“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!  But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice” John 10:1-5

Whenever Jesus started with “Verily I say unto you” or “I tell you the truth”, it signified that He was about to say something worthy of attention. This does not mean that the conversations which did not start with those words were of lesser importance. Those discourses with “verily” or “I tell you the truth” meant something unknown being revealed.

John 10 is quite damning for the spiritual leaders Israel had. We’ll go through some of the traits of the false shepherds.

The sheepfold

The false teacher/pastor/prophet sneaks over the wall of the sheepfold.

The sheepfold was made with stones piled on each other and it had a gate. There could be several sheepfolds near each other especially if the sheep were nearby Jerusalem to be used for sacrifice or sold. That meant that there could be several gatekeepers, hired men or shepherds near each other.

1. The sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd

When 2 or more sheepfolds opened their gates for the sheep to go out, the sheep were probably mixed up with those belonging to other shepherds and we could imagine that losing a sheep to another shepherd or forgetting one behind was easy. But Jesus tells us that the sheep would listen to the voice of its shepherd even if there were several shepherds around calling for their sheep to follow them.

In Luke 9:35 we read “This is My Son, My Chosen One: listen to Him“. Unfortunately, many do not want to listen to him.

There are other flocks that are not his and there is one flock which he owns.

“After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice“

2. He who sneaks over the wall is a thief and brigand

Jesus told his disciples that anyone who does not go through the gate but sneak over the wall i.e.  moves quietly and stealthily so as to avoid being seen or heard is not only behaving like a thief but indeed has the intention to steal. He goes even further, this thief does not only have the intention to steal but is a brigand i.e. will use violence to harm (armed robbery).

The unbelieving and presumptuous Jews who rejected Jesus were those sheep that heard not the voice of the shepherd.

Adam Clarke expressed it as such “the murderers and robbers are the false Christs, false prophets, scribes, Pharisees, wicked hireling priests, and ungodly ministers of all sorts, whether among primitive Jews or modern Christians.”

This is indeed what Jesus said in John 9:”Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

Jesus said that He is the light of the world (John 8:15). In as much that this light illuminates those who stands behind Him and guide their paths, this same light blinds those who stands against Him and cause them to stumble. Listening to Jesus voice, accepting His teachings is what makes someone a sheep. One cannot claim to be a sheep of Jesus if he goes his own way instead of going where the Shepherds leads him.

3. The good and bad Shepherds

Whoever has not been commissioned by Jesus Christ into the pastoral office and has God’s sheep under his guard, is no other than a thief and a robber in the sheepfold. One must surely go through the door, Jesus, to bring them out and feed them. Taking pastoral office without Jesus consent is illegitimate. One must receive this calling and go through the proper channel to exerce this role of shepherd.

This is the rebuke God gave to the shepherd of Israel:

“The Word of the Lord came to me saying, ² “Son of man, speak against the shepherds of Israel. Speak in My name and tell those shepherds, ‘The Lord God says, “It is bad for the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? ³ You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool. You kill the fat sheep without feeding the flock. ⁴ You have not given strength to the weak ones. You have not healed the sick. You have not helped the ones that are hurt. You have not brought back those that have gone away. And you have not looked for the lost. But you have ruled them with power and without pity. ⁵ They went everywhere because they had no shepherd. And they became food for every animal of the field. ⁶ My flock went many different ways through all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were spread over all the earth, and there was no one looking for them” Ez. 34:1-10

As for the Good Shepherd(see Ps. 23), God said:

“For the Lord God says, “I Myself will look for My sheep and find them.  As a shepherd looks for his sheep when they are not together, so I will look for My sheep. And I will save them from all the places where they were spread out on a day of clouds and darkness.  I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the rivers, and in all the places of the land where people live.  I will feed them in a good field. The ground they eat upon will be on the mountains of Israel. There they will lie down in a good field and feed on good grass on the mountains of Israel.  I will feed My sheep, and give them rest,” says the Lord God. ¹⁶ “I will look for the lost, bring back those that have gone away, help those who have been hurt, and give strength to the sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them with punishment.”Ez. 34:10-15

The hired man counts the sheep his own as long as they are profitable to him; the good shepherd looks upon them as his, so long as he can be profitable to them. The sheep will listen to his voice and submit to his leadership as one commissioned by Jesus to lead them in green pastures.

Unfortunately, many have come into the pastoral office just like the bad shepherds of Israel. The shepherds of Israel were learned, well versed in scripture, had all the theological qualifications but were not called to shepherd. Many pastors have taken up this office because they studied theology but were not called by Jesus. It should be the other way one i.e. theological studies to be better equipped follows the call to pastoral office, not vice-versa.

Some pastors shepherd lovingly even though they were not called and still others do it out of wrong motives. This could be pride, ambitions, money, love of ease or to promote the interests of one’s family. I have met many who became pastors because their father was a pastor. There is no monarchy in pastoral ministry. Taking pastoral office allowed to lord it over the sheep by hijacking different leadership roles in the church. These kind of shepherds are opportunists, they do not really care for the sheep. In Ezechiel we also read about fattened sheep who fed themselves, the rams which hurt other sheep with their body and even drove them away with their horns. Not all breed of sheep have horns(all rams do have). If the horned animals (ram or goat) were put together with sheep which did not have horns, those sheep would be hurt. In Ezechiel, we see God angry with the horned animals (rams, goats) because they not only hurt the sheep but even left their own fields to eat in the fields of the sheep and crushed their pasture. These horned animals even made clear water that the sheep would drink, dirty. It was not only the fake shepherds which abused the sheep but also the rams which had horns and hurt the inoffensive ones.

Adam Clarke had some words for the shepherds which were not called into pastoral office:

“the desire of providing for himself and his family, are innocent, yea, laudable, in a secular business but to enter into the ministerial office through motives of this kind is highly criminal before God.”

Notice that Jesus is the door and he that enters through him into the sheepfold is indeed a genuine shepherd. The gatekeeper will open him and the sheep will listen to his voice. He who entered by any other means e.g. theological qualifications or succession is a counterfeit or fake shepherd and will lead the sheep astray, kill, abuse and destroy them.

4. He knows them by name

Just like Jesus gave Simon the new name “Cephas”, he knows his sheep by name because only the true shepherd has the authority to give a name to its sheep just like a parent gives a name to his new born. Before Jesus left, he asked Peter if he loved Him. Peter responded yes and Jesus told him thrice to shepherd his lambs and his sheep. In his epistle, Peter who was appointed shepherd of the Jewish Christians in turn recommends to others shepherd:

“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. ³ Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. ⁴ And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” 1 Peter 5:1-4

If the father of lies calls my name, I will not follow because I know the voice of the one who gave me my name when I was born again.

A genuine pastor has therefore a lawful call to exercise authority, to feed and protect the sheep. That person would not have been a pastor if it was not triggered and quickened by the Holy Spirit. That person gives his life for the sheep as Jesus would. It’s an immense self-sacrifice with no sordid gain in mind.

But the one who sneaks over the wall i.e. has his own agenda, is double-faced or conceals his real intention is a thief and a robber. They just want to get some fat from the sheep.

The porter opens access to the sheep because he knows and trust the shepherd. There is only one who can enter legitimately through the gate, it’s the shepherd.

5. The sheep won’t listen to the voice of a stranger

The robber can steal a sheep, harm it and even kill it but never will a thief be able to force a sheep to listen. In fact, if a sheep is solicited to follow someone else than its shepherd it will fear danger.

“They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

I have told my kids not to listen to a stranger if they approached them. The stranger may know their names but they don’t have my voice and call them by name as I do. My kids will not listen or follow a stranger. If you do not want to be embarrassed in a public area, you better not ask my kids to follow you, for sure they will shout!

My kids will follow me even if I cross a dangerous path because they know me, they know that I don’t have any intention to hurt them but protect and feed them.

In as much that my kids won’t listen to the voice of a stranger, other kids won’t listen to my voice because I’m not their father.

As we’ve seen in Ezechiel, Jesus said “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them“

A sheep will listen to the voice of the one to whom it belongs, either to Jesus or the devil. The true sheep i.e. the real children of God will not listen to the voice of the devil.

6. Jesus the only door to salvation and the one who gathers His sheep

Jesus thus mentions that He is the gate, the only door to salvation.

“Those who come in through me will be saved.They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep” John 10:10-11

Jesus positions himself as the Good Shepherd in Ezechiel who will gather his flock, give his life for them and also find the lost ones.

“I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”

There are sheep which will hear the voice of the Son of God when the gospel will be preached to them (e.g. the Gentiles). They are still captured in other sheepfolds by the devil. Jesus will bring them together to form one flock with Him as the sole shepherd. He will not lord it over them but these sheep will find freedom to move around and profit the good pastures without a rope around the neck. Surely, the objective of the Good Shepherd is not to profit them but to make them fulfilled and satisfied. These are not just claims and beautiful words spoken by the Good Shepherd, He proved it by giving his life. If He gave His life, how can there be an ounce of intention to profit them? Will not He ready to defend those He gave his life for, feed them and care for them?

John 15:13: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends“

7. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming

Interestingly, one of the mark of a true shepherd is his disinterest with money in contrast with the hired hand who is just performing a duty with something in return. Whenever a better offer arise the hired hand leaves the sheep. Whenever the sheep gets sick or it becomes too difficult to manage and feed them, he just leaves them alone. Whenever he feels threatened by a wolf, he runs away to save his life leaving the sheep at the mercy of the wolf. His life is more important than the sheep but the good shepherd is ready to give his life for the sheep. Why will he abandon the sheep? Simply because he never considered them his own. Guarding the sheep provided for him to keep his life easy but when it required guarding against the wolf, it was no longer worth the risks of getting bitten or killed for a flock of sheep which belonged to someone else. For sure he will logically run away to save his life and abandon the sheep. The flock is thus attacked and scattered.

“A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.”

8. Beware of sheep with horns and wolves in sheep clothing

There are many scattered sheep in churches because there has been spiritual abuse by fake shepherds. Even though, these sheep still persevere and continue to listen to the voice of the Shepherd where he leads them. Paul did say that ravening wolves will come and cause the flock to scatter. They do resemble sheep but have horns and have the same objective as the wolves – hurt the sheep.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” Mat. 7:15

A wolf in sheep clothing is usually someone with false humility, an excess of zeal, a legalist or double-faced. They are not the sheep they claim to be. They appear harmless as sheep. They can demonstrate kindness with something in return. However, they have a malicious attitude and their preoccupations are to profit the sheep and not care for them.

 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood^[h]—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.²⁹ I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. ³¹ Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.” Acts 20:29-31

The Holy Spirit

We have seen in the earlier post who Jesus said the Holy Spirit was and what would be His mission.

The scripture has also much to say about the nature and person of the Holy Spirit. As mentioned earlier, the main ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of its sin, God’s righteousness and coming judgement (John 16:8). To those who were convicted of their sinful state, believed in Jesus and were born again, they have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, John 14:17, 1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 6:19).  Being now a living habitation of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit works in the heart of  these men to teach them whatever they need to know and do as children of God (John

Some 50 years ago, a missionary who came to preach in my country was expulsed by the government and had no more rights to visit my country. After a few years, the church continued to grow because the Holy Spirit was still at work. The missionary said: “You chased me but you could not chase the Holy Spirit away!”

