Category: The Fear of The Lord

God’s Jewels.

Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.

And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

Malachi 3: 16-17 Amplified Bible

“This was not a fear based on feelings but was the result of hearing, learning and responding to who God is from His word. Those who feared God would keep his commandments, walk in righteousness, and put aside anything that would hinder worship and service to Him.

Those who feared the Lord received wisdom from God, which brought blessing and favor.”

Messenger of Rebuke and Renewal – David M. Levy, p. 93

Should Christians Read The Old Testament?

“Nothing in Scripture is written in vain. God had wise and gracious purposes towards us in leaving the Jewish history upon record; and it is our wisdom and duty to receive instruction from it.”

Matthew Henry

Some Christian pastors believe that Christians should “unhitch” their faith from the Old Testament. I strongly, strongly disagree with them. The following is one reason why.

In I Corinthians 9:27 Paul said “…but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified”. Paul did not want to be disqualified from serving God in the gospel cause but he knew it was a possibility, if he did not control his body. He had received instructions from the Old Testament examples of people not controlling their body and being disqualified from serving God. In the original letter to the Corinthians there were no chapter divisions, therefore chapter 9:27, is followed immediately by chapter 10: 1-11, where he warns us about being disqualified:


[1] … For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;

[2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

[3] and all ate the same spiritual food;

[4] and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

[5] Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

[6] Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.

[7] Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO play.”

[8] Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

[9] Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

[10] Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

[11] Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

[12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” (Emphasis added)

As you can plainly see in verses six and eleven, Paul tells these New Testament Christians that Old Testament events “happened as examples for us” and “they were written for our instruction…”.

Why?

“…so that we” (New Testament believers) “would not crave evil things as they“ (Old Testament Israel) “also craved.” (V6) And suffer punishment from God (v 5).

The Amplified Bible puts it this way:

Now these things are examples (warnings and admonitions) for us not to desire or crave or covet or lust after evil and carnal things as they did. [Num. 11:4, 34.] (Verse 6)

And

“Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction…” (verse 11)

You do not need a theological degree to understand that. Paul cites four Old Testament events to warn these New Testament Christians that craving or lusting after evil things will bring the chastisement of the Lord:

1. The idolatry with the golden calf in Exodus 32: 4-6 (verse 7);

2. immorality with Moabite women in Numbers 25:1-9 (verse 8);

3. testing the Lord when the serpents attached in Numbers 21:4-9 (verse 9); and

4. grumbling in response to God’s severe treatment of Koran in Numbers 16:1-50 (verse 10).

God’s character did not change from the Old Testament period to the New Testament period and He is the SAME today as He was back then, therefore, He can warn His New Testament children not to be involved in idolatry, immorality, testing the Lord or grumbling using Old Testament Israel as an example. Because HE remains the same. What was an abomination to Him in the Old is still an abomination now in the New. What He highly esteemed then, He highly esteems now. God has not changed.

In closing, first read the Old and New Testaments and receive wisdom and instruction from both. Secondly, Paul summed up this discourse with a warning (verse 12) which Matthew Henry addresses:

“…let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” Note: The harms sustained by others should be cautions to us. He that thinks he stands should not be confident and secure, but upon his guard. Others have fallen, and so may we. And then we are most likely to fall when we are most confident of our own strength, and thereupon most apt to be secure, and off our guard. Distrust of himself, putting him at once upon vigilance and dependence on God, is the Christian’s best security against all sin.”

Thank you for your time. God bless you. Carl

Real Evidence That You Love Lord Jesus

“…, that one is he who is loving me…”

If you ask people if they love Jesus and what is the evidence of their love, you would get a variety of answers.  Some would say that they go to church frequently or are church members.  Others would say that they love their fellow man and do no harm to others; maybe some would say they fast certain things during the year or that they pray.  Some would say they go on pilgrimages to holy sites, give of their money or keep their denominational traditions.

In the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus told us how He determines if we really love Him or we are just honoring Him with our words, but our hearts (who we really are) are far from Him.  Listen to what He said in John 14: 21 (Wuest Expanded Translation):

“He who has my commandments and habitually keeps them, that one is he who is loving me with a divine and self-sacrificial love.”

