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This is a King James Bible believing site for such things as doctrinal Bible studies, missionary activity, prayer requests, and also for more general posts and some fellowship. The Preachers and Pastors who are featured here generally support the doctrinal positions of Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, most importantly a belief that the King James Bible is "scripture ... given by inspiration of God.". We also are literal creationists and we are conservative fundamentalists.
Though we support Dr. Ruckman, we do not parrot him. You need not agree with Dr. Ruckman on everything, neither is he above criticism. We believe in individual liberty. You will find a variety of beliefs among friends here (within the parameters above), but if you are hostile toward Dr. Ruckman, this is not the place for you.
We consider Dr. Ruckman to be one of the greatest bible teacher ever and one would be hard pressed to find someone whom has more of a burden for souls. He's an inspiration to us and could care less if labeled a Ruckmanite. Anyone that stands on the book the way he has, hasn't faltered with all the abuse he has taken over the years, should be deemed upright, honorable, highly regarded and must be supported, held and lifted up to God in prayer. He's a man of character and fiber in our book of KJV1611 Bible heroes. God Bless him and his ministry.
Introduction
This is a study of Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, Lesson #9 in the New Christian Series.
Our key verse is:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15
The "word of truth" we are to "rightly divide" is the written word of God, the Holy Bible (cf. John 17:17). In order to do this we must have a thorough understanding of what is in the word of God. This comes first of all by READING the word of God regularly. It is good to follow a regular daily plan, and complete a certain number of chapters or pages every day. This will help us become familiar with the stories and characters in the Bible, and we will get an understanding of Gods dealings with man throughout history.
It is equally important to set aside time for the careful STUDY of the word of God. There is a difference between reading and study. One way to study the Bible is to select a particular subject or certain passage of scripture and try to learn everything possible about it by studying related verses. These verses can be found using study helps like the cross references in our Bibles, a Bible concordance, a topical Bible, etc. Comparing these related verses should give us a clear idea of what the Bible teaches about that subject or verse.
Paul writes to the Corinthian Church:
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." I Corinthians 2:12,13
The "spiritual things" Paul is talking about is not "the words which mans wisdom teacheth." Rather it is the words "which the Holy Ghost teacheth." In other words, we teach by comparing scripture with scripture. That is the only way to learn what the Bible really teaches, and that is the method we have used throughout this course. For example, in our study of the believer’s promised resurrection body, we made a list of all the scriptures we could find about that subject. Then, we examined each verse closely, noting the context. Then we interpreted the more obscure verses in the light of the clearly understandable ones. Thus we were able to determine what the Bible teaches about our future resurrection body.
The faithful men of Berea, to whom Paul preached (Acts 17:10,11), should be an example to all believers who study the word of God with an earnest desire for the truth.
These men were commended because,
"
hey received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11
Always remember that the FINAL AUTHORITY for our faith is the scriptures themselves, and the only absolutely reliable commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself. Learn to study the word of God by comparing scripture with scripture, and be careful to bathe your study in prayer.
As we undertake a sincere, in-depth study of the scriptures, we should be mindful that there are dangers. It is interesting to study about Bible history and to learn new doctrines, but that alone is not our goal. Instead, each believer should do all he can to DISCOVER the will of God for his life. Furthermore, he should strive to APPLY the things he learns to his daily life.
We read in the wisdom of the Proverbs:
"A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight." Proverbs 11:1
We must strive for balance in our Christian life.
For example:
.
Let’s not spend so much time studying, that we hinder the Holy Spirit from molding our lives according to the truths we have learned.
James says it very well:
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." James 1:22-24
James likens the Bible to a looking glass (a mirror). When we read the word of God, we see ourselves as God sees us the Bible tells us about ourselves. The Holy Spirit will bear witness to the words of scripture, and HE, who moved holy men of God to speak, will drive its words home to our hearts and minds. But WE must decide if we will believe and obey the scriptures, or reject them in unbelief. WE must decide if we will follow God or pursue our own interests. Millions of Christians around the world take great pleasure in studying the Holy Bible. However, we must maintain a balance between studying the Bible and living a life that reflects the truths we have learned.
Andrew Murray said much the same thing:
"You have Christians who devote themselves most diligently to the study of God’s word, who are delighted with every new truth they discover, or every new light in which an old truth is set before them, and who yet scarce ever meet the one Divine Word, who speaks in power within them."
J. Sidlow Baxter also touched on this:
"In our study of the Bible, also, we need to guard against becoming so engrossed in the fascination of the subject that we lose sight of the object. As we have said, in these studies we want to get hold of the big, broad meanings in the wonderful old Book: but unless the meanings get hold of us our study will have failed of its vital objective. Our Lord Jesus Himself has taught us that HE is the focal theme of all the Scriptures; and everywhere, therefore, we want to see beyond the written word, to Him who is the living Word."
Beware Of Extremes
So we see that even a good thing like studying the Bible can be taken to the extreme. As a matter of fact, there are two potential pitfalls for the student of the word of God that should be mentioned.
In contrast to the noble Bereans (already mentioned), is another group to whom Paul preached, who "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing" (Acts 17:21). Their motive for studying was not to discover the will of God, or how to live a life more pleasing to God. Their motive was to show how well-read they were, and what great authorities they were on the Bible and all literature.
These Christians tend to overemphasize the value of knowledge to the neglect of love. They usually do little more than discuss doctrine, forgetting to live the doctrines they believe. Often they develop some pet doctrine that becomes their hobbyhorse. This is what we might call intellectual Christianity all knowledge and no love.
We never want to become such bookworms that we do nothing but sit at home all the time, studying the Bible. Paul’s admonition to the Corinthian church is still true.
"Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." I Corinthians 8:1
Soul winning, daily prayer, and clean holy living, each of these endeavors is just as important as study. But any one of them, pursued to the neglect of the others, will create a FALSE BALANCE. If you know the Bible well, perhaps the Lord will give you an opportunity to teach the Bible to others in a Sunday school class or home Bible study, even as Paul instructed Timothy to do.
"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." II Timothy 2:2
When the Holy Spirit teaches us the Bible, He does not intend for us to become a puffed up know-it-all. He wants us to actively minister to others, and to apply what we have learned from the word of God to our daily lives as the good Samaritan did.
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him: and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was a neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." Luke 10:30-37
The priest "SAW" the man, and the Levite "LOOKED ON HIM," but neither of them took the time to HELP him. These religious men were absorbed in conducting ceremonies, spending time in prayer and teaching the scriptures, but they had no compassion on this poor man, nor did they show him mercy. When no one was watching, they failed the test of real Christianity. Sometimes we, too, get so caught up in being religious that we forget to have compassion. Being religious costs us nothing, but being the servant of the Lord will cost us everything. It means that we put the needs of others before our own needs, even as Christ did.
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
Have you ever felt led of the Lord to witness to some soul the Lord pointed out to you, only to think you were too busy to stop RIGHT THEN and show compassion? I am sure each of us has done this very thing at one time or another, and have quenched the Spirit of God. We should be careful to take advantage of every opportunity to minister to those about us as their needs are made known to us by the Lord.
As the Bible says,
"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee." Proverbs 3:27-28
Every sincere believer wants to delve into the deeper things of God, and get hold of the meat of the word of God, that’s normal. But we must be mindful of the warning given in the book of Hebrews.
"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." Hebrews 13:9
We know the word of God gives us a balanced diet for our spiritual growth. It provides milk (simple things), and it provides strong meat (deep things, Hebrews 5:12-14).
The main theme of Hebrews is "something better", the New Testament in contrast to the Old Testament. Hebrews 13 contains a warning that has to do with doctrine, especially regarding "meats" (those things allowed or forbidden under the Jewish law). They are warned not to be "carried about" by these relatively unimportant things (meats, the ceremonial things, the letter of the law), but to let their hearts be established with grace (spiritual things, the spirit of the law). It is not only a warning about false doctrines, but also about unusual doctrines of the word of God, it is not profitable to become "occupied" with those things. Through diligent study we can learn about the deep things of God, but we must guard against developing such a fascination for study that we neglect witnessing, ministering to others, worshipping, and praising God as we should. (It is even possible to spend so much time in the word of God that we neglect to spend time with God himself!) The most important thing in our Christian life is our relationship with our heavenly Father. The Lord does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the inward heart motives (I Samuel 16:7). Always remember it is our hearts that are important! That will be the key factor at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Time spent studying the word of God is always time well spent, and we should try to learn all we can. But we must be careful not to become so occupied with dispensationalism, prophecy, the Great Tribulation, or the Antichrist, etc. that we forget to witness and minister to others.
Keep in mind that, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth" (I Corinthians 8:1). To be an expert on the Bible, but not to have charity (love in action), is to miss the whole purpose of studying the Scriptures. In I Corinthians there is a whole chapter about this kind of love (I Corinthians 13) which we need to read again and again, lest we forget the importance of charity. We must feed our minds with the strong meat of the word of God, but our hearts need to be "established with grace" (Hebrews 13:9).
In his first epistle to the young Timothy, Paul writes about some believers who had gotten off the track when they left off charity and faith in their desire to be teachers. (That is what happens to those who put an overemphasis on study.) These "teachers" Paul wrote about had become legalistic. "Desiring to be teachers of the law," they wanted to be recognized and followed as teachers. They wanted to show how much they knew, but were really only showing how little they knew (I Corinthians 8:2). Knowledge is a wonderful thing, but it only generates pride when that wonderful ingredient charity is missing.
"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." I Timothy 1:5-7
Notice that when Paul speaks of his salvation, he recalls the grace and the love of God he experienced.
"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." I Timothy 1:14
Our heart’s desire should be to develop such a deep personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that His love will be manifested toward others in our daily lives. We must have a love for God, a love for God’s people, and a love for lost souls!
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35
" he love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:5
"But if any man love God, the same is known of him."I Corinthians 8:3
The Second Is Emotional Christianity.
The second extreme is emotional Christianity, which overemphasizes LOVE to the neglect of KNOWLEDGE. Folks in this group usually have little systematic understanding of doctrine since they do not rightly divide the word. Therefore, they develop a definite imbalance in their Christian lives. Having little understanding of the mind of God from their study of the scriptures, they know little about the heart of God (His will). Since they do not walk in the Spirit, they walk in the flesh (Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 5:16) and become worldly Christians.
The Bible warns us:
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
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.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." I John 2:15-17
These worldly believers, spiritual walk is revealed by their dress and their music. For example, so-called "gospel rock" is popularly approved by this crowd. What is gospel rock? This is like saying there is a holy devil, the two words just do not go together. Gospel rock is nothing more than secular rock music with enough gospel words in the lyrics to give it a religious sound. It is still the same satanic music written and played by today’s popular God-rejecting, dope dealing, reprobate musicians. The only difference is the words, and even those usually present worldly thoughts and ambitions. Unfortunately, there are many worldly Christians (Revelation 3:14-19) who love that kind of slop, so they keep trying to mix the things of Satan’s world system with the things of God.
Because these believers exhibit too much love and too little knowledge, they teach heresies from the Bible. They often take scriptures out of context, and take doctrine from other dispensations to apply it to New Testament Christians. That is what happened in the Corinthian church, and that was much of the problem addressed in the book of Hebrews. Remember, love must be tempered with knowledge. However, this group places little emphasis on knowledge, except their pet doctrines. While we know that God is love, He still seems to think doctrine is quite important also.
Notice what the Bible says:
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Introduction
This is a study of The Rapture of the Church, Lesson #8 in the New Christian Series. The primary references for this study are I Corinthians 15:51-55; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; Revelation 4:1-4; John 11:25-26; Song of Solomon 2:6-10; and Job 37:1-4.
The rapture of the church is a subject of great interest to all true believers earnestly awaiting the coming of "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (I Timothy 6:15), who will soon return to take us out of this world. However, there are many who lack even the most basic knowledge of this glorious event. While this study is hardly exhaustive, the author hopes that it will give a clear understanding of this glorious doctrine, the rapture.
John the apostle instructs us:
"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." I John 2:28
As His children we should be ready to meet Him with the confidence that everything we have committed unto Him is secure forever (II Timothy 1:12). Furthermore, as His stewards we should be ready to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give a good account of those things He has committed unto us (I Peter 4:10; I Corinthians 4:1,2). We do not want to be ashamed of our lives and works when we stand before the Lord face to face, nor do we want Him to be ashamed of us.
Consider this admonition from the Lord:
"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38
THE BODY OF CHRIST
In Lesson 6, we learned about the resurrection body that will clothe every believer at the Lords return. At that time, the Lord Jesus Christ will change our vile, sinful bodies of flesh into perfect, sinless, glorified bodies like His own. Then we will leave this earth, rise to meet Jesus in the air, and go to Heaven to receive our eternal reward.
However, we are presently living in a period commonly referred to as the Church Age. During this Church Age, God has been forming a spiritual body made up of all born again believers (not to be confused with any so-called universal ecumenical church on the earth). When God saves a man, the Holy Spirit makes him a part of this spiritual body, and establishes his home in Heaven (John 14:1-3; Ephesians 2:6). In this spiritual body there is no respect of persons.
Paul said,
"There 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." Galatians 3:28
In contrast, the physical body of Christ upon the earth consists of saved Jews and saved Gentiles. This was a great mystery until it was revealed to Paul (the apostle to the Gentiles). He speaks about it in his letter to the Ephesians.
"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward:
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power." Ephesians 3:1-8
Paul also speaks of the formation of this spiritual body in his letter to the Corinthian church.
Paul writes:
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many." I Corinthians 12:12-14
And Paul tells us that God,
"
ath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." Ephesians 1:22,23
The Church Age began nearly 2000 years ago when the Holy Ghost was sent down by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1) in fulfillment of the promise He made in Acts 1.
Luke wrote in the book of Acts:
"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:5
It was then that the Holy Spirit began baptizing believers into "the church, which is his body" (the supernatural body of Christ, now made up of all born again believers in Heaven and on earth).
We read in Acts:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8
Believers are to be His "witnesses" to the lost everywhere. When this supernatural body is completed, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to come back and take us out of this world. This event is commonly called the rapture.
The Power Of Death
When believers die, their souls go to Heaven, but their bodies go to the grave, where they rot and turn to dust. In the incarnation, Christ partook of a natural human body so that through death He might take away from Satan the power of death. If Christ had not conquered death at Calvary and taken away the keys to death and Hell, the Devil would still have the power to keep our bodies in the grave. Before Calvary, Satan had power over death, but after Calvary, Satan was stripped of that power.
We read in the Bible:
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Hebrews 2:14
"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Revelation 1:18
One day Christ will return and take our bodies out of the grave by His power, as we are caught up together with Him and carried away to Heaven. Perhaps the scene will be similar to that recorded by Jude.
"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." Jude 9
When Moses died (Deuteronomy 32:5,6) it was the Lord Himself who buried Moses. From Jude, we learn that the Lord later resurrected Moses’ body. In fact, we see Moses appearing with Christ and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-5. The Lord resurrected the body of Moses for this appearance. When He did this, Michael the Archangel had to contend with the devil about bringing his body up, because he was being resurrected before Jesus Christ death on the cross. Since the devil still held the power of death at that time, he contended that he had the right to keep Moses’ body. (The Lord had not yet died on the cross to pay the price of the redemption of that body.) Of course, the Lord simply rebuked the devil and brought up Moses’ body anyway. Since Christ paid the price for our redemption with His own blood, He can now raise the bodies of ALL believers from the grave without contention. Therefore, at His command, they will literally come out of the grave by the power of His word. That resurrection body will be a new, glorified body like His own.
Because the word "rapture" isn’t actually found in the Bible, some object to its frequent use in referring to this event. However, their objections are foolish because other commonly used words like "Millennium" and "Trinity" are not in the Bible either. Nonetheless, we continue to use them because they describe these doctrines so well.
OUR IMMORTAL BODIES
The previous lesson on The Resurrection Body is very closely related to this lesson on The Rapture. At the moment the believer’s body is caught up from the grave, it will be changed. In that new resurrection body, we will be taken up to the third Heaven to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. I Corinthians 15:42-52).
The Mystery Revealed to Paul
One of the seven mysteries mentioned in the New Testament is the formation of the body of Christ (in the Church Age). It was never before understood until revealed to the apostle Paul (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:1-7).
Another "mystery" revealed to Paul is the rapture of the saints, in which "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (I Corinthians 15:53).
In I Corinthians, Paul says:
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," I Corinthians 15:51
As we have already seen in our lesson on The Resurrection Body, the Bible indicates that our new body will have no blood. Can you imagine what it will be like for an unsaved man to be in a church service when the rapture takes place? At one moment, he is in a room filled with people?then the trumpet sounds. Suddenly, "in the twinkling of an eye" (I Corinthians 15:52), all the saved people disappear before his very eyes. Left behind will be nothing but their clothing, and hundreds of gallons of blood all over the floor! Why, the man would probably lose his mind! It will be a terrible time for the lost, but a glorious occasion for believers caught up to be with the Lord. Only then will life for us truly begin, for troubles and trials will be no more.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Old Testament prophets wrote about this marvelous event, but none understood it until God revealed it to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. (That they did not understand the things they themselves wrote confirms the divine inspiration of scripture.) The Bible says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (II Timothy 3:16), and that "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Peter 1:21). Peter verifies that these Old Testament prophets often wrote about things they didn’t understand themselves.
"Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." I Peter 1:11,12
The Old Testament prophets knew nothing about the Church Age and the rapture of the church because it was not revealed to them.
Therefore, Paul instructs us:
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," I Corinthians 15:51
Paul means we shall not all die . That is what he means by the word "sleep" in verse 51. This can be seen more clearly in John 11:11-14, where Jesus told the mourners, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." They did not understand what He was talking about, so He told them plainly that he was dead. In writing to the Corinthians about the believers’ future resurrection, Paul instructed them, "We shall not all sleep." All the saints will not have died when Jesus Christ comes back. If our blessed Lord returned in our lifetime, we would be among those covered in the last part of this verse: "but we shall all be changed." When the rapture takes place, some believers will be raised from the dead and some will be caught up alive, but all will be changed. Our mortal bodies will become immortal, glorified bodies just like Christ body (cf. I John 3:1-3 and Philippians 3:20-21). All these things will take place faster than the blink of an eye.
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." I Corinthians 15:52
"The twinkling of an eye" is not the actual blink of an eye. Rather, it is the motion of an eye when it’s just starting to blink. Because it is so fast, its speed can only be estimated (about 1/1000 of a second). We cannot imagine how fast that is, but that is how quickly the rapture will take place. Just think, if some unsaved person were sitting across the table from you and the trumpet sounded they would not even see you go if they blinked their eyes.
The Trump of God
The word trump in verse 52 seems to be a difficulty for many Bible teachers. Rather than discover the meaning of the word by examining the context, they follow the new Bible perversions and change the word to trumpet but that is incorrect. The King James Bible is God word, and the words in the King James Bible are the inspired words of God. "The last trump" is correct. The "trump" is simply the sounding of the trumpet. Now, there are some who teach that the church will go through the tribulation. They say that the trumpet mentioned in I Corinthians 15:52 is the last trumpet sounded in Revelation 11:15, which blows after the tribulation is over. But the King James Bible is careful to say last trump, distinguishing it from the last trumpet. Paul does not say this is the sound of the last trumpet, but rather the last trump (or sound) of this particular trumpet that will sound at the time of the rapture. Because all the new perversions of the Bible say last trumpet here, they are contributing to the heretical teaching that the church will go through the terrible time of the future Great Tribulation. However, the scriptures clearly teach that the church will not go through that time of tribulation.
Furthermore, in I Thessalonians we read that:
" he Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" I Thessalonians 4:16
The Lord will not descend when the last trumpet sounds, but upon the last trump of this particular trumpet.
"
or the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." I Corinthians 15:52
Since He says "the last trump," it would seem that the trumpet is sounded more than once. It appears that there is one blast that signals the dead in Christ to rise, and then a second blast that signals the living to be changed and go up.
This Mortal Must Put On Immortality
"
nd the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:52). There are two classes of people mentioned in this text, the dead saints and the living saints. This agrees with Jesus’ conversation with Martha about Lazarus.
"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" John 11:24-26
Notice in I Corinthians 15:52, that Paul is careful to say, "WE shall be changed," including himself. (Paul earnestly expected the rapture to take place in his lifetime.) Every believer should live in earnest expectation and hope that the Lord will return to take us to Heaven before we see death. Paul’s deep longing for the Lords return earned him a crown of righteousness, which we can win also.
Paul continues in I Corinthians 15:
"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." I Corinthians 15:53
Again, we see two classes of people that will be raptured. The first class, "this corruptible," refers to those believers who are now deceased, those whose bodies are in the grave. But when Christ returns, these will put on "incorruption." The new body that comes out of the grave won’t be the same corruptible body that went into the grave, but a new incorruptible body that will never again get old, never sorrow, never suffer, and never die.
The rest of the verse ("And this mortal must put on immortality") refers to the second class, living Christians. The word "mortal" means "subject to death" (pertaining to our fleshly bodies). We are all mere mortals temporarily dwelling in bodies that are subject to death. But if Christ returns in our lifetime, we will be changed and will "put on immortality." Our new bodies will not be subject to death. Jesus said, "Neither can they die any more" (Luke 20:36).
"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, [the dead in Christ] and this mortal shall have put on immortality, [those still alive at his coming] then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." I Corinthians 15:54
When the Lord returns, death will be swallowed up in victory, and we will be able to sing the song Victory in Jesus in a way we have never sung it before. Jesus won the victory over death, and that victory is ours in Him.
"O victory in Jesus,
My Saviour, forever,
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood."
So Paul writes with confidence:
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:55-57
There will be no sting of death for believers who are still alive at Christ’s return, because they will not have to die. Furthermore, the grave will have no victory over those already dead in Christ, because the grave will not be able to hold them. He will raise their bodies up out of the grave by the power of His word.
We know that "the strength of sin is the law," and that "sin is the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4). The Law was given so we would know what sin is, and that all are guilty of sin. (Also see Romans 4:15; 5:13 and 7:7.)
At the rapture, we will get our new bodies. Our victory will be complete then, we will have victory over the flesh forever. As a reminder of this, every believer should memorize the following verse.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." I Corinthians 15:58
The Blessed Hope
We turn now to I Thessalonians 4, where we find more about this marvelous and wonderful event, the rapture of the Church.
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Paul admonishes believers to "sorrow not," for there is no need to grieve over saved loved ones who have departed to be with the Lord. We need not fear if we know they are gone on to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. They are far happier over there, with their blessed Saviour in glory, than they ever were in this life. It is a great tragedy then, when the lost die and leave their loved ones brokenhearted and grief-stricken. They do not have the comfort the believer has, for without God, they have no hope.
Speaking about the lost, Paul also says:
"That 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." Ephesians 2:12
How different is the hope in the heart of the Christian! At death, he goes to Heaven where there is prepared for him indescribable riches in glory. He has that sure hope and certain expectation, in Christ.
But hope, as used in the Bible (regarding our eternal destiny) never means simply a possibility that a certain thing may occur. The Bible definition of the word "hope," is found in the Random House Thesaurus,6 "confidence, assurance, or expectation."
We have far more than the mere desire that our salvation might be in Christ, or that Jesus may come again. We know that we are saved now, and look forward to His coming with confidence and anticipation because of its certainty. The so-called Church of Christ, Roman Catholic Church, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other false religions teach that salvation is by faith and works. They take the word hope to mean "maybe" or "possibly" we are going to Heaven. But the Bible never uses this word in that sense. The Bible believing Christian can KNOW he is saved (I John 5:12-13). The basis of his confidence is nothing less than God’s Holy Word.
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." I John 5:12,13
The Christian’s hope is Christ Himself. Because He lives, we know that one day He will return to give us our new, sinless, glorified bodies like that of the Lord Jesus. Then we will be rid of the our old sinful, worn out, temporal bodies in which we now dwell. Believers still strive daily against temptation, and seek after holiness. They all have a longing for that new, sinless, perfect body that will no longer be subject to sin. Then they can serve the Lord perfectly. That is our hope: knowing that one day He will come back and give us that body. It is a sure thing. There is no doubt about it, He will do it.
Some other examples of this use of the word "hope" are found in the following scriptures. While some use these verses to teach salvation by works, we will see that they do not teach a hope-so salvation. Rather, they teach us to have confidence and expectation in a future event.
See what Paul says in Romans:
"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?" Romans 8:23,24
Some use the phrase "saved by hope" to try to prove that we can only hope we are saved (not yet knowing). But reading verses 23 and 24 together, we see the truth. While believers’ souls are saved right now, we are still "waiting for the redemption of our body." The redemption of our bodies will not take place until the rapture when the Lord Jesus Christ will give us glorified bodies like His own. So when Paul says, "we are saved by hope," he is talking about our future resurrection body.
Just as the apostle John when he says:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." John 3:1-3
Verse 2 tells of our new glorified body. When Jesus comes back, we are going to be made like him. That is our hope; confidence and assurance in a future event with the certain expectation of obtaining it.
We read in the book of Titus:
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world:
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:11-13
That "blessed hope" we are looking for is the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ when we will receive our new bodies.
"Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" Titus 1:1,2
The "hope of eternal life" is the "blessed hope" we are looking for, when we will receive our new resurrection bodies that will never die. Our souls have eternal life right now (present tense) , but our bodies do not. Our hope of eternal life lies in the Lords promise to return and give us a body that will never die. That will happen, because He "promised," and "he is faithful that promised" (Hebrews 10:23).
So Peter says:
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" I Peter 1:13
What are we hoping for, "Maybe we will make it and maybe we won’t " No! We "hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." That "grace" includes the new bodies we’re hoping to the end for.
So Paul says:
"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;" Colossians 1:3-5
That hope we are looking for is already laid up for us in Heaven, but the only way we will ever get it is for the Lord Jesus Christ to return and bring it to us. We are not in a "maybe we will make it and maybe we won’t" situation, our hope is laid up for us in Heaven now, just waiting for us. The question is not, "Will we get it?" but "When will we get it?" In I Corinthians, Paul speculates about the way things would have been if the Lord Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead. In that case, we would have no hope, and we would all be heading for Hell. We would be going nowhere but to a grave if He had not risen. But He did come up, so we do have that blessed hope.
"But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ [the ones that have died] are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." I Corinthians 15:13-20
Thank God, Christ is risen! Paul is only speculating about what the consequences would have been if He had not risen. If Jesus Christ had not risen from the grave, Christians now departed have no hope: they are "perished" (verse 1 . And because our only hope would be based on an event that never took place, we would have no hope either, and would be more miserable than anyone. Surely we must give praise to God that the Lord Jesus Christ has risen from the grave (verse 20)!
Our Parting and Reunion
Although the believer’s soul i
Introduction
This is a study of The Resurrection Body; Lesson #7 in the New Christian Series.
This lesson is about the new glorified bodies that all born again believers will receive when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to take His Church out of this world. Regretfully, our bodies of flesh and blood are sinful: they are just no good. Being subject to death, they are dying. No matter how we pamper, exercise, and beautify them, our bodies continue to get older every day, and closer to the grave. But praise God, when we are born of the Spirit, our souls are safe forever. All the saved who are still living when the Lord returns will view a great spectacle as Jesus Christ brings with Him the souls of the saints who died and went on to Glory before us. At that time, we will also be caught up to be with Him in the air; and all of us will have a new, glorified, perfect, sinless, holy body that will live forever and ever. That's what this lesson is about, what our resurrection body will be like. It should give us joy and hope as we look forward to the Lord Jesus Christ's soon return. It should especially help those with weak, crippled or diseased bodies.
Two Resurrections
First of all let's study an outline of the two resurrections.
The Jewish religious sect called the Sadducees did not believe in a literal resurrection. (That's why they were "Sad, U-See?"). But the resurrection is a Bible doctrines mentioned throughout the Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation.
(See Job 19:25-27)
(See Psalm 16:9,10) A double prophecy
(See Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; Hosea 13:14)
(See Genesis 22:5; Hebrews 11:19)
(See I Kings 17:17-24; II Kings 4:32-35; 13:21)
(See John 5:21,28,29; 11:23-26)
(I Corinthians 15 is the resurrection chapter of the Bible.)
(See Revelation 20:4-6,13,14)
(See John 11:43; Luke 8:52-55; Matthew 27:52)
(See Acts 2:32; 4:10; Romans 1:4; 4:25; I Corinthians 15:4-
The importance of the Christian's resurrection is seen in that of the Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Christ is both important and essential because:
If Christ had not risen, we would never have known if His death was sufficient to save us. (See I Corinthians 15:17)
Resurrection power (the greatest power there is) is that which God makes available to the believer in his daily walk.
(See Romans 1:4; Philippians 3:10a; I Corinthians 15:5
(See I Corinthians 15:22)
In detailing the resurrection in I Corinthians 15, the word of God makes it clear it refers to the body of man.
(See verses 37-40,44)
In general terms, the resurrection applies to all men, believers and unbelievers. All shall be raised.
(See John 5:28,29; Acts 24:15)
In specific terms, the resurrection is in two distinct stages. From the Book of Revelation, it is evident these two phases of the resurrection are not simultaneous, but are separated by 1000 years of time. One is before the Millennium; the other after (cf. Revelation 20:5).
(See Luke 14:14)
(See John 5:29b; Acts 24:15)
I Corinthians 15:22-24 suggests a definite order in the resurrection. It’s not only that of the first and second resurrection, but an order within the first resurrection.
(See diagram below of I Corinthians 15:22-24.)
The Lord Jesus Christ represents the first fruits of the first resurrection. (See I Corinthians 15:23b.) Included in this stage are the saints who arose at the time of the crucifixion (Matthew 27:52,53).
This is the major stage of the first resurrection, and corresponds to the rapture.
(See I Corinthians 15:23c)
The Bible clearly teaches that many will be saved during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 7:9-14), but multitudes will be slain for their testimony. These saints will consist of believing Jews and Gentiles (Revelation 14:3). We also learn from Revelation 20:4, that both raptured saints and tribulation saints will reign with Christ during the Millennium. The actual time of resurrection for these tribulation saints is difficult to determine. Revelation 6:9-11 suggests it will be a definite time, though Revelation 7 sees them at the throne.
Since the resurrection involves a physical body, the nature of that resurrection body becomes of interest.
The Bible indicates several facts concerning our resurrected bodies.
1. A Redeemed Body
(See Romans 8:23)
2. A Glorified Body
(Philippians 3:20,21)
Our resurrection bodies will be like Christ’s glorified body. As a seed of corn, when planted, yields similar seeds of corn, our present corruptible bodies shall be planted in death, but shall be raised incorruptible (I Corinthians 15:43,53).
3. A Christ-Like Body
(See I John 3:2)
Our glorified resurrection bodies will have similar characteristics to the resurrection body of Christ.
a. Recognizable?Luke 24:31
b. Touchable?Luke 24:39; John 20:27
c. Unlimited?John 20:19
d. Able to Eat?Luke 24:42,43; John 21:12
e. Able to Vanish?Luke 24:31
Little is said in the word of God about the resurrected body of the unbeliever. Matthew 5:29,30 indicates that it will be a corrupt body, subject to the pains and torments of the second death.
THE RESURRECTION BODY
We have seen from our outline that there are two different resurrections. Now we will do a more detailed study on the resurrection body itself.
The two resurrections can be clearly seen in Luke 20, where the Sadducees approach Jesus about a hypothetical problem relating to the resurrection of the dead.
"Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any mans brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
And the second took her to wife and he died childless.
And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
Last of all the woman died also
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife."
Luke 20:27-33
Of course, this religious sect of the Jewish religion did not believe in a literal resurrection of the dead at all. They only brought this question before the Lord to try to trick Him. Simply put, the question is this: After being the wife of seven husbands, whose wife will she be after the resurrection? They thought they were really going to stump Jesus with that one, but upon hearing His answer, they went away confounded by the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding He demonstrated in answering their question.
Here is His answer:
"And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. " Luke 20:34,36
Notice that in verse 34 Christ begins talking to them about "The children of this world" (the world we are part of now). But in verse 35, he is speaking about another world. He says, "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world." That will be the new world John spoke of in Revelation 21:1: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth." At that time, the Lord is going to destroy this present world, and create a new world.
The apostle Peter also mentions this.
"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." II Peter 3:13
At this resurrection, believers bodies will be taken out from among the dead, while the bodies of the unsaved dead will remain in the grave. The Bible refers to this as the first resurrection. The actual words, "first resurrection," are found in Revelation 20.
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. " Revelation 20:5
After the Millennium, all the souls of the unsaved dead in Hell will be brought before the Great White Throne Judgment. There they will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ and subsequently cast into the Lake of Fire. That is the resurrection of the dead. But Luke is talking about believers from the Church Age, because we are the ones who will come up from the dead. Also notice in Luke 20:35 that there will be no marriages in Heaven. The last part of that verse says, "the dead neither marry [the man], nor are given in marriage [the woman]." The spouse we have on this earth will not be our spouse in Heaven. (I don’t know if that makes you glad or sad, nevertheless it is true.)
We also learn from verse 36 that believers will never die again after this resurrection of the dead takes place.
"Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. " Luke 20:36
"
hildren of God;" that’s us! Jesus said that when we come up in this resurrection, we will be "equal to the angels." Matthew also records the same conversation, and though the wording is a little different, Jesus’ answer is the same.
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." Matthew 22:29
Jesus told the Sadducees they had erred, because they did not know "the scriptures nor the power of God." After almost 2000 years, the problem is still the same. Many have erred in doctrine because they did not know the scriptures, nor the power of God. (False doctrine, especially about salvation, is the result of a failure to rightly divide the Scriptures.) Naturally, false teachers do not know "the power of God," because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Most of them, as the Sadducees, have simply never been saved.
Paul says:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation... " Romans 1:16
We refer to the particular passage in Luke because there we find the exact wording, "the resurrection from the dead." We know this passage is aimed at believers because we are the ones who will come up from the dead. While Luke says we will be "equal unto the angels of God" Matthew puts it even stronger when he says "in the resurrection?we will be as the angels of God in heaven."