If you fear that the bible writers did not record all the teachings of Jesus, rest assured that the Holy Spirit will teach them to you.

“But you have received the Holy Spirit,and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” 1 John 2:27

The Holy Spirit equips born again Christians with spiritual gifts

“It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” 1 Cor. 12:11

The Holy Spirit has its own will and it’s Him who decides what spiritual gifts should be distributed to God’s people. These spiritual gifts are primarily given to edify the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:7) and not for selfish reasons. There’s one body but many parts Paul said. Each members has been given different roles by the Spirit and we cannot expect each member to have the same gift. Paul said:  ^“Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.” 1 Cor. 12:30

It is not a degree in theology which qualifies someone to be a pastor or teacher but it is only according to the Spirit’s will than men are empowered and given the spiritual authority to minister. It is vital that members of the body of Christ know clearly which spiritual gift they have and do not have so as to enable them to edify the body of Christ for its designed purpose.

The Holy Spirit produces His fruits in born again Christians

Jesus said that on judgment day many will say that they prophesied in his name, casted demons or made miracles in his name (Mat. 7:22). How then to discern if someone has genuinely a ministry or a spiritual gift which has been endorsed by the Holy Spirit? Jesus said : “You will know them by their fruits” (Mat. 7:16). A false prophet for example has as fruits carnal desires but one led by the Spirit bears the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19).

The fruits of the Spirit in a born again Christian are clear evidence of the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not produce only one fruit but fruits. By producing the fruits of the Spirit ,we are being transformed in the image of the Son of God.

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Cor. 3:18

The Father is glorified when we bear much fruits. Jesus said: “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” John 15:8

The Holy Spirit

In the 20th and 21st century there has been much debate and confusion about the work and the person of the Holy Spirit. When I was younger, I struggled to discern the truth out of the pool of information I got from church leaders, books and internet who all used the bible to support their arguments.

One school of thought prefers to play it safe by quenching the Spirit to avoid dealing with fake miracles or satanic  manifestations. However, this attitude will render the church members weak, idle for the Lord’s work and without vision.

Paul warned to the Thessalonians:

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thes. 5:19

On the other side, another school of thought fears the church to be “dead” or not led by the Spirit. In their endeavor, they have opened doors to practices that were not from the Spirit.

As Paul said to the Corinthians:

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” 1 Cor. 14:33

If prophecies, tongues, healings or preachings do not occur in order, we can discern that these are not from the Spirit. Its source is either satanic or carnal.

Lack of discernment is what led the 2 school of thoughts to be on extreme sides and completely miss the work of the Spirit.

It was Jesus who revealed the Holy Spirit broadly and sent Him. It is therefore essential to understand who Jesus said the Holy Spirit was and what would be the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

What Jesus said about the Holy Spirit

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” John 14:16

The words used by Jesus to describe the Holy Spirit, indicate that the Holy Spirit is a person and not an influence. He is an actual life or an existence that has the faculties to reason and defend as an Advocate. Jesus used He/Him instead of “it” to describe the One who will lead into all truth. Power or energy does not have this ability to have the knowledge of what is true or lead into all Truth. The Holy Spirit is therefore not a power, though He has power (Acts 1:8).It is therefore abusive to call for the Holy Spirit only to get power. It is better to be powerless and have God by our side than having power and God far from us.

Jesus also gave an important command before He ascended to heaven: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Mat. 28:19

This baptism was done in the name of 3 persons which indicates that the Father, the Son and the Spirit were concerned and involved in the burial of the old nature. The Holy Spirit is mentioned at the same level because He is God. The Holy Spirit has the attribute of deity for the reason that He is “holy” by nature. Only God is holy. Secondly, God is eternal and so is the Holy Spirit who always existed(Gen.1:1)  and will exist forever(Heb. 9:14). He is omnipotent(Acts 8:39), omniscient(1 Cor. 2:10) and omnipresent(1 Cor. 6:19).

Jesus also talked about the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me…” John 16:8-15

Convict the world of its sin

Christians are just messengers who call people to repentance but they are unable to make a sinner be convicted of his sins and willingly seek for repentance. It is the Holy Spirit’s mission to convince the world of its sin and to believe in Jesus.

Notice well that the sin mentioned here is very particular. It does not have to do with sins in general(adultery, thefts, lies…) but to the sin of unbelief in the work of the Son of God(Heb. 3:19, 4:6, Acts 28:23-28). Only one question will be sufficient to identify the righteous and the wicked. God will say : I sent Jesus to forgive your sins, did you believe in Him?

Jesus’ expiation of sins was for the whole world (2 Cor. 5:19, Rom. 5:8-10, John 1:29, 1 John 2:22, Rom. 3:21-26) and this gave everyone the opportunity to be saved. God wants all men to be saved. However, tragically not everyone wants to be saved. Not everyone wants to believe that Jesus died for their sins and that righteousness is imputed to them by faith in Him.

So we understand here that stirring the need to believe in Jesus is one of the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is why we saw many miracles in the book of Acts done by the Holy Spirit during evangelism. Jesus revealed the Father to the world and the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to the world. If you have faith that the Spirit has this mission and you humbly want God to speak to people through you, pray and ask the Spirit to stir the heart of your neighbor, family, friend or colleagues and you will see whether a meaningful conversation about Jesus rises or not. I’m convinced God will answer this prayer. 

Convict the world of Jesus’ righteousness

The righteousness mentioned here has to do with the resurrection of Jesus and exaltation. While the world condemned Jesus as an unrighteous man who deserved the death penalty. They accused Him to be a sinner and being demon possessed(John 8:46) but God powerfully declared Him Righteous by raising Him from the dead, exalted Him to the Highest place(Phil. 2:8-11) and made Him sit on God’s throne(Mat. 19:28, Rev. 3:21).

Convict the world of the upcoming Judgment

There’s no escape, everyone will be judged (2 Cor. 5:10) at Christ tribunal. The prince of this world and all his followers will not go unpunished. The martyrs are waiting for Jesus to avenge their blood(Rev 6:10) and the cup of God’s wrath has long be kept and will be poured on on God’s enemies(Rev 14:10, Rev. 20:11-15). Do not think that God’s eyes are closed at the defying march of the gays and lesbians. If God is not judging them now for their defiance and remains silent to insults made unto His Holy name, His wrath is being reserved unmixed for Judgment day. Jesus and His followers were judged guilty on earth, tortured and murdered. In heaven, it will be Jesus who will judge the wicked, satan and his followers. God’s patience is not a weakness but a grace given to allow people to repent(Romans 2:4). The Spirit will remind the world that God’s judgment is real and the urgency to repent.

The message of the Gospel itself consists of 3 parts:

1. All have sinned (Rom. 3:23)
2. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to take away the sin of the whole world (1 John 2:22), has raised from the dead(Acts 13:35, Acts 2:24-31) and is exalted to the right hand of God.
3. There will be no condemnation for those who believe in the work of Jesus(2 Cor. 5:17). Those who do not believe are already condemned (John 3:19) and will perish in hell.

It is vital that the Gospel we preach clearly declares to the world that they  that they stand in condemnation unless they believe in Jesus. This was the message preached by Jesus, by the apostles in Acts and what the Holy Spirit continues to inspire men to preach.

Sign of Jonah

“One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Mat 12:38,39

Most probably, the reason these Pharisees came were not to believe in Jesus. They have seen sufficient miracles previously and they hardened their hearts. They acknowledged the miracles Jesus did and blamed Him for healing on the sabbath day. They also dared to say that Jesus was demon possessed and casted out demons through Satan. Jesus said in Mat 11:21-23 that if Sodom, Tyre and Sidon saw these miracles they would have repented. Jesus had in front of him hardened hearts that would not repent no matter what miracles were done. It was God Himself who preached during all these years on the land of Israel. It was not a mere man like Moses or Isaiah. Jesus preached what was exactly required to bring souls to repentance. But still, people refused to believe in Him and He was rejected.

Jesus would therefore not bend to the request of the Pharisees. With all the knowledge they had, they should have been the first to repent and draw the land of Israel to the Messiah. Jesus already knew their hearts and motives. No, He would not in any way grant this request. Should God almighty prove His authority for men to believe in Him, is not His existence sufficient? Should our Lord do miracles for us to believe in Him? Believe in Him first then hopefully a miracle can follow. Many times we want God to do miracles and show signs in order for us to have faith in Him. Let Him have your heart first because drawing out a list of wants!

In other translation it says “Only an evil, faithless generation would ask for a miracle sign“.  Do you understand that faith precedes your desires? God is not a genie whose tasks is to perform signs and wonders to entertain men. God is not our servant, we are His servants. Jesus healed the sick and demon possessed as a respond to their faith.

What did Jesus say to Martha?

“Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” John 11:40

Why do we expect to see God’s glory, miracles and His power with a faithless heart? Believe first, trust Him then if God wills it, He can grant a blessing. God is not indebted to us to prove His authority through miracles.The miracle that would be granted, the essential one, would be His death and resurrection. What does man need more to believe in the Son of God? The sign of Jonah is a powerful sign from God that the crucified and risen Son is God’s appointed Savior.

Therefore, ahead of time, no man shall be able to blame God for his unbelief.

What happened in the wilderness for 40 years? Did not God do miracles in Egypt to prove through signs and wonders His power? Why is it then that God judged the Israelites (Num. 14:11)? It was because of their unbelief. Unbelief is a gross sin. God did miracles to draw these Israelite to Him but they still had an unbelieving heart.

God said:

“How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?not one of these people will ever enter that land… They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice.” Num 14:11,22

The whole generation perished in the wilderness (Heb 3:16-19) because of unbelief. These Israelites were following Moses in the wilderness because they ate manna, meat and saw miracles in Egypt. When these miracles were withdrawn, here they were complaining! Why is it then? They followed God because of miracles and not because they personally believed in Him. They blamed Moses for bringing them in the wilderness to perish. This remark clearly showed that they had not the promised land in mind. They were just surviving without any hope. However, Moses, Joshua and Caleb continued to believe in God through tough times even there were no miracles.

But did not Gideon (Judges 6:17) and Hezekiah (2 Kings 20) asked for signs? They did and that these people were commended by God for their faith (Hebrews 11:32, 2 Kings 20:2). It was their faith which made them ask for signs.

In John 6:26-31, the crowd came to Jesus after they were fed by Him. Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. ”

Do you see the danger of following Jesus because of miracles? Miracles can help catching the attention of unbelievers. However, we should be careful that it is not the basis of our faith in Christ.

The crowd said to Jesus: “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Once gain we see man’s nature to want to experience before trusting.  Jesus put it clear that what God wants is to “Believe in the one he has sent”. This is the prerequisite.

It seemed they did not understand Jesus’ reply and the people said again:

“Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

God confirmed He was with Moses when He gave bread from heaven to the ancestors. So in order to challenge Jesus authority, the Jews were asking Jesus to show evidence that He was called by God by doing a miracle. Jesus had just given them bread and fish and its astonishing why the Jews asked for a new sign.

