though a foreigner, Ruth found work in the fields because it was the time of the barley harvest. She worked in a field owned by Boaz, a wealthy man, and she later learned that he was a “kinsman”, or relative, of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz shows great kindness to her; and because an even closer relative rejected his responsibility of marrying Ruth to insure her former husband’s line according to the biblical injunction, Boaz decided to marry her. In time, God blessed them with a baby boy, Obed, who became the father of Jesse and grandfather of King David. It is important to understand how Moabites were looked upon, according to Deu 23:3-4. Briefly, a Moabite is a picture of every unsaved person who shall not “enter into the congregation of the LORD”. That is, they (representing all the unsaved) are under the wrath of God and cannot enter the eternal church – the Body of Christ. Given these circumstances and the fact that Boaz is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, Ruth 2:2 presents a remarkable piece of information: “And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace”. Notice in Ruth 2:2 that grace has to do with how we are viewed by Someone else. In other words, how do we appear in the eyes of God? Can we stand in His divine presence, under His penetrating scrutiny as we read in Rev 1:14, “… his eyes were as a flame of fire”. How can a person who is unsaved, find grace in God’s sight? This is the wonderful message of salvation by grace alone, as Eph 2:8-9 announces. God repeats the significance of finding grace in His eyes in Ruth 2:10: “Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?”. This is the attitude of the believer who understands that he is indeed “estranged” from the kingdom of God and an unworthy recipient of God’s undeserved grace, or favor. Thus, Ruth typifies each child of God who has received the gift of salvation

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”

Ruth 2:13 “Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

• Sojourn as Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth - A very real and insidious problem of life on this sin-cursed earth is that we can became captivated by “… 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 …”, according to 1 John 2:16-17. 1 John 2:17 also indicates that this present situation is only temporary: “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”. Luke 17:26-33 is a fitting commentary of our day, as we are in the “Great Tribulation”, when the unsaved are engaged in the various activities of living – eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting, building – it was “business as usual” for the vast majority of mankind, until Christ returns as “a thief in the night”. On the other hand, Matt 6:24-25 and 31-34 outlines the attitude of one who has been born from above: “Take no thought for your life”, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness”. Col 3:1-5 really pinpoints where our focus needs to be: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”. Deu 31:12 reveals that God’s Word is for all the members of the family: “Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:”. Mat 25:34-39 also describes the efforts of Christians (by God’s empowering and motivation) to send forth the Gospel to those who are “estranged” from the kingdom of God. A believer should be focused on advancing the Kingdom of God, and not become “captivated” by all that is in the world. When Christ returns the believers will hear: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For ... I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ... Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, ... When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? ... And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Mat 25:34-39).

Luke 17:26-33 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. 33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

1 Pet 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

Col 3:1-5 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5Mortify [that is, put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth;fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

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.”

Psa 146:7-9 “Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down”

Mat 25:34-39 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”.

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.”