There are two very important words in the Bible that will do much to instruct us - like and as. These words are used to teach things by similitude (comparing one thing with another). By this means, we are able to learn about the unknown, by comparing it with that which is known. Matthew says we will be "as the angels, in heaven." This alone tells us nothing about our resurrection body, but a study of the angels will teach us what we will be like in the resurrection.
As we read about in Hosea:
"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets. " Hosea 12:10
The use of similitudes, wherein we find similarities through comparison, is one of the ways the Holy Spirit opens our understanding to the things of God. So, if we want to learn what we will be like in Heaven, we have to study the angels of God, because Matthew 22:30 says we are "as the angels of God in heaven."
The Sons of God
Some believe that angels are sexless. Dr. C.I. Scofield teaches that angels have no gender, neither male nor female. In his note on Genesis 6:2 he gives Matthew 22:30 as a cross reference, because it says that angels neither marry nor are given in marriage. Notice, however, that verse 30 says nothing about the angel being either male or female. However, there are many verses that show us plainly that angels are male.
Appearing to Abraham:
"And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three MEN stood by him... " Genesis 18:1
Now look down in verse 22;
"And the MEN turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. " Genesis 18:22
Now, if we want to know who these MEN are, we will find the answer by simply letting scripture explain scripture. So, let’s see what light Genesis 19:1 can shed on this problem. "And there came two ANGELS to Sodom at even." There you have it then, these MEN were ANGELS . Reading the rest of Genesis 18 we find that one of them stayed with Abraham while the other two went to Sodom. They are called MEN in chapter 18 and ANGELS in chapter 19. Notice Genesis 19:5; "And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the MEN which came in to thee this night?" Here the men of Sodom ask Abraham about the MEN who had been seen entering his house. Also read verse 10; "But the MEN put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house." Look once more at verse 15; "And when the morning arose, then the ANGELS hastened Lot." These ANGELS were MEN. (Go back and read the whole chapter and you will see that I am not taking these verses out of context.)
Now some of you might be shaking their heads right now, saying, "I just can’t believe that." And there lies the problem. When we come to something in the Bible we cannot understand; something that staggers the mind and goes against something we already assume to be true, we have a tendency to reject the plain teaching of Scripture. But, let’s continue our study and see what else the Scripture has to reveal about this subject.
In Judges 13:3 we read "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman," and Judges 13:6 says, "Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me." There is no question, that in this passage of Scripture, " he angel of the Lord" is a MAN.
Again in Judges 13:8 we read, "Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again to us..." And in verse 9, "And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God again..." Again, "the angel of God" is a MAN.
See them again in Luke 24, after Jesus, body had been put in the tomb. Verse 4 says, "And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments." Verse 23, "And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive." Those men were angels .
Finally, we read in Revelation 21:17, "And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a MAN, that is, of the angel." The MAN measuring the wall is an angel.
So, the Scofield Reference Bible errs in its note for Genesis 6:2, in saying that angels are sexless. Angels are never sexless. Angels always appear as men. Dr. Scofield says they are sexless, because he is trying to prove that "the sons of God," mentioned in Genesis 6:1-6 were godly descendants of Seth while "the daughters of men" were ungodly descendants of Cain. That is not true at all. Here is a brief explanation.
First, we notice that every occurrence of the term "sons of God" in the Old Testament is a clear reference to angels. The one exception cited by Dr. Scofields supporters is in the book of Isaiah.
"I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; " Isaiah 43:6
This is not really an exception, as we shall see. Let us now look at Dr. Peter Ruckman’s list of seven things overlooked in the Scofield Reference Bible note accompanying Genesis 6:2.
"Before laying the text bare (with its accompanying scriptures), allow me to say that the Old Scofield Reference Bible, not the Jew, one has as fine a reference Bible as God ever allowed to be published. Its editors were godly men and they have produced a Bible which has kept American Conservative Christianity pre-millennial for half a century. No one can go wrong on any one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity with an Old Scofield Reference Bible."
1. "They forgot that Adam fell. To call any man, in any ine of men, in the Old Testament a son of God would be ridiculous, for the son of God was God’s image, and John 1:12 is for those who become sons of God by receiving the image. One would think this would be sufficiently clear after reading Genesis 5:1-3.
2. They forgot that the designation of sons and daughter (Isaiah 43:6) is not the equivalent of sons of God because the words are spelled differently in the English. (This is a tongue in cheek remark. But how else can a sober man take it when an editor running references on sons of God, or on of God insists on defining it with expressions that don’t mention either designation). The sons and daughters of Isaiah 43 are all Israelites, not pre-deluge sons of Seth! Seth had plenty of descendants who were not Israelites. (see Genesis 11:22,26).
3. The contrasting expressions sons of God and daughters of men (Genesis 6:2) would never allow such a careless and loose interpretation as, the sons of Seth and the daughters of Cain regardless of what the uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation has been. Why would a man insist the text says what it does not say and try to make it say something it was never intended to say to prove his point? Yea, hath God said?
4. If it were the sons of Seth with the daughters of Cain, how is it that the whole operation takes place again after that (Genesis 6:4 After the days of the flood), when all the daughters of Cain were drowned out?
5. If it were the daughters of Cain with the Sons of Seth, how did they then produce Giants? The giants were FONT SIZE WHEN the sons of God came in... etc., not anytime. Do saved people beget giants when they marry lost people? Will you not have to change the word giant also, before you get through and imagine that it is giants in adventure??
6. How can it be that the godly line of Set intermarried when the term godly line is an illusory fabrication of the most non-Christian character, and is not even hinted at in 66 books of Holy Writ? There is a Messianic line through which the Messiah comes, but this line is just about as ungodly as you could make it (note, Judah, a fornicator (Genesis 38; Phares, an illegitimate child; Rahab, a harlot; Bathsheba, an adulteress (Matthew 1:1-6); David, an adulterer; but why go on?) The godly line like apostolic succession is a figment of the imagination...?
7. Sons of God, in the Old Testament, are defined in a book written shortly after the flood (Job 1,2,3 and they are present in time, before Adam is created (Job 38:7). They are mentioned in a connection between Satan (Job 1,2) and the creation (Job 3 . The sons of the mighty (Psalm 86:6) are undoubtedly the gods of Psalm 82:1, note the flood in the context!!"
Scripture seems to clearly indicate that these "sons of God" are indeed fallen angels who have chosen to follow Satan (cf. Job 2:6; 6:1; 38:7). Since Dr. Scofield could not understand how an angel could know a woman (the daughters of men), he assumed these "sons
Lesson Six
This is a study of The Judgment of the Believer, Lesson #6 in the New Christian Series.
The Scripture says:
"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Acts 17:31
William Evans said,
"Just as it is appointed unto men once to die, so it is appointed unto men to appear before the judgment. There is no more escape from the one than from the other."
Some teach that there will be only one general judgment for all, when God will end this present world, and all who have ever lived will stand before Him to be judged according to their works. There, it is supposed, we will find out if we will go to Heaven or Hell. That is what all unsaved folks, and many Christian denominations believe that someday we are going to die, and when we get to Heaven God is going to weigh all our good works against all our bad works. If our good works outweigh the bad, we will go to Heaven; if our bad works outweigh the good, we will go to Hell. The Catholics go even a bit further, teaching that those whose good and bad works come out even will go to a place called purgatory. Although this doctrine cannot be found anywhere in the word of God, the Roman Catholic church continues to teach this unbiblical fabrication of popery, in order to extort money from her followers. Of course, all of these false doctrines are far from the truth, as we shall see. In the Scriptures that there are actually seven different judgments.
The Seven Judgments
1. The Judgment Of Sinners - The judgment that took place at Calvary.
2. The Judgment Of Sons - The daily judgment of believers after they are saved.
3. The Judgment Of Servants - The judgment of the believer’s works to determine their reward or loss. This judgment will take place in heaven after the rapture.
4. The Great White Throne Judgment-This is the judgment for the unsaved dead before they are cast into the Lake of Fire.
5. The Judgment of the Nations-The judgment of the Gentiles for their treatment of the Jew during the Tribulation. It takes place after the Great Tribulation.
6. The Judgment of the Jews-The judgment on Israel during the Great Tribulation.
7. The Judgment of Angels - The judgment of the fallen angels that takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment following the millennial kingdom.
JUDGMENT OF THE BELIEVER
In this lesson, we are going to study the three judgments that involve believers.
1. Judgment As Sinners
2. Judgment As Sons
3. Judgment As Servants
Each of these judgments takes place at a different time and place. It is very important that we know the time, nature and result of these judgments. Our response to them will determine our eternal destiny, the kind of rewards we will receive in Heaven, and the degree to which we will experience the abundant life in this world.
This was God’s judgment upon sin that took place almost two thousand years ago at Calvary. It involved every lost sinner that ever lived (past) or ever will live (future). There, all mankind was found guilty under the law and condemned. The attending punishment in Hell fell upon our substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. As John the Baptist declared, He was "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). By His death, all believers are justified by faith.
"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world [the devil] be cast out.
And I [Jesus, speaking of himself], if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John 12:31, 32
In those verses, the Lord Jesus makes reference to His crucifixion on Calvary’s cross, as the judgment of this world. He was the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." I John 2:1,2
The Pilgrim Study Bible marginal note for Romans 3:25 says of propitiation:
"This word is translated Mercy seat - in Hebrews 9:5. To understand this, we must go back to Leviticus 16. The entrance of the High Priest into the presence of God once a year was made possible by the blood of the sacrifice which he brought. He sprinkled the blood on the Ark of the Covenant, which pictured the throne of God. That Throne would have been a Throne of judgment, but the blood showed that someone had already been judged, thus the Throne became a Throne of mercy. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is said to be the place where the believing sinner may meet God."
The Lord Jesus Christ had to die on the cross, because the judgment of our sins was upon Him.
Speaking of the Lord, Peter says:
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." I Peter 2:24
To be our propitiation, Christ actually became sin for us:
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." I Corinthians 5:21
Furthermore, as He hung on that cruel cross, our Saviour literally became cursed for our sake.
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" Galatians 3:13
After dying on the cross, Christ took our place in Hell. He bore the sins of the world on His own soul, and left them there in Hell.
"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul [the soul of Jesus] was not left in Hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." Acts 2:31
Acts 2:31 clearly says that "his [Christ’s] soul?was not left in Hell," so we know that the innocent soul of Jesus did go to Hell. ("his flesh" is a reference to His body which remained in the tomb.)
When we believed on Christ two things happened.
1. Our sins were imputed to Him (He took credit for them).
2. At the same moment His righteousness was imputed to us as a free gift (Romans 3:24, 26; and 4:6-8; 5:17,1 (we were credited with His righteousness).
The Wrath of God
Indeed, the righteousness of Christ is freely available to all who will look to the cross and accept Christ’s sacrifice for sin. But the wrath of God remains upon every unbeliever unless he accepts the judgment of God against sin as the condemnation of his own sin. He must put his trust in the Saviours’ work on the cross for cleansing.
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36
Upon whom does the wrath of God abide? It abides upon all the unsaved (those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ).
"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."
Ephesians 2:2,3
When we were unsaved, we were "by nature the children of wrath." When a man dies without Christ, he dies with the wrath of God upon him. That wrath is manifested in the everlasting torment by fire in Hell (Luke 16:19-31). Later, these condemned sinners will come out of Hell to stand before the White Throne Judgment where they will be judged for rejecting Jesus Christ. Then they will be cast into the eternal lake of fire where they will burn forever and ever in everlasting darkness (Jude 13; Revelation 20:11-15).
Because of their sin, all these unsaved sinners have already been judged, found guilty, and condemned at Calvary. Unless they submit to this first judgment at Calvary’s cross, they will be eternally lost without remedy.
The Scriptures plainly declare:
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18
Thinking their trial is yet to come, the self-righteous believe that if they have been kind to their neighbor, and kept the Golden Rule they might get past the judgment of God. But they are wrong: the trial for their sin is over. They are already condemned and have the wrath of God abiding on them. The only way they can escape the wrath of God is to submit to the judgment of sin at Calvary and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. As we saw in lesson number one, (Three Things Every Christian Should Know), Jesus took upon himself the wrath of God that was meant for us. He went to Hell for you and me (I Peter 3:1 . In the future judgment, none will have a suitable answer to the question from God, "Why did you trust your own righteousness when you could have had the righteousness of My Son?"
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" I Peter 3:18
Here we see that Jesus has already suffered the torment of Hell for us. Do you remember what Jesus said as He hung upon the cross? He said, "I thirst" (Matthew 27:46). Those words came forth from His lips as He felt the nearness of the very flames of Hell.
What a paradox, that today those who do not know the love of God talk about it so much. They err in thinking that God loves this world today and all the people in it. That is not true. Indeed, John said "God loved the world," but that is in the past tense. If we search the Bible for references of Gods love for the world, we will find that they are always in the past tense, like that famous verse in John 3.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." I John 4:9
"The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." Psalm 5:5
"God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." Psalm 7:11
Furthermore, as we just read in John 3:36, "the wrath of God" remains upon those who refuse to believe on Jesus Christ. And John 3:18 says that they are condemned already. The great love of God was revealed at Calvary for the world to see, and it is available for all who will receive it. But, if a man wants to have the wrath of God taken off him, he has to accept the judgment of sin at Calvary. God wants all men to be saved, and He draws all men to Himself. Moreover, He will turn none away who come unto Him (John 6:37), and He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). The Holy Spirit convicts men of sin, and draws them to himself; but they must choose whether they will reject or accept Christ as their Saviour.
Jesus said,
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John 12:32
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14,15
John is making reference to Numbers 21.
"Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." Numbers 21:7-9
From this passage of Scripture comes that wonderful old song "Look and Live."
"I’ve a message from the Lord, hallelujah!
The message unto you I’ll give:
is recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you took and live.
I will tell you how I came, hallelujah!
To Jesus when He made me whole
was believing on His name, hallelujah!
I trusted and He saved my soul."
As John the Baptist said:
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24
The only way we can get to Heaven is by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ and what God did for us. If a man wants to go to Hell, all he has to do is trust anything or anybody else. For example, he can trust the Pope instead of Jesus that is a sure way to go to Hell. He can trust the sacraments, water baptism, or the Ten Commandments (although the Bible says no man ever kept them). He can trust the golden rule, church membership, the Masons, himself, or his religion. If he wants to go to Hell, he can trust anything he wants to trust; but if he wants to go to Heaven, he must trust in the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is necessary that we grasp the meaning of this first judgment, so we can understand how God looks at things. Then we can have assurance that our sins have been taken away and that we need no longer fear Hell. The believer’s salvation rests in God’s hands, being based upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross. Jesus has already taken the believer sins away and he is as good as in Heaven now, with the door shut. The knowledge of this glorious work of God for us should generate within each of us a deeper love for our Saviour that will make us want to serve Him and work for Him. Any man trying to merit salvation by his own works must place all his trust and confidence in himself. However, because we know that our salvation is complete in Jesus, we can work heartily for Him, being compelled by love. We don’t work to get saved, we work because we are saved.
We have seen that our Judgment As Sinners deals with our eternal state, while our Judgment As A Son deals with our temporary state. This second judgment takes place in the believer everyday life.
At Calvary, all were found guilty and the judgment for our sin fell upon the blessed Saviour. Now, however, sinners who have trusted in Christ’s work for them have been adopted into the family of God they have become the sons of God. Yet, even after we become one of Gods sons, we are still apt to sin.
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
I John 1:8
Paul, one of the greatest Christians that ever lived, said:
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:18,24
Because God knows our flesh is still prone to serve sin after we are saved, He gave us instruction for judging and confessing our sins daily.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
Confession of our sins affects our fellowship with the Lord. To illustrate, let’s say a man son completely wrecked the family car, the boy being wholly at fault. If his son never apologized and never offered to make restitution in any way, the father would be angry, to say the least. But that boy would still be the man’s son nothing could change that. Our relationship with the Lord works the same way. I am sure the Lord is often displeased with us, but if we have been born into the family of God, we are His sons forever: nothing can change that. Now, confessing our sins to God won’t get us to Heaven. We can only get to Heaven by submitting to the first judgment and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour. However, we stay in fellowship with God by judging and confessing our sins moment by moment. God is holy and He will not fellowship with an unclean vessel.
John makes this clear:
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 5:5-7
What do you suppose God does to His sons when they do wrong? The same thing we should do to our children when they do wrong, He chastens (punishes) them. This all has to do with judgment number two, our Judgment as a Son in this present life.
We read about this chastisement in Hebrews:
"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" Hebrews 12:5-7
It says that He chastens every son, so our relationship with the Lord is like that of a father and son. Now, when we don’t judge ourselves like we’re supposed to, the Lord is going to chasten us.
"For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world." I Corinthians 11:30-32
In the context, the word "sleep" means "death." (Comparing Scripture with Scripture we find a clear reference to this in John 11:11-14). Now in this passage, why is it that "many are weak and sickly, and many sleep"? It is because they would not judge themselves for sin. "We are chastened" is a reference to the judgment as sons which they received because they would not judge themselves (Hebrews 12).