Jesus then said that He is the bread of life that would be able to satisfy them.

“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.” Mat 12:41

So Great Salvation

“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” Hebrews 2:3

In the previous post So Great Salvation [3], we have seen the work of the Spirit to convict souls of sin and the necessity of repentance. Now that the sinners acknowledged their sins and repented, they need to live by faith in the Son of God alone.

Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20

Paris Reidhead probably showed different stages of this salvation to emphasize the necessity of each. It is important to note though that all these stages can happen instantly. A soul can be awakened, convicted of sin, repent and have faith in the Son of God all in one go.

Our next theme is now FAITH.

But it is impossible for a sinner to live by faith in the Son of God unless there has been conviction of sin and repentance. How can a soul rely on the Son if there has not been initially acknowledgement of sins?  This is another plague in our churches.

If we ask a Romans Catholic “Do you have faith in Jesus? Do you believe you’re a sinner and He died for your sins?”. Of course they will say!

This is an intellectual belief. The Catholic priests have such a sincere but dead faith. Dear readers, this is also the case in many of our churches. Many left a religion and joined Christ’s church without genuine fruits of repentance. Last year while making a shortcut through a Catholic church’s yard, I passed before its door and for the few seconds I crossed, I heard the priest say eloquently that it was vital to have faith in Jesus.  Faith in Jesus is preached in Catholic church as well as in protestant churches. I was invited to the first communion of a relative and given a leaflet. That child made a fantastic confession of faith towards Jesus. I was left benumb when I read on top of a leaflet a verse quoted from Ephesians 5 which said not to worship idols and yet I saw on tables several statues of Mary.

So you see genuine faith in Christ must be preceded by acknowledgement of sin otherwise it is a dead faith. Is not it this acknowledgement of sin which will make the depraved soul realize his need of a Savior?

John the Baptist said to the Pharisees:

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming?Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]” AMP

In the NLT it says: “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.” Mat 3:9

The modern John the Baptist would have probably said to church members “Why are you in the pews? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say in your heart that you were baptized, did good deeds and live a good life.”

The devil knows more about Jesus’ sovereignty than us but that did not and will not lead him to repentance. James said: “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” James 2:19

Having faith in Jesus without repentance is therefore a devilish “faith”. It is subtle because those who believe in Jesus only with their mind but without change of heart are still sinners.

These people agree with sermons and what God said in His Word but there is no fruit of repentance. It is like saying “I know Jesus is God and that He hates promiscuity, but nevertheless I still do it“.

Paul said that it is by believing in our heart that we are saved.

“And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

Don’t be surprised, most sinners know their sins and know who Jesus is. This knowledge of sin in the mind is necessary but not enough to lead to repentance. When we love someone, all our being is involved. It involves our intellect and heart. Our physical actions and what we say are means to demonstrate this love. It is the same for repentance, our heart must be involved in it. What we confess and what we do are these fruits of this repentance. Our allegiance to Christ is demonstrated by these.

Do you understand dear readers that it is impossible that someone who genuinely claims to have faith in Jesus to continue live in sin? There must be fruits of repentance.

Paul said “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 2 Tim 2:19

So Great Salvation

“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” Hebrews 2:3

In the previous post So Great Salvation [2], mentioned was made on the divine awakening made to sinners. These awakenings signs are everywhere, through the media, books, songs and nature. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to wake up from this sinful life because they like their sins and fear the Light (John 3:20). The god of this world has blinded the conscience of sinners.

However, the good soil represents those who were stirred by the awakening signs. Note that the same seed was sown on different soils. The reason it bore no fruits on some hearts resides not in its quality but in the hearts which received it.

We will now move on the next 2 stages of this salvation which are Conviction and Repentance. This is the work of the Spirit and no one else has the authority to do it. In essence, both awakening and conviction aim to make sinners realize their sinfulness and their need of God. The Spirit will bring conviction of sin to those who were awakened by the signs.

“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.” John 16:8

It is interesting to note there that the #1 sin Jesus mentioned is not debauchery, vices, lies or common sins. The sin is unbelief. The list would be too long if our sins were named one by one. If I believe in Jesus, my sins are forgiven and it would be unnecessary to list down all my sins since they are all wiped off. If I refuse the Son, it implies that all my sins are still there. Faith or unbelief in Jesus is therefore sufficient to determine who will be forgiven and condemned.

When Peter preached, the Jews said: “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Acts 2:37

The Jews were convinced at this instant that they were sinners and looked for a solution. So Peter told them: “Peter replied “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

God’s law itself makes us aware that we are transgressors and rebels. Now that the sinner realized his sinful heart, he asks anxiously “What will happen to me, what can I do, who will deliver me from this life of sin, I’m wretched and doomed to destruction, what have I done? ”

Thanks be to God, Jesus is the clear answer to these disturbing questions. Repent and believe in the name of Jesus-Christ and your sins will be forgiven.

Have you ever been convinced of sins to the point you asked yourself “what must I do to be saved from this body of sin“?

Paul said: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24

If many people in the church are still slave of vices, it is because they did not repent. They did not repent because they were not convinced of how vile these sins were in God’s eyes. Could it be that they have not been convinced of their sins because they have never been awakened?

What was the message of John the Baptist?

 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near”

This is what our Lord Jesus Christ said:

“and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:47

Preach repentance messenger of God lest the pews be filled with heathen and your name be wiped off from the book of life for entertaining them!

Woe to grace preachers who refuse to preach repentance for fear of offending sinners.

Conviction of sin is not a festive moment for sinners, it is a moment of sorrows and grief that leads the soul to repentance. It is a grace of God to be able to repent.

“do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” Romans 2:2

But these sorrows are temporary since forgiveness follows repentance.

Paul even required repentance in the church. He did not use velvet gloves with them. This is what he said:

“I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.” 2 Cor 7:8-11

It hurts when sin is being dealt with. Surgical operations are tough for a while but unless it is done there cannot be any expectation of health improvement. It is the kind of repentance God requires. What grace preachers teach are at best worldly sorrows but not repentance. These worldly sorrows results in spiritual death and not life since it makes people believe they are forgiven. It is like soothing the pain caused by cancerous cells through pain killers without actually dealing with it. Repentance is finishing once for all with sins that enslave. The result of repentance brings life but not everyone wants to repent because of their pride. It is a painful decision that many refuse to take because of the potential change of life that will incur. Fear of what people will say also make people refuse to repent. Genuine repentance does not look at what people will say. The soul who repents knows that the One he offended is God Almighty and approval of man no longer counts.

Basically, in order for repentance to occur, sinners need to be convinced of what they did wrong. I have seen with my eyes children who thought they were saved from their sins because they repeated a prayer of repentance taught by a minister. Oh what has the church done! We have excluded the Holy Spirit from the salvation of these souls! Only the Spirit can convince the soul of sin and bring it to repentance. How then can there be genuine repentance if there has been no conviction of sin? How can conviction of sin occur apart from the work of the Spirit? Preachers have not been given this divine authority to convince people of sin, this is the work of the Spirit. Servants of God are to preach God’s Word and let the Spirit make the soul born again. We do not understand how a soul is born again. It is a mystery Jesus said.

“Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:6-8

God called us to preach the gospel and make disciples (Mat 28). Paul planted seeds through evangelism and Apollos did the follow up. But who made the seed turn to a plant? It was God the Holy Spirit who intervened in the middle and made this miracle of new birth. It was Him who brought people to repentance.

“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” 1 Cor 3:5

Let us preach repentance nothing more, nothing less. God’s Word is powerful enough to quicken the soul of man. The Spirit will make the seed sown grow, convict sinners of sin, bring souls to repentance and do the miracle of the new birth. Through all the stages of this So Great Salvation, the Spirit is actively at work.

So Great Salvation

“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” Hebrews 2:3

As mentioned in the post So Great Salvation [1], we will have to give an account of what we did with this Salvation God provided.

Paris Reidhead mentioned 5 stages of this salvation. These stages depict what happens before salvation and when we are saved.

The first point mentioned was:

• Awakening

Ephesians 5:14 says :

“But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

This is like God’s voice calling to the dead to raise from their darkness. Jesus’ light penetrates the dead spirit of man to revive it. This quickening happens through various means. It could be through scripture reading, sermons ,songs, dreams, nature, miracles or prayers. For instance in Hebrews 4:12 we read this about God’s Word:

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Paul says in Romans 1:19-21 that nature itself gives witness to God:

“They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.”

There’re ongoing reproofs surrounding sinners. The name of Jesus makes demons tremble and I believe that when this powerful divine being is presented to sinners, it brings fear.

Why is it then that amidst all these obvious signs pointing to Christ that the Jews refuse the Messiah and pagans blaspheme against His holy name? Why are there still unrepentant hearts, sinners,  rebels and servants of the devil? What is a hardened heart? It is when a sinner reads the bible verses quoted in this post and still refuse to repent.

Paul gives this reason:

“If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 2 Cor 4:3-4

People don’t understand the Gospel, ignore Jesus and even speak against Him because they are under the power of Satan. Satan has blinded the minds of those who are perishing. They will NOT know who God is unless the Light shines in their darkness. It is therefore the responsibility of those who has the light within them, to shine it. We need to tell to people about their need to be saved before telling how to be saved.

We read in Matthew 4:15 :

“… in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”

Paul asked this question: “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14

We are living in a world more corrupted than it was 2000 years ago. People’s heart are so hardened to the gospel that they celebrate Christmas with a whisky in hand! They go to church on the 25th december and celebrate Jesus’ birth as a feast. If they only knew that these celebrations were blasphemy against the Son of God! Knowing that Jesus came to save sinners should bring sinners to their knees and not feast. A few weeks ago I asked a friend :

Why do you celebrate Christmas? He said because Jesus came. I asked him why did He come? He replied because of our sins. Notice well, he did not say “because of sins” but because of his sins also. Is not it a tragedy that people know the truth and blatantly spit at it? The world know that we are stepping into 2014 because 2014 years ago Jesus came. These people already know the truth but they ignore it.

They do not want to be awakened. Why is it then that some believe and others do not want to believe in Jesus? John 3:18 says:

“But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants”

The reason some hate the light and refuse to draw near to it is because of their pride. They fear that their sins are exposed publicly. They still love their sinful way of living. Promiscuity, adultery, debauchery, drunkenness, crime, avarice and evil pleasures that satisfy their flesh keep them away from this holy God. Those who want to be awakened draw closer to the Light. It is like admitting we are sick, see the surgeon to remove the cancerous cells. I have met people who feared to see a doctor because they were shy to talk about their illness. For years they remained like that and their health deteriorated. Removing dysfunctioning parts of one’s body is fearful for a while. But the more we wait, the more we suffer. Without surgical intervention to remove these dead cells, the whole body will continue to perish. It required divine intervention to heal our dead soul. The tragedy is that not everyone wants to be healed.

Jesus preached exactly what was required to bring the Jews to repentance. He did miracles no one ever did. Still, He saw that His Words could not penetrate hardened hearts. People saw His miracles but it had no effect. They heard His Words but did not listen. He even said that if Sodom, Tyre and Sidon heard and saw all these miracles they would have repented. But woe to Bethsaida and Korazin who thought themselves wise and rejected Him (Mat 11:21,22, Mat 12:41)!