On this blog we have quoted the Apostle John in I John numerous times writing about habitually practicing righteousness.  John was at the last supper when Jesus said this. That is where he received this truth.

Lord Jesus goes on to describe what happens when we habitually keep His commandments:

“And he who is loving me thus, shall be loved with this same kind of love by my Father, and I shall love him with a divine and self-sacrifical love, and I shall disclose myself to him.” (22)

God the Father poured out this kind of love on the world (John 3:16) when He sent His Son to the cross to bear the guilt and penalty of our sins.  And He continues to do so when we are obedient to the gospel and are born again.

But there is more. His disciples thought that Jesus was about to “disclose” Himself as the conquering Messiah to the nation of Israel.  The mother of James and John had already approached Jesus about her two sons being seated in places of honor in His messianic court. So one of the disciples asked Him why He was going to disclose Himself to them and not the whole world. Here is His reply:

“Answered Jesus and said to him, If anyone as a habit of life loves me with a divine and self-sacrificial love, my word he will keep, and my Father will love him, and to him we shall come, and an abiding place with him we shall make for ourselves. He who is not habitually loving me with a divine and self-sacrificial love, my words he is not keeping.  And the word which you are hearing is not mine but belongs to Him who sent me, the Father.” (23-24)

Now this is very amazing! The God of the universe is going to come and abide in us. How does this happen?

“This things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. And the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my Name, that One will teach you all things and recall to your mind all things which I spoke to you.” (25-26)

In Acts 2: 38 the people cried out , “What shall we do”, after hearing the first gospel message.  Peter told the Passover crowd to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  These people were obedient to the gospel message and the Holy Spirit set them apart (i.e. sanctified them) to the Lord Jesus and they were sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1).  In other words, the Lord Jesus and The Father came and made their abode with these converts through the Holy Spirit.  And God does the same for us when we are obedient to the gospel message.

This is what the Apostle John is telling us in I John 1: 3-4 when he writes:

“…what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. (NASB)

Amazing! We born again believers in Jesus Christ have the privilege of fellowshipping  with God Almighty today and everyday.   John goes on to tell us how our behavior affects this fellowship.  I John 1: 5-10 says the following:

“And it is the message which we have heard from Him and at present is ringing in our ears and we are bringing back tidings to you, that God as to His nature is light, and darkness in Him does not exist, not even one particle. If we say that things in common we are having with Him, and thus fellowship, and in the sphere of the aforementioned darkness are habitually ordering our behavior, we are lying, and we are not doing the truth.  But if within the sphere of the light we are habitually ordering our behavior as Himself is in the light, things in common  and thus fellowship we [the believer and God] are having with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son keeps continually cleansing us from every sin.”

“If we say that [indwelling ] sin we are not having, ourselves we are leading astray [nobody else], and the truth is not in us. If we continue to confess our sins, faithful is He and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from every unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned and are now in a state where we do not sin, a liar we are making Him, and His word is not in us.”  (Wuest Expanded Translation)

The reason John is telling us this he states next in I John 2: 1:

“My little children … these things I am writing to you in order that you may not commit an act of sin.  And if anyone commits an act of sin, One who pleads our cause we constantly have facing the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One. ” (Wuest Expanded Translation)

In closing, two things.

First, is there enough evidence in my life to convict me of really being in love with Jesus, per His definition, or am I a hypocrite like the people in Mark 7:6 to which the Lord said:

“And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

In Luke 6:46 Jesus asked the question “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?

Secondly, the Apostle John is telling the born again believer that our indwelling sinful nature, though we are dead to it, has not been eradicated from our being.  Therefore, we will occasionally sin and, when we do, we need to confess that sin to maintain fellowship with our Father. (Notice I said fellowship and not relationship. Because of our faith in the work of Christ on the Cross, our relationship is secure with the Father.)

He not only immediately forgives us but the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness, i.e. habitual sins of ignorance that we are walking in but are not aware of yet.  What a merciful God!!!

My friends, it all boils down to a simple question for everyone: Is Christ Lord of your life?

I hope you enjoy the fellowship with your heavenly Father and His Holy Son today.  Walk in the light as He is in the light.

Carl