All the world is condemned at judgment number one, because the wrath of God remains upon those who won’t repent of their sin. But it is different for the believer, because he has confessed his sin to Him and received forgiveness. Because Jesus paid for our sin, we are no longer under its condemnation. However, we are still subject to judgment number two, and we will be chastened as a son if we don’t judge our own sins and confess them. If God has to, He may well take us home rather than to let us continue as a stumbling block to others, many sleep, brethren! Now let’s look at some passages in the Bible where He does just that.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1
By this we know that if we believe on Christ, we will not be condemned. That isn’t a reference to our eternal state, which was settled at the cross, but to our temporary state and our daily walk. (Notice this stipulation: "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.") We know this is the right application because of what verse 13 says:
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die [god will kill us], but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Romans 8:13
Notice also I Corinthians 3:16 and 17:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." I Corinthians 3:16,17
This passage of Scripture is clearly aimed at the believer in the body of Christ. The temple Paul is talking about is the Christian’s body. If he defiles that temple, what will God do? He will destroy him. A real life illustration of this can be found in I Corinthians 5.
"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
I Corinthians 5:1-5
There was a saved man in this church, who was committing fornication with his own father’s wife. Paul prayed that the man would be delivered unto Satan "for the destruction of the flesh." (In plainer words, he asked God to kill the man.) In like manner, the Lord might take any Christian home to glory, who continued in sin and became a stumbling block to the body of Christ. As a child of God, he would not go to Hell in such a case. But he would lose his fellowship with his heavenly Father, as well as his joy, his heavenly rewards, and his inheritance. Regardless of the great loss he might suffer, the believer is dealt with as a SON who already has a home in Heaven, and is part of the body of Christ NOW. Once a sinner settles accounts with God at judgment number one, he is a son forever, because he has been born again.
See what John says:
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." I John 3:9
Furthermore, Peter says:
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." I Peter 1:23
In America, the law regarding adoption says that if we were to adopt a child, giving him our name and taking him into our family, we could never disown him. God works the same way with His sons.
That’s what Jesus is talking about in John 6:
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
For I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." John 6:37-39
In another place Jesus says:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one." John 10:27-29
Remember, we are judged at the cross for sin; then we are judged day by day as sons; and finally, after death, we stand face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ to be judged as servants.
The Scriptures say:
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27
This judgment has not taken place yet, but will take place in the future. Now, as children of God, we have escaped the judgment of Hell. Thank God for that! However, we can’t escape judgment as sons and we can’t escape Christs’ judgment of us as servants.
"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother, for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."
Romans 14:10-12
At this judgment, we will receive rewards for what we did for the Lord Jesus Christ after we were saved.
It is a blessing to know that when we trusted Christ, our past life (as children of disobedience and wrath) was put under the blood. Our past sins were wiped away, and God no longer remembers anything of our old life. But God continues to keeps records, and one day we will to give an account of our lives as servants of Jesus Christ. That will take place at the judgment seat of Christ, following the rapture of the church, and only saved people will be there.
The judgment seat of Christ has a twofold purpose:
We should praise God that we are saved and headed for Heaven, but we must not take the Judgment Seat of Christ lightly; it is a serious matter. Paul warns that it is a time to be soberly considered in the light of our failure to serve the Lord with all our might.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifested unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." II Corinthians 5:10,11
There we will have to give an account of the things we have done as servants, whether good or bad. We will have to answer for the sins of omission as well as the sins of commission. Why does Paul say that he persuades men? Because of the "terror of the Lord." He isn’t persuading the lost to get saved in this passage; he is persuading believers to serve God while there is still time. The Bible tells us why this judgment is spoken of as a terror.
Jesus said:
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matthew 12:36,37
Every minute detail of our lives is being recorded for the judgment day. Every word we have ever spoken that didn’t glorify Jesus Christ and exalt His name; all the vain conversation we had with others. We will give account for them on the day of judgment. It will not be a picnic.
"For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14
Even the things we think only we and God know about will be brought out at the judgment seat of Christ before all.
"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Romans 2:16
Everything is going to come out in the open on that day, except for sins that have been confessed and put under the blood.
The Lord Himself said:
"For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad." Luke 8:17
The Psalmist says:
"Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." Psalm 90:8
The Lord knows even our "secret sins" and they too will be brought out at the judgment seat of Christ. The Psalms give us a hint of what the Lord knows about us.
"O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." Psalm 139:1-4
In the Old Testament, Job says of the Lord:
"For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves." Job 34:21,22
He sees all and He knows all:
"A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" Proverbs 20:8,9
We read more about this in I Corinthians 3:
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now
Introduction
This is a study about The Christian’s Inheritance, Lesson #5 in the New Christian Series. In this study we will learn about the different parts of the believer’s divine legacy. Our Father is the King of kings, and our heavenly inheritance is no small thing consider. It is vast and large beyond any earthly comprehension.
As the Bible says:
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
I Corinthians 2:9
In this verse Paul is making reference to Isaiah 64:4. In the context of his letter to the Corinthian church, he is speaking of spiritual truths, and the mysteries of Gods wisdom that are hidden in the scriptures. But, we find that there is an even greater application to be made as we consider our own heavenly inheritance. And what must it be, if our greatest imaginations fall so far short of it?
Part of our future inheritance will be made up of rewards earned by the faithful accomplishment of works done in obedience to the Lords guidance since we were saved. They are called rewards because they are given by our heavenly Father as the due compensation of our labor for Him.
As the scriptures say:
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:4,5
Romans 4:4 teaches us that we must work for rewards, and that they are awarded, not of grace, but as a debt to be paid to the laborer. This is a very simple but important truth for us to grasp.
In the first lesson of this Bible course, we learned that salvation is the free gift of God, to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, by faith. One of the clearest passages in the Bible concerning this is found in Ephesians 2.
"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." Ephesians 2:8,9
Another excellent passage of scripture referring to the free gift of salvation is found in I John chapter 5.
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." I John 5:12,13
By the wonderful grace of God, salvation is a free gift: it cannot be earned. We may freely receive this gift from our loving Saviour, because His work alone has already completely paid for it. Scripture is very clear that our works, with their attending rewards, have nothing at all to do with the salvation of our souls.
The Christian’s Inheritance
As necessary preparation for this study, we must establish the difference between the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of God, as found in the Bible. This is imperative because there are some who teach that the two are the same, leading to a host of doctrinal errors. (We will do an in-depth study of this subject in a future lesson, but now we only need to establish from the Bible that these two kingdoms are not the same, but are definitely different.)
Let’s examine these two in more detail:
· The Kingdom of Heaven
This is a literal, visible, physical kingdom in which Christ will actually reign upon this earth as king, sitting upon a literal throne. This divine reign will last 1,000 years.
(cf. Daniel 2:44; 7:27; Luke 1:30-33; Revelation 11:15; 20:1-6)
· The Kingdom of God
This is the one we are concerned about in this lesson. It is a spiritual, invisible, moral, righteous kingdom. We became part of it by the new birth, when we receive Christ as our Saviour. Being a spiritual kingdom, it cannot be seen. And, we understand from Paul’s letter to the Romans that it is NOT connected with physical things. Luke also confirms that it is NOT an outward kingdom, but a kingdom within us.
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Romans 14:17
"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo, there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21
So, it is seems clear that this is a spiritual kingdom; and the book of Matthew tells us that it is connected with God’s righteousness.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
Christ imputes His righteousness to every believer as they enter into this spiritual kingdom by a spiritual rebirth.
In Jesus’conversation with Nicodemus:
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water (physical birth) and of the Spirit (spiritual birth), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5
At the moment of our spiritual rebirth, the Holy Spirit also placed us into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13) and seated us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). All these things have to do with the spiritual kingdom of God we have become part of it. Though we are in it now, we cannot see it now. We can only enter this kingdom in the spiritual sense at the present time (John 3:5). But when Christ returns to reign upon the earth, the kingdom of God will become a literal, visible, physical kingdom that we can see. Having merged with the kingdom of Heaven, it will then be made manifest.
"And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." Luke 19:11
While we know it has not appeared yet, we are just as sure that it will one day. Now look at the parallel passage in John 3 and notice the difference in the wording:
"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." John 3:3
John 3:3 says "see the kingdom of God," but John 3:5 says "enter the kingdom of God", these are two different things. Spiritually speaking, we enter it when we are born again, but later on (when Christ returns) both kingdoms will be manifest upon the earth as a physical kingdom we can actually see. Verse 5 has to do with the inheritance in the kingdom of God we have not received yet, and that is what we are going to study in this lesson. So while we do have eternal life right now, as a present possession (John 3:18,36; John 5:24; I John 5:12,13), we cannot receive our divine inheritance until we get our new glorified body.
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." I Corinthians 15:50
For now, we are trapped in bodies of flesh and blood that cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but when His literal earthly kingdom is established, we will have a new glorified body like our Saviour; flesh, but no blood. Compare I Corinthians 15:50 with Luke 24:39.
"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Luke 24:39
I Corinthians 15:50 shows clearly that "flesh and blood" CANNOT inherit this spiritual, heavenly kingdom. But Luke 24:39 shows that Jesus did have "flesh and bones" AFTER the resurrection. We see then that flesh and bone CAN enter this kingdom, while flesh and blood CANNOT. Flesh can, bone can, but blood cannot. So it is clear that we cannot receive our inheritance until we get our new glorified bodies.
What is Our Heavenly Inheritance?
What makes up this inheritance? There are two parts of the believer’s inheritance. One part is fixed and has already been secured for us; the other is variable and must be earned by us.
The part that is already fixed, is secure and is already waiting for us in Heaven. Praise God, we cannot lose it!
"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance [it is ours already, we just haven received it yet] being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" Ephesians 1:11
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you.
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." I Peter 1:3-5
Because this part of our inheritance is already reserved for us in Heaven, there are two things we are going to get for sure:
A glorified body (like the Lord Jesus Christ).
(cf. Romans 8:29; Philippians 3:20,21; I John 3:1,3)
A mansion in Heaven (John 14:1-3). All of Revelation 21 is about the New Jerusalem which will come down from Heaven. It is the new city believers will live in one day.
This second part of our inheritance must be earned. Therefore we do not know for certain all that we will receive, we will have to wait until that glorious day to see just what has been accounted to this variable part of our inheritance.
God promised Abraham that he and his seed (descendants) would inherit the world (Romans 4:13). As believers, we are promised a share in that inheritance because the Bible says we too are Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:29). We are not Abraham’s physical seed of course, but we are his spiritual seed. We became spiritual Jews (Romans 2:28,29) when we were adopted as the sons of God. Therefore, part of our inheritance will consist of a literal reign with Jesus Christ upon this earth. It will last for 1,000 years after He establishes His visible kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." Revelation 5:10
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:6
Throughout the Old Testament, God promised the children of Israel that they would one day possess a land upon the earth, but they never did get it. However, we know that they will get it when Christ sets up His Millennial (1,000 year) kingdom on earth.
While we cannot lose our salvation (eternal life), we can lose the right to reign with the Lord Jesus Christ during the Millennium. We do not want to lose our inheritance, because it will be an inconceivably wonderful reward, accompanied by power and honor. Many Christians know nothing about this precious Bible doctrine or about how to earn their inheritance; therefore, they live their whole Christian life adding nothing to their divine legacy. When they stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, where rewards are given out, they will find they have lost the right to reign with Christ. During that 1,000 year reign, the earth will again be like the Garden of Eden, and the bride will enjoy a 1,000 year honeymoon with the Lord Jesus Christ. In this lesson, we will learn from the Bible how to earn this part of our inheritance. Let be sure we get our part of this wonderful reward by working for Jesus all the days of our lives. The Bible tells us how we can earn this part of our inheritance.
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons." Colossians 3:23-25
We can add to our reward by faithfully serving Christ. Paul wrote, "ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:" The reward he is speaking of is not salvation, because salvation is not a reward or an inheritance it is a free gift. We must distinguish between the free gift and the reward. One can be lost, but the other cannot.
Verse 23 says "do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." Any work done for recognition or the praise of men, is done in vain and will earn us nothing. We are to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do, and never ourselves. I Corinthians 3 indicates that believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be rewarded for the things done in their bodies. There we will learn what rewards we have laid up in Heaven and what has been lost.
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." I Corinthians 3:11-15
Paul does not say "the fire shall try every man’s work? to see how much work he had done. Rather, the trial is to determine "of what sort" the work is. God is looking for quality, not quantity. So when we do things for the Lord, we must do them "heartily, as unto the Lord." Notice that the fire burns up vain works, not the believer himself (vs. 15). Our faithful service to the Lord will lay up gold, silver, and precious stones for us, while the wood, hay, and stubble represent our dead works (things done according to our fleshly desires). When the purging fire comes across the precious fruit of our labor, all the wood, hay and stubble of our lives will be burnt up. Only the gold, silver and precious stones will be left to become part of our earned reward.
I Corinthians 15:50 says that: "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." So we know we will not get our inheritance while we live on this earth in our natural bodies. Our inheritance is something we are still waiting to receive.
God gave us the Holy Scriptures to teach us about Himself and how we should live for Him. If we will read them, we will learn how we should serve Him, and what He wants us to do for Him.
· For example, Colossians 3 is a chapter that tells us all kinds of things the Lord wants us to do.
· Another example is I Thessalonians 5.
It is a good idea to mark each verse the Lord especially brings to our attention and try to do what it says. If we do not study the word of God, we will not learn how to serve Christ, and we will miss a wonderful part of our future inheritance. It grieves the Holy Spirit that many Christians have attended Sunday School classes for 30, 40, or even 50 years (ever since they were children), but still know little or nothing about their great inheritance or the other precious Bible doctrines. Many know only the basic Bible stories about Jonah and the whale, or Joseph, or Jacob and Esau, but never learned how to serve Christ. To their great sorrow and loss, they will wind up at the Judgment Seat of Christ with little or nothing to show for their lives on earth. It will be no one’s fault but their own, because they had the word of God and they had the Holy Spirit to give them understanding. Don’t be just a statistic, a believer whose life produces nothing for themselves or for God. Take heed to what James says, and "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22).
Paul tells us that:
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; [notice there is a condition] if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:16-18
Romans 8:17 says the children are "heirs." Imagine a millionaire who has written his last will and testament. If he wanted to, he could exclude his son from his will, and deny him part of the inheritance. That would not make the boy any less a son, because nothing could change the fact that he was his son, by birth. It is the same with believers. Born into God’s family, we are God’s sons. If we turn away from Him to a life of sin, God will deny us our inheritance, but nothing can change the fact that we are His sons.
Romans 8:19-22 has to do with the curse being taken off the animal kingdom when Christ reigns upon the earth in His millennial kingdom (cf. Isaiah 11). We know too, that the redemption of the believer body takes place at the rapture of the church (Romans 8:23). So we see from the context of this passage of scripture, that Paul is speaking of the time of the Millennium. In this context, suffering is mentioned in connection with our divine inheritance.
What was Paul thinking about when he used this word "suffer?" Well, suffering can be emotional or physical. One definition of the word suffer in Webster’s dictionary is "to bear what is inconvenient" or "to endure things." If we serve Christ, and do our best to live a godly life, we are going to suffer some persecutions he world will make sure of that (II Timothy 3:12). Paul the apostle suffered this sort of persecution because of the life he lived as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." II Timothy 3:12
We have this promise from God, that if we try to live godly in Christ Jesus we will suffer some persecution. It is by this suffering that we earn this part of our future inheritance. Our persecution could also be physical, as in the early days of Christianity when Rome tortured and killed so many Christians.
As an example of this, see Acts 5:
"And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." Acts 5:40-42
In this instance, the apostles were beaten and told not to speak in the name of Jesus anymore. Afterwards, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ, and they continued teaching and preaching about Him. In this, they earned an inheritance. We don’t see this sort of thing taking place in America today, but it could happen in the future. We very well may find that before we die, we will have an opportunity to suffer physical persecution for the Lord Jesus Christ.
"And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me."
Philippians 1:28-30
A study of the apostle Paul life shows clearly that he suffered for the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Bible says that he is an example of the way a believer should suffer. The Lord Jesus Christ also suffered, and I Peter 2 tells us that He is our example regarding suffering also.
"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" I Peter 2:21
In the future we may well expect more physical suffering to fall upon the servants of Christ, as in past centuries. It will certainly be that way during the Great Tribulation (although the body of Christ, the New Testament Church, won’t be there). In fact, the real persecution of believers may begin before the rapture of the church. Things could get tough in a hurry for real Christians.
Having discussed physical persecution and its reward, let’s think for a moment; are there any other ways we may be made to suffer persecution and still earn this inheritance? Yes, for one thing, we can win this part of our inheritance by enduring hardship (one of the definitions of the word suffer). When we are mistreated, undergoing trials of mental distress, or enduring emotional abuse because of our testimony for Christ, our flesh is afflicted, because it does not want to be subjected to those things. We will encounter these afflictions if we go out on the streets and distribute gospel tracts, go door to door and witness for Christ, rebuke sin in the people that we work with, or get out on the street and preach (cf. Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Luke 9:23; 14:27; Galatians 6:14). If we deny our flesh and obey the Holy Spirit we will suffer some persecution Satan will see to that.