“For they look, but they don’t really see.They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand” Mat 13:13

“When you hear what I say,you will not understand. When you see what I do,you will not comprehend.For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear,and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.”

God’s Words sowed are awakenings but if the heart is not receptive to these awakenings, the devil come and steal them (Mat 13:19).

Epistle to the Hebrews

“I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation.I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released from jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you.Greet all your leaders and all the believers there. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.May God’s grace be with you all.” Hebrews 13:22-25

In his concluding words, our author recommends that the readers take heed to his exhortations. It was a breath taking letter concerning Jesus’ sovereignty, His ministry and major doctrines. Our author urged the readers to consider what he was able to put in writing. As mentioned earlier, our epistle is hugely compacted with teachings and requires the readers to examine a few verses at a time, in the light of the whole scripture. Our author adopted an argumentative style to reinforce all his exhortations. Our author did not leave the readers guessing but supported his arguments through scripture. This is probably what makes our epistle so powerfully established as an authority regarding the deity of Christ and His sacrificial work. As a previous skeptic concerning the deity of Christ, I bowed to my knees and closed my mouth when I realised that I was kicking against the goads. I felt like Job who said:

“The Lord said to Job:“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him! ”Then Job answered the Lord:“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?I put my hand over my mouth.I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more.” Job 40:1-5

I’m grateful to God for His patience to teach me about His Son in this epistle.

In the introduction of our epistle, we saw that our author worked with Timothy and was in Rome (Titus 3:12, Acts 28:31). This is a probably a hint that the author could be Paul. Adam Clarke had the hypothesis that the introduction to the epistle was lost which could explained why we have an anonymous author. It is always an honor to send salutations to co-workers of the gospel. We are all united in Christ and soldiers of the same army. Christ has only one bride and there’s only one global church. We share the same faith and it’s always an honor to meet a Christian. Is not it a blessing when a Christian wishes wholeheartedly “May God’s unmerited favor rest upon you”  ?

I picture the salutations of Christians as 2 soldiers of the same army who for some spiritual reasons crossed each other for a while on the battlefield. They know they will never meet again because they have other duties just after. They tell each other to take courage, take care and persevere. They look at each other with eyes of love and quickly connect. Even if they do not know each other, they will not hesitate to risk their lives to protect their companion. We can be in different ministries or battles but we are in the same war.  We wait for Christ’s Kingdom to come.

Our war is not “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Eph. 6:12

These words : “Greet all your leaders and all the believers there” seem to me like a high profile general greeting other generals and their soldiers.

Paul said in Romans 16:16-20:

“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings…The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

Let us not imagine that God’s frequent silence to the sin around the world infers that the God of peace is also at peace with Satan. Satan’s defeat will soon be consumed.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep,and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

• The God of peace

The Greek word used here is εἰρήνη which can refer to prosperity, quietness and rest. This is what our good Lord brought to our soul. He removed the burden of sin from our mind and soul. He said :

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

Peace of mind and soul is a special gift bestowed by our Lord on us. It is not a wish or benediction but verily a gift our soul can experience. The world does not have it because it is the indwelling peace of our Lord. This peace is not only a spiritual one but also soothe our physical needs.

He reassured us by saying : “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” John 16:33

Our Lord has repeatedly told His disciples to have faith in Him. Living by faith and trusting God is a choice that only you can take. You will not experience His peace if you do not trust Him. Jesus also said that we will not be exempted from trials and sorrows. Absolute trust in Him is what will allow us to experience this joy and peace. He is the Good Shepherd and He takes care of His sheep. Our Lord said that He will leave 99 sheep to look for a lost one because He values them all. A lost sheep among millions is not negligible to Him (Mat 18:12).  A pastor might not notice that a sheep is wandering in a big church but Jesus is very concerned about it.

• Ratified an eternal covenant

Paul said :

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Col 2:13-15

The old covenant condemned all of us. The charges brought against us by the law were huge and there was no escape. As we have seen in earlier chapters, our Savior fulfilled the law and established a new covenant. This new covenant is far superior since it was inaugurated by His own blood. Once for all He offered Himself as a living sacrifice. This is an eternal covenant, there will never be sacrifices again. Jesus victoriously put an end to Satan’s dictatorship. On the cross, Jesus demonstrated publicly the gravity of our sins and the grace of God. Who will condemn us if Jesus declares we are justified?

“Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” Romans 8:33

• He equip you with all you need for doing his will

Paul said to the Philippians: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Phil 1:6

If God has equipped you with spiritual gifts, it is to serve Him.  He will not ask you to do beyond what He called you to.

Philippians 2:13 says:

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.Do everything without complaining and arguing”

I believe that God has designed a particular task for each Christian to do on this earth. He will work in our soul for our perfection. Each Christian who has a relationship with God feels this urge to serve Him. He’s unfulfilled and perhaps anguished if he does not do what he is supposed to do. Pastors and teachers are there to help the Christians discover their callings and encourage them.

Paul explained that the Spirit has given us different abilities to serve others (1 Cor 12)

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.” Romans 12:6

“Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 1:7

Peter said: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” 2 Peter 1:3

Under the old covenant only the Levites had part in the priesthood. Our Good Lord made all of us priests (Rev 1:6, 1 Pet 2:9) and ministers of His gospel. Is not it amazing that God gave us the privilege to serve Him right here on earth? It is the desire of our author that the readers serve Jesus in His power. Let us have a grateful heart that God gave us this privilege to form part of His army.

 

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.” Hebrews 13:18-9

• Pray for us

Our author has not been asking the readers anything for himself except prayers. Why would a leader with such spiritual maturity request the prayers of weak believers? Sometimes spiritual leaders think they are too strong and refuse to ask others to pray for them. Is it the pride to express that they are in need? Leaders need prayers no matter how close to God they are.

Our Lord is not too busy to listen to the prayers of His saints. Our prayers for others also demonstrate our interests for their well being, ministries, health and families. Not everyone has the possibility to help financially or has the ability to support a particular godly cause. However, we are all qualified to express our concerns to God about it.

I have a godly friend who prays for me and it’s such an honor for me to have him pray for me. He is a simple man whose prayer support are of much value to me. I also had a close friend from abroad whom I never met and who regularly prayed for me. When I was going through tough times, she interceded for me. She had such faith and God miraculously answered her prayers for me. Even when she passed away, her prayers for me were still being answered. Saying “Pray for me” has in store blessings and we should not hesitate to make such requests to our brothers and sisters. Similarly ,we should also have at heart to pray for those asking “Pray for me”. Let us not be selfish but sincerely and seriously pray for those seeking our prayer supports.

• Clear conscience

First of all having a clear conscience does not mean that if we do not feel guilty in our mind that it means we are doing the right thing. We imperatively need to constantly examine ourselves through the scripture because the heart is deceitful. We have seen the author’s heart, genuine faith and maturity and we can easily deduce that he is such a godly man. Our author is a feeble sinful man like us and has the desire to  live honorably in everything he does. Some church goers do not even have a clear conscience in what they do. It might be regarding their own family, at work, at church or even towards God. Let us be honest, not everyone in church live honorably. Some are involved in fraudulent transactions or participate in immoral activities.

Having a clear conscience is not based only on how we live and what we do but also on our testimony. We need to testify when required.

For example, when Paul was testifying in the high council, he said in Acts 23:1 :

“Gazing intently at the high council,Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”

If someone asks for the reason of our beliefs, we should voice it out. Peter said:

“And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” 1 Peter 3:15

Paul said to Timothy:

“Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.” 1 Tim 1:19

It is an inner satisfaction to know that we are doing God’s will. Is it not tragic that some people deliberately go against what they know is right?

Finally, our author expressed his desire to see again the Hebrews. It would have probably been better if he could deliver his exhortations without being limited through a letter. However, God in His infinite wisdom found it good to separate by distance the author and his recipients so that after 2000 years we could benefit such valuable written teachings.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” Hebrews 13:17

We have seen in v7 a similar exhortation to value our spiritual leaders. Spiritual leadership has often been misunderstood and abused. A spiritual leader is first of all a servant of everyone.

“He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Mark 9:35

Paul said: “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.” Col 1:25

The Greek word ‘serving’ used in Mark and Colossians is diakonos which can refer to someone who goes on errands, a waiter at table or  someone who does menial duties.

Elsewhere in the book of Philippians, Paul introduced himself as slave of Christ.

He said “This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.”

As an apostle of Christ, Paul had a God-given authority. He could have requested that the Corinthian church support him financially. He did not even make use of this right. He took honor in preaching freely the gospel.

“What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.” 1 Cor 9

To be a qualified diakonos, Paul said that such a person should:

• Be well respected and have integrity.
• They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money.
• They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience.
• Be tested and proved to be fit for that position
• Their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
• A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well.

If such a godly person is in leadership position, it should not be difficult to follow him. I have met few of such leaders. Conversing with them just a few minutes always blessed me.

The author also mentioned about spiritual leaders who watch over our souls. They are often referred as bishops or overseers.

These are the qualifications of an overseer/elder/bishop:

• Must be a man whose life is above reproach.
• Must be faithful to his wife.
• He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation.
• He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.
• He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent.
• He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.
• He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.
• An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.
• People outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

All these qualifications are not earned at seminars or in books. These are the results of a dedicated life. Paul says that “If someone aspires to be an elder,he desires an honorable position.” It is an honorable position because it is a servant position.  If such a man cannot lead his own family, he will not be able to lead the church’s family. Look also at his way of managing his finances and you’ll know his motives and where his heart is. If all these qualifications are duly considered, I guess we would have fewer persons in leadership position today.  Such a leader does not present himself as the boss but as a servant and slave. He points souls to Christ’s authority and does not keep them under his control. Like John the Baptist, his desire is that Jesus becomes greater and him less.

Paul insisted on the word “must” when he wrote to Timothy. It was not an option. Taking care of the church’s family is no easy task. So our author wants the readers to give the leaders reasons to do it with joy and not with pain. These leaders are here to help Christians become more like their Savior.  They are not in this leadership position for money or glory. They assumed leadership position because of their love for their Savior. These leaders want Christ’s fragrance to be seen in these souls. They have probably left their countries, careers and comforts to become servants of Christ. They are accountable to God for our souls and we are accountable to God for our attitude towards them.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” Hebrews 13:15-16

Since we have been promised a permanent resting place for our soul, let us praise God. You and I do not have much time left on this earth. If we have 60 more years ahead, what is it compared to eternity? Our author understood how valuable God’s promise was and he had a heart of worship. Let us be loyal and faithful to Him who promised us something beyond our understanding. Jesus said:

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:1-3

What Jesus went to do for us should bring in our heart an immense joy and peace. However, we are still troubled in our soul about earthly things.

Jesus said in v27:

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.”

We often fail to consider what great heavenly home Jesus went to prepare for us. We have never seen how heaven is and in our mind we picture out that it’s going to be a golden place with precious stones everywhere as described by the book of revelation.

“The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones:the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.” Revelation 21:18-21

If you think that it’s the pearls which are going to make heaven awesome, you’ve missed the point. It’s the Architect of these things who should be the center of attention.  We read in verse 22:

“I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.”

It’s the fact that we would be admitted in God’s Holy presence which is the great promise. If you think that you’ll be admitted in heaven just to sing for eternity, then I guess it’s going to be distressful after the first 1000 years!  Heaven will be boring if you do not get it right why you are there. If we understand how unworthy we are to be in God’s presence, we would value much this great promise. I would prefer spending eternity with Jesus without pearls around me than having everything else without Him. To be in the presence of such an awesome mind, wise, loving and powerful Being should bring us to our knees. Angels in heaven don’t worship God under compulsion or because of a dictatorial divine being. Dear readers, it’s God’s everlasting glory and holiness which bring His creatures down to their knees. Moses asked to see God’s glory and his life has never been the same since. Let us aspire to seek God’s glory and His kingdom then our eyes will open to our unworthiness.

Our author also wants to mention that blessing others with gifts are also a form of worship to Him.

There’s not anything you’ll give to God that God will remain indebted to you. We read in the book of Job  “Who has given me anything that I need to pay back?Everything under heaven is mine.” Job 41:11

When you’re helping someone in need, it’s like you doing for God. As we’ve seen above, God is not the debtor of anyone.

“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!” Prov 19:17

Jesus expressed it as such: “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ Mat 25:44-45

Selfishness is self-worship but giving is honoring someone else. When we talk about sacrifice, we talk about something which cost us. It requires involvement. It’s not a drop of water from an ocean. It’s not drawing out from our excess and giving it to God. Worship is not only with our lips but also through our life. Will God accept our praises if we have a selfish heart? We cannot fool the One who created us. Zacchaeus experienced salvation when he gave up the possessions which entangled him.

James portrayed it as such: “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? Soyou see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” James 2:14

Epistle to the Hebrews

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. .” Hebrews 13:14

Our author would like to remind us about our hope in Christ and to keep our eyes on our heavenly rest.  When our basic needs are shouting for attention, we quickly turn our eyes away from heaven. We have legitimate commitments to our work and family and these responsibilities quickly make us lose sight of our destiny.  A father responsibly toils hard to take care of his family and provide them a comfortable home to live. Paul encourages Christians to be hardworkers and not be lazy (1 Thes 4:11, 2 Thes. 3:10).

“Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.”

The apostle also recommended that we take care of our family: “But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.” 1 Tim 5:8

It is clear in the scripture that Christians should be models in their work and family. We should be careful though of not setting our priorities on these temporary things. What we do for a living and our commitment to our family should rather be in perspective of eternity.

What good is it to work hard to give our family a castle when an ordinary home would have brought the same peace and security? The investment made on huge projects could have been used for God’s kingdom instead.

Jesus knew the influence that possessions had on man’s heart. So He said:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” Mat 6:19-21

Let us today consider what we have been doing with the money and time God blessed us with. Are we wisely using what God entrusted us in light of eternity or did we ignore God in our plans. Man’s heart naturally wants to store up treasures because he thinks that will give him peace and security. Our Lord wants to free us of this burden of securing our future. He does not want us to worry about these things but trust that He will provide. We all know what Jesus said about seeking God’s kingdom first but it’s much easier to take our destiny in hand than living by faith.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of Godabove all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Mat 6:31

Dear readers, today’s trouble is enough for today. Why trying to add up future problems? We are not in control of our future. There’s no guarantee that we will be able to accomplish what we meticulously planned today. We should first start to acknowledge with a humbled heart that we are not in absolute control of our destiny. But our good Lord knows  everything, so why not trusting Him? Doing Jesus’s will is not going to make you neglect your work, ministry and family. Jesus is not going to drag you in a pit but rather bring you in green pastures.

There’s nothing we will do on this earth which will remain permanent. In fact, the book of revelation already said that this earth will completely be destroyed. The only things that will stand through eternity are the deeds we did in light of eternity. What you invested in God’s kingdom is secured and will be rewarded.

Paul said: “Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” 1 Cor 3:12

We will use solid materials to give our family a secure place. How are we serving God? Do we use gold or straw to build God’s kingdom? If our eyes are fixed on earthly things, our contribution to God’s kingdom will be poor.

Jesus said in Mat 16:24, words of wisdom that really touched my life many years ago:  “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Mat 16:24

Jesus also told us about the rich fool who said to himself:

“I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:19-21

Investing in our relationship with God is something rewarding and permanent.  Today is the day to surrender all these sins of greed and have faith. Let us today ask God for wisdom so that the decisions we make today for our family, work and ministry have eternity as perspective.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore.” Hebrews 13:10-13

Our author inspired by the Holy Spirit exposes to us an interesting theological argument. The place where Jesus was crucified, Golgotha, was outside the city of Jerusalem. As per history, the Jews did not permit executions inside the city.

We read in Exodus 29:14: “Take all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and burn it all on the altar. Then take the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burn it outside the camp as a sin offering.”

We can also see in Leviticus 4:1-12:

“But he must take whatever is left of the bull—its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung— and carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn it on a wood fire.”

The Jews had different sacrifices. The meal offering(Lev 2, Ex 3:16), peace offering(Lev 3:1-5), burnt offering (Lev 28:3-4,1:4-9), sin offering (Lev 4:2) and trespass offering(Lev 6:5).

The trespass offering was very similar to that of the sin offering but the main difference was that the trespass offering was an offering done because of sin against people. For example, money given for sins connected with fraud.

The peace offering was similar to the burnt offering. It’s purpose was however different since it was basically a thanksgiving sacrifice. It was shared with the priests and Jews.

The meal offering was an offering of vegetables and fruits. It was the fruit of the labor of the offerer. It was also done by the consecrated priests.

The burnt offering was the first sacrifice done. It was done everyday, morning and evening (Ex. 29:38). The bible tells us that :  “A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out” Lev 6:13

It founds its origin in the book of Genesis. Abraham and Noah offered such sacrifices (Gen 22:13). It was a personal offering done as an act of worship. It also served as a sacrifice for ceremonial cleansing(Num 6:11). It was completely burnt and neither the offerer of priests could eat it.

The sin offering was basically dealing with sins which the Israelites were unaware of.  The laws  could not clearly pointed out all their faults. There were therefore sins done in ignorance which naturally tainted their conscience. When we sin in ignorance, we are still guilty. The Israelites had to offer a sin offering whenever they realised their wrongdoings.

“If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the Lord’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty.When they become aware of their sin, the people must bring a young bull as an offering for their sin and present it before the Tabernacle.” Lev 4:13

There’re many sins we did in ignorance but that does not mean God is unaware of them. Those sins we did in ignorance would probably make more books than those we did consciously.

Our author mentioned that Jesus offered Himself as a sin offering also. His sacrifice went to the extent of purifying our guilty conscience (Heb 9:14).

Jesus’s sacrifice was more than the types of offerings mentioned above. Only one sacrifice was necessary to nullify all the rest. Is not it amazing that our Lord was offered like a sin offering outside Jerusalem?

Our author wants us to contemplate what Jesus has done. He says “So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore“.  The burnt offering was a general sacrifice which for instance made people ceremonially cleaned. The sin offering aimed to deal with sin at conscience level itself.  With a contrite and thankful heart, we should remember what our Lord has done outside the camp. Let us share in this disgrace He bore.

Simon of  Cyrene to help Jesus carry His cross. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to ask for  Jesus’ body. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. The women from Galilee went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. Luke 23:52

The 2 Marys came to care for Jesus and were waiting for Him at the tomb. Mat 27:55-61

We will not be able to do these little things Simon, Joseph or the Marys did. However, we can honor what our Lord has done by being faithful witnesses. Our author tells us “let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore“. Paul was insulted, humiliated, beaten and persecuted because of the Gospel of Christ. Bearing the name of “Disciple of Christ” is foolishness to the world. Christians were despised because of this beautiful name they bore. Let us therefore hold highly Christ who is our emblem, our glory.

Peter said: “So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian,for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.”

Paul expressed: “And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” 2 Tim 1:12

Paul completely gave his life to Christ as a living sacrifice. He said:

“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” Phil 3:10

“But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” 2 Tim 4:6-7

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.” Hebrews 13:8

This is a verse often quoted by preachers. Jesus’s unwavering love and character are strongholds for us. We have hope and confidence that what He said will always remain valid. His personality does not get deformed or improve with time. Jesus is perfect and what He has been in the past, He will always be. We often talk about Jesus’ love, power and faithfulness when referring to this verse. Let us also bear in mind that Jesus’ hate against sin has not diminished. The high standards He set 2000 years ago regarding our holiness, our faith and attitude are still of actuality. There is no yearly adjustment or review on His teachings about love, having faith and holiness. Jesus has compassion but does not tolerate sin. A white lie is still a lie for Him. Still today he can turn upside down a worship place like He did when merchants were making the temple a den of robbers.

Since Jesus’ character and teachings do not change, we cannot expect that after 2000 years there will be some improvements to it. Perfection does not require improvement. We often hear people claiming that they got new revelations from the Spirit. The question to ask is whether these revelations are necessary and are biblically correct. In Jesus we have everything and we lack nothing outside of Him. He is the Vine and we are the branches.

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Col 2:8

The gospel preached 2000 years ago is still the same today. If someone who claims to be a prophet, teacher, pastor or apostle comes with a new gospel, woe to him. Even if an angel comes and reveals another Gospel, that would not change God’s message to humanity.

“Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. ” Gal 1:8

False teachings are everywhere and we need to bear in mind that anything which is not the pure gospel of Christ is deception. Adding spices to the gospel or removing teachings are deceptions. The devil twisted the scripture while tempting Jesus in the wilderness and there’s no reason why he’ll stop doing it today.

The readers were probably having issues with their Judaism environment which wanted to keep them under the law. When these Christians were no longer following the rules of Judaism concerning the sabbath, food and festivals they were probably despised and rejected by those around them.

Jesus is the fulness of God. There’re many teachings which aim to make you appear more spiritual. It can be about abstaining from some food, fasting excessively, severe self discipline, seeking super natural experiences or depriving oneself from pleasures.  There’re many teachings which try to bring you to a state of non biblical self-denial. This kind of doctrine is a Pharisaical approach of making people self righteous. Teachers of such doctrines have a hidden agenda. They want to keep you under captivity and control.  These false teachings aim at making you do sacrifices to appear being more pious or consecrated. These are deceptive illusions.  If you feel frustrated, anguished and inadequate when following some rules, you’re probably following some twisted doctrines of the scripture. These rules are not of any use but keep people away from Christ. They make you self-centered instead of Christ centered. These teachings are man-made doctrines about Christ without actually being Christ’s will for you. Paul says in Col. 2 that Christ is the reality and to be careful about legalistic teachings.

“So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.”

Jesus came to set free, give joy, peace and love. He has not changed and neither His teachings. He still heal, saves souls and does miracles.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.” Hebrews 13:7

• Admonition to the followers

Take some time and consider the life of those godly christian leaders. Observe their faith, character, fruits, love and commitment. See how many lives have been blessed through their ministry. Imitate the example of these servants of Christ.