It should be quite clear from the scriptures that there are some who get saved, but later return to the world and deny Christ. If they were truly born again, these people are just as much the sons of God as we. They will be in Heaven, but having denied Christ they will lose part of their inheritance. They were ashamed of Christ and unwilling to endure the fiery trials that this life holds for believers (Romans 10:11; Luke 9:26; I John 2:28; I Peter 4:16). Although the Lord Jesus Christ will also be ashamed of them, they will not lose their salvation.
See what Paul says:
"Therefore, I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." II Timothy 2:10
Notice the two things Paul says may be obtained:
1. "Salvation which is in Christ Jesus"
2. "Eternal glory" which is an earned reward. (Compare this with Romans 8:18, which speaks of "the glory that shall be revealed in us.")
· Salvation is the free gift of God,
· But the eternal glory has to be earned.
Now let’s look at two verses used by those who would try to convince us that it is possible for born again believers to lose their salvation.
"It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him [and if we’re saved, our flesh is dead with Christ] we shall also live with him:
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: [that is our inheritance; a reign with Jesus Christ during the millennium] if we deny him, he also will deny us:
II0 Comment(s) / Post Comment
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..." — Romans 3:24
The only redemption for a lost sinner is in Christ:
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" — Colossians 1:14
Redemption means "to repurchase," or "deliverance from the power of another, effected by payment of ransom." It is an act to regain something that was lost. The Pilgrim Bible marginal note for Exodus 6:6 says this of the word "redeem:" "To redeem means ‘to buy back.’ The Israelites had been free but they were now slaves of Pharaoh, and God bought them back to liberty. This is the meaning of redemption. We were born slaves to sin and needed to be redeemed by Christ Whose death on the cross was the price of our freedom.
Suppose that a boy made a schooner, lost it and then saw it in a shop-window marked FOR SALE. It is his boat, he made it, yet he has to buy it back. So with redemption, God made man in His own image; man sinned and lost companionship with his Creator; God thus redeemed him, bought him back, by the shedding of Christ’s most precious blood at Calvary.
That is as good an illustration of redemption as I have ever heard — God made us, and then He bought us back.
The Bible tells us that there was only one price that would be accepted to set the sinner free. The ransom was higher than any could ever hope to pay: it was the sacrifice of the Son of God.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." — I Timothy 2:5,6
It was as if Satan took man captive when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden.
"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;" — Psalm 107:2
It was "from the hand of the enemy" that we were redeemed, and it was necessary that a ransom be paid in order to release man from bondage. Christ’s own blood was the price of our ransom. It was such a high price that we will never be able to appreciate it fully until we get to Heaven. The Apostle John tells us that Christ paid for all the sins of the whole world when He died on the cross.
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." — I John 2:2
In explanation of this word "propitiation," I quote the marginal note from The Pilgrim Bible for Romans 3:25:
"This word is translated ‘mercy seat’ in Hebrews 9:5. To understand this, we must go back to Leviticus 16. The entrance of the High Priest into the presence of God once a year was made possible by the blood of the sacrifice which he brought. He sprinkled the blood on the Ark of the Covenant, which pictured the throne of God. That throne would have been a throne of judgement, but the blood showed that someone had already been judged, thus the throne became a throne of mercy. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is said to be the place where the believing sinner may meet God."
Christ had to come and be a "propitiation" (meeting place) so He could redeem us from our sin. Just think of it, he died to redeem the vilest of men, not as we were going about doing good or seeking Him in a state of repentance, but while we were yet in an ungodly condition, despising Him who died for our redemption. He did it all for you and me!
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. — Romans 5:6
I’m glad He died for the ungodly, aren’t you? Otherwise, I certainly would have had no chance of salvation or eternal life in Heaven. Furthermore, we read that we become His purchased possession when we believe on Him.
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s." — I Corinthians 6:19,20
Remember the story of the little boy who bought back the boat he had built? It was his property because he made it. However, since it had been lost, he had to buy it back. It then became his purchased possession, which left no question of ownership. We have heard stories of great sums of money being paid to ransom a kidnap victim, but what price would a king pay to ransom one of his children? When all the wealth of the world could not ransom one sinner, our King gave His own life. Just think of it, the great price of our eternal redemption, and ransom for our souls, was nothing less than the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ!
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." — I Peter 1:18,19
Our redemption has two parts — present and future.
This takes place the moment we believe — it is complete, final and eternal. Notice that Paul speaks of our redemption in the present tense when he writes his epistle to the Colossians.
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" — Colossians 1:14
We also read in Hebrews of the eternal redemption of our soul.
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." — Hebrews 9:12
Paul says:
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us..." — Galatians 3:13
"To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." — Galatians 4:5
We know our redemption is complete because we could not otherwise receive "the adoption of sons." Our redemption is a present reality.
"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." — Romans 8:23
This is a reference to the final and complete redemption of the bodies of the saints at the rapture. Our present bodies are not the final, glorious, new body we shall have forever. Our bodies of flesh cannot go to Heaven because of sin, but one day they too will be redeemed and we will all have bodies without sin.
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." — Ephesians 4:30
We should always be thankful for our redemption, being mindful that our Saviour left all the riches of Glory to come into this wicked world to save us. I am reminded of these wonderful words of praise from the hymnbook:
"Redeemed — how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed thru His infinite mercy —
His child, and forever, I am. "
— Redeemed,
by Fanny Crosby
Let us proclaim it always, even to the ends of the earth. Can one truly be a child of God and not love to tell of our wonderful redemption by the blood of the Lamb?
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Redemption
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Use the following words and verse references to answer the questions.
Galatians 3:13 propitiation I Timothy 2:5
redemption I Corinthians 6:20 Romans 3:24
I Peter 1:18,19 Colossians 1:14 ransom
adopted Ephesians 4:30 eternal
Romans 5:6 I John 2:2 Satan
body soul
This verse says justification is free. _________
This verse tells us about the only means of redemption. _________
This word means "to repurchase" (the act of regaining something that was lost). _________
This verse tells who the only mediator is between God and man. _________
The one from whom a believer is redeemed. _________
This word means what must be paid in order to release man from bondage. _________
This word means "meeting place." _________
This verse tells us that Jesus died for the sins of all men everywhere. _________
According to Romans 5:6 what sort of people did Jesus died for. _________
This verse tells us that believers are bought with price. _________
These verses tells us that the purchase price of the believer is the blood of Christ. _________
The redemption of this is complete the moment you believe. _________
According to Hebrews 9:12 the redemption Christ has obtained for us is this. _________
This verse says we were under a curse. _________
What we are according to this verse. _________
According to Romans 8:23 the believer is still waiting for the redemption of this. _________
This verse says that a Christian is sealed until the day of redemption. _________
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." — Hebrews 2:14-17
Reconciliation is the act of restoring something to a former state of peace or harmony. Generally, this has to do with bringing two alienated parties back together.
As L.E. Maxwell says:
"The purpose of the Cross of Christ, as all His teaching, was to set self aside and to bring our hearts and wills into harmony with God."
By sin, Adam and Eve were alienated from God. In Adam, therefore, all men are alienated from God. Paul describes this condition in his letter to the Ephesians.
"That 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: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, For 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 us which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." — Ephesians 2:12-18
Since Adam’s sin, man has not sought reconciliation with God, because there is nothing in man that desires to set self aside, and reckon it crucified on the Cross.
The Bible says:
"There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." — Romans 3:11,12
The scripture says that there is no one seeking after God. There is nothing good in man, and therefore nothing in him that would desire God. But, you might say, "I was seeking after God when I got saved." Yes, but only after He had sought you first, and had begun to draw you to himself. Then you began to be moved and to seek Him. God made the first move toward reconciliation, not man. It was the great desire and plan of God from the beginning to bring us back to Himself.
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him..." — John 6:44
Jesus himself is the means of our reconciliation to God, and only through Him can we be reconciled to God. In our lesson on redemption we learned that Jesus is our Propitiation, our "meeting place." As the son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ reaches down from Heaven to man. As the son of God, He reaches the Father. Therefore, Christ is the "mediator" who reconciles all who would come unto Him by faith.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" — I Timothy 2:5
"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." — Romans 5:10
"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." — Colossians 1:20
Without His death — without His blood, there could be no reconciliation and everyone would be eternally damned. But because He did give His life for us and offered His own blood as an atonement for sin, we have "eternal redemption" and are eternally secure in Him.
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." — Hebrews 9:12
We have no confidence in the works of the flesh to merit our salvation. Furthermore, we could never trust our flesh to keep us from sinning once we were saved. If that were the condition for maintaining our salvation it would surely be short-lived. On the contrary, we count our flesh as having suffered the final death blow at Calvary, because of its failure to ever obey God. When Christ reconciled us unto Himself, it was not on a trial basis (until we might sin again and lose our salvation), otherwise He would have to reconcile us to God many times.
Jesus said,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one." — John 10:27-30
Christ reconciled us to himself "once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). His own words were "
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." Beloved, the scriptures are simple and clear about this.
What kind of life has He given us? ETERNAL!
Is it possible that we could perish? NEVER!
How well Charles Wesley expressed it in the words of that great hymn, Arise My Soul, Arise:
"Arise my soul, arise,
Shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice
In my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands —
My name is written on His hands.
My God is reconciled,
His pard’ning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child,
I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And ‘Father, Abba, Father’ cry."
Notes On Eternal Security
Before we conclude this section, here is a chain of references on eternal security. In the front or back of your Bible, write the words "Eternal Security." Next to these words write down the first verse in the chain of references. (You may want to write all of them all down together.) Next, turn in your Bible to the page where the first reference is found. Mark the verse, and then in the margin write down the page or reference you want to turn to next. Then you will be able to go from one verse to another with speed and confidence when you want to show someone what the Bible teaches on this subject. Here are the verses in the order you want to mark them. I Corinthians 1:6-8; Ephesians 1:13,14; 4:30; Philippians 1:6; John 5:24; John 6:37-39; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39; I John 5:12,13.
"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To 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. Now 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." — II Corinthians 5:18-20
What a wonderful privilege it is to be a Christian! Not only has the Lord Jesus Christ reconciled us to God, but He has enabled us to be partakers of the ministry of reconciliation. We are blessed to be able to bring others to Christ. We are like an extension of His hand, reaching out to the lost. We should yield ourselves as instruments of God to proclaim His wonderful plan of salvation.
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." — Romans 6:13
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." — Romans 10:13-17
As ministers of the word of reconciliation, we should be mindful of the precious seed we bear and the promises given us as sowers.
"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." — Psalm 126:6
" he seed is the word of God." — Luke 8:11
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." — I Peter 1:23
Are you reconciled to God through the Saviour? Are you ministering "the word of reconciliation" unto others? Why not begin today to tell others about the One who has reconciled us to God forever?
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Reconciliation
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1. __________ is the act of restoring some thing to a former state of peace or harmony.
2. Because of sin all men are __________ from God.
3. The natural man does not __________ reconciliation with God.
4. According to John 6:44 God the Father __________ men to Christ.
5. __________ is the means of our reconciliation to God.
6. I Timothy 2:5 tells us that Jesus is our__________.
7. According to Colossians 1:20 it is Jesus’ __________ that reconciles us to God.
8. No believer today can lose his salvation. We call this the doctrine of __________.
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In lesson two we learned about Twelve Important Things That Happen When A Man Gets Saved. In that same lesson, we also began an in-depth study of Nine Basic Doctrines Associated with Salvation. Now, we will study four more of these nine basic doctrines.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit
Justification
Adoption.
Notice that in studying these great doctrines related to our salvation, most of the material we use is from the New Testament books of the Bible written by Paul (Romans through Titus). These are the primary sources of our doctrinal studies because Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13) and it was to him that the mystery of the Church was revealed (Ephesians 3:1-11). As we continue our studies, it would be worthwhile for you to read through each of these books several times if possible. They contain instruction for the Church, and we should be very familiar with them.
Our worship of God must be "in spirit and in truth," because "God is a Spirit" (John 4:24). When the believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we were "born again." The very moment we experienced this second (spiritual) birth, the Holy Spirit of God came inside us, circumcised our souls from our bodies, and joined our spirits to the Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, the Holy Spirit also baptized us into the body of Christ. So, a new man was formed inside of us, created unto true holiness and righteousness. We have already studied about this new birth and the spiritual circumcision in lesson two. I remind you of these things once more so that what we have already studied will be fresh in our minds as we begin this study of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A correct understanding of these doctrines is especially important today because of current widespread unscriptural teaching concerning the precious doctrines of salvation.
We read in the Bible:
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" — Romans 6:3-5
This passage of scripture from Paul’s epistle to the Romans teaches us that baptism has to do with identification, whereby one thing is so immersed in another that it loses its own identity as one engulfs the other. Consider water baptism as an example. When the believer is immersed in water, he is cut off from the precious air he breathes. In this manner he identifies with death as if baptism were a burial in a watery grave. Romans chapter 6 isn’t talking about water baptism at all, but Spirit baptism. Of course, water baptism is merely a picture. It is an outward testimony to the world of the Spirit baptism that took place the moment we believed. It is this baptism of the Spirit that identifies us with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. This alone makes us part of the body of Christ. A clear understanding of this doctrine is vital because some sects have so confused water baptism and Spirit baptism, that they believe water baptism necessary to salvation.
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, in his book, Seven Baptisms, says "
aptists have peculiar beliefs about baptism. Strangely enough, Baptists are about the only people in the world who believe there is nothing to it!
ou know, when you think of the Baptists you think, ‘Well they sure put a lot of emphasis on water baptism.’ A real Baptist doesn’t! One reason why I’m not ashamed to connect my name with that title is that from time immemorial, Baptists have stood for three things: one of them is eternal security of the believer, which I believe in, and the others are the autonomy of the local church, which I believe in, and the last one is absolute separation of church and state, which I believe in. And real Baptists believe that water baptism can’t do a thing for you but get you wet! That’s what sets them off from Protestants. You know the word ‘Baptist’ was originally ‘Anabaptist.’ An Anabaptist was a person that believed in baptizing folks over again, because their infant baptism didn’t do them any good. They were called ‘Anti-pedo Baptists,’ that is, Baptists were people who didn’t believe that infant baptism could do a thing for you."
The topic is Spirit baptism, which is directly related to the Body of Christ. This relationship is seen in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many." — I Corinthians 12:13 Paul was explaining about spiritual gifts to the born-again believers at Corinth. In verse 13, when he emphasized that the church is one body, he was not talking about local congregations on earth consisting of Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Charismatics etc. He was talking about the true church, which is a spiritual body — the heavenly body that all believers are a part of now.
Every born again believer (whether a Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Charismatic, or other) has been baptized by the Holy Spirit into that true church, which is the body of Christ. We realize that these groups teach some doctrines that are wholly untrue. Even so, any of the individual members of such a group are saved if they have trusted the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ alone to wash away their sin. They will not go unpunished for teaching heresies from the Word of God: they will pay for it and will suffer loss of rewards, but if they have been born again, they are in the body of Christ. From Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and his letter to the Ephesians we can get a definition of the body of Christ.
"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." — Ephesians 1:22,23
It is plain that "the church" (verse 22) is the same as "his body" (verse 23). (Also see Colossians 1:18.)
Now we come to another work of the Holy Spirit, whereby the new man created inside the believer is joined to the Spirit of Christ.
The scripture says:
This joining of our spirit to the Spirit of Christ constitutes a marriage, wherein the two become "one spirit." "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." — Ephesians 5:30-33
Ephesians 5:30 says that we have become part of His body, but how did we get into His body? The Holy Spirit baptizes each believer into the body of His flesh and of his bones (see also I Corinthians 12:13). In Ephesians 5:31, Paul begins using the human physical marriage relationship to teach us about the spiritual marriage relationship we began to experience when we got saved. In verse 32, he makes this clear by saying that he is speaking of Christ and the Church. His purpose in this is to teach us about two becoming one flesh.
So the human physical marriage relationship on this earth is a picture (a type) of the spiritual relationship between Jesus Christ and the believer. Adam and Eve were a picture of this: Adam was a type of Christ and Eve was a type of His body — they were one flesh. Those who have trusted Christ as their Saviour have been baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Thereby their inward man has become one flesh with the body of Jesus Christ. Now, we know that His physical body is seated up there in the third Heaven at the right hand of the Father, nevertheless, we instantaneously become part of His flesh and bones when we believe (I Corinthians 6:17). This is truly a mystery, but it is made possible by the wonderful power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is omnipresent — He is everywhere. When we got saved, He came inside us to dwell permanently, joining us to the Lord Jesus Christ. We became part of Deity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We find this illustrated again in Romans 7, where Paul once more uses the marriage relationship to illustrate the Christian’s relationship to Jesus Christ. Going back to the Old Testament, he begins to teach on what the law said about marriage.
"Know ye not brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." — Romans 7:1-4
If the relationship in Romans 7 is representative of our spiritual relationship (and it is), then the husband represents our flesh, and the woman represents our soul. So we see that before we were saved, our flesh and soul were married or joined together, and the Bible says, "what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman explains it this way:
"So what happened? Here you are, and the law had a hold of your body, because you were in your flesh — and you were under the law. Then you trusted Christ, and when He came in He cut your soul loose from your body and killed your body (making it powerless) — see Romans 6:7-8 and 6:2.
So, when Christ came into you and cut your soul loose from your body, your body was nailed to the cross with Christ, and your body..., the flesh, died. You are then single! And the single person marries Jesus Christ, and is joined to flesh over here. We are now ‘bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh;’ and ‘...he which is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit.’