The Amplified Bible puts it as such:

“Remember your leaders and superiors in authority [for it was they] who brought to you the Word of God. Observe attentively and consider their manner of living (the outcome of their well-spent lives) and imitate their faith (their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, and their leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness).”

Paul said: “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.” Phil 3:17

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” 1 Cor 11:1, 4:16

There’re unfortunately few of these godly leaders whom we can pattern our lives after. Such people emanate Christ’s fragrance and are living proofs of Christ’s character. We know who they are.

Still in Hebrews 13, our author tells us: “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” Hebrews 13:17

Do you understand your responsibility to support these leaders and not add loads to their burden?

Paul said in 1 Thes. 5:12 “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.”

A little word of encouragement can lift up the head of a leader. You do not know their tears and pains. Acknowledge the hard work done by those who care for God’s flock. Show them consideration and love. This could also be in term of financial support. For example we read this admonition in Timothy:

“Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well,especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” 1 Tim 5:17

It is a recurrent exhortation to the church to show recognition to those who toil hard :

“Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.” Gal 6:6

I will not follow a leader who does not have Christ’s attitude or is lazy.  We know that there’re no perfect spiritual leaders. But by God’s Spirit, we can discern those who have godly motives and it is our responsibility to support them. Human nature is to rebel against authority. Here the author is telling us that it is for our own soul that these spiritual leaders have been appointed to lead us. They are accountable to God for what they do and we should not make their tasks harder. They are humans like us and can get discouraged without the support of those they care for. Our author is telling us to submit to the authority of these godly leaders.  They are overseers of our soul. Leaders and followers must have mutual consideration. The leaders tasks are to bring out spiritual maturity in the followers and the followers are to allow the leaders to do it. It is noteworthy to say that depending on the circumstance , we can be a leader who is a blessing to others and at the same time a follower who is blessed by the leadership of others. We all need each other.

• Admonition to the leaders

And to the leaders, Peter said:  “ Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2

Shepherds of God’s flock should willingly care for God’s sheep. Grumbles and murmurs are unhealthy attitudes. No one forced me to do what I’m called to do. I do it willingly without expectation because it is simply what I am called to do. I’m unfulfilled if I do not do what God called me to do. Those serving in leadership position should not be money minded or abuse their position of authority. Basically, they should have Christ’s attitude, not be lovers of money but be generous. They should be eager to serve others with all their heart and not with reticence.

Paul said in Romans 12:8 “If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

If God has appointed you to do something, do it well. Do it at it’s best because He equipped you for that. If you find yourself barren in a spiritual position, it is either because you’re no longer remaining in the Vine or you’re in the wrong leadership position. If it is not your responsibility to operate in a particular leadership position, you’re probably doing it grudgingly and not being fulfilled in your soul. The body of Christ is not blessed if you’re in a position you should not and not where you should be. We will be accountable to how we used the gifts God entrusted us.

If you’re called to serve others, serve them well. If you’re a teacher, diligently prepare your teachings. If you’re giving, give wholeheartedly and generously. If you’re appointed to administrate the church, do not take it lightly but have a godly vision. If you’re in this leadership position, it is because you’ve been given the ability to make things move and not to remain idle. Whatever you do, do it gladly. There’re different leaders who are called to lead different ministries. There’s no such thing as a “multi-ministry” leader. A leader who thinks he should lead all ministries is neglecting what God has called him to do, is disobedient, prideful and hindering other leaders from doing their tasks. It is clearly portrayed in 1 Cor 12 that a hand cannot do the task of a foot. There should be unity in the body through diversity of functionality of its members.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper,so I will have no fear.What can mere people do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

Our author now tackles another theme which many Christians struggle with. Be careful of avarice. Cupidity makes you prideful and faithless. When you’re avid of money, your eyes are not on the divine Provider but on yourself. Contentment is a cure to cupidity. It helps you enjoy what you have and not covet what you have not. Paul says:

“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” 1 Tim 6:6-10

The love of money, says Paul, is the root of all kinds of evil. Money has caused people to become selfish, to murder, steal, fall into corruption and vices. Jesus said we cannot serve 2 masters in Luke 16:13. The greed for wealth is idolatry. It’s worshiping Mamon, the god of money.

The Amplified bible renders this verse in Hebrews 13 as such:

“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.  [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”

Adam Clarke said about this verse:

“The words are peculiarly emphatic: Ου μη σε ανω, ουδ’ ου μη σε εγκαταλιπω. There are no less than five negatives in this short sentence, and these connected with two verbs and one pronoun twice repeated. To give a literal translation is scarcely possible; it would run in this way: “No, I will not leave thee; no, neither will I not utterly forsake thee.” Those who understand the genius of the Greek language, and look at the manner in which these negatives are placed in the sentence, will perceive at once how much the meaning is strengthened by them, and to what an emphatic and energetic affirmative they amount… No, I will never leave thee; not I: I will never, never cast thee off.”

You might not be wealthy but if your attitude is to covet and crave for possessions, you’re already sinning. Being satisfied with what God has given you honors Him. God will never forsake us. God will test our faith by allowing us go through deserts but never will He leave His saints dying when they cry to Him. God feeds the birds and will care for those who trusts Him. God will not fail us but will be faithful.

Jesus knew that men struggle with managing their possessions. So He wisely said:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”   Mat 6:19

Do not worry Jesus said. This is a teaching most Christians heard in a sermon. Worrying is synonymous to faithlessness. You doubt God’s abilities when you worry. Jesus knows the heart of man and He reassured us through these words:

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Mat 6:31

Turn your eyes off the worldly treasures for they are temporary and you’ll be being satisfied with what you have. If your treasure is your money, your heart will be there. When you lose what you have, your heart also starts to fail and worry. Basically, if you want to be freed from the sin of cupidity you have to be content with what you have. And how to be content with what you have? It is by turning your eyes on heavenly things. Have faith. It is tough to keep our eyes on God the Father when there’s turmoil around us.

Many like amassing treasures but few of us enjoy giving. But giving really helps in freeing ourselves from selfishness and cupidity. I sometimes struggle in giving because of my personal needs. Paul said: “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

Do you realise who said He will not abandon you?  It’s when we do not know who God is that we refuse to live by faith. Relax dear readers. God will rescue you and no man can oppose His will. If you have put your hope in God, He is in control. If God manages your finances and what you earn, do not fear. By the way, is not it Him who has given you health to acquire wealth? Surrender yourself. Do not rely on what you have for in a twinkle of an eye you can lose all. What good is it to have a huge wealth but you’re unable to enjoy it? But it is a gift of God to be able to enjoy what you toiled for. To accept once lot in life and happily enjoy what you have is a blessing from God.

Ecclesiastes tells us:  “Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.” Ecc 5:18-20

It is not because we possess more that we will be more happy. This is the wisdom the teacher in Ecclesiastes wants to tell us. But the grace of being able to enjoy what you possess is a blessing.  I personally know a very rich man who was in constant conflict with his wife and ended up selling all his possessions and got divorced. He is still cleaving to his wealth and fears to spend. What a miserable man!

Proverbs 17:1 tells us: “Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.”

I would prefer love and peace amidst poverty in my home than constant conflict amidst overflowing wealth. To be satisfied with what you have and enjoy your wealth is not a blessing given to every man. So do not compare your wealth with someone else. Be rather thankful that you can enjoy your wealth. Our God is a rich God. Everything belongs to Him. He likes when we put our faith in Him instead of borrowing to fill up holes. Let us reconsider our attitude towards money. Let us be faithful stewards and bless others with our wealth.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” Hebrews 13:4

Our author has brilliantly presented to us Christ exalted and argued magnificently about doctrines. The author is not only concerned about our relationship to Christ but also about our attitude towards men. He wanted to exhort the readers to persevere in the faith while going through trials.  In the last chapter of our epistle, our author is briefly listing down some important recommendations about loving one another, doing good works and caring for the needy. Our epistle is in itself a complete kit for Christians to know God’s will.

In such a hugely doctrinally packed epistle, our author does not miss to give a short recommendation on marriage. Marriage was instituted in Eden by God Himself. God blesses marriage and hates divorce (Mal 2:16).

The amplified bible renders this verse as such:

“Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous.”

Let respect be given to those choosing to follow God’s guidelines as male and female. Let families, parents and the society praise such an honorable act. Jesus honored a wedding in Cana by His presence and also performed His first miracle there. Marriage is not a banality or a certificate like acquired at college. Marriage is an honorable act before God. Christian couples should be the happiest on this earth because the 2 individuals have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. The Holy Spirit makes these 2 individuals develop divine love like the one described in 1 Cor 13.

Marriage is a lifelong commitment between 2 individuals. Every sexual union involves life and God has His say in it. Adulterers and homosexuals dishonor God but those who follow rightfully His plan honor Him.  There is a mystery which happens when 2 bodies unite together. This is why adultery and polygamy are not within God’s plan. Sexual union is divinely approved and blessed only within marriage. Sexual relations outside marriage make you a rebel against God’s authority.

Paul tried to portray marriage as such:

^“As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Eph 5:31

When a husband and wife unite themselves together, there’s a bonding which occurs in the spiritual realm. Though we do not physically see it, the wife has been knitted to the husband through marriage by God. If the husband understands Jesus’ love and submit to His authority, his wife will not find it difficult to submit and respect him.

The husband’s body is no longer his own but also that of his wife. The wife’s flesh is no longer hers but also that of his husband. The 2 become one flesh and if the 2 separate, they are no longer one but half.

Paul described it as such:

“In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.” Eph 5:28

Sexual purity and fidelity are therefore adamant in such bonds. Paul portrays the relationship of a husband to his wife as of Christ with the church.  The husband should treat his wife as his own body like Christ cares for the church which is His body. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Christ is the groom and the church is represented as His bride which He dearly cherishes. Jesus went to the extent of purchasing her through His death. Christ is faithful to His bride and does everything for Her. Such should be the husband’s attitude towards his wife. Esteem highly the act of marriage for it honors God to see a husband committing himself to his wife.  Do you understand how a serious engagement it is? Let the man cleave to his wife and the marriage bed be undefiled says the author. Some people marry for the wrong reasons and eventually find themselves unhappy. It is always better to remain single than marrying the wrong person and struggle. Think well before you take that step.

Sexual immorality should not be even mentioned in the church Paul said in Ephesians 5. However, in the Corinthians church it happened and Paul said:

“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” 1 Cor 7:2-5

It is the responsibility of husband and wife to fulfill their marital duty. Paul also described the husband as not having authority on his own body but should rather yield his body to his wife and vice versa. The bible encourages sexual relations between husband and wife but heavily condemns fornication, adultery and homosexuality.  The sexually immoral will not inherit God’s kingdom (Rev 22:15, Gal 5:19, Eph 5:5).

Though I am not yet married and don’t know much about it, I believe that God is involved in it and He will stand as Judge to the vows said before Him. Give your congratulations to a newly married couple. Shake the hands of these genuine lovers. Watch also over them when they struggle.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.” Hebrews 13:2-3

At the time the author was speaking there were probably not many inns where people could stay. We are living in a corrupted society and for security reasons no one likes to take the risk to host strangers in his home. The author is probably making allusion to strangers serving God. For example, Abraham and Lot hosted strangers without knowing they were angels.

When I was on a mission trip this year, a family hosted me and some other team members. What marked me was their attitude in caring for me. It was not really about what they could offer but about their willingness to help. It cost them their time, energy and money to host me and they did it with all their heart. This couple and children did much sacrifice and this is something I could not repay back. It was not about money but about the host’s attitude for demonstrating hospitality.

Still on the mission trip, I did not have the opportunity to visit prisoners but some of my team members were able to. Their visit at prison marked them for life. Going there and experience the atmosphere was a unique experience. We could all have been behind the bars if Christ did not snatch us from our depravity. A fit of rage could have led us to make an unrepairable mistake like crime of passion. Without the Spirit in us to tame us, we don’t know if we would have had issues with law today. Some people in prisons did a stupid mistake during the immature days of their youth and now they are behind the bars.

Some have been caught up with drugs due to bad influence or poverty. No one wants to go to jail. Being deprived of his liberty is a very hard blow for a man. Many prisoners regret what they did but unfortunately it’s too late. The author is not asking us to get people out of prison but rather visit them. Show them love even though they are despised by the society. Remember you were also a prisoner of sin and it’s not something you’re proud of(Eph 2:1-3). One day someone visited you in your spiritual prison to present you Christ. Christ has redeemed you and you now have spiritual liberty. Think of those who are physically deprived of their liberty and are imprisoned in their sins. A prisoner is often stigmatized by the society and still unloved when released.  Remember you could also have been one of them if you were in similar situations as them. I had the opportunity to visit drug addicts in a detoxification centre. These people resemble you and I but the difference is that they are trapped in a vice and shouting for help. They know that by themselves they are unable to leave their drugs and alcohol. They are miserable men and women. They saw their families destroyed by their own hands. These men love their wives and kids and miss them. It is so easy to judge and despise these people. But listen to their story. Ask them what led them to that state. Ask them what happened while under influence of drugs/alcohol. I saw a man whose legs and hands were broken and was almost dead when alcohol was flowing in his veins. No one takes pleasure to suffer like that. But the fact is that these people messed up somewhere and we cannot just wash our hands. They need Jesus, they need hope, peace and love. Who can pass on this genuine hope and love if not us who have the Spirit indwelling us? Think also about those who suffer and persecuted unfairly.  When you’re in prison or addicted to drug, your status no longer matters. You’re trapped and imprisoned. Let us go back to the basics brothers and sisters. We often boast about the great events organised in our churches or how great the sermon was. But remember the poor, remember the prisoners and those enslaved in vices. I am personally guilty of failing to pass on Christ’s love. Jesus said that it’s a serious offense unto Him if we never visited one of His followers who was jailed. He portrayed it as such:

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,you were doing it to me!’“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Mat 25:40-46

Demonstrate consideration and care for those who are stigmatised and tagged by the society as “problems”. Jesus came to save sinners irrespective of who they are and what they did.

Epistle to the Hebrews

 “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 13:1

Loving one another forms part of the central teaching of Jesus.  Loving God and people were explicitly described as being the greatest commandments.

“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Mat 22:37

In the Gospel of Mark 12:29, Jesus described love as a commandment for which there’s no greater than it.

We cannot talk about Christianity without mentioning love. It’s because God so loved the world that He gave His son.

John says in his letter:

“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11

“If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.” 1 John 3:14

Loving one another is not just a teaching but a command. Loving others is an evidence that we are children of light and passed from death to life. Why is love so central to Christianity?

Paul described love as a debt.

“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” Romans 13:8, Gal 5:14

The entire law is based on loving God and loving people. If we love God we will not sin against Him and when we love people we won’t hurt them. If you love God, you won’t commit idolatry and if you love your wife, you won’t commit adultery. From love was the law derived. The laws given by God were to make people draw closer to Him and take care of others.

Much has been written and many will write on this very deep word – Love. The media twists love as being a feeling or sexual. But love is not a feeling but a commitment. Love is all about giving yourself for someone else.

Paul describes love as such:

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Cor 13:4-7

When we love someone, we’re patient with that person’s weaknesses. When we are impatient, it’s probably because of selfishness. God has been very patient with me and it’s something I do not deserve at all. Love is also kind, it is gentle and caring. Love is not harsh or bullying but demonstrates tenderness. Love is not arrogant. Love is also not envious and jealous. When someone is envious, it is probably because that person compares what he has with what others owe and is unsatisfied. Love is not boastful or proud because it has nothing to prove. Love is either genuine or not. It is not conceited. This love does not look down on others. Love is humble and seeks not to be placed on a footstool and praised. It tries not to impress or is double-faced. Love gives without expecting anything in return. It does not boast at how much it did but naturally serves others. Love seeks not it’s own interest but that of someone else. Love is also not rude but respectful. Love does not insist on its own rights but rather gives up his rights to bind the relationship. It accepts to lose and sacrifice it’s ego for the sake of that relationship.

Let us look at a verse which describes Jesus’ attitude as giving up:
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.Though he was God,he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.Instead, he gave up his divine privileges^” Phil 2:3-5

Love is quick to forgive and slow to get angry:

^“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Col 3:12-13

Love gets over an offense and seeks to heal the wounds quickly. Love forgives and forgets. It is not resentful. Love makes allowances for others faults and is slow to judge. Love is not irritable. It cannot be provoked to withhold good when wronged. It does not retort or aims to return wrong for wrong. Love never ceases to forgive and does not count how much forgiving or good it has been.  It will be ready to forgive wholeheartedly even – 70 times 7(Mat 18:23). It never says it has done enough or forgave much. It keeps on seeking to serve others. Love rejoices when good is done and does not tolerate injustice. It has no part in injustice but rather condemns it. Love is not suspicious but trusts. Love is innocent to evil. It is hopeful and will endure. Spiritual gifts will cease, heaven and earth will pass away but love will still remain as being the character God expects to see in us for eternity.  Love is a permanent command. Love faces adversity and storms but feelings are attenuated with them. Real love is a commitment and is long-suffering. The more love rubs with difficulties the brighter it shines.

Keep on loving others with this love.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.” Hebrews 12:25-29

Once again, our author wants to stress on the danger of heedlessness. Our churches are plagued by lethargy. What does that mean? It means that many hearts are hardened to God’s warning. There’s overconfidence and negligence. There’re many warnings the bible gives about obedience, holiness and faith and these were not given to just to fill up space on papyrus. For example, one who has a hardened heart is  someone who reads the verses 25-29 of Hebrews 12 and it brings not the soul to self examination.  Our author mentioned several times in previous chapters about the danger of heedlessness. Once again he insists “Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking“. If there was no danger there would be no warnings.

Moses was just a feeble and sinful man like us. Moses gave the law and had much authority.

Jesus said:

“Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.” John 5:45

However, an Israelite could perhaps stand before God’s throne and discredit Moses as a witness because Moses was also a sinner.  But how will you do that if you stand face to face with the Son who testifies that you rejected Him?

We know that Jesus will stand as advocate for those who have put their trust in Him. But behold! God has also appointed the Son as Judge.

“In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him… And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face,and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.” John 5:22,38

Do you understand that there will be no appeal when the Son will judge? The Son has been appointed by the Father and He will be a blameless judge. One can try to discredit Moses as witness but no one will be able to discredit the Son’s authority.

The Son’s mission on earth was not to judge but to save. However, His blood, Word and scars will stand as witnesses against those who rejected Him. God will ask “I have given you my Son, why did you reject Him?”

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. The bible tells us that we are already judged for not believing in the Son. The issue here is not about all the sins we did but about this gross sin of rejecting the Son.

 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18

The Son purged out the sins of the whole world(John 1:29 , 1 John 2:2) no matter how big they were. But if there’s a sin which could not and cannot be removed, it is the rejection of God’s Son as Lord. Ignoring Jesus’ work on the cross or turning away from Him is equal to judgement. There was no escape when the Israelites disobeyed the Mosaic law. They were punishments which went as severe as stoning. How do you think you’ll escape the Son’s wrath (see Book of revelation)?

God provided Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  If you have not been able to reach green pastures whilst others did, will you be able to stand before God and say that the Shepherd was not capable to feed you? You are either His sheep or not.  If you’re His sheep you will follow Him.

Jesus said: “The sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” John 10:4

Moses was an imperfect leader but not so with God’s appointed Shepherd. A mercenary does not owe the sheep and will not care for them as the owner would. Moses and Joshua were servants God appointed to take care of His flock. But they were like hired hands, they were not the shepherd of these sheep. Jesus is the owner and He  even gave His life for them.

“The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.” John 10:14

We have seen that it was terrible event when God spoke from Sinai. The final judgement will come and heaven and earth will pass.

“I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places…And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb ” Rev 6:12,16

Everything that is temporary will be removed. This world we are living in is soon going to be shaken (Rev 8:5). At God’s voice, the earth foundations will be removed and it will crash everywhere. This is a recurrent reminder in our epistle. The new Jerusalem of Revelation 21 is where God dwells and will never last (Rev 22).

Our author ends this chapter with these strong concluding words:

“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire”

Let us consider the glory and holiness of our God. Our God is a holy God, he is a devouring fire and His holiness will consume His enemies. So let’s worship God with holy fear. He is calling us to come to Him to Mount Zion with a heart of worship.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22-24

Our author wants to talk about a spiritual mountain – Mount Zion as being the place where God symbolically dwells.

Mount Zion is mentioned in Revelation as being the place where the Lamb stood with 144000 blameless souls.

“Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.” Revelation 14:1

In Psalms we read:

“It is high and magnificent;the whole earth rejoices to see it!Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King!God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,revealing himself as its defender.” Ps 48:2

The book of revelation represent Mount Zion as a place of glory and as God’s holy city – Jerusalem:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ..So he took me in the Spiritto a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” Rev 21:1,10

Mount Zion symbolically represents Jerusalem, it’s stronghold. It is where God reigns (Is 24:23) while Mount Sinai even though is a very important place represents God’s law. Our author probably wants the Jews to turn their eyes from the Law to God’s dwelling place. The glory of Sinai is gone, look at the everlasting glory on Zion. Mount Zion (Ps 125:1) is synonymous to security and glory. It is difficult for me to expose how significant these mountains are for the Jews, but from what I read from the scripture, I understand mount Zion as being the place where God is calling us to be. Mount Sinai was a fearful and terrible place which made the Jews want to run away. Sinai is a place where God wants to put a barrier between Himself and sinful man. But Mount Zion is a place of refuge.

The author wants to contrast Zion and Sinai as such:

• You have come to God’s dwelling place where angels joyfully worship God. This is God’s permanent dwelling place.
• In this place, God’s people are gathered to freely worship the Lamb. No more fear and trembling at God’s voice.
• You have come to God Himself and have part in His glorious presence. No more exclusion like Sinai. Zion is representative of God’s glory in it’s fulness.
• You have come to Jesus. This is the reason why Zion is not a fearful place like Sinai. Jesus stands as mediator and invites us. It is not Moses who stands as mediator but God’s Son Himself. Sinai brought fear and said woe to the murderers. Abel could cried out vengeance when pointing to the 6th commandment “Thou shalt not murder”. But the Son’s blood was shed for forgiveness says come to Mount Zion to worship.