So you have a case there where, when Jesus Christ came in you, if He had taken your soul away from your body without killing your body, He would have been guilty of committing adultery. Do you see that thing? So when He came in, your body dropped dead, and she (your soul) is free to be married to whom she will."
It should be clear, then, that only by the death of our body of flesh was it possible for our inward man (our soul) to marry Christ and become "bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh:" (Genesis 2:23).
1. In Romans 7:3, the woman (our soul) was not free to be married to another man as long as her husband (our flesh) was living.
2. But when her husband died, she was free to be married to another man (Christ).
That is exactly what happened when we got saved: the Holy Spirit baptized us into Christ. That baptism constituted a spiritual marriage relationship because we became "one spirit" with him.
As you can see, the distinction between the two natures (the old man and new man) must be understood. Otherwise, the scriptures would make no sense at all in many places.
All these things happen to the inward man (the new man) who is sinless, holy, and perfect — cut loose from the flesh. But what happens to the old man when we get saved? Even though he is dead and cannot enter into this new marriage relationship with Christ, he becomes engaged to Christ; to be married later.
We find this in II Corinthians:
"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." — II Corinthians 11:2
In this passage of Scripture, Paul is talking to the church, the heavenly body of Christ of which all believers are a part. He says, "I have espoused you." "Espoused" means "engaged" — our old man is engaged to the Lord Jesus Christ. After the Lord returns to take us to Heaven, he will change our vile bodies into glorified, sinless bodies like His own (Philippians 3:20,21 and I Corinthians 15:51,52).
After appearing before the Judgement Seat of Christ and having all our tears are wiped away, we will go with the Lord Jesus to the marriage ceremony. John writes about this in the book of Revelation calling it "the marriage of the Lamb."
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." — Revelation 19:7,8
Spiritually, the new man inside us is married to the Lord Jesus Christ now. However, our old man is not married to Christ yet, but only engaged. In the coming resurrection day, our old man, (the flesh) will be changed into a glorified body, and joined again with our soul. Then we will go to the wedding ceremony where we will actually be married to the Lord Jesus Christ physically. We can look forward to this future event with great anticipation, for it will be our coronation day. No wedding ceremony of any king could ever compare with it. I cannot imagine the excitement in that day when strains of "Here comes the bride" fill the courts of Heaven and we begin to walk down the aisle to meet our wonderful bridegroom who loved us and died for us.
Louis Talbot writes:
"We shall spend all eternity in the light of His presence, and sing throughout the endless ages, the song of the redeemed.
‘The Bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear Bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of grace —
Not at the crown He giveth,
But on His pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s land!’"
All of this may be difficult to understand at first, but the Holy Spirit will teach us all things in due time. [Part of us is engaged to be married to Jesus Christ, while part of us is already married to Him. And, part of us is now sinless (the inward man), while at the same time, part of us is still sinful (the outward man).] The two parts of our being must be clearly distinguished in order for us to properly understand them. We must also distinguish the two parts of the church in order to understand what the Scriptures teach about them. Paul’s letter is to a physical body of believers in a local church congregation, in regards to the spiritual body of believers, of which all born again Christians are a part in Heaven. First of all we see the church as a local assembly of believers, joined together in the fellowship of a local church congregation, at a fixed physical location. We also see the mystical, heavenly Church. That is the body of Christ, the Church, spiritually joined to our Lord by the Holy Spirit in marriage, wherein we become "members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." This includes all believers, not just Baptists.
Now let’s continue in I Corinthians 12:13.
This is Spirit baptism, NOT water baptism.
After receiving the Spirit’s baptism that joins us to Christ, we are to obey the Lord’s command for believers, and submit to water baptism. Let me make it very clear that water baptism only gets us wet, and has nothing to do with getting saved. However it does show others that, as believers, we are ready to obey Christ. It is a testimony to all the world that we have been made partakers of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as Paul mentions in Romans chapter 6.
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" — Romans 6:3,5
These verses deserve close study because they are the main verses used to teach the false doctrine of baptismal regeneration (the belief that a man cannot be forgiven of his sins unless he is immersed in water). But notice that the word "water" does not appear anywhere in the passage, nor anywhere in the book of Romans. However, we do see the word "Spirit" and "Ghost" used 27 times in Romans.
Another closely related passage of Scripture is Colossians 2:12.
"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." — Colossians 2:12
(You will remember we studied this verse closely in our lesson on spiritual circumcision.) There is nothing in the context to suggest that "Buried with him in baptism." has anything at all to do with WATER. The circumcision in verses 11 and 13 is spiritual. The operation of God in verse 12 is spiritual. And the quickening of verse 13 is spiritual. Then why would anyone think that the baptism of verse 12 was physical? Clearly, it is not water baptism, but Spirit baptism
Keep I Corinthians 12:13 in mind as we look at still another passage about the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There 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." — Galatians 3:27,28
This passage of scripture in Galatians is another well-known text used by the so-called Church of Christ sect, and others, to teach the heresy that water baptism is necessary for salvation. They actually believe that water baptism can wash away sins. It seems they have some kind of fixation with water. Every time they read the word baptism in the Bible, they immediately think water. Whenever they see the word water, they think baptism. However, this is false and without scriptural basis. There is nothing at all in the context of Galatians 3 or Romans 6 to suggest that Paul was referring to water baptism. But, having an obsession with water, these heretics tell us that Galatians 3 and Romans 6 are referring to water baptism (no proof). Then they try to use those verses to convince us that the baptism of I Corinthians 12:13 is water baptism as well. But we need only look at Galatians 3:28 to see that this is something more than water baptism. When we are physically immersed in water and raised up again, we remain physically the same. If we go in as a male, we come up as a male; if we go in as a female, we come up as a female, for in regards to the baptism with the Holy Ghost, there is no respect of persons. When the Holy Spirit baptizes us, it is not into water, but into the literal body of Christ where there is no difference there between male or female, but all are one in Him.
This would be a good time to review the rules of Bible study that we learned in lesson one. Four of those rules that will be particularly helpful to us at this time are:
1. Never add to or take away from the text of the Holy Bible. (Reading, for example,
water when the Bible plainly says "Spirit.")
2. Never take a verse of Scripture out of context.
3. Always ask WHO is speaking, and to WHOM.
4. Always take the plain, literal meaning of every verse of Scripture, except where it is impossible to do so.
Then there are those who call themselves Charismatics and still others called Pentecostals who teach another heresy connected with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. While most of them do teach that we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ alone, they also teach that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is subsequent to salvation (known as a second work of grace). However, the Scriptures teach that one who does not have the Holy Spirit is not even one of God’s children.
"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." — Romans 8:9
I Corinthians 12:13 says that we are all baptized by the Spirit into one body. We are baptized into the body of Jesus Christ the moment we are saved. The false teaching of the Charismatics is that all speak in tongues upon receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Supposedly, this is at some time following salvation. But this is a heretical teaching that cannot be proven from the Word of God. Of course, they will want to take us back to the book of Acts and twist the scriptures to try to prove it, but there isn’t one verse in the Bible that says speaking in tongues is the evidence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. You won’t find it in Acts 2, Acts 10 or Acts 19 (the 3 places where speaking in tongues is mentioned in the book of Acts). (We will discuss this more thoroughly in lesson 8, Rightly Dividing the Word.)
The truth is, the very moment we believed we got saved the Holy Spirit baptized us into Jesus Christ and we became part of His body. Being, therefore, part of His bone and His flesh, there is no way for the believer to be separated from Christ. We are joined to Him for eternity.
The part of us that is put into Jesus Christ is the inward man. That part of us is sinless, perfect, holy, and sealed until the day of redemption. It is now joined to the Lord Jesus Christ and will never sin again.
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." — II Timothy 2:12,13
This "reign" will be during the Millennium. (We will study the Millennium further in our next lesson on the Christian’s inheritance.) There are some who use this verse to try to teach that born-again believer’s can lose their salvation. They want us to believe that if we deny Christ (like Peter), Christ will deny us at the final judgement and send us to Hell. But the context (verse 12) says nothing about losing our salvation or going to Hell. If we deny him, he will deny us a REIGN with him. Do you understand that? "If we SUFFER, we shall also REIGN with him." When Paul says "WE," he is talking to saved, born-again Christians, who refuse to suffer for the Lord Jesus. Therefore, the Lord will refuse to let them reign with Him during the Millennium.
Verse 13 says, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." So even if we were not faithful, and if we were no longer to profess to believe in Christ, we could never lose our salvation, because the part of us that is in Jesus Christ never sins. That part of us has been cut loose from our bodies by the operation of God. Even if we were unfaithful, "yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself." We are part of Christ — "bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh:" (even as Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:23), and he will not deny himself. We are not only in Christ’s hand (as John says in John 10:27-2 , but moreover, we are joined to Christ and have become part of His hand (another strong proof of our eternal security). So, the inward man stands perfect before God at all times because he is in Christ.
"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." — I John 3:5,6
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin..." — I John 3:9
If we are saved, we are in Him, and in Him is no sin. The part of us that is baptized into the body of Christ is sinless (our inward man).
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world." — I John 4:17
Now, look at that — "as he is, so are we in this world." He is sinless, isn’t He? He is up in Heaven, and we are in him — there is no sin in the part of us that’s in Him. That has to do with our STANDING before God. That is the way God sees us when He looks at us, because He is looking at His Son, and in His Son is no sin. Jesus died on the cross, where He paid for the sins of the whole world.
Having mentioned our standing before God, let’s look at the matter of our standing and our state more closely. Dr. C.I. Scofield introduces this subject so well in his book Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth.
"A distinction of vast importance to the right understanding of the Scriptures, especially of the Epistles, is that which concerns the standing or position of the believer, and his state, or walk. The first is the result of the work of Christ, and is perfect and entire from the very moment that Christ is received by faith. Nothing in the afterlife of the believer adds in the smallest degree to his title of favor with God, nor to his perfect security. Through faith alone this standing before God is conferred; and before Him, the weakest person, if he be but a true believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, has precisely the same title as the most illustrious saint.
The student cannot fail to notice, also, that the divine order, under grace, is first to give the highest possible standing and then to exhort the believer to maintain a state in accordance therewith. The beggar is lifted up from the dunghill and set among princes (I Samuel 2: , and then exhorted to be princely.
Positionally he is ‘perfected forever’ (Hebrews 10:14), but looking within, at his state, he must say, ‘Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.’ (Philippians 3:12).
A prince, while he is a little child, is presumably as willful and as ignorant as other children. Sometimes he may be very obedient and teachable and affectionate, and then he is happy and approved. At other times he may be unruly, self-willed, and disobedient, and then he is unhappy, and perhaps is chastised — but he is just as much a prince on the one day as on the other. It may be hoped that, as time goes on, he will learn to bring himself into willing and affectionate subjection to every right way, and then he will be more princely, but not any more a prince than before. He was born a prince.
In the case of every true son of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, this growth into kingliness is assured. In the end, standing and state, character and position, will be equal. But the position is not the reward of the perfected character — the character is developed from the position."
Our standing before God is sinless perfection, because we are in Christ. But our state has to do with our relationship with the Lord as sons — the two are completely different. Our standing is wholly dependent upon Christ’s finished work at Calvary, but the state of our walk with God depends on our works while we are still upon this earth in these bodies of flesh.
The scripture says:
"So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." — I Corinthians 1:7-9
If anyone ever tells you that a Christian must "endure to the end" in order to go to Heaven, just show him I Corinthians 1:8. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, wrote these words to believers living in the Church Age. He says plainly that Jesus Christ has determined to confirm us unto the end (the time of His second coming). This is something God has to do; we cannot do it ourselves. Do not let the word "shall" confuse you. It does not mean that He will confirm believers later on, but that He has already determined to carry out our confirmation unto the end. I trust God! Sometimes I can’t even trust myself, but I always have complete confidence in my Lord. I Corinthians 1:9 says "God is faithful." and I know He has already confirmed me to the end. That’s good enough for me!
Now let’s look at one more verse related to our present standing in Christ and our eternal security (Ephesians 2:6). Those who will not let the Scriptures speak for themselves have no idea what this verse is talking about, and they will never be able to understand it. They will twist it around to fit their preconceived doctrinal position by making it figurative, or by changing the words. But they cannot accept it as it is written without accepting the truth that we have just studied.
Paul says that God:
" ath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" — Ephesians 2:6
From the context, it is plain to see that
This is Lesson #2 in the New Christian Series. The first part of this lesson is a study of Twelve Important Things That Happen When A Man Gets Saved. The second part is the beginning of a three part study of Nine Basic Doctrines Associated With Salvation.
When a man believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, many wonderful things take place as a new relationship is established between him and God. Of course, the new believer is unaware of all these things until he studies Bible doctrine and grows in the word of God.
To illustrate, consider the automobile. The average automobile driver knows little or nothing about what goes on inside the engine and transmission to make the car move. He does know he can turn the ignition on, step on the gas and drive away, but has no idea of all the mechanical functions that must take place for that automobile to even move. The average Christian has a similar experience regarding the salvation of his soul. As it is unnecessary for the automobile driver to understand all of the workings of the automobile in order to drive it, so it is unnecessary for the believer to understand all the workings of God in his life in order to be saved: it is only necessary that he believe. Although unaware of all that transpired when he believed, or the many blessings that would accompany salvation, he still received the benefit of them.
While it is not necessary for all automobile drivers to study auto mechanics to become better drivers, it is necessary for all believers to study the Bible in order to enjoy their salvation fully and become better Christians. We got saved, even though our enemy the devil did not want us to. Now, he has another strategy to defeat us as believers. Satan wants to keep us ignorant of our new position and power in Christ. [In other words, while the devil cannot stop the believer’s car (his life), he can get it going in the wrong direction, or get it off in a ditch somewhere.] We should learn all we can about our relationship with God so that we can keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ and follow a straight path. It should be our desire to equip ourselves to be used by Him to minister to others and win the lost to Christ.
To begin with, we will look at twelve important things that happen to the believer when he gets saved. I think you will find these very simple and self-explanatory when we look at the scriptures.
When we finish our study of these twelve things, we will go on to a more in-depth study of nine other very important doctrines pertaining to the new believer’s relationship with God.
Twelve important things that happen when a man gets saved
I. His Sins Are Forgiven
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin:" — Colossians 1:13,14
This verse should be a great comfort to all believers, especially those who lived like the devil all their unsaved lives. But by the grace of God, all our sins have been forgiven and will never be brought up again by the Lord. The realization that we have been redeemed by His blood is cause for great rejoicing; never cease to offer the sacrifice of praise for the wonderful work accomplished at Calvary in the offering of the precious Son of God for our vile sins!
II. He No Longer Has To Die In His Sins
Every man must die in one of two ways. He will die at peace with God, looking forward to a heavenly home with eternal rest from sin and the cares of the world, or he will die in his sin. Unfortunately, most people die in their sins, because most people die unsaved.
"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: For if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." — John 8:24
All the unsaved die in their sins, and must stand before the Great White Throne Judgment. Without the blood of Christ to take away their sin, there will be no mercy and no one to plead their case. Those who die in their sins will be cast into the Lake of Fire where they will be punished for ever and ever. The horror of the Auschwitz prison camps in Germany, the Bataan death march in the Philippines, and the torture of millions of Christians in Europe by Roman Catholics in the Dark Ages will seem mild in comparison with the horrors of eternal damnation in Hell.
"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." — Hebrews 10:31
"So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." — Matthew 13:49,50
Hell is a place of unimaginable suffering. One of the greatest torments for those condemned to Hell will be the knowledge that they could have escaped. Having rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, the unsaved will perish without the Saviour, and in Hell memories of the past will haunt them forever: they will remember how they mocked the Saviour when they rejected the gospel of the grace of God, and they will remember their friends and loved ones who received God’s free gift of salvation. At the White Throne Judgment the lost will be doomed by their own confession of guilt even as the thief on the cross, who said of how the two suffered on the cross:
"And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds... — Luke 23:40,41
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light for their deeds are evil." — John 3:19
Rejoice, dear believer, in the knowledge that there is NO MORE CONDEMNATION for those washed in the blood of the Lamb! Furthermore, believers need fear death no more, for when we die, we will die in Christ. Our hearts should be filled with joy at the expectation of His soon return; when all those in Christ will be raptured, and taken to Heaven where we will be with Him forever in glory.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" — I Thessalonians 4:16
This verse refers to the rapture of the body of Christ, when the Lord will return to carry us away to be with Him forever in Heaven.
III. He Passes From Death Unto Life and From Darkness Unto Light
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren..." — I John 3:14
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." — Romans 6:23
For the unsaved sinner, life offers no more than a few sinful pleasures, worldly gain, and passing fame. At death, he will lose everything he ever treasured: his family, friends, fortune, and fame. Worst of all, he will lose his eternal soul to Satan, and be punished forever in Hell. Later, he will be raised up at the Great White Throne Judgment to be judged by the perfect measure of a sinless Saviour. He will then be cast into the Lake of Fire, called "the second death" (Revelation 21: . By the grace of God, believers are no longer subject to the second death, for we have eternal life instead: we have passed from death unto life. In the scriptures, that life is the light.