Do you understand dear readers that God wants us to come to Him? The Israelites saw God under the law and were so terrified. Through Jesus, we are now called to come to this Holy God. God’s wrath is satisfied. Jesus has cleansed us from our sins and God is no longer hostile to us. This is grace. No more exclusion and fear of death if approaching God.  Let us go in God’s Holy presence without fear but with assurance because of the Lamb who stands there.

5 times our author says “You have come” and not “you will come”. The Israelites also came near Mount Sinai and but could not come closer. But you have already been brought to Mount Zion by our new Mediator, come closer to God’s presence. This is not terrifying Sinai. Come closer and worship the Holy God without fear.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.” Hebrews 12:18-21

In my opinion, this is the most fearful verse of the bible. God’s presence requires absolute holiness and perfection. When Moses saw the burning bush at mount Sinai and wanted to get closer, God told him:

“Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.” Ex 3:5

No mortal man can understand what it means to stand in God’s holy presence. Those who experienced a glimpse of God’s glory all felt face to ground and were like dead  (Rev 1:17, Daniel 8:18, Eze 1:28, Isaiah 6:5 ). Words cannot describe this feeling of being in God’s holy presence. The Israelites, Moses and our author tried to describe this situation as terrible, frightening, terrifying and trembling. Others fainted and thought they were doomed when found in God’s presence. When human ears heard the awesome trumpet blast and God’s voice, they were such in terror that they even begged God to stop speaking! They could no longer take it. This was God’s presence on mount Sinai. Now just imagine how heaven is! The seraphim and cherubim for instance were high profile angels who had exclusive closeness to God. They could not look at God’s glory either.

When Moses asked God to see His glory, God told Him “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh,before you… But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live. he Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock.As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen” Ex 33:21-33

What Moses asked at this moment was probably the highest request God ever heard from a mortal man. God could not let Moses see the fulness of His glory, it would have been fatal otherwise. Moses had the audacity to make such a petition because God considered him his friend. My communion with God is not enough intimate and I’m so unworthy that I lack faith to make such a request. But when I look at the Son, I believe He wants me to approach with confidence to the throne of grace (Heb 4:16). God Himself arranged for Moses to see part of His glory. Moses faith was really built up after this encounter with God.

Moses’s face was even radiant when he left God’s presence. The Israelites were afraid to come near him.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” Ex 34:29

We read in Psalm 97:

“The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;let the distant shores rejoice.Clouds and thick darkness surround him;righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.His lightning lights up the world;the earth sees and trembles.The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,before the Lord of all the earth.”

This description overwhelms me. This is not science fiction dear readers, this is YAHWEH. Consider God’s holiness !

On judgement day, heaven and earth will flee from His presence. Every knee shall bow before the righteous Judge. Oh what a wonderful day that will be when we’ll see Jesus face to face! Seeing God’s glory is an indescribable experience. Human eyes were not designed to contemplate such beauty and glory. Let us dare like Moses say with a heart of faith “Show me your glory”.

John said: “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure” 1 John 3:2

Moses had to hide in the cleft on the rock before God’s presence. But because of the Son, we’ll stand with confidence in God’s presence and even participate in His glory. This is amazing!

“And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.” Col 3:4

The flesh cannot inherit God’s Kingdom. This is why the Son transforms our mortal body into immortal and glorious ones.

Paul tells us that “ What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.” 1 Cor 15:50

“For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.” 1 Cor 15:53

Moses’s glory faded on his face(2 Cor 3:13) but look at what the Son and the Spirit do:

“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” Phil 3:21

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Cor 3:18

Do you understand dear readers that no one can stand in God’s presence with a mortal body? This means that our body needs to be transformed for us to be admitted in heaven. It is the Son who clothes us with this new robe.

“But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mat 22:11

You and I have no idea how glorious is this God to whom we pray. So when you go in your room to spend time with the God Moses saw on Mount Sinai, let your requests be few and your mouth full of praises.

As Ecclesiastes said : “As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. ” Ecclesiastes 5:1

In the next post, we’ll see how the author wants to invite us to another Mount. It’s not the physical mount of Sinai where the law was given and God’s presence was not in its fulness. He wants to present us Mount Zion – the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.” Hebrews (12:15-17)

• The danger of bitterness

After exhorting believers to live at peace and living a holy life, our author now desires that the Hebrews diligently take care of each other. He wants the Hebrews to take the responsibility to oversee and not just wait for problems to happen to intervene. He’s speaking about a mutual concern for God’s family. If roots of bitterness are starting to grow, take it seriously. Do not assume it will be ok. Take preventive measures and deal with it. When conflicts occur between church members, the leadership try to intervene to bring reconciliation. However, when conflicts occur within the leadership, church members should also be sensible to it and not just assume that the leaders are mature enough to deal with it. The author describes bitterness as being poisonous. It is poisonous because conflict within the church quickly spread through gossiping. It can start from something ridiculous like a musical instrument not well tuned or the worship leader praying too long.

James tells us that a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire: “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” James 3:5

Our author wants each Christian to be sensible about these little roots of bitterness which sprout and act thereof. The longer we wait, the thicker and deeper this root becomes. Within the church we have people with different ideology, behavior, preference and attitude. It is bound to happen that conflicts will occur. May God grant us discernment and wisdom to deal with love whenever these poisonous roots start to grow.  I should also mention that whenever someone has bitterness or grudge in his heart, this soul is sick. This person did not have fellowship with Christ for while. The Spirit always convicts us about bitterness in our heart when we are in communion with God. Even with all the conflicts Paul faced with churches, he acted like a father and cared for the flock.

^“I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.” 2 Cor 2

Bitterness is something real in the church and needs to be dealt with.  We know that the devil’s plan is to cause division, discouragement and bitterness. Let us not allow Satan to outsmart us. Let us forgive and reaffirm our love.

Paul said in Ephesians:

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Eph 4:31-32

No one likes to confront and be confronted. However, we understand that if we are aware that there’s bitterness we should take this responsibility to bring it to attention. Peter tells us that the devil is like a roaring lion trying to devour.

“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God…Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5

• The danger of godlessness

We have seen earlier how Esau despised his birthright for a stew. He did not value his birthright and he traded it for nothing. However, Jacob desired what Esau had and did what he could to get it.  Jacob first took Esau’s birthright and also Isaac’s blessings. Our author called Esau’s action as godlessness. This is a great lesson for us to not take for granted our salvation. Complacency and lukewarmness are great dangers in our churches. Many Christians do not realise the privilege they have to be God’s children and heirs of Christ (Rom 8:17). Give them a profitable job and here they are neglecting their communion with God. How many Christians have traded their liberty in Christ because of money, glory and worldly privileges? Consider dear readers that you were bought at high price to be given this right of becoming a child of God (1 John 3:1). It required the Holy and righteous God to die on a cross.

“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world” 1 Cor 7:23

There will NOT be the possibility to be restored back to repentance if you have denied Christ through the way you live. If you’re treating as unworthy your right of being a child of God, be aware that you’re in danger of losing it. There will be no way of getting back what you’ve sold even if begging with tears like Esau did.

As Hebrews 10:29 says “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?“

Epistle to the Hebrews

“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. .”Hebrews 12:14

• Working at living in peace

Paul said in Romans:

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:17-19

The author of Hebrews and Paul, mentioned about the importance of not being hostile. It is about having Christ’s attitude and not causing harm to others. We often want to fight for our rights and at the end we are becoming foes to others.  As far as it depends on us we need to make our best to be peacemakers. There’re situations where you naturally because an enemy to others because you want to lift up Christ’s standards. Being at peace with everyone does not imply compromising Christ’s standards to be inoffensive. Jesus had enemies because He wanted to do His Father’s will and it naturally caused disagreements.

When desiring to follow Jesus it is inevitable that discord and opposition will occur even in families. He said: “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” Mat 10:34

The peace we’re talking about here refers to our attitude towards man. We need to work at it in our workplace, at school and even at church. Some people won’t oppose you because of your faith in Christ so if you’re hostile to them, you’re expected to reconsider your behavior. Peace is something we need to work at to make it happen. Several times, I heard Christians saying that they are persecuted at work because of their faith but the truth is that they get into conflicts because they do not demonstrate Christ-likeness.

As Peter said:

“So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of Godrests upon you.If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!” 1 Peter 4:14

We should be the one who make our working place a healthy place to work and not a place of tension.

Jesus said in Mat 5:

“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Mat 5:9

• Work at living a holy life

Your ears are perhaps saturated hearing this exhortation of living a holy life. But we always need to be reminded about living a holy life because our flesh is weak and our God is Holy. We cannot have fellowship with God if our hearts and thoughts are evil. God is intransigent concerning holiness. In the old covenant, if an animal even touched mount Sinai, it had to be stoned to death (Ex 19:13). God’s anger burned against Uzzah because he wanted to give a helping hand to the ark which was falling. Even if he was a Levite, he was struck to death by God on the spot. Uzzah was a religious man whose job was to actually look after holy things. However, perhaps Uzzah became too familiar with God’s things and probably started to take lightly God’s holiness. Maybe he assumed it was permissible for him to touch God’s Holy things at that instant.

If you’re a minister of the Gospel, be careful of not treating as an ordinary thing God’s Holy Gospel and presence. No matter how a faithful servant you have been, if you ever rebel against God’s holiness, you’ll have Him as foe. For example, remember that Jesus said that the sin against God’s Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” Mark 3:28

No matter how innocent act it was to prevent the ark from falling, Uzzah violated God’s law and it was fatal at that very moment (2 Sam 6). We cannot approach God’s holy presence if our heart is evil. In fact without holiness no one will see God. We should not take it for granted that we are going to heaven no matter how we live. Yes we know that Jesus’ blood is powerful to cleanse our sins, that He is our advocate and the High Priest who intercedes for us. But remember that Jesus is also God. Your attitude should demonstrate that you abhor what is evil and work at it to get rid of every sin that entangles you.

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9

Job was a man who wanted to live a holy life, he said: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.” Job 31:1

Jesus even taught us:

“So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell“ Mat 18:8

What is your attitude with sin? Do you work at getting rid of sins or are you complacent with how you are? A Christian should hate sin and not cherish them. God is love, faithful, forgiving and merciful but He is also Holy. It is because of His holiness that sinners are going to hell. It is because of His holiness that Jesus had to endure God’s holy wrath. God is righteous and sin is not something that He tolerates. The Spirit works in us to make us holy (2 Cor 3:18) because without holiness no one will see God.

“So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” 1 Peter 1:14

In God’s presence John (Revelation 1:17), Daniel (8:18), Isaiah (6:5) and Moses (Hebrews 12:21) were terrified and were like dead.

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead.” Rev 1:17

Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling” Heb 12:21

“While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.” Daniel 8:18

“Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Is 6:5