"In him was life; and the life was the light of men." — John 1:4
Having therefore passed from death unto life, the believer has also passed from darkness unto light, because Jesus is the light. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." — John 8:12
" e should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you forth out of darkness into his marvellous light:" — I Peter 2:9
As Christ is the light, so Satan is darkness: "But if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." — II Corinthians 4:3,4
The lost are in darkness because "the god of this world" (Satan) has blinded their minds so they cannot see (II Corinthians 4). When they get saved, however, the Holy Spirit illuminates their darkened minds by the scriptures.
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." — Psalm 119:105
"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." — Psalm 119:130
" he Holy Ghost… shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." — John 14:26
Many years ago Charles Wesley penned the words to that immortal hymn ‘Arise My Soul, Arise." One verse says: "Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature’s night: Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed thee!
Thank God for the LIGHT that set us free and brought us out of darkness and death!
IV. His Name Is Recorded In Heaven
The Bible clearly teaches that there are BOOKS in Heaven. A liberal might say, "God knows everything; he doesn’t need any books."
To which we would reply, "But the Bible says ‘BOOKS’." "Well, it says that, but it does not mean literal books; it is just figurative," he might continue. "Then maybe He just wrote your name down ‘figuratively,’" we would suggest. Believe what you will, brethren, but I am sure that my name is written in the Book of Life, and nothing can ever remove it.
The Bible says: "
ejoice, because your names are written in heaven." — Luke 10:20
"Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown... whose names are written in the book of life." — Philippians 4:1,3
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the Lake of Fire." — Revelation 20:15
True believers need not be concerned about being punished in the Lake of Fire, for our name is written in the Book of Life.
V. He Is Given Eternal Life
The Bible says we do not have to wait until we die to know if we are going to Heaven. Eternal life begins the moment our sins are washed away. At that very moment our names are written in the Book of Life. That’s right, all believers have eternal life now. It began the day of our rebirth in Christ, and will never end. Since the believer’s salvation is eternally secure in Christ, we use the term "eternal security."
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." — John 10:28
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." — John 3:16
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." — John 5:24
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." — John 3:36
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." — I John 5:11-13
VI. He Receives An Inheritance
As believers we are God’s children: "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together." — Romans 8:17
How wonderful to be "heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." Because we are born into the family of God by faith, we not only receive forgiveness of sin, but an inheritance as well.
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." — Acts 26:18
Our inheritance from the Lord as individual believers is not the same as Israel’s inheritance, which the Old Testament identifies as being the land of Palestine.
" nd all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever." — Exodus 32:13
The Christian’s inheritance is found "in Christ" and "in light." "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance..." — Ephesians 1:11
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:" — Colossians 1:12
We are made fit for it by God the Father. The earnest (our guarantee that we shall receive it) is the gift of the Holy Spirit. At the moment we are saved, He seals us unto the day of redemption.
"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." — Ephesians 1:14
This inheritance is described in brief but astonishing terms by the apostle Peter.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." — I Peter 1:3-5
* It is incorruptible (it is beyond decay and ruin).
* It is undefiled (it is beyond the reach of sin).
* It will not fade away (it is beyond the reach of time and change).
* It is reserved for us in Heaven (it is beyond the reach of loss).
This part of our inheritance (including our new nature, our new body, and our home in Heaven) is kept safe for us until we receive it in the last day.
"In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." — John 14:2-3
That mansion is also ours by inheritance, because we are his children. What wonderful things await those children whose God and Father has made such great provision for their homecoming!
As the scripture says: "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." — I Corinthians 2:9
VII. He Receives The Blessed Hope
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ;" — Titus 2:13
When things go wrong in this life and the future looks tough, Christians can still look forward to this blessed hope.
VII. The Wrath Of God Is Removed
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." — John 3:36
When we believed, the wrath of God was removed off us. This can be likened unto the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state in 1980. It spewed out a river of fiery, molten lava that destroyed everything in its path. Can you imagine someone walking up to that volcano and saying, "Peace be still," and having it stop and cool off; and maybe even developing a little frost over it? Of course that sounds ridiculous, because it is utterly impossible for any man to do But it is not impossible for God, for He is the One who created the volcano. Certainly the Creator is more powerful than anything He creates. Can you picture Hell then, and how much more terrible the wrath of God will be in that place? Just think, all are condemned to suffer God’s wrath in a burning Lake of Fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. But one day the Saviour found us, gave the invitation, "Come unto me," and took all our sin away the moment we placed our faith in the precious blood of Christ — is it not marvelous?
IX. He Has Peace With God
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" — Romans 5:1
Now that we have "peace with God," we no longer have to worry about going to Hell, and we can really begin to enjoy life. The following story offers a good illustration of what peace really is.
Getting saved is simple— the Bible tells us that we need only: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," — Acts 16:31
The repentant sinner need only have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe in Him as the Saviour to receive eternal life and the free pardon from sin— that is salvation. When he does this, he is born of the Spirit of God and acquires a new home in Heaven. After trusting Christ, it is natural that one become a student of the word of God and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
In his classic work, The Preacher and His Preaching, Alfred P. Gibbs says,
"It is not enough that a soul has been won for Christ and thus regenerated. That soul must now be led on in ways well pleasing to the Lord and built up in His most holy faith. The preaching and teaching of the word of God is the means by which this is accomplished."
Today many believers are confused about the teaching of scripture, because as new babes in the Lord they were not grounded in the precious doctrines of the word of God. It is vitally important that we study the scriptures if we are to become effective servants of the Lord. Daily devotions are sweet; a program for reading the Bible through in a year is profitable; but nothing can take the place of real study.
I think every believer will agree with J.C. Ryle, who said:
"No one ever said at the end of his days, I have read my Bible too much; I have prayed too much; I have been too careful with my soul."
The Bible instructs us: "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness.But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever..." — II Peter 3:17,18
In verse 18, we are given the simple commandment, "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord." It is evident from the warning in verse 17, that obedience to this commandment will keep us from "being led away with the error" that will cause us to "fall from our own steadfastness."
Just as we are commanded to pray, to witness, and to live for the Lord, we are also commanded to study the word of God.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." — II Timothy 2:15
The Bible will be much easier for us to understand if we follow some standard rules of study.
Never study under a man who is a Bible corrector. When dealing with the Holy Bible, we will let the scriptures correct us, not contrariwise. Even while the Apostle Paul was still alive, men had already begun to correct the word of God.
Paul sets himself apart from such, saying; "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God..." — II Corinthians 2:17
It has been well said, "A text without a context, is a pretext." Always study the verse in the light of its own setting.
III. Never Interpret A Verse Of Scripture You Understand In The Light Of One You Do Not Understand
Scripture should not be made to conform to a preconceived theology; on the contrary, scripture determines theology. As the light in the candlestick gave "light over against it" (Exodus 25:37), so scripture illuminates and explains scripture. The Bible is the only commentary that is absolutely dependable.
For example, the Bible definition of the words "swine" and "dogs" is found in Matthew 7:6 and II Peter 2:22.
VI. Always Take The Plain, Literal Meaning Of Every Verse Of Scripture Except Where It Is Impossible To Do So
"If the literal sense makes good sense, seek no other sense, lest it result in nonsense." Unless the passage is obviously figurative, it is always to be taken in the plain and literal sense.
A. The doctrinal application (often prophetic).
B. The historical application, meaning the event actually occurred in human history.
C. The devotional or spiritual application, which is the practical application of the passage to the life and conduct of the believer.
As we study the Bible these rules should help us make proper application of even the most difficult passages of scripture to our lives.
Some suggested methods of study are:
Association: The words "like" and "as" are the key words in the Bible for understanding anything that cannot be seen.
Contrast: This is called "rightly dividing the word of truth" in II Timothy 2:15. Remember, things that are different are not the same.
Repetition: Nothing is learned without constant review of the same material. It must be gone over again and again until it is learned by heart.
These are just a few guidelines that will help keep us from error as we study our Bibles. Keep them in mind as we study, and use them as tools to help search the scriptures. At the end of our study we want to know what the Bible says about the subject, not what man says. Billy Sunday said, "When the Bible says one thing, and scholarship says another, scholarship can go plumb to the devil."
While studying these lessons, use a notebook to write down any thoughts and questions that may come to mind. Those notes will be useful for years to come. If possible, get a Bible with a wide margin so you can have more room for your notes. Brief personal notes and cross references help us to recall the things we learn today for years to come. As we study the word of God let's ask the Lord for light and understanding— ask Him to help us to grow in grace and knowledge to the stature of a full-grown Christian.
In his epistle to Timothy, Paul says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." — II Timothy 3:16,17
Paul instructs the young pastor, Timothy, and each one of us, that "all scripture" is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Let's examine these three.
Of all the things we want to learn from the word of God, doctrine is the most important. ("Doctrine" simply means the things that the Bible teaches about a certain subject.) There are over 5,000 different denominations in the United States today, each one having a different interpretation of the scriptures. Members of these denominations strictly adhere to the teaching of their own peculiar sect; but in our study, we are interested in what the word of God teaches, because it is the only pure source of doctrine we will ever study. We must set our hearts upon learning what the Bible says, and not what a man or a denomination believes. The only way we will ever know the truth is to take the scriptures in the King James Bible at face value. The Final Authority for the believer, above what anyone teaches, the faithful standard by which we may judge all things, is the 1611 Authorized Version.
As we read in the book of Romans: "Let God be true but every man a liar." — Romans 3:4
The Psalms also warn us: "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." — Psalm 118:8
In II Timothy 3:15, "reproof" implies the exposing of error and conviction of sin, with a suggestion of shame upon the one convicted. Scripture can be very pointed about our sin, but it is always for our good and in preparation of the remedy. The purpose of pointing out our sin is that we might receive correction and instruction. Some things may be hidden from men; but scripture is the light that uncovers all things, for nothing is hidden from God.
"All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." — Ephesians 5:13
"For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." — John 3:20
Once reproved, we should heed the warning of Proverbs 29: "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." — Proverbs 29:1
Let us not be as this man, but accept the reproof of the scriptures as a kindness from the Lord, and the attending correction with joy.
Correction is the remedy that will lead us to the restoration of our relationship with the Lord after we have sinned. In the scriptures, chastening is closely linked to correction.
"Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty." — Job 5:17
"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction." — Proverbs 3:11
For we know that; "
o chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby." — Hebrews 12:11
IV. The Scriptures Are Profitable For Instruction In Righteousness.
The Bible never leads anyone to do wrong; it always instructs us to do right. It is not even necessary that we understand everything in the scriptures in order to profit by them; but it is necessary that we believe them. We know that by and by the Holy Spirit will give understanding to the man who believes what God said.
Paul expressed his desire for all believers in this regard. "For this cause also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" — Colossians 1:9
The Bible teaches us how to live a life pleasing unto the Lord, but we must study the word of God and give attendance to the teaching and preaching of the word of God. Thereby we can learn the great doctrines of the faith. Studying the scriptures will help perfect us and thoroughly furnish us unto all good works.
What Martin Luther said hundreds of years ago still holds true:
"In truth, you cannot read the scriptures too much; what you read, you cannot too well read; What you read well, you cannot too well understand; What you understand well, you cannot too well teach; And what you teach well, you cannot too well live."
If not established in the faith through the study of the word of God, we are likely to be deceived by false teachers.
As the Apostle Paul warned: "That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive." — Ephesians 4:14
The devil uses many false teachers to confuse young believers, persuading them to believe peculiar doctrines and follow them. Beware, they are thoroughly familiar with their own doctrine and, as the Pharisees, very convincing. But we need not be deceived if we are firmly established in the true doctrines of the word of God. We should know what we believe so we will not be confused by these emissaries of Satan.
Because of ignorance or false beliefs, many believers are unaware that eternal life is a present possession— they do not realize that the salvation of their soul is already complete and secure forever. But, as we study the doctrine of salvation, we should gain assurance in the finished work of Christ by learning to rightly divide the scriptures. Many today are deceived in believing that only parts of the scripture are inspired, but that isn't what the Bible says (II Timothy 3:16). We who trust the word of God know that every word of the King James Bible is true.
The Bible says; "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." — I Thessalonians 2:13
Paul says that the word of God it won't work in those who do not believe. It only works in those who believe it to be "as it is in truth, the word of God."
Newborn babies must have proper nutrition in order to grow properly. All who are born of the Spirit, are also like newborn babies. From the moment of their birth believers should begin to grow by studying God's word (spoken of as "milk" in I Peter 2).
"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby." — I Peter 2:2
Paul's letter to the Hebrews also says; "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth unto them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." — Hebrews 5:12-14
The Lord is a good dietitian and He gives His children a balanced diet to help them grow strong spiritually. In this respect the word of God is variously spoken of as:
MILK— in Hebrews 5:13
APPLES— in Proverbs 25:11
BREAD— in Luke 4:4
The Lord sets a table that gives his children a balanced diet.
Earlier saw in Bible that a Christian is to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord." When he does, he begins to mature.
· As a newborn he is only a "baby" (I Peter 2:2).
· He becomes a "little child"— a toddler (I John 2:1,12).
· Then he becomes "a child" (II Corinthians 6:13; I Peter 1:14).
· Later he becomes a "young man" (John 2:13).
· And he matures into a "man" (Colossians 1:28; I John 2:13). He continues until he is an "elder" (II John 1).
· Finally he will become like Paul, spoken of as the "aged" (Philemon 1:9; Titus 2:2).
Where are you in your present spiritual growth? Some have existed such meager diets, that, although saved for many years, they are still babies. Then there are others who have been saved for only five or six months, but have already begun to mature. The difference is a balanced diet. If we are to grow, we must have daily nourishment from the word of God. Studying the New Christian Series Bible course, the student will be exposed to enough Bible truth to equip him with a true knowledge and proper understanding of the basic doctrines of the faith. We will continue until we are feeding on some good strong meat— Porterhouse steak doctrine.
Thus, the diligent student will find himself:
1. Growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Better equipped to work of the Lord. (We should expect to be used by Him according to our spiritual gifts.)
3. More yielded to Him and better able to discern His will.
4. Growing in the love of the word of God. The more we study and yield to it, the more we love it.
5. Growing in his love for God.
The more the student learns about all the fantastic things that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for him, the more he will love the blessed Saviour.
Dr. James McGaughey sums it up this way: "Many of God's people have never grown in the Lord because they have not appropriated the things essential to Christian growth. A little poem I read illustrates the truth: Two forces surge within my breast— The one is foul, the other blest; The 'new' I love, the old I hate: The one I feed will dominate."
L E T S R E V I E W
The purpose of this lesson is to establish the believer in the true doctrines of Bible salvation. In Lesson 1 we will learn that:
· Every Believer Should Know He Is Saved.
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SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR
EFFECTIVE BIBLE STUDY
This booklet (SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE BIBLE STUDY)
is being made available to you through the members of
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“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15
Following are some things that God Himself has emphasized to us as requirements for understanding the Scriptures. Though we do not yet get into the practical side of Bible study in this section, the things that we will say here are crucial and will challenge the Bible student about the Spiritual requirements of this blessed endeavor. No Bible student has progressed so far that he has no need to be reminded of these foundational things.
1. Effective Bible study requires SPIRITUAL LIFE (I Cor. 2:14 – 3:3).
The first and foremost requirement for fruitful Bible study is a godly life. There are three types of people described in I Corinthians chapters two and three: the natural man, the spiritual man, and the carnal man. The natural or unsaved person is spiritually dead and blind (Eph. 2:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:4). He cannot understand the things of God. “The deepest biblical scholar, if he fails to find Christ, knows less of the real meaning of the Gospel than the humblest Christian who is living in the faith of the Son of God” (Pulpit Commentary). When the heart turns to the Lord, though, and receives Jesus Christ, the blindness is lifted (2 Cor. 3:14-17). The spiritual man (I Cor. 2:15-16) and the carnal man (I Cor. 3:1-4) refer to believers. The believer is either spiritual or carnal depending on his walk with Christ. The carnal or worldly believer can understand the simple things of the Scriptures but not the more difficult things. He can take milk but not meat. Milk is predigested for the one who drinks it, whereas meat requires that the eater himself digest it. (See also Hebrews 5:12-14). Thus, spiritual life is more important in Bible study than technical skills. “A person, who understands the language of the Holy Spirit, but who does not understand a word of Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic, will get more out of the Bible than one who knows all about Greek and Hebrew but is not born again. It is a well-demonstrated fact that many plain men and women who possess no knowledge of the original languages in which the Bible was written have knowledge of the real contents of the bible. Their understanding of its actual teaching and His depth, fullness, and beauty far surpasses that of many learned professors in theological faculties” (R.A. Torrey).
Proverbs 17:16 contains a serious warning: “Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? “ If a person’s heart is not right with God, he cannot obtain wisdom regardless of how much money he spends and regardless of how much education he obtains.
Dear friends, if we want to study the Bible fruitfully, we must make certain that we are born again and that we are walking in close fellowship with the Author of the Book. This is the first and foremost requirement.
Studying the Bible is something like tuning in to a radio channel. Heaven is far away, but God broadcasts His glorious message to earth on a clear and powerful station with the call letters BIBLE. If the believer is in fellowship with Christ, he has an open channel to Heaven through the Scriptures. The closer the fellowship with Christ, the sharper the reception and the more plainly the Bible speaks. If, on the other hand, a believer walks in carnality and in fellowship with the world. The reception becomes increasingly poor, because the Holy Spirit is grieved (Eph. 4:30), and the static of the things of this world hinders the reception. Child of God, don’t let unconfessed sin and worldliness rob you of the blessing of being tuned in to Heaven’s glorious channel!
2. Effective Bible study requires FAITH (Heb. 11:1, 6).
The one who benefits from the study of the Scriptures must approach this important business by faith. Bible faith means confidence in God and His promises, and there are many things of which the Bible student must be confident.
He must be confident that the Bible is God’s inspired , preserved Word and that he can depend upon its every utterance (I Thess. 2:13).
He must be confident that God loves him and wants him to understand the Bible. The Bible is a revelation, not a hiding, of the truth (Deut. 29:29).
He must be confident that the Holy Spirit will help him understand the Bible (I John 2:27).
3. Effective Bible study requires PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS (Matt. 4:4).
To benefit the most from Bible study, one must understand that every word of the Bible is important. In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke even of the jots and tittles, which are tiny parts of the Hebrew letters (Matt. 5:1 . The wise Bible student pours over the pages of Scripture looking at every detail. Knowing that nothing in the Scripture is there by accident. Every word of Scriptures has a divine purpose. It was purified seven times (Psalm 12:6). Thus, it is imperative that the student have an accurately translated Bible that brings out the details of the Hebrew and Greek.
4. Effective Bible study must have THE RIGHT GOALS.
To properly understand the Bible, one must have the right motives. Some read the Bible merely to learn something new and curious, like the Athenians of old to whom Paul preached (Acts 17:21). Some want to be entertained and have no intention to obey God, like those who heard Ezekiel (Eze.33:31-32). Some read God’s word simply to find errors and to seek an excuse to disbelieve, as did the Pharisees and Sadducees, scribes and lawyers when they vainly and foolishly attempted to catch Christ in some gaining worldly advantage, such as those in poorer countries who think that the motive of the Jews who heard Christ because they hoped He would provide them with food and clothing and protect them from their enemies (Jn. 6:14-15). When they learned that Christ was not merely a ticket to worldly prosperity, they turned away from the Word of God (Jn. 6:66).
Thus, we must be very careful that we come to the Word of God with the right motives, some of which are as follows:
The first and foremost goal of Bible study is to know the Lord. An example of this is Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet to hear His word (Lk. 10:39). Her desire was to know Christ himself. That is how we must approach the Bible. God did not give us the Scriptures to entertain us but that we might know Him, as Adam and Eve, when they walked with God in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3: and as Enoch, who walked with God in an evil age (Gen. 5:24).
Another proper goal in Bible study is to know the Lord’s will (Rom. 12), so that we might please Him in this life. The believer has the privilege of knowing the very mind of Christ for all aspects of his earthly walk.
Another important objective of Bible study is to help others. According to Hebrews 5:12, it is God’s will that every believer become a teacher of the Scriptures, not in the sense of leading a church but in the sense of helping others privately in our daily lives. It is therefore pleasing to the Lord that we study other Bible in order to instruct others. Every Christian should be able to do what Philip did with Ethiopian eunuch, when he started at Isaiah and preached Christ to him (Acts 8:30-35). The older women are to teach the younger ones (Titus 2;’3-4), etc.
5. Effective Bible study must have the RIGHT PRIORITY.
God requires first place in our lives (Matt. 6:33); and since He has magnified His Word above even His name (Ps. 138:2); it is evident that He intends that to make the study of His Word the very highest priority.
Following are some of the ways that we can do:
The study of the Bible should come first in the day when we are still fresh and our minds are uncluttered with the concerns of life. Some heave vowed to the Lord that they will not eat breakfast until they have eaten God’s Word. That is a noble and wise thing. For many years, I determined before the Lord that I would not read any other material until I had first read His Word. When I was engaged to my wife and she was still living in a foreign country and our only form of communication was the mail, I determined before the Lord that I would never read one of her letters until I had first spent my time studying His Word. I believe such things please the Lord, because they demonstrate our zeal toward spiritual matters.
The study of the Bible should be given sufficient time. It is not honoring to God to apply only a tiny amount of time to the study of His Word, or to read some little two-minute devotional in the place of serious Bible study.
The study of the Bible should be a priority above the study of other books. It is not honoring to God to spend most of one’s time reading about the Bible while neglecting the actual study of the Bible itself. While we do not despise the value of sound doctrinal books, they should never take the place of the Bible.
6. Effective Bible study requires HUNGER FOR GOD AND HIS TRUTH (Ps. 63:1).
Job lived long ago and did not have all of the Scriptures as we do today, but he had a great hunger for God’s words. He testified,”…I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Likewise, for a Christian to make Bible study the priority it must be, requires that he have a great hunger to know the Word of God. Be careful not to spoil your appetite! If you find that you have lost your appetite for the Bible and that it has become boring, you might be feeding on the wrong things in your life. The believer has both the flesh and the spirit, and if he feeds the flesh, he will be carnal and will lose his appetite for spiritual things (Gal. 5:16-25). It is like eating candy and junk food and spoiling one’s appetite for wholesome food. The solution to such a problem is to stop eating the junk and to separate oneself to good food and soon one regains a healthy appetite.
7. Effective Bible study requires CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION.
The Bible speaks of the importance of meditating on God’s Word, which refers to focusing one’s mind upon the Scriptures so that God’s words become central to one’s affections (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:1-2; 19:14; 49:3 ; 119:11,97,99). If you can’t concentrate completely upon the Bible, your study time will not be very profitable. It is so easy for the mind to wander as you read the Bible, and we must do whatever is necessary to keep our thoughts on the Scriptures, to hold the words of God in our hearts so that they bring forth good fruit. Not only do we live in a weak, fleshly body (called the “body of this death” in Rom. 7:24) that gets tired and sick , and not only do we dwell in a world full of cares and woes, but we have an aggressive enemy that seeks to hinder our spiritual development. His name is Satan, meaning the adversary, the one who stands before us to resist us. Bible study is spiritual warfare and we must do everything possible to win this war.
The parable of the sower teaches us that a man must make the effort to understand and apply the Scriptures, or the truth will be stolen away from his heart by the Devil (Matt. 13:19). We must capture the truth by meditating on it and finding out its meaning.
This is why MEMORIZATION of Scripture is so important. When Scriptures are memorized, the believer can then meditate upon them at any time. It is good to write Scripture verses down on cards and keep them with you so that you can spend time memorizing Scripture when you have opportunity, such as when you are waiting on someone or something. Redeem the time!
Following are some suggestion to help you concentrate properly upon the Word of God:
A quiet, private place is required. I have seen Christians trying to study the Bible in a room where there people talking and a radio is blaring, etc. That is not wise, and it is not honoring to the Lord, who deserves our undivided attention. The Bible is the very Word of God. Would it be proper to invite God over for a visit and then have many other things going on at the same time as He was talking to us? On some occasions when I have visited people in their homes to talk to them about spiritual matters, they have kept the television on and have continued watching it even while I was trying to talk with them. That was very disrespectful to me personally and, more importantly, to the message that I was bringing, and surely God feels the same way when we fall to give Him out full attention. There have been occasions when I have gotten into my car and driven out to a country road or, if in a city, to the backside of the parking lot of a large shopping area in order to have a quiet and private place for my Bible study time.
Ask the Lord to help you keep your mind on His word. If you find your mind frequently wandering during Bible study, lay the matter before the Lord. Tell Him that you desire to grow in knowledge of Him and His Word, explain your problem to Him, and beseech Him to help you concentrate.
If you are particularly worried about some matter, cast it before the Lord (I Pet. 5:7) and trust Him to take care of it for you; then turn your full attention to His Word.
Have pen in hand as you read. Just the action of picking up one’s pen and being ready to write things down or to mark in one’s Bible causes the mind to focus more on the reading.
Remove things from your Bible study areas that are distracting. I know a pastor who removed all of the bright colored covers from the books in his office, because they distracted him when he was trying to study the Bible.
Be careful about using a computer during Bible reading time. I use my computer to study the Bible, because it is so efficient, but I do not use my computer when I have my daily devotion time in the Scriptures and when I am just reading the Scriptures. It is too easy to get distracted with other things on the computer.
Be careful about extraneous thoughts. When you are studying the Bible, it will often happen that thoughts about other things will rush in and you will be tempted to leave the study of the Bible and to rush off and take care of those things. For this reason, it is a good idea to have pen and paper handy and to jot down thoughts so that you can take care of them later. This way, you can put them out of your mind for the time being and proceed with your study. If you get in the habit of allowing yourself to rush off and take care of other things, you will be crippled in your ability to study the Bible fruitfully.
Go back and read the passage again. When you find that your mind has wandered during the reading of the Scripture, it is important to go back and read that passage again until you have understanding of what you are reading, even if it takes several readings. It is better to read one verse with clear understanding than to read an entire chapter with the mind drifting to other things.
Try not to read the Bible when you are tired. Sometimes this cannot be avoided, and it is better to read the Bible when you are tired than not to read it at all. But the wise Bible student will arrange his schedule in such a way that he can study the Scriptures when he is alert.
If you find your mind wandering, it might help to put the Bible reading first before you do anything else in the day. I have found that if I start reading and studying other things first, it is much more difficult to concentration the Bible.
Sometimes it is helpful to read the Bible aloud if you find your mind wandering. This can help you maintain your concentration.
A larger print Bible can also help with concentration because it is easier to read and the pages of the Bible are not as cluttered with type.
8. Effective Bible study REQUIRES HARD WORK (Prov. 2:1-5).
God likens the search for wisdom to that of searching for silver. Men do not ordinarily find silver lying on the ground in easily accessible places. Some has been found that way, but it is more commonly found in the precipitous mountains, deep in the solid rock, so that it must be obtained through very strenuous labor. Likewise, while there are treasures everywhere one looks in the Scriptures and some of the treasures can be found thought even the most casual reading of it; much labor is required to draw out the best treasures from the Scriptures. “Most great truths do not lie on the surface. They must be brought up into the light by patient toil” (Frank Charles Thompson). A lazy person will never understand God’s Word very well. To rightly divide the Word of God requires workmen (2 Tim. 2:15). It is one thing to own concordances and commentaries; it is another thing to USE them! You must apply great diligence in this endeavor. Many are seeking some “secret key” that opens up the Bible; but while there are many important keys and rules of interpretation, as we will demonstrate in this course, there is no “secret key” that bypasses the requirement of hard work. There are no shortcuts for the lazy person.
9. Effective Bible study requires PRAYER (Ps. 119:18; Prov. 2:3; Eph. 1:17-1 .
As we search the Bible, we must cry out to its Author for understanding. We must trust the Lord and “lean not unto thine own understanding” (Prov. 3:5-6). “Prayer will do more than a college education to make the Bible an open and glorious book” (R.A. Torrey). As the Bible student grows in his understanding of the Scriptures and has success in applying the rules of interpretation, he is ever in danger of becoming lackadaisical. The old heart can deceive me into thinking that I have “arrived” and that I no longer need to cry out to the Lord for understanding. One way to resist this is to remind myself of what I don’t understand in the Word of God rather than focus on what I do understand. No man will ever truly master the Scriptures. The Bible, as God’s Word, is an eternal book containing endless truth. A man could study any one book of the Bible for his entire life, studying it diligently every day, and never completely master even that portion of Scripture. In some ways, the more I study the Bible, the less I realize that I really know about it. You know many things, but you realize that your knowledge is only superficial, that there is much that still lies beyond your grasp. The Bible has that quality and we never come to the place in our Bible study whereby we do not need to cry out to the Author for help and understanding.
10. Effective Bible study requires PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE (Jn. 8:31; Col. 1:23; I Tim. 4:16; James 1:6- .
“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter” (Prov. 25:2). The Bible is the Word of the eternal God, and it is not possible that we will understand all of it in a short time. It is to be the Book of a man’s life, his entire life, and no man will ever exhaust its treasures. A few years ago, for example, I finally found the meaning of one of the Proverbs that I have been studying for 23 years. And this week I found the answer to something in the Bible that had puzzled me for 29 years. Study your Bible with patience. The fruit is there for the one who just keeps on keeping on, plodding along in his study, day by day, year by year, onward, forward, with patience. “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).
Persistence is crucial in the Christian life. Feelings come and go. The child of God must continue in the things of Christ whether he feels like it or not, weather the situation is difficult or easy. Certainly, this is true for Bible study. There will be periods in which your heart will sing and the meaning of the Scripture will literally leap off the pages of the Bible and it will come alive. There will be other times in which everything is dull and dry, even the very study of God’s word. We must remember that we live in a “body of this death” (Rom. 7:24) and we are much affected by our physical condition. I remember a pastor friend who had kidney failure. Before his illness, he had a vibrant Christian life. He would memorize entire books of the Bible and the Scriptures were his delight. After his illness, he testified to me that though he continued to read the Bible, it only mocked him. David spoke of such a condition in Psalm 119:83. “For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.” David was saying that he felt all dried up like a leather bottle that was left over a fire. The child of God will go through times like that experientially, and he must do what David did, “yet do I not forget thy statutes.” Even if Bible study becomes monotonous and discouraging, just keep on keeping on and the blessing will return. One preacher wisely said, “Read the Bible when you feel like it, and when you don’t feel like reading it, read it until you do.”
11. Effective Bible study requires OBEDIENCE (Ps. 119:133; Lk. 11:28; Jn. 7:17; 8:31-32; Heb. 5:14; Jam 1:22-27; I Pet. 2:1-2).
The Bible is not given for entertainment, but that we might know and do the will of God. The person who has no intention to obey God will never understand the Bible properly. A Christian who is worldly and spiritually careless, who is unfaithful to the house of God, who is not busy in the service of the Lord, will not have a strong understanding of biblical truth. Such a one is also vulnerable to the wiles of false teachers, who “by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:1 . “It is remarkable how clear, simple and beautiful passages that once puzzled us become when we are brought to that place where we say to God, “I surrender my will unconditionally to Yours. I have no will but Yours. Teach me Your will.’ A surrendered will does more to make the Bible an open book than a university education. It is simply impossible to get the largest profit out of your Bible study until you surrender your will to God” (Torrey)
For this reason we must apply Bible study to our daily lives. Don‘t read and study the Bible as a mere intellectual exercise. Continually ask the Lord to show you how it can be applied to your life. The Bible should “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (2 Tim. 4:2). It should be profitable “for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). It should produce patience, comfort, hope (Rom. 15:4). It should admonish us not to sin (I Cor. 10:11).
12. Effective Bible study requires CONFESSION OF SIN (Ps. 66:18; Pr. 28:9).
As we have seen, the carnal believer cannot understand the deep things of God. How does the believer deal with the sin problem in his life? By repentance and confession (I John 1). Thus, it is crucial that the believer confess his sins so that he can grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Word of God.
13. Effective Bible study requires HUMILITY (James 4:6; Matt. 18:3).
The proud person will not learn anything from the Lord. God requires child-like humility. The believer must submit himself to God and accept that which God has spoken, not trying to search beyond the Scriptures to find out things that are still hidden (Deut. 29:29), not haughtily thinking that he can fully understand all of the things of God and rejecting those things that he cannot understand. There are many things in Scripture that are exceedingly difficult to understand, such as the deity and humanity of Christ and the sovereignty of God and responsibility of man. It should not surprise us that we are unable to fully understand such things in this present fallen world, and living, as we do, in the weak flesh. The proud person, though, demands that he understand everything in the Bible and that he explain every seeming difficulty, or he refuses to believe it. The proud person comes to the Bible merely to find confirmation of his own opinions, and he rejects that which does not suit his own thinking. The humble man, on the other hand, simply believes everything God says. In Mark 9:31, Christ told his disciples that he would be killed and would rise the third day. Verse 32 says they did not understand his saying. Why not? The words were plain enough. They didn’t understand because they had other ideas about what Christ would do and they could not therefore receive the plain word of God. “What will a pious, obedient, loving child do when he hears the father make a remark which on the surface appears objectionable? Instead of criticizing him and condemning his utterance as wrong, the child will ask him for an explanation. If we find stumbling blocks in the Holy Scriptures, let us take the attitude of such a loving child” (William Arndt).
14. Effective Bible study requires both READING (Deut. 17:19; Rev. 1:3) AND STUDYING (2 Tim. 2:15).
Reading and studying are two different things. It is crucial, first, simply to read the Bible. There is probably no other one thing that can help a believer better understand the Bible than simply reading it and reading it and reading it. If you learn nothing else from this course, I challenge you to make the reading of the Scriptures a big part of your Christian life. It is necessary, also, to study the Bible. This involves slowing down the pace; doing word studies, analyzing individual passages, doing topical studies, outlining books, using commentaries, etc. This is the point at which we begin to use Bible study tools.
SOME TIPS ABOUT READING THE BIBLE
a. Read it systematically. That means read it all of the way through. Why should the Bible be read systematically? First, the Bible is not merely a series of writings; it is one Book; and to be understood it needs